AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thank you to those reading and thank you angelicedg and Guest for your reviews you kindly left on yesterday's chapter. Here's the next chapter...

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

Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical errors. Thoughts in Italics

Loved Back to Life

Chapter 26

Beth jumps out of her Mini and runs up the driveway making a detour of the front porch towards the side of the house and taps gently on the window. Rick unlocks the kitchen door and opens it wide allowing Beth to enter whilst he's talking on the phone. Rick was talking to Alistair, his college friend and divorce attorney. Beth had recognized from the tone of the conversation and then she heard Lori's name.

Beth's heart sinks at the thought of that type of call today of all days. She wonders what Lori has done or decided today for Alistair to call Rick on a Saturday so early when the office was shut.

Please God, don't let anything ruin today! Beth pleads.

She had frustrated feelings towards Lori Grimes, the woman she's never met and now doesn't want to meet because the woman was complicated, selfish and changes her mind like the wind – she just plain didn't care about anyone but herself.

Rick had finally relaxed and got into the festivities of celebrating Carl's birthday since getting the call a couple of days ago informing him, Lori wouldn't be turning up at the farm. She hoped that was still the case. Beth knew Rick was conflicted at the thought of Lori being there but he had pushed away his feeling for Carl. After much deliberating and advices from the legal team to remain the amicable one, Rick had agreed for Lori to attend the party but in the end, it had been more because he knew Carl missed Lori and he didn't want Carl to feel he had to pick sides and choose between them on his birthday. It was his special day, eight years prior to today, he was born. Everyone had breathed a sigh of relief and they were all glad that they never mentioned Lori to Carl, otherwise it'd have been another disappointment for the little boy to take and be crushed - he's had enough of those for someone so young. Rick was willing to put aside his feelings so Carl wouldn't suffer. He had to keep his chin up all the time and was willing to take whatever was thrown at him and suffer to protect Carl.

My poor Rick! Beth frowns watching him leaning on the counter having to take this call at 7.30am in the morning. They had planned this little surprise a couple of nights ago, they were going to do this together.

Beth doesn't think she's ever been so angry at anyone in her life. She had vowed never to make an assumption or an opinion of Rick's estranged wife because she'd never met Lori Grimes to be able to do that. But she was getting a clearer picture of the real Lori, day by day by different sources and she didn't like what she was finding. Sitting beside Rick in his Attorney's office for support, listening to the toing and throwing of Lori's demands and accusations of Rick and his character being questioned was the last straw. It was all just too ludicrous and that was when she learnt - Lori was a diabolical and cunning witch like everyone had described her to be. Rick was not a monster nor was he an oppressor as stated in Lori's statements. She had the urge to tear those papers up when she read them, they were all false accusations. Beth remembers back to Rick's complete support and advice of her taking the teaching job for herself showed he was a reasonable man who supports women having careers. He wasn't someone who stole dreams like Lori had stated nor did he ever forbid her from working or taking up hobbies. Jenny Jones was vouching for Rick as she'd been present at a lot of those discussions between Rick and Lori.

Beth kept asking herself, how could Lori say those things and treat Rick the way she did but more importantly, how could she abandon her flesh and blood – her own child!? Beth had tried to understand from Lori's point of view but couldn't. It actually brought tears to her eyes thinking of leaving her child if she had one. Lori had to be mentally unstable or self-centered. From where Beth was standing, Lori once had it all - she had a beautiful home; a roof over her head, food on the table, clothes on her back, money for a few luxuries nothing extravagant but it was something, a loving husband who never beat her, never bullied her, never forced her to stay at home to be just a housewife, she had a son - what more could she want? Beth knew she would have to bite her tongue because Lori was still Carl's Mother but she wouldn't hold back if Lori tried to do anything to jeopardize Carl and Rick's relationship or her relationship with the pair.

She didn't know if it made her a horrible person, but she secretly hoped Lori would just stay away and leave Rick and Carl alone. They were doing great without her. She doesn't know what will happen when the day comes when she and Lori would come face to face. Legally, Rick was still married to Lori but their marriage was well and truly over before she was even in the picture and her daddy whose opinion she respected and valued the most, told her - she wasn't being selfish, Rick and Lori's marriage had broken down and was dead long ago and neither wanted to save it. Rick had moved on and wouldn't turn back because he was truly committed to her and he believed Rick. Lori were history and they will be legally once the divorce was finalized and he was confident Carl would remain in Rick's custardy, Lori had deserted Carl and Rick had been raising Carl alone and has managed well. Beth prayed her daddy was right and Lori wouldn't return to make trouble between them.

Beth pushes all thoughts aside, she and Rick were solid and understood one another. There was no space for a third person to come between them, she wouldn't let them even if they tried. She leans up and steals a quick kiss from Rick as she walks past and unburdens her arms of the basket onto the table which she picked up from The Vatos's Diner. Philippe and Guillermo's Grandmother called her and asked her to swing by before making her way to Rick's before they headed out for the farm. The sweet old lady presented her with a basket full of an assortment of Carl's favourite breakfast's and there were a few presents wrapped up in different coloured wrapping paper with a card signed by the crew.

Beth smiles as she decorates the kitchen table with a silver cascade foil table centerpiece with colourful number 8's and stars dangling off the branches and balloons and confetti scattered around the table. She grabs plates, cups and cutlery and lays the table and places the food out. She rifles through her Bag of Surprises smiling, grabbing the party hats and places them around the table. She couldn't resist sneaking up behind Rick and placing a yellow coned shaped hat on his head with tassels and twinkly baubles on the end. She let out a snort because Rick looked so cute, gorgeous even, he could rock a kid's party hat in his boxers and t-shirt. She lifts up her camera phone and has to take a snapshot and add it to her photo albums she was making, memories to look back on in the future. Rick looks up raising his brow and she shows him her pink sparkly hat proudly sitting on her head and takes a selfie of her and Rick together and all he can do is shake his head smiling at her craziness as he speaks into the phone squeezing Beth's hand as she walks past tidying up.

"No Alistair, I'm not laughin' at that! Beth's organized a weekend long birthday party for Carl, she's already started by decorating me like a Christmas Tree and then I'm gonna be dressed as some Avenger for a show I'm supposed to put on with the guys and she'll probably even get me goin' down a zip wire!" Rick exaggerates to Alistair and they both laugh about back in their college days.

Beth smirks listening to Rick, she did have a zip wire in place and hadn't gotten around to telling him. Her thoughts are interrupted when she hears movement from above. She quietly jumps up and down motioning to Rick who finishes up on his call and they both crouch down on the floor behind the table and chairs.

"Everything ok?" Beth whispers straightening out Rick's hat on his head "Anything or anyone to look out for?" She asks.

Before Rick could answer, the door creaks and swings open and they jump up.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU…HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR CARLLLLL…HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! SURPRISEEEEE!" They erupt singing as they pop a few party-poppers and little shiny pieces of foiled sparkly paper showers down over a very surprised and shocked open mouthed birthday-boy with messy sleep hair still in his Avengers onesie.

Rick literally scooped Carl up off the ground and hugged him into a bear hug making Carl laugh hysterically as Rick sets him on his hip holding him knowing this will probably be the last time Carl will ever allow him to hold him like a baby and he takes advantage whilst Carl lets him.

"Dad!" Carl scoffs shaking the baubles on Rick's hat.

"Happy Birthday Carl!" Rick whispers ruffling Carl's hair as he presses a kiss to the side of his little head "Many happy returns of the day."

"Is this all for me?!" Carl asks pointing around the kitchen, looking here and there completely surprised, never seen so much decorations in the kitchen before and he loved it.

Rick scoffs over at Beth, giving her an adoring look for going to the trouble to arrange all this and this was nothing, there was a lot, lot more to come.

"Unless there's another Carl who turns eight today?" Beth says looking around and then under the table "Yeah, you silly!" She smiles as she leans up and gives Carl a hug and kiss on the cheek "Happy Birthday Munchkin, this is all for you and there's more!" Beth grins nodding to a couple of presents stacked on the table with a few cards and Carl's eyes light up and he starts bouncing to be let down.

Rick sets Carl down who rushes and climbs up the chair, leaning on his elbows staring at his presents reading the gift tags.

"I won't open them now! I'll open them later when Duane gets here!" He decides.

"Wow, I'd be tearin' through the paper with my teeth already!" Beth says impressed at Carl's restraining ability.

Rick impressed with Carl too, drapes his arm around Beth's neck and pulls her back into him as they watch Carl shaking the boxes against his ear trying to guess what they were.

"From Abuela, Mr Gilbert, Phillipe, Guillermo, Miguel, Jorge...Have fun at your birthday party…rock on dude!" Carl mumbles reading what he guesses is Miguel's handwriting which was always terrible.

"I'm havin' a birthday party?!" Carl says a little too high pitched, looking up excited that Beth and Rick have to stick their fingers into their ears.

"Shoot, should we tell him?" Ricks whispers behind Beth's head.

"Nope, we stick to the plan!" Beth mumbles back smiling.

"You're havin' a party and Deputy Grimes, you didn't invite me?!" Beth turns around folding her arms firmly over her chest, looking up at Rick as she taps her foot on the floor for an explanation.

"What?" Rick says to Beth confused why she was giving him that look and she winks and makes faces.

"Oh, oh yeah, noooo!" Rick stammers remembering scratching his jaw and Beth encourages him to explain further.

"I thought me and Carl could spend the day together, just us guys doing guy things, a party for two," Rick says distractedly seeing Shane sneaking around, up to no good looking into his neighbor's window "grab a beer and then go for a drive, shoot some targets with those BB Guns Daryl gifted?" Rick says wanting to fire it Shane's ass when he remembers the house was leased to a couple of young nurses who recently moved into the bungalow "That Peeping Tom!" Rick says beneath his breath ready to open the window and yell over at Shane.

Beth closes her eyes shaking her head, Rick was rubbish at role play, what was he going to be like when she shouts "Action!" She starts to wonder.

Before Rick could set off to drag Shane over by the collar, he freezes when he sees Beth giving him a look daring him to go.

"Beer, driving, BB Gun?" Beth repeats quietly raising her brow.

"No, we won't be grabbin' a beer and then goin' for a drive, firstly you're not old enough and secondly, you NEVER drive after drinking and you NEVER play with BB Guns unsupervised understand?" Rick advises Carl seriously who nods back in understanding.

"Never dad!" Carl promises crossing his heart.

Beth rocks back and forth on her heels and presses the toe of her boot onto Rick's toes.

"Ouuuch!" He exclaims rubbing his toes and foot on the back of his calf giving a frowning look to Beth and she gives him a look to continue what they practiced last night before she went home.

"You've got to look after Maggie, the baby could come any day now…right?" Rick says dryly like he was reading a script taking a seat opposite Carl "Whose hungry?" He asks "I'm starved!" Rick says plating up and placing the plate in front of Carl "That ok with you buddy?" He asks with a smile and looks to Beth with a smirk and back at Carl.

"Maybe I should give Shane the leading role, that was terrible!" Beth mumbles at Rick's delivery and Rick pulls Beth to take a seat beside him.

"No!" Rick says firmly "I can do it and besides I'm sure Shane's gonna be arrested for Disorderly Conduct and Invasion of Privacy for spying and perving at the nurses across the street once they catch him in the act!" He says taking a sip of his coffee.

"He better not, he practically hounded me for his part!" Beth says trying to look out the window.

"But Miss Greene, you'll meet us for dinner tonight?" Carl asks looking up wiping his mop of hair out of his face hopefully.

"You betcha Munchkin, let's hope Maggie doesn't decide to have the baby today!" She jokes looking over at the calendar trying to remember Maggie's due date.

"Imagine if Maggie has the baby today, then me and the Baby Glenn will share the same birthday!" Carl grins liking the idea of his future-cousin and him sharing birthdays "We can have a big joint party!" He suggests digging his fork into his food.

"Can't get bigger than the one you're gettin' today!" Rick says chewing his bacon so only Beth can hear.

Beth pinches Rick's thigh under the table to be quiet.

"Hello!" Comes Shane's singing voice from the kitchen door as he whistles grinningly.

Rick could only think what Shane had seen to be smirking and grinning like he was, it could only mean he's seen a naked woman and was planning on how to get with and on said naked woman. Before Rick can call Shane to have a private word and remind him he was an Officer of the Law, Carl gets Shane's attention.

"Me and dad are gonna get a beer today!" Carl greets Shane.

"Sweet, bout time too, put some hair onto ya chest! Aren't ya like thirty now?" Shane asks messing Carl's hair and snatches Rick's plate, takes a seat beside the birthday-boy and wolfs down his food with that stupid dreamy grin plastered over his face.

"No, I'm eight!" Carl giggles.

"You're not!" Shane shakes his head in disbelief.

"I am!" Carl points to the number 8 scattered everywhere.

"You are…there was me thinkin' you had a growth deficiency all these years…eight really?" Shane asks and Carl nods swinging his feet back and forth beneath the table, he was feeling grown up.

Rick sits there smiling seeing how happy Carl is and it felt good smiling, it was hard to believe at one time, it only happened on the rarest occasions.

"The hells goin' on!?" Daryl grunts as he drags his feet through the hallway hearing laughter and giggling from the couch he'd fallen asleep on "Was a guy have ta do round this place to catch a few Z's!" He hisses appearing into the kitchen hair scruffier than normal covering his face.

"Y'all havin' a party up in ere whilst I've been chasin' dumbass pricks through buildings, had ta smash through a god damn window again and spray a room with bullets cause the fuckers shootin' hell at me!" Daryl practically spits rubbing away at his sleep deprived eyes.

Rick leans over trying to cover Carl's ears from Daryl's cussing but it was too late. Daryl was the grumpiest person he's known especially mornings was a No Go Zone.

"Got in at five, can't sleep and Walsh is already here and Miss Honey, who looks like a pack a Skittles!" Daryl catches Beth in a colorful summer dress from the corner of his eyes staring over at him covering her mouth in a gasp like she had seen something she shouldn't have.

"Jesus, Rick!" Daryl yells over at Rick sitting beside Beth coming to the realization to where Beth's eyes were focused down on.

Daryl grabs the large iron skillet pan and covers his modesty, remembering he had torn off his SWAT uniform and boots and was in his tiny boxers, t-shirt with the arms ripped off and white tennis socks and had just crashed in the lounge on the couch, too exhausted to climb the stairs and make it to his bed. He takes a look down gulping when he sees his huge morning wood evident to the eyes and cringes knowing what Beth had seen. Sometimes he went commando when he hadn't kept up with his laundry. Seeing Beth sitting beside Rick watching him makes his face turn bright red. He looks up from beneath his lowered lashes and Beth had shoved her face into Rick's arm.

"Ya free-balling down under that skillet?" Shane asks trying to take a peep seeing Daryl just standing there.

Carl sits there giggling watching Daryl backing away holding the frying pan, slamming the door shut and then they hear thundering up the stairs with Daryl cussing that nobody said there was going to be a lady visitor so early in the morning, had he known, he would have made himself scarce or decent.

"Shane!" Rick hisses to stop teasing Daryl.

"Carl, why don't you go shower and get dressed." Rick smiles and without further pushing, Carl jumps off his chair and runs up the stairs juggling his presents as he goes.

"Oh c'mon!" Shane gives a half laugh when Carl was gone "Daryl's a big boy literally and Beth's seen everything she needs to see, hey Rick and I'm sure she likes it, why else would she stick around?!" Shane wiggles his brow smirking at the both of them.

"Wouldn't ya like to know!" Beth answers back.

Shane gives out a dirty little laugh.

"Sometimes, you can be a jerk and that wasn't nice Shane!" Beth says standing up, pulling on her jacket feeling bad for Daryl who must feel humiliated.

"Ah Beth!" Shane leans forward not wanting her to be mad at him.

"Apologize to Daryl and then come talk to me!" Beth answers back "I better get goin' too, be at the farm by noon!" Beth says getting up, leans down and kisses Rick before she grabs her bags.

Rick shoots Shane a warning look that he was going to kick his ass if he didn't shut up and make things right.

Rick follows Beth and closes the kitchen door behind him.

"Hey, Daryl can take care of himself, he'll get Shane back, don't worry!" Rick says from experience "But Shane's not bad all the time, yes he can be a jerk and say the wrong thing but when it comes to crunch, he's there when it counts even for Daryl when he's needed us but I'll have a word with the buffoon!" Rick promises.

"Good because they better not ruin the show!" Beth warns.

"I won't let them!" Rick shoulders Beth making her smile.

"Good, because I'll come after you deputy!" She grabs his t-shirt and smiles up at his hat.

Rick no longer caring if people saw them, he pulls Beth into another kiss wishing she didn't have to rush back to the farm straight away. He lets out an approving moan.

"I gotta go!" Beth mumbles between their kissing pulling away giving Rick a sorry look "Got a million things to do so I better be off and we can continue and pick up where we left off from later tonight!" She suggest giving Rick a cheeky grin.

They part reluctantly and Beth rushes down the drive waving.

Kissing was fun and beautiful but sometimes when they got hot and heavy like last night before she had to leave, it got frustrating that they had to stop. She wanted more and it nearly happened but Carl was at home and Rick didn't have a lock on his bedroom door, fear of being walked in on. This was all great but she needed more. If the situation were to happen again, she wouldn't back down or stop it. She looks over at Rick before she gets into her seat and he throws her a smile and she swears she can see Rick felt the same way. He knows her deepest secrets that nobody knows, he's been there for her when nobody else could and when she needed strong arms and a shoulder to cry on, Rick was always there. She trusted and looked up to Rick. She really did love him. She decides, then and there, she definitely won't back down or let Rick think he was pressurizing her. She knows what she wants and she wants Rick and when the moment comes, she was going to seize the moment and allow herself and Rick just enjoy and let themselves be completely free and open with one another. Her mind was made up.

Rick watches Beth back out the drive and drives off. He turns back towards the house taking a deep breath ready to bash Shane and Daryl's heads together if needed to, their squabbling and teasing has gone on far too many years. He loves them both but they also got on his nerves.

"So, you and Beth?" Shane says interrupting Rick's thoughts as he sits down.

"What about me and Beth?" Rick asks taking his party hat off and putting it down on the table.

"You guys official, official?" Shane asks being nosey "You rockin' her world, must be doin' somethin' for her to stick around?" He asks wiggling his brow.

Rick just stares at his best friend and partner and before he could say anything, Daryl walks fully clothed in his freshly pressed SWAT uniform and smacks Shane up the side of the head and leans back against the counter stuffing pieces of bacon into his mouth turning his eyes on Rick waiting to hear Rick's response seeming as Shane had asked the question. He needed to know if Rick and Beth were shacking up because he would need to find a place of his own. He couldn't walk around in his boxers and the thought of being a third wheel in Rick's love nest makes him feel uncomfortable. He needed to start checking out the rentals he decides. Beth was a chick who was going to stick around for good, he could tell by just watching Rick and Beth together. They were going to go for the long haul.

"Make sure your both at the farm by noon!" Rick answers getting up making his way to check on Carl and then get ready himself.

Walking up the stairs, Rick knows he's ready to take the next step in his relationship with Beth. So many times they had got to the pinnacle moment and he stopped them before they stepped over that line. He held back not wanting to move Beth too fast. He knew Beth loved him just as he loved her but he wanted to make sure she was ready to take the next step with him. It was a big step for her after Zach. He just wanted to make sure the timing was right.

He sits down at the side of his bed and stares out the window. He reaches into his nightstand and pulls the drawer open and his hand searches to the back and he locates the box. The box Shane left for him and he stuff it into his bag just in case when he hears Carl's little feet running towards his room and then Carl jumps onto his bed. Rick looks over at the door and doorframe and notes to himself he would need to pick up a door lock.

A/N: Next Chapter will be at the farm.