Daryl moved swiftly through the woods where Hershel and Merle had indicated Beth had been around. He wasn't sure what would have made the girl go into the woods and Hershel appeared to be just as confused as him about it. He still stood by the fact that Beth wasn't an outdoors girl and more of a house cat. Hell had it been Maggie out there he'd have no doubt he'd walk up on her somewhere held up but he had more grim expectations for the younger Greene sister. He felt horrible for it but it was facts and he was always realist.

Squatting low as the sun broke across the dew covered forest he listened around him for anything in the woods with him. It was something Merle himself was never good at, him or Mac really. Both were to loud and impatient to really let the woods settle around them to take it in. Tracking wasn't just about what you seen but what you heard. If the woods were silent then something was wrong. It often meant danger was around with silence in the woods and it was best to hold your horses and wait to see what was around.

It had saved his ass more times than he could count taking his time to get the feel of the woodsy atmosphere he was entering. If it was quiet then he would know there was some type of predator or walkers out here closer to him than he'd seen. If there was the normal noise and chatter that came with the woods though he'd start like he'd originally planned.

Setting still for a moment longer he blew out a breath at the discontent he heard in the woods. Something was off and maybe whatever it was had lured young Beth out here. Sucking in a breath he brought his crossbow around and let his eyes scan the woods quickly before following an obvious path. If Hershel and Merle had seen her here he knew this would be her.

The further he traveled in the woods the more unease had settled over it. There was no chatter of squirrels, no cawing of crows, there was nothing like the normal noises he would hear. It seemed even the wind was silenced through the winding ravines. It left his skin feeling slick and tacky with sweat as he moved forward. His nerves were up and he let his mind drift to if Merle and Mac felt the same unease in the woods he was.

Carol shifted and opened her eyes looking up at a high raftered log ceiling and yawned. Her mind caught up with her and she turned her head realizing she was in a bed. A very large bed and nested down in thick comforters. Frowning Carol couldn't remember coming in here after being in the living room with Daryl, she remembered falling asleep on him. She smirked at the thought and pushed herself up about the time she heard a loud thud through the house.

Swinging her legs over the bed Sophia appeared at the door her eyes wide, "I didn't do it."

Carol raised an eyebrow, "We're the only ones in here Sophia. Just tell me what happened?"

Sophia looked around not meeting her mother's eyes, "I thought you slept in bed with me?"

Carol felt her face heat up from the images of last night but kept her face straight, "What did you do?"

"I just wanted to see the picture...I didn't think it would tip over." Sophia whined. "Daryl wont hate me will he?"

Carol stood up and huffed, "I doubt he will hate you. Out of everyone here I think you are completely safe from that sweetheart."

Sophia beamed at her then her eyes brightened further, "I woke up and you weren't in bed last night." She trailed after Carol down the hall her light foot steps matching hers, "Did you sleep good?"

Carol gave her a look and Sophia just grinned, "Don't start with me and mind your manners."

Sophia snapped her fingers, "Mac was right."

Carol sighed knowing that it was useless now to get her to be quiet. She could see it in her daughters eyes and knew she was in for an inquisition on what was going on with her and Daryl. This had been a long time coming for her and Sophia ever since the night she had seen them kiss.

Coming around the corner Carol seen the broken frame on the ground and bent down picking up the shards of glass. Just as she stood to hopefully find a dust pan the door opened tentatively and Annette stepped through. She gave Sophia a bright smile and shot Carol a warm welcoming one as well.

"Good morning Annette!" Sophia chirped from her spot on the couch.

She walked right to the girl pulling her into a hug, "Now honey I got breakfast made at the house if you wanna run on out there and get it before those two hogs we endearingly know as Merle and Mac eat it all."

Sophia looked to Carol and she nodded, "Stay close to the house and always in sight of someone young lady."

Sophia didn't respond but took off out the door like a flash of light leaving the two women alone. Carol looked over and then down at the glass and blushed, "She was trying to get a look at the picture and tipped it over."

Annette just smiled and stepped around the corner to a hidden closet and pulled the broom and dust pan out, "Kids will kids dear." Annette set about picking up the house, which wasn't really much to pick up at all, she done this all with a smile on her face. "For them to be twins you'd think they'd be the same about messes."

Carol looked around, "Daryl seems to have a place for every thing."

"Oh he does. Never was one for messes and things out of place. " She set down at the kitchen table and smiled at her as she made her way over, "You lucked out not sleeping at Mac's place. Now that honey is hell on Earth. Lord help the woman who gets him."

Carol laughed and nodded, "I've noticed differences between them...all three of them."

Annette smiled, "One thing they all have in common though is how hard-headed they are. I told Daryl not to go into those woods alone, not with us not sure what happened to Beth but when I wake up this morning fully prepared to fix those three men breakfast Mac and Merle were the only two to show up."

Carol sighed, "He was out the door early."

"Before sun was even up I presume?" Annette had a smile on her face but it was sad, "I know that Beth is out there and lord I pray for my girl to be safe but I want him safe as well. Those three are like sons to me and if something happened to hurt one of them well I'd be devastated you understand."

The way Annette was looking at her was making her feel like she was being studied. She hadn't had someone look at her like that in a long time. Annette finally looked down that same smile on her face and looked out the window.

"When Merle showed up here he was hurt and more than a little delirious." Annette sighed, "I thought I was going to have to watch another of my boys pass away right there. Not knowing about the twins was hard but there was the hope they were good. It was a miracle Hershel got him fixed up and had the antibiotics."

"They went there for him. They were there for days searching for him." Carol nodded along with Annette.

"I have no doubt. Merle was always more of the type to get himself in trouble leaving those two to take care of things." Annette looked at her again, "When he got here he was worried for them and he went to that Quarry but nothing was there. Maggie said he kept talking about a little girl and I'm guessing that is your daughter."

Carol nodded, "Yeah from the beginning she was drawn to those three. Every time I would turn around she would be over there with one of them. She was always watching what they were doing and getting them to show her stuff."

"Merle spoke fondly of her and you even." Annette laughed, "He don't often speak to well of women but I thought that since he was speaking of you like that then something might have been between you."

Carol shook her head her face coloring, "No...nothing like that."

"Oh no imagine my surprise when the very one out of the three of them is the one who is head over feet for you." Annette was beaming at her, "You're good for him though. I can see that much already and he adores kids even though he keeps most of them at arm's length since Noah passed away."

Carol nodded, "He told me about him."

"That right there lets me know you mean something to him honey. That man don't talk to anyone about Noah or really anything personal." Annette stood up, "Now since you are staying here lets get those men to bring your stuff on around here and get you settled and fed."

Carol stood up and Annette pulled her in to a tight hug, "I know at times that man is gonna seem like a real head case and more stubborn than is God-given but honey he's like his grandfather, just gotta work around those briars."

Carol laughed as her and Annette made it across the yard towards the house. Her eyes immediately landed on Sophia being swung up into the air by Mac again as he spoke to Hershel and Merle. She was laughing and pinching him from she could see but the man stood still letting her do as she pleased. His eyes went to hers and a knowing look was in his eyes making her face burn red before she could look away.

Mac and Merle both looked through the woods with the same knowledge that they weren't anywhere near where they figured she'd be. Mac had a good damn feeling that if she was out here she was likely closer to where Daryl was searching. They had decided to check here in case she had moved further than they had expected. It was empty-handed pursuit they quickly realized and headed for the house circling around the property for signs of anything that could be her.

"How long has she been gone Merle?" Mac's voice had no joking to it.

Merle sucked his teeth his step leaning heavier as he took in his words, "Too fucking long brother."

Blowing out a breath, "Maggie and Annette are handling this shit good."

Merle looked to him, "Annette is able to distract herself with the appearance of you two and your merry band of bastards."

Nodding along, "You and Maggie fucking around again?"

Merle chuckled, "Again? Never fucking stopped."

"Hershel is going to rip your dick straight off your body one of these days." Mac barked a laugh out, "Goddamn that is gonna be some shit."

Merle shook his head and elbowed Mac in the chest, "You wanna tell me what the fuck is going on with you and sugar tits?"

Mac growled and walked ahead of him wishing Daryl was here to take the attention off him. His mind went back to walking in there last night and Andrea picking up his obvious messes around his house. He didn't know what to make of it. He'd had women around more often than not and never gave a fuck about a mess before but something about that woman seeing it and then cleaning it had him stumped. He wanted to tell her to fuck off but another part of him wanted to see what the hell was really going on.

Just as sure as he had met her eyes she was smiling and talking to him like she'd known him her entire life. It felt to fucking normal, to good...he wasn't sure what the fuck to feel about that or think. It didn't help that he knew Amy was there somewhere but didn't give a shit in the slightest about it. He had walked down the hall and straight into his bedroom. She followed not soon after asking him about where Daryl was staying and if Carol was coming here but he couldn't think straight.

When he woke up this morning with her warm bare body pressed again his own he had just relaxed into it. Any other woman had immediately got the reaction of get the fuck out after she climbed off his dick. Andrea was different though and had worked her way under his skin and he found himself pulling her closer to him instead of pushing her away. Because of that very reason his ass got a late start and Daryl had already been gone that morning.

"You gonna say something here or be a fuck head?" Merle barked.

"Fuck you Merle aint everyone wanting to gossip with your ass. Go hound Daryl over him and his woman." Mac snapped back stepping out of the woods and seeing the sun starting to set.

"Fuck you two you little bastard." Merle knocked him forward.

They fought all the way across the property almost taking each other to the ground a few times. They were almost to the house when Daryl broke through the trees his stride long and tired. Mac could see the set of his jaw that he hadn't found Beth and they both waited on him.

Daryl came up on them as Mac wiped blood from his busted lip and Merle rubbed his jaw, "You two can't go two fucking minutes without fighting can you?"

Merle grinned, "We were discussing him and the new Mrs. Sugar Tits Dixon."

"Man fuck you." Mac snapped storming away after Daryl. "You see anything out there?"

Daryl looked at him and shook his head, "Woods aint feeling right..."

Mac eyed him, "What the fuck you on about?"

Daryl walked up the steps leaving Mac and Merle to trail after him as he walked straight for Hershels study. Walking in the three of them spread out and Hershel looked to Daryl before the other two.

"Found her tracks but it got to late to follow." Daryl shifted, "You...have you been seeing or hearing anything out in those woods or around the property?"

Hershel set back, "Now son if I had I'd said something. What makes you think there is something going on?"

Daryl looked out the window and then at Mac. Mac could feel his unease and shifted closer to him their arms brushing. Daryl didn't tense up leaned into him almost it, "Woods don' feel right. I'm getting back out there before day break again, gonna take one of the horses and see if I can't get further out and get back on that trail."

Hershel set up looking at him, "You be careful out there son."

Mac stayed close to Daryl after that the tension in his brother making him tense as well. Andrea was setting with Maggie while Carol buzzed around with Annette. Both women were oblivious to them as they moved through the house and out onto the back porch. Sophia appeared just as Daryl set down and didn't hesitate to place herself on the swing right between them. Each with a booted foot in sync the swing started moving and Sophia started talking.

The rest of the group had settled in and were moving around doing what they could to help. Mac was just setting back his eyes tracking Shane at the moment and wanting nothing more than to drive his knife in the soft spot at the base of his skull. He hadn't forgotten the move he made on Daryl and he hadn't forgotten the looks he'd been giving the women. Man was out of his fucking mind if he thought he was going to cross a Dixon and get away with it.

"If you stare any harder Mac you might pass out." Sophia chirped.

Daryl chuckled, "Then lets hope his ass keeps staring."

Mac slapped Daryl in the back of the head just as the door swung open and Annette clucked her tongue, "Mac what am I going to do with you?"

He stood up smiling at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "Now Nettie don't give a man ideas if you don't want to know where I'll take them."

Slapping his stomach she clucked her tongue, "You be good young man. I don't think your woman would take to kind to you putting the moves on an old woman like me."

Annettes's eyes went to Daryl and Sophia still on the swing. Mac looked over and seen Daryl leaned back his head tilted to the side his eyes closed while Sophia was collapsed against his side her little mouth hanging open. Both of them had passed out in the time it took for him to rile Annette up.

"I'll wake his ass up." Mac sighed.

"You'll do no such thing!" Annette grabbed his arm jerking him through the door, "You leave him and that baby alone. Sophia has been worried sick about him being out there all day and wore herself out. He's just as tired now let them rest."

Mac shot her an incredulous look, "Am I really getting harped at right now?"

"Andrea come get him." Annette called.

Andrea appeared at the door grinning and tugged on his hand pulling him through the house, "Nettie so dismissive of my love."

"Boy don't make me slap you." Hershel chuckled and then raised and eyebrow, "Where is Daryl?"

Annette pointed to the back porch and Hershel walked over with Mac standing there. "He's gonna feel that when he wakes up."

Mac grinned seeing his head back at an awkward angle and Sophia now sprawled across him like a blanket. Carol appeared suddenly and flushed at the sight causing Mac to elbow her as everyone walked away.

"What's that look for Carol?" Mac chuckled.

Carol eyed him, "Out with whatever crude remark you have."

Smiling, "Crude? I'm not a bit nasty towards you. If I wanted to be nasty I'd do all manners of things since me and him are twins."

Carol smiled at him, "You might be twins Mac...I'll give you that but you aren't Daryl." She looked him up and down and cocked her hip out.

Mac shrugged and smiled at her knowingly, "Wake his ass up before he sleeps there all night with that girl as a blanket."

Carol slipped out the door and Annette appeared moving him out the way as she went out the door. Mac grinned when Daryl snapped awake his hand tensing on Sophia and dragging her little body safely closer to him. He rubbed his face and set up as Annette shoved containers of food at Carol. Sophia was still clinging to Daryl half asleep when he went to stand up. Mac sighed thinking he was going to have to get the girl again when Daryl scooped her limp body up and Carol fell into step with him. She was talking low and walking closer to him than Mac had seen her do before. Daryl was holding out on details and that shit wasn't going to fly at all. He grinned and turned around walking through the house following the smell of cooked food.