Day one
Beth wasn't sure how she came to be lying here, in a warm bed, her sisters head resting against her shoulder, a warm fire burning in the fireplace across the room. The walls were yellow, almost the same shade as the wallpaper back in her room at the farm. The window was concealed by a deep brown curtain, the room bathed in the flickering light of the fire, casting shadows across the bed, illuminating Maggie's peaceful visage. Her sister had been close to hysteria when Daryl got her home. He kept her strong, kept her walking steady as they reached her sisters porch and Beth almost cried when she saw the name Greene painted on the door. He didn't say a word, he just kept his arm around her, hand rubbing her shoulder as he knocked on the door. She couldn't find the words to say to him but he didn't seem to mind and she rested her head against his chest, so close to falling asleep she almost fell into him. As the sound of footsteps approached, her hand found his and her fingers slipped between his fingers. This time, he tightened his hold of her hand, thumb circling her palm. Her hand didn't leave Daryl's till the door opened and Glenn stood there, staring in disbelief, her hand reaching out as she pulled him into an embrace, only believing him to be alive when she felt his heart against hers. Glenn didn't say a word, he just held her and looked to Daryl for an explanation. When Beth turned to find Daryl, her heart almost broke when her eyes searched the empty porch and found no sign of him. Shadows had fallen across the unfamiliar road and she feared he had faded into the darkness. The warmth of his hand lingered in hers, the pressure of his fingers. She felt alone again, cold, the only reason for her not running out there to find him was her name called out by a voice so familiar, so deep rooted in her memory, that leaving was impossible. Her body almost broke apart trying to face the voice. She'd turned to find Maggie rushing toward her, embracing her, crying and shaking and weeping, apologising for failing her, thanking god for returning her. Beth couldn't speak, she just held onto her sister, her living sister. Maggie was alive. She'd only half believed Daryl when he said as much, but then it all seemed to much like a dream. Beth almost didn't feel the soft pressure of Maggie's pertruding stomach, her hand touching the swelling, looking up at her sister in awe. From that point onwards, time was a blur. Maggie sat Beth down and asked her story, Glenn getting them tea, kissing Maggie on the head as he went. She could read how nervous he was. How careful he was to be sure kept an eye on her sister. Glenn was so good for her. Beth was grateful he'd been so constant, so trustworthy and reliable. If Glenn was anything, he was the man their father had approved of. To gain their daddy's approval, he had to be the best of men. Then Maggie told her about the baby and how she was ready to be a mom. Somehow, they managed to understand eachother through the tears and sobs.
When they finally managed to escape each other's embrace, the room was growing darker and night began to fall. It was hard to guess the time when there was a roof over your head and the warmth of a fire on your skin. Glenn left for his shift on the wall and Maggie didn't let him leave without wrapping her arms around him, resting her forehead against his, his hand on her stomach as they both smile into eachother. Beth felt as though she were spying on something private, something deep and loving. She couldn't help but remember the way she'd held onto Daryl, the way his hands had touched her, the way his skin felt against her lips. When Glenn left Maggie rushed her upstairs, filling a bath. A hot bath. Stripping down, Beth was aware of how skinny she was. Maggie tried to hide her shock but her eyes focused on the outline of her sisters ribs and the perturbing pelvis bones. Her pale skin was interrupted by large dark bruises and grazes. Pulling off her jeans, Beth tucked the arrow from her belt into the heap of clothing on the floor, hiding it inside the red jacket when Maggie searched for soap. Lifting her leg to get into the bath was painful, so much so that she winced and Maggie held her, supported her, lowered her into the steaming water that seemed to take away every ache and wound she'd ever incurred. She felt shivers of pleasure burn through her as she remembered how warm the water was, how it felt like fire, kissing every scar and sore the cold had cut into her. Maggie sat by the side of the tub, helped her wash the dirt from her hair and the blood from her face and chest. Her left foot was bruised and swollen, nails black, skin blistered. Her nails were long and dirty, some jagged from where she'd bitten them in anxiety over the past few weeks. Maggie didn't say a word as she carefully cut Beth's nails and massaged shampoo into her scalp, finding clean bandages to wrap around her aching feet. It was almost as though she were born again, sensitive to every touch and sound as Maggie kept the towel tightly wrapped around her body, leading her to the room they slept in now. Beth was dressed in warm cotton trousers and a thick fleecy jumper. Both too big but she didn't mind. The blankets were warm and Maggie kept her from feeling any hint of the cold draft from the doorway. They spoke for a while. Maggie apologised for not looking for her, for not thinking she could handle herself. Beth didn't let her blame herself. She didn't want to talk about the past. Instead, they talked about the baby, and about how big Judith had got, and Maggie even let it slip that Carol was engaged to Tyrese. Beth was silently envious. Her group had settled in so well. Forged new lives. Moved on. Why did she feel so disconnected? She had a future with Maggie and Glenn, a home, a niece on the way, yet it felt as though she was misplaced. Maggie noticed how silent she'd become and asked her to sing. A few lines into her song, Beth fell asleep and didn't wake till her nightmares returned. When she woke, the world seemed so unfamiliar, until she heard Maggie breathing and watched her sister sleep. Watched the face of the only person on this earth who she knew better than herself. They didn't look much alike, but Maggie had that soft smile that seemed almost childlike when she slept. It was a feature they shared. Reaching out, Beth ran her fingers across her sisters cheek and smiled when she mumbled words that made no sense. Same Maggie. Carefully, she slipped her shoulder from beneath her sisters head, pushing the pillow closer to Maggie, supporting her head.
Silently, Beth tip toed across the room to where her jacket lay abandoned. It was stained with dark patches of dirt and ice, tears across the back where she'd been pulled or fallen. The piece of material was a visual reminder of everything she'd seen and done, and Beth was all too ready to burn it. Crossing her legs, she gazed into the fire for a moment, her hand sliding into the jacket pockets. The arrow. The doll. Her journal. The last sparkler. The tooth. Sifting through the pages, she read the hastily scribbled words that had seemed so important to her once. Memories she'd detailed, fearing her memory might fade. About her dad and Maggie, about her mom, about the prison and what was lost. The last few pages were dedicated to Daryl. Every part of her history knowing him. The pages were stained, some words blurred by tears that had been shed in memory of everything that she'd thought was lost. Blood stained the corners of the pages that had come into contact with her lips when she pressed them to the page. Those silent nights when Morgan was asleep and she was alone with her fears. It felt silly now but Beth remembered how much it hurt to write it all out. Not just because her fingers had been frozen or because her head ached from missing meals. To write her past and all those who she might never see again... It hurt her. Destroyed her. Reading them now reminded her of the pain and she glanced at the fire. Tempted to burn the journal that had no real use anymore. Instead, she crawled over to the dressing table, opening the bottom draw, sliding the book behind the drawer. Back on the farm, she used the back cavity of her dresser to hide her journal. To keep it safe from Shawn and Maggie, even from her mom. Back then, her secrets were about crushes or sneaky trips to the cinema after school. Now, she hid her journal because it contained the memories too painful to tell, though they needed to be recorded. Whatever pain she'd felt, it had to be recorded somehow. For this moments when she felt weak, when she began to feel small and useless. Reading those words would remind her of everything she'd survived. Beth smiled a little. Hiding her journal was also her way of ensuring Maggie didn't know about Daryl. Her sister had no idea how she felt and until Beth spoke to him about it, it was her secret to keep.
It wasn't easy. Being safe. Trying to let it all go. Everything she seen and felt and heard. Only person who knew what she felt like was half conscious on pain medication. Morgan would understand, but he would never understand how her mind worked. None of them could. The things she'd seen out there, they affected everyone in a Different way. For Morgan, he felt sad, he remembered who he lost and it made him quiet and reserved. For Daryl, as she'd seen, bad things made him angry. He'd bottle it up and explode when it got too hard to keep it in. He was violently passionate but it was his nature to keep everything hidden. Daryl had changed a lot but pain always seemed to affect you in the same way, no matter how hard you work to make it hurt less. Beth would have cried or hurt herself, in the past. Even now, she felt tears burning her eyes, but she didn't want to revert back to her old way. She wanted to breathe, she wanted to shut the memories away and pretend they never happend, but some scars cut too deep. Grady. The grave. Walker children. The school. The bridge. Every memory was clear, vividly detailed, burning in her memory. Soem things you can't unsee. Maggie told her that once. After Shawn had turned and Beth had been bedridden with grief. When she asked her sister why it was so hard to forget their brothers empty eyes. Some things you can't unsee. It was true. Her nightmares were a playground for the things she longed to unsee. Hordes of dead children singing hallelujah would often run after her, closing in when she reached the dead end of the bridge, their choir of eery voices joined by the bearded man who tried to rape her. Sometimes she would be in a dream, her family calling to her as she lingered in the grass by the farmhouse, the perfect picture torn apart when out from the Forrest came a walker. A walker with Daryl's face. She'd cry and call his name, running, falling into an open grave that Maggie stood over, crying as she shoveled dirt down onto Beth, burying her alive. Maggie didn't seem to stir when Beth woke up shaking. It was a relief to know her sister would be in blissful ignorance of how broken Beth felt.
Her thoughts were fractured by a low rumble in her stomach. She was hungry. In all the shock and weariness, her body had neglected to remind her of how long it had been since she'd had a full meal. Taking the softest grey jumper from the dresser, Beth left the room and slowly made her way downstairs. The room was large and the walls painted a soft hazel tone, the couch and rug made from similar woven material. As she passed through into the kitchen, Beth couldn't help but wish Morgan was here. She worried about him. Feared for his health. Feared for his heart. He'd been alone so long, she couldn't bear to think of him settling into a life without a soul to rely on. When the back door opened, she reached for the knife that was no longer fastened to her belt, eyes wide as she realised it was Glenn, snow in his hair and coating his jacket. His eyes met hers and he smirked.
"You look like you've seen a ghost."
She let out a laugh, watching him pull of his boots, resting his rifle against the back door, rubbing his hands togetehr. The frost had made his cheeks red, his body shivering as he walked over to the coffee percolator. Her stomach growled again and Glenn chuckled, opening the cupboard above him, setting out two mugs and a tin.
"How does cofee and cake sound?"
Beth couldn't help but hug him again. He didn't mind, ruffling her hair, urging her to sit down. As he poured the steaming cofee, she frowned, "where did you go?"
Setting down her cup and the tin, he considered her question before seeming to suddenly realise what she meant, "Oh, you mean my watch. We all get a time slot. Take shifts on the wall. Been tough with winter and all, but it's only a few hours every night."
Opening the tin, Beth was speechless. Inside sat a golden sponge cake, a layer of car,olised apples spread across the top. The sharp scent of cinnamon and apple drove her senses wild, the first spoonful so sticky and sweet she almost forget her question for Glenn. Swallowing the rich goodness of the cake, Beth put forward another question, "who else does the watch?"
"Rick and Tara, Tyrese and Carol... Me and Daryl have the ten to two slot. He usually stays on though."
The mention of his name stopped her from taking another spoonful of food, detecting the sympathetic tone Glenn took when he spoke about Daryl.
"Is he ok? What happend to him?" She didn't mean to sound so breathless, so fearful, but the words slipped out. Glenn didn't seem to notice, he just shrugged, "since Grady, he's been a little distant. On the road, he kinda slipped away a few times. We lost people and I think being here, he feels alone. Rick has tried to help him out but... Dunno what a guy like Daryl needs."
Beth nodded. A small part of her hoped she could give Daryl what he needed. Someone to talk to maybe. It was painful to know he was here, a few roads away maybe, alive and well. How did she resist the need to run and find him? Beth couldn't understand herself. Something told her she had to stay. At least until Dawn. Then somehow she'd find him. Find a way to leave the house, ask someone where he lived. Glenn was watching her with a small smile.
"I'm not gonna ask how you got here Beth... I know you thought Maggie was dead and I've been on that road, looking for someone who might not even be alive... I just need you to know, you being back, it means everything to us."
Beth glanced at him, hardly recognising how much of a man he was now. Glenn had always been that boy to her. That nervous boy who came to the farm and snuck notes to her sister. Who always went to do the most dangerous tasks. The boy with a faded cap and a sideways smile. Now, he was older. Stronger. He was still so kind and funny, but the world had aged him. She could see some of Maggie in him. In the way he watched her, the way he spoke. Strong yet compassionate. For the hundredth time, she thanked the heavens that Maggie had found someone as perfect for her as Glenn.
"That mean if the baby is a girl it's name might be Maggie?"
He smirked and shrugged, "girls names are up to Maggie. Of it's a boy, then my choice. I'm thinking Bruce. Bruce Rhee."
Laughing, Beth took a sip of coffee and shook her head, "Glad to see your taking fatherhood so seriously."
"Gotta laugh about it. Truth is, I'm scared. Being a father... That's a huge responsibility. Another life in my hands. Sure were safe here for now, but... A kid. Bringing a kid up... That's not something I can screw up and fix..."
It was hard to see him so uncomfortable, so truthful and open. The comical facade fell and behind it lay someone with an honest fear. The fear of being a father. Times like this, her dad would know exactly what to say. Wise words that Glenn would appreciate. His hands were on the table, playing with the corner of a napkin, a nervous tick of sorts that told her how nervous he was to even speak his fears. They were alike in that way. Always hiding what was on their minds to protect others. Glenn wouldn't admit to Maggie that he was worried. He'd be too concerned about her and being her support. Beth rested her chin on her hands and looked at him with a firm expression, "Glenn, you could never be a bad father. Your too good. You take care of the group like they are your own family, you loved my sister and kept her safe through everything... I envy any child who gets a father as perfect as you."
"Sure missed having you around to brighten up life," he sighed, raising his mug to her, winking at her. Beth tapped her mug against his, glancing at the window, the early light of day shining through the frosted glass. Glenn could read her longing expression.
"Why don't you get dressed and I'll get Noah to come give you the grand tour."
Beth didn't need to answer. She beamed at him, running upstairs, darting into the bedroom. Maggie was stirring, blinking a few times before looking a Beth with a sleepy smile, hair tousled and perfect. As she rose, Beth pulled on her dry jeans and belt, changing into a blue check shirt that was too big, tying it at the front so it would fit her hand reaching for the red jacket.
"Take mine. That ones hideous." Maggie yawned, pointing to a navy jacket with a fur hood, hanging on the door. Beth wanted to leave that moment but her sister took hold of her arm and sat her at the dressing table, fishing out a brown box from the tone drawer. Inside lay various tubes and compacts that she recognised from years ago. Cosmetics. Maggie smiled as she noticed Beth's raised eyebrows.
"Some of the girls here gave it to me. I must have looked pretty bad."
Beth smiled, allowing her sister to apply different creams to her face, ignoring the sting of the cream against her scars. She didn't want to say how little she cared about her appearance but her sister seemed so happy to do it. Vanity was a sentiment without any real use in the way the world worked how and Beth didn't care about how her scars looked. They were deep and long but she'd got them from surviving. There wasn't any shame in the world seeing them, but she could see how Maggie stared at them. Love for her sister kept Beth from protesting when her sister pulled out a bottle of sunny yellow nail polish. It was an hour before they were done and Beth heard Noah talking to Glenn downstairs.
"Please, just... Just be careful," Maggie sighed, pushing back the curtain of blonde hair that covered Beth's face, staring into her sisters eyes, hand resting on her cheek. She almost seemed reluctant to let her go. Beth gave her a hug, smiling, pressing her lips to her sisters warm cheek as she turned to leave.
"I'll be back. I promise."
...
"Maybe your a vampire now."
Beth gave Noah a playful push. He'd been joking about her return, or her resurrection as he preferred to call it, since they'd set off from the house. The streets were like most neighbourhoods in the city. Rows of white washed houses with identical wooden panels and long porches. Behind them, she could see the wall, ahead, were more houses. Some kids were playing soccer as their moms gathered at each others homes. A girl on a bike passed, a small boy laughing as he sat on the handle bars, closing his eyes as she pedalled faster. Beth kept an eye out for anyone she might recognised, shocked by how many people lived here. Girls her age and young children. All safe and seemingly innocent. None carried weapons or scars.
"So can you see the dead and summon ghosts now you've come back to life?"
Noah laughed as she pushed him again, ignoring the ache of her arms and the sharp pain emanating from the bruises across her ribs. She was intent on acting as strong and easy going as she'd always been, ignoring how traumatic things may have been before this new day. Rolling her eyes, she gave him a mock frown, "You watch too many movies."
Noah nodded, pointing back up ahead, "Can't help it. They show films every Friday night here. Douglas got a Projector running in the town hall. Last week we watched Ghostbusters."
Films. Beth didn't even realise how many she'd seen. There was enough action and adventure in her life, and the movies never really captured how painful it was to get that happy ending. As they reached the end of the street, she saw a large square of grass with a low hedge, snow interrupted by pathways cleared, leading to a playground. Children were already climbing the monkey bars and swinging on the swing set. Their laughter was a sound that Beth was unaccustomed to, her lips curving into a smile, suddenly feeling a little less cold. Noah watched her with a grin.
"Perfect, isn't it."
She nodded, gaze straying past the children and their games, noticing a church with a towering spire. Close beside it sat a building both old and grand, stone steps leading into a red brick hall. Above the grand oak doors was a sign. Town Hall. Families were going inside, some with baskets of food. She could smell bread and cooked meat. Noah explained that the town hall was where they served community meals. Beth didn't expect a safe zone to be this picturesque. She had expected guns and shacks and stony faced men and women, stray dogs clawing for scraps, maybe even a few thugs lingering around the street corners. Everything here was unspoiled. Nothing from the world outside had any place here. The dead were a forgotten memory. Everything here was ordinary. Life went on. It was almost too perfect and she hoped it could last. At least until her niece was born and Judith was old enough to have seen some beauty in the world. Noah told her how the area functioned on an isolated power grid established by the government in case of a major disaster. The wall was built by Douglas and a few others. He said there were places further on for smoking meat and making clothes. There was a school. A nursery. An infirmary. They passed a house with barred windows that Noah explained was the mad house. A place for people who had lost too much and couldn't live unaided.
"Most are suicidal... Nicky was telling me her mom stays there. Tried slitting her wrists when her husband died."
Beth frowned, pulling her sleeves down to cover her own scars, watching the house with distress. If she had come here to find her group dead, to know there was no one left... Maybe they would have given her a room in the mad house. Noah walked ahead but Beth couldn't help but look around, wishing she could catch a glimpse of Daryl. She didn't know why, but she wanted him there. Her nightmares made her fear their reunion was just a dream. A vision conjured by her injured mind. Noah broke her chain of thought by suddenly stopping, waving at a figure nearby.
"Hey Nicky."
The girl turned around. Her circle brown hair hiding most of her face, brown eyes widening as she noticed them. She wore a dress, knee length. Beth was sure she hadn't seen anything like it since prom at her old high school. When Nicky was closer, she gave Noah a dazzling smile that made Beth bite her lip. The urge to laugh was hard to deny. The girl was clearly trying to charm her way into Noah's favour and it reminded Beth of how stupid people her age could be. Or, at least, had been. She'd done similarly stupid things herself, to get Jimmy to notice her, to win him over. It was embarrassing and her eyes wandered away from them, focussing on the children instead. Watching them play. She wanted to see Judith there. Laughing and running, blonde hair shining in the hazy sunlight. Maggie had told her who made it and Judith was one of the lucky ones, along with Carl and Rick. When Noah called her name, she didn't notice, too focused on two boys trying to make a snowman.
"Hey Beth, I said you wanna go?"
Glancing over, she frowned, unaware of what they were talking about, feeling uncomfortable under their questioning stares. Shrugging, she asked the obvious, "Where you off too?"
"The park. Johnny stole some peach schnapps. Were gonna hide out by the old fort while the kids are in school," Nicky seemed so genuinely excited that Beth bit her lip again and smiled. Humoured by how stupid it all sounded. Remembering the old lodge she'd found with Daryl. His voice echoed in her ears, gruff and firm, 'I ain't gonna have your first drink be no peach schnapps.' Somehow, amongst the dead bodies and broken pieces of their lost lives, despite the fear and pain and tears she'd shed at that bar, the memory was a warm one. It was the first time Daryl gave a crap and did something for her that no one else had. Not getting her a drink, but actually listening to what she wanted and making sure she did it. He followed her of the lodge, he listened to her and went with her. He didn't want her first drink to be something stupid because he knew how much she wanted it to be something strong and rebellious and real. He heard her and he gave her what she needed. Right now, all she wanted was to return the favour.
"Wanna go Beth?" Noah glanced at Beth, his question taking a while to make sense to her, his expression telling her he was waiting for her answer. She shook her head and gave the passing girl a smile as she declined. With a toss of her curly brown hair and a soft smirk toward Noah, the girl was off again, hurrying toward the park. Glancing at Noah, Beth tried to supress the urge to grin, watching his eyes follow the girl as she ran. Sighing, she feigned a yawn and gave him a playful push, "You go. Don't let her get away. I was gonna go rest up anyhow."
He seemed hesitant but she pushed him away and watched him go, taking a seat at the bench near the park, smiling to herself as she saw them walk together. Another happy couple. What would it take to see herself so equally happy? Beth knew she didn't care for the kind of relationships people her age had. Boyfriends and crushes and partners. Messing about and having fun. After everything she'd been through, why settle for some idiot ice teenage boy who had no idea how it felt to be broken by a dark past. She didn't need a boyfriend, she needed a man. A companion, a friend, a soul mate. The word soul mate made her kick herself. Dreamy thinking would get her heart broken. If it could be any more fractured.
"Beth!"
Turning round, her eyes filled with tears as she saw Carl hurrying over, in his arms was the child she would always know, deep down, was more her own than anyone's else's. The child who she loved and missed and dreamt of holding again. Judith. Her Judith.
...
After an afternoon spent with Judith and Carl, trading stories and playing tag, Beth could feel her bones aching and the cold became less of a burden and more of an enemy. The afternoon had passed and now it was the early evening, a time when the cold armed itself with a frosty bite and the sky turned from chilled blue to pale amber. She made her own way home. Felt the eyes of the neighbourhood following her. Maggie's jacket hood helped ease how nervous she felt walking alone. She wasn't afraid, just uncomfortable. Judgement wasn't something she was used to. When her boots struck the wooden steps of the porch, Maggie was at the door, smiling as she saw Beth return, her hands resting on her stomach.
"Want some cocoa?"
Beth shook her head. A part of her was reluctant to go back inside. She didn't want to enclose herself in this house, she wanted to watch the sun set and feel the cold... And see Daryl. Her sister wouldn't understand but Beth needed him. Even if it was just for a second. Pulling her hood down, Beth sighed, clouds of steam escaping from her lips.
"I kinda feel like sittin' out a while... At least till sunset."
Maggie shifted. Uncomfortable, but she nodded and closed the door. The porch had a single armchair and Beth settled down, rubbing her aching knees. It wouldn't be a short journey to find Daryl. She knew she'd have to find him. Walking home, Beth had taken the longer route through the neighbourhoods a Noah had shown her, trying to find a place that might be his. None seemed right. Her legs ached but she began to rise regardless, looking up, letting out a startled yelp as she saw a dark figure at the porch steps. Dark blue eyes staring at her, The corners of his lips twitching into a smile as she jumped. Daryl was here and by no mere chance. He'd spent the day worrying about her. Worrying it was a dream. Worried about how he felt and how he would approach her. Last night on the wall he'd asked Glenn about her and almost run back to the Greene house when he found out she'd been crying. Stupid as he felt, seeing her now, he knew he wouldn't be anywhere else, no matter how hard it was to meet those sky blue eyes. She looked better, she looked fed and washed, though he noticed her scars had improved too much. She must have found a way to hide them. He noticed how pink her lips were. How she had yellow nails that matched her hair, that wasn't in a ponytail anymore. It was falling about her face, blonde and in stained by blood the way it had been at Grady... He shook his head. Grady was behind them. He had to focus on what he said now but all he could manage was a gruff, "Was lookin' for you."
Beth nodded, coming a little closer, smiling at him in a way that eased him slightly, "I was lookin' for you. Couldn't find your house."
He shrugged, looking away toward where he'd come from, feeling a strange sort of relief when he heard she was looking for him. It gave him the courage to keep going.
"How comes your out here alone?"
Beth shrugged, mimicking him, nodding at the house, "kinda wanted some time away from... Well, from everyone."
"I'll go then..."
"Don't you dare, Daryl Dixon. When I said everyone I meant from being stuck indoors being the baby sister... I'm not used to being treated like a kid. Especially after everything that's happend."
He heard the pain in her tone. The buried emotions. She'd seen some bad things and he knew too well how that felt, concealing the painful memories. She needed space, maybe even someone to listen. Daryl owed her everything and this was one instance where he knew he could give her exactly what she needed. Before he could suggest anything, she suddenly became aware of his crossbow and the direction he was heading, "where you heading?"
"There's a park just outside the wall. Your not the only one who ain't used to a normal life, Greene."
"Let me come with you," she pleaded and he wondered how she ever considered him able to leave her behind. He nodded. Noticing her shiver. He wasn't aware that the cold didn't cause Beth to shiver.
"Put on you jacket first, can't have you freezing to death."
She did as she was told, giving him a mischievous smile, "Yes mr dixon."