"When are we leavin' em?"

Beth's low whisper perked Daryl's ears. It was the first thing she had said to him since they gathered their stuff and started following the Claimers. Daryl looked up at the grey, gloomy sky and gave a slight shiver at the unforgiving Winter breeze. He didn't want to answer her because he honestly didn't know when they'd have the chance. Strength in numbers wasn't worth sticking around these men but the weather was getting colder and food was scarce.

He answered her back with the same volume she gave him, "When we get the chance."

Beth looked over at him and then back to the road in front of her. She still was favoring her ankle but it had healed well during their time together. If they had to, she could run. That was important for an infinite amount of reasons. Joe had mentioned catching up with a man who had killed one of their own. Daryl wasn't going to stick around for that and neither was Beth. When the men were side tracked by their new victim, they would ditch them at the right moment. It had to be quick but smart.

It was half way through the day when they finally took their first rest. Daryl held out a candy bar for Beth to take and Beth looked up at him with a wide smile, "You been savin' this just for me?" Daryl shrugged in a bashful way and that just made Beth's smile brighten, "Well thanks, Mr. Dixon."

He shook his head but gave a smirk as she took it from him, "How's your ankle?"

She slid her leg up to her chest and touched at her injury, "Its way better than it was when you found me." Daryl gently moved her hand and caressed her ankle. He kneaded harder and she let out a hiss of pain and he muttered an apology as he let some of the pressure off.

It had occurred to him at that time that she never did tell him what happened after the funeral house. He never pressed her for it because, well, it didn't really matter what happened. She was here and he wasn't alone like he had been. But it still made him curious.

Beth had survived at least a whole day on her own before she found him. She hadn't depended on anyone. She survived on her own. Sure, it was only a day but being out there alone for any amount of time was scary, especially for her. A sheltered farm girl who probably had never been lost and alone a day in her life.

She was very good at listening and learning, that was apparent. Her hands were rougher than he remembered which meant she had to have created some shelter. There was also some burns he noticed on her fingers signaling she had made a fire as well. She had definitely killed a number of walkers by the amount of blood and dirt she was caked in from head to toe. Her clothes were still covered in the filth because they had yet to find a clothing store and Daryl didn't like the idea of her bathing/doing laundry in a nearby stream with these men around not to mention the risk of hypothermia. She was a trooper though.

"Makes me look like I'm someone who no one would wanna mess with." She had told him with a small smile. He knew she hated it even if she was trying really hard to act like she didn't hate it.

Joe let out a sharp whistle, signaling it was time to go. Daryl hadn't noticed that his hand was still on her ankle as he was thinking. Beth had a quizzical look on her face, "Where'd ya' go?"

Daryl released her ankle and shrugged it off, "Nowhere."

He got up and he caught her rolling her eyes as he offered his hand to her to help her up. When she stood up she looked at him again and said, "One of these days, I'm not gonna take you shrugging off my questions as an answer."

He gave her a sideways look before he picked up her back pack and handed it to her in which she took it from him with a cheeky smile on her face. Beth's hand found his shortly after they began walking again, and he accepted into his like it was second nature which confused him a little. He hadn't ever hidden the fact from the group that he hated to be touched. He had his dark childhood to thank for that. But with Beth, it was different. She had changed him and made him a better person, a more trusting person.

As the sun was starting to set, an injured doe limped across the road a small ways away from them. The young deer was totally unaware of the group's presence and even though Daryl was in the back, he brought his hand from Beth's. Cocking his crossbow, he sent his bolt flying which barely missed a few Claimers' heads. The bolt went right through the doe's head, ultimately ending the creature's suffering.

"Claimed." Daryl called but of course, his arrow wasn't the only arrow in the dead doe. Len's arrow accompanied his and even though Daryl had claimed it first he knew Len was going to open his stupid mouth.

"Claimed? Ya gotta be kiidin' me. Joe, you said food was not claimed no more." Len exclaimed, teeth bared and spitting his words at both Daryl and Beth. "The little bitch already has three helpings every time we fucking sit down to eat."

Daryl bristled at his words and started towards Len but Beth got in front of him. He knew she was saying something, but he was so angry he wasn't listening and kept walking. He wasn't pushing her but he was making her step back while getting closer to Len.

"Daryl, don't!" Beth screamed at him which cause him to slow to a stop. When she had his attention she whispered, "He isn't worth it."

He registered her words and stopped but was still glaring fiercely at Len and his anger hadn't died down. He brought his eyes from Len to Beth and then to Joe. Daryl finally shook his head and said through gritted teeth, "Ya' said canned food. Ya' never side anythin' about live game." He looked back over to Len, pointing a finger at him, "Asshole's been bagging squirrels behind our backs. I've seen him."

Len shook his head but Daryl saw the startled look on his face, signaling Len hadn't known Daryl had been watching him.

From the front of the group, Joe looked to Daryl then Beth and then finally to Len and asked, "That true, Len?"

Len glared at Daryl, "No, I been putin' all my findins in the center. Like we supposed too."

"Damn liar." Daryl spat at him and Beth had to put her hands on his chest again and give him a small push as Daryl started at Len again.

Joe started laughing. The laugh wasn't a bit hearty but all menacing. It made Beth's skin crawl and she turned away from Daryl to see what Joe was laughing at. Joe had stopped by the time she turned but he had a crooked smile plastered on his face. A evil crooked smile. He started walking towards them but stopped in front of Len.

"You're a piece of fucking work, Len. May have blurred the claimin' food rule… but lying? That's still a rule… With the same consequences." Joe shook his head as he said his next sentence, "Teach him boys, teach him all the way."

Beth didn't know what Joe meant by that but judging by how Daryl grabbed her and pulled her into a crushing embrace against his chest, she knew it wasn't something she wanted to see.