Happy Walking Dead Day! Also, THANK YOU FOR OVER 200 REVIEWS! You guys are lucky that you're getting a chapter today. I've been VERY busy this past week and weekend. However, I made a promise, and I intend on keeping it. I hope it turned out decent since I didn't really have much time. Let me know!

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Chapter Eighteen (Beth POV)

Rick and I slept soundly that night in each other's arms. There was no longer the fear of being discovered, and that alone was enough for me to feel completely at peace. I was finally allowed to be with the love of my life without a care in the world.

Or so I thought.

"Beth Greene!" The door burst open to Rick's room with Maggie storming within. She stomped over to the bed and ripped off the covers, completely ignoring the fact that Rick and I were as naked as the day we were born.

My hands fought to cover up the exposed parts of my body. "What the hell, Maggie!" I screeched, frantically grabbing the blanket and covering up a very confused, still half asleep, Rick. "Get out!"

Maggie pointed a furious finger at Rick, completely ignoring my demands. "You! How could you!"

Rick blinked in confusion, his eyes darting back and forth from me to her. "Maggie, you need calm-"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Maggie's face was flushed with fury as she stared poor Rick down with a glare that could kill. "Don't tell me to calm down after I just found out that you've been sleeping with my baby sister! You're old enough to be her father!"

"Maggie!" I hissed, getting very tired of her stupid protective behavior very quickly. "I'm 18! You can't dictate my life, or who I sleep with for that matter!"

"Beth, you can't expect me to be okay with this. This isn't right." She turned her harsh gaze back to Rick and narrowed her eyes. "What would your precious Lori think?"

My jaw dropped. "Maggie!"

Rick grabbed his pants from the floor and put them on under the sheets before standing up and putting his shirt on. His face was like stone; unmoving and hard, making it impossible to read his emotions.

I shot a tear-fillled glare Maggie's way before touching Rick's arm gently. "Rick..."

His jaw clenched and he flinched from my touch, heading to the door. "I can't, Beth."

"Rick please-"

Rick whipped around with a wild look in his eyes. "I can't!"

Tears spilled over down my cheeks as I watched him retreat. "Rick! Rick please!" I wrapped the sheets around my naked body and stumbled out the door after him. "Dammit, Rick! Don't-" the front door slammed as Rick left the house. "-leave." I stood there for a moment in shock as tears continued to flow silently down my cheeks. I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders.

"See?" Maggie said happily. "It's for the-"

"How could you?" I hissed, ripping myself from her grasp. The group has begun to gather around due to the commotion, but I ignored them, my attention solely on ripping Maggie's throat out.

The smile slowly fell from Maggie's face, the look of confusion replacing it. "I'm just looking out for you."

"Well don't!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "I was happy! We were happy before...before you had to get involved!"

Maggie looked shocked and the group remained silent. "Beth..."

"Shut up, Maggie! You ruined everything!" I sobbed.

"What's going on?" Carl pushed his way to the front of the small crowd, his eyes widening at seeing me in only a bed sheet. His gaze quickly averted And a blush crept into his cheeks.

I didn't wait for anyone to say anything before I bolted up the stairs to Rick's room, slamming the door. I threw myself onto his bed with another powerful sob, grabbing Rick's pillow and clutching it tightly to my chest. I buried my face into it and continued to cry, smelling Rick's scent on the pillow.

My anger for Maggie continued to burn as the time passed, not really knowing how much was actually passing. It could've been minutes, or it could've been hours. I didn't know. All I knew that was with each minute passing, my heart would break even more. I desperately hoped that Rick would come through the door to take me into his arms and tell me that everything was going to be okay.

But he didn't.

I sniffed and willed myself to get up and dress, deciding to try and find him on my own. I threw my hair up into a pony-tail and opened the door slowly before walking out and down the stairs. My hand grasped the front door handle but a sudden voice stopped me.

"Beth?"

Shit. I turned around and faced a stone-looking Carl. His expression was unreadable, which scared me to no end. "Hey, Carl," I said softly.

"He's out in the woods," he said in monotone.

"What?"

"My dad. He's out in the woods. I know you're looking for him."

"O-Oh."

All was silent for a moment and Carl continued to stare at me, making me shift from foot to foot uncomfortably. "Is it true?" He finally asked, breaking the awkward silence.

I suddenly got goosebumps and I rubbed my arms with my hands nervously. "Yes," I said softly.

He nodded once shortly and chewed his bottom lip in thought. "I'm okay with it."

My gazed snapped up from the floor to meet his. "You are?"

Carl shrugged and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah." He walked up to me slowly before throwing his arms around my waist in a tight embrace. My hands flew up in a surrender pose out of instinct for a moment in shock before slowly wrapping around him in return. He pulled away and stuffed his hands in his pockets, nodding to the door. "He'll come around. Just go talk to him. He's standing out by the trees."

I smiled at him and nodded in return before running out the front door. My eyes took a moment to scan my surroundings and I finally found Rick off to my left across the clearing. His back was facing the house and he was leaning onto a tree, his arms crossed over his chest. I took a deep breath before heading over to him, my heart thudding louder and louder in my chest with every step I took. I felt like now we were back to square one after what happened. It scared me to death to think of the possibility of him backing out of the relationship because of Maggie. My heart begged to God for that not to be the case.

I halted my steps about about ten feet away from him and cleared my throat, partly to let him know I was there, and part out of nervousness. "Rick?" I said softly. He remained with his back to me, silent as a door knob. I swallowed, my throat suddenly gone dry. "Rick?" I reached out and touched his shoulder, and for the second time today, he flinched from me as if I was a Walker. It broke my heart. "Rick, please," I said, my voice cracking slightly. "Talk to me."

"What do you want me to say?" He said suddenly, whipping around and causing me to jump in surprise. "Your sister hates the idea of us."

"So that's a reason to run away?" Tears once again blurred my vision. "I can deal with Maggie. Don't let her keep us apart, Rick." I said desperately. "Please...please don't leave me."

His gaze softened as he looked at my face. He took a step closer but stopped himself. "Beth...I won't."

"You won't what?" I knew what he meant, but I needed to hear him say it. I needed that verbal confirmation.

"I won't leave you."

I stared at him a moment before letting out a choked sob and running to Rick and throwing my arms around his neck, nearly knocking him to the ground in the process. His arms immediately wrapped around my small frame tightly, burying his face into my neck. I cried loudly and clutched him to me. "I was so scared, Rick. I was so scared that I lost you."

He peppered the side of my neck with kisses. "Oh, baby, you won't. I'm right here. I'm right here, my baby girl."

I pulled my head back and smashed my lips onto his in a bruising kiss, my hands gripping his face tightly, forcing his lips to remain against mine. We remained that way until my lungs burned from lack of air, and I had to pull away. I gasped and struggled to catch my breath, resting my forehead against his, closing my eyes.

"I love you so much, my Rick."

Rick chucked, kissing both of my cheeks. "And I love you, my angel."

AUTHORS NOTE: A really short chapter, but like I said, my time was limited this week. I hope it was sufficient. Please let me know! Your feedback is very much appreciated.