Beautiful Thing Chapter Thirty Eight

This is a short chapter, but the next few will be longer as this story is almost done. Thank you to everyone who read this and went on this journey with me xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

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It was like the roof blew off the house and still Lucy didn't move, there was yelling and screaming upstairs as Maggie and Herschel searched in vain for Beth and the other two girls. It was no use and they knew it, but hope was a powerful thing sometimes.

Glenn ran up the stairs after Maggie and tried to console her but she was wailing. Daryl paced in the room stopping every once in a while to make sure Lucy was breathing steadily. She was and as long as she was, he had hope. He was running on adrenaline and hope now and not in that order. He had never been so wired in his whole life.

After a bit they came downstairs and Maggie was throwing on a jacket as Glenn trailed behind her. Nothing had been resolved with them but at least Maggie was calmer. Emotion was not something Daryl was used to, and ever since he was a kid when he heard fighting or loud voices it always made him feel on edge.

"Anything new," Glenn stopped to check on Lucy before he and Maggie went out to search. As Glenn peered in at Lucy he choked up, she was his good friend and this wasn't fair.

Daryl shook his head, "I'm sorry Glenn."

"Sorry for what?" Glenn was confused.

"I didn't look out for her…"

"Stop it, stop it right now…" Glenn advised, "This isn't on you, and she's gonna be just fine."

They were joined by Maggie after a minute or two and she had calmed down enough to have conversation. But she was clearly still agitated, she moved from foot to foot like she couldn't stand still.

"Rick and Merle got this Maggie, maybe you guys should stay back, in case they come back." Daryl said.

"Not a chance Daryl, I'm gonna kick their asses all the way back here," Maggie answered. Glenn just shrugged, he knew better than to argue with her. Maggie was the most strong willed woman he had ever known next to Lucy, and Glenn was not taking a chance with either one of them.

Daryl rolled his eyes but he got it, some women were just untamed, and the men that got to love them were blessed.

"Glenn and I will go, " Daryl began.

"No, you stay with Lucy…"

"No, she…"

"Guys, guys…" Glenn broke in and Daryl was shaking his head.

"Maggie!" Came a hyell from upstairs, Herschel was fit to be tied.

Glenn, Maggie and Daryl continued to argue about what to do about the girls and if Merle, Andrea and Rick were headed the right way to find them. It was getting loud in the doorway, and Heschel came storming down the hallway ranting at the trio.

"Instead of standing around here, I'm going looking for them."

"No you aren't," Maggie cried.

"Excuse me young lady!" Herschel bellowed, " Who do you think you're talking to? I am your father and don't you forget it! I'll go…"

"No, Herschel, Glenn and I will go…" Daryl began, he didn't want to leave but he knew Lucy would want to go look for them if she could. So he would do this for her, he had to do something for her so he didn't feel like such a failure.

"Can you all shut up, you're making my head hurt…" Came from inside the room, from a small weak voice, but still a voice. Herschel had warned everyone that the longer Lucy was unconscious the more chance of disability from her head injury, but she was talking and moving.

The three of them looked over at the bed and Lucy was pulling herself up on the pillows. Daryl flew past everyone and was at her side.

"Luce you ok?" He pulled her into his arms and kissed her all over her face right there in front of everyone. This was not something he would have done a month ago, or even a week ago, but now it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except she was awake.

"My head hurts," She rubbed her temples.

"Do you remember what happened?" Herschel was there with a penlight checking her eyes. Lucy just shook her head.

Daryl grabbed her hands, "There's something going on I need to tell you about but it's going to be ok, you understand me, it's going to be ok?"

Lucy struggled to sit up but her head still hurt so much, "Fuck my head hurts…"

"Alright, lay back down…" Herschel advised.

"Where's my sister?" Lucy asked with growing fear when she didn't see Marylee anywhere. Daryl tried to grab her hands but she sensed something was wrong and tried to get out of bed again.

"Shh honey…" Daryl soothed.

"What happened? What happened to my sister!" Daryl practically threw himself over top of her to keep her from getting out of bed and Glenn sat down and explained to her what was going on. Lucy started crying as they both tried to console her.

From outside they heard tires squeal into the driveway and Shane's voice yelling and screaming at someone. Maggie ran outside to the porch to see Shane opening the back of the car, and pulling the three girls out.

"Shane!" Maggie yelled, "Oh my god thank you!"

"Wait till I tell you what these three idiots did."