Eugene was pressing hard on the gas but the car was struggling through all the mud and branches in their path.

"Are you crazy?!" Beth yelled at him.

"Where's the lab?"

"What lab?"

"The one, Rick and Maggie were talking about. The one where the scientists are waiting for you?"

"But...how did you know?"

"Overheard some stuff. Then your question on the bus today...I put two and two together. Your baby's a walker. I find that pretty cool to be honest." The engine was starting to sputter. This kidnapping was not going as well as planned.

"Why are you doing this? Couldn't you have waited till we go to D.C.?"

"I take you to the scientists, they make that cure out of you or whatever...and I take the credit. No one's the wiser."

"But don't you...unless..." Beth had come to the ultimate conclusion. "You're not a real scientist...there is no cure, is there?"

"I'm just a good liar," said Eugene.

"Won't your cover be blown if everyone finds that me and you are both gone? No explanation whatsover?"

Eugene cursed himself. "Oh...I had a feeling something was wrong with this idea."

"Let's just get back to camp. No one has to know about this."

But before Eugene could consider the idea. His car door opened and Eugene was pulled out of the car and onto the ground. Daryl was hovering over him throwing punches at Eugene as the others arrived. Beth squirmed to get out of her seat until Maggie and Glenn appeared to help pull her out. "Are you alright, Beth. Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine, Maggie." Beth hurried over to the other side of the car. Rick was holding Daryl back and Abraham was pulling Eugene off the ground. Daryl was fighting his way out of Rick's grip to lunge at Eugene again. Beth cried "Daryl, stop!"

"Just what the hell's going on here?" asked Rick.

"You put the nerd on watch and the second he was alone, he tried to grab Beth. That's what happened," said Daryl.

"JESUS FUCK, PORTER!" Abraham said. "You better have a damn good explanation for this!"

"He's not a scientist!"

Everyone was shocked by what Beth said. "Is this true?"

Eugene shrugged. "I suppose teaching high school science is not the same thing."

All the people were pissed. But none so than Abraham as he grabbed Eugene by the collar."You lied to us?! We dragged our asses hundreds of miles for you! People died for a cure that you f*cking lied to us about!"

"Why would you kidnap Beth?" asked Maggie. "She has nothing to do with your lies."

Eugene pointed at Beth. "But her's baby a walker."

Soon all faces turned away from Eugene and at Beth. The looks on Rick, Maggie, and Daryl's face indicated that they had already known the truth. Glenn was one of the first to notice. "Y-y-you...you guys knew?"

"We didn't want anyone to panic," said Rick.

Abraham quickly dropped Eugene and pulled out his gun. Daryl realized that he was aiming it at Beth and he jumped him.

The next few moments were absolute chaos.

People were yelling at each other, as Daryl, Rick, and the others try to hold Abraham back and disarm him. Maggie pulled Beth out of the chaos. "What the hell?!"

"We can't take our chances! She's gonna turn!"

"She's not dying!"

In the midst of all the clamoring and yelling Michonne looked over and saw rustling in the bushes. It almost looked like a walker.

"Everyone quiet!"

Michonne hurried over to the bushes as the chaos died down. They all realized then that all of their commotion would've attracted nearly every walker in the area.

"We need to get back to the bus," said Rick.

"Hold on a second." To everyone's surprise, instead of pulling out a walker from the bushes, Michonne had pulled out a living man. Her katana was quiclkly placed to the man's neck.

The man put his hands up. "Whoa! Easy!"

Rick pointed his gun at him. "You better not be involved in this."

"Involved in what? I just heard all you guys yelling and stuff and I knew there was people here." He dropped one hand to greet Rick. "Name's Aaron." Rick did nothing, nor did the others. They only just looked at him. "Look, Aaron. This ain't a good time or place for introduction. It's best you just move on and leave us be. We don't got room to take in new people."

"Oh I'm not here for food or anything like that," said Aaron. "Besides, I already got my own group. I'm here as a scout."

"A scout?"

"My community is always looking for new people to join us. I wasn't expecting to encounter a group this big but the more the merrier."

Rick was suspicious, especially after their experiences at Terminus. "Look no offense, but we haven't had positive experiences with sanctuaries. How do we know we can trust you?"

"I completely understand. I guess the only way you can know is to just find out. I mean we got walls, and a clinic, and food..."

"Seriously?" said Glenn.

"Serious," said Aaron.

"And these people..." asked Daryl. "They'll take us in? Just like that?"

"Well, of course, they'll have to give you the Q&A to see if they can trust you. But you know, we're not picky people and you look like you need it. Was that your bus I saw? Where were you guys headed anyway?"

"Washington," said Rick as he looked at Eugene. "But we've...it looks like that's not an option anymore."

"My community is in Alexandria. It's only a few hours drive from here and you're gonna find more there than you will in Washington. I've been there and it's a ghost town."

"Look I'm sure we appreciate the offer but..."

"If I were you, I'd talk it over with your group," said Aaron. "I got plenty of time since this lady has her sword on me."

Rick nodded in agreement. Michonne would be in charge of guarding Aaron while a decision was being made about Aaron's offer.

"I honestly don't know about this," said Rick. "It could be another Terminus."

"Did you not hear what he said?" said Maggie. "They have food AND a clinic. They could help Beth."

"But can we trust them?"

"What choice do we got?" said Daryl. "Kid's comin' and we got no other place to go now."

"I think we should ask her." Rick approached Beth. "Beth, no pressure. You're having this baby so you get to decide what to do. The rest of the group will follow you."

Maggie sat by her sister. "They could have an ultrasound machine there."

"I was thinking that too," said Beth. "Daryl's right, though. We don't have a lot of choices now. Let's do it."

Rick informed everyone that they would take their chances with the Alexandria community. "What do we do about Eugene?" Rick asked Abraham.

"Well now that we all know his dirty little secret, I guess he's not a threat to us anymore. I'll keep my eye on him. But we can't let blondie back on the bus."

"What?!" said Daryl. "You'll let the man who try to kidnap someone back on the bus but not some pregnant girl?"

"She's still a danger with that walker inside of her. Find yourselves another vehicle if you want her coming with us."

"I don't believe this!"

Rick feared he wasn't going to be able to overrule Abraham on this decision, especially now since everyone knew. "Daryl, it's fine. We'll find another car and then we'll all leave together."

They spent the next hour eventually finding a working abandoned ambulance with just barely enough gas for the trip. Daryl, Maggie, and Glenn all agreed to ride with Beth in the ambulance while the others would be on the bus. Upset as she was that Abraham saw her a threat, Beth was relieved that she wasn't with the rest of the group now that her secret was out.

"Man, that's just freaky," said Glenn. "I mean, if the baby's a walker, how is Beth still alive?"

"We don't even know if he is a walker," said Maggie.

"Cause it ain't" said Daryl. "We'll prove them wrong when we get there. You got nothin' to worry about Beth," he told her.

But Beth was worried about one thing. "What if the people in Alexandria find out?"

Maggie assured her. "Beth, I know Abraham can be a hardass but I don't think anyone else would rat you out like that."

"If they know what's good for them. They'll keep their mouth shut," said Daryl.

...

They were all in disbelief as to what they saw. They had driven into a lush walled neighborhood like nothing they had seen in a long time. The houses weren't boarded up nor seemed abandoned. People were working. Children were playing outside. It seemed very surreal.

Aaron led the group to one of the houses which had a very well kept lawn. "Our leader Douglas lives in this house, here. He'll want to interview guys. Maybe not all of you but as many as he can. Rick, since you're the leader of this bunch, you should go first."

While Rick and the others were getting interviewed, Beth took in her new surroundings. Alexandria was like nothing she had seen since they lost the prison...in fact in many ways it seemed even better than the prison.

"Do we really get to have our own houses?" Glenn asked Aaron.

"Well we only have a few vacant houses for now. You'll all need to share some space until we get the expansion of the wall done. Some of you guys will probably be helping out with that if you're fit for the job."

Rick came out of the house. "He wants to talk to Daryl next."

Daryl went in and was met with a suave balding older man. "You must be Daryl," said the man. "Rick has said nothing but good things about you. I'm the leader of this community, Douglas Monroe."

Daryl gave Monroe a sloppy handshake and sat down at the dining room table across from him. "Tell me, what was your life before the turn? What was your occupation?"

"I was..." Daryl stopped. He couldn't tell this guy he was practically nothing. It took a lot in him to finally reveal that truth to Beth and he decided she was the only one who was worthy of knowing that fact. "I was doin' freelancin'."

"A self-made man? No wonder you've done so well out there. I'm not so certain what kind of work we would find for you. Perhaps we can put you on a construction crew."

Daryl didn't like that. "You don't need anyone to hunt?"

"Hunt?" Douglas laughed. "We have plenty of livestock and a fishing farm here. We're not desperate enough for that. No, I think the construction crew will have to do for now."

"Whatever," Daryl grumbled. Douglas was looking out the window at the group. "I think I should interview that pregnant girl, next."

But Daryl didn't like the sound of that. "Why?"

"I just feel it necessary too. You're dismissed."

Daryl went outside to see Beth. "He wants to talk to you next."

"Really?"

"Yeah...something's off about him though. Just be careful in there," he told her.

Beth waddled her way into the house. "Nice to meet you. What's your name?"

"Beth Greene."

"Beth, I'm Douglas Monroe. Have a seat on the couch. You'll be more comfortable there in your condition." Beth sank herself into the sofa. "How far along are you Beth?"

"Um...I think around 8 months...almost 9."

"Well should I congratulate you or was this not something you intended?"

"Doesn't matter anymore."

"And what about the father?"

She didn't know how to answer that. She couldn't let this man on about how unintended this pregnancy was. "Dead," she said almost hesitantly.

"I'm very sorry about that."

"Yeah..." Beth muttered looking down at the floor.

"I'll have you know that we have a few doctors here. At least one with experience in pregnancy. She'll be able to help you when you need it. We don't have many little ones here. So it's very welcomed. Since you are in no condition for actual work, might I suggest you can help out in the daycare with Miss Hennings? It would be good practice for what is coming for you."

Beth reluctantly agreed to her new role. After the others had been interviewed it was time for the group to decide how they would divide themselves in terms of housing. Some of the houses were smaller than the others. Everyone agreed to let Maggie and Glenn have their own house and Beth would be staying with them.

"Sorry, Daryl," said Rick. "Can't seem to find a free bedroom for you."

"Don't need it," he said. "I can sleep on a couch just fine."

Beth had overheard their conversation. "Don't be ridiculous, Daryl! Our house still has one more bedroom. You can stay with us."

"I ain't intrudin'."

"You're not. Please? I insist on it."

"I'd listen to her, Daryl," said Maggie. She started to chuckle. "It sounds like that time in the pregnancy where she's gettin' pretty bossy."

"Fine," he said.

Douglas had been watching the group from afar as Aaron was helping them get settled. He knew something was off about the pregnant girl and it didn't help matters how close and friendly she seemed with that older gruff redneck. It was a rather unusual relationship. He didn't know what it was that made him suspicious of the group but he would find out eventually.

Damn! This chap was longer than I expected. But hey Daryl and Beth are living together. Happy Bethyl times!