Despite Maggie's protests, four days later Hershel Greene was put to rest with a graveside service under a sun so hot that the programs were used as makeshift fans. Maggie had wanted something a bit more elegant, in the church, but in the end, Beth had defended her father's wishes until her older sister caved. The instructions he'd left had been clear. He wanted it simple, cost-effective, quick and to the point. Why beat around the bush for a dead man? Even in death, he was a man with simple tastes. Burying him in field clothes had also been a point of contention but Beth had won that argument too. Their daddy had always insisted he meet his maker looking like himself, traditions be damned. The rest had been all Maggie. Beth had stepped back and let her pick everything else, down to the flowers and the obituary.

By the time she was taking her seat in front of her father's casket, Beth was just relieved that soon it'd all be over.

The turnout was large but that was to be expected. Hershel was many things to many different people and Beth wasn't shocked that they ran out of sitting room before the service even officially began. Every few minutes she found herself turning around, checking the crowd, but not to keep track of its size. The well-wishers poured by her and Maggie but attempting to be polite while craning her neck around was no easy feat.

If he'd said he would be there, Beth knew he would. Shane had yet to let her down. But what if he'd gotten the time wrong? The day? She knew that was unlikely, Patricia had told him. Between Maggie's insistent planning and questions, they hadn't seen each other at all. The last few days had been a blur yet Beth had still managed to keep track of him going to and from work. Shooting a text message didn't feel appropriate, there was too much she wanted to say.

"Will you stop turning around, you're even making my neck hurt," Maggie whispered, yanking Beth's arm to get her attention.

"Just hold on."

Beth scanned the crowd of mourners behind them, taking one last look before she'd give up. Maggie was pulling on her sleeve when she finally spotted him, towards the very back, leaning against a shady tree. Shane was wearing a black button-up with sleeves rolled up, a pair of nice fitting clean jeans, and his trusty boots. Perhaps he was underdressed for most funerals but Beth knew Hershel would've approved.

"I'll be back," she told her sister, getting up. "Hold these seats."

"No one is gonna take your seat."

"Both of them," Beth clarified, grabbing the bag she'd been using to save the empty one next to her own.

"Where are you going? Gabriel is about to start."

"You'll see."

Before Maggie could say anything else, Beth was gone, holding her head down so as to not get stopped by anyone else before making it over to him.

They made eye contact before Beth was close enough to say anything. Was he even aware he uncrossed his arms as she got closer?

"I was afraid you'd stood me up," she finally said, stopping right in front of him.

He was a few feet away from the crowd, not that Beth cared if people watched anyway.

"Nah, you weren't. You knew I'd be here."

"True."

"How you holding up?"

"I've had better days."

It was the first time she'd set eyes on him since he'd walked out of her kitchen and the only thing Beth wanted was to feel him, to remember what it felt like when his skin was pressed against hers.

"I saved you a seat," she told him, motioning with her head towards where she'd come from.

"Those are for family."

She bit her lip before she spoke again, afraid he'd reject her next words but knowing, deep down, he wouldn't.

"You are family," Beth replied, reaching a hand out for him to hold.

His was the first smile she'd seen that day that didn't feel forced or inappropriate, even if there was a heavy helping of sadness behind his dark brown eyes.

When he took her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers, Beth smiled, feeling a gentle squeeze from him at her next words.

"Let's go bury my dad."

She led him back through their onlookers, her head held high, not caring even when she sat down next to Maggie, Shane on her other side. He didn't let go of her hand and she wasn't about to do it either. If Maggie had anything to say, she kept it to herself, although Beth could feel her sister's eyes on them. Maybe she knew it wasn't the time or maybe she just knew it was what Beth needed to get through the day.

No funeral was ever fun but Hershel's was especially difficult. Gabe's love of his own voice was no different during sermons and Shane's clothes were way too warm for the weather. It didn't help that the man being lowered into the ground was one that Shane had come to respect in a way he wouldn't have thought possible months prior. Beth held it together for the most part but he knew when certain words hit her too hard - her nails would dig into his flesh. When Gabe had finally preached himself out, Shane had started to worry his deodorant wouldn't hold up much longer but at least he was wearing black and the curious eyes burning into the back of his head wouldn't see the sweat stains.

By the time everyone started to disperse, the humidity had reached dangerous levels and it was only a matter of time before mother nature took pity and dumped a storm on their heads.

He followed behind Beth and Patricia on the ride home. There'd been little time to talk between all the lingering as people gave Beth their condolences but she'd at least had time to ask him to come to the post-service reception after, of course, he'd agreed. The idea of being stuffed in that house with no air and a crowd wasn't pleasant and Shane put his AC on full blast the entire drive back, just because he could.

She was waiting for him on the porch in the rocking chair when Shane parked behind the old truck and got out. Patricia, Maggie, and Glenn were headed inside but Beth just patted the chair next to her.

"Wanna have a sit with me?"

There wasn't much else he'd rather do.

"I'm supposed to go help Maggie and Patricia set things up but God, this is like the day that won't end. I don't feel like dealing with anyone else."

"Then don't," he answered, sitting down on the edge of his chair to better face her.

"I can't. If I'm not there, they'll be all over Maggie and she'll kill me. I'd deserve it."

She cracked the faintest of smiles, one that grew when Shane reached out and stroked her hand. It'd only been a matter of days since he'd been able to freely touch her but Shane felt touch starved. Judging by how she sat up and angled herself towards him, Beth did too.

"Shane, I still wanna apologize-"

"You don't have to," he told her. "Not right now."

"But I want to," she answered, meeting his eyes. "I have to make things right with us. And the sooner the better. Putting it off won't make daddy's death any easier, just worse. And I can still make things right with us, and okay again, I can't make things right with him."

The end of her sentence was dropped to a whisper, already a car was pulling into their yard with people spilling out to head inside. Beth gave them a nod of her head from their end of the porch but Shane just glared, more for her sake than his. She had something to say and he damn sure wasn't gonna let her get bogged down with more company saying how sorry they were.

"What do you mean, make things right with your dad?" Shane asked. "You two were-"

"That's was one of the things I wanted to tell you," she sighed, reaching for his hands and taking them in her own.

It wasn't the conversation he'd expected to have but Shane stayed quiet. He sat still, his large hands wrapped in her thin fingers, exhaling when her fingertips brushed over his knuckles. She seemed to be thinking over how to start and it was easy to be patient when her hands were on him.

"When I ran into Rick that day...it was hard. I guess. He just came at me and started warning me about you and saying these horrible things. And it hurt because it was true."

If it wasn't for her next words or the smile she shot him, Shane's stomach might have dropped.

"To him. The things he said were true for him and he has every right to be upset by that. But I knew that the person I know, you, that's not all there is. And I got defensive and I said pretty horrible things to him, things I also didn't have the right to say."

"What'd you say?"

"Stuff about your baby. That it was yours, not his. That what he was doing wasn't okay. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I hurt him though, you know? I made it worse and I felt foolish and confused and I don't know."

She may have claimed it didn't matter but it mattered to Shane greatly. He gave her hand a squeeze - a silent way to show his appreciation for standing up for him, especially when she didn't have to.

More people were starting to arrive and neither Beth or Shane acknowledged their presence. It was just the two of them having a quiet conversation on the porch, no one daring to interrupt.

"What were you saying about your dad though?"

Beth took another deep breath and leaned in closer, lowering her voice yet again.

"You can't tell anyone what I'm about to say, okay? Ever. Not Maggie. Not Tara if you're ever at work talking to her and the subject somehow comes up...no one."

Her voice was barely more than a whisper and Shane couldn't help but look towards the screen door when she leaned over to check it too.

"Lips are sealed," he assured her, matching her volume.

"After the thing with Rick, I just left. And you were out back so I was talking to Patricia about what happened and I know she was just trying to make me feel better but...she made it so much worse."

Shane just nodded, trying to will the words from her mouth.

"She was trying to convince me that sometimes really good people make horrible mistakes, trying to make me feel better. And you know what? I would've been okay with it. I could've gotten over it. But she just dropped this bomb."

"Alright, you're killin' me here."

Finally, she leaned in again, so close that Shane could feel her breath on his lips even if he could barely hear her next words.

"She told me that my dad also slept with his good friend's wife, Shane. That he cheated on my mom."

He thought he misheard her at first. He pulled away, just a touch, only letting go of her grip long enough to run a hand over the stubble on his jaw.

"She probably made it up. That's not possible."

"It is."

"Nah, not your dad. I mean, he was friendly with anyone, she probably just heard some stupid rumor because God forbid the man take the time to chat with some woman longer than these church ladies think is appropriate."

"No. It was her. Patricia...and my dad. While my mother was alive, mind you."

Denise arrived next, carrying a disposable pan wrapped in tinfoil but Shane couldn't even bring himself to nod. If it hadn't been for Beth's quick wave she would've gone just as ignored as everyone else.

He tried to open his mouth to give her a proper reply but words simply wouldn't form and God knew he never had a problem running his mouth. And if it was that surprising to him, he didn't want to imagine how rattled Beth had been. It was an automatic reflex when he grabbed her hand again, this time placing a quick kiss on her fingers and holding his lips there, trying to make sense of what she'd just shared.

Except there was no sense to be made.

The question of why the man had ever agreed to let Shane stay there had always been in Shane's brain but he'd just assumed Hershel had been getting soft in his old age. Not because they had something in common. It simply wasn't the Hershel Greene that Shane knew, not the same man the entire community respected and were currently mourning. If the people piling into the house knew the truth, would they have still come? Would they have cried at his funeral, would they have told nothing but stories about how great he'd been? Should it have comforted Shane? If men like Hershel could screw up so horrifically, surely there was hope for him too. But at that moment his mind was on Beth and how hard the news would rock any daughter's world, especially one that had spent her entire life looking up to her dad.

"I don't know what to say to that," Shane finally admitted.

"Imagine my surprise. It was...not what I wanted to hear. Or needed to hear. I wish I never had, to be honest. I went to bed that night hating him. And then he died."

"I'm sorry."

The only thing softer than his voice was his lips, still pressed against her skin. Shane brushed his mouth over her fingers again, wishing there was something better he could offer.

"It's okay. I mean, it's not. But it's too late now. And when you came back inside, I don't think I even knew up from down at that point. I would've been fine if she hadn't told me that. But I kept thinking about how horrible Rick looked and I imagined my own mom looking like that, if she'd ever learned the truth, and I just...I couldn't. And I'll never be able to make things okay with my dad but I can with you. I want to."

The temperature was dropping as the first roll of thunder clapped in the distance but it wasn't the only reason Shane felt himself relax. It felt good to hear it out loud, to hear why she'd clammed up so quickly. He hadn't even realized how badly he'd needed to hear it until that moment. And who could blame her?

"Hey, it's okay," he whispered, looking into her eyes.

"But it's not. I shouldn't have pushed you away, I should have told you."

"You tried."

"I should've tried harder. I'm just...I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

"It's fine," he promised her. "Really. I, of all people, understand makin' mistakes, right? What I did is a lot for anyone to swallow, much less hearin' about your dad too. I don't blame you, Beth. Your dad wouldn't either. You still angry with him?"

She sighed and squeezed him tight, lowering her voice again.

"Yes. And no. Watching him die? I didn't care anymore, I just wished he was still here."

"What about Patricia? Do we hate her?"

She laughed at his use of we but Shane could tell by the hesitation she struggled with that answer too.

"I don't know. Sometimes I look at her and I just want to scream at her."

"Have you?"

"No, not really. I can't believe she'd hurt my mom like that. But at the same time, she's stuck by me and Maggie for years. We would've been lost without her here after Daddy's stroke. She's done so much. Is it possible to hate someone even though you love them?"

"Yeah," Shane answered. "It definitely is."

The screen door was doing little to block the voices from inside but neither of them made any effort to move. Shane eased himself back into the chair, as did Beth, but he kept a hand on her thigh as the first few raindrops began to fall.

His mind immediately went to Rick. No matter what had happened between them, Shane knew he'd never properly hate the man, he couldn't. They'd been brothers. There'd been times he'd thought about strangling Rick but if push came to shove, could he have done it?

"You really said that to Rick?" He asked, turning to face her.

"Yeah. I probably shouldn't have but I'm just sorry you don't get to be a dad."

"I'm sorry you lost yours. He was a good one, you know that, right?"

"I do. You would've been too."

Shane gave her flesh another thankful squeeze, massaging his way down to her knee.

"If I sit here much longer I won't get up" she finally said after a slow sigh. "We should get inside."

He waited until she stood up to grab her hand and pulled her back.

"We?"

"Yeah, is that a problem?"

Shane stared up at her, his next words coming out easy, barely audible over the rain and the voices floating outside.

"Is that what you want? A we?"

Beth didn't answer immediately. She yanked his hand until he stood up too and pulled him closer until they were chest to chest. Her hands wrapped around his waist just as she smiled and Shane felt his entire body relax against hers.

"Yeah," she repeated, holding his stare and smiling. "Is that a problem?"

"No, ma'am."

It was the first time Shane had seen Beth's smile reach her eyes all day, only ending when he finally leaned in, stroking her cheek, and kissing her lips as their eyes closed. Gentle at first - until he felt her sigh into his mouth, her small frame melting against him. Only after he felt her heartbeat slowing down did Shane deepen their next kiss, sneaking himself just a taste, the smallest of moans escaping his lips when they finally pulled away.

They did need to get going but it didn't stop Shane from wrapping his arms around her neck and holding her close, Beth's head buried against his chest, not quite believing he got to stake his claim on her. But he could and Shane was perfectly content to hold her and watch the rain start to pour.

It took a while, but finally they were forced to let go of each other long enough to make their way inside. Beth went straight for the food and even though Shane hadn't felt hungry in days, his appetite kicked in and in no time at all they'd killed a snack tray just between the two of them. Whenever a friend of Hershel's stopped by to tell Beth some supposedly heartwarming story, Shane made sure to nod in the right places but keep his mouth full so he wasn't expected to respond. The house was filling up at an alarming rate and Shane sorely missed the days when it was just him, Beth, and her cutoff shorts. After over an hour of Beth being forced to nod and smile, she finally excused herself to go change her clothes and Shane was left alone, still hiding in the kitchen, guarding his cold beer and a plate of cookies that looked particularly appealing.

"I would give anything to get these people to go home."

It was Maggie that spoke, approaching just as Shane killed his beer and turned around.

Other than a few guests that needed to grab a drink or a snack, most had congregated in other areas after Beth had disappeared. Shane didn't take it personally, he was happy for the quiet. The rain was still coming down and there was nothing worse than a crowd trying to talk over a downpour.

"I can make 'em leave if you want," Shane volunteered, giving an easy shrug.

"Really, you'd do that?"

"Why not? I'm good at dispersing a crowd, county pays me to do it."

"And here I thought you were doing me a favor."

She seemed to be in no rush, leaning against the counter next to him after grabbing one of the cookies he'd eyed and taking a big bite.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to say to you," she finally said, talking with her mouth full.

"Whatever you want."

Other than the strong shoulders that were carrying their grief with grace, Shane saw little resemblance between the two sisters. Maggie was unapologetic, a bit like a bull, with brown hair and green eyes that were nothing like her sister. But Shane could admire a sharp tongue, he spoke the language well.

"Beth told me everything. Well, not the nitty-gritty details but I don't wanna hear 'em."

"I wasn't gonna share 'em."

She took another big bite, chewed slowly, and Shane knew she was debating her next words carefully.

"I trusted my dad's judgment. When he rented that space above his office to you I didn't understand but judging by all the work y'all have done, he was right, you're good with your hands."

Shane nodded just so he wouldn't crack the inappropriate joke that came to him.

"And I do trust Beth's judgment. She's not as hot-headed as me, she thinks things through. She's a bit like him that way."

"But?"

"But, I still don't like it. Not that it matters, her mind is made up and I don't have time to change it even if I wanted to. We're heading out in the mornin' and I just gotta leave her here and hope she's right. But Shane, I swear to God, if you do anything to her I'll kill you."

"You'll have to stand in a very long line for that honor."

She finished her last bite, wiping her hands down her dress and fighting back a smile.

"You know that doesn't make me feel any better."

"'Least I'm honest," he answered.

"You'll really get all these people to leave? I can't take one more person telling me how sorry they are for my loss."

"No skin off my back. Go, go save your husband before Patricia starts offering her weak coffee and enjoy your childhood bedroom one last time before Beth rips it up too."

"What about the mess? I feel bad leavin' it."

"I know where everything goes."

He could tell the words got under her skin but Maggie recovered well.

"I suppose you do. Thank you, I guess. Tell Beth I said goodnight but to wake up early, really early. I gotta load up my car."

"Will do. And hey Maggie?"

She was already a few steps away but she turned around one last time.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Maggie just shook her head, her eyes softening despite her previous protest at the words.

"Me too," she replied. "Goodnight, Shane."

After allowing her a ten-minute head start, Shane got down to business. Enticing as it was, he didn't just yell at them all to go - what he would've done if he were on the clock. Instead, it was polite explanations that the girls were ready to be alone and quiet questions that dropped the hint about whether or not Patricia's church ladies needed their Tupperware back immediately. Halfway through the process, Beth returned, freshly showered and in the shorts he'd sorely missed. She kissed the last few cheeks and thanked everyone for coming, assuring everyone they'd be okay. Denise was the last to leave, one of the few Beth stopped to have a genuine conversation with, all the while Shane headed to the kitchen to start stuffing uneaten food in the freezer.

Once they were alone, the two fell into their old rhythm. They danced around each other in the space as they searched for containers to store everything, afterward Shane washed while Beth rinsed, the old routine helping them both wind down for the night, even if the sun hadn't entirely set. After the last Pyrex dish was dried, they pushed a little more, just like always, yawning as they made sure that all the doors were locked and the windows were open, welcoming the cool breeze from the rain outside.

Maybe it was because she'd crawled into bed in nothing but her tank top and underwear or perhaps the rain outside was to blame, but whatever the reason, it was the first time in a very long time that Beth wasn't sweating when she pulled the sheet over herself. There was just enough light left outside for her to watch Shane kick off his boots and sit down on the edge of the bed to begin unbuttoning his shirt.

"I need a shower."

Beth sat up and settled behind him, her arms wrapping around his torso to start undoing the buttons herself.

"I disagree," she told him, kissing his nape and breathing in the scent she'd been afraid would wash out of her sheets. "There's always tomorrow for a shower."

"That right? What else you got planned for tomorrow?"

She had to stretch a little to get the last few buttons, until finally she was easing him out of the shirt and resting her head on his bare shoulder.

"After Maggie leaves, the medical supply people will be here to disassemble the bed in daddy's room, all the other stuff too."

"So soon?"

"Unfortunately. Insurance isn't gonna pay for it anymore."

Shane's skin was warm and Beth could have buried her face against him forever but after a few soft strokes to his arms and a few more brushes of her lips, he finally eased himself up long enough to ditch his jeans and crawl into bed next to her. The little light left was fading fast and Beth could barely make out the stubble on his jaw, not that it mattered, her fingers were already tracing over it.

"How you feeling?" he asked, pulling her closer until her thigh was wrapped around his waist and his arm stroked down her back.

"Weird," she admitted, barely more than a whisper. "Now that it's all over...I dunno. Just weird. He's really gone."

She liked that she didn't have to say anything else, no explanation was necessary. Shane just kissed her forehead so she could burrow against his chest and close her eyes.

And Beth wouldn't have been able to explain it anyway, there were no words she knew of that could describe the giant hole that her father's death had carved out. There'd been little time to even think about it with Maggie around asking more questions than necessary about funerals and caskets and whatever else. It'd been nothing but an emotional whirlwind, forcing Beth to numb herself just to survive it.

Shane kissed her forehead again and pulled the blanket over them both, tucking in tight and warm.

Missing him hadn't helped. If anything it'd made everything feel even more surreal. Did Shane know that his being there made her finally feel whole and safe enough to finally lose it?

He must've. Beth wasn't sure when she'd started to cry but he hugged her tighter, planting a few kisses in her hair, unbothered by the moisture she left on his bare chest. Hershel would never learn what they'd become to each other and even though Beth knew he would've raised hell at first, she had a feeling he would've come around. After all, he was partly responsible. He'd never know how unbelievably happy Shane made her or how hard they were working to create a house that was all hers, he'd never get to see the beautiful things that had sprung up in his absence. No, she'd march on without him, keeping a mental list of all the things she wished she could share with him but never would.

Eventually, Shane readjusted himself, just enough to kiss the salt from her cheeks, until Beth's breathing steadied and her eyes opened.

"Tell me how to help," he whispered, brushing the hair out of her face.

"Just be here," she answered. "This is enough."

It felt like no matter how tight he held her it wasn't close enough though, she needed more, more of his strong arms and easy lips.

Her hands explored his chest, slowly working down to his stomach, his breath catching in his throat as her fingers stroked right below his navel, willing him to life. Beth needed to feel him, every last part, her body had been aching for his - his sighs, his moans, the comfort of having him inside of her.

Tilting her head, Beth met his lips in a tender kiss while his thumb brushed her cheek, caressing her skin as her lips trembled against his and her pulse quickened. Beth could feel him hardening between her legs but his focus was on her, patiently slipping his tongue past her lips, prompting a whimper from them both. Pulling away, he kissed her cheek, her jaw, down her neck, his soft fingertips following the trail his mouth left behind, like he was afraid she might slip through his fingers. When he buried his face against her shoulder, Beth felt every part of her body aching to soothe his need. Her hands went straight for Shane's hair, getting lost in the thick strands, before settling on his nape and massaging his flushed skin in silent reassurance.

The moment her thigh loosened its grip, Shane's hands were there, quietly massaging her soft flesh, until goosebumps painted her flesh and Beth eased herself onto her back where he settled between her legs. Already the moisture was collecting between her thighs and as Shane inched her panties off, Beth kicking them free when they caught around her ankle, the scent of their shared arousal permeated the room and it only egged Shane on, until his boxer briefs were also worked down and twisted in the sheets at their feet.

"You sure?" he asked, repositioning himself between her legs, the question asked between the kisses he placed on her lips.

Beth just nodded, unable to form the right words.

How could she? Not when his erection was trapped between their bodies, the warmth from his tight flesh making her walls ache and her nipples stiffen in response.

Finally Shane aligned himself between her thighs but waited to roll his hips until her lips parted too, welcoming the soft caress of his tongue. Beth shuddered after the first slow, deep thrust, like Shane knew no matter how close he was it would never be enough. She wanted to cry out but fought the urge, settling for wrapping her legs around him instead.

His pace was unhurried but his thrusts were always deep, hitting Beth in places that until then, she'd questioned their existence. Beth didn't need any lights to feel the moment he pulled away and their eyes connected in the dark, her body trembling when he stroked that building ache inside of her again, both of them moaning freely as their sweaty bodies clung together.

She knew she wouldn't last long, she couldn't, not when every thrust made her walls throb until she was whimpering his name and clinging onto his shoulders. The next rock of his hips hit her again and Beth was too swollen and sensitive to take much more, not even when she tried to distract herself by stroking his back and massaging the muscles that were working overtime.

But when his lips found her forehead and planted a gentle kiss - nothing at all like the harsh flutter of arousal, Beth lost it, unraveling in his arms, the tears in her eyes had nothing to do with loss.

Maybe it was because she was so slick or maybe it was the way she arched against him but Shane's climax came on the heels of hers, just a few more harsh grinds of their bodies until he emptied every drop inside of her.

Beth missed his weight when he finally rolled away but she couldn't blame him, already her eyelids were growing heavy, and with one last kiss she curled into his arms and drifted off.