Before each chapter ill point out their ages because there will be time jumps and it just makes it easier for you guys. And this chapter is blah, I rewrote it several times but I just couldn't' seem to get it exactly how I wanted it to. Hopefully it's not too terrible.

Beth-10
Daryl-12
Merle-19
Maggie-18

Beth was home alone at the moment, her dad was 'working' which she began to notice he did a lot, yet the power would sometimes get shut off, or they would have late notices posted on their front door about the rent. Maggie was eighteen now, and was the one to pay the bills most of the time. So she was at work quite often, she worked as a checker at the local grocery store. Most of the time, it was just Maggie and Beth at the house. Hershel was gone a lot so they had sort of gotten used to it just being them. Beth knew her father had problems, but she still loved him. She now fully understood about what had happened between her parents, ever since she heard them fighting over the phone about who got to have them during the fourth of July last summer. She hadn't quite understood all of it, but she heard her father say 'well maybe if you weren't with another man' at some point and Beth had put it all together even at the age of ten. She only saw her mother on holidays, which she honestly didn't mind. Her mother seemed to be more concerned about her 'new' life rather than her kids she left in the old one. Shawn came to visit every couple of months though; he was in college studying business in Atlanta.

Beth was sitting at the dining table working on her homework, when she heard the sirens. Beth figured they were just passing by, but when they got louder and louder she ran to the window to see. Beth saw as the ambulance and cop car parked out front of the house a crossed the street…Daryl's house. Maggie had told Beth that when she was home alone, to lock the door, and that she wasn't allowed to go outside, but Beth didn't care at the moment. Beth flew out her house and ran a crossed the street to see what was going on. Daryl came bolting out of the house, his face was red with tears and he had snot coming out of his nose. He didn't notice Beth as he ran into the woods that surrounded the backside of his home. She saw Daryl's father walk out of the house, only to have the policeman escort him to the side of the yard talking to him. Next thing she knew there was a black van, with a man that stepped out and went and talked to Will Dixon. Will waved his hands in the air and spouted something off that Beth couldn't understand before storming off. The older looking man and one of the paramedics then unloaded a gurney from the van, taking it inside the house. Beth didn't quite understand exactly what was going on, but the scene before her made her feel like she was going to throw up. She didn't see Daryl's mom anywhere, and that made her nervous.

Suddenly Beth remembered Daryl running off; she took off into the woods in the direction he had gone. Beth had an idea of where he would be… There was a spot in the woods by the creek. Since Beth had moved in a crossed the road, she and Daryl had become best friends. For the past four summers they had known each other they would sneak off into the woods to 'their spot' and play in the creek and catch frogs, able to get away from their complicated lives back home. Beth ran as fast as she could before reaching the place they always met, only to find Daryl sitting on the ground with his head between his knees, his body wracking with sobs…

"Daryl…" Beth's voice was small and cautious. In the four years she had known him, she had never seen him cry. Not once.

He didn't move. Beth slowly made her way over to him taking a seat next to him, not knowing what was wrong or what she could do.

"Daryl are yo-"Beth began again before Daryl cut her off.

"Just go away Beth!" He barked at her lifting his head and standing up.

Beth jumped at his aggression, before standing up behind him.

"Daryl what happened, what's wrong… why are the cops at your house?"

"Go away!" He yelled flinging his arm out, trying to flee Beth away.

"But you're crying…I just-" Beth said in a small voice.

"Don't ya have ears go away!" Daryl screamed while he shoved her back.

Beth fell back landing hard, her own tears threatening to escape. Beth lifted one her elbows to see blood from scraping it on the ground. Daryl had never done anything like that to her.

Daryl sat staring at her on the ground, shocked at his own actions. He had never meant to actually hurt Beth; she was his best friend…

"M'sorry Beth…" Daryl mumbled before running off even further into the woods.

Beth picked herself up and dusted herself off before running home.

As Beth ran past Daryl's house, all of the vehicles were gone. The ambulance, the black van, and the cop cars. Almost as if on cue, Beth saw her sisters car pull into their driveway a crossed the street. Beth bolted flinging herself into her sister arms as soon as Maggie had stepped out of her car.

"Beth- wha? What are you doing out here? Where did you come from?" Maggie asked panicked at her sister behavior.

"Are you bleeding what happened?" Maggie asked frantically checking Beth over.

"Something happened to Daryl's mom I think, there were cops and a van? And he was crying and then he pushed me and he just ran off." Beth cried to her sister.

"He pushed you, are you okay Bethy?"

"I'm fine! What about Daryl Maggie? He just ran off, and his Daddy aint even looking for him?" Beth sobbed.

Maggie gave a sad smiled at her sister's selflessness.

"I'm sure he'll be okay Bethy, c'mon lets go get you cleaned up…" Maggie rubbed her sisters back and led her inside.

…

That night Beth kept looking out the window over at the Dixons house, hoping to see Daryl by chance. But as it got dark there were no lights on in the house, and Will Dixons truck was gone. Beth thought about sneaking out and going to find Daryl, but she knew her sister would have her hide. The last thing Beth remembered before falling asleep was hearing her Daddy stumbled through the door and into his bedroom at eleven o'clock at night. She just hoped that Daryl was okay…

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It had been a week, and Beth hadn't seen Daryl or his father. She had looked in the woods every day, calling out his name and searching for any sign of him. She had went to his house and knocked on the door the first couple days but after no answer, she eventually just went inside. Only to be more disappointed, because nobody was home. Beth had told her sister, that she couldn't find Daryl anywhere and pleaded her sister to help. Maggie had called the sheriff's department, and Beth had overheard the conversation. Misty Dixon had overdosed on drugs and alcohol. Last the sheriffs heard Will had said he was getting out of town for a while, they assumed that of course Daryl was with him. But Beth knew better, Will had left alone and hadn't come back since? She was now deeply worried for Daryl, he had never came home either.

It had been precisely nine days. Beth had been counting, and each day she had the same routine. She would wake up before going to school and go and knock on the Dixons door, then she would search the woods before having to go catch the school bus, then when she got home from school she would do it again. Eventually Beth had started to believe that, Daryl was with his father. That maybe she had just missed him leaving with him. But on the ninth day after school she went and knocked on the Dixons door again. Only to have a very dirty and tired looking Daryl answer the door with a sandwich in his hand.

"Daryl! Oh my gosh!" Beth threw herself into him, latching on to him with all she had.

"Where were you, I been looking everywhere for you!" Beth cried.

"I got lost." Daryl shrugged taking another bite of his sandwich after Beth released him.

"What do you mean you got lost? Where have you been-are you okay? Maggie kept saying you were with your dad but I knew better, I saw him leave and then- " Beth rambled before Daryl cut her off.

"I got turned around, been in the woods this entire time…" Daryl said.

"You mean since…" Beth trailed off unsure of what she could say to him. His mother was dead, what could she say. Beth suddenly became nervous looking around his house; she had died in the very home they were standing in.

Beth saw the wave of sadness that washed over him; he glanced at her before dropping his gaze and sitting on the sofa. Beth slowly made her way over taking a seat next to him.

"M'so sorry Daryl…"

Daryl began to cry, bouncing his leg up and down while he stared at the floor trying to control his emotions. He was trying not to, he was trying to hold it all in. But he was only twelve…his mother had just died, his father had abandoned him, his brother was in jail, and he had just spent the last nine days all alone lost in the forest. Beth knew he couldn't hold all of that in, and it was all about to breakaway. She was gonna be there for it though, even if he shoved her, screamed at her or begged her to go. She wasn't gonna leave him, that's not what he needed. He needed someone.

"I'm not gonna leave you…" Beth spoke again quietly.

"I'll never leave you." She finished while she wrapped her arms around his slightly larger frame.

A few silent moments went by before he completely broke and fell into Beth. She brought his head down into her lap and softly pet his head. Until Daryl started to calm down, Beth just sat and let him cry. Cry for his mother, cry because of his deadbeat father, cry because of his unfair life. He eventually lifted his head looking at Beth.

"Come on, you can stay with us tonight. Maggie's making fried chicken." Beth gave him a sad small smile before grabbing his hand and leading him a crossed the street and into her house.

Maggie was in the living room reading when Beth walked into the doorway. Maggie eyed her sister oddly at first but after Daryl came into view Maggie was on her feet. She walked over to Daryl not saying anything at first, but just rubbing his back and giving him a sad smile. Maggie's stomach churned at the sight of him, he was filthy and had dark circles around his eyes, and he had been crying you could tell.

"Bethy, why don't you have Daryl go lie down in your room for a bit and let him rest. You can wake him when dinner is done." Maggie offered the warmest smile she could give to the poor boy before going into the kitchen.

Daryl followed Beth into her room, like he had many times before. It wasn't the first time, he had stayed with them, Maggie and Beth had both seen the bruises. They had heard the screaming and fighting that came from the Dixon household, Maggie had even called the cops a few times but nothing ever helped. Daryl had never let Beth see the cuts on his back though. He would wait until they healed a bit for a few days before he went and saw her after having a real bad beating. He only got the belt when his Dad was really mad though, it wasn't always. Secretly Daryl hoped his father would just never come back at all, and he could just live with Beth…But he knew that wasn't how it worked. Beth had Daryl lie down; he almost instantly closed his eyes and fell asleep. Beth went into the kitchen to talk to her sister.

"How's he doing…"Maggie asked quietly.

"He got lost Maggie…In the woods this entire time. His daddy wasn't even lookin for him; he just left him after his mom died. How do you think he's doin?" Beth sassed back quietly. Despite being only ten years old she was more mature, and could have quite the attitude sometimes, she figured that was from being around Daryl a lot of the time, he didn't act like he was only twelve.

Maggie felt a large pang of guilt hit her for not helping her sister look for him. Beth had told her, that he was gone. That his dad had just left him behind, and that she couldn't find him anywhere. But after Maggie had called the sheriff and they had told her that he was with Will who had left town for a while she just assumed that it was true.

"M'sorry I didn't help you. Didn't believe you…"

"Do you think his dad's coming back?" Beth ignored her sister's apology.

"He'll come back eventually I assume…" Maggie shrugged.

"Can he stay with us…until he does?" Beth looked at her sister with pleading eyes.

"That's up ta daddy…" Maggie spoke as she pulled down a box of mashed potatoes from the cupboard.

"Our Daddy aint never here either Maggie, he aint been home in two days!" Beth raised her voiced slightly.

"He's working…" Maggie shot her sister stern eyes.

"Maggie you and I both know Daddy aint workin…"

Maggie looked at her sister sadly. It broke her heart that their father wasn't there for Beth like he needed to be, or their mother. But she knew Beth was getting to the age, where she understood the world a bit better. She couldn't keep her from it forever.

She let out a small sigh.

"Of course he can stay here Bethy…Now go do your homework while I start dinner."

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Daryl awoke the smell of food, and faint voices. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he slid out of Beth's bed. He was thankful for the small amount of sleep he had gotten, since he had gotten lost he hadn't slept much, and when he had it was on the cold, hard ground. He had managed to light a fire a couple of times, Merle had shown him how. Merle had actually taught him a lot of things growing up when he wasn't in juvie; Daryl obviously needed more practice in the tracking department… Now Merle was in jail again, but he remembered his Ma saying that it was real jail this time, and he might not be out for a while… His Ma. Daryl didn't even want to being to think about his mother anymore, over the last couple of days he had plenty of time to think about his mother's death. He didn't want to anymore; he wanted to put it away. He just wanted to put it all away at the moment and pretend that life was okay, and he was just going to go eat dinner with his best friend and her sister and just be okay. Daryl was unaware of how long he slept, but it was now almost dark out. He followed the sound and smell into the kitchen, to find Beth setting the table, and Maggie stirring a pot of string beans.

"Oh hey Bethy was just about to come wake you." Maggie spoke first.

Beth hadn't seen him enter the kitchen and turned to face him. She greeted him with one of her award winning smiles. Daryl faintly smiled back.

"Is there anything I can do ta help…" Daryl offered quietly, he always did even though right now he was practically drooling at the food in front of him. All he really wanted to do was dig in. Maggie always let him eat at their house and stay over sometimes. He knew their father wasn't around a lot, and that Maggie practically took care of Beth. He knew it couldn't be easy, but Maggie always kindly offered; sometimes even told him to stay and eat. And he was thankful for that.

"I got it." Maggie smiled while bringing plates of food to the table.

They all sat and ate. Daryl more so inhaled his food to be honest. Beth kept giggling at him throughout dinner, pretending that her laughter wasn't particularly pointed at him even though it was obvious. When they were all done eating, Daryl helped Beth do dishes like they always did after he had dinner at her house. Maggie was on the computer in the living room. When they were done with the dishes, Beth surprised Daryl by enveloping him in a tight hug.

"Beth- wha" Daryl tensed and let his arms hang awkwardly at his sides.

"It'll be okay Daryl." Beth held on to him for a few moments, just doing simply that. Holding him.

Daryl wanted to ask her what she was even talking about, but he knew why she was doin it. He wanted to tell her to quit, that he didn't need some girl to make him feel better. He wanted to actually believe her when she said it would be okay, but as soon as his dad came back or after he wore out his welcome at the Greene household everything would be far from okay.

"It aint." Daryl croaked out.

"It will be, just gotta have hope. That's what my daddy use ta say."

She hadn't let go yet, she just stood with her arms wrapped around his torso and her head on his chest. Daryl didn't say anything and just let her hug him. He didn't return it, but he didn't want her to let go either. He hoped that Beth Greene would always be there to hold him, even when he didn't want anyone to. Daryl didn't like having others help him; he didn't like pity or charity from others. Beth never gave him that though, she was simply just there. And he needed that.