"Oh, a present!" said Amy, peering around the closet door. "Who's it for?"

"Daryl." Beth sat at her desk, adjusting the bow until it was straight, and then held up the package for inspection. "Do you think he'll like it?"

"I'm sure he'll love it," she said brightly before turning away to pull more clothes out of the closet. A little too brightly. "You still seeing him today? I thought your sister was picking you up this afternoon."

"We're meeting for coffee. I wanted to say goodbye before I left." Beth tucked the present into her purse, but she looked up when she heard her roommate sigh. "What's wrong, Amy?"

"This thing with you and Daryl," Amy said as she stuffed laundry into a plastic garbage bag, "you guys are just friends, right?"

"Of course," said Beth, trying to hide her confusion. "Why are you asking?"

"I'm just… I'm worried, okay?" Amy plopped onto her bed, across from Beth's chair, and took a deep breath. "I've heard people talkin'. About you. And some older guy, who I'm guessin' is Daryl. Unless you've got some other DILF I don't know about?"

Beth knew that Amy was trying to lighten up the situation, but the thought of people talking about her, about her and Daryl, was just too embarrassing. And she had no idea what a DILF was. "What are they saying?"

"Beth, honey, you go out with him every weekend."

"During the day! Not like we've been goin' out on dates or anythin'." It was true that they'd met every Saturday for over a month now, ever since he brought her back from the field trip. He'd started her off in the woods where she'd learned to be more observant of her surroundings by tracking animals. After that, they'd walked all over the city until she could navigate the streets of Savannah as well as she could her small hometown. Running away wasn't her idea of self-defense, but Daryl insisted that it was almost always the best option. Wherever they spent the day, though, he'd walk her to her dorm room around six, no later than six-thirty, and then leave. Even when she invited him to stay for dinner. "Look, we're just training. I'm learning how to be independent, take care of myself, you know?"

"I know that, I do," Amy said, clasping Beth's hands. "And I like Daryl. I can't thank him enough for pullin' us out of that mess at the bar."

"But?"

"But maybe you should try hanging out with people your own age." Amy held on tight, despite her roommate's attempts to pull away. "Beth, college is all about new experiences, breaking out of your parents' expectations, becoming more 'you.' And I get that you and Daryl have history. I'm glad that you two are friends. But are you sure you're not just clingin' to him because he's comfortable? He's safe?"

Beth bit her lip and tried not to squirm under the weighty truth of Amy's words. There was no one in the world who made her feel more safe than Daryl. But their friendship was also far more complicated than she'd been willing, or ready, to explain to the other girls. "I'm sorry I've been such a wet blanket."

"No, I didn't mean it that way." Amy sighed, tucking her leg beneath her. "I just don't want to see you cut yourself off from other possibilities because of this thing you have with him."

Beth rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I don't have a thing with Daryl."

"Good," said Amy, the wrinkles on her brow smoothing over until she noticed that Beth wasn't exactly pleased with her reaction. "I mean, he's nice and all, but he's so much older. And you're young, pretty. I don't wanna see you get hurt or, um, do something you might regret because he's got more experience or whatever."

"Daryl's had plenty of opportunities, and he's never tried anything. Not once," Beth said, glaring at the other blond. "He didn't take advantage of you when he quite easily could have. And he wouldn't let you get taken advantage of, either. So, excuse me if I'd rather spend my time with someone who makes me feel comfortable and safe than worry about whether my drink has been drugged or what might happen if I get stuck alone in the room with some guy I just met."

"If you went out with us, you'd realize that we don't do stuff like that anymore." Amy let out a groan of frustration, running her hands through her hair. "We stick to college bars, only drink from unopened bottles or cans. We even went downtown and talked to that sheriff, like you told us to."

"Well, I'm glad." Beth stood up, tempering her words with a smile. "But I don't wanna live my life like that. I wanna be able to walk home by myself. I don't wanna be afraid. And Daryl's helping me do that."

"I'm sorry, okay?" Amy reached out again, apologetically laying her hand over Beth's. "I just… I see the way you are about him and figured there might be something more."

A little knot formed in Beth's stomach. She thought she'd been so careful about hiding it. "We're just friends. He doesn't feel that way about me."

"And what do you feel?" asked Amy. But Beth's answer was written all over her face. "Sweetie, a guy his age is lookin' to settle down, and you're just starting out."

"I know." Beth closed her eyes, giving her heart a moment's respite from the cage she'd constructed around it. Her eyes were dry, though, when she opened them again. "It doesn't matter, anyways, because he sees me as a friend. Nothing more."

"Maybe it's for the best, alright?" Amy stood up and enveloped her in a warm hug. Beth returned the embrace, knowing in the back of her mind that her roommate was probably right. Things were tangled enough between her and Daryl without throwing romance into the mix. "You should go and give your 'friend' his Christmas present. I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

Beth nodded, giving Amy one last hug before scooping up her purse and leaving. When she got off the bus and arrived at the café, Daryl was leaning against a motorcycle with a cup of coffee in each hand. He'd even completed the look with the addition of a black leather vest to his usual wardrobe of jeans, work boots, and flannel shirt.

"You trade in the truck?" she asked, taking a coffee from him.

"Merle asked me to pull his bike out of impound. I can bring the truck next time if you're worried about ridin'," said Daryl. But Beth's look of concern was less about falling off and more about holding on. It was one thing to pretend that she didn't feel any differently about him. It was a whole other thing to wrap her arms around him, press her chest against his back, and pray to God that he didn't notice how rapidly her heart was beating.

"It's fine, I don't mind riding." She stared intently at the cup in her hands, hoping her cheeks weren't as red as they felt. Maybe she could blame it on the cold. "Can't today, though. Maggie's picking me up soon."

"Forgot you was goin' on break." He took a sip of his coffee, black and strong, roasted almost to the point of bitterness. She'd tried it once and almost spit it out, earning a chuckle from him. It was the kind of brew he grew up on, he'd said, from diners and truck stops instead of fancy places that used paper cups and plastic lids. "How long'll you be gone?"

"I'm comin' back the second week of January, a few days before Spring Semester starts." She sipped hers, two sugars and a dash of cream, just the way she liked it. Too bad it didn't have an extra shot of 'courage.' "Maybe we can start going to the gym then?"

"And do what?"

"Work out?" she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I told you I don't wanna be weak anymore. How else am I gonna build up some muscle?"

"You ain't weak." He scratched at the scruffy hair of his goatee. "You ain't strong, physically, but that don't make you weak."

Beth glanced up in surprise, her blue eyes meeting his as he gave her another one of those soul-searching stares. She could feel herself blushing, but she didn't care. "You really think so?"

"I know it," he said, the corner of his lip lifting in a ghost of a smile. "Come on, I'll give you a ride back to school."

"Okay." She accepted the helmet he offered, setting down her purse and coffee to put it on. "Oh, wait! I almost forgot." The bow had gotten a little smushed, but the present was otherwise perfect. "Your Christmas gift."

His eyes bounced from her face to her hand and back again as if she was holding a tiny unicorn instead of a present. He took the package gingerly in his hands. "I didn't get you anything."

"You don't have to. You bought me coffee. And you've been putting up with me for the past month and a half." Her chuckle faded as she reflected on how much she owed him, instead of the other way around. No amount of presents could make up the difference. "Anyways, it ain't much."

He peeled back the wrapping, taking more care than she thought he would. The picture on the CD case was one she'd had on her laptop of the two of them on the front porch. She'd cropped it so that it was just their feet dangling in case he didn't want to explain who that girl in the picture with him was.

"Tara's girlfriend is a Music major, so she helped me record some songs in the studio," said Beth, fiddling with the straps on her helmet. "I couldn't think of anything to get you, 'least nothin' I could afford. But I had fun makin' it, writin' out songs and stuff."

"Thanks," he said, tucking the CD into the inside pocket of his vest. "I remember you singin'. It was nice."

She felt a little rush of pleasure that he'd kept the memory of those nights. "My singin' didn't annoy you?"

"Only when you tried to rap."

"Was that a joke, Mr. Dixon?"

"What can I say? I'm a funny guy." He tried to maintain a straight face, but his thin-lipped smile kept breaking through. "Hurry up and get on 'fore you ruin my hard-earned rep."

She laughed, grabbing their drinks and tossing them in the trash before she settled onto the cushioned seat behind him. This was the moment she'd been anticipating. And dreading. Her hands slid around Daryl's waist, beneath the worn leather to the softer flannel of his shirt. He placed his hand over hers, making sure they were locked together, and moved them up so her arms were clutching him at the base of his ribcage. She laid her head on his back and felt the embroidered wings on his vest press into her cheek.

The ride home seemed to happen in that space between infinities where time moved too slow and too fast all at once. Her senses were alive, cold air whipping through her heavy woolen sweater, the roar of the engine masking the thump of her heart against her chest. The world passed in a blur of color without the filtering glass of a car window. Occasionally, the odor from a nearby restaurant masked his scent. Beth would close her eyes and bury her nose into his back until it was filled with leather and stale cigarettes, sweat and engine oil, and that thing that was so uniquely Daryl. And then they were suddenly in front of her building only moments after they left the coffee shop.

Reluctantly, she let go and swung her leg around to get off the bike. She removed her purse from the folds of her sweater, setting it onto the seat behind Daryl so she could remove her helmet. "Thanks for the ride."

"Thanks for the present."

"Beth Greene, I hope to God you did not just get off that motorcycle," said Maggie. Beth turned to see her sister slam the door of their old SUV and stride towards them. "Daddy is gonna be so pissed when he meets this new boyfriend of—Daryl?"

"Hey there, Maggie," he said, shutting off the engine. Beth silently prayed that he was oblivious to her desperate desire to strangle her sister.

"I didn't know you were livin' here in Savannah." Maggie smiled as she shook his hand.

"Moved here about a year ago. Ran into Beth at a, um… We ran into each other a couple months back."

"Well, I'm glad she's got someone around to watch out for her."

"She does alright by herself," he said, smiling as he caught Beth's eye over Maggie's shoulder. "To be honest, it's nice to have a familiar face, takin' pity on me and joinin' me for coffee sometimes."

"Either way, it makes me feel so much better havin' someone close by that we know and trust. Daddy wanted her to go somewhere in Atlanta, close to home, but Beth had her heart set on goin' away." Maggie pulled her over and gave her a squeeze. Beth was just waiting for her sister to lick her thumb and wipe some imaginary speck of dirt off Beth's face because that would only be slightly less embarrassing than what was happening right now. "Although I hope she isn't constantly followin' you around like she did when you were working for us."

"Maggie!" Closing her eyes, Beth took a deep breath and let it out. She was hoping that when she opened them again, her sister would be gone or there would be some giant hole leading to China that she could disappear into. But she had no such luck. "I think Daryl's heard enough. And we should probably hit the road if we wanna beat traffic."

"You're right," said Maggie. She raised her hand, giving him a little wave. "Bye, Daryl. It was good seeing you again."

"Bye, Maggie." He kicked on the engine and started walking his bike backwards out of the parking space. "Beth, see you when you get back?"

She nodded and waved, chewing on her bottom lip as she watched him go.

o)O(o

Christmas was a quiet affair with just her, Maggie, and Daddy celebrating. Though it had been three years since the accident, it was still hard not to feel the loss of Momma and Shawn. Maggie tried cooking up the special roast for Christmas dinner again, but it wasn't the same. Out of habit, Beth baked batch after batch of holiday cookies. Daddy ended up sending most of his clients home with a plate since no one else seemed to have Shawn's appetite or metabolism.

After Christmas came the long days and even longer nights of vacation. Beth tried to fill the hours with chores and visits to high school friends, but her evenings were usually spent watching movies in the living room with Maggie. Her sister's choices had been strange lately, ranging from dramas like Gran Torino to comedies like Grosse Pointe Blank. And then there was last night's selection – a Korean movie called Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. While the movie had been good, her sister had never had an interest in foreign films before.

Maggie was upstairs when Beth heard a knock at the front door. She wasn't expecting anyone, although sometimes Daddy's clients visited at odd hours. And he couldn't exactly be picky since he'd lost a lot of clients after relocating his veterinary practice from an office in town to one in his home almost twenty miles away. Instead of a sick puppy or other emergency, however, she found a familiar looking Asian guy holding up what appeared to be her dinner. "Pizza again?"

"Hey," said the pizza boy, "you must be Beth."

"Hang on, I'll get you the cash."

She went to the kitchen, opening a drawer and pulling out the envelope with their take-out budget. It was fuller than she expected, especially since they'd had pizza delivered four or five times in the last two weeks. She was actually surprised that Maggie had found a place willing to make the drive. Maybe there was an extra mileage charge or something.

From the sound of voices in the other room, Maggie had finally come downstairs. Beth pushed open the kitchen door, envelope in hand. "How much is—"

"—full of twists and turns. I just had no idea what was gonna come next," said Maggie, smiling at the delivery boy. He, meanwhile, had the most earnest, goofiest grin as he listened to her. "In fact, I liked it so much that we're watching Oldboy tonight."

"Oh man, that one is intense. My sister and I watched it when I took an Asian studies class in college," he said. Beth noticed that he was holding the pizza box to the side, out of the way so he could stand closer to Maggie. "You've gotta tell me what you think about it."

"Does this mean we're having pizza again tomorrow?" asked Beth, deciding it was time to pay her sister back for embarrassing her in front of Daryl. "Or we can talk about it over coffee? Isn't there one across the street from your shop?"

"Umm, yeah, I like coffee," he said, glancing at Maggie. "I mean, if you like coffee, we could have coffee."

"I actually like tea better." Maggie's voice went up at the end, making it sound more like a question than a statement. "But they have tea at Koffee Klatch too, right?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure they do."

"Great, then it's a date," said Beth. She handed the money over, still unsure of how much they owed, but she was pretty certain that the delivery boy didn't really care if he was getting short-changed. As she was taking the pizza from him, she decided to go one step further. "Oh my goodness. I completely forgot that I promised Daddy I'd help him, umm, do some paperwork."

The poor guy's shoulders slumped for a second before he pulled himself together. "Maybe another time, then?"

"No, you two should go while the movie is still fresh in her mind." Beth smiled at her sister, who was shooting daggers with her eyes. But she hadn't said a word of protest about getting set up on a date.

"So is one-thirty okay with you, Maggie?"

"Umm, sure. I'll meet you there, Glenn." She waved as he walked backwards away from the house, almost tripping on the porch stairs. But as soon as the door closed, Maggie turned on her sister. "You are so dead."

Beth shrieked, dropping the pizza on the kitchen table as she ran through the house. Finally, Maggie had her cornered behind the armchair. Beth clutched one of the couch cushions for extra protection. "Don't be ashamed that you're sweet on the pizza boy!"

"I do not have a crush on Glenn," said Maggie, dodging to the left. But Daryl's training had paid off. Beth was able to anticipate the move and whacked her sister with the pillow for good measure.

"I'm gonna remind you of that in five years when I'm holding my half-Asian nephew. Or niece."

"He's Korean!"

Beth had been about to slip out from behind the chair to gather more ammo from the couch, but she halted mid-step. Suddenly, her sister's movie choices were very clear. "You really like him, don't you?"

"I do n—" Maggie's arm was drawn back, ready to launch a pillow at her sister. Instead, she collapsed into the armchair, her brow furrowed. "Maybe I do like him. But he's so not my type."

"Because he actually likes you back?"

"No, because he's—you really think he likes me?" she asked, tucking a lock of short brown hair behind her ear.

Plopping down on the floor, Beth resisted the urge to goad her sister some more and patted Maggie's hand reassuringly. "I'm pretty sure he's not driving all the way out here for a five dollar tip."

As Maggie turned that thought over in her head, her smile grew. "Well, we should start the movie so I have somethin' to talk about tomorrow."

Beth made her way back to the kitchen, calling upstairs to her father to let him know that dinner was on the table. She grabbed a couple of sodas and put two slices each onto their plates. By the time she returned to the living room, Maggie had the movie set up and ready to play. Per tradition, they sprawled out on the floor, trying to find a spot that was close enough to the fire to stay warm but not so close that it was hot.

"What about your love life?" said Maggie as she took a bite of pizza. "I noticed that Jimmy hasn't been by, so I guess that's over. Are you dating anyone at school?"

"Jimmy and I broke up over a year ago. We just went to prom together 'cause it was easier. And all of our friends were going, so..." Beth shrugged and chewed her pizza thoughtfully. "Of course, there's always Daryl and his motorcycle."

"Oh God, I'd almost forgotten. I'm glad it was just Daryl. I did not want to have to lie to Daddy about you havin' a biker boyfriend."

"What's wrong with bikers?" asked Beth, shooting her sister a sidelong glance. "And besides, would it be so impossible to believe that me and Daryl were datin'? I mean, Daddy was no spring chicken when he married my momma."

"No, but she wasn't in her first year of college, either," said Maggie. She raised her eyebrows in mock-seriousness at her sister. "Why? Are you dating Daryl Dixon?"

"No," she said. Her shoulders slumped as she picked up her pizza only to put it back down. "But would that be so bad? I mean, he's a decent guy. I could do worse."

"I know he's a decent guy, but, Bethy, he's at least twice your age. Just 'cause he's not as old as Daddy doesn't mean he couldn't have a kid your age." Maggie sighed, reaching out to push a stray lock of her sister's hair back in place. "Look, I remember my years at college, okay? I remember datin' older guys and maybe a professor or two. But I'm afraid you're gonna get your heart broken with this little schoolgirl crush of yours."

"It's not like that—"

"You two were thick as thieves back in the day, and I find it hard to believe that he was the one choosin' to follow you around. Not after he ripped into his brother for hittin' on you."

Beth stuffed her mouth with pizza, trying to buy herself some time. She didn't think Maggie had noticed how often she and Daryl had hung out together. It was still the first year after she'd taken over the farm and all of the day to day operations that Momma had always done. Daddy had helped as much as he could, but he also had his practice to run. That was partly why they'd hired on the Dixon brothers. "Maybe we're more alike than you think. Maybe we both just really needed a friend."

"It wasn't fair, losin' Annette and Shawn while you were still in high school. Lord knows, those four years are bad enough. For a little while, I was afraid we were gonna lose you too." Maggie scooted closer to her sister and squeezed her hand. Beth bit her lip, not wanting her to know how right she'd been to worry. "It was a hard time for all of us, and I'm glad you had someone to help you through it. Honestly, it doesn't surprise me that you'd have feelings for him. But maybe—"

"No, you don't understand," said Beth, pulling away. She took a deep breath, trying to control her frustration. It wasn't Maggie's fault that she didn't know why Daryl had stuck to Beth's side all summer and into the fall whether she'd wanted him to or not. It wasn't Maggie's fault that she didn't know why Beth wouldn't go into Daddy's office anymore. Only Daryl knew, and he'd kept her secret well. "Anyways, it doesn't matter because Daryl and I are just friends. Nothing more. So can we forget about it right now and watch the movie?"

"Sure, sweetie," Maggie said, a sad smile on her lips. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"I know." The words felt bitter on her tongue. She wasn't lying, not really. She just didn't want to talk about it. Talking about it would make it real. If it was real, then she'd have to deal with it. And she didn't want it to be real. She didn't want to deal with it. She just wanted to forget, to live her life like it never happened. Beth forced a smile onto her face. "Believe me, I will let you know when I have something to talk about. Okay?"

"Okay." Maggie hugged her tightly for a moment, and Beth took comfort in her sister's embrace, returning the hug. "I love you, sis."

"Love you too." Beth grabbed the remote and started the movie. "And I expect a full report when you come back from your date with the pizza boy."

"His name is Glenn, not 'pizza boy.'"

"Ugh, you're so in love with him."

"Am not."

"And you'll have the cutest babies."

"Am n—okay, maybe. He's got nice hair. And lips."

Beth grinned, sharing in her sister's happiness. And glad to get the focus off herself. Pretty soon, they were both so engrossed in the movie, both because of the subtitles and the complex plot, that it was easy to forget the conversation that came before. In fact, Beth was almost sad that she wasn't going to be there tomorrow to talk about the movie with Maggie and Glenn. But she had a feeling there would be more movies and more coffee dates yet to come.