Faith

"It's the only way." Rick told Daryl, who gave him a weary glance. Rick had decided to take the Governor up on a offer Rick didn't mention to the rest of the group- give up Michonne, and they wouldn't have to go to war.

"Just ain't us, man," Daryl said, looking at his friend.

"No," Hershel agreed. "No, it isn't." And on that note, Hershel worked his way back towards the prison.

"We do this; we avoid a fight. No one else dies." Rick's mind was made up. Was giving one life okay to save a dozen others? Daryl didn't feel confident about this.

Instead of protesting, he nodded, feeling numb. "All right."

Rick looked over at him. "We need someone else."

Daryl met his gaze and knew he meant Merle. "I'll talk to him."

Rick shook his head. "I'll do it."

"I'll go with you." Rick and Merle didn't get along on a good day. If Daryl was there, he could try to mediate the plan.

"No. Just me." Rick said and walked away. Daryl stood there for a minute or two after Rick left, adjusting his bow strap, wondering if he could've changed Rick's mind.

_____________________________________________________________

Beth climbed into the driver's seat of one of their pick-up trucks while Daryl and Glenn shoved a large piece of lumber with barbed wire to set up outside the gates. Michonne had suggested that if they were going to war, we shouldn't just leave the door wide open for them. This way, they might be able to slow them down by popping a few tires first.

Michonne was starting to grow on Beth. She was a quiet woman, always observing everyone. Beth had caught Michonne staring at her a couple of times, especially when she was holding Judith. Beth was still working up the courage to ask her if she wanted to hold Judith. Everyone liked to hold Judith for a little while.

Michonne was nearby, slicing walker heads off with ease. She felt Daryl and Glenn climb into the back of the truck, and Daryl tapped the roof and hollered to Michonne to get in the car. Once she was in, Beth cruised towards the gate and up the hill.

"I miss driving," Beth admitted to Michonne. The woman looked at her with understanding eyes.

"Come on a run sometime, I'll let you drive." Michonne told her. "No traffic. Great for cruising."

Beth grinned at her, glad that Michonne would be willing to include her. The women climbed out of the car and Beth's eyes fell on Daryl.

The leather clad man was tense, saying something to Rick that made him turn away. Maggie and Carl appeared from the gates and everyone started to move back inside.

Beth wanted to speak to Daryl, ask if he was worried about the fight that would happen, but Maggie called for her and Beth went to help her sister.

_____________________________________________________________

Merle Dixon had a bad feeling in his gut all morning. In his secluded cell block, he ripped up every single mattress, looking for dope. Or anything.

And then Rick came and told him about his little plan with their own personal Samurai, and he was beside himself.

Officer Friendly turned out to be just as twisted as everyone else.

But then Carol came by, asking if he wanted to keep her company while she watched Judith for the day. He even went as out of his way to bring the baby's crib into his cell block.

"What happened here?" Carol asked, gesturing towards the ripped up mattresses and fluff surrounding them.

Instead of answering, he asked his own question. "We got any whiskey?" The question earned a stern look from the woman, but he continued on. "Hell, I'd even drink vodka."

"Go to hell, Merle," she muttered, sitting down. He couldn't help but laugh at her.

"Are you with us?" She asked as she picked up her gun and stared to load it.

"Sure."

"I'm not talking about occupying the same space." She shot him another stern look. "Are you with us?" She asked again.

He hesitated. "I'm here for my brother."

"Well, he's here for us." She retorted, focusing on her task. "It's not time to do ishots/i, it's time to pick a damn side."

Merle grinned and laughed again. "I like you better like this. Fiesty. You don't seem scared of nothin' anymore."

"I'm not." She told him.

"Hmmph. I already picked my side. My loyalties lie here, with you folk. Even if ya don't want me." Merle confessed. "I ain't gonna sit back and let the Governor have his way with y'all. I know what he'll do. I'm gonna do right by you people."

Carol stood up, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "I know you will. Good to hear you say it out loud."

_____________________________________________________________

Daryl walked out of the prison, seeing Glenn fortifying the fences with steel bars. He slung his crossbow off his shoulder and dropped it to the ground, going to help.

"You seen Merle around?" Daryl asked, earning a look from Glenn. Daryl moved towards him and started to chain up the bars. "He say he was sorry yet? Cause he is," Daryl said, hoping to hear forgiveness from his friend.

Glenn still hadn't spoken a word, picking up a box off the ground full of bottles and carrying it over to the table.

"He's gonna make it right," Daryl promised. "I'm gonna make'm.

"There's gotta be a way. Just... needs to be a little forgiveness, is all."

Finally, Glenn walked up to Daryl and spoke. "He tied me to a chair, beat me, and threw a walker in the room. iMaybe/i I could call it even. But he- he took Maggie to a man who iterrorized/i her, humiliated her." Glenn shook his head at the memories. "I care more about her than I care about me." He walked back to the table and started ripping strips of sheets to make Molotov cocktails.

Daryl picked up his crossbow, and before he could walk away, Glenn spoke again.

"What if it was Beth? What if Merle handed Beth off to the Governor, knowing- iknowing/i what his intentions where."

Daryl stopped in his tracks, stunned in silence.

"That's what I thought, Daryl." Glenn said after a few minutes of silence. Daryl dropped his crossbow and walked back over to Glenn.

"Merle's done all sorts of shit that ain't okay in any way," Daryl told Glenn. "Look, man… Know I'm your family too. Should've never ran off with Merle in the first place."

Glenn nodded and looked up at Daryl. "But you came back. I-" he huffed and ran his fingers through his hair. "He can live in that other cell block. I'm not gonna get everyone together and vote him off the island. He'll be good to have on our side. I just- you gotta understand why I can't forgive him."

Daryl nodded, going off to pick up his crossbow and head back inside, looking for Merle.

Crossbow in his arms, he called out for his brother, being mindful for possible walkers as he Merle in the generator room.

"He-ey, little brother!" Merle called out.

"What the hell you doin' down here?" Daryl asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"Just lookin' for a little crystal meth." Daryl paced back and forth, glaring at Merle. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Shit will mess my life up when- when everything going so sweet, right?" Merle laughed bitterly.

Daryl looked down as he asked, "Did you talk to Rick yet?"

"Yeah! Oh, yeah! I'm in. But, uh, he ain't got the stomach for it." Merle said with a sick smile. "He's gonna buckle. You know that, right?"

Daryl nodded. "Yeah… If he does, he does."

"You want him to?" Merle asked.

Daryl gave him a look before muttering, "Whatever he says, goes."

"Man," Merle chuckled, "Do you even ipossess/i a pair of balls, little brother? Are they even attached? I mean, if they are, do they even belong to you?"

"You used to call people like that sheep," Merle spat at him, and Daryl stood his ground. "What happened to you?"

"What happened… With you and Glenn? And Maggie?" Daryl countered.

"I done worse," Merle looked at Daryl with disgust. "You need to grow up. Things are different now."

Merle let out a shaky breath, his face going red with frustration. "Your people look at me… Like I'm the devil… Grabbing up those lovebirds like that, huh?

Now y'all wanna do the same damn thing I did! Snatch someone up, and deliver them to the Governor. Just like me." He spat on the ground. "People do what they got to do or they die."

Daryl shook his head in disagreement. "Can't do things without people anymore, man."

Merle scoffed. "Maybe these people need someone like me around, huh? Do their dirty work. Be the bad guy… Maybe that's how it is now, huh? How does that hit you?"

Daryl looked at Merle and reached out, putting his hand on Merle's shoulder. "I just want my brother back."

Merle shrugged him off. "Get out of here, man." Daryl sighed and made his way to the door.

"Talked to your little bird, Beth," Merle hollered, and Daryl turned around.

"You botherin' her?" He said, voice on edge.

"Calm down, little brother. She came to me. With the baby." Merle told him.

Daryl shuffled her crossbow. "What'd she want?"

"Just came right to my cell block and said, 'Hi, Mr. Dixon." Merle smirked. "I welcomed her to the family."

Daryl groaned in embarrassment, but Merle didn't care and continued. "She's a sweet little thing. Was nice surprise to hear her singin' the other night. Don't think she really knows what happen with her sister and the Asian boy back in Woodbury, 'cause if she did, I don't think she'd have taken so kindly to me.

So imagine what's gonna happen, baby brother, when she finds out that you knew about our dirty deal with the Governor?"

_____________________________________________________________

Daryl made his wait out of room, back towards the holding cells. He couldn't let Rick give over Michonne.

Beth took off her cross as she sat her Maggie and her daddy to pray. It was small and silver, and she'd it for a long time and almost never took it off. She looked at her daddy as he spoke. She had always loved her daddy's voice, usually so calm and serine, but right now, he sounded upset.

Hershel stopped reading and Beth reached out to hold her father's hand. "You okay?"

"What I wouldn't do," Hershel told his girls, "to keep you two safe."

The door opened, and Rick came in. Hershel got up and went over to him, speaking quickly. "What you're about to do-"

"I ican't/i." Rick said, as if he were pleading with the older man. "I iwon't/i."

Beth paused, looking over at the two men. What was he talking about?

Rick turned around to leave just as Daryl walked through the door.

"Rick, we gotta talk. Now." Daryl told him, and Rick raised his hand.

"Change of plans. Gotta go tell Merle." Rick rushed, pushing past him.

"He's in the tombs!" Daryl hollered after him.

"I'm glad he came to his senses." Hershel said to Daryl, who let out a sigh of relief.

"Daddy? Daryl?" Beth spoke up from the end of the room, walking over. "What's goin' on? What's changed?"

The two men looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

"What aren't you tellin' me?" Beth asked, taking another step forward.

Hershel looked at his daughter and smiled softly. "Don't worry, Bethy. We're doing the right thing. I think we'll be having a family meeting tonight."

Beth nodded slowly. "Okay. Is Rick okay?"

"He's probably feelin' better now," Daryl told her. "Don't stress yourself out."

Beth nodded again, playing with the cross that was still in her hands. "Hey, Daryl? Got a minute?" she asked, and he nodded. She walked them over to the tables she was just at and sat down. Daryl set his crossbow down on the table and sat next to her.

"I've been thinkin," Beth started, holding her cross. "I know you ain't really religious, and that's okay,"

She held the cross out for him to see. He eyed it: a silver chain with a small silver cross. He never saw her without it.

"But I was just prayin' with daddy and um, well, I-" Beth scooted closer to him and reached her arms around his neck. Unsure of what Beth was doing, Daryl tensed up. He felt the cool metal of the necklace trace his neck, and he felt her fiddle to put it on him. "There," she mumbled, adjusting it for him.

Daryl reached up to touch the cross, giving Beth a puzzled look. "You givin' this to me?"

Beth nodded. "Yeah, I, uh. Wanted to give you somethin' special, and I don't really go on runs to pick you up anythin', and that cross means a lot to me and I want you to have it." Her words sounded rushed towards the end, feeling like she was rambling on.

"Beth, you ain't gotta-" Daryl started, but Beth cut him off.

"I wanted you to have it so you'd have somethin' to remember me by. And you can hide it under your shirt, so no one even has to no you have it."

Daryl looked across at Beth, not sure what to say. He wasn't exactly used to getting gifts. Her face was slightly flushed, her eyes scanning his face for his reaction.

"You ain't gotta give me somethin' for me to remember you," He said finally, and she smiled.

"Yeah, well… Now in my heart I know you're bein' watched over. I won't be there when you guys are fighting the Governor and his people, so I won't be able to do anythin' to help. This is all I can do, really." Beth told him.

Daryl nodded, wondering if she was trying to memorize his eyes like he was with hers. They sat together for a while without saying anything. Neither of them felt like they had to say anything. They just looked at each other, smiling, Beth occasionally giggling quietly, thinking how nice it was to sit with him.

It wasn't until Rick called out for them that they stood up from the table. Daryl picked up his crossbow and moved forward, glancing back to wait for Beth. They walked side by side out to the yard, down to where the picnic table was.

Michonne stood with her back up against the wall behind the table. Merle and Carol sat off to the side, Judith in her arms, while Carl and Hershel sat at the table. Beth placed her hand on the small of Daryl's back as she moved past him, sitting down next to her father. Daryl stood off by Carol as Glenn and Maggie walked and stood by Beth. Glenn gave Hershel a nod, and her father smiled, and she wondered what the exchange meant.

Rick paced out in front over everyone, eyes down, looking like he was having trouble finding the words to start with. He finally stopped and looked up at them.

"When I met with the Governor, he offered me a deal. He said," he paused, taking a deep breath and looking up. "he said he would leave us alone if I gave him Michonne."

Most of them looked up in surprise, but Beth noticed that Daryl shuffled his feet.

"And I was gonna do that," Rick continued, "to keep us safe."

Beth looked over at Michonne, her face blank, but her eyes wild as she looked at Rick.

"But I changed my mind. I was wrong not to tell you… And I'm sorry." Rick continued. "What I said last year? That first night? After the farm? It can't be like that. It can't.

What we do, what we're willing to do, who we iare/i, it's not my call. It can't be." His voice grew stronger and more confident with every word spoken. "I couldn't sacrifice one of us for the 'greater good' because we iare/i the greater good. iWe're/i the reason we're still here, not me! This is life and death. How you live, how you die, it isn't up to me.

"I'm not your Governor. iWe/i choose to go. iWe/i choose to stay. We stick together. We vote.

"We can stay and we can fight, or we can go." Rick finished, and walked off, leaving everyone to their thoughts.

_____________________________________________________________

The next day was a blur for Beth.

Everyone had packed up everything in the prison, putting their bags into cars.

Maggie and Glenn stayed at the prison in full riot gear for when the Governor's people came looking for them.

Hershel, Beth, Carl and Judith hid in the woods outside the prison, close enough to watch the Governor's people enter their home, hear the lockdown siren, and lots of gunshots.

Hershel wrapped her arm around Beth's shoulders, giving her a comforting squeeze. Judith sat in a carseat next to them, swaddled with blankets and a little hat on her tiny head.

"I should be there." Carl said, only feet away.

Beth shook her head, eyes still on the prison. "It's better that we're here, Carl. They know what do."

"You don't get it," he muttered, and didn't speak again for a while.

And then, the gunshots ceased, the people of Woodbury piled into their cars and left the prison.

"Thank God," Beth breathed, standing up next to their camouflaged car. It had worked. For the first time since she had learned about the Governor, she felt like she could breathe. She took a deep breaths and looked up at the sky, thanking God over and over again in her head.

She hadn't even heard the rustling of leaves of the boy, who couldn't be much younger than herself, stumbled upon them. Carl and Hershel were quick to pull their weapons, and Beth crouched down next her father.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't shoot!" The boy pleaded.

"Drop the weapon, son." Hershel said firmly.

"Sure," the boy said quickly, looking at Carl. "Here, take it." He leaned towards Carl slightly, putting the weapon down.

Beth gasped, covering her mouth in shock as the silenced gunshot fired out, the teenage boy's falling limp with a dull thud. The sudden noise scared Judith, and the little girl cried out. Beth quickly scooped her up and rocked her, trying to soothe the baby.

"Carl," Hershel spoke to him as he would a spooked animal, "he was putting the gun down, son."

Carl didn't say anything, and Hershel didn't push it any further. Beth was mortified in silence on their way back to the prison.

Back at the prison, Judith still in her arms, she walked into the common room and found Rick. He swiftly wrapped an arm around Beth and looked at his daughter for a moment before kissing her forehead. Hershel and Carl were right behind her, and Rick bent down to hug his son.

Beth caught Daryl's eye and walked with him into the cell block.

"We're goin' after the Governor," He told her. "Leavin' soon."

Beth nodded, and paused before telling him, "Carl killed a kid."

"What?" Daryl sounded as shocked and Beth felt. "You were attacked?"

"No, the kid just," She let out a deep breath. "He literally just ran into use. Daddy told him to put down his gun, and he was putting it down, and Carl still shot him."

Daryl rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. "Does Rick know this?"

"Daddy's probably telling him right now. When- when do you think you'll be back?" Beth asked. "Who's goin'?"

"Me, Rick, Michonne, Merle, at least," He told her. "Dunno when we'll be back. Day or two, tops, I'm thinkin'."

Beth nodded, looking up at him. "I just want this to be over." She played Judith in her play-pin and turned back to him.

""s why we gotta go do this now, so we can finish it." Daryl said, his meek attempt at comforting her.

"Daryl, let's get going." Rick called out before going outside.

They walked together towards the courtyard, over where Daryl's bike was parked. Merle's voice hollered at them. "Baby brother, I don't mind you usin' my bike, I'm sure you've been takin' good care of her, but I think after this you gotta get your own." Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Beth, mind givin' us a hand with the walkers?" Carol called from behind the truck parked in front of the gate.

"Sure thing!" Beth told her, looking up at Daryl. She moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, resting her head on his chest. "Don't do anythin' stupid, okay?"

Daryl froze with tension, like he always did with physical contact, but relaxed after wrapped his arms around her tiny frame. He rubbed her back, enjoying the moment, despite how unfamiliar hugs were to him. They pulled apart and she smiled up at him, giving his hand a squeeze before jogging over to Carol.

Merle approached his brother with a testing look on his face. "You give hugs goodbye now, huh?"

"Whatever, man." He said. For once, he didn't give a damn what his brother thought.

At the fence, Beth and Carol took out the few walkers next to the gate. After taking three down, walker blood dripped down the crowbars length onto her hands and she shuddered. One day, she thought sadly, walker blood won't even phase me.

And then the gate was open, and Daryl led the group by taking the lead in his motorcycle. The truck followed after him, Carol rammed her machete into a walker's skull so they could close the gate. Beth took out one more walker and stepped back, looking at her family.

"Let's go in, Beth, I have somethin' I've been meaning to tell you." Maggie said to her sister.

Back in the cell block, and after Beth rinsed off her hands, sat down next to Glenn and Maggie. Maggie looked at her sister and smiled with excitement.

"What is it?" Beth said, smiling at her sister's obvious joy. iIs she pregnant?/i

Maggie placed her left hand out in front of her little sister, revealing a diamond ring on her wedding finger. Beth looked up at the couple in front of her, jaw dropped. "You- you two are engaged?" She almost squealed, leaning over the table and grabbing her sister's hands.

"Married," Glenn corrected, wrapping an arm around his wife. Maggie nodded her vigorously, giggling escaping her lips.

"When!" Beth exclaimed, looking at them in wonder. "Does Daddy know?"

"Just yesterday," Maggie told her.

"I, uh, I asked Hershel myself for his blessing." Glenn admitted, smiling at his now sister-in-law.

"This is amazing!" Beth gushed. "We- we should have a ceremony! Or- somethin'! We have to celebrate!"

Maggie squeezed the blondes hands and nodded. "We'll figure somethin' out once everyone is back home."

"Who else knows?" Beth asked them.

"Just you and daddy." Maggie said. "We'd like to tell everyone when we're all together. So once they come back, we can do somethin'."

Beth nodded and grinned at the couple, feeling overwhelmed with happiness for them.

Carol emerged from the common room with Judith and a bottle. "Beth, would you mind feeding Judith? I was thinking about making us all some dinner." Beth quickly stood up, taking the baby and the bottle, and retreated to her cell.

She sat on her bunk, so grateful to be back in her cell, and angled the bottle for Judith. The baby squirmed in Beth's arms as she fed, and Beth spoke sweetly to the happy baby.

Beth felt truly blessed. Everything was coming back together. She had faith in the group that went after the Governor. She looked down at the baby, mind wandering to Daryl, and praying silently that things were looking good on his end, too.

_____________________________________________________________

Daryl felt relieved as he rode through the prison gates and up towards the cell block. Behind him were the others in the truck, and a busload of Woodbury survivors that were going to join them in the prison.

Daryl was apprehensive about all the new people, to say the least. It had taken him a while to get used to his new family. Carol liked to say he was coming out of his shell. He already could feel himself crawling back into it.

Daryl climbed off his bike and reached up to his neck, grabbing the small cross and held it in his hand. He watched as Hershel came out of the cell block, follow by Beth. He watched as she looked astonished at the number of people getting off the bus and he couldn't help but smile. Beth would probably really enjoy all the new people, at least.

And then her eyes landed on him, and he watched her face light up as she dashed over to him. She managed to stop herself before crashing into him, but not before stumbling forward. He grabbed her, holding her upright so steady herself before letting go. She looked up at him and reached out for his hand.

Her tiny hand wrapped itself around Daryl's and she smiled. He gave hers a small squeeze before leading her back towards the cellblock door.

"They're all stayin' here?" Beth asked him quietly, grinning at the strangers, waving, saying hello to several of them.

"Yeah," he muttered. "Least we could do for them,"

After the rest of the newcomers entered the prison, Beth turned towards him, looking up to meet his eyes. She reached her free arm up, her hand lingering next to his cheek for a moment before brushing his hair out of his eyes. He felt his cheeks heat up from the simple sign of affection before she stood on her toes to press her lips to his cheek.

Burning red, Daryl nodded towards the door to go inside. Beth intertwined their fingers and the two walked into the cell block to meet the new members of their community.