A/N: Hey guys! My sincerest apology for how long it took me to post this chapter! I had a small case of writers block, but that was only because I missed writing about Beth and Daryl! I hate having them separated. Anyways, I plan from now on to post one or two chapters a week (depending on my mood as I don't like to write when I'm feeling lazy or tired). As always, thank you all who are reviewing and following my story. Much love!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Outsider

The startling scream wasn't something neither Daryl nor Aaron hoped to expect. By the shrill sound of the high-pitch cry, it unmistakably came from an adult female. Their first instinct was to bolt behind some hedging to hide from view in case there was any danger. Daryl wondered if the crow led them there on purpose. He shook his head at the notion, realizing that it had to of been just happenstance. The redneck took a quick glance down the driveway towards the facility, but there was no one around. He felt his heart racing with adrenaline and fear, wondering where exactly the scream came from. There were many elongated buildings containing countless of storage units in each one, and Daryl figured the terrifying sound had to of come from one of them.

In amidst of it all, a walker snarled as it ambled towards them, making it half way across the street when Daryl spun around and shot it down with his crossbow. When he looked back at Aaron, his companion's brow knitted with concern, uncertain about what they should do or if he even wanted to find out. However, Daryl had other ideas. He wasn't going to leave without satisfying his curiosity first. Then, the same female scream cried out again, only this time she yelled "help!" causing Daryl to dart another glance around the shrubbery. He scanned the area again for signs of people lurking nearby, yet still nothing could be seen.

Without saying a word to Aaron, he waited no longer as he ran swiftly towards the chain-link fence just as rain began to dribble out of the clouds. There were dead corpses scattered around the entrance by the gate, the blood still wet and murky, making it obvious that they were slain not too long ago. Daryl looked behind him momentarily to see that Aaron had stayed close behind him. They nodded at each other before heading inside past the fence.

With their weapons drawn, they searched the storage units as Daryl kept his eyes ahead while Aaron continued to stay behind him to watch his back. Most of the doors had remained closed, the remainder were left open from people who had previously broken in and rummaged through them, leaving the units in disarray. Daryl aimed his crossbow around every corner, anticipating there would be someone waiting to jump out at them. But then, just as they reached the corner of the fourth building, his feet halted and his body stiffened in silence. He distinctly heard a male's voice, then another, and another. They were talking among each other; their tones were seemingly unafraid, at least from what Daryl could tell. Amid their indistinct conversation, faint mutters and sobs of a female were heard, and the redneck's ears perked up.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Aaron whispered with trepidation as he, too, heard the condescending voices. "They're dangerous."

Daryl hesitated for a moment as his stomach knotted when he thought about never seeing Beth again if something were to happen to him. He shook his head, comprehending that this is what he and Aaron set out to do in the first place. Daryl looked at him, his damp hair from the rain covered parts of his vision. "What if it was you instead of her?"

Aaron nodded as he made a quick scan around the area before his eyes landed back on the redneck. "Good point. So how are we going to do this?"

"I heard only three sets of voices. We shoot the ones who're holdin' weapons and we do it quickly before they have a chance to fire back," Daryl explained quietly, holding no emotion as he did. "I'll move around the back of the buildin' and meet you on the other side. That way we'll surprise em on both sides."

Aaron knitted his brow and squinted his eyes in uneasiness. He felt himself becoming nauseous as each second passed. "These kinds of confrontations are what Eric and I have been avoiding. How do you even know they will be holding weapons?"

Daryl shrugged. "They jus' will be."

Aaron took a deep breath and then held it in for a moment before blowing out the air through his mouth. "Okay, I can do this. I'm ready."

"Good, cause the last thing I need is you shittin' in yer pants and we both die. Wait here. Give me a minute to make it around the buildin' to our rendezvous point." Without another word, Daryl twisted around and turned the corner while pulling out his handgun. His crossbow would be too slow for what they were about to do.

Aaron hugged the wall as he did what the redneck asked, watching him disappear past the bend. He felt his heart beating rapidly from the nerves that shook his body, filled with anxiety and dread. He counted exactly 60 seconds before he took a prompt glimpse around the front of the building, hoping to see Daryl across the way. Aaron sighed with relief when he saw his companion, and the redneck began to slowly move forward. The man with curly hair took that as his cue to do the same.

Daryl knew he was being hard on Aaron, but he believed that it was time that he learned first-hand what it was like dealing with other human beings who lost their humanity long ago. This was the way the world was now, and it seemed like everyone who was from Alexandria was living in a fantasy land—planning parties and hosting dinners when there were people getting slain and dying of hunger, barely clutching on to life. Daryl hoped that Beth wouldn't succumb to Alexandria's way of life; he hoped she would stay strong and not revert back to the way she used to be.

As Daryl and Aaron moved closer to the storage unit, the voices were finally becoming more distinct. When they reached the door, they held their position momentarily as they listened. "So what are we going to do with this bitch?" A man with a high pitched, raspy voice asked.

"Whadda ya think we're gonna do?" Another, much deeper voice spoke. His southern accent was strong. "Fuck you're stupid, but it's alright. You're new to the group so I'll let it slide. We're bringin' her back to camp with the others, then he'll decide if she's worthy or not."

"Can we go now? I'm getting tired of seeing her husband's mutilated body, it's beginning to gross me out," the third man said with obvious disgust as the woman wept quietly in despair.

"You always had a weak stomach—ever since I met ya. It's time you grew some balls for once," the second man replied, who seemed to have higher superiority in the group. "We'll go once we pack up the rest of this shit."

Daryl had heard enough to know what kind of people they were. He was done eavesdropping. Giving Aaron a firm stare, they looked at each other briefly in a moment of resolve concerning their next, more unpleasant task. Daryl lifted three fingers from his left hand and began counting down, with his right still holding his weapon. Aaron's heart raced even faster than before as he prepared himself for what he was about to do. His nerves made his hands shake and sweat, so he gripped his gun a little tighter.

It seemed to take forever and yet it all came too quickly when Daryl's last finger dropped. After that moment, everything became chaotic. The two of them instantly—like they had been practicing it for years—spun around the corner and pointed their guns inside the storage unit. Without holding back, Daryl shot two of the three men—a tall, skinny white man and a large, much darker skinned man as well. This prompted the woman inside to scream. Aaron shot the third, an Asian with dyed red hair. The bullet pierced the man's shoulder causing him to fall to the floor, groaning in pain. The first one Daryl shot went down immediately, but the second one was still standing after taking a bullet to the back. He spun around, yelling at the attackers and blindly shooting his gun at Daryl.

The moment the bullet blasted out of its barrel, Aaron snapped a look at the large man in alert and pointed his gun at the man's head, not hesitating when he pulled the trigger on him. His aim was true, his bullet sunk deep into the man's skull causing a splatter of blood against the wall and floor. When his body dropped limply on the ground, Aaron ran to Daryl's side. The redneck had taken an unpleasant gunshot in his left bicep, and his hand was already pressured on the wound.

"Prick," Daryl said angrily as he spat towards the man's body.

"Are you alright?" Aaron asked with immense concern as he studied the area on his arm. "Looks like it didn't go all the way through."

"I'll be fine, check on the woman," Daryl replied sharply as he nodded in the direction of her location.

They had nearly forgotten about the other man still alive on the ground that was shot in the shoulder, and the woman who they went there to save. He was still on the floor, clutching his shoulder as he moaned in agony. It was too dark inside to visibly see the woman's features, but she slowly walked into the light, revealing who she was, and Aaron's eyes widened in astonishment. Daryl, too, knitted his brow, recognizing the woman instantly.

"H-Hannah?" Aaron stuttered. His mind retraced back to when one of the men said 'her husband's mutilated body.'

"Aaron…" she replied, her voice was hoarse as she choked back a sob. Her body was bruised and battered. "I'm so relieved you're here—both of you."

Daryl caught Hannah giving him a shaky look of gratitude, and he nodded in response. He then averted his eyes and began scanning the room until he eventually spotted something horrifying in the far corner of the unit. It was difficult to see in the shadows, but when he inched a little closer away from the glare of the light, he saw Greg's body…or at least what was left of it. It was cut in two; his intestines were jumbled into a maze on the floor. His right arm was torn off and his face was cut up, making his facial features barely recognizable. Blood was everywhere, and the stench of metal filled his nostrils. Daryl quickly covered his nose in the crevice of his right forearm and bicep as he slowly backed away beside Aaron. The pain in his other arm was nearly forgotten about when previously it felt like a burning hot knife plunging deep into his muscle. He quickly snatched up the weapons that once belonged to the three men and placed them inside his pack.

"I…I'm so very sorry about Greg…" Aaron muttered as his stomach trembled, finding it strenuous to hold back the nausea. He didn't know what else to say, in fact there was nothing he could say that would make her feel any better about what happened.

Hannah's eyes once again flooded with tears as she fumbled over into Aaron's arms and began to cry. It was clear to see that she was ready to collapse in exhaustion. Daryl was also beginning to feel weak from the loss of blood coming from the bullet wound in his bicep. It was a very different pain compared to when Andrea grazed him in the head when she shot him with her rifle back at the Green's family farm. Beth crossed his mind, wondering how she would react once she saw him.

"We should get goin,'" Daryl spoke out as the sobs grew quieter.

"What about him?" Aaron pointed to the man with the deep red hair who quivered on the floor.

Daryl shrugged as he removed his crossbow off his shoulder. "We finish him off."

"Wait!" Hannah shrieked as she darted to Daryl's side. "I think he knows where my daughter is. I think—I think their group took my poor Emma and the others..."

Daryl stood in contemplation for a moment before deciding to speak. "Alright, let's get him up and take him with us. We'll get answers," he replied as he walked somberly over to the man before looking at Aaron. "Keep a gun on him."

"And what about Greg?" Hannah asked suddenly while Aaron did what he was told. "We can't just leave him here."

Daryl paused as he remained hovered over the stranger. His eyes darted between the two of them, hoping that Aaron wouldn't give her any false promises as he knew they wouldn't be able to take her husband's body with them in the condition that it was in. Not that it mattered, it would be impossible for Daryl to assist in carrying Greg's body with a bullet in his arm.

Aaron regarded Hannah with a dejected expression. It was the kind of look Daryl had never seen from him before. "Hannah…we can't bring him, but I promise you we'll come back for him." She began to tear up once again, but she seemed to understand how problematic the situation was as she sluggishly nodded in agreement.

"Hey, asshole!" Daryl shouted annoyingly as he back handed the man's face. "Time to get up."

The man groaned as he groggily looked over at his bullet wound, and then up at Daryl. "Why don't you just kill m-me?"

The redneck recognized his voice being the third man in the trio's previous conversation. "Nah, not yet. Maybe if you cooperate you'll get out lucky," he lied, not wanting the man to believe he was going to die. If they wanted answers, they were going to have to give him some hope. "C'mon, up on yer feet." Daryl stepped away and wielded his crossbow once again as he waited for him to get up.

"Where are you taking me?" He asked as he stood awkwardly, but became immediately annoyed when no one answered.

"You don't get to ask questions—I do. What's yer name?" Daryl inquired, but the man didn't respond. "Are you deaf? Don't make me ask again."

The man sighed as he noticed the crossbow rise in the redneck's hands. When he replied, the tone in his voice was far from impressed. "It's Ian."

"Alright Ian," Daryl emphasized the man's name mockingly. "You now listen to me, which means you do whatever the hell I tell you to do. If I tell you to eat dog shit, you eat it. Sound reasonable?"

The man knitted his brow in disgust and horror, but swallowed his pride as he decided to nod his head in agreement. Anything sounded better than death.

Daryl smirked. "Good. Let's go."

The four of them left the storage facility quietly, each of them busy inside their own thoughts. Hannah couldn't get the image of her husband out of her head, knowing that it would haunt her for the rest of her life. Aaron would mourn the loss of Greg later in his own time. For now, he was strewed with concerns about taking Ian to Alexandria. He didn't see anything good coming out of it—just more stress among the community. However, if what Hannah said was true, then her daughter and the other Alexandrians would need to be rescued and that was a top priority.

Daryl, on the other hand, was growing weary from the walk back to the vehicles despite having used Aaron's extra shirt from his pack to keep the constant pressure on his wound. He realized that he wasn't in the best condition to drive his motorcycle back to Alexandria. When they arrived onto Bastable Mill Road, Aaron placed the bike down in some bushes, hiding it from view in case anyone happened to journey past. Daryl would come back for it later once they made the trip back to retrieve Greg's body.

Before entering the Town Car, the redneck pulled out a black bandana from his pants pocket and draped it over Ian's eyes. It was a safety precaution in case he ever happened to escape and later come back with the rest of his group. Not that it really mattered, as he figured Ian would hear the name "Alexandria" sooner or later, making their location a dead giveaway. He hoped no one would be stupid enough to disclose that information in front of him.

Once everyone was inside the car (Daryl watched over Ian in the back seat) and Aaron began the drive home, Daryl briefly thought about Beth, unable to control the sudden fluttering feeling in his chest when her image popped into his head. He had to admit he was a little nervous about the fact that he'd be seeing her very soon.

. . .

Everything was quiet in Alexandria for the past few days. Within that time, a few others from Rick's group were given jobs, including Abraham who now worked as a part of Tobin's construction team to help expand the wall, and Sasha and Bob were now taking shifts at keeping watch on the tower by the gate with Spencer. Carol on the other hand, kept herself busy by making cookies and other baked goods, and then distributed them around the community. That seemed to be her main focus, just keeping people happy with treats. Beth knew it was just an act to let people believe she was innocent and meek, and she certainly fooled Deanna. Though the blonde figured it was rather pointless, it didn't hurt to be cautious if that's what Carol wanted to do.

No one from the community seemed suspicious in Beth's eyes, no one except for Aiden. Even then, he was probably just a careless asshole, not some rampaging murderer who was thirsty for blood. Either way, Glenn and Noah kept a close watch on him whenever they could. Because of that, the two of them seemed to bond relatively well. Beth was happy for Noah in that regard, pleased that he was becoming more comfortable with where he was now.

It was just past 5 o'clock when Beth climbed the latter up into the watch tower. The sun had already set as the night descended upon the sky. She did this every few hours, hoping to hear Daryl's motorcycle in the far distance, echoing through the cold air. Though Bob and Spencer accepted it at face value, Sasha was much more interested about the blonde's incentive behind it.

"At this rate you'll be the first to know whether you're up here waiting or you're not," Sasha chuckled once Beth stood beside her. "Besides me of course."

The blonde lifted one brow as she confusingly studied Sasha who looked back at her with childish amusement. "Oh?"

"You know I'll be racing to the house just to tell you the news that he's back," Sasha clarified cheekily as she fiddled with her hair bun and then glanced back at the road. "You're certainly not here just to keep me company."

Beth felt a sudden flush of embarrassment, but quickly shook it off as she replied with casual interest. "I just like to keep watch."

Sasha replied with a sentence broken with her laughter. "Uh huh. Whatever helps you sleep at night, and it's not keeping watch, that's for sure."

Beth felt Sasha playfully nudge her with her elbow, and the blonde couldn't hold back a smile. She was so concerned over Daryl's safe return that she hadn't noticed how obvious it looked to those on the outside. Beth placed her forearms on the ledge as she drew out a sigh within the silence that now settled between them. Several minutes later, their attention fell onto a lone, male walker that must have heard the sounds of their voices as it limped towards the wall. Sasha promptly cocked her Colt M4 that had a suppressor, not wavering as she shot the walker point blank in the head.

"We'll get it cleaned up in the morning," Sasha said after its body generated a loud thump when it hit the ground. Only silence came from Beth as she continued to stare down the road. Sasha sighed and gently patted her hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Don't worry, he'll be O.K."

Beth could only let out a weak smile in return, but then her ears perked up as she heard the faint sound of a car engine rumbling in the distance. Sasha abruptly lifted up her rifle and peered through the scope. It wasn't too dark that she couldn't make out the color of the car when it appeared past the treeline.

"It's them!" Sasha grinned happily and Beth instantly began descending the latter in excitement. However, as the blonde moved to the gate, she realized she did not hear the engine of Daryl's motorcycle, and she immediately assumed the worst.

Beth yanked open the gate after unlocking it with the key that Sasha had tossed to her. She stood on the side of the road, watching the headlights increase rapidly in size as it approached. The car sped through the entrance, leaving only a gust of wind in its wake. It didn't stop as it made its way up the road and disappeared from view. Beth frowned as anxiety swelled throughout her entire body, knowing that the speed of the car was an obvious sign there was an emergency.

She didn't hesitate as she quickly pulled the gate shut and locked it before racing down the road, leaving Sasha alone with growing uneasiness. Beth trailed the car, passing a few others who called out to her, inquiring information about what was going on. She didn't know. All she discerned was that something terrible had happened. Panic smothered all other emotions when Beth spotted the car parked in front of the infirmary and heard people yelling chaotically at each other.

"Aaron!" Beth yelled at the man with curly hair who stood at the entrance talking to Rick, Deanna and Michonne.

Aaron glanced startlingly at the blonde as Deanna prodded questions at him. It all seemed too bewildering when she, Michonne and Rick wanted to know more about someone named Ian, and what exactly happened to Hannah. Beth instantly recognized the name, and although she was curious to find out what they were all frantically talking about, her main priority was finding out if Daryl was O.K. She happened to catch sight of Hannah leaving the location with Reg and Jessie.

Beth glimpsed inside the car to see that there was no one inside, but when Aaron finally had a breather, she rushed beside him, her eyes strewn with worry. "Aaron, is Daryl alright? Where is he?!"

"He's fine, Beth," Aaron replied soothingly. "Daryl's inside the infirmary."

"Did he get hurt?" The blonde asked warily, afraid to learn the answer.

Aaron sighed as he caught a glimpse of Rick and Michonne talking to Deanna. She did not seem pleased. "He got shot in the arm. The wound isn't too serious and Pete is fixing him up as we speak." Without another word, Beth attempted to dash inside, but she was quickly blocked by the brunette. "I'm sorry, but you can't go in there right now."

Beth looked at him sternly as impatience fumed inside her. "Why not?" Although she was told he would be fine, she wanted to see it for herself.

"Because there's an outsider in there," Rick answered just as Aaron opened his mouth to speak. "It's not safe." Michonne had followed him to his side.

"I don't understand," Beth's voice was solid now; her face was sharp as her eyes darted between Rick and Aaron. "If he's dangerous, then why is he in the infirmary and not locked up?"

"He took a gunshot to the shoulder," Aaron explained as he remained calm. "He's getting patched up and then he'll be brought to the house with the unfinished basement down the street. Don't worry, Aiden is watching over him."

"We're gonna need some answers from him," Rick said roughly. "Ian's group may have Hannah's daughter and a few others from the community. Deanna might not like him here but we have no choice. Fer now, keep it to yourself about Ian. Don't want to cause a disturbance and panic if we can avoid it," he added strictly before twisting around and disappearing inside the infirmary without another word.

Rain began to drizzle on top of their heads just as Eric ran over to Aaron and grabbed him in a tight embrace. The duo walked over to the sidewalk to discuss the events that just transpired while Michonne remained stationary at the door. Beth guessed that she stood there in case Ian tried to flee the building.

"When can I see him?" Beth questioned more calmly than before.

"Pete and Denise are taking care of Daryl first. I'm sure he'll be discharged after that," Michonne explained as she slid her hand over the dampness of her locks. She caught Beth shivering for a brief moment, and she frowned. "You should go home. I'll let him know where you are and that you were lookin' for him."

The blonde nodded slowly, finally accepting the fact that she would have to wait a little bit longer. "Okay, thank you."

Beth wasn't actually shivering from the cold, her nerves were shot. As she made her way back to the house with her hands digging deep inside the pockets of her hooded sweatshirt, she wondered what happened to Greg, realizing he was not escorted with Hannah. Her stomach twisted at the thought, figuring that Ian's group may have executed him in cold blood. By the time she reached the house, the darkness had now completely blanketed the landscape.

She opened the door to the rest of her family enjoying quality time with each other in the living room playing cards and backgammon in an attempt at normalcy, evidently oblivious to the arrival of Daryl, Aaron, Hannah and the stranger named Ian. Beth decided to socialize with them until the redneck returned, and chose to keep the information she knew about Ian to herself as was instructed by Rick. Sometime later, Bob had left to switch shifts with Sasha, making it about an hour or so more before the front door had opened again. Beth immediately stood onto her feet and walked quickly inside the foyer, hoping to see Daryl at the entrance. Sure enough, she was not disappointed.

The redneck slouched exhaustively at the doorway, his hair was soaking wet from the rain, and bandages wrapped snugly around his left bicep. Beth's mouth had capsized into a frown at the sight of him, and she instantly pulled him into a gentle hug. Daryl reeked strongly of wet dog and BO, but it didn't bother her in the slightest. She was just thrilled that he was alive and safe.

"I smell," Daryl admitted. His voice grated roughly in her ear.

"I don't care," she whispered.

He didn't respond, only looked up to catch Maggie watching them curiously from the living room. She nodded a suspicious hello, and Daryl sighed as he carefully pulled away from the blonde. At that moment, everyone seemed to bombard the foyer, welcoming him home. Beth stepped aside as Carol squeezed in to hug him, and others like Abraham, Glenn and Tyreese patted him on the back or shoulder. When they all finally dispersed, Daryl caught eyes with the blonde who was still standing several feet away from him.

"C'mon, there's been somethin' on my mind that I should talk to you about," the redneck whispered as he turned and opened the front door, walking onto the porch.

Beth followed him with curious interest, but his body language spoke volumes and she had an awful feeling that whatever his reason was for bringing her outside, it wasn't going to be good.