This chapter is a lot summary instead of dialogue, but honestly, telling all this information through dialogue would be tedious to read and even more tedious to write. Hope you enjoy! :)
Once Daryl and Glenn returned to the lighthouse with the truck and trailer, parking it inside the fence, Maggie introduced Daryl and Beth to all the unfamiliar faces in this new group. Tara and Rosita both had dark hair and were in their mid- to late-twenties, and Beth thought they both seemed like very capable and strong women. Abraham, a burly man with red hair who had been on watch at the top of the lighthouse when Beth and Daryl had arrived, seemed to demonstrate natural leadership qualities, and Beth wondered if he was the group's unofficial leader, like Rick had been in their former group. Eugene was an odd character; he had an articulate, long-winded way of speaking, and his mullet could not go unnoticed. It was unclear to Beth what his role was in the group. Maggie told them that this had been the group she and Glenn had traveled down to Florida with.
The remaining people in the group had apparently been situated at the lighthouse since everything had started. Rowena, a very free-spirited woman in her mid-thirties with long red hair and skin decorated in plentiful tattoos, had worked at the lighthouse's gift shop and office when the dead began to rise. Lily was Rowena's older sister, and she had left Tallahassee to join Rowena at the lighthouse with her husband Geoff and her teenage daughter Anna right after things had started to go south. Lily had long sandy blonde hair, a gentle face, and a wispy thin figure. Geoff and Anna both had very dark hair and bore a strong resemblance to one another; Anna was definitely her father's daughter. The family all seemed quite friendly, although Beth noticed that Lily watched her warily, her eyes frequently darting to the wound on Beth's shoulder, as if she expected Beth to suddenly turn and attack. It unnerved her, but Beth brushed it off and ignored it, hoping that with time, Lily would come round as Daryl had.
The group gave Daryl and Beth a tour of their new home after introductions were complete. The makeshift fence circled the entire property, and while it was definitely in need of some improvements, it at least created a barrier between the property and any potential intruders, living or dead. Outside the building that had previously been the gift shop and information center, there was a decent-sized garden. Being so near to the shore, the soil was quite sandy, and Rowena told them that it had taken quite a bit of work and several trips to nearby towns to be able to get the garden started. But now there were potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, peas, tomatoes, and raspberries growing in abundance.
Inside the former gift shop, the building had been converted to a living space. The main shop was now a communal area of sorts, and the few offices and storage rooms on the main floor and basement had been converted to bedrooms. Maggie and Glenn shared a room, as did Rosita and Abraham, Eugene and Tara, and Lily, Geoff, and Anna. Rowena slept on a couch in the communal area, as she was usually the first to rise in the morning anyway. It was close quarters, but it was a small price to pay for such an isolated and easily defensible shelter.
Before Maggie and Glenn's group had arrived at the lighthouse, there had been no fence or system of defense other than someone keeping watch in the lighthouse at all times. Rowena told them that since the lighthouse was surrounded by ocean and marshes, the only way to access it was via the road, and most walkers were obviously unable to figure such a thing out. With their inability to swim, most walkers that were drawn to the lighthouse ended up falling into the marshes, such as the biter that had attacked Beth when she had fallen in. The rare walkers that approached on the road were easily disposed of. However after everything Maggie and Glenn's group had experienced over the past few years, they had insisted on building a fence, and they were continuing to fortify it as they were able.
Once the short tour was concluded, the group set about making dinner, roasting the rabbits Daryl had stored in the trailer's fridge along with some potatoes over the fire. Lily and Rowena took over the actual cooking, and the rest of the group situated themselves around the fire. Beth had Maggie on one side of her and Daryl on the other, and she couldn't believe she had gotten so lucky. Now not only did she have the love of her life by her side, but her sister and brother in law as well. It was almost surreal. Maggie flashed her sister a smile that seemed to convey that she felt the same way.
It was then that Maggie and Glenn filled them in on what they had been through since the fall of the prison. Beth was shocked and horrified to learn of Terminus, and she was thankful that she and Daryl had been spared that experience. Maggie told them that Terminus was where they had met Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene. She explained that after escaping Terminus, the group had met Father Gabriel and had taken shelter in his church for a short time. It was then that the group ended up splitting up and going separate ways.
"Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene were on their way to Washington, D.C.," Maggie said. "Abraham said that Eugene was a scientist who knew how to solve this mess if we could get him to D.C. He asked if any of us would be willing to accompany them. And I just thought that it would be nice to have some sort of concrete purpose other than basic survival. I needed that. So Glenn, Tara, and I all decided to go to D.C."
"And the rest of the group didn't want to?" Beth asked.
"Not everyone was up for the journey," Glenn nodded. "It was a really tough decision, but we decided to part ways."
"So . . . what happened to D.C.?" Beth wondered.
"Turns out Eugene isn't a real scientist," Abraham suddenly spat. "He lied to all of us."
Beth glanced at Eugene, who avoided everyone's eyes. She could tell that Abraham was still bitter about the situation, and Eugene was clearly still guilty about it. He didn't try to defend himself, however, and instead just stared at his lap saying nothing.
"But it was Eugene's idea to head south to the coast," Tara interjected then, her tone purposefully light.
"Yeah, it was," Glenn agreed. "We went back to the church to try to find the rest of the group, but by the time we got there, they had already left. Looked like they had left in a hurry. We spent a few weeks trying to hunt them down, but we didn't have any luck. Winter had arrived and we didn't have a permanent shelter. It felt a lot like last winter."
"That's when Eugene suggested that we go south," Rosita chimed in. "It's warmer down here, and with the coast to our backs, it's easier to defend ourselves. Since we didn't have any real destination in mind with D.C. off the table, we decided we might as well check it out. And that's when we stumbled across this little sanctuary."
Rowena and Lily began serving up plates and handing them out to everyone.
"Those were our exact thoughts, too," Beth said. "And honestly, I was just kind of done with Georgia."
As the group began eating, it was Beth's turn to share what had happened to her and Daryl during the past few months. Beth did almost all of the talking; Daryl only grunted and nodded when appropriate, but she hadn't expected him to share much. Beth told them about running from the prison and the moonshine shack, the kidnapping and Daryl's rescue, the cabin and their life there, returning to the farm, Cara and the men who had prompted them to leave their safe haven, and her survival of the bite a week ago. As she told their tale, she was hit with the realization of how much had happened to the pair of them in such a short time, and Beth felt it was no wonder that she had fallen so hard for Daryl. She had left their relationship out of the story, figuring that development was likely clear to everyone from the way Daryl had refused to leave her side since they'd arrived. By the time she was finished talking, everyone had long finished eating and the stars had emerged above them.
"Well, I know we've all been through a lot, but I have to say that I'm glad we all ended up here," Glenn said. "And what are the chances? Seems like it was fate. Like we were all destined to end up here."
"I like that," Beth agreed with a smile.
The group was quiet for a moment before Rowena stood and stretched with a wide yawn.
"Well, I think it's about time for me to turn in," she said. "If y'all want to put your plates in the wash basin on the porch, I'll wash them in the morning."
"I can wash them," Beth offered. "I'd like to help."
"Nonsense. You just got here. Why don't you get settled in first, and then we'll talk about chores," Rowena insisted with a wink.
"I think we'll head inside too," Lilly said, standing up with her family joining her. "It was really lovely to meet you two. We're very happy to have you."
Beth flashed the family a smile and watched as they followed Rowena into the building. She suddenly wondered what it must be like for Anna to be the only one of her age around. She seemed to be around the age of 15 or 16, meaning that Beth was closest to her in age. She decided that she would make an effort to befriend the teen, figuring she could use a friend who wasn't so many years older than she was.
"So I saw you guys have a decent amount of supplies in that truck," Glenn said suddenly, pulling Beth out of her thoughts.
"Yeah, been stockin' up for a while now," Daryl replied, speaking for the first time in a while. "C'mon, I'll show you what we've got."
Daryl, Glenn, and Abraham wandered over to the truck so that Daryl could show them all the supplies they had gathered over the past few months. The rest of the group began to disperse and Maggie turned to her sister.
"It'll be pretty crowded inside, but I'm sure we can find a spot for you," she said.
Beth frowned. "What do you mean? I'd like to keep sleeping in our trailer."
"I just got you back, Bethy. I know I'm being overprotective, especially since you're inside the fence and we'll have someone on watch, but I still don't want you sleeping out here alone."
"I won't be alone. Daryl will be sleeping with me," Beth said casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, because to her, it was. "Honestly, I don't know if I could sleep without him next to me. Not anymore."
"You're safe here, Beth. You have all of us to protect you, not just Daryl."
"Maggie, it's not about protection," Beth said slowly, fighting the sudden urge to giggle at the situation. "I thought it was clear that we're together now."
Maggie's eyes widened in realization, and her mouth dropped open a little. She raised a hand to cover her mouth as she gaped at her younger sister.
"Oh!" she stammered out. "Oh . . . really? Daryl?"
"Yes really!" Beth nodded, smiling a little at her sister's look of disbelief.
"Wow. I mean . . . Daryl?" Maggie said again. "He's so . . ."
"If you're going to say that he's too old for me, please save it," Beth interjected, sensing her sister's motherly vibe kicking in.
"No, I wasn't going to say that. I mean, yeah, he's older . . . a lot older, actually, but I don't think stuff like that really matters anymore. No, I was going to say that it's hard to see Daryl in a romantic relationship is all. He's so rough around the edges, you know? I just can't picture it."
Beth laughed lightly and shrugged. "He's still that way, but not all the time. He makes me really, really happy."
Maggie smiled. "If you're happy, then I'm happy. Although I have to say, I'm a little torn between wanting to give him the third degree and wanting to hug him for keeping my sister happy and safe."
"Did you listen to my story earlier?" Beth grinned. "I kept him safe just the same!"
Maggie laughed and leaned against her sister. "Yeah, I guess you did. You're strong. Both of you. Strong survivors."
Beth nodded and rested her head on Maggie's shoulder. It was true. Both she and Daryl were survivors, and they would continue to be, especially in the haven that St. Mark's lighthouse had offered. The two sisters were quiet for several moments, listening to the sounds of the night. Beth could hear the ocean nearby, and the sounds of various conversations around them. No snarls or moans from the dead could be heard at the moment, and it actually felt like life could be normal here. The thought filled Beth with so much joy that her chest physically swelled with it, and her cheeks were starting to ache from smiling.
"So wait," Maggie said suddenly, prompting Beth to raise her head from her sister's shoulder and look at her quizzically. "If you and Daryl are together now, does that mean you've also been intimate?"
Beth felt her cheeks flushing, instantly giving away the answer. Maggie laughed triumphantly and nudged Beth playfully.
"Another thing I can't picture. You better give me all the gory details, Bethy! Spare me nothing!"
Beth laughed loudly and held her hands up to her cheeks, feeling their warmth. She was sure that her sister would ask detailed and personal questions about the matter, but Beth was suddenly eager to share. Discussing sex with her older sister felt like something out of a normal life, and once again, Beth was elated to be able to experience that normalcy.
"Okay," she agreed. "But not tonight. Maybe tomorrow we can go somewhere more private and I'll tell you all the gritty details."
Maggie grinned and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, causing Beth to laugh again. This was the start of something new and wonderful; she could feel it. It was a new beginning, and one that she and Daryl had so desperately needed. Beth felt like things could only get better from here.
Author's Note: In order for Maggie and Glenn's story to progress the way I wanted it to, in my version of events, the entire Grady hospital storyline doesn't exist. The group willingly split into those going to D.C. and those remaining in Georgia. I'll leave it up to your own imaginations to determine what happened to the rest of the group in Georgia. ;)
Thank you for reading and please review!