'This isn't happening.'

Beth had been spending a good amount of her days alone in her room unable to cope with being the center of a major family crisis.

'This is NOT happening.'

The man she hoped to marry and have children with was now dead. Every day that got closer to her eighteenth birthday was now a day of absolute dread an uncertainty. What was going to happen now? There were many options.

One, she hoped, was getting and extension or maybe not having to follow the law altogether. Hershel had personally driven to Woodbury to plead his case to the Governor, but he wouldn't budge. The law still apply to Beth and if she didn't sign the marriage contract after she turn eighteen, she could be permanently imprisoned...torn from her family and never being able to see them again. The Governor was harsh when it came to people who did not follow his laws no matter how minor. Everyone knew this.

That left the option of having to be married off to a complete stranger. Maggie, Glenn and the others were spending much of their time "shopping around" for eligible bachelors, making connections and in the hopes of ensuring someone that they could trust would take care of Beth. The search didn't have many viable options. Since the marriage law passed, a lot of the decent eligible men have made commitments to other women or were already married.

About a week before Beth's eighteenth birthday, they had gotten very close. Glenn had come across a nice guy name Zach, who was a recent arrival to the area. Beth even had one meeting with him without bringing up the possibility of marriage. But a few days later, he was killed by a walker while volunteering on a scavenger run. Beth felt cursed as if she wasn't meant to have a future with a decent man.

The day of her birthday arrived and there was no celebration...no well wishes. Beth spent the day in her room crying. She knew that the census takers would be arriving at their house for their next check within the week, and that was when they would check to see if she was complying with the law. It soon became clear that her options were now limited to imprisonment or having to give herself to any man out of desperation.

Hershel was just as affected, just as helpless. He couldn't just ask any man to marry his little girl. Yet he knew a lot of men in the West Georgia Territory, who were still unmarried, were not of the pleasant type. They were rough on the outside and still had the same primitive urges they had after the apocalypse started. Losing Beth to prison, however, was still not an option. The following day, he drove to the Walker Patrol post where Rick was stationed. He wasn't sure if talking to Rick would help but he had nothing else.

"I've tried everything, Rick."

Rick sighed. "I wish I could do more for you, Hershel. I haven't forgotten how you saved my son's life."

"Is there any possible way to get Beth around this law?"

"I'm afraid not. The Governor doesn't make loopholes. It's usually his way or you go to Woodbury for imprisonment. I..." Rick started to sound nervous. "I've been hearing things about women who weren't complying the law being sent there...about the Governor's men having their way with them."

Hershel tried to not think about. "He's about as desperate to save the human race as I am to help my daughter."

"The Governor doesn't care about the world population," said Rick. "Just his."

"It's hard to believe there really are no good men left. I feel like we've talked to all of them."

Rick began to ponder. "Well maybe not all of them. There is...one man I know. He and his brother were part of my group before we settled here. They live out in the woods now, keep to themselves. Haven't heard from them in a long time."

"Are they at least decent men?"

"The older one, not so much. Daryl on the other hand...I'd say he's decent enough. You're just gonna have to have an open mind about him."

Hershel got up from his seat. "I never thought I would be this desperate," he said. "Let's go see this Daryl."

...

It was long hour drive out into the countryside until they were nearing the border of West Georgia Territory. The farmlands ceased and soon it was nothing but forest. Walkers could be seen combing through the trees along the road but they were quite scattered. Still it made Hershel worry. It was far too isolated...far too dangerous out here.

They passed a large blood-written sign that said 'Private Property. Keep Out.' Finally the car pulled up to the first sign of civilization. The house seemed indistinguishable from the trees due to all the rotting wood. It was as old as Hershel's farmhouse but it clearly did not age well. The windows were boarded up. There was a porch decorated with all manner of animals skins.

A rugged man could be seen on the porch seemingly gutting at a dead possum. But as he looked up and saw the car pulling up to his home, he was not pleased. He recognized the Walker Patrol emblem on car door.

Rick and Hershel came out to greet him. "Daryl, long time no see."

Daryl grumbled. "The hell did my brother do this time?"

Rick shook his head. "Nothin' haven't heard from him."

"Haven't seen him in two days. Thinkin' he's doing another stint in Woodbury."

"I can look into that for you. In the meantime, I want you to meet Hershel Greene."

Hershel went up to shake the man's hand, which was smeared with dried possum blood. This Daryl was far from a class act. "What's goin' on?" asked Daryl.

"We've come to ask for a little favor. Do you know about the Governor's new marriage law?"

Daryl paused and looked at Rick. "Yeah? What's that got to do with me?"

"It's Hershel daughter...they're gonna lock her up in Woodbury unless she finds a man to...take her in."

"Are you shittin' me, Grimes? You come all the way here to ask me to marry some bitch I don't even know?"

"Hey!" Rick grabbed Daryl's arm with a lot of force. "You don't badmouth Hershel's family infront of me!"

But Daryl managed to push him back. "I'll say it again. I ain't marryin' some bitch I don't even know!"

"Mister, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't so desperate," said Hershel. "We've looked at plenty of men for my daughter."

"Then ask one of them to do it."

"We already did," said Rick. "You were kinda our last resort."

Daryl started turning back towards the house. "The answer's no. Now get off my property."

Neither man seemed willing to comply with Daryl's request. "I have a farm. Lots of livestock, crops. I'll give you as much as you want if you sign the contract, take her in."

Daryl glared at Hershel. He knew about the other part of the law and that was much of the reason behind his answer. "I ain't no fool. You expect me to knock her up too?"

"I don't expect anything from you. I just want a chance to hold onto my daughter, to keep from losing her and I trust you, Daryl. Rick says you're a good man." Daryl could tell that Hershel was determined. Asking him, of all people, to marry his daughter really did reek of desperation. Hershel even went as far as to take the papers he held in his hand stretched them to Daryl.

"You haven't forgotten...that everyone wanted Merle out of the group," said Rick. "But I gave him a chance because you asked me to."

"That don't mean I owe you shit, Grimes."

"It does mean we do whatever it takes for family...like Hershel is doing for his daughter. You think about that."

Daryl looked at Hershel's stretch hand for one second but quickly turned away. "Sorry." He stormed back toward his house.

"Come on, Hershel," said Rick. "It's getting late. We better head back."

Daryl was relieved when he looked through the boarded windows and saw the two men in their car drive away. The forest was silent again. As he went outside to take a smoke, his eye caught the sight of a rock on his porch sitting on top of some papers. He picked them up. They were clearly the same ones that Hershel tried to give to him. Was this man serious? Was he really that determined to make him go through with this? Not that it mattered anyway, his family situation was not his problem, consequence or no consequence.