A/N: Thanks for the love y'all, as usual. You guys keep me going, you really do.


"What's taking so long?" Rick asked aloud angrily as he paced back and forth in the darkness. Everyone else was asking their selves the same question, it had been at least an hour sense Daryl and Maggie had left.

"Probably shot 'em" Eugene said matter of factly, "These people give me the creeps, I'll say." He continued, standing there awkwardly. Rick didn't know how to understand Eugene fully. Abraham had given him the same spiel that he had given everyone else about how he had to protect Eugene because he had 'the cure' but Rick was skeptical, like he was about most things anyway.

Just as Rick was about to say something, the train car opened and in walked Maggie. Rick couldn't tell if her eyes were swollen from crying, or if her eyes were swollen from crying the night before. Nonetheless, he approached her slowly.

"What happened?" he asked, "Where's Daryl." Maggie choked back a sob that was arising in her throat. And looked around to all of the concerned eyes, seeing Glenn approaching her and holding her to him.

"I- I don't know where Daryl is. They separated us." she said quietly.

"Well, so much for food." Abraham said with a snarl. Rick shut his eyes momentarily, trying not to get angry but he couldn't help but yell at him. "Will you SHUT UP!" He yelled, earning no more than a turned back and a chuckle from Abraham.

"They-They have her. They have Beth." She said, tears stinging her eyes as the flowed freely down her face. "They said she's not coming back to us that, they're gonna let us go.. Only if she stays." Maggie felt her knees buckle, like she couldn't hold herself up any longer.

"They wouldn't even let me see her" She fell into Glenn's arms, barely making the words out because she was crying so hard. Catching her breath, she locked her arms around Glenn's neck, feeling every bit of sadness, relief, anger, and depression rock her to her core. She had never felt so lost before, even when she watched her father die in front of her eyes- She was powerless to stop what the governor had done to her father. But Beth was different, Beth was her baby sister, and she had gotten out despite the odds she was against.

"Hey," Rick said lightly, "We're not leaving here without her." he said reassuringly.

"Let me get this straight," Abraham interjected. Rick glared in his direction, knowing fully well what he was going to say. "We're going to risk everyone's lives here... For one little girl?"

"She's one of us." Rick growled, getting in his face yet again. He was tired of his nasty attitude, always feeling like he had something to say.

"That's where you're wrong." Abraham said, "She's one of you guys." He pointed at the rest of the group besides himself, Eugene and Rosita. "And I'll be damned if you think I'm going to risk their lives for one little girl who didn't have enough sense to stick with the group."

Rick stepped even closer, inches away from Abraham's face.

"You think I care if you're with us or not? We got this far without you, we don't need you." He said turning around to walk back to Maggie.

"Actually, Romeo and Juliet over there wouldn't have made it here if it weren't for us. Actually I recall saving that guys damn life!" He yelled, pointing at Glenn, clearly referring to when Rosita, Tara, Maggie, Bob, Sasha, Eugene and himself shot all the walkers in the tunnel. Rick ignored him, trying his best to keep his cool.

"You're not just going to let him talk to you like that, are you?" He looked to his left seeing Carl glancing up at him. Rick looked to the ceiling, trying his best to think of something to say to him to get him to understand.

"Carl," He began, kneeling to him eye line. "Abraham and I, fighting, isn't going to solve anything. You know that." Carl merely rolled his eyes and stormed back to Michonne with a huff. Rick knew that face all to well, whenever Carl didn't agree with something that he did or he was saying. he almost felt like the child when Carl looked at him like that, he couldn't help but get frustrated with him sometimes.

He walked over and sat down next to Michonne, Carl avoiding his stare. "We gotta figure something out- How we're gonna do this." Rick said to Michonne. Michonne stared forward thinking for a moment.

"There's no way these people are just gonna let us walk out of here - whether that girl comes with us or stays. " Rick ducked his head down, he knew that she was right.

"We have to think of a plan." Michonne continued. He knew she was right, but for the first time in a long time, Rick didn't have a plan.


"You listen to me girl," Daryl said, scooting over so she had no choice but to look him in the eyes. "I need you ready to fight, I need you ready to get out of here and I need you safe. I can't not have you with us- you're one of us you understand me?"

"Daryl, I'm not going to be the reason you die." She argued. "Last man standing, remember?" She laughed, but he could see the pain in her eyes.

"I thought you were dead, Beth. And I blame myself for it every damn day I-" She opened her mouth to interrupt him but he cut her right off. "No, I don't wanna hear it." He said to her. "I'm giving you clear instructions Beth, don't make me get angry with you." He said.

Beth stared at him for a long time, knowing there was no change in his mind. She desperately wanted to leave, wanted to be with everyone.

"Judith?" Beth asked quietly, clearly wanting to know if she was okay. "I don't know." Daryl replied, looking to the ground as he spoke. Beth opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the door opening again, Gareth standing there with a smirk upon his lips.

"Time's up," He said clapping his hands together and rubbing them. "Let's go." He said, looking to Daryl sternly. Daryl turned his attention back to Beth. "Remember what I said, ya hear me?" He said strongly. His face though to Beth looked sad, like he had lost something special to him. She remembered that look from when he returned after he had lost his brother Merle. He reached and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear before he stood to his feet and walked towards the door. Gareth stepped out of the door and towards the hallway.

Before Daryl shut the door he looked back into the room, seeing Beth's bright blue vibrant eyes staring at him mercilessly. He dropped his gaze, shutting the door behind him before following after Gareth, back to the train car.

"What did she have to say?" Gareth asked over his shoulder to Daryl who was following behind him. "None of your damn business, that's what." Daryl replied icily.

Gareth seemed to be entertained every time he asked Daryl a question and Daryl replied with a smart ass remark. He always either smiled or laughed at him, making Daryl's blood boil. When he had turned around to ask Daryl the question, Daryl couldn't help but smile either, catching a glimpse of the dried blood underneath the crevices of his nose. Daryl inwardly congratulated himself on the blow to Gareth's nose, knowing it was going to bruise.

When they got back to the train car, Daryl started to walk up the steps. Gareth grabbed his arm to get his attention. "I'm a man of my word you know," He began, looking at Daryl in the eyes. "Tomorrow night, you will be let out of here. All of you. Except her, she stays." Daryl jerked his arm out of his grasp as the train car door was opened by one of the armed men. He walked inside, relieved when he saw that Maggie was back in the train car. She ironically was the first one to run up to him, she hadn't so much as given him a glance after the fight they had the first day in the train car.

"Did you see her?" Maggie asked desperately. Her eyes were red and swollen again. He knew she'd been crying.

"Yeah, I saw 'er. Not for long though." Maggie almost looked disappointed. He was under the impression that Maggie had gotten the chance to see Beth as well, so he was confused by her reaction.

She took a deep breath. "Is she alright? Is she okay?" She asked, concern laced in her voice. Daryl nodded, he knew she was okay physically from what he said, but he wasn't so sure about what state her mind was in.

"Rick." Daryl said, walking towards him. He was still sitting next to Michonne, but he stood up when Daryl called his name. "They said they're letting us out tomorrow night." Rick nodded, and walked towards the rest of the group, but Daryl grabbed him by the arm stopping him. "I ain't leaving here without her" He said, making his motives perfectly clear to Rick. Rick nodded again, "Good, cause neither are we." He gave Daryl a quick pat on his shoulder before walking to the center of the train car.

"Alright listen up." He said, trying to keep his voice as low as possible, not knowing if the people outside of the train car were listening or not.

"I'm saying this one time, and one time only." He said, looking at everyone making sure that he had their attention. "If any of you were in Beth's position, we'd all do the same for you - that's a fact. You all know that." Rick looked to Daryl, trying to make sure that he was giving the situation enough justice, but Daryl seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, looking at the ground. Rick wasn't even sure if he was paying attention or not.

"We aren't just going to be let out of here- Beth or no Beth. You all honestly think they're just gonna let us stroll on out of here? You all are smarter than that." He said, staring at Abraham in the eyes when he said the last sentence, knowing it was directed at him because of the conversation they had earlier. "Daryl knows where she is. He knows where they have her held up - tomorrow night, we're getting out of here. We're going to stick together and we're going to fight. Don't think this is just about Beth - Cause it's not. We have to save ourselves too. We weren't going to just be let out of here unscathed. You all know that!" he said desperately. The truth in his words hit everyone in the train car like a 3 ton truck. Everyone wanted to think they were just going to walk away, but the reality of it was, that wasn't a reality at all.

"How are we supposed to do this without weapons?" Sasha said finally, breaking the silence that had fell after Rick started speaking. Rick ran a hand through his hair, looking at her with concern. "I don't know, Sasha. We're gonna have to figure it out." Abraham laughed, throwing his head back before looking at rick directly.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?" He growled loudly, "How the hell do you expect to fight these people!" He asked incredulously. Glenn looked at him "Lower your voice!" He yelled in a hushed tone. Rick stalked over to him yet again.

"You wanna just walk outta here? You think you're just gonna walk back out those gates you walked through and they're just gonna LET you leave?" He said with anger all but coming out of him in any way that it could. Abraham stepped back, "They packed us in a god damn Train car for gods sakes!" Rick said again, walking around in what seemed like circles again, not knowing what he could say to Abraham to get him to understand.

"I have one concern," Abraham began before getting cut off by Rick "Yeah we know, we know, Mr. I have all the answers and the key to saving mankind. Trouble is, guy won't even say a damn thing about it! With his confidentiality bullshit, no." Rick got in his face again, this time, Abraham seemed intimidated. "I don't give a damn about you, or the girl, or your little science guru over there. Not my concern. You wanna try and walk away, and just go free. Be my guest. Let's see how far you get." He said before walking back to his area that he had been sitting in in the train car, needing to calm down.

Rick was lost in his thoughts, trying everything he knew how to to get the redness out of his vision. Abraham got under his skin worse than many people could, he knew fighting the man wouldn't solve a damn thing, he was just going to have to ignore him. Rick's thoughts were interrupted by Carl, who sat down next to him.

"Dad?" He asked. "Yes, Carl." He replied, staring at the top of the train car, not looking at him, or paying attention fully. He couldn't seem to stop being angry in that moment.

"We have a weapon." Carl said. Rick laughed, "Carl, no we-" Rick lost his voice when he looked at Carl and saw what he was holding. A knife with a blade at least six inches long.

"Carl, how did you-"

"Hid it in the back of my pants." He said, sounding proud of himself.

"Thought he was going to feel it but he didn't." He said. Rick nudged Carl in the shoulder. "Remind me so much of your mom sometimes, son." He said, earning somewhat of a smile from Carl. He looked at Carl for a while, "You know, you look more and more like her everyday." Color rose to Carl's cheeks. "Yeah, be nice if I could see myself in a mirror, see it for myself." Rick smiled. He missed Lori so much, and knew Carl did too.

"We're gonna save her right dad?" Carl said to Rick, trying to receive some confirmation from him about her getting back safe. "Daryl's gonna find her." Rick said, You and I getting out of here, is my main concern. - But, once I know we can get out of here safe." Rick said as he eased the knife out of Carl's hand "We're gonna make sure everyone is gonna get out as well, Beth included."

Carl nodded his head in understanding, but Rick knew that wasn't the exact answer he wanted to hear.


Daryl had been listening to the conversation between Rick and Carl as he lied his head back on his hands on the floor. Sleep overcame him quickly, and the dream he was having was so vivid, it was almost as if it wasn't a dream, almost as if it was real.

He was in the woods, walking through the trees when he had stumbled across a small girl, curled up in a ball sleeping next to a small fire.

It was Beth.

"Beth," He said, touching her shoulder. She didn't move at all. Daryl began to panic.

"Beth, Beth! Beth!" He said, finally getting her to roll over, but much to his horror, she wasn't in good condition. It was almost as if he had seen it before, his mind remembering when Rick and himself had found Andrea with a huge walker bite on the curve of her neck. Blood seeping from it profusely.

Beth bared the same exact wound on the same exact spot, bleeding onto the little yellow shirt she was wearing when he had lost her.

She sat up slowly, some of her matted blonde hair sticking to the blood on the wound on her neck.

"You're too late." She said, staring at him with tear filled eyes. Daryl grabbed her shoulders, "No. No. No No." He said, fighting back tears as he scooped her up into his arms. "Beth, stay with me. Please." He begged. She looked up at him with tear filled eyes, making the blue in them shine brighter than ever before. "You should have stayed. You should have looked harder. Maybe this wouldn't have happened." She said helplessly, her voice fading slowly as her eyes started to flutter shut.

"Beth!" he yelled. "Beth, please!" he yelled again. The world around him fading to black, seeing nothing but the lifeless Beth Greene in his arms. "Beth, no." He said with a whisper, noticing her breathing had stopped and her head lulled backwards. he heard something in the distance, almost as if his name was being called.

"Daryl." the voice said,

"Daryl." It repeated louder this time until he was jerked from his dream and back to reality.

He was Seeing nothing at first until the brown eyes of Maggie Greene came into focus, kneeling before him looking utterly confused.

Daryl leaned onto his elbows after her rubbed his eyes with his fist, trying to wake himself up and trying to shake off the feeling that the dream gave him. He felt like he had just lost a piece of his heart, even though It was just a dream. "You were talking in your sleep." Maggie said quietly, not averting her eyes from his.

"What was I saying?" He asked, but he was pretty sure he already knew. He could tell by the look on Maggie's face, he was ready for her to punch him in the head.

But much to Daryl's surprise, she didn't.

"You were saying her name, over and over and over again." She said, furrowing her eyebrows as if she was trying to understand why he was saying her name. "Bad dream." he murmured, lifting one arm to chew on his fingertips. A nasty habit he couldn't seem to kick no matter how hard he tried to do so.

He didn't understand why he was so shaken by the dream. He didn't understand why he had even had the dream, he knew she was alright - he had just seen her not even 24 hours ago.

"I wanted to apologize." She said, avoiding looking him in the eye this time. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that when you got here- It wasn't right of me." She said, fiddling with the zipper on the pocket of her jeans. Daryl shrugged his shoulders. "s'alright, you were worried." he replied. But he wasn't being completely honest. He really still didn't understand why she hadn't been looking for Beth. It quite frankly pissed him off.

"I wanted to thank you, for keeping her safe when you were with her." She said. Looking at him finally.

"Don't thank me, I lost her." He replied gruffly.

"You did more than I did." She said softly. standing up and walking back to Glenn on the opposite side of the train car. Daryl sat up and put his face in his hands. Between the dream and the conversation he had just had with Maggie Greene, he was frustrated. Not to mention, Not knowing what time of day or night it was - was starting to become extremely frustrating as well.

He knew it was just a matter of hours before the people came into the car to get them out, he didn't know what he was going to do, or how he was going to do it. All he knew was he had to get Beth out of there safe, without anybody getting hurt.

He leaned himself back, trying to sleep again. Trying not to think about tomorrow, or the haunting baby blue sparkling eyes of Beth Greene.


Next chapter is going to be long- and brutal. There will be bloodshed, there will be some nasty language among other things. It may take me a few days, but I won't post it unless I'm completely satisfied with it, and that's for y'alls benefit. In the meantime, be patient with me. Love y'all more than you'll ever know

-Stephanie