They drove half the day before they found another place to stop. Beth slept with her head in Daryl's lap the entire time. At first it made Daryl uncomfortable because Rick kept glancing over at him. Then he just ignored Rick altogether because Beth needed to sleep. He certainly hadn't wanted her to fall asleep with her face in his lap. He wouldn't let his mind wander where it could have. This was Beth. She deserved more than an old guy's dirty thoughts. He pushed the "old guy" image to the back of his mind. He'd confront that when he had too. Carl had seen the mail box hidden in the trees. A road led up around a curve through the trees. Abraham pulled the firetruck off the road onto a flat area between the trees at the bottom of the drive. Those that didn't ride up in the suburban scouted around the winding road. There was a cabin, stone and logs, old thick glass windows. It was surrounded by a fence. It looked like someone had just packed up and left it, locking everything before leaving. Or maybe it was a summer place no one had made it back to after the world had fallen apart. The yard was overgrown. Leaves were piled on the roof.

"It looks empty." Michonne said.

"Looks can be deceiving." Daryl said.

"We should check it out. It has a fence." Carl said. Rick stopped the suburban and put it in park. The bumpy ride up had already woken up those who were sleeping. Except Beth. She sat up now, rubbing her eyes. Daryl watched her. She looked like a little girl. Messy ponytail, dirty t-shirt. Until she stretched and he saw the curve of her body underneath that dirty t-shirt. She must have felt his eyes on her because she looked at him. He smirked.

"Feeling better Sleeping Beauty?" he teased. Carl leaned over the seat.

"How cute! Daryl Dixon flirting!" he said and dodged Daryl's hand as he reached out to slap the boy. Carl jumped out of the suburban and Daryl followed grabbing his crossbow. Beth turned and saw Maggie sliding across the back seat.

"What are you doing Beth?" she asked and the question was loaded with words unspoken.

"Living Maggie. I'm living. I survived didn't I?" Beth slid out of the car and stretched her legs. The group was making their way around the perimeter of the cabin that was surrounded by the fence. The overgrowth and dust pretty much made it clear that the place was empty. And it had been for some time. Daryl was the first to find a way over the fence with help from Tyreese and Glenn. At about 8 ft. the fence was meant to keep out predators. Whoever built it probably had never had walkers in mind. Beth watched Daryl closely through the foliage, but he was careful, always on guard and a true tracker.

"I think I got a gate key." he called out. On the porch behind a post high up on a hook were padlock keys. Daryl brought them down and they worked on the small front gate. Maggie, Carol, Judith and Beth went into the yard. Glenn followed behind.

"Let's check the house before everyone gets comfortable." he said. He and Daryl started circling around it in opposite directions. Maggie climbed the porch stairs and looked in the windows. She rattled the doorknob. Daryl came around the corner just then. He reached up above Maggie's head on the door sill and pulled down a key covered in cobwebs.

"My brother always hid the key up here cause I couldn't reach it it. So if my dad was passed out I'd have to wait for Merle to come home. Brotherly love." Daryl muttered. He jiggled the key in the lock and finally got the door open. The cabin was dusty, but neat and orderly. There was home made furniture and linens. No electric lights which didn't matter. A big stone fireplace and a wood burning stove in the kitchen. There were two bedrooms on the ground floor and a huge loft that was almost the square footage of the house with bunk beds and a couple of single beds. It was definitely a rustic vacation place. It was perfect for them to stay in for awhile. It would be close quarters, but safe. The women immediately started cleaning up and organizing.

"Domesticated even in the apocalypse." Carol said. Beth sat Judith on the floor in front of the fireplace. She handed the baby a pinecone that was sitting on the mantle. She smiled watching the baby explore the pine cone.

"Come check this out." Daryl came up behind her. She followed him down a short hallway behind the kitchen. It led to a rustic bathroom.

"Well it looks functional." Beth said missing hot water and flushing toilets.

"Watch." Daryl said. He pumped a lever on the wall that was attached to a pulley contraption positioned right where the shower head would be. Beth heard water. "Pull that chain." He pointed to a chain on the wall. She did it and the bucket tipped spilling brown, grainy, water into the tub below.

"Wow!" she said. After a few more pumps the water was coming out pretty clear. Laughing Beth kicked off her boots and jumped in the tub fully dressed. "Do it again!" Daryl pumped more water and Beth pulled the chain. She was drenched by a bucket of cold, but basically clean water. "Give me the soap and towels! I call first shower!"

The shower was definitely the highlight of the afternoon. There were plenty of bath towels and bars of soap. A huge basket held old hotel soaps, shampoos and lotions that must have been collected for years. Everyone got a shower and the cabin got wiped down with the damp towels. The firetruck was unloaded into the suburban and left disabled at the bottom of the hill. Another big gate around the back of the cabin made it possible to pull the suburban in and secure it. After they found the shower together in the bathroom Daryl disappeared. Beth tried nonchalantly looking for him and once or twice she caught a glimpse of him coming or going, but she felt like he was keeping his distance. It wasn't a good feeling. He had constantly been by her side since she'd woken up after the shooting and to have him suddenly not there made her anxious. Carol, Sasha and Noah were in the kitchen coming up with a meal. Michonne, Abraham and Rick were on the front porch. Some were in the loft, others in the yard. Beth peeked in the bathroom. Maggie and Glenn were giving Judith a bath.

"Come watch Beth! She's so cute!" Maggie said. Beth smiled.

"I will, in a minute." She slipped out the back door. Clean hair, clean clothes, clean skin, made her feel vulnerable. Carl was on the back porch cleaning his gun. He looked up at Beth. Then he pointed. Beth saw a gate at the back of the yard.

"We found a stream." That was all he offered. Beth went out the gate and made her way through the trees. She had her knife on and her good hand on it. She tried to step lightly and watch for the path Daryl had taken. She could hear running water, she thought. The trees opened up into a clearing and there was a stream. Daryl was standing by it facing away from her.

"What are you doing outside the fence?" he asked without turning around. How did he know it was her?

"I, I hadn't seen you, I just wanted too.." she felt awkward and dumb. He turned and looked at her. His face softened and he smiled.

"I'm looking for dinner." She walked up to him.

"I have my knife." she cringed. She sounded like a little kid eager to please.

"Beth don't go out without me, or someone." he said looking out over the stream.

"I won't go out without you. But Carl he pointed and.." she glanced at him. He was clean. His t-shirt wasn't ripped and covered in blood like usual. He reached out a hand to her and she took it lacing her fingers through his. They stood beside the stream.

"This place might be good for awhile." he said making small talk. Beth got right to the point.

"It makes me uneasy. You've been with me since, since the hospital. And I…." Beth stammered as she tried to put into words what she was feeling. He let go of her hand and leaned down and trailed his fingers in the water. Beth sighed. Rick came through the trees. He nodded at Beth.

"Daryl we're gonna map out a scouting plan later. Put together groups." Rick said.

"Going out in the morning?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah." Rick said. Beth watched the two men for a minute and then turned back towards the cabin. Daryl saw her leaving. He knew what she had been trying to say to him. He just wasn't sure what to do with all he was feeling. The fact was he really didn't want to be without her though. He couldn't just let her walk away.

"Hold up Beth." he jogged over to her. "The fireplace, there's a pullout bed, a couple, I think. You want to stay there with me tonight?" he said quietly. Beth looked at him and nodded. He rubbed his chin. She turned and kept on towards the cabin. But there was a small smile on her face.

Beth went back into the cabin and put her and Daryl's backpacks on the couch in front of the stone fireplace. Judith started crying from one of the bedrooms.

"Can you get her Beth? I'm making biscuits." Carol called from the kitchen.

"Biscuits? This is just too weird.." Beth mumbled. Judith was in a portable playpen in one of the two bedrooms. She was sitting up. Her cheeks were shiny and red. "Oh sweet girl." Beth crooned. She picked her up. The baby was burning up. Beth laid her on the bed and checked her diaper and did a full body check. The baby had a rash on the inside of her thighs that was hot and bumpy. Beth finished dressing her and walked into the kitchen. She patted Judith's back to soothe her. "Carol she has a fever again. And a rash." Carol had on a red checked apron and flour on her hands. Rosita was braiding Tara's hair at the table. Everything was normal and that felt completely wrong.

** Kind of a boring chapter I know! -housekeeping- Thank you for all the follows! I am having a blast writing this!