Author's Note: This is my first fanfic and please be kind and review. I can't learn and grow if I don't know what I'm doing good or bad, right or wrong.

I came up with the idea of this when I was reading another fanfic "This Hell I'm Living" so thanks for the inspiration and if you have the time I think it's worth checking out. This is set after the fall of Woodbury but before the prison fell. It was just the easiest place to begin. I don't know where this story is headed or how it will end. Ideas would be welcome if anyone has any. For the record all characters are over the age of 18 and this is smut with a side of story line to keep it interesting.

Disclaimer - I do not own the walking dead or its characters. Everything else is mine which is basically not much at all.

-Beth-

She felt disgusting and exhausted. Her everything hurt. Muscles she didn't even know existed were waiting in line to register multiple grievances with the complaint department in her brain. All she wanted to do was lay down in her cell for about a year and sleep. But that wasn't going to happen. She had asked to be treated like one of the adults and this is what she got for asking, they gave it to her. The walkers were coming is droves lately and it was all hands in deck so to speak when it came to fence duty. Even Daryl and Michonne were cutting their hunting trips short to spend more time inside the gate and help kill the walkers. After all, what good is hunting down food if you become food yourself while you sleep? Something was bringing the walkers to their door step like trick-or-treaters at Halloween. This was the third day in a row of this and it was only getting worse. If they didn't find the source of the draw then the gates wouldn't hold much longer and all of their hard won safety would be lost.

Beth was pacing around the common area waiting for her chance at the shower. The water would be cold by now and do nothing for her sore muscles but at least the walker blood would be washed away. She knew that if she stopped moving she would stiffen up and want to just fall into bed. With no working electric to run a washing machine that would mean the sheets on her bunk would be too disgusting to use ever again even by today's standards, so she chose to stand and she paced.

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't hear Rick walk up behind her on her next pass. The only warning she received before turning to begin the circuit again was a heavy hand landing on her shoulder and scaring her half to death. Beth jumped but, years of living in a world where sound can kill you, kept her from doing more than drawing in a sharp breath.

"Relax Beth it's just me." came Rick's gravely voice. "You did great out there yesterday and today. We really appreciate all your help. You must be exhausted though. I'll take Judith tonight so you can get some sleep." He tells her.

"It's all right" she says to him looking down, not used to the praise and not sure if she should trust a man so recently coming out of a full blown meltdown. "I want to. When she smiles it's like for a moment I can forget what it's like outside of the walls and just enjoy her being happy. And when she's asleep, well I like taking care of Judith. It helps with all the bad stuff. But I don't want her to see me like this. Can someone watch her while I get cleaned up?" Beth always felt better knowing that Judith was safe with either her or Carol just in case Rick had another of his brushes with insanity. That way Judith wouldn't see it and they would know she was safe. True Rick had been showing signs of recovery for months now but Beth found herself overprotective of the defenseless little bundle everyone tended to call lil asskicker. Rick smiled and nodded at Beth before walking off. She got the impression he knew what she was talking about with Judith. That baby would just make you smile in spite of the day you were having. Judith could even got grumpy surly Daryl to smile and that was saying something.

Maggie came walking up from the hall where the showers were holding hands with Glenn letting her know it was her turn and the room was clear. Beth was the last to go down so she could have as much time as she needed to get clean without having to worry who she might be holding up. Beth knew that so many of the others here pulled their weight in much more important ways than her so she tried to be as considerate of them as possible and work her needs around theirs. As she strolled down the halls to the giant shower room they all had to share Beth's mind wondered a bit. Beth looked down and shivered at the state of herself. Normally she would be helping make dinner for them right now but she was in no state to handle food that people would be eating and Carol had told her that she had it covered. Beth tried so hard to take care of everyone and not be a burden but she still felt like no one believed she was more than a child and a useless female child at that. Hopefully helping out with fence duties would help change that. She was 18 now, in the time before all this she would be considered an adult and no longer a child.

Walking down the hallway Beth contemplated her clothing options. This was only one of 3 outfits she had and it would need to be cleaned soon or it would be completely ruined. Maybe she should wash her clothes while she was down here and hang them to dry when she got back. Beth always did her best not to touch Judith with any walker blood on her, even if it was just stains on her clothing. She still never wanted someone so innocent to be touched by something so scary. Maybe she should ask to go on the next run so she could pick up some new clothing that was in better shape that her current wardrobe.

Entering the showers Beth was on autopilot. She scanned the room for threats before setting down her things and taking her clothes off. She might not be the fighter like her sister was but she knew how to be careful and how to run. When did it become commonplace in her life to check any and all rooms for threats upon entry? Was this what soldiers in war felt like? Living under this much stress, it was no wonder PTSD was so difficult to treat. Her shower was an uneventful if cold experience which she was thankful for. Her knife was always on her even in the shower. Double checking it was where she left it Beth quickly toweled off and began to dress. This time it was hanging from a conveniently placed hook on the wall meant for some other mundane everyday item. Taking her eyes off of the room Beth pulled the shirt over her head as her mind wondered once more. They were always finding useful ways to incorporate the old world into this new one they found themselves in. Prisons were once cages to keep the criminals who would threaten them locked up. Now a prison was a sanctuary with strong walls keeping the walkers that threaten them out and the living safely inside. She gave a little chuckle at that though before reaching for her jeans. But she stopped when she heard a noise. Deciding that footwear was more important Beth quickly put her boots on and reached behind her to grab her knife but it was gone and what ever was making the noise was getting closer.