Daryl woke up before the others and slipped out to walk around Alexandria again. This place was too normal and normal wasn't possible anymore. At least not the normal from before the world changed. These people weren't prepared for what could happen, what would happen eventually. These walls wouldn't hold forever. And it might not even be walkers that breached them. Daryl watched as Aaron came out of the garage of his house. He saw Daryl and raised a hand and waved. Daryl wasn't sure about approaching the man. He wasn't good with feelings and he knew the man must be going through a lot after losing his partner. But he was walking towards Daryl and it wasn't like he could pretend he hadn't seen the man.

"Good morning Daryl. Are you guys settling in a little?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're okay." Daryl said. The stood there awkwardly. Daryl looked over Aaron's shoulder and saw a half finished body of a motorcycle and a bunch of parts lying around. "You building a bike?" Aaron turned to the garage.

"Me? No. That's just stuff I picked up on runs. I thought maybe one day it would be useful. I don't know anything about motorcycles or rebuilding them. Are you familiar with them?" Aaron turned back to Daryl.

"Yeah a bit. You mind?" he gestured towards the garage.

"Be my guest." Aaron said. The two of them walked into Aaron's garage. Daryl walked around checking out the parts. They were in good shape and definitely usable. It would be cool to have another bike. He'd left Merle's behind at the prison.

"You're' welcome to it. Actually there was something I wanted to talk to you about." Aaron said.

"Yeah?" Daryl asked.

"Since I lost Eric, my partner, I have been thinking about a replacement. I mean obviously I need help, but it can't just be anyone. I was watching your group for some time. And I feel like you'd be a good man for the job." Aaron said,

"Why me?" Daryl looking at him curiously.

"You have a good read on people. That's important in my line of work." Aaron smiled at him. "We are choosing who to bring in to Alexandria."

"Shouldn't be bringing people in." Daryl said as he knelt down to examine the bike body.

"We have to expand. We need people to live and work and develop this place." Aaron said.

"Mmm maybe. But it's not that easy with people." Daryl said.

"I know. That's why I need you. There are still good people out there Daryl and I think that you can see that in them." Aaron said. Daryl looked at Aaron, struck by his words. Words that echoed in his head from another time.

"What do you do?" Daryl asked.

"I go out scouting. We have maps that we have used to keep track of where we've been and we go out a little further each time." Aaron said.

"So you're out there for awhile?" Daryl checked the spokes on a wheel, testing their strength.

"Yes. A couple weeks at a time. Maybe longer when I go out further." Aaron said.

"Mmmm.. I don't know how that would work. Can't be gone that long." Daryl said. He looked out of the garage and into the street. He was thinking of Beth. They'd made a promise to each other to stick together. From now on they'd have each others back. He wouldn't sacrifice that promise he had made to her. Not for anyone or anything. Aaron watched him silently.

"Your girl?" he asked. Daryl nodded. "She'd be safe here. With family."

Daryl stood up. "Ain't gonna work that way." He walked out of the garage and started down the street.

"Daryl! Wait.. " Aaron jogged up to him. "We might be able to figure something out. Just think about it okay?" Daryl looked at Aaron. He brought his thumb nail to his lips and bit it. And he nodded.

"Mmmm hmmm. I'll think about it." he said and he turned and walked away.

When Daryl walked back up to the house they had stayed in the night before, Deanna was on the porch with Rick.

"Good morning Daryl." she said. "I was just telling Rick how I thought it was nice to see you all stayed together last night."

Daryl wasn't sure how he was supposed to respond to that so he said nothing. The door to the house was open and upon hearing his name Beth walked out. She had on clean jeans and a black tank top and flannel. She'd obviously found more clothes. Daryl needed to find out where. She smiled when they made eye contact and leaned against the door. Last night they'd all slept together in the living room. Beth had curled up in the window seat and Daryl had laid on the floor next to her. He wanted to tell her to just come down on the floor with him, but he felt uncomfortable with all the others in the room with them.

"So Aaron talked to you about your job? I trust his judgement and he says you are the perfect choice." Deanna said smiling at him.

"Job?" Beth said looking at Daryl questioningly. Her heart started pounding and she wasn't exactly sure why.

"He mentioned it. I never agreed to anything." Daryl said his eyes on Beth.

"Well certainly think about." the woman said.

"We'll see." Daryl replied. He stepped past Beth and headed for the kitchen. He heard her footsteps behind him. There were pastries and fruit on the counter. Daryl picked nervously at the grapes.

"You got a job?" Beth asked him. "Is that where you were this morning?" She'd woken up and found him gone. He hadn't been showering or anywhere else in the house. She'd panicked a little and then convinced herself it was ridiculous to worry. He was obviously out looking around.

"Woke up early. I went out ta look around and ran into Aaron. He offered me a job." Daryl said.

"Well that's good right? What is it? He's a…." It suddenly dawned on Beth what it was that Aaron did for Alexandria. "..recruiter. He goes outside the walls looking for people right?" she said, her tone of voice suddenly tremulous. Recruiter meant leaving Alexandria, going back out there. She hadn't really thought about Daryl not being here with her. "Oh." her shoulders drooped and Daryl knew exactly what she was thinking. She took a deep breath and smiled. "Rick said we could spread out and find our own spots. I'm gonna go next door and see what Maggie and Glenn have found." she turned and hurriedly headed out the back door.

He followed her letting the back door slam. "Beth, wait! I thought we picked a room here?" he said taking the back steps two at a time to meet her on the grass where she had stopped. She looked up at him and he saw there were tears in her eyes.

"Stop." he said gently. "I didn't say I'd do it. I was gonna talk to you first. I ain't going nowhere for that long. Not without you." he reached out and took her hand. Beth laughed lightly.

"It's stupid I know. Obviously we're gonna have to do things apart and try to have normal lives." she shook her head trying to regain her composure.

"Ain't nothing normal no more. This place, these people. They don't get it. And I'm not leaving you alone here to go out there,"

"Don't say never Daryl. You might have too. I know that." Beth said softly.

"Plenty other things I can maybe.." he glanced down at their intertwined hands. Her small, soft thumb was rubbing the spot between his thumb and finger. "Maybe you'd come with me." he said. He raised his eyes to hers and he saw exactly what he'd wanted to see. Beth's smile.

"Really?" she asked. "I wouldn't just get in the way?" she asked.

"You know good people. Better than me. Hell you think I'm good." he said hoarsely. He was still amazed by that. Not many people in his life had thought he was much of anything. But she did.

"Cause you are." she stepped towards him and he put his arms around her.

"I gotta do something. Can't just sit here doing nothing. It's making me antsy." The sun was shining and somewhere someone was mowing a lawn. Walkers, dead things, were outside these walls and some fool was mowing their damn lawn.

"Do you think being behind these walls made them weak?" Beth asked. She looked up at him.

"Nah, they've always been weak." Daryl said. "They ain't been out there like us."

"I don't want to feel like that again. I'm afraid if we stay here too long we'll be like them." Beth said quietly.

"This place ain't gonna last that long. I'm surprised it's lasted as long as it has." he said. She put her head on his chest.

"Why are we here then?"

" I guess we gotta try. Maybe make a difference." he looked around the backyard.

"See! You are good.." she laughed. He made a mad face at her and hugged her closer. The backdoor next door opened and Maggie stuck her head out.

"You guys want lunch? I have to meet with Deanna soon. Come help Beth." she called.

"Go on. I'm gonna go check out that bike again." Daryl said. He put his hand on the back of Beth's head and kissed her on her forehead.

Over the next few weeks the people of Alexandria probably thought the group was settling in. They weren't really settling or adapting, they were waiting. Settling would be to easy. Rick firmly believed the community needed them, if only to help them realize what the world beyond the walls was really like. They needed to learn to take care of themselves, this place, when the time came and they had to defend those walls. This place gave the group a respite. It was better than struggling on the road, but it was probably just a temporary home, like all the others.

Daryl spent a lot of time working on the bike in Aaron's garage. He eventually went on a couple of dry runs with Aaron to get and idea of what they'd be doing. They were day trips and Beth had stayed behind. But he had brought up the idea of bringing Beth with them. Aaron didn't have a problem with it at all. He smiled and told Daryl he was lucky to have someone he loved so much he couldn't be away from her. That made Daryl a little uncomfortable. But later when it was just him and Beth in their room with one candle lit and he looked into her big blue eyes he knew he was lucky.

Beth helped with Judith and did some inventory in the armory and the food storage. She talked with Reg alot, he was a really nice man and reminded her of her dad. Most of the people here were nice. But she was bored. The second time Daryl went out she begged Glenn to take her with him when a group was going out looking for micro-inverters to help with a power shortage. Tara and Eugene were going as well as Tyreese and Aiden and Nicholas.

"Ok. But if Daryl get's mad at me later I'm gonna blame it all on you." Glenn said.

"He'll be fine with it." Beth said not sure that was completely true. They headed out in a van to a warehouse nearby that Aiden and Nicholas had found other electrical supplies in a few weeks back.

"How do you like it here Beth? It must be nice having a bed and shower." Aiden smiled at her. Something about that smile unnerved her.

"It's fine. A little too quiet." she said.

"Well once your boyfriend gets that bike running it won't be so quiet." he laughed. "That is your boyfriend right?" he eyed Beth suspiciously.

"Yes Daryl is my boyfriend." she turned in Tara's direction. "Did you ever find those books you were looking for?" She asked the other girl. Tara gave her a funny look and then caught on that she was trying to avoid talking to Aiden.

"I did. Well one actually. I am still looking for the other one, but I figure someone must have a copy of.. of that book somewhere." she tried not to laugh. Beth smiled at her, relieved she wasn't alone with just the guys.

The drive to the warehouse took about an hour and a half. Once they got there they cleared the outside of walkers and headed in, splitting up. Glenn made Beth stay with him and Tyreese to keep an eye out for walkers. Eugene and Tara walked the rows of boxed electronic equipment until Eugene located what they needed. Nicholas and Aiden were checking everything else out to see if anything was useful. Some boxes fell as Eugene and Tara maneuvered them to pull out the ones they needed. The sound attracted walkers on both sides and they were surrounded really quickly. There was no order and Aiden panicked when a walker in full armor came from the back of the warehouse and headed directly towards him. He raised his gun and Glenn tried to warn him not to shoot, but he didn't listen. An explosion ripped through the building. Beth felt herself thrown across the aisle from the impact. Her body hit a row of shelving and she felt someone cover her body with theirs.

"Beth are you ok?" It was Glenn. He sat up and felt for her arms.

"Yeah I'm okay. My ears are ringing. Where is everyone else?" They stood up. Dust and smoke filled the air making it impossible to see clearly.

"Tyreese?" Glenn called.

"I'm here. I'm okay." he called back.

"Eugene?" There was no answer.

"Tara?" Beth called.

"She's hurt. She's hurt!" It was Eugene's voice and he sounded scared and nervous. Glenn and Beth made their way in his direction. They found them behind a toppled shelving unit in a small office. Tara was on the ground with a gash on her temple. Suddenly they heard Nicholas yelling from out in the warehouse.

"Stay here with them Beth. I'll come back for you all. Just stay." Glenn said. Beth nodded and looked over at Eugene who looked terrified.

"I'm not good with these things. I am a coward." he told Beth.

"You'll be fine." she knelt beside Tara. Her vitals were strong. She was just unconscious.

Beth heard yelling from the warehouse. She went to the door and tried to listen. She stepped out of the office and saw more walkers. They weren't going to be safe here.

"We need to get out Eugene. Can you carry her?" Beth asked. The man was frozen. "Eugene we need to move now. Pick her up and follow me. I'll cover you." Beth said frantically. He watched her pull out her knife and something in him kicked in and her picked up Tara.

"Okay. Let's go out the back door we came in. The van is there." he said and Beth led the way. They made it to the van and Beth paced back and forth while Eugene put Tara in the back. They should be out by now. Something must have gone wrong. Just when she was ready to go back in alone and find out what happened they came around the corner of the building. But it was bad. Nicholas and Glenn had Tyreese between them. His arm was wrapped up and there was a lot of blood.

"Can you drive Beth?" Beth nodded and slid the back door open so the men could get Tyreese and themselves in.

"This is on you. You are why this happened." Glenn said. Beth glanced over her shoulder. Her brother in law was livid.

"What happened?" Where's Aiden?" she asked.

"During the explosion he was impaled on metal pipe. We couldn't get him off in time. He wouldn't have survived. Then this… this asshole, he refused to listen and Tyreese was bitten." Glenn tighten a rope around Tyreese's upper arm. From the elbow down there was no longer an arm. "We need to get him to Pete." Glenn said. He looked closer at Beth. "You're bleeding. Shit. I'm dead."

Beth looked in the rearview mirror. "It's just a cut. It's nothing. Don't worry about me." She didn't tell him that her head was aching like it had after she'd left Grady hospital. It felt like it took a lot longer going back than coming. Beth concentrated on the road and when they finally pulled up to the gate she gave one short honk. It was Aiden's brother Spencer who was waiting. He pulled the gate open and Beth drove right to the front of the infirmary. She jumped out and pulled the vans sliding door open. She ran up the stairs and pounded on the door until it was opened by a blonde man in glasses.

"We need help. There's injuries." Beth said, He glanced at her head and she reached up and felt the side of her face. It was sticky with blood. "Not me. The van." she stepped back. Nicholas and Glenn lifted Tyreese out and Sasha came running up.

"Ty?! Ty! What happened?" she tried to see but they pushed past her into the infirmary. Eugene picked up Tara and followed them.

Maggie and Rick came running up. Maggie's face fell when she saw Beth.

"I'm ok. It's a cut. Tara was knocked out. Tyreese, he was bitten. Glenn cut off his arm… He's, they're in there." Beth said weakly. Maggie hurried up the stairs. Rick turned Beth so she was facing him.

"You okay?" he asked. He looked at her temple, moving her hair back. "Carol can take care of that." he said. Beth just nodded. The van was parked haphazardly in the street and more of the residents were drifting over to see what the commotion was. "I'm going in." Rick said. "I'll be right back."

"Wait." Beth grabbed his arm. "Aiden. He's dead. There was an explosion. He did't make it." she whispered. Rick hugged her.

"Okay. Sit tight. I'll walk you back." Rick said walking up the stairs.

"Daryl?" Beth said.

"Not back yet." Rick disappeared inside the infirmary and Beth sank down on the stairs. She was dizzy and the adrenaline rush she'd had early was subsiding. Olivia, the woman from the armory sat down beside her.

"You're bleeding pretty good there, can I.." she started and then Beth heard him.

"Beth! Beth!" Daryl was running towards the infirmary from the front gate. Beth stood up and walked slowly out into the street. She was crying and it was hard to see him through the tears.

"Daryl.." she said. And then he was there and she was wrapped in his arms, her face buried in his chest and she could breathe again.

"What the hell? What's going on?" he looked at her and put his hand on her head over the blood.

"It's just a cut. We, there was an explosion." Beth saw Reg and Deanna hurrying towards the infirmary. She pushed Daryl in the direction of their houses. "I need to find Carol. She can fix it." she looked over her shoulder and watched as they ran into the infirmary.

"You're hurt. Why? Where'd ya go Beth?" Beth shook her head and just kept walking.