Finger On The Trigger

Part II

Chapter 11

Maggie-

Rick and Daryl almost killed this Jesus guy after they both got over their shock. One thing was clear though, he definitely knew who Beth was or had at least had a run in with her by how easily he had described her.

It was scary to think that this guy, this complete stranger, knew who she was and it was even scarier to know that she had come this far on her own. Well, we assume she's on her own because there's been no mention of her being with anyone. I guess as her older sister I should be proud of her for making it this far on her own but I'm not. She ran off, away from her family, away from me and her husband, and she's been on her own for so long now. I know she's stronger than she was back on the farm but she's still too fragile to make it in this world. I keep tellin' myself there's a chance she has changed, and I pray to God she has for the better, but there's a chance that if she has changed, she'll never be the same. She'll never be Bethie.

Rick-

"If she's really there," Maggie said quietly, "Don't worry about tellin' her about you and Jessie. Let's make sure she's safe and is willin' to come home with us before we even think about tellin' her."

I nodded. "Yeah but what if she comes home with us and then wants to leave?"

She shrugged, "We don't let her leave."

"It doesn't work like that, Maggie, and you know it. She left before because of me. What's to keep her from leavin' this time?"

"If she doesn't want to stay because of you or even me, she'll stay because of Carl and Judith. She has to stay. They're her kids just as much as Annie and Shawn were yours and she can't just walk away from them again."

"Did you forget that she walked away from them too? I wasn't the only one she left. She left you and she left them. That's not enough to make her stay and if she doesn't want to, I don't think I can force her to."

She grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the others. "I hate to say this, Rick, but when she left before it was because she wanted to find Annie and Shawn and it's obvious they're gone or he would have mentioned them. I didn't want to think about that possibility but that's the only thing that makes sense. She loves her kids, all four of them. I believe she'll stay for the only two she has left."

Beth-

"It looks like she has her Uncle Merle wrapped around her finger," I said with a smile as I watched Merle playin' with Annie.

"Yeah," he muttered but grinned, "an' don't ya dare tell anyone."

"Who am I goin' to tell, Merle? No one here knows us."

"An' we're gon' keep it that way," he said as he stood up with her in his arms. "I'ma still try an' find ever'one but we're stayin' 'ere 'til I do or 'til ya have that kid, whichever comes first. But don't none a these people need ta know who we are."

"I know," I nodded. "We're stickin' to our story for as long as we have to."

"Damn right. Now let's get these two down fer a nap an' get us somethin' ta eat."

After we got the babies down for their naps and were able to get us somethin' to eat, Merle went for a little walk around the place and I took the chance to sit down and put my feet up. I know it wasn't what I should have been doin', I should have been out there with Merle tryin' to find out who these people are and if we would need to be ready to leave at any moment, but it felt so good to be able to relax for a little bit and not worry about walkers or runnin'.

And as much as I hated it, it gave me a chance to think about what I would say to Rick if we ever found him. I still love him and I doubt that will ever change but I would be okay with not finding him or anyone else. That doesn't keep me from thinkin' about it though and that sure as hell doesn't keep Merle from insistin' on lookin' for everyone.

Maggie-

"We'll leave for this Hilltop place tomorrow," Rick announced to all of us. "IF Beth is there, we'll try to reason with her, get her to come home but if she doesn't want to, we'll let her stay there."

"Why would we let her stay?" Carl asked.

"It's her choice, Carl, not ours. If your mom…. if Beth wants to stay there, we can't force her."

Carl looked hurt when he stood up and said, "If mom wants to stay there it's because of you but I'm stayin' with her and so is Judy."

"Carl…."

He walked away before Rick could try to reason with him.

"Let him go," Carol told him.

Rick hung his head and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "We're...after talkin' to Jesus, we're not goin' there just for Beth."

We all knew that he wanted to try to establish some sort of trade with the Hilltop community but a few of us weren't sure it would work out and we thought Rick was usin' that as an excuse. We figured he didn't want Beth to be the only reason we were goin' there and that he had no intentions of askin' my sister to come back with him. I just couldn't figure out if it was because he loved her so much and was ashamed of what he had done or if it was because he didn't love her at all.

Rick-

"That's us. That's the Hilltop," Jesus said.

From the outside it looked to be secured but we all knew looks could be deceivin'.

"Where's Beth?" Maggie asked as soon as we had stepped through the gate.

"She's here somewhere but before you see her, we need to see Gregory to discuss a possible trade."

"No," I said. "We need to see her first."

"See who?" A man asked.

"They want to see Beth. They say they're her family," Jesus then pointed to me. "He says he's her husband."

"That's impossible," the man scoffed.

"I thought so too, given the circumstances, but they know things about her."

The man nodded and stepped forward.

"All right. I will have someone bring her to you but only after you all get cleaned up."

"Not 'til you tell us who you are."

"That's fair. I'm Gregory," He smiled then. "Jesus will show you where you can get washed up. Then come back down here when you're ready."

"We're fine," I said.

"It's hard to keep this place clean," he said as if he didn't hear me.

"Somethin's goin' on," Maggie whispered. "What if she's not here?"

"We'll leave."

Maggie-

I was hopin' this would work out, the trade and findin' Beth, but it's lookin' like we were lied to about both.

I'm not even sure why Rick told us we should do as they asked and get cleaned up.

He was probably thinkin' he had dodged a bullet if Beth wasn't really here and I suppose he had, for now.

"I have to say that I'm quite surprised," Gregory said after we had joined him in the library. "Beth has not mentioned any of you. Especially a husband."

"That don't surprise me," Rick said. "We parted ways on...on bad terms a few months ago."

"I see. Then you wouldn't mind if I sit in on your meeting with her."

"Meetin'?" I asked as I took a step towards him. "We're here to bring my sister home, not have a meetin' with her."

"I understand that's what you came here to do but none of us know if she would even want to go home with you."

I saw movement out of the corner of my eye before I was pushed back and Daryl was grabbin' ahold of Gregory's jacket.

"Tell us where she is," he growled.

Rick stepped up beside Daryl but instead of tellin' him to let the man go, he pulled out his knife and held it at his throat.

"Tell us where she is or we'll take turns 'til you do."

"All right. I'll take you to her."

I walked beside Rick as we were led out of the house and through a maze of trailers and people.

In the time before I was sure we would lay eyes on her, I thought Rick was goin' to turn around and run for the hills.

Gregory stopped and turned to face all of us and said, "She's over there doing laundry."

We left him standin' there and as we got closer to where she was, I called out her name.

"Beth! Bethie!"

Beth-

I didn't pay attention when I heard my name being called. The voice sounded so familiar but I knew it was all in my head, just like it had been so many times before.

I guess that's why when I looked up from the clothes I was separating, I quit hummin' and jumped a little. I didn't expect it to be real.

Rick and Maggie were standin' a few feet in front of me. If this had been any other time or place, I would have thought they weren't real but it was clear as day they were there.

Rick's beard was gone and his clothes were clean and Maggie's hair was so much shorter than I had ever seen it. And even with the distance, I could see their eyes glistenin' with tears.

They both stood there starin' at me like I was a ghost but I imagine I had the same look on my face.

"Beth," Rick said quietly as he took a step towards me.

I grabbed the basket of clothes and held it as close to me as I could get it.

I glanced past them to see Jesus and Gregory were clearly confused, as they had every right to be.

Jesus gave me a little nod before he walked off.

Carl-

I kinda thought mom would be happy to see us after all this time but she didn't look too happy at all.

She looked like she had back at Father Gabriel's church.

Dad and Maggie didn't try to go to her so I handed Judy over to Michonne and tried to get over to mom as fast as I could.

But dad stopped me.

Maggie-

When Rick reached out and grabbed Carl, my first thought was that Rick didn't want to scare Beth and maybe I was kind of hopin' he wanted to be the first one to go to her but he didn't. He just stood there with his hands around Carl's arms.

We all just stood there starin' at each other and clearly afraid to make any kind of move.

Beth's eyes shifted from us to somewhere off to the side and it look like she relaxed a little bit.

"Tha hell's goin' on?" someone shouted.

Daryl's head snapped in the direction Beth had been lookin' as we saw Merle of all people walk up beside Beth.

It was hard to miss my sister relaxing when Merle stood next to her and it was even harder to miss the fact that Rick tensed up at it all.

Merle-

I ain't blind.

When Jesus came an' got me an' I saw fer myself how tense an' scared Beth looked, I knew she needed me by 'er side.

An' ta see 'er holdin' that damn clothes basket as tight as she was an' like she was tryin' ta keep ever'one from seein' what was obvious.

She needed someone she trusted an' they wasn't it.

"Bethie," 'er sister stepped forward. "Can we all go inside and talk?"

She shook 'er head no but ol' Greg thought it was a good idea 'cause tha sumbitch started tellin' 'em where we was stayin'.

I leaned down when they all started followin' 'im an' asked 'er, "Ya aight with this?"

"Do I look all right with this?" She growled through clenched teeth.

I chuckled at 'er 'cause I knew by now she was all bark an' no bite.

Maggie-

Daryl watched his brother closely when we entered the little trailer where Beth has been stayin' with Merle but Rick... Rick couldn't bring himself to even look like he was goin' to kill Merle and he sure as hell wasn't even lookin' at Beth.

He kept his head down until we were all seated except Beth an' Merle.

Merle took the clothes basket from Beth and I swear I heard Rick chokin' as he looked at her.

I think we were more shocked over what we saw than we had ever been over anythin'.

Beth sat down in a chair across from me and Rick and for a moment she wouldn't even look at him but when she did, Rick rubbed his hands over his face and clenched his jaw.

He stood up when Merle walked back into the room and after he stood next to Beth, Rick took off out the door.

A/N: I've had this chapter finished for a while but life is crazy and I'm just now taking a step back and trying to get my mind off of things. I'm working on some of my stories, including this one, so hopefully I can get more updates posted soon.

Please review!

xoxo

-A