AN: Hey guys,
I decided to give it a try and write a one-shot inspired by last week episode. I wanted to challenge myself so here you go my first….and maybe last Rick/Beth or BRICK fanfic. Fanfic loosely inspired by Love will come Through by Travis
Review and let me know what you think.
Disclaimer I still don't own the walking Dead
Steffy2106
Love will come through:
It has been 5 days that they were in quarantine, and Beth couldn't help but wonder how much longer it would last. She tried to stay positive, to concentrate on the job she had to do and her job was to take care of Judith, to make sure she was happy and well fed but being locked almost 24/7 in what used to be a janitorial closet was really getting to her head.
She sat on her mattress making sure that her walky-talky was on. She kept hoping to hear someone's voice; anybody's really…somebody telling her she was free to come out. She never realized how much the outside air meant to her until she was completely deprived of it.
Maggie was keeping her company a few hours every day, but communication behind a door was different, the loneliness remained. The group had not come back from their raid to the veterinary university and Beth truly hoped they were okay. She promised herself she wouldn't cry anymore but losing Michonne and Daryl would be too much for her. They were her family just as Maggie and Hershel were.
Carol and Rick had gone two days ago raid some houses not too far from the prison and came back with all the medication they could find to bring Hershel in block A, hoping to cure some or at least buy some time until the group came back.
Beth looked at the sleeping baby and envied her innocence even if she knew it would be gone soon. Beth had a real childhood, something that Judith would never have.
Beth sighed, standing up going through the supplies she had left. She had no idea how long she was going to be stuck here for. She was counting the diapers she had left when she heard a soft rasp to the door.
"Maggie?"
"No it's me, Rick." He whispered.
"Oh is everything okay?" She whispered, getting closer of the door. Rick hadn't come once since she was in locked down. He had checked on Judith with the walkie talkie but that was it.
"Yeah it's all fine, I just wanted to check on you and my girl…How is she doing?"
Beth looked at Judith who had now her eyes open. She took her in her arms and walked to the door to stand by Rick's shadowy figure. "She is the best, I promise. I wish for everybody to have a baby like her."
"Don't think I don't appreciate what's you've been doing for my baby for the past year, you've been more of a parent than I have been."
Beth shrugged before realizing he couldn't see her. "It's alright I don't mind. I always wanted a child you know….I know she is not mine or anything but I guess; well she is as close as she can be."
Rick rested his hand on the door and Beth brought Judith's hand up to put it on the door too.
"How are things going?" She asked, trying to keep her voice from wavering.
Rick sighed, shifted and slide down to sit against the door.
Beth followed his lead and sat against the door too. It was strange for Rick to be here instead of running things at the prison. She understood why he would need a break but not why would he spend it with her.
"Things….Things are going. We brought quite a lot of medication, your father is hopeful." Rick let out a weary sighed and Beth didn't need to see him to picture his worried face and tired eyes.
"You'll be okay Rick, they'll be back soon, Y'all see."
"What if they don't?" Rick was surprised himself to speak his doubts out loud maybe it was Beth, Beth was goodness personified and maybe the fact that she couldn't see him helped, it felt like at confession.
Beth was quiet for a little while and Rick wondered if asking her that question wasn't a mistake.
"If they don't we'll be okay…We have you." She said but he didn't miss the crack in her voice. "We're safe with you, I know we are. We'll get by Rick, we always do."
Rick smiled sadly. She was the young one, she was supposed to be the fragile one and she was the one reassuring him. "The meds seem to be working."
"Good. How is my dad doing?"
Rick closed his eyes; he didn't know what to tell her. How could he tell her that her father was sick? That she might not even tell him goodbye. "He is a thought man your daddy, he is really making a difference."
Beth pursed her lips and looked up trying to stop her tears, she understood what he meant. "He has a job to do….Like we all do, he is doing what is right."
Rick thought of Carol and what she had done. "Can something wrong seem right? Or can something right feel wrong?"
Beth pondered his question. She wanted to help him; she could hear the urgency behind his questions. It seemed casual but she knew it was more. She wanted to give him the right answer. "It all depends of the person's heart."
"What do you mean?"
"Well if a person does something they truly think is right or for the greater good can it be completely wrong? It might be in your eyes and in mine but I don't think right or wrong is absolute you know? It's subjective." She shrugged, before kissing Judith's head. "Not sure if it helps that's all I got. "
"Thank you." Said Rick, standing up. He wanted to stay there and talk to her, for the first time in forever he thought it might be ok. He knew that Beth was probably just faking it but it was working, who would have thought the girl could be so wise?
"For what?" She asked confused.
"For being you." He replied before leaving.
TWDTWDTWDTWD
The group came back late that night with Bob as a casualty but with all the medication they needed.
Carol had gone with Michonne to the medication.
Tyreese was still very adamant to find the murdered but Rick knew he could never give Carol away. She was family, he loved her and he knew that David and Karen would have died anyway. Did he agree with what she did? Of course not, but he replayed Beth's words and he knew Carol's heart was in the right place and always would be.
Plus he knew that even if what she did was wrong, he couldn't never give her away, he decided what to do right then, and hated himself for that.
Rick sighed, and looked at Tyreese. "While you were gone I investigated and-"
"Did you find out who did it? Did you find who killed them?" Asked Tyreese with urgency.
Rick nodded. "It was Bob."
"No it can't be!" Tyreese roared taking a step toward Rick.
Daryl took a protective step beside Rick but Rick raised his hand to stop him.
"I know…He was your friend but he said that infections have a tendency to spread in confined spaces and that you couldn't get more confined than the prison. I found the bloody knife and gloves smelling like gasoline in his cell. I'm sorry. Tyreese I'm truly sorry" said Rick, leaving the rest unsaid. I'm sorry for lying to you, I'm sorry to deny you justice but I need to keep my family safe and Carole is part of my family.
Rick glanced at Daryl but looked away under the interrogating glare of the hunter. He could see that Daryl didn't buy it but Rick could deal with that later. Right now he just hoped Tyreese believed him.
Tyreese rested one of his giant's hands on Rick's shoulder and squeezed it. "Thank you for finding who did this I appreciate it."
The guilt took Rick's breath away and he was surprised that the only thing he wanted to do now is go and talk to Beth for a while. "I'm going to check on the kids"
"I'm going to check on Sasha." Said Tyreese.
"I'll walk with ya." Said Daryl to Rick while adjusting his crossbow.
Rick nodded with defeat knowing it was pointless to refuse. "Daryl..."
"Why d'ya lie to the guy?"
Rick kept a fast pace hoping to reach the admin building before running out of answers.
"Who said I lied?"
"I know you Rick and I can tell when you lie. Ain't right man, those dead deserve justice."
"Don't you think I know that?" Said Rick, swirling around resting his hands on his hips. He looked at the door before concentrating on Daryl again. "Do you trust me?"
Daryl nodded.
"So believe me when I tell you I'm doing that for us. If you keep on looking, you're not going to like what you find. Believe me Daryl when I tell you to drop it."
Daryl looked at Rick for a minute before nodding. "A'right. If ya say to drop it I will. Say hi to lil'asskicker fer me."
"They have the medication" Rick said sitting against the door.
"I know…Maggie told me. How are you?"
Rick smiled, she was in locked down and yet she was worrying about him. "I'm alright, I did something I am not really proud of though."
Beth remained silent.
He frowned. "Won't you ask what I did?"
Beth shrugged. "I figured if you wanted to tell me you would."
Rick realized that he wanted to tell her. "I lied, I lied to protect someone I love."
Beth was surprised by the unfamiliar feeling that settled in her chest. She didn't like that weight…Jealousy. "I'm sure you did what's right, you always do."
"Where is this unwavering faith coming from? I am not sure I deserve it."
"You never did anything that led me to think otherwise. You've made mistakes, we all did but in the end if we're here it's because of you. You never took one selfish decision, you always did what you thought was best. You deserve this faith Rick."
Rick leaned his head against the door. and closed his eyes. He just liked the feeling of peace Beth was creating in him.
"Are you still here?" Beth asked after a few minutes of silence.
"Yea…"
"How long before we can get out?"
"Oh…ummm if the antibiotics are working you should be good to go in 5 days." Rick sighed. He didn't want to leave but once again his duties were calling him. "I have to go."
"Will you come back?" She asked timidly.
"Do you want me to?" Rick asked. realizing how important that question really was for him.
"Yes…" She whispered.
Rick smiled to the door. "I'll be back tomorrow."
For the next five days, Rick came to keep company to Beth. He talked about a lot of things, things he didn't even know he wanted to let out.
By day 3, some of them were showing some clear signs of amelioration, some continued to get worst, they were just too weak or too sick to make it.
By day 5 it was over… 21 persons had been in quarantine, only 6 came out. Rick heart broke when Hershel didn't make it. Sasha, Glenn, Doctor S, Lizzie and two younger former Woodbury residents were saved.
Maggie had been happy to have Glenn back but was devastated to have lost her father.
Rick went with Carol let the kids and elderly out of the administrative building.
As soon as Beth opened the door, her eyes connected with Rick and it seems like they were seeing each other for the first time. Rick was confused by how his heart rate increased and the impulse he had to pull her into a hug and never let her go.
He shook his head. "I have to go" he left almost running.
He knew he was supposed to be here for her, she was about to learn she lost the only parent she had left. These feelings he had were wrong, he was not supposed to feel that way, not after Lori and certainly not with beautiful, sweet and innocent Beth. Everything he ever cared for had weathered and hurt because of him.
She had faith in him, she was only seeing the man he wanted to be not the man he was. He was flawed and weak at time but for her he seemed to be superman.
Rick decided to go in Block D to see how the Woodbury residents were settling back.
When he walked in, he saw the door of the basement opened. He frowned, taking his gun out of his holster.
When he arrived downstairs the phone started to ring, icing the blood in his veins.
He closed his eyes. "No, not again please, not again." He walked to the phone, putting his gun back in his holster.
He shook his head. "No I won't answer…I will not answer" he growled. The noise was haunting him; he knew it would never stop ringing.
"What?" He barked, answering.
"Hello my love."
His hand started to shake when he heard Lori's voice. "Lori…" He whispered.
"It's okay Rick." She said gently. He didn't miss the smile in her voice.
"What is?"
"Falling in love with her."
Rick opened his mouth to speak but no sounds came out.
"I have been gone for a long time and maybe even before that. She is a good woman Rick, she truly cares. She is the sort of person you need in your life, she is strong and honest. I blamed you for everything that was wrong when I should have thanked you."
Rick eyes filled up with tears, he knew it was only his mind acting up but it was all he needed to hear.
"I am looking upon you, Carl and Judith and I'm proud of all of you. You're doing a fantastic job, you are a great father. Beth is a fantastic young woman; she loves and cares for Judith just as much as I would….Even more."
"I love you Lori."
"I know you do but it doesn't mean you can't love her too. You are not betraying my memory you know. You need to keep on living, you didn't die with me, don't act like you did."
"Lori…"
"Goodbye my love and be happy with her."
The line went dead.
Rick ran up the stairs, he knew that phone call was just a part of his brain expressing itself.
Beth was making him feel, feel things he never though he could feel again. She brought him peace and he wanted to make her happy.
He found Beth in her cell sitting on her bed. She had her hands folded neatly on her lap, looking at her wall.
"Are you okay?" He asked before wanting to punch himself in the face. She just found out her father was dead.
She nodded. "If you're looking for Judith she is with Carol."
"No I was looking for you. I'm sorry about your father, he was a good man."
Beth stood up and started to put her things in place. "He did what he had to do, he died for what seemed right. I know he wanted to die for something that mattered. She took a deep shaky breath. "He saved six people," she nodded. "He risked his life for something worthy."
Rick walked to her and rested his hand on her shoulder. She was trying to be strong, but this wasn't healthy, this wasn't her.
"You have the right to cry Beth, your feelings are not making you weak, they are making you human." He took another step closer and let his shaky hand run down her arm and caught her hand. He didn't really know if she felt something for him too, he thought had caught something in her eyes before, it was also a reason why he had ran.
Beth kept her back to him but turned her hand ever so slightly to intertwine her fingers with his. His fingers had left a trail of fire along her arm and she never wanted him to stop touching her, it was like his touch had dulled the aching pain in her heart.
"I can't cry Rick" she murmured.
"Why? Beth, look at me." He nudged her slightly.
Beth turned around keeping hold on his hand. She looked up, they were so clause she could feel his body heat irradiate, his warm breath on her face. "Because if I start to cry, I don't think I'll ever stop."
"You're strong, you're beautiful…You are the heart of this place. You can't shut those feelings out, they are part of you, and part of what makes you special." He pulled her to him and rested his forehead against hers. "I like that Beth, I like her very much."
Beth brought her other hand up, and cupped his bearded cheek. "I'm still here and...and I like you too. So much that I am scared."
Rick smiled. "We'll figure it out Beth. You and me…We'll make it work. For the first time I will make a selfish decision and do something I was dying to do." He said before kissing her soft lips gently.