This chapter was over 7,000 words! I had to cut it in half and I am not feeling where I chose to end it! I hope it doesn't completely confuse you guys! The next chapter will be up by tomorrow and the entire fic will be done and posted before the season 7 premier. It ended up being longer than I had anticipated! Thank you all for the follows, favorites and reviews! It means a lot to me to know people are enjoying this!

Rick is stunned into silence for a few seconds. Bringing the radio up to his mouth Daryl watches as his brother fights to stay calm.

"Carl? Carl are you okay? Is everyone okay?" The static seems to scream through the trees all around them.

"Yeah. He's not doing nothing, just talking. Are you close?" Carl's voice is shaky, but steady and Daryl feels an immense amount of pride for this kid who has had to go through hell. To know what life was like before and to have to continue to go on in the world as it is now.

"How many guys are with him?" Rick looks pointedly at Daryl and then his eyes fall on Beth. "He got Saviors there?"

"Yeah. There's a lot. Some outside the walls. Be careful." Judith is in the background fussing a little and Daryl hears Beth's gasp and she's holding her hand to her mouth, tears in her eyes. Daryl reaches out and pulls her to him.

"We're coming son. Hold on. Beth, we keep quiet about her, remember." Rick rubs a hand over his beard and he closes his eyes.

"Yeah. We got this. I'm gonna go. See you." The radio clicks and the connection is lost. Rick snaps it back on his belt. The look on his face shakes Daryl a little. His memory from the night in the woods is foggy, but he remembers Rick and how it took everything in him to reach out and hold on because he'd never seen Rick scared, never seen Michonne scared, and they were scared that night. Still are, but now they have a plan. They have a plan and they can make it work.

"You two aren't coming back with us." Rick says it quietly, but firmly. Daryl knows Rick means it. His eyes are on Beth. Beth who is shaking her head next to him, tears on her cheeks, her hands wrapped around herself.

"No, no.. I can't. You need Daryl, us.. I can't let you make that call Rick."

"I don't think I am making it on my own." Rick looks at Daryl. "You gonna let her walk back in there? Get anywhere near those guys?" Daryl doesn't meet Beth's eyes as he shakes his head. He feels her hand on his arm.

"Daryl.."

"Quickest way to start a war." This from Rosita.

"You can't hide me forever!" Daryl can hear the frustration in her voice. She won't be treated like a child, like she was before on the farm and even for awhile at the prison. But Rick's right. Rosita is right.

"What the fuck you thinks gonna happen.. you walk in there girl? Right into the middle of all that?" He finally looks at her and he can see in her eyes that she knows it won't be good, for any of them. "I told you, I ain't fucking losing you again.." Daryl ducks his head and swallows hard. He's gonna lose it and he needs to keep it together right now. He made himself a promise that he would give it all up to save her. He doesn't see this as giving up. This is doing what's best for everyone. Right now. But it's also Beth. And he'll do absolutely anything to ensure she stays safe.

Rosita's rummaging in the truck pulling out blankets, some food, extra ammo and two water bottles. Beth takes a deep breath, straightens and grabs their packs from the car. She glances at Daryl as she helps Rosita put as much stuff in them as they can fit. The sun is shining and birds are chirping, but they're out here in the woods getting ready to walk into who knew what again.

"I got a place. We can hole up there for awhile. We'll give it the day and circle back tonight." Daryl watches Beth as she fills their packs. He glances over at Rick looking for confirmation because Rick is making the final call.

"No you give it four days Daryl. Four. Until they're good and gone. If there's trouble I'll send someone. We'll find you." He grabs Daryl's arm and Daryl knows that Rick is pretty good at reading him too, "I don't know.. This guy doesn't work like the others. I can't predict anything.. But this, we can do this. We can keep her safe. You can." Rick hugs him fast and hard and heads to the car. Beth is there, next to the door and she slides her arms around his neck and feels her feet leave the ground with the force of his hug.

"Stay together. You stay together. And I'll see you in four days. I'll see you both." It's a command and Ricks seals it with a soft kiss on her forehead. Daryl's two steps behind her, their packs in his hands. Beth backs up slowly and doesn't stop until she bumps into him and he drops the packs and pulls her against his chest. They watch the car until it disappears into the dust it stirs up.

"We gotta go now don't we Daryl," she whispers. He closes his eyes and nods his head, feels her lean down and grab their packs. He shoulders his crossbow and reaches for her hand. This time he's gonna hold on to and not let go.

There's small hunting cabin a few miles outside of Alexandria. He found it on one of his scouting trips with Aaron. They never went back to it because it was near the quarry where the horde that had taken down the walls had come from. No one had gone back that way. It isn't in the general direction of anywhere which is what makes it a good place to stay. At least for now. They don't talk, they don't have to. It's just so easy to fall back into who they are together. But she's never behind him and if it's possible he maintains physical contact as much as he can. Which might be a bit over the top, but he doesn't care. And it seems Beth doesn't either because she's holding on just as tight.

Going by the sun it's late afternoon when they finally have to stop. It's Beth who made the call. There are long shadows cast by the trees and a slight breeze stirred the leaves.

"We gotta take a break, for a couple of minutes Daryl." They haven't been running, just moving at a good pace for at least four hours. She needs water and food, they both do. Daryl nods and he follows her into a grouping of three trees. He watches her lean back against the tree, stretching her legs out into the dirt and he sees how her face is red and blotchy, dried tear streaks on her cheeks. His heart sinks. He can handle a lot but Beth's tears have a way of taking all the fight out of him.

"Hey." He sinks beside her wrapping an arm around her shoulders easing her against his chest. Her head drops to her chest and she covers her eyes. Her shoulders are shaking and Daryl leans into her rubbing her arm, kissing her temple, trying his best to calm her because he can't take this. It's like a knife to his heart. And that damn ponytail, even now the sun finds it and it's the brightest thing in these woods.

"Beth… We're gonna be ok. We can do this." He whispers what he thinks she needs to hear.

"No. We can't. Daryl you need to leave me and go back and help. I can stay at the cabin, wait for you to come back. I can take care of myself." Daryl feels his whole body tense in response to this. And he feels the panic start to flutter in his heart. The same panic he feels whenever he wakes up from a nightmare about the funeral home or that hallway at Grady.

"No." He pushes away from the tree and stands up. Doesn't look at her, just walks away, a few steps and tries to breath through the anger he's feeling. How could she even think that after everything…

"They need you Daryl, this is ridiculous.." He feels Beth behind him and he turns on her and she takes a small step back, eyes widening just a touch.

"Ridiculous? That what you think it is?" He's yelling now and he pushes into her space and she backs up reluctantly until she's up against one of the trees. "You know what I went through? What it's been like? I.. I lost you. Sent ya outta that funeral home alone and they…" His voice cracks and bites down hard on his lip, "they took you. And everything.. if I'd just kept you by my side or ran with you.." His eyes meet hers finally and he knows how he looks to her, he's been here before. And just like that day she isn't backing down. Well neither is he. "The whole fucking world can burn before I leave you again. Get yer shit and let's go." He steps aside and waits until she picks up her pack and makes her way through the trees in front of him.

Beth watches her feet as she moves, ahead of him, where he can see her because apparently this is it. He will sacrifice everyone else for her. And she wants to believe that it's bullshit and selfish and he can't be serious.. But she gets it. Kinda.

Her heart is aching in her chest and her face is hot with tears that are gonna spill again, but this time they aren't tears of frustration. She isn't angry with the situation. She's completely overwhelmed with what he's just implied. It's her. And only her. If he knows she's safe he'll do what he has to for the rest of them. Safe means she's beside him. Safe means he can reach out and grab her. Safe means they're together. She wipes the sleeve of her flannel across her blurry eyes and adjusts her pack. Something bumps her arm and she looks down and sees his water bottle. He's holding it out for her. She takes it and drinks while she walks and the relief the cool water brings to her aching throat makes her sigh. She hands the bottle back and he trades it for an oat cake. Beth holds the little tan cake in her hands. Denise made these. She made a whole bunch and they froze them because they were simple snacks to take on runs and oats give you energy. Daryl said she gave them to him all the time even though he didn't really care for them. He took them cause she was being nice and sometimes he even ate them. But he's giving it to Beth now. She's knows it's a peace offering. She glances and him and gives him a small smile and when she finishes eating she reaches out and finds his hand and laces their fingers together.

Daryl is stubborn and shoulders way too much guilt for things he can't control. But she can't fault him on this. He loves her. He's gonna put her first. That's how it is now. And if she's being completely honest with herself she'll do the same.

They reach the cabin just as the sun is beginning to set. The shadows in the trees are long and dark. They come up on it silently. The windows are covered in a film of dust, but they are unbroken. They reach the door and Beth taps it with her knife. All was quiet when Beth reaches for the door handle and pushes it open. Crossbow out, Daryl is on the small porch in front of the door, ready. There's nothing waiting inside though and they go in, closing the coming night out.

Beth pulls out her flashlight, but they don't need it. Daryl knows where a candle is and he lights it. The cabin is small, one room that serves as a kitchen, bedroom and living space. There is a door that's closed leading to somewhere and when Beth looks at it Daryl chuckles.

"Don' go in there. Bathroom. But it hasn't worked in forever and it's pretty bad."

"So we go outside?" she asked.

"Mmm hmm… just like ole' times. No running water, no heat. But it's four walls and a roof and the bed ain't bad." She watched as he sat his pack and the crossbow on a small counter in the area that serves as a kitchen. Pulling open a cupboard he rummaged around and found some cans of food. The kitchen like the windows is covered with a layer of dust.

"Did you come here a lot?" She put her own things on the floor by the bed and sits. It's covered with a heavy quilt that is a bit dusty, but looks like it could keep a person warm. There's a small table and a chair in front of a window by the door.

"Yeah. When we first got ta Alexandria I had a hard time with the walls. Had a hard time with lota stuff there." He leans against the counter and looks at her. She sighs and pats the bed. Daryl shuffles over and eases down next her. He rests his elbows on his knees and leans over. She knows this.. he's closing himself off.

"Daryl, what you said back there, I don't even know what to say.."

"Don' need ta say nothin'. Just how it is." He's staring off into the distance, not looking at her and she reaches out and runs her fingers through his hair.

"I love you Daryl. I love you so much.." It's barely a whisper, but that's all it takes. His arms are around her, hands in her hair and the space between them doesn't exist anymore. He kisses her temple and rains kisses down her cheek until his lips find hers and he kisses her harder than she expects, his fingers twisting in her hair, her scalp stinging. He's already said what he needed to say and Beth knows that this, the urgency in this moment are all the words he has. She rests her hand on his chest, lets it slide up gently around his neck and her fingers rub small circles around the knob of his spine and he relaxes against her.

"Love you too girl."

Daryl wakes up in the darkness with Beth curled up against him. All he hears is silence. Which is a big change. Not that Alexandria is a loud place, but there are little things there. People for one. The hum of the appliances they continually run. Doors closing, cars, the gate. Life. Even at night there are sounds. Now it's quiet. Just Beth breathing. He's imagined this more than once. Them leaving the walls and going out on their own. They did it before and it wasn't all that bad. Seems easier in a way. But that's just something he thinks about sometimes.

He'd do it if he had to. Like now, to protect her. He also thinks about the day they finally find a place that they can stay in for good. He won't give up on that completely. Not yet. It's something he keeps close to his heart and he doesn't dwell on it because times are tough and it just hurts too much to think about impossible things.

Even though it's still dark he'd normally get up when he wakes up, but there is really nothing to get up to and staying right here with Beth for a little while longer is easy. She's warm and he turns over and buries his nose in her neck and drifts off to sleep.

Beth woke up disoriented and cold. It's early, the sun hasn't even risen yet. The sky was just beginning to lighten. Daryl's thrashing on the bed beside her, quilt tangled up in his arms and legs. No wonder she's cold. She shifts on the bed and lays a hand on his chest. His heart is pounding like he's been running.

"Daryl?" He's sweaty and mumbling things she can't understand, flings an arm out and knocks over his crossbow.

"Get yer gun Rick! Give her back! You son of a bitch!" Now he's yelling and Beth is concerned about walkers hearing him. Reaching out she grabs his shoulder and shakes him. In his sleep he must being seeing horrible things because he shoves her away from him with so much force she hits her head on the wall.

"Ow! Dammit Daryl.."

"She's just a baby.. I'll kill you now mother fucker." He's gonna fall of the bed if she doesn't wake him up and her heart is pounding now. He's having a nightmare about Judith and it's terrifying to watch. His face is contorted and tears are streaming down his cheeks. When he finally seems to hear her voice from wherever he is lost in that nightmare, he wraps his arms around her and his body shaking violently.

"It's just a nightmare Daryl, not real, not real." She talks to him softly and brushes the hair from his face and she slowly feels the tension leave his body.

"It was so… He had her, Negan, holding Judith, takin' her and she was cryin' and lookin' at me. Jesus... " He buries his face against Beth and took a deep breath. She leans into him, presses kisses to the side of his head, reaches down to rub his back. Soothing him like a mother would a frightened child. That's what he reminds her of right then. Sometimes when Daryl was at his most vulnerable she imagines the little boy he was, dealing with the life he didn't deserve to have. She struggles with the musty quilt trying her best to pull it up over them.

"It's over.. shhhh." He's so big and strong and laying here trying to fit into her arms, that's even more apparent. He shudders and pulls back a little looking at her with red, swollen eyes. The shadows in the room have gathered on his face.

"I pulled all the blankets off ya. M' sorry." He twists and turns, untangling the quilt and pulls it up around her.

"It's okay. I'm gonna get up anyway. Find something for us to eat." She crawls across him and re-adjusts the quilt to cover him. She leans over and kisses him softly and he cups her head in his hand and holds her to his lips. She feels a tightening in her stomach and that sweet ache that only Daryl gives her, but she pushes away gently. She wants him, always does, but now isn't the time. They need a plan. Dary would go stir crazy just sitting around waiting to go back, and frankly so would she. She was trying her best not to imagine all the scenarios of what could be happening back home, but sometimes they just pop into her head. Obviously Daryl was having that same problem. She fishes around in their bags and finds the oat cakes and some bottled water. There's also dried fruit that isn't actually to bad. She spreads it out on the counter, already paying close attention to what they had and how long they might be out here. Some habits die hard.

They slept in their clothes and didn't unpack. Just took out what they needed. She watches as Daryl sits up on the edge of the bed, hair tousled and sticking out in all directions and she just wants to tackle him and pull the quilt up over them and stay there in each other's arms until they can go home. Because even though they've done this before, the two of them on the road, it feels ominous. Maybe it's just memories of before or maybe it's something else. Beth isn't quite sure, but she doesn't like it. He joins her at the counter and looks at the food spread out in front of her.

"This it?" he asks fingering an oat cake.

Beth raises her eyebrows at that. She puts the rest of the food back in their packs and unwraps an oat cake.

"They aren't bad. Kinda like homemade granola bars." Beth bites into the cake and Daryl watches her face. The scars are the only thing keeping him from falling in memories of their past.

"I ain't a horse, never liked oats much." He turns his cake over in his hands. Beth sees the look in his eyes though. He isn't being serious or ungrateful. And he eats the whole thing.

They go out and explore the woods surrounding the cabin. Their plan is to secure the area a little better than they had the night before. There didn't seem to be many walkers, but that could change pretty quick. Packs on their backs, they hadn't left anything behind because they'd also learned that being out here meant running at any time. Daryl scans the forest his eyes going back to Beth every few minutes. She's more than capable, she'd proven that. But he feels unsettled and it eases his mind to have her in his line of vision. She glances over at him and gives him a small smile and it erases the tension from his shoulders, tension he wasn't even aware he was carrying. There's a break in the trees up ahead and he remembers the small stream that's there. He dips his head in that direction and she reads his signal and steps ahead of him. She stops suddenly though and he bumps into her.

"Daryl?" She whispers his name, but her eyes are locked on the scene in front of her. Someone had been here. More than one someone. Ashes from a recent fire. Maybe as recent as last night when they'd been sleeping in the cabin, oblivious. Gutted next to the fire pit are a couple of small animal carcasses burnt beyond recognition, Daryl thinks they're rabbits. What made Beth stop in her tracks though, are an arm and leg, obviously from a walker, due to the decay, propped up against a log.

"What the hell?" His senses are on high alert and he searches the trees around them, looking for movement. Beth has left his side and she's kneeling near the fire pit. Daryl moves slowly over to her until he can feel the heat radiating off her body. He's about to reprimand her for leaving him when he sees what she's doing. Using a small stick she's shifting through the ashes trying to determine how recent the fire was used, just like he taught her.

"How long ago?" he asks quietly. He glances at her, but keeps his attention on the surrounding area too.

"Not to long. 4 maybe 5 hours." She stands up and moves into his personal space, lacing her fingers with his. "Someone was here Daryl. Right here, close to us."

The decision to leave isn't one they discuss, they just go. Side by side. He's leading and he must have an idea of what he's doing because his face is set, the expression he wears she's seen before and so she follows his lead. He's careful not to travel in a straight line and she recognizes this for what it is. Throws off anyone that might be following, if they don't know what their doing. Daryl does. He's a hunter and tracker and if she wasn't so scared she'd be mesmerized by the way he moves through the woods like a ghost, reading the signs and covering his tracks. She's doing her part too. He taught her how to walk lightly and do so in a way that doesn't leave a trail and somehow she remembers this as if it's second nature. Which it kind of has become. It could mean a matter of life and death. His hand tightens on her wrist suddenly and he yanks hard, pulling her back in a small clump of bushes. He kneels down and she follows. She looks at his face and he raises a finger to his lips. Then she hears it. A motor. It sounds like it's coming in their direction, but there isn't a road near them, Beth never saw one.

She sucks in a breath and moves closer to him pushing herself up against him as an old Ford truck veers off away from them. It bounces over rocks and logs on the ground and disappears into the trees. A few minutes later they hear it speed up and Beth realizes there is a road, not far. How many other cars are gonna drive down it? Daryls eyes are on hers now and he stands and pulls her up with him.

"Daryl?"