Well hello there everyone! I'm so happy I was able to get this chapter out so quickly. This one was just so much easier to write for some reason. I hope you all like it, and that it lives up to expectations on some of the parts. Some things will be answered, but new questions hang in the air, and there is still the question of Terminus. We'll be getting to that soon!

I want to thank all of you for sticking with me in spite of my slow updates lately. It means a lot! I also want to thank the new readers I have gotten. I love seeing those new followers, and favorites!

Now, I must write a response to Snowbird. First off, thank you so much for your wonderful review! You absolutely made my day, and your review was SO encouraging. I haven't been in love with the last two chapters, so it was nice to hear that you were enjoying them. You were definitely instrumental in getting this chapter out so quickly. You made me want to write more than I have in a while. Thanks! I also want to say that while things have been hectic, I wouldn't say that they have necessarily stressful. I live on a farm, and this time of year is always crazy. I should have known better than to start a story at this time of year, but alas I wasn't thinking ahead. It's just the time of year when all the babies are born and all the plants need to go in the ground, so I don't get as much time at the computer as I would like. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that, so you weren't feeling bad for me. Everything is good, just VERY busy! Anyway, thank you again for your wonderful words. I hope you like this chapter and will continue to let me know what you think!

So without further wordiness from me, here is the next chapter!

Chapter Eleven –

The morning dawned clear and cool, with fat raindrops still clinging to the grass, and the ground squishy from the heavy rain that hit the area the night before. Daryl was glad that the air was finally cooling down, since early fall had been stifling. He was also happy to see that it had rained as he suspected it would, it would mean that any fresh tracks would be easier to see. Tracking would be important if they were to accomplish what he hoped to that day. He wanted to bring home a deer for the group. Emma had been doing almost all the hunting since they had settled in, and it was starting to make him feel like less of a man. She was one hell of a huntress, and though she only brought small game home, it was enough to emasculate him.

Of course, he also held some hope that they would come across others from their group – Beth made sure he didn't lose that hope – but his main reasons for going out were getting a dear, and kissing that damn girl. He had been afraid he would lose his balls while he slept, but instead he woke up with even more determination to make Beth his… If she would have him. He figured he would know the answer to that before too long, so he didn't focus on it much.

Instead, he got the clean clothes Squirrel had given him two days prior, and put them on. He figured it wouldn't hurt if he looked half decent when he put the moves on the girl, even if he rarely ever thought much of his appearance. He even went so far as to take his knife to his chin stubble, and evened it up a bit. He didn't have a mirror in his room, so he wasn't entirely sure how the finished product looked, but it felt like he had done a fairly good job. When he was done he stood in the middle of the room, and felt fairly foolish for a moment. He considered changing back into his ratty clothes, but decided against it, and grabbed his bow instead, leaving the room to join everyone else in the main room.

When he entered the room he found everyone in their usual positions; Squirrel leaned against the counter eating her oatmeal, while the rest of the group sat around one of the picnic tables eating and chatting. The only difference was that Michonne had her sword strapped on again, and the sight made his lips twitch up imperceptibly.

He strode over to the large pan on the counter and scooped some of the gruel into the bowl left behind for him. He turned to head to the table, but thought better of it, and approached Squirrel instead, mirroring her position against the counter. "Mornin'." He mumbled as he shoved a spoonful of the bland food into his mouth. He had to admit that he missed the sweetened condensed milk she had put in the oatmeal the first two mornings, without it the food tasted like cardboard.

He caught the movement of her glancing at him out of the corner of his eye, but her gaze didn't linger. "It sure is." She replied softly.

He felt his lips curl up again involuntarily. While she drove him nuts, and got him angrier than anyone in recent memory, he had to admit he enjoyed her dry sense of humor. It kind of reminded him of the times he spent alone with Michonne while they were searching for the Governor. They both had the same sarcastic nature, but he had always felt more comfortable around Michonne for some reason. Squirrel just made him antsy and irritated most of the time.

He decided to ignore her remark, and act like the gentleman he had set out to be that morning when he went to talk to her. "You and Michonne don't need no back up today, do ya?"

Squirrel chucked softly, and Daryl felt his stomach clench uncomfortably. Her laugh always made him feel that way, and he couldn't imagine why. Sure she had a nice laugh, but he'd never had his body react just to the sound of a woman laughing. It was ridiculous and he knew it, but apparently his body hadn't gotten the memo on that one.

"No, that would just piss her off, and she could already shave that scruff of yours with the edge she's on."

For some silly reason her comment set him off, and he was instantly defensive. What the hell did she mean about his scruff? Was something wrong with his facial hair? "What you talkin' 'bout girl?"

That damn woman snickered again softly, and his stomach flipped once more, making him feel even more annoyed. That was what he got for trying to be nice once in his damn life. Then her hand snaked out and her fingers lightly caressed the side of his face. "I meant she's sharp as a knife this morning, and if she really was a knife she wouldn't have any trouble making you a baby face again." Her hand dropped back to her spoon and she took another bite while he get his body and mind back under control.

Unfortunately, his brain was rather slow to get straightened out, and all he could manage was a non-committal grunt as he pushed himself away from the counter. He didn't know what the hell to make of that woman, but he told himself it was time to stop trying to make anything of her. He just needed to stay the hell away from her so she didn't get him into trouble he couldn't get out of. He already had enough stress in his life without bringing the headache of trying to figure the crazy woman out.

He walked to the table and plopped down next to Beth, playfully bumping her with his shoulder as he settled in. "You ready to go out today, Greene?"

Beth's head swiveled around and he saw that her face was filled with a breathtaking smile. "I sure am. I can't wait to get out there and do some good. I've been cooped up for too long."

Daryl knew that Beth had been getting tired of being the babysitter again. It seemed Rick thought that was what she was designed to be, and babysitting duty was all he ever seemed to delegate to her. First with Judith, and now with Michonne. Daryl could only wonder who had been more of a challenge.

He quirked his lips up at her, and turned back to his breakfast as he spoke to her. "Good. I expect we'll be gone most 'a the day. Might even try ta do a little huntin'."

He saw Beth nod her head out of the corner of his eye. "Sounds good ta me, Daryl."

Her words were music to his ears, and he instantly forgot about the discomfort he had experienced at the hands of their host. The only thing that mattered was Beth standing at his side, and he was going to make sure she never left him again.

Emma knelt to the ground inspecting the tracks she had spotted with a critical stare. They were less than a mile from her fields, and she was unhappy to see the fresh tracks that led straight to where they were headed. There were three sets of them, one of which appeared to belong to a heavy set woman, and the other two looked like they belonged to large men. Of course, it was harder to tell the size of people simply based on their tracks these days, since people often just wore whatever they could get their feet into, even if the shoes were far too large. She was fairly certain of her assumption though, based on how deep the tracks sunk into the wet forest floor.

She turned to Michonne who was standing with her katana at the ready behind her. "Do you have any heavy women in your group, or two large men?"

Michonne glanced down at the tracks inexpertly, and paused to think over her response. "Tyreese is a big guy, but he's the only one I can think of, and all the women were pretty slender. Not a lot of extra food to feed a big woman these days."

Emma nodded her head. Unfortunately Michonne's words confirmed her worst fears. Some of her neighbors were coming in to take advantage of her stash. There was only one thing to do; she would have to go and assess the damage to her crops, and hope for the best. "Well it looks like we have a woman and two men headed the same direction that we are. Hopefully they aren't lookin' for trouble."

Michonne's lips curved up into a small smirk. "We'll be ready even if they are."

Emma admired her companion's willingness to defend the area, but she wasn't quiet as sure how things would turn out. She hadn't had trespassers since Dave and his men had come through several months earlier, and the thought of a similar outcome to that experience left her feeling nervous. Sure, she had been able to scare them off, but it hadn't been accomplished without a great deal of suffering on her part. Those men were a big part of the reason she had trouble sleeping these days, and her brief reunion with Dave's successor when she rescued Daryl had only made things worse in that department.

She simply nodded to confirm Michonne's comment, and then rose to her feet to continue on. She cautiously followed the tracks, keeping a keen eye on the forest surrounding them. At that moment she felt like the trees were closing in on her, and she didn't know what the problem was. She'd had panic attacks when she left Georgia, but she hadn't had one in over eight years, and she couldn't understand why they would start up again so suddenly.

She was so wrapped up in trying to calm herself that she almost didn't even register when Michonne spoke again. "So what's up with you and Daryl?" She had to focus for a long moment before the words filtered through his brain, and she found that the focus helped to calm her.

She paused in her step when she registered the question that had been asked of her, and spun on her heal to face the dreadlocked woman. "What are you talking about?"

She saw a smirk fill Michonne's face, and felt like cold water was flowing through her veins instead of warm blood. The older woman shrugged, "It just seems like there's something behind all the glances you both keep avoidin' and the way you two fight like cats and dogs. I've only ever seen that behavior in people that have a history."

Emma felt herself calm slightly, she wasn't insinuating that they had anything going on between them now, just that there was some kind of a history. "Well we did meet a long time ago. He did me a favor, and that's why I helped him when I found him." She saw Michonne's expression change slightly, and felt that she was being judged. "I don't usually help people because you never know what you're walking into. People have proven themselves to be far more dangerous than the biters."

Michonne nodded her head. "You have that right." She paused and studied Emma for a long moment. She was about to turn and continue tracking, but then Michonne continued. "You call 'em biters. The Gov'ner called 'em that too. You ever meet him?"

Emma weighed her options for a moment. She knew that she didn't have to tell the truth, as Michonne had told them all that the man in question wouldn't be dropping by to confirm or deny anything she said. However, for some reason she felt like she had better start telling these people the truth, or they would stop trusting her completely. She could also tell that Michonne would be one that could see through her lies. "Yeah, I met him about a year ago. I went on a little walk about after my group left. I was lonely, and I thought I should try to find community again. I didn't like what I found."

Michonne studied her for a moment, then nodded once more. "I didn't much like what I found while I was out there either. These people," She indicated back the way they had come. "They're good people though. You don't need to be so closed off with us. I was just like you when I first got with them. I learned that I could trust them. I hope you do too." With that closing statement she pointed to the ground where the tracks were and started moving forward again, so Emma picked up the tracks and continued to lead the way.

Daryl led Beth through a particularly dense patch of underbrush, holding the branches up so they didn't hit her in the face behind him. He had been following the tracks of a small deer for the last few hours, but thus far they hadn't seen the beast, and at that point he was beginning to get other ideas for his priorities. He could easily pick back up on the animal's trail, but the small clearing in the bush in front of them wasn't likely to reappear any time soon. It offered cover from any walkers that might head their way, and he knew they would be able to hear them coming a fair ways off with all the noise they would make coming through the bushes. He didn't think the place to try kissing Beth could get any better, so he halted in the narrow patch of grass.

He yanked his pack off and pulled their water bottle out, offering it to Beth first. She took the bottle with a grateful smile, and took a long drink before she handed it back to him. "I was dyin' for a drink. It's like you can read my mind sometimes Daryl." She smiled again as he pulled the bottle from her hand and took a drink for himself.

Suddenly he felt awkward and unsure again, so he just shrugged instead of saying somethin' suave like he had hoped to in that moment. He offered her the bottle again, but she gently pushed it away, letting her fingers linger on his hand for a moment as he pulled it back. He took a second drink to quench his suddenly dry mouth.

After a long moment he screwed the cap back on the bottle and tossed it back in the pack. He then took a tentative step toward her and ran his fingers though her hair. "You look awful pretty today Beth. I like your hair without those little braids."

She beamed up at him and moved closer, so that her chest almost touched his. "You look nice in clean clothes too, Daryl. I don't remember the last time you had clothes without holes and blood stains." Her smile seemed more seductive in that moment, and Daryl tipped his head down a little, his eyes focused on her lips.

He meant to say somethin' endearing, but instead he said the first thing that came to mind. "They feel nice too. It's good to not have my knobby ass knees stickin' out for the world to see."

Beth giggled and put her hand on his chest. He knew she would be able to feel his heart hammerin' beneath her palm, but in that moment he didn't care. He was too caught up in the thought of how she would taste to care about much of anything.

There was a long moment of silence, and Daryl shifted his gaze to Beth's eyes, seeking permission for what he was about to do. He could see desire, and a bit of mirth in the blue depths he started into. Then he saw a flicker of impatience, and Beth broke the near perfect silence. "Are you ever going to kiss me?"

Daryl didn't wait a second more, and he dropped his lips to hers. At first he made the kiss incredibly soft and slow, but after a moment he felt Beth's lips hungrily pressing against his, and he instantly deepened their embrace. Before he knew it their tongues were twining together, and his hands were lightly wrapped around her small waist. Her hands were firmly pressed against his chest, and he could feel them grasping and releasing the fabric there.

And then it felt like a switch got flipped in his brain and all of his senses told him that something was wrong. It wasn't something wrong around them, it was something wrong with them. He felt Beth's hand stop grasping him, and her tongue stopped its frantic motion in his mouth, and he was quick to follow her moves. There was something off with what they were doing, and in that moment they both felt it.

Before he was able to get his thoughts in order he was standing a few inches back from her, and his hands were lightly holding her arms, while her hands rested on his shoulders. She chuckled softly, but without humor, and it broke his heart to hear such a cynical noise come from her lips. "Well that wasn't at all what I expected…"

Daryl wasn't sure how to take what she had said. He had been told in the past that he was a good kisser, but that had been by drunken bar women, so he didn't know if he should believe it. He didn't want to think that the lack of chemistry he had felt was due to his lack of experience with intimate relationships, but in that moment he couldn't stop blaming himself. It was such an ingrained response that he didn't really know how else to think.

He reached up and brushed the hair out of her face. "I'm sorry… I guess I ain't quite the Casanova I was hopin' I was."

Beth jerked her eyes up to meet his worried gaze. "No, no, no! You're a great kisser… I just… I don't know. It just didn't feel right." She paused and he could see her searching his eyes to see if he understood. "I just thought we had something special, and that this kiss would be some magical thing, but… well… after a minute it just felt like I was kissing my brother." She chucked again, and this time he could hear that she was embarrassed.

He stroked her cheek again, and stepped back. "Shhh, you ain't got nothin' to worry about." He wasn't sure if he should tell her that he felt the same way. Well not like he was kissin' his brother – that would have been some kind a' twisted that he didn't even want to think about – but like he was kissin' someone he really shouldn't be. He didn't want to make her feel bad by saying that he had suddenly realized that the way he felt about her wasn't like that at all, but he also didn't want to leave her hangin' like he was, so he finally decided to go with an abbreviated truth. "It felt weird for me too. I think maybe we just got our feelings all mixed up while we were out there alone. That does weird things ta people."

He saw her relax, and felt the tension dissipate under his hand before he withdrew it. She smiled up at him, and he could see that her face was full of relief. "I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought it wound up feeling weird. That would have been tough to deal with every day." Daryl nodded his head, not feeling capable of saying anything more. His mind was racing too fast for him to cling to any idea for long.

After a moment he was able to focus long enough to remember why they were out there in the first place, and he pointed off through the brush. "We better get back after that deer. Don't wanna let the group down."

Beth reached out and squeezed his hand. "Thanks Daryl. I do love you, you know? Just not like that."

All he could manage was a grunt, and then he gently pulled her back to the overgrown trail. He knew now that he had been wrong about his feelings for Beth, and in a way it was a relief. In another way it was a huge disappointment because it meant that he could be wrong about a whole hell of a lot off other feelings. Those other feelings could be a big problem.

Emma and Michonne had finally reached her fields and she was currently looking everything over while Michonne stood at the edge of the area with a dumbstruck look on her face. Emma figured that over an acre filled with food plants and herbs would be enough to surprise anyone, but she had expected questions, not the shocked silence her companion was displaying at that point. She walked through each neat row, harvesting the things that she needed from the herbs, and noting that nothing else was missing. She had already harvested all the good food nearly a month ago, so she wasn't that worried about the rows that had been full of beans and corn the last time she had been there.

She did however note that the tracks they had been following led to that area instead of the part with her poppies, marijuana, and other narcotic plants. She had expected the people had come too rob her of her medicinal plants, not try to pick the bones of her food sources. It seemed rather odd to her, and left her more on edge than if her fears had been confirmed.

It only took her a few minutes to collect the plants she needed to replenish her stocks, and then she made her way back toward Michonne. When she got back to the woman she found that she looked almost exactly the same as she had when she walked away. She had however found her tongue, and the questions began.

"What is all this? Someone's grow plot from before?" Michonne's voice wavered between awe and horror.

Emma smirked slightly, "No, this is all my own handy work. I found a nursery this spring that had a lot of them, and I carted them back here. I don't know how they survived so long without care, but I figured they were a good choice. The other plants I grew from seed this year, or transplanted from other parts of the forest."

Michonne's jaw dropped slightly, "You're telling me that you grew all this yourself?"

Emma nodded, "I don't have much else to do. The biters don't come through these woods in mass very often, and even when they do I just hide in one of the camps. All I do is hunt and grow food. I grew more plants to fill more time." She shrugged as if it was nothing to have grown and harvested over an acre of food and herbs by herself. It had, in fact, been very hard work, and she had slightly reduced the troubles she'd had with the biters. She had been ambushed a few times by small packs while she was working in her fields, and she knew it was pure luck that she had survived the summer.

She pointed in the direction the tracks had been headed. "I have a small camp that way, and the tracks are still moving that direction. It's only mid-day, so I think we should at least go to the camp and check it out. It's only about a 20 minute walk if we make good time."

Michonne took one long look at the vast field in front of her, and then nodded her assent. "Sounds like a good plan to me. I wouldn't feel good heading back until we find out what their intentions are."

Emma didn't feel the need to respond, so she led the way through the fields of aromatic herbs, and then on through the forest. The moisture that had been heavy on the leaves and ground that morning was now hanging in the air like an oppressive cloud. Though it was only in the low seventies, the air felt hotter due to the humidity, and Emma felt like she was walking through a warm swimming pool. She was thankful it wasn't hotter though, because then it would feel like she was walking through a hot tub.

About twenty minutes later she was able to see the outline of the small treehouse about 200 yards off in the distance. She pointed at it so Michonne could spot it as well, and they cautiously moved forward. Michonne had her katana drawn and Emma had an arrow notched, but they never got the chance to use them.

They were about 50 yards out when Emma suddenly felt cool metal at her temple, and a slender arm around her waist. "Drop your weapons." A woman's voice sternly commanded.

Emma tried to spot Michonne out of the corner of her eye, but it seemed her companion had disappeared. Emma could only hope that it was because she was running back to the big camp to bring reinforcements, but she doubted she would be that lucky.

She lowered her bow, but didn't drop it to the ground as she was told to. Instead she shifted to the side slightly, and tried to eye the woman in question. All she could see, unfortunately, was the barrel of her gun, so she tried to sound strong when she spoke. "You are trespassing. The rest of my group knows where I am, and they'll cut you to pieces." Emma surprised herself by referring to Daryl's group as her own, but she instantly dismissed the meaning of her slip, figuring it was simply brought on by the stress of her current situation.

She was still facing in the direction of the treehouse, and at that moment a large man jumped out the window, and promptly started climbing down the ladder. He was on the ground in a matter of seconds, and then he was running toward them. He stopped about 20 feet from them, and Emma knew he looked familiar, but she couldn't place him.

"What are you doing!?" He waved his hand at Emma, his face pale and concerned. "She's the one we've been searching for!"

Emma felt the gun drop from her temple, and the arm around her waist was quickly retracted. She heard the woman mumble an apology, but she was too focused on the man to notice. It was the young man from the dairy. The one that had helped them escape when she and Daryl went to find Beth. She knew that could only mean one thing; they were there to collect her for Solomon. It was time for her to fulfil the debt she had agreed to in order to get Beth out of that depraved house.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter please let me know and leave me a review. They really make my day!