Chapter 1

Uneven footsteps thudded across the dry Georgia dust that day, fleeing and falling away from the tragic scene behind. Eyes wide, lungs burnt from the force of their panicked footsteps, the smell of smoke and blood filling the air. The brush of the dense forest scratched on skin, the sharp stinging of the wound aggravated by the wind blowing through as they ran.

Sullen sounds of the dead and the crackle of fire became more and more distance as the forest stretched on, seemingly endless. All of a sudden they came to a stop, crumbling into the thick leaf bed below, tired feet and searing lungs seemed to be the only threat for now.

Their ragged breathing was the only sound, lungs strained from the smoke and dust far behind them. But Beth couldn't escape it. There it was.. unrelenting like a constant loop of terrifying film.The Governor, the ring of the sword, the blood..

"My Daddy is dead.."

Her voice didn't sound like her own, it was empty and detached like she was trying so hard to believe that it was real. Daryl on the other hand was painfully aware. It stung so hard he could almost double over in pain; Hershel the man he'd deeply respected.. hell it was more than that, the man he thought of as family was gone. Gone..The ring of the sword was ever piercing in his ears, the way the mirrored blade came away tarnished in the beloved man's blood flashed again and again.

A laboured breath, a shake of his head and it was fading, the pain of the ever so fresh memory of moments ago was washed away and a wave of sound filled its place; the girls breathing was loud as she laid near him, staring into the blue smear of sky that was barely visible behind the clouds of pillowing dark smoke that towered behind the trees.

"C'mon..." Daryl breathed, rising to look down at the Blonde haired orphan on the ground.

Slowly she rose, looking warily around , scoping out the terrain for Walkers. A grubby tanned hand nudged her arm, giving her the signal to walk beside the him deep into the darkening forest..

We can live here for the rest of our lives..

It seemed so long ago. That small sentence scrawled on a page, it almost felt like another life to Beth as she sat there on the dry ground staring blankly at the fire. It popped and crackled some, leaving blotches in front of her eyes as they scanned to the man opposite. He hadn't said anything, even when she'd asked to do something...anything except sit here powerless. She felt it, buried under the grief, that spark of hope cracking to break free. Just like the itch in her feet, it pushed her to move, run, search for her family in any way possible.

"There's got to be other survivors?" she said, suddenly irritated at the man's blatant disregard for her words.

"You're a tracker? You can track!" Beth couldn't stop herself, it kept coming, frustration fuelling her actions, unlike her in every way. The stoic man in front of her didn't respond much, the blank flick of his eyes at her now upright stance was Beth's only tell that he was actually listening. It made her angrier, stoking the embers of anger in her gut.

"Fine. If you won't track, I will."

Daryl sat there, listening but silent wishing the overly optimistic teen would sit the hell down and stop whining. It was unlikely there was anyone left alive. Almost immediately he blinked, inwardly scolding himself. Rick was strong so was Michonne.. they must have got out. The girl's boots stomped into the forest and Daryl found himself getting up, the heavy weight of obligation making him follow. With heavy legs he dowsed the fire with dirt and walked the opposite way against the brush, silently trying to find the teenager he'd hardly spoken to but someone found himself minding.

It was light when he found her, the birds chirping loudly in a nearby tree. He'd heard her before he spotted her blonde hair. Daryl knew she wasn't a tracker, nothing of the sort but her efforts to keep concealed were piss poor. He'd stepped forward out of the trees to say something but obscured tracks caught his attention, the light in the depths of him flickered but quickly dissipated when the boot prints were uncovered. Hours old..

Daryl could almost feel the bloom of optimism coming off Beth, she stood maybe a metre behind him, peering into the tracks she knew nothing about.

"Whoever they are it means they're alive.."

"No." He bit. "It means they were alive four or five hours ago." Daryl looked up, wondering how he got saddled with someone so out of touch with the reality of this new world. Not as in denial as some but bad enough. She should know better.

"They're alive." she'd hissed and the urge to snap at her boiled but she'd stormed off just in time.

Beth paused, looking down at the grapes in the bandana Daryl had shoved at her, his attempt of an apology at mentioning her Father she supposed. Her stomach growled at the measly things in her hand. The urge to eat them was strong but the thought of the others starving somewhere outweighed the need.

"They're gonna be hungry when we find 'um" She muttered at Daryl's back, he'd moved forward peaking her attention.

She took a moment to look at the man in front of her. She'd not taken any time to look at him before, he was cool headed but aggressive and hell...no one could miss the unfailing pessimism pouring off of him.

Human Blood.. he'd said, they'd put up a fight but whoever it was didn't come out unscathed and in this world that meant certain death. Beth felt instantly ashamed, she'd reprimanded Daryl for his lack of faith just a few moments earlier.

Beth's heart jumped as a twig snapped. The long knife she'd acquired held its own in the air, ready: but a cold hand gripped her shoulder from behind, surprising her. Expecting an attack from the front she'd not been as prepared as she'd first thought. Beth yelped at the cold contact; teeth snapped at her exposed shoulders as she squirmed, the knife becoming useless in her hands all she could do was shove. A growl came from Daryl as he swooped after a miss directed arrow, his hands grabbing the rotting Walker. Beth fell away, fumbling for her knife as Daryl rolled over yanking the writhing shell of a man with him. The knife she so easily dropped was driven into the decaying skull of the walker; she'd done it.. This time it wasn't through the safety of a fence. Beth found herself in a state of somewhat confusion, she had no faith in herself as a fighter but the action came from somewhere deep. Somewhere locked off from anyone, it held all the rage directed to one person; The Governor.

"C'mon.." She heard Daryl breathe, he was looking at her with an emotion she couldn't place. But Beth knew there was anger hidden somewhere, even if there was she knew he'd never divulge it. He said nothing, breathing heavily. All she was wanted to do was sit and cry but somehow Beth knew it wasn't an option, not now..

Daryl had seen the boy sized shoe before Beth but he had no doubt that the girl behind him had her own take on what happened here. Blood tarnished the ground, there was no conceivable evidence that it was anyone they knew, but that sinking feeling Daryl knew well settled in his gut. The ground squelched underfoot, it was slippery with organs and sinew; the hunched Walkers fed nosily the leftovers didn't go wasted. Without a second thought he despatched them swiftly with an arrow; retrieving them he yanked angrily, snatching the arrows back.

He'd all but forgotten the girl; until she cried. Shallow, sharp sounds stopped his fast pace, she was crying, mourning the people that were now smears of blood in dirt. Daryl stopped, looking over his shoulder at her, there wasn't anything to do.. no point in tears so he looked away trudging against the tracks. But something unknown stopped him, something different and he turned, helplessly staring once again. She was shaking with tears and he knew, that in this moment they weren't just for the people that were; they were for her Father, for Maggie for everyone he himself had been trying to forget.

Beth's fingers scanned the lined pages of the diary she'd kept hidden before ripping them out and throwing it in the fire. Her eyes were sore and heavy but sleep didn't come, she'd watched Daryl walk away for a time and come back with a Rabbit. She'd declined food but Daryl had, had none of it shoving a stick of cooked meat her way. Secretly happy that she'd been shown the slightest bit of regard from her begrudged fellow survivor. She ate slowly reading the words she'd written a lifetime before.

I believe for Daddy, if this doesn't work.. I don't know how I could keep going..

The words rang clear and painfully true. She didn't know how to keep going, there was no tangible evidence that anyone she'd ever loved was alive, but that unmistakable glow from the light within her hadn't gone out. Beth didn't know why she even spoke, but when she looked up Daryl was paying attention.

"We're going to find them. We will."