Beth loved her sister dearly, and was so thankful to be back home with her—but there were times when she was just itoo/i much. It always came across rather fake. Not that she didn't mean her care and love, it just came a little too late, after the damage was done. Beth had heard up and down how Maggie imeant/i to look for her after the prison fell, she just got wrapped up in Glenn. He was still sick, after all. Beth could handle her own. Beth understood, to an extent. A husband is different than a sister, it's a tough choice, and Beth wouldn't want to be the one that made it. She heard about the Washington thing, why they had to stay. She didn't go into detail other than there was a ibad group/i and Rick wanted to take care of them and Abraham didn't. Daryl and Carol had already snuck off to follow the car with the cross. By the time they came with news of Beth's survival it was too late.

She got it.

She understood.

But that didn't make it A-Okay, either.

While she could put putting Glenn first aside for the sake of it being her husband, she couldn't exactly get around Maggie putting four complete strangers in front of her, forgoing her search, leaving her alone in Atlanta without even looking. Not when Daryl risked life and limb just because he saw a car with a cross.

"Maggie!" Beth sighs, pushing the pair of sweatpants down on her legs, looking over at her sister. "I can go to the bathroom myself."

"Bethie—"

"Seriously! I was shot in the leg, I can sit on a toilet and do my business. iPlease/i." She shoots her sister a pleading look. She needed to do this on her own.

"Fine." Maggie opens the bathroom door and steps out into the hallway, annoyed that her sister didn't want to be coddled. "I'll be here when you need help."

Beth rolls her eyes and sits on the toilet, thankful to have some peace for once. If it wasn't Maggie trying to help her with every little thing, it was Denise freaking out about something, or someone dropping in. She didn't mind the company, there was only so many conversations she could have with Maggie alone before she pulled her hair out, but it never who she wanted it to be. She asked every single person who came through her door if they had seen Daryl. Usually they answered yes, but he was doing something else, something important. She was beginning to think maybe they were lying to her and he wasn't around anymore. Maybe he took off or maybe he was dead. She had no idea what was going on outside the walls except winter was moving in quickly. Everything was hush-hush—don't let Beth hear you talking about plans, don't let Beth do this on her own, don't let Beth know you're talking about her. It never ended.

She knew Daryl came to see her when she was passed out, why he never made the journey over when she awoke, she didn't understand.

After all he did—why was it different now?

Beth often thought back to the funeral home—the last few moments they had together, that look in his eye when she asked him what changed his mind. He wasn't the same Daryl that led her out of the crumbling ashes of the prison—no, he was different. Changed. Somehow. She wondered what he was going to say, what he was going to do. The thoughts of that night were some of the only things keeping her going at Grady—the chance to possibly see him again. She knew she'd make her way back to her family—she always did. When her family farm went up in flames and she was in that car with Lori and T-Dog, the two of them bickering, loud in her ears—the thought of Patricia being ripped out of her arms. She yearned for her father, for her sister. This time she yearned for someone else—someone unexpected. But unlike her father and sister; he never came.

Why she fucked it up with those scissors was something that she couldn't even explain. He was there. He saved her.

But she couldn't let Noah stay.

A knock on the door brings her from her thoughts. "Bethie—you okay?"

"I'm fine—almost done."

She grabs the roll of toilet paper and pulls some off, folding it over gently.

The mood in the infirmary was a weird one, Daryl standing awkwardly next to Denise's desk, the inventory list catching his eye; a bunch of words he couldn't pronounce neatly printed in front of a number. Denise moved swiftly around the room, placing things back in their homes, obviously getting ready to leave for the night. He looks over at the door, thinking about bailing before Beth comes back out, but he knows damn well if he doesn't see her now—he never will. The rest of his life will be spent avoiding her gaze.

"Maggie—I can do it." Beth whines from the hallway. Daryl's heart beats a little quicker with anticipation. It's been so long since he heard her voice say something different than 'I get it now', something innocent, something pure.

"You were shot Beth, you need something to hold on to while you walk." Maggie snaps back.

Daryl imagines this is what Hershel went through on a daily basis with his daughters; the constant bickering. He knows damn well he and Merle fought like cats and dogs when it was safe. Will Dixon didn't like noise, so the minute they made a sound louder than a whisper it was game over and the belt came off. It seems like a lifetime ago now, when the walls went up to protect himself, they were now down. Beth finishing the job Rick Grimes started on their way back from Atlanta without Merle in tow.

The footsteps get closer and soon Maggie and Beth appear at the end of the hallway, Beth leaning on her sister as they start to make their way towards the bed.

Beth looks up, her features turning from parted lips and a furrowed brow to a warm smile and wide eyes when she sees him standing there. "Daryl?" She asks, allowing her arm to fall from Maggie's shoulders. "You finally came."

He nods, bringing his thumbnail to his mouth.

Maggie's eyes glisten—a silent thank you. "Let's get you into bed, okay?" She looks at her sister's shining face.

Beth nods, still looking at Daryl as Maggie helps her the few feet into her bed, pulling the blanket over her legs. Maggie rushes off to the kitchen, Daryl remaining behind the desk.

"Sit down, silly." Beth smiles pointing to the chair next to the bed. "I've been waiting for you."

Daryl slowly makes his way over to the green-ish chair and eases himself into it, looking at her. She had a long scar on her forehead, a shade or two darker than her skin tone. It matched the one on her opposite cheek. He wants to know how she got them—why she got them. He tries not to look at the small circle on her forehead, that painful reminder of the worst day of his life, when he thought she was gone forever.

Maggie returns with a glass of water. "Bethie, I'm going to go see Glenn for a bit since you have company, okay?"

Beth nods, silently thankful for a break from her overwhelming presence. "I told you—you can sleep there. Denise is right down the hall."

She shoots her sister a look before grabbing her jacket from the hook. "I'll be back in an hour."

Daryl and Beth sit in silence until Maggie closes the door behind her and Denise announces that she's going to go get ready for bed, but if they needed her to not hesitate coming to get her from her room. When the sound of a door clicking is heard Beth lets out a small sigh. "Finally. I haven't had a moment alone since I woke up."

"You want me to leave?" Daryl asks, secretly hoping she'll say yes.

"No." She smiles, grabbing her glass of water from the bedside table. "I told you that I've been waiting. You're not going to get away that easily."

"Maggie's a bit much?" He asks, knowing full well that she is.

Beth nods and sucks some water through her blue straw. "She never leaves me alone, I'm actually surprised she's going to see Glenn. Guess she figures you can protect me."

"Ain't much to protect you from." Daryl slides down in the chair. "'Cept maybe Aaron's chili."

A small giggle erupts from Beth's lips. "I've had it. It's very…strong."

They fall into a silence, Beth watching Daryl squirm a little under the quietness, his gaze meeting everything but her. It's different this time, a less mean version of the first time she met him back at the farm. He didn't talk then either.

Daryl wanted to ask her what happened, how she ended up getting shot in the leg, but he doesn't ask. He's sure he'll get the rundown from Carol who had no qualms about asking the iimportant/i questions.

Everyone had changed since the prison; whether that was good or bad he couldn't tell.

"You see Judith?"

Beth nods excitedly. "She's getting so big. I was afraid she didn't make it out of the prison—but here she is. Big and healthy as ever."

"Carol had her. Tyreese, too."

"Tyreese didn't make it."

Daryl shakes his head.

"Or Noah. Because of someone else, Nick…right? Maggie's been slowly filling me in."

"Yeah." Daryl nods. "Glenn got him pretty good."

"Is Nick dead?"

"No."

"He should be."

Daryl's a little taken back by her answer, he always suspected her to be a little Hershel, a little Dale. Don't hurt people, don't kill them. Maybe Grady changed her mind. Or maybe it was that Noah meant so much to her. "I know."

"Maggie told me you've been staying with Aaron and Eric." A smile returns to her face, drifting away from the thought of Nick and Noah.

He nods.

"Don't like bunking with Rick?"

A small, barely noticeable grin comes to Daryl's face. "Nah. He snores."

"That's not true."

"Bike is at Aaron and Eric's, makes more sense."

"You got a new bike?" She asks.

He nods. "Custom. Aaron found all the parts, let me build it so I could go out with him to find new people."

"That's good." She smiles. "Maybe once I get out of here I can come see it?"

"If you want. Ain't much to see."

"Anything is better than these walls, Daryl." She sighs. "I've got the window, sometimes I'll see people pass. I have no idea who they are, though. Aaron and Eric, I know them. Deanna, too. But there's a whole other group of people that are brand new. Maggie said they lived here before? Got real lucky not having to live outside the walls."

"Yeah. Most of 'em ain't never seen a walker."

"That's scary." Beth moves her leg and winces at the pain.

"You alright?" He asks, moving up in his chair, ready to try and help.

She nods. "Yeah, it still hurts sometimes. I got shot at trying to steal some supplies about fifteen miles before the place you found me. I made a wrong turn on interstate….eighty three? Eighty five. I can't remember. I had to stay overnight, find some food. Unfortunately for me another group wanted the same supplies I did. All I had was six bullets, obviously they had more. I managed to get out and find the car—I didn't last though. Losing too much blood so I turned off and of course there was a pack of walkers up ahead. I sped to the church, turned the radio up to the lure them in and made it inside just before they turned the corner. Then I passed out. And you found me."

The front door opens and Maggie appears, her jacket wrapped tightly around her. "It's getting cold out there, Bethie. I'm going to go get you another blanket from the closet." She walks over to her sister and pats her foot before heading down the hallway.

"Guess I should get goin'."

Beth frowns. "I guess so." She watches as Daryl gets up. "Will you come see me tomorrow?"

"Bikes done, guess so."

"Good. I missed you, Daryl Dixon."

Daryl nods as he slowly walks away from the bed. He missed her, too.