Daryl kept a tense hand on the handle of his knife. Luckily the walker population had thinned significantly closer to Alexandria but there were still dangers in the woods and they had to be quiet.

Heath and Daryl had wrenched open the grate, which had screeched, leaving both their hands covered with rust. They'd tugged it back into place, protecting their backs.

Aaron had led the way and Beth had gone next, squeezing his elbow as she passed him. Daryl couldn't let her go without saying something and caught her fingers in his.

"Be safe," he pleaded in a raspy throat. He wanted to protect Alexandria desperately; it had become his home and sanctuary to his friends and family. But his priority was Beth and his instincts were screaming at him to throw her over his shoulder and vanish into safety.

But because she was who she was, impossibly brave and loving, there was no chance in hell she was going to go with him.

Beth managed a crooked grin that revealed her worry. She tapped him on his chest right over his heart. "Safe," she echoed.

That one word strengthened him. She had overcome a bullet, overcome death and she was still pushing forward. Beth was his inspiration and he would never let himself be less than what she deserved.

The tunnel was claustrophobic and, even though he knew it was the safest way into the cloistered town, he hated it. It bore down on him like a cage, pressing his fear up against him.

What if the Alexandrian's had decided to venture out of the walls for a scouting mission. What if it had been Rick or Carol or Michonne? The only reassurance he could conjure was that if the shit hit the fan, he would have heard it. He hoped.

"Not much further now." In the dark Aaron's voice was distant and disembodied.

"Thank god," Heath muttered from behind Daryl. He was bringing up the rear and standing close enough to Daryl that he could feel his breath on his neck. It was obvious he was freaked out so Daryl resisted the urge to swat him away.

And just as the tight space and dark threatened to drive him insane, there was light. "Thank god," Heath repeated, pushing forward to shove the gate open. It was stiff from disuse and it took both Beth and Daryl helping for them to get it open. It gave suddenly and Daryl tumbled out with Beth and Heath; he looked up at a gun pointed into his face.

…

The abrupt give of the gate sent Beth tumbling to her knees. She heard the clicking of a gun safety being turned off.

She shot to her feet, heart pounding, automatically searching for Daryl.

The gun was dropped to the ground almost as soon as it been waved in their faces.

Sasha was staring at them all in shock. Daryl was glowering at the weapon as if it personally offended him.

"What are you doing shoving a gun at us?" he spat angrily.

"You were making a lot of noise," Sasha explained evenly, attention all on Beth.

Beth couldn't say what she wanted to Sasha and the other woman appeared so stunned that she was worried it would be alarming if Beth reached for a hug.

"It was all true," Sasha mused, reaching out a hand as if to touch Beth's hair but she collected her hand back suddenly.

"We have a problem," Heath cut across, not appreciating what it meant for Sasha to see Beth.

"Has there been any scouting parties leave recently?" Aaron asked hurriedly.

Sasha lowered her eyebrows in concern. "Abraham, Glenn and Tara went out two days ago."

Beth's breath latched in her chest. Glenn.

"They're not due back for a few days yet," Sasha added.

"That's good," Daryl said, not sounding like he believed it for a second. "If they're not due back yet then there's no reason to think anything went wrong."

Unless it did, Beth thought in panic.

"We need to find Deanna and Rick now," Aaron insisted.

"I'll get Rick," Sasha volunteered. "We'll meet at Deanna's house."

There was no time for discussion and Sasha took off running.

Despite having spent months in Alexandria following Daryl around, her sense of direction was obliterated being there in person. Perhaps it was concern for her loved ones or the assault on her senses but it was disorientating.

Luckily Aaron took the lead. Daryl stayed by her side even though he could easily out pace her in her current state. There was fire in her lungs and pain shooting up through her stomach into her ribs. Exhaustion bore down on her and she wished she could sleep for days but instead she knew a fight was brewing; one she couldn't afford to sit out.

Aaron reached the house first and was already calling for Deanna before his foot hit that first step. The door flew open and Deanna rushed out followed closely by her son Spencer. A third person appeared in the doorway behind them. Maggie.

The impact of seeing her sister again, back in her own body, caused Beth to slump against the stair railing.

Maggie spotted her and tears rolled down her face as she dashed down the stairs to Beth, gathering her up in an embrace that squeezed Beth against her.

She pushed back Beth's long blond hair, touching her face gently. "I-" Maggie started to say but couldn't finish, sobs overcoming her.

While their emotional reunion played out, Aaron and Daryl were explaining the dire situation. Beth wiped at her eyes and forced herself to pay attention. She would have her chance to reunite with Maggie properly but that would be shadowed if any harm came to Glenn. He was as much a part of her family as Maggie was and the father of the impending addition.

Rick joined them with Sasha and Michonne just as Deanna asked Heath to get more guards on the wall and let the inhabitants know of the danger outside. Rick slung a hasty arm around Beth and gave her a quick but fierce hug before turning to the others.

"What's wrong?" he demanded, not letting Beth's resurrection deter him from the current emergency.

"Those monsters are trying to cut off our way in and out," Deanna surmised, teeth gritted and eyes steely.

"Glenn's out there with Tara and Abraham," Maggie reminded him quietly.

"We have to fight them," Rick decided without hesitation. This gave Deanna more pause. She wasn't as ready or willing to jump straight to violence but she remembered all too clearly what had happened the last time they breached the walls. It had been a blood bath.

Eventually, she nodded, lending her support to the plan.

"We have the advantage of surprise," Sasha offered.

"They don't know we weren't warned?" Deanna countered.

Daryl shook his head. "I reckon they think we were scared off. They're dangerous and that's for certain but I don't get the sense they're that smart."

Beth shook her head hoping it conveyed that she agreed with Daryl. Maggie watched her intently, Daryl already having quietly explained that she wasn't able to speak properly. It had never been more frustrating than it was now.

"Then we have time to prepare?" Aaron suggested.

Rick shifted from one foot to the other. "We don't. Glenn and the others could be back early."

"And what happens when they get tired of waiting for us to come to them and try and attack the town again?" Michonne asked calmly. Her poise in a crisis was enviable but Beth saw the way her hand kept reaching for the tip of her sword, as if to remind herself it was there.

"We have to get rid of them then," Deanna agreed with a sigh.

"We have to eradicate them completely," Rick corrected, locking eyes with Deanna and challenging her to disagree with him. She winced but offered no arguments.

"We'll need everyone who can fight at the armoury within the hour," Rick announced to the group, taking charge of the situation. "Volunteers only but the more the better."

"Some people aren't going to like this," Michonne murmured to him and Beth's mind went straight to Morgan and Gabriel.

"They don't have to like it but they stay the hell out of our way."

…

"No fucking way," Daryl snarled and grabbed the gun from Beth's hand. She immediately tried to wrest it back from him. When it looked like his strength was going to win the tug-a-war, Beth stamped on his foot.

"Ow!"

I'm going to help!

The note was practically shoved into his face.

"No you're not," he contradicted, temper flaring.

Beth pushed the same note at him, reiterating her thoughts on the matter.

"No!" Daryl snapped. "You can barely stand."

Beth rolled her eyes but she wasn't fooling him. He'd seen the fine tremor in her fingers that had slowly spread into her arms and legs. She was still standing but for how long was anyone's guess. So he was putting his foot down and she was furious at that. Her discontent unsettled him but he knew that she would risk life and limb to save Glenn with no regard to her own safety. Seeing the fear underlying her glare, he softened his expression.

"Adrenaline will only get you so far," he counselled gently. "And I'm gonna to be worried about you and that'll be distracting."

His logic was hard to argue with and she tugged weakly on his shirt, conveying her helplessness. She wanted so badly to be useful. He wanted her so badly to stay alive.

Daryl brushed a stray curl away from her face and ran his thumb across the scar in her forehead.

"We need people in the guard tower," he offered, still not completely happy with the compromise but knowing what it would mean to her. "If any of them get too close to the walls or if we have trouble with walkers."

Beth inhaled deeply and held it while she considered his proposal before nodding.

"Safe." One word, one instruction.

He signalled his intention to obey her request by kissing her hard and swift on the mouth.

Someone cleared their throat loudly and they sprung apart to see who the intruder was.

Carl was standing there with a shit-eating grin. "Dad says we have to leave now."

"Couldn't have waited a minute longer?" Daryl grumbled to disguise the way his heart was racing.

"Hi Beth," Carl sung, clearly his awe at seeing a dead girl return to life was overshadowed by his sheer glee at catching Daryl kissing her. She waved at him, blushing a little.

Daryl was glad at least someone was having fun though he wished it wasn't at his expense.

"I'll meet you there," Daryl informed him and when Carl didn't leave, Beth gave the young man a firm shove away from them.

As soon as they had some privacy, Daryl grasped both of Beth's arms, mindful to avoid her injury. "Be careful. Don't waste your ammo and if you get in any trouble, don't be a hero. Run and hide."

The tilt of her head told him she thought he was being over-protective but he didn't care. He had more words of advice but she cut him off by rising on to her tip toes and kissing him, softly and sweetly.

It took all his will to walk away from her and meet up with Carl, whose good humour had been stolen away the closer they got to the gate. They were fighting to protect their own but a fight inevitably meant that people would die.

…

It was tempting to keep her gun clutched in her hands and pointed out but Beth knew that not only did she have to conserve her ammo but she had to ration her physical strength.

So she kept the gun at her side and kept her eyes trained on the landscape below her.

Maggie had stopped short of aiming her gun but she still had it resting in her arms, fingers clenched so tightly around the weapon that her knuckles were turning white.

Beth couldn't blame her. It had taken a lot of negotiation from Rick and Michonne to convince Maggie to sit this one out. She couldn't afford to risk herself with a baby on the way but Beth also understood how difficult her sister found it, knowing Glenn was out there and possibly in danger.

She could feel it herself. This irritating urge sitting inside her chest, telling her she should have run after Daryl–that she still could. Beth pushed that nagging, unhelpful voice aside. In her current state she would be more hindrances than help.

There was a third person on their section of the wall. Deanna had surprised them all by joining them. As the leader of the town, no one wanted to risk losing her but as she had explained in a clipped tone, she couldn't just hide in her house while other people risked their life to keep the town safe.

Beth wasn't certain what her aim would be like, but it wasn't exactly like she could judge herself. Beth had never been the best of shots and now she couldn't even hold the gun for more than a few minutes at a time. She was praying that adrenaline would serve if she was forced to defend the town.

She also spared a thought for her father and his farewell message. Beth hadn't found the time to share that moment with Maggie yet. She didn't want to distract her sister from the task at hand and honestly, Beth wasn't certain she could recount it without tears.

The three women stood in near silence, waiting on the edge of a cliff, not knowing if they'd be forced to take a leap or if everything would go smoothly and they could look forward to celebrating.

Beth believed in the abilities of every person who had gone to protect them. Daryl's aim was second to none and he would go to the ends of the earth to protect his loved ones. Michonne was the calm of a storm and Sasha was its fury, both able to inflict so much damage. Rick was uncompromising on anything that posed a threat to his family. All of these people who she cared so deeply about putting themselves in danger. The worry etched into, creeping all the way down into the cracks of her bones.

"They'll be ok," Deanna said suddenly, breaking the silence.

The Greene sisters nodded, tight-lipped. They wanted for her to be right but it was too soon to get their hopes up. Beth was almost positive that when the fight truly began, they'd be able to hear it. Gunshots tended to carry.

If everything went according to plan, the remaining guard wouldn't have to do anything more than open the door. If it went badly then they were the second rung of defence. And even if no human assailants made their way to the town, then there was a good chance the noise would attract walkers from all around. Beth hoped they could pick them off as they came to investigate and keep the numbers around the town small.

The quiet was starting to become unbearable and Beth was considering asking Deanna some questions about Alexandria that Maggie's newly rediscovered sister might want to know if she hadn't spent the last few months lurking around as a ghost. Her free hand absently tapped at the notebook she'd tucked into her pocket.

But the first pops of weapons ran through the trees. It was eerie – they were far enough away to almost be confused for some other noise. And then a small flock of crows flew overhead, cawing in distress.

The three women exchanged tense glances before turning their attention back to the surrounds. Both Maggie and Deanna sighted down their weapons, ready to spring into action. Beth compromised by lifting the gun up, using the wall to support it as much as possible. Her heart was the loudest noise she could hear. Each thud was felt and vibrated into her body, making her fingers tremble with apprehension.

From there it got worse. Guns were spitting out bullets, some were closer to Alexandria than others. There were now human cries on the wind. Their last screams of a life were snatched and disseminated in the air until they reached Beth's ears.

She hardened herself to them but despite knowing that these people meant harm and likely deserved their fate, Beth could never bring herself to enjoy suffering or violence. There was also no guarantee that her people weren't the ones dying in pain.

Beth sucked in a harsh breath, blinking to keep her eyes clear. There was a rustle in the trees to their right. As if they all shared one brain, Alexandria's guards swivelled to point their weapons in that direction.

A solitary walker emerged, looking around in confusion. The guns were echoing and the exact point of origin was unclear, especially to a walker. The strong metal walls of the town served to reflect the sound.

Having discussed what to do, the guards stayed very still, not firing on the creature who looked almost pitiful to Beth – like a lost, if completely rabid, dog. Maggie had her hand held up in a stopping motion so that it could be seen by the other guards. She was telling them not to shoot yet.

Just one walker posed very little threat to returning fighters but if they shot it, they ran the risk of attracting more to the town, rather than to the fight where the chaos would be welcome.

Too stupid to look up and unable to use critical thought the walker slunk around in the bramble for a few more minutes before lumbering off in the opposite direction when a new round of gunshots proved more enticing.

"This is just the beginning," Maggie muttered under her breath and Beth agreed with her.

It only took another five minutes for more walkers to appear and this time in numbers that were harder to ignore. There were at least twenty of them milling around and Beth's pity had vanished. The guards were still careful to stay quiet and no one would shoot until they got the ok to shoot from Maggie. But this herd of walkers wasn't moving on and they were growing in numbers.

The Alexandrian's knew that when they finally engaged them, they'd have to work hard to spread them out. The walkers' collective weight could do some serious damage, especially if they decided to push up against the sections of the wall that had been damaged by the truck. The repairs were good but Beth would prefer if they were never tested in perilous circumstances.

When another ten walkers made their way out of the trees, Beth grabbed at Maggie's elbow, hoping her question was clear.

Maggie rubbed anxiously at her forehead, though her eyes were steely. "I know. I don't want to bring more in before they come home. But I also have no way of knowing when they'll head back."

Someone swore, loudly and then there was the bang of something scraping against metal and a thud.

"What in the world?" Deanna hissed, straining to see down their ranks of defenders. Someone had lost grip of their gun and it had tumbled, loudly, to the ground. The walkers began ambling towards the weapon and as addled as their minds were, it was enough to make them look up. They could see the pale, nervous faces of the guards and a ripple spread amongst them. It wasn't just movement, it was food.

Almost three years of dodging death had honed Beth's instincts and she sensed it was now or never. She hoisted her gun, training it on the walkers and waited for Maggie's instructions.

"Take the time to aim," Maggie instructed curtly even though Beth knew better and Deanna probably couldn't aim that well regardless. "We have that in our favour at least."

And then Maggie squeezed the trigger, turning the skull of a walker to mush.

Beth inhaled and exhaled to steady her hands. She could only hope Daryl was alright and that he was headed in her direction. Joining her sister, she began picking off walkers.

…

Holding his arm to his chest, Daryl heard the bullets and winced. It was coming from Alexandria and it meant they'd been forced into the fray in some capacity.

"Don't stop moving," Tara shouted at him while Michonne gave him a fairly solid push squarely in the back.

The people were dead but the noise had a hell of a lot of walkers swarming in around them. They were rolling in in numbers that were concerning Daryl. They had better odds if they tried to outpace them and didn't get stuck fighting out in the open.

Daryl grunted to acknowledge this advice and picked up his feet, trying to force himself not to jump to the worst case scenario and what it meant for Beth.

His head was spinning and he had no idea how much blood he'd lost. One of those freaking assholes had snuck up on him and managed to open his arm from wrist to elbow with their blade. Since he'd been aiming for Daryl's face, he considered it an acceptable trade off. But he wished he hadn't been in a situation where his only option was to throw up his arm to protect himself.

His attacker had been pretty swiftly tackled to the ground by Abraham and pummelled to an incoherent pulp before a bullet from Sasha had put him out of his misery. Luckily, Glenn, Tara and Abraham had gotten wise to the trap pretty quickly and were waiting it out until they'd heard the sounds of a fight.

Tara had hastened to help him, pulling off the flannel shirt she'd worn over her T-shirt and wrapping it tightly around his arm to stem the bleeding a bit. Daryl knew from experience that it would need stitches but it wasn't life threating.

He'd had to give up his crossbow though which grated. Glenn had used it enough times that he could effectively wield the weapon now while Daryl settled for his knife, clumsily slashing about with one hand.

Rick had always stated they needed to work with speed because the noise would attract walkers and that would be more dangerous.

A grim satisfaction sat inside him as he ran; at the very least they'd laid waste to the enemies with a beating heart. It was still jarring, even after so many years of living like this, that killing people could bring a foul taste to his mouth but still leave him content. Maybe it was his light head or the aching in his arm but he couldn't bring himself to wrestle with the moral quandary. He had one driving motivator and that was Beth.

Daryl wanted to reunite with her and destroy anything that was still posing a threat, one-handed if he had to.

At some point he became aware that Aaron was at his side, a guiding hand on his elbow. Daryl was finding the uneven ground a burden in his current state, tripping over his own feet as he ran. Over his ragged breathing, he could hear Aaron cursing the decision not to bring vehicles.

Daryl didn't blame him one bit but thought it might be hypocrisy if he complained too, considering he'd advocated for a silent, stealthy approach over the convenience of transport. Aaron had left someone he loved inside those walls too – Eric's ankle still gave him trouble and so Rick had sternly suggested he stay on the walls as a guard. Aaron's forehead had softened with relief even as Eric's jaw tensed when he realised he wouldn't be at Aaron's side when the shit hit the fan.

Their steady pace and determination was creating a gap between the living and the dead. The gate was in sight but to Daryl's dismay there was a large group of walkers separating them from getting in.

His clenched the knife in his sweaty palm, fingers hurting with the effort to hold it close. There were Alexandrians on the other side of the bars, stabbing effectively and relentlessly at the walkers that were close enough. Morgan, who had objected to killing humans, had no such compunctions when it came to walkers and was wielding his staff with deadly accuracy. But the arrival of a new group of people attracted the attention of those walkers, who lunged out of reach of the guards and in the direction of the exhausted new comers.

Daryl chanced a glance over his shoulder and heard rather than saw the second wave of walkers encroaching. They had a few minutes at best.

"Daryl!"

His name shouted in warning was the only notice he got before a walker rounded on him, surging teeth first towards his face. Daryl shoved his booted foot into the walker's stomach to create some distance but it was sloppy and only bought him seconds before the decayed creature staggered at him once more. Daryl raised his knife, ready to strike, when there was a loud pop and the walkers head exploded.

A fine spray of old blood and other things coated his face. Clearing his sight, he spotted Maggie with her gun aimed in his direction. Assuming she was his saviour, he saluted her. Killing the walker and missing him was no mean feat. Beth was by her side, face contorted in fear but she kept her weapon pointed steadily at the incoming hoard.

The mere sight of her sent shock waves through his system. He was fighting for her, for what he felt about her.

Drawing on renewed stores of energy, Daryl lashed out at any walkers that dared to venture within his range. He ignored the pain in his arm as best he could, inching ever closer to their escape. His hearing was going to hell, between the shouts of fear and the constant crack of gun shots as the cavalry watched their backs.

He was stuck in a silent horror movie; even the throaty groans of the walkers were swallowed up by the ringing in his ears. His focus and attention tunnelled until all he could see was the next walker to kill and nothing else.

Something latched onto the back of his shirt and Daryl spun to dispose of whatever had grabbed him but frantic hands intercepted the swing. Carl was the one who had grabbed him and he was saying something but what, Daryl was damned if he knew.

He muttered sorry a dozen times at Carl, unsure if he was actually saying the word since he couldn't hear it pass his lips. Realising Daryl wasn't getting what he was saying, Carl was just tugging on him. Panic evading his systems, he couldn't fight with Carl in the way and he struggled against him – not wanting to hurt the teenager but needing to protect them both all the same.

Arms wound around his shoulders tightly, forcing the knife to his side and a hiss of pain to escape. The pressure on his injury brought the sting back in a rush. The hold on him wasn't strong but it was enough to give him pause. The arms were slim and pale and awfully familiar. There was a faded pink scar across the left wrist.

Beth. He stopped struggling in that instant to Carl's obvious relief. He spoke over Daryl's shoulder and the hold on him was released and Beth was filling his vision. Concern was etched into her features as she pushed back his tangled hair and forced him to meet her eyes.

It really was Beth. Blinking rapidly and trying to restore some sense of sanity to his battle riddled brain. He was past the threshold of Alexandria and the gates were shut behind them. There were a few corpses on the inside but they were clearly walkers. They were still engaging the walkers as they swarmed against the metal bars, biting and squeezing in an attempt to get at their prey, but the frenzy had settled in favour of repetitive precision.

The guns had also stopped and the ringing in his ears began to recede into blurry static. Denise suddenly replaced Beth much to Daryl's annoyance but when Denise carefully began unwrapping Tara's shirt, now dark and stiff with his blood, he bit down any protests. He'd be no good to Beth if he succumbed to infection or blood loss.

"We'll need to stitch this up," Denise assessed with a tongue cluck.

"Still got stuff to do," Daryl grunted gesturing behind him and the slowly diminishing walker presence. He swayed on his feet and only Denise and Beth kept him upright.

As if sensing his difficulty, Carol materialised at his side to scold him. She had a bruise swelling on her jaw and a streak of blood above her eyebrow but otherwise she seemed unhurt.

"We have this well in hand," she told him firmly. "You go with Beth before you pass out and we're forced to drag you to the clinic."

Grumbling but suitably chastened, he allowed himself to be led towards to the make shift hospital. He was letting Beth take more of his weight than he would care to admit and he felt like a prick because she wasn't fully healed herself. Maybe she was struggling obviously because after a few paces Gabriel appeared from nowhere to take Beth's place supporting him.

Daryl was dully surprised to see the priest had his sleeves rolled up and a gun slung across his back. He knew the other man didn't much care for violence, especially in excess, but he'd clearly done his bit for the safety of the community.

To his surprise, Beth thanked the man quietly. Her voice soothed some of the spiky energy out of his system. Her hand stayed warm and firm against his lower back. Between the two of them, they got him across the threshold of the clinic before black spots filled his vision and his knees gave way. He heard both Beth and Denise cry his name before Daryl crumbled to the floor.

…

There wasn't enough room by his bedside so Beth was forced to wait in the main living area. She picked at her nails while she worried. Denise had spared a few seconds to assure her that Daryl had just fainted and he would be fine with some rest. Beth was heart sick all the same. Her frayed nerves were tired of people she loved getting hurt. It happened far too often for her liking.

Her foot bounced with barely repressed anxiety but she was frozen in the chair, as if she could stop time by sitting there, buying him precious minutes to recover.

Beth had already sent word to Maggie through Tara, who had stopped by to greet Denise with a warm hug that stretched into intimate, that she was alright and that she would be with Daryl if her sister needed her. Eric had come by to check on her when the defences had winded down and to give her an update. A number of injuries but no one dead which was amazing news in of itself.

Eric had attempted to distract her with a few jokes, including taking her pulse. But when her tears had shrouded her eyes, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and sat with her in silence. Beth appreciated the comfort and the reassurance of his familiar, calm presence.

Eric had just dozed off at her side, reddish-blond hair sticking up at hilarious angles, when Denise remerged. She had dark circles under her eyes from exhaustion but she was smiling.

"I told you he'd be fine. He really wants to go home though."

"Is that ok?" Beth asked in a stilted voice, speaking almost as much effort as pushing to her feet.

Denise arched her eyebrow at Beth. "You try arguing with him when he's feeling stubborn."

Beth could relate so she merely nodded.

"I don't want to make any… assumptions but if someone could stay with him overnight that would be best."

Denise avoided looking at Beth then and Eric tried to cover a not so subtle snort. Beth couldn't help but roll her eyes. In all fairness though, as well as she knew Denise, Denise didn't know her at all. As far as she was aware, she was Maggie's miracle sister returned less than 24 hours ago.

The awkwardness of the room was defused when Daryl entered. He was still covered in blood and the fatigue was obvious in the stoop of his shoulders but colour had already returned to his face. Beth hurried to his side. She resisted the temptation to throw her arms around his neck because she didn't want to jostle his new injury and in all honesty, her own arm had started to ache as well.

Instead, Beth pressed a light kiss to his cheek and was gratified when he blushed a little. Denise passed them a small bottle.

"Pain killers for the pair of you. Should help you get some sleep."

"All I want is a shower," Daryl grunted and Beth agreed entirely. Sweat, dirt and Daryl's blood clung to her skin and there was a tightness between her shoulder blades.

They walked back to the house Daryl shared with Rick, Carl and Michonne in silence. The desire to say something burned in the back of Beth's throat but she found that she was effectively mute again. Her relief at Daryl's survival tempered the frustration. Her voice was returning slowly and that was enough for now.

There were sounds of celebration a few streets away. There was nothing quite like the exhilaration of being alive despite the odds.

The house was dark and silent when they arrived, the other occupants likely at the party. Beth was relieved, it was nice to have this time with Daryl.

Beth helped Daryl to the bathroom and made to leave to give him some privacy but a hand on her wrist stopped her.

"You may as well stay," he murmured. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you probably need the shower as much as I do."

Beth's mouth dropped open and she laughed despite herself. His personality had survived the fight. The chuckle eased something inside of her chest and her throat.

"Since you fainted," she managed, "I'll give you a pass."

His eyes flickered at the sound of her voice, the corner of his mouth tilting upwards. "I don't faint!" he objected weakly to which Beth shook her head.

Daryl fumbled as he attempted to undo his belt and divest himself of his weapons. Shaking her head, Beth intervened.

She deftly conquered the buckle and turned her attention to the buttons on his shirt. Daryl stood there placidly and allowed her to undress him.

Each inch of his skin that she revealed, alleviated the knots that had wound into Beth like barbed wire. The slash on his arm was awful but his only injury. Denise had considerately covered it with waterproof bandaging.

The water was warm as it tumbled over them, Daryl leaned heavily against the side of the tiles, too tired to be concerned about modesty. Beth for her part just wanted to see the blood off of him and washed it away with whatever toiletries she could get her hands on.

"I'm gonna smell like a strawberry," Daryl complained half-heartedly as he pushed himself onto his feet, standing more steadily. Beth was pleased to see the painkillers doing their job. The bandage didn't quite disguise the ridge of black stitching or the brownish stain of his blood.

"Poor you," Beth managed, trying to sound appropriately sympathetic and failing.

Daryl reached for her, "Come here."

Beth went willingly, wrapping her arms around his waist while his snaked around her shoulders. She pressed her face against his chest, breathing him in and relishing in the beat of his heart against her skin.

"You got blood in your hair," Daryl observed idly.

"Ugh," Beth groaned, but she wasn't ready to relinquish her embrace.

Daryl moved against her, muscles pulling tight as he reached for something with his good arm.

Then fingers carded through her hair, massaging her scalp. He was washing her hair.

Beth tilted her head back so she could see him better. He was concentrating as if it were a task of monumental importance, handling her gently and sweetly. Beth tucked herself back against him, grinning broadly.

"Stop movin'," he chided softly.

Beth hummed in approval as Daryl's careful fingers untangled her hair which was longer than she could remember.

"There," he announced in ragged voice. "All clean."

Beth inched away from her hunter, and stared up at him with eyes that were laden with love and emotion. His dripping hair hung across his face. Beth pushed it behind his ear.

"Thank you."

Under the intensity of her gaze, Daryl started to shift with embarrassment but Beth chased that expression away when she came to her tip toes and kissed him.

For a long stretch of time there was nothing but the press of their lips and the deluge of water around their bodies. The temperature was shifting from hot to lukewarm; a clear sign they'd been in the shower too long.

With reluctance, Daryl broke away from her long enough to shut off the water and then he was slanting his mouth over hers once more. He had rested his hands on her hips, still so gently, holding her against him.

Her heart beat was slamming in Beth's ribs, an almost laughable contrast to the calm that was on her face and that had travelled through her body. They towelled off in a silence which wasn't uncomfortable but was weighted.

Beth had been drawn to him from the second they'd set fire to that house and in doing so, his past. But now she could feel the pull to him as if they were both magnets.

Daryl led the way to his attic room, the first time Beth had been there with a pulse. She stumbled on the stairs and both of them laughed breathlessly as they tumbled into the room.

They found their way back into each other's arms instantly and it was Daryl's turn to smooth Beth's hair back from her face. He leaned into her space and inhaled deeply.

"Better?" Beth asked, alluding to his comment before the shower that she'd smelled less than amazing. She was trying to sound teasing but there was a raspy quality to her voice that had nothing to do with her injury and everything to do with the way Daryl affected her.

"Before, you never smelt like anything."

"What?"

"I could kinda remember but it was never right. Like you were a reflection. Now I remember."

He was studying her closely, like he was trying to memorise her. It made her almost self-conscious, she was far from perfect these days with a few dozen extra scars.

"I didn't think I'd get you back." His words broke and Beth grasped at his hand. There was a small scar in the shape of a circle where he'd burned himself.

"I'm here," she reassured him. Her fingers brushed against the mark the bullet had left in her forehead. "Not in one piece though." She wished she hadn't said that, she didn't want to come across as pitiful.

"It's overrated," he dismissed, pulling her fingers away and kissing the memory of her death.

Then his lips were against hers once more and thought fell second to sensation. The towels stayed in place for moments before they tumbled to the ground, dislodged by the need of their bodies pulling together.

They'd been in a rush the first time they made love, there had been no time to savour it or take their time.

Now they had all the time in the world. Both tired and sore, they explored each other slowly, all the more perfect because of it.

Beth found her voice with Daryl's mouth between her thighs. And when he pushed inside her and she wrapped her legs around his hips it was like coming home. Their breathy moans became each other's names, whispered with the reverence of a prayer.

Beth's nails raked down his back as he moved against her, kissing and nipped at her neck. Time lost its meaning and stars glittered in front of her eyes as Beth built to her second climax. It burned through her like a fiery wave, warming her from her toes to her cheeks.

Daryl cupped her cheek and pressed his forehead against her as Beth gasped and recreated herself into one being as opposed to a million electrified nerve endings.

"You're beautiful," he sighed against her mouth.

Beth tilted her hips up to meet his, fingers tingling and legs shaking. His rhythm was becoming discrepant, his grip on her tightening.

Beth was completely overwhelmed and uncertain how much more pleasure one person could take when Daryl shifted position slightly, sitting back on his heels so that he could see her laid out before him. His skilled fingers found where they were joined, found that sensitive spot just above and sent Beth spiralling into incoherent bliss. Daryl cursed fluently before collapsing forward taking his weight on his elbows. He grimaced slightly from the jolt to his arm but he made no move to get off her.

Beth was breathing heavily, eyes closed as her body shuddered in the pleasant aftermath. With great effort they rearranged into a sweaty tangle of limbs that didn't put any pressure on their respective injuries.

"I love you, y'know," Daryl mumbled into her hair.

Beth clutched his hand so it rested just below her breasts on her abdomen. "I love you too."

…

"You sure you'll be alright?" Maggie asked for the four hundredth time and Beth fought the urge to roll her eyes at her sister. She knew she was just worried. After all it was the first time they were leaving Josephine alone for the night. Glenn was a little more comfortable than Maggie, but he waited patiently while his wife stared after their baby who was no longer present.

Daryl had scooped the baby out of Maggie's arms and disappeared into the house leaving a trail of baby talk in his wake. Beth was equally amused and moved by his surprising, affectionate ease with infants.

"We'll be fine!" Beth insisted. "You two need a night to yourselves."

"A whole night of uninterrupted sleep," Glenn crowed and clapped his hands together. Maggie smiled at his antics and took her first step backwards. Both Glenn and Beth seized upon this movement and Glenn led her down the steps while Beth called a hasty good bye and shut the door.

She deposited the bag of baby supplies on the table and went to find where Daryl had disappeared to with their niece.

Most houses in Alexandria were identical but Beth felt particularly fond of this one because it was hers; hers and Daryl's. She found him in the garage, lovingly describing all the parts of his bike in a voice she never heard him use with an adult.

"- and when you're bigger I'll teach you to ride too."

"Maggie will try and stop you," Beth pointed out from her spot against the door frame.

"In secret then," Daryl qualified to the baby who smiled, unable to understand but delighted by the familiar person speaking to her.

"Are you going to let me hold her at all?" Beth knew full well how much Daryl liked babies but he made a futile attempt to maintain his gruff façade.

"Just being helpful, we got guests coming after all."

"Uh huh," Beth said dryly.

Daryl looked at her and shot her a smile so bright it made butterflies flutter inside her belly. The last year together hadn't always been smooth sailing in terms of general safety or even their relationship. There had been teething issues and misunderstandings but they'd overcome them all. Beth had watched layer after layer of defensiveness Daryl had built up around him, fall away.

"Who's coming around?" Daryl asked, tucking Josephine in a little tighter. Her little hand curled around his pinkie finger.

"Just the usual suspects. Eric, Aaron, Denise and Tara. Tara says she found a bottle of tequila on the latest run."

"I can't drink," Daryl all but spluttered. "We're looking after Jo."

"Of course not," Beth agreed with forced seriousness. Daryl had been Josephine's protective shadow almost as soon as she was born but Beth still found it adorable.

There was a loud knock and the small bubble of peace was broken.

"I'll get that," Daryl said, starting to move past her.

"So I can have Jo?" Beth asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes, knowing the answer already.

Daryl bent to kiss her lightly. "Later."

Beth chuckled and followed him up into the living room to greet their friends, happier than she'd ever been in her life.

The End

AN: Thanks to everyone for following along and reviewing. I hope you enjoyed the story.

MD666