The group slowly came to life, tents opening to allow people to start and enjoy their day. The house started to fill with life behind them as well. It wasn't until Maggie came rushing out of the house that Isabella's head shot up from Daryl's shoulder. "Is daddy out here?" Maggie asked, Isabella shook her head. "N-No he's not. Wait, Rick and Glenn didn't come back with him last night?" Isabella asked, the woman quickly looked up to Daryl with fear in her eyes. "I'll go get Shane." Daryl said quietly, standing up from the porch swing and heading down to the tent that Shane slept in.

Isabella herself stood up, grabbing Maggie's arm lightly and guiding her back inside. "Hey it's okay, they're gonna go out to find them. Everyone will be back home safe." Isabella said softly. Maggie nodded her head, the movement so small it was almost unnoticeable. The woman sighed, before wrapping her arms around her cousin and pulling her into a warm hug. "They'll be back." Isabella promised. Maggie nodded her head once again, but Isabella could feel her shoulder damp from tears. "Come on, Ginger's still asleep so why don't you keep an eye on her and Beth for me - and I'll go out with the others to go find them." Isabella encouraged.

"Okay, yeah okay." Maggie said, her voice wavering but nonetheless she made her way back upstairs to her cousin and her sister. Isabella watched her cousin go, before she turned around herself to go outside. The screen door slammed behind her as she quickly walked down the stairs and up to the group surrounding one of their cars. "What are-"

"I'm going with you." Isabella said, cutting Daryl off before he could get the chance to finish what he was saying. "Nah, no way." Daryl said, shaking his head. Isabella chuckled before shrugging her shoulders. "That's my family out there. You're crazy if you think I'm not." Isabella told him, before the man's shoulders deflated as he nodded his head. "She's a cowgirl Daryl, she can hold her own." T-Dog said with a chuckle, clapping his hand on Isabella's small shoulder. It wasn't that Daryl thought the woman couldn't hold her own, he knew for a fact that she could. It was because he could see the bags under her eyes, from countless sleepless nights. He could see the look behind those bright blue eyes, the distant look of someone who wasn't all there right now. He knew that look, because it was the one that looked back in the mirror.

The group talked about the route they would take, deciding to split up incase they ran into trouble along the way. Before the group could make the move to get into the vehicles that they were going to take, a red truck came flying down the dirt driveway and came to a shrieking halt in front of the farm house. "Guess we can skip out on the rescue mission today fellas." Isabella muttered, before turning to walk away from the group. She looked over her shoulder to see Daryl watching her. She nodded her head towards the house before she heard feet behind her. The two made their way towards the house, Daryl remaining a step behind her as they went.

Once they were inside the house, Ginger was sleepily walking up to the pair from the staircase. Before Isabella could greet her daughter she was ripped away by Maggie, the woman only catching a glimpse of Daryl scooping Ginger into his arms. Maggie led the way up the staircase and into Beth's room where she found the young girl curled up on the bed. "Hey Sweetie, how are you feeling today?" Isabella asked softly, sitting on the edge of the bed and pushing strands of blonde hair off the girl's forehead.

"Not great, but I understand." Beth whispered back, making Isabella give her a small smile and a nod. The world was crashing down around so many people, and as much as Isabella wanted to protect the ones that she loved she knew it wasn't possible anymore.

"I'm going to get your dad up here okay? You have some color back in your face." Isabella informed the girl, gently peeking under the bandages on her wrists before securing them again. "No infection which is great, you're going to be just fine." Beth gave her cousin a tiny smile before Isabella leaned down and pressed a kiss to the girl's forehead. She left the room, closing the door softly so Beth and Maggie could have a moment together before Hershal made his way upstairs. Isabella ran a hand through her hair as she let out a sigh before pushing herself to walk back downstairs.

When her foot hit the last step, she found her uncle standing at the bottom, his hands folded in front of himself. "She's going to be fine...she needs her dad." Isabella informed him softly. "I can't speak for what this did to her mentally, but physically she will come back from this." The young girl reached out to squeeze her uncle's shoulder as he thanked her and made his way upstairs. Isabella's eyes wandered to the couch in the living room where she found Daryl and Ginger sitting together.

The man's arm was resting on the back of the couch, and Ginger sat cross legged underneath him. "Morning sweetie." Isabella greeted, walking up and giving her daughter a hug. "I'm going to go out with Daryl today, we're going to go hunting." Isabella told her daughter. The young girl looked up to her mom, eyes widening in anticipation which made Isabella chuckle. "You know you can't come, give me a little while to find you a bow before then okay?" Ginger grumbled and crossed her arms before agreeing meekly.

"Hey, how about we get you one just like mine?" Daryl asked, nodding his head towards the crossbow that rested against the doorway.

"Wait really?" Ginger asked, standing up on the couch in excitement which made the pair laugh. Daryl nodded his head in agreement before bringing the young girl into his lap and tickling her sides, which earned a loud laugh in return.

"Why not right? It would make you pretty badass, don't you think?" Daryl called over the laughter, Isabella watching the interaction with a smile resting on her lips. Daryl's eyes met with Isabella's, before he offered the smallest smile he could muster. An even larger smile graced Isabella's features, before she rested on the couch beside the man and her daughter.

This was her family now, it was far from perfect. In fact it was completely unexpected in every way. Daryl came into their lives unexpectedly, yet all it took was a trusting young girl to bring out the best in him. Stepping into the role in her life that the girl never knew existed. Ginger had met her friend's dad, saw her classmates getting picked up by mom and dad when the last bell rang. Despite that, she never dwelled on the fact that her family didn't look like others, why the other parents were starting to get wrinkles while her mother was always standing away from the other parents. Daryl was someone neither of them knew that they needed, but he would forever be welcomed, a missing puzzle piece for them.