Chapter 13: Honesty
A few weeks had passed since Beth's return to the prison. In that time things slowly started going back to normal with the exception of Rick and Beth's relationship. Each morning and evening he would visit her and Judith in her cell and stay until after almost everyone in the cellblock was asleep. Their meetings were innocent enough, they found themselves talking about anything other than the usual conversations that went on at the prison. Beth was grateful because in that time she felt like she began to see the real Rick Grimes, not the leader or the sheriff deputy, the man behind the gun. Someone very few got to see. With each passing day she felt herself falling more and more in love with him but was absolutely terrified to tell him. 'Its too soon,' She kept telling herself. 'What if I scare him off?'
When they were in the privacy of Beth's cell it was simple, they were in their own little world with no one around to judge them. Unfortunately they still had their own lives to lead with the prying eyes of the rest of the group all around them. They tried to keep things as normal as possible but sometimes they couldn't help the lingering stares they gave each other. He found himself always keeping an eye out whenever she was around, call it his protective instincts ever since he got her back but he was about to let anything happen to her again.
One night Beth was finishing up sewing one of Rick's shirts when she heard a soft knocking outside her cell. Expecting to see the man she loved she pulled her hair out of her usual ponytail and waited. "Come in," She called.
To her surprise she saw her father standing there. "You too busy to talk to your old man?" He told her, stepping into the tiny room.
"Of course not," She smiled taking a seat on the floor so he could sit on the bunk.
Sitting down on the thin mattress the older man noticed the shirt she was mending. "Have you noticed a change in Rick these past few weeks?"
Trying her best to keep calm she shrugged. "Well nothing's really happened since the Governor, maybe he's trying to enjoy it for a while."
"Or maybe its because he's been around you for so long."
His words shocked her to the point she almost stabbed herself in the finger with the needle. "Daddy...he's been around Judith, I just happen to be holding her."
"That's quite a change from the man we knew for so long and I know that change is because of you."
Beth looked at her father, he didn't seem mad or disappointed, he seemed completely normal. She wasn't sure if she be concerned or not. "You gotta admit its been nice around here for once."
"It has, I just hope it stays like this. I don't think the group can handle anymore surprises."
Now Beth was concerned. Even if he didn't say it out loud she knew her father was suspicious but she was gonna beat around the bush until he confronted her. "Yeah, I think everyone's been through enough," She muttered.
"That they have," Hershel sighed, rubbing his hands on his pants. "Well I'm gonna head to bed. See you in the morning, Bethy."
"Good night, Daddy." Beth whispered as she watched him walk out.
Focusing on the shirt she still held she tried her best to sew the rip but her father's words echoed in her head. She hated lying to him about her and Rick but she was afraid what he would say about the relationship. After all the time she spent with him the last thing she wanted to hear was she couldn't be with Rick anymore. What they had wasn't what she would consider inappropriate. They barely kissed, even though she wished it was more often. She felt comfortable around him, something she never thought she would feel since when she first met him she was a nervous wreck whenever she was in the same room as him. There was something else she was felt when she was around him, something that was so rare it scared her to get used to it. He made her feel safe. In this new world safety was something you couldn't take for granted, even if you lived in a prison. He was like her old teddy bear she always kept to keep the monsters away.
Once she finished mending the shirt she folded it neatly and placed it on her bed to give to Rick when he came by. Glancing at Judith Beth smiled, the little girl was fast asleep in her crib. Sitting up on her knees Beth admired the baby, how she could sleep so peacefully with everything going on around her. Resting her arms on the sides of the crib Beth wondered what Judith was dreaming about, if she even dreamed at all.
Feeling two hands on her shoulders she looked up to see Rick standing above her. "Hey," She breathed, a grin on her face.
"Hey," He whispered, his eyes glancing between her and his daughter. "How's your night been?"
Biting her bottom lip she tried to figure out the best way to tell him about what her father said. Moving to sit on her bunk she nervously played with her hands. "Daddy came by to talk," She explained not meeting his eyes.
Seeing her uneasiness Rick took a seat beside her. "Beth, what's wrong?" He asked.
When she didn't answer he reached over to interlace their fingers, hoping that would comfort her enough to talk to him. "I think Daddy might know about us."
Rick waited patiently as she told him the whole story. Just by looking at her face he could tell she was worried but he waited until she was done before he spoke up. "Do you want him to know?"
Opening her mouth she thought about her answer before sighing. "I mean...I kinda do but I'm kind of afraid what he'll say." Pausing she stammered. "W-what about Maggie? Daddy could probably get used to it but Maggie...Oh God, what will she say? I just don't want her to get mad at you..."
Squeezing her hand he tried his best to calm her down. "Beth, breathe," He whispered. "If you want to tell them...we will, together."
Her eyes widened. "Are you sure? I mean, I understand if you don't want to be with me because of this or what they'll say."
"Wait, is that what you're so worried about? I won't want to be with you if they don't approve?"
Frowning she nodded her head. "I just thought..."
"Beth I was serious when I said I care too much about you and this to just throw it all away. Is it gonna be hard to tell them? Yeah, but we knew it couldn't be a secret forever."
"Let's just wait a little longer, ok?"
Nodding once he leaned over to give her a sweet kiss. "I'll see you in the morning ok? I'm going on a early run with Michonne and Carl."
Then another realization hit her. "How are we gonna tell Carl?"
"To be honest I've been thinking about that every night." He told her. "Its not gonna be easy, I think its gonna be worse than telling Maggie and Hershel."
"I just don't want him to think I'm trying to be his mom and take Lori's place."
"It'll take some time but hopefully he'll come around." Even though he knew it wouldn't be that easy he didn't want to make her worry more than she already was. Lightly kissing her forehead he told her good night before heading to his own cell. Seeing his son already asleep on the top bunk made Rick frown. He knew his life now was complicated, he just wasn't aware how complicated it could be.
The next day while the others were on their run Beth decided to keep busy and help Carol harvest some of the last of their vegetables they had left growing in their garden. With fall soon approaching they knew they had a limited amount of time to get everything they needed before the cold nights. "These look pretty good," Beth pointed out pulling some weeds away.
"I think so too." Carol answered. "I found a gardening book in the library, it said carrots, broccoli, and beets can still grow in the fall so I thought we would get all this out of here and start fresh."
"Will we have to cover them at night?" Beth asked looking over to see Judith happily playing on the blanket they had laid out on the grass.
"Maybe not for a while, that's the good thing about Georgia, it doesn't get too cold too quickly. That will earn us some time to find some kind of tarp before the frost really does hit."
Beth nodded her head as she pulled more weeds out of the ground. She had to admit she did like working in the garden with Carol. It was a nice distraction because she always found herself being a nervous wreck when Rick left the prison. She wondered how he was doing, if he had talked to Carl about them yet. The thought of Carl hating her as some kind of wicked step mom plagued her the previous night. She had always thought of Carl as a friend, she risked her life to save him and she would do it again in a heartbeat even if he did hate her.
Hearing Judith coo Beth looked up. The little girl was smiling so big and lifting her arms into the air. "Want to see what she's been practicing?" Beth questioned the older woman sitting beside her.
"Of course," Carol smiled dusting some of the dirt off her hands.
Walking over to the baby Beth sat with her legs of Judith and lifted her. Carol smiled wide seeing the little girl start to clumsily crawl along the blanket. "Oh my gosh, she'll be up and walking around before we know it."
"I know, these are the times I wish we had a camera," Beth giggled picking the laughing baby up into her arms.
"They're back!" They heard Sasha yell from the guard tower.
Exhaling a sigh of relief Beth relaxed a little watching the green SUV come through the gates. Through the windshield she saw Rick driving with Michonne in the passenger seat. She couldn't tell how the run went by their expressions but she was anxious to see if Rick had talked to Carl. "Want to go see if they need a hand?" Carol asked snapping Beth away from her thoughts.
Nodding her head Beth picked up Judith to meet the car at the cellblocks. When Rick saw her he sent her a small smile that went unnoticed by the others gathering the group's finding's from the back of the car. "Get anythin' good?" Daryl questioned picking up one of the bags.
"Some batteries, a few lanterns, and some thicker blankets, we kind of had a close call with a passing herd. We could only grab what we could." Rick explained.
"No sign of the Governor either," Michonne spoke, she had made it a point to be on watch at all times just in case the eye patched man made an appearance.
Beth sighed in relief. "Come on, lets get all this inside." Daryl told the group.
Beth stood with Judith in her arms watching as the car was slowly unloaded. When it was all done she noticed Rick coming towards her. "How are my girls doing?" He whispered so no one else could hear.
"Just fine, we were helping Carol in the garden, weren't we Judy?" Beth cooed to the baby making her giggle.
Seeing Beth with his daughter had quickly become one of his favorite parts of Rick's day. The way she made Judith laugh and the motherly look Beth always had when she interacted with the baby made any anger or stress he had melt away. It was a little bittersweet knowing Lori would never have those moments but he knew he had to move on, it wasn't doing him or anyone else any good living in the past. "Well I'm glad you two had a good day," he smiled, his hand gently brushing the small of Beth's back. "Come on, lets get inside."
After putting Judith down for a quick nap Beth went to help Carol cook supper. While she was chopping a few of the vegetables they collected that day she saw her friend smile at her. The whole time they had been working Beth noticed Carol giving her odd looks. Finally she had to say something. "What?" She asked the older woman.
"What what?" Carol chuckled.
"Why are you acting like you know something I don't?"
Carol shook her head. "No, I think I know something you don't want anyone to know." She explained. "You and Rick."
Beth's mouth dropped. "C-Carol, its not what you think."
"So he's the one you've been so stuck on all this time. Now I understand why you weren't interested in Liam or anyone else, you already had your heart set on him."
Shifting on her feet Beth tried to keep her eyes anywhere other than Carol. It was making her uncomfortable that Carol had the exact opposite reaction she was expecting. Instead of yelling she was smiling and her eyes held a kindness that made Beth feel better about her current situation. "You're taking this way better than I thought." She muttered.
"Well I'm not your father and sister," Carol commented making Beth frown. "I'm your friend and I don't know when this started but I do know when you got back from being taken by Liam I expected the Beth I first met back on the farm. After what you went through...I have to admit I was concerned you would have another scar." Carol chose her words wisely, glancing down she saw the faint line along the skin of Beth's wrist. "I was wrong, you're not that girl anymore. You've grown into a beautiful young woman. You should be allowed to make your own decisions, even if some people don't understand them."
Beth wanted to cry, it was the first time someone in their camp actually called her a woman instead of a kid. Stepping towards her friend Beth embraced her, "Thank you," She told her before pulling away. "I still don't know how I'm gonna tell Daddy and Maggie."
"Well sooner is better than later. I'm sure they won't be too happy you've kept it a secret this long but promise me one thing."
"What?"
"Love is a complicated thing now, we have to be extremely careful. It was hard enough before all this. Just promise me you and Rick are being smart about this relationship."
"I know and trust me we've taken our time to really understand what's going on between us. We're taking it extremely slow. I mean, I know how hard it was on him to lose Lori and I never want to step on her toes as a mom to Carl and Judith."
Carol smiled. "You're wise beyond your years."
"I hope Daddy and Maggie think the same."
Learning Carol approved of the relationship Beth felt a little better. That was one person in their group down now they just had to let everyone else know, starting with her father and Maggie. After supper she caught up with Rick before he had to take watch. "I'm ready," She blurted.
"Are you sure?" He asked, he had to admit he was nervous. He felt like he was a sixteen year old boy taking a girl out on their first date and he had to meet her father first. Seeing him sitting in the living room with a shotgun on his lap didn't help Rick's nerves.
"Yes, I don't want to hide anymore. I want to be able to go up and talk to you anytime I want and not just because of Judith. I think its time."
Nodding once Rick took her hand in his. "Ok then, as long as you're ready for it I'm right here."
Stepping into the cellblock they saw Hershel and Maggie sitting at one of the tables. Everyone else filed out after supper leaving them alone. As Rick and Beth approached them they noticed Maggie look up. "What's going on?" She questioned then noticed their interlocked hands. "What is this?"
"That's what we came to talk to you about." Beth said no evidence of nervousness in her voice but Rick could feel her hand slightly shaking.
"Then you better start talking." Maggie snapped crossing her arms.
Clearing his throat Rick thought it would be best he spoke first. "Let me just say I mean no disrespect to you or Hershel. I think I can safely say neither of us expected this to happen."
"What do you mean?"
Beth glanced at Rick before saying. "We're together."
Maggie looked like she wanted to laugh while Hershel remained emotionless. "You've got to be kidding." Maggie chuckled.
"No, we're not. I wish I could tell you why or how but I can't," Rick explained. "It just did and I want you to know I care about Beth. I'll do my best to keep her safe at all times. We just want you to know, we didn't want to lie about it."
"But you have been lying," Maggie scowled. "When did it happen?"
"When I got back to the prison." Beth answered.
"So you've been lying to us for that long?!" Maggie was focusing on Beth now, for as long as she knew her Beth wasn't a liar. She expected more from her little sister.
"I'm sorry, we just wanted to be sure about this. We just needed some time to figure things out before we told you." Beth told her sister trying her best to control her emotions.
Maggie shook her head. "I can't believe this," Turning her head she looked at her father. "Are you gonna say anything about this?"
Sighing Hershel glanced between Rick and Beth. "I already knew." He spoke surprising everyone. "I know you've tried to keep it a secret, and I'm not happy about you lying about it, but I have seen a change in both of you. At first I wasn't sure if it was for the better but now I'm sure you two have helped each other in ways I don't think anyone else could."
"So you're ok with this?!" Maggie snapped rising from her seat.
"I wouldn't say that, I'm not entirely happy about my daughter dating someone twice her age but I can't keep her away from happiness. Lord knows we need to find it where we can in this world."
Shaking her head Maggie walked away, not even looking in Beth's direction as she went. Letting go of Rick's hand Beth hurried over to her father. "Thank you Daddy." She whispered feeling a few tears escape her eyes.
"No more lying though, ok? And Rick," He said getting the younger man's attention. "I hope you meant what you said about keeping her safe. I'm trusting you with her life."
"I meant every word." Rick promised.
Nodding Hershel stood up with Beth's help. "I'm gonna go check on Maggie. I'll be back soon and we can talk more if you want." He told his youngest daughter before walking out of the cellblock leaving the couple alone.
With a wide grin on her face Beth threw her arms around Rick's neck surprising him at first but instantly his arms wound around her small body, holding her tight to him. "I wasn't expecting that," She murmured.
"Me neither, I thought Maggie was gonna chase me out of here with a rifle though." He sighed pushing a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Do you think she'll come around?"
"She has no choice, whether she likes it or not I'm gonna be with you, for as long as you want me."
In that moment Beth wanted nothing more than to tell him she loved him but she just couldn't get the words out. Standing on her tiptoes she kissed him, it was one of the most passionate kisses they had ever experienced together. Pulling away she realized something. "We still have to tell Carl." She muttered. "Did you say anything to him during the run today?"
"No, he always does his best to avoid me when we're on runs. I tell him what to look for or where we're going but he never really talks."
"Want me to say something to him?"
"No, let me take care of it, if it goes bad I don't want him to take any anger out on you." He explained. "Just know whatever happens I'm gonna be here for you."
"And the same goes for you." Beth smiled giving him another kiss.
Yay a little bit of fluff, fluff never hurt anybody right? So after watching the finale...a few times, I was wondering if I wanted Dark Rick to make an appearance in this story. Let me know if you want that to happen or just let me know how you like the story so far. Thank you so much :)