"I will not repeat myself." Maggie said, her voice turning to ice;. Maggie had many great qualities that Beth adored, but patience was never a virtue of her older sister. "Beth, you are safe now." This time Maggie's voice was almost scalding Beth with its warmness; it reminded Beth of the people she had left behind when she chose to run from her impending marriage. God, she had missed Maggie.

"Maggie, I'm okay-" Beth began, only to have Daryl pull her back against him rather roughly. Had they been alone, she may have hit him for that one.

"Shut up, girl." Then, turning to Maggie, he spoke again in a cold sneer, "you can't have her, sweets. Be on your way before she gets hurt because you wouldn't walk away. She's mine now."

"Don't talk to my sister like that." Maggie was simmering. Beth broke eye contact with her sister to stare behind her at Daryl in disbelief. The cold detachment he had just used with her made absolutely no sense in her mind. What sort of game was he trying to play? And just like that, his rough contact and mean words made sense. He was playing a game-pulling a ruse. He was playing the part of kidnapper, not savior.

"What are you doing?" Beth whispered up. She didn't like this. She didn't want Maggie to believe she had been kidnapped, and never did she want Maggie to believe Daryl so low of an individual to have been the one to do so. It would certainly be easier for her if he had. She wouldn't have to hurt Maggie with the truth-she had chose to leave her and her sisterhood behind for a different life. Perhaps that was why Daryl was acting this new, fictionalized part; he was trying to protect her. It made her love him all the more, but she couldn't let him make this type of sacrifice for her, not after all these sacrifices he had been forced to make for so far.

"Daryl, stop this." Beth said, turning herself around to face him. He didn't even look down at her; his eyes remained locked with her sister. Lovingly, Beth reached up and touched her hand to his cheek. "You can't protect me."

"Protect you?" Maggie was confused, Beth could hear that much in her voice alone. "He hasn't protected you, Beth." It wasn't a question. Maggie couldn't resign herself to the reality that was standing right in front of her, it seemed. Beth took a breath, turned her body to face her sister, and took a final few steps forward, crushing herself against Maggie.

"He has protected me, Maggie," Beth said, through her tears. "He has protected me more than you will ever know." She saw the moment understanding flashed into Maggie's mind. Her sister was smart, smarter than most in her station of life. Beth knew the truth had clicked into place and prepared herself for the moment of condemnation that would surely be coming her way. She had not, however, prepared herself for the moment when the truth would hit Maggie in the heart. She watched as her sister closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if to quell the tears that threatened to fall at the corners of her eyes. Maggie succeeded; she always was the stronger one of the two of them.

"You ran away." Maggie said, matter-of-factly. "You ran away to be with this…" Maggie looked at Daryl again, as if she couldn't come up with a proper word for him.

"Criminal?" Daryl offered to finish the sentence; Beth didn't have to turn around to see the smirk that would certainly be plastered on his face. She almost hated to take the credit away from him, but he truly hadn't been the reason she ran away.

"No," Beth started, and then faltered. "I mean, yes."

Maggie stared at her, incredulous.

"I didn't run away to be with Daryl. I didn't even know him when I ran away," Beth collected herself and continued with more thought. "I ran away from Shane Walsh, or rather, a marriage to him that I didn't want nor did I get asked to be a part of. I met Daryl the night I ran away. I fell, hurt my ankle and he helped me. He brought me to...:" Beth stopped, careful not to reveal too much about Daryl or his family. She loved her sister, but life had already taught her that even those who love you most couldn't always be trusted with the most precious things; Daryl was one of the most precious parts of her life right now. Not even for her sister would she risk him.

"Beth, you are not even at an age to make these kind of decisions and running away shows it." Maggie's words hit like a rock against her temple.

"I am not at an age to make my own decisions?" Beth barely uttered her words correctly in her sudden frustration. They came out of her mouth much more entangled than she had meant them to be. However, her next sentence was clear and her voice was deadly cold. "Perhaps you meant to say that I am not the right gender? Please do not forget, Maggie, that you got very lucky in your husband. It was never a decision you made." Beth paused, taking a step closer, Daryl's arm falling off her as if he were untying a rope on an animal that had been kept chained for far too long. "And, you are right. To tell people that I ran away does make the whole situation sound very childish."

"Beth, I didn't mean to…" Maggie stammered, finally comprehending how very childish she had made Beth sound in her previous lecture.

"No." Beth would have laughed if this were under any other circumstance. The authority in her voice did not match who she was, and yet, in this moment it was exactly who she was. She had complete control over herself and her life at this moment, and she wouldn't allow anyone to take that from her, not even Maggie. Maggie's eyes flashed for just a second. Never had Beth ever disobeyed her. "I will not tell anyone ever again that I ran away because I didn't run away. I made a choice. I took control of my own life and damn anyone to Hell who tries to take that control away from me again. I will see to it they get there myself."

Maggie stared at her a few seconds longer before looking down to the ground in contemplation of Beth's words. Beth was not entirely surprised when her sister looked back up at her with a smirk on her face. She had been raised by her; surely, it should not be a surprise to her that the younger sister was much more like the big sister than anyone ever thought she would be. Beth rushed to her sister's arms once again, but this time without tears.

"I can't convince you to come home, can I?" Maggie asked, leaning her head against Beth's.

"No." Beth said, confidently, "I can't go home, at least until this mess with Shane Walsh is taken care of." She added, loosening her grip to take Maggie's hands in her own. "And, you must not say anything to Daddy."

"Beth…" Maggie started, uncomfortable with causing their father more pain at not knowing where Beth was.

"It's not forever, Maggie." Beth said, trying to sound convincing. "Please."

"You owe her this." Both women looked back towards the gruff criminal that Beth had chosen to be with.

"Daryl, hush." Beth scolded.

"Don't tell me to hush, woman." Daryl countered, allowing her a singular eye roll before squaring off to her sister again. "And you, you didn't protect her from this, so you don't get to make her decisions now. The least you owe her is your silence."

Maggie still didn't seem convinced.

"Maggie!" Beth ducked quickly behind Daryl when she heard the voice of her brother-in-law. Maggie's startled glance up the road farther into town told Beth where he was.

"Maggie took a quick step back into the alley and around Daryl to hug her sister tightly. "I will keep this secret for you, Beth," Maggie whispered, "but you must sort this mess out soon. I will give you two weeks, and then I'm telling Daddy."

Maggie let Beth go and Beth nodded her thanks to her older sister as Maggie allowed herself one more glance at them both before running out of the alley and up the road to find Glenn. No goodbyes were needed; Beth knew she would Maggie again, she just didn't want to think about the circumstances they would find themselves in at their next meeting.

Neither Daryl or Beth made much conversation on the way back through the woods to the camp. But, if the leaves that Daryl crushed as he stomped through them were any indicator to his current mood, Beth didn't think she wanted Daryl to talk to her. She couldn't blame Daryl, and she knew he wasn't upset with her. The tension of seeing her sister and the decisions they would have to make quickly were enough to put anyone in a bad mood.

Truth be told, they had both been enjoying their solitary existence away from their troubles since Merle and Carol's wedding. Yes, they had made the decision to confront Shane and the world with what Beth had done, but that is all they had done. They had made no sudden moves, and were content to let things be as long as they could until a confrontation was needed. Time had just accelerated towards that confrontation though, and the magic number was two weeks.

Maggie had given Beth only two weeks to sort this mess out, and Beth found herself wistful for more time. She wanted more time to get to know Daryl, and for him to get to know her. Yes, they had feelings, intense feelings for each other. But, she wanted to know Daryl so much better before things had fallen apart. She knew it made her seem silly and fanciful, but she wanted to know Daryl's soul, every fiber of his being, before confronting Shane. She wanted to be able to rest in the fact that no one knew him better than she did at that point, and know that she could trust that she was the most important thing in his life, the thing he would fight for most. They hadn't had time to communicate and truly grow as a couple in that way, and she just didn't think it would happen in two weeks time.

Beyond her relationship with the man marching moodily just a little ahead of her, she also knew she wasn't ready physically to confront her would-be fiance. She had been training with Daryl since Daryl's wedding. He had been making her lift things that normally he would do himself, to build her strength. He had even let her touch his bow again, and she was finally starting hit the little target he had set up on a tree at the camp, but she knew, deep down, if Shane confronted her physically, she would be no match for him without Daryl.

"We are not ready for this." She spoke her thoughts aloud, and Daryl turned towards her with his shoulders slumped in agreement. At first, she just saw a scowl on his face, which she expected. She didn't expect his face to suddenly change though to instant anger. She turned around even as she heard him running towards her, yelling at her to move.

Not even two feet away from her was Martin, smiling at her with a knife in his hand. Beth didn't think. She heard Merle's voice in her head telling her to keep her thumb out, and she sent her fist into the man's throat before hightailing it towards Daryl.

He already had his bow out, pointing it at Martin's chest, but as Beth looked around her, she knew they were in trouble. Martin had friends with him, and more than just his simple little gang this time. They were surrounded.