Beth woke to the sound of rain, and the soft murmur of voices. She rolled over onto her back, wincing slightly as her body ached. The single mattress she lay on was now empty; during the night she had shared it with Maggie. Before the sisters, Michonne had been sleeping on the single mattress, but she had insisted the girls take it for their-selves, on account of their injuries.

The two sisters had laid on their backs side by side as the rest of the house had wound down, talking. Maggie told Beth about her journey with Daryl, the van on the bridge and the wound in her chest. She explained how she had found him on the road, the house in the grove, the car with the crosses. Beth loved her sister all the more for trying so hard to find her, and felt awful every time her sister winced in pain as she moved. It would take them both some time to get over their pains, both mentally and physically, and Beth knew Maggie still had some way to go, especially whilst Glen was still missing.

Beth pushed herself up and looked around the room, noticing Carl with Judith on the sofa. Beth pulled herself up and leant over the back of it.

'Where is everyone?' She asked Carl.

'Kitchen.' Carl told her. 'Trying to figure out what we're doing next.'

'What are we doing next?' Beth asked. She moved around the sofa and flumped herself down beside Carl.

'Maggie wants to find Glen.' Carl said. 'Noah wants to find his home.'

Beth nodded. Judith reached for her, so Carl allowed her to take his baby sister from him. Beth held the child in her arms, smiling down at her big brown eyes.

'Hey,' she said softly. 'I missed you.'

Judith gave her a gummy smile and reached up to grab a lock of Beth's loose hair. Beth smiled at her, admiring the way she was growing, how big she was getting. It felt good to hold her in her arms again, to feel the familiar weight of the baby, the familial smell. It gave her a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, however, to hold a baby, knowing now that one of her own was growing inside of her. It made her look at the child in even more detail, appreciating everything about her, the small dimples of her cheeks, her tiny dark lashes, the teeth that were beginning to break through the surface of her pink gums. She wondered what her own baby looked like now, and what it would look like once it was born. It would have blue eyes, she was certain of, a mixture of her own and Daryl's.

Beth took a deep, steadying breath. It was almost too much to think about.

The voices from the kitchen grew louder and then the door to the lounge opened and Rick walked in; he looked tired and stressed, and he was running his hand down his face and across his beard in a way Beth recognised as him thinking, hard.

'- I have to do this. If he's out there I need to find him, I can't just give up on that.' Maggie was saying as she followed Rick into the room.

'We can't split up again.' Rick said. He stopped in the middle of the room, before the sofa, his hands on his hips.

Beth looked from the pale face of her sister to Rick, gently stroking her fingers through Judith's fine hair as the baby grew fretful at the sudden onslaught of loud voices.

'What's going on?' Beth asked.

'I need to find Glen.' Maggie said. 'I have to find him – you understand that, Beth.'

Beth nodded, and turned to Rick.

'I think we should stay here, catch our breath, at least until those of us injured can heal.' He said.

'So you stay here, the injured stay here, I'll find Glen and bring him back!' Maggie said.

But Rick was shaking his head.

'We're stronger together.' Michonne said then, her voice soft and strong. 'We split up, we can't guarantee we find each other again.'

'I'm losing time!' Maggie cried.

'We should find Glen,' Beth said, 'If he's out there we need to find him.'

'We can take cars.' Daryl said; he was standing in the doorway, one shoulder leant against the frame, his heavy eyes watching the room before him. 'The injured can heal whilst we drive.'

Rick looked at him, his own eyes narrowed, but Beth could see his jaw working as he thought it over. Then he sighed.

'Alright.' He said.

Maggie nodded.

'Alright.' She said too.

Beth drew the baby on her lap closer to her chest, rocking her slightly. The little house had provided her one nights respite, but it looked like it was not about to lend her any more.

Beth was leaning against the hood of a rusted navy blue car, looking out down the road at a single walker that was slowly making its way towards them, tripping over itself like a suffering drunk.

Daryl was sitting in the drivers seat of the car, hot wiring the engine into working. Maggie was a little further away, some where in between their blue car and a newer looking silver car that Rick had just brought to life. She was checking and rechecking the bags, making sure they had everything they needed.

Beth looked in through the window as she heard Daryl curse, moving his hand to his mouth with a dark scowl. She pushed herself up from the car and rounded it, leaning her arms over the open door and peering in at Daryl, who was sucking on his finger.

'Alright?' She asked.

Daryl just scowled at her, then returned to the exposed wires.

Suddenly the wires lit and the engine revved. Daryl smacked the dashboard, hard.

'Finally!' He growled.

Beth couldn't help but grin. She shook her head and turned to face her sister, who had approached the car. She handed her one of the packs.

Beth took it and climbed into the back seats, letting her sister take the front. Carol joined them, settling herself into the back with Beth.

Beth lay the bags on the seat between them and tried to make her self comfortable within the stale car; it was looking to be a long drive – their plan was to drive to Noah's old home - a walled in, secure establishment that sounded like as good a place as any for Glen to head for, too, although by sticking to the roads they hoped they would find clues to his whereabouts as they went.

Maggie was on edge; Beth could tell by the way she was biting her lip and grinding her teeth. Her hair was messy and unkempt and she was impatiently drumming her fingers against the dashboard. They were waiting for Rick, who was riding ahead with Noah directing, Michonne, Carl and Judith in the back seats. Their own car was to follow whilst Tyreese and Sasha brought up the rear. Maggie had found her sister, but now she needed her husband, and Beth knew she would not settle until she had got him.

Beth watched the suburban streets slip away as they drove out after Rick; the walker who had been approaching them reached out and whined loudly, but it was left looking forlorn as the car sped past. Beth twisted round in her seat to look out the back window at it, seeing the way it turned itself around and began to head back the way it had come to try and follow them. Something in her made her smile at the completely fruitless life it now led.

Roads slipped away with very little impact; the day around them grew hotter and they wound the windows down, trying to clear the stale, musty smell of the old car. Beth was uncomfortable. As time passed, her legs began to grow restless, and waves of nausea were rolling through her. Doctor Edwards had suggested the feelings of sickness would abate soon, but today her baby was not her friend, and Beth had to keep trying to gulp down the air from outside as they drove, her stomach unsettled.

They planned to just keep driving; the day was young and Rick believed they could reach Noah's home within a few hours, so Beth tried to settle herself and close her eyes.

'How long since Noah has been home?' Carol asked.

'A year,' Beth said without opening her eyes.

'You think it likely that this place will still be - '

'No!' Maggie suddenly said, making Beth jump and cutting off Carol. She opened her eyes to see her and Daryl staring at each other.

Daryl was frowning, his blue eyes searching her face with a confused curiosity.

'Not in the car.' Maggie said.

Beth saw then that Daryl had a cigarette in his mouth. He took it out with his hand, glancing to the road before returning his eyes to Maggie's face.

'T'window's open.' He said.

Maggie shook her head.

'Not in the car.' She repeated.

Beth swallowed.

Daryl watched her for a moment, then he shrugged and put the smoke in his top pocket.

'A'right,' he said, returning his eyes to the road.

Beth looked to her sister, but Maggie did not turn to look at her, so she just leant her head back against the seat and closed her eyes again. She was pretty sure where her sister's sudden smoking ban was coming from, and she couldn't help but smile as she crossed her arms over her stomach and settled back.

It was several uncomfortable and, for Beth, nauseating, hours later that they arrived at the outskirts of what was once Noah's home. As they drove up to it, Beth's heart sank. It was clear that whatever was here once was no longer; the walls that once stood were falling down, and the houses that could be seen beyond were burnt and broken.

The car driven by Rick had barely pulled to a stop when Noah jumped out. Daryl stopped the car too, and Beth watched as Noah strode over to the walls.

'It's gone.' Daryl said.

'Did you expect it not to be?' Maggie asked.

Daryl just sighed.

Beth opened her door and climbed out onto the road, stretching her back out. Noah had pushed his way into the compound, and the others were quickly following.

'Stay by me.' Daryl said as he lay a hand on Beth's shoulder. Beth nodded.

The estate beyond the walls had been laid waste to destruction; houses were burnt and from what Beth could see the inhabitants had been mutilated.

'This wasn't done by walkers, was it?' Beth murmured.

Daryl shook his head.

'Nah,' he murmured back.

They walked along side by side, taking in the sights, Beth's heart in her throat. She held her knife steady in her hand, but Daryl took out almost every walker with ease before they even got near her.

Suddenly, in the distance, Beth saw Noah take off at a run. Tyreese called after him, as the others followed. Beth went to follow, but Daryl put out an arm to stop her. She looked to him.

'Don't rush off.' He said.

Beth sighed, but she nodded, and fell into step beside him as they followed at a slower rate. She would have to accept Daryl's over protection for a little while; losing her to Grady had really shaken him up. What would he be like when he found out she was pregnant, she mused. But that was too much for her to think about right now. She pushed the thought back and walked beside the older man.

They reached the house Noah had gone into a little while after the others had. The house they had walked into had all the signs of once being a nice family home, but now it had fallen into disrepair; there were dark patches of burns and dust, the front door hung on its hinges. Beth stepped over the rubble and into the house, walking through to the front room where she found Noah, crying over the dead body of a woman. Beth stopped.

Daryl laid one hand on her shoulder again as Noah pulled a blanket from the floor beside the body and drew it up and over the body. He sat back on his hunches with a deep sigh.

Tyreese pulled himself up from the floor opposite the young boy, paused to pat his back, then left him to it. He caught Daryl's eye as he exited the room, and Daryl nodded.

'I'm just gonna-' Beth said, but Daryl just nodded to her with a light smile; Beth saw the understanding in his eyes.

The men left the two younger counterparts alone in the room. Beth waited for a moment, before she slowly approached Noah.

'I should have been here.' He sighed.

'You can't blame yourself.' Beth said softly, coming down to rest beside him. 'You weren't to know.'

'I lost a whole year,' Noah said sadly. 'They kept me in that damn place for a whole year – I should have been here.'

'Yeah,' Beth sighed, 'you should have. But it wasn't your fault.'

The two of them stayed beside one another for a while, in contemplative silence.

'I want to thank you,' Noah said quielty, glancing side ways at Beth. Beth frowned.

'For what?'

'For killing her. For killing Dawn.'

Beth blinked.

'I couldn't have done it, but I'm glad you did. She deserved it.'

Beth swallowed.

'I didn't – I couldn't -' she stammered, but Noah shook his head.

'I get it.' He said. 'I get that you didn't want to. But you did. You're strong.'

Beth nodded.

They remained in silence for a little while, both of them thinking their own private thoughts.

'Is she your mum?' Beth asked softly after a little while.

Noah sighed.

'Yeah.' He said.

'Hey,' Beth said, putting a small arm around his shoulders, 'you're strong too, you know. She would be proud of you.'

Noah nodded slowly.

'I'm trying.' He said.

'Do you want to bury her?' Beth asked.

'I need to find my brothers.' Noah said.

'Okay,' Beth said.

Slowly, the two of them stood, and Beth took Noah's hand. They stood in the sitting room, looking at one another for a moment, then Noah nodded.

He took Beth out of the room and down through the corridor, ignoring the over turned tables and smashed glass around them. Beth squeezed Noah's hand.

Noah pushed open the door to a bedroom, and the smell of death instantly hit them. Covering her nose with her spare hand, Beth followed Noah into the room. Her heart dropped as Beth instantly recognised it as a child's room - there were posters and photographs across the walls, and toy planes hanging from the ceiling. Beth saw the dark red splotches across the carpet – her eyes followed them. She swallowed. Deeper into the room were two single beds, one of which upon lay the small body of a child, his head shot through. Beth squeezed Noah's hand as her own breath caught in her throat.

Noah groaned softly as he stepped over to the bed, his hands shaking as he went to touch the small body of the child, but his hand stopped, hovering just before it.

The door at the end of the room twitched open, and a young boy stumbled out. Noah turned around to face it, his face dropping in pain.

'No,' he moaned, stepping back, his legs hitting the bed behind him. He swallowed deeply, and Beth could see the tears spill out over his eyes.

Beth looked from the reanimated body of the young boy to Noah, took in his shaking visage. The boy shambled over, his jaw dropping open to show his blood soaked teeth, the front of his shirt soaked with gore. His paled eyes were locked on Noah, who was shivering, his bottom lip quivering as tears spilled down his ashy cheeks.

Slowly, fumbling a little, Noah took his knife from his pouch and held it up. He steadied it in his hand and took a deep breath, but Beth could see he was struggling.

'Noah,' Beth said softly. She reached out and placed a hand gently on his arm. Noah looked to her as Beth raised her own knife.

He nodded.

Beth adjusted her knife and stepped forward, plunging it into the forehead of the growling young boy. He continued to growl for a moment, then he stopped and his body slumped. Beth pulled the knife back out, splattering her white shirt in specks of red, and let the body fall to the floor.

Beth stood back, looking down at the still body of Noah's little brother. His eyes remained open and looking at her, his face twisted into a grimace of pain, his forehead caved in. Beth grabbed up the blanket from one of the beds and laid it over his face, cutting off the gruesome image.

Her chest hurt; he had only been a child. His small, fragile body lay slumped in its own blood on the cream carpet of his childhood bedroom, the same blood dripping steadily from the end of Beth's knife.

Bile rose in her throat. She swallowed it down and took a deep breath.

'Thank you,' Noah stuttered.

'Let's bury them.' Beth said.

Noah nodded.

Between them, they carried the two small bodies out from the room and through to the back garden, where they lay them side by side and covered them. Then they gingerly carried Noah's mother out too.

Beth and Noah stood side by side, their arms wrapped around each others waists as they looked down onto the three covered bodies. This was life now. This is what family came to. Her mother, her brother, her father, three more covered white bodies.

'Beth-' Daryl's voice broke through their reprieve.

Beth turned to look at Daryl as he stepped out of the kitchen door and into the small garden.

'We gotta go – there's too many walkers in here. We can't take 'em all on.'

'We need to bury Noah's family.' Beth said.

'There's not time,' Daryl said.

'It's important -' Beth insisted, but Noah lay his hand on her arm to stop her.

'Beth,' he said, 'it's okay.'

Beth turned to look at him, looking into his large, sad eyes.

'They're out here, they're together. It's okay.'

Slowly, Beth nodded.

Daryl held an arm out and slowly, Beth walked towards him, allowing him to wrap an arm around her shoulders and draw her away. Noah followed.

They stepped out into the street and Beth could see the walkers Daryl was talking about. The sound of their group within the confine had drawn them all out; they were emerging from houses and garages, from behind tress and bushes, and heading for the road. She could not be sure whether they were the reanimated corpses of those who had once lived here, or strangers who had wandered in. She guessed it no longer mattered – the whole world belonged to the dead now.

The three of them headed towards the entrance, to where the others had gathered. They had been scrounging for supplies, but had found very little.

There was a deeply morose atmosphere over everyone as they pulled away from Noah's estate; they were no closer to Glen, no closer to finding some place safe to stay and Noah's entire family had been wiped out. Noah rode in the back of Beth's car with her on the way out, seeming to need to be beside someone who understood how he was feeling. It was a very silent ride.

The group of them found a barn a few miles from the estate, and after some inspection, decided it was as good a place as any to hole up for the night. They barred up the doors and settled down, all of them silent and grey. Beth sat down beside Noah on one of the hay bales. She could tell he didn't want to talk, but she believed her proximity would comfort him. So the two of them sat in silence, staring off into the barn, as the sun outside begun to set.

They passed an uneasy night in the barn; the weather outside was unpredictable and the wind howled, preventing a lot of them from getting much sleep.

Beth spent a lot of the night pacing the wooden flooring with Judith in her arms, rocking her gently. Rick and Carl were curled up together across some hay, old blankets across them, and Beth was happy to let them sleep. Hell, they both needed it.

Noah had fallen into an uneasy slumber, too. His eyes were red and puffy from crying, but Beth was glad to see he was sleeping.

Daryl, Beth was surprised to see, was sat beside Maggie, the two of them with their backs against the wall. They were talking together in low voices, and for a moment Beth panicked.

Hitching the baby onto her hip, Beth approached them.

'Not sleeping?' She asked, as both her sister and her lover looked up at her. Maggie shook her head.

'How's your chest?' Beth asked.

'It hurts,' Maggie said, 'but it's okay. Here, why don't I take Judith?'

'No it's okay, I'm not tired.' Beth said.

'You need to rest,' Maggie said, 'here.'

Beth smiled and handed the baby over to her sister, who sat her out on her lap and smiled down at her.

Daryl pulled himself up from the floor, dusting down the thighs of his pants.

'C'mon,' he said to Beth.

'You okay?' Beth asked Maggie.

Maggie sighed, but offered her sister a smile.

'Yeah. I'm fine.' She nodded.

Beth looked her sister over for a moment, then nodded, allowing Daryl to lead her over to a secluded corner of the barn.

Daryl paused to kick some hay across the floor and shrug off his jacket. Beth eyed up the hard floor, wishing she had been able to save the poncho from the prison.

'Y'okay?' Daryl asked her, turning to her. He stepped towards her and placed his hands either side of her face.

'Yeah,' Beth sighed. 'Just been a long day.'

'Noah will be a'right,' Daryl said.

'I know,' Beth nodded, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth of Daryl's hands against her face. Daryl pushed her hair back from her face and stepped back. Beth sighed and sat down on the hay, pausing to look around at their friends, scattered about the barn, some asleep, others still awake and talking idly, whilst some just sat in silence.

Daryl huffed as he sat himself down beside her with a thump. He laid himself back, folding his arms behind his head.

Beth lowered herself down beside him, propping up her head on her elbow.

'What happens now?' She asked quietly.

Daryl shrugged against the hay.

'What were you and Maggie talking about?' Beth asked instead, trying to keep her voice calm and casual.

'Glen,' Daryl replied quietly. 'We gotta find him.'

'We will,' Beth said. 'I know we will.'

'Yeah,' Daryl said back. 'We will.'

'And then what?' Beth asked again.

Daryl sighed. He took one arm out from under his head and pulled her to him, pulling her small body close to his.

'We find some place to stay, to settle.' He said.

'You want to settle down?' Beth teased.

'Mmm,' Daryl murmured, rubbing his nose against her hair, 'I'm tired o'runnin'.'

'Yeah,' Beth said, running her hand up and down his warm chest. 'Me too.'

Beth was groggy when she woke, and it took her a moment to realise where she was. She breathed a sigh of relief to see Daryl was still beside her, and she was a little surprised to see he was still sleeping. She took the time to look at him as he slept, appreciating the strong line of his jaw, his lips parted slightly, the greying stubble across his chin. She smiled, her body aching as she lay on the floor, but her heart feeling light knowing she was back with her family.

In sleep, Daryl pulled her closer to him, wrapping one arm around her.

Beth sighed, letting out the breath she hadn't even been aware she was holding. The past few weeks had been hard, running and surviving. She thought back to what herself and Daryl had spoken to the night before – about finding a place to stay. It was a nice idea.

Daryl stirred, and blinked open his eyes. He looked down at Beth, his eyes soft as they adjusted from sleep to wakefulness. Beth smiled.

'Y'watching me?' Daryl grunted, his voice thick with sleep. He cleared his throat as Beth chuckled.

'Just making sure you're still here,' Beth said.

'Well I am,' Daryl said, pushing himself up and pulling Beth up with him. He leant across to pick some hay out from her hair, his hands cool as they brushed against her skin. He watched her face for a moment, then moved his blue eyes out over the barn. Beth sighed. Daryl was awake, and the day had begun. Beth longed for a world in which they could just lay together, talk sleepily and waste the morning – but that was not the world they were currently in.

Daryl headed off to find Rick, so Beth found her sister. Maggie was already up, and was pulling her jacket on as Beth approached her.

'I'm going to collect water,' Maggie said to her sister as she approached. 'You want to come?'

Beth shrugged; she had nothing else to do.

Outside the day was bright and fresh; the rain from the night before had cleared the air, and the ground underfoot was still wet, squelching beneath their boots as they walked. They encountered a few walkers on their way to the stream, sodden and disorientated from the rain the night before. Beth stabbed one in the head and groaned as rain water joined blood in soaking her shirt.

The stream was swollen with the excess rain, so the sisters crouched down, undoing their bottle lids and pushing them beneath the bubbling surface, the water cold to their hands.

'Have you told Daryl yet?' Maggie said.

'Huh?'

'About the baby.'

'Oh.' Beth bit her lip, looking down at the bubbles that forced their way to the surface, expelled from the bottle as the water rushed in to fill it. 'No.'

'You have to.' Maggie said, side-eyeing her sister. 'And soon, too.'

'I know.' Beth sighed. 'I'm just not sure how to.'

Maggie shrugged.

'I don't think it matters how, just that you do.'

Beth nodded; she knew her sister was right, but right now it was easier for her to bury her head in the sand. Telling Daryl, saying it out loud, made it real. Right now she could almost pretend it wasn't happening, push it to the back of her head – but once he knew, there was no going back. And honestly, she was frightened of how he would react. Their relationship had been anything but straight forward from the start, and now she was about to confuse it all the more by throwing a baby into the mix. Just thinking about it made her feel queasy.

'Maggie?'

Both sister's looked up at the same time, Beth gasped as Maggie dropped her bottle.