We're getting close to the end! Unfortunately we are just getting started on the show! I hope you enjoy the update! A couple more chapters and this ride will be officially over! Thank you for all your support! You guys rock!

Beth feels Daryl squeeze her hand as they make their way through another small grove of trees. They've been making good time and there have been very few set backs. The walker population continues to be sparse and Beth has a few ideas in regards to that, but she doesn't want to talk about walkers or Negan or anything as a matter of fact. She just wants to be out here with him and listen to the sounds of the woods. This is something she use to enjoy. It's also a distraction from thinking about what's to come. Daryl's been holding her hand the entire time they've been walking, only letting go to take out one of the two walkers they encountered and another time to take a drink of water from the bottle they've been sharing. He's been holding her hand, the entire time and she knows that now she's depending on that hand to be there. Always. But it might not. They've lost so much.

"Should be there in another hour or so.. ya ready?" Daryl's looking at her, she can feel his gaze, but she doesn't look at him. She can't. She nods and looks up at the trees, the blue sky, and she swallows hard.

"I was just a kid when the world fell apart Daryl.. Now I feel so damn old." She's been thinking about her room, and the farm and her horses. She's been thinking about her daddy and how in the beginning he held out hope for a cure, he refused to believe that everything was falling apart. She's thinking about where she was and where she's been and how those words she gave to Daryl, drunk on a porch in the dark, were almost a prophecy of sorts.

You gotta stay who you are, not who you were.

This is who I am. There is no sound from either of their feet as they keep moving forward. She use to marvel at this, the way he moved silently like a cat, but now that she gets it, understands the need for it, she can't imagine it being any other way. He pulls gently on her hand and swings their arms together between them.

"Ya weren't made fer this world girl, until the world changed ya. 'Member you made a wish, guess it came true." She isn't quite sure if he's teasing or not, but he's hit the nail on the head and she aches inside at the memory of how badly she wanted to change, felt she needed to. She'd like to go back, reclaim some of that innocence she lost. She'd like to believe that he'll always be there to hold her hand.

"I can't go back." It's not a question.

"Ya can't go back."

It's fitting that this is the conversation they are having right now because she's beginning to recognize her surroundings. There's a familiarity in these woods and her adrenaline kicks in. His grip is suddenly tighter and when she glances over at him she sees his tense jaw and the set of his shoulders. A walk that has taken them most of the day suddenly seems like it's over too soon. She slips her hand out of his to adjust her knife and he looks at her accusingly. She knows, if they could just hold onto each other and keep things from happening, but they can't. They're here. And it's time to see where they're going.

They've come up on the west wall of Alexandria. The part that runs behind the houses they are living in. Daryl doesn't hear anything, but he didn't really expect to. He remembers what they heard when they first came here and they all stood together outside the gates. They heard life. Children playing. People talking. Doors slamming. He also remembers how he didn't give fuck about any of it, didn't want to be there. But the boy and the baby deserved a roof, so he was there.

He raises his hand and points along the wall glancing over at Beth and he sees her nod slightly and she takes the lead. This is how they'll do it, until they reach the gate. Daryl tries the radio again, he's been trying the closer they've gotten, but he's just getting static. He clips it back on his belt and focuses on Beth.

Beth didn't stand outside the gate with them on the day they first came to the ASZ because Beth was dead. That's what he'd thought, they'd all thought. And that's why he didn't care either way what happened, what he did, he did for the others, because as far as he was concerned he no longer cared if he lived or died. But there was obviously a part of him that did care to a certain extent. He could've ended it. He had access to weapons, hell he had access to drugs once they were inside. But he didn't. He kept on going. Tried to tell himself it didn't matter.

'It does matter.'

Beth stops in front of him and he sees what she's doing. She's taking her time, watching, carefully. He comes up behind her, so close that he's pressed lightly against her back and he leans in and rests his cheek against her head. Soft tendrils of hair that escaped her ponytail tickle his chin and he can still smell the damn vanilla shampoo she uses even though they are covered in four days worth of sweat and dirt.

It does matter.

His hand at the small of her back guides her forward. They are coming up around the last corner and Daryl looks up and sees boots hanging over the edge of the wall, the guard post. Beth looks up, sees what he sees and they both stop. He pulls his gun and nods to her to do the same. With weapons in hand Daryl gives a low whistle signaling the person on watch. The boots disappear and the barrel of a rifle followed by Sasha's face appear over the edge of the wall.

Daryl raises a hand and she nods in return. She calls down to someone at the gates but Daryl stops Beth as they pass under her post.

"All clear?" He can't walk in there with Beth if Negan and his Saviors are still hanging around. She gives him the thumbs up, but Daryl sees the tightness in her expression. He knows his family for the most part and he can read people. Whatever happened isn't good. Eugene is waiting at the gate and it's open and he moves to the side to letting Daryl and Beth in. The expression on his face mirrors Sasha's, but Daryl also sees the fear there.

"Where's Rick?" Daryl asks. Eugene looks over his shoulder as he closes the gate.

"Pantry. Assessing our supply situation. Maybe you better just go talk to him." Daryl doesn't like the way other man hangs his head and turns away. And Sasha hasn't said anything. She just watches them from her post on the perch. He feels Beth's hand on his arm.

"Daryl.. " Her voice is soft and he knows she just wants to ease her mind. Do a count. Make sure they are all here. Alive and well.

Negan's been here. He's walked these streets. Been inside a couple of the houses. Beth shudders as she looks around the pantry at the empty shelves. She steps in closer to Daryl and does her best to focus on what Rick is saying but she can't get the image of that monster out of her head.. Just walking around their home, their safe place.

No where is safe anymore.

"He took almost everything. There are the reserves that were hidden..." Rick's face has that shell shocked look that it had out in there in grove. Beth knows there's more and it isn't good.

"I can hunt, go out later." Daryl lowers his crossbow to the ground his eyes on Rick. Beth reaches out then and touches him, slips her hand into his and squeezes. Silently communicating the fact that she won't stay here. Not without him.

"Carl, Judith.. " She's interrupting, but she needs to know. Rick's eyes are on her now and she feels the weight of his gaze and she doesn't like that there's fear in it. Suddenly the garage they are standing in feels very confining.

"He's coming back in two weeks and you gotta stay outta sight, you gotta…" Rick is reaching out for her hand now and he is trembling, slightly. She feels it when he wraps both his hands around hers. Somewhere outside a bird calls out.

"Rick?" She doesn't like how her voice sounds like a whine almost a plea.

"They're fine. Our family is fine. Maggie, Glenn, everyone.. He killed Spencer." It's more than that though and she knows it and Daryl knows it. She's standing between the two of them and she can feel the tension rolling off Daryl and Rick's fear is almost palpable.

"What else? What the fuck else?" Daryl growls and he pulls Beth back towards him, away from Rick and the fear that is emanating off of him.

"When he left.. Fucking bastard.. When he left he said he was looking for someone. Told me to keep an eye out for a blonde woman, tiny little thing, he called her. Said she killed his wife and one of his Saviors and he can't have that… that won't work.." Rick is looking at Daryl now and Beth is sure he's saying something, but she can't hear it.

She jumped off the high dive at the high school on a dare from her brother. She must have been about 8 years old that summer. In the backseat of their hot station wagon, Shawn promised her ice cream if she'd just jump off that high dive. Every time they made that drive into town to go swimming that summer he'd whisper that promise into her ear, making sure Annette and Hershel never heard. Beth couldn't tell her parents and she certainly couldn't look like a coward in her big brother's eyes. So she'd done it. Even though she was terrified and she hated it. She did it. She remembered what it felt like, climbing the ladder that seemed to go on forever, her little legs shaking. The board was coarse and cold beneath her feet. Laughter and voices echoed hollowly in her ears and because she was so far up there no one ever saw her tears. But she'd jumped. Every single time. She'd hit the water and sink and suddenly it was only the roar of water in her ears and parts of bodies tinged blue by the pools painted walls. She'd fight her way up, lungs burning, little arms and legs flailing, until she broke the surface. Coughing and sneezing she'd dog paddle to the wall and Shawn would haul her out and clap her on her back. "Ya did it kid!" She never figured out if he took pleasure in her fear or if he was trying to toughen her up. She only remembered how it felt beneath the water. Like she was drowning. She never enjoyed that ice cream.

Now she's back in that pool, under the water, fighting to get to the surface and breathe again. There are arms wrapped around her, but it isn't Shawn, he's dead. Her mama's dead, her daddy's dead and she should be. But she's not. She's here in the pantry with her face buried in his chest, his arms around her, his voice rumbling beneath her ear. Daryl. He's yelling something at Rick, but he stops when he hears her.

"He knows.. he knows I'm here…" She's whispering and she can feel herself teetering on the edge of hysteria, but he pulls her back, again. He's always pulling her back. His voice in her ear. It keeps her from losing the little hold on reality she still has.

"He don' know. He don'. Ain't gonna find ya." If she could just wrap herself up in him, his vest, the smell of trees and dirt and smoke. If she could just hide. He won't let the monsters get her again. He promised.

"Said he's keeping an eye out and if we were to find her and give her to him that would go a long way in squaring our debt. He doesn't know Beth. But it sure as fuck scared me." Rick is back in control, but Daryl isn't. Beth can feel him shaking against her. And when he puts his hands gently on her shoulders and moves her back just a little she knows he's done. She takes a couple steps backwards, closer to Rick and watches as he paces back and forth, muscles tense beneath his shirt.

"Why'd he kill Spencer?" Daryl asked. He was still pacing. Beth glances at Rick, unsure of what to do. She doesn't know if she can even talk him down.

"Spencer sold me out. Said I wasn't gonna be willing to work with him and that Negan should get rid of me and let him take charge. He'd have no problem working with Negan and meeting his demands." Daryl stopped and stared at Rick. "Apparently Negan felt that any man willing sellout his leader is a coward and he killed him. Made Olivia and a couple others dispose of the body."

"He's monster. He uses fear to lead his people. But he does have a twisted respect for people who stand up for themselves so long as it doesn't get in the way of what he ultimately wants." Beth's voice wavers as she speaks and she feels sick to her stomach. She's well aware of the fact that her actions while she was in Negan's factory should have gotten her killed. But they hadn't, cause Negan appreciated the fact that she fought. He still took what he wanted, but she did fight back. Unfortunately killing, or helping kill Sherri was too much. "But I killed his wife. So.." She doesn't try to stop the shudder that wracks her body as that memory comes back to her. Sherri wanted out. She felt like she had no other choice. That's what Negan did. Made them believe they were trapped.

Daryl slams his fist into the wall of the infirmary and then he leans against it, his forehead resting just above the whole he punched through the sheetrock. His hand probably isn't broken, but the knuckles are tore up and blood rolls down his hand and drips onto the floor.

"Ain't gonna find ya.. Leave if we hafta, hide out.. Or I'll just kill 'em." Daryl doesn't turn around and face them. Beth knows he's angry and scared. It's only the thought of her being in danger that drives him to that place. It's not a place she likes to visit. It hurts to see him like this, scares her just as much as the threat scares him.

"Daryl… you're hurt, there's blood.." She walks up behind him slowly and pulls his red bandanna from his back pocket and reaches for his hand. His shoulders slump and he lets her wrap it. "Let's go get a first aid…." Beth says, but is cut off by the radio static.

"Rick?" Sasha's voice. "Jesus is out here, you need to come."

Daryl tenses up again and watches as Rick raises the radio to his face.

"He alone?" Rick waits for her reply.

"Nope. It all clear though," she says.

Rick nods at Daryl and they follow him out of the garage to the gate. 'All clear', Beth thinks, must mean no Negan. And it also must have been a code they decided on while Beth and Daryl were outside the walls.

WIth the gate in sight Rick takes his colt out and holds by his side. Daryl flips his bow around and he steps in front of Beth. Rick moves in close to him and they cover her. Even though they got the all clear they aren't taking any chances. Daryl can see Jesus and he pulls his crossbow over his head and hands it back to Beth. Then everything else just goes red.

"Let 'em in.." he growls at Rick and stalks off towards the gate before Beth and Rick realize what's going on. He hears Rick call to Sasha to open the gate and the minute there's enough of a clearance for him, he's on his target. Dwight.

"You fuckin' tell him she's with us?" Daryl slams the man to the ground and has a hand around his neck. He could kill him, he will. He'll break his neck and string him up in a tree. He swings again and Dwight rolls over and the fist that was going to smash into his jaw connects with asphalt. Somewhere in his brain he recognizes her cry.

"No! I let her go.. Get off me.." He's trying to throw punches but Daryl has him flat on his back again.

"How the fuck yer boss know about her, huh?!" He feels arms on either side of him pulling him off the scrawny bastard. Dwight uses this chance, swings and his fist connects with Daryl's mouth. It's a weak punch, but Daryl feels the sting of a split lip and tastes blood. Jesus and Rick are dragging him away and he sees Sasha and Beth with their weapons trained on the asshole.

"He's with us Daryl! Calm down!" Daryl jerks his arm away and glares at Jesus. His eyes on Beth, he heads towards her, but Jesus blocks his way.

"Fuck you I ain't going for him!" She's already lowering his bow and coming to his side. He lets her push him away from the other men, back towards the gate.

"Why is he here?" Rick is up in Jesus' face and Daryl relaxes a little, leans into Beth, let's her take his battered hand. His brother has his back.

Jesus is moving back towards Dwight reaching out a hand and helping him up. Sasha hasn't left, her gun still trained on him.

"He came to the Hilltop. He surrendered, he wants out and he wants to help us. All of us."

Daryl lets a breath out that resembles a laugh and a growl all in one.

"Ya believe that shit? Guy's a liar, stole my stuff… he killed.. Denise." And all at once Daryl is enraged again. He killed Denise. Put an arrow through her skull. Forgetting about the pain in his hand and the blood that is running freely from his lip and down his neck he lunges again, but this time it's Rick that stops him.

"Hold up Daryl. Just.. wait.." He leans in close to Daryl and the way he says it eases Daryl back a bit. Because he respects Rick. And he knows that Rick loves Beth and he wouldn't risk her life. "Get inside the gate. Go on Beth."

She's back at his side and she slips her arm under his and leads him in. He hears her shuddering breath and his heart sinks. He slides his good arm around her shoulders.

"Ya okay?" He says it gently, watches her face and she's nodding, but she's also blinking back tears and she ain't looking at him. "Beth.." She reaches for his hand again and she's trying to press the blood soaked bandana to his knuckles to stop the bleeding, but it isn't working.

The others are inside the gate now and he hears it slam shut and the locks being turned, but he can't tear his eyes away from her. She has that deer in the headlights look on her face again. And he remembers what she looked like in the RV right after Negan had them all. She's slipping, she's wiping aimlessly at his knuckles and it hurts cause she isn't paying attention to what she's doing. And the bandana is no good anyway.

"Beth. Stop. Yer hurtin' me girl." She jerks her hand away and mumbles something. " 'S okay, jus' a little blood." He smiles at her, but he can taste blood and he imagines his face looks horrible. Sasha joins them and holds out another bandana. Holding it to his mouth he looks at Sasha. "Beth stay here, I'm gonna find out what's going on. Stay with Sasha."

That seems to bring her back from wherever she was because now she's glaring at him and she steps around him, bloody rag balled in her fist and heads towards Rick.

"I am not staying here." She calls over her shoulder and Sasha shrugs and follows her.

Beth's emotions are all over the place. She's terrified and angry, and she's angry that she's terrified. This needs to end. They can't continue to live like this, always afraid and hiding. She comes up on the three men and folds her arms.

"I have a right to know what's going on." She looks at Rick while she says this because if she looks at Dwight she's afraid she'll start crying and she doesn't want that to happen. She feels Daryl come up behind her. When she's hurt or upset or in any kind of danger, there is no such thing as personal space as far as Dary is concerned. But his chest against her back, the warmth from the physical contact does calm her down a little.

"Beth, Rick just told me, told us what went on with Negan. I swear we had no idea. Dwight wasn't even here with him and the Saviors," Jesus explained. Beth nodded, the knot in her stomach from earlier reminding her that it's still there.

"I want out man. You think I woulda done what I did for her in the van if I had an allegiance to Negan? I let her go. I knew a long time ago I wanted out. I just needed to figure out a way. It's not easy." Dwight avoided looking Daryl in the eyes, but Beth can see it's obviously directed at him.

"An ya think we should jus' take your word, let ya in here…" Daryl rests a hand on her shoulder and she can feel the slight tremor in it, like he's doing all he can to hold himself in check.

"No, no. He's not coming in here. We're gonna hear what he has to say and then you can take him back with you. Keep him locked up until we figure this out." Rick looks at Jesus and the other man nods.

"He's looking for Beth…" Dwight starts and Rick raises a hand to Daryl's shoulder anticipating what Daryl might do before it's done. Beth leans back against him because Dwight is saying just what she fears. Dwight holds up a hand. "He don't know who she is or anything, just what she did. That Savior, in the van that night, he's dead. One of the other girls, trying to get in Negan's favor, told him. Told him the little blonde killed Chad and Sherri and escaped. They don't even know her name. If Negan ever knew it he forgot it."

That's not how it went, she hadn't wanted to kill Sherri. Beth steps towards him and she feels Daryl's hand at the small of her back but she shrugs it off intent on getting closer to Dwight. Her throat is aching.

"I didn't.. Sherri made me, she said it was the only way.. I didn't wanna do it.." Beth knows she's pleading with this man who isn't much better than Negan, but her guilt at Sherri's death is forcing her, pushing her to say what she's wanted to say for awhile.

Dwight drops his head to his chest and his arms dangle by his sides.

"I know. Sherri told me, before. I tried to talk her out of it, begged her but she wanted away from him and she wanted you to go home. Said you weren't like all those other girls, you were loved, had people that loved you somewhere and she wanted you to find them." It's obvious he's having a hard time saying all this and it's hurting him.

"I'm sorry." It's all she can give him.

"Beth." Daryl isn't angry. He isn't yelling at her but she turns and hurries back to him. Back to the safety that being in his arms gives her.

"So what does Beth have to do with all this?" Rick asks.

Dwight looks at Jesus.

"Just listen to him before you assume the worst. Ok. It's only an idea and to be honest I'm not sold on it either. There are other ways, we can figure something out, but listen to this first." Jesus tells them.

"I can go back to Negan. Tell him I know where she is, tell him I want back in his favor. Offer her in exchange for my rank back in the Savior's." Daryl's out from behind Beth and on Dwight's before anyone says anything else. Sasha follows, her rifle targeted on Dwight.

"DARYL!" Rick yells and grabs the back of his brother's leather vest yanking him off Dwight. Beth gets s hold of his arm and pulls him back again. "We ain't agreeing to nothin' yet. Just listen!" Beth watches Daryl's face and his eyes don't leave Dwight.

"What's to say this asshole don't jus' go back and tell him the truth?" The pleading tone in Daryl's voice is the final straw for Beth. She's been trying to hold it together, but she can't anymore. She's scared. She's scared and she wants to wake up cause this has to be a nightmare. Turning into Daryl she buries her face in his chest and cries. His hands are on her, in her hair and she feels his harsh breaths in her ear. "I got ya Beth.. I ain't gonna.. " But, to overwhelmed with emotion, he can't say anything else and he just holds her.

"I'll work it out so you can ambush him. He won't be ready, won't expect it. Not from me. But I'm done. I'm done." Dwight holds out his hands.

"Why?" Rick asks and for a few seconds there is silence.

"Yeah why are you doing this?" Sasha's asks.

"I'm doing it for her. So her death wasn't for nothing. Because she'd say this is what we should do." Dwight takes a deep breath, "She was a good person. I'm doing it for her."

At these words Beth turns her head and looks at him through her tears.

"Negan would have to see proof, he's not stupid, he's gonna ask to see her." Rick brings this up and Beth sucks in a breath, with the sudden realization that this is in fact true. Negan won't believe it unless he sees her.

"No." Daryl takes a step forward. "Rick ya gonna even entertain doin' this? Put her out there? In danger?"

Beth is still looking at Dwight, thinking. Because if Dwight truly is done, if he wants out, it could work. She could end this, be the bait. She would do it if it meant ridding their world of Negan.

"Daryl?" Her voice is soft and she watches as he turns slowly to face her. He loves her, so much, this is gonna hurt him and he will probably refuse and she'd have to go against him and she doesn't know if she is strong enough to do that. But this has to end.

Cliffhanger.. I know! But they usually encourage me to update quicker! So I apologize but plan to update by the weekend!