In Hope Of Falling In Love (A Walking Dead Fanfic)

Chapter 16: What Happens On Watch...

Rick's intention were purely innocent; relieve Beth and Daryl of watch duty so they could get some sleep. He didn't plan what he stumbled upon and had no idea what he was going to discover.

His feet clang up the dark stairwell, making light, sharp noises as he made his way to the main room at the top of the tower. Rubbing his heavy, tired eyes, Rick walked out into the safety of the approaching dawn; he could just see the bodies of the walkers lining the prison yards. Their groaning filled the stuffy air, as if trying to suffocate those breathing it in.

"Oh," someone moaned.

He looked around, trying to find the source of the noise, his eyes wondering over the darkly lit room in front of him.

"Daryl," a girl groaned.

Rick took a quiet step closer to the voice and paused, trying to see through the window of the room.

"Oh," she moaned again.

There was a brief silence and then soft whispering. Rick strained his ears to try and hear the voices but all he head was the sound of exchanged words.

"I... Rick!" Beth gasped, pulling Daryl's shirt in front of her chest, seeing the tired man looking in on them.

"What the fuck, man?" Daryl yelled, shielding Beth from Rick with his own body. "Ge' out you fucking pervert!"

Rick took a shaky step back. "Sorry," he replied, putting a hand over his eyes. "It's my turn for watch, now. I was just coming to get you." He put his back to them and the door squeaked open. Daryl slid his way out, his lips pressing to Beth's briefly before he made his way down the stairs to his cell.

"You weren't meant to know," Beth squeaked innocently from behind him. He turned to see Daryl's vest over her shoulders, her eyes guilty and nervous. Rick nodded, "Sorry, I didn't know. I shouldn't have barged in like that, it's my fault."

She nodded, a nervous smile forced onto her face. "Are we on watch?" she asked, looking down at the floor, unable to look him in the eyes.

"You need your sleep. Go to your cell, or Daryl's, if you'd like. Aislynn won't mind coming up here with me, she's been up all night with Judith and Carl. It'll do her some good to be in the fresh air for once," he replied, smiling back sadly at here.

Why could Daryl have someone like her but he couldn't? Didn't he deserve a girl like her more than him? Rick forced the thoughts from his head, trying to push them to the back of his mind. He shouldn't be thinking that; Daryl's his friend.

"About that," Beth said shakily, "Can you please not tell anyone? My sister and father don't like him."

Rick nodded, "Promise to be more careful? No repeat of that or... What happened to Lori," he said, his heart collapsing slowly on itself.

Lori was fire where Beth was air; he needed air, not fire. He needed patience not arguments.

She nodded, chewing softly on the bottom of her lip.

"I'm sorry and thankyou, Mr. Grimes. I'll get Aislynn for you, Judith will be happy to see you. Maybe later you can play with her? I know there isn't really time but at a time like this she needs a man like you as a father," she replied sheepily.

"And Carl, too," she continued, pulling Daryl's vest further onto her shoulders as it began to slowly slide its way down. Rick nodded, turning away from the young girl. "Go get some sleep, I'll tell everyone I needed your cell last night so you had to share with Daryl."

"Thankyou," Beth smiled sweetly, leaning into Rick as if to hug him but pulling back last minute. "Daryl," she muttered to herself and walked past him, down the stairs. Rick pulled open the door of the room at the top of the tower and sat down on the soft chair, staring at the contents left behind on the floor from Beth and Daryl.

They're running around like naughty teenagers, he thought to himself. I might need to talk to them about that.

He >

There was a soft knock on the door and he turned to see the young girl banging her strong fist lightly on the fake metal. "Ca' I come in?" she asked, staring at him concerned. Rick nodded and stood to open the door for her.

"The air out 'ere is a lot nicer tha' inside," she stated nervously, trying to start a already-dying conversation.

Rick cleared his throat. "I see you're quite taken with my son," he said, looking over at the approaching sun.

The question took her by surprise and she looked at him, shocked. "Uh, he's very nice, yes, bu' ya don't need to worry-"

He forced a laughed. "It's alright, he likes you too. You should talk to him, I don't mind." She nodded in reply, her eyes focused on the gun in Rick's pocket. "Yu' were a sheriff, Carl said?" she asked, her voice shaking from the sudden approval of a possible relationship.

"Yes."

She shrugged. "My daddy was a sheriff before this, yu' know? My mum died when I was young but she was very pretty. People used to say I look a lot like her but they're all dead now, I guess. All my friends, family... Teachers."

"I'm sorry about your mum, she would have been very proud of you, Aislynn."

She smiled, "We wer' always like Daryl and Merle. Who would hav' thought a redneck coul' be a cop, right?"

"Your cousin's are good men-"

"Or Merle was righ'? He's dea' now... Jus' like my daddy. I'm never going to see any of my family again but Daryl," she interrupted. She paused briefly, "Beth?"

Rick looked over at her, expecting to see tears but she was the same as she had been five minutes ago. "Beth Greene?"

"She real pretty. Too pretty for me cousin; he's nev'r had a gir' like her, you know? She's real and she's smart. Knows how to put both feet on the ground and how to count to ten."

He agreed with her, muttering his acceptance and then, trying to mask a yawn, stretched his arms above his head. "You sure you're not tired?"

"No, go to bed if you want. Maggie and Glenn will be up here soon, I can handle it."

After a brief discussion of she was to do and how to use the safety on his gun, he left her with his weapon and began the walk to his cell; passing a sweetly sleeping Beth and Daryl wrapped safely in each other's arms.

HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER, I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE FEEDBACK AND ALL OF THAT.

I PERSONALLY LOVE AISLYNN AND WILL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO MAKE HER A BIGGER CHARACTER IN THE LATER CHAPTERS.

KIND OF FELT IT NECCESSARY TO PUT BETH AND DARYL'S RELATIONSHIP INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S POINT OF VIEW AND HOW RICK WOULD ACCEPT IT AND WHAT HE WOULD FEEL TOWARDS THEM. TELL ME IF I DID THIS WELL.

SORRY FOR THE REALLY LONG WAIT, I HAD NO INTERNET FOR ALMOST A WEEK, JUST GOT IT BACK TODAY, AND WAS TRYING SO HARD TO GET THIS DONE FOR YOU.

THANKS SO MUCH, XOXO, AMY.