Again, thanks for the pretty words! I've actually got a good outline worked out for this story so fingers-crossed that all works out. I'm also following the comic outline at this point moreso than the show's since we don't know what happens on the show. So there are comic spoilers at least as far as plot. Character deaths will be my own thing.

Judith woke Beth early the next morning with her first whimpers of hunger. Beth groggily rolled out of her sleeping bag and went to the little girl, grabbing one of the last jars of baby food they had - smashed sweet peas. It was a good thing Judi wasn't picky. Hugging Judith to her, Beth walked to the back of the warehouse where an old dusty couch sat hoping she wouldn't wake the others. It couldn't be later than 5 am. The sun wasn't even up yet.

At first, the baby just wanted attention, laughing and smiling at whatever face Beth made at her. She played with the spoon more than ate what was on the utensil. But eventually, hunger won out and she ate the entire jar quickly and messily. Beth felt eyes on her as she wiped the girl's mouth.

"You can feel free to feed me next, Greene." She could hear the mirth in his voice which was one of the nicest sounds first thing in the morning. He sat down beside her and picked up the empty jar covered in green goop. "As long as it ain't this shit. I think I'd rather starve." He poked his finger inside and gathered up a gollop of the liquid vegetable, stuffed his finger in his mouth, and grimaced. "Yuck. Poor thing."

Judith burst into a giggle fit at the look on Daryl's face. Daryl gave her the biggest smile Beth had ever seen him smile. "Here, you take her. I want to get some clean clothes and a new diaper for her." She handed the baby over to him and he took her without hesitation. Judith loved him to death.

Rummaging through their things, Beth found what she was looking for as Rick walked over to her. "I'd have gotten up with her in a second. You don't always have to be the one losing sleep. Wake me next time."

"It's no problem. I love Judi and y'all need the rest." Beth smiled at him and turned to head back to his daughter.

"Wait, Beth?" Rick lightly touched her elbow to keep her from leaving. Beth stared back at him questioningly. "I just wanted to thank you for what you did last night. For going in with Carl, keeping your eye on him. And for all the things you do for Judith. I don't think she'd be here without you. I see more of your father in you everyday."

"You must have heard me last night, huh? Talking to Daryl?" Beth fought the tears that threatened.

Rick gave her a small smile. "Yeah. Not much for privacy, this giant echo chamber. Here, let me take those. I'd like to spend a few quiet hours with my little girl this morning. Maybe we'll stay here for a couple of days. Rest up. Find some more food."

Rick and Beth returned to Daryl and Judith who were happily playing a silly game. Just as Judith tried to grab his tongue, it would disappear back inside his mouth and she would shake with laughter and squeal in delight. Rick sat beside Daryl and Judith immediately demanded her father's arms. He handed her off and went to join Beth who had begun gathering enough food to get breakfast started. Everyone had begun to stir by this point and the sun was stretching its own way out of bed.

"How can I help?" He asked. Beth stared at him like he'd grown horns.

"Help with what?"

"With breakfast, Greene. Tell me what you need." His pleas were so earnest that she couldn't help grinning at such serious facial expressions over gathering a few cans of breakfast beans.

"You could get a bigger fire going. We don't have much, just a few cans to heat up and share." She followed him as he headed toward their makeshift fire pit fashioned out of an old metal barrel. A few embers still smoldered from their fire the previous night. Daryl stoked them and added a few additional leaves and sticks. Once the fire was blazing, Beth opened the cans and placed them on the grill plate which she laid across the pit.

As they waited for the beans to heat, Daryl sat beside her in a comfortable silence. The fire began attracting the attention of the others until eventually, everyone except Abraham and Eugene were huddled close.

The other two men were huddled close over a map spread out on the table upstairs. You could hear them trying to plan a new route since the one they'd previously decided on was blocked with too many vehicles to move. On foot, they could manage. But they'd just commandeered a military jeep a couple of nights earlier that they'd left on the highway overnight and wanted to press forward with that. It changed their plans significantly. They also wanted to add more cars to their fleet. It made more sense in the cold, but finding vehicles that would travel well in the snow had proved difficult.

As the group began passing bowls around and eating their meager helpings, Abraham's shouts erupted through their metal confines, shattering the near silence. Rick, Daryl, Rosita, and Glenn bolted up the stairs immediately - the others following quickly behind. Abraham was clearly trying to strangle Eugene.

Rick and Daryl began trying to pry Abraham's hands from around Eugene's neck. Eventually he let go and Eugene tripped backwards, falling and clasping at the blood-red skin of his throat, gasping for air. Abraham lunged at him again shouting obscenities and a bunch of incoherent angry accusations. Michonne stepped between them, katana raised, and dared him to take one step closer.

"What the hell happened?" Rick demanded.

"What the hell happened? I'll tell you what happened. This sorry shit-for-brains son-of-an-asshat just informed me he doesn't know the first goddamn thing about saving this planet. That he just wanted someone to think that so he'd stay alive a little fucking longer. And now, that ends and I'm going to kill the prick. He's just a fucking high school science teacher." Abraham's rage rallied and he dove for Eugene again. Michonne was quick and her sword was at his throat in record time.

"Sit down or I'm going to kill you both." Her tone brooked no argument. Abraham shrugged Rick and Daryl off and marched angrily down the stairs.

Eugene had started to cry. "I'm sorry. I just didn't know what to do. I don't know the first thing about fighting or surviving in this world. And I couldn't bring myself to commit suicide. I thought D.C. seemed like the place to go and so I convinced the first strong person I found that I could save the world. It might have been shitty and the wrong thing but it was the only choice I had. The only smart choice, at least."

Rosita and Tara kneeled beside him to offer him comfort that he wasn't going to get from anyone else. Rick headed down to Abraham determined to figure out where they went from here. Everyone else went back to breakfast, lost in their own thoughts and fears and worries. Beth searched for Judith among the survivors and saw her nestled in Tyreese's arms. Daryl grabbed her wrist and pulled her back towards the stairs.

"Where we going?" She'd follow him, though, no matter if he answered or not.

"Outside. I can't breathe around all this drama. Might as well take this chance to get a bow back in your hands and a little fresh air while we're at it. You up for it?" Daryl grabbed a bag she'd never paid much attention to before and started climbing out onto the roof. The strong overnight winds had kept most of the snow and ice from accumulating on the metal surface.

She followed. "What's in the bag? Where's your crossbow?"

He didn't answer, just backed his way over the side of the building and down the ladder to the ground. At least of foot of snow swallowed his feet and ankles. "Shit. There's a shovel back inside if you wouldn't mind getting it? We'll just set up a small area and do some target shooting."

She hurried back with the shovel and he set about clearing a decent sized area while she sat on the rungs of the ladder. She watched as he quietly went about his work, grunting a little every time he drove the shovel back into the snow. She noticed how his tongue sneaked out of his mouth over and over again like the tiny movement could somehow speed up his progress. And she'd be lying if she said she didn't notice the way the muscles in his arms flexed as he pushed and pulled and plowed.

"Enjoying the show, Greene." His voice alarmed her, causing her to jump slightly at the sound of his words and then blush at their meaning. He wasn't looking at her though, so she allowed herself the blush.

"What's in the bag? You never answered me." He glanced at the blue duffle bag and then motioned for her to take a look.

She didn't move immediately, just looked at him somewhat worried about what she'd find inside. "I saved it for you. Go on, then. It don't bite." He returned to clearing a path between them and the nearest couple of trees that stood in front of a shed.

She climbed down. Crouching beside the bag, she unzipped and opened it to find another bow. It wasn't a crossbow, though. Nothing like Daryl's. It looked huge and cumbersome, but it came well-stocked with a multitude of arrows. She didn't understand why Daryl wouldn't take this for himself.

"It's a compound bow." He'd managed to sneak up on and startle her again. "It's lighter than the crossbow and easier to handle. Better for beginners."

"Where'd you get it? And don't you want it? Look at all the ammo." Beth pulled the bow from the bag, not knowing which end was which. It didn't look easier than his crossbow.

"Got it from a guy who didn't deserve it. And I reckon you'll be down to just a handful of arrows sooner rather than later. Never really needed more than a handful myself." He showed her how to hold the bow, how to string an arrow, and how to properly aim. She paid close attention and watched him expertly land every single shot into one of the two trees. When it was her turn, she could see why he'd chosen this for her. With the crossbow, it had taken her days to hit her first target, but with this bow she managed to hit the tree on her third shot. A chorus of applause, hoots and hollers, roared behind her. Looking up, she saw Maggie, Glenn, Carl, Sasha, Carol, and Tara all lined up along the roof's edge watching. She beamed at them, deciding not to be embarrassed.

"Better watch out, Daryl, or she'll be better than you by the time Spring is sprung." Beth smiled at him as he squinted his eyes up at Carol and her taunt.

He lowered his eyes to Beth. "Still feel like the most expendable?"

Smiling, she raised the bow again and aimed at the second tree. "Nope," she declared as she released the arrow not caring whether it hit her target or not.