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Chapter 2: Maggie

Maggie stared into the fire blankly, barely registering when Glenn sat down beside her and started rubbing her back. They had given Daryl three days. Three days and then they were leaving for D.C., regardless of what he did or didn't turn up. Tomorrow would be the third day. She should have gone with them. She would have gone with them, but Glenn couldn't bare to have them be separated again. He offered to go with, but Carol assured them that she and Daryl could handle it on their own. Tensions were high enough without half the people leaving on what could prove to be a suicide mission. She felt Glenn press his lips to her temple and was roused from her thoughts long enough to try a faint smile.

"He's gonna bring her back."

"You really think so?" She wiped at the tears pooling in her eyes and wiped her hands on her pants.

"I do. You see how different Daryl's been since the prison. You gotta figure if Beth rubbed off on him that much, maybe she learned a thing or two from him." Glenn pulled Maggie closer, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I was so intent on findin' you; I never even thought she might not be with you, or the others. I just didn't wanna think... we had just lost Daddy and I..." she started crying again, but quickly stopped herself. "I'm a bad sister."

"No, you're not," he reassured her.

"I just thought maybe if I found you okay, it meant she'd be somewhere okay, too."

"She is." God, I hope she is.

Beth's eyes fluttered open as sunlight burst through the slats on the window. The wooden shutters were secured, but light always found a way to break through the smallest openings. They had ducked into the little Victorian style house when it got too dark out to continue. Daryl insisted she and Carol take the two couches in the living room, while he took the floor, using what looked like a hand made afghan as a pillow. Beth had briefly thought about the person who painstakingly knit it together and wondered if she had escaped alive from this place. There was only one reanimated corpse to clear when they entered, and it had been the remnants of a young man.

She blinked slowly and felt a tingling sensation in her fingers. Then she realized what it was. Sometime during the night her arm had fallen off the couch to rest on the floor. She peaked over the edge and noticed her last three fingers just barely touching those of a still sleeping Daryl on the floor. She felt her cheeks flush and slowly drew back her hand, draping it casually across her chest. Across the room, she noticed Carol watching, obviously spying her less than stealthy movements. Beth could have sworn she saw a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of the older woman's mouth as she rose and went into the next room.

Daryl had been drifting in and out of consciousness for a while, but he registered the featherlight touch of Beth's fingers against his as she withdrew them from place. He wasn't sure at what point in the night her arm had fallen, or when he had rolled closer to the couch she occupied. It freaked him out a little when he first realized how close they were, but then he remembered they had shared much closer quarters, even voluntarily holding hands before. Why should it feel any different now? Shrugging off the odd sensation, he forced himself up to sitting and took the time to survey Beth's injuries.

She saw his scrutiny and asked, "What?"

"They hurt you." It was a statement, not a question.

"I'm fine, Daryl. It's just a sprain."

He drew to his knees and hovered over her. "But your face... What happened?" He gently touched her cheek, just under where the butterfly bandages were doing their job. Beth felt a flutter in her stomach from his closeness.

"Doesn't matter now. I'm with you," she paused then added, "Why, does it make me ugly?" She grinned at him.

He snorted and stood to his feet, muttering, "Don't be stupid."

Carol emerged from the other room and asked, "You two about ready? If we leave now, we should be back with the others by nightfall."

Maggie listened to the gravel crunch underneath her boots as she marched over to Glenn. They had both been staying on the outskirts of the group ever since Daryl took off to find Beth. Glenn was keeping an eye on the roads. If they didn't return with Beth tonight, the group was setting out at dawn. Maggie handed Glenn a bottle of water and proceeded to open a bag of peanuts. She was keeping herself preoccupied, but she was going crazy. "See anything yet?"

"Not yet. But they'll make it." He offered her a faint smile.

Maggie squinted as the sun caught her eyes and tried to return the gesture. We all got jobs to do. And right now, hers was to hope.

A loud voice from behind them broke her reverie, "We're not leaving without our people!" She and Glenn whipped around to see Rick and Abraham arguing, again. The rest of the group was watching. Rosita stood resolute with her hands on her hips. Carl situated Judith against his side as he rose to stand.

Glenn took a step forward, "Should we go help?"

Maggie eyed the situation and noticed Rosita relax her stance. Carl sat back down. She grabbed Glenn's hand, interlocking their fingers and said, "No, I think they got it under control. We're keeping watch."

"I didn't think you were alive, you know," Carol stated nonchalantly to Beth as they walked the gently sloping road. Daryl stayed a few paces ahead, craning his neck around every so often to make sure they were fine. Beth was sure Daryl was out of earshot now, or else Carol wouldn't have voiced her opinion so bluntly.

"I get that... You're a realist." She offered her a smile and continued, "Thing is, I would've been dead if it wasn't for all the stuff Daryl taught me when we escaped together. I've changed."

"You both have. He refused to believe that you were a lost cause." She paused and turned to face her, "He really cares for you."

Beth didn't quite process what she was saying. "I know," was all she could muster.

"Do you?" Carol let the words sink in.

Beth slowed her pace as it hit her. "Oh."

Just then Daryl turned around and shouted to them, "Ya'll gonna quit gossiping? We need to hurry up!"

His shout echoed off the walls of their suburban setting. He knew immediately it was a mistake as the sound of several distinct moans came from different directions. "Aw, shit. C'mon!" He waited for them to catch up and took off running. Walkers streamed out of the cookie cutter houses and lazily pursued them. There had to be at least a dozen on their tail.

Though the walkers were grievously slow, they were stronger in numbers. Daryl whipped his crossbow around and shot several in succession as they ran. Both woman wielded their knives and took down a couple each.

As they fled, Carol passed too close to a parked car and a slender grisly hand reached out at her, grabbing her by the ankle. She toppled to the ground as the decaying body used her leg to pull itself out from under the car. It was about to sink its teeth into her flesh when Beth stomped on its head from behind, forcing her whole weight down upon the corpse. Blood and decomposed brain matter sloshed out of the crushed skull onto the pavement. The petite blonde shook the pieces off of her shoe and offered her hand to the older woman, helping her up. "You okay?"

Carol wiped her hands on her pants and tried her ankle out. "Yeah, I'm good. Are you okay?" She eyed the younger Greene with respectful curiosity. This was not the Beth she remembered.

"She's badass, is what she is." Daryl elbowed Beth's arm as he passed and snatched a bolt from a nearby walker's head.

She felt her cheeks flush from the compliment. "We gotta keep moving."

Maggie pursed her lips into a frown and lowered her gaze from the horizon. "Sun's going down soon. Think they'll make it back before dark?"

Glenn fiddled with the rifle slung over his shoulder. His confidence was waning as the day went on. "I hope so."

She turned to him and clasped his hand for comfort. "You think Daryl will come back without her?" She knew Rick wouldn't leave without his second in command, but after seeing the way Daryl took off after the car with the medical cross on it, Maggie had a feeling his search for Beth was intensely personal. She remembered when he had first told her about his time with Beth. He didn't say much, but it was clear he felt guilty for letting her get taken. No matter how she tried to affirm him otherwise, he felt responsible for what happened, responsible for bringing her back. At first Maggie thought maybe it was that guilt alone that drove his need to find her, but every now and then she would see him lost in thought, a smile creeping at the corner of his mouth, before his face fell and he looked despondent again. She couldn't help but wonder if this man of few words had developed feelings for her little sister.

"I don't know. I think we're about to find out, though." Glenn had spotted a figure coming up the road, still a ways out. He couldn't make out much at first, but as it got closer, he realized it was a man. Two more people followed close behind.

Maggie didn't wait for the figures to come into focus. She could see that one of them was blonde and took off running towards her. "Beth!"

Beth saw her sister start running towards them and broke away from her companions. She met Maggie halfway and the two sisters locked arms around each other.

Maggie laughed and kissed her sister's forehead as tears started to roll down both their faces. "Oh, Bethy. I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again!"

Beth buried her face in her sister's neck and held on tight. "I knew I'd find you. Find all of you."

"There you go again, hopin' enough for both of us." The elder Greene sister let a full blown smile cross her tear-streaked face.

Glenn caught up and opened his arms to welcome back his sister-in-law. "Beth!" She detached herself from Maggie and rushed to hug him.

"It's so good to see you," the younger Greene exclaimed.

Maggie marched over to Daryl and enveloped him in a hug. "Thank you."

He shrugged off her gratitude. "Was nothin'. 'Sides, your sister barely needed us. We met up with her on the road. Escaped all by herself."

"It's true." Carol piped in. "Saved me from a walker on the way back. I'd be dead right now if it weren't for her. Your sister has become quite the warrior." She returned Maggie's hug and the five of them started walking back to camp.

Maggie fell in step beside Beth and wrapped her arm around her sister's waist. "So, I hear you can take care of yourself now."

Beth looked at her sister and grinned. "I suppose I can..." She looped her arm behind her and leaned her head against Maggie's shoulder. As they walked, she caught Daryl glancing at her from the other side of Glenn. He let a small smile creep at the edges of his lips and she returned the gesture. "...But I'll always need my family."