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After all the recent shit we've been through standing against that door as one definitely helped bring us back to the team we've always been. I don't know how the fuck we held out, there were countless reanimated corpses trying to break, gnaw and force their way into the barn. What I do remember is at one point during the night the storm picked up. It changed so fast and became so much stronger that I was about to tell everyone to move away from the door before it was ripped off and we went flying with the damn thing. The rattling of the door became so fierce we were all shaking trying to push our weight against it. But that was it, only rattling, no pushing back and no other sounds except that of trees snapping and crashing. No moans or groans and the smell of death wasn't as suffocating as had it been. I'm sure I weren't the only one to notice all this but none of us looked anywhere but at that door, we kept pushing not making a sound until some of us literally stared to collapse. By that point even the storm was slowing down to small gusts, so the majority of the group went to rest while a small few left our bodies where there were, almost frozen in place.

Of course I was the last one guarding the door, even if now I was only resting my back against. It's an hour or so before dawn when I see some of the group start to wake up and wonder when Rick will come over and make me take a real break. But it's not Rick, it's Maggie who gets up and slowly makes her way over to me. What's even more surprising is that she sits down next to me before she starts to talk.

"It's been quiet for hours and we can't see nothing but trees out there, go lie down, you need some sleep." She finishes with a sad smile. Even though she's sitting closer to me than I'm used to its not uncomfortable. It must be the fact she's cut from the same cloth as Beth, I know she's good like her and she's the last piece of anything that links me to the sweet blonde who's face is tattooed on the inside of my eyelids. Before I grab my bag, bow and force my muscles to stop twitching and my brain to shut up for a few hours I hand her back the music box Carl gave her. I saw her staring at it when we first got settled in the barn and she kept turning the handle on the bottom with no luck. I took it when she wasn't looking hoping I could fix it.

"Here," I hand her the box. "I looked at it and there was some dirt stuck inside, wouldn't let some of the parts turn but it should work now." I don't think I'm ever said that much to her at one time before.

She looks a little shocked as she gently takes the box from my hands and looks at it, runs her hands over every edge. "I know it's just an empty kids jewelry box but it reminds me of her. The bright colors, the fact she had one once and the music." Her voices starts to break at the end of her admission.

"She was tough. Real tough. Tougher than she thought or would admit to herself. She carried her own weight and survived out there. She deserved more than credit than she got." I don't know why I say any of it, other than the fact that it's true.

"She was, I do know that. But she was my baby sister, I guess it was easier for me to have her inside, safe. I shouldn't have tried so hard to protect her, she needed to learn on her own. And I know you say you didn't save her, and now I can tell it was mutual, but you trained her and taught her some more skills. I have to thank you for that." She looks at me, her face full of appreciation and I know she's dead serious. I hate thanks, ain't ever got em before the end of the world and sure as hell don't need em now but I know it's not about me. It's about Maggie, others and their need to express gratitude. So I just look at her for a moment, give her a half smirk, a small nod and then go lie down to try and sleep.

I actually sleep pretty deep for at least two hours which is good for me but I have to force myself to rest a bit more or I'll be no help to anyone. When I do finally get up I can see that Maggie and Glenn are still on watch and that the door hasn't been touched. I go over to Rick and tell him I want to go outside first, on my own to see whats going on. Yes, partly because I need this time and space to my goddamn self but also I don't know how we are still standing and we haven't heard one walker in hours. On a smaller note I'm hoping that maybe a tree or some other flying piece of debris killed a deer or something that I can bring back for everyone I know we're running low on well everything. Rick simply nods, he knows me and he knows I won't run and I can handle myself. Him, Glenn and I get the planks off the door and Rick tells everyone to stay put and I'll be back, letting them know what's going on.

Once I'm outside and the door shuts behind me I want to breathe a sigh relief, it was fucking difficult to be trapped inside like that when I'm so used to being outside in the open. But any breath that I had left in my body gets choked in my throat as I take in the scene around me. So many trees, huge trees, little trees, branches everything you could think of is snapped off, broken in half or has gone flying across the field trapping the dozens of walkers underneath it. Some are dead, heads smashed in and the rest are just bits and pieces. Moving fingers, chomping mouths, with blood and guts everywhere. I have to turn around a few times to look at the barn and the scene around me. There is no way in hell it should still be standing let alone without so so much as a tree through a window or part of it collapsing in. It's almost as if I'm looking at two separate pictures, a before and an after. They should not be related in any way.

I have to take a few steps away because it's freaking me the hell out. I'm about ready for someone from that old stupid candid camera show to jump out and yell gotcha! Tell us that the past few years have been a complete joke on us and we've all I a million bucks or something that is the only thing that makes sense to me. Unless, there's a pair of Greene family members up above us, guarding us and keeping us alive. But I can't think about that right now I can't think about her smiling face and her strong arms and her brave soul protecting all of us in the only way she knows how because if it wasn't for her and her dad I know for fact we would all be dead right now.

I'm starting to think it might be time to use up another precious cigarette but I'm running so low on them so I decide to do afull perimeter check instead to try and get my mind off of everything for a few minutes. Going around the field I end up back just before the worst patch of downed trees and half dead walkers. I drop my crossbow on the ground and I have to kneel down to brace myself and try to catch my breath. I'm so happy to be alive and fuck I don't know why. All I've wanted the past few days is to leave this earth,finally and all the pain I've ever been through. Right now all I can think about is that every single person I know and love is inside of that barn in one piece and I'm out here completely unscathed and we can move on from this.

Even though my crossbow isn't in my hand and I might be lost in thought I can never turn off my senses. My ears are always at attention, ready to hear the slightest sound and honestly it must be something inside of me that can just feel when things are going to happen or something is about to come our way. It's that part of me that felt someone approaching before I heard the slight snap of a twig. After that in one smooth motion I grab my crossbow, spin around I'm standing up pointing at the threat of either a human, walker or animal in a split second. I first and only very briefly I see an older man standing in front of me, he looks rough and has a weapon pointed at my face, he knows what he's doing. And then completely against my character and anything I've ever done in my entire worthless life I take my eyes off of him, off my immediate threat, and make him my least priority right now. The reason I do this, the reason I go against everything I've ever learned and practiced in my entire life, is because over one of his shoulders, half hidden, I see it. I see unruly blonde hair, I see a shoulder covered in a grey sweater and a little bit of yellow poking out, dirty yellow with splotches of blood and then I see one huge doe like bright blue eye.

And then all makes sense. The barn is not there, the barn was ripped apart or ripped out of the ground like in that stupid Oz movie. And I don't know what the fuck I ever did to end up in heaven but this has to be it. I know it has to be heaven because there's nowhere else Beth could go, she was too good and pure to end up anywhere else. In the mere seconds that this insane thought crosses my mind she gently touches the man's arm and starts to move around him. It's then I see it, I see the scars on her face and I see a small bandage is on the side and back of her head. I don't think that we end up like that in heaven. The few thoughts I've ever had about it I think that when you go there it all gets better. You heal, you're clean and happy. Another thing that's making me think this moment is real, giving me an ounce of hope, is the way that my heart is racing so hard its literally hurting my damn chest.

What seals the deal for me is that she steps around this strange man, her eyes on me and she starts to run towards me. And that's it. I'm never going to waste another fucking second of my life with a gentle arm around her waist or small squeeze of her shoulder. I drop my crossbow like it means nothing to me and I start taking huge determined strides towards her.

We meet in the middle and she throws herself into my arms with such force that I almost get knocked over. I'm surprised I didn't fall, I feel like you could brush a feather against me and I would go flying down. I enjoy the feel of her arms around my neck so tight that I can barely breathe and the fucking amazing feeling of her legs around my waist. I have one arm cradling the back of her head as gentle as ever and the other was squeezing her waist in a vice like grip, my other hand on her lower back, protectively. I can only stand and hold her for a very short time before I fall to the ground on my knees. Never once letting her get jostled, while my knees got so weak they literally collapsed beneath me. Then I feel her warm tears rushing down the side of my neck as my own face is buried in her shoulder and to my surprise moisture is coming out of my eyes too. We stay that way for god knows how long. It was too long to be safe and too short all at the same time. All we do is hold onto each other for dear life, breathing heavy and silently crying in each other's arms.

I risk a glance at the stranger she arrived with and I don't care who he is or why he's here but he's alright with me because he's standing a few feet away from us, scanning our immediate surroundings with his weapon ready. For some reason this person I've never set eyes on is giving us our moment and protecting us. Of course I want and need to know the entire story and why my beautiful Beth is with this man. But I can honestly say I could never deny this person if they even had a slight thought of joining us.

After a couple of minutes of pure happiness I pullback just enough to put both of my hands on either side of her face and put our foreheads together before I speak.

"I thought we all had died and that I was in heaven when I saw you." I murmur for her ears only.

She lets out a small and genuine laugh while wiping away a few of my tears before she speaks.

"Well if heavens real and any of us have any hope of ever going there I hope I can get some clean clothes and lose the scars." How is it that she practically read my mind, that we're so damn different, yet sometimes we think exactly the same. It makes my heart skip a beat.

I think she's going to go on and start talking and telling me all the things that have happened like she always does but she doesn't. Instead she leaves the fingers that were wiping away my tears on my cheek and then raises them to softly brush the hair out of my face. It must be the adrenaline, the heat of the moment or I don't fucking know but whatever it is I love it because she gently presses her lips against mine. It's as light as a feather and the most chaste touch from a woman I've ever received. But it sets my damn body on fire. And I want more. Whatever gave her the courage to do that gives me the courage to put one of my hands deep into her hair and pull her mouth to mine again. I give her the same gentle kiss she just gave me but instead of pulling away, I give her another and another. They're slow and gentle and then they slow down even more until both of our mouths are opening and deepening the kiss. Even though my body is still aflame and I've never wanted anyone more in my entire life I'm okay with just this. But then it becomes even better when her small soft tongue enters my mouth looking for my own. We stay this way for another minute or so, our tongues doing a slow, sensual dance together before I have to pull away. This is all too much and I have not forgotten the fact that we are in an open field and some strange man is 5 feet away.

"I could sit here forever and never let you go and kiss you until we're old and gray but this ain't the time or place. There's a barn full of people, especially a sister of yours that will have heart attacks to know that you're here. And also our bodyguard over there well, we all need know the background story on him." I tell her, rubbing my thumb across her plump bottom lip.

I can see and feel the disappointment as I say this to her, mostly because it reflects my own but she's also a smart girl who knows we'll have time for this later. I can sense that neither of us will ever waste another moment in each other's presence.

She lets out a small sigh and glances over her shoulder at her travel companion before she quietly says, "you're right."

After that I help her to stand up and grab my bow while never letting go of her hand. I will never let her go ever again. She then walks me over to the man she showed up with and says, "Daryl I want you to meet Morgan. Morgan this is Daryl."

Holy shit. This is the man that saved Rick's life when he first got out of that hospital. He's also the psycho motherfucker that tried to kill him, Michonne and Carl. And now he's standing here with my Beth, keeping us safe from walkers and anything else that could've come around as we made out like teenagers in a field of destruction.

Again, I need to know everything, why he's here, what's happened and anything else in between but for now I simply extend my hand and say "thank you."

He pauses for a moment and looks a little bit shocked before reaching his own hand out and giving me a firm shake.

"Well, I'm not sure what you're thanking me for but if it's for right now don't worry about it. This little lady right here has helped me quite a bit over the past few days and talked about you even more. I owe her a lot and I know how it is to feel that way about someone. I may be standing here but I know when you love someone that much and when you lose them that you lose a part of yourself as well. I'm glad you guys got reunited."

I simply not at his admission and tell them both, "well let's head over there, everyone's inside."

This time it's my turn to be shocked, because not only Morgan but Beth looks nervous as well. There's so many reasons why she could be feeling that way. It's going to be intimidating, overwhelming and also she doesn't know who's in there. But it's us, her family. As for Morgan, I get it, he's an outsider coming to a good-sized group of people that are more like family and I'd be scared shitless too.

We start a slow walk towards the barn and I tell Beth everyone who is inside, everyone that has survived and also about our newest members. That seems to ease her a bit knowing what she's walking into. And then I speak to both of them, "I'll go in first and bring Rick out so we can talk to him and explain and prepare everyone. But Beth, you need to be ready for Maggie. She's been distraught over the past few days. Glenn's been worried sick about her, hell we all have. She went to a bad place."

And there she is, my strong brave girl fighting every other emotion and bringing her strength to the surface. As soon as Beth heard that someone else, someone she loves needed something, she forgot all about her worries and her nerves and put that first. She squeezes my hand a bit tighter and I squeeze it right back, giving her any reassurance I can.

When we reach the barn I leave them both around the side and tell him I'll be right back and go grab Rick. Luckily, almost everyone besides Sasha and Tyrese who have now taken over watch, are still lying down, taking it easy. Last night would've drained anyone let alone our group, who hasn't had sustenance properly in too long. I see Rick sitting with his kids and nod with my head asking him to come outside with me.

Once we're outside and the door has been shut, he looks at me concerned and asks, "everything all right, what did you find?"

"I didn't find much and I don't know about everything being fine but we are. But we have to talk about that later, I found something, I mean I found someone well they found me."

Shit! I know I'm not good with words but I don't usually trip over myself like this. I'm blunt and to the point but I can damn well get it out. I can't really blame myself though, who would've thought I would ever have that bright spark come back and my life ablaze again? I take a deep breath and shake my head to clear my thoughts.

"Look, I went for a walk around the field and the barn because I couldn't figure out how the hell we survived last night. While I was out there, I was approached by two people."

I see right away that Rick is on the defense, the alarms have been raised and he's ready to fight.

"Wait wait. Let me finish before you do anything. It was Beth."

Now, instead of defensive Rick looks confused and worried. He must think that I've completely lost my mind so I continue before he writes me off as delusional.

"And she wasn't alone, she was with Morgan. The guy that found you in the beginning."

Now I'm the one that's worried, I think Rick might pass out. But before he can get anymore worried or even open his mouth they both make their way around the side of the barn.

Even though my back is to them I know they're there, not only because I sense them but Rick's eyes fill with tears and he has to lift his jaw off the ground. I know he cared about Beth, not in the way I do but she helped to raise his child. A baby that he couldn't be there for in the beginning. She will always have a special place in his heart and I know that he's probably the third happiest person here right now. She steps up to him, cutely, (and I would only ever use that fucking word on her) and quietly she says "hi." Rick's face splits in half in the biggest grin I've seen in a long time and they share a tight embrace. Unfortunately, the joyous reunion has to be cut short because we need to get to the bottom of everything with Morgan. I do think that him and Rick need to have this out alone first and then talk to the group. I think this is best because right now this shouldn't be up to any of us especially me and Maggie because I'm pretty sure we'd both be on his side without knowing anything that's happened.

Once he releases Beth he sets his sights on Morgan. His face hardens but not in a cruel way just the cautious and determined way that's necessary these days. I can see him warring with himself, and I don't blame him. I wouldn't know where the hell to start off in this situation either. And as if sensing this Beth speaks up and makes us all set our attention on her.

"Guys, I know this is crazy and looks weird and there's a lot to talk about, many questions that everyone will want answered, but, for right now just know that I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Morgan. It wasn't just me taking a chance on him he took a chance on me too. I know it's not as easy as that and we need to talk everything over as a team but for now please keep that in mind." She pleads with us, looking at us both first and then to Morgan who I can tell is grateful to have her speak up at all for him.

Rick and Morgan exchange the same short yet strong gesture that him and I had a few moments ago and Rick simply says "Alright. Let me go in there and warn them, not that this is bad but we've all had a really rough time of it thinking that we had lost you Beth and this will be a shock."

Beth simply nods in understanding, of course she understands she's too goddamn good for this world. And for me but I'm not gonna think those thoughts right now because if she wants me even if it is the end of the world I will take her happily.

I wait outside with them while Rick goes inside. We can hear him clearly from here.

"Guys, everybody come here, I need to talk to you about something. First of all, everything is fine, no one's hurt so you don't need to worry but something has happened. Daryl went out a little while ago to check out our surroundings and see what damage the storm did. He found more than he was bargaining for. He found some survivors, survivors we know. And I want all of you to stay where you are, don't move a muscle when they come in here. Everyone except Maggie." A few seconds later one of the barn doors opens slightly and I lead the way inside, with Beth gripping my hand harder than I thought possible.

The next thing I know she's ripped out of my grasp.