AN: Well, only An Amber Pen guessed correctly on who interrupted Beth and Rick... :) You win... kudos? I'm not entirely happy with how this chapter turned out, that's why its out later than normal... but hopefully you all like it! And hey, we're done with the slow burn! And if anyone is dissatisfied or needs more Brick, I did post some new short fics over on my tumblr!

Warnings: severe age gap romance. Small time jump.

Chapter Eight

Rick studied the men in the street with a frown. They were crowd thinning a large herd of walkers, but that wasn't the strange part. One man was holding a walker back while the other pried out the walker's teeth with pliers. "What the hell?" Sasha whispered bewildered.

"They sure don't like a bunch we want to meet," Morgan muttered quietly. Rick nodded in agreement.

They were in the second floor of the town's library watching the group below them. Rick had seen them from the alley, and given that this group was very well armed and did not need help killing the walkers he suggested observing the group from a distance. The library had been luckily clear of walkers. Tyreese was hanging back with Beth and Duane, Duane was more interested in the small comic book collection the library had than in this new group and Beth had volunteered to stay with him. Sasha, Morgan and Rick were all at a different window looking over the main street, standing out of sight and making no sudden movements that might draw attention to the windows.

This group had artillery, they were prepared, and had no hesitation or fear in killing the walkers. Rick could easily tell who was in charge, he was tall, brown haired and looked late forties, and he barked out orders to the others. The group wasn't all men, Rick realized, there was one woman, she was thin and had very short, cropped silver hair but appeared to have the better aim of the group.

"They're taking the walker?" Sasha's confused tone drew Rick's attention back to the two men performing dentistry on the walker. The walker's arms were pinned down with rope and they were herding it into the back of a truck. Rick watched in uneasiness as the men returned to the man in charge. There seemed to be discussion on what walker qualifications they were looking for Rick guessed based on the shouts from the group on which walker was in 'prime' condition. They selected another male, not too decomposed or missing body parts, and started wrangling it to take out its teeth.

"Rick, I don't like this," Morgan said quietly.

"I don't either," Rick agreed.

"But what could they possibly be doing with them?" Sasha wondered.

Rick wondered if they were experimenting on the walkers. They sure didn't look like scientists, but maybe they were taking some of the walkers back to a team? He briefly thought back to their trip to the CDC in Atlanta. It had been his first stop after Morgan, Duane and he drove into the bombed city that clearly had no refugee shelter. The doctor had been eager to see new people, but warned them the building was running low on power and that in a few days the place would start to shut down and 'decontaminate' itself. Rick had tried to convince Dr. Jenner to leave with them, but the doctor said he had nothing to live for. His wife was dead, there was no hope of a cure, there were no other facilities that he knew of still running, and they were all infected. Rick hadn't shared that tidbit with Morgan and Duane. The doctor was clearly suicidal and Rick wasn't sure if he was in his right mind. Plus, no reason to make their situation even bleaker.

"Rick, I think we should get out of here before they finish. Walkers are going to be coming from miles drawn by all these shots." Morgan looked back at Duane. He was sitting on a couch flipping through his commandeered stash while Beth stared off in the distance. Rick tried not to concentrate on Beth, thoughts of her were too distracting, and thinking about how soft her lips were would only get them killed. "I agree. Sasha?" Rick turned to the young woman.

Sasha was still studying the group out the window. "I agree too, but we've got to be careful. I don't want these people to find us."

They retreated slowly to the others, they had stayed out of sight but any quick movements could have been noticed by the group below. "We're leaving, as quick and quiet as possible," Morgan announced.

Tyreese nodded with a disappointed frown. Tyreese was always eager for more people, but he understood that not all people were worth the risk. Duane stashed the comic books in his bag and joined his father. Rick held out his hand for Beth to take and she quickly accepted. Rick felt a bit better, with one had on his gun and one hand on Beth.

A day after the encounter with the strange group they were staying in another barn and lying low, just in case those others were still in the area. The barn and surrounding farm had already been cleared by the group and Rick was accompanying Beth while she surveyed the garden for anything salvageable. There were no animals left on the farm, fresh meat was beginning to be a fond memory.

Beth was telling Rick about how beets could grow in cold weather and a recipe of her momma that made beets bearable enough to eat when Rick stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. Beth looked up at Rick wondering if he had seen a walker or something but Rick was looking down at her intently. Before Beth could ask what was wrong he leaned down and kissed her. His lips were dry and cracked from the cold and he pressed them lightly against hers for a few heart beats before pulling back. Beth didn't react, she was too shocked that this was happening again, that Rick didn't regret their previous kiss. As Rick began to straighten up she dropped the linen bag she was carrying and reached up for Rick. She got her hands into the fur lined collar of his coat and yanked him back. His lips crashed into hers, Beth accidently bit Rick's upper lip, but then Rick regained his balance, his hands settled on the sides of her face and he kissed her properly. No tongue, just dry lips moving against hers and Beth swooned in delight. It was easily the most amazing kiss in the world. And then Rick was pulling back, again, with a smile and asked, "So, these are beets then?"

"Rick!" Beth laughed. "Don't you dare think you are getting away with another kiss-and-run!"

Rick grinned at her, an eye crinkling, teeth baring grin. "I can't help it. You're the best thing in this world." Rick eyes turned serious as he spoke again, "Beth... I have something to confess." Beth waited eagerly while Rick gathered his thoughts, Beth would wait forever for Rick to be ready. She smiled uncontrollably when Rick looked back up at her to meet her gaze. "I want you. I want to be the reason you smile and laugh. Without you I'd be lost. You're the reason I have hope that we'll make it. And... I'm so goddamn selfish because I want you when I shouldn't."

Beth's eyes prick with tears. She could hardly dare to believe Rick's words, but his eyes were honest and intense. And Beth, who had lost her entire family and world, she was the happiest she had ever been. She reached for Rick and he let her arms slide around his shoulders and he pulled her tight against his chest. "I'm the one who is selfish," She whispered in Rick's ears. "I've wanted you all to myself for so long."

Rick kissed her again, and this time Beth felt like she was drowning, her head was spinning and everything felt surreal. Rick's mouth moved against hers and it was not the gentle kisses from before. This was unrestrained, and Beth eagerly responded.

When they pull apart they are both breathing heavily and Beth is sure she couldn't stand without Rick's support. Rick rested his forehead against hers with his eyes closed. "Can we... be selfish together?" Beth asked hesitantly.

Rick chuckled low and opened his eyes. "I'd like nothing better."

Beth didn't ask what about Rick's wife and son. She had seen it in his eyes, how he was trying to mask his hurt. Accepting her meant giving up on the rest of his family. Beth didn't want to see Rick in any sort of pain, even if making him happy caused her agony instead. "We'll keep looking for Lori and Carl," she kept her tone quiet hoping that would keep her voice steady.

"Beth..." Rick studied her face intently.

"We're being selfish, remember? It's okay." She gave him a small smile. "Now, I believe I was telling you about a beet recipe?"

Rick didn't bring up the topic of his missing wife and son again. Beth was afraid to break whatever spell Rick was under so she was perfectly content to go along with the flow. Whenever it was just the two of them, and they were sure there weren't walkers about or they weren't doing some important task, they were kissing. From light, teasing kisses to heavy, passionate kisses with wandering hands that left Beth aching for something more. And at night, they had used to sleep next to each other and now Beth slept twined around Rick.

The first night after they kissed, the group was sleeping in the barn's hayloft. Rick had first watch and Beth awoke for a brief moment at the noise of Tyreese creaking down the ladder to relieve Rick. She had left room next to her, they usually slept side by side separated by at least half a foot. She stirred again when she felt Rick settling into the blanket covered hay beside her but she was instantly wake a moment later when Rick gently pulled her into his side. "Rick?" Beth whispered, her heart beating a million miles a minute as Rick tucked the blankets back down around them. Beth's head was now resting on Rick's chest, and his arms settled around her waist. They were both fully clothed, Beth even slept with a hat on to keep the chill at bay.

"Go back to sleep," Rick murmured into her hair quietly and soon his breathing even out long and slow. Go back to sleep? Beth had never been more awake in her life. She adjusted slightly, just enough to get an arm around Rick and a leg covering his, trying to keep calm and not burst out in ecstatic giggles. Rick didn't even kiss her, just held her the rest of the night and Beth drifted off eventually fantasizing about this new development and how far she could take things between them. And the next morning Sasha and Duane were giving her mischievous looks that she pretended to ignore even though she couldn't keep a huge smile off her face.

Rick stumbled across the white tailed deer by accident. Fear of living humans must have been dwindling because the deer just looked up from the bush it was nibbling on and just stared at him. He had the rifle cocked and aimed and before he could really think about the repercussions he fired. The shot echoed loudly through the budding trees.

Sasha was at his side, but the shot had the others running toward them. Sasha let out a whoop of delight and she darted forward towards the fallen deer. Tyreese came crashing through the brush with Beth hot on his heels, and what a sight Beth presented. She wore a look of determination and was brandishing a hunting knife like she could take anything on that was threatening Rick. Rick barely resisted the urge to scoop her into his arms and never let go.

"Look what's for dinner!" Sasha announced as she crouched over the deer. It felt like they hadn't had fresh meat in ages. Everyone was getting tired of their vegetarian diet. Rick couldn't stop grinning at this find.

Beth relaxed her stance once she realized there was no danger and she approached Rick with a grin. Rick greeted her with a quick kiss that didn't fail to bring a happy expression to Beth's face.

Morgan and Duane entered the scene just as the first moan echoed through the trees. The group immediately tensed, scanning for the threat. A walker lurched out the trees to Rick's right and he quickly moved forward with his knife to take care of it. He grabbed the walker but its fraying flannel shirt and sunk his knife in its skull. There were two more walkers coming behind the first, Rick moved towards the next and Beth darted to his side to take out the second.

Beth was getting much better, she rarely hesitated to kill walker's anymore and she had the hang of how to best take down walkers that were bigger than her. Rick scanned the area again after he was sure Beth's walker was dead only to see Sasha taking out one not far from the deer. Rick could see there were more walkers coming from that direction.

"We got to move!" Morgan hissed urgently as he pointed out to more stumbling through the trees.

"But, dinner!" Sasha tugged on the deer's hind legs barely moving the animal. "We haven't had fresh meat in ages!" Rick shared Sasha's regret. But walkers were quickly outnumbering them and the deer would only slow them down.

"I got this," Tyreese said before picked up the two hundred pound carcass and slung it over shoulders and took off back towards their vehicles.

Duane's very appropriate "damn!" earned a scowl from his father but the others followed Tyreese quickly. Morgan was closest to Tyreese and was able to take out a walker that lunged out at Tyreese. Rick and Sasha were last, Rick's blood was rushing and his adrenaline was rushing through his system. They were normally more careful than this. It had been a long time since they had been taken unaware by a group of walkers.

Tyreese reached the truck first, he tossed the deer into the bed and then jumped over the side into the bed. Morgan reached his jeep and Duane was right behind him. Beth reached the truck before Rick and Sasha, she wrenched open the passenger side door and crawled across the bench to the driver's seat. Sasha dived in after Beth and Rick vaulted over the side of the bed to join Tyreese in the back. There wasn't a lot of room in the bed, with the supplies, the deer and Tyreese but Rick was ready to defend their prize alongside Tyreese.

Beth squealed the tires as she followed Morgan back onto the county road. Rick watched the walkers fade into the distance, their grasping hands eagerly reaching for nothing now but he remained vigilant. His biggest fear was the other group. It had been nearly a month since they last saw them, and they had travelled far to the west, but they had been doing their best to keep a low profile just in case the other group was somehow in their vicinity.

Their luck held out and they returned to the tiny house they had been staying in the last few days. The mood was jubilant as Rick and Tyreese unloaded the deer. The small house had a one-car garage and that was where Tyreese and Rick set the deer down on the cement floor while the others huddled around them. Tyreese volunteered to help Beth to butcher the deer while Sasha and Rick scavenged the area for firewood. After they returned, Morgan started up a low smoke fire in the fireplace to cook the meat. Duane selected a can of green beans and a can of corn to go along with the deer. The group spent the night around the fireplace eating meat with their fingers as it finished cooking. Tyreese finished cooking the rest of the meat and Duane helped him pack away the rest into coolers.

It was amazing how the mood of the group could change so drastically at something as basic as fresh meat. Spring was truly in the air, the weather was getting warmer, plants and trees were starting to bloom, and animals were reemerging. This would hopefully be the first fresh meat feast of many to come.

Rick sat back against the ratty, brown couch and Beth leaned back against his chest, sitting between his knees and Rick wrapped an arm around her stomach. No one so much as batted an eye at them, it had been a month and Rick was still in disbelief that none of the others cared about their relationship. Morgan had told him he deserved to be happy. Sasha had hugged him and told him that if he hurt Beth she'd castrate him. Tyreese had said as long as everyone was happy, he was happy. Duane had demanded that Beth still hang out with him and Beth had agreed with a laugh.

Rick buried his nose in Beth's nape breathing deeply. Beth's presence had a way of grounding Rick and focusing him in the moment. And in this moment, he felt the world was less bleak and that their group could accomplish anything. He was happy.

AN: Rick and Beth are finally together! Cue the dance party!

Did anyone catch who is with the Governor? Review please :)