Disclaimer: A nod to the genius Robert Kirkman for creating this wonderfully dark, post-apocalyptic world. I do not own or have rights to any of the characters/plot of this series. I'm simply a fan indulging in my post-apocalyptic fantasies.
THANK YOU Nicole for editing this so I could post it today!
Yay! Early chapter! This is my gift to you guys!I hope everyone has had a Merry Christmas (or whatever other holiday you celebrate!) and your day has been filled with joy, love, and lots of good food! I love you all and thank you for always being so amazing!
A/N: Big shout out to Sarakaroline8! She has a story called "Many Hearts to Tread" based on Sherry and Dwight surviving the apocalypse and Negan. I've read some of Dwight in the comics, but there's just not a whole lot of info about them. Thus I'm heavily basing MY Dwight and Sherry off of the characters in her story! Dwight and Sherry's backstory, last name, and personality are all thanks to Sarakaronline8! Thanks for letting me borrow them love!
…
Morgan had been watching Beth since their meeting. She hadn't spoken much, only giving one word answers when he'd asked her something, but he knew she needed to talk about what had happened. They had found people who knew her, from before, and her reaction had been nothing like he had expected.
"Beth," Morgan breathed.
"Hmm," she hummed in response from where she lay on her bunk above him.
"You wanna' talk?" He inquired gently.
"'Bout what?" Her voice ringing with nonchalance.
"'Bout what?" he grumbled under his breath, "About what happened earlier," he spoke clear enough for her to hear.
"What's there t'talk about?" Her voice quiet.
Morgan stood from where he sat below her on his mattress and turned to lean his arms against the frame that held her bed above his. She was lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling, with her arms folded neatly behind her head. She looked so lost, so unlike the confident Beth he had come to know, and it unnerved him.
"Listen hun. I've felt more than my fair share of heartache and I have t'live with the choices I've made," he watched as Beth turned her head to him, eyes shining brightly. Knowing he had her full attention, he continued, "In life…especially this one, we don't get second chances. We get split second decisions and most of 'em can get ya' killed. We have t'live with the consequences of those decisions and we're left dwellin' on tha' what ifs when things go bad. Some people may say they don't have any regrets, but the rest of us…those of us who've fought and struggled t'survive…we feel our guilt every time we open our eyes."
She sat up on her bed and scooted around to face him; blinking her eyes and furrowing her brows in concentration as she listened.
"You may not remember nothin' from before, but tell me," he smiled at her, "Do you regret anything? Anything at all from tha' past three years we been together?"
Beth sat stone-still and he could envision every scene playing through her head, every life she'd had to take, and every time death had very nearly taken her.
"No," she said firmly, "I have no regrets."
"Then don't start makin' them now," Morgan smiled wider, "Talk to 'em. Find out about yourself. They're the only ones who can answer all the questions we both know you have."
Beth took a deep breath, "What if…what if I'm nothin' like who I used to be? What if forgetting everything was a good thing?"
Morgan stepped back and cross his arms over his chest, "Ain't no way that man with the bow…what's his name…," he paused, before nodding once, "Daryl. Rick too. Ain't no way they'd be that happy to see someone if they weren't 'ah good person. "
"That's easy for you to say. You didn't know me before," Beth scoffed.
"True," Morgan nodded his head several times, "but I know you now."
Beth breathed out through her nose and smirked.
Reaching a hand out, Morgan helped her climb down from the top bunk, "You at least think about it?"
"Yeah," she replied, "I'll think about it."
"Good deal," he patted her head, "Why don't we do some lookin' around before dinner? We got invited to Ms. Sherry's house tonight. They want to give us a proper welcome. Said you have a few more people t'meet."
Morgan moved to walk past her when he felt a tug. Looking back, Beth was holding the hem of his army green jacket within her fist. Her head was bowed and her knuckles were white from how tightly she was holding onto the material he was wearing.
"Thanks Morgan," her voice tight, "For everything."
Morgan reached out and replaced his hand on top of her soft, blond hair and gently replied, "Always."
…
Daryl sat in his handmade deer stand, high above the ground, staring into the distance. The limbs of his crossbow were touching the plywood floor as he rested his chin against the rubber recoil pad on the end of the stock. He'd been sitting there for several hours if the sun was any indication of the passage of time.
The day had been…preposterous. He wasn't sure whether to break down or break something. The latter seemed like it would feel more fulfilling. He'd finally gotten Beth back, but in some cruel twist of fate, she wasn't Beth...not really. She looked like Beth, sounded like Beth, and felt like Beth, but this girl had none of the same memories as his Beth. In the short time he'd been around her, the differences he could identify in her had him reeling, but a small part of him hoped that with enough time he could find the Beth he knew within her.
He smirked at his thoughts. Finding himself hoping for things was a definite change due to Beth's influence. He'd been so close to accepting himself, to starting over, before she'd been taken from him. The idea of letting someone in, past his walls, had terrified him, but Beth had managed to do just that. She'd showed him there was more to life than just surviving. She'd given him hope, helped him keep faith that the others were alive, and towards the end he'd realized he didn't view Beth the same as anyone else in his life. Just as he was beginning to explore the idea of the possibilities between them…she was gone. Then the hospital incident happened…and she was really gone. Forever. Or so he had thought.
It had been tough on him, but it had been harsher on Maggie. He'd carried a sort of hatred for Maggie since that day. He understood not wanting to get their hopes up that she was still alive, but Daryl had never, not even for one moment, thought Beth was dead. Maggie had seemed to have forgotten Beth had ever existed, until she got word that the younger Greene was alive. He'd never forgive her for running off to go on some 'mission' to Washington and leaving all of them behind. If they had all been there, at the hospital, would they have made a difference? Would Beth still be alive? The different scenarios had tormented him the first year, after that horrific day, and Maggie had lost all hope in life until she'd found out she was pregnant. She and Glenn had moved from Alexandria soon after.
He was glad when Maggie and Glenn left for the Hilltop Colony. After taking control from Gregory during the Saviors attack, the two of became the leaders of the community. Their son, who they'd named Hershel after his grandfather, was born the same year. It had been harder to be around Maggie after Beth's death. On top of his grudge, Maggie reminded him of her in so many ways. Then there were the times where he'd had to struggle to see Beth within her sister. It had become an obsession of sorts; constantly looking for signs of Beth within Maggie's persona, but not wanting to feel the pain afterwards when he actually found them. Thus, when Maggie left, his life became easier. He finally began to let go…finally began to try and move on. Daryl knew he would never recover from losing Beth, but he also knew that she wouldn't want him wasting away, abstaining from making a life for himself, now that they were safe behind the walls of Alexandria.
However, today…all of that had changed.
Sighing, knowing he should begin heading back, Daryl climbed down from his place of solitude. By now word would have spread that Beth was alive, riders would have been sent to Hilltop, and everyone in their group, save Maggie and Glenn who would need time to get their affairs in order before making the trip, would be at the Orlich's house tonight for dinner. Sherry was by far the best cook, always looking for a reason to make a big meal, and their house was the best suited for entertaining.
As his feet touched the ground, he scanned the woods one last time. It was rare that he came across walkers nowadays, with the herders doing their job of keeping the abominations away from Alexandria, but the threat remained and Daryl knew better than to drop his guard. The one time he had done so had ended up being the biggest mistake of his life. However, the woods were as quiet as they always were. There were no signs of the dead and the sounds of wildlife told him the area was clear of any danger.
Slinging his crossbow over his shoulder, Daryl left his safe haven, and began the trek back to the walls that were his home.
…
Morgan stayed close to Beth as they followed the directions to Dwight and Sherry's house. While they'd been escorted to the mess hall, he had taken a moment to speak with Rick about Beth's…predicament, and asked that everyone who knew her be made aware of her situation. He knew people would still be in awe to see Beth alive, but he didn't want her to have to explain herself time and time again throughout the night. As hard as it had been for Beth to lose all the memories about herself, he could tell that losing memories of the people she had supposedly cared for was affecting her much worse.
The sun had set when they reached the worn picket fence with Orlich carved into the wood over the gate. Morgan stopped and turned to Beth, gauging her expression and trying to think of the best way to help lower anxiety.
"Rick said he'd explain to everyone what happened. They'll know so you don't have to worry about explanin' yourself or hurtin' anyone's feelings," he reminded her.
Beth took a deep breath and nodded, "'Kay."
"You're strong. You're gonna' be just fine," Morgan patted her head.
Beth huffed, "Let's just get this over with."
Leading the way, Morgan knocked on the door and was greeted by the man they had seen earlier that day.
"Hey! The guests of honor are finally here," Dwight yelled to the crowd of people behind him.
Their initial arrival had been a blur. Beth had been swallowed in so many tearful hugs and relieved smiles that he'd worried she would've been completely overwhelmed. Much to his relief, she had returned each embrace and met every smile with one of her own. Some people's reactions had been stronger than others, but Morgan knew everyone was equal parts ecstatic and amazed that Beth was in fact alive.
He, himself, had been introduced to so many people it was hard to keep everyone's names straight. Rick had greeted him at the door and reintroduced him to Daryl, Rick's second-in-command, and Dwight, who acted under Daryl and was in charge of security. There was also Sherry, the woman who had been in the office upon their initial arrival, who also happened to be Dwight's wife. Sherry helped Rick with resource reports that kept Alexandria running and was also in charge of transitioning people into their community from the outside world. However, there were several others whom he had never met.
The first person Rick introduced was Carol, an older woman in charge of teaching children both education and weapon's training. Next was a Father Gabriel, the pastor of the community, followed by a younger black woman named Sasha, a first class sniper who worked with Dwight. There was an equally young Hispanic female named Rosita, in charge of the group who herded walkers, and her boyfriend Eugene, a heavier, Caucasian man with an interesting haircut, who had a team that created ammunition. Lastly was a girl close to Beth's age named Tara, who was the head of construction in Alexandria. Rick then informed him that Carl had taken a blacksmith apprenticeship at Hilltop and that Michonne had gone to The Kingdom after the war with the Saviors.
Morgan had been able to gather bits and pieces about this group that called themselves 'Saviors' as the night progressed. Apparently they had been led by a man named Negan, who had taken the life of Sasha's brother. After a long and grisly battle, with the help of Dwight playing a double agent, Rick had beaten and incarcerated the vile man. Dwight took over leadership, but after a few harsh winters and tense negotiations, the Saviors had eventually become a part of Alexandria.
Through it all, Beth had remained glued to his side, listening to and studying everyone they came in contact with. Morgan, ever the observant one, had also noticed how a pair of bright, blue eyes had followed them around the house since the moment they'd entered the door.
It was just before dinner when a blond woman entered the house, a child on her hip, and crossed the room to greet Rick with a kiss. The child looked no older than four or five. Her eyes were as blue as the sky, accentuated by the navy, cotton dress she was wearing, and she had a head full of long, curly brown hair. It was in that moment that the most shocking reunion of the night took place. As soon as the young girl's eyes landed on Beth, she leapt to the ground and ran to Morgan's young comrade. Not having much choice, Beth picked up the young child sobbing into her legs.
"Morgan," Beth's face was panicked.
The child was clinging onto her so tightly that Beth didn't even need to support young girl's weight. Rick quickly approached the two girls, but seemed just as uncertain of what to do as Beth.
"She yours?" Morgan asked confusedly.
"Yeah," Rick affirmed before turning his attention back to the child and gently touching her back, "Judith? Honey?"
The child ignored her father's attention and continued sobbing into Beth's neck.
"She know Beth?" Morgan asked, standing by Beth, but unsure of how to help.
"I didn't think she'd remember her," Rick replied honestly; wiping a hand down his face and placing the other on his hip, "Beth raised her. Judy was nearly two when the prison fell. She hasn't seen Beth since then."
There was a change in Beth's expression. Her eyes went from wild and uncertain to focused and determined. Removing one arm from supporting the child's weight, Beth began patting the young girl's back and shushing her softly.
The entire house was silent as Beth's eyes fluttered around the room apprehensively.
Finding her niche, Beth slowly rocked Judith from side to side, alternating between rubbing her back and brushing the tips of her hair as everyone watched. He could see the tension around Beth melting away and if Morgan was being honest, the scene before him was the most 'at peace' he had ever witnessed from his blond companion. When the child's sobbing turned into quiet hiccups, conversations resumed and Beth took the child to the living room.
"I never dreamed Judith would act like that," Rick sighed sadly.
"Kids remember more than we give 'em credit for," Morgan replied wisely.
"When Lori died…" Rick cleared his throat, "Beth took care of Judith. Carol helped, but it was always Beth that Judith wanted."
Morgan wasn't sure how to reply, so he remained silent, watching Beth standing in front of the fireplace from where he stood in the dining room.
"Is she okay?" The blond woman from earlier moved to stand beside Rick.
"She's gonna' be just fine," Rick said with a reminiscent smile, "Ah. Morgan, this is Barbara."
"Pleasure- t'meet you ma'am," Morgan extended his hand.
"Rick's told me so much about you two," Barbara took his hand with both of hers, "I'm so glad the two of you have finally made it to all of us safely."
Morgan looked around the room, feeling a sense of 'home' that he hadn't had in such a long time. These were good people. These were the people who were going to ensure mankind survived. He and Beth would be safe here. They wouldn't have to struggle every day to make sure they lived to see the next; there would be no more dirt mattresses, no more running from place to place with no destination, and no more living in constant fear. Here they could just live.
When his eyes drifted back to Beth, she was animatedly talking to the young child still in her arms. The smile on her face was genuine and she looked completely at ease. Morgan wasn't the only one who had noticed the scene in the living room; catching Daryl discreetly staring at the two girls as they laughed quietly.
"Dinner's ready!" Sherry announced, breaking Morgan's concentration.
Dishes began pouring from the kitchen; filling the room with the most heavenly smells he'd experienced in years. As people began crowding around the table, Morgan caught sight of Rick retrieving Judith from Beth. He smiled as he watched his friend struggle to take his daughter from Beth, but without even needing to hear them, he knew Beth had made promises to whisk the young child away again after dinner.
With Rick returning to the table, he expected Beth to follow behind, but instead he saw her bolting for the front door. He immediately took a step to chase after her when he noticed Daryl pushing off the wall and maneuvering to the entryway.
Morgan knew Beth wouldn't leave Alexandria without him. He assumed she just needed some fresh air after being around so many people. She couldn't remember a world where crowds of people interacted with one another. All she knew was that when a crowd of corpses were shambling together, it meant they had to run for their lives. Having so many sights and sounds in a confined space had to be overwhelming her. While Beth needed to interact with someone who'd known her, Daryl seemingly the only person she'd had such a strong connection with thus far, Morgan still worried she'd run from all of this.
Taking a deep breath and hoping he was making the right choice, Morgan took his seat and tried to push his concerns to the back of his mind.
…
Daryl rushed through Dwight's front door, expecting Beth to be in sight, only to be greeted by an empty street.
Without electricity to run street lights, most people returned to the safety of their homes when the sun set. The only people out this late at night were those on guard duty along the walls, monitoring the terrain outside of Alexandria.
Standing in the front yard, knowing Beth couldn't have gotten far in the minute or two it took him to get out of the house, he looked for any sign of where she could have went. His eyes, adjusting to the darkness, scanned the ground as he bent down to examine the dirt. There were fresh prints toward the house, but none towards the gate, which meant Beth was still on the premises. Standing, he turned to face the house when a voice caught his attention.
"There 'ah reason you followed me out here?" Beth asked from where she sat on top of the roof awning that covered the porch.
"How tha' hell'd you get up there?" Daryl blurted out without thinking.
"Climbed the lattice," Beth gestured to the vines growing up the side of the house.
Daryl considered attempting to climb the wooden trellis, but didn't think it would hold his weight. Sherry also happened to be very fond of her greenery and he didn't want to risk damaging her plants.
"I jus' needed some fresh air," Beth said softly, "I was expectin' Morgan to come out here and check on me. Thought I might get away with hiding up here for a bit."
Sighing, resigning himself to the earful he would get later if Sherry ever found out about him climbing onto her roof, Daryl moved to the lattice tacked to the house beside the porch. The wood creaked as he applied his weight to the frame and clambered onto the awning as soon as it was within reach. Carefully placing his feet on the wooden slates covering the roof, he made his way over to where Beth sat. She didn't move as he lowered himself to sit beside her and he situated himself to get comfortable, waiting for her to initiate a conversation.
They sat in silence. Looking up at the sky, Daryl began counting the stars in order to keep himself from speaking first. He wasn't sure she was looking to talk and was content to just be in her presence after three years without it.
"I don't remember anything," Beth's voice filtered through the air.
"I know," Daryl replied solemnly.
"I always thought getting shot an' losin' my memory was because I had done somethin' really bad. Because I was a bad person," she admitted while staring up at the sky, "I mean, I got shot…in the head."
Daryl internally flinched as he envisioned the scene that had haunted his dreams.
Beth, oblivious to his sudden stillness, continued, "We've come across people…out there. They were ruthless…desperate…or narcissistic."
"People will do anything t'try and survive," Daryl's voice took a disgusted edge.
"There jus' aren't any good people left," Beth breathed.
"There are. There are still good people," Daryl immediately countered, "Rick and everyone else here. Morgan. They're all good people."
Beth hummed a reply.
"You're good too," he added while turning back to look at the stars.
The tension in the air felt thick as Daryl tried to remain passive. He could feel Beth's eyes on him, but he wasn't sure how he would react if he met her gaze, and forced himself to stare out over the community.
"What…" Beth paused, causing Daryl to lose his internal battle and turn to her, "What was I like? Before?"
Daryl rubbed the back of his neck in thought, "I ain't tha' best with words, but you were good, tough, just like yer' old man."
Beth pursed her lips as she listened and Daryl took a deep breath in an attempt to settle his nerves.
"Rick depended on you. You were a good mom figure t'asskicker…uh, Judith," he clarified when she gave him a puzzled look, "You helped look after Carl too, Rick's son, after his mom died. Maggie…she never gave you enough credit."
"Maggie's my sister, right?" Beth inquired in a tone of indifference.
"Yeah. She's older'n you by a few years. She married a guy named Glenn. They met when we found your farm after the outbreak. They got 'ah son; Hershel. He's named after your old man," Daryl informed her.
"So how'd we know each other?" Beth's eyes bore into his.
"I was with Rick's group when we came across your place. The farm eventually got overrun by 'ah herd. We found a prison and made it into our home. We were safe for a time. There was a town, fortified kinda' like here, but their leader…he attacked us and we had to run. Me an' you, we got out together. We were together for a'while," Daryl briefly summarized their journey together, leaving out details he wasn't sure she was ready to hear or that he was ready to share.
"The way you acted when you saw me," Beth stared down at her feet dangling over the edge of the awning, "What were we?"
Daryl chewed on his bottom lip.
He didn't know how to answer her question. While they had never taken steps beyond friendship, their conversation at the dinner table of the mortuary had thrown open doors to opportunities he had never imagined. There was no doubt in his mind he had felt something for Beth, but he couldn't say to what extent. Relationships weren't an area in which he excelled. Glancing up, still unsure how to answer, the opening of the front door stopped him mid-sentence.
"We were-"
"Daryl Dixon," a female voice called from below, "How in the world did you two get on top of my roof?"
Shit.
"You did not climb up my lattice…did you," Sherry wasn't asking, "You did! You must'a lost your damn mind! Beth doesn't know any better, but you…you know how long it took me to get those vines growin'."
Daryl, irritated with being interrupted, snapped a reply, "I didn't mess up yer' fuckin' plants."
Sherry narrowed her eyes, but refrained from making any further comments on their situation. Instead she sighed and stated, "Dinners gonna' get cold if you two don't come and eat."
With that, she stormed back into the house, leaving Daryl with an extremely amused Beth.
"You could've told me her plants were sacred," Beth smirked at him.
"You wouldn't 'ah come down anyway," Daryl grumbled.
Beth's smirk faltered and Daryl felt a sense of dread envelope him, unsure if he'd said something wrong.
"We must've been close for you to know me so well," she murmured as her eyes danced between his.
Lost in her eyes, Daryl felt a sudden ache in his chest. This was his Beth. She may have had a slightly reformed temperament, but deep down, she was still the same. He could see it in her eyes. He could hear it in her voice. She wanted to know about her past, about him, but she was scared. He could only imagine what it felt like hearing stories of yourself and not feeling any connection to them.
Looking away from her, Daryl glared down at the ground below them, trying to reign in his emotions. When he trusted his voice enough to talk, he met her gaze once more.
"Yeah…we were," his voice rough as he spoke.
Beth nodded and placed her hands on either side of her legs to grip the roof.
"We should head back inside," she commented absently.
Daryl grunted a reply.
His heart leaped to his throat when Beth pushed off from where she sat to land nimbly on the dirt path beneath them. In reality it wasn't that far of a drop, eight to nine feet at the max, but he hadn't been expecting the sudden action.
"You comin'?" She asked as she stared up at him.
Knowing the alternative was better than chancing a climb back down the wooden trellis covered in vines; Daryl slid off the roof and landed, albeit not quite as gracefully as Beth.
"I guess I should thank you," Beth said as they moved to the porch, "for comin' out here and answerin' my questions."
Daryl shrugged one of his shoulders, "You deserve t'know."
"Yeah, I guess I do," she replied breezily.
Daryl shifted his weight from one foot to the other, unsure of how to proceed. If it had been him and Beth before, he would have just spoken his mind.
The thought made him furrow his brows. Things may not be exactly the same, but it was still Beth, and there was no reason for him to act any different. Straightening his back and squaring his shoulders, Daryl tightened his jaw as a new sense of clarity calmed him. He refused to tiptoe around her. She deserved better than that. She deserved his honestly now more than ever.
Keeping his voice even, Daryl spoke quietly, "You may not 'member anything from before, but that don't matter. You're here…you're alive and you're here. You get to start over."
A small smile tugged at Beth's lips, "'Ah second chance, huh?"
"Back when it was jus' me and you, you showed me that we could start over," Daryl elaborated, "So I'll be here…if you need me."
"I've already started over," Beth sighed, "I didn't have a choice."
Daryl clenched his teeth imaging how confused Beth must have been when she'd finally become coherent.
"Morgan saved my life and I'll never be able to repay him for that," Beth's tone changed, "As long as I've got him, I'll be fine."
Without waiting for a reply, Beth turned and re-entered the house, leaving Daryl standing on the porch.
He wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there when Dwight came out to check on him, but he'd had enough time to go through the entire interaction with Beth at least a hundred times.
"Hey," Dwight greeted him as he opened the door, "You okay?"
"Fine," Daryl bit out.
"You gonna' come inside and grab 'ah plate?" Dwight furrowed the brow still visible on his face.
Daryl's jaw hurt from how tightly he'd be grinding it, "I ain't hungry. I'm gonna' head out."
"Oh, alright. I'll let Rick know," Dwight replied cautiously.
"Thanks," Daryl grumbled as he began descending the stairs of the porch.
"You sure you're alright?" Dwight called after him.
Daryl didn't bother replying.
The entire walk home, he couldn't shake the bitter feeling of how his conversation with Beth had ended. He couldn't decide whether he was angry with her for dismissing him when he'd put himself out there, with Morgan for being the one who had ultimately replaced him, or with himself for having unrealistic expectations that Beth would suddenly remember everything that had happened between them.
Opening the door to his dark, quiet home, Daryl trudged through the house to his bedroom and plopped onto his bed. When he'd gone to bed the night before, he had expected today to be as monotonous as any other. He was willing to admit that he'd become somewhat bored with the routine of daily life in Alexandria, but he appreciated the fact that he could actually be bored.
After today, he didn't think life would ever be the same, and he was beyond thankful for the reasons behind it. He'd learned tonight, after his conversation with Beth, that she did want to know about her past. She had even asked about their relationship. That was enough for him to believe there was a chance for them to get back to how things had been before and he was willing to do whatever it took to get there. He'd had to fight for anything he'd ever wanted in life and this would be no different.
Daryl knew that nothing worth having ever came easy.
...
A/N: Barbara is a background character in the comics.
Yay! Judith x Beth reunion! This is probably my favorite chapter thus far!
Writing a progressive Daryl, one effected by Beth and not as 'brooding' as we're used to, is actually A LOT harder to write than 'internally hating everyone' Daryl. Lol. So I hope you guys enjoyed this!
*Writing Schedule*
I'm going to go back to my normal 2 week upload (and if I get a chapter finished early, it will posted the following Sunday). I'm also going to split my uploads. I'm feeling my Bethyl groove again so one Sunday will be a post for H.O.P.E. and the next Sunday will be for Sometimes When Things Go Wrong... Once season 5 is over, I will start For the Ones you Protect. I want to see how the rest of the season goes so I can incorporate Beth (much like I did with the season 4 finale in For the Ones You Love.) SO PLEASE DON'T WORRY! Even though I'm starting my own book, I WILL CONTINUE WRITING FANFICTION! My book isn't going to be something I finish is a few days. This is going to be a long process and fanfics has always been a fun escape for me!
Happy holidays everyone and I send you my love and best wishes!