A/N: WOWWWWW. Such an amazing response! Thank y'all so much for all the reviews, I am so happy that you all like the story still! I ended up cutting this chapter into 2 parts so the next part will come very soon. (:

Companion song: "Salvation" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Disclaimer: I do not own or have any rights to the characters/plot of TWD series. I am just a fan exploring the marvelous, macabre world Robert Kirkman created.

Please review, more reviews=faster posting of the next chapter.

/

Chapter 19: The Run

The grass bent under her feet as she ran. Her breathing was ragged. Lucky galloped next to her. Beth's legs burned and she wanted to give up.

But she didn't.

When she finally reached the end of the street, she slowed to a walk.

Michonne had skipped out on their run this morning since she'd worked an overnight shift on the wall. But Beth needed it today. She couldn't get Daryl Dixon out of her head last night. Their closeness during their lesson and the weird way he stared at her after she'd killed those walkers. So she ran to try to knock those thoughts out of her head, but it didn't work of course.

She walked back up the porch as her breathing returned to normal and Lucky went to get water out of a bowl that sat on the kitchen floor. Morgan was already awake and was bumping around in the kitchen to get food ready. She sat down even though she was still sweaty and red faced from her run.

"Excited to get out of these walls again?" Morgan asked her without any pretense.

"Yeah. I know you like it old man, but it still seems fake to me."

"Not exactly the first time you'll be out of the walls since we've been here though, is it?"

Beth smiled in response. Of course he knew that she'd been sneaking out over the walls almost everyday in the last two weeks. "Can't hide anything from ya' can I?"

"Nah. But it's my job to be worried about ya. That's what families do."

At this, her mind wandered to Maggie. They had been sisters.

We are sisters, she corrected herself.

Maggie certainly didn't act how she would have expected. The tall brunette had gone out of her way to ignore Beth. This was definitely not like Kyle or Morgan—the only two people Beth really remembered as "family"—ever acted towards her. It made Beth think that she must have done something really wrong to make Maggie so angry with her, or maybe that Maggie just wanted the old Beth back.

But whoever that was, the old Beth, no one had bothered to explain to her.

Since the brief slip at the first family dinner where Maggie said she used to be good at medical things, not a single person actually mentioned what she used to be like or how she had changed. However, she still saw them looking at her when they thought she wouldn't notice and she felt confident that they were searching for the old Beth. Maggie wasn't worried about her safety like Morgan was; Maggie was more concerned with getting her real baby sister back.

"Maggie still hasn't talked to you?" Morgan guessed her thoughts, he was good at that after spending two years as sole companions.

"Nah. And I overheard Rick talking to Michonne about how her and Glenn are plannin' on moving out too," she shared with Morgan. "Guess I'm not the best house guest."

"There's something else goin' on. I'm sure Maggie will tell you when she's ready."

"What do you know, old man?" she teased him with his favorite nickname.

"I don't know anything, just making some educated guesses," he responded with a chuckle.

"About what?" Morgan had peaked her curiosity, what did he know about Maggie that she didn't?

He chuckled and then said, "Wouldn't want to ruin any surprises."

And before she could protest, Daryl walked into the kitchen with little Judith following on his heels. Beth had noticed that Daryl got her out of bed, made her breakfast and got her over to the school every morning. She wondered why he did this. Why he was the one in charge of her in the mornings. Did he choose to do that or had it been appointed to him? All of the family members helped take care of her in different ways and she couldn't help but marvel at just how loved this little girl was. Especially now, as there was a softness in Daryl's features that she only ever saw when he was looking at Judith.

When he looked up and saw Beth in the kitchen, still sweaty and red faced from her jog, he averted his eyes quickly as if he had tried to stare into the sun.

"Morning Daryl and Judith," Morgan said politely and the little girl smiled as she opened the bottom cupboard that held the dried cereal she liked to eat.

"Morgan. Greene," Daryl grumbled with a head nod by way of a greeting.

Beth didn't respond. She was still pissed that he had dragged her back from her alone time in the woods yesterday. So she began walking upstairs to change and gather her pack for the run, but she was still in earshot when Morgan started a conversation with the hunter.

"Rick told me you're goin' on the run today… He trusts you completely and you're great with his girl… I was hoping you could keep an eye out for Beth while you're out there," Morgan's request made Beth stop on the stairs. She wanted to see what Daryl would say.

"She's doesn't need anyone to watch out for her," Daryl grumbled and she heard a dish clank as he pulled out leftover meat from yesterday.

"I know she doesn't, I know she is strong. She's been taking care of me for a long time. But Beth gets…" there was a pause while Beth knew he was searching for the right word. "…Reckless. And she still has things to learn."

Beth knew that reckless was his way of avoiding telling Daryl her secret. Her inability to feel fear was something that only Beth and Morgan knew. Morgan would keep her secret. The silence in the kitchen stretched on and Beth couldn't help but wonder what Daryl thought about what Morgan asked.

"I'm not sure it's the best idea for me ta' be the one that looks after 'er," Daryl responded.

Why is he either following me or avoiding me? Why wouldn't he be the best one to look out for me? It seems like he's already been doing that. Daryl was such a mystery. Maybe going on the run with him would help shed some light on why he was so weird.

"Rick told me about how you got her outta that prison, how you two survived on your own… and everything that happened after. I still reckon you're the best one for the job."

What the hell is Morgan talking about?

She knew that the prison had been wrecked, Morgan had seen that before he left Georgia and he told her as much. But she didn't know that Daryl had gotten her out.

And what happened after the prison fell? How long were we alone? Beth didn't even know the timeline, or how much time had passed between leaving the prison and her getting shot. Or how she got to the hospital where Dr. Edwards and Kyle had originally met her.

Beth was suddenly furious with Morgan. Why hadn't he told her about all the stuff he'd learned?

Looks like he was keeping more than just her secrets.

A long time passed before Daryl promised, "I'll keep an eye on everyone." She heard Judith ask Daryl for more cereal. He gave it to her, even though the general rule was that people were not allowed seconds due to food rationing.

It was clear the conversation between Daryl and Morgan was over, so she finished creeping up the stairs to get ready to go.

First, she was going on this run.

Then, it was time to find out what the hell was going on with Daryl Dixon.

/

Daryl had just finished throwing the empty bins in the back of the van when Maggie and Glenn arrived at the cars. Maggie was looking upset and Glenn seemed to be pleading with her about something.

"I hate staying behind while y'all go out there and do all the work. Spending days not knowin' if you're comin' back. I want to go—" at this, Glenn cut Maggie off.

"No Maggie. You can't come. You're more than 4 months pregnant," he hissed exasperatedly.

"Glenn, I'll wait in the car. This way at least I'll know what's going on," Maggie pleaded.

Daryl tried to not listen in to their conversation. He banged around in the car and clanked tools unnecessarily under the hood in attempt to drown out their voices. However, this was hard to do when they were the only three people on the street.

"And what if there is a herd and we can't get back to the car? Or what if we have to run? What if we come across people like the Wolves again? You can't handle any of that in your condition," Glenn's voice was consoling and soft, but still vehement. Daryl had never heard another voice like Glenn's and he idly wondered if that was how Glenn's parents had talked. Stern yet caring. It was significantly different from how his father had ever spoken to anyone, it was even different than how Rick talks to his kin.

Maggie still looked like she might argue, but Glenn grabbed her wrist softly. "We've all got jobs to do. My job is to get supplies and your job is to take care of you and the little one," he finished with a small rub of Maggie's stomach.

The fight dropped off her face and she kissed him, "Okay. But you better come back safe."

"Daryl, you'll look after him, right?" She raised her voice.

Why does everyone always ask me to take care of people? he thought. First Beth, and now Glenn. He would have been watching over all of them anyway but it added to the pressure knowing that he's promised others that he would bring them back safely. Sometimes, nothing could be done. Sometimes, accidents happened.

Out loud he just said, " 'Course I will."

A few minutes later, Tara and Sasha showed up and tossed their own packs into the van. Next, was Beth and Lucky… and Spencer. Daryl watched the pair walking together and Beth was actually laughing. Not the tight-lipped chuckle he had seen since she'd been back, but throw-her-head-back laughter that was so musical it sounded like bird song. It made his heart ache to hear such a familiar sound echoing from her. During good times, the prison had been filled with her laughter at evening dinners with the family or mornings when she had Judith. The monster in his chest was back now, and it roared its head at Spencer. How was Spencer—who didn't know Beth—able to make her laugh like that? Daryl wanted to rip him apart in jealousy. But luckily Glenn interrupted before he could do something he regretted.

"We ready to go?" Glenn asked as Spencer and Beth came into earshot.

Daryl watched as the easy smile on Beth's face turned into a hard, fearless mask. It was time to get to business.

"Yeah, we're ready. Who's drivin'?" Beth asked as she opened the door of the van to allow Lucky to hop inside.

"We're takin' two cars, that way we can grab as much as possible from the hospital. It's far out there so I don't want to have to go back for a second trip if we can avoid it. Beth, you'll drive the lead car and Tara will drive the following car. It will be a long trip so everyone else should try to get some rest. Daryl and I can drive on the ride home," Glenn stated, morphing into a leader before his eyes.

It always impressed Daryl to see how easily Glenn slipped in and out of leader mode. At home, when Rick was in charge, Glenn was perfectly content to follow Rick and support the group. But whenever he was needed, he instantly snapped into the executive position and it suited him well. It never went to his head, like it had to the Governor, but he also never shied away from it, like Daryl did. Over the last 5 years, Daryl had grown to respect Glenn in a way he never would have guessed when the dorky pizza delivery guy rolled up in an RV in Atlanta.

"I don't think that's the best idea…" Beth said blatantly. Everyone stopped as they were getting into the cars.

"Why not?" Tara asked as she hung her upper body out of the driver window.

Beth glanced around before admitting, "I don't know how to drive that well…"

"What do you mean? I've seen you drive a hundred times," Daryl interrupted, coming around Rosita to face Beth.

"Maybe I did… but I don't know anymore," she explained simply, shrugging. "Morgan taught me, but we haven't found many cars that work to practice."

He was speechless.

She forgot how to drive? How is that even possible?

He should have realized this; she had forgotten everything and everyone else so why not how to drive?

What else did she have to relearn?

This question was pushed out of his mind when Beth interrupted the prolonged silence, "So… anyways. Spencer can just drive and I'll just navigate."

"Okay, yeah," stuttered Glenn, "Let's go. I want to get there before 4. I'll ride with Beth and Spencer."

Daryl had a surge of uneasiness at the thought of letting Beth and Glenn, the two people he had promised to take care of on this trip, go in a different car. But he let it slide, knowing that it would be weird if he protested this.

The drive to the hospital went off without a hitch. Daryl tried to get some sleep because outside the walls it was never clear when you would get another chance to rest. He knew that searching the hospital could take all night, they could be driving all night, or they could end up literally running for a full day like after the prison fell. However, Tara kept needing to swerve or break to avoid things in the road so sleep eluded him. They'd been on the road for hours before the city came into view. The lead van maneuvered through the streets and they ended up on the fourth floor of a six-story parking garage. Tara and Spencer angled the cars in a way that allowed easy loading and easy escape.

When he got out of the car, his back cracking, his eyes immediately went to Beth. She was stretching out after the long drive. Daryl couldn't help but stare at the small ribbon of skin that peaked out between the top of her jeans and the place where her shirt had ridden up. Even though she lived in the room across the hallway from him, he still wasn't accustomed to seeing her and each time it still made his heart stop.

Not the damn time to get all starry-eyed. I've gotta stay focused, we can't lose anymore people, he chastised himself.

Beth was explaining the hospital layout to everyone on a crude map she'd drawn on the back of an old car insurance paper she'd gotten from the glove box.

"Lucky, Beth and I will go in first to scout and make sure it's clear. Tara, Rosita and Spencer bring in the bags and grab whatever you can. Daryl, you bring up the rear. I want the path back to be free of walkers so we don't have to drop everything we came for," Glenn stated matter-of-factly.

There was a murmur of agreement from the group. It was a smart plan—quietest weapons in the front and back while giving the less skilled fighters, the ones who use guns, the task of filling up the bags with meds. Glenn had definitely been on too many runs in this lifetime.

They separated and began moving in a formation. He watched as Glenn and Beth disappeared into the dim hallway, Lucky was in front of them silently padding along with his ears perked. Daryl wrenched his gaze away from them and surveyed the parking structure. Nothing moved and there were no sounds, so he relaxed ever so slightly.

After a few minutes, Beth came back around the corner at the end of the hallway and waved the rest of them inside. Daryl hesitated before deciding to leave the door propped open. It was a solid, soundproof door and once he closed it, there would be no way of knowing what would be on the other side when they came back. He followed the group down the corridor that was scattered with papers, hospital gowns, overturned cots, open cupboards and shattered computers. This kind of destruction was only possible from live humans. It had been searched. But Beth plowed on with confidence in her stride. This did not worry her, which made him wonder where she had hidden the medications the first time she came here. There were no dead walker bodies in the hospital, which was a comfort because it made him think that this hallway had remained sealed off after Beth and Morgan had left several months ago.

When they got to the labor and delivery ward, there was a large set of doors that blocked their path. The hackles on Lucky's back stood up and Daryl could hear the faint noises of walkers roaming around inside. A slam on the door and ear shattering growling told him the dead had sensed them too.

Beth swiftly hopped over the counter and searched for something under the desk.

"Still here." She produced a key with a wicked grin. "Y'all ready to go in?"

"What?" Tara hissed in a panicked whisper.

"The meds are hidden inside the clinic," Beth said as if it was obvious.

"We can't go in there, we have no idea how many there are. It's too dangerous," Rosita insisted.

"There's twenty-six of them. And those fears are exactly why we did this," Beth stated as she slid over the counter towards them again.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Tara said, now using her annoying cop-in-training voice.

"We hid all the meds safely inside a room in there. Then we set up a boom box to lure walkers inside and locked the door behind them. Figured this would scare off most people and keep the meds hidden in case we needed to come back for them. Since it's the labor and delivery unit it only has one exit, these doors here—" she motioned with a crick in her neck towards the doors where they could hear thunderous groaning "—which used to be monitored so no one could steal a baby. We found the key and locked it before leaving."

"Brilliant!" Spencer exclaimed after a brief moment of silence where the rest of them took in the extent of their long-term plan. She smiled another one of her old, brilliant smiles at his praise.

"So I figure we can take them all out no problem. Open just one door and let them slip out in small groups. Spencer and Tara, brace the door. The rest of us can take them down one-by-one," Beth instructed confidently.

Everyone looked at Glenn as if to get his approval for this new plan.

"It's our only option right now and it's a good plan," he confirmed. After a beat he added, "Besides, it's labor and delivery, if there's something for the baby I've gotta get it."

Daryl was sold. They were already much better off than when Lori had given birth to Lil' Asskicker but things could still go bad. He knew that lots of women died in childbirth before "modern" medicine and now they had been thrown back into a time without any of those amenities. The more "modern" accommodations they could get Maggie, the better off she'd be.

So they got into a formation and Tara turned the key in the lock. Four walkers immediately flooded out of the door. The four fighters—Rosita, Glenn, Beth and himself—easily took out one each using knives and Glenn using a baseball bat. The trouble was that now more walkers had piled against the door, drawn in by the creaking of the door when it opened the first time. Through the slim window, Daryl saw at least fourteen against the door or coming down the hall towards them.

"Quick! Open it before they all pile up!" Daryl shouted.

Spencer responded and edged the door open. Walkers filtered out and Beth made noises in order to keep them coming towards the fighters and stay away from Tara and Spencer braced against the door. Nine of them had squeezed out before they could push the doors closed again.

Daryl rammed forward and plunged his knife into temples of the dead. He counted three down on his account and he was just pulling his knife out of a skull when he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder.

Then there was a whoosh of air so close that it ruffled his hair.

He thought it was the walker's breath but as he turned around Daryl saw the walker was already falling to his feet with an arrow sticking out of it's eye. Beth had backed down the hallway and had her bow poised. Rosita yanked her knife out of a head and the growls stopped in their part of the corridor. All nine of them were still on the floor, three with arrows in their head.

"Move back, we don't want to be tripping all over these ones," Glenn directed as he wiped some black ooze off of his face.

Beth moved forward and grabbed her arrows, but Spencer hadn't been paying enough attention and he'd already opened the doors. The rest of the walkers spilled out, pushing so hard that the door swung all the way open and pressed Tara and Spencer between the door and the wall behind it. Beth was too close, and the greedy, snapping mouths went straight for her before she could even stand up straight. Daryl's heart picked up, he couldn't reach her. The walker was only a step away and he was 20 feet down the hall.

So he turned the knife in his hand, putting the blade between his thumb and forefinger, and tossed it.

It spun three times before embedding into the skull of the walker so hard that the force knocked it to the ground. Beth glanced over at him with a surprised look. Then there was a ghost of a smile that she shot at him before she swerved and charged into action. She grabbed his knife out of the walker's head and killed one with it before skirting backwards, pressing herself against other door where the walkers wouldn't see her as they streamed out towards Glenn, Daryl and Rosita. She used this vantage point to kill the walkers from behind, getting a couple with the knife before they all were in the hall. Then, she moved on to her bow. Killing them from behind as they made their way towards the rest of them.

Daryl fought off the ones that came near him using his crossbow to smash their skulls, as Beth still had his knife and there was no time to reload his crossbow. He kept his eyes on the others, trying to make sure everyone was safe. And after some amount of time—seconds and minutes were meaningless—the hallway was still again. Now the only sound that echoed was the ragged breaths of the living.

"All right. Now, let's get those meds for your pregnant wife," Beth stated simply looking at Glenn.

/

A/N: I'm so sorry, I know I promised you a fight between Beth and Daryl, but the chapter got way too long so I split it into 2. I will post again really soon since it is mostly done!

Next chapter is fast moving: some fights, some people get separated…

But there will be some SERIOUS conversation after the run now that Beth has found out about Daryl & her being alone! What will Daryl tell her? How will she take the news?