A/N: Once again I would like to thank all of those who have favorited and reviewed my story! A few more lines from the show in this one. I would like to point out a review I received from Hasick about my story not being identical to the show. Thank you for that! I'm trying my best to change parts of it, but still keeping some things the same as well. I want you all to know that I am not going to keep carrying on the shows plot (which leads to the Wolves and eventually the Saviors and Negan). I mainly just wanted the group to get to Alexandria, and then make up my own plot from there. Any ideas on an Antagonist that hasn't been used from the show yet?! I'll think of something! Much love.

CHAPTER TEN

Silver Linings

Alexandria, Alexandria, Alexandria. That was the name of the place Hannah had given to them, and like a broken record, the name repeatedly whispered in Beth's thoughts. They had given her and the others a vague description of the community, but what stuck in her mind most was that Alexandria was protected by a 15-foot-high wall made of solid steel that surrounded its entire perimeter. It sounded safe enough and very impressive, but what about the people inside? What if Hannah and Greg had given them more false hope? Those were the questions that were unavoidably asked among the group. Rick decided to make it a vote once they made it back to the bus on whether or not they would venture to Alexandria.

Greg had drawn a line on their map, giving them the best route to their neighborhood. It was still approximately another four hours' drive to get there. Michonne had asked them if they would like to lead the way, but the couple wanted to keep looking for their daughter a little while longer. This would prove to make entering Alexandria a little more difficult, but Greg offered the idea of using his and his wife's names when they reached the gate. Beth knew that Hannah took a big risk sending them to their home, and it was a risk she would eventually thank her for later if they ever crossed paths again. Before departing, they gave some water to the couple and wished them the best in finding their daughter.

Daryl kept his pace equal to Beth's as they walked side by side on the way back to the bus. It had been well over two hours since they left to search for gasoline, and everyone was eager to get back on the road. They exchanged very little words between each other as Beth looked onward down the street, until eventually she saw the bus up ahead. She noticed several figures outside the vehicle, and realized that something was wrong.

"Everythin' alright?" Beth asked Glenn, but her voice darkened when she spotted a body lying flat on its back on the side of the road with Rosita sitting beside it. It was Tara. "Is she…gone?"

Carl walked off the bus when he heard her voice, and the blonde figured that Judith must have been sleeping inside.

Maggie rushed to her husband's side who nodded slowly. "She passed away just only a half an hour ago…I had to…" Glenn's voice trailed off as his wife gripped him into a hug.

Beth noticed the knife wound on the side of Tara's head, and knew that her brother-in-law must have done the deed. Not too far from her body, Eugene was digging a grave with a shovel that was gripped tightly in his hands which they happened to bring with them from the cabin for this very predicament. Tyreese was at his side, and by the dirt stains on his clothes it was evident that they had been taking turns. Although Beth didn't have much time to get to know Tara, from what the blonde observed she knew she was kind and strong-willed.

Abraham rushed over to Eugene in a vigorous manner, with a look that was certainly unimpressed. "What the fuck are you doin' out here? It's not safe outside the bus when I don't have my eye on you!"

Eugene stopped his digging and glanced up at the large man. It was visible then that he had tears rolling down his cheeks and his eyes were swollen from crying. "I felt compelled as the one accountable to dig her grave."

Abraham stood dumbfounded; though bore a pang of empathy for his companion.

"We have somethin' to tell you all," Rick announced, deciding it was now time to explain the news about DC to Carl, Glenn, Tyreese, Eugene and Rosita who stayed by the bus as they foraged through Hillsborough. "We met a couple in the town claiming that DC has been overrun and is no longer secure."

"What?!" Rosita blurted out, being the only one who expressed her disappointment in words. "That can't be true!"

"Evidently, it is," Maggie replied calmly. "But they gave us good news, too."

Rosita knitted her brow as she jutted out her jaw in disbelief, still not convinced. "So you're just going by their word?"

"Yeah, we are," Daryl retorted hoarsely and then glanced at Beth. "They seemed like decent people."

"So what's the good news?" Glenn asked curiously as he put his arm around Maggie's waist.

Rick cleared his throat. "I'm still deciding on whether or not it's good news, but the couple revealed a community to us named Alexandria and we are more than welcome to go there. They said the place is safely protected by a 15-foot-wall, with its own solar grid, cisterns and sewage filtrations. That means hot showers, electricity and housing to keep us sheltered."

"That sounds great!" Carl cheered with enthusiasm, and the others grinned widely.

Rick shook his head. "Almost too great," he said as he took glances around the whole group. "We need to make a decision on whether or not we should go. I'm not sure that we should," Rick explained, the distrust in his voice was unmistakable.

"What do you mean? Why shouldn't we go?" Carl demanded an answer as he stood before his father; a frown had now formed on his face.

Michonne didn't understand Rick. He was more than willing to go to DC in order to protect his children, but now he was paranoid about Alexandria. She had enough. "If they were lying or if they wanted to hurt us…they would have done it right there and ambushed us. They wouldn't send us to their home…where they live," Michonne argued as her piercing eyes darted around the group. "We need this. So we're going, all of us." Silence followed as a few people nodded in agreement, including Beth. Michonne huffed in frustration, and spoke a little faster. "Somebody say something if they feel differently."

"I don't know, man," Daryl looked over to Rick as he muttered under his breath. "It's shitty havin' to always be on the move."

"Yeah," Rick sighed and nodded, admitting defeat as he was seemingly outnumbered. "We're going."

"After Tara's death and the news of DC, there is somethin' I need to confess to y'all," Eugene said through his sobs and cleared his throat. Everyone fell silent as the whole group stilled to listen. Curiosity enveloped inside them all. His next words were shaking with guilt and apprehension. "I lied. I'm…I'm not a scientist. I don't know how to stop it. I'm not a scientist…" He passed the shovel to Tyreese who willingly took it from him.

Everyone stared at him in fury, disappointment, but most of all confusion as he exposed his lie to the group. Their knitted brows stared heavily onto his face. A forceful silence crippled Eugene as he fumbled a couple steps back. He drew a few deep breaths as his eyes darted around everyone, not expecting what was to come next.

"You are a scientist; I've seen the things you can do!" Rosita objected, not wanting to believe the man with the mullet.

"I just know things."

Glenn took a few steps forward, his eyes never leaving Eugene as he spoke with bewilderment. "You just…know things?"

"I know I'm smarter than most people. I know I'm a very good liar and I needed to get to DC."

"Why?" Tyreese asked, mystified.

Eugene glimpsed over at him before eyeing the rest of the group. "Because I do believe that location holds the strongest possibility for survival, and I wanted to survive. If I could get some people into taking me there, I will. I just reasoned that I'd be doing them a solid too considering the state of Huston and the state of everythin'."

Abraham, who could hardly believe everything Eugene just said, slowly fell to his knees just as Rosita began to speak once again. "People died trying to get you there."

"I'm aware of that," he replied as he started to give out names of all the fallen people who Beth and everyone else from her group did not recognize. "Y'see, I lost my nerve as we drew closer. I'm a coward. But again, I am smarter than you," he continued as he looked at Abraham, though the red head had finally heard enough. "You may want to leave me here, but—"Abraham jumped off the ground, wasting no time at throwing his fist directly in Eugene's face and interrupting his sentence, and then pounded him a second time until the brunette's back hit the bus for good measure.

"Hey!" Rick yelled, darting over to Abraham with Daryl at his side. "Get off of him!" Both men grabbed the large man's shoulders to pry him off of Eugene just as he got one last punch in.

The back of Eugene's head hit the bus from the blow and he stiffened as he fell to the ground like a wooden board. A faint crushing sound was heard as his face met the cement. Abraham wanted to continue beating him to a pulp, but Rosita blocked his path and her hand was on her holster. She knew the red head all too well. Abraham raised his hand in front of his face as he glowered at the blood that covered it, breathing heavily as he did.

The group watched Abraham walk off down the street in silence before stopping and kneeling down in the middle of the road. Beth knew that two amounts of bad news were too much for the man, and he blew up out of anger. She rushed over to Eugene and attempted to turn him over, but it was no use; he was too heavy for her. Seeing this, Daryl crouched over beside her to help as this time they effortlessly completed the task, revealing Eugene's battered and bloody face. He had been knocked out, but they knew he would eventually come to. Fortunately he had nothing broken.

. . .

The next couple hours involved how to get Abraham out of his dream-like state and preparing a burial for Tara. After they finally finished digging her grave and Eugene had come to, they each shared a few words for their fallen companion. Though most never had the chance to get to know Tara in the short time she was with them, they still hoped all the best for her in the next life—if there was one. During the funeral, Glenn revealed one of her last few words spoken to him, and it was something that he thought should be applied to all of them—something that should not be forgotten: "I know it sucks, and it's scary. But it's time to be brave." Beth knew that to be very true.

The bitter evening had finally arrived and everyone appeared to be exhausted, so Rick decided it was best to make camp and depart in the morning. Glenn and Tyreese built a campfire for the group to keep warm while they shared some cans of fruit and baked beans for dinner. Beth was never very enthusiastic with beans, but tonight they were more appetizing than she had anticipated.

Daryl eventually sat down beside Beth after everyone finished eating their share of food. Previously, he had been talking to Rick—most likely about their plans for tomorrow, and now found his way to her. Beth observed him curiously as he watched the flames licking the night air. The bags under his eyes exposed the truth about how drained he was. Beth wondered how much sleep he had in the past few days. Not a lot, most likely.

"No one teach you that it's rude to stare?" Daryl asked suddenly, though never taking his eyes away from the fire.

Beth smiled as she looked away quickly; startled that he had caught her and her cheeks began to blush. "I was just thinkin' about how tired you looked." The tone in her voice was teasing.

"Humph," Daryl puffed air out of his mouth in displeasure at her facetious remark. Silence grew between them for several moments as the redneck shifted in his spot. "I'm proud of you today."

Beth turned to look at him, and her eyebrow rose. "You mean for savin' your life?"

"I mean for everythin'," Daryl finally took his eyes off of the fire and twisted his head to look at the features on Beth's face. "You're startin' to become a very skilful fighter."

"Startin'?" Beth mocked playfully. "I have been for a while now."

Daryl smiled at her retort, amused by her overconfidence. "Hmm, someone's cocky." He took a sip of water from his canteen, and then offered it to Beth. She took it gratefully.

"I think I've just been hangin' around someone for too long and it's startin' to rub off on me," Beth laughed and nearly choked on the water she swallowed. Daryl reacted with a chuckle.

Maggie, who was cuddling up beside Glenn across the other side of the fire, happened to hear her sister giggling. Through the flicker of the flames she could see Beth and Daryl sitting beside one another and took note of his hand gestures as he spoke. He was obviously explaining something to her sister, and whatever it was made her and the redneck laugh quietly to each other. She noticed the admiring expression on Beth's face as she gazed up at Daryl, and Maggie knew that look all too well.

"Glenn," The brunette lightly elbowed her husband in the arm just as he had begun to dose off.

"Mhm?" He mumbled wearily as he slowly opened his eyes, entering back into reality.

"Look over at Beth and Daryl," Maggie's whispers were sharp and direct.

Glenn's eyes were now completely open, realizing his wife appeared bothered by something. Looking over, he saw nothing out of the ordinary and he knitted his brow in confusion. "What about them?"

"I think—" Maggie began to explain, but faltered for a moment as she wondered how absurd her next sentence would be. "I think Beth might have a thing for Daryl."

Glenn shot a skeptical glance at his sister-in-law again, hoping he might see something that would make Maggie's accusation valid. Still, nothing seemed unusual about the two. "Really? How can you tell?"

"By the way she looks at him. How can you not tell?" Maggie asked in a flustered tone.

Glenn studied Beth a little more closely, and he smirked before looking back at his wife, attempting to hold back a chuckle. "You know, now that you mention it, you gave me those same looks when we first started dating."

Maggie's eyes widened abruptly as horror struck her face like she had just seen a ghost. "You don't think they're dating, do you?"

Glenn shrugged, but had to laugh at the thought of Daryl going on dates. "If they are, so what?"

Maggie scoffed at how nonchalant her husband was to the predicament. "So what?!" She shrieked, startling Carl who happened to be walking past them, so she lowered her tone. "He's about 15 years older than her!"

Glenn looked at the brunette and could almost sense her neck hairs standing on end. "That may be true," his voice was small and tentative. "But…if you haven't noticed, there aren't very many decent people left that haven't been eaten by walkers. Besides, Daryl is a good guy."

"He is a good guy Glenn, but that's not the point. If she were your sister, would you say the same?"

Glenn paused to think over what Maggie had just said. "That's…debatable." The expression on her face showed that she was not satisfied with his answer, so he sighed. "Look, if you feel this strongly against it, maybe you should tell her? You know, give her some guidance."

Maggie shook her head. "Nuh uh, Beth is too stubborn. She won't listen to me, not if her feelings are already strong."

Glenn furrowed his brow. "Then what are you going to do?"

The brunette glanced around the camp in thought, until her eyes finally fell upon Noah who was busy bouncing Judith on his lap, and then back at Daryl. "I'll think of somethin'."

. . .

Beth had a way of messing up Daryl's rational thoughts without even trying. He found that as the days went on, he struggled at fighting the things he felt; things that he so desperately wanted to run away from. The feelings that were stirring inside him for Beth were making him vulnerable, and it scared the shit out of him. Not only that, but a voice in the back of his head kept repeating the words "She's just a child," "No she's not," "Yes she is."

It was a constant battle in his mind, but the logical side was slowly losing because eventually he'd find himself once again by her side, powerless and unable to ignore the bizarre flutter he felt in his stomach whenever she smiled or looked at him. This feeling was something new, something he never felt with another female. Daryl carried a mix of emotions in his heart, emotions he didn't know how to deal with.

So, instead of talking to Beth about it, he carried the stress inside as it slowly ate away at him. It wasn't all bad, as there were moments when the eagerness of spending time with her diluted the moments when he needed his space. But whenever he saw Noah squeezing his way in; talking to her, looking at her the way he did or laughing at her remarks, Daryl wanted nothing more than to make it known that Beth was his. He cursed at himself for being so selfish and possessive, but it was only because he was worried he'd lose what he had with Beth before she even comprehended the emotions developing inside him.

Perhaps she'd eventually give up on him. Daryl wouldn't blame her if she did; Beth deserved someone who wasn't afraid of bubbly, romantic things. Yet still, in this chaotic, ugly world, she was the only thing that seemed to make the most sense. Perhaps…if Beth waited long enough, he'd eventually give in.

As Daryl climbed into the bus the next morning, he wondered if he was just overcompensating and decided to stop thinking about his concerns over Noah altogether—at least for now. Besides, he seemed like a respectable kid, and IF Beth did happen to choose anyone over Daryl, he'd ultimately be O.K with that…just as long as she was happy. Still, he made damn sure he was the one sitting beside Beth for the next four hours on the bus.

Luckily, Abraham had finally snapped out of whatever state he was in thanks to the powerful words Maggie had spoken to him. When they were finally on their way and the sun was warming up the chill in the air, Beth took the window seat and glanced back at Tara's grave and the cross they had made for her out of branches. It was the best they could do in the little time that they had, and Beth wished that Tara could have been heading to Alexandria with them. She sighed dolefully, which must have caught Daryl's attention because he placed his right hand consolingly on her lap and softly stroked his fingers against her jeans. He knew exactly what she was thinking about without having to say a word.

Beth laid her head atop her folded arms that leaned against the back part of the seat in front of her, lazily watching the moving scenery through the window. Everyone on the bus was silent in their own thoughts, with maybe a few whispers here and there, as Rick drove them to their new destination. Daryl's hand had now moved to the small of her back, and she found herself closing her eyes, relaxed under his compassionate touch. She was glad to have him sitting beside her this time around and was contentedly surprised with his unexpected boldness, but she wasn't going to question it. At that moment, she didn't doubt the possibility of dosing off from his gentle caressing and the low humming from the bus.

. . .

"According to the map, we should be almost there," Rick ardently announced to the group as he took a quick glance behind his shoulder before looking back on the road. The tone in his voice was unwavering.

They had been travelling on the bus for quite a while, only stopping once for those who needed a bathroom break. Anticipation grew fiercer within Beth as she wondered what to expect from Alexandria, and she figured she wasn't the only one eager to know. However, she had a good feeling about this place and she hadn't felt this positive about somewhere since they first arrived at the prison.

They drove for about another ten minutes before they entered onto a road scattered with vehicles and several half charred houses that had been falling apart. The most astounding spectacle, however, was the towering wall that blocked their view ahead. Rick eased off the accelerator as his eyes widened from the sight. Hannah and Greg certainly did not exaggerate in the slightest. Rick eventually stopped in the middle of the road several car lengths away from the gate.

Daryl stood up from his seat beside Beth and rushed to Rick's side. "I see someone, standin' at the tower," he warned as he lifted his hand and pointed at the overlook to their right. "There."

Rick nodded as he followed the direction of the redneck's index finger. "Yeah, I see him too. It looks like he's got a rifle aimed at us."

"Maybe this was a mistake coming here," Rosita piped up, feeling a little nervous at the idea of getting shot down the moment they exited off the bus.

"It's only natural that they'd have someone keeping watch," Bob countered as he stood on his feet. "I say we go to the gate, but we keep our weapons drawn in case anything happens."

Rick nodded as he turned off the ignition. "Bob has a point. We'll be cautious, but we've come too far to go back now."

"So how are we going to do this?" Glenn asked with uncertainty. "Knock on their doors and demand they take us in? What if they don't want to?"

"They will," Rick nodded again; his tone was a little more forceful than before. "We'll mention that Greg and Hannah sent us, and if they still don't take us in…we'll fight for it and make it ours."

"No!" Tyreese bellowed as he abruptly stood up, his fists hit the seat in front of him. "No more fightin'!"

Silence lingered inside the bus from the man's sudden outburst. However, Beth had to agree with him. This was not who they were. "If we sought to steal Alexandria from them, then we'd be no different from the Governor," Beth proclaimed, her voice shaky with distress as she remembered their last moments at the prison.

"Beth's right," Daryl agreed with the blonde after a brief consideration. A twinge of sadness stirred within him by her choice of words. "If they don't want us, we should move on and keep doin' what we've been doin'."

"Surviving," Abraham pointed out rather disappointingly, merely uttered the word as though he were thinking out loud. It was the first time he spoke since Eugene admitted to his lies.

Rick drew out a sigh and contemplated their options. "Alright, we won't take it for our own. Since we want to look peaceful I think it's best that we keep our weapons in our holsters. If they start shootin', don't hesitate to take out your guns and shoot back."

Though it could turn out to be dangerous, the group agreed to the plan only because it was their best bet at getting on the good side of those who lived in Alexandria. When they slowly stepped out of the bus, Beth was relieved to finally be standing again. Among the birds singing joyfully in the trees around them, the blonde instantly heard faint sounds of children's laughter in the distance, coming from somewhere inside Alexandria. Beth's heart leaped in excitement, not fear, when she heard such happiness of normal human life.

They cautiously sauntered towards the gate. With Judith in his arms, Rick's eyes darted between the man up in the tower and the entrance to the community. The barred gate itself was draped over by some sort of translucent tarp, and eventually two figures appeared behind it. The man with the rifle must have somehow alerted a few others about their company, and it became obvious that they were willing to talk. Thankfully, they weren't the type of people to shoot down everything that moved on sight.

"What do you all want?" A man's calming voice asked once the group reached the gate, seemingly unafraid by their presence.

Rick cleared his throat and drew out a sigh. "We're lookin' for a place to live, where we can feel safe. We met up with two of your people back in Hillsborough who go by the names Greg and Hannah. They told us about you."

The man behind the gate chuckled slightly, causing Daryl to cock his head. "Was it Hannah's idea?"

The redneck's eyes squinted in puzzlement. "Does it matter?"

"No, not really, she just has the same views as me. It just so happens that we've been trying to find more survivors—ones that were strong and well equipped to deal with the biters. I guess she saw something in all of you," the man replied with the same amount of calmness in his tone, but with a little more excitement. "You've come to the right place. The man up in the tower—his name is Aiden and he's told us that you guys carry a hefty amount of weapons. I'm unfortunately going to have to ask you to turn them in."

"And if we don't?" Rick asked annoyingly, but figured he already knew the answer.

"Then this gate won't be opening. Don't worry, you'll eventually get them back, but you have to meet up with us halfway if you want to stay here. Would you let a mysterious group into your community and allow them to still carry their guns?" The man asked prudently, and silence followed. "I didn't think so."

"Why would you let a mysterious group into your home to begin with?" Carol questioned further.

"I believe everyone deserves a chance," the man replied honestly. "We have no reason to distrust someone until they give us a reason to, and like I said, we need more people like you to protect this place. You need a place to feel safe; well we have our needs too."

"Let's give them our weapons," Michonne directed the group, and they all began taking the guns out of their holsters and dropping them on the ground, included the katana, bow and crossbow. Everyone did as they were told, all except for one. "Rick?"

Rick sighed, feeling vulnerable as he hated not being in control. With his one free hand, he pulled out his colt python and set it on the ground. "There, we've set our guns down but we're keepin' our blades."

"Fair enough," the man agreed as he began to open the gate after getting the O.K by Aiden.

Beth and the others watched closely as two men with brown, curly hair appeared from behind the gate. They were clean and well dressed, their clothes looked fresh and ironed; their skin spotless. Behind them were lawns that had been mowed, flower beds that had been taken care of and houses that were well kept. It looked like a normal neighborhood, one that never saw the ugliness of what the world was now. It was beautifully serene.

"I'm Aaron, and this is Nicholas," the man who had been previously talking to them through the gate announced. "I'll get people to come and collect the weapons later. They'll be safe until then. Come in, it's alright."

Rick and his group proceeded to cautiously walk inside, and Nicholas shut the gate behind them.

"We weren't expecting you all, so excuse us if we are a little unorganized," Aaron explained, but the group remained silent. He cleared his throat. "Well, welcome to Alexandria. I'll have to escort you all to Deanna; she'll want to know you guys are here."

"Who's Deanna?" Abraham questioned sternly.

"She knows everything you'd want to know about this place," Aaron explained as he looked around the group. "Who's your leader?"

Everyone held their tongue as Rick stepped forward. "Me."

Aaron nodded. "What's your name?"

"Rick."

"Alright Rick, I'll get you to talk to her first. Everyone, follow me," Aaron instructed as he began walking up the road. Nicholas lingered in the back, holding his gun in case anything was to go down.

Beth eyeballed the streets up and down, marveled by how spotless the place was. No garbage littered the streets, no nauseating bodies either laying lifelessly on the ground or rambling around aimlessly. The people who lived there stood and gazed at them like they were extra-terrestrials from another planet.

"It was too easy gettin' in here," Daryl whispered to Beth as he walked beside her while studying the people around them.

Beth shrugged as she murmured back. "Aaron said the community needed more people. Maybe it was just fate."

"I don't believe in fate…just pure dumb luck."

Beth frowned as she brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Well, then maybe we're finally lucky for a change."

Daryl glanced at the blonde, and when she looked back up at him his chest fluttered annoyingly, so he quickly looked away. "Maybe. I guess we'll find out soon enough."