Three weeks now. Three weeks and no word about what was happening with her car (she still technically owned it) was getting ridiculous on Daryl Dixon's part. Which was how Beth found herself standing inside the Dixon's shop, waiting for Daryl Dixon to finish talking to Mr Whitley. She knew he'd seen her walk into the shop; even from across the yard she had seen him pause in the midst of talking. She could see him gesturing impatiently now, looking back at the shop while Mr Whitley shrugged in his usual slow manner. He was about Beth's father's age and was a kind, gentle man, who Daryl Dixon obviously had no patience for. She fought back a smile as Daryl held a finger up to silence the man, and took off jogging towards the shop. Martinez was walking towards the shop as well, before stopping as Daryl crossed into his path. They exchanged a few words, and Martinez nodded, turning back towards Mr Whitley.

She turned away from the window, not wanting to stare out at him while he walked towards her. She heard him reach the shop and turned hesitantly to see him standing still, watching her from the doorway. He was covered in grease and dirt as usual, and it looked as though he ripped the sleeves off all of his shirts. There were small tears scattered through the shirt probably sustained while working on the cars and his pants might have black, once upon a time. They were ripped at the knees and practically grey from dust and dirt. Beth was surprised a black cloud of dust and dirt wasn't visible around him.

"I haven't sold anythin' yet. We're busy." He stated abruptly, entering the shop slowly, his presence filling the entire room.

"So why couldn't you have just messaged me back?" Beth asked just as abruptly as she stared at him, not wanting to leave without making her annoyance known. He stared right back at her, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"Dunno, maybe cos we're busy?" He leaned back against the counter.

"It would have taken you 'bout 30 seconds to reply." Beth was starting to feel silly but she resolved to stand her ground.

He cleared his throat, straightening up from the counter. "Look, you know Bill's went down in flames, my brother's gone, so I don't. Have. Time. Haven't forgotten 'bout it."

He turned to leave, but Beth wasn't finished.

"Wait!"

He stopped and turned to her, clearly tense.

"Thank you. I should have known you're busy, but I really appreciate it anyway." She was blabbing, and her mind was already trying to backtrack to see if what she'd said even made sense. "But…I was wondering if you could help me with something else."

If anything, he looked even tenser by the time she finished speaking.

"I want to buy a car."

His expression didn't change in the slightest, but she knew she'd surprised him.

"I want to buy a car, and I don't want my family to help. I just…need some help with what to look for, and I want a mechanic to check it out before I buy it." She bit her lip, still feeling a little nervous and reached into her bag. She had printed out a few of the cars she had looked at the night before for him to have a look at, and offered the folded pieces of paper to him. He glared at the pieces of paper and Beth wanted to stamp her foot in frustration, but took a small step closer to him instead.

"Please?" Beth tried to smile at him but it probably looked more like she'd eaten something sour for breakfast. "There's no rush, if you could just look at these and let me know if they sound all right, or if there's one in particular worth looking at…" she trailed off. He huffed out a breath and abruptly snatched the papers from her outstretched hand.

"How much money ya got?" He asked, scanning the pages.

"Three thousand. Is that enough?"

Daryl sucked in his lips, pausing at one of the pages. "It'll do." He glanced at her quickly, and then looked out the window where Martinez was still talking to Mr Whitley.

"I'll look at 'em," he held up the papers and started backing away from her. Beth knew she'd said there was no rush, but she at least wanted a timeframe.

"And you'll let me know…in a week?"

He paused at the doorway and smirked at her. "Maybe," he said before stepping outside, leaving Beth standing alone in the shop. She pursed her lips, watching him stuff the papers in his pocket as he walked towards Martinez and Mr Whitley for a minute and then slowly headed to the bus stop, feeling an extreme case of déjà vu.

She huffed out a breath as she sat down on the bench when she finally reached the bus stop, searching in her bag a little more aggressively than usual for the reading she needed to have done for the lecture she was attending that afternoon. The one good thing about travelling to the city by public transport was that she always got her readings done for class. Her attention during her classes that day drifted a little, the lecturers' voices becoming a dull noise in the background as she hunched over her laptop, browsing cars for sale online.

Beth barely even noticed when her last lecture ended, but hurried once she realised she was going to have to seriously leg it to meet Maggie. Beth knew how much Maggie missed living at home (especially since she lived in a tiny apartment with four other girls), even while she loved her newfound independence and life in the city, so Beth had suggested they go out for dinner once in a while. Glenn was coming too, of course. Beth had agreed to meet Maggie a little earlier at a coffee shop, and they would meet Glenn at the restaurant after he had finished work. By the time Beth got to the coffee shop she was sweating slightly, but she made it just in time to see Maggie walk in just ahead of her.

"Maggie!" She tapped her on the shoulder, grinning. They hugged quickly and found a table and a couple of couches in the corner.

"You're likin' your course then?" Maggie asked, in between sips of her iced chocolate.

"Yeah, it's really good! I got a couple of assessments due next week to do though." Beth sipped her own iced chocolate, glancing out the window at the people walking by.

"That's good," Maggie smiled at her. "Shame 'bout your car, did Daddy say anything about buying another one?"

Beth blinked at Maggie, inwardly panicking a little. The thought of their father buying another car hadn't even crossed her mind.

"No…" she replied slowly. "He didn't say anything. I don't think he should though."

Maggie furrowed her eyebrows, looking puzzled. "Why not? I wouldn't say no to a car!"

"I just…I think maybe it's a bit too much, ya know?"

Maggie nodded, looking thoughtful. "Maybe it is, but if Otis got a good deal, it was something for you that you really need. You can't keep travelling back and forth like you are Bethy, what happens when you have a class that finishes after 5?"

This was something Beth hadn't really worried about too much, but after 6 pm the buses to their area started running hourly instead of every half hour, and they added a couple of extra stops as well. In between study, work and travel Beth would end up stretched pretty thin. Beth knew a couple of people who had classes that finished at 6 pm, but it wasn't very common and none of Beth's classes this semester finished after 5 pm. Next semester though she might not be so lucky.

Beth stirred her iced chocolate with her straw. "Yeah, I know. I was thinking I should get my own car though."

Maggie smiled. "Better start saving then."

Beth smiled back, nodding slightly. "Yeah, I know."

They sat for a few moments in comfortable silence.

"So…um, you like Glenn right?"

Beth was torn from imagining the looks on everyone's faces when she unveiled her new (but old) car by Maggie looking at her a bit uncertainly.

"Of course! Why?" Beth asked, suddenly very curious why Maggie was looking a little shy.

"We've been going out for a while now, and we were thinking of moving in together?" Maggie's eyebrows got higher and higher as she spoke, her voice ending on a questioning note but Beth could see that this was happening. Her question wasn't about whether or not she was going to move in with Glenn; it was what her family thought about it.

"That's great Maggie, really," Beth said, smiling softly at her sister. Maggie visibly relaxed, and launched into all the details of when she was moving and how Glenn had asked her. Beth was overjoyed for her, but she didn't mention anything about their parents. Moving in together and not married…she wasn't too sure how happy they would be. On the other hand, they loved Glenn and they didn't exactly have much control over what Maggie did, so Beth could easily see them just accepting it with a few heavy hints about marriage.

It wasn't long before it was nearly 6 pm, and they headed over to the Italian restaurant Maggie had picked out to meet Glenn for dinner. In true Glenn fashion, he was already there when they arrived, waiting patiently outside. His face lit up when he spotted them walking towards him, and he kissed Maggie quickly before giving Beth a hug.

"Ladies," he smiled, holding the restaurant door open allowing Maggie and Beth to enter. She immediately felt better upon entering the air conditioned room, the curtains half drawn to block out some of the sun and low lighting above the sea of chequered tablecloths. Glenn and Maggie allowed Beth to pick a table, and they spent a few minutes examining the menu. Beth already knew what she was getting, but she looked at the menu nevertheless. She cast a sidelong glance at Maggie, who looked up with a small smile.

"Lasagne?"

"Lasagne," Beth nodded affirmatively, grinning.

"Pfft." Glenn scoffed. "That's boring."

"Oh yeah?" Maggie looked at him. "Let me guess…spaghetti bolognaise?"

Glenn stared back at her, blank faced. "It's a classic Italian dish."

"Oh, and lasagne's not?" Maggie rolled her eyes at Beth, smiling. The waiter took their safe, somewhat predictable orders and Beth waited until he had left to congratulate Maggie and Glenn on their big move.

"Thanks Beth, I knew you'd be thrilled," Glenn replied, smiling warmly at Beth.

"So, you'll have a spare room now huh? So…people can stay over?" Beth asked slowly with a sly smile.

Glenn and Maggie glanced at each other, confused.

"Actually, T-Dogg is staying." Glenn spoke first.

"Maybe once I graduate we can afford it on our own, but it'd be too much pressure if T-Dogg moved out," Maggie explained, shrugging. "'Sides, ain't like T-Dogg is annoying or anything."

That was true, everyone loved T-Dogg, who really just lived there during the week while he worked. Weekends he travelled back home to be with his family, wherever that was, Beth wasn't sure. Beth was still surprised that he wasn't moving out but she covered it well and lamented not being able to get her own room.

"You always have a place on our couch Beth," Glenn said, sarcastically sincere as usual. Beth stuck her tongue out at him and he grinned. The couch Glenn spoke of was quite uncomfortable, as Beth had found out the other weekend. When a waitress brought their food out, Glenn asked about Beth's car.

"It's still at the garage, I'm not sure when I'll hear from, um, Daryl."

"He still gonna sell it for scrap metal?"

"Yeah," Beth responded hesitantly. "I asked him 'bout it this morning and he said he's busy."

"I'll bet," Maggie muttered, a dark look on her face. Beth knew Maggie didn't trust either of the Dixon brothers as far as she could throw them. Hell, probably not as far as Beth could throw them. There was a brief silence, Beth sending a silent prayer that whoever set the fire was found soon.

"So…how's work Glenn?" Beth cleared her throat, trying to change the subject. To her surprise Glenn sighed heavily.

"Not great, they've cut a couple of my shifts. Teenagers don't cost as much," he rolled his eyes. "It's all right though, they've done it before and given them back once they realised how lazy they are."

Beth nodded. "We are a bit lazy."

"Hell yeah you are!" Maggie nodded emphatically, grinning.

Beth feigned outrage. "Hey!"

Glenn, very wisely, said nothing.

After having a mouth-watering tiramisu for dessert, Glenn and Maggie walked Beth to the train station and Beth settled in for her 3 hour journey home. By the time her father picked her up from the bus stop she was having trouble keeping her eyes open. They rounded the corner and bright lights flashed, Beth scrunching her eyes shut before slowly opening them. Two police cars were parked outside the Dixon's shop, lights ablaze in the night. No doubt they waited until they thought no one would be at the shop. Her father slowed the car down, and she could see Daryl standing by the car, arms folded tensely, next to Deputy Sheriff Walsh while Sheriff Grimes stood nearby questioning who looked to be Martinez. Another Officer, who Beth thought could have been Officer Basset, was standing at the entry to the shop. Beth tore her gaze from the sight to her father, who looked at the scene grimly before speeding the car up again, leaving the flashing lights behind.

AN: Thank you for your lovely reviews, and for reading :)