A/N: Once again, a HUGE 'Thank you' to everyone who has been following along with this little series.

This is (I think) the last in the series and therefore I'm not sure how long it's going to be. I'm thinking five to six chapters, but we'll see what happens. I've had a blast writing this and I have an AU plot bunny nipping at my heels that I may have to indulge (she's a baker, he's a bounty hunter and there are shenanigans and making-out on counters, we'll have to see!).

We're picking right where we left off with a shortish chapter and an abundance of some familiar faces. I hope you enjoy!

Beth shoves her knife up and yanks it out, making a face at the sound and the gore that spills out. The walker drops to the train tracks and she shakes the muck off her knife.

She glances over at Michonne who has already dispatched three walkers effortlessly and Rick and Daryl as they finish off the rest.

It's their third day camping out near the tracks and about a mile from Terminus. They were woken by the sound of walkers wandering up the tracks and quickly took care of them.

Beth counts ten bodies, one of them with one of her arrows in its head and frowns. "Wonder where they all came from?"

"Lord knows," Michonne says wiping her blade.

Beth pulls her arrow out of the body and frowns. The tip is blunt and the shaft is splitting.

"Gonna need some new ones, huh?" Daryl says behind her.

"Looks like," she says with a sigh. She looks at her crossbow which is slightly bent from being thrown hard to the ground the other night and frowns. "Not sure how much longer it's going to hold out."

Daryl takes it from her and looks it over. "Might get a few more uses out of it. I'll make some more arrows today."

"You made her arrows?" Carl asks from over by his dad. "Badass!"

Daryl snorts while Rick chuckles.

"I'll show you how, if you want," Daryl tells him. Carl grins and nods.

Daryl glances at Beth. "I'll get you some by the end of the day."

"Thanks," Beth says giving him a tired smile.

He smirks back. "What? You don't like killing walkers before breakfast?"

"Not really," she says sliding her knife back into its sheath. "Do you?"

"Love the smell of decay in the morning," he says. She frowns and he sighs while shaking his head. "Never watched Apocalypse Now?"

"Daddy wouldn't let me," she says. "Too violent."

He looks around at the bodies on the ground. "Yeah. Definitely too violent for you."

"Our camp's too out in the open," Michonne says walking over. "We need better cover."

"I agree," Rick says. He puts his hands on his hips. "I think we should push on to Terminus today."

In addition to getting some rest after the awful events of the night with those men, Daryl and Michonne had spent the last two days doing light reconnaissance of the area. They'd come back early each evening with more and more information on the layout of Terminus, but nothing further.

"The damn place is quiet," Daryl had said one night while they'd talked around a small campfire. "I hate to be the one using the cliché, but seriously, it's too quiet."

Michonne had agreed and all of Beth's instincts had started to ping and she hadn't even seen the place.

So to hear Rick say they should make a move made Beth frown and worry at her bottom lip.

"You sure, man?" Daryl asks, hefting his crossbow.

"Why?" Rick asks him. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm just thinking that the last time I was in a place that seemed inviting it wasn't exactly the friendliest place on earth and we got walkers thrown at us," he says. "And I'm also thinking that I don't want to take any chances. Especially not with a place we don't have any good information on."

"You want to sneak in, look around first?" Michonne suggests.

"Couldn't hurt," Daryl says shrugging.

Beth nods. "Things that look too good to be true just aren't these days."

Rick glances at her, surprised, but nods. "I hear you. Who's going and when?"

"I'll go," Daryl says quietly and chills go down Beth's spine, but she keeps quiet. "Tonight. Round midnight. It's been needing to be done. I'm not back after daybreak, head on."

"Like hell," Beth says, surprising everyone including herself. "You're not back by daybreak, I'm going after you."

Daryl looks confused and frowns. He looks ready to say something, but Michonne says, "I'll come along. Two sets of eyes are better than one." She glances at Beth and gives her a small smile. "I'll keep him out of trouble for you."

Beth smiles back and when she glances at Daryl, he still looks confused.

Get used to it, buddy, she thinks. We're looking out for each other now.

"Better rest up, then," Rick tells them. "We'll do the heavy-lifting today."

The rest of the day is quiet, Carl checks his snares and Beth and he practice skinning and preparing the meat. Daryl, Michonne, and Rick discuss the best way to search Terminus while Daryl sharpens some arrows for Beth.

"Since it looks like a big factory or depot of some sort, I bet there's few ways in," Daryl says drawing a crude diagram in the dirt with one of the arrows. "We go in the back, stay quiet and see what's what."

"If it's bad?" Rick asks.

"We hightail it back here and hit the road," Daryl says flatly. "Winter's on its way and I don't think anyone wants to be on the road when it hits." He looks around. "Fall's coming on faster than usual and that usually means winter's gonna suck."

Rick nods. "You're right. We're going to need a place to hole up in and soon."

Before Beth's ready, night is falling and Daryl and Michonne are ready to head out. Beth wraps her arms around her waist and watches Daryl get his crossbow ready.

He pauses, then looks up at her. "I'm not back, you follow Rick; you hear me?"

"I hear you," she says nodding. "I'm also going to ignore you."

"No," he says standing and putting a hand on her waist. "I don't come back, you get. Don't come looking for me."

"How on earth can you say that?" she asks, frustrated. "You honestly think I'm going to leave you if you're caught or hurt or whatever?"

"I think you should do as I say," he says, something like a growl coming through.

"Well, I'm clearly entering into a rebellious phase, because I'm not going anywhere without you," she says firmly. "Get used to it, Dixon."

"Woman," he says, looking down and trying to sound stern, but he just sounds confused. Beth understands, though. What this is – whatever they are, it's new to her, too. It feels deeper and stronger than anything she's ever felt for another person before. They haven't kissed since the other morning but she can't stop thinking about it. She also doesn't want to be the one to start things because she doesn't want to rush him. So, she's basically a big ole bundle of nerves and desires and she's not sure how to tell him any of this. She just settles on being matter-of-fact and hopes to God it helps.

"Look, you're going to have to get used to the fact that I'm going to worry about you and that we're in this together," she says, trying to smile and reassure him. "It's a lot and I'm sorry, but that's how it is."

His hand flexes on her waist and he still looks bewildered by her. She tips her head to meet his eyes and steps in close to him.

"Don't go borrowing trouble, Daryl," she says. "Be safe. Go in. Look around. Then come back to me. That's all you've got to do."

He raises his head and stares at her. "Just like that, huh?"

"Just like that," she says with a lightness she most certainly does not feel. "Easy as pie."

"Right," he mutters. He presses his forehead to hers and she wants to kiss him so bad. She wants to pull him down to the ground and do all sorts of things to him. She wants to feel every inch of his skin press on hers and she wants him to not be the one who goes exploring the unknown, but then knows that's precisely why she's all caught up in him; it's who he just is.

So she just lifts her lips and presses a quick kiss on his mouth and says, "Go. Stick to the plan. Be safe. Go in. Look around and come back to me. Those are the only things you've got to do."

"Got it," he says roughly. His hand grips her waist so tight she wonders if it'll bruise. Then he's off into the woods, Michonne beside him, and they disappear silently between the dark trees.

Beth sucks in a shuddery, uneven breath and Carl comes to stand beside her. She takes his hand on impulse and he freezes, then relaxes and squeezes her hand tightly. Rick stands just behind them and they all gaze into the woods.

A few hours have gone by and Beth sits with her back against a pine tree, the sound of Carl breathing deep as he sleeps nearby helps to ease her nerves somewhat. Eventually, she hears Rick sit up and walk softly over to sit down beside her.

"Can't sleep?" she asks not taking her eyes off the woods.

"Not really," he says. "Didn't expect to. Not with them out there."

Beth nods and keeps her eyes trained on the dark woods in front of her.

"He'll come back," he says gently. "He always seems to."

"I know," she says. "He'll keep coming back until the day that he doesn't and I'll have to go after him."

Rick doesn't say anything and Beth starts to feel uncomfortable. He hasn't said anything about Beth and Daryl being whatever it is they are but she knows that one word from Rick to Daryl about her and well, Daryl would probably listen.

She doesn't have the faintest idea how to even bring the topic up, so she stays quiet.

It pays off because Rick eventually says, "So, you and Daryl, huh? You're together?"

"Something like that," she says. She shifts on the ground. "We just got…close, you know."

"Oh, I know," Rick says chuckling and Beth remembers him walking up on Beth and Daryl kissing and she blushes and chuckles herself.

"Sorry about that," she says.

"It's okay," he says. "And I'm glad, you know. That you two have each other."

"You aren't going to-" She breaks off and looks into the woods.

"Going to what, Beth?" he says quietly. "Look down on y'all? Bring up reasons why you shouldn't be together? No, honey, I'm not." He sighs. "At the moment, I am the last man who should even think of passing judgment on another person."

The image of him tearing into that man's neck flashes behind her eyes and she has to work hard to suppress the shudder.

"Good point," she mutters.

Rick laughs softly. "I'm not your dad and even if I was, I couldn't think of anyone else I'd rather have on your side than Daryl Dixon. Just…go easy on him. I don't think life's been all that good to him."

"I'm trying," she says. "It's not like I've got all that much experience in the matter of relationships, myself."

"Yeah, but loving someone and seeing the good in them comes a lot easier to you than other people," he says.

"I suppose," she says. "Although, it's getting harder and harder to find the good these days."

"Yeah," he says rubbing at his beard. "Noticed that myself."

She pauses then says, "I don't think Daddy would have minded me and Daryl, do you?"

She can feel Rick looking at her and wonders if it would be pity she'd see in his eyes; so she doesn't look.

"I think," he says slowly. "That your father would have been all right with you and Daryl. After he'd threatened Daryl very nicely and politely with a rifle."

Beth can't hold back the giggles and covers her mouth. "Sounds like Daddy."

"He loved you girls something fierce," Rick says. He sighs. "Beth, I'm so sorry that I couldn't-"

"Don't. I've already had this talk with Daryl about not being able to control other people's bad actions," Beth says lightly, even though she feels the tears building up in her throat. "Don't tell me I've got to have it with you, too?"

"Not if you don't want to," he says, and she thinks there's some amusement in his voice and so she looks over at him. He gives her a rueful smile and Beth smiles back.

"We're good, Rick Grimes," she says.

"I'm glad, Beth Greene," he says. Then he frowns. "Do you smell that?"

She turns her head to look towards Terminus and thinks she sees an orange glow in the distance. "Is that smoke?" she asks.

They hear twigs snapping sharply and Rick reaches over and shakes Carl awake.

"Get your stuff," Rick says to them both and Beth grabs her pack and gets her crossbow ready. Carl's blinking his eyes furiously as he wakes.

They stand in a huddle, Rick and Carl with their guns out, Beth with her crossbow.

The snapping gets louder and it sounds like a whole bunch of things are heading their way, but it sounds more coordinated and faster than walkers. Beth takes aim when she sees a figures emerging.

"Don't shoot!" she thinks she hears as a large man with red hair come running their way. "Daryl says don't shoot!"

"What?" Rick yells, lowering his gun slightly. "Who are you?"

"Friends of Glenn's! Run!" the man yells as he flies past them, a man with a mullet hot on his heels and a young woman with a hat and pigtails right behind them.

"You heard him!" the girl yells at Beth as she sprints past. "Run!"

"Dad?" Carl says edging closer to Beth and Rick, his hands adjusting and readjusting on his gun.

Rick just frowns and then spots someone and shouts, "Glenn?"

Beth's heart is in her throat when she sees her brother-in-law emerge from the woods supporting a young woman with dark hair in between him and…

"Maggie!" Beth yells, lowering her crossbow.

Maggie raises her head and smiles that big bright smile that Beth has known all her life. "Beth!"

Then her arms are around Beth and she's hugging her sister and oh, God, she smells the same and it's Maggie and Beth's grinning at her so hard it hurts but—

"Where's Daryl?" she asks pulling back when Maggie starts to pull her along.

Glenn shouts at her. "Behind us! Rick, let's go!"

"Michonne!" Carl yells into the woods.

"Coming!" Michonne's voice cuts through the crashing of feet through the leaves.

There's a sharp burst of gunfire not too far off and Beth jumps.

"Beth, we gotta go!" Maggie says, pulling her.

"No!" Beth yells. "Not without Daryl!"

She catches a glimpse of Maggie looking confused, but Beth looks to Rick, who hasn't moved. He nods at her and stays where he is.

Michonne comes running up and yells at Beth, "He's behind me! Come on!"

"Not 'til I see him!" Beth yells back.

"Bethy!" Maggie pulls on her arm again. Rick looks like he's wavering and shifts backwards.

Another burst of gunshots ring out and more people emerge from the woods. She spots Bob and Sasha and it looks like Sasha's hanging onto Tyreese who's holding something that's letting out a godawful wail and…is that-?

"Judith!" Carl yells running up to Tyreese.

"Oh, God." Rick sounds utterly shaken and he runs over to his daughter.

Beth's head is spinning and she knows all these faces and she can't believe they're all here and the gunshots sound closer than ever and Maggie's fingers are digging into her arm, but she hasn't seen him yet and how can she leave him and then-

"Go!" His voice cuts through her whirling thoughts and she sees him. He's got a cut on his head and is that Carol beside him?

"Daryl!" Beth shouts suddenly sure that all of this is all his doing and she's elated and confused and therefore can't help shouting, "What the hell did you do?"

"Set a fire and played big damn heroes," he yells back. "And I blame you, Greene!" He spots Maggie tugging on Beth's arm. "Hug her later! Move your asses, now!"

They move their asses.