There had always been a day when Beth thought everyone she ever loved had died. She sat in her room on the day of the outbreak, her hands covering her ears as the news reports warned about the walkers that moped around killing people, help was on its way. Help didn't come.
"Daddy, we need to check on the other farms! Maybe we can all stay together. I know Sarah's daughter Sophie is all alone, she's probably terrified!" Beth suggested pulling on her boots begging her father.
"We can't Beth, you heard the reporter we need to stay in doors." Beth cried for Sophie, she was four years younger than Beth. She knew Sophie wasn't going to make it by being on her own. She stormed to her room lighting her candles when Jimmy burst through the door crying about his mother becoming a walker.
•••
"What's your name?" Carl said. Beth, Maggie, Glenn and Daryl slowly walked down the steps. Daryl's crossbow raised at the petite girls head. The brunettes head flicked towards the others, her machette gripped tightly in her right hand.
"My name is Sophie," she stated putting her machette down.
"Why're you here," Daryl said slipping to Carl's side.
"Wait," Beth said walking towards the girl. Her brunette hair was roughly cut and her brown eyes seemed carved into permenant slits. Sophie watched Beth as she walked towards her. "What's your last name?"
"Holden."
"Sophie, it's Beth... Beth Greene?"
"No, it can't be I went to your house it was on fire. My dad came to get me when we drove past your place? You guys died in the fire. Oh my god, where's Shawn? Maggie? Hershel? Annette?" Sophie's eyes gleamed with hope. Beth shook her head and Sophie's eyes looked down. "Oh."
"Maggie's the only one other than me left," Beth said with a solmn voice as she gestured for Sophie to pick up her machette."I've got her Carl, your alright," Beth smiled leading Sophie inside the house. She gestured her into the living room gesturing for her to sit. Her black clothes were clad in blood.
"How have you survived so long?"
"I've been between groups for a bit, I was in a place called Terminus for a while. I wouldn't play by their rules so I got kicked out, well they were gonna kill me but I got out, cannibalism was a bit much for a 17 year old. I've been on the road with my... old group for a while. Then a herd game and I ducked under a car, they weren't so lucky. I've been trying my luck for about a year now..." Sophie concluded. Beth nodded then glanced to a very territorial Daryl. Sophie looked down at her raw hands before rubbing her head.
"Rick wants to see her," Daryl said before leaving the room. Beth stood up suggesting that Sophie changed before she went to see Rick. When she came back she was wearing dark demin skinny jeans (which had holes in the knees), a tight fitted grey t-shirt (ripped slightly) with her leather jacket and black doctor martins. Beth walked with her towards Rick's house letting her go in by herself. Beth watched as Hope and Henry sat on the porch guarded over by Glenn. Everyone was on edge. Beth sighed heading inside the house to find Daryl.
Beth opened their bedroom door sitting back onto the bed still seeing slight marks of red on her hands. She attempted to rub the ends but it was no use. Hope rushed into Beth's room silently handing her a hairbrush as she sat in between her legs. Beth brushed the blonde hair through from top to bottom while her daughter asked questions about Sophie.
"Her names so pretty," Hope said standing, her hair freshly braided. Beth nodded chewing on her bottom lip. "What made you choose my name mom?"
"Back before you were born, your father and I didn't quite see eye to eye. He was so negative about everything, he had no faith, no hope." Beth smiled sadly. "I changed his mind. Then I was taken to a hospital where I found out that you were coming sooner than I expected. I had hope for you, that your father would be the first person to hold you other than me. He was." Beth smiled at her daughter kissing her forehead pulling her into her arms. "Where is your daddy?"
"He went to talk to uncle Rick," Hope said hugging her mother's leg. Beth changed her daughter into pj's before peeling back the covers of her bed letting Hope slide in before covering her up.
"I love you," Beth said kissing her forehead.
"As I love you momma," Beth smiled closing the door to their room. Beth rested her head against the wall of peeling paint silently praying to god that her daughter would grow up to live through the end of this... war. Beth had hope and faith in her daughter, she also had hope and faith in herself and Daryl. The house door opened and closed as Daryl headed up the stairs, a scowl on his face.
"What's wrong?" Beth asked from the middle step. Daryl grunted; Beth's smile faltered. She picked up a can of beans that had been left on the counter for her. She would not press him for answers, at least not for now. Beth peaked through the boarded up window to see Sophie wrapping her leather jacket around her with a pack on her shoulder. Sophie grasped her machette with her right hand kicking back a walker stabbing it into their head before yanking it out. Sophie glared at the walker kicking it's dead body before walking towards the end of the street. Beth shot a questioning look at Daryl who was preoccupied with cleaning his rickety arrows. Beth stood up racing outside towards Sophie.
"Where are you going?" Beth asked. Sophie sighed sheathing the knife.
"Your people don't want me here, it's kinda clear to see," Sophie grumbled.
"I'm sure they do, they just need to come around. We don't abandon people."
"Beth it's fine, I've lasted long enough on my own."
"No, I'm gonna talk to Rick," Beth walked into her house grabbing her sheath and calling Daryl. "Why isn't Sophie staying?" Beth asked.
"Rick doesn't think she's reliable, how come she lasted so long Beth? She don't look safe, we gotta put our family first."
"Daryl shes alone, I used to babysit her! She's gonna die out there!"
"Beth..." Maggie walked through the arch that connected the hall to the kitchen. "Daryl's right."
"She's so young, she'll die!" Beth protested. Beth walked up to the window seeing Sophie walking towards the woods, he packed clung tightly to her body. Carl ran up to her and Beth tensed. Sophie nodded looking back at Beth's house and then to the woods. Sophie glared at nothing before stalking off into the woods and scaling a tree, her twig thin legs hanging off the branch. Beth's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Her family opened the door to the Greene family's home and sat themselves around the living room. A sleepy Judith leaning on Rick.
"We don't abandon people in their time of need, at least we didn't before," Beth stated. "She can stay with us, I know her Rick she wouldn't do anything to hurt us."
"We have a lot of mouths to feed already, we are running low on food."
"Okay, so we take her out on a run. If she proves herself of use she can stay, if she can't then she goes," Carl reasoned, rather than proposing it as a question. This was wrong on so many levels, Sophie needed a family. Hers had probably died on the road. Despite Beth disagreeing to this, she nodded along with the rest of the group. She stood up walking upstairs into her bedroom slipping off her boots and crawling into bed. Beth's slender fingers combed through the blonde hair that belonged to her daughter. Daryl kicked off his boots climbing on the other side of Hope. Daryl looked up at Beth, his eyes flickering in the gleam of the light. Beth looked towards her daughter, then her saddened eyes towards her lover before blowing out the candle turning her back to him. Beth was fine with Daryl protesting against her thinking, but most of the group ignoring Beth's judgment stung. Beth's finger ran over the scar on her cheek, she reminded herself that she was strong they all had jobs to do and as far as Beth was concerned it was keeping her family safe which included Sophie.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Thank you all so much for the reviews and I normally do not do authors notes because I suck at them ^_^, but I am honestly so grateful for you all being patient with my sucky writing and the long wait between updates after all I am a busy person! I love you all so much hugs and kisses!x