It was Beth's own distressed murmurs that roused her from an uneasy slumber and into the almost eerie light of early dawn that bathed the bedroom; Daryl had woken at around the same time, but his experienced and honed instincts as a hunter alerted him to danger faster than Beth, so he had sat up and grabbed up their discarded clothing before Beth had even really registered she was awake.

'What's going on?' Beth asked in a voice thick with sleep as Daryl chucked her shirt at her, she caught it clumsily as it hit her chest.

'Some thing's wrong,' he grunted, pulling his own top on over his head and climbing out of the bed he had shared so peacefully with Beth only moments earlier.

Beth pulled her shirt around her cold body and buttoned it with shaking fingers, her eyes bleary. Now she was awake, she could hear the frantic sounds of movement and worried shouts coming from somewhere within the prison. Those were enough to chase away the last remnants of sleep, and she quickly pulled herself up from the bed, pulling on her own clothing and boots as quickly as she could as Daryl grabbed up his crossbow and headed for the door.

'Wait for me!' she cried, tripping up as she tried to follow him and yank on her boot at the same time.

Daryl stopped and watched her, his face set into a grim look of fear and impatience, his body tense and alert as his jaw muscles worked.

Shivering slightly through the thin fabric of her shirt, Beth caught up to him and together they headed down the corridor in the direction of the noise. Trepidation snaked its way up Beth's spine as she hurried along, her heart racing as she pictured numerous scenes in which her whole family lay dead.

'Daryl!' One of the women from Woodbury, a mother with very little experience in fighting, was standing in the corridor, a small child looking timidly around from behind her leg. 'Some thing's happened, some thing's gone wrong, the biters – they've got in!'

'Don' worry we'll fix it,' Daryl said seriously as he walked past her. Beth offered her a smile as she followed him, taking in the frightened paleness of the woman's face as she stroked through the tousled hair of her infant child.

'People look up to you,' Beth said, a little out of breath. Daryl didn't reply, but she knew he had heard her. She wasn't sure whether the thought pleased or worried him.

'Is it true? Have the walkers got in?' Beth asked.

'I know jus' as much as you do, girl.' Daryl replied without turning to look at her.

Beth nodded, opting to follow the rest of the way in silence.

The sound of chaos led them to the east wing of the prison where they soon found the others; a battle for dominance over space was ensuing, and Beth paused on the threshold and looked on in horror as a small amount of the people she loved fought off walkers that had some how gotten into their safe haven.

'How has this happened?' Beth said in a shaky voice.

No one who knew the answer to that was near enough or available to answer her, so she instead threw herself into fighting off a walker that was approaching them, having slipped past Sasha who was fighting off two of her own, struggling with one who had grabbed a hold of her jacket. Beth ducked out of the approaching walker's way and rounded on it from behind, grabbing its brittle neck and pulling it down to her, stabbing her knife into its exposed temple as it flailed backwards, it's knees buckling under its own weight.

As she tore the knife back from its flesh and let go of the decomposing body, letting it fall to her feet with a crunch, she caught Daryl looking over at her. He nodded to her in a way Beth understood meant he was impressed, and she allowed herself a smile as he moved off into the throng of people and walkers, raising his crossbow.

Beth took pause then and looked around the room, taking in the scene around her. Michonne and Rick held the doors open as Carl entered the room, his own face pale and blood speckled as he ducked in through the doors that his father and Michonne let fall closed behind him. As the young boy stood back and watched, Rick and Michonne worked together to firmly close the doors and draw the heavy bolt across them, shutting out the outside air and any more potential walkers. Tyreese was checking over Sasha, making sure she was okay and uninjured whilst she complained loudly and told him she was fine and Daryl was cleaning off his knife on the leg of his pants, having just sliced it through the top of a walker's skull with expert and gnarly precision.

'Everywhere else is clear.' Glen's voice drew Beth to look over her shoulder as he suddenly entered the space from the adjoining corridor, his short sleeved shirt covered in sweat and blood. His chest was heaving rapidly and a light sheen of sweat stood out over his pale features.

'They couldn't get into the common room because the door was shut and bolted,' Maggie said, joining her husband from the shadows of the corridor beyond, 'but there were a few stragglers trying anyway.'

'We cleared them. Everywhere else should be safe.' Glen said, shoving his knife into the holder beside his thigh.

Maggie stood with her hands on her hips, looking around the room, before her eyes fell on Beth. She stared at her baby sister through long lashes, a mix of surprise and anger in her dark eyes as she narrowed them on Beth, pursing her lips.

'Alright, good.' Rick said, wiping his brow on the back of his sleeve. 'I think we ought to call a meeting, let everyone know what's gone on.'

'Are there any casualties?' Tyreese asked.

'No, it was well contained,' Rick said, glancing around the floor which was now littered with the bodies of the dead, 'thanks to Sasha who found the breech early on, not many were able to get in.'

Tyreese wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulders, looking down at her with pride. Sasha remained grim faced.

'So no-one was hurt.' He said.

Rick nodded and sighed heavily.

Beth headed to Daryl, carefully stepping around the bodies on the floor.

Suddenly, the hand of one of the walker's, its body partially buried beneath that of another, reached out and grabbed her ankle, pulling her down to the hard floor with a painful whack. She cursed out loud as her knees collided with the floor, the sickening crunch it generated forcing her to slam her teeth together. Various shouts rose up around her as she twisted her body so that she could face the walker who was currently attempting to use her ankle as leverage to pull itself free from the pile up it found itself in. Beth leant in to stab her knife through the top of its skull, grunting with the effort it took, aware that people were converging in on her. Its head caved in beneath her fist, its scalp falling in on itself to mush with the soft brain beneath, the sharp point of her knife glinting as it made contact with it and pierced its way through the spongy, stringy texture of the decomposing brain. The walker's face fell forward into the ground as Beth threw all of her force in behind it. She pulled the knife back out with a grunt and tore her leg out from its grip and scrambled backwards, furiously wiping her hand down her own shirt to remove the slick wetness that had splattered her.

Everyone was around her; Maggie was calling to her from somewhere very close and Rick reached down for her hand, pulling her to her feet. She stumbled lightly and collided with his chest before he helped straighten her up, setting her back on her feet and firmly keeping a grip on her upper arms. She mumbled her thanks as he looked closely at her, ducking his head so he could look into her eyes. The sound of stamping and crunching caused her to look to her side as Rick let go of her, to see Daryl stamping down onto the head of the walker.

'It's okay, its dead,' she said, turning to him and pulling him towards her by his wrist, her small hand not quite closing around it. It was hot to the touch but it was also so calming to her, to feel her skin against his. Daryl shook his boot to remove the gore and stepped towards her.

'Jus' makin' sure.' He said with a shrug.

Beth smiled weakly up at him; her knees were throbbing painfully from her fall and her heart was pounding excessively in her chest. She had been thrown from sleep into a physical confrontation and her body felt weak from it.

Rick lay his hand on her shoulder as if to ground her and ensure she really was all right. She glanced up at him.

'Let's gather people in the common room.' He said, looking ahead at Daryl across Beth.

'Come with me, Beth.' Beth was aware then that Maggie was there, inches away from Beth, her dark eyes worried and tired.

Beth looked at her sister; she had caused so much trouble for both herself and Daryl that she just wanted to tell her to leave her alone, but she looked so concerned that Beth could only sigh. She glanced across at Daryl, who looked at her for a moment before nodding ever so slightly, then turned away from her. Feeling as though her own body was caving in on itself, Beth allowed Maggie to lead her out and away from the mess behind them and up towards the common room.

'You shouldn't have gotten involved.' Maggie said as she walked a little ahead of her sister.

'Speak for yourself.' Beth replied.

Maggie glanced over her shoulder to look at Beth with a fleeting look of anger, which was soon surpassed by a softer look of concern.

'Are you okay?' she asked.

'I'm fine.' Beth said, ignoring the flaring pains in her knees as she walked.

Their Daddy was already there in the common room, seemingly waiting for them. He waved them over as they entered and Beth went to him with eager, open arms. It was always a relief to see him.

'Are you both okay?' He asked.

'Yes,' Beth said, burying her face into his shoulder as he hugged her close.

'Was anyone hurt?' He asked.

'No,' Maggie said, 'Rick's calling a meeting though.'

Hershel nodded as Beth stepped back from him.

'Do they know what happened?' He asked.

Maggie glanced to Beth.

'I think so,' she said, 'we'll see what Rick says.'

Hershel nodded, gesturing for his girls to sit down either side of him. Beth complied. It was a relief to sit down and rest her shaking legs. She absent-mindedly rubbed at her knees.

The common room around them began to fill up as the light outside grew brighter as morning waned on. Daryl entered the room alone and, spotting Beth, began to head towards her, before glancing to Maggie and stopping where he was. Beth's heart went to out him as he stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, his crossbow hanging limply by his side. She thought of going to him, but she had already sat down beside her daddy who was holding her hand on one of her thighs, so she felt like she couldn't get up and leave him. Instead he just stood there by himself, chewing on the edge of his thumb. Beth thought he looked so lost.

It wasn't too long until a blood splattered and exhausted looking Rick Grimes entered the room, followed by an oddly smug looking Carl. Something about Carl made the hairs on the back of Beth's neck stand on edge and an odd, queasy feeling rolled through her. He followed his father who walked into the centre of the room and stood there for a while, stroking over his rugged beard as he looked around the room. His eyes were dark and sunken as he surveyed the room, a heavy sigh breaking the silence he had entered on.

'So there was a breech of security in the early hours of this morning,' Rick said thickly, pausing to run his hand down his face. 'Which I'm sure you're all aware of by now. The fencing around the east wing has been down since the hurricane,' he said, 'so we keep it out of bounds. Everyone knows that.' He looked around at the room, his eyes squinted under the pressure of his words. 'But the doors to the east wing courtyard were left wide open, allowing the walkers to walk right on in.'

'How?' Someone asked, someone Beth did not recognise.

'The main part of the prison and the cell block was never under any real threat,' Rick continued, his voice strong as he tried to convey the importance of this fact through his tone. 'The east wing is pretty shut off from the rest of it due to these security threats, and whoever opened the doors knew – or remembered – to close the doors to the varying sections behind them.'

'Who?' Someone asked.

'This was a person?' Sasha asked. Herself and Tyreese were standing relatively close to Beth and her family and Beth could almost feel the hostility that came from their general direction. It wasn't directed at herself or her family, she didn't think, but it rolled out into the general vicinity of the room.

'What matters is that it has been taken care of, no one was hurt and we were never under any real threat.'

'Dad.' Carl said.

'We're safe and everyone who dealt with it did a great job in dealing with it quickly and efficiently. I just need to know that this will not happen again, that people will stay clear of-'

'Dad.' Carl said again, a little more urgently.

Rick turned to look at his son, his face tired.

'Someone put us in danger,' Sasha said loudly, her voice echoing across the room, 'someone knowingly put us in danger. Who was it, Rick?'

'I don't – I don't think anyone put us in danger on purpose.' Rick sighed. 'We don't know who-'

'Dad,' Carl said again, stepping up and into the centre of the room.

'Carl,' Rick sighed, 'Carl I don't think-'

'We know who did this,' Carl urged, addressing the rest of the room.

'That true, Rick?' Tyreese asked. His arms were folded across his broad chest as he stood beside his sister, his face set into a grim look of discord.

'No,' Rick said.

'Dad they need to know, how do we expect things to get better, for this to not happen again, if we don't make an example, if we don't-'

'Make an example?' Rick frowned, 'how do you mean, Carl?'

'The boy's right!' Some body else said then, 'people can't get away with things!'

'Look there's nothing to be got away with,' Rick said, slowly turning around to look at the various members of the room, imploring to them with his eyes, 'it was an accident and it was dealt with.'

'No,' Carl shook his head. 'We found evidence, proof, that suggests it was -'

'Carl we can't-' Rick interjected.

'Who!' Sasha demanded, as a few other murmurs rose up around the room, demands to know.

Beth swallowed and glanced at her father then at Maggie. Maggie was standing still, looking firm, her eyes never leaving Rick. Something felt wrong to Beth.

'Daryl Dixon.' Carl said.

Beth's heart fell to her feet as her eyes, along with all the rest of those in the room, suddenly turned to Daryl. His face showed no signs of any emotion, instead he just kept looking ahead at Rick, his hair covering a slight frown that had been there since the beginning. But Beth could see him breathing and the tendons in his hands standing out against his tanned skin.

'We found these,' Carl said, holding out an empty pack of cigarettes, 'and this.' He turned around a grabbed a bolt from one of the tables. Murmurs went up around the room as Carl proudly held out the bolt before him like a trophy.

'Obviously what happened is Daryl went out to smoke and didn't bother closing the door behind him.' Carl said clearly, addressing the room with the smug pride of someone who knows more than anyone else, and is doing everyone else a favour. Isn't it obvious? His tone said.

'And he just took one bolt with him?' Carol, ever the voice of reason, asked. Beth turned to look at her as she stood surveying the room, her arms folded across her chest, further back from the rest of them.

'He ran into trouble, fired one bolt and left. Perhaps he was too scared to close the door behind him.' Carl said, glaring at Carol. 'He ran away.'

'Daryl?' Carol said.

Daryl looked across at his friend, a strange look in his eyes. Beth saw his tongue flick out and moisten his lips.

'I told you he was a liability,' Sasha spat, 'it wouldn't surprise me if he did it all on purpose!'

'Why on earth would he do that?' Carol asked.

'To get one back on us all,' Sasha shrugged, 'because he's full of nothin' but anger and pettiness, why should he follow logic?'

'Oh try to talk some sense!' Carol snapped. Beth took a deep, steadying breath. She kept her eyes on Carol.

'Can I see th' bolt?' Daryl spoke then, his voice low. Beth felt on edge, she could feel Maggie looking at her, could feel the colour and the heat in her cheeks, the way her hands were shaking beside her thighs.

'No!' Sasha shouted.

'Enough!' Rick said, 'we don't know anything for a fact, we ain't pointin' fingers.'

'We are!' Carl insisted, 'Look Dad, it's proof!' He waved the bolt at his father.

'Lemme see that.' Daryl repeated.

Carl opened his mouth to protest, but Daryl stepped up to him and took the bolt from him. He turned it over in his hand as he inspected it.

'It's broken.' He said, looking up at Rick.

'Broke when you shot it,' Carl said simply.

'No,' Daryl said firmly, his voice low and stern, 'it was broken b'fore an' I left it in m' room to fix.'

'I found it outside.' Carl said. Daryl looked up to Rick, who sighed and nodded.

'He did, I was with him when he found it. It and the pack of smokes.'

Daryl frowned, looking from Rick to Carl. Beth could see him ticking over. He was often so calm and collected these days, but Beth could see him edging closer and closer to anger. She believed Rick, his closest friend, could also see the danger, and he was trying to figure out how best to diffuse the situation before it escalated.

'Yer planted them.' Daryl said quietly.

'Why?' Carl said, his voice menacingly provocative.

'Daryl,' Rick said softly.

'Nah,' Daryl said, his voice beginning to rise, 'Nah this is bullshit.'

'Daryl we're not sayin'-' Rick said.

'He is,' Daryl growled, 'he is.'

Daryl stepped back from Carl, shifting his weight from one foot to another in the way Beth had seen before; he was getting ready to fight.

'Why was it out there, then?' Carl asked.

'B'cause y'put it there,' Daryl growled, his hand closing in a fist around the bolt.

'Why would a kid plant things on you?' Sasha snapped, striding towards the men in the middle, 'why would he do that? What would he gain from it?'

Daryl looked at Sasha.

'I yelled at him,' Daryl said, 'I yelled at him yesterday an' it pissed him off.'

'So he's setting you up?' Sasha asked, folding her arms and staring at him in incredulity. 'That's pathetic, even for you.'

'Oh like it's beyond him?' Daryl snapped, 'fuckin' child-'

'Daryl,' Rick warned.

'Nah!' Daryl shouted, wildly waving the bolt around.

Beth bit down on her bottom lip, hard. He was losing control. Why would Carl set Daryl up... but he hadn't been out to smoke, he couldn't have – he had been with her all night.

'He didn't do it,' Beth said quietly, her heart leaping up into her throat and almost constricting her voice.

'I been tellin' ya all along,' Maggie said scornfully, 'is it so hard to believe he's not such a great guy?'

'It doesn't seem like a thing Daryl would do,' Hershel said slowly, stroking his beard thoughtfully as he scowled ahead at the unfolding scene, 'even as an accident, I can't see him makin' such a silly mistake.'

'Huh. You just need to open your eyes.' Maggie scoffed, glaring at Beth.

'He didn't do it.' Beth said again, shaking her head.

'So you're gonna start a fight with a child rather than admit you fucked up?' Sasha barked. She was dangerously close to his face now.

'If I fuck up I admit to it,' Daryl growled back, glaring at the woman, 'but I ain't fucked up – y'think I would go out there t'smoke and then leave the door open? Y'really think I'm that fuckin' stupid?'

'Why yes I do,' Sasha said coldly, 'I do think you're that stupid, and that self involved that you didn't think anyone would pick you up on it.'

'No,' Daryl snapped, 'I ain't gon' get told what I am by some dumb bitch.'

'Dumb bitch? That's rich coming from you!'

'Get out'a m'face,' Daryl growled.

'Why? You ain't never had no-one stand up t'you before?' Sasha snarled.

'Okay, okay, everyone take a second-' Rick said.

'Y'take a goddamn second!' Daryl yelled at him, rounding on him now, his face flushed with anger, 'take a step back and look at yer kid! Look at him! He's lying!'

'I'm not!' Carl yelled, 'It's proof! You did this!'

'Yer an idiot!' Daryl shouted.

'Daryl enough!' Rick snapped.

Daryl growled, turning away from them and throwing his arms above his head in anger. Then he suddenly spun back and advanced on Carl.

'Yer went in m'room an' y'took this! Yer had yer hands all over my stuff yer fuckin'-'

Rick jumped forward between Daryl and his son, shoving his hands on the man's chest to stop his advance.

'Okay you need to calm down-'

'He's lying!' Daryl yelled, thrusting his fist at Carl over Rick's shoulder.

Beth could see the tension radiating from them both, could see the danger in the scenario. She got up from beside her father. Hershel reached out and grabbed his youngest daughter's wrist, forcing her to turn around to face him.

'He didn't do it, Daddy.' Beth said.

'You don't know that,' Hershel said, 'don't get involved Beth.'

Beth looked across at Maggie, her heart in her throat.

'I do know.' She said, swallowing past the lump in her throat and attempting to steady her breathing, 'I know 'cause I was with him.'

'What?' Hershel frowned at her.

'I was with him all night, Daddy,' Beth said, her voice breaking as she sniffed back frightened tears, 'he didn't do this.'

Beth turned away from the stunned silence of her father and ran to the middle of the room, where she forced herself in between the two men, coming face to face with Rick.

'Rick, he isn't lying. He didn't do it.' She said breathlessly.

'Beth, you don't know that,' Rick said as Sasha tutted from beside them.

'Open your damn eyes, girl. You can't keep blindly sticking up for him!'

'I'm not.' Beth said. 'I know he didn't do it.'

'Beth,' Daryl said, his voice suddenly losing all of its anger. He sounded scared now and Beth sensed he had taken a step back, opening the gap between them all.

'No,' Beth shook her head, almost shaking off her own fear, 'I can't let you get done for this. Daryl has nothing to do with any of this,' she implored, looking into Rick's eyes, 'He never went out to smoke tonight, not once. I know that for a fact – I was with him all night.'

Rick looked at her, visibly swallowing.

'What?' Sasha said.

'I was with him all night.' Beth said, turning to face Sasha, 'so you can take back every awful thing you said to him, because I was there, all night, from before it got dark and until he woke up this morning, which was after all this started.'

Sasha stared at her and Beth could feel all the eyes of the room on her, including her father's.

'You were with him all night?' Sasha rose an eyebrow and stepped back to look Beth up and down.

'Yes.' Beth said, a little breathless.

Sasha's dark eyes flicked up from Beth to Daryl behind her.

'So you're a pervert?' Sasha said.

'Don't.' Beth growled, stepping directly in front of Sasha's face and forcing the older woman to look at her. 'Don't you dare. It isn't like that.'

'What's it like, then?' Sasha asked back, her voice laced in contempt.

'It doesn't matter – it's no-one's damn business – what matters is this whole shit storm isn't on Daryl one little bit. He never left the room. He never left the bed.' Her face was burning but she kept her eyes locked firmly on Sasha's.

'Beth?'

Beth turned to see her father. He had stood up and was standing near to her.

'Daddy,' she said, feeling her own body begin to shake, 'I'm sorry. I was going to tell you I -'

'I don't understand.' Hershel frowned.

Beth swallowed.

'You and Daryl?' He frowned, looking at her with such a solemn intensity that Beth felt tears prick at her eyes. She swallowed hard, trying not to break down and appear weak in front of so many people.

'Yeah,' she sighed. 'Yeah.'

Hershel looked from her to Daryl, running his hand down his beard. Beth couldn't quite gauge his emotions, and it frightened her.

'I just – I just didn't want everyone to hate on Daryl for something he had nothing to do with. He didn't do it.' Beth said.

'Is this supposed to acquit him of everything?' Sasha asked, 'like being with an under age girl makes everything better?'

'She ain't under-age and y'aint-' Daryl begun.

'I don't think you have much right to speak right now, sonny.' Hershel said coldly, as Daryl instantly shut up.

'Daddy it's not -' Beth begun, her voice shaking.

Hershel nodded, pursing his lips. Then, to Beth's dismay, he turned away from her and left the room.

Beth stood where she was, her heart pounding away in her chest.

'Was that supposed to make things better?' Daryl asked, and Beth was shocked to find he was talking to her.

'You didn't do anything wrong,' Beth said, turning to face him, 'and we agreed we would tell my Dad-'

'Not like this,' Daryl said, running his hand down his face, 'not like this damn...'

'I think it will be best if you took some time out – away – to cool off, let things die down...' Rick said solemnly.

Beth turned to look at Rick through wide, tearful eyes.

'You can't send him away! He hasn't done anything!' she said.

'I'm not sending anyone away,' Rick sighed, 'I just think some distance might-'

'Why? No one has done anything wrong.' Beth snapped.

'Not everyone is gonna see it like that,' Rick said as Sasha said 'damn right' in the background, boiling Beth's blood.

'He didn't do anything wrong!' Beth said desperately.

'He threatened me!' Carl shouted.

'Shut the fuck up, Carl, or I'll threaten you!' Beth shouted back, 'you set him up you little jerk! Rick! He's your son and he did this – he stole this stuff from-'

'I didn't!' Carl snapped, 'he's the fucking jerk and now he's put everyone in danger!'

'Yer gonna stick t'that story even now there's proof I ain't got nothin' t'do with it?' Daryl growled at him, turning to face the boy again.

'Get out of my face.' Carl growled back.

'I'm not in y'face,' Daryl said, 'but y'keep at this wi'me an' I will.'

'Okay,' Rick said loudly, 'come on we need space. Daryl.'

'Fine,' Daryl snapped, 'fine. Fuck y'all, fuck all o' y'all. I'll leave.'

'Daryl!' Beth cried as he stormed away from them and out of the room.

He ignored her, heading out of the room. Beth turned to look at Rick then Carl, anger radiating out from her. Her chest was heaving and she could feel herself shaking. She bit down hard on her bottom lip before turning on her heel and storming out after Daryl.

She caught up to him down the corridor, surprised at how far he had gotten in his angry stride.

'Daryl!' she called, reaching out and grabbing his arm.

He tore it away from her but turned to face her.

'What?'

'Don't go! You don't have to go!' she said.

'I was goin' anyway,' he snapped, 'an' I can't be here right now, Beth, I can't be around Carl and yer dad.'

'Forget Carl!' Beth cried, 'you leave he wins!'

'Nah,' Daryl shook his head, 'I have to Beth, it's gon' blow up, yer dad knows now and he ain't gon' be happy.'

'He'll be okay,' Beth implored, 'I'll find him and talk to him and he'll be okay, Daryl, he'll understand.'

'Beth,' Daryl almost whined, tugging at his own hair in frustration, 'y'don't get it, fuckin' hell girl, it ain't all gon' work out like some damn fairy tale it never does! Rick's pissed at the way I spoke t'his kid, the rest of the prison were ready t'come at me, they all damn well believed I did this!'

'Only because they thought it was an accident!' Beth cut in.

'It don't matter!' Daryl shouted, 'It don't matter! They'll run me out now for sure. What were y'thinkin?'

'I was trying to help!' Beth said, desperation overwhelming her.

'Beth,' Daryl repeated her name, almost as if to steady himself. He spoke a little softer now, a little quieter. 'I can't be here right now. Rick's right – we need space. I need t'cool off.'

'But-'

'No,' Daryl shook his head. 'I'll see you when I get back.'

'This was supposed to make everything better!' Beth cried.

'How the hell did'ya figure that one out?' Daryl sighed.

'Proving your innocence!' She cried.

Daryl just shook his head.

'How long will you be?' Beth choked as the tears finally spilt over her lashes and began to run down her cheeks.

'I don't know,' he said, looking at her through blazing eyes.

Beth stood where she was, biting down on her lower lip as he turned from her and headed down the corridor.

'Daryl,' she called, causing him to look back to her. 'Come back.'

'I will.' He said. 'I will.'

Beth watched him leave before she collapsed in on herself, clutching at her stomach and letting herself lean forward as her body became racked in sobs. Tears flowed from her eyes as she cried hard, alone in the cold and the dark, feeling overwhelmingly miserable.

'Beth,' arms reached around her frame and pulled her towards a body Beth knew belonged to her sister. She wanted to shove her away, but she could not.

'Oh, Beth,' Maggie said softly, stroking her sister's hair.

'You – you wanted this!' Beth cried.

'No, I never wanted this,' Maggie insisted, 'I wanted to look out for you, Beth. Oh, baby, don't cry.'

'He's gone now, he's gone!' Beth sobbed, pulling away from her sister and straightening up to look at her. 'He's left and I don't know when he'll be back, everyone hates him and I can't see him!'

'No-one hates him,' Maggie said, reaching out and pulling her sister back to her, 'Beth no-one hates him.'

Beth allowed herself to be held as she cried herself out, her chest heavy with regret as her throat grew raw from her hitching sobs.

'It's all my fault,' she cried into her sisters chest, 'I put him in this position and now he's gone!'

'It isn't your fault Beth. It's nobody's fault,' Maggie soothed her, stroking her hair.

But Beth could not be consoled. Instead she sobbed so heavily her head began to spin, and as her breath hiccuped with each hitching sob her chest began to burn and she begun to feel sick. Urgently, she pushed Maggie away from her.

'Beth-' Maggie begun.

'I'm going to be sick,' Beth cried, her face a clammy white as her blood drained from it, her mouth cold and full of saliva.

'Okay,' Maggie nodded, firm and serious in the darkness of the corridor. She could see her sister had toppled over the edge into hysteria and the only thing she could do right now was just be there with her until she came back down. So she followed her baby sister as she ran into the bathrooms and she held back her masses of blonde hair as Beth retched up into the toilet. It was little more than bile that her painful sobs had forced up, upsetting the equilibrium of her stomach, but it tore at her throat all the same. Tears strung at her eyes as she took deep, steadying breaths afterwards, allowing her sister to wash her flushed face.

'You're okay,' Maggie told her under the fluorescent lighting of the bathroom, 'you've just worked yourself up. You'll be okay.'

Beth could not reply as her throat was raw and her breathing stunted. Instead she just nodded as she looked at her sister through wide, panicked eyes.

'And Daryl will be okay, too. He can survive out there just fine. And he'll be back before you even know it. I promise.'

Beth nodded. Her heart felt broken into a million tiny pieces, but she had to believe her sister, or she would never be able to steady herself again, and she was so dangerously close to completely shattering now.