Rhiannon waved to Daryl excitedly as he walked through the gates. It had been a month since their encounter with the mutilated bodies a few towns over and they were no closer to getting any answers about the group who caused it.

She looked over her shoulder, smiling at Daryl as he made his way up the ladder to where she was stationed at the watch post.

He leaned down, giving her a long kiss in greeting, the both of them smiling at each other as he pulled just inches away before pecking her lips again quickly.

"How'd it go?"

"Nothin' out there. At least, not that I could find." Daryl shrugged as he took a seat next to her.

"Well, that's good right? Means they're not close to Alexandria."

"Means they're not close to Alexandria right now." Daryl stressed as he pulled a cigarette from the pack in his vest pocket. "They could be comin' closer to us any day."

Rhiannon bit her lip, her gaze moving to scan over the forest in front of them. There was only a lone walker in the distance, nothing that screamed danger, but she couldn't help but feel on edge at the possibility of incoming danger, like it was right around the corner.

"You take a test while I was gone?" Daryl asked suddenly, breaking her from her thoughts, though the heavy weight on her chest didn't lighten in the slightest.

"No, there was no point." She said, her gaze falling to her fingers that fidgeted in her lap. "I got my period the day you left."

Daryl nodded, pretending like the news didn't disappoint him, but she knew him better. She could see the dullness in his eyes, the twitch of his lips moving into a frown, which he hid with the cigarette between his lips.

"We'll keep trying. It can take a while for some couples." She shrugged, forcing herself to look at the bright side. She tried hard not to think of her endometriosis and that being the reason for her disappointment all week.

"We ain't even been tryin' 2 months. Don't think that counts as 'awhile'." He told her and Rhiannon smiled. She never would've guessed him being the steady voice of reason in this situation.

"I guess you're right." She mumbled.

"'M always right." He boasted with a feigned cocky attitude, making her roll her eyes and shove him playfully with a laugh.

He leaned in closer to her, letting his arm brush against hers as they sat in a comfortable silence, both of them watching the horizon before them.

"How's Julia?" He asked and Rhiannon sucked in a breath at the mention of their new group member, the woman who had been tortured by the same group they were now looking for as a potential threat.

"Quiet." She answered simply. "She's terrified they're coming for her, that they're gonna 'finish the job'. Rob hasn't been able to get her out of the house for days."

"Has Rick said anythin'?"

"He wants to have a meeting tonight, just the family, to figure out what we do next."

"What, we're makin' a new plan?"

"I guess." Rhiannon shrugged and the sigh Daryl let out was indicative of how he felt about it. "It's not a bad idea. I sure as hell don't want you going out there every day. What happens when you actually find those psychos?" She asked worriedly.

Daryl bit his lip contemplatively, his arm moving to rest over her knees, his hand lightly tapping her thigh in comfort.

"I get it. But I ain't gonna wait til those assholes are knockin' at our door to do somethin'."

"No, I know. But that doesn't mean you have to do it alone. I mean, you can at least take Merle with you."

"I asked him to come with me, he didn't wanna come."

Rhiannon looked over at Daryl, her face twisted in confusion. The day Merle refused to go beyond the walls to potentially kick some ass was the day she assumed a tumour had finally rotted his brain cells.

Daryl huffed out a laugh and nodded at Rhiannon's look of disbelief. "Yeah, made the same face too."

"Did he say why?"

"Nah, but I think I got an idea." Daryl spoke coyly and Rhiannon gaped at him, shoving him playfully again when he didn't elaborate.

"Well, don't leave me hanging, what?"

"I don't wanna get involved in some highschool drama bullshit." He defended and Rhiannon rolled her eyes so hard she thought they'd stay that way forever.

"Oh my god, Daryl. There's literally nothing fun to do around here. There's no trashy reality tv anymore so let me have this."

Daryl laughed, looking down at her with a raised brow. He knew he was about to blow her mind with the gossip he'd been sitting on since he left.

"Think he wanted to stay for Julia."

Rhiannon's lips parted in surprise, a look of shock crossing her features before her expression turned to one of disbelief.

"What?"

"He seemed worried about her. I think he likes her."

"I call bullshit." Rhiannon said immediately. "There's no way Merle likes her past anything but a booty call."

"I thought the same thing, until he yelled at me for askin' him to leave. He seemed pretty serious about statin' to check in on her."

"Damn. Poor girl."

Daryl snorted and leaned his forehead on her shoulder affectionately, loving the way she was able to joke with him. "Yeah, she ain't got a clue what's comin' to her."

Rhiannon shrugged. "I dunno, maybe it won't be all bad. At least she could get some good sex out of it."

Daryl sputtered, almost dropping his cigarette from between his fingers, and he stared down at her in shock.

"The fuck you just say?"

"What?" Rhiannon shrugged innocently, though the mischievous smile on her face told him she knew exactly what she was doing.

"You think my brother's good in bed?" He asked, his tone revealing just how disgusting he felt to say the words aloud, let alone at the thought of his wife thinking it.

"Well, he's been around the block. With that much practice, how can he not be good?"

"I ain't 'been around the block'. You think that makes me bad in bed?"

"Oh my god, Daryl, you are so dramatic." Rhiannon threw her head back, laughing through her words.

Daryl stood from his spot and leaned over the railing. "Hey, Eugene, get your ass up here. Shift's changed."

"What the hell are you doing? Shift change isn't for another twenty minutes."

"You said there's nothin' fun to do 'round here. I'm provin' you wrong."

Rhiannon stared at him in shock, but blindly followed him down the ladder. His hand was in hers as soon as her feet touched the ground and he began dragging her to their house.

"What, you're gonna show me how good you are in bed?" She teased and Daryl smirked, sending a rush through her. She loved when he got cocky.

"I ain't gotta show you that. I know you already know."

"Is that so?"

"Well, those screams I pull outta you sure do tell me alot." He shrugged, leaving her to gape at him in surprise.

"What did you do to my sweet and shy Daryl Dixon?" She asked in jest as they approached their front door.

"He's here, he just ain't seen his wife in a week." He smiled and leaned forward, giving her a teasingly slow kiss.

"Well, in that case, take me to bed Mr. Dixon."

The door that slammed closed behind the couple was loud, making the old couple walking by at the same time jump in surprise and shake their heads.

Rhiannon beamed as she made her way to sit next to Maggie, her hand gently patting the not yet existent bump.

"Hey, how are you feeling? Morning sickness still kicking your ass?"

Maggie groaned, throwing her head back dramatically. "It's knocking the shit out of me. Why did I voluntarily put myself through this?"

Rhianon laughed and wrapped her arm over her sister's shoulders. "Same reason I'm working on putting myself through it too." She mumbled, not realizing what exactly she'd said and the enormous bomb she'd just dropped.

The entire room went quiet and Daryl, who was sitting on the opposite couch next to his brother, widened his eyes, staring at his wife in disbelief as they both received shocked looks from their family.

"What?" Rhiannon asked, looking around at the wide eyes around her. Her gaze met Daryl's and when she saw the horrified look in his eye, it finally clicked.

She slammed her lips together, as if it would force the words she'd let slip to have never come out in the first place.

"You… you guys are… you're gonna… you're trying?" Maggie stammered, an excited smile lighting up her face.

"No." Rhiannon answered, slightly frantically. But the eyes on her made her crack quickly. "Yes." she countered almost immediately.

Daryl sighed in exasperation, pinching the bridge of his nose. The entire room erupted into nonsensical talk as everyone congratulated them at once. Across the room, she smiled sheepishly, mouthing a 'sorry' to him.

Rhiannon couldn't help but smile as hug after hug came her way. She felt the love radiating from her family and it made her flourish with happiness.

Daryl on the other hand, was dreading the sudden attention and he looked ready to stand up and bolt from the room at any second.

It wasn't until Rick approached him with a big smile, placing a hand on his shoulder, that his nerves began to calm.

"I'm happy for you, brother. You two are gonna be great at this."

The compliment, no matter how much of a cliche it was to say to prospective parents, meant the world to him. He had looked up to Rick, as a leader and a father, for a long time. It meant a lot to him to hear his brother saw a potential in him Daryl had trouble seeing in himself.

"Thanks." He said quietly, almost bashfully, and Rick pulled him in for a hug.

"I'm so happy for you two." Carol told Rhiannon, her voice strained with emotion. Tears brimmed in her eyes, causing a lump to form in Rhiannon's throat.

Carol was a mothering figure to her, the only one she'd had since her own mother had passed when she was a child. Seeing her so emotional about the news warmed her heart and she hugged her tightly.

"Thank you for everything." Rhiannon whispered. "Honestly, I don't know where Daryl and I would be without you listening to all our bullshit along the way."

Carol laughed and shook her head. "It wasn't as hard as you think."

"Wait, that's why you've been so happy lately, ain't it? You've been getting laid on the regular." Merle spoke up, slapping his younger brother on the shoulder with a pleased laugh.

The others rolled their eyes at Merle's antics, but they couldn't deny seeing the intimidating Daryl Dixon blush was probably the most amusing thing they'd seen all day.

"Shut the fuck up." Daryl muttered to his brother in annoyance.

"I knew you guys would do it." Glenn told her and Rhiannon scoffed, giving him a playful glare.

"Don't look so smug. It's not like you pulled our pants down and made us go at it." Her words promptly pulling Glenn's cocky smile from his face and he blushed deeply making her laugh triumphantly.

Michonne laughed at Glenn and squeezed Rhiannon's hand, her smile turning a little more serious. "I'm happy for you guys."

Seeing the somewhat subdued smile on Michonne's face, that she didn't seem to be very shocked and not overtly congratulating the couple like everyone else was, Maggie looked at her questioningly.

"Hold on, why aren't you freaking out? Did you know?"

Michonne tensed, looking to Rhiannon with wide eyes, looking for help as to how to answer her sister's question, but she just received an equally nervous looking expression back.

"I uhh… I kinda… went with her to get her implant removed." Michonne explained, her voice getting quieter, more bashful, with each word.

Maggie's jaw dropped and she looked to Rhiannon acusitorily.

"I… you… what? You asked her and not me?"

The others in the room averted their gaze, there was no way they were getting involved in the sister spat that seemed inevitable.

"I didn't ask her… she just… chose to come with me." Rhiannon explained weakly, trying her hardest not to wince as her eyes refused to meet Maggie's.

"So who else knew before me?" Maggie asked and although she knew it wasn't important and that she was acting quite childish, she couldn't help but feel short changed. Rhiannon was her sister and she wanted to be a part of every moment of this with her.

Rhiannon had made it clear she was there for her and Glenn no matter what and she felt annoyed it wasn't reciprocated.

"Well, Michonne, Denise, obviously, and… Tara." Rhiannon answered with a bashful smile.

"Tara?"

"She was with Denise, there was no way around it."

"Why was she with Denise?"

The question now had all eyes turning towards Tara who promptly blushed at the attention, sending Rhiannon a look that just begged for help. She took a long sip of her drink, as if it would prevent her from having to come clean to the others.

"Tara?" Rosita asked with a smirk, like she already knew the confession she was about to release.

Tara sighed heavily, sending a quick, half hearted glare to Rhiannon who just shrugged in response, not feeling guilty at all. She was happy for her, she thought they made an adorable couple and she didn't want them to hide it any longer.

"Denise and I are together." Tara admitted quietly.

The congratulations that followed were just as exuberant as they were a minute before.

"I knew it!" Rosita exclaimed happily, making Rhiannon laugh so hard, it earned another glare from Tara.

"Thank you for that."

Rhiannon just shrugged. "We were all rooting for you two. "

Tara just smiled, shaking her head in resolution.

Turning back to Maggie, Rhiannon linked her arm with her. "Hey, I really didn't mean anything by not asking you. I figured you already had a lot on your plate with your own little one. I didn't wanna make it seem like you had to go."

"I would've, no matter what." Maggie answered honestly. "I better be the first one you tell when you're finally knocked up."

"Shouldn't Daryl be the first one I tell?"

"Nope, my power reigns over his. Me first." Maggie said jokingly and they both giggled like children.

Thankfully, once the hugs and excitement were out of the way and the topic changed, mercifully moving the attention away from the couple, Daryl noticed Rhiannon making her way into the kitchen and he slipped out of the room to follow her.

Rhiannon, who was getting a glass of water, looked over her shoulder and her face morphed into one of embarrassed, but equally amused, shame once she saw it was him.

"Well, I guess the cat's outta the bag. I'm sorry, I wasn't even thinking. Didn't know everyone would be listening too." She apologized and Daryl shook his head, moving to take her hand in his.

"Nah, it's probably better that everyone knows. Felt weird, like I was lyin' to them."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Those fuckin' jokes I'm gonna be gettin' are gonna drive me fuckin' crazy though." Daryl muttered and Rhiannon snickered. She knew Merle and Abraham would be merciless with their teasing about their activities.

"Daryl, I'm pretty sure they know we have sex."

Daryl looked down at her, a horrified expression on his face, making her laugh again. It was so easy to tease him.

"Don't need them talkin' 'bout it, or thinkin' it."

"Just ignore them."

"Have you met Merle? Ignoring him only makes him louder."

Rhiannon looked at him plainly and patted his chest as she passed him. "Once Maggie starts showing, everyone's gonna forget about us."

"Until you start showing."

The words halted Rhiannon in place and she turned to look back at him, biting her lip to contain her wide smile that grew at the thought of her belly round with their child. The thought made her giddy.

With the same image in his mind, Daryl smiled with her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Come on." He guided her back out to the living room where the chaos that was their family sat.

As they rejoined the group, the conversations died down, the lighthearted mood changing as Rick cleared his throat to address the real reason they'd all gathered.

"I know you've heard about what we saw in town a few weeks ago, about the bodies strung up and the group that poses a threat." Rick started darkly. "Now, we haven't found any evidence of them near Alexandria. Daryl's gone through Arlington and we haven't seen any activity of theirs. But that doesn't mean they aren't headed our way."

"What are we supposed to do with those Buffalo Bill copycats? We gearin' up for a massacre?" Abraham piped up, asking the question everyone was dreading.

"That's what we're here to decide." Rick said simply. "So, Julia, I know this is hard for you to discuss, but I'd appreciate it if you could tell us what you know about this group."

Rhiannon looked to Julia, she hadn't even realized the woman had been there, but now that she saw her and the tormented expression on her face, it was suddenly all she could see.

Julia cleared her throat, sitting up straighter and began to wring her hands together nervously as she gained the courage to recount the worst experience of her life.

"A few months ago, the group I was staying with was decimated. A herd had come through and my cousin and I were the only ones to make it out alive. We were on the road for a couple days until… until we got surrounded." She explained, taking in a shuddering breath, her eyes squeezing shut as she tried hard to hold her composure.

Rick placed his hand over hers in comfort, silently telling her it was ok to continue, that they were all there for her.

"They tied us up, brought us back to their camp. They… they kept us in cages. It was covered in blood and… I don't even know what else. I could tell we weren't the first one they'd taken."

Rhiannon swallowed thickly, thinking of the time she'd been taking by those assholes on the road before they'd reached Alexandria. She still remembered those handcuffs, she still remembered those scratches from those that came before her.

Daryl, feeling her tense beside him, placed his hand on her thigh, his silent show of comfort, his silent way of telling her he was there for her.

"We didn't know what was going to happen to us. I didn't know if they were going to rape us, kill us, make us work for them… I didn't know. We just stayed in those cages. I didn't know if it was days or weeks."

"How did you get out?" Michonne asked, her voice heavy with emotion.

"They wanted to play their game." Julia answered darkly. "They finally let us out of our cages. Told us to run. We thought we were free." She scoffed to herself, shaking her head like she regretted her past decisions.

"We ran as fast as we could and after a few minutes, we could hear them following us. It was all a game to them. They wanted-" She stopped abruptly, placing a hand over her mouth, her eyes squeezing shut as she began to cry at the memory.

"It's ok, you don't have to tell us now." Rhiannon interjected quickly, her own emotion rising at the sight of the woman breaking down in front of them.

"No, no… it's ok. I can do it." She said, as if talking to herself, forcing herself to work up the courage to recount that dreadful night.

After a heavy breath and wiping her tears away, she continued.

"They followed us through the woods. They were laughing, like they were having the time of their life."

"How many were there?"

"A lot. More than I saw while we were kept there." She answered Rick's question mournfully. "They were shooting arrows at us, not bullets. They didn't want to kill us, they… they wanted to play with us first."

Everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably at her words, a sick feeling sinking in their stomachs.

"How long did it last?"

"All night." Julia answered, her voice strained with emotion. "I could hear them following us, laughing and hollering, like our lives meant nothing to them but their entertainment. Soon, arrows started flying right by my head. At first they were so far above me or hitting the tree beside me, it started just to spook me. But then… they really started shooting. They… they were hunting us."

Everyone in the room tensed, sharing unsettled looks with each other. They knew the explanation would be bad, but they hadn't expected this. These men were on another level of depravity.

"They got my cousin first… an arrow in her leg. She begged me to keep going, to leave her there and get as far away as fast as possible." Julia spoke through a sob. "I ran and hid, but I could hear them taunting her, shooting her over and over until her screams finally stopped."

Daryl's hand in Rhiannon's tightened unintentionally as he listened raptly, feeling disgust rise with each passing word until it was almost unbearable.

"Thank you for sharing that with us, Julia. We know it wasn't easy and I hope you know that if we do ever encounter these people, you will be protected." Rick promised her.

Julia nodded as she wiped her tears. "Thank you."

Rick bit his lip, looking around at the others before his gaze returned to Julia. The sight of her crying was making him feel like an awful person for acting like he was a sheriff again, but they still needed answers.

"Do you remember anything about this group that could help? Did you see where you were kept?"

"They kept us blindfolded when they brought us there and it was nighttime when they let us out. All I saw was what looked like a cottage or hunting cabin or something and we were kept in the cellar in the back."

"You said it was in the forest. You remember where, what town it was in, what it was close to?" Rick asked and Julia shook her head remorsefully.

"I didn't have a map, I had no idea where I was. I'm sorry, I've never been good with directions."

Rick quickly placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Don't apologize, you've given us a lot of useful information."

"Honestly, Julia, without you we'd be lost." Michonne told her gratefully. "Is there anything else you can tell us about these men? Anything that stood out to you?"

Julia's expression shifted into concentration as she thought back to that fateful night. They were ready to end their interrogation when she suddenly perked up.

"There was something…" she started slowly, a haunted look in her eyes. "While I was hiding, after they… after my cousin… they were looking at the ground, like to find my footprints or something."

Everyone perked up simultaneously, their eyes moving to the Dixon brothers who looked at each other contemplatively, as if having a silent conversation with each other.

"What? Was that not helpful?" Julia asked nervously when everyone stayed silent.

"No, no, just the opposite." Rick said.

"What does it mean?"

"Means they're hunters, skilled ones, trained in tracking." Daryl explained and Julia's eyes widened in fear.

"Isn't that bad for us?"

"Nah, cause we are too, sweetheart. Means we'll be their worst fuckin' nightmare." Merle boasted cockily, though there was a seriousness to his tone, one that threatened to fulfill that promise with a vengeance.

"So what, the Dixon's against those psychos? That's the game plan?" Abraham asked, sounding offended at the notion of being left out of the fight.

"Well, that's what I wanted to ask all of you. I don't wanna push anyone into a fight they don't wanna fight. These people seem depraved and sick and I need to know we're all on board before starting a fight that could get ugly." Rick explained.

"You know I'm in. Those sons of bitches won't know what hit 'em." Abraham quickly threw his hat in the ring with an enthusiasm that wasn't shocking to anyone in the slightest.

"I'm in." Rosita chined in second. "There's no way I'm letting those pieces of shit continue to walk the earth."

"I'm in." Glenn added and Maggie's eyes widened, looking to her husband worriedly. "I gotta make the world safer for our kid." He told her and the look in his eyes, the genuine fear and love she saw had her relenting instantly.

"I'm in." Rhiannon spoke up and it was now Daryl's turn to look worried. She turned to him and shrugged. "Same thing Glenn said."

There was no way Daryl could say anything back to that cause it was the same damn reason he was ready to charge out those walls and kill those assholes.

It didn't take long before everyone was on board, voicing their support for action to be taken. They knew the risks but they didn't outweigh the pure hatred they felt for those men.

With a plan now formed, the meeting ended, everyone began saying their goodbyes for the night. The seriousness in everyone's demeanor was a far cry from how they had started the meeting. Everyone was on edge, mentally preparing themselves to face what was probably the most villainous people they'd ever encountered.

As Daryl and Rhiannon made it back to their place for the night, she began to clean up the dishes from dinner as Daryl leaned against the counter, a faraway look in his eyes. They could both feel the brimming tension in the room.

Rhiannon looked over her shoulder at him curiously.

"You ok over there?"

"Don't like the thought of you goin' out there. Thinkin' of those men gettin' their hands on you… makes me fuckin' sick."

"Well, the feeling's mutual." She answered coolly. She knew this conversation was coming, it was one she was all too familiar with.

"You seriously wanna go out there and face those pricks?"

"Not really, but I don't exactly have a choice. My home and my family are in danger and I'm not gonna sit on my ass and let everyone else pull their weight while I sit at home like I'm useless."

"Rhi, we're tryin' to have a kid and you're gonna go out there and put yourself in danger?"

"I'm not raising my child with those men still living."

"But you can raise our child with your ex still walkin' 'round?" He countered angrily, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked down at her intently.

Rhiannon was taken aback, her lips parting in surprise, before an annoyed groan fell past her lips.

"Oh god, are we seriously gonna circle around to this again?"

"Yeah, we are cause I ain't ok with him still breathin'."

Rhiannon placed her hands over her eyes as she breathed deeply, forcing herself to not get worked up. She thought this issue was behind them, that the last conversation they'd had about it had closed the door on the issue.

But apparently not.

"Daryl, you know why we can't just gun him down, we've talked about this. If we do find these psychopaths and it turns into an all out war, shouldn't we need all hands on deck? He can fight, he can help and as much as it pains me to think of working with him, this issue is bigger than me. It's bigger than the both of us so we have to suck it up and deal with him being around."

Daryl stayed silent, his foot tapping erratically as his jaw clenched with simmering anger.

He knew she was right and it made him even angrier.

"Don't mean I have to like it." He muttered in resignation. Rhiannon sighed and stepped forward, taking his hands in hers.

"No, you don't. You can glare at him all day long, you can even punch him in the face if he gets out of line. You just can't kill him."

Daryl sighed again and Rhiannon rolled her eyes halfheartedly.

"Jesus, Daryl, I'm asking you to not kill someone. That shouldn't be an unreasonable request."

"It's him, it sure as hell is unreasonable."

Rhiannon exhaled deeply. She was annoyed, but she honestly couldn't fault him. Being around Alex didn't sit right with her either.

"He's not coming tomorrow. I'm sure Rick will make sure whenever we all go out together, he'll be in a different group. We can avoid him." She tried to reason with him.

Daryl bit his lip, his mind running a mile a minute. Everything about the situation made him itch. It seems there was something to get his blood boiling at every corner.

"You sure you wanna go tomorrow?" He asked and Rhiannon, although fed up with this protective act, was at least relieved the topic had moved off her ex boyfriend.

"Yes, I'm sure." She answered without hesitation. "I'm not even pregnant yet, we don't even have a kid yet and I already feel protective over them. I can't let these men live. We can't raise our children with their threat hanging over us."

"So… what, do we… stop trying?" Daryl asked, his voice strained.

"That's not- I don't know. I don't want to."

"I don't want to either."

"So we don't. I'll continue to work with everyone and if that group isn't dealt with by the time I get pregnant, I'll take a step back." She proposed, hoping it was enough of a deal so they didn't have to delay starting their family.

"Can I get that in writing?" Daryl mused sarcastically, effectively breaking the tension as Rhiannon giggled and moved towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

He hugged her back tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"We'll figure this out. We always do."

Daryl nodded and he hoped to god those words wouldn't be in vain.