Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.AN: So this is it! The chapter that Jo finally meets Beth! I hope you enjoy my little twist of a story. I also haven't decided how far I want to take their relationship. When I started this, I thought I knew where I waa going with this. But now that I am more chapters in, I'm not so sure. Let me know what you all think!

Jo was still trying to wrap her mind around the events that had happened earlier that day as she sat on the front steps of the old farmhouse, her hands and shirt stained with blood. It had started as a normal day. They had all gone out to look for Sophia. Jo had been a bit surprised when Rick allowed Carl to join them. The boy stuck close to her most of the time. Watching her, trying to figure out what she was looking at. He never asked her any questions. Just watched her closely. Even trying to match her quiet steps. Jo had guarded him from the tent they had found, and the dead body inside. He didn't need to see it. The smell was bad enough.

When they had reached the church, Jo found her brother standing off to the side. They had talked about leaving the group after what had happened at the CDC. But here they both where, looking for the small girl. Jo knew why she was doing it. She had remembered what it was like to be lost at that age. And deep down she had started to care for the members of the group. Something she refused to admit to her brother. But that didn't explain why Daryl was so dead set on finding the girl. She meant nothing to him. She was even more surprised when Daryl demanded that Jo stick with Rick, Shane and Carl. Telling Rick that he'd feel better if she was with them. Explained that she was a decent tracker, and that they would have less of a chance getting turned around if she went with. Jo wasn't happy with being left alone with them. But Carl was more than excited for the both of them. As the group split up, Carl was more willing to chat with her. Asking what she was doing and doing his best to copy every move Jo made.

That's when the deer crossed their path. Jo had crouched down and motioned the boy forwards. Motioning him to be as quiet as he could as he got closer to the deer. The men behind them watching with a mixture of awe and pride. That's when the gunshot sounded. That's when the young boy fell back into Jo's lap, bleeding from a bullet wound at his left side. The side that had only been inches from her head.

And that's how she had found herself at the Greene farm, sitting on the front steps while Carl's fate was in the hands of the old farmer that lived there. Shane had left not long before with the hunter that had made the dreadful shot. The farmer's daughter Maggie had left on horseback to find Lori and the rest of the group. Jo wanted to go, but Shane had forbid it before he left. Saying Rick needed one of them to stay behind. Daryl was going to be furious with her. She had failed to do her job. She failed to get the others back to the highway.

With a heavy sigh, Jo got to her feet and slowly made her way inside. She had an idea where Carl was. She had been listening to the footsteps the others had made as they walked around the house. At that moment most of the Greene family where sitting in the room to her right. She was guessing it was the living room. Rick had gone to the right. She hadn't heard his heavy footsteps in a while and was wondering if the man hadn't fallen asleep, or refused to leave his sons side. She didn't even look to her right when she walked in. She turned to the left and peaked into the room with the closed door. Her guess had been right. There was Carl, lying in a queen-sized bed. If she didn't know any better, she would think the boy was dead with how pale he had become. Rick was sitting in the chair next to the bed, fast a sleep and looking about as pale as his son. The gauze and tape in the crease of his left arm made her shutter a bit. She had seen that many times. Her mother had come home with gauze and tape many times before she got too sick to hide it from her any more. Jo pushed the thought out of her head as she got up on the bed and sat next to Carl. She took his hand in hers and shivered at how cold his hands where. Just like her mother.

"I'm sorry Squirt." Jo said biting her lip as the tears threatened to escape. She wasn't good with emotions any more. Her father squashing any emotion she had had out of her before Daryl and Merle came along. She glanced up at Rick to make sure he was still sleeping before she went on. "I let my guard down. I should been listening closer. I should been doing my job, Squirt. I should been able to save yaw."

Jo heard the old man walk quietly into the room. He had stopped at the door when he heard her talking. Jo hoped the man would just turn around and leave. She didn't want witnesses to her guilt. When the man didn't move, Jo got to her feet, her back still facing him. "You can check him. I'm going to go back outside."

The man was a bit surprised that she had known he was there, but said nothing as he walked up to the bed and stood next to her. When he had first seen the young girl trailing not to far behind Rick, he had thought she might have been Rick's other kid. Guessing her to be around the same age as Carl. That was until he saw the tattoo on the girls arm and chest. Rick then explained she was a member of their group and not a family member. He wondered why she had stayed out side on the steps, until he heard her confess to the young boy. She was blaming herself.

"I may need your help." The man said smiling with his eyes. Jo had never thought it was possible for some one's lips to stay motionless, but their smile to show through to their eyes until that moment. Jo wasn't sure what the old man's name was, but she almost seemed to sigh in relief. She felt like she could actually trust this man. Jo just nodded in response, got back onto the bed, and held Carl's hand.

"If ya tell any one in camp that I held ya hand, I'm going to deny it." Jo playfully whispered over to the boy. Hershel was a bit taken back at how calm the girl was. Almost as if this wasn't the first time she had sat by someone's side as they fought to live. "Daryl's gonna think I'm soft on ya. But ya already know this don't ya Squirt. It's why ya don't talk when he's around. If I didn't know any better, I'd say yer to smart for yer own good, kid."

"He's going to need another blood transfusion." Hershel said and noticed the girl tense, confirming his believes that she had gone through this with some one else. "I'm going to have to wake Rick. If you would like, Patricia made some extra food. You are more than welcome to make yourself a plate. My daughter Beth would be happy to show you to the kitchen."

Jo shook her head and held her arm out to him. "No need in waking Rick. He's going to need the sleep more than me. Ya can use mine. I can give to pretty much any one."

"You're O negative?" Hershel asked and the girl nodded. He took in the girl's nervous behavior and nodded. "Are you sure? You look a bit nervous."

Jo bit her bottom lip. "Just brining back some memories is all. Used to sit like this with my momma. They wouldn't let me give her blood. I was too young. Too little."

Hershel called in an older blonde woman and introduced her to Jo as Patricia. Jo nodded and quickly turned her head as Patricia readied her arm. She did her best not to jump when she felt the prick of the needle.

"You ok dear?" Patricia asked and Jo nodded.

"Not a fan of needles." Jo said then looked down at her tattoos when she noticed the woman glance at them. "Not a fan of medical needles. Tattoo needles don't bother me as much."

"What does the one on your arm read?" Patricia asked, she was obviously trying to keep Jo distracted.

"It's fer my momma." Jo said with a said smile. "It says No matter where you are, the sun is shining somewhere. She died when I was twelve."

What about this one?" Patricia asked pointing at the large feather above her right breast with writing under it.

"Follow the wind." Jo said with a smirk. "When Merle and Daryl left and I'd ask where they where going. Merle always told me they were following the wind. The one on my left shoulder is broken handcuffs and a rose growing around it. No writing, but its supposed ta mean I'm a survivor."

Patricia smiled at the girl and took the needle out of her arm. She went to put the gauze on her arm but Jo shook her head. Patricia just nodded and left the room. Jo sighed and playfully ruffled up his hair.

"Don't say I never gave ya anything, Squirt." Jo said then looked up when she felt eyes on her. She met Rick's eyes and he smirked over at her.

"You told that woman more about yourself, than you have ever told any one in the group." Rick said and Jo just shrugged.

"They never gave me a reason ta tell them." Jo replied. "Had a hate fer me the moment I walked in ta camp with my brothers. Didn't see a reason ta get chatty with them."

Rick sat up and took Carl's free hand in his. Jo could see the guilt in his eyes and she quickly looked away. There was no reason for him to have that look. The guilt should be hers.

"I shoulda saved him Rick." Jo said and the older man's head shot up to look at her in complete confusion. "I heard the twig snap. I shoulda stopped him from walking closer. I just figured it was another animal."

Rick placed a hand on Jo's shoulder and shook his head. "This wasn't your fault. It was an accident. Hunting accidents happen all the time. You didn't know Otis was in the woods. Is that why you where sitting out side all that time. You thought I was going to be blaming you?"

"Better than ya blaming yerself." Jo added truthfully. "Daryl sent me with ya, ta make sure ya all came back. I wasn't paying attention. I know the difference between an animal step and a human. It's about the only thing Daryl got through ta me. I'm almost better than him when it comes ta sounds. I heard that twig snap. I knew it was human and I ignored it."

Rick sighed heavily. "On the road. You where counting walkers weren't you? That's what you where trying to tell me. That Sophia was moving but the walkers where still there."

Jo looked back down at her hands. "And I was stuck under that damn van. Couldn't have gotten out even if I wanted ta."

Rick shook his head and looked up at the ceiling. He couldn't believe this young girl could carry such a guilty conscious. It wasn't her fault. "Explain the keyless locks at the CDC."

Rick smirked as Jo's cheeks started to turn a deep crimson. "Got a job at a local lock smith when I was fifteen. He taught me the trade. We did a lotta different kinda locks. Keyless became my specialty."

Rick smirked and got to his feet. "I'm going to get you some thing to eat. You gave a lot of blood. You're going to need something."

Rick got up and headed out of the room. Leaving Jo to sit on the bed next to his son. He smiled when he heard her talking to him as if we wasn't passed out. Just like she would have if they where driving down the road and he had teased her about something. And for some reason that gave him faith that his son was going to be ok. Rick never made it to the kitchen to get her food though. When he headed that way, Hershel asked to talk to him. He was a little taken back by the man's beliefs on what was going on out there. Thinking there was still a cure. But he hadn't been at the CDC. He hadn't seen what the group had seen. And that is when Maggie returned with Lori.

He lead Lori into the room where Jo was still in the middle of a one sided conversation with Carl. At the sound of their approach, Jo got to her feet and moved away from the bed. Lori quickly went to Carl's side and laid down next to him. Rick placed a hand on her hip and tried to be strong for his wife. And that's when he heard the crash behind him. Both he and Lori jumped to see Jo lying on the floor and a chair overturned next to her.

"Hershel!" Rick called out. He bent down over the girl and easily picked her up as Hershel entered the room.

"Did she eat after she gave blood?" Hershel asked and Rick mentally kicked himself. Hershel took his silence as a no and lead Rick out to the living room. "Place her on the couch. I'll have Beth look after her."

OOOOOOOOO

Josephine woke up and looked around her surroundings and groaned when she realized where she was. Back to sleeping on the old torn up couch with more broken springs that good. She sat up and heard the familiar sound of smashing plates in the kitchen and Will Dixon let out a string of curse words.

"Josephine!" Will growled as he stumbled into the living room. "I thought I told ya ta finish them damn dishes before ya went to bed!"

Josephine quickly looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry. I was just really tired."

Will walked up to her, lifting his left hand in the air and letting it fall hard upon the young girls cheek. "Don't ya ever go against me again. Go clean up the damn mess ya made me make."

Josephine held her cheek as she raced past her dad and into the kitchen. She held back her tears, knowing she would get another slap if he saw her tearing up. He didn't like it when she showed any kind of emotion. She quickly got busy cleaning up the broken plates, as well as answering Will's every beck and call. She had only been there a few weeks and the man had already broken what little spirit the girl had left after loosing her mother.

Josephine heard the front door open and some one slam the door behind them.

"What the hell ya think ya doing here?" Will growled. "Thought I told ya to never come back here."

"Some one's gotta make sure yer still breathing." A gruff voice growled back at him. "Darylena wanted ta pick up some more of his things."

"Beer!" Will yelled out. His two sons looked at him as if the man had officially lost his mind, when a young girl rushed out of the kitchen with a beer in hand. She opened it and handed it Will. She turned to leave when the younger of the guests moved in her way.

"Whoa there girl." Daryl said calmly. He noticed the girl was keeping her head down and turned away from him, so he couldn't get a look at her face. He knew that body language well. He automatically turned on his father. "What the hell you doing with her here? Where the hell did ya get her?"

"That ain't none of your business." Will growled at him. He started to get to his feet when the other man pushed him back down into his chair. "Get yer hands off me Merle! The girl is mine."

"You sick bastard." Merle growled as he grabbed the man's collar.

Will just started to laugh. "I mean she's my daughter dumbass."

Daryl kneeled down to be more at eye level with the girl and reached out to move her face towards him. The girl quickly shrugged away and held up her hand, expecting a slap to the face. Daryl glared over his shoulder at his father. "Ya been smacking her around!"

"Haven't touched her." Will said sounding unconcerned for being called out. He lit a cigarette and pushed Merle's hands off of his collar. Merle seemed to still be in a bit of shock as he looked over at the little girl.

"The hell ya haven't!" Daryl growled causing the girl to back away from him.

"Get her out of here Daryl." Merle growled. Daryl looked up at his brother and swallowed hard. Merle stood there calmly, but Daryl knew better. He was only that calm right before he was about to loose complete control. Daryl reached out and grabbed the girl's arm and drug her out of the house, completely ignoring the fact the girl was screaming and trying to get her small arm free of his. He didn't let her go until they where out of the house and he was placing her in a truck sitting out side.

"Listen, what ever ya hear, don't leave this truck." Daryl said when he closed the door. "I gotta make sure Merle don't kill em."

"Who are you?" Josephine finally got out as Daryl started to walk away. He turned back and looked at her over his shoulder.

"We're yer brothers." Was all Daryl got out before Will Dixon was thrown out the front door and Merle wasn't far behind him. Daryl quickly grabbed a hold of his brother. Merle pushed him away and kicked the man on the ground one more time. Spitting blood at him from the one good punch Will had landed on his jaw. Merle and Daryl then returned to the truck.

"He ain't going ta touch ya again." Merle said as he got into the passenger seat. He looked the small girl over, noticing the bruise starting below her left eye. "Christ girl, why would ya come ta stay with that man?"

Josephine looked down at her hands. "Ain't got no other place to go. Child services dropped me off."

Daryl cussed under his breath as he drove away. He looked over at his brother with a sad look in his eyes. Merle groaned knowing exactly what that meant. They wouldn't be able to leave now. They both knew they couldn't keep the girl with them. They got into to much trouble, and Merle's habits weren't good for the girl to be around. But they weren't going to let the girl go through what they had.

"What's yer name little bit?" Merle asked as he looked over her face. She didn't look much like him or Daryl, but there was one thing he couldn't deny. She had Daryl's eyes. Their fathers eyes.

"Josephine Rose Pitman." Josephine replied quietly.

Daryl looked over at the young girl with sad eyes. "Jo, yer going ta be ok. We won't let the bastard touch ya again."

Jo looked down at her hands but said nothing. She wasn't sure if she believed them. But hey had saved her, and at that moment, that's all that mattered.

OOOOOOOOO

Jo woke up with a start almost knocking heads with some one who had been leaning over her. She looked around frantically as her eyes tried to adjust to being awake. She left some one take a hold of her shoulders and she quickly flinched at the touch.

"It's me Josephine." The panicked voice of Glenn came to her. "You passed out after giving blood. You're still at the Greene farm."

Jo pressed her hands hard to her eyes, trying her hardest to forget the dream that she had just had. She hadn't dreamt of her father years. "Daryl?"

"He's still on the highway with the others. I came with T-Dog to get his arm taken care of." Glenn explained. "Shane just returned from the school with the respirator and surgical supplies. They are operating on Carl now."

"Squirt?" Jo said as she struggled to come back to reality. She laid back down feeling a bit dizzy again, when she heard the familiar heavy steps of Rick coming towards her. She opened her eyes and looked around at all the faces surrounding her. Glenn was sitting on the couch next to her while T-Dog and Rick stood above him. But there was a girl standing above her that she didn't recognize. The small doe eyes girl bit her lower lip and nervously wrapped both hands around a glass of orange juice. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a side ponytail and her big blue eye looked down at her in shock. When she realized Jo was looking at her she jumped into action and handed the glass over to her.

"This should make you feel a bit better." She said shyly. Jo didn't reach out for it, but kept staring at the girl. She seemed to get nervous under the young Dixon's gaze as she sifted on her feet.

"Take the glass Jo." Rick said sternly. Jo still didn't move so Glenn took it for her.

"Thank you Beth." Glenn replied and the girl quickly escaped up the stairs. Jo smirked to herself.

Beth. Jo thought as she took the glass from Glenn so to hide the smile that had crept across her face.