The leaves crunched beneath their boots as Daryl and his tentative new friends made their way through the woods. They were on the move again, trying to find another place to set up camp. Daryl was happy with any initiative that kept him moving. One step could be one step closer to finding her, to finding Beth. His crossbow was held loosely in his hand as he walked and the men behind him were discussing Len. Some of them weren't so happy with what had happened to him but Joe's rule was solid. No lying.

Daryl was the first to hear the rustling in the bushes, but by the turned heads, he knew the other men had heard it as well. They crept closer to get a better view. What they found was a filthy blonde teenager covered in blood, looking dead on her feet.

"Beth…" Daryl breathed. He was in shock. All the sleepless nights, dreaming of what could've been happening to her and here she stood, tired and dirty, but alive and beautiful. Her eyes widen with joy at the sight of him and she had barely breathed out a chuckled before…

"Claimed." One of the men called from behind him, not paying any mind to their reunion. Daryl turned on his heel angrily. A disgusting leer covered his face and Daryl watched him look her up and down, mentally undressing her.

"You can't claim her." He told him, with a hint of malice in his voice. He was ready to tear the man apart just for looking at her that way.

"Ah, but those are the rules…" Joe told him with a hint of sorrow in his voice. Joe had paid enough attention to realize that Daryl knew her. Still that didn't mean rules weren't rules.

"She's a human being!" Daryl yelled wildly, forgetting where he was. He could just imagine what that bastard wanted to do to her. He wouldn't allow it. Not while it was his job to protect her.

Joe shrugged sadly at him and the man started to move towards her. "You take one more step and its the last step you'll ever take." Daryl threatened darkly, stepping in between the man and Beth.

"She's mine, I claimed her." he said angrily, ready to push Daryl out of his way to get to his prize.

"I claim him."

Daryl spun around to look at her. Her voice had come out like a squeak. Clearly she had caught on to what was going on here.

"I want Daryl, I claim him." She said, looking at Joe.

"Fair enough." was all Joe had to say.

The man looked disgruntled but he backed off. Rules were rules after all.

She ran to Daryl and hugged him. It felt so good to have her close by again and even better to hold her close to him.

"I will never let you out of my sight again girl." He said lowly, practically whispering into her ear. "Can't let you prove me wrong again."

She pulled away from him and looked at him with a look of total confusion on her face.

"I missed you so bad you were gone Beth Greene."