A/N: Sorry I've been naughty. Here's the update finally! I'll keep the AN short so that we can just cut to the chase (but know that I still love each and every one of you more than is probably healthy)

As always, I own nothing TWD. If I did, I'd have the cast take you to see that sappy movie you've been dying to see, never once letting go of your hand.

Beth guessed she'd been standing in front of her bathroom mirror for over twenty minutes. She alternated between getting ready and daydreaming about her afternoon with Daryl. He had told her that this would be a casual afternoon, so no need to get "fancied up." She decided on wearing jean capris and a flowly yellow floral blouse. Something about that color made her think of Carol, and she couldn't quite figure out why.

"I'm not nervous. This isn't a big deal" she told herself as she parted her hair in three sections at the crown of her head.

"This is not a big deal" she repeated as she finished her braid, tying the end at her side.

She walked out to her kitchen and tried to keep herself busy until Daryl arrived to pick her up, trying hard not to smile at that thought. She looked around and noticed the small pile of laundry on her sofa. She had considered cleaning up a bit, but decided against it, choosing to sleep in rather than clean. Besides, she had a feeling seeing her messy apartment wouldn't bother Daryl away. It wasn't as if she had a week's worth of dishes piled up…which she didn't anymore because she made sure to wash them the night before. Even still, he'd be there soon, so she figured a little pre-brunch cleaning might ease her nerves. She put the laundry in a basket and took it to her room trying, unsuccessfully, to keep her mind occupied on mundane things.

The second she walked into her bedroom, she heard a knock. Immediately, her heart started racing.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Breathe.

She slowly walked back to her living room and walked up to the door. She took a deep breath and opened it.

"Hi Aunt Bethy!" Charlie greeted her, a huge smile on his face.

"Chuck?" Beth was confused "Maggie? Hey guys."

"Hello baby sister, how you doing?" Maggie walked in, Charlie firmly on her hip. Beth turned and followed them inside, scowling when Maggie sat herself comfortably on her couch.

"What are you two doing here?" Beth asked, honestly confused.

"Oh, I came to bring this back to you" Maggie handed Beth a plastic container missing its lid. Beth took it from Maggie and examined it closely

"This isn't mine" she spoke mostly to herself as she turned it over in her hand.

"You came all the way across town to…" it hit Beth the second she saw Maggie smiling.

"Maggie, are you insane? Get outta here!" Beth panicked as she realized her sister had arrived to see Daryl.

"Oh relax, Elizabeth." Maggie leaned back on the couch as she plopped Charlie right next to her. How was Beth supposed to relax? She was a hot mess at the moment, and having her older sister present to witness her freak out first hand was not helping.

"Ain't no harm done" Maggie smiled widely at her younger sister, clearly amused by her reaction.

Beth stomped her foot, clenched her fists, and looked up at the ceiling, embarrassed at the fact that she had just been reduced to a temper tantrum.

"I swear Maggie, so help me God…"

"Did I, um, come at a bad time?" Both women turned to the front door only to find Daryl standing there, one hand out in greeting, the other tucked in his front jean pocket.

Must be why they keep us in the back…

"Mommy, you forgot to close the door" Chuck scolded her "that's how strangers and weirdos get inside." Maggie wasn't paying attention however, she was too busy checking Daryl out top to bottom.

"Oh Chuck, the weirdos are already in here" she turned to Chuck and gave her sister a dirty look.

She turned back to Daryl "Not you." He smiled in response and took a tentative step inside.

"Wow Beth, not even going to invite him in, are you? How did mom fail you?"

Beth turned slowly to her again and mouthed a dirty word. It only made Maggie laugh more.

"So, I take it you're Maggie?" Daryl walked further in, stopping right next to Beth.

"Yes, hello. Nice to meet you Daryl-"

"-Daryl" his name overlapped with Maggie's as he attempted to introduce himself.

"I guess you already know my name" he chuckled as he let go of her hand. Both turned to look at Beth who was pinching her nose, too flustered to notice them staring.

"So we better take off." Maggie looked at her son as she stood "Chuck has gymnastics and we don't want to be late."

"Mommy, it's not gymnastics, its super hero training."

"Oh yes, sorry I forgot. They only call it that so they can charge more." Maggie tutted as she walked towards the door.

"So call me later Bethy, and let me know how it goes with that thing" she turned and directed her attention back to Daryl.

"It was sure nice meeting you Daryl. Hope to see you around."

He smiled and waved goodbye to her as Beth followed her out the door. She was about to say something to her but Maggie interrupted "You're welcome, Beth" she winked as she walked down the hall.

Beth stepped back inside her apartment and closed the door behind her.

"Siblings, right?" Daryl smirked when Beth finally got the nerve to look at him.

"Ah, so you get it?" Beth chuckled.

"Yeah. Merle was always…" he chuckled and shook his head almost as if whatever memory came up was too much.

"Let's just say, I'm glad he's clear across the state" he finished as he made eye contact. Beth smiled in return and turned to look at the clock.

11:17am

"So, I guess we should head out?" She shrugged, knowing that from that moment on he was taking the lead. And Beth was happy to follow.

She followed him out of the apartment building, holding the cake she had made, insisting that she could handle it on her own. Daryl protested but settled for holding all doors open for her, the most gentlemanly thing he could do (he had laughed at that comment when she made it). As they made their way into the street she followed him to his pickup, idly commenting about the beautiful day. There wasn't anything special about his truck; it was one of those basic Ford pickups from the late 1980s, yet it seemed to suit him well. As he went to open the passenger side, Beth noticed a few crates in the back filled with an assortment of flowers, she looked at him only to have him smile and wink at her, as he took the cake from her hands, allowing her to step in easily.

On the trip over, they fell into an easy conversation about nothing in particular; Beth's idea to bake a cake for the occasion, Daryl wanting to take the first bite. Daryl debating about taking on a new class for the following semester, Beth cringing at the idea of having to order that new book if he decided to go for it. The awkward silence that Beth dreaded never came.

A few minutes before noon, Daryl pulled up into a small green farmhouse sitting on a large apple orchard. There was a small wooden gate that appeared to surround the home, along with a lush yard that also circled the house.

"This is gorgeous" she said as she stepped out of the truck. Daryl took advantage of her distraction and removed the cake from her hands. She didn't protest this time.

"It's been in their family for decades" he responded as he gestured her to follow him. She absentmindedly tugged her blouse as she followed Daryl, letting the songs of the whitetails flying above them fill her senses. She noted how comfortable Daryl appeared, obviously having been here many times before. They hadn't reached the second step of the porch before the front door swung open.

"Daryl Dixon!" The older woman came rushing out to greet him, placing both of her hands on top of his, essential holding the cake with him.

"Meg" he greeted in return as he leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek. He stepped aside and turned to Beth.

"Meg, this is Beth Greene" he looked back at the older woman "She's a good friend of Carols"

The woman beamed at that last part, making Beth blush a little.

"Beth," he turned back to her "This is Megan McBride, Carol's mother."

"How lovely to meet you Beth" the woman came up to her and pulled her in for a soft warm hug.

"And you" Beth said as she squeezed tightly before letting go. Megan's eyes were bright and brimming with tears.

"Now come in Beth, you too Daryl." She led them inside towards the kitchen.

Meg hadn't stopped thanking Beth for her cake, especially after Daryl promised her that it would be the best cake she had ever tasted. Upon hearing him say that, Beth was sure she could fly.

"I thought I heard you in here" a younger woman came in from the south side of the home and pulled Daryl into a big hug.

"Susan, this is Beth, an old friend of Carol's" Meg placed her hands on Beth's shoulders as she made the introductions "This here is Carol's little sister."

Beth was enthralled by the similarities between both mother and daughter. Their bright eyes, small nose, and wide smile. Both women had the same short hair Carol had, Meg's hair wisps of gray and white, closer to the Carol's shade, whereas Susan's was a dark walnut color. There was no doubt that these three women were related.

"Ah, so you're a friend of Carol's" Susan said as she turned to look at Daryl who bit his thumb as he walked towards the refrigerator. Susan opened her mouth in a silent cheer at his obvious embarrassment, as Meg chuckled slightly and shook her head.

"Beth, what an honor to finally meet you" she placed a soft hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed. Beth was moved by the familiarity of the gesture and placed her hand on top of hers.

"Finally meet me?" Beth asked as she looked between mother and daughter. There was no chance for them to answer however, the women having been interrupted by the doorbell. Susan put her finger to her lips as she walked out of the kitchen, leaving Beth to wonder what it all meant.

"Damn McBride women…" Daryl muttered to himself as he pulled out a drink.

"Hey, don't swear." Beth chided him with a playful slap to his shoulder. Daryl looked at her scowled.

Meg laughed as she followed her daughter to the door. "Oh Daryl," she commented on her way out "I really like this one."

Beth smiled up to him, giddy to see his reaction, red in the face and refusing to look at her. She didn't want things to get awkward, so she smiled wide at him and poked his side, happier still to see him squirm.

"Aw, Daryl, she likes me." She cooed when he turned to look at her.

"Yeah well, she likes me too, so no accounting for her taste." He smiled back as he pushed himself from the refrigerator.

"Come on. Let me give you a proper tour of this place before everyone shows up."

After the brief tour of the house, Daryl had taken her outside and walked her around the apple orchard, sharing memories of Carol from the many years they knew each other.

"So, you two have been in each other's lives for a long time" Beth stated after they had decided to sit for a bit on a fallen tree they had stumbled upon.

"Twenty years" he responded, taking out his second cigarette since they sat down.

"I don't think I've known anybody that long that wasn't family" she responded somberly, playing with the dirt on the ground with her Toms.

"She was my family."

Beth looked down at the marks her shoes were making on the dirt, not knowing what to say to the man sitting next to her.

"I can't imagine that sort of loss" she finally responded, still looking down

"I mean, I understand the loss of a family member, but yours was more than that wasn't it?"

He looked at her, head tilted slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"Losing someone who was many things to you. A lover, family member, a friend." She gave him a shy smile as she slowly turned to look at him.

Daryl shook his head as he inhaled his cigarette. "Nah, Carol and I were never together like that."

Beth was surprised, going back in her mind at all those interactions of theirs she'd witnessed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I just assumed…"

Daryl shook his head again "No, I mean, there was a time long ago when maybe, but no" he threw the butt of his cigarette in front of them and crushed it with his boots.

Beth was still attempting to process this information. She stepped on the butt as well, moving it around with her toes.

"And then Sophia died, and everything changed. The Carol I'd known for all those years was just gone."

"How did it happen?" Beth asked before she had a chance to think.

"An accident, simple as that." He looked up towards the house, peaking out slightly from the trees.

"She was roller blading outside, stepped onto the street the same time a car was turning." He kept his eyes on the house "The car wasn't speeding, wasn't doing anything wrong. The driver was blinded for a split second by the sun. That second was all it took." He turned to look at Beth. "It was almost worse that way. Nothing or no one to blame."

Beth looked down at her hands, her vision blurring.

"Carol changed, both for the better and the worse. She became stronger, resilient, but she was never the same." He looked down at Beth's dirt designs and then up to her "Her light went out, and it never came back on."

They sat silently for a while, hearing the voices of family and friends gathering outside.

"I saw lots of pictures of her and Carol at the wake the school had for her. They were lovely, both beautiful girls." She remembered, looking down at her now dirty shoes.

"Huh," he grunted to himself as he looked sideways at her.

He stared at her for a short while, Beth feeling the intensity of it on her neck. "You know, I actually saw you at that thing."

Beth turned to him confused.

"Really? I don't remember seeing you there." Not that she would have, she wasn't there very long.

"Yeah, well, I didn't so much as see you as, uh, feel you." He chuckled slightly at that last word, gesturing towards his chest. "You kind of ran into me on your way out."

Beth looked at him embarrassed, feeling her entire face growing hot.

"That was you" Beth half gasped half giggled. He gave her his famous half smile as he nodded, causing her to laugh again.

"Well, you're very sturdy" she looked at him, shoulders shrugged not knowing what more to say. Daryl saved her from further embarrassment by laughing at her, as he looked up towards the orchard tops, clearly a little embarrassed as well by her statement.

After a few minutes Daryl sighed loudly, moving his head downward as he looked down at the ground again. "Hell. I miss her."

Beth quietly nodded. As much as she wanted to be out there with him, she recognized that he probably needed a minute alone. She turned to look at him, observed how he had his head down, legs spread out, his hands on his knees, almost as if he wasn't sure of what to do. She reached out and placed her hand on his. She squeezed it tightly and felt him relax. She leaned forward and pressed her lips gently on his cheek, kissing him closer to his mouth than she had intended. He turned his head in her direction as she slowly pulled away. She stopped the moment his eyes focused on hers, a mere inch away from his, and they sat there silently gazing at each other, Beth feeling his warm breath on her lips.

She closed her eyes and smiled as she struggled to find the strength to move.

This isn't the time

"I'm gonna see if Meg or Susan needs my help" she whispered as she opened her eyes, squeezing his hand once more before she stood and walked through the trees.

She wasn't quite sure how she made it to the back porch from the orchard. She was sure a part of her was still with Daryl, his presence so strong that she still felt his breath on her as she walked away.

"Beth!" A familiar voice greeted her, breaking her of her trance.

"Sasha" Beth beamed as both women walked towards each other, embracing tightly when they met.

"What a lovely surprise" Beth smiled at her friend as she released her.

"Isn't it? I didn't know you'd be here, but then again, it makes perfect sense" she smiled as she looped her arm around Beth's waist and led her to one of the wicker seats that had been placed outside. There were roughly twenty people outside now, their voices intermixing with the other. Laughter surrounding them, and it just felt right.

"You come here alone?" Beth asked as she sat down next to Sasha.

"No, Bob and Tyreese came with me. Bob was one of Carol's students as well, and Tyreese, well, he knew I'd need the extra emotional support."

Sasha turned back to look at the house "They're both inside chatting with some other students and friends who came out today. How about you? Did you bring Maggie with you?"

Beth shook her head.

"Actually, no. I came with Daryl" She smiled to herself as she pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Sasha froze for a second before a huge smile appeared on her face. She knew that Glenn and Tyreese talked just as much as she and Maggie had, so she was positive Sasha knew all about Daryl. Plus, she had seen them at the farmers market. She leaned over to Beth as if to tell her something, but at the last second moved back, apparently having changed her mind. Beth was secretly relieved.

"Beth, sweetie, have you seen Daryl?" Susan walked up to the girls, scanning the backyard searching for him.

"I left him in the orchard, it looked like he needed a minute" Beth said softly, knowing that Susan knew what she meant. "Is there something I can help you with, though?" She stood as she saw Bob and Tyreese walking towards her.

"That would be great, thanks." Susan gestured Beth to follow her inside so that they could bring all the food out and get the brunch started. Beth gave both men a quick hug before she followed Susan inside, telling Sasha she would be back soon. After Beth's third trip to the kitchen, a movement from the window caught her eye. She saw Daryl leaning towards the bed of his truck, taking out the crates of flowers he had brought.

"We're going to plant a garden today." Meg walked up next to her, turning towards the window as well.

"Daryl brought some flowers from his greenhouse. Thought it'd be nice to do in Carol's honor. She loved gardens" Beth saw Tyreese approach Daryl outside and offered to help carry some of the crates. When both men were out of sight, Beth turned to Meg and smiled fondly at the older woman.

"Carol was such an amazing woman. I am very lucky to have known her, even if it was only for a few months."

"Were you a student of hers?"

Beth shook her head as the memory of their first meeting at the library filled her head. "No, I wasn't a student." She responded shyly. "I just mended a book for her once, and after that we became friends."

Meg put her hands to her mouth as realization set in.

"Her father's old book? The DSM?"

Beth nodded

"Oh, I remember her talking about that. It meant so much to her. And us" she walked to the small living room, Beth following closely behind. On top of a bookcase were several pictures that Beth hadn't noticed. Many photographs were years old, one of Megan and Carol's father from their wedding. On the first shelf, Meg pulled out a small yellow book Beth would have recognized anywhere. Meg looked at it fondly as she handed it to Beth.

"Daryl brought it to us a while back. Said someone special had fixed it." She smiled at Beth, indicating he had meant her. "He said that someone had poured a lot of love into this book, and it needed to be where it would be cherished and treasured."

Beth hadn't stopped looking at the book, slowly caressing the cover like she had so many times before.

"I think I'm going to return the book to Daryl," she continued "I believe that he's in a place where he can finally cherish and treasure it for himself."

"What makes you say that?" Beth asked, looking up at her. Meg just smiled as she tilted her head slightly, never letting go of her eyes.

"Oh."

A/N: Just like my spirit animal Liz Lemon once said… life is HAPPENING!

P.s. pop culture reference in this chapter: "The Princes Bride"