So… this is my first Walking Dead fic, and I gotta admit I haven't written fic in quite a few years. But I just can't accept that Beth is dead and I gotta write about my feelings. So I hope you enjoy it, and feel free to let me know how I can make it better! (I'd also love an editor, so message me if you're interested in editing.) The title is a reference to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' song "Home"

"Laugh until we think we'll die,

Barefoot on a summer night

Never could be sweeter than with you"

xxx

It was a particularly cold afternoon and Daryl needed to get away, being huddled in the small church with the whole group was slowly driving him mad. The past four months had been a blur of moving further north towards Virginia, and setting up camp somewhere in the hills of North Carolina for the winter. The time went by with little to no incidents and Daryl thought to himself as he walked away from the church, he wouldn't have cared much if there had been. Since the events at Grady Memorial he couldn't bring himself to care about much of anything. Hunting helped, it helped him forget about everything he had lost when he could sink himself into hunter mode; thinking of nothing other than survival. The worst was when he had nothing to do at the church and would let his mind wonder.

Daryl loaded his cross bow as he walked into the woods, stepping lightly over the fallen leaves on the ground as and beginning to look for animal tracks. Within no time Daryl had caught a belt-full of squirrels and even two rabbits, he looked up after dressing the last rabbit and noticed the sky was beginning to turn pink as the sun started to set. He didn't want to be out in the woods in the dark so he decided to pack up and call it a day. As he knelt down to wipe his hunting knife on his pants, It was then that he heard it, a twig snapping a few feet behind him. He whirled around, and pulled his knife up into a position ready to throw. When he faced the figure who had made the noise the knife in his hand fell to the ground with a thud and his mouth hung open in shock.

"Beth…" Her name tore from his throat like sob. "Beth what're you… how?" He stuttered, his feet stumbling beneath him as he moved toward her. Four months had gone by since he had seen her face, and her glimmering hair. Four months since he watched as Rick and Glen shoveled dirt onto her body; and four months since he had placed one of his cross bow bolts and an empty moonshine bottle on her makeshift grave.

He looked at her. Directly at her now, amazed, bewildered and slightly terrified. She looked awfully thin, thinner than he had ever seen her. Her eyes were wide, and her hair which was once long and beautiful was cut short like Carol's and matted with dirt. Finally as he stepped towards her she gasped his name and collapsed into his arms, pulling him towards the ground as she crumpled like a leaf. Daryl caught her fall and wrapped himself around her as he lifted her up. She was so much lighter than she had been when he carried her across the graveyard to that funeral home months ago.

As he adjusted her in his arms he could tell she was unconscious, "Beth… it's gonna be a'right…" he mumbled under his breath, determined to get the girl to safety. He struggled to pick up his knife for a moment without putting Beth down and when he stood up again he let out yet another surprised breath.

"I don't want any trouble…" Daryl muttered quickly, his arms tightening on Beth protectively. "I'm just tryin' to get back to my people."

"Put the girl down, she's with me." The stranger said slowly, his hand moving towards the gun strapped to his side. He was wearing a hooded coat and scarf, every part of his body covered except for his face, and he was clearly carrying more weapons than Daryl.

"I know her, and I'm takin' her back to her family." He said with determination.

"Family?"

"Yeah…" Daryl grumbled, "Her sister thinks she's dead…We all thought she was gone…" The stranger pulled down his hood and fixed Daryl with an amused smile.

"You with Rick?" He asked cautiously, taking his hand off of his weapon and stepping forward.

Daryl tensed again, not wanting to give too much away to this man he had never met. "You a friend of Ricks?" He asked, shifting Beth into a more comfortable position in his arms.

"You could say that." The man explained, "I don't know if he's mentioned me, but I'm Morgan."

The name rang a bell for Daryl, He knew Morgan had been the first person Rick ran into after waking up in the hospital, but he didn't know if he was a good person or not.

"Look, I've gotta get Beth to the group, she's obviously not in good shape." Daryl said slowly, weighing his options. "I guess you've been taking care of her, so I gotta trust you a little…" Morgan cut him off,

"I wouldn't do anything to hurt Rick or his people." Morgan stated, "You can trust me."

Daryl shrugged and nodded, "C'mon then." He said, turning and beginning the trek back to the church.