Author's Note: I'm back. My new year's resolution is to finish this fic. I hadn't abandoned it but honestly I wasn't sure which direction I wanted to take the story. When I first set out to write this fic, my original thought was instead of Aaron finding them it would be Jesus and I really wanted to explore that. However, I don't feel that this fits this particular story. This is where I think cannon divergence is hard. I have ideas I really like but in the end I have to ask myself if that idea works for this story. That being said I have been sort of weaving in and out of the original story and I would like to keep doing that. I know where I want to go now. I hope you all enjoy.

Beth

"We need to get the hell out of here." Noah declares.

"Now hold the hell up. How do we know for sure we are being watched? You sure it wasn't Eugene pulling a peeping tom?" Abraham asks Daryl.

Daryl tenses up. "The hell ya tryin' to say?"

"We all know you two go out there to bump uglies. Eugene likes to watch. Hell. He does it with Rosita and I all the time."

Daryl takes a step toward Abraham seething. Rick grabs Daryl's left arm to hold him back. I am on Daryl's right and softly say his name only loud enough for Rick to hear. Rick gathered all of us in the living room to let Daryl and I break the news of our unwanted visitor. I watch the angel wings on his back relax and he takes a step back from Abraham who never flinched at the oncoming attack.

To my surprise, Eugene speaks up, "That is a negative. Carol, Michonne, and Tara can vouch for my presence remaining here on the premises from sunup to sundown. Furthermore, I have yet to observe any physical affection between Daryl and Beth and I am uncertain whether our hypothesis about them is in fact true."

I roll my eyes. "Not that it is anyone's business but Daryl and I just hunt and train with my bow when we are out there. We have lost sight of the bigger picture here. I know what we saw. Someone has been watching us." It seems to shut Abraham up for the moment.

"Which is why we need to decide how to handle this." Rick states matter-of-factly.

"Dad, I don't want to go. We could stay and fight if they attack. We could be walking into a trap if we leave." Carl says holding Judith in his arms.

Noah counters. "This place could be the trap. The officers at Grady had several surrounding the city. We are sitting ducks here."

At the mention of Grady, my eyes immediately look to Daryl. He is looking right back at me. We had been a victim to one of those traps. We both are thinking it. Noah's right. This place seems too good to be true. But unlike the funeral home, there was dust all over this cabin. It wasn't as well kept as the funeral home, which makes me think we are safe here. But then again, what do I know?

Rick mulls over everything and finally speaks, "We weren't planning on staying very much longer here anyway. Everyone pack up. We're leaving."

We travel all night and majority of the next morning trying to put as much distance as we can between us and whoever was watching us. About noon the weather changes and starts raining like a cow peeing on a flat rock. The visibility sucks and we reluctantly park the cars and find shelter in an old barn. The storm rages outside but inside we set up a fire. WIth all of us gathered together, Rick starts telling us a story about his grandpa who fought in the war. We all listen to the morbid tale. A chill runs down my spine as the thunder cracks outside. I know what he trying to say when he says, "We tell ourselves that we are the walking dead." But I don't like it.

Apparently Daryl doesn't either because he speaks up. "We ain't them."

Rick tries to recover and assure Daryl that isn't what he was saying but Daryl just looks at Rick again and repeats himself. "We ain't them."

Daryl wanders away from the fire. I decide to follow him and check on him. It's rare he disagrees with Rick. I walk to the front of the barn where Daryl is. I see a flash of lightning in the cracks of the barn along with another booming thunder clap. "You okay?"

He just looks at me for a millisecond then back down. He shakes his head.

I try to step into his space a little hoping my presence is comforting to him. "I don't think he meant it like that. It's just his way of coping."

Daryl nods. "I know but it ain't right. We ain't them. We're the ones who live."

I smile at him and his conviction. "We are. Anyone ever tell you that you're a wise man, Daryl Dixon?" I tease.

He huffs a laugh and shakes his head at me. Suddenly the barn doors start to really pound. The rain and wind have been howling all day but now the storm seems to be raging even harder over the last few minutes. Daryl takes a closer look and immediately shuts the doors and barricades them with his entire body. I hear the growls and what sounds like a train outside. Every muscle in Daryl's body strains and I see the doors pushing against him even more. I throw myself at the doors to help him. One by one everyone sees the situation and comes to help until we are all pressing against the barn doors trying to keep the herd out. The mud is making it hard to keep our footing and it feels like the doors could give way any minute. The storm screams even louder. Flashes of lightning illuminate my family as we fight to secure the doors as best as we can. I can see in each one of their faces fear. It's rare for all of us to be afraid like this at the same time. This whole thing feels familiar. I'm reminded of the trunk of the car, but this is way worse. I don't know how long we struggle against the doors but eventually the noise becomes less and less until there is only silence.

When I wake up it is still dark outside and I find Daryl still awake. "You should sleep." He hums in agreement but doesn't move. "It's okay to rest now." I encourage him once more.

He nods, but before he lays down, he looks inside his bag for something. He hands me a music box. I smile and accept the gift. "Found this the other day. Was gonna give it to ya but there was some grit in the gearbox. It should work now."

"Thank you." I say sincerely. For someone so rough and gruff, he can be so sweet when he wants to be.

He shrugs like it's not a big deal. "Ain't nothin."

"No, it's somethin'." My smile is plastered to my face and I can't take it anymore. I press a quick peck to his cheek. He gets all bashful and lays down next to me. His head is next to my thigh so I reach out and run my fingers through his greasy hair. When he doesn't object, I keep playing with his hair until he dozes off for a few hours.

A little while later, our morning takes a drastic turn when Maggie and Sasha come in and announce. "Everyone, this is Aaron."

The man that follows them inside is clean, too clean. He smiles with his hands up in surrender and says. "Hi." He pauses and looks at all of us still staring blankly with weapons still aiming at him. "I know… stranger danger. But I am a friend. I am just here to speak to you." He looks right at Rick. "Rick, right?"

In an instant, Daryl appears behind him and gives the man a quick pat down, taking his only weapon and removes his backpack. He quickly searches it then nods to Rick. All the while, Aaron keeps his hands up in surrender looking a little frightened but determined.

Rick surveys the man. "Aaron. You the one who has been watching us?"

Aaron appears to be shocked that his presence had been discovered. "Ye-yes. I was watching you. I am from a community. I had to see what kind of people you were first before I asked you."

"Asked us what?" Rick asks, clearly annoyed.

"To audition for membership." Aaron responds confidently.

"Audition?" Michonne chimes in with a quizzical look on her face.

"I wish there was a better word for it. Audition makes it sound like we are some sort of dance troupe. But that is only on Fridays." The man jokes, only to be met with silence from the rest of us. "I think you all would make valuable additions to our community but it is not my call. My job is to convince you all to follow me back home." A few eyes glance at Rick who looks visibly uncomfortable with the idea. "I know. If I were you, I wouldn't go either." Aaron turns to Daryl. "Daryl, is it? Can you hand Rick my pack?"

Daryl eyes the stranger with uncertainty but does as the man wishes. "Front pocket. There's an envelope. There is no way I could convince you to come just by talking about our community. That is why I brought those. I apologize for the picture quality. We just found an old camera store-"

Daryl interrupts. "Nobody gives a shit."

Aaron turns and nods. "You're absolutely 100% right." He turns back to Rick who is looking at a picture in his hand. "That is the first picture I wanted to show you. Because nothing I tell you about our community will matter unless you know you'll be safe. If you join us, you will be. Each panel in that wall is a 15-foot-high, 12-foot-wide slab of solid steel framed by cold rolled steel beams and square tubing. Nothing alive or dead gets through that without our say-so. Like I said, security is obviously important." As I internalize everything I hear, I look at everyone doing the same. Daryl meets my eyes briefly and I can tell he is torn on whether to believe the stranger or not, just like the rest of us. "In fact there is only one resource more critical to our community's survival. The people."

I see Rick give Michonne a look. She raises her eyebrows and does a quick nod to him, silently communicating to Rick that she thinks Aaron is okay. Aaron continues, the longer he speaks, the more passionate he becomes. "Together we are strong. You can make us even stronger. The next picture you see inside the gates." Rick starts walking toward the man and I know there is about to be trouble. "Our community was first constructed-" Rick rares back and punches Aaron square in the jaw, knocking him out cold.

Instantly Daryl and others are on the man, checking him. Rick walks back to Michonne. Her tone is harsh with Rick when she speaks again. "Just so we're clear. That wasn't a 'let's attack that man' look. That was a 'he seems like an alright guy to me' look."

Rick isn't fazed and simply says. "We got to secure him. Dump his pack. Let's see who this guy really is." Carl obeys as Rick turns to the rest of us saying that they are coming for us and that we need eyes and ears in every direction. Everyone looks in between the slats of the barn except Maggie and I who attend to an unconscious Aaron. Rick and Carl find a flare gun in Aaron's backpack.

The stranger starts to stir and regains consciousness. "That's a hell of a right cross Rick."

Then Rick begins to grill the man on how many people he has with him. Aaron responds with what we are all thinking. We can never trust him regardless of what he says. It's true but deep down I know he is one of the good ones. I have hope that this community he is from is like what we had at the prison. We are being cautious because we have to be but the more I hear this man speak, the more I believe him. Eventually Aaron informs us he has one other person out there with him. That they have vehicles big enough to support all of us stashed a couple of miles away and he could take us to his home. It is only a day's drive. We all look at each other and Rick. This could be a good thing for all of us, but Rick doesn't look convinced.

Michonne speaks up. "I'll check out the cars."

"There aren't any cars." Rick responds quickly, shutting Michonne down.

I speak up now. "There is only one way to find out." Rick looks at me and shakes his head. I don't let it deter me. "I believe him."

Rick huffs, "That is easy for you to say, you're just like Hershel, always seeing the best in everyone."

There was no heat intended behind his words, yet they burn me all the same. The heat seeps into my skin and spreads across my body as anger courses through me. "What did you just say?"

Rick, who was about to speak again, stops and looks at me, puzzled at my swift change in demeanor. "Did you just say that 'that was easy for me to say'? You don't know shit. I may be my father's daughter but I am not the same girl who blindly trusts anymore. I trust no one." I can feel everyone's eyes on me but I am too angry to care. I am vaguely aware now isn't the time or place to lose my cool but I can't stop the words from leaving my mouth all the same. "I may not have been taken by crazy cannibals who literally wanted to eat me alive. But I was taken by some pretty bad people. A bunch of sadistic rapists who enslaved others 'for the common good.'" Everyone glances around looking uncomfortable. Mindful of Aaron, I walk closer to Rick and Michonne. Rick appears as though I just slapped him across the face. Daryl is with me step for step as well as Maggie. I can see them out of my peripherals watching me, intently listening to my every word. I whisper to Rick. "Don't you dare say it is easy for me. Because it's bullshit. I know monsters. That man isn't one of them."

I am still pissed so I push past Rick and retreat outside reminding myself to stay close to the barn. I hear Maggie follow and a commotion behind me.

Daryl

Her words echo in my head as I watch her leave the barn. Sadistic rapists. She ain't told me 'bout Grady yet and I haven't asked, knowin' she would tell me whenever she was ready. But her words confirm my worst fears about what happened to her when we were separated. I want to go back there and kill e'ery single one of those assholes for her. If I can't go after them… My eyes find my next target. Noah. He looks stunned by Beth's words. "Did you know?" I ask, not bothering to hide my anger.

The kid looks at me with wide eyes. "What?"

I ask again. "Did. You. Know? What they were?"

"I mean, I knew there were a few officers that would…"

That is all I need to hear. I charge at the kid and slam him against the nearest wall. "Did they touch her!?"

"I don't know! I didn't think so. She never mentioned it." Noah pleads with me.

I feel Rick and Glenn pull me back. "Daryl." Rick warns.

I let them pry me away from the kid. "That isn't going to help anything." Glenn says. I nod to him in acknowledgement. Glenn with his hand still on my shoulder, leans into me and says softly. "He isn't the one you should be going after."

He is right. I instantly take off in the direction she disappeared. I ain't got no clue what to say to her or how to ask her. But I need to know. I hear Rick give everyone orders to do a perimeter check. Two by two they file out of the barn behind me. The tornado that came through was a real bitch. Trees are scattered all around with their roots shining in the sun. The herd that tried to get in the barn are everywhere. Some impaled in the wreckage, others in the tops of trees, but none are walking around. How that damn barn is still standin' is beyond me. I shake the scenery away from my thoughts and refocus on findin' Beth. Don't take me but a second to find her and Maggie sittin' on a log that overlooks the field beside the barn. I don't want to interrupt so I keep my distance behind them. They are talkin' quietly but thanks to years of huntin' my trained ears can hear e'ery word.

Beth sighs. "I'm okay. Please tell me, someone stopped Daryl from killing Noah." I grin to myself. That woman knows me so well.

"Glenn and Rick." Maggie informs her..

"I should have never said that. I was just so mad. Now everyone thinks…"

A shiver rolls down my spine. I shoulda been there for her. We shoulda never split up at the funeral home. All I wanted was to keep her safe. I just put her in more danger. I hold my breath when Maggie asks, "Did they -?"

"No. I stopped it before it got that far." I release the breath I was holding. I ain't never been much of a spiritual person, but I know her Daddy was. I say a quick thank you to the man upstairs or whoever is listening. Then the rest of what she said lingers. I stopped it before it got that far. Some bastard tried. She's tough and can take care of herself but I should'a been there. She shouldn't'a had to stop anything.

Coulda, shoulda, woulda baby brother.

Maggie pushes gently. "What did happen, Bethy?"

"It doesn't matter." That pisses me off. How could she think that it don't matter? That she doesn't matter.

"It does matter. If anyone knows that, it is me." I shuffle my feet. Now I really feel like I'm snooping. I shouldn't be listening to this, but I can't seem to tune them out either. "The Governor didn't rape me but what he did do stayed with me a long time. I kept envisioning the 'what-ifs' and having nightmares about it. I didn't want to think or talk about it. But once I did, I was finally able to put it past me."

Beth remains quiet, so Maggie speaks again. "You don't have to right now. But if you ever do want to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks Mags." Rick gives more orders. Beth must can hear him too because she says, "You should get back. I'll be there in just a minute."

Maggie passes me and gives me a soft smile telling me Beth's okay. Before I can reveal myself to the younger Greene, I hear Beth call to me. "Come sit."

I sit on the log next to her. I keep my gaze on the horizon avoiding making eye contact, checking for any sign of Aaron's friend. I'm nervous. I ain't got no clue what to say to her or what she needs from me right now. I decide to play it safe and keep quiet. Let her take the lead on this. I can't do much but I can listen.

"How much did you hear?" She asks, not looking at me anymore. Her voice is hollow, detached. I hate it.

I shrug, "Enough."

She nods. "Then you know I wasn't raped? It didn't happen?"

She looks to me for confirmation. I brace myself and look back at her. I don't want to lie to her so I don't. I hum a yes, not trusting myself to speak.

Her eyes well up with tears. "I almost was."

Just like that, I see red again. I tighten my grip on my crossbow until my knuckles are white. I force myself to calm down and be there for her. I just need to keep my damn mouth shut and listen.

She goes to speak again, but I try to stop her. I don't want her to feel like she owes me an explanation. "Beth you don't gotta…"

"I do. Maggie's right I need to put it away." She is so calm.

I' m reminded of the moonshiner's cabin. Places like this… you have to put it away. What if you can't? You have to. Or it kills you. At the time, I was facin' my own demons. She saw that, she knew, and she helped me. Back then I didn't know it yet, but I needed her. I still do. Now she is facin' demons of her own and now she needs me. It's my turn to help her. I wish we could burn Grady to the ground.

I keep my damn mouth shut and I make myself to listen. Part of me don't want to hear it, the other part of me is grateful to know. She tells me everything, the bitch in charge, Dawn. Becomin' friends with Noah, that prick, Gorman and all the shit he did to her. The escape plan. How she let that asshole touch her to buy herself some time to find a way to fight him off. How he was torn apart by the woman he abused. I take it all in completely blown away by how tough my girl is.

"So the fucker is dead?" I finally say.

"Yes."

"Good." If there was a possibility that he made it out alive, my ass would be headed back to Georgia to finish the job.

"Do you know what I thought about the whole time I was there?" She asks with a hint of amusement.

"Hmm?"

"I kept asking myself. 'What would Daryl do?' You helped me escape." Her voice is so sincere.

"Nah, that was all you." I won't let her give me credit for something she did.

She smiles at me and my chest tightens like it always does at the sight. "Maybe it was both of us." I hold in a grin that is fighting its way to the surface. I bump her with my shoulder instead. She seems to be better, lighter now that she has purged that place from her memory. "So what do you think of this Aaron guy?"

That is a loaded question. I can't get a good read on him. "I don't know. I don't think he's a threat. But…" I trail off because even though he don't seem dangerous, he still could be. His people could be. I just want us to be safe again. "We should get back."

Beth

We reenter the barn and I see a few people missing. They probably went to check the cars.

Rick talks to Aaron some more and still seems to be unconvinced of Aaron's offer. He eventually walks away from the man. His eyes find mine and he walks over to me. "Beth…"

I stop him before he can voice his apology because all is forgiven. We have bigger fish to fry. "It's okay Rick. Sorry I went off on you like that."

"It's alright. It was insensitive of me to bring up Hershel like that."

I sigh, "I miss him."

"Me too. He always knew just what to do." Rick says sadly.

"We need this. A home. I know we need to be careful but there are still good people. We have to believe a place like this exists out there somewhere. Otherwise… where the hell are we going?" I challenge him gently.

He doesn't respond for a long while but eventually he looks over at me and smiles. "You're wise like your daddy was too."