Hey all, it's a new story!

Here's an insight on Beth and guns.

I own nothing. The story title comes from Miranda Lambert's "Time To Get A Gun".

Time To Get A Gun

Daddy hated weapons of any kind. Ever since I was a li'l girl, I never really liked 'em either. They hurt people, and I never wanted to hurt anyone. My daddy helped people, so who would I be to grab a gun and start shootin'?

Now that the world had ended, though, a lot changed. Maggie and daddy have grown thicker skin. Neither of them had a problem with shootin'. But, li'l me, on the other hand… I'm a different story in itself. Mama taught me to love everyone, just how daddy taught me. I don't really like the thought of guns. (Not that I like the thought of walkers eatin' me alive neither, you know.)

I know that I'm being a girl about it. Why hell, even Carl has grown up more than me! I'd love to just be able to grab a weapon and protect my own, but the truth is that I just don't have it in me. When I killed my first walker, I felt so weird! It was like, I felt some sort of empowerment. I had survived something that not a lot of folks have. And that wasn't even with a gun! The first time I shot that gun to get Merle and Glenn to stop fightin', I didn't mean no harm in it. I just didn't want Judith gettin' upset over that li'l uproar. I'm not one to grab a gun and start shootin' at anyone and anything. Prolly never will be.

This is why I'm so uncomfortable about this whole war thing. I have to grab a gun to protect me an' my own. Daddy, Maggie, me… any one of us could die. But the scariest thing about it? Carl was the one to make me realize this. The night before we were all packing our things for the ambush, he handed me a gun and told me that I needed to use this more often.

I knew that Carl had the biggest crush on me this side of the Mason-Dixie line, and he probably wanted to keep me safe himself. I wouldn't have a big problem with that, but daddy might look at Carl somethin' strange.

So, from now on, I would just have to earn my keep and do something else other than taking care of Judith. I could probably switch off with Maggie and Carol, not like I hadn't been doing that before. Just… now I would have to grab me a gun an' go on watch or somethin' like that. It was a scary thought: me, li'l Beth Greene, holdin' a dangerous fire-weapon. But, right now, it was either kill or be killed, an' I sure as hell ain't gonna be the one gettin' killed!

When I picked up a gun for the first time, I noticed that daddy started to clench up. He didn't like that his li'l girl had to grow up so fast. Well, neither do I. Not really. Just a few months ago, I was stealing kisses behind the barn with Jimmy. Now he was dead, ma, she was dead. Otis, too. So much death around me, and I had to just sit back and watch it happen.

It was weird how things came to be, but there ain't no use frettin' over it. I have my daddy and my sister to think about now. And Judith as well, seeing how Rick hasn't been the sanest person here lately. I have to learn to earn my keep for their sake.

I've been thinking a lot about it here. And I think that it's time to get my own gun. Not to have someone lend one to me for a quick defense, but I need one to… well, stay alive. I won't be protected forever.

Daddy would freak out like he always did, and Maggie would try to defend me. But I would be safe. They can't possibly fault me for that, right?

Sweet Baby Jesus, I hope not. Kinda gettin' used to the idea of having a gun on me now…

So, how did ya'll like my Beth's POV? Drop me a line and lemme know!