SHELTER | DIXON

|18|

The next day, it had been decided that Madison would sit out while the others went looking for Sophia again. Hershel had talked to Rick; he wasn't happy about Madison's decision to keep putting herself in danger, but if she was going to do it, he decided that his daughter would have to pace herself. He needed to know that she wouldn't be reckless due to exhaustion any time she went out looking for a little girl that would never be found.

Of course, Hershel couldn't tell Madison that small part. He'd forbade the rest of their family from doing it, as well. Especially Maggie, who was growing more and more frustrated the longer she had to keep that secret from her big sister. Growing up, Maggie had worshiped the ground Madison walked on. They'd been thicker than thieves, and they never kept secrets from each other. But now, Maggie had to keep the biggest secret of all: that they'd found the little girl hours before Otis had went on that hunting trip; that she was a walker, holed up in the barn with the rest of the infected people the Greenes had crossed.

It wasn't that Hershel didn't want to be honest with his daughter. He did. But the fact remained that Madison had changed since leaving the farm all those months ago. She no longer believed in a cure for the disease, just like her group didn't believe in it either. So Hershel decide the best thing would be to keep it a secret from her; and he'd been keeping a specially-close eye out to make sure Madison wouldn't get too close to the barn. The only good thing that came of this pointless search for Sophia was that it kept Madison occupied for the most part.

Despite her annoyance on being benched, Madison was sort of glad that she had a bit of time to spend with her little sister Beth. She spent the first part of the afternoon helping the blonde tend to the chickens, something that was full of lots of laughter between the two of them, especially when Madison fell on her ass accidentally. "I think you're a little out of practice, sissy," Beth had giggled in amusement. Madison merely lifted up the middle finger to her, which only made her laugh even more.

They were carrying the eggs toward the house when Lori and Carol approached them. "Madi, can we talk to you?" Carol asked tentatively, glancing at the dark-haired woman by her side for encouragement.

Madison stopped. "Of course, Carol. Something wrong?"

"No, not at all," Lori answered. "Carol was just thinking this morning, about how much your family's done for us. So we were wondering if it would be alright for us to cook everyone some dinner tonight?"

"Sure," Madison agreed easily. She knew her father didn't want these people to get too comfortable here, but she didn't share his opinion. These people were her people. And if he thought he was going to kick them off this farm, he had another thing coming. Madison wouldn't let that go down so easily. "I think it sounds like a great idea. Right, Beth?"

Beth stammered for a response when Madison put her on the spot. She liked the idea, and she liked these people, but their father didn't. "Um... yeah, it does." She mustered up a smile. "We can all pitch in and help."

They all headed inside together, Madison and Beth showing Lori and Carol where all the utensils and things were kept. The conversation was light as they started to prepare dinner, and Patricia and Maggie joined them after a while as well. Maggie was a little skeptic about the idea, given how the Greene sisters knew Hershel would feel about it, but she didn't protest. Instead she offered to drag in a few fold-up tables, so that everyone would have somewhere to sit, and then set out all the plates and silverware they would need. 

"I never thought I would be so happy to see a potato," Carol laughed lightly as she and Beth started to peel and chop them up.

Lori hummed in agreement. "I'm just glad we're not roasting squirrels over a fire in the woods."