Night Watch
Chapter 1 - First Watch

Beth Greene

I don't know how long we've been at the prison now but it seems like a lifetime. The innocent people from Woodbury who wanted a chance have been here for a while and we haven't heard anything from The Governor since he was outed for what he really was; a coward, a fake, a fantasist and most of all a danger to the people. Most of the people who came to us from Woodbury have told Rick they wish to stand and fight with us if The Governor did come to our gates. We have been preparing for the possibility, Rick and Daryl have been teaching those who want to fight how to fight, how to shoot, how to take down a walker with a knife and how to track. Well Daryl did most of the training but Rick helped out a lot too. Everyone has been on their guard but now that we have the numbers we can really start living safely… well as safe as anyone can be during these crazy times.

Rick decided that he didn't want to be the leader anymore. I personally think he just couldn't handle making some of the decisions that he's made in the past. He says he wants to spend what time he has left with his children. However I still watch Judith for most of the day and Carl is doing his own thing. Since Rick decided he didn't want to be in charge a council was put in place, the members are; Daryl (obviously), Carol, Glenn, Sasha and my dad. It's been working out well having the council and everyone who's here seems to be living in harmony and we're doing the best we can. We haven't had a death in so long and everyone has been given jobs to do.

Well everyone has their own jobs but me. I'm still just a glorified babysitter to Judith. Don't get me wrong I love Judith very much and I would die to her but I wanted to be trained up like the others so I can contribute more. I want to be able to do patrols, go on watch, go on supply runs but no one seems to think that I am up to the job. I keep mentioning it but there's always a reason why now is not the best time for me to be in training. Ok to be honest, the real reason I want to start doing more is because I am going crazy in this prison! It's getting colder so I can't go outside with Judith too much and by the time Rick normally takes her back for the evening it's too dark for me to be wandering around on my own.

All I need is just an evening out on watch or something! I am going to have a mental breakdown if I have to keep staring at the same four walls over and over again. Of course Judith and I wander around the prison and we've had a nose through some of the files that were left in the offices but it wasn't exactly my idea of fun. I haven't been outside for a few days now and I'm starting to feel claustrophobic. Everyone is busy doing their own jobs to look after Judith for an hour so that I can go and get some fresh air, I feel like a mom and I'm not Judith's mom… her mom died but she does have a daddy who should tend to her more then his pig and his vegetables.

Speaking of Judith… she starting whining from the travel cot I had put her in for a nap. Well that nap didn't last very long, she didn't sleep well last night so I thought she would have had a nap that lasted a couple of hours at least but it didn't. She's only been asleep for 20 minutes. I slammed the book down harder then I had to and went over to Judith. She reached her little arms out for me and I picked her up and she snuggled into me.

"You ok?" A voice asked which made me jump.

I turned towards the voice and saw Daryl standing there "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" I asked harsher then necessary.

"Slammin' things around and being harsh to people is not the normal Beth Greene" He stated.

"Sorry. I'm just getting a little bored of sitting in here day in day out… it's driving me crazy" I told him.

"Why don't you go outside with her for a little while?" He questioned.

"She doesn't have any winter clothes that fit her. If I take her blanket she either kicks it off or the wind blows it off. Then she gets cold and I have to come back in… its not worth all that hassle to go out for 10 seconds" I explained.

"I dint know the winter clothes dint fit. I'll look f'r some on my next run" He promised.

"Thanks" I replied and looked down at Judith who had gone back to sleep. I sighed and knew if I put her down she would wake back up again, she likes the feel of someone holding her and the skin to skin contact.

"What you doin' tonight?" He asked.

"I've got Judith until Rick comes back but nothing after that, why?" I questioned.

"I'm on firs' watch. Wanna come with me an get some air?" He offered.

"That would be great" I replied.

"I'll catch you on my way out" He promised and walked off.

Since Zach died Daryl has been making more and more of an effort with me. He speaks to me more and tried to include me in conversations everyone else is having. I think he's realised that I'm not a silly little girl anymore, I've grown up and I know that things are probably not gonna get better, I know that I'm gonna die one day and the world was still gonna be like this. I'm not that naive 16 year old girl anymore. I'm an 18 year old woman.

Rick came in when it go to dark for him to do anything else on his miniature farm and he took Judith off me. As soon as he took her I went to my cell/bedroom and got everything I thought I would need for the night ahead which consisted of; my knife, my book and my blanket. I'm sure Daryl had everything else already in the tower waiting. I wonder if my daddy knows Daryl is taking me on watch tonight or if we're not gonna say anything? I can't see Daryl doing that, he respects my dad too much to just take me on watch before asking my daddy.

Someone cleared their throat from the door and I looked up to see daddy standing there, speak of the devil "Hey daddy" I said as I put my thing down on the table so daddy could sit down "What brings you by?" I asked as he sat down next to me.

"Well I spoke to Daryl today. He said he's taking you on watch tonight so you could get a bit of a breather. I was just coming to make sure that you were ready" He told me.

"I am. I've been copped up in here for a few days, I just need some fresh air" I said.

"I know. I also know that you think we don't appreciate everything you do with Judith but we do, especially Rick. It's not easy taking care of a baby full time but you do it and you do it amazingly. I'm sorry if I haven't been around much these past few weeks to speak to you but I've been trying to get Rick on the council" He explained.

"Daddy I don't think you should push Rick on the matter. He's just lost Lori and now he has to be a mother and father to Carl and Judith. He's just doing what he thinks is right for his family" I told him.

"But we need his leadership skills" He pointed out.

"I think he'll probably come round eventually but you've got to give him the time and space he needs to grieve for his wife. I'm sure when he's better he'll be begging you to let him in on the council and run things again" I said.

"We'll see" He replied "I'll see you in the morning baby" He said and kissed the top of my head "You do what Daryl tells you" He added as he left.

Daryl came and got me on his way out as he promised and the two of us went to the watch tower and took off the two people that were already there, I recognised the pair as a couple that we took in about 3 weeks ago. I couldn't remember their names. Daryl and Michonne found them on a supply run and after speaking to them and searching them they agreed to bring the pair back here. They're really kind and everyone has nothing but good things to say about them.

Daryl ran me through the basics of what I needed to be doing and he made sure I knew what to do in an emergency. I think this is the most I've ever heard him talk but I'm not complaining. To be honest with you I've had a little crush on Daryl since we first arrived at the prison and everything happened with Lori. He raced out straight away to get Judith some supplies so she wouldn't die, he was the first person to feed her and he showed everyone his sensitive side. I know he doesn't like to admit it but he's not has bad as he thinks he is. The man he was that day and that night was the man I had dreamt about all my life, of course I would never tell him or anyone about my crush on him.

"Beth?" Daryl questioned after an hour of silence.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"Why dint you cry when I told you Zach was killed? Or when you found out Jimmy was dead?" He questioned.

"Because we lose people a lot and if I cried every time we lost someone then I would never stop" I answered.

"But they were really close to you, they were your boyfriends" He pointed out.

"I know and I cared for them both very much. I just didn't see the point in crying. I had good memories of them and I would rather hold on to that rather then the sadness of them dying. Wasting tears and mopping around is not gonna help anyone" I explained.

"You know you're stronger then people give you credit for" He told me.

"Thanks" I answered "Now you've asked me something, can I ask you something?" I asked.

"I guess" He replied.

"Why are so closed off from people?" I questioned.

"As you said, a lot of people die. It's easier to handle their death if you're not close. Bein' close to someone means you become irrational. Look what happened to Rick when Lori died, I don't ever wanna be in that sort of place. It's dark and not easy to come out from" He explained.

"So you're scared" I clarified.

"If you want" He answered with a shrug.

"Are you scared?" I questioned.

"It don' matter" He replied.

I got the feeling Daryl wasn't going to speak much more. He turned his back to me and started walking around the platform and keeping an eye on the walkers. I wish Daryl would open up a little more, with someone, keeping all of them emotions bottled up all the time wasn't healthy and I don't want him to have a meltdown. We needed Daryl in top performance to help keep everyone safe, that's what Daryl does best.

"I didn't mean to annoy you" I commented to him and took my post and began watching the ground below me.