R_S: So I think it's about that time that everyone starts to like Maggie again and stops plotting her demise... Jesus I hope y'all forgive her.

Bittersweet

Beth wandered through the halls like a ghost, replaying that morning in her head over and over again. She could not be certain, but it felt like Daryl was avoiding her, which made no sense. He was being nothing but sweet, then he off and leaves. She thought she knew what he meant, thought she understood what he was trying to tell her, but she could not be sure. She wanted it to be true, but she was not willing to get her hopes up, could not let herself believe it without confirmation. And that lack of confirmation gave way to doubt; was he talking about how pointless it all was? Maybe they were fighting for nothing. Unfortunately, there was no one who could clarify the ways of men for her anymore.

"Goddamnit, Beth!" Maggie groaned. They had just washed the sheets for the whole cell block and were in the process of putting them back on the cots. Distracted by her reverie, the blond had knocked a whole pile of clean ones to the dusty ground.

"Shoot, I'm sorry." She dropped to her knees and tried to carefully pick them up, brushing off dirt, while Maggie rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, I dunno where your head's been at these days. If I didn't know any better, I'd say bunkin' with that low-down redneck was killin' brain cells." She spat, arms crossed. Her sister threw the sheets back to the ground and stood.

"Enough!" Beth screamed, placing her tiny palms on Maggie's chest to deliver a solid push. "Just enough goddamnit, you do not get to talk about him that way!"

Her sister snorted, "Oh yeah, throw a tantrum- real mature. Great way to show me you're mature 'nough to be datin' an old man. If this is how ya act round him, I can't help but wonder what he's into-"

"Oh you are so full of shit! You'd act just the same if someone said something like that about Glenn, prolly worse! Do NOT treat me like a child; I'm tired of you all makin' me feel stupid and useless and pathetic. It's not fair to me, and it's not fair to Daryl, and I just can't take this anymore! He and Judith are the only ones I even like being around these days." Tears began to well in her big grey eyes, and Maggie could not help but do the same. It was always hard not to cry when she saw her sister doing it and even harder when she knew she had caused it. She reached out a hand.

"Beth-"

"You don't like him, I get that, but this isn't your decision, it's mine, and I need my sister back! You can't be making snarky comments like that, not today of all days, ok? I don't know what to do, and I don't have anyone to talk to, and I just- I'm supposed to be able to go to you for this, when I need help, and I can't, and that kills me. And today, after this morning… damnit, I need you right now, Maggie! Please, please just be my sister again- just for a little while." The blond sunk down onto a bed and cried into her hands, and Maggie's expression softened. She sighed and sat down next to her sister, wrapping an arm around her smaller frame as her own eyes watered.

"I'll always be your sister, Beth, and I'll always love you n' be there for you... nothin's gonna change that. And it ain't that I don't like Daryl- well, I mean, I was never all that fond of him, but at least I used to respect him. But after I heard he was takin' advantage of you-"

"But he wasn't Maggie, he's never been anything but amazing to me, why can't you see that?" Her sister opened her mouth to argue, but she put up a hand, "No, nevermind- can we just, just agree to disagree right now? Cuz I just really need to talk about this morning. Can you please just tell me what it means when a guy says something to ya? Not Daryl, not if you're gonna get all worked up about it, just… I just don't know what he means."

"… What'd he say, darlin'?"

"That if he could, he'd make me an honest woman… that I'm his future." Maggie stared at her, a look of utter disbelief etched on her face, making Beth feel itchy. "Well?"

"I- wha- um, I'm sorry, what?" She sputtered, scotching closer to her, "You're gonna have to give me more to go on than that- tell me exactly what happened, every detail you can remember." There was something excited in her tone that Beth had not heard for so long. Maggie was so shocked that Daryl Dixon could say something like that, something so romantic, that her disgust had been overridden by sisterly excitement. It was infectious, and Beth wasted no time in pouring out every detail- waking up to his watching her, him getting up for the day, the exact conversation, virtually word for word. After she was finished and out of breath, Maggie studied her.

"So?" She asked. Her sister stared a bit longer.

"He ain't good enough for you, y'know. And he's far too old." Grey eyes dropped to ringing hands.

"You n' him say the same damn things a lot, y'know. He says that all the time, thinks he's not a good man. But he is, Maggie. Most men aren't as good as him, I think."

"He's said all that, huh?"

Beth nodded, "Yeah, even said it to Ethan too. He was gettin' lippy with me right before the whole godparents thing, Daryl set him straight. Then after Rick chose us, he started pickin' another fight, and I thought for sure he was gonna end him right there."

"I thought y'all weren't together then." Maggie commented, eyes narrowing slightly- the one thing they had agreed on through the entire debacle and even when they were fighting was no more lying.

"We weren't; Daryl said he just didn't like him disrespectin' me."

The older sister blew out some air slowly, "Well… for all his faults, I always did respect the guy. Chivalry ain't dead with that one."

"No, he's always doing chivalrous stuff for me and making sure I'm safe. It's nice."

"Damn, never thought I'd be describin' a Dixon as sweet or romantic, but damn if he don't sound it… He ever told you he loved you?"

"No." Beth said simply with a shrug, and a look of understanding passed over her sister's face. She knew what Daryl meant.

Maggie snorted, "Leave it to Daryl Dixon to talk 'bout marriage before he can bring up love… I don't know if I'll ever be totally ok with this, y'know." The blond went back to playing with her hands.

"I know; we both know that people aren't ever gonna be ok with us. I think it just about broke Daryl's heart when he thought Carol was gonna die upset with him, to say goodbye without fixing things."

"She didn't?"

"No, he was the last person she talked to… he stayed with her when she died, said he didn't want her to be alone in those last hours. He won't tell me what she said to him, but part of it was definitely forgiveness. I didn't wanna push, though- he doesn't like to be bothered when he cries- er, is upset." Beth bit her tongue; it had a habit of running away with her around her sister.

"Aw, damn it all to hell!" Maggie threw a pillow across the room.

"What?"

"Nothin', just… I gotta- I gotta think for a while Beth. You ok now?"

She smiled and nodded, "Yeah, gettin' all that off my chest really helped… thanks, Maggie, for listening and just… just bein' there. Are we ok? You and me, I mean. And I guess me and Daryl."

"Of course, honey, we've been ok for a long time. Just cuz I'm cranky n' not willing to apologize doesn't mean I'm not over it, just ask Glenn." They shared a giggle. "And as for what it means… he cares 'bout you Beth, a lot. More'n I could've ever thought. He's tryin' to tell ya somethin' important, somethin' you gotta figure out for yourself." Beth shook her head in confusion as her sister stood.

"What does that mean?" She looked up at her.

Maggie just laughed and walked out of the cell.

R_S: So, Maggie and Beth FINALLY made up... can I tell you how excruciating it was to have you all hate her when I knew redemption was right around the corner? Tell me what you guys think she's gonna do =)