A/N: okay can I just say how shocked I was that people actually liked this? It makes me very happy :) anyways, if you like it feel free to comment/follow/favorite... Yeah. Hope ya'll like this chapter!


A week had passed since the night shift where she had met Daryl, and Beth couldn't help but assume that he had already moved on with his brother. He intrigued her, everyone that came to the diner was always willing to sit and visit while eating, but Daryl was different. He was closed off and quiet, never saying more than was necessary. Beth wasn't used to someone with a personality like his.

"Beth, are you paying any attention to what I'm saying?" Maggie snapped, tearing her from her thoughts. She blushed when she realized she had been absentmindedly scrubbing the same plate for the past few minutes, completely ignoring everything her sister said to her.

"Of course I was." Beth lied with a unconvincing scoff, passing the plate to Maggie for her to dry.

"Then what'd I say?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow at her younger sister. Beth shot her sister a glare, biting her tongue to keep herself from making a snide comment about her sister's condescending tone.

"Something boring that doesn't matter." She said, flicking water at Maggie just to get on her nerves. She only rolled her eyes in response and set the dried plate in the cabinet before leaning against the counter.

"I said Daddy's working late and I'm leaving to go up to Glenn's for the weekend, so I need you to go run some errands for me." Maggie instructed, pulling a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket. Beth groaned, letting her shoulders slump in protest.

"I don't wanna." She whined, poking out her bottom lip. Maggie shook her head, shoving the piece of paper in Beth's hand stubbornly.

"Nuh uh, you know that pouting act doesn't work on me." She said, making Beth groan in protest again. Maggie rolled her eyes and pulled a few twenty dollar bills in from her pocket. "Now get, it ain't much. I'm not asking you to go dig a hole to China, it's just a few things that need to be done."

"Fine, it's not like I had much of a choice in the first place." Beth huffed, snatching the money from her sister and shoving it in the pocket of her jeans before stomping off to her room to get her shoes and a jacket.

The chill bit at her face as soon as she stepped out of the house, and even with a long sleeved shirt and hoodie the cold still seeped through her clothes and to her skin. Beth rubbed her arms in a weak attempt to warm herself up as she made her way to the car, praying that it wouldn't take forever to heat up. The leather seats and steering wheel were cold, making her tense up while she turned the car on and waited for the air to turn hot. Running errands was her least favorite thing to do, she would much rather stay at home and help with the horses and housework. More so when it was thirty degrees outside and it didn't matter how many layers you put on, you would still freeze your tail off.

The car had just started to get warm when she stopped the first time to get the first thing on Maggie's seemingly endless list of things: horse feed. She ran into Otis, her neighbor, at the supply store and stopped to talk with him, which quickly turned into a lengthy conversation about how her family was doing, how cold it was outside, and just about every other topic under the sun. Beth was polite as the man rambled on about his cows and what crops he wanted to plant in the spring and she answered questions when asked and nodded thoughtfully when appropriate. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Otis said goodbye and went about his business, making Beth sending up a thank you that it was over. She quickly paid and made her way out of the store before she saw anyone else she knew, which was inevitable. In a small town like hers, everyone knew everyone.

Her next stop was the bank, then the dry cleaner's, and finally the grocery store. Beth was relieved that it was her final task, she wanted nothing more than to go home and settle on the couch in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate in her hands. Grabbing a buggy she ventured into the store, scanning the list Maggie had made for her. She was too occupied reading her list that she didn't even notice the person turning the corner, straight into her cart.

"Shoot, I'm sorry-" She apologized, looking up to see someone she didn't think she'd ever see again. "Daryl?"

"You're fine, don't worry 'bout it." He brushed the collision off with a shrug. The two stood awkwardly for a moment, Beth tapping on the handle of the cart and Daryl shifting his weight from foot to foot. The air surrounding them was thick with awkward tension and Beth didn't have the slightest idea how to get rid of it.

"I thought you would've skipped town by now." She said, trying to sound casual. She didn't know why she was trying to strike up conversation with a near stranger after avoiding it with people she had known her whole life all day. She liked to blame her curiosity, Daryl intrigued her, that was for sure. She watched as he shrugged, shoving his hands into the pockets of his worn out jeans. Beth didn't know much about him, but it was painfully obvious that he was a man of view words.

"Merle found a girl at the bar that he liked, we'll probably leave when he gets bored with her." Daryl replied, and Beth nodded slowly.

"Do you have a job?" She asked curiously. If he would be staying there, he would have a place to stay, and that would cost money. She didn't mean to pry, but she couldn't help but wonder. If he didn't, maybe she could talk to her dad about him helping out on the farm or something. Again, she was shocked at her concern for the stranger, but she couldn't dwell on it for long.

"Do you know when to butt out of someone's business?" He snapped back, his voice filled with irritation. Beth was taken aback by his tone, she wasn't used to being spoken to like that. Sure, Maggie would scold her from time to time and her Daddy yelled at her once when she snuck out to see her horse at night, but other than that she never had anyone speak harshly to her.

"Sorry." She squeaked. "I-I'll just go on now." Beth quickly turned around, rushing down the nearest aisle even though she was sure she didn't need anything from it. She sighed, trying to not let his attitude get to her.

"Grumpy old man." She muttered as she turned to the produce section, pulling a head of lettuce from the stack and haphazardly throwing it in the buggy. She had done nothing to him to deserve his attitude, she had been nothing but nice to him in their two encounters. Beth certainly thought she hadn't been too intrusive, she was only trying to help.

"It's his loss." She told herself confidentially as she finished getting the groceries, forcing herself to not think about the man who had more or less taken over her thoughts.