Much to Daryl's annoyance, Beth continued to take care of him. She managed her way around his lifestyle to find food, give him his painkillers, and keeping his head wound clean. She would be lying if she said she wasn't feeling a bit awkward after she tried to...move things forward. It made her worry that she was now making things worst between them.

If that weren't enough, she had been hearing strange noises in the middle of the night. Soon she found herself unable to sleep and her eyes peaked at a shadow moving across the room. She realized that Daryl had gotten up but she wouldn't let him know she was awake. He struggled his way around the cramped living room, grabbed his crossbow and went out the door.

Beth waited a while and then stepped outside to follow him. She managed to find his trail leading down the hills into another area of the woods she had yet to tread. It was a meadow. She could see part of it from the house before but this was the first time Beth had actually seen the scope of it. It was very wide and open. But Daryl, once she spotted him was keeping to the bushes looking out. Beth stayed by some nearby trees keeping out of sight.

A deer could be seen not too far away in the meadow and Daryl was trying to lure it closer to him. It was only a dozen yards away. Not too far for an arrow but Daryl needed it to get closer. He tried everything to lure it but the deer wouldn't move. There was rustling coming from the meadow and Daryl could see the shadow of a walker closing in.

Daryl quickly shot at the deer before it could escape. Then he rushed out into the meadow so he could shoot and kill the walker. He hurried back to the deer and tried to lift it but he was having trouble just trying to stand. He was feeling dizzy.

That was when Beth decided she needed to interfere.

"Daryl, what are you doing?!"

"Dammit girl. You shouldn't be here!"

"I'm glad I am. You're not supposed to be hunting right now because of your head."

"I got no time for this." Daryl froze when he saw a light in the distance. "Sh*t! Beth help me quick."

Beth stood there looking angry and confused.

"I'll tell you why later. Just help me. We got no time."

Beth and Daryl dragged the deer until they were out of the meadow and back into the woods. It seemed as though he was trying to get it from sight. Once the deer carcass was behind some large bushes, Daryl made sure it was covered up.

The lights were getting closer.

"Let's get back. We can bring the truck once they're gone."

Daryl and Beth headed back to the house. "Now will you tell me."

"Shh-" Daryl then grabbed a pair of binoculars to look out at the lights that were now heading back into the meadow.

Beth struck him in the shoulder. "Ow. Sh*t!"

"What are you doing?!"

"That stupid deer could be enough to get the Governor off our backs for a while."

"Then why were we in a hurry?"

"Had to keep them from finding out we were huntin'."

"Who?"

"Central guys. We ain't supposed to be huntin' in their territory. That treeline was the border. If they found out I was huntin' on their land, even just a few feet in, they would've killed us both."

"Are you crazy? We could've been killed over a stupid deer?!"

"Hey, I'm tryin' to keep us alive out here."

"This isn't worth risking your life for!"

"Why do you even care?" Daryl snarled then he stormed back into his room. He waited a few hours before taking the truck alone to go get the deer. When he returned to the spot where he hid it, the deer had been completely mauled, by a walker no doubt and it angered him.

He came home just before another car pulled up to the house. Both he and Beth assumed it was Martinez or another one of the Governor's cronies. To their surprise, Hershel and Rick came out to see them. Daryl had never seen Beth run so quickly into her father's arms. He couldn't blame her. The last couple of weeks here had been far too rough on her, mostly because of him.

"I'm sorry it took me so long," said Hershel. "I've been so worried about you."

"You don't have to be, daddy. I've been more worried about you having to deal with that farm alone."

"Glenn and Maggie come by to help. Otis does too. It's nothing to worry about. Why don't you show me around...have a good look at the place."

Daryl muttered a curse. She was really going to show her father around this dump? Really? Hershel already knew what the outside conditions were. He never saw the inside of the place and he thinks it would make Hershel regret giving him his daughter.

"What's all that?" Daryl pointed to the stuff that Rick was unloading.

"Some stuff for Beth. Sheets and extra clothes."

"I meant the crates."

"Mostly corn and soybean with some radishes."

Daryl realized that these were crops from Hershel's farm. "I don't want him paying me. He can take it back."

"Don't consider it payment, Daryl," said Rick. "Consider it a present. I mean, what you're doing for him, I know it was asking a lot but he gets to see his daughter today because of you."

"He shouldn't be thankin' me. I haven't exactly been a warm host to her." He didn't like the way Rick was looking at him. "I swear to God, I haven't touched her yet. I told her we'd hold it off."

"The Governor ain't gonna change that law. It's gonna stick if I know 'im. So if you want my advice, I think you and Beth should try to find a way to live with one another before time runs out."

"It ain't the law, man. You see this place? You think she's got any future here? I haven't been able to pay the Gov what I owe 'im and I still gotta deal with his sh*t."

"Has it really been that bad?"

"Well..." Daryl try to think of something. "She's been asking too many questions."

"I'm starting to think you're part of the problem, Daryl. You're not making it easy for her by reminding her how bad her situation is."

"What am I supposed to do about it?"

"You could stop thinking about what you have to do and start thinking about how you're gonna make her more comfortable here."

The joy that Beth felt from her father's visit was the first time Daryl had ever seen her happy. Hershel then wanted to speak to Daryl alone. "Beth says you've been good to her."

"What?"

"You're just what Rick said you were and that means a lot to me. I can rest a little better knowing she's with you."

Daryl was surprised that Hershel had anything good to say about him. Of course, he hadn't been around to see how he had been treating Beth after everything. It made him feel guilty.

Beth remained optimistic even after Hershel and Rick were gone. When Daryl went back to the bedroom, he found fresh bedsheets on the mattress. The room had been spruced up a bit to give it a more homey feel. Beth cooked some of the vegetables her father brought.

"I could really use some meat."

"Not until you're better," said Beth. "But I'm sorry about your deer."

"It's fine."

"Is it really going to get bad if you don't get one soon?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll handle it."

"Okay but I can still help if you need me to. This involves me too now, doesn't it?"

"I guess." Daryl took a bite of the vegetables. "This ain't bad."

"Really? Cause you don't any salt or spices here. The only thing I could was boil them."

"Alright then. We'll go back into town tomorrow for some. I'm sure I can trade something for it."

"You don't have to do that, Daryl."

"No," he said. "I think I do."

...

Milton was the Governor's man to keeping track of the numbers, the population and the like. He knew the Governor would not be happy with the latest results.

"I'm sorry but it's true," he told them. "Since your law passed, birth rates have only increased by around 20%. Women are taking advantage of the six-month delay or they've jumped the border. I warned you this would be the case as it was."

"It don't matter," the Governor said. "I got it to pass. And where are those women going to go? They don't got organized societies out there like we do here."

"Even so, I don't think the rate will go up as it is."

The Governor's patience was soon weakening. "Alright then, if no one is taking this seriously, we'll have to make some adjustments."

"Adjustments?"

"Speed things up a bit. Six months is too long in my mind. Maybe we'll cut it down to 2 months..."

"Two months? The council won't approve of it."

"They don't have the power you think they do, Milton." The Governor smiled. "If I have to, we'll bring it down to one."