Daryl swung his door open just at the screen door opened and Hershel stepped out on to the porch. Merle and Maggie were off the bike and Mac was next to him instantly his arm brushing against him. Maggie was up the step to her father hugging him and kissing him on the cheek and Merle turned waiting on them.

Hershel's eyes suddenly found both of the youngest Dixon's and he gave them a smile. "I was wondering when you two would turn up." his southern twang was every thing Daryl remembered.

Mac took the steps three at a time while Daryl walked slower towards them. Something was off in Hershel's voice and he seen Merle looking at him a silencing look in his eyes. Daryl chewed his lip and walked up the steps towards the man who was like family to them.

Hershel and his grandfather Norman had went back so far that he couldn't remember a time that he didn't know the Greenes. Maggie was quiet next to her father as Mac took up his attention. Hershel was shaking his head at Mac already use to his constant energy and inability to hold still.

Daryl stepped next to his brother at the exact moment the door swung open and Annette stepped outside. She walked right for Daryl and pulled him into a hug without a thought. His arm came around her awkwardly and she gave a weak laugh before stepping back and grabbing Mac mid-sentence cutting him off and doing the same to him.

"You decided to marry me yet?" Mac questioned his arm going around her shoulder pulling Annette into his side.

She smiled at him patting his stomach, "Why of course. I've just been waiting on you to get here."

Mac grinned at Daryl and he shook his head. They were all use to Mac's bullshitting with her. He'd done it since they'd hit their teens and everyone who knew them just shook their head at him. Maggie smiled and so did Hershel watching them and Daryl could feel a tension in the air. Daryl's eyes went to Hershel and seen the man looking at him. He hadn't seen Shawn or Beth yet. Hershel's eyes turned onto the group climbing from the vehicles and Sophia trotted up the steps straight for Daryl.

"Daryl there is a horse here." Her voice was quiet.

He looked down at her and nodded and she moved closer to him when Annette seen her. She shifted hiding her body partially behind him and Merle chuckled.

"Introduce me to your group." Hershel looked to them.

Mac stepped forward taking Annette with him and she winked at Daryl and Hershel, "I got ya Hershel."

Daryl hung back and set down on the banisters of the porch and smirked as Sophia struggled to pull herself up next to him. Merle moved behind her and lifted her up. She was standing instead of setting and turned looking at Merle her hand was on Daryl's shoulder as she eyed the older man.

"I'm as tall as you now." She smiled.

Merle chuckled, "Appears that way don't it."

Daryl's eyes landed on Carol and he smirked at her causing her to blush. He licked his lips his eyes sweeping down her body. He wanted to know what she had to say or if she had even thought about what he said to her. Sophia set next to him and leaned against him yawning her little head dipping and Merle stepped behind her as her little body dipped. She was resting against Daryl's solid side and against Merle.

Daryl looked over as Mac made introductions and seen Andrea watching him. Annette was still standing with him and he laughed shaking his head, "Mac has Andrea confused as fuck."

"Aint met a fuckin' person one who isn't confused by that fucker." Merle shrugged.

Mac lead Hershel over to the rest of the group and Daryl tensed unsure what the fuck Mac was gonna blurt out. Mac pointed towards him and seen Annette and Hershel both turn to him and then nod to Carol. Mac moved on talking to Hershel but Annette stayed with Carol, Andrea, and Jacqui. She was leading them towards the steps talking about cooking from what he could tell.

A loud whistle had him looking over and Mac was gesturing to him. Daryl stood up catching Sophia before she could tip and she opened her eyes frowning at him.

"Ya mama walked into the house." Merle stepped to the side as he spoke.

Both of them were walking forward towards Mac and Hershel. "What's with all the looks?"

"Wait till he gets everyone settled." Merle's voice was low.

Hershel made quick work of making sure everyone knew the rules of the farm and that they understood that what he said went. He had made it clear that if they didn't like it they were more than welcome to leave the farm. Shane was bristling and shooting glares that were so loaded at Daryl that it had his own anger starting to peak.

"Now I got some catching up to do and some work." Hershel turned nodding to all three Dixon men.

All three followed after him and Mac elbowed him causing him to slow down. Merle and Hershel kept walking and Mac looked over his shoulder at Shane, "He's gonna start some shit."

Daryl shook his head, "He's a fuckin' idiot. Ignore him."

"Watch his ass."

"Can you two hens wait till later to gossip?" Merle snapped.

Mac grinned and shrugged, "You're just mad you aint in the hen party."

They walked around to where Hershel usually split wood for his fireplaces and he set down. Daryl set down on his splitting block balancing the familiar axe in his hands.

"What's going on?" Mac started.

Hershel blew out a breath and his face took on an odd look. "We lost Shawn at the turn. He was in town with Annette and saved her..." He looked at them, "He got her back here but it was too late for him."

Mac cringed and Daryl looked down, "Hate to hear that."

Hershel nodded, "Now I've buried my boy and god rest his soul I've made peace with the fact he wont be struggling in this world."

"But you got more to say." Mac eyed him.

"It was a godsend Merle finding you like he did."

Daryl nodded, "I can agree but I get that there is more than just him luckin' out findin' his family."

"Boys if words could make wishes come true I wouldn't ask you this but I need your help." Hershel stood up is hands wrapping around his suspenders, "Now Bethie has went missing."

Daryl looked up and so did Mac at him. Beth wasn't like Maggie or even anyone in her family for that matter. She wasn't one for doing anything overly physical or anything like that. She was more of an indoors type and from every time he'd been around her all he could really remember was how young she really was. She wasn't built for a world like this.

"Now Merle was out in those woods tracking her but.."

Merle shifted, "Three pairs of trained eyes is better than one." Merle looked right at Daryl and he nodded knowing he was the better tracker out of the three of them.

"You still got that map in your office?" Daryl stood.

Hershel nodded, "Boys be careful out there looking for my girl."

The rest of the day was spent setting up the camps and Daryl looking over the map with Merle and Mac. Merle was showing everywhere he'd tracked and looked. Daryl nodded along his eyes memorizing everything he could about the map. He hadn't interacted with Beth near as much as her sister being that there was such a huge gap in the age difference between them. When him and Mac were around they were usually doing whatever they could to help Hershel out and that meant Beth was in the house or whatever the hell she actually done.

Merle rolled up the map and they started for the steps. Sophia burst through the door eating an apple with the women not far behind her. She went straight for him and tossed an apple at him. Mac huffed and his hand flashed out taking it from Daryl.

"Mac that's not fair." Sophia smiled.

Mac leaned towards her, "What's not fair is you picking favorites."

Sophia shrugged, "He don't get me in trouble like you do."

Mac barked out a laugh and walked off eating his apple. Sophia looked up at him and he felt her eyes pleading for his attention. Hershel smiled at him but went on talking.

"You boys know you're welcome to sleep in the house."

Daryl shook his head and looked towards where he knew the hold structure still set of the house him and Mac had started to tear down right before all this went to shit. Hershel shook his head and walked up the steps.

Sophia grabbed his hand and pulled him further away from everyone. She kept pulling till she was out of hearing distance, "Mom jumped on to me Daryl."

Daryl looked down at her raising an eyebrow, "Kit that aint my place."

Sophia's lip trembled, "She..."

"Shit." He knelt and met her eyes, "What?"

"She hates me."

Daryl seen Carol walking towards them over her shoulder and she gave him a reassuring smile.

"Kit your mama don't hate you."

"She does." Sophia whimpered and tears rolled over her cheeks causing his chest to ache. She flung herself at him almost knocking him backwards and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Carol's steps faltered looking at him but he wanted nothing more than her to come handle the emotional little girl. He didn't know what to do for her. Sophia was talking low to him and he got the idea of what Carol had jumped her about and sighed.

"Kit somethings aint meant to be repeated or said." Daryl muttered low to her, "You keep giving her a hard time every time she turns around and of course you're gonna get in trouble."

She pulled back and looked at him, "I...I just thought I was being honest. I was never allowed to speak unless Ed asked me too." Sophia shrugged and Carol came to a stop next to her. She looked up at her mom.

Carol sighed and ran her hand through Sophia's hair, "Sweetie I get that I do. But you need to watch what you say regardless. You're still a little girl and saying the things you do isn't right." Sophia opened her mouth and Carol shushed her, "You aren't Mac or Daryl, you aren't a grown man stop talking like one."

Sophia pushed her lip out and looked to Daryl but he kept his face impassive. He wasn't stepping into that shit. She sighed and nodded, "I'm sorry."

She turned and started towards the group leaving Carol standing with Daryl. Carol shook her head, "I'm sorry she pulled you out here and started crying on you."

Daryl chuckled, "Surprisingly that isn't the first time she's done that."

Carol turned looking at him, "You're good with her."

His mind went back to Noah but he shook it off and nodded at her.

"It's peaceful here." Carol's voice was soft and the setting sun was casting a low light across her face making her pale skin glow. "Think we'll be safe for a while?"

Daryl smiled and nodded along with her. "Lot of property here Carol." The use of her name had her turning and looking at him again, "Make sure you keep an eye on her regardless."

She smiled at him, "You're a good man Daryl."

He blushed and started towards the house. She fell in step with him and bumped her arm into him getting his attention, "I thought about what you said." Raising an eyebrow at her he waited for her to go and watched her face flush, "The last time anyone showed interest in me was Ed."

Daryl stopped and looked at her, "I aint like Ed. If you think I'd ever lay hands on you or your girl tell me right now."

Carol looked up at him, "That's not what I'm saying at all. I know you wouldn't. I feel safe with you." She blushed harder at her words but he felt something in his chest crack and stepped closer to her, "I'm just not sure how to go about anything like this Daryl."

She looked up at him and her small hand grabbed his larder one. His thumb slid against her pulse feeling it hammer, "I aint goin' anywhere Carol. I reckon we got time to figure shit out."

Her answering smile was beautiful and his breathing deepened just looking at her. She must have read the look on his face and in his eyes cause her breath hitched out of her chest and she stepped closer to him. His back was towards the group and she pulled his hand up to her mouth turning it over so his palm was facing up. She smiled at him pulling his hand to her mouth and kissed the center of his palm, her soft lips sent fire racing through his blood but he fought to keep it under control. He couldn't help the growl that escaped him at the touch and her eyes darkened at the sound.