I have always loved this particular Bob Dylan song, and it seemed to fit the fic perfectly. I don't own anything related to The Walking Dead, I just love the show. This is set during/after the season 3 episode, 'Clear'. I hope you all enjoy reading this. Thank you - Mrs P

Added on 10/3/13 (or 3/10/13 if you're in the US) - I wrote this as a one-shot, but I've decided to keep going with it for a few more chapters. I don't know how many more, that will depend on how the last four episodes of the show go, and who is left standing by the end of season 3. I'll be continuing the music theme, with Beth's love of singing and all. Please let me know what you think. Thank you - Mrs P.

Make You Feel My Love

When the rain

Is blowing in your face

And the whole world

Is on your case

I could offer you

A warm embrace

To make you feel my love…

Beth Greene sang softly to herself as she went about her chores. Singing was one of the last remaining pleasures she had left now, and folks seemed to like hearing it. She heard Judith waking from her slumber and went to get the fresh formula she'd been heating.

"Hey, I bet you're hungry, little Judy," she cooed as she held the baby gently in her arms.

The little girl sucked furiously at her bottle which caused Beth to laugh. But her mind soon shifted to more serious matters, which made her frown with worry.

"I've been praying real hard for your brother and your daddy, and I know that God will deliver them back safely to us. Your daddy is such a brave man. He's a hero, that's what he is," she said, drifting off into a world of her own for a moment.

Rick Grimes was always in her thoughts of late, and she couldn't seem to make herself stop. Beth knew she was being silly for indulging her fantasies about him. She was sure he would never look at her in that way, not after Lori, and because she was half his age. But still, every time she saw him, he made her heart beat just that little bit faster.

The only experience she had of dating was with Jimmy, and she wasn't sure that could ever be classed as anything more than puppy love. She felt bad about what happened to her high school sweetheart, but she'd never felt as intensely for him as she did for Rick.

When the evening shadows

And the stars appear

And there is no one there

To dry your tears

I could hold you

For a million years

To make you feel my love…

Beth sang softly to Judith, as she settled her down into the makeshift crib. She knew she would never be a skilled fighter, like Maggie, but there were some things she was good at. She knew how to take care of the baby, and she could make something to eat from practically nothing. Her ambitions in life had been modest, even before the world went to hell. She knew that she wanted to have children of her own someday, and to find a good man to marry. The world was different now, and expectations had to be adjusted, but she needed to hold onto the hope that one day her dreams could still come true.

It was almost sunset, and still there was no sign of Rick, Carl and Michonne. Beth had temporarily relinquished responsibility for Judith to Carol, and she kept sneaking a look outside for any sighting of them. Her heart was pounding with fear that something might have happened to them, despite how hard she'd prayed for their safe return. She offered up a few more silent pleas to the almighty, and they were swiftly answered, as she saw their car approaching the prison gates. Daryl was there to let them in, and to her relief, she could see that Rick looked okay, except for a patch of blood on his shirt. She was sure it hadn't been there when he'd left that morning. But she reasoned he had probably been killing walkers, and got splattered in the process.

Beth didn't want to look too keen to welcome him back, although she longed to run up and throw her arms around him. She hovered about around the doorway instead, not quite knowing what to do with herself. Then she saw Rick and Carl unloading what looked like a proper crib for Judith.

"Hey, look what we got," Carl shouted over to her with a huge smile on his face.

She beamed back at them both and ran over to help.

"Oh my God, it's wonderful," she said excitedly.

"Judy is gonna love it."

They soon got the car unloaded and the crib was set up ready for use. Beth stood holding onto Judith while Rick and Carl sorted things out. She couldn't stop herself from tearing up a little, because even the smallest of things, like a baby having a real crib to sleep in, meant so much now. Carl reached out to take his sister into his arms and he softly kissed her head.

"Look what I got for you, little sis," he said with a grin as he placed her gently inside the crib.

She kicked her legs around, seemingly with delight, which made them all chuckle.

"I think that means she likes it," Beth said as she smiled at Rick.

He had been so troubled lately, but she thought he looked calmer now, and she was grateful for that. He groaned slightly as he packed away the toolkit and seemed to be bothered by some pain in his shoulder. Beth was concerned and she leaned in to take a closer look.

"Are you hurt?" She asked with her eyes fixed on him.

"It's nothing, really. Maybe I'll get your dad to take a quick look, later," Rick waved away her concerns.

Beth wasn't so easily deterred, and she found herself boldly reaching out to pull back his shirt and expose the bandage. There was a little circle of dried blood on the dressing, but the wound didn't appear to require stitches.

"Let me get the medical supplies, and change the dressing at least. You don't want it getting infected, do you?" She was already on her way to retrieve the first aid kit before he could argue.

She glanced back to see father, son and daughter all together for once, in a rare peaceful moment. What had happened with Lori was tragic, but there was no point in looking back. Judith needed a mother now, and Beth considered herself to be the nearest thing that the baby was going to get.

She found the medical supplies and was about to head back upstairs when her father stopped her.

"What are you doing, Bethy?" He questioned.

Her heart sank, as she felt her one chance to get closer to the man she adored, ebbing away.

"Rick's hurt. But I don't think it's too bad. I was just gonna clean the wound and change the dressing," she explained as if it was nothing to her, instead of everything.

Hershel stared at his youngest child for a moment as if he was contemplating something. But he nodded at her to carry on.

"Okay then, but come get me right away if it's anything you can't handle," he said.

She nodded and gave assurances while trying not to betray her inner elation. She happily skipped back up the stairs to Rick. He was sitting on the cell cot watching over Judith, when she got there.

"Where's Carl?" She asked as she went over to tend to him.

"He said he'd got something else for Judith, and he had to go get it," Rick explained.

Beth smiled sweetly at him as she carefully assisted in taking off his shirt. He couldn't help noticing, as she reached to remove the blood-stained dressing that her hand was trembling. He moved quickly to capture it in his own, and she let out a gasp.

"Maybe Hershel should do this?" He questioned.

She looked momentarily crushed, but quickly covered it.

"I know what I'm doing," she firmly insisted.

Rick released her hand and watched intently as she lovingly tended to his wound. He suspected she might be a little sweet on him, and he didn't want to lead her on in any way. But he had to reluctantly admit, that it was nice to feel a woman's gentle touch on his skin again. Her hand lingered on his chest a little longer than it should have, and he flinched. She was only seventeen, he reminded himself, and he was nowhere near being over the love of his life. He doubted he ever would be. Beth drew back her hand from him like his flesh was burning hot to the touch, and her cheeks began to turn red. She fumbled around with the bandages and was ready to leave, when Carl reappeared.

"Look what I got," he said as he proudly held up the framed family photograph that Michonne helped him to retrieve.

Beth's heart ached, as she looked upon the smiling faces of the Grimes family in happier times. She felt foolish for indulging in fantasies and imagining that she could ever take Lori's place in Rick's affections. But she forced out a smile.

"Your mom would have been so proud of you. She would have been so very proud of all of you," she said as she choked back her emotions.

She made a swift exit and left the family alone together.

Later that evening, her father asked her to sing a song for them all, and Beth couldn't help herself. She didn't dare to steal a glance at Rick while she sang the first few choruses, but by the end she was singing only for him.

I could make you happy

Make your dreams come true

Nothing that I wouldn't do

Go to the ends

Of the earth for you

To make you feel my love, To make you feel my love.

[Make You Feel My Love - Written by Bob Dylan.]