Enjoy:)

~ Earlier that day ~

Maggie walks to the window, pressing her face against the glass in hopes of catching one last glimpse of Glen before he and Daryl drive away. Her fingers run instinctively over the spot on her forehead where her husband's lips last touched her skin, and the thought of it causes a lump to form in her throat. Every time he leaves she is forced to face her greatest fear. One day, maybe today, he might not come home.

She stands there watching as Beth taps the hood of the vehicle in a final send-off and waves farewell.

There's something about the way she's is standing there that hits Maggie hard in the gut. Beth is different now, and Maggie wonders how long she has failed to notice that her little sister has grown up. She now carries herself with the confidence of someone who's lived, and in past weeks Maggie has watched on as her sister continues to step out of the shadows. Beth is no longer content to stand back and let others make all the decisions. She has found her voice and people are starting to listen. As much as Maggie feels a need to protect her younger sister, she is also coming to realize that Glen may be right, and her efforts to do so are just pushing Beth farther away. In this world you only get so much time with the people you love. Maggie has been given a second chance with Beth and she doesn't want to waste it.

Smiling, the brunette flings open the window and calls down, "Hey dewdrop. How 'bout you and I go for a walk today? We could check out the pond Rosita was telling us about. Catch up maybe?"

Looking up at her sister from down below, Beth smiles back, "Fine, but only on one condition."

"And what's that?"

"Stop calling me dewdrop! It's embarrassing."

"Sure thing dewdrop."

Beth shakes her head and sighs as she watches Maggie shut the window and scurry off to get ready. Maybe it will do her some good to get her thoughts off of Daryl and on to something more productive. The mixed signals he's been sending out lately are driving her insane. She doesn't understand it. They had grown close... really close in the last few weeks before she was taken, but ever since Daryl has brought her back, he seems stand-offish. It's not that he isn't spending time with her, he is... loads of it in fact, so Beth knows he still cares. It just doesn't seem to be progressing beyond that though. Sure there's the odd touch here or there if he has an excuse for it, but the tiny blonde knows what Daryl is capable of, and he is definitely holding back. Beth just can't figure out why. Yesterday she had been so sure he was about to make a move. Everything about the hunter's body language suggested it, and she was doing everything in her power to encourage him on. Then Rick and Carl walked by and Daryl practically ran to get away from her. It happened again later on when Daryl cut himself by the fire, and Beth worries that maybe he's ashamed of the bond that formed between them out on the road. Maybe he just wants to be friends.

/

Maggie bounds into the kitchen and begins to riffle through the cupboards until she finds some blueberry jam and saltine crackers, which she places into her back-pack.

Next she grabs two of the empty gallon jugs sitting on the counter and heads for the front door. She meets Tara in the hallway and fills her in on their plans. "Tell Rick and the others where we went, ok."

"Sure thing Maggie. When will you guys be back?"

"After lunch sometime."

"Ok, see yah."

Maggie opens the door to find Beth standing directly on the other side of it. The sun is warm on her skin, and the gentle breeze has taken some of the humidity out of the air. It's a perfect day for a walk and she is glad she thought of it.

Before the pair make their way over to the gate Beth gives her sister a playful nudge. "So am I your distraction till Glen gets back?"

Maggie feighns offence. "Can't a girl just want to hang out with her sister?"

Beth side-eyes her sceptically, but keeps silent.

Maggie pretends not to notice and tosses Beth one of the empty jugs. "Thought we'd bring back some water for the group."

"Good idea. We just better hope Eugene has his test tubes ready."

"Why is that?"

"We wouldn't want to give the group eccolii," Beth says with a smirk.

Maggie bursts out laughing, causing Beth to do the same, and neither girl can remember the last time they laughed so hard. Beth can feel her eyes tearing up as she holds a hand over the stitch that is forming in her side, and just when she thinks she is regaining her composure, the giggles start again.

Maggie counts down, wondering how long it will take before...

"Snort!"

There it is.

Beth's covers her mouth, suddenly embarrassed, and glances around only to find Carl standing there with a goofy smirk on his face.

"Did you just snort? Wait till I tell everyone that if we get you laughing hard enough we can make you snort."

Beth's face goes beat red and her eyes expand to the size of saucers as panic washes over her. Ever quick to do damage control, she pulls Carl off to the side and leans in close. "Carl, listen to me for a sec. I have four Big Cat chocolate bars. Three of them can be yours if you promise never to mention this to anybody... ever... again."

The teen shrugs his shoulders and tilts his head while considering his options. "Four. Give me all four bars and no one will ever know. "

"That's extortion!"

"Makes no matter to me. Take it or leave it."

Beth narrows her eyes in an attempt to look intimidating, but unlike Daryl she just doesn't seem to have the knack for it. "Fine," she responds begrudingly. "They're in the cookie jar, wedged behind the woven baskets under the sink in the kitchen." She holds out her arm. "Is it a deal then?"

Carl grabs hold, and gives Beth's hand a firm shake. "Deal."

She turns back and sees Maggie is standing smug as can be, with a hand on her hip and an eyebrow raised. "Bribery... wow!"

"Shut-up."

"For you that's like taking blood money from the mob," Maggie teases again before wrapping a sympathetic arm around her sister. "Come on, let's go see that pond."

Beth gives a dejected sigh then loops her arm through Maggie's, and the two head out through the gates, all the while basking in the suns golden rays.

They hike about half a mile through the field of tall grass before finally reaching the tree-line of the forest. Together they move slowly, keeping a constant eye out for danger. It isn't until Beth stumbles over a loose rock that either of them notice the felled walker only a short distance away. The sorry creature is stuck under a tree limb, and by the looks of it, has been there for quite some time. Beth immediately pulls out her knife and plunges it deep into a walker's brain, putting it out of its misery. She then places her foot directly against the dead mans jaw just as Daryl has shown her, and yanks the weapon free, treading on soft feet back to her sister's side.

When they reach the spring feed pond the two of them come to a halt, standing together in awe as they take in the simple beauty of it. The pond itself is not so large that a person couldn't walk around it in about ten minutes. Bull rushes line the outer edge of the far side while lily pads float through the center. Beth hears the echoing croak of a bull frog mix with the gentle hum of a humming-birds wings, and closes her eyes to focus on the melody.

"Look at that," Maggie says, pointing to the rippling water where a dragon-fly has just skimmed the surface. "It's breathtaking."

The girls climb a nearby boulder that juts out a ways from the pond and settle in.

Beth smiles. "I'm glad you asked me to come with you. This place reminds me of uncle Gordon's cottage near the finger lakes. He had a pond like this, remember."

"Yah... I remember the day you stopped swimming in it too. How old were you anyway? Like six."

"Seven."

Maggie nods eagerly. "That's right you were. Shaun and that boy down the road started throwing seaweed at each other. What was his name?"

"I don't know, but he was weird. Use to catch grasshoppers and pull their legs off. Who does that anyway?"

Maggie lowers her eyes to the ground and confesses. "I did that."

"Gross!"

"Set ants on fire with a magnifying glass too."

"That's disgusting Maggie!"

Maggie shrugs and giggles. "I remember you were playing with your sand toys on the beach when Shaun threw that giant glob of algae. It missed the kid entirely. Took you out though with a direct hit. I'll never forget your expression when it landed on your head. You cried all the way up to the house."

Beth shakes her head in dismay. "I felt awful after-words. Shaun got into so much trouble."

"Hey Beth, do you remember when Shaun put that garter snake in your bed as payback for eating the last of the peanut butter."

"No, but I certainly remember mamma's screams as she ran through the farmhouse after going upstairs to put new sheets on my bed."

They start laughing again, but soon the laughter turns to tears and they find themselves sobbing in each others arms. Beth pulls back a bit, but only for a second. She is too overwhelmed by her sudden sadness, and if there is one person who can understand this particular loss, it's her sister. "I miss him so much Maggie."

The lump in Maggie's throat grows larger when she looks over to see her own grief reflected back through Beth's expressive blue eyes.

Their beautiful brother was the glue that binded the sisters together. Shaun was the jelly in their jelly sandwich. His kind spirit and easy nature made him easy to confide in, and if Maggie ever had a hero... Shaun was hers. He may have been younger than her by a couple of years, but he willingly took the fall for her more than a few times growing up. Shaun always had her back no matter what, and he defended her honor as though it were his own.

With Beth it was different. Shaun and her spent real time together. When they were kids he would sometimes sneak into Beth's room after lights out with a flashlight in hand, ready to read her any story her heart desired. Other times he would simply make them up, and Beth enjoyed that even more. They bonded over their mutual love of music and nature and as Shaun became a teenager he worked hard to keep the bond between them strong. Beth and him would tare through the farmhouse playing silly games like pirates and prisoners, and Shaun always included her, even when hanging out with his friends. He loved having Beth around and would have done just about anything to make her smile. Thick as thieves. That's what their momma would say.

As Maggie stares out over the pond she debates on whether or not to ask the question that has been on her mind of late. It's not really any of her business, but... "Can I ask you a question Beth."

A haunted expression glosses over Beth's usually hopeful face and she looks away in an attempt to hide her shame. "I get that you're trying to help Maggie. Really I do, but like I said before. I just want to forget that I was ever in that place and move passed it. You need to stop bringing it up."

A knowing smile slowly forms on Maggie's lips. "That wasn't what I was going to ask."

"Really?" Beth raises a brow. "All right then, out with it."

"Is there something going on between you and the redneck?"

"MAGGIE!" Beth's can feel the heat rise on her face and she knows she must be turning multiple shades of pink.

Her reaction speaks volumes, and its obvious to Maggie that her question has hit a nerve. "There is, isn't there?"

"I'm not talking about this!" Beth snaps.

"Come on, we're sisters! This is the stuff we should be talking about. The two of you were alone together for quite some time right. It would only be natural if feelings started to develop. You don't have to answer me if you don't want to Beth, but I see the way he looks at you when you don't know he's doing it. And I swear to God Beth. When we thought you were dying... Daryl looked terrified. I've never seen a look like that on his face before. He would of moved all hell and creation to save you. I'm sure of it."

Beth sneaks a shy look in her sister's direction. "Really?"

"Really! Look, I know that I can sometimes be a little judgmental, but if you ever do want to talk about it, just know that I'm always gonna be on your side Beth. If Daryl Dixon makes you happy. If he's what you want, then I say go for it! Life's to short to live with regrets."

"Let's just say it's complicated, and leave it at that."

"Men always are."

Maggie shakes her head and smiles as she hands Beth a cracker, causing Beth's stomach to let out a loud growl. Reaching for the blueberry jam, Beth uses the slight break in conversation to ponder Maggie's words while they quietly eat their lunch.

It is not long into their meal that the blue sky begins to turn a hazy green and the wind picks up. The temperature drops a couple degrees in a couple of minutes and Beth rubs her hands over her arms to keep warm. A look of concern forms on Maggie's face and a sudden boom of thunder rumbles in the distance. "Better fill the jugs and get back. Storms coming."

Beth tilts her head up and nods in agreement as the clouds move at a fast pace across the horizon. The wind picks up, blowing harder around them, and small rain drops begin to fall.

Maggie quickly grabs her pack while Beth reaches for the empty jugs, and together they leap off the boulder and head to the waters edge.

"That's the last one Maggie. Come on let's go." Suddenly a flash of lightening strikes down on the opposite side of the pond, sparks flying through the air as the electricial current splits a tree almost in half and sends it crashing to the earth with a loud thud. "Run!"

Maggie takes the lead with Beth only a short distance behind as the groans get louder.

"Maggie, look out!" Beth swings the full jug of water at a mangled walker, knocking it to the ground before it has the chance to latch on to Maggie's shirt. Then she finishes the job with the heel of her boot while Maggie stands there in shock, pissed that she let one of those things get that close to her, but glad Beth was there to have her back. "Thanks."

"Thank me later. Let's just get to the church!" The sisters lock hands, not wanting to lose each other through the sheets of pelting rain, and together they slice through the thick underbrush and foliage with one purpose and one purpose only. They have to get home. It isn't until they reach the outer edge of the tree line and enter the field that they run into another problem. Maggie stares in wide-eyed horror and points. "Look!"

A hundred or so walkers are edging out of the tree line on the far left side of the field that surrounds the church. Instinctively Beth and Maggie grab for their guns, but they already know there are too many of them to fight.