This story takes place 10 years before the walking dead. Maggie's mother - Josephine died years prior, along with Beth's mother - Annette. This story is about Hershel finding a new love - and about raising his daughters. It'll lead up to the the beginning of the walking dead. Hershel is also younger in this story - He's 70 in the show, in this story he's in his early 40's.
Hershel has been a widower for a two years. Beth is just 4 years old. Maggie is only 8 years old. He meets a young lady by the name of Meredith, whom is 20 years his junior than he is. He meets her by chance, when she is on the run and starting over as Beth's preschool teacher.
Chapter 1: A New Day.
It had been about 2 years since Annette and Shawn died in a car accident. Hershel hadn't moved on at all, he mainly kept going to keep himself busy and take care of his girls. "Maggie, please stop teasing your sister." Hershel sighed as he drove the truck home from town. He had had an exhausting and hard day at the clinic. He had to end up leaving early due to Beth getting sick at daycare and Maggie leaving school early without permission and walked down to his vet clinic in town.
Maggie sighed, and looked out the window.
"We are going to have talk when we get home." Hershel said glancing over at her. "Our talk at the principal's office was not it."
Maggie didn't say anything. Beth was singing in the backseat to herself.
Beth suddenly stopped singing and started crying, " Daddie. I forgot my bag at preschool Mrs. Lia will be sad if I left my bag.." She wiped her nose on her long sleeve shirt and looked up at him with her baby blue eyes. " pwease daddy…"
Hershel looked at Beth and sighed. He couldn't say no to her, he nodded. "Alright, I'll turn around." he flashed a smile and drove back to the daycare/ preschool. Beth giggled in the backseat and looked out the window.
Hershel parked near the front door, and got out taking the girls inside with him. The center was still open, as they stood at the door after ringing the doorbell. The secretary opened the door and walked them into the office as the girls sat on the bench. Mrs. Tonia sat at the desk and smiled at the girl's. "Mr. Greene. We have a new preschool teacher taking over, Monday." She said looking at him. "Her name is Meredith Kelley." She looked into the teachers lounge, it was an old elementary school so they kept everything pretty much the same, but updated the paint job along. It was apart of an old church in town.
"Really?" Hershel smiled slightly. "Mrs Lia already retiring?"
"Well…" Mrs Tonia said looking at him, then down slightly. "She's sick. She isn't getting better." She said in a whisper, and watching the girls playing with some books they had found on the bookcase.
"I'm sorry." He said watching and looked down signing the visitor page to let them keep track of everyone in the building. Mrs. Tonia nodded. "She will be missed, but this new teacher is really nice and great with the kids. She's been slowly taking over the past 2 weeks, first as an aide, and then the past few days as the teacher in general." She got up and pushed the buzzer. "Their you go." She smiled letting him in the second set of double doors and kept the girls in the office.
"Thank you Mrs Tonia." He nodded looking at the girls. "No candy girls." He said walking through the door, and into the hallway. He could hear Mrs Tonia laughing, and motioning the girls to her desk and gave them a tootsie roll. He shook his head and a small smile formed on his face.
He walked down the main corridor, and turned right. He passed the room were infant's were kept, and then 2 year old room and three year old room. He made it to the preschool room. Preschool was everyday from 9:30 until Noon giving the kids a scheduled morning, and then they had lunch for a half hour, and rest time for about 2 hours. The teacher kept a pretty good schedule and everything was pretty much planned out for the kids to know what was going on next - sometimes the teacher would throw in a loop, for a surprise to mix it up during the week. He approved of the christian lesson plans that they had, that's one of the reasons why he decided to enroll Beth in the preschool. He had considered enrolling Maggie in for daycare after school since he was going to be working until 5pm nightly to get caught up on bills for the next few months.
He paused outside of the preschool room, listening to the teacher. She was helping the kids who came after school with their homework. She only had one kid that came after school and three 4 year olds left. She smiled walking to kneel down to talk to a little girl that came over. "Oh honey, she'll be here soon." She said tucking her brownish-red hair behind her ear. She pulled a clock that was magnetic that stuck on the whiteboard. "She will be here when it's 4Pm." She smiled softly, rubbing the girls back calming her down, as she had a meltdown about her mom not being there right now. "Shhhh." She looked at the other kids. "Free time. Go ahead and play." She pulled a chair over and sat down. She let the girl cuddle in her lap and rubbed her back more.
Hershel watched for a moment, and knocked.
She stood up and answered the door. "Hello." She smiled. "Can i help you?"
"Beth forgot her bag." Hershel said clearing his throat.
"Mr Greene?" She said extending a hand, the little girl got over it quickly and ran off to go play when she stood up. "Meredith Kelley." She didn't look very old - then again looks were deceiving, she was about 21.
Hershel nodded and shook her hand slightly. "Hershel Greene." He smiled back. "Nice to meet you Mrs Kelley."
"Miss." Meredith smiled moving aside.
"Miss." He said correcting himself. He was starting to go slightly grey, nothing really noticeable yet unless you really looked at him. Not really that bad yet though, he still had brown hair for being 41 along with a light beard growing, that he hadn't trimmed in a while. He was to exhausted running the farm along with being a full time vet.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here when you came to get her. I had some business in town to attend to." She smiled walking to the cubby area. "I've worked with Beth all week, and she's a brilliant girl."
"She's like her mother." Hershel smiled slightly taking the bag from Ms. Kelley. He studied her face for a moment, and noticed she didn't have a wedding ring on. She wore a silver cross necklace and wore a light blue shirt with a black skirt.
"That's great, what a blessing." Ms Kelley smiled softly. "She's a great kid to have in class." She noticed him studying her slightly, so she did it back but quickly. He wore blue jeans, work boots, along with a grey cotton shirt. She looked down feeling a tug on her skirt and smiled slightly. "Yes Gia?"
"I don't feel good." Gia frowned. She said and held her stomach. Then without hesitation. She threw up on the hardwood floor. She wiped her mouth and smiled. " I feel better… Can I have a cookie?"
Ms. Kelley smiled slightly and laughed. "Not right now, you just threw up." She said moving her hand to the closet behind her and grabbed some coffee grounds, she used for crafts and dumped it, over it. "Go clean up in the bathroom honey. Then when you get back, grab the beanie bag chair honey, go sit by my desk and rest..I'll call your Grandma." She looked back at Hershel. "Did she get your shoes?"
The girl nodded and did what Ms Kelley asked, she came back a bit later and laid on the beanie bag chair.
Hershel chuckled slightly and shook his head, "Nope, they are good." He smiled. "Wouldn't be the worse thing to have on them."
"Good." Ms Kelley smiled and laughed. "Never a dull moment." She said grabbing the dustpan, and broom, along with a mini trash bag. She started cleaning it up. She threw the things away and washed her hands and dried them. She glanced over seeing Beth peering in the doorway smiling slightly.
"Ms Kelley!" Beth giggled as she took off running to her, and hugged her leg tightly.
Ms. Kelley smiled and patted her bag. " I see you're feeling better."
"I was sad, and missed you." Beth pouted looking up at her. "Daddie. I love Ms Kelley. So will you."
Ms Kelley laughed and smiled. "You're just an angel." She said patting her back again.
Hershel smiled slightly, "She seems really nice." He chuckled. "Where is Maggie?"
"Me not know." Beth shrugged not caring at the moment. "She say she had to go potty."
"Oh?" Hershel said raising a brow, and looking at her. "Where is Ms Tonia?"
"She let another mommy and daddie in and walked them."
Ms. Kelley looked over seeing the last of her parents come in. "Gia and Becca- Grandma's here. Tony - your daddy's here, and Carter, your momma's here." She said calling the last three younger kids over along with the older girl Becca. "Guess what?" She smiled at them. "We...are…"
"Having party!" Beth giggled jumping up and down.
Ms Kelley laughed. "Yes honey. We are going to have a party for Mrs Lia." She said looking at them. "Mrs Lia wants you all to be there, as she gets ready to move on to a new adventure." They got excited. "Calm down." Ms Kelley smiled. "We are going to have Mrs Lia's favorite - Pizza, along with cupcakes, and some veggie trays."
Tony's dad laughed and looked at her. "Good luck. Tony doesn't eat any of that." He rolled his eyes.
"Daddy, You no make them like Ms Kelley." Tony looked at him serious. "I like her veggies."
Hershel held back a laugh, and smiled looking at Beth whom was still attached to Ms Kelley's' leg. Tony's dad sighed. "Well if you can eat them here - You can eat them at home."
"No Daddy." Tony said frowning, then looked at Ms Kelley. "Can me take home your veggies?"
Ms Kelley nodded. "Yes, after the party I will bag you up some so you can take them home."
Tony smiled big and hugged her tightly. "Bye Ms Kelley."
"Goodbye Tony" Ms Kelley smiled softly hugging him back slightly.
Tony's dad smiled. " I guess I've been told…" He sighed. "Do you need anything for it?"
Ms Kelley smiled. "I'm good. I got it covered." She looked at the parents. "Thank you though."
They nodded, thanked her and all left.
Ms Kelley smiled at Beth. "Are you going home with me?"
"Yes!" Beth giggled and smiled big, "Please daddie?!"
Hershel smiled slightly. "I'd miss you too much Bethy. I'm sure Ms Kelley would love a break from your energy for the weekend." He chuckled lightly.
"I wish I could have that much energy." Ms Kelley smiled softly. "I would love to have you come visit sometime." She said kneeling down to Beth. "But I'm still in process of moving into my place." She tucked a thick strand of Beth's fallen blonde hair from her braids behind her ears. "We can talk about it another time." She smiled. "Your daddy has to be okay with it though." She smiled.
Beth pouted, and nodded. "Otay.." She sighed, defeated. She wrapped her arms around Ms Kelley and hugged her tightly.
Ms Kelley smiled softly and hugged her back and let her go, but Beth refused to let her go.
"Carry me plwease?" she said sweetly.
"Beth she isn't going to carry you. You're a big girl.." Hershel said exhausted.
Beth frowned and looked up at him. "Pwease daddy?"
"Guilt trip him, Beth." Ms Kelley smiled softly. "I'm leaving anyway, but I will walk you outside?" She said getting her to let go. "You can hold my hand, and hold my keys with your free hand. Does that sound okay?"
Beth nodded and smiled big. "Okay!" She said letting go of Ms Kelley and took a firm grip to her hand. Ms Kelley grabbed her keys, purse and shut the lights off as they walked out of the room, and locked her door. Hershel carried Beth's bag and saw Maggie sitting on the bench. "Come on Maggie." He smiled slightly walking to her. Maggie nodded and walked with them.
Beth smiled big as she walked out of the building with her daddy and Ms Kelley.
Ms Kelley walked her to the car. "Goodbye Beth." She smiled softly.
"Bye, bye Ms Kelley." She frowned looking down.
"Big smiled. Monday will be here soon." Ms Kelley smiled. "Have a good weekend with your daddy and sissy okay?" She looked at Maggie. "Have a good weekend Maggie."
Beth nodded listening and smiled. Maggie nodded and sighed. "Thank you ma'am." She looked out the window.
Hershel smiled and put the bag in the car. "Thank you Ms Kelley." His hand touched hers by accident as he shut the door. He felt a slight spark.
"Anytime Mr Greene." She smiled softly, ignoring his touch, and trying to not feel the spark either.. "Have a blessed weekend."
"You too." He smiled.
Ms Kelley walked to her car, smiled waving at the girls, and got in. She started it up, and drove off.
Hershel waited a minute, and smiled slightly. He drove off