'Hey, man, y'alright?'

Daryl glanced across to Rick, frowning, unaware that he had been drifting to sleep.

'Yeah,' he grunted, sitting up straighter in the passenger seat. 'Didn't sleep well last night is all.'

'Beth keepin' y'up?' Rick grinned.

Daryl sighed.

'Yeah,' he said, 'but it's cause'a the baby. She's finding it uncomfortable t'sleep.'

His mind wandered back to the night before; he had woken to the soft sound of Beth fidgeting – her stomach was beginning to protrude now, and her usual sleeping positions were no longer suitable. Daryl had given her his own pillow to put between her legs and spent some time rubbing her lower back – she had eventually fallen asleep, but he had found it harder to. Now he was awake, his mind was full of thoughts of the baby. Time seemed to be slipping by them, and he was frightened. They were so unbelievably unprepared.

'Lori was the same with Carl,' Rick said, smiling at the memory. 'And man did she snore.'

Daryl laughed.

'We aint there yet.' He said.

Rick nodded.

'She must be in her second trimester by now, huh,' Rick said.

Daryl looked across at Rick through narrowed eyes as he begun to chew at the skin around his thumbnail.

'You ain't got a clue what that means, have ya?' Rick smiled. Daryl shook his head.

'It's just what they call the stages of the pregnancy,' Rick explained with a smile. 'The first three months, the middle three then the end three.'

'Why?' Daryl grunted.

'To document the progress I suppose,' Rick shrugged. 'Babies size, mothers' experiences, stuff like that. The first trimester's not that fun – they're tired, feeling sick, grouchy. But if she's getting in to her second then things should get better - more energy, she shouldn't be feeling so sick – they even say libido comes back.' He looked across at Daryl, who was still sullenly chewing at his thumb. Rick grinned. 'You notice any of that yet?'

'Shut up man,' Daryl said, turning to look back out of the front of the car.

Rick just laughed.

'How you know all this, anyway?' Daryl said.

Rick shrugged.

'Me and Lori stocked up on all the books and magazines when she was pregnant with Carl, went to all the classes,' he smiled, thinking back to how excited they had been back then. His smile faded, however, as his mind drifted to Lori's second pregnancy. There had been no books, no classes, only Lori's bump growing silently as they sought out a safe place to sleep each night, neither of them talking to each other, let alone the baby.

'What they need classes for?' Daryl scowled, pulling Rick from his morose thoughts.

'Couple of different things,' Rick said, 'prepare you for the birth, show you how to breathe.'

'She di'n' know how t'breath?' Daryl frowned.

Rick couldn't help but laugh at that.

'She knew how to breathe, Daryl,' he said. 'But they teach you to do it differently when you're giving birth – long and slow, quick and fast. Helps with the pain.'

Daryl was silent, so Rick turned to look at him; he had gone pale.

'I don't know nothin',' he said after a moment. 'An' I don't think Beth does neither.'

'Hey,' Rick said softly. 'People have been having babies since before there was any modern society, any books or classes. And they'll keep having 'em after.'

'Yeah, an' they died a lot more too,' Daryl said gruffly.

'Hey,' Rick said seriously. 'Don't think like that. Beth's gonna be fine. She's got all of us around her, she'll be fine.'

Daryl looked down at the blood that was beginning to pool around his thumbnail. He nodded.

'Come on. Let's get those supplies.' Rick said.

Daryl nodded, facing ahead.

They drove for a while until they came across an isolated barn; Rick drew the car to a stuttering stop just in front of it. The two men hopped out of the car, their boots crunching on the dry grass as they headed over to the barn; Daryl twirled his knife in his dominant hand as Rick pulled open the doors. They waited for a moment, waiting for an attack. When none came, Rick moved forward to peer in at a truck that sat idle inside. Daryl glanced around them, reassuring there were no walkers heading for the noise.

Rick whistled; he had pulled open the back of the truck to reveal a multitude of supplies.

'Damn,' Daryl said, his eyes searching over everything within.

'This'll last us weeks,' Rick said. 'I say we drive this home then come back for the car.'

Daryl nodded; they had driven for a while, and this was one of the best supply stops they had happened upon in a long while. There didn't seem much sense in carrying on.

As they headed back, taking a different route home just to be safe, Daryl spotted an abandoned gas station.

'Hey, let's stop here for a minute.' He said.

Rick looked at him, but nodded, slowing the truck.

Daryl jumped out, checking out the front doors first, then heading for a fallen vending machine.

'Help me wi' this will ya,' he said to Rick.

Rick rolled up his sleeves and got to helping him; the two men strained against the machine, barely moving it an inch.

'I don't think we got it,' Rick said.

Daryl, annoyed at being bested, looked at the truck. An idea came to mind.

'I got an idea,' he said.

Rick watched in mild amusement as Daryl set about connecting a chain to the vending machine and linking it to the back of the truck. He gestured for Rick to drive.

Rick did as he was instructed, and to Daryl's relief, the machine flipped.

Rick walked back over to him.

'Soda and candy, why the trouble?' He asked.

'Weren't any trouble,' Daryl shrugged.

Rick looked at him.

'Something for Beth?' He asked.

Daryl wiped his hands down the front of his pants.

'Nah,' he said. 'Denise.'

'Denise?' Rick frowned. 'The doctor?'

Daryl shrugged, but whether he was about to offer any more information, Rick did not find out, for he was suddenly thrust into the now flipped machine as a man ran in to him.

He was back upright in seconds, as both he and Daryl drew their guns on the stranger.

The man, dressed in a long leather coat and hat, his face covered by a cloth, raised his hands.

'Back up!' Daryl shouted.

'Keep 'em up!' Rick shouted.

'Woah,' the man said from behind his cloth mask. 'Easy guys. I was just running from the dead.'

Rick began to walk backwards, his eyes fixed on the man.

'How many?' Daryl asked gruffly.

'Ten. Maybe more. I'm not risking it – once it gets to double digits, I start running.' The man said.

'Where?' Daryl asked.

'About half a mile back,' the man said. 'They're headed this way. Probably have about… 11 minutes.'

Daryl kept his gun up, his eyes on the man, trying to read what he could see of his face from above the mask.

'Okay,' Rick said slowly, lowering his gun. 'Thanks for letting us know.'

'Yeah,' the man said. 'There's more of them than us. Got to stick together.' He looked at Daryl, widening his blue eyes. 'Right?'

Daryl looked back at him, his heart still thumping. He took a breath, and lowered his gun.

'You have a camp?' The man asked.

Daryl swallowed; everything that they had gone through, the attack of the wolves, the devastation of their home – the home Beth and their unborn baby were in.

'Nah,' he said.

'Do you?' Rick asked.

The man looked at him.

'No,' he said. 'Sorry for running in to you. I'm going to go now.'

He turned and began to walk away.

'I'm Rick,' Rick called after him. 'This is Daryl. What's your name?'

The man stopped, his back to them. Slowly, he turned, pulling down his mask to reveal his bearded face.

'Paul Rovia,' he said. 'But my friends used to call me Jesus. Your pick.'

'Said you didn't have a camp,' Rick said. 'You alone?'

'Yeah,' the man said, but he looked across at them with an unmistakable twinkle in his blue eyes. 'But still. Best not to try anything.'

'Best not t'make threats ya can't keep,' Daryl replied fiercely.

Rick began to ask him their three questions, but Daryl interrupted.

'Not this guy,' he said, but Rick ignored him.

'How many walkers have you killed?'

'Sorry!' The man called, heading away from them. 'Got to go. You should too. Got about 7 minutes.'

Rick watched him disappear around the corner.

'The hell was that?' Daryl asked, rounding on his friend.

'Guy was clean.' Rick said seriously. 'His beard neatly trimmed.' He scratched his own beard. 'There's more going on there.'

'Didn't have a gun neither,' Daryl said.

'We can track him, watch him for a while. Get to know more – see if he's really alone. Maybe bring him back.'

'Nah,' Daryl shook his head. 'Guy calls himself Jesus.'

Before they could discuss it further, the sound of gunshots rang through the air.

The two men raised their guns again and crept around the side of the gas station – to see a metal trash can lit up in sparks.

'Fire crackers.' Rick said.

Daryl looked at Rick.

'He swiped yer keys didn't he.'

Rick patted his pockets, swearing, as the sound of the truck sputtered into existence. The two men ran in to the road; they would never catch up, but they could at least follow.

And so they did; they ran for miles, never stopping, never speaking, as sweat poured down their entire bodies.

Running uphill, they were beginning to flag, when Daryl noticed the tyre tracks had changed. He raised his hand to Rick as they slowed.

Cresting the hill, they spotted the truck stopped in the road, with the man who called himself Jesus working on a tyre. Daryl pointed into the woodland beside the road.

They snuck through the woods, creeping up to the side of the truck; Rick made the first move.

He grabbed the leather garbed man from behind, pinning his arms down.

'Stay still and maybe I wont hurt you.'

'Sure thing,' the man said, then he suddenly elbowed back, smacking Rick in the ribs. Rick let go, and the man kicked him down, heading around the side, where Daryl caught him, but the man kicked him too.

Rick grabbed him from behind and threw him to the floor, before the two of them stood over him, panting, their guns on him.

'This is done.' Rick said.

The man sighed, raising his hands, just as a walker began to head for them from the trees, snarling.

'Do you even have any ammo?' The man asked.

Together, both Rick and Daryl raised their guns and shot the walker in the head.

The man sighed.

'Okay.' He said. 'You going to shoot me over a truck?'

'There's a lot of food on that truck.' Rick said. 'The keys. Now.'

'I think you know I'm not a bad guy,' the man said.

'Yeah?' Rick said. 'And what d'you know about us? Give me the keys.' He cocked his gun. 'This is the last time I'm asking.'

The man sighed.

Rick looked to Daryl.

'Get my bag,' he said.

Daryl chucked him his pack; Rick rummaged within, pulling out some rope, which he began to tie around the mans wrists and ankles.

'You really going to leave me like this?' He asked.

Rick shrugged.

'The knots aren't that tight. You should probably be able to get free. After we're long gone.'

Rick picked up the keys and got to his feet.

'Maybe we should talk now,' the man said.

'Nah,' Rick shook his head.

They climbed into the truck, settling. Rick twirled the keys around his fingers; Daryl couldn't help but laugh. His entire body was hurting from running for so long, and his chest was tight. He settled back in his seat, then stuck his middle finger out of the window.

'So long, ya prick!' He shouted as Rick turned the engine.

Daryl dug into the backpack, pulling out some of the candy he had gotten from the machine.

He ate for a moment, then offered Rick a piece.

'Y'know,' he said as Rick took the chocolate. 'Beth told me about you an' Jessie.'

Rick scoffed, a half laugh a half sigh.

'Did she,' he said.

'Jessie told her about it,' Daryl said.

Rick nodded.

'We were trashed,' he sighed. 'It weren't planned.'

'I know,' Daryl said. 'You like her?'

Rick shrugged.

'I don't know,' he admitted. 'Maybe. But she's married.'

'Yeah,' Daryl said, then he paused. 'Ya hear that?'

Rick looked at him as Daryl listened to a subtle thump from above. Incredulity flooded him.

'That son of a bitch is on the roof.'

Rick stared at him, then he narrowed his eyes.

'Hold on,' he said.

He drove a little faster, then suddenly broke.

A blur of leather tumbled down from the roof and over the bonnet in front of them.

The man got to his feet, then began to run.

Angry, Rick started back up, following him.

Daryl, not seeing how being in a truck would help them, opened his door, ignoring Rick as he yelled at him; he jumped out, maintaining momentum, and began to run after the man on foot as Rick tried to cut him off in what became a wild goose chase.

On foot, Daryl tried to out manoeuvre him, the two men dodging each other, feinting in either direction before running again. Rick had climbed out of the truck to help, and the man ran for it now, clamouring up into the seat. Daryl followed, grabbing him and pulling him backward as the two began to fight.

During the scuffle, the handbrake was knocked, and the truck began to roll; Daryl took the chance to punch the man in the face, knocking him out, then dragged him out of the rolling truck.

Rick caught up to them as Daryl pulled himself to his feet. They stood side by side, watching as the truck, full of supplies, rolled into the lake, disappearing below the surface of the water.

'You alright?' Rick asked eventually.

'Yeah,' Daryl sighed, looking out to the air bubbles that were returning to the surface from the truck. 'Let's go check them cars. Get out'a here.'

'What about the guy?' Rick asked, gesturing to the man who lay out cold on the ground.

'What about him?' Daryl asked.

'He ever pull a weapon on you?' Rick asked.

Daryl looked down at the man, then he sighed.

'Fine.' He grunted. 'Let's put him up a tree.'

Rick shook his head, laughing.

'Get him in a car,' he said.

Begrudgingly, Daryl helped Rick haul the man over and into the back of one of the cars, then he elected to sit in the back with him whilst Rick drove.

'He took a pretty hard hit,' Rick said as they joined the road. 'Denise needs to look him over.'

'Mm,' Daryl looked out of the window. 'Yeah.'

'You wouldn't have gone through with it,' Rick said. 'You wouldn't have left him.'

'I would'a,' Daryl replied lightly. 'Right up in a tree. I would'a.'

'No,' Rick said. 'I know. Almost as soon as we got to Alexandria you got it. You saw. So shut up.' He turned abruptly, making the man fall onto Daryl's shoulder. Daryl grunted, shoving him off with his elbow, as Rick looked at him in the mirror, mischief on his face.

Daryl turned his eyes back out of the window, Rick's words on his mind. He wasn't so sure where he stood any more.

Beth had spent the day in the garden with Maggie, working on the extension, and the two sisters sat now on the front porch, sipping lemonade Carol had made, as the sun began to set. They saw a dejected and tired looking Rick and Daryl walk slowly up the path at the same time.

'Hey, everything okay? Did you find anything?' Maggie called to them as they approached.

Rick laughed.

'Yeah,' he said. 'We found Jesus.'

Maggie and Beth stared at him – had he finally lost his mind?

'A man jumped us an' stole our supplies.' Daryl said.

'Are you okay?' Beth asked.

'Fine.' Rick said. 'But we lost a truck load of food.'

'It's okay,' Maggie said. 'We'll find more. The garden is coming along well.'

Rick nodded, slowly walking up the steps to them – Maggie offered him a glass.

'What happened to the man?' She asked.

'We brought him back,' Rick said, pausing to take a large chug of the lemonade. He smacked his dry lips and sighed loudly. 'Put him in the jail cell.'

Beth took Daryl's hand, using it to pull herself up from her chair. She stood aside, allowing for Daryl to sit, and handed him the glass she had been drinking from – he looked beat. She watched as he drank the rest of the cool liquid, her hands resting lightly on her bump.

'Who is he?' Maggie asked Rick.

Rick shook his head.

'Don't know. But he was clean. He came from somewhere. We'll find out more tomorrow.'

Maggie nodded; Beth rubbed her belly.

'I can't think straight right now,' Rick sighed. 'I need a shower.'

'Mhm,' Daryl nodded.

Beth was lying on the bed whilst Daryl showered, almost drifting to sleep to the sound of the shower. Her eyes had shut by the time he re-entered the room, and she jumped a little when he sat down beside her on the bed.

'Tired?' He asked as she opened her eyes to look at him.

'Yeah,' she smiled. 'You?'

'Beat.' He sighed, drawing an arm around her.

She laid her head against his bare chest, breathing in the smell of him as he rubbed his thumb against her arm.

'I missed you,' she sighed.

'I weren't gone that long,' he laughed softly.

'I know,' Beth shrugged against him. 'Still.'

She hoisted herself up and onto his lap, facing him; the look on his face as she took him by surprise made her laugh.

'I like you here, where I can see you.' She grinned, then tightened her thighs, gripping his lap beneath her. 'And feel you.'

Daryl looked her up and down, his eyes darkening.

'Y'gon feel a whole lot more o'me if y'stay there,' he murmured.

Beth grinned, pulling her body against his, her small belly between them, letting him close the distance between them. She pressed her smiling lips to his as he ran his hands over the contours of her body and wondered whether she would ever be able to control herself around him.

Just as things were heating up, there was a knock on the door – and it opened.

Flushed, Beth turned to look as a concerned looking Rick appeared in their doorway.

'Daryl, Beth, I'm sorry,' he said. 'But we got a problem. It's Jesus.'

Beth awkwardly climbed off of Daryl, pulling her shirt down from where it had ridden up.

Daryl cleared his throat and sat forward.

'A'right,' he said. 'Gi'me a minute.'

Rick nodded, and left the room.

Beth looked to Daryl, who looked back at her. They held each other's gaze for a moment, knowing without speaking what each other thought. Daryl climbed off the bed as Daryl grabbed a clean shirt. He took her hand as they made their way out of the sanctity of their bedroom.