A/N: Apparently Friday is Still Breathing update day! At least, it has been the last couple weekends. Hope you enjoy this one.

"Oh, I wish we didn't have to leave…" Beth dropped her bag into the back of the truck, tucking it under the tarp amongst the numerous carefully-made stacks of books, and turned back to the house that had been their home for the last few days. Her hand shaded her eyes from the sun as she looked up at the perfect cabin and gave a longing sigh. They'd had such a good few days there. Not that she didn't love Haven, or didn't miss her family and their little home. But it had been so lovely and peaceful, just her and Daryl (and later, the dog they'd discovered), playing games and reading books together and making love.

"It ain't like we can't come back," Daryl remarked as he dropped his bag into the back and came around to her side of the truck. "It'll be here, and it's close by whenever we need a break, even just for a night."

"That's true…" She looked up at him and her smile brightened. "We can call it our vacation home!"

Daryl chuckled as he reached out to tuck a bit of her hair behind her ear. "Never reckoned I'd be the sort to have a vacation home…"

"Me either, honestly." She had always pictured herself living in the family home, perhaps building a smaller little house on their land to make her own. Her young fantasies had rarely extended too far beyond that, and certainly never into anything so grand as a vacation home. But things were different than any of them had expected, these days. Sometimes in a bad way, but occasionally in a good one. She had to savor those moments when she could, like she did now as she leaned into Daryl's side and took one last gaze at their vacation home.

After a long moment of quiet, Daryl dropped a kiss to her head and murmured into her hair, "Better call that dog and get 'em in the truck before we go."

"Oh, right, I wonder where he is…"

Daryl snorted. "Probably finding somethin' troublesome to get into…"

"He's not trouble-some, he's just curious!" She grinned at him as she said it and then turned to the house and called out, "BEAR! C'mere, Bear!"

"Don't think he knows to come t' that yet," Daryl remarked, giving her a sidelong smirk. "Still time to change it."

"What, you don't like it?" She turned towards him, propping a hand on her hip and giving him a narrow-eyed look. "And what would you call him, Daryl Dixon?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Probably somethin' like… Dog."

Her mouth dropped open. "Daryl Dixon! You cannot call a dog 'Dog'! That's not even a name!"

He matched her shocked look with a little smirk. "Says the girl that told me she had a teddy bear named Teddy when she was a kid…"

Beth scoffed. "I was three years old, that doesn't count!" She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted playfully at him. "Besides, I like Bear, I think its cute. He reminds me a bit of a bear cub, all galumphing paws…" She turned back towards the house but this time, gave a sharp whistle instead. A second later the dog came running around the side of the house, big ears flopping as he ran and his pink tongue hanging happily from his mouth.

"There you are!" She squealed excitedly, dropping to a crouch to give him a quick hug. "Good boy! Such a good boy!" She scratched behind his ears, laughing as the dog scrunched up his eyes in delight and gave a little howling 'roo' in response. "Don't worry, soon we'll have some treats to give you, and then we can teach you to respond to your name, and some commands." She stood up and rounded the back of the car to pull down the back of the bed so the dog could hop inside. "Daryl says he'll teach me how to make some squirrel jerky, we can use that for treats for you, Bear. What do you think about that?"

The dog hopped into the back of the truck and wagged its tail happily, which she took as a sign of his enthusiasm for the idea.

"Probably loves squirrels," Daryl remarked as he held open the truck door for her to get in. "Bet he survived on it these last few years. That and rabbit…"

"Yes, he's a good little hunter." She gave Bear one last pat and then closed the truck gate and rounded the side again towards Daryl. "But he'll be even better once we train him." She paused just inside the truck door, leaning up on her toes to press a kiss to Daryl's lips. "Be careful when you drive," she whispered against his mouth. "I don't want Bear to fall out!"

"Ah, he'll be fine, he's a huntin' dog Beth, he can keep just fine in the truck, I promise. Now get your lil' ass in the truck an' let's get goin', alright?" He smacked her butt for emphasis and Beth gave a squeal of protest that was immediately belied by the grin on her lips as she hopped into the truck and took her seat. In no time at all he was seated next to her and they were driving off, leaving their vacation home behind them until next time.

Beth believed him, of course, about the dog being safe. But that didn't stop her from craning back through the window the entire time to keep an eye on Bear… just in case.

Thankfully they arrived without incident, pulling up through the numerous traps scattered around Haven and to the palisade gate, where the guards on duty (Eugene and Tyrese) opened the gate and waved them inside. No sooner had they pulled into Haven and started to drive around the back towards their cabin than Carl appeared, running from the back of his cabin towards their truck with his arms waving in the air.

Daryl slowed a bit, rolling his window down so they could hear Carl when he got close, "You guys are back! How was the trip? Did you find anything cool? … is that a DOG?"

Beth just laughed at his enthusiasm and shock. "Meet us at the cabin, Carl, and we'll explain everything, alright?"

Carl escorted them to the cabin, running alongside the truck or lagging a bit behind it, holding his sheriff's hat with one hand to keep it on his head until they came to a stop. Beth got out of the truck quickly, with a lingering smile over her shoulder at Daryl, and met Carl at the side of the truck bed. "This is Bear," she said, holding up her hand so the dog could sniff it from where he still stood in the back of the truck. "We found him up by the cabin, and Daryl said we could keep him. He also said he's a…."

"Bluetick coonhound," Daryl chimed in from the other side of the car as he got out a bit more slowly. "Huntin' dog."

"He seems real friendly… is he?" Carl looked hesitantly from the dog to Beth and back again, as if he wanted to pet it, but was a bit hesitant.

"He seems to be! Here, let him sniff your hand, and then you can pet him…"

Carl held his hand up, letting Bear snuffle his nose across his palm. When the dog gave his fingers a big lick, Carl laughed. "That tickles!" He ran his hand carefully over the dog's head. "We never had a dog… I asked for a dog a bunch of times, but my Mom said we didn't have the time to take care of one."

"Here, scratch behind his ears, he likes that." Beth guided Carl's hand up to behind Bear's big, floppy ears, and smiled as the boy's scratches were rewarded by a thump of Bear's tail against the side of the truck. "Well, Daryl and I are gonna train him up to be a good hunting dog, but we can all have fun with him, too. You can come by and play with him, if you want, help me train him. Maybe we can even introduce Judy to him."

"She'd love that!" Carl grinned. "We have a baby book with a bunch of animals in it. She loves the doggies, but she's never seen one in real life."

"Well then we'll have to show her," Beth said with a warm smile. Her gaze met Daryl's briefly as he reached in to grab their bags, and she paused briefly, struck by the memory of the two of them cuddled up in that cabin for days. She would miss that, but she'd missed this, too. Home, family… there was nothing like it.

She turned back to Carl and said, "C'mon, why don't you help us get these books and things inside, and then you can tell us what we missed while Bear explores the house, hm?"

Carl, Beth, and Daryl sat at the small kitchen table, watching as Bear sniffed and snuffled around the entirety of the small house. He trailed his nose around the kitchen cabinets, the couch, the pillows— "We'll have to get him a bed," Beth mused absent-mindedly as she watched the dog move to sniff the books they'd brought back, currently stacked in front of the bookshelf awaiting organization (and, she thought ruefully, more space). "I suppose he can sleep on an extra pillow or something."

"Maybe you can do a run to a pet store," Carl remarked, eyes alright. "I could go with you! I bet most of them are full of stuff still, 'cause who would raid a pet store?"

"He has a point," Daryl remarked a bit dryly.

"True. Plus they might have some medicine we can use…" Beth trailed off briefly, mentally going through the area and trying to remember where the nearest pet stores were.

After watching her with amusement for a few moments, Daryl turned to ask Carl, "So how has everythin' been the last few days we've been gone?"

"Quiet, mostly." Carl leaned back in his seat, forehead screwed up briefly in thought. "Dad let me cover a couple of your watch shifts with Michonne, he said if I do a good job maybe I can be there like once a week, maybe twice. Nothing much happened on watch though."

"It doesn't, usually," Daryl's eyes met Beth's in a matching little smile; Carl was trying more and more to do 'adult things' these days and was often disappointed by how boring they turned out to be most of the time.

"Yeah. Um, what else… Oh, Maggie got sick at breakfast yesterday." He made a face as if to suggest how gross it was, which would have made Beth laugh, if she wasn't aware of just why Maggie had likely been sick.

She sat up a little straighter, flicking a look at Daryl and then back to Carl. "Oh, did she?"

"Yeah." Carl shrugged. "Glenn said her stomach was bothering her and she'd go make some tea you left her or something."

Beth had given her a supply of dried peppermint to make tea from while she was gone, but they had some ginger root in the garden that should be ready to harvest. That might work better as a tea for morning sickness, she thought to herself. She made another mental note as Daryl subtly moved the conversation past Maggie by asking, "How has Enid been? Still settling in well?"

"Yeah." Carl tapped his fingers on the table, and admitted, "She said, like, a full sentence to be the other day."

Beth couldn't help but laugh a little at that, though she tried her best to cut the laughter off when she realized there was a hint of vulnerability to the smile on Carl's face. "Oh honey, she'll come around." She reached out and carefully rested her hand on his, just long enough to give it a light squeeze. Comforting others was one of the few times she felt comfortable with physical contact these days. That much at least had gotten easier, and she was glad, because she knew it helped others feel better.

She pulled her hand back and gave him a warm smile. "She just needs time to get to know us all and to feel safe."

"Yeah…" But as he said it, the young boy shifted in place, as if he wanted to tell them something but was unsure. They sat there quietly for a moment, neither of them pushing, just waiting until finally he ventured into the silence, "I thought she might like something to read, because I saw her reading this comic book that she found in the motorhome. So I went by with a couple of the ones I'd collected, you know, on runs, or that you guys have brought me…"

"That was a nice idea," Beth murmured warmly and encouragingly.

"Yeah, but when I got to the RV she was coming out. It was night time, she looked kind of in a rush… she said thanks but then she looked like she was kind of impatient for me to leave, so I…" He shrugged his shoulders awkwardly, as if embarrassed. "I left, but I kind of went around the corner of the cabin nearby and watched. She dropped the comics inside and came right back out. Looked around quickly, like she was looking to see if anyone was watching her? Or maybe she was just checking to see if I'd left, I dunno. Then she walked off towards the front, you know, towards the lake. I tried following her, but it was dark, and I lost sight of her. I couldn't find her anywhere, it was weird."

Beth and Daryl didn't hide the looks they gave each other now, and Beth was sure he must be feeling the same twinge of warning that she was. Carl darted his gaze between them, and his brow furrowed again as he hastened to clarify. "I mean, I dunno that she went anywhere. She was probably just in camp somewhere, right? And I just lost sight of her." His shoulders slumped now, as he added guiltily, "It's harder to track at night."

"You're right," Beth was quick to reassure him. "It is harder at night, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Without a flashlight or anything, it's hard to see tracks. Even Daryl has a harder time." Granted, he was still far better at it than her, but that wasn't going to make Carl feel any better. "We'll keep an eye on her, see if anyone else noticed something. Maybe she's just trying to get some space, I mean… I can relate to that." She gave a pointed look to Daryl, who nodded in agreement. They'd keep an eye on Enid, and if they spotted her sneaking around at night, they'd follow her. If anyone could, it would be Daryl.

But for the time being, there was nothing they could do but distract Carl, and so after a moment Beth rose to her feet and patted him lightly on the shoulder. "I want to show Bear around camp so he gets familiar with everything and everyone, why don't you come with? The more familiar faces for him, the better."

And if they happened to see Enid along the way, well, it was just another chance to keep their eyes on her.

Unfortunately—or fortunately, she supposed—Enid had seemed perfectly normal during the few glimpses they'd gotten of her during the day. Well, as normal as she tended to be, which was overall very quiet and reclusive. She'd looked interested in the dog, but had hovered behind Carol rather than coming to say hello to Bear. Bear, at least, had been thrilled to walk through Haven with them, sniffing at all the cabins and people they'd run into. Beth had taken a pause by the garden, making sure to at least try and show Bear that it was off-limits.

For the time being, she and Daryl planned on making sure one of them was always with him. They had a makeshift leash they could use, made out of a spare bit of rope, but he seemed okay with staying near them, at least for now, and always came when they whistled.

He had curled up contentedly for the night on top of a spare pillow that Beth had placed down for him beside their bed and covered in a spare blanket. Before they'd gone to sleep, Daryl had joked that to him it was probably as nice as a bed in a four-star hotel, considering he'd been living as a stray in the wild for two years now. Bear had seemed content, at least; as much as Beth had been cuddling up to Daryl back in "their" bed, in the cabin they called home.

At least, they were all mostly content until four or five hours later, when she awoke to a soft whine from beside her. She turned her head with a groan and spotted two brown eyes staring beseechingly at her from the darkness. "Bear?" The dog gave a little whine and Beth sat up a bit as Daryl stirred beside her. "Daryl, I think Bear needs to go out." As Daryl started to push off the covers, Beth shook her head and then, realizing he probably couldn't see her, she clarified aloud, "It's fine, I'll take him. I could use the little walk around, anyway."

"Everythin' alright?" Even in the darkness she could faintly see the concern on his face as he looked over at her from the other side of the bed.

"Yeah… you know my dreams are always unsettled when I sleep somewhere different." And going from here to the new place and back again must have stirred her mind up a bit. Nothing awful, no terrifying nightmares like she was sometimes still prone to, but a nice little walk outside would clear her mind. "I'll be back in like five, ten mins. I promise."

She kissed him on the forehead, then sat up and slid her legs out of bed.. Old habits died hard, so even though she slept in pajamas, her boots and socks were right there within reach. She had them on in a minute and was out of bed, grabbing a zip-up hoodie to put on over her t-shirt and flannel pants, since it was bound to be at least a little chilly outside. Bear whined again in encouragement and she chuckled softly. "Alright, alright, I'm going. C'mon, let's go outside."

The dog led the way, bounding down the stairs and right to the front door where he pawed at the frame and gave another whine.

"Boy, you sure are smart. And impatient." The cabin was dark at night, with no streetlights to shine in the window and no electricity available for her to just flip a switch or turn on a lamp. The only light came from the banked fire in the stove, down to coals now and just enough to keep the cabin warm. Still, she managed to find the kitchen table in the darkness, and she grabbed her crossbow off the chair and swung the strap over her back (because it never felt right going outside unarmed), before heading towards the door. "Alright, Bear, let's go."

The moment she opened the door, the dog slipped outside, tail high and wagging as he sniffed around the little porch. She closed the door behind her and crossed the porch to stand on the first step, arms wrapped over her chest as she breathed in the cool night air. The sky was clear tonight, the moon a crescent sliver and the stars winking brightly at her from the dark sky. It was beautiful, especially the way it reflected on the lake, which stretched out in front of her; a swath of inky water gently lapping against the shore.

At first the dog seemed content to sniff at the grass around the cabin, and she alternated between watching him and the sky, until he lifted his leg to pee and she looked away. Haven was quiet, everything dark and calm; she couldn't see the watch tower RVs from here with the cabin in the way, but even if she could, she probably wouldn't be able to see the people on duty. They kept everything dark at night so no one lurking in the forests would see the light and come investigate; humans, or walkers.

Beside her Bear had finished up and was now sniffing the air with little snuffling noises. Just as she was about to see if he was ready to go back inside, though, he gave a huffing noise and took a few steps in the opposite direction. He stopped, tipping his nose up high in the air and sniffing again, rapidly. Then with no warning, he gave a low little howl and took off at a loping run.

"Bear! Bear, get back here! Oh, for the love of—" With no better options, Beth took off after the dog as he ran towards the lake and along the shore in the direction of where the palisade wall met the water. "Bear!" She tried to keep her voice down, not wanting to wake the others, but she had a feeling the dog would have ignored her regardless. He had the scent of something, she just wasn't sure what—until they neared the fence and she spotted a shadowy figure standing at the edge and wading into the water.

"Hey!" She called out sharply as Bear rushed towards the figure. "Who is that? Stop!" Whoever it was, they didn't look familiar from here, but granted, she only had the faint light of the moon to go by.

The figure seemed like they wanted to turn and run in any direction, but they froze as Bear came to a stop in front of them, growling low and blocking their path.

"Bear, easy," she called out as she got within a few feet, not wanting the dog to attack if it was someone from Haven. And she realized after a moment, that it was… just not someone she was very familiar with. The face just visible under the raised hoodie now that she was this close was none other than Enid, looking either guilty, terrified, or perhaps a combination of both.

"Enid? What are you doing out here alone so late at night?" Her gaze strayed from the girl to where the edge of the palisade extended into the water, and she remembered suddenly how Carl had said he'd seen the girl the other night, wandering up towards the edge of the palisade at the other end of Haven before he'd lost sight of her. Beth's eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to sneak out?"

It had always been the weakest point of their fortifications, where the wall ran into the water. It was deep enough that you had to swim to get around it, but it was still possible. They'd just figured that most of the walkers couldn't swim, and any large groups that tried would be bottlenecked and soaking wet in the process. But now she suddenly had a feeling they'd made a mistake, not putting more traps here or finding something to keep an eye on the edges of the fence.

The bigger picture would have to wait, she thought, and she turned her focus back to Enid. The girl stood shivering in front of her now, the water still lapping at her ankles. "C'mon," she said with a sigh. "You must be cold, you're soaked to your knees and it's chilly tonight. Come back to my cabin with Bear, and you can explain everything to me and Daryl, alright?"

Enid looked unsure, her gaze darting from her, to Bear, to the corner of the wall and back again, as if considering all her options. "You can run, if you really want to," Beth remarked gently. "But that will be the end of it. You won't be able to come back without an explanation. And despite whatever is going on here, I don't think you're running away because you want to leave Haven. Am I wrong?"

After a long pause, Enid gave a short shake of her head no.

"I didn't think so. Come with me, then." Beth reached out towards the girl, offering her hand. "You'll have to start the explanations somewhere, and this way you can just tell the two of us. And Bear, but he won't tell anyone else. Plus, he's a dog, so he doesn't judge."

Beth saw the faintest hint of a smile from Enid at that before worry wiped it away, but she took it as a good sign. Her hand slipped around the girl to press against her upper back as she guided her out of the water and towards her and Daryl's cabin. Bear had stopped growling and was loping calmly beside her now, his prey under watch apparently being enough for him.

When they reached the cabin, Beth was unsurprised to see Daryl standing on the little porch looking down at both of them, dressed in his own flannel pants and long-sleeved shirt. "Heard you callin' for Bear," he remarked, gaze shifting to Enid and eyes narrowing slightly. "Everythin' alright?"

"Yes. We're going to sit down and have some tea, and Enid is going to explain some things to us. Isn't that right, Enid?" The girl only hung her head in response but let Beth lead her into the cabin nonetheless, Bear bounding in after them and running to get a drink of water from his bowl. "Now why don't you sit at the table here… Daryl will get you a blanket, and I'll get some tea going, and then you can tell us what's going on once you're warmed up, alright?"

She lit a lantern at the table to give them some light, and got to work. About ten minutes later, Enid was wrapped in a warm spare blanket and sipping at a mug of herbal tea. Her shivering had eased, but she looked rather miserable sitting there all hunched in on herself, her dark hair hanging in front of her face.

"I think it's time for that confession now," Beth said very gently from where she sat next to Daryl at the table. Both of them were willing to give the girl time, but only so much.

Enid sighed, but when she looked up at them, there was a resigned expression on her face. "I didn't have a choice," she started in a near-whisper. "You have to know that, okay? I didn't have a choice, they made me do it."

"Who are 'they'?" Daryl asked, worry causing his voice to edge into a hint of sharpness.

Beth reached out as if to comfort the girl and then stopped, not sure if she would want the physical contact or not. She could relate to that, just as she could relate to the way the girl had flinched a little at the sharpness in Daryl's voice. "It's alright, honey. Why don't you start at the beginning?"

"Okay." She took another sip of her tea and then, after a long pause, she finally began, "When the… the turn happened, I was with my mom and dad. We stayed alive together for a while. Months and months. But then one day they… we were on the move, in a car, but it stalled out. They were trying to jump-start it and… and a swarm of walkers caught us." The girl broke off, her voice choked and her eyes shining with unshed tears. But she seemed almost mad about the emotional outburst, turning her head and pressing her eyes shut for a few moments until she had herself under control again.

Enid took a deep breath, and continued, "I survived, but they didn't. I was on my own in the woods for a long time. Weeks. Months, probably. I… did what I had to do, to survive. Until I met Avery."

The girl quieted at that point, and Beth asked gently, "Avery?"

"Yeah. I found her one day outside of a small town. She's younger than me… she was ten, when I found her. But she was so smart and clever. She'd been surviving on her own for a week or so, after her dad got… got killed by walkers." Enid swallowed hard and took a sip of tea. "Then it was just the two of us. Like sisters, you know? Only I never had a sister, until Avery. We took care of each other. I protected her, like… like my parents did me. We got by like that for a month or two, and then…"

"And then?" Beth asked the question gently, even as she felt her stomach twist in anticipation.

"And then they found us. The Butchers. That's what they call themselves, I dunno why." With all the petulance of a teenager, Enid added, "It's a dumb name."

Beth agreed, though she only smiled gently in response before casting a worried glance at Daryl. She didn't like the sound of anyone who gave themselves a name like that. It didn't bode well.

"It's my fault. We should have stuck to the woods, should have known that even the smaller towns were a risk. I knew it, I did, but Avery was so hungry and we couldn't keep getting by on berries and… and turtles." She sighed. "Anyway they caught us. Avery and me. They brought us back to their base. There were others there. Other kids and a couple women… young women, around your age, Beth. They don't—" She swallowed again and finished in a whisper, "They don't keep anyone older. No men, except for them."

"What do you mean by 'keep', Enid?" Beth did lean in this time, resting her hand close to Enid's as she asked, "Can you tell us?"

"They have a whole system." The girl shifted in place. "They send kids into towns where they know people might be. The kid's job is to get caught. To get the people to take them in, so they can find out where they live. We— they're supposed to scout the place out and report back a couple times and eventually, they… invade, I guess. They kill everyone that isn't useful and take all the supplies."

Her shoulders slumped and she sunk in on herself again, keeping her eyes down as if she couldn't bear to look at Beth or Daryl. Her hands dropped into her lap as she finished lowly, "That's what I was going to do tonight. Report them. I'm supposed to sneak out every couple nights and tell them where different things are, who is on watch duty, stuff like that. This will be the last time before they… before they try to invade you."

As if sensing the impending questions, Enid's head suddenly darted up as she exclaimed breathlessly, "But I had to do it, okay? I had to! Because they have Avery. And they'll hurt her, if I don't do it. That's what they say every time. They'll hurt her and the others, if I don't do it. I wanted to run away so many times, but I couldn't get Avery free. They hurt her whenever hey caught me, and even when I didn't try, they still starved her, you know… they only give her enough food to stay alive, and she's so weak, she can barely move, and I… I had to, you have to understand! I couldn't let them hurt her. She's all I have."

"Shhhh, hush now. Hush, sweetheart." Beth rose to her feet and moved around the table to stand behind Enid and gently squeeze her shoulders. "I understand. Trust me, okay? If anyone understands what it's like to have to do things you don't want to, it's me. All of us here probably do, in some way, okay?" She took a deep, measured breath, and said the thing she knew Enid wasn't going to like. But it had to be said. "Which is why it's going to be okay when we tell them all, tomorrow."

Enid's eyes widened at that, stiffening under Beth's hands like a horse about to bolt. "Do we have to? Please, we don't have to tell them. I… I just won't leave again, I won't go to them and they won't come…"

"But they will, won't they?" Daryl's voice was calm and measured. "They'll come even if you don't go to them, eventually, right?"

"Yes." Her shoulders slumped immediately, and her voice was a miserable whisper. "Yes. They will. They always do."

"Then we have to tell the others," Beth murmured, giving Enid's shoulders another squeeze before she stepped away. "But not until tomorrow morning, alright? C'mon, let's get you a dry pair of pants and we'll make up the couch and you can sleep here tonight. We'll tell them in the morning."

Beth gave a quick look at Daryl, then at the door. He nodded in immediate understanding. They'd make sure Enid got some sleep, but one or both of them would be up the whole night to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn't bolt. Willingly or otherwise, she was going to tell the others everything tomorrow morning.

The stunned silence that fell after Enid's trembling pronouncement lasted all of a few seconds before a cacophony of noise broke out. They had gathered almost everyone in Hank and Alberta's cabin that morning for breakfast, telling everyone they had something important to discuss. Theirs was the largest of all five cabins, with a pretty big-sized great room that could accommodate a long dining room table that could seat almost all of them; the rest sat at the stools at the kitchen counter, or on the couch (though Alberta was loathe to let people get crumbs on it.)

The only people not present today were Ivy and Noah, who were on watch and would be filled in later. Well, and Bear, who they'd left in their cabin because he wasn't trained enough yet to deal with being around that much food and not stealing it. They'd let everyone eat first and then, with a bit of nudging from Beth and Daryl, Enid had finally gotten most of the same story out that she'd told them last night, this time to almost everyone else.

Now, she huddled by herself in her chair, with Carol standing supportively behind her. The woman had been the only one to get up and go right to Enid, while everyone else made a racket in response, their voices blurring into one.

"Why wouldn't you tell us—"
"I knew we shouldn't let her in—"
"Does this mean we have to leave—"

It got so loud that Beth found herself putting her hands over her ears and hunching in a little herself, overwhelmed by all the noise. The moment she did, Daryl stood up beside her, one hand on her shoulder as he shouted, "That's enough. Everyone, quiet yourselves and sit down!"

The rare yell from Daryl shocked everyone into silence and the few people that had risen to their feet dropped back into their chairs. Only when they were all seated did Rick give Daryl a slight nod of thanks and lean forward to speak. "I know you all have a lot to say about this, and I understand. But I think we need to focus on getting as much information as possible right now, so we can come to a decision on what to do." He paused to make sure everyone was still with him, and then turned to the young girl still quivering in her seat, looking as if all she wanted was to get up and bolt again. "Enid."

The girl said nothing, her head down and gaze averted. Behind her, Carol put both of her hands on Enid's shoulders and squeezed. "Don't be too hard on her," Carol said hoarsely, "She was scared. She didn't have any other options."

Across the table, Beth saw Eugene open his mouth to argue, but he stopped the moment Rick raised a silent hand. "I understand Enid was under duress. I'm not going to yell at her, Carol. But we need all the information we can get. Can you give us that, Enid?"

Carol leaned down and whispered something in Enid's ear; what it was, Beth didn't know, because she was too far away to hear. But whatever she said, it seemed to work. Enid slowly raised her head and gave a sharp nod of agreement.

"Alright. Where is this group—The Butchers, you called them?" When Enid nodded, Rick went on, "Where are they staying?"

Enid darted a glance to the others, who were staring at her with narrowed eyes. With a shudder, she focused her gaze on Rick and replied quietly, "Mostly in… in Clayton."

Beth and Daryl exchanged a look at that. Clayton was the closest big city, they'd discussed doing runs there before but had avoided it for the assumed risk, which it seemed now was even bigger than they imagined.

"They stay in the Walmart," Enid went on nervously. "But they have the whole town cleaned out mostly. Anything they steal, they bring into the warehouse for storage. They even have some generators set up, to keep food cold and run space heaters. Tents, beds, all kinds of stuff. Only for them, though. The rest of us stay in a room in the back."

"How many people would you reckon there are?" Rick placed his palms on the table and leaned in slightly. "Both the Butchers, and the others."

"Uhhh… gosh, I think there's about… ten or so men? Maybe twelve? They always have some of them out on rotations, with whatever kids whose turn it is to be bait. They wait in the smaller towns for people to come by and then set up the trap. Most of them are older, some of them are in their twenties, I think."

"And the kids, the others?"

"That's easier. Last I was there, anyway, there were five, including me and Avery. Used to be six, but one of them never came back. I…. they told us she tried to run, so they k-killed her." She swallowed hard and forcibly pushed onward, "Avery is eleven now, I'm fourteen. Then there's Thomas, he's thirteen but he's… I don't know, he'd been with them for awhile, I think he's almost one of them at this point. They don't make him sleep with us in the back room anymore, most nights. And then there's Laila, she's… I think she's sixteen or seventeen now. And… and Brigid. She's eighteen." She hesitated, her eyes haunted as she looked up at Rick, as if unsure whether to continue or not. But finally, she admitted in a whisper, "Brigid is pregnant."

Beth startled at that, her gaze shifting to Maggie just long enough to see her sister's face blanche with panic. Her own body tensed until Daryl's hand came to rest on her thigh, squeezing it reassuringly under the table. With a short breath, she forced herself to turn away from Maggie and focus on Enid instead. "Do you know how far along she is, Enid?"

The girl shook her head. "I don't know. Far. Her belly is really big and I heard her and Laila talking a couple weeks ago, saying they didn't know what they were going to do when the baby came soon. The men didn't seem to care, except they were annoyed when it first happened. Said they… they didn't have any use for a baby."

Beth's eyes pressed shut as she reached out for Daryl's hand. Suddenly, it was all a bit too much. They were too awful, too brutal, too… too much like the cops at Grady. That's what it was. They used people—kids, and women—just like the cops at Grady. They even set traps to lure people in and forced them to work for them. Forced them to do other things as well, she imagined, judging by the pregnancy. The sudden realization hit her like a ton of bricks, and her shoulders and head immediately dropped. Her chest tightened and she turned her head blindly towards Daryl, instinctively seeking his reassurance as she struggled to breathe.

"It's alright," he murmured into her ear, "I'm right here, I've got you. Remember your breathing exercises, okay? Inhale for four, hold for four, and then exhale. Good girl, there you go." Around her the others were murmuring amongst themselves about the pregnancy and the Butchers, but she could barely hear them, except as a distant background sound. Her focus was on Daryl, and Daryl alone. "See if you can open your eyes, Beth. How's that?"

She opened her eyes hesitantly, focusing on his face. Her vision blurred, but only for a moment. The tension and tightness in her chest eased, but it was still there, and she knew Daryl could tell by the stricken look on her face.

"Why don't you try one of your groundin' techniques?" It was another thing they'd learned from her PSTD workbook. "Name somethin' alphabetically."

"I… okay." She licked her dry lips and went with the first thing that came to mind. "Aloe vera. Basil. Coriander. Dill. Echinacea. Feverfew. Ginger. Horseradish. I… I can't think of anything that starts with I." She took a deeper breath and then smiled hesitantly, realizing she was able to breathe more easily now. "I feel a little better though."

"Good. That's good. Do you need to list more?"

"No." She squeezed his hand where it rested on her thigh and leaned in slightly, though not enough for their faces to touch, no matter how tempted she was. "Thank you," she whispered, just for his ears.

"Anytime, Greene. You know that." She gave him one last smile and then turned back to the group to find they were still discussing Enid's revelations among them, albeit more quietly this time.

Rick raised his hand to quiet them, and focused his gaze on the teenage girl once more. "Will they notice that you didn't come to meet them last night? Will anything happen?"

Enid shook her head. "Not right away. They always give leeway, in case we can't get out without getting caught. But if they don't hear from me for a few days, if I don't signal somehow… Yes." She nodded, and cast a miserable look up at Rick. "They'll come. Probably all of them, they'll… they'll attack. They know enough now, this was supposed to be the last meeting before they… you know."

"What kind of things did you tell them, exactly?"

"I…" She looked nervously at Carol, who was still standing behind her. The older woman gave a reassuring squeeze to her shoulder and nodded, urging her to keep sharing. Only then did Enid glance back at Rick and admit, "Everything. The layout of the cabins. How many people are here, what kind of weapons I saw, what supplies and food you have, medicine… all of it. This last time, I was supposed to give them the watch schedule and they were going to tell me when to open the gate, so they could get in."

"You were going to let them in?" That was Maggie, her voice aghast. Rick shot her a look and she sat back in her chair, but her hand fell protectively over her stomach as she did. Beth couldn't blame her. As much as she felt for Enid, the idea that she could and would have just let them into their home, their community, to rampage and butcher them all was just… brutal, and terrifying.

"I— I had to. I had to, or they would have hurt Avery! I… I tried once, I swear." She looked plaintively around the group, her eyes lingering on Carl as if she thought he, at least, might sympathize. The boy looked upset, but not nearly as much as the others. Enid's eyes remained fixed on him as she pleaded, "The first time that they made me go back wi-… with another group. I tried to run instead of reporting to them, but they caught me. I told them I w-wouldn't do it, wouldn't help them k-kill everyone. They told me they'd break Avery's arm if I didn't, so I— I did it. I went back, and let them in and that— that whole group, they killed them right in front of me and…" Her head drooped once more. "And when I got back, they broke Avery's arm anyway. Said it was to teach me a lesson."

For all that it was the most Enid had said since they'd met her, it seemed to also be all that she had left in her. She devolved into noiseless sobs that shook her whole body and had Carol pulling a blanket off the couch to wrap around the girl. She held her close against her chest so Enid could hide her face, and the rest of them were left to sit with the knowledge that a group that was that awful was probably days away, at best, from showing up at their front gate.

For once, silence reigned; either because they were all stunned by the reality of the situation, or because they felt uncomfortable or unsure at the sight of Enid's silent sobbing and Carol's protective glare. Admittedly, Beth felt oddly relieved that Carol still seemed attached to the girl; she was worried the betrayal might break her, when it had been clear (at least to her and Daryl) that Carol had seen some of Sophia in Enid, and become attached as a result. But Carol's focus seemed to still be on Enid, which she supposed was better than the alternative.

"The way it seems to me is we have two options," Daryl said, breaking the silence at last with a measured glance at Beth.

She nodded, and completed the thought, "We either run, and leave Haven behind… or we fight."

Again the voices rose in a chorus of arguments; vaguely she heard Sasha immediately arguing that running wasn't an option, while Eugene forcefully stated that running was in fact the safest and most logical option available, and Tyrese did his best to mediate between them, calm as always. But just when Beth thought Rick was about to cut in and shut all the arguing down, Maggie stood up instead.

"I… before we make a decision… There's something I need to tell all of you." Her eyes strayed to Beth, who clasped Daryl's hand under the table and gave her sister a reassuring nod. Glenn stood up beside Maggie and slipped an arm around her waist as Maggie clarified, "Something we need to tell all of you." She took a moment to look around the room, meeting everyone's eyes. Michonne sitting next to Rick, fingers toying with her katana. Carl, with Judy in his lap, his gaze still fixed on Enid, who was still curled against Carol's chest. Hank and Alberta stood in the kitchen, Hank's arms around Alberta for comfort. Tara and Rosita sat together, their knees touching, Rosita's face pale despite Tara's hand on her back. Sasha sat next to her brother, still glaring furiously across the table at Eugene, who was looking everywhere but at her.

And Beth just clung to Daryl's hand, her rock in the storm, as her sister dropped another bombshell on the group. "I'm pregnant. Beth thinks about three and a half months, maybe going on four, so you'd probably have all figured it out soon, anyway, because I'd start to show. It wasn't planned, obviously, and I… I hate to just say it so bluntly, but I guess I have to. I—" She took a deep, shuddering breath, and continued, "I'm scared, of course I'm scared—"

Her gaze drifted to Rick and Carl, both of whom had blank, distant expressions on their faces. Their eyes were haunted, and Beth knew—they all knew—who they were thinking about, what they were remembering. But then Judy gurgled in Carl's lap, drawing everyone's attention to her. Despite being the result of that very awful situation, no one could look at her and not smile, not Rick, not Carl, not even Maggie.

Her look of fear softened at the sight of the babbling little girl, and she ran her palm over the slight curve of her belly as she said. "I'm scared, but also… not entirely. Giving birth, yeah, that terrifies me. But raising the baby here, in Haven… that never has. That was the one good part of it all, actually." She looked at Glenn, who met her gaze with a soft, loving smile. "Knowing our baby would grow up here, with this big hectic family, and a home, and food, and a… a future. Because of this place, and all of you."

Glenn gave them a lopsided grin. "Y'all may not laugh at half my jokes—"

Daryl snorted. "Only half?"

"Haha." The tension eased at their joking banter, and even Enid peeked out from the blanket to watch them all as Glenn went on, "But what I meant to say was: You're our family, and this is our home. This is where we want to raise our kid, here, in Haven. Not on the run because another group of assholes decided to try and take what's ours."

"I'm so tired of having to leave our homes because of other people," Beth spoke up, her voice soft but firm. "The farm, the prison, the hunters, Richmond… aren't you all tired of it?"

"Th' whole point of this place was t' make it our home for good this time," Daryl chimed in, his free arm sliding over her shoulder as his other one squeezed her hand. "I dunno about y'all, but I ain't gonna let it get ruined by th' first dickheads t' decide they wanna steal our hard-earned shit an' wreck our home."

"You know we have to vote," Rick said calmly, though there was a resolved look on his face that made Beth think he was already on their side, that he didn't want this to turn out like it had again and again before.

So Beth just nodded, looked around at the others, and said firmly, "Then let's vote. All in favor of fighting back and defending Haven against these so-called Butchers?"

There was a moment's pause, just a single moment. And then every single person around the table raised their hand in agreement, even Eugene.

This time, they wouldn't run.

A/N: I thought about making "Avery" Lydia, but the ages were all off (she doesn't show up till way later in the show so apparently, she'd be, like, six at this point or something, timeline-wise, and I needed her a little older.) So I just gave her a random name, sometimes you just gotta have random characters I guess. I hope you like Bear's name, I considered others (Hunter, Tracker, Roo, Moonshine) but Bear just stuck in my head. And thanks again for the comments on the last update, as always, I appreciate them. Also, I'm going on vacation next Thursday to Monday, so the update may take a bit longer, we'll see.