Don't own the Walking Dead, yadayada. Hope you guys enjoy. Give me some feedback, and with any luck I can keep this ball rolling. This is AU 4b, but that doesn't necessarily mean we're working towards the same end. You guys will see. :) Thanks to all those who reviewed!
Rick had pushed hard to leave immediately. He was already trying to squash the feeling that Michonne and Carl had long left without him; every moment he waited felt like they slipped more and more through his fingers. Beth had convinced him to wait, that it would be better. It was already getting dark, and they were going to be moving slow as it was.
Beth had gone outside to gather water to boil for their trip. She had moved the furniture about six inches, it had seemed to Rick, to squeeze her lithe frame through the door. While she was gone, Rick examined his wounds. His body didn't seem to be too badly wounded. His arms hurt like hell, though Beth had sheepishly admitted that she had dragged him by his arms, so that would explain that. His bigger concern was his face. There were no mirrors in the little shack, but he could feel how swollen his lips, eyes, and cheeks were. Rick was still gently poking his face when Beth popped back in the door, carrying a pot full of water.
"Thank god this silly cabin had a pot and a couple of bottles, or we'd be drinkin' out of leaves." She smiled turning to him. Rick wanted to smile back at her, but he felt the task would be impossible based on the current state of his face. Beth frowned at Rick's obvious discomfort.
"Your face botherin' you?" she asked gently, and he nodded. Rick would have loved to pretend otherwise, but the swelling made him sore and gave him a headache. He watched as Beth moved quietly to the little stove and dipped a rag into the hot water. She wrung it out, and kneeled in front of him on the bed. "This may sting." She admitted, and Rick couldn't say she was wrong as she dabbed gently at the bruises and cuts on his face. He held his breath and tried not to wince as she worked her way around his jaw line, up to his lips, cheeks, and finishing with a particularly nasty cut above his eyebrow. He exhaled when she finally stood up and put the rag down.
"Best thing you can do is get some decent sleep." Beth sighed, as she placed the bloody rag by the stove.
Rick grunted quietly in response, "I've been sleepin' for three days."
Beth whirled around on her heels, and put her hands on her hips. "Rick Grimes, bein' passed out due to fever and likely concussion does not qualify as gettin' decent rest." She huffed, "now go to sleep."
Rick smirked despite himself. "Yes ma'am" he mused and Beth rolled her eyes. He crawled down under the blankets, and settled in. His eyes were shut when a thought occurred to him, and he sat up quickly in bed. "Beth- where the hell have you been sleeping?" he inquired gently.
The girl blushingly motioned to the blanket on the ground next to the bed. Rick's eyes grew big and he stared at her. "To be honest, though, I ain't been sleepin' too much." She shrugged.
"Maybe that's because you've been tryin' to sleep on the ground." He sighed, and began to get up out of the bed. Beth rushed over to him and put her hands firmly on her shoulders.
"I know you are not tryin' to get out of this bed! You are injured, and I will be damned if I let an injured man sleep on the floor!" Beth all but shouted at him.
Rick glared back at her, "It isn't any better to let a lady sleep on the floor either," he answered back sharply, "and Beth Greene, did you just curse?" Rick stifled a laugh as Beth gasped, and instinctually covered her mouth. "It's a small bed, but you're a small girl." Rick said softly as he began to scoot to the far end of the bed. We can make do for one night." He tried to smile at her. He wasn't entirely comfortable with this. Not because of Beth or anything, but the truth was he hadn't shared a bed since… well, the last time it had been an actual bed was what, the CDC? And while there was certainly nothing implied here, he was still sharing a bed with a woman, and that was weird to him- and judging by the look on Beth's face she felt pretty much the same.
"It's either this or I'm on the floor." Rick said kindly. Beth sighed and sat down. She pulled off her boots, then her holster, and crawled gently under the blankets. Rick noticed she hugged the edge of the bed, and had her back to him. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "Beth, I ain't going to do anything I promise."
Beth relaxed under his touch, and smiled gently at him. "I know."
/
Beth was having a dream. She was back at the farm. She had just finished dinner with everyone. Maggie was there, and her Daddy. It had been the night Carol and Lori had offered to make dinner. Everything was wonderful, and she smiled gently at her new family that surrounded her. She had helped the women chop and cook in the kitchen, and she remembered it as being the happiest she had ever felt since the whole end of the world mess had started.
Jimmy had winked at her from across the table, and she felt that familiar butterfly feeling. That night she snuck out through the window, which proved easier than she had anticipated, since Maggie had snuck out a few minutes before her. She made her way quietly to the stables where Jimmy was waiting for her. She giggled when he took her into his arms, and immediately started pressing kisses into her neck. She had opened the door to one of the empty stables, and had fallen back onto the hay with Jimmy. She had reveled in how his hands felt on the smooth skin of her stomach, and lost her head in how his body felt on top of hers. She could feel him pressing into her leg, and had moaned while tugging at his shirt.
Things had taken a turn though. They had always messed around, but Beth had never let it go too far. But Jimmy wasn't satisfied with what they were doing tonight. He started whispering in her ear.
We could die any moment.
You don't want to die a virgin, do you?
This feels so good, let me do more, please.
Before Beth knew what was happening, his hands were down her pants touching her. She had gasped and quickly began to push him off of her. He was too big, and too determined. She had begged him to stop, that she didn't want it to happen like this. His voice was heavy in her ear.
Its okay, you'll like it.
You're my girl, this is what couples do.
I need it, and you have to give it to me, don't be a prude.
Beth began to cry and beg, but her strength was leaving her. Jimmy had gotten her pants off and she was sobbing loudly now. Her arms and legs hurt from trying to fight him, and she was sure she had bruises on her shoulders and arms from him holding her down.
The door slammed open, and Jimmy shot off of her like a bullet. Before she could even comprehend what was happening, he was slammed against the wall with Daryl Dixon's forearm pressed into his neck. Her hands moved quickly to cover her nakedness.
Daryl had pressed a knife against Jimmy's face. "Git out of here. Now." His eyes had burned like fire. Jimmy ran out as quickly as he could. Daryl had called out to him, "You better hope I never see you near her again!"
When Daryl had turned to face her, she couldn't even see him through her tears. He had sighed, and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. She could vaguely her herself mumbling "Please don't tell" over and over as he tried to check her condition.
Finally Daryl had grabbed her chin, and made her look him in the eyes. "We are going to make sure this never happens again."
/
Beth woke up with sweat on her face. She hated that goddamn dream. She had it all the time. It was always as clear as day to her, exactly the way she had remembered it happening in real life. She hadn't talked to Jimmy since that night, and wasn't terribly sad to see him die a few short days later. It had only been the day after that they had opened the barn, and she had lost her mother and brother for good. Beth had fallen into a catatonic state, and when she came to, couldn't imagine anything to live for. She felt alone, and disgusting. But Andrea had told her something that stuck with her. The pain doesn't go away; you just make room for it.
Beth wiped her eyes. Here she was again. Her daddy and Judy were dead. Maggie could be too. She had to find a way to make room for this pain too, though she didn't know how. Plus she was here, with Rick Grimes. She looked over at him, and couldn't help but feel a little warmth in her heart for the man. He had been through hell too. He had lost his wife, and best friend who had cheated on him together, and his son had to put both of them down. Now he had lost his baby girl, and they were about to go search for his son.
Beth had always admired Rick, and felt deeply for him. He had gone through a lot of shit, but he always tried to do the right thing. To say it was a thankless job was an understatement. No matter what he did, someone in the group blamed him. When he had got to the farm, it was Shane always pushing against every choice he had made. It had only gotten worse when Shane died and the farm fell. Beth remembered distinctly thinking while they were on the road that Rick hadn't asked to lead. But everyone looked to him for answers, and then got mad when they didn't like what he came up with. He had just been doing his best.
Still, part of her wished she had gotten out with Maggie, or even that she had gone with Daryl when he had asked instead of going back into the prison. She didn't know Rick all that well, despite being in his group for well over a year. Beth rolled away from Rick and considered what the next day could be like. She worried that Rick wouldn't be able to make the trip. She worried they would run into a group of walkers, or worse another group like the Governor had assembled. She worried Carl and Michonne would be gone. She worried she would never see Maggie again. She worried all the people she loved and had come to call family were lost forever. Glenn, Daryl, Carol, Sasha, and Ty- and what about the kids she had come to love and watch over? Lizzie, Mika, Luke, and Molly… Beth's head whirled with worry and concern, and she felt the lump in her throat begin to grow, and her eyes grew hazy with tears. Suddenly, Rick grunted and rolled towards her, throwing an arm over her waist. He sleepily pulled her towards him, and began snoring softly into her hair. Beth giggled, pulled out of her reverie. She sighed, and settled down, ready to sleep. Rick was warm and strong, and for the first time in a long time, Beth fell asleep feeling safe.