Daryl glanced down at the fuel gauge as they followed behind Eric's sedan. They'd been driving for nearly two hours, starting with a quarter of a tank. It was now reading an eighth.

"You think it'll be enough?" Beth looked over, the air from the open window blowing her hair around her face.

"Should be. These have pretty big gas tanks." He slowed down and carefully steered the rig around a series of large potholes where the pavement was crumbling.

"Aaron and Eric seem pretty nice."

"Mmhmm." Daryl kept his eyes on the road and shifted up, gaining speed again. "I guess."

"You think this place will be okay?" Beth pulled a few wisps of hair away from her mouth and rested her elbow on the door again.

Daryl shrugged. "No point in guessin' before we get there. It is what it is."

She rubbed her temple thoughtfully as the trees passed by, staring ahead into the distance. "I hope it turns out to be as good as they said. Maggie and Glenn deserve to have a safe place to raise their baby. I can't believe I'm gonna be an aunt." Beth smiled just thinking about it.

Daryl snorted softy to himself and rocked a little in his seat when the truck went over another rough patch. "Aunt Beth." He gave her a teasing glance. "Who's the old one now?"

Beth chuckled and folded a leg underneath her.

The smile soon slipped from her face, though, as she watched the car ahead of them, getting lost in her thoughts again. She whispered, "I just want them all to be safe, y'know?"

Daryl glanced over at her. "They will be."

She sighed and tapped her fingers against her leg, nodding, and turned her eyes back to the road. "Honestly? It's gonna be nice to sleep in a bed again, too."

Beth watched Daryl lift a bottle of water to his mouth, and she said evenly, "I mean, there's a lot of us, though. You and I might have to share one, I suppose."

He choked on the drink he'd just taken, and looked over at her, startled. Beth grinned cheekily when she saw his expression, and he narrowed his eyes at her, wiping the water off his chin with the back of his hand, saying, "Doubt that."

The idea of sharing a bed with him did something to her insides, though. Beth shook her head and tried to think of something else, but it didn't help that since she'd changed positions the thick seam at the crotch of her jeans was pressing between her legs in a really delicious way; coupled with the fact that her bladder was a little full so the extra pressure there just seemed to intensify the sensation.

Beth cursed her hormones. They were on their way to a new community, her family's future uncertain, and she was getting…horny? Not exactly the best timing.

The truck went over another couple bumps and Beth bounced up and down, closing her eyes briefly, and groaned under her breath. She should probably get her leg out from under her and sit normally on the seat again, but goddammit if this wasn't feeling really good, especially with Daryl sitting only a couple feet away from her to fuel her imagination. It was only too easy to imagine his hand slipping inside her jeans. Beth made a strangled sound that she tried to pass off as a cough and raised a hand to her cheek, feeling flushed, then dropped it to the seat beside her again.

Daryl looked across at Beth, puzzled at her sudden change in demeanor. "You alright? You carsick or somethin'?"

Beth stared straight ahead for a couple seconds and huffed in annoyed amusement, suddenly tired of taking things slow with him. She didn't know how he was feeling, but it seemed like forever since she'd had an orgasm, and dear god, it would be nice to get some relief. Since she'd been reunited with Daryl there'd been times when she'd felt wound pretty tight, sexually, and with a group this size, and living the way they'd been, you just don't get the opportunity to take care of business, so to speak.

The frustration was making her feel brave, so she decided to just throw it out there and let the chips fall where they may.

Beth examined his face for a long minute. The heat in her gaze made him do a double take, and he struggled to keep his focus on the road, waiting for her to say something.

She finally drew in a deep breath and said, "Daryl, don't drive the truck off the road, okay? But all I can think about right now is crawlin' over on your lap and grindin' myself against you." She looked over at his dazed expression and didn't even feel bad.

Her words hung in the air between them. There had been several comfortable moments of silence between them during the drive, but this one was very different. Beth looked out her window again, pressing the nail of her thumb against her lips and feeling a wave of giddiness come over her. She could hardly believe she'd just said that, but when she glanced back over at Daryl he was shifting uncomfortably in his seat. For a second, Beth felt a flash of worry that she'd crossed a line, but when she looked closer, she realized he was trying to adjust his growing erection.

Daryl's knuckles turned white as they gripped the steering wheel, and he swallowed awkwardly. "Where the hell did that come from?"

Beth had to drag her eyes away from his obvious arousal, wondering how far she could take this, and shrugged. She trailed her hand up her thigh and licked her lips, pointing a lazy finger in between her legs, taking in his reaction. "The seam of my jeans, it's pressin' up against there, and it's kind of…drivin' me crazy."

She felt a wave of calm come over her, like talking about this was the most natural thing in the world. "I'm afraid I'm gettin' really wet."

Uttering those words, Beth hardly recognized the huskiness in her own voice. It felt incredibly naughty, but the response she was getting from Daryl was more than worth any risk of embarrassment.

Daryl stared straight ahead, a look almost resembling anguish crossing his face, and he gripped the steering wheel even harder, muttering a pained, "Jesus Christ."

They drove on for a few more seconds, and as Daryl digested what she'd said he pulled himself up straighter in his seat and suggested feebly, "Maybe you should just sit like you were. Maybe that'd help."

Beth ran her hand back and forth over the top of her leg, seeing Daryl watching out of the corner of her eye. She shook her head and said in a breathless voice, "Don't want to. It feels really good."

To prove her point further she rocked from side to side a couple times, exhaling through her mouth shakily as another wave of pleasure coursed through her.

"Beth…"

"Daryl…"

She looked down and moved her hand over to the button of her jeans, slowly undoing it and tucking the tips of her fingers just inside her waistband before looking over at him. His mouth was gaping open and he took his eyes off the road just long enough that he had to swerve around another pothole at the last second.

Beth met his gaze, feeling more turned on than ever, and whispered, "Maybe I should just take care of it now and this ache will go away."

He half reached out with his hand and then stopped himself, jerking the steering wheel unintentionally. Beth imagined the people on the bus behind them were probably wondering what the hell was going on, but she couldn't find it in herself to care.

When Daryl looked at her again it was with an air of possessiveness, and he growled his reply at her, "You ain't doin' nothin' of the kind."

Beth pulled her hand away from her open button and slid it down along the outside of her jeans, lightly caressing the fabric over her clit. "But, Daryl, I…"

"You're mine." Daryl blurted it out, seeming like he was having a sudden revelation of his own. "You're mine, and it's my job to look after ya like that, not yours." He flexed his hands on the wheel, his face an odd mix of fear and acceptance.

Beth stared at him, enthralled by his sudden proclamation. It felt like the wind had just been sucked out of her lungs, but in a good way. She was only able to enjoy the feeling for a second, though, when they rounded a turn in the road and she saw his eyes focus on something in the distance. It was the Safe Zone.

They'd been driving with woods on either side for some time, but now the road led them through an open area, nearly a mile long, and their vehicles were flanked by fields of long grass.

And up ahead was the wall.

The trees directly outside it looked like they'd been trimmed down to allow for clear site lines for the people patrolling the top of it. Daryl could see two on watch, both holding what looked like automatic weapons.

Aaron pulled up to the gate and got out of his car, walking over to speak through the iron bars with the man on the other side. He gestured animatedly back at the truck and the school bus behind it, and the other man nodded, drawing the gate to the side to let them in.

Daryl drove in slowly after them, parking the truck behind them where they brought their cars to a stop further up the paved street. He and Beth looked around, surprised. All the houses were huge and expensive-looking. It was a neighborhood that neither of them would have ever come near before the turn.

Beth brought her leg down beside the other and put her hand on the door latch, ready to jump out, but Daryl stopped her. She looked around at him, the tips of his fingers having just brushed down the side of her arm, and was immediately caught in the intensity of his gaze.

"Soon as the introductions or whatever are over, you and me are goin' for a walk, girl."

She smirked at him and said, "That a promise, ?"

"Mmmhmm." He growled his response back at her, and the low rumble of his voice made Beth shiver with anticipation.

They joined the rest of their family in the street who were all staring up at the houses with awe. Beth saw Tara set Buddy down and smiled as he ran across someone's front lawn and disappeared into the bushes. At least he was confident about the place.

Aaron was talking to Rick, and the man from the gate walked over and addressed them. He was young, in his twenties, and he nodded at the group, his gaze pausing when it came to Beth.

"Welcome, everyone, to Alexandria Safe Zone. My name is Spencer. My mother, Deanna, is being informed of your arrival and she'll want to interview each one of you in turn. We do have a policy, though, that all firearms need to be confiscated upon entry, so if you'll just pass them over." A lady was approaching them with a cart and he gestured toward it.

Rick squinted at the man, clearly taking affront to the suggestion that they hand over their weapons.

Spencer noticed his reaction and held his hands up in a placating gesture. "We're just interested in keeping the peace, and honestly, we don't know you."

"Yeah, well we don't know you." Rick spit the words back at the man.

There was a brief pause, and then Michonne pulled the strap of her automatic weapon over her head and laid it calmly on the cart, eying Rick evenly. He shook his head slowly at her, obviously thinking it was a bad idea, but the rest of the group followed her lead, stacking all their guns next to hers.

Eric had disappeared for a short time once they'd arrived, and now walked up to his husband and spoke quietly with him. Aaron nodded and turned to the group's leader. "Rick, Deanna is ready to talk to you, if you'll come with me."

Rick stood with his hands on his hips, clearly listening to the words being spoken to him, but still scanning the rooftops of the houses around them for any signs of danger before he left the group alone. Michonne caught his gaze and nodded silently, telling him without words that they'd be okay.

Beth stood next to Daryl's side, the promise of their time alone momentarily forgotten as they stood awkwardly in the street with the rest of their family, feeling exposed in this new place.

Rick was only gone for about twenty minutes when he returned, looking slightly calmer but still on edge.

He joined the group, standing closest to Michonne and Daryl, although everyone else listened closely to what he had to say. "Seems like the place is run by this woman I just talked to. She's the politician type, literally. Very...diplomatic."

Rick stood with his hands on his hips, still scanning the area around them relentlessly. "Couldn't really get a feel for how the place is run, but I got the impression they've been pretty sheltered here. She outright said they need us.

"Apparently, if we stay, we'd all be given jobs. Not sure of much yet beyond that."

Aaron opened his mouth to select the next person to see Deanna but Daryl beat him to it. He started walking in the direction Rick had come from, crossbow slung over his shoulder, and Aaron had to jog behind him to catch up.

Daryl took even less time than Rick. Barely ten minutes had elapsed and he was back out on the street with them, looking relieved it was over. "Sure is the chatty type. Don't look like she'd survive a day outside these walls, neither. None of these people do."

Aaron caught Beth's eye and looked at her questioningly and she nodded. Daryl clasped the fingers of her hand loosely before she walked away and she smiled up at him, squeezing his in return.

"Don't be nervous." Aaron glanced over at her, "I know this may seem odd, being interviewed, but just be yourself. She really is a nice person."

Beth shrugged and said, "I'm sure I'll be fine." She paused and thought for a second, wondering if she should ask. "Actually, do you have somewhere I can go to the bathroom real quick first?"

"Oh, sure, "he said easily, "right in here." They walked up the steps of yet another enormous house and crossed through the foyer where he gestured to a small washroom. "Take your time."

Beth walked into the small room and shut the door behind her hesitantly, having expected to be directed to an outhouse or something.

She lifted up the lid on the toilet, peering inside and finding clear water, and pulled her pants down to have a pee. While she sat she looked around.

The room was bright and spotlessly clean, and her gaze drifted over to the sink where she could see a drop of water hanging from the faucet. She finished quickly, turning on the tap and watching the water run in amazement before washing her hands. Beth looked up at her reflection in the mirror and took in her disheveled appearance, splashing her face and scrubbing, suddenly embarrassed to be so dirty in such a clean place.

Aaron was waiting patiently for her in the hall, and he held his hand out to a set of French doors. Beth had been trying to form a mental picture of the woman based on Rick and Daryl's comments, but her first impression was nothing like she'd imagined.

A trim woman in her late fifties with shoulder length brown hair rose from where she'd been seated on a leather couch. She smiled and nodded at Aaron, and he left the two alone.

The woman stepped forward and held out her hand, giving her guest the space to decide if she was comfortable with the gesture, and Beth just stared at her for a moment, caught off guard by the simple formality that now seemed like an ancient custom.

She moved close enough to grasp the woman's hand lightly. It was completely smooth. No callouses. The hand of someone who likely had never been acquainted with physical labor.

The woman smiled and said, "I'm Deanna Monroe. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Beth Greene." She gave a tentative smile in return, but couldn't stop herself from looking down at Deanna's shoes, an immaculate pair of pointy leather slip-ons with a small heel. All Beth could think of was how impractical they would be for running when your life depended on it.

Deanna gestured to a wing chair across from the couch for her to sit in and asked, "Do you mind if I record our conversation, Beth?"

There was a small video camera on a tripod behind the couch that Beth hadn't noticed at first, and she wondered if she should say no.

"Rick and Daryl both agreed, although I doubt I got much of Daryl on camera. He just paced the whole time."

Beth chuckled to herself at the mental image. She approached the chair and sat down, but not before her gaze lingered on the dozens of books lining the shelves on the wall. "I guess I don't mind."

Deanna pressed record and seated herself again, glancing behind Beth at the bookcase. "Do you like to read?"

"I used to." Beth shifted in the chair, not used to sitting on furniture. "I kind of miss it."

"Well, we have lots of books here." Deanna smiled. "Now, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself, Beth?"

Beth felt herself tense and she gripped the arms of the chair tightly, not wanting to talk about her family with a perfect stranger.

Deanna's gaze took in Beth's reaction, but she sat quietly, waiting for a response.

"I grew up on a farm," Beth said in a whisper and averted her eyes, willing herself not to start thinking about her losses.

Seeing how uncomfortable the young woman before her was, Deanna tried to move the subject on to something less personal. "So, you're familiar with farming?"

Beth nodded, relieved, and said, "Quite a few of us are. We grew some crops at one of the places we lived."

And instantly a memory of her father came back to her, kneeling on the ground in his dirty overalls to teach Rick some new technique at the prison. Beth remembered how hot it had been that day. She'd brought them out something cool to drink and the memory of the warm smile he'd given her made her suck in a painful breath.

She looked at Deanna, feeling tears welling in her eyes, and shook her head quickly, saying, "I'm sorry. I can't."

Deanna held her hand up in understanding. "It's okay. I'm sorry if my questions are bringing up difficult memories. I can only imagine what you've all been through. Is there anything else you can tell me about yourself, just for the sake of figuring out an appropriate job for you? Any special skills?"

Beth thought to herself a moment, presuming Deanna wouldn't appreciate her ability to make random objects around the room float in the air as a special skill, so she answered with something more typical. "I sing, and play the piano. Oh, and I'm a decent shot. Daryl and I usually do pretty good at hunting."

"You and Daryl?" Deanna seemed surprised.

Beth was puzzled for a second by the woman's question, and then caught on and smiled easily. "You know, one of my English teachers used to say that if you try to read a book by its cover you'll be disappointed every time."

Deanna's eyebrows raised, seeming impressed by Beth's answer, and she nodded. "On that we can agree." She mulled over the idea of them hunting and smiled, standing up. "I can't say anyone would turn down the prospect of fresh meat around here. As for your musical ability, I believe one of the houses that's available for your group has a piano. My only request is that you share your gift with the rest of us on occasion. It would be wonderful to hear live music again."

"Sure." Beth rose to her feet, eager to get back to her family.

As she was leaving, Deanna call out to her. "If there's anything you need, you let myself or Aaron know."

"Thanks." Beth gave a small wave on her way out and headed back to her group, finding them a little further up the street than where she left them.

Aaron was addressing them and pointing at two large houses that were side by side.

"I apologize for leaving you out here waiting so long. These homes should be plenty big to accommodate all of you. I'll hang around to see each of the rest of you to Deanna, but after that feel free to explore and introduce yourselves."

He left with Maggie for her interview, and the rest of them stared up at the houses, looking overwhelmed.

Beth was the first to jog up the steps of one. She called back to Daryl behind her, unable to contain her excitement. "Deanna said one of them has a piano. I wanna stay in that one!"

He followed close behind her, content to let her lead the way. It turned out the first house she picked had an upright piano off to one side of the spacious living room, and she sat down on the bench, lifting up the cover to reveal the keys. Beth played a few notes and Daryl saw her wince at the sound.

He came over beside her and asked, "Out of tune?"

"Yeah." She pushed herself back on the bench, disappointed. "I don't know how to do it, either."

Daryl lifted up the top and looked inside. "Might take some time, but I'll figure it out. Don't worry."

She reached for his hand and smiled up at him when Rick walked in and looked at Daryl, saying, "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

Beth got up and headed for the door, looking over her shoulder at Daryl. "I'll be outside. I'm gonna see how the others are doing."

She joined Glenn where he stood out in the street, waiting for Maggie to return before checking out the houses.

He seemed distracted, so Beth nudged his arm and asked, "Whatcha thinkin' about?"

He sighed and looked around, taking in the seemingly perfect neighborhood. "Almost seems too good to be true, doesn't it?"

Beth followed his gaze, understanding his concern, and offered quietly, "Maybe. Or maybe this is a good place and we're just afraid to believe in it."

Glenn looked down at his sister-in-law and squeezed her shoulder with affection. "You know, you remind me of your Dad when you say reassuring stuff like that."

She gave a small laugh, even though the thought of it brought fresh tears to her eyes. "Thanks."

They saw Maggie walking toward them, and with no Aaron in sight to accompany the next person to see Deanna, her sister and Glenn decided to have a look inside the houses. Beth stayed outside, waiting for Daryl, when she heard someone approaching. She turn to see the young man who'd asked for their guns jogging toward her.

He held a hand up as he drew near. "Hey."

Beth smiled and turned to face him. "Hi."

He stopped a few feet away, a little out of breath, and smiled back at her. "My name's Spencer."

She laughed softly and nodded. "Yeah, I know. You introduced yourself earlier."

"Oh, yeah. Right." Spencer stuck his hands in his pockets sheepishly and looked down at his shoes.

"I'm Beth." She felt kind of bad for the guy. He seemed nervous for some reason.

He brought his gaze up to meet hers and smiled back at her for just a little too long without saying anything else. She raised her eyebrows, waiting to see why he came over, and asked, "Did you need somethin'?"

Spencer seemed to snap out of it then. He laughed nervously and scratched his forehead before replying, "I just wanted to say if you needed someone to show you around the place, I'd be more than happy to."

Some movement on the porch caught Beth's attention and saved her from having to turn the offer down politely.

She looked up to see Daryl standing with his crossbow over his shoulder, eyes trained on Spencer like a hawk. He walked down the steps and up to Beth, taking her hand firmly in his and staring evenly at the other man.

Spencer looked down at their joined hands and his face went pale as he took in Daryl's stern expression.

Daryl turned to Beth, and in a low voice said, "Let's go for that walk."

She looked up into his eyes and smiled without saying a word.

"A walk? But you just got here." Spencer looked back and forth between the two of them, but Beth's attention was fully on Daryl.

Daryl replied without even looking at him. "Smart one, ain't you?" He was too busy watching the way Beth's lips parted as he moved his thumb back and forth along the outside of her hand.

"But…"

"We can leave whenever we want to, right?" Daryl's gaze moved sharply to the younger man's face.

Spencer nodded dumbly, his eyes shifting to Beth, looking utterly depressed.

Daryl started walking toward the gate impatiently with Beth in tow. "Well, then let us out, Einstein." They reached the entrance to the community and he grabbed the bars, turning to see Spencer trailing behind them dejectedly. He snapped at him, "Don't hurry or nothin'."

Spencer reluctantly unlatched the gate and slid it open for the two to get out, and as Daryl lead Beth past him she looked up apologetically and giggled, mouthing 'sorry', and he watched the two disappear into the woods with a defeated sigh.

Sooooooooo...yeah. That's how Beth finally broke down Daryl's final wall, by succumbing to her hormones briefly. Lol *shrugs* Whatever works.
I've often wondered how Beth's interview with Deanna would have gone on the show if she'd made it to the safe zone. I think they specifically didn't show Maggie's on purpose, but if we'd seen both, I really think they haven't had time to really process or even grieve over the death of their father. I can totally see Beth not being able to talk about it with a complete stranger. It's still too raw.
Now...let's see how her "walk" goes with Daryl...

Comments are always welcome! Please take a second to leave one if you liked the chapter.