When Daryl saw Rick and Carol at Beth's bedside, he was so flooded with relief that he could feel some of the tension instantly melt from his shoulders. But then Rick gave him a pointed look and his stomach gave a little lurch. As he walked through the doorframe, he half expected the ex-sheriff to drag him aside and, in his quietly menacing voice, thoroughly reprimand him for his despicable ways. He also was prepared for Carol to cast him pitying "it all makes sense" looks, given that she'd seen him stash the abuse survivor book. Inside, he cringed with embarrassment knowing she'd seen it. He was pretty certain she hadn't come to the conclusion that he'd picked it up for some light reading.

But, Rick didn't pull him aside. And when Carol looked at him, it was only with warmth.

"Daryl," Rick said with emotion. He placed a palm on Daryl's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Carol rose and gave him a quick hug. He'd stiffened at these touches, but not so much, he reckoned. There'd been a time when he wouldn't have tolerated these kinds of physical intimacies at all. Though they still elicited uneasiness, at least his first reaction wasn't to back up and bare his teeth like an injured mutt.

He threw a questioning look at Beth and wondered why she hadn't yet ratted him out. She would've been completely justified in doing so, and even if she actually took pleasure in shining a spotlight on how crass and horrible he was, he wasn't fixing to hold it against her.

But she was just stared dully off into the distance.

"Beth here says you told her e'vrything. Now, we know it's a lot for her to take in. The walkers… the struggles..." He scratched his beard. "I know from personal experience, it's downright traumatizin', if you can even begin to believe it's true and you're not just havin' a whooper of a nightmare." Daryl guessed he wasn't only referencing how he'd come out of a coma to learn the world had been over-run by stinking corpses; he probably was having a mental montage of every wretched thing he's had to do to survive…to ensure that his people survived.

"But," he continued, "she'll be OK. She's strong." He bent down to give her a light kiss on the top of her head. "Ain't that right, Bethy?" Daryl flinched. In that moment, Rick had channeled Hershel to a T, and he was pretty sure it hadn't been done consciously.

"It'll be fine," she added, her voice flat. "Otherwise, what's it all FOR?"

Beth mimicking Daryl's words didn't anger him this time; in sharp contrast, they were sobering. She'd delivered them in such a self-defeated, detached way it rapidly threw the situation into 3-D relief. He'd taken his fear, hurt and disappointment out on the girl. He wasn't a scholar, but he knew what it meant to blame the victim.

Daryl ran a hand over his face and his eyes slid to Carol. He suddenly recalled how he'd similarly lashed out at her in the barn when they'd been talking about Sophia. She'd been trying to show him empathy and kindness, even though she was the one whose daughter was missing. Daryl, not having any experience with healthy relationships, crudely misinterpreted her attempts at compassion and felt insulted. And put simply, you don't insult a Dixon and get away with it.

Jesus. I'm still the same shit-head I've always been.

Merle snickered. Little brother, meet self-awareness. Self-awareness, this here's little brother."

Asshole. Daryl bit his lip, afraid for a second he'd almost uttered it aloud.


"I think we're ready," Rick said, referring to the packed police cars. He'd struck a deal with the two cops who'd assumed leadership roles after Dawn was killed. Luckily, they seemed to want to make amends for some of the pain and suffering Dawn had caused. They offered three of the cars, gas, and supplies. Daryl had been in on the negotiations, and found them to be going relatively well until Rick brought up that some of their folk had taken him up on the offer hightail it out of there.

"Now," Rick began when he saw them bristle. "I'm not forcin' them to come with us. This is their decision, their right. You have any beef with that, well I'm sorry… but that's the way it's gotta be. I'm not gonna refuse anyone who wants to take a chance with us." Along with Shepherd, Rose, Blondie, another one of the cops who turned out to be an ex-electrician and a ward named Willow wanted to join their rag-tag group. Secretly, Daryl wondered at first whether Willow, given her name and lanky legs, had been a "colleague" of Rose's in the old world. Turns out she'd been an accountant who'd been crossing the street at the wrong time. Her arm was still in a cast from the "unfortunate encounter " with Gorman's cop car.

Before heading into negotiations, Sasha, Rick, Daryl, Carol and Noah had discussed the possible new additions. Noah had vouched for them, and Rick said that was good enough for him. Daryl had surprised them by grunting agreement. While the kid annoyed the crap out of him, he trusted him. He saw how he was around Beth. Didn't have a mean bone in his body, and even enough spunk to speak plainly to intimidating bastards like himself. In the end, it was hard to find fault with him.

At the present, Daryl's crossbow was slung non-threateningly over his shoulder as Rick worked out final details. He stood in a corner, observing. In his waistband, within easy reach, was a loaded gun. He didn't expect to have to use it, but he didn't want to be caught off-guard, either. His realization earlier about how he'd gotten sloppy and complacent plagued him.

After some back and forth, the leaders conceded and Rick announced, "We're done here, then." He even extended a hand. One of the police tentatively reached out and shook it. "Shame about the girl," he said, referring to Beth.

"She'll be all right," Daryl interjected defensively. It was the only thing he'd said the whole meeting.


Rick, Shepard, The Electrician and Willow got into one car, with Rick at the wheel. Sasha and Noah were positioned in the front seat of the second car, while Rose and Blondie slid in the back. Carol climbed into the passenger seat of the last car, with Beth occupying the backseat alone so she would have room to lie down if needed. Exhaustion already weighed down the girl's features. Daryl opened the driver-side door, paused, and then closed it. "Forgot s'thing," he said to Carol. "Be right back."

Carol looked at him quizzically but asked no questions. Daryl strode up to Rick's window and leaned down to tell him something. Rick nodded and Daryl went back inside.

He came out about ten minutes later with a duffle over his shoulder. Wordlessly, he shuffled things around in the trunk so it would fit snug in the rear, with nothing on top of it. He clicked open the car door and slipped behind the wheel. He looked in the rearview mirror. Beth was already prone on the seat, breathing rhythmically in sleep.

"Let's get this show on the road," Carol said, handing him the keys.