Tomorrow Will Be Kinder {IHOFIL Sequel}

Chapter 2: "A New Dawn"

Terminus was a sanctuary of sorts. She was glad to have found it after being chased out of the prison by a group of men with rifles. She'd ran away, her only thought on her family. She'd save them and she didn't expect anything back, just like Gareth when he rescued her.

"Hey, Beth, dinner's ready," Gareth said, smirking at her. "I'll tell Mary to save you some."

"Thanks," she said, offering her saviour a kind smile. "I'll be down soon, just woke up from my nap, my body is still asleep."

Beth loved Gareth, not in a romantic way, but in a brotherly way. He'd rescued her on the outskirts of Terminus and treated to her wounds, questioning her repeatedly but also comforting her when she had nightmares about her family at the prison; her nightmares were usually about Daryl. Gareth was definitely not her type; the man she'd sacrificed herself for at the prison was.

"I'll get Alex to save you a seat," he promised, departing her room with a friendly smile and pulling the door shut behind himself.

She didn't thank him again, it went without saying. He'd been much too kind and his group had welcomed her with open arms, immediately offering her new clothes and letting her shower for the first time in months.

Beth almost couldn't believe her luck.

Stuffing her diary in her flowered pillow case, she made her way down to the outside clearing for dinner. The winter air smelt like rain and smoke which made for a cold night  and a routine fire was set when the sun went down to keep them warm.

Gareth called her over immediately, preparing himself to talk to her once she joined him, and she grabbed her cold plate from Mary to join her friend.

"Beth, you missed out on the best thing," Alex said, interrupting whatever his older brother had to say. "Lisa told this hilarious joke. How'd it go again, Liz?"

"So, like, what do you call a fake noodle?" Lisa said, playing with a string of her curly brown hair. "Like, it's totally an impasta!"

Alex laughed along with her but Gareth sat in silence, picking at his food. Whatever he wanted to say before was gone now and she doubted she had any chance of hearing it again.

Beth inched closer to him, nudging him with his leg. "Did you spot anyone on duty today?"

"No one that matched your descriptions. We'll keep an eye out, everyone who is  on sniper duty has a copy of what your family looks like and what they'll be carrying."

"I really appreciate it, Gareth. After we got separated when the prison fell... I just feel so terrible. I mean, I loved them. We weren't biologically family but we shared blood, you know? I-"

"It isn't you fault, Beth, remember that," he said quietly, looking up at her to meet her soft blue eyes." You did what you could and we all do things when we're scared."

She nodded, elbowing him softly. "Why so solemn and gloomy?"

"Just thinking," he replied, having untouched his meet.

"What has you so caught up that you can't eat? There's nothing wrong with it, it's only deer. Not like we killed someone for this."

"Beth, just promise me that you won't ever do anything to hurt us."

She shrugged. "Now, why would I do that? You know I would never do anything to harm you, Gareth, ever. We're friends now, okay? I'd never hurt anyone here."

"Thank you."

"Well, thanks for dinner. I should get going, promised Alex I'd help him find his gun, he misplaced it somewhere."