AN- Okay guys, so literally ten minutes after posting the last chapter of this I found out, with the help of some of you, that Norman never said that, so yeah thanks!

I think I remember Daryl saying in the porch scene that he 'was a drifter and a junkie doing whatever Merle said.' so I'm gonna playing on that in this chapter. So there will be mentions of drugs if they're triggering to you!

Also, my 'shift' key is kinda messed up, so if names and stuff aren't capitalized that would be why!

Enjoy!

As I cradled Beth in my arms I thought about whether this actually had been a good idea for not the first time in so many days. I clearly couldn't handle her, I wasn't very good with emotion anyway, but with her … It was like I tried so hard to protect her and it just never seemed to fucking work. Sometimes I did wonder if it was all worth it, but then I would look into her eyes and see pools of affection staring back at me and, somehow, I would just know I'd made the right choice.

I meant what I said, too. About making sure she would be okay. I'd never felt such a responsibility towards someone and actually enjoyed it. It's kinda funny because the best part of me was always her.

"We should … Get going." Beth nodded slowly into my chest and I felt her eyelashes as they blinked against my shirt.

"Yeah, I guess." Obviously comforting people had never been my forte, but the more she was with me, the more she understood that I really did care.

I felt like she sometimes got frustrated at the way I handled things, but she's such an empathetic person she just … Rolls with it. I looped an arm around her shoulders and walked away with her, back to the prison.

Let's just say that people noticed we were gone this time. As soon as we were inside that gate Maggie came stomping over, followed by Glenn who was trying to hold her back and, surprisingly, Carol with Lil Ass Kicker. They arrived in that order and Beth was grabbed from me, I'd completely forgotten my arm had been around her.

"What do y'think you're doin'?!" Maggie almost growled, more at me than Beth, but it was she who answered.

"He hurt his leg, so I helped him back, s'no big deal." Beth was remarkably good at lying and I was yet again reminded that she wasn't the sweet little girl from the farm who I thought I knew, shit had happened to her and she was so much stronger than I had previously given her credit for. It was insane.

"Maggie c'mon, calm down." Glenn smiled at me, he was embarrassed. The three of them walked away and I was left with Carol.

"I haven't seen you in a while, Pookie." Carol smiled, but it was sad. It worried me that it didn't upset me as much as it used to.

"I been trainin' with Beth, y'know tha'." I mumbled, but I knew I'd have to make more of an effort with her, after all she was one of the few people I cared about in this prison.

"Yeah," her head turned sharply away and her mouth stretched into a thin line. "I know."

I licked my lips as I thought about how to approach her. Perhaps there might have been something between Carol and I long ago, but maybe she was just feeling put out because after all, I had sworn to take down Beth if she started to unwind.

"Somethin' wrong w'that?" I frowned, arms folded and always on the defensive.

"No, nothing, Daryl." She sighed and handed Lil Ass Kicker to me before retreating back to the prison.

I decided to take a rare moment of rest, I walked slowly so as not to disturb the baby in my arms over to a shaded area so I could just sit and think about things. I was confident I had made the right decision about Beth, there were so many things I loved- liked about her that I just couldn't explain. Maybe it was because she was the complete opposite to me, y'know like that Chinese thing, Ying and Yang or whatever. I shook away the thought and looked down at the Judith. I wondered how nice it must be not to worry about everything that we did, I mean, all she worried about was whether it was Beth or Carol looking after her or what she was going to play with. She had her daddy and her brother and Beth and Carol to worry about her so she didn't need to do stuff like that, made me think about my home life.

"Darlena, fuckin' gimme some." Merle is in his mid thirties, now balding. He shoves his younger brother hard in the shoulder in an effort to catch his attention.

"Gimme a fuckin' second." Daryl retorts and spits at the floor in front of Merle before pouring out an acceptable amount of white powder from the clear plastic bag he's holding onto the table before him. When Merle first showed him the stuff, he had just wanted to run his fingers through it, it looked too much like sherbet.

"Y'had your fuckin' second." Merle snatches the bag from Daryl and pours out a bigger mound of powder from the bag. "Y'got anything?" He quickly searches the room for some paper he can roll into a cylinder before settling on a note that he doesn't even bother reading.

"Looks like you do." Daryl shrugs, unsure whether Merle will let him use the note or not he waits patiently until Merle has finished.

Daryl isn't addicted. Sure, he likes to take it sometimes, but he could give it up if he wants to, he's sure of that. He gets urges sometimes, when he's worried about Merle or knows his daddy will be seeing him soon he has some, just to smoothen the edge of his nerves.

Judith brought me back to the present with her small wails, I jumped slightly but realised she just wanted some attention, so I play with her for a little bit before looking around to see if anyone was around to take her inside, kid probably needed some sleep being outside in the sun and all. But as I looked up, I saw Beth. She smiled softly at me and sat beside me and I felt every nerve go on edge.

"Thanks for leavin' me with Maggie." She rolled her eyes but smiled slightly as she made a stupid face to Lil Ass Kicker.

"Hey, I was left w'Carol." I smirked slightly and raised an eyebrow. "She can be scary when she wants t'be."

"That's true." Beth nodded and I flexed my arms as Beth took the baby from my arms. "She's gettin' so big…" She smiled down at Judith again and spoke slightly softer. "I always wanted kids."

"Don't look t'me for that." I felt a cold sweat wash over me at her words, but obviously I tried to play it off all cool, but obviously that was kinda difficult.

"Who said I wanted 'em from you?" Beth raised an eyebrow back at me and smirked back, it was mischievous and hot as fuck.

"Wha' am I not life time partner material?" I shrugged and kicked a stone across the ground.

"I just wouldn't want 'em now." She looked back at me, her eyes looking wise beyond their years and I was reminded again of how finding her mother in that barn changed her.

"'Cause of all this?" I asked, she had caught my attention.

"Obviously." She replied, short and blunt. Her eyes scanned mine and I know she was looking for something, but I wasn't sure what.

"That's good." Was all I could think to reply.

"I guess so." She smiled back at me.

We played with Judith for the rest of the evening.