(AN/ Goodness a very big chapter this time. I just couldn't find a decent space to cut it off. I hope you guys persevere with this one. I think there's a lot in this one but you guys might not! Thank you for the support and love. It means so much to me. It gives me motivation to keep this going for you all.
And to the one review about Glenn being annoying; I feel the same. Like, on the show, he just grates on me so I guess I subconsciously wrote him in like that!x
Please read, enjoy and review xx

Chapter Thirty Five
Fallen Feathers

The sun was most definitely shining on the early afternoon in Alexandria. The brisk air was disappearing. Rick had dropped off Judith at Mrs Kirkman's where she was met with Beth, reeking of bleach and hard work. The man with Rick greeted Beth warily but as soon as she pleasantly smiled and shook his hand, he warmed to her. Beth entered the house once again but with Judith in her hold to hand Mrs Kirkman her door keys and bid her goodbye for the day. She was stopped on her way to the door by the resident who forced a plate of flapjacks on her as payment. Beth 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed at them with Judith before accepting them and leaning in for a hug from Mrs Kirkman. They left with the flapjacks and Beth's first thought was to hand some in to Carl and his friends. Judith's small day-bag was over Beth's bad shoulder as she rested on Beth's good side. The plate was carried on a weak left hand she held into her gut. A couple of kids Carl's age ran past her and Judith and a few other townsfolk before Carl followed behind. Without even saying anything, noticing the rush he was in, the plate was held out to Carl. He smiled and stopped, huffing for breath before taking two and running off behind the few kids. Beth babbled on to Judith who watched her face intently, her hand sometimes excitedly hitting off her carrier's shoulder blade. She passed the garage at the corner of the block but bypassed it completely when she only seen Aaron at work.

"He's over at the watchtower if you're looking for him!" He called when he noticed her walking away back the way she came. Beth look back in thanks and held the plate out to him but he smiled and respectfully shook his head.

Judith gabbed and babbled as they walked down the gated wall into some leafy overhang from the forest. The shot of a bolt made Beth jump and a cold air crept up her neck as she looked around the surprisingly unkept area of the town. They came to a small tower and Beth adjusted Judith on her hip before calling up to him.

"'Minute!" Daryl hollered back sounding struggled, "Gah! Can you catch that?" He asked, when a large owl fell from the leaves onto the ground away over the other side of the tower.

"My hands are full! I'll trade you Judy for it," Beth smiled. The plate of flapjacks were placed down on the third step to the shallow tower and Judith was brought into both arms. His heavy footsteps creaked around the wooden path and he climbed down the steps, two at a time until he came to the plate and stopped with arms out. He greeted her with a warm smile and Beth ducked under the pathway to grab the bird. "So, what're you doin' out here in the darkest corner of the darkest part of the world?"

"Small world..." Daryl huffed and climbed the steps, the plate clinking onto the pathway where he slouched down against the railings. The bird was dropped at the foot of the steps and Beth jogged up to join them, walking around the tower slowly.

"I brought you those. You didn't have breakfast this mornin'." Beth almost forced but Daryl was already half way through one. Judith sat upright against his chest as he snacked, legs splayed on top of his and she hit at the bow beside them both.

"Don' eat breakfast. Slows y' down..."

This pulled a laugh from Beth who came round to face them both, leaning against the tall tree that was the basis of the tower.

"Whatever..." She had no motivation to fight Daryl on it. She was happy to just let it go, "Why'd she give you the crappest job? You're watchin' trees and fightin' mosquitoes out here!" She smiled and leaned against her hands at her back. Daryl just shrugged and flicked a bug off of Judith's shoulder,

"Why've you got flapjacks anyhow?"

"Mrs Kirkman gave them to me for cleaning her house. It's kinda nice, don't you think?" Beth smiled and pushed away from her hands to look around at the trees again and the distorted view of the town. Daryl didn't answer but instead broke off parts of the half-eaten flapjack to give to Judith.

"It's too normal here. Too many people pretendin' that outside isn't happenin'..." Beth thought out loud and crossed her arms over her chest, "I can't stop thinkin' about out there-"

"Fightin' to see your next meal? Don' think like that-"

"Well, why not? We've done it for long enough."

"I 'unno... safety?" Daryl started to push himself up with Judith to walk over to Beth but she was already doubling back to them,

"If this was all over, I wouldn't mind stayin' here. But it's not... They're out there. I jus' hate not bein' able to help the world, y'know?" Beth's frustration had grown and her fists were balled at her sides. She took a short breath and listened to the rustle of the trees to calm her,

"Y' better settle down; This ain't endin' soon," Daryl said quietly and Beth just nodded in agreement. From the ground where he sat, Daryl slid the plate of flapjacks over to her and she slouched opposite him in defeat.

She numbly ate into one of them , crumbs falling onto her jeans but she was too distant to care.

"D'you remember the day y' found out 'bout this?" Daryl asked, picking Judith up, turning her to face him. She stood on his legs and he held her wrists ever so delicately. Beth thought and nodded with a faint smile,

"It was probably, like, two weeks into it... I was indoors with Maggie- She was helpin' me with an assignment... My dad had been out on the farm all day and he screamed for help. Out of nowhere... We ran out onto the porch and seen him holdin' one of them with a rope and like five or six of them comin' out of the woods after him. He thought he could handle them," Beth gazed over to Daryl and laughed, "We had to get them into the barn... I was so scared. I was shakin' behind Maggie. My dad had opened that barn and my momma was in there!" Beth sighed and shrugged, "I knew she was sick but I didn't think it'd kill her, y'know... I don' think I left my room for about a week!" She chuckled sadly and wiped a tear away as she remembered her mother and father. Daryl watched her carefully as she brushed them away and propped herself back up to look him dead in the eye, "What about you? What were you doin'?" She asked quietly.

Like it was yesterday, Daryl remembered.

"We were in Atlanta, Merle and me, just f'r somethin' to do..." He started quietly and breathed in deep,

"You don't have to, Daryl." Beth stated but Daryl just shrugged,

"We were out huntin', beautiful shack we had put together way out in the farmlands... Hell knows if it's still there..." Daryl was blinking slowly and his mouth had went dry at the memory of it, "We had stopped in for food, somethin' different to see, and we caught the tank rollin' down the street... Heck, people screamed and ran every which way... Merle- he just laughed, said it was 'new government measures'," Daryl was smiling weakly at his brother's laugh running around his head. Beth had shuffled over to his side to listen more carefully. "We turned and tried to get back to the bikes but there was like, two of 'em just comin' out the parkin' lot... More people screamed and we were taken into this store until they were shot down... More came... They just bit everybody who was screamin'... People hadn't caught on and Merle was laughin' at the whole thing..." Daryl huffed out air from his chest in remembrance and looked to Judith who was finding her feet on his lap, "after that we jus' went with it... Some'ow ended up with Glenn 'n Carol. Jus' swept along with it all." Daryl ended his sadness by flickering a look down to Beth at his side.

Although she had been listening hard, her eyes were on Judith and Daryl's rough hands on her delicate wrists. Between his thumb and forefinger he held her up, his other fingers secured on her arm. There was a sharp whistle from beneath them and Daryl swung Judith up from where he sat and leaned over the side with her on his side.

"Daryl?" Rick's gruff and tired voice came from beneath the walk way. Daryl seen his boot kick out to tap the owl and he grumbled in return. His friend appeared from beneath him with the man he rescued beside him. "Morgan, this is Daryl. That's my daughter, Judith there," Rick smiled and held his arms out to take her. Daryl climbed down the wooden steps and dodged the owl that lay with a bolt in its head to hand over the little lady on his arm. Daryl quickly crossed his arms over his chest. Rick cuddled into her and Morgan offered a had to her which she took in her hold.

"Good to get introduced proper... What're you doing here?" He asked and Daryl looked back to the tower where Beth had emerged and was leaning over the other side into the trees. He cleared his throat to turn back to them both,

"Deanna wanted me out th' way of everyone..." Daryl was plain and quiet and Rick stepped forward slightly,

"You di'n't do any wrong... You know that," He firmly said but Daryl just mumbled in response. Without even noticing his change, Daryl found himself gnawing away at his thumb which he normally done when in an uncomfortable position. Maybe it was because he was having a real conversation with someone or maybe because he was cold at the core from the absence of Judith. He didn't really know but there was something toying with his mind. Rick returned to his normal stance beside Morgan and coddled his daughter again,

"Did Beth bring you here? Was she babysitting you? Is she hiding from me?" Rick asked his daughter before he looked up to her, "Beth!" He called with a smile for his daughter.

Creaks of the wooden panels came and Beth showed at the head of the steps, questioning Rick as she climbed down them.

"I need a favour of you, if it ain't too much bother, of course," Rick started and Beth was smiling warmly at both of them. Rick pecked the top of his daughters head before handing her over to Beth who accepted her graciously, "Tonigh', I need the house empty. Deanna wants a meeting. I offered my house. Can you look after Judith tonight? I know she'll be in safe hands if she's with you-"

"Of course, yeah, I'll take her. What about Carl?" smiled Beth down at Judith as she held her close. Rick shook his head,

"He's at a friends. He'll be home tomorrow. I'll pick Judith up in the mornin'. We just really gotta make this meetin' work. We're all on thin ice with this place so we all gotta pull together-"

"Rick, it's alrigh'. I'll take her. Don't worry about it!" Beth reassured and pecked Judith's head. Rick nodded confidently and looked to Morgan,

"'mon. We should get you into a house, let you clean up and eat... Daryl, everybody's gonna be there at seven. Maggie, Glenn- can you tell them?" Rick asked, talking to Daryl as though Beth was invisible now. With the empty feeling pushed into her stomach, Beth turned and stepped over the owl to climb the stairs and gather up Judith's belongings,

"Beth, it was good to see you again," Morgan called up to her, "I look forward to seeing more of you."He smiled kindly at her before Rick walked way with him in tow. Daryls slow steps came up the steps to her and Judith who looked out to the duo walking away. Judith babbled and garbled, slamming on Beth's shoulder and gripping her ponytail braid.

"I was gon' cook that bird up tonigh'..." Daryl sighed which pulled a smile from Beth and a short laugh followed,

"Freeze it. Do it tomorrow for lunch or somethin'." She suggested but Daryl just shrugged the way he always done when he couldn't think of anything else to say. "'Time's it?" Beth asked and turned to him. His eyes were fixed on her but they looked ever so sad. There was always a fire burning in them. In the glance she had taken of him, it was dying. Nothing more than embers. He blinked once slowly and pulled his look away from her to look out at the sky.

"Mid 'fternoon... 'Bout three?" He grumbled quietly and Beth nodded, adjusting Judith on her side.

"We best go. Gotta help Maggie with Sasha and feed Judy," She smiled kindly and started her way down the steps to the dirt, "Will I take this home to freeze?" Beth called up in her delicate voice. Daryl hadn't moved.

"No.. I got it!" He returned and heard her walk off through the dirt and leaves.

The plate of flapjacks were finished off within minutes of Beth's departure and Daryl started to doubt the evening ahead. There was truly no reason for him to be there. Before now, he would go, stand and listen quietly in the corner. After his disappearance and return, he would do much the same but in a darker corner so not to upset Deanna. He really paid no contribution to any decisions made. He only agreed with Rick when the plan was already in motion. He couldn't believe his own thinking; he'd much prefer a hot shower and a book or even falling asleep before ten. He had grown accustomed to the quiet life with nothing to stab or tear apart. Daryl had no idea what had toned his life down to a point where he could actually start enjoying it. Well, he had thought, but he was in the furthest position from admitting it.