Hey, guys, thanks so much for your reviews and support! I'm back with a new chapter and we've officially jumped to S4! The chapter title is a song by Glass Animals, and it is absolutely incredible. There is another song I reference in here, called "Work Song" by Hozier, and it is a perfect TWD song in my humble opinion. If you get the chance, you should give them a listen. Anyway, let me know what you think.

13. Youth

Morning cast the world in brilliant orange. There was enough chill in the air to remind Mason of winter, to make her that much more grateful that spring had come.

She ran, swift and rhythmic. Birds parted in her wake. Walkers snarled but were too slow to catch her. She smiled through it all, disappearing in the burn of her legs, disappearing in her music, turned up as loud as it would go.

Months of rigorous physical therapy with Carol and Hershel had healed her knee back to near perfection. She knew how to land her feet without awakening the old injury. She knew how to stretch it after so that it wouldn't seize up. She'd never felt so damn good.

She made her regular circuit, though she felt perfectly capable of running forever. Sasha and Tyreese opened the gate when she returned. Carl and Rick waved to her from the patch of sweet corn they were tending. Carol handed her a cluster of grapes on her way inside. Her heart warmed at the routine of it all, and kindled at the sight of Beth waiting for her in the cell block.

Beth grinned and handed her a bottle of water. "Hey."

"Hey."

Mason showed Beth the grapes. "First of the season. I'll split 'em with you, but for a price."

"Oh, yeah? What price would that be?"

Mason gave her a cheesy smile and tapped her lips. Beth's eyes sparkled.

"You're lucky I love grapes so much," she teased before kissing her.

No matter how many times they kissed, Mason never got used to it. Her stomach whirled with butterflies, her mind hummed with electricity. And, of course, as with most things practiced over time, it had only gotten better.

"Don't you two have a cell you could do that in?"

Mason leaned away reluctantly to flip Daryl the bird. He responded in kind, his own middle finger grungy with walker blood.

"Found a Big Spot a few miles out," he said. "Looks like it used to be a FEMA camp. It's surrounded by walkers so there's probably still some supplies inside. You wanna come?"

"Sounds like fun."

"I'll round up a few others. Meet us at the cars in ten."

When he'd gone, Mason tucked a strand of hair behind Beth's ear. "Anything you want me to look for while I'm out?"

Beth pretended to think about it. "Hmm, I don't think so…"

"Oh, really? So if I happen to see that sweet Chex mix you like and I don't bring it back, you won't beat my ass?"

"I wouldn't test my luck if I were you."

"Alright, killer, I'll look for some."

Daryl waited for her at the gate with Sasha and Maggie. On seeing her, Maggie smiled.

"Hey, sis. You comin' with?"

"I'm always up for an adventure."

It had taken Mason a while to get used to the way Maggie treated her after confessing her relationship with Beth. Instead of shock, she'd been instantly inducted into the family. An only child, she'd always longed for a big sister, and she didn't think she'd be happier with anyone else.

"Sasha's been arguin' with Daryl about whether we should even go."

"What? Why?"

Sasha glanced back at them. "Because we are never getting past those walkers. There are easily seventy behind that fence."

"I scouted that place, too. There's a door on the side, we can slip right in," Daryl said. Mason recognized his combative voice and angled her way casually between them.

"Wait, wait, guys, just hold up," she said, but neither of them acted as though they'd heard.

"And what if things go south?" Sasha challenged. "We'd be trapped in there with close to a hundred walkers outside, not to mention however many there are inside."

"Man, if they haven't gotten out yet I doubt they're gonna now," Daryl growled.

"No, she's right," Maggie said. "They'll get riled up while we're there. We can't risk it when we don't know what's waiting for us inside. We need to know we'll be able to escape."

Daryl looked as though he would've argued further, but Mason threw him a cautionary glance.

"What if we drew them out first?" she suggested.

"Just the four of us?" Sasha shook her head. "It's too dangerous."

"That's not what I meant."

~m~

Afternoon sun slanted lazily through the barred windows. Dust motes made galaxies in its golden light. The cell block was empty, everyone outside enjoying the weather, the last warm sigh before autumn. Everything was so peaceful.

"Mason, you're crushin' my hand."

"Shit, sorry."

Beth smiled, but she couldn't suppress her anxiety completely. Her ocean eyes wavered.

"Are you sure you're ready?"

Mason forced a smile. "Yep."

~m~

Mason propped her feet up on the tire of the car they'd just gutted and raised an eyebrow at Daryl.

"So you gonna tell me why you're so pissy today? Or is it just a special treat for the rest of us?"

"It's a special treat," Daryl growled, keeping his eyes on the car battery before him.

"Well, I was just wondering why you thought it necessary to bite Sasha's head off for being practical…"

"I'm trynna work here, alright? Why don't you go and do something useful?"

Mason stretched her legs insolently. "I came up with this idea. I've already done something useful."

Daryl glared at her blackly.

"I'm kidding, Daryl. Jesus."

She kept quiet after that, watching him work. She knew if he was in a better mood, he would explain the process to her. As it was, it looked pretty straightforward. Boombox plus car battery equals a grade A lure.

When he was done, Mason silently handed him the CD she'd scavenged from the car. He popped it in the boombox, pressed play and turned the volume as high as it would go.

"I feel like John Cusack in Say Anything," Mason said as they sneaked away, back to the car where Maggie and Sasha kept watch.

Daryl's face remained impassive. "If you say so."

Mason sighed.

The silence crackled between them, but after a moment Daryl broke it to murmur, "Today's my brother's birthday."

Mason stuttered in her stride. "Oh."

She felt the familiar pang of loss at the thought of his wayward brother. The asshole who had encouraged her to care even though he thought it was pointless.

"I'm sorry," she began, but Daryl shook his head.

"Nah, it's stupid. It never mattered when he was alive. Merle was always too drunk or too hungover to celebrate, even when we were young. It definitely don't matter now."

Gently, she replied, "It obviously does."

"Nah. It don't."

It was obvious from his tone that Daryl considered the matter closed. He walked on pointedly, though she saw the telltale twitch of his jaw, his teeth worrying his lip. She knew there was nothing she could say that would be of any real comfort, so she resorted to her own personal fallback.

"Honestly, I don't think there's any better way to celebrate Merle's birthday than by stealing a car battery and picking fights with your friends."

She paused to throw him a teasing grin.

"I think he'd be damn proud of his baby brother."

Daryl glanced at her. The raw emotion in his eyes softened.

"C'mon," he murmured.

Maggie smiled at her when she climbed in the car. "Good thinkin' with the music."

Mason crossed her arms behind her head. "Yeah, I always knew my elaborate suicide attempts were just practice for the big leagues."

In the rearview mirror, Sasha rolled her eyes.

~m~

Hershel smiled when they knocked on his cell.

"Evening, Bethy, Mason. I would have thought you two'd be outside enjoying this sun."

"Oh, we're going to, Daddy," Beth said. Her voice was too bright. "We just were hopin' to talk with you first."

"Of course. What's on your mind?"

Beth and Mason exchanged a nervous glance, and Mason found suddenly that she couldn't speak. After a moment, Hershel raised an eyebrow.

"Is everything okay?"

Beth took a deep breath, closed her eyes and said, "Daddy, Mason and I are datin'."

~m~

"What's this one called again?"

"Matcha. It's like the queen of green tea."

"I think it's my new favorite. Tastes like drinkin' a garden."

Beth and Mason lay side by side on the bottom bunk, sipping their tea from chipped mugs. Music played low in the background.

"I'll have to find some more then. You know what I really wish I had?"

"Some honey Chex mix sounds nice."

Mason laughed and elbowed Beth in the ribs. "Will you let that go?"

"I suppose I could be convinced to be charitable."

Mason leaned in to kiss her, but stopped short when Beth added, "With grapes."

"Spoiled."

When Mason returned with the grapes, the song had changed and Beth was singing along to it. She paused to smile and say, "I remember you singin' this to me on my birthday."

Mason flushed a little. She'd never been comfortable singing around people. Beth was the first person she'd sung to since Gina. But she smiled back, sat next to her on the bed and joined in softly.

Beth leaned her head on Mason's shoulder, her arms wrapped snug around her waist. Her proximity set Mason on fire.

"I love this song," Beth whispered after a moment. "But it makes me sad."

"Me, too."

"Well, I don't wanna be sad." Beth hopped up from the bunk. "Let's go for a walk! Maybe we could scavenge a bit?"

Mason couldn't hide the objection on her face. Beth frowned.

"Mason…"

"We really don't need to scavenge right now, you know."

"We always need to. The scavengin' never stops. C'mon, I thought we were past this."

After a moment, Mason sighed. "Alright. But I don't want to go far. Daryl caught that deer earlier and I want to be back before all these other vultures pick it clean."

~m~

Mason's heart thumped hard enough to hurt. Her hand was sweaty in Beth's but she didn't dare pull away.

Hershel kept them in suspense for a few seconds before he finally spoke.

"Well, thank goodness. I thought you two were gonna keep silent about it until I was old and gray."

Then he laughed.

Mason stared. "I…uh…I…we…"

"We…haven't…" Beth blinked. "We just started datin'."

It was Hershel's turn to look surprised. "Really? Well, I'm happy either way."

Beth sagged with relief. "Thank you," she murmured and hugged him with one arm, her other hand still clasped in Mason's.

"But I would like to have a word with Mason," he added. Mason was too nervous to decide if it was a twinkle she saw in his eyes or the glint of murder.

"Daddy," Beth protested.

"N-no, it's okay," Mason said.

"It'll just take a second," Hershel agreed.

~m~

"You never told me what you really wished you had."

They wandered unhurriedly through the woods, admiring the brave shoots of early green awakening from the gray. Their hands were clasped, arms swinging lightly. The peace was picturesque.

"Oh. It was nothing," Mason said.

"It wasn't nothin'," Beth replied. "C'mon, what was it?"

"Well, if you must know, I was wishing I had some whiskey. Or maybe gin, I can't decide."

Beth pulled them both to a stop, her eyes wide and serious. "What's wrong?"

Mason blinked. "What? Nothing."

But it was clear that Beth didn't believe her. Mason laughed a little.

"Nothing has to be wrong for me to want a drink. I just always want a drink when something's wrong."

"Then why do you want a drink this time?"

"I…because I'm happy."

Slowly, Beth's face softened. Her free hand ghosted to Mason's face, and Mason leaned into the touch, closing her eyes.

The kiss did not surprise her, but her heart jumped all the same. She sighed when Beth pulled away.

"Well. Now I know what I want to scavenge."

Mason opened one eye. "What?"

Beth grinned. "Whiskey. Or gin, I haven't decided."

"No, Beth, it's fine."

"No, I've decided. It's what I want. Let's go."

Despite several attempts to dissuade her, Mason found herself leading Beth to the liquor store. It was the same one she'd raided several times before, and it felt a bit like a home away from home.

"Keep close to me," Mason whispered.

Beth, with knife in one hand and gun in the other, just rolled her eyes.

They didn't dawdle, though Mason sensed that Beth would have stayed longer to examine all of the bottles. They found gin and whiskey, and took both.

"So what's it taste like?" Beth asked as they headed for home.

"Shit," Mason replied.

"My dad said he liked the taste of whiskey. He said it got him in trouble all the time."

"It can do that. Beer's about the only thing I drink for taste."

"Well, what does that taste like?"

"It depends. Some of them-"

But Mason cut off as a flock of dark outlines lumbered into their path. She grabbed Beth's hand and made to cut around them, but more of them came flooding from the other side.

They stumbled back, but the walkers surged after them. There was no way out but through.

~m~

Mason fidgeted from foot to foot, until Hershel gestured for her to sit on the bunk next to him. Cautiously she did, and he laughed.

"I've never seen anyone look more frightened of an old man."

"We thought…maybe you wouldn't…" But she trailed off, shrugging sheepishly.

"That I wouldn't approve?"

Mason nodded mutely.

Hershel was silent for a moment, as though gathering his words together. Then he looked up, and held her gaze as he said, "Mason, there is no one I'd rather have dating my daughter. I want you to know that."

"Really?" Mason murmured.

"Of course. I see the way you care about her. Your first instinct is to make sure she's safe. How could I disapprove of that?"

"I just didn't know how you'd feel about the whole…you know…me-being-a-girl thing."

"Well, I was a bit surprised when I first figured it out. Bethy's never shown any interest, you see. But, no, it never bothered me. Before the world changed it might've taken some getting used to, but I'm wiser now. I'm a lucky father, for my daughter to have found someone like you."

Mason swallowed, though it took a little effort. She tried not to feel embarrassed by the tears in her eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I'm the lucky one. And I will take care of her."

"I know."

~m~

Mason raised her gun and fired six quick shots, clearing a narrow path through the horde. She shoved Beth through first, sticking right on her heels.

"Go! Run!"

Before they could make it very far, one of the walkers snatched Mason by the back of her shirt.

"Shit," she choked, lurching away from its snapping teeth.

"Mason!"

Beth jabbed her knife over Mason's shoulder. It sunk deep through the walker's eye, spraying the back of Mason's neck with gore. Beth tugged her out of its loosened grip, but in the time they had lost the walkers had surrounded them.

"Get behind me," Mason growled.

They stood back to back, weapons raised, and when Beth trembled against her Mason's blood flamed with fury.

I will take care of her.

Time blurred and so did she. She was only keenly aware of Beth's movements, orienting herself around them, desperate to be everywhere at once. Everything else was a mess of violence.

I will take care of her.

I know.

She had promised, she had promised, but now all she could see was teeth, the flash of Beth's knife, lifeless eyes the color of rotten milk. Some of them wept blood. The stench of death buried her.

Then one of the dead grabbed Beth by the hair, and red bathed Mason's vision, as though she wept blood, too.

Her pounding heart kept time, but she forgot all of it as soon as she exhaled her next breath. All she knew was that one moment they were crushed in a walker horde, and the next she was kneeling in the winter-worn grass, stained with foul blood.

"Mason."

She couldn't stop staring at the ground beneath her, the russet puddles reflecting the fading light. Her hands made fists in the grass. Her knuckles turned white. She'd been here before. She'd been here, except…

"Mason."

Beth staggered over and cupped her face, ran an urgent hand through her hair. Mason blinked, slowly, and remembered where she was.

She'd been here before, yes, but this time was different.

"You're here," she rasped. "You're still here."

Understanding sharpened Beth's gaze. Her gentle touches stilled.

"I always will be," she promised. Then, just slightly, she smiled. "Someone's gotta look after you."

Mason hung her head with nod and remembered how to breathe.

"C'mon, let's get back. It's gettin' dark."

~m~

Beth was practically bouncing with anxiety when Mason returned to their cell.

"So? What did he say?"

"Oh, he totally chewed my head off. I've never been so afraid of a one-legged man in my life."

Beth looked at her flatly. "I'm serious."

"Alright, alright."

Mason sat next to Beth on the bed, twining their fingers together. The action felt so natural, like they'd been holding hands for years.

"He was incredibly cool about it," Mason said. "You're really lucky to have him as a dad."

Beth smiled. "I know."

Mason kissed her forehead. "So I guess now all that's left is telling the others."

"Um…I'm pretty sure they already know. I think."

"Wait. H-how?"

"Mason, even I saw how we've been actin' around each other. The others aren't blind, you know."

Mason blushed. "Oh. Well. One less thing, I guess."

Beth giggled. "It's so cute you don't know how obvious you are."

"Maybe that was just a part of my master plan."

"Uh huh. Right. Shut up and kiss me."

~m~

After they had showered off the blood, Beth and Mason retreated to their cell for the night. Beth drew the curtain across the doorway. Mason poured herself a drink. They lounged together on the bed, listening to the noises of their group winding down for the night. For the first time in a while, Mason felt separate from it.

"Mason?" Beth's voice was quiet.

"Yeah."

"Today…what happened…it's okay."

Mason frowned. "It's not."

"It is," Beth said. "I mean. The world's not ideal anymore, but what happened today happens all the time. That's life now. And you're good at it, and you taught me to be good at it. We survived. We didn't get hurt. Everything's okay."

Mason stared broodingly into her cup. She'd decided on whiskey after all. Its amber glint reminded her of that day with Hershel, her promise. She sighed.

"You're right. I know," she said. "This is living now, and you are good at it. It wasn't me that made you that way. You're a survivor all on your own."

Beth took Mason's hand and held it in her lap. "You can't protect me all the time, and that's not your fault."

This one was harder to admit, but Mason nodded all the same. "I…I know. That doesn't mean I'm not going to try."

"I just don't want you to disappear again."

"I'm not going anywhere. I just wish…I wish you didn't have to be good at this, at what living is now. I wish I could give you a different world, Beth."

"You gave me you, Mason," Beth said. "I don't want anythin' else."

They laid in bed for a while after, tangled and silent, before sleep found them.