AUTHOR'S NOTES: Hello, thanks for your comments guys, I'm glad you guys liked the Rick/Olly scene (",) Because of the lovely comments I received, it gave me the motivation to check over and edit this chapter and have it up earlier than the weekend.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters

Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical errors.

Anything in Italics are thoughts

Featured Song :- Satellite by Tyrone Wells

The Journey

Chapter 11

Beth's eyes slowly blink open just as her alarm clock goes off at 6am. The night had been longer than the night before, eyes red rimmed and sore.

She looks down and pulls up her chain. She carefully opens the locket on the necklace and stares at the tiny photo of her family. How she lived without them for so long, she didn't know.

Shawn had somehow managed to get a photo miniaturised to go into their mother's locket. He had placed the necklace around her neck on her eighteenth birthday knowing that she'd love it more than any other present he could gift to her. It was a token and memory of their mother with them all wrapped around inside it. It was the perfect gift, she'd carry them with her wherever she went even when life had distance them all away from each other. He told her, when a day came that they'd be apart for some unforeseen reason, all she had to do was look at the locket which held their faces and remember how much they all loved each other.

Whenever she got nervous or scared, she'd grab hold of the locket into her palm and it would ward off the stresses and give her comfort and strength.

She had left everything behind at the farm and…King County.

She regretfully sold her mother's guitar for money when she needed it. That was a painful day but she knew her mother would have understood, it was desperation and for her grandson. That guitar had travelled with her all over the country and kept her fed, clothed and paid for a roof over her head on the road and it served its purpose at a desperate time when Olly needed the same.

A guitar was for playing not to be kept shut up in a box, it was a sin not to be played. She stopped playing it when she and Rick parted ways. It was a constant reminder of how much he loved to listen to her play and it was a reminder she'd never play to him again. The guy who bought it, said he'd take good care of it and play it like it should be played. Beth was a musician and she knew when she was talking to one and he was sincere.

The locket was the only possession she had that connected her to her loved ones and Olly.

She really missed Shawn and Maggie and wondered what they would be doing right now. She imagined Shawn would be in the hospital checking on his patients with his infectious smile and Maggie, Maggie would be sleeping through her alarm clock. She smiles at the memory when she used to bang on the wall above her headboard and she would hear Maggie let out a loud groan saying she was getting up.

She missed their Sunday afternoons when all three of them would go riding their horses after their hearty Sunday roast that they all helped prepare and just lay under the oak tree chatting about everything and sometimes they'd still be there when the stars were up late at night. She missed the farm and she missed her dad tremendously and she missed her mom. Just the little sweet things they would do together. Her father was once mischievous and had that glint in his eyes that she had inherited but was now long forgotten. He would be waiting for them on the porch with Scamps loyally by his side with treats hidden in kitchen paper he had snuck out from the kitchen. They'd hide and eat them before their mother noticed five cookies or cakes were missing from the cooling racks. Her mother always knew but never let on and would purposely put them near the window knowing her dad would pinch them.

Beth unclips the panel, a secret compartment and her eyes soften to the picture of Olly on one side and Rick on the other. Her finger slides from one picture to the other and she swallows the lump stuck in her throat. Retracing what had happened the night before, she brings the locket to her lips, she kisses it and holds it there with her eyes closed, sighing heavily. She was struggling to think what to do, she knew what she had to do but whether she could gather the courage to do it and face him was another question.

Rick is in Atlanta, he was with Lori and their children, they were out socialising as a family, they looked like a perfect family, they probably are, now a happy family and she was like a ghost from their past standing in front of them as their waitress making all those memories flash back to the forefront of their minds. She shudders at the whole ordeal and hopes that this would only be a one off meeting and that Rick and his family would have gone back to King County - that was their home, she couldn't go through that again.

She had thought for a split second grabbing what she could carry and Olly and getting out of Atlanta but she couldn't do that and uproot him, they had made a life in Atlanta, she didn't want to run anymore. And when she thinks about it, she now couldn't do that to Rick, she had kept a big part of his life away from him, a secret which should have been shared with him.

Hearing the tiny breathing and mumbling coming from the crib next to her bed, she turns around smiling. She scoots over and peers in through the bars at Olly babbling to Woody. Rick's Woody.

He was so innocent and carefree to everything and that's how she wanted him to remain, a happy little boy.

She needed to find out why Rick was in Atlanta, was this a visit or whether he would be coming back again and if so, how often and would she see him around, if so, she needed to know. She needed to know because if he was, she needed to tell him about Olly, they couldn't walk by as strangers. Even if it was a one-off visit, she'll have to tell him, she disputes with herself, conflicted.

She lays there thinking.

"It's the right thing to do" her heart says, her eyes looking over Olly's face. He catches her watching him and the tiny little baby tilts his head, he smiles and hugs Woody to his chest.

It was decided, she needed to tell Rick, Olly needed his father.

"Olly, would you like to meet your daddy? Not daddy in the picture but daddy who can hold you?" She asks him.

Olly rolls up on his tummy and grabbing hold of the bar, he pulls himself up and trying to hand Woody to her.

"Yea daddy gave him to me, to watch over you when he couldn't be with us" Beth whispers to Olly.

She looks at him smiling. She happily takes Woody and hugs the sheriff giving him a kiss to Olly's delight. She pulls down the bar and reaches over lifting him into the bed with her. They lay there looking at the locket whilst cuddling.

He was a good baby, he would listen to all her stories, she didn't know whether he understood but his face was animated listening, so she took it, he loved every story about Rick.

From the way he ran into The Team Room hiding from Shane, to resuscitating life back to her second-hand bike, for not crying like a baby when she accidently punched him in the eye and gave him a black eye or the time when she nearly set him alight with the blow torch when she poured too much alcohol on to the Christmas pudding. The way he climbed up the tree to rescue the neighbour's cat, the way he would help an old lady with her shopping across the road, the way all the kids in the neighbourhood always ran to tell him their troubles and he'd always help. And how he would run out and get her, her favourite ice-cream and jelly beans when it was time of the month and when the days when she missed her family, he held her during the night telling her that, nobody could stay away from her too long, life would eventually pull them back to her.

She sighs heavily, she really missed him, he made her feel safe and secure, he did everything out of the kindness of his heart and he deserved the truth, he deserved to have Olly in his life, he'd been away for him too long. She'll have to take the harsh words of Rick when they came, she dreaded to find that one day, he despised her and it was a possibility, he had once despised Lori for keeping Carl away from him.

"Whatever happens, I love you!" she says and signs to Olly and he tries to copy. It would be a while before Olly could voice the endearment back to her, so when he tried to mimic her hand movements, it warmed her heart, she wanted him to know in every way possible she loved him.

"You be a good boy for Mrs Gupta today baby, I'm going to get Aunt Carol home and we've got to look after her like she always looks after us, ok?" she rubs her nose to his and Olly grabs her face and chews on her nose, dribbling all over her "gross Olly!" she giggles.

Rick unlocks his door and before he gets in, he hears Carl calling him. He looks up to the apartment window seeing Carl's head pops out.

"Dad! don't leave, I'm coming down!" Carl shouts down to him and closes the window.

"Carl!" Rick calls up but he's already gone.

Rick leans his arms over the roof of the black SUV waiting for Carl.

"WOW!" Carl says standing behind Rick.

Rick turns around to see Carl's mouth open, eyes popping out of his sockets. Rick couldn't help but laugh. He crosses his leg over the other and leans up against the side of the SUV, the light breeze blowing in his hair.

"Like my new ride?" Rick grins following Carl's gaze and then back to him to see Carl's face turn up slowly to face him and his eyes widened even more.

"Dad!…that's your new car?" Carl points towards the SUV and Rick nods.

"No way! No way! that's sick dad!" Carl is jumping from one foot to the other.

"I take it that you're impressed?" Rick asks lifting his eyebrow in question trying to get used to the street slang Carl was using.

"Am I impressed?" Carl stops and looks up at his dad, hands up mid-air "Dad, look at your car! You look like a badass cop!" Carl says running his eyes over the car and Rick in his casual clothes, a completely different look to him back in King County as a County Deputy.

Rick shakes his head "badass cop!" he lets out a snort and looks at the wing mirror and couldn't see what Carl saw.

"Rick?"

Rick turns around to see Lori dressed to go shopping with Judith walking with a baby safety harness around her chest.

"Can you drop us off at the Mall, we've got a date with the Commissioner's Wife, whose goin' to show us around the city" Lori asks hoping to get Rick to spend some time with them even if it was just a car ride.

Before Rick can object, Judith begins to totter over to him, he reaches down and picks her up.

Lori smiles walking up and Carls jumping up and down.

"Dad, please?" clearly excited to have a ride in the car.

Rick gestures with his head to get in.

"Shotgun!" Carl yells and jumps into the car, climbing over into the passenger's seat before Lori made it over to open the door and he buckles himself in with a grin. Lori pulls a face smiling and opens the back door.

Rick opens the boot and pulls out the baby seat. He fixes it to the back of the car and straps Judith in. Judith's busy hands starts messing his hair whilst he was leaning down.

"Did I forget to brush my hair sweetheart?" he asks Judith with a laugh.

Lori reaches over to help and her hand lands on Rick's for a split second. He looks up and pulls his hand away climbing out shutting the door and getting into the driver's seat. He starts up the car and they begin to drive off.

Carl turns on the radio and switches the station. All the stations were playing romantic songs, he gives up and leans by the window on his elbows, the wind in his hair smiling looking up at the old buildings. He leans up when he can see Gargoyles on some of the roofs of the historic buildings and thought it was cool, like out of the Batman Comics. Maybe at night when the moon was up, Batman would be waiting in the shadows watching the town. Bruce Wayne could be walking amongst them right now, he could be the man in the suit surrounded by his associates walking into the bank he thinks. Suddenly, the man turns around to talk to his secretary and then from out of know where the man's eyes meet his and he nods a smile. Carl sits up turning back in his seat, watching behind as they drive by the businessman. He turns back in his seat facing forward, his mind was swarming with the romantic notion that Atlanta was Gotham City and at night, the city came alive and Batman and Robin would be jumping from building to building.

Rick takes a side glance at Carl every so often, he could see how excited he was looking around. What Atlanta lacked in greenery, it made up with the old historical buildings, museums and the night-life and he had an idea what his son was imagining. It was a mini adventure and he hoped the time the kids were there with him, Carl and Judith would enjoy it and on weekends, he may even bring them here on his days off.

Rick looks into his rear view mirror and Judith is swaying her head to the music. She sees Rick watching her, he smiles and she covers her face with her hands. When she looks up, he winks at her and she blinks not yet learnt how to wink and it warmed his heart. He leans his back listening to the music, there was just someone missing. He breathes heavily and feeling his emotions clouding his eyes, he takes his shades out of his pocket and puts them on.

Lori watches Rick from behind the passenger's seat. She couldn't see his eyes, they were covered with his shades but she could see his face. His forehead was creased, the lines prominent as if reflecting on distant memories. His mouth was at a slant, his fingers brushing over his stubbled upper lip and chin, lost in thought. She knew there was only one reason he would be in a daydream like this and it irked and displeased her, she looks out her window at the shop displays to distract herself from watching Rick. This was supposed to be their time together and he was thinking about the person who he was supposed to have forgotten.

Rick slows the car down and comes to a stop. They were stuck in traffic, there was a long queue up ahead due to the road works and he can see the workmen in their Hi Vis Vests. He looks at his watch and sighs wearily. He had to be in work within half an hour. He switches off his engine, they were going to be sitting here for a while, so he leans back on his elbow getting comfortable for the long wait.

Second day at work and he was going to be late "great start!" he thinks to himself. He could only imagine the displeased watchful look Betty will give him when he walks in late. He hoped Security had got his palm print onto the system so he could swipe himself in and not have to have Betty buzz him in and give him "the look" as everyone described the eyes of a hawk scowl when he'd been introduced around. He didn't want to see that look, the way she checked him out yesterday was intimidating enough in itself and he has never felt like that since he was a kid. Nothing and no one scared him but maybe he'd finally met Godzilla.

Rick lazily watches the pedestrians crossing the road at the lights, Carl was humming along to the radio.

Beth stands at the bus stop waiting for her bus. She can see it a long ways away but it was stationery due to the traffic jam. She looks at her watch, it was nearly 8.00am and Carol would be ready waiting for her to pick her up. She didn't want to be late, she promised to be there waiting for her when the doctor signed off the release papers, he didn't do it last night as he wanted to keep Carol in to make sure her blood pressure was back to normal.

Rick watches as the group of kids walk up and stand by the bus stop laughing and they turn towards a young woman asking her a question. From behind she shakes her head and obviously says something making the kids laugh, one of the boys kicks a stone in front of him shyly and the woman whispers something and the boy beams back up to her, she turns smiling to face the traffic squinting into the distance for something as Rick turns back towards the road ahead to see whether the cars were looking to move sometime today. His head snaps back to the bus stop. He stares for a long moment. Ever so slowly, he lifts his shades up and off of his face and he blinks to be certain.

"I see you standing there
And you are unaware
you're shining so bright

you keep on telling me
you don't know what I see
I see your light

You need to know
Who you are - to me

You are a satellite
You're shooting through the sky
You leave the world behind
You are a satellite
You're with the stars at night
I love to see you fly"

There she was, standing at the bus stop trying to mould into the back ground but only standing out more to him, to his eyes without even trying to. His heart begins to pick up speed and he feels a tight knot in the pit of his stomach, he exhales out the breath he was undoubtedly been holding.

"You're brighter than the moon
And all the planets too
But you don't believe

Cause you've seen the Milky Way
You don't know how I could say
That you're more beautiful, beautiful to me

Leave all your worries below
And know

You are a satellite
You're shooting through the sky
You leave the world behind
You are a satellite
You're with the stars at night
I love to see you fly"

Rick unbuckles his seat belt and reaches for the door handle not moving his gaze from Beth, she was right in front of him and he daren't not look away, if he did, she might disappear.

"You are a satellite
You're shooting through the sky
You leave the world behind
You are a satellite
You're with the stars at night
I love to see you fly

I love to see you fly

I love to see you fly"

Just as Beth was about to give up and begin her walk to the subway, a loud grumble of a motorbike pulls up beside her at the bus stop.

Beth looks up from looking at her watch for the hundredth time, she meets those same carefree eyes hidden under long bangs. She wondered how he rode around on his bike with most of his eyes covered without crashing into something or someone.

"Ya wanna lift?" Daryl asks over the noise of his beast of a Harley.

"Thanks…but no thanks!" She says smiling looking nervously at the bike.

Daryl studies Beth for a brief moment. He hadn't seen her since the night before last when all hell broke loose in the restaurant, he wanted to run out after her but he was at work and he couldn't argue with Dale. He wanted to ask what had happened but it was none of his business and Dale had begged Amy to give Beth some time to herself and Amy had reluctantly agreed, so he would have to respect Beth's privacy too. He noticed Beth looked tired and needed a long rest and he hoped she was eating, she looked like she had lost weight from the last time he saw her. He bites on his nail, they'd have to make sure she eats properly at work and not just nibble like she does and then looks back up to her.

"I won't let ya fall" he replies noticing her hesitancy to take the offer of a lift.

"I don't know…I've never been on a bike before, it looks scary and besides…I don't have a helmet!" she says thinking that would put an end to the offer.

Daryl leans back and pulls at something and reveals a black helmet and her smile and mouth drops.

"I'll get ya to wherever ya wanna go in one piece" he says reassuringly wanting to lift his finger up and close her mouth.

"Ya know the wind might blow?" Daryl says as an afterthought.

Beth watches him, it was the funniest thing she'd heard in a while, Shawn used to say things like this to her and she bursts out laughing covering her mouth and a slow smirk spread across Daryl's face, his mouth turned up at the corners watching her.

Beth smiles, eyeing him, the bike and the helmet. She reaches out and takes the helmet and slips it over her head.

"How do I look?" she asks.

Daryl stands up, leans over and does up the strap and pushes her hair out the way behind her.

"Ya look alright s'pose?" is all he says running his eyes over her watching her fiddle with the strap and then averts his eyes sitting back in his seat and gesturing to Beth to sit behind him.

Beth puts her bag over her shoulder and it hangs off her hip. She walks over thankful for wearing jeans, sweater and boots, lifts her leg over the bike half stumbling but Daryl grabs her in time from behind and pulls her up and against him.

"Make sure ya hold on, don't be shy!" he advises her not wanting her to fall off.

Beth looks at how close they are and tries to keep an appropriate distance, not too close and not too far away.

"Ya ready?" Daryl asks looking over his shoulder

Beth nods putting her hands on his shoulders "Ready as I'll ever be - to the hospital!" she says.

Daryl kick starts up the bike and looking into the road, he inches forward using his feet and moves filtering through the cars until there's a long stretch of road ahead of him. He picks up speed and with a vroom, he speeds down the road shouting over the noise so Beth can hear him, "hold on princess" Beth shrieks at the sudden movement, she grabs hold of him around the waist and is now flush up against him, she buries the side of her face into his back.

"I know I said don't be shy but ya think ya can loosen your death grip? You're pretty strong for a feather and your breathing like an Orc!" Daryl humours her.

Beth smacks Daryl's arm, pointing, she tells him to concentrate on the road ahead. She was smiling but terrified and had her eyes closed holding on to Daryl for dear life. She has ridden a horse from the age of 4 but the bike was something else. She tells herself it's like riding on Nelly, she opens her eyes and seeing Daryl swerving she laughs into his back, it was actually exhilarating and then she asks him to slow down, she wanted to make it home to Olly in one piece.

Rick narrowed his eyes at the scene, his back had stiffened and his hand was still holding on to the door handle which he was now clenching tightly, the handle was sure enough ready to snap off as he watches Beth whizz past on the back of a Harley holding tightly on to the rugged man who clearly was concentrating to keep her securely on the bike. The man's hand went down and felt her hand for a moment whispering something to her and with a slow smile, his hand went back onto the handle. Rick's eyes went dark and he stares into the empty distance and then to the back of Beth and the trail of dust behind her. Rick's eyes widened and he stared for a long moment, finally realising, Beth had or was moving on and he was now left in the dust and it was all his doing. It felt like the knife had been pushed in deeper and hit an artery, he felt a shooting pain travel from his gut all the way to his chest, he takes a quick intake of breath.

Lori had just watched the whole incident unfold before her eyes, she was watching Rick and had seen the way he sat bolt up, staring out the side of the window in a flash. She thought she saw something shatter in his eyes, the way the colour drained away from his face. Following his gaze, it was what she had prayed for since running into Beth the other night, it was the hope and answer she has been waiting for to finally get their lives back on track. Even if it was Rick who had ended it with Beth, Beth had definitely moved on from Rick, it was just a fling for Beth, Lori concluded thankfully and Rick could see it all plain and simple, he could no longer regain what was once his because she was now someone else's. Lori couldn't help the broad smile light up her face. The morning started off bleak but suddenly it was a promising start to the beginning of a good day and a better future. She finally felt she could relax and watch, waiting for Rick to accept that Beth had moved on easily to a new man who clearly was besotted with her and Rick was a fool to think that a young girl would wait pining for him the way he had been for the past years. "It's over, it is finally over!" she says to herself in relief letting out a satisfied breath.

Carl peered over at Rick noticing the way he was holding on to the handle, looking up at him, Carl saw Rick glaring, his face was knotted in grimace - he seemed to be in some sort of pain, taking deep breathes.

"Dad? Are you ok? Carl repeats worriedly shaking Rick's arm.

With all the strength Rick could muster, he lets go of the handle, puts back on his shades and smiles down to Carl. Carl noticed the broken smile, it was so familiar.

"Yea buddy, I will be, now that can move and get out of here" Rick says turning on the ignition, getting into gear and moving once the cars in front begin to move off. He wanted to get out of the location as fast as he could.

"Dad! Your seat belt!" Carl points watching the car in front, being Rick's eyes whilst he notices his error.

Rick was forever telling Carl to always put his seat belt on and there he was absent-mindedly driving off setting a bad example to his children. Rick looks down and then grabs the belt and forcefully buckles himself in and proceeds to drive.

The remainder of the drive to the Mall was filled with silence, you could cut the atmosphere with a knife. Carl goes to open his mouth to say something and then closes it as he could see Rick had zoned out of everything and was just watching the road.

When they stop, Lori gets out the car, not wanting to interrupt Rick and his thoughts of the realisation that what he had secretly craved was never going to happen. She grabs Judith and seeing The Commissioner's wife, she waves and makes her way over.

Carl sits next to Rick not wanting to leave him. He turns around and sees his mom already in conversation, clearly not bothered about the state Rick was in. Carl unbuckles himself and then hesitantly gets on his knees on his seat and reaches over and hugs Rick and Rick grabs hold of Carl and hugs him back tightly, like he needed it badly. They are interrupted when Lori calls out. Rick smiling pulls away and pats Carl on the cheek.

"You're a good boy, you know that right!" Ricks tells Carl.

If anyone was understanding he was hurting, it seemed it was his son who took note. He hadn't let anyone in for such a long time and these past months his relationship is getting back to normal with Carl and he didn't want to lose that again. He has lost a relationship he thought he might be able to regain and have for the rest of his life, he couldn't lose his children. Carl showed true loyalty to him and with how he has treated his little boy, he felt immensely guilty. His boy had grown up and understood him more than anyone, he was just like his grandfather, his father Rick thought, his best friend.

"I love you dad!" Carl whispers in Rick's ear before he pulls away and that was it, Rick had to stifle the knot in his throat "I love you too son!"

Carl reaches over and wipes the tear that had trailed down from beneath his shade like Rick had done the previous day in the apartment.

"I'll see you later dad, stay safe!" Carl says crawling backwards out of the car and shutting the door.

Carl stands at the pavement waiting for Rick to drive off. Rick gives him a nod and pulls away. He looks into his rear-view mirror and sees Carl still standing there waving looking smaller and smaller as he drives away. He leans his head back and sighs heavily and lets his emotions release, he needed to get it out before he walked through those doors to start the day of dealing with members of the public.

To be Continued…

A/N: This one was sad to write - Beth/Olly Rick/Carl - but hopefully you liked it.

(",)