A/N: Phew! Glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter! This one has a few lines from the show at the beginning of the chapter, but that's it. I named this chapter after a song by Kelly Clarkson only because the words work so well with TWD! Anyways, hope you like this one!

CHAPTER SIX

An hour or so passed since Tyreese attacked the man from Terminus, but to Beth it felt much longer than that. The stench of the dead filled her nostrils as she helped Tyreese drag the walkers beside the shack and settled with stacking the bodies in a small pile. The last one they carried out was the man from Terminus, and by then she knew he was gone. Tyreese made sure to sink the knife into the man's brain before he turned. Now all they both waited for were the return of their group, keeping a much needed silence between them. Judith's gurgles and laughs kept their spirits and hopes up as she so effortlessly had done in the past.

After the cleanup, they decided to stay inside to hide in case there was anyone from Terminus skulking about. They both didn't know what to expect after the commotion of what they figured was most likely Terminus, had subsided. The waiting game was testing her because by this point Beth was anxious to find out what was going on.

"We should do somethin'," Beth brought up as she retained her eyes on the baby.

Tyreese shook his head, and after a brief moment of silence he forced the words out of his mouth. "No, we should stay here like they told us to."

"But what if they need our help?" Beth disputed, and then wavered for a second in thought as she began to cry. "What if…what if something happened to our friends and we're just sittin' ducks—"

For the first time since the past hour, Tyreese snapped a look at her, startling her as he did. "They not dead," he said sharply, attempting to sound reassuring but didn't seem too convincing. "They are going to expect us to be here when they arrive."

Beth looked down at her hands, feeling a little embarrassed at her own comment, but she wanted to think rationally too. It was hard for her to sit and do nothing, but she decided to respect Tyreese's decision and wait a little longer—even if he did share a good point. The part that was eating away at her was how much she already missed Daryl. Beth wanted him here more than anything and the thought of something happening to him was gradually making her suffer. It was nauseating.

"Do you hear that?" Tyreese asked unexpectedly, and instantly Beth felt her heart skip a beat.

"Hear what?" She replied, trying hard to keep her ears open.

"Listen, I hear voices," Tyreese said as he slowly raised himself up off the floor, nearly losing his balance as he did.

Beth reflected his actions and got to her feet and stood silently, finally hearing the voices as well. She rushed to the window then but hid behind the wall, sneaking a glimpse outside in case it was trouble. Tyreese followed, but stood across from her on the other side of the window. For a brief moment, they looked at each other. It was a kind of an uneasy encouragement that no matter what happened, they would be OK.

Taking one last deep breath, Beth turned her head and glanced out the window. She identified several people not too far away behind a few trees down the road. She could feel her heart beating rapidly, causing her whole body to shake. She couldn't recall ever being so nervous. But then, just where the treeline ended, the figures stepped out, and she realized without a doubt that it was Carol and Daryl, and behind them was Rick as they turned onto the gravel road. She lost it.

"It's them!" Beth cried, leaping up into the air as Tyreese nodded with a relieving smile, grabbing him in a quick, victory hug.

Beth ran to Judith and picked her up in her arms, telling her that she was going to see her daddy even though she knew the baby couldn't comprehend what she was saying. Tyreese kept watch at the window, too in shock to even move as he also saw Carl wearing his favorite hat, then Michonne, Maggie, Glenn, Bob and then…

"Sasha," Tyreese spoke softly with astonishment as he rushed to the door.

Beth turned around, blinded by the sunlight as it entered the once gloomy shed after the door swung open. She made no hesitation to follow right behind Tyreese, departing the building with complete exhilaration and happiness as she caught Maggie's eyes and then Rick's. Then suddenly, the man who lost virtually all hope of ever seeing his daughter again dropped everything he carried and ran straight for them. His eyes were already rich with tears. Carl followed his dad as a big smile creased his lips.

"Beth!" Maggie yelled in happiness as she too began to run with her arms outward, ready for a hug. Sasha was right behind her as she made her way over to her brother with the largest smile on her face.

Beth kept her arms out handing Judith to Rick who instantly held the baby tightly in his arms. She then proceeded to walk a few steps past him and Carl before practically getting knocked over by her sister who smothered her in a hug. Glenn was right behind Maggie as he too joined the embrace.

Carol and Daryl watched everyone reunite as laughs and cries filled the air. They already had their turn of hugs, but to see everyone all back together again was something they wouldn't miss for the world. Staying a respectful distance from everyone else was Tara, Abraham, Eugene and Rosita who waited patiently for everyone to finish with their hellos.

Daryl kept his eyes on Beth, pleased to see her smiling as she hugged Maggie and Glenn, then Carl and then Rick. Smirking slightly, he kicked the dirt and watched the dust fly up and disappear as he stayed back and waited. Before long, he finally caught her eye and she grinned. Her face beamed brightly, and even with her hair askew and dirt on her skin, it was hard not to admit that she was beautiful.

Squeezing her way between Bob and Michonne, Beth walked quickly over to Daryl. When she finally reached him, she looked up and smiled once again and spoke in a cheeky tone. "I shouldn't have doubted you, Daryl Dixon."

He cocked his head with uncertainty. "Whadda ya mean?"

"You and Carol. You saved them. I admit I got worried, but the moment I saw you all appear out behind the trees…I realized that I shouldn't have doubted you," Beth explained, now sounding more serious as she grabbed his hand and carefully intertwined her fingers with his, "You told me you'd be alright, and without fail you always do what you say."

Daryl stared down at her, listening to every word. He really didn't know what to say, so instead he kept quiet, feeling his heart sting with every word he could not speak.

"Thank you…for just being you," Beth finished, squeezing his hand for a moment before letting go.

Daryl shrugged, fighting very hard to keep cool even though many emotions were causing havoc deep within him. "I ain't that special. Any one of us woulda done the same."

"Maybe," Beth said, feeling a little shy as she tried with great confidence to say what she was thinking of saying next. "They probably would have, but you're different."

Daryl straightened his back as he tried to figure out what she meant. Struggling to do so, he decided he had to ask. "How?"

Beth smiled slightly but hesitated with her answer. She wanted to tell him right then about how she felt, but she couldn't. For now, all she could do was blush. "You just are."

Daryl wanted to question her more as her subtleness was driving him crazy, but he felt a presence walk up beside them and noticed it was Carol and Tyreese when he turned to look.

"So what happened?" Carol asked Beth and Tyreese, referring to the man from Terminus.

Beth kept silent, a little taken aback and still shaken over the ordeal, but Tyreese took a glance at the bodies before looking back at Carol. "There were a bunch of walkers out here and…he had his hands around Judith's neck."

Instantly Carol was disgusted, taking a step forward with no hesitation to face the man herself, but Tyreese grabbed her arm before she could walk away.

"No, he's dead. I…I had to, so I did. I could," he whispered, feeling no regret.

Carol nodded slightly before turning to Beth. "I'm glad to see that you're both O.K. I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

Beth shook her head as Daryl stared at her closely with concern. "No, its fine. We had to do what we had to do. The walkers…it was just normal every day stuff."

Before either of them could say any more, Rick began to speak to the group. "I dunno if the fire's still burnin'," he said as he glanced in the distance at the smoke while wiping dirt from his hands with an old cloth. He had previously handed Judith to Carl.

"It is," Carol spoke out, remembering what Mika said to her about what the certain shades of smoke meant.

Rick glanced over his shoulder at her in thought before looking forward again. "Yeah, we need to go."

Daryl walked a few steps towards Rick. "Yeah, but where?"

"Anywhere that's far from there," Rick pointed over towards Terminus before turning around and walking towards Daryl and the rest of the group who now seemed to be crowded in front of the shack.

Without a word, Maggie placed her hand on Beth's back in a way to get her to walk together as the rest of the group instantaneously began to move in the same direction. They ended up reaching the tracks, walking the opposite direction from which they came. It was a strange feeling to be heading away from a place that they took days to reach, only to be disappointed by the outcome. For a while Beth was placing all her hope on Terminus to be their new home, but now that the group was back together she realized that it didn't matter where they were anymore. As long as they were together, she'd be fine with that.

As they passed one of the signs from Terminus that read "sanctuary," Rick slowed down into a full stop, staying back behind the group as he read the sign one last time. Crouching down, he rubbed some dirt onto the same cloth he used to wipe his hands with before standing up straight once again. Reaching his arm out, he crossed off all of the words except for "sanctuary" and wrote "no" above it. It was the best he could do to lure any other survivors away from a place that would most likely be overrun with walkers. The sign was a lie after all, and he only wanted to write down the truth. Tossing the rag into the bush, he continued his way down the tracks to catch up with everyone else. He could only hope that everyone from Terminus had been put down, just as they so rightly deserved.

...

Beth was exhausted. The group had been walking for several days since they left Terminus, barely taking any breaks. She looked forward to the evenings when she could rest, only starting all over again early the next morning. The sun was finally setting to finish off another day when Michonne spotted an old cabin that she figured was a good place to stay for the evening. It was the safest bet rather than sleeping out in the open where walkers could come from all sides. Still, Abraham argued that he would prefer to keep watch with Rosita for the evening.

In the middle of what seemed to be the living room, Tara, Bob and Sasha had gathered some firewood and placed it into the old stone fireplace. With some effort, they were able to luckily get a fire going. Amongst the group, they carried more weapons then they did food, so they had to share it sparingly. Daryl was itching to go hunting for some meat, but it would get dark soon and he knew he would have to wait until morning before he could go out further into the woods. So instead he skulked around the outside of the cabin, hoping that he might get lucky and spot anything furry nearby while Abraham watched him with curiosity.

Beth was sitting in the corner of the living room with Glenn and Maggie. The feeling of being able to spend some quality time together still felt so surreal. In the background of their conversation, Carol, Michonne, Carl and Rick were playing with Judith whose little gurgles and laughs settled everyone into a more relaxing mood. However, Beth's conversation with Glenn and Maggie grew to be very dark.

"They had us in a train car at first," Glenn was saying after Beth had finally asked him what happened. He was barely able to keep eye contact with anyone as he explained. "We were trying to make weapons with the few things we had like belts, shoe laces, pieces of wood and zippers off of our jackets…we had a plan," Glenn sniffled, and Beth wasn't sure if it was because of the cold or because he was getting upset. "We were going to fight, but it was no use. They opened the top of the train car and threw some kind of gas grenade inside. The next thing I know, I'm being carried somewhere."

"That's horrible…" Beth replied, hardly able to speak. She didn't know what else to say, in fact there was nothing that she could say.

Glenn nodded his head slowly. "That's not the worst of it. It was me, Rick, Bob and Michonne. The four of us…and four others from a different train car, they…" Glenn stammered, seeming to have lost his voice for a moment but took a deep breath, "A couple people from Terminus executed the first four one at a time, knocking them out with a bat…and then slitting their throats."

Maggie looked away in utter disgust, and when she was ready to look back at her husband, she realized that the whole group had now been listening to the conversation, except for Abraham and Rosita who were still taking watch outside. Daryl, who was previously outside, was now leaning against a door frame with his arms crossed, listening intensely.

"I was next," Glenn continued, "Then Michonne, then Bob, and finally Rick…but as luck would have it, everything went into chaos after an explosion erupted somewhere in Terminus and we were able to escape," Glenn looked up at Carol and then Daryl, "If it wasn't for you two, we'd all be goners. I can't thank you both enough…"

"I owe you both everthin'," Rick added with a smile.

Daryl had suddenly become uncomfortable, realizing that now everyone's attention was on him and Carol. They were smiling and nodding in agreement, their expressions filled with gratitude. He was happy to have been there to save them, but he wasn't looking for this kind of thank you. He did what he had to do to save his family…that was all.

"It was nothin'," he finally said, his voice was rough and yet also quiet.

Beth knitted her brow at Daryl, noticing him pacing in his spot and rubbing the back of his head, and then a moment later he turned around and left. Beth stood up instantly as everyone was too busy to notice or realize what was bothering him. 'Typical Daryl' as they all would normally think, but Beth wasn't going to drop it. She believed she had bonded closer to him than anyone in the group, even Carol. So, going by her instincts, she went after him.

After exiting the cabin, at first glance she couldn't see him. But then she spotted Rosita who was pointing to the right, figuring Beth was going after the man with the crossbow. The blonde nodded and ran in that direction, and before long she found him sitting on a tree stump just off the dirt road under the silver light of the full moon. Daryl could read her like an open book; he knew she was going to go after him, and a part of him wished she wouldn't. Yet here he was out in the open, allowing her to find him.

"Daryl—" Beth began, but was immediately interrupted.

"What I wouldn't do for a cigarette right now," Daryl said nonchalantly while picking at his crossbow.

Beth shrugged, a little surprised by his comment. "Maybe we could find some tomorrow."

Daryl chuckled slightly as he continued not to make eye contact. "I doubt it."

Beth crossed her arms, figuring he was trying to change the subject and it only bothered her more. She decided to get straight to the point. "Daryl...they were only thankin' you. It's mandatory when you do somethin' for somebody else."

Daryl turned slightly and looked at her through his messy bangs, chewing his bottom lip. He adored her directness. "I know. I'm jus' not used to it is all."

"Okay, that's understandable," Beth nodded while brushing a lock of hair behind her ear as he looked back down to his crossbow. She stood their silently for a moment as she tapped the side of her leg with her hand, contemplating on what she should say next. The silence was killing her. "Is there room on that stump for both of us?"

Daryl glanced down and scanned the old tree. Realizing that there was more than enough room, he shifted his weight over to make some space. "Be my guest."

Beth smiled as she sat down, noticing how easily their legs touched and how he didn't pull away. "You know, when I was little," Beth continued, trying to carry on the topic, "It was either on my 5th or 6th birthday…I hid under the dining room table when everybody sang me Happy Birthday. I never really liked bein' the center of attention either."

Daryl lifted one brow as he listened to Beth's story. He found it rather endearing how she tried to get him to relax. "Hmph, well, I'm glad to see we both have so much in common."

Beth didn't hesitate to elbow Daryl in the arm while laughing lightly at his comment. She then took a close look at his face. "I see your bruises are healing up well."

"Yeah," Daryl smirked, but it disappeared just as quickly as it came. Minutes passed in silence as his mind was racing. There was something eating away at him and he needed to get it out. "Beth…" he said delicately, as though his own words were going to break her. He kept his eyes glued to the dirt under his fingernails.

"Yeah?" Beth replied curiously, a little taken aback. She recognized the tone of his voice, sounding identical to the night at the funeral home. Her heart leaped.

"Do you still believe there are good people out there?"

"Yes, I do," Beth said earnestly, yet surprised that he brought up the topic.

Daryl looked up but still did not give her any eye contact. "Really? Even after what happened at Terminus?"

Beth shrugged and shook her head. "You shouldn't judge the fate of humanity on just one group of people, Daryl. So we've had some bad luck—"

Daryl scoffed. "A lot more than just 'some.'"

"Okay so, a lot of bad luck," Beth sighed, but not feeling quite defeated yet. "But you're forgettin' something. My daddy helped Carl and Rick, he let you all stay with us even though he didn't know who you were. Everybody with us now—Rick, Glenn, Michonne…me…if there were no good people, you wouldn't be here talkin' with me right now. This group we have would be non-existent. "

Finally, Daryl slowly turned his head to look at her, noticing for the first time how perfectly the moon shined through her eyes. Beth had a point, and it was one that was hard to argue with. "Yeah…I guess."

"Well, what about you?" Beth questioned him, interested to know his thoughts. "Back at the funeral home you told me you changed your mind. Is that not true anymore?"

Daryl leaned back, using his arms as support to keep himself from falling back. He remembered very clearly what they discussed that evening; the candles, the food…everything. He remembered how he felt at that moment, how frightening and yet how exciting it was. Beth gave him hope. However, Terminus only brought him back to realities true, cruel face.

"You don't have to answer," the blonde said, looking down at her legs touching his. The sight of it made her blush.

Daryl didn't realize how long he was taking to reply and decided he should probably say something. "I suppose there is. It's jus' harder to find, that's all," Daryl paused for a moment, wondering how lucky he truly was to have met someone like her. She was probably only one of the last few people living that could be so positive and naturally kind spirited. He didn't want that side of her to disappear from the corruption of hate and death like Carol had. Daryl couldn't ignore the intriguing smile Beth was giving him from his response. He smirked. "You're somethin' else Beth."

Beth's smile turned into a grin and her eyes crinkled playfully. "Should I take that as a good thing?"

Daryl nodded once as his smirk remained to one side of his mouth. Looking back down at his hands, he remained silent.

"Is it…is it crazy to miss back to when it was just the two of us?" Beth asked cautiously, shocked by how her words escaped her lips before she could hold them back. She truly missed the rest of the group, and she would never go back to when it was just her and Daryl, but a part of her still enjoyed it when it was only them.

Daryl froze, but inside he could feel his heart pounding. He wasn't expecting this next question, yet at the same time he was relieved. He had those same thoughts from time to time. To most people it probably would have sounded crazy, but to Daryl it was probably one of the most romantic things she could have said to him. He wasn't the greatest with romance, so that might have been the reason for it. Either way, he wasn't sure if that's how he was supposed to interpret it. Perhaps Beth only said it because she enjoyed his company and that company would now have to be shared with the rest of the group.

"I'm sorry…that was a stupid question…" Beth said with an embarrassing chuckle, hoping really hard that he would just forget about it.

Daryl glanced at her sharply. "No, it wasn't stupid. I like to have time to myself. Being with this group, I need it. But…" Daryl's voice trailed off, feeling like he was about to open Pandora's Box if he continued with what he was about to say.

Beth knitted her brow in puzzlement. "But…what?"

Daryl grunted, forcing himself to climb out of his comfort zone. His smirk had now completely vanished. When he looked at her again, Beth noticed the same face she saw back at their last evening in the funeral home just before the walkers came. "But with you…I didn't need to. I didn't have to put up a front. I could be myself, and you didn't give a shit. You didn't judge me, you didn't laugh. You were just you. Hell, lightin' that moonshine cabin on fire was some of the most fun I've had in a long time, n' it was all your idea."

Beth smiled heartwarmingly as she studied him closely. "Yeah, it was fun, wasn't it?"

Seeing him smile back made her heart pound as her nerves began to vibrate in every inch of her body. Beth wanted to kiss him then, more than anything. Leaning closer, she didn't stop until her forehead met his. She was uncertain why she did this. Her heart raced even faster when she realized he didn't pull away as she had anticipated. Beth certainly didn't expect things to go this far.

Daryl remained still, deeply breathing in the air that had just escaped her lips. He could feel her body heat emanating off of her and onto him. He had a feeling that this was coming when he decided to speak so openly. Perhaps he wanted it, but he was fighting himself, repeatedly reminding himself that this was not him. Inching back, he faltered.

"You should go back to the cabin. Maggie might start wonderin' where you are," Daryl whispered while she pulled away as he blocked out his irrational emotions as best as he could.

Beth shook her head, finding it difficult to speak. "Daryl…I don't care what my sister thinks."

Daryl sighed, beginning to feel weak as he lifted his right arm and brushed his hand over her hair and nestled a soft grip near the back by her ponytail. Beth felt bemused as his thumb slowly stroked the side of her head. This growing bond between them was unexpected. In the past, Daryl always looked at Beth as Hershel's youngest daughter and nothing more. But now, their relationship was growing to another level, and she was becoming a part of him that he needed, and didn't want to lose.

Suddenly, Beth snapped out of her trance as a branch broke not too far away in the trees. Daryl stood up abruptly in alarm, snatching his crossbow off the ground. Being careless, Beth realized she left her gun and knife back at the cabin.

"Show yourself!" Daryl yelled angrily as he heard something stepping lightly on some leaves.

"Okay, alright," a nervous, young males voice replied as he slowly stepped out of the trees with his hands up in the air, "Just promise you won't shoot me."

"I ain't promisin' anything," Daryl knitted his brow, studying the young man in front of them as he pulled Beth closer behind him. "What's yer name?"

"It's Noah. My names Noah."