Daryl wasn't sure if he should feel guilty or relieved to be out on a run with Rick.

He'd put up a fight with Beth, trying to convince her that he didn't need to go - they weren't going to be scavenging for essentials, and Rick could always choose someone else - but she made him leave. She actually shoved him out the door with genuine force, and he was so stunned by her determination that he'd forgotten to tell Abby goodbye. Fortunately, Beth realized this as well, so she opened the door just long enough for him to kiss his daughter quickly on the cheek.

The past couple months had been rough. Attempting to soothe Abby's colic became almost a daily struggle, but after settling into a solid routine, she fell into a pattern of crying about three times a week. It was frustrating, but it became more manageable with every passing day, and still...that didn't mean he wanted to be away from her. So, as enjoyable as it was to be surrounded by nothing but quiet open roads, Daryl still found himself missing that sweet little face.

"Did you hear that?" Rick questioned, pausing in the forest where they'd been stalking.

Daryl readied his crossbow and whirled on the spot. Too caught up in thought, he hadn't been listening to his surroundings like he should have been. He pressed his back to Rick's, and the two of them scanned the trees for any sign of trouble. Daryl didn't hear any approaching footsteps. He could tell the difference between humans and walkers, but neither made their presence known if they were out there. There was something though. Something faint. Almost like that flat white noise in the middle of a crowd. Everyone conversing at the same time, creating a buzz that fills the air. There weren't enough people left to make such sounds, and the possibility of another source sent a deep shiver down Daryl's spine. He cocked his head to get a better listen and picked up a direction.

"It's coming from this way," Daryl said.

He led the way out of the forest, and Rick followed. After entering a clearing, they found themselves only a few feet away from the edge of a cliff. Daryl's jaw fell open at the sight in front of him, for below his boots extended a quarry nearly fifty feet deep. More shocking, however, was the sight of what filled it. For within the cavernous pit, there were thousands upon thousands of Walkers.

""⧫""

Beth didn't know why she was crying.

Well, she did know - it was plainly obvious with the laughing baby now crawling across her living room floor - but it had caught her by surprise, so the tears were likewise unexpected. Abby had been rolling over on her own for a month, but crawling was a completely new accomplishment. It was more of a drag, given that the baby girl wasn't fully aware of how to pick her stomach up off the floor, but she was moving, and Beth was overcome with tears of joy.

Beth whirled around to call for Daryl before realization dawned on her. He wasn't there, and he wouldn't be back for several days. Not only was he missing this milestone in his daughter's life, but Beth didn't have anyone to share it with. She hurried to the door and flung it open. Still keeping Abby in her sights, she scanned the street outside for anyone passing by. To her luck, Rosita and Jessie were seconds away from turning the corner.

"Hey!" Beth yelled from her porch. "Guys, come here! Quick!"

Jessie grabbed Rosita by the forearm, and they both hauled ass towards Beth's house. When they got to the door, Jessie had a look of dismay clamoring across the furrow in her brow. Rosita had unsheathed her knife.

"What's wrong?" Rosita demanded.

Beth quickly defused their panic by pulling them both across the threshold and pointing excitedly at Abby. She was still shuffling her way across the hardwood, and at the sight of those chubby cheeks, both girls sighed in relief.

"Don't scare us like that," Jessie let out, playfully slapping Beth across the arm.

Beth frowned. "I know. I'm sorry. I just wanted someone else to see." Her eyes drifted, unfocused. "Daryl isn't here."

Rosita dropped to the floor in a crouch beside Abby and smiled. "Look at you go, you little rugrat."

"I guess she's not strong enough to hold herself up yet," Beth said. "But she's movin'."

"It's great, Beth," Jessie encouraged. "You should write it down."

After sharing her journal, Jessie had suggested Beth start one of her own. Not necessarily for herself, but for Abby. Logging important memories with dates would help bring back a sense of normalcy for them. And especially for the little girl, it would be something physical for her to keep. Beth found herself longing for her mother's old photo albums more times than she'd care to admit. Just to look back and remember the details her memory had forgotten. All the treasures from her childhood were gone now. Left as ash in what remained of her family's farm back in Georgia. If Abby had the luxury of growing up in Alexandria, Beth was going to make sure she had plenty of memories. And no chance to forget.

""⧫""

"This is how," Rick submitted.

Daryl's eyes drifted to his companion's shocked features then back to the endless pit below them.

"All this time, I've wondered how we've been so lucky."

"Lucky?" Daryl disagreed. "I wouldn't call Negan, or those Wolves, luck."

Rick shook his head. "I meant the Walkers. We've hardly seen any since we got here." He looked back to the quarry pointedly. "This is why."

"Alright," Daryl mumbled. "So, we leave it be. They look like they're having a good time. No need to crash the party."

"I don't think we can," Rick hesitated.

He pointed to the furthest side of the cliff directly across from where they stood. Blocking what looked like a path down to the bottom were two semi trucks backed in side by side. The one closest to the edge was leaning slightly due to its right front wheel dipping over the brink. Clusters of rock crumbled from beneath the wheel and cascaded down to the Walkers below. It was so close to falling over, Daryl wasn't sure a gentle breeze wouldn't send it toppling.

He knew what Rick was thinking. If that gap opened up in the path, the noise would draw every last one of those dead freaks in the direction of home. They had no choice but to try and redirect them. The question was… how the hell were they going to do it?

""⧫""

Two days later, Beth sat mystified at the kitchen table.

Daryl had returned with grim news - something she hadn't been expecting post-war - and it had taken her several hours to process what was being said. All that time spent fighting against other people, the group had more or less forgotten about the real reason they were in this mess. They'd brushed off the Walkers as a minimal threat since hunkering down behind the walls of Alexandria, but that delusion would soon be over. Soon, they'd be surrounded, unless they did something to stop it.

"How many?" Beth questioned again, still unable to wrap the large number around her small head.

Daryl dropped his chin. "Thousands. Too many to kill."

"What else is there to do?"

"Lead them away," Daryl stated plainly. "Create enough noise away from home to send them in the opposite direction. It's gonna take everybody. And we can't screw up."

Beth gathered herself with resolve. "Does Rick have a plan?"

"He's working on it."

""⧫""

Several days passed while Rick formulated a strategy. He met with Jesus at the Hilltop, and together, they sketched out the best possible route to lead the horde of Walkers away.

Part of the plan involved using leftover materials from the fence to build a wall big enough to block the main road leading to town. Doing so would ensure the parade was diverted in the proper direction. Eight ball, corner pocket… in the words of Eugene.

Beth volunteered to help dig out plots for the posts in the wall, but Deanna had respectfully declined her offer. The intention was to allow Beth time with her baby, but she'd taken it in a negative light. She was growing soft in everyone's eyes - her being the mother to a newborn and all - but Beth had a knack for proving people wrong. She showed up at the work site the morning of completely unannounced and was greeted with a subtle nod from Rosita - commendation, she guessed, for her defiance.

"Hey gorgeous." Beth turned to see Tara approaching from behind with two shovels in hand. "Where's Lil Asskicker 2.0?"

Beth grinned. "At home," she said, then added, "With Daryl."

"Needed a break?" Tara assumed with soft eyes, clearly without judgement.

"No. But he offered."

Tara clicked her tongue and beamed. "Well, if you want something physical to do other than changing diapers, there's plenty of dirt to go around." She handed her a shovel, and Beth took it without hesitation.

"Sure," Beth agreed. "Where should I start?"

"Here with me is good."

The first hour went by quickly, and Beth found herself basking in the sweat now dripping from her brow. She wiped away at the moisture with the back of her hand, not caring whether or not she left dirt marks smeared across her skin, and took a moment to absorb her surroundings. Something she enjoyed even more than the physical labor was the company. It'd been awhile since being in the presence of so many residents of the town. She'd been keeping to herself for quite some time, just before and after giving birth, so it felt nice to be part of the community again. Even if it was under unfortunate circumstances.

Rosita noticed Beth pause in her work and came over to chat, but the conversation didn't last long. After several seconds of awkward silence and a couple poignant glances to Tara, Rosita excused herself and went back to digging on her side of the slowly forming wall.

Beth watched her friend sulk away then immediately turned to Tara. "What was that?"

Tara lifted her gaze from the ground with raised eyebrows. "What was what?"

"Rosita," Beth urged. "Is she okay?"

Tara answered but then quickly averted the subject. "Yeah, she's fine. Listen…" She perched her forearm casually on the tip of her shovel, hand resting on her hip, and said, "Did you hear about Negan?"

Beth's ears rang. She hadn't heard that name in months. After the council voted against execution, Beth assumed Negan was rotting away in solitary confinement. Unless he'd made an attempt against his own life, there wasn't much room for news to report. Her stomach jolted at the thought of him hanging limply from the bars of his cell, bed sheets tied sloppily around his neck. She shivered and pushed the image out of her mind.

"No. What about him?" she asked, preparing for the worst.

"They let him out," Tara purged. "At the Kingdom. They let him roam around the courtyard for almost an entire day. Guards were with him, of course, but still. Can you believe it?"

Beth let out an audible hum. She pondered over the idea and, after a moment of deliberation, decided it wasn't such a terrible thing.

"That's good, isn't it?" she mused.

Tara pursed her lips. "How so?"

"He must have changed enough for Ezekiel to trust him."

"I don't care how much he's changed. After making those other communities serve him like that? And killing those people? Killing Noah? Once a dictator, always a dictator if you ask me. Look what happened when people trusted Hitler."

Beth agreed without protest, knowing that Tara's mind wasn't going to be open to any sort of repentance on Negan's part.

They continued digging well into the late afternoon, and by the time the sun dropped behind the trees, there was a full row of posts lining the road. The group made plans to meet again at first light to install the panels, but Beth knew her body wouldn't be able to handle another long day of work. She was out of shape due to extended bed rest and days spent at home on the couch with Abby. Only a year ago she was in the best physical condition of her life; being on the road with Daryl for all those weeks helped build her strength and endurance. It'd been too long, however, since she'd had to fight her way through a day in order to stay alive. Alexandria had kept them safe, but it made them weak. Even Daryl was less on edge, and that meant something.

Beth made for the truck she'd borrowed from Glenn to make the drive back to town, but Tara caught her before she closed the door.

"Hey," Tara called, out of breath from running to catch up. "If you talk to Rosita…" She stalled. "Just let her know I didn't mean to upset her."

"I don't understand," Beth contemplated aloud. "What happened?"

But Tara was already backing away from the truck. "I'm sure she'll tell you. Just tell her what I said, okay?"

Beth agreed weakly, then she pulled away.