Herschel ambled within view of the group of men, he was lightly grasping Lori's elbow and quietly responding to something she said. Behind them was Andrea, a wide smile spreading across her face as she listened to Carl animatedly explain something, his arms spread wide and his hands moving quickly as he talked. Daryl felt himself almost smile at the picture they painted; peace, the word came to his mind, they seem at peace. He realized he hadn't seen his group so calm and so...normal in a long time. Well ever, if he wanted to look at it closely. Walkers and crazy people don't exactly make for serene dispositions, especially surviving in a group as large as theirs.

Rick lifted a hand in greeting, waving to the small group as they made their way over to the grassy space where the men reclined. Carl broke away from Andrea and launched himself at Rick, who in turn let out an exaggerated groan at the impact. Lori laughed at their antics and used Herschel's hand to make her way slowly to the ground. She placed a small kiss on Rick's cheek and offered a quiet greeting to the rest of the men.

"You all seem bushed, what's the matter?" Herschel asked, the hint of a teasing smile turning up the corners of his mouth.

"Unlike some people, they have us doing actual work, old man," T-Dog replied, chuckling at the surprised expressions on Daryl and Glenn's faces. Daryl had never really let his guard down enough to tease anyone, let alone the patriarch of their rag-tag family. He knew Glenn was still finding his footing with his father-in-law, and now Daryl supposed that extended to him as well. Fuck, when did it all get so complicated?

Herschel laughed loudly, letting a full toothy smile overtake his face. Daryl could see the similarities between him and Beth; not necessarily in looks, but father and daughter both let themselves go when they laughed, letting their joy take over their bodies and roll through them. That reminded him...

"Herschel, ya seen Beth at all?"

Herschel arched an eyebrow at him. Make that similarity number two, Daryl thought to himself. Evidently he was on the receiving end of that look from both Greenes.

"She left tha apartment this mornin' 'fore I woke up," he ventured to explain further.

"No son, I haven't," Herschel said slowly, continuing to observe Daryl. "There a reason I should be worried?"

Fuck shit. He really did not want to open this can of worms as to why Beth snuck out of their apartment, and in turn, why presumably she was avoiding Daryl. Herschel knowing that he had flirted with Beth was bad enough, Beth being pissed didn't help none. Fuck this place and their stupid pairing system, it was going to cause him grief, he was sure of that much.

"Nah," he answered, fighting the urge to chew on the pad of his thumb. "S'no reason, jus' don' know where tha girl's at, wanted ta make sure she's ok, an' nothin's wrong."

He really hoped his vague clarification would satisfy Herschel. Herschel nodded and then let a small smile cross his mouth. He looked like he had a joke he was trying to keep from laughing at. "Sorry son, I haven't seen her today. Maggie and Carol are coming though, they should've seen her," he motioned behind Daryl, pointing out the two women's arrival. Sure enough, Maggie and Carol were rounding the corner of a building, both looking around the square until they spotted their group. Except...

No Beth.

Fuck.

Daryl felt his eyes narrow as he scanned around the square searching for a flash of blonde hair or a peal of musical laughter. Why wasn't anyone else in his group worried? This place wasn't anything to settle into. Either they weren't freaked out by her absence, or they covered it better than he did - which, it struck him, would be a first for him. He was usually the image of placid composure, even if he was freaking the fuck out on the inside, it never paid to let it show on his face; he learned that shitty lesson early on.

He felt like he needed a cigarette, sharp craving pains making him antsy. He felt like he was about to jump up and start hollerin' at Maggie and Carol, felt like maybe he needed to go run laps even though his muscles were screaming at him to stay the fuck still. God he felt like he was panicking, and he swears to Jesus himself he hasn't felt like this since before the world ended.

And then there she is.

She's a few feet behind Maggie and Carol, slow to turn around the corner they came from. She looks ok - blonde and shiny and a little smile dancing across her lips and safe - and he feels like he can breathe again. What the actual fuck is the matter with him?

He's just catching his breath when it processes in his head that she's not alone. She's talking to some guy, some young guy. She's still got that small smile and she's looking at this guy as he talks and talks and keeps fucking talking to her. Daryl feels like he's willing her to look at him. C'mon girl, look up, look up.

And amazingly, she does.

She looks up at him, and she almost smiles. But then her smile drops and Daryl can't figure out why until everything is shifting around him and it suddenly occurs to him that he's stood up and is moving towards her. Well, stomping actually. He feels like he's pounding the ground with each step he takes and pain is shooting up his legs, screaming at him to cut it out now.

He wishes he listened.

Beth had woken up with the sun, and although the slight pounding on the inside of her skull urged her to try and sleep a little longer, she decided she'd rather just get up. She needed water - a lot of it, if the dryness in her mouth was anything to go by. She forced herself out of bed and pulled the sheets back up to make it as neatly as she could. It was stupid, she admitted that; but making her bed when the world was falling apart around her made everything feel just a tiny bit better.

She stripped off the boxers and t-shirt she had slept in, folding them back up and placing them in Daryl's dresser. She pulled on her jeans and a sleeveless shirt, pausing to look in the mirror that had been hung above a set of drawers across from the bed. She took in her appearance slowly, taking in one feature at a time. Long legs, thin but strong; sharp hipbones rubbing against the waistband of her jeans; a flat stomach and a tiny waist, rising up to meet each of her harshly defined ribs; skinny arms, chicken arms as Shawn used to tease her, all of her farm-worked muscle worn thin from the months of being on the road; a white-pale scar cutting across a wrist; a thin face, large eyes taking up so much of it; and hair, so much hair, yellowed by the sun and blown wild by the wind. It was easier to take in each part of her separately, less harsh to catalog each piece. She had spent so much time simply trying to survive this...whatever this state of the world was...that the skinny fawn-like girl who was reflected back at her was almost a stranger.

Almost.

She could see hints of herself in there. The slight crooked line of her nose (that her mama had sworn no one could see) from when it had gotten broken in a fist-fight with Maggie. The tinges of gold in her hair that her daddy had always said reminded him of a candle. The slight swell of her breasts that had never seemed like much until they had run out of food and for some reason her body didn't give them up. The hard lines of her thighs, muscle long strengthened from ballet classes and horseback riding. She was in there, and maybe she'd come back out now that they weren't running.

Her meditations were interrupted by a cough from the living room. Shit, she thought, Daryl. She colored as she thought back to her behavior from the night before. She didn't like being called a kid, so she threw a tantrum and refused to talk to Daryl and went to bed. Good call Greene, she chastised herself. She had been curious about Daryl, intrigued really. To her surprise, he'd actually started to open up to her in his own way; it was slow and roundabout, but it was still sharing. And then of course she had to go and get pissy over a stupid comment. She liked Daryl, he made her feel safe. He was also funny and self-deprecating and protective and attentive and...

What?

What was she doing?

Beth reached for her boots and pulled them on roughly, stomping her heels down to wedge her feet in that last difficult inch. Her last hair elastic had broken the night before, so her mane would just have to remain untamable. She touched the small braid buried in her hair, making sure it was still in place. Her talisman, her testament to the pride her mother took in her hair. Bethy, the golden child with the princess hair.

She ran a hand across her face, breaking the spell she'd let herself fall under. Walking out of the bedroom and down the hall, she was surprised to find Daryl still asleep on the couch. He barely ever slept when they were out on the road, and she'd been up before him the last two mornings; maybe his body was finally telling him to rest. Or maybe he ain't used to the alcohol, and neither are you, a voice in her head whispered, sounding surprisingly like her mama's when she had lectured Maggie on the dangers of drinking one night when she'd been caught sneaking into the house. Beth rolled her eyes at herself; Mama's gone, cut it out.

She made breakfast and coffee, not taking too much care to be quiet, but Daryl never stirred. She stood in the doorway to the kitchen as she drank her coffee and watched him while he slept. He looked so much younger this way, the lines around his eyes and the scowl around his mouth eased away with the calm escape of sleep. Jesus Christ what a right moron she was for stomping off last night. She felt the warm heat of something that seemed an awful lot like embarrassment spread through her chest and suddenly she really didn't want Daryl to wake up. If possible, she'd like to buy herself just a couple more hours time before she had to face him, looking at her with that disappointed scowl that she just knew he would have. This...this fondness she was developing for her...roommate? partner? husband? whatever the hell he was...well, it was something she didn't want to spoil yet. Him looking at her the way she was worried he'd look at her was already twisting her stomach up in knots; him looking at her like he did back when they were both awake next to that fire in the woods, or like he did back at the farm, like she was weak. Like she was just another dead girl biding her time.

Beth placed her coffee mug and breakfast plate in the sink, brushed her teeth, moved the chair from under the doorknob, and peaked over her shoulder at Daryl's sleeping form. He was still sprawled out over the length of the couch, he wouldn't see her giving into cowardice this one time. So she left.

Work had gone smoothly; Beth could feel the reassuring hum of her muscles trying to play catch up with physical labor, dancing along her arms and legs as she exerted herself throughout the day. She also took a small comfort in the fact that she was actually contributing to a community once again. She was someone who could work, she wasn't dead yet, she wasn't just someone who had to be protected, she could do things.

Maggie, Carol, and Beth had been talking to some of the other girls they'd been assigned to work with in the laundry this week, and Beth had stumbled through an awkward conversation about condoms that she didn't know if she'd ever recover from. She knew Maggie was having sex, they'd talked about it for years before Glenn had even shown up. She had ever tried her hand at lecturing Maggie once they had learned of Lori's pregnancy, warning her that more so now than ever she needed to be careful . Maggie had brushed her off, the way she always had. Beth continually considered herself to be the nervous, hovering moth to Maggie's bright brave flame. But when the girls they were speaking with had offered to get them condoms, Beth remained wide-eyed and shook her head, hustling to carry on with hanging bed sheets on the line.

They were leaving for the day, heading to the grassy square in the middle of the town when a boy sidled up to her, completely catching her off guard to the point where she had to hold back a startled yelp.

"Hi," he began jovially. "I'm Zack."

"Beth," she returned quietly, giving him an easy smile in an attempt to calm her nerves.

"I heard you singing last night, you were...well you were amazin'."

Beth smiled a bit wider, her manners emerging to take over the awkwardness that this new world had created in her. She had always been the first to be kind, the first to go out of her way to help. Now though, now people just made her nervous.

"Thank you," she replied quietly.

"How long you been here?" he asked. His smile didn't seem to leave his face, Beth noticed. It wasn't a cruel smile, one hiding intentions or meanness. Maybe he was just one of the nice ones, maybe someone who could be a friend.

"We jus' got here a couple days ago," she answered. "You?"

"Been here a couple months, came in on my own. I'm from Ohio, I was down here for school when shit hit the fan. You were with a big group, did all you guys come in together?"

This man just talked and talked, she mused. She was almost impressed at how much Woodbury seemed to make people go back to the way they had been, back to normal.

"Yeah, s'my family. Some of them have been together since everything started, they came to our farm a while after, we been together since."

"Oh, so not your real family then?"

He looked almost...happy? encouraged? Maybe she wasn't as bad at conversing as she thought she was.

"Well, I guess. Kinda. My daddy and my sister are here. E'ryone else is family too though. When ya have to rely on people to survive, don' they become family?" Beth felt herself smile when she thought of her group. They were, they were her family.

He nodded his acquiescence, and continued on. "You said you had a farm? That's pretty cool. Why'd you leave it?"

She felt the same pang in her heart that made itself known every time she thought about leaving her childhood home. Her room, her pictures, her Mama, Shawn...they were all left behind. But she was alive. And so was Daddy. And Maggie. Daryl. Glenn. Rick. Lori. Carl. Carol. T-Dog. The baby that was coming sooner rather than later. And now Andrea too. They had all gotten out; they had survived.

"Overrun," she replied simply. There was nothing else to say to a stranger to get him to understand.

"I'm sorry, that was a stupid question," he answered nudging her arm with his.

"S'ok," she stated softly, returning his smile.

"Like I said, your singing was great!" He was obviously trying to change the subject for her benefit. So she let him.

"Yeah, ya said. Thank you."

He laughed, it was easy, this interacting with him. She realized she missed this, the simplicity of talking to someone new, getting to know them for the sake of getting to know them. She was just beginning to let herself slip into an appreciative sense of calm when she felt the hairs rise up on the back of her neck. She looked up and saw Daryl looking at her from across the square. She smiled at him without thinking about her dramatics from last night, without remembering the horrible pressures they found themselves under, without the blush-inspiring crudeness of Merle's words or talk of condoms with strangers; she merely smiled, at him.

Beth faltered though as Daryl stood up and trudged towards her with all the fire of an angry bull and none of the quiet stalking grace she'd become accustomed to with him. Shit, was the only word she was able to process before he reached her and Zack, who looked appropriately nervous at being within the scope of this frightening man's wrath.

"Hey Daryl," Beth used her softest voice to greet the man, acting like she would if she were approaching Nervous Nellie.

"Where the fuck you been Beth?" Daryl practically spit the words out at her.

Startled. Yes, startled was the word for what she was feeling. This is what he was mad about?

"Ummmm...work, why?" she replied.

"You weren't fuckin' there this mornin'. Nobody's seen yer ass all day."

"Yes, I was at work," she stated again. What the hell?

Daryl's eyes shifted over to Zack. "Tha fuck is this?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"This is Zack, he was tellin' me about himself, said he liked my singin'," Beth smiled, letting herself enjoy the compliment.

"Hi there," Zack reached out his hand to shake Daryl's and Beth wished she had a camera to capture the incredulous look on Daryl's face. He was staring at Zack like he'd lost his mind. "Are you Beth's father?"

Oh fuck, Beth thought to herself. And she never thought that word. Ok, well rarely she thought that word.

She watched Daryl's fists clench and Zack slowly moved his hand back to rest at his side, unshaken.

"Um, no. Zack, Daryl is my...," Beth waved her hand back and forth between her and Daryl.

"We're together," Daryl growled out.

It was Zack's turn to sputter. He honestly was rendered speechless at Daryl's words. Was it really that hard to believe? Beth thought to herself. Daryl was handsome, she didn't see their relationship (forced as it was) as so totally inconceivable.

Beth tried to shake herself free from the warm feeling in her belly at Daryl's declaration. God she really was a stupid girl.

She was jarred from her thoughts by Daryl's rough hand wrapping around her thin arm and pulling her away from Zack.

"C'mon girl, yer actual father's lookin' fer ya," Daryl muttered as he moved them back towards the rest of their group.

She looked up at Daryl and could read worry in his eyes. "What's the matter with daddy?" she asked.

"Nothin," he answered, his voice still gruff. "Jus' wanted ya to get away from that kid."

Beth felt the warmth she'd been reveling in spark into something seething and hot. "Are ya kiddin' me Daryl?"

"What?" he stopped and looked down at her, real confusion marring his expression.

"I ain't yours to own. I can talk to who I want, I can make friends with who I want. I don't need you comin' over and bein' rude to someone jus' cuz they want to talk to me!"

"Well, ya don' get to sneak outta the house jus' cuz yer pissed at me! S'bullshit Beth! Yer too fuckin' young ta jus' go out there when ya don' know who's good and who's bad. Ya don' know!"

"What?!" Beth had known their voices were getting louder the longer they went back and forth. She also knew she had practically screeched at him this time, but she couldn't help it. "I ain't a kid. I ain't too young to know things in this world. I ain't useless. I ain't jus' another dead girl!"

"S'not what I meant Beth..." he mumbled, he looked like he'd been slapped in the face.

"Forget it Daryl! You want to be together, in a relationship? Fine. But I ain't doin' it t'night Daryl. I can't even with ya right now!"

Beth watched the weight of her words, all of her words, sink in before she turned away. She wasn't dead, so she would fight; even if tonight she was only fighting Daryl.