Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters otherwise my favorite characters wouldn't suffer as much as they do -_-

Chapter 1: Light in the Darkness

It felt like the days just dragged on. Their previous lives a distant memory. Ever since the dead came back to life the survivors had to do whatever they could to make it. They had to say goodbye to their homes, their possessions, and sometimes the ones they loved most. It all seemed so unfair, parents losing their children, children losing their mothers and fathers way before they should. Even with all they had been through Rick and the others finally thought they found a safe haven, nothing else could go wrong but by now they should have realized. Just when you think you can stop and breathe, you get knocked back down.

He sat in the cafeteria of the prison. Leaning his head on his hands. His eyes were heavy but he couldn't force himself to sleep. It had been a few weeks since Lori died but every time he closed his eyes he relived it all over again. There were so many things he wish he could go back and change, he was going to change them but he never got the chance. He could never forgive himself for not being there with her in her last moments. Now here he was with a baby he wasn't even sure was his and a son that was becoming like a stranger. 'No kid should have to grow up in this world,' Rick thought looking out the prison windows.

Soft footsteps caught his attention making him reach for his gun still attached to his hip. Seeing Beth's small form at the top of the stairs made him sigh in relief. "Oh sorry," She whispered. "I didn't realize anyone was in here."

"Its ok," He mumbled, his voice deep and husky. "What are you doing up?"

Tiptoeing down the stairs Beth walked over to one of the counters. "I had made Judith a bottle for when she woke up during the night but I forgot it." She explained picking up the baby bottle.

Rick nodded, ever since Judith was born Beth had stepped in as her main caregiver. Carol helped but Rick couldn't help but notice how much time Beth spent with the baby. The room fell in an awkward silence before Beth spoke up. "I know this is probably a stupid question but...are you ok?"

Looking up Rick saw the small girl standing in front of the table. Sighing he dropped his hands on the table. He didn't know how to answer her, he obviously wasn't ok but he wasn't sure if he could have this conversation with her. "I'll be fine," He murmured, his voice so low she barely heard him.

Biting her bottom lip Beth turned on her heel to head back to her cell. At the top of the steps she faced him. "I don't know if this means anything but we know its not your fault." She said making Rick look up. "We all know if you could have done something to prevent all this you would have. I'm sure Lori knows that too."

"I should have been there."

"Do you really think it would have made a difference?" Beth was surprising herself. She never raised her voice at anyone and now she was doing it to the leader of their group. "All I'm saying is...you can't change it but you can change your relationship with your kids. They need you just as much as you need them."

Her words hit him hard. Taking a deep breath he said. "Thank you Beth."

"You're welcome." She smiled. "Maggie and Glenn are on watch so why don't you get some sleep?"

"You're right," He muttered rising from his seat.

Following her into the cell block he peaked into her cell to see her pick up Judith. She was so distracted by the baby she didn't even notice him watching her. The way she acted like she was her own made him smile. Before she could catch him staring he headed upstairs to his own cell. Stopping at the cell beside his he checked on Carl who was already sleeping, his hat hanging on the bunk bed with his gun close by. Bending down Rick pulled the blanket further up on his son's body. He wished they were back in their old house, where Carl had a Spiderman doll instead of a pistol. This world had robbed so many things from him, now Rick knew Carl couldn't lose his father as well. As he stepped out of the cell he made himself a silent promise, things were going to change around the prison, starting with him.

The next morning Beth woke up at the same time as she usually did. Like clockwork she heard Judith start to cry from inside her makeshift playpen. "Good morning, sweet girl." She smiled picking up the baby.

In the cafeteria she saw her father already awake and eating his breakfast. "Mornin' sweetheart." He said taking a bite of oatmeal.

"Morning, can you hold her for a second while I get her bottle?" She asked.

Hershel was about to agree when someone else spoke up. "I'll do it."

Beth turned around to see Rick walking towards them. "Let me take her." He coaxed. "How about you take the day off today? At least from baby duty."

"Are you sure?" To say Beth was surprised was an understatement.

"Yeah, I think she needs to spend some time with her dad and brother."

Smiling Beth glanced at her father who looked just as shocked as she did. "Ok, let me just get her stuff from my cell."

When she was gone Rick sat down across from Hershel. "Welcome back." The older man said.

Rick chuckled. "And I'm not going anywhere."

Ok so this is very short but I just want to see if everyone likes this story. I just had a random idea, and I like reading Rick/Beth stories so I decided to write it :)