It's the showdown at the CDC...hope you all like it :-)

Beth looked around at all of them the next morning in the main room of the CDC. They were all trying to figure out what to do next, how to proceed. She looked over to Daryl, his expression stone on his face as he listened to them all. He had been quiet all morning, not exactly rude, but more like he was thinking really hard about something. She turned away from him and caught Shane and Rick talking, the scratch marks on Shane's neck an angry red. When they had all gotten up that morning, he said he must have done it in his sleep, but Beth could see the way that Lori reacted when Shane came in, and when he spoke. She caught Daryl's eye at that moment and knew he knew Shane was lying too. But that really was not her worry right now, because it looked like Lori handled business as far as Shane was concerned. Now, she was worried about the half crazy look in Jenner's eyes.

"Doc, what does that clock on the wall mean? It seems to be counting down" Dale asked, causing Beth to look over at the wall where he was pointing. Dr. Jenner just looks at the older man then turns away.

"Shut it all down Vie" he calls out, and in an instant the power shuts off on the computers and the lights go down to emergency power. There is now fear coursing through Beth as she turns to Daryl, her eyes wide. He looks at her and then heads over to beside of Rick, who is pushing Carl gently to Lori and turning to the doctor. You could see on his face that he knew something was wrong.

"What happens in 28 minutes?" Rick asked, his voice calm and calculated. Jenner ignored him and kept messing with the one computer in front of him that was still lit up.

"What happens in 28 minutes?" he asked again, this time with more authority as he hit the doctors chair.

"Do you know what this place is? We protected the public from some very nasty stuff! Weaponized small pox! Ebola strains that could wipe out half the country! Stuff you don't want getting out, EVER!" Jenner stated firmly as he turned his attention away from Rick again. "When it counts down it sets off H.I.T.s"

"H.I.T.'s?" Rick asked, his confusion and irritation evident.

"Vie, define" Jenner commanded

"H.I.T.s - high-impulse thermobaric fuel-air explosive consists of a two-stage aerosol ignition which produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear. The vacuum-pressure effect ignites the oxygen between 5,000 and 6,000 degrees and is used when the greatest loss of life and damage to structures is desired." Vie stated

"It sets the air on fire. No pain. An end to sorrow, grief, regret. Everything" Jenner said, Beth gasping as she heard it. She could not die in this place, not like that. She felt Daryl come up beside her, the anger radiating off of him.

"We aint dyin' in 'ere. Don't worry Beth" he growled out as he narrowed his eyes back at Jenner.

"Get your stuff, go now!" Rick called out to everybody. Beth turning and nodding to Daryl before she took off toward the door, following T-Dog and Lori. Just as they hit the ramp to go to the rooms, the door slid shut in front of them.

"Open that damn door" Daryl growled as he saw Beth jump back from the closed door, the panic in her eyes caused a fire to erupt in him.

"I can't. I told you when you came in that the doors will remain shut. I can't open them" Jenner stated firmly as Lori and Carol started crying, both of them holding their kids close to them.

"Open the god damn door!" Shane screamed as he tried rushing the doctor, Rick holding him back. Beth jumped when she heard something hit the door behind her, turning to see T-Dog and Glenn hitting it with different tools they had found. Daryl took off toward them, throwing her a knowing glance that told her that he would get them out of there.

"That door is made to withstand a rocket launcher" Jenner called out from his seat

"Well your head aint" Daryl growled out as he hit the door with an axe that T-Dog had handed to him.

"Please, you have to give us a chance" Lori cried as she held Carl.

"It will be quick. It's better than being out there" Jenner said softly.

"No, it's not. This is giving up! I would rather be out there and take my chance then be in here and have my choices taken away from me" Beth stated, a sob escaping her voice.

"The world out there is no place for all of you. It belongs to the dead now" he countered. Beth felt the rage grow inside of her. Before she knew what she was doing, she was throwing herself toward him. She got in one good blow on his cheek before she felt arms pulling her off.

"Let me go! I'm not dying in here because of him" she screamed out as she thrashed, but the arms around her just held her tighter.

"I got this Beth" Daryl whispered in her ear, immediately she calmed down and let out a sigh as he let go of her.

"You crazy…." Jenner started, but didn't get to finish his sentence because Daryl was on him, punching him harder than Beth did.

"Open the fucking door you asshole" Daryl growled out before he was pulled off by Shane and Rick.

"You have to give us a chance. You have too! We have hope" Rick pleaded as Beth watched the time count down.

"There is no hope! There never was" Jenner stated

"What part of everything is gone, don't you understand?" Andrea asked angrily. Beth turned to glare at her.

"Listen to your friend, she gets it. This is what makes us turn. This is our extinction event" Jenner said as he sat back down and rubbed his face. The bruises from Beth and Daryl's punches already showing, which did cause Beth a split second of happiness.

"This isn't right, you can't keep us here" Carol spoke up, still clutching onto her daughter Sophia. "My daughter doesn't deserve to die"

"We need to try! We have too" Rick stated, his voice waivering as he looked at Lori and Carl. Jenner sighed and turned back to Rick.

"I can't open the upstairs doors, like I told you before, they are locked for good" Jenner said as the sound of the doors to the room opening filled the room.

"Thank you" Rick cried out as he turned back to Lori and Carl.

"You won't thank me later" Jenner said sadly

"Come on Beth" Daryl growled out as he ran toward the now open door, but Beth stood there frozen, watching Jenner whisper something into Rick's ear. She saw the look of horror on Rick's face. She then saw Andrea and Jacqui sit down with Jenner.

"What are you two doing" She cried as she ran over to them.

"Go Beth, get out of here. This is my choice" Andrea said sadly. Beth grabbed her hand, her eyes pleading.

"No, you can't do this. Neither of you can" she continued to cry. She could hear Daryl's screaming her name but she couldn't leave them to do this. It was stupid. She felt a hand touch her arm and turned to see Dale there. He nodded at her in understanding and before she had a chance to do anything else, she felt herself being picked up and thrown over a well formed shoulder.

"Damn, you want to get yourself killed in 'ere, come the fuck on" he growled out as he rushed her out of the room and up the stairs. As soon as they got to the upper part, they heard Shane scream get down, so they dropped down to the stairs and Daryl covered her body with his. The explosion shook her to the bone and it took her a second to get her legs back before they both were running toward the opened window. The sound of the explosion also brought a few stray walkers toward them. Daryl took one out with just a swing of his bow and Rick got the other one with his gun. Once they all reached their vehicles, Beth turned back around to watch the window. Dale, Andrea and Jacqui had not come out yet.

"Come on, come on" she breathed softly, letting out a breath when she saw Dale and Andrea climb out the window. Just as she was going to feel the pain of Jacqui not coming, she heard Rick and Lori screaming to get down. Daryl grabbed her and flung her, not to gently, into the floorboard of the truck. He then placed himself around her, like a protective barrier. She held her breath and grabbed his hand, squeezing it when they heard the explosion rip through the air. After a few seconds, Daryl eased off of her and sat up, pulling her up with him. He never once let go of her hand and they watched what used to be the CDC burn in a huge ball of fire. Once they saw Andrea and Dale enter the RV, they breathed a sigh of relief. Daryl squeezed her hand one more time and then let go to start the truck, and proceeded to follow the group away from what could have been certain death.

"Where do you think we are going?" Beth breathed out after a few moments.

"Rick's gunna wanna regroup, figure out what ta do next. We're not stayin' wit' 'em. We will regroup but then we're leavin' and goin' to the farm" he stated, his voice full of determination. Beth just looked at him and smiled, placing her hand on his arm. He looked back over at her, the look he was giving her at the moment sent shivers through her entire body. She just smiled sweetly at him again as he turned his attention back to the cars in front of them. She didn't want to think about what had just happened, how close she came to death, how close Daryl did. They were ok for the moment and will be heading to the farm soon, so she focused on that. She focused on the strong, brave, powerful, shy redneck beside of her in the truck. He was something good to focus on.