Maggie jumped to her feet and ran to her husband, who had stepped out from between the trees. She threw her arms around his neck, pulling him in towards her, as shocked sobs broke free from her. Glen held her back, his hands wrapping tightly around her waist as he to began to cry into her dark hair.

Beth stood up too, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. She could hardly believe her eyes. Of all the places, Glen had stumbled across them beside a stream.

Maggie and Glen were wrapped up in each other, their hands roaming each others faces, torn between laughter and tears as they made sure the other one really was there.

A sound caused Beth to tear her eyes away from the happy couple, to a spot just a little further from where Glen had appeared. Daryl had taught her well in hunting, and her reflexes were almost as strong as his, so she spotted the two figures before they stepped out into the light.

She drew her knife, cursing herself for never having a gun.

'Hi,' one figure said.

Maggie stepped back from Glen, grabbing for her own knife, her face instantly changing from glee to shocked fear.

'It's okay,' Glen said, putting a hand on his wife's arm. 'This is Tara, and Aaron.'

–-

Beth and Maggie allowed both Glen, Tara and Aaron to follow them back to the barn; Glen explained briefly as they walked that Tara had been at the prison, and she had helped him escape. Maggie seemed okay with that, grateful even to this new, strange woman, and Glen seemed okay with Aaron, so Maggie seemed okay with him, too. Beth was a little unsure herself; she walked a little way behind the new group, her hand never leaving the hilt of her knife. Aaron spoke calmly and casually of a walled in community that he had come from, of a place that could offer them shelter. It sounded too good to be true, that a stranger would appear and offer then sanctuary. It also seemed strange that this man had just found them out here, had just stumbled across Glen. Beth had always insisted on seeing the good in everyone, on giving everyone a chance, but since life at Grady she struggled to still live by that. People were too quick to use you for their own gains these days.

Rick was not so accommodating. He stood like a caged animal, his eyes narrowed over his now unruly beard, his shoulders set, as Aaron explained himself. He had been watching their group for some time and had figured they were good candidates for his community. He had found Glen on the road and discovered they sought the same group. He wanted them to join him back to his home.

Neither Rick nor Daryl seemed pleased with the idea that this man had been watching them, following them, and it did not sit all that well with Beth either. The fact that it was Glen who had brought him to them seemed to help, and everyone seemed much more willing to listen because of Glen, but Beth could sense the atmosphere within the barn – it was static, dangerous. All it would take was one wrong foot, one wrong word and the atmosphere would snap like a dried twig, break in two and turn dark.

Upon entry to the barn, they had stripped Aaron of his stuff – both weapons and pack. It was this pack he had asked Maggie to look through, to offer Rick some photos he had of his home.

Rick shifted through them now, his eyes returning to this sudden stranger after every few seconds as he thumbed through the several Polaroid images Aaron had offered him.

Beth stood beside her sister, a little way off from Daryl. The group had been overjoyed by the sight of Glen, but the entrance of Aaron and Tara had quelled their excitement. Daryl had headed straight for Beth, checking she was okay, his hands moving over her face, searching her for injury, before he moved to stand beside Rick. To flank him, Beth understood. He looked just as guarded as Rick did, his own body set for fight or flight, his hands balled into fists and his jaw set, eyes dark and narrowed.

Beth wondered whether she would ever look like that, and found herself hoping she would not. It must be exhausting, she thought, to always be so on guard.

He was listening to Aaron, but his eyes were on Rick. Watching, waiting.

Rick shuffled the photographs in his hands, and turned to look at Michonne, who was standing just behind him. Aaron was still talking, still explaining his home, as Rick headed towards him.

Beth gasped and bulked as Rick hit him, his fist connecting with Aaron's face in one hard motion, knocking the guy unconscious in an instant, his body falling to the floor.

The rest of the barn moved at once, closing in on him. Maggie poured water on a rag and held it to his face as Beth leant down to make sure he was breathing, pressing her two fingers to his neck.

'Just so we're clear,' she heard Michonne say as Rick walked away, 'that look wasn't a "let's attack that guy" look, it was a "he seems like an okay guy to me" look!'

'We gotta secure him.' Rick replied. 'Dump his pack. Let's see who this guy really is.'

Carl grabbed up the bag and began to empty the contents of it on to the floor as Daryl bound the man's wrists. Beth sat back, watching him. He did not look up at her as he worked, and Beth did not like the way he moved, the dark look over his face, his hair covering his eyes, his fingers swiftly securing the man's wrists to one another in far too expert a manner.

'Me and Beth - we didn't see him. If he wanted to hurt us he could have.' Maggie said to Rick, leaning back on her heels. Glen was beside her, one hand on her shoulder.

Rick ignored her, instead instructing them to go out and see if anyone was watching them, clearly not taking Aaron's word as truth.

Maggie sighed, and continued to dab at the man's face until he came around, groaning.

He looked around him, spotting those closest to him and undoubtedly realising his hands were tied. He sighed out a laugh as Beth took a step back from the scene.

'That's a hell of a right cross there Rick,' He said.

'Sit him up.' Rick said.

Daryl pulled the man until he was sitting and secured him to one of the posts.

'How many of your people are out there?' Rick said.

Aaron sighed.

'Does it matter?' He asked. 'Whatever I say, you're not going to trust me.'

'How many.' Rick repeated.

Aaron sighed. He looked up at Rick, he face honest, a bruise appearing across his left cheek, his ear bleeding slightly.

'One.' He said.

Rick stared at him, his eyes dark. Beth looked to Daryl, who was watching Rick, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Neither of them believed him.

'If it's not words, and its not pictures, what would it take to convince you that this is for real?' Aaron asked. 'What if I drove you to the community? We leave now, we'll get there by lunch.'

Beth looked across to Daryl; he did not catch her eye, but something was building inside of her. What if this man was real, what if this place was real – it could be what they needed, what they wanted. Somewhere to settle. The feeling within her was a tentative bubble of hope.

'I'm not sure how all of us are going to fit in the car you and your one friend drove down here in.' Rick said darkly.

'We drove separately,' Aaron replied. 'If we found a group, we wanted to be able to bring them all home.
There's enough room for all of us.'

'And you're parked just a couple miles away, right?' Carol asked sarcastically, her own eyes narrowed on the new man.

'East on Ridge Road, just after you hit Route 16. We wanted to get them closer, but then the storm came, blocked the road. We couldn't clear it.' Aaron said.

'Yeah, you've really thought this through.' Rick said, turning away from the man to pace the barn floor.

'Rick, if I wanted to ambush you, I'd do it here. You know, light the barn on fire while you slept, pick you off as you ran out the only exit. You can trust me.' Aaron insisted.

Maggie swallowed, her own brown eyes on this new man, this stranger who had brought her husband back to her. Her soft, trusting brown eyes were surveying the man's face, watching his features as he spoke. Beth knew her sister was good with people, she could read them well, and the glimmer of hope Beth saw in her sister's eyes gave her her own glimmer.

Michonne stepped to Rick, stopping him from pacing.

'I'll check out the cars.' She said.

'There aren't any cars.' Rick replied, his voice pained.

'There's only one way to find out.' Michonne said, her eyes narrowing on the man before her.

'We don't need to find out.'

'We do.' Michonne said sternly. 'You know what you know and you're sure of it, but I'm not.'

'Me neither.' Maggie said from beside Beth, and Beth nodded. If there was a sliver of a chance this man was telling the truth, then it was surely worth finding out. Beth reached out and took her sister's hand, who squeezed it back.

'Your way is dangerous, mine isn't.' Rick said.

'Passing up some place where we can live? Where Judith can live? That's pretty dangerous.' Michonne replied coldly. 'We need to find out what this is. We can handle ourselves. So that's what we're gonna do.'

'Then I will too,' Glen said. 'I found this man. I'm responsible if he's lying.'

Rick sighed, but he seemed to concede. As sure as he was, he was not a dictator, and he listened to the people of his group – if several were willing to check this thing out, then he had no right to deny them that. Whether he believed it or not did not matter now, only that his family sought out their own truths. He would stand in the way of that.

'Sasha,' he said, and Sasha nodded, shouldering her gun.

Rick looked steadily at Michonne, who held his gaze.

'If you're not back in an hour, we're coming.' He said.

Michonne nodded once.

'I got the area covered,' Daryl said then, walking across the barn floor to Rick.

'Alright.' Rick sighed. 'Groups of two. Find somewhere safe within eyeshot.'

'I'm going with Glen,' Maggie told Beth.

Beth nodded. Daryl approached her.

'Come with me.' He said.

Beth followed Daryl and the others out into the day and through into the under-brush, separating off from her sisters small group and heading out into cover. Daryl handed Beth a hand gun as they walked.

'Y'see someone comin' y'shoot.' He said.

Beth swallowed, following him through the shade. She looked down at the small silver gun in her hands.

'So if we see someone, we just shoot them?' Beth asked after a moment of silence.

'What if they're someone like us? What if Aaron is telling the truth?' She said when he didn't reply. 'What if they're someone who has nothing to do with this at all.'

'Beth, we're stalkin' through the under-brush wi'guns. No-ones comin' up t'say hello.' Daryl sighed.

'Is this who we are now?' Beth asked quietly. 'Shoot on sight.'

'Jus' walk.' Daryl said.

'What if this place is real?' Beth said. 'What if it's what we've been looking for – some place to stay. To live.'

Daryl didn't respond.

'Some place for Judith to grow up.' Beth said.

Daryl sighed. He turned and pulled Beth down beside him.

'If it is it is.' He said. 'Bu' if it ain't, we gotta be ready.'

Beth nodded.

She kept her gun ready as she waited, both herself and Daryl staying near one another, their eyes peeled for any movement at all within the surrounding trees. Her mind wandered to Maggie, out in the unknown, out in the open. She prayed Aaron had been telling the truth, that they really would only find one other person out there, that there was a community they could all go to, somewhere they could be safe, and secure. Somewhere she could have her baby, and raise it.

The thought of her baby scared her, but the thought of having it within a secure community was comforting. For the first time, she felt hopeful – she had been on the road with Lori when she had been pregnant, and she had seen how difficult it had been. She didn't want that for herself. She was young and scared, and this was going to be terrifying in any scenario, but a roof over her head and walls around her would help an awful lot.

She looked across to Daryl; his back was to her, and she could see the tension in his shoulders. His hair was getting even longer, covering almost all of his neck now, strands licking at the tips of the embroidered wings of his vest. He was so beautiful, Beth thought, and she was so grateful to have him, to be back with him. There had been times in Grady where she believed she would never see him again, never hold him again. The baby had been something to hold on to then, a piece of him she could keep, but now she was back with him, the reality of the situation was heavy on her.

She swallowed.

She needed to tell him. She knew that. The longer she spent waiting, worrying, the worse it would get. What was she expecting to happen, that one day she would just give birth and hand him over a baby? She could feel in herself that her body was changing, and pretty soon there would be a bump to hide. A bump she wouldn't be able to hide.

What was she so afraid of? Daryl wouldn't flip out, would he? It wasn't her fault – it wasn't anybodies fault. She knew what he was like, knew he was temperamental, but he was getting a lot better, and they were getting a lot more open with one another.

Maybe it was a good thing, maybe he would be happy. Maybe he had always secretly wanted a baby.

Although it no longer really mattered what either of them wanted – there was going to be a baby.

'Daryl,' Beth said, but Daryl turned and shushed her.

'They're back.' He said.

'They are?' Beth asked, her voice coming out as little more than a nervous squeak.

'Yeah, let's get back.'

Beth nodded, swallowing her thoughts. It would have to wait.

–

Aaron had been telling the truth. Her sister, along with Glen, Michonne and Sasha, had found a single car and an RV. Their small family were back in the barn and stood around Aaron now, who was still tied to a post. There was a strange sort of buzz in the air, an acknowledgement of honesty, and the potential promise of safety.

But Beth could see Rick was still unsure. He seemed to be chewing the inside of his cheek, a jar of fruit in his hand, his knuckles white around it.

It was Carl and Michonne who persuaded him, insisted that if Aaron wanted to hurt them, he would have.

'We need this.' Michonne said seriously. She was talking to Rick, but Beth knew she was speaking to them all. 'So that's why we're going.'

Rick swallowed. Daryl was sitting on a haystack just beside Beth, who was standing – she was feeling too pent up to sit. Daryl was watching Rick, biting on the side of his thumb. Rick glanced across to his right hand man, and Beth saw the subtle change in his features, a slight unfurrowing of the knot in his brow and a small twitch of his lips.

'We leave at sundown.' He said. 'It's going to be a long night. Eat. Get some rest if you can.'

Beth sighed. Folding her arms across her chest, she walked away from the group and over to the small space herself and Daryl had shared the night before. She kicked at some of the hay with the toe of her boot.

'You okay?'

Noah stood beside her.

'You think this place is real?' Beth asked him softly.

'It could be.' Noah said.

'Your place was real,' she said. 'Secure. It didn't last.'

Noah shook his head.

'Did you see the photos of the walls? Ours were nothing like that. I think this place will be okay.' Noah said.

Beth nodded.

'What's the matter?' He asked.

Beth sighed, unfolding her arms to run a hand down her face.

'How do we know who to trust any more, Noah?' She asked, turning slightly to look at him. Noah looked her over.

'Gut feelings,' he suggested.

'What're your gut feelings about this?' Beth asked. 'About Aaron?'

Noah mused for a moment, pursing his lips.

'Good,' he said finally, nodding slowly. 'I think they're good.'

'I'm struggling to know what to think any more,' Beth admitted. 'I always saw the good in people, in the world. Now it's not so easy. People aren't so easy.'

'I think the opposite.' Noah said. Beth frowned at him. 'I think people are clearer these days.' He shrugged. 'They are what they are. Less pretence.'

Beth sighed, she guessed he had a point.

'I think Grady messed up my understanding of the world.' She said.

'I get that.' Noah nodded. 'It did me, too. But you can't let it destroy who you are.'

'Who am I?' Beth sighed. 'I've killed people.'

'You're still you.' Noah said. 'You're still Beth Greene. You're a good person, fighting for what you believe in and for the people you love. You're still you, just a little stronger.'

Beth looked to him, and eventually she smiled; Noah's warm and friendly face was always a welcome sight, and his little words of wisdom always helped to lighten her heart.

'Thanks,' she said softly.

Noah smiled back.

'This could be good for us. Good for you.' Noah said. 'Good for your baby.'

Beth bit her lip; she looked around to make sure no one else was within ear shot.

'Does he know?' Noah asked quietly. Beth shook her head. Noah looked at her for a moment, then he nodded.

'You should get some rest, mummy,' he whispered, causing her to giggle as a blush rose in her cheeks.

'Alright,' she smiled.

–

It was dark as they climbed into the RV, and the group were on edge. Rick was taking the car with Michonne and Glen, Aaron in the back, his hands still tied, to tell them the way. They were taking a different route to the one Aaron had suggested as Rick was still distrustful of the man, and not entirely convinced this whole thing wasn't a set up to an ambush.

The rest of them would follow in the RV, with Daryl driving. Carol was sat in the passenger seat up front, but Beth was happy to sit in the back with her sister, who was clearly on edge at having been separated from her husband so soon after being back together.

The woman Glen had turned up with rode with them too.

Until now, she had remained silent, watching the scenes around her unfold with an understandable amount of fear across her face. Glen had been on the road with her since the prison fell, so Rick had not seen her as a threat, but no-one had taken any time to speak with her yet – the admittance of Aaron following them had been too much.

She sat at the small table now, her hands folded in her lap, doe eyes flitting from her lap to those around her. She had stumbled into this close-knit group, seen a man knock another man unconscious, and now found herself travelling to a strange new place with these people in the middle of the night. It was enough to put anyone on edge.

Beth turned herself around on the sofa to face the new girl.

'It's Tara, right?' Beth asked.

'Uh, yeah.' Tara said.

'I'm Beth,' Beth said.

'Hi,' Tara smiled.

'You were on the road with Glen?'

'Yeah,' Tara said. 'He – he found me at the prison.'

'You were at the prison,' Maggie said; she was sitting beside Beth, leaning forward with her elbows leaning on her knees. Her voice was calm, but Beth could sense the tension in the low tones she spoke in. 'You were with the Governor.'

Beth swallowed.

'I didn't know who he was or what he could do.' Tara said.

'The man he – he killed,' Beth said slowly. 'He was our father.'

Tara looked at the women before her, her face draining of its colour.

'I didn't know who you all were,' she said, her voice a little strained.

'You helped Glen get out,' Maggie said. 'Thank you for that.'

'You're here now.' Beth said.

Tara nodded, her face slowly regaining its colour. She offered them a tentative smile, which both Beth and Maggie returned, which Tara seemed to accept with relief. She let out her breath as a sigh, and Beth seemed to see her shoulders loosen a little. Neither she nor Maggie were going to hold her for being on the opposite side of the fence to their-selves; for all the Governor's faults, he had been charming, charismatic. No one could blame Tara for believing him – believing him until it was too late. And in Maggie's eyes she had redeemed herself in helping Glen, and that was good enough for Beth, too.

'Ain't lookin' good,' Daryl said from the front seat.

Beth looked ahead, squinting her eyes at the darkened road ahead of them.

'It's overrun – Aaron said it was overrun.' Carol said, her own voice laced with worry.

Daryl pulled the RV to a stop.

'What's going on?' Maggie asked. She pushed herself up from the sofa and headed to the front; Beth followed her.

She leant over the back of the seat, her arms wrapping around the headrest. The section of road ahead of them illuminated by their headlights was a mess – the car they had been following had ploughed on through a road saturated with walkers; bodies littered the road, some still moving, arms waving or jaws snapping, and blood splattered all over, leaving obvious tire skids slick across the dark road. The dead that had not been hit wandered around confused, eventually spotting the RV and heading straight for it.

'We can't get through that, the RV wont make it,' Sasha said.

'We gotta back up,' Daryl said, 'go round an' meet them on 16.'

The others agreed and returned to their seats as Daryl set the RV into reverse and pulled them out of there just as the walkers began to reach them.

'Why would they carry on through?' Carol asked once Daryl had turned them around.

'Do you think something happened?' Maggie asked fearfully, 'something went wrong?'

Beth sat down beside Noah, who was trying to see anything in the darkness beyond the window, his eyes narrowed as he peered out into the night. Daryl had just started back down the road when the flare lit up the sky. Beth and Noah saw it from the side window as the others saw it through the front.

'That's them!' Maggie cried. 'Glen! They could be in trouble!'

Daryl nodded and put his foot down, heading in the direction of the flare shot. Noah reached out and took hold of Beth's hand.

As they neared the area from which the flare came, the road became obstructed; a car stood awkwardly in the middle of the road, twisted so it faced neither direction but blocked a partial space. As they drove closer, their lights lit up the walkers that surrounded it, their skeletal hands clawing against the metal exterior, heads pushed up against the windows. There were several that had pulled their-selves down to crouches and some that were laying against the gravel, dragging their bellies along the floor as they tried to pull their-selves under the car, hands outstretched before them.

Daryl stopped the car, grabbed up his crossbow from the floor beside him, and jumped out. Sasha had thrown the side door open at the same time, and people begun to pile out. Beth stepped out into the dark after her sister, and headed for the walkers that her family were already picking off.

Beth pulled out her knife and plunged it into the skull of a walker, pulling it back and throwing it aside so she could reach one crawling under the car. As she bent down, she saw there was a man cowering beneath the vehicle. She plunged her knife deep into the back of the walkers scalp and pulled its now still body out from under the car, tossing it aside as she had done the first.

Working together, they managed to dispel the walkers in little to no time, and Sasha and Tyreese helped pull the man out from under the car.

'My ankle – my ankle!' he was exclaiming as Tyreese pulled him up and supported his on his own large frame.

'Get him in the RV!' Maggie demanded.

Beth held the door back for Tyreese to carry the man up and onto the sofa, where he laid him down gently, the man groaning softly.

'Who are you?' Daryl asked, stepping up into the RV and pulling the door shut behind Carol.

'I'm Eric,' the man said. 'I'm here with Aaron.'

'Your ankle is broken,' Maggie said. She gestured Beth over for a second opinion. Beth glanced down. She nodded.

'It's broken.' She said. 'It will set well.'

Eric nodded, his face pale and sweaty.

Daryl clambered over into the front seat and started the engine. Eric, through gritted teeth, directed him to a garage block not too far off where they could hole up and wait for the others.

Daryl parked the RV up outside and they carried Eric inside, setting him down somewhere comfortable and safe where Beth and Maggie could bind his ankle.

Whilst they worked, the others found light and blankets within the storage unit, whilst Daryl kept watch outside. Every now and then Beth could hear him whistle, and she knew he was doing it to alert the others if they were around.

'Thank you for saving me,' Eric said once they had finished binding up his ankle. He was a little breathless with pain, but he offered both sister's what seemed to be a genuine smile.

'Drink some water, we'll see if we have any pills.' Maggie said.

'You will fit right in in Alexandria,' Eric smiled.

'Alexandria?' Maggie asked.

'That's the name of our community,' Eric said.

Beth looked to her sister, and the two of them exchanged a look.

A loud knock reverberated through the place from the iron door. Beth pushed herself up, sparing a single glance to the man named Eric before she and her sister left him along in the room – he was not a threat, he wasn't going anywhere. The sister's hurried out, pushing open the door and stepping out into the night; the group from the car hastened their way towards them. Maggie hurried to Glen, throwing her arms around him. Beth breathed a sigh of relief to see all of them were safe.

Rick reached them, taking Daryl's hand for a moment in a show of solidarity before pulling Carol into a hug.

'Eric? Where's Eric?' Aaron asked; he pushed past those who had stepped outside and went into the room beyond. Beth gestured to the room behind, where they had left the injured man.

'Everyone okay?' Beth asked Daryl as he stepped back into the light of the storage unit.

'Uh huh,' he nodded, dropping one arm around her shoulder.

'Are you okay?' Beth asked.

'Yeah,' Daryl smiled down at her. 'I'm fine. Are you?'

'Yeah,' Beth nodded. She twisted in Daryl's arms so she could face him, leaning her chin against his chest.

'What do you think about all of this?' she asked him.

Daryl shrugged, moving his hands to her back which he begun to run up and down, soothing her through the fabric of her shirt.

'I ain't sure,' he admitted.

'It would be nice though, wouldn't it?' she said.

Daryl laughed lightly, then pulled her close and leant his chin on the top of her head, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Beth giggled lightly as he pulled her in, feeling herself squashed against him, her face pressed up against the leather of his vest. She knew it was his way of shutting her up – he was probably too tired or too tightly wound to talk right now – so she just let him hold her.

Aaron re-emerged from the back room; he looked pale and tired, blood splatters across his person.

'Excuse me – everyone,' he said, pausing to clear his throat. He cast his eyes over all of them, making sure he had their attention.

Beth twisted in Daryl's arms so she could face Aaron; Daryl leant his hands on her head, which he then propped his chin on. The position couldn't help but make Beth smile.

'Thank you.' Aaron said. 'You saved Eric. I owe you. All of you. And I will make sure that debt is paid in full when we get to our community. When we get to Alexandria. Now, I'm not sure about you, but I'd rather not do any more driving tonight. Maybe we can hit the road tomorrow morning.'

'That sounds fine.' Rick said. He was standing in the shadow of the door, watching the people before him, listening to Aaron talk. 'But if we're staying here for the night, you're sleeping over there.'

'You really think we got to do that?' Maggie frowned.

'It's the safe play.' Rick said. 'We don't know you.'

'The only way you're gonna stop me from being with him right now is by shooting me.' Aaron said sternly, turning around and approaching Rick. It was the first time Beth had seen him prickle.

'Whoa,' Glen said, stepping in between the two men. 'Rick, he told us where the camp is. And he really was only travelling with one other person. They're both unarmed. One of them's got a broken ankle.' He swallowed, watching Rick's face. 'I want us to be safe, too.' He said. 'But I can't give up everything else.'

Rick looked him over, then he nodded.

'All right.' He said.

Daryl lowered his hands from Beth's head and wrapped them around her chest, pulling her backwards until her back hit his chest. He leant down and kissed her cheek.

Beth could sense a strange vibe from him – he seemed clingier than usual, and the displays of affection were a little out of character. Being separated from her seemed to have affected him, too.

'Should we get some rest?' Beth asked, turning her head slightly to look at him.

'Uh huh,' Daryl said, his stubbly cheek rubbing against her skin. Beth leant into him, smiling. Whatever tomorrow brought and whatever Alexandria was, it didn't matter, so long as she was with Daryl, and Daryl was with her.