Shattered Wings

Chapter Fifteen: "Soon"

The next morning Daryl brought Beth back to Alexandria, he had promised to bring Lydia to The Kingdom for a couple days to take some classes so he had to drop Beth off first. As the gates rolled open and the bike rolled in Beth looked around again, taking in the place she was to call home. When the bike came to a stop, Beth hopped off and turned back to Daryl, "When will you come back?"

Daryl shrugged, looking at the ground, "I donno...soon."

Beth nodded and watched him back up, then rev through the gates, they rolled closed behind him. Beth stood there for a moment, she watched as they closed the second gate and Daryl was completely out of sight. It was an odd feeling, watching him go. "Yer a face I haven't seen before." Beth turned around and found the man with the dark eyes staring at her. "A pretty face." It was Negan, the man Daryl had told her about. Beth didn't want to talk to him, she didn't even want to look at him, so she turned around and started to walk down the road. "Aw come on, I don't smell that bad. Took a shower just two days ago!" The man walking behind him as guard shook his head, "Come on Princess." Negan walked closer to Beth, she stopped and so did he. Negan waited a moment, "What he tell ya? I'm a big bad wolf? I killed his friend...I..." Beth turned around and punched Negan in the face. The man stumbled back, holding his nose for a moment and looked over to her. Slowly he pulled his hand away and looked at it, his nose was bleeding, "Damn that's hot." Beth rolled her eyes and kept walking, this time Negan didn't follow.

As she walked up the steps Maggie opened the door, they starred at one another for a long moment until Beth brushed past her to get inside, then began to head up the stairs. "You didn't have to be gone all night." Maggie called over to her.

Beth stopped and turned on the step to face her, "Right. Because after a ball that big gets dropped on me I'm suppose to just walk back here all smiles and happy?"

"Beth...it was long time ago. We're fine." Maggie crossed her arms.

"Fine?" Beth took one step down, "You lied to me? Because...because what? I couldn't handle the truth?"

"I didn't know how fragile you where. It's been ten years Beth I didn't know what to expect." Maggie shrugged.

"Maybe treat me like an adult! That was the problem ten years ago! Ya'll treated me like I was a kid." Beth rose her voice lightly.

"You were a kid!" Maggie threw it right back at her, Judith had peered around the wall to watch the fight. "Forgive me if I wanted to keep my little sister a kid for a while longer! Not drag you into the dangers and grime of the world!"

"We live in this world Maggie! It's dirty and it's unfair and we lose people!" Beth shook her head, her blonde pony tail bouncing, "We lose people." She lowered her voice.

"I'm sorry." Maggie gulped, "I should've been honest with you."

"Tha's all I want." Beth crossed her arms, "I'm sorry about Glenn. I loved him too."

"I miss him," Beth heard the crack in Maggie's voice, "Every day I see his face in Hershel...and I..." Tears sprouted from her eyes. Beth walked down the stairs and took her sister in her arms as they both got down to their knees, Maggie crying into Beth's chest. "I lost all of you!" Maggie cried, "Daddy...you...Glenn..." She sobbed, "I felt so alone!" Beth hugged her sister close.

"We never got to talk about daddy." Beth sniffed, it was true. They were all separated after Hershel was beheaded. Maggie and Beth never got to mourn, not together.

Maggie pulled her head back and sat on her heels, "Daryl told me you never cried, not about him."

"No..." Beth sat back too, her butt hitting the floor, "We just kept runnin. Fighting." Beth shook her head, "I didn't cry when I needed to. Maybe that's what made it hurt more."