They were starting to starve.

Being on the road got bad quickly, only shelter did come, eventually that was. An old house with just one walker in it, one Carl took out. Daryl caught an owl, Austin checked the perimeter of the house to make sure no one had snuck off to the woods. He heard his dad whistle to indicate them to come in. Austin helped his mom up the stops, her belly grown tremendously in the past few months they've wondered from house to house, scavenging for food.

"Thanks." Beth whispered when Austin helped her set the bags they had down. They stuck together, close in the living room. She held her hand up to help him sit down, the pair close together. It was like that now. The two of them. Beth was getting use to the world as it was, but Austin was her little piece of normality.

Carl hurried in with two cans, when Austin looked close, he saw it had been cat food. He was so excited, grabbing the can opener, unaware of the sad eyes everyone was watching him with. Rick had different plans, a different reaction as he walked over and yanked the can from him. With a raise of his hand, the can hit the fire place. Austin rubbed Carl's back, in hopes of him understanding.

Silence took over before T-Dog made a noise, motioning toward the outdoors. Austin left Beth on the floor as he stood up, following him outside with the others close behind. They ran back to the cans, tossing what they could inside.

"Come on." Austen held a hand out to Beth, helping her into the truck with him before driving off.

They didn't drive too long until Rick called the group to an end, all getting out of their cars and trucks again. He spoke to Carl quietly. "15, you're on point."

"Here, Maggie." Austin handed her the map as her and Hershel rolled it out.

"We've got no place left to go." the old man broke the news.

"When this road meets this one, we'll be cut off." Maggie pointed to one of the lines along the map. "We'll never make it south."

"What would you said? That was about 150 head?" Daryl asked out loud, no one in particular.

"Give or take." Austin shrugged.

"That was last week. It could be twice that by now." Glenn pointed out, squinting from the sun.

"This river could have delayed them." Hershel spoke, Austin looked over to check on Beth, she'd still been guarding the trucks with her shovel. "If we move fast, we might have a shot to tear right through there."

"Yeah, but if this group joins with that one, they could spill out this way." T-Dog pointed out with a finger to the map.

"T-Dog is right. It's too risky for all these cars." Austin agreed, pushing some of his hair back. "All the noise can and likely will draw them closer."

"So we're blocked." Maggie confirmed.

"The only thing to do is double back to 27 and swing toward Greensville." Rick motioned to the map with his index finger.

"Yeah, we picked through that already." T-Dog rubbed his bald head. "It's like we spent the winter going in circles."

"Yeah, I know. I know." Rick nodded his head in understatement. "At Newman we'll push west. Haven't been through there yet. We can't keep going house to house. Need to find some place to hold up for a few weeks."

Austin looked to his pregnant mom in the passengers seat of one of the trucks, not being able to move much. "Sounds good."

"Is it cool if we get to the creek before we head out? Wont take long." T-Dog spoke up toward Rick . "Go fill up our water. We can boil it later."

"Knock yourself out." Rick encouraged.

Austin walked toward Beth. "Wanna swim?"

"Huh?" she looked his way.

"There's a creek." he grinned, waving her over. "Gotta be quick though."

Beth's face lit up, following him quickly as they speed walked through the woods. The creek was big, looked stupidly inviting. They stayed near the shore, Beth looked around. "Think there's any walkers in there?"

"Only one way to find out." he flashed her a grin, dropping his gun.

"Austin." Beth looked in disbelief as he peeled his shirt off. "Austin!"

"It'll be fun!" he called, going into the water and heading out. "It's not even cold!"

"You tryin to get yourself killed?" she called in disbelief, dropping her shovel.

Austin went under water, Beth waited for him to come back up. Only, it alarmed her when he didn't. "Austin!"

She hurried into the water, running forward where he went under at. Beth let out a scream when two hands grabbed her, Austin swimming up and grasping her. "What is wrong with you!"

He only laughed, holding the back of her thighs. "Told you it wasn't cold."

"You stress me out." she shook her head, pulling back to look down at him. "Does feel kinda nice though."

Austin grinned. "Told you it would."

"Yo, Austin!" it was Daryl called from the woods. "Come on, we need you!"

Austin sighed, giving Beth a tight lipped smile. "Gotta go kill some dead people. Don't have too much fun without me."

"Bet he's in for murder." Austin stabbed one of the walkers that got too close the gate. "And that one-"

He stabbed in the head as it fell. "-robbing a convenient store."

"How do you know?" Beth asked, appreciating his attempt to distract her fear, but it wasn't helping much.

"My third eye." he tapped his forehead. "Said so."

"Come on!" Rick called when they all got through, the group running the drive where they brought the inmates or people came to visit. Daryl opened the gate up, all hurrying through.

Rick stared up at the prison. "It's perfect."

Austin patted his back with a grin. "Spoken like a true cop."

Rick smiled at him, rubbing his head with a small shove. "We can shut that gate, prevent more from filling the yard, we can pick off these walkers. We'll take the field by the night."

"So how do we shut the gate?" Hershel asked, not against the idea but still confused.

"I'll do it. You guys cover me." Glenn braced himself.

"I'll go with you. Cover you from a closer distance." Austin looked at him with a nod.

"No. It's a suicide run." Maggie shook her head.

"I'm the fastest." Glenn pointed out. "Austin next."

"No, you, Maggie, Austin, and Beth draw as many as you can over there." Rick pointed toward the opposite direction. "Pop em through the fence. Daryl, go back to the other tower. Carol, you've become a pretty good shot. Take your time. We don't have a lot of ammo to waste."

"Come on." Maggie encouraged Austin and Beth to follow her and Glenn.

Taking the field walkers out was the ease part, Daryl managing to get the fence closed as well. They camped out infront of the prison for the night, a fire going while cooking what Daryl caught. Austin leaned in his back, already eaten. He looked up at the stars, Beth sat up, but next to him.

"Just like mom use to make." Glenn hummed, tossed the bone to the side.

"Beth, look." Austin sat up, holding the wishbone. "Wanna pull it?"

"Is that a wish bone?" she smiled, he nodded. "Okay, hold tight."

They grabbed either side. "Make a wish."

They both did so, shutting their eyes and yanking. Opening, Beth got the bigger piece as she smiled. Austin grinned. "Looks like your wish is gonna come true."

"Tomorrow we'll put all the bodies together." T-Dog spoke up. "Want to keep them away from that water. Now, if we can dig a canal under the fence, we'll have plenty of fresh water."

"You think that will take a while?" Austin leaned back on his elbows with a curious look.

"Not with all of us combined." he shook his head.

"And this soil is good. We could plant some seed, grow some tomatoes, cucumbers, soybeans." Hershel listed on with a minor smile, sitting up as he looked around toward Rick. "That's his third time around. If there was any part of it compromised, he'd have found it by now."

Bath leaned toward Lori. "This'll be a good place to have the baby. Safe."

Lori smiled at her, rubbing her shoulder slightly. Austin fell back against the ground again, looking up at the stars again with an exhale.

"Bethy, sing Paddy Reilly for me." Hershel encouraged her from across the fire. "I haven't heard that, I think, since your mother was alive."

Austin cracked a grin, tilted his head to look toward the blonde. Maggie shook her head. "Daddy, not that one, please."

Hershel nodded. "How about The Parting Glass?"

"No one wants to hear." Bath shook her head.

"Aw, come on. I do." Austin called to her with a grin. "Carl does to. Right, Carl?"

He leaned over and slapped his knee. Carl looked up. "Right."

"Why not?" Glenn shrugged at her.

Beth hesitated, looking to Austin as he flashed her a grin. "Okay."

'Of all the money e'er I had. I spent it in good company and all the harm e'er i've ever done. Alas it was to none but me. And all i've done, for want if wit. To memory now, I can't recall. So full to me, the parting glass. Good night and joy be with you all."

•

kylie speaks

hope beth is okay to share
bf's.