Morning came too soon. And with it the last leg of their journey to yet another "safe" place. They'd been here before and it never seemed to be what they hoped. Maybe there really wasn't anything left that provided the safety of the pre-apocalypse world.
Rick and Michonne brought the suburban back from where it had been stuck the night before. The once light blue vehicle was now bathed in blood and guts from the horde of walkers they'd encountered. It seemed like everything was always covered in blood.
The mood of the group was subdued. The last part of the drive seemed to be the toughest. For everyone. Including Aaron. Beth thought he would be eager to go home, but he just seemed lost.
"Let's head out!" Abraham said. He was anxious and only stood still if Rosita was next to him.
Beth bounced Judith on her hip. She stood at the bottom of the steps. She was feeling apprehensive about all of this. Carl came over to her.
"You can ride in the suburban with Judith if you want to. I'll switch." he said. He smiled at his baby sister,
"Thanks Carl, but I'm gonna stay in the truck." she glanced at Daryl as he came down the stairs with their backpacks. Beth handed the baby to Carl and took her pack. She had a promise to keep.
The sunlight filtered through the trees in the woods and Beth walked to the front of the truck. She stopped and looked into the woods. IT looked so different in the daylight without walkers. It was peaceful.
"Something out there?" Daryl asked. He came up behind her and leaned into her back.
"No. It's so normal, so quiet. I wish it was real." she said quietly.
"Mmmhmm.. Maybe someday. Come on." He took her hand and led her around the truck. He opened the driver's side door and she climbed into the middle.
Once the cars were loaded, they took the original route that Aaron had suggested at first. The one that he and his partner had cleared. Daryl drove, occasionally looking over at Beth. She looked tired and there were bags under her eyes that usually weren't there. But every time their eyes met she gave him a small smile. Daryl didn't know what they were walking onto. He hoped Alexandria was all that Aaron said it was. Judith and Carl deserved it. Hell they all deserved it. But Daryl refused to let himself hope for too much. His focus was as always, survival. He'd stand by Rick whatever his decision was. But he also had Beth to think of. He'd put her before anyone else now. She was a part of him. And that was terrifying, but it was also the most amazing thing Daryl had ever felt.
When they drove up to the gates they couldn't see what was waiting on the other side. Everyone got out of the cars. I was late afternoon and the sun was beginning it's declination in the western sky. Beth watched Rick. Everyone watched Rick. Afterall he was going to be the one to call it. They'd all follow Rick's lead. They always had. Beth heard laughter, children's laughter. Rick heard it too. He saw Beth watching him and he smiled at her. Michonne carried Judith over and stood beside him.
"We're doing this right?" she asked handing him his daughter. Rick looked around at the others and then he smiled at Michonne.
"We're doing this." he said. He took Judith and nodded at Aaron. Aaron called to some one on the other side of the gate and it slowly rolled open. Rick and Michonne followed Aaron through the gate.
Daryl reached for Beth's hand and they headed for the gate. Once they stepped inside they were met by a man. Aaron had called him Nicholas. He immediately told them they needed to surrender their weapons in order to continue inside. This was an immediate red flag to everyone and Rick stepped forward.
"It's okay." Aaron said. "Nicholas I've got this." He tried to diffuse the situation before it got out of control. Beth was still in awe of how well he knew the group. Nicholas eyed Rick and Daryl suspiciously. Daryl took his crossbow off his shoulder and brought it up in front of him. Beth stepped beside him and put her hand on her gun at her hip.
"Come one everyone. Deanna would like to meet you." Aaron said. He stood in front of Nicholas and let them pass.
They did end up surrendering their guns, but they were able to keep their knives. Daryl would have never handed over his crossbow without a fight. Beth looked around in wonder as they walked through the neighborhood. It was like nothing had changed here. People were acting like what was on the other side of the walls didn't even exist. That was more terrifying than comforting. They gathered in a small paved area outside the house and took their turns being interviewed by Deanna Monroe, the woman who seemed to be in charge. Daryl paced. Beth watched him from the stairs where she sat trying to imagine a life where you could pretend monsters didn't exist. Until the walls came down. And they would. She was sure of that. Because nothing that was safe lasted forever.
"Mr. Dixon?" the older woman called Deanna stood at the top of the stairs smiling down at Daryl. He eyed her suspiciously for a few seconds then headed up the stairs. He brushed Beth's shoulder lightly with his fingers as he passed her.
"Daryl do you want to be here?" Deanna asked. She was sitting, relaxed at a table. Daryl was still pacing. He looked like a caged animal, he was sure of it, but he didn't care. He wasn't trying to impress her or make her think he was anything other than what she saw.
"The boy and the baby, they deserve this." he said gruffly.
"Tell me about the young girl, Beth. Is she with you?" Daryl's brow furrowed. He'd been taken off guard.
"Why don't you ask her?" he said.
"Oh I will. I'm just curious as to how you'd answer that." Deanna smiled complacently.
The group has taken to Beth and Daryl's relationship with very little concern for the differences between them. But that was because the knew Daryl and Beth intimately. These people here were strangers. And for the most part they could only go by what they saw and pass judgement on that. This made Daryl angry.
"It's none of your business about me and Beth." he said defensively.
"What did you do for the group?" Deanna asked ignoring his anger at her last question.
Daryl didn't reply right away. He looked out the window at the group of bedraggled, tired people below. His people.
"I made sure they had what they needed to survive. I protected them when I had too. What do you mean what did I do? They're my family!" Another useless, irritating question.
"Okay Daryl. Well I'm hoping that once I get to know you, we can find a place for you here." That smile again, it was unnerving and Daryl just wanted to get out of this house.
"Uh huh." he said. "That all?" He started walking towards the door.
Deanna got up and followed him. "Yes. For now." she said.
He bounded down the stairs. Beth could feel his agitation and she stood up to follow him.
"Beth?" Deanna called her name. Daryl stopped and turned to look at Beth. Deanna watched the silent interaction between them and noted the fact that Daryl's eyes never left Beth as she climbed the stairs. There was nothing possessive or controlling in his gaze, in fact all Deanna saw was a fierce love and protectiveness.
"Have a seat Beth." Deanna gestured to seat at the table. Beth sat down and Deanna followed her. "I'm Deanna Monroe."
"It's nice to meet you." Beth said softly.
"So what do you think of Alexandria so far?" Deanna asked her.
"It's nice." Beth said a bit stiffly.
"Is that really how you feel?" Deanna asked.
Beth shifted uncomfortably. "Well it seems unreal. Like you're hiding from the truth behind these walls." Beth looked at her with clear, blue eyes.
"Really? I guess that's a fair assumption. I don't feel we're hiding. Just adapting." Deanna took a drink of water from a glass on the table. "Can I ask you a personal question?"
Beth continued to stare. She knew ot was rude. She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders.
"How old are you?"
Beth sighed and looked at Deanna. She knew where this was going. "I'm almost 20."
"What do you do? What's your role in the group?"
Beth hadn't expected that question. "Well I help Rick with Judith. And I helped out with the other children when they were with us. I use to help my daddy with medical things." Beth said.
"I'm so sorry for your loss Beth." Deanna said gently.
"Thank you." Beth looked at her hands. "When we lost the prison and had to leave, Daryl taught me how to track and to use his crossbow. I've taken out my fair share of walkers." Beth was proud of her strength now. "I've also defended myself against people too. I've done what I need to in order to survive." She didn't want this woman thinking she was weak.
"Are you involved with Mr. Dixon?" the woman asked.
"Meaning?" Beth was immediately defensive. This was what she had been expecting earlier.
"Look it's probably none of my business. You seem so young."
"The world out there is nothing like the facade you've created in here. You want to try and live by rules that no longer apply- go ahead." Beth stood up. "I am with Mr. Dixon. He's my family. They all are. And you're right it is none of your business!" she stomped out the back door and down the stairs. She headed to the gate forcing back the tears that were threatening to fall.
"Beth?!" Daryl followed her. He didn't stop her, just caught up to her and walked beside her.
"I'm not staying here." she said. He could feel her anger and he heard the tears in her voice.
"What happened?" he asked gently.
"This, this is all just, it's fake. We can't go back to the way the world was before. We can't forget everything we've been through. They have no idea…" she wiped away the tears of anger and frustration that finally fell.
Daryl reached out for her arm to stop her. "Did she ask about me an you?" he asked softly.
Beth nodded. "As if out of everything we've been through, everything we've lost, this is the thing that she's most interested in? My age? Us?" Beth crossed her arms.
"Does it matter to you what others are thinkin'?" Daryl asked tentatively.
"What?! No! Not you too!" Beth took off walking again. Daryl forced himself not to smile. He often wondered how she felt about this, others opinions of their relationship, and he had been afraid of how she'd answer. But she didn't care. Her honesty radiated of her like sunlight.
He ran ahead of her and blocked her way. "Hold up girl!" he said. She looked up at him with fire in her eyes.
"I'll have you know my daddy was 24 years older than my momma." she had her hands on her hips now and Daryl couldn't keep the smile off his face any longer.
"What's so funny?" she threw her hands in the air.
"Sorry." he covered his mouth. "It ain't none of her business. It ain't no one's." He reached for her hand and pulled her to him. She relaxed in his arms.
There were still questions they both wanted to ask. Beth wanted to know if it bothered Daryl that she was so much younger than him or if what others thought mattered. Daryl wondered if Beth would have even looked at him before the apocalypse or if she'd even be with him now if her daddy had lived. But the answers didn't change anything. This was now. And this was the way it was supposed to be.
