So I know I haven't updated in forever but honestly writer's block has been killing me but I have gotten a lot of ideas for one-shots. I hope a few one-shots will be better than posting nothing at all. This is 23 pages of Brick goodness :)

Divorce was ugly, all of Rick's friends told him so. From the dividing and sharing off assets to coming up with a visitation schedule for the kids. At first he thought he and Lori were going to be civil about everything but then he found out the real reason she wanted a divorce. She had told him originally it was because of him working so much, which he understood. Rick was a sheriff deputy and he was training to become a detective so he had to put in long hours studying. It was a sacrifice but in the end he thought she understood it was for their family. Apparently she didn't. After several missed dinners and late nights she said the words 'I'm filing for divorce.'

It was after he moved out he heard whispers. They were from a small town of course people were going to talk about the Grimes' family falling apart. From the outside looking in they had the perfect life so when word hit Rick and Lori were splitting up they all wanted to know what went wrong. It was one of the first times Rick was buying groceries by himself when he heard his name come out of the town's most known gossiper. "I heard she met someone else. Poor Rick, he was always the best dad."

"It wasn't just a 'someone' it was his best friend!"

"Shane Walsh? You're kidding!"

He didn't need to hear anymore. Leaving his shopping cart in the middle of the aisle he walked straight to his car back to the house he once shared with Lori. In the driveway where his car once sat was a car he easily recognized. Opening the front door he saw Shane sitting at the kitchen table with Lori standing by the stove stirring a pot of soup. "So now I see why you wanted a divorce." Rick snapped, his nostrils flaring.

"Rick...this isn't..." Lori started holding her hands up.

"It looks like you replaced me with my best friend!" This was unusual for Rick. He never yelled at anyone, especially at the woman he once called the love of his life.

"He was there for me when you weren't." Lori whispered not even trying to look her ex-husband in the eye.

Shaking his head Rick couldn't take it anymore. "I hope you're happy." He mumbled running his hand through his hair before leaving them speechless.

Now here he was. In a small two bedroom house he was renting until he could afford to buy one of his own. It wasn't the nicest place but it was close enough to Carl so he could come by whenever he wanted and whenever Rick was off. The divorce wasn't final yet but that didn't stop Shane from pretty much moving in. Unfortunately the captain turned down Rick's request for a new partner leaving every work day awkward and uncomfortable. Neither of them spoke unless it was about a call. Rick was counting down the days until he could take the written test for detective. The sooner he got out of that squad car the better.

On one particular hot summer day Rick was trying to set up a new entertainment center when he heard knocking on his front door. Opening the door he was surprised to see a woman, no more than what he assumed twenty standing on the other side. She wasn't alone, perched on her hip was a baby with matching hair and blue eyes, it was clear this was her son. In her other hand she held a plate of chocolate chip cookies."Hi, I noticed the moving truck yesterday." She smiled, her voice was sweet but her Southern accent made her sound even more like an angel to Rick. "Welcome to the neighborhood."

Pushing the screen door open Rick nodded. "Thank you," He told her taking the plate from her. "I'm Rick Grimes."

"Beth Greene, and this little guy is Blake." Hearing his name Blake grinned making Rick and Beth laugh. "Well we just live next door so let us know if you need anything."

"I will, thank you again."

"You're very welcome." Beth nodded as she turned on her heel to walk down the front porch steps.

Rick stood in the doorway watching her as she headed home. Once she was inside Rick finally closed the door. Taking the plate of cookies into the kitchen he unwrapped them and took a bite of one. It was probably one of the best cookies he had ever had. Maybe this new neighborhood wouldn't be so bad after all.

The next few weeks he spoke to Beth over the fence almost every morning. When he asked why she was wearing scrubs she told him she was a medical assistant at the local clinic. Their conversations were quick but Rick always looked forward to them. Beth always seemed to be in a good mood no matter what. Then when he got home in the evening he noticed an girl, a few years older than Beth maybe, bringing Blake home. Soon Rick learned her name was Amy. He literally almost ran into her when he was returning Beth's mail to her that had accidently been placed into his mailbox. He learned Amy liked to talk so he was able to hear all about how she and Beth met. They were roommates during their freshman year of college and had quickly become inseparable. She prided herself in being Blake's godmother.

The next time he had a real conversation with her was a month after he moved in next door. It was a rare occasion he had actually gotten off work at lunch. Parking his squad car in the front of his house he noticed Beth and Blake sitting on a blanket in their front yard. "Hello, enjoying the day?" He asked walking over to the fence.

"Yes, its too nice to be spending it indoors." She beamed. "How was work? I gotta say its kind of nice having our own deputy in the neighborhood."

"It was all right, I've been meaning to tell you my son loved those cookies you fixed. I practically had to force him to eat dinner before he could eat dessert."

"Good to know!" She giggled. "I thought I saw a kid that looked just like you walking around."

"Yeah, that's Carl. He's twelve now and starting to think he knows best." He sighed thinking back to Carl back-talking him during his last visit. Maybe it was his age, maybe it was the divorce or both but it seemed like every little thing started an argument with his son lately.

"Oh, well good thing I don't have to worry about that just yet." Beth cringed looking down at her son.

"How old is little Blake?"

"He's one, his birthday was February twelfth." She explained.

"Oh I remember when mine was that age. Cherish those moments."

"I am, its just the two of us so I get to experience all the firsts myself and I refuse to miss any of them." Even though she was smiling Rick picked up on a hint of sadness in her voice. He had never seen a male around her house but he didn't know the situation.

"What about Blake's dad?"

"Um, he passed away while I was pregnant." Beth frowned. "He was in the military, I never even got the chance to tell him."

Rick cringed, he knew he shouldn't have asked. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry."

"Its ok, you couldn't have known. It was hard but its like I still have a little piece of him here with me."

Nodding Rick took a step back. "Well if you two ever need anything, I'm just a short walk away. I mean it."

"And the same goes for you. In fact, you want to come over for dinner tonight? How long has it been since you had a home cooked meal?"

"Oh I can't even remember, my ex wasn't that big of a cook. I'm a master griller though."

"Well I'm fixing chili if you're interested."

"Sounds good to me."

A few hours later Rick was dressed in a plain white T-shirt and jeans sitting in Beth Greene's kitchen. He sat at the table with Blake in his high chair watching as Beth cooked. "So Mr. Grimes tell me about yourself." Beth said breaking up pieces of hamburger meat into the skillet.

"There's not that much to tell aside from the fact that I'm a divorced dad of a twelve year old son."

"Well I already knew all of that, so tell me something new." Beth laughed reaching into the fridge to hand him a beer. "Like why did you become a cop?"

"Uh, I guess cause my father was a cop, a well respected policeman. Everyone loved him and he was my hero. All I wanted to do was make him proud so when I graduated high school all I wanted to do was become like him."

"I'm sure he's proud."

"He was, he passed away ten years ago."

Beth frowned. "I guess its my turn to apologize. I'm sorry I didn't to bring up bad memories for you."

"You didn't, don't worry. I knew it was gonna happen, he was old and it was peaceful. The best way for it to happen."

Grabbing two bowls out of the cabinet Beth poured them full of chili before walking over to the table. "Well even now I'm sure he's proud of you." She smiled.

"Now its your turn, what about your family?"

The way Beth's face changed made Rick realize he just made a mistake. Her smile faded away and he could tell she was blinking back tears. Rising from the table she grabbed a banana and peeled it. "Where to start," She breathed. "Uh, lets just say my father is a very religious man. Church every Sunday and Wednesday, best friends with the preacher, and he used to read bible verses to me, my brother, and sister every night before bed. So when I told him I was pregnant and wasn't engaged or planning to get married he wasn't very happy."

Rick watched as she cut up the banana into tiny pieces for Blake to eat. Placing them in front of the baby he picked up a piece with his chubby hand. Holding it up to Beth she acted like she was eating it making Blake giggle as he put it in his mouth. "When Jimmy, that's Blake's father, died Daddy came around a little bit but our relationship is nothing like it was before. He's a great Pawpaw to Blake but I still feel like he's ashamed of me."

"He shouldn't." The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them.

The sides of Beth's mouth perked up. "Thank you, my mom is like my best friend, she came around to me having a child faster than my dad. My sister helps out as much as she can but she lives two hours away and my brother moved to Ohio with his wife."

"Well if you ever need a babysitter my son has been pestering me about earning extra money."

Hearing her laugh instantly lifted the mood. "Well right now Amy watches him during the day while I'm at work. She lives with her sister who's like some big shot attorney so she doesn't pressure Amy about money."

"Sounds like you got a good support system."

"On my side I do but Jimmy's family doesn't even acknowledge Blake. That's why Blake has my last name. Things got ugly there for a while."

"You would think they would want to get to know their grandson."

"Yeah but they seem to think Blake's not even Jimmy's son."

"Well that's their loss."

Seeing her smile again made any sort of leftover awkwardness disappear and they continued their dinner talking about more happy subjects. Blake contributed to their conversations by babbling and giggling when Beth made funny faces at him. When Rick walked back to his own house he felt happier. The divorce had left him angry, so angry all he wanted to do was sit in his recliner and drink away the pain. Without Beth he probably would have done just that. She brought him out of that dark place without even realizing it.

Their conversations in the morning seemed less rushed after their dinner. They would usually say the same things 'Good morning, you got a busy day today?' or just something casual but to Rick it felt like the day didn't really start until he saw her and Blake. The baby had started to recognize him and even reach for him while Beth was trying to put him in the car. Once a week, usually a Thursday, Rick went over to her house for dinner and they would talk about their weeks. Carl came over on Fridays and stayed the weekends but Rick still hadn't introduced him to Beth and Blake. One day he saw Carl wave to her from across the yard but to his knowledge they had never spoken. He wanted Carl to meet her but on some level he didn't want his son to get the wrong idea. His mom was already dating someone, someone Carl knew quite well but Rick didn't want him to get the idea he was already moving on. Even though he wasn't sure what was going on with him and Beth. They were just neighbors and starting a friendship, anything else they would have to figure out later.

Carl had started playing baseball earlier in the spring. He had never played before, other than throwing the ball around with his dad in the front yard but his mom and Shane had been pushing him to play something other than video games. To say he wasn't happy about it was an understatement. "I'm just gonna get benched, I don't know why I even have to be there." He grumbled in the front seat of Rick's truck. They had just left practice and Lori had let him take Carl over to his house to grill some steaks.

"Well you're getting better, you didn't even drop the ball today." Rick told him trying to make his son feel better. He had noticed during practice Shane coaching him from the bleachers but judging by the look on Carl's face it wasn't doing anything but irritating him.

"Yeah, but that's only because they barely hit it to me. They still remember the time they hit a fly ball and it gave me a black eye."

"You'll get better, that's what practice is for."

Sighing Carl tossed his baseball cap to the side. "I wish Shane wouldn't come to practice. All he does is yell and Mom doesn't tell him to stop."

"Want me to say something?" Rick asked. Knowing Shane it wouldn't do anything but he had to try for Carl's sake.

"Would you?"

"If you want me to I will. I know playing baseball wasn't your idea and if it helps you feel more comfortable on the field I will."

"Thank you dad."

"No problem, son." Rick smiled pulling into his driveway.

Climbing out of the truck he spotted Beth unloaded groceries out of her trunk. "Need a hand?" He called over to her.

"Would you?" She laughed. "I think the bag boy put every single heavy thing I bought all together."

Closing his door Rick jogged over to help her with the bags. As he walked up her front door he noticed Carl grab some lighter bags from the trunk. "Oh thank you, you must be Carl." Beth smiled as she opened the door. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Oh no." Carl grumbled following her and his dad into the kitchen.

"Good things, I promise. How's baseball going?" She asked taking Blake out of his carrier.

"It sucks."

Beth glanced at Rick with a worried expression, scared she might have angered the boy. "Rough practice." Rick whispered.

"Oh, I'm sorry," She sighed.

"Its ok." Carl muttered. "I'll be at the house."

As he left Beth turned to Rick. "Poor kid, is he gonna be ok?"

"I hope so, Shane and Lori are just making it tough on him. I think he would like it if they just stopped putting so much pressure on him."

"Well how 'bout I bring over some homemade ice cream later? I know its not much but maybe it'll cheer him up."

"Sounds like a plan. I was gonna grill some steaks, want me to put one on for you?"

"I'd like that." She smiled. "What time?"

"Maybe around seven thirty?"

Nodding she grinned hearing Blake coo. "We'll be there."

When Rick walked through the front door he saw Carl sitting on the couch flipping through channels on the TV. "Who is she?" He asked as Rick closed the door.

"Beth and her son Blake." He answered.

"She seems nice." Carl shrugged.

"She is. She works at the clinic in town." Rick explained as he unbuttoned his uniform leaving him in his white undershirt.

Tossing the remote aside Carl stood up. "Dad...I don't mind if you start dating again."

Shocked Rick awkwardly stepped into the kitchen to take the steaks out. "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, mom has Shane. You should have someone too." Carl sighed leaning on the bar. "So...do you like her?"

"I don't really know. Its been so long since I dated anyone." It really had. In his life he maybe had two girlfriends before Lori. He was always in a serious relationship so he never dated around and then when he met Lori she had gotten pregnant shortly after they got together. In the end he did the right thing, he married her and became the best father he could.

"Well its time to get back out there, Dad." Carl smirked before walking back into the living room to resume whatever show he was watching.

Right at seven thirty the steaks were almost finished and there was a knock at the front door. Carl, freshly showered and out of his baseball uniform, answered it. "Hey Beth." He announced so his dad would hear she arrived.

"Hi Carl. I don't believe you met Blake." She grinned. As if on cue the baby started giggling making Carl smile.

"Nice to meet you, Blake." Carl laughed. "Can I hold him?"

"Sure," Beth answered bending down so he could take the baby from his arms. Blake loved everyone so she wasn't surprised when he instantly went to Carl.

"Hey," She heard from the kitchen. "Dinner's almost ready."

Following the sound of Rick's voice she laid a plate of oven roasted potatoes. "Mama always taught me to bring a dish whenever I went to someone's house to eat." She explained taking the tinfoil off the plate.

"Smells great." Rick complimented. "Can I get you a drink?"

"A bottle of water is fine. So Master Chef how's supper coming?" Beth questioned.

"I haven't burnt anything if that's what you're insinuating." Rick chuckled.

"Just checking." She giggled taking the bottle from his hands.

Soon they were sitting around the table listening to Carl ramble on about a friend of his at school who had gotten in trouble for putting worms in a teacher's desk. Blake had gotten sleepy so he was taking a quick nap in Rick's bed. "So did Beth tell you she made homemade ice cream?" Rick asked his son.

"Really?" Carl's eyes lit up.

"Yep, its over at my house. The machine was still going so I'll go get it when we're finished eating."

Hearing this made Carl eat a little faster. He didn't even want to wait for them to finish before he was asking for ice cream. "Be patient, son."

"No its fine, I'll be back in a minute." Beth laughed as she stood up.

Once she was gone Carl turned to his father. "Yeah I like her."

Smiling and shaking his head Rick took another bite of his steak. Hearing a car door slam made the smile fade from his face. Quickly wiping his mouth he went over to the front door to see Lori and Shane standing on the other side. "I thought you said you would be here at nine thirty."

"Rick, its Thursday, its a school night. You're lucky I let him come over tonight." Lori snapped. "Carl, honey, come on. You have homework and get ready for school tomorrow."

"I don't have homework, I finished it while dad was cooking." Carl called out.

The yelling must have woken up Blake. Loud cries came from Rick's bedroom making Lori frown. "Is that a baby?"

"Yeah, its my son." A soft voice came from behind the couple. Turning around they saw a petite blonde with a big bowl of homemade ice cream. "Can you please let me by to see what's wrong with him?"

With wide eyes Lori and Shane stepped aside to let her through. When she was gone Lori hissed. "Who the hell is that?"

"My neighbor Beth. She came over for dinner." Rick explained.

"How old is she? She looks like a teenager." Shane shook his head. He never would have picture Rick as a cradle robber.

"She's twenty one." Rick answered as Beth stepped around the corner holding the baby.

Lori scoffed pushing her way into the house. "Carl, come on, we're leaving. The judge is gonna have a field day when he hears about this."

"Lori..." Rick growled.

Ignoring him Lori grabbed Carl's backpack from the living room. She kept sending death glares in Beth's direction but Beth focused on her son. Mumbling to himself Carl followed his mother out of the house. Rick didn't even get a chance to tell Carl he loved him since Lori slammed the door as soon as Carl was standing on the front porch. Beth stood in silence watching Rick standing in the same spot since the exchange. Sighing to himself he finally turned around to see how worried she looked. "Rick, I'm sorry. I didn't want to make things worse for you." She whispered.

"You didn't, she would have acted that way no matter what." He mumbled, he didn't want Beth to feel guilty. This was just Lori being Lori, she wasn't even the same woman he had fallen in love with.

"Still, I'm sorry, you're a good father. Anyone can see that, Carl loves you." Beth said stepping towards him.

Blake looked up at the man, he was chewing on two of his fingers and when Rick stared down at him he broke out into a grin. When the baby reached out to him Rick couldn't say no. Taking him from his mother's arms Rick sighed. "Well I'm sorry dinner was ruined. I was having a nice time."

"Me too," Beth muttered. Rubbing her hands on the back of her jeans she seemed to be thinking about something. Rick was shocked when he felt her tiny hand resting on his arm and even more surprised when he felt her lips on his cheek. "It doesn't have to be ruined. I still have a huge bowl of ice cream, if you're interested."

"I'd like that."

As they ate Rick couldn't help but think about what Carl told him earlier in the evening. Maybe it was time for him to start dating again. He liked Beth, she made him laugh and it was easy to talk to her so what was stopping him? The whole time they ate their ice cream Rick was trying to work up the nerve to ask her out on a proper date. It was late but neither of them even realized it. Blake had fallen asleep against her shoulder as she stood up from the table. "Uh Beth, can I ask you something?" He mumbled as he walked her to the front door.

"Of course." She whispered careful not to wake the baby in her arms.

"Would you like to go out to dinner with me?"

"Really? I would love to."

"Great, I have Carl Saturday night but what about Sunday?"

"Ok, yeah, that sounds great."

As they stepped out into the warm air Rick gently pushed some hair out of her face. "So Sunday then?"

"Its a date." She grinned carefully navigating her way down the porch stairs. As usual Rick waited for her to walk into her own house before he went back inside. Locking the door behind him he couldn't help but smile.

Saturday night Lori let Carl come over but it was clear to Rick she wasn't happy about it. That night he had told Carl about his upcoming date with Beth. His son couldn't help but feel happy for his dad. He even helped him pick out the best restaurant to take her to.

When the big night came Rick felt like he was fifteen again taking a girl out for the first time. Lori was late picking Carl up making him feel even more anxious. He couldn't help but fear she would try to sabotage this. Luckily as he was ironing a light blue button down he heard a knock at the front door. His ex wife stood in the living room when he walked out, freshly showered and shaved taking her by surprise. "Wow, I don't think I've seen you without stubble since our wedding." She breathed. "Got a big date?"

"He does!" Carl grinned.

"With your neighbor?" Lori asked her hands on her hips.

"Yeah," Rick sighed. "Its not a big deal, Lori. You've already moved on so let me do the same."

Waving a hand Lori shook her head. "Come on Carl, your father has to get ready for his date." Rick thought she would make a sarcastic remark but she just helped Carl gather his stuff and left without saying anything else.

At seven Rick walked over to Beth's house. After he knocked on the door he heard a female voice yell. "Beth! Your lover is here!" He could only guess that was Amy.

The door swung open revealing Beth wearing a simple pale yellow sundress and sandals but she was wearing her hair down something he wasn't sure he had ever seen. "Ignore Amy," She blushed. "Please come in, I just have to grab my purse."

Stepping inside he saw the other blonde sitting on the floor with Blake in her arms. "Well Sheriff you clean up nice." Amy complimented making Rick laugh.

"Again, ignore her," Beth said bending down to kiss Blake on the forehead. "Mommy will be home soon, ok? Don't give Aunt Amy a hard time."

Blake only laughed and continued playing with his toy trains. Beth hadn't been out on many dates so leaving him was hard and Amy could tell. "Ok you two, out. Everything will be fine so go. And remember to use protection. Little Blake doesn't need a sibling just yet." She urged gently pushing Beth along.

"Amy!" Beth cried as she stepped outside.

"Just saying!" Amy chuckled closing the door behind them.

Beth could feel herself blushing as Rick led her to his truck. "I'm sorry about that"

"Its ok, she seems like a good friend."

"She is, she just doesn't have a filter."

"Sometimes those are the best people to be around." He laughed opening the door for her.

The rest of the evening went without a problem. Rick had taken her to a hole in the wall Italian restaurant he had found since he became single. Over pasta and wine they talked about Rick's work and Beth's hidden singing talent. He learned she could play the guitar and piano but was terrified of singing in front of people. "Daddy once tried to get me to sing at church but I almost threw up. Ever since then my only audience is shampoo bottles and Blake. Sometimes its the only thing that helps him go to sleep."

"When Carl was a baby the only thing that would help him to go sleep were long car rides. He would cry and cry until we had been driving for about two hours."

"Mama told me I used to be like that. Since we lived on a farm we would just drive out into the countryside."

"Do they still live on the farm?" He asked.

"Yeah, its the Greene family farm. Its been in the family for generations. My brother Shawn is supposed to inherit it when Daddy passes away but he might give it to Maggie."

"You talk about Maggie a lot, you really close with her?"

"Oh yeah, she's the best aunt ever. She's a physical therapist, that's how she met her husband Glenn. He had torn his ACL and she was assigned to him. It took him forever to work up the courage to ask her out."

Hearing about Beth's family made Rick happy. The way her eyes lit up when she talked about them made him smile. It was clear how much family mattered to her.

After dinner and walking around the quaint town they decided to head home. "Amy will kill me if I get home too late. She has a new boyfriend she wants to go see when he gets off work."

Like a true gentleman he walked her to her front door. The porch light was on but there was no sign of Amy in the living room. "Well I had a really great time." Beth whispered turning to face him.

"I did too, I really hope we can do this again."

"Definitely." She sighed stepping closer to him.

Rick's eyes went from her eyes to her lips. He had been wanting to kiss her all night and now was the perfect chance. Bending down he silently asked for permission but when Beth's hands came to rest on his chest he decided to go ahead and connect his lips to hers. It was a sweet, gentle kiss but it still seemed to make his heart speed up. They hadn't been standing on the porch long before the light started flickering. Breaking the kiss Beth frowned. "Ok Amy." She called out, leaning her forehead on his. "Thank you again."

Giving her a quick peck he stepped back to let her go inside. To be honest it was probably one of the best dates he had ever been on. He always judged dates by how easy the conversations came. With Beth he never ran out of things to say. She was one of the easiest people to talk to he had ever met. Inside he was thinking about when would be the best time to ask her out again.

On that next Tuesday he decided to pay her a visit. After knocking on the door an unfamiliar face was the first thing he saw. "Oh hi," The brunette girl gasped. "Who are you?"

"I'm Rick Grimes, the next door neighbor. Is Beth here?"

"You're Rick?" She gaped ignoring his question.

"Rick! Hi," He heard Beth say from the kitchen. "Maggie let him in." Maggie, finally he net the sister he had heard so much about.

After she stepped aside Rick walked in to see a man sitting on the couch with Blake. They were reading what looked like Corduroy. "This must be Glenn."

Hearing his name made him look up. "So this is the Sheriff?"

"Yeah, Rick, nice to meet you." Rick said reaching down to shake the man's hand.

"You too, Beth's told us a lot about you." Glenn chuckled.

"She failed to tell us how old you were." Maggie hissed earning a slap on the arm from her younger sister.

"Maggie, can I speak to you in my room, please?" Beth snapped grabbing her sister's hand before she could reply.

Once they were gone Rick took a seat across from Glenn and Blake. "Protective older sister." Glenn sighed.

"I understand." Rick nodded.

They sat in silence for what felt like hours before Beth and Maggie came back into the room. Both of them looked angry but when Beth saw that Rick didn't leave her mood instantly picked up. "So I'm fixing chicken and dumplings would you like to stay for supper?"

"I would love you, as long as I'm not intruding on a family dinner." Rick sighed glancing at Maggie.

Shaking her head Maggie gave him a small smile. "Not at all."

An hour later they were sitting around the table eating in silence until Maggie spoke up. "So Rick, Beth said you have a son. How old is he?"

"He's twelve now, he'll turn thirteen next January." He explained. "What about you two? Are you planning on having kids?"

"Maybe someday," Glenn said reaching over to brush his hand over his wife's.

"Mama is already pressuring me to have a baby though. I think she wants more grandkids." Maggie laughed.

After the initial hesitation the rest of the dinner went by smoothly. By the end of the night Maggie completely forgot why she disliked Rick. Yes he was significantly older than her sister but she couldn't help but notice how happy Beth looked when he was around. As they were cleaning the kitchen and Rick and Glenn had taken Blake out to sit on the front porch she finally got the chance to tell her. "You really like him don't you?"

Beth smiled. "Yeah, I do. I haven't really told him yet but I really do."

"Well I don't think you have anything to worry about. Its clear he feels the same way."

Beth always did want her sister's approval. Hearing she changed her mind about Rick was like music to her ears. "I think the only thing you'll have to worry about is how you're going to tell Daddy."

"Oh God don't remind me." Beth groaned as she finished up loading the dishwasher.

Later on that night Maggie announced she and Glenn had to hit the road leaving Beth and Rick alone. Blake was laying on Rick's chest asleep when Beth came back inside from walking her sister to the car. The sight almost made her cry with happiness. "Here, let me take him. I didn't even realize how late it was." She muttered reaching out to take the baby.

"No its all right, just show me where to take him." He whispered carefully standing up from his seat.

Directing him where the crib was she watched as he gently lay the sleeping baby in the safari themed crib. The whole thing seemed so easy to her, like they were a real family. "Thank you." She murmured laying a soft blue blanket over her son.

"No problem, I had a good time tonight. Maggie and Glenn seem like good people." He told her leading her out of the bedroom back into the living room.

"They are, I don't know what I would do without them," Beth smiled. "So Rick...there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Before you do I want to tell you...I really like you Beth. I hope I don't ruin anything we have going but I love spending time with you."

"I love spending time with you too. You're great with Blake and I couldn't ask for a better man to be in our lives."

Wrapping his arms around her Rick pulled her close. Neither of them needed to say anything more. They were ready to start this new relationship and see where it goes.

Carl was more than happy to hear that his father had found someone. He was so excited that the someone was Beth. On the weekends Rick had his son they spent most of their time at Beth's house. She had begun to teach Rick how to cook more basic meals like spaghetti, Brunswick stew, and her Mama's famous chicken casserole. Rick was a fast learner and Carl was an eager taste tester.

Two months after they started dating Lori had finally come around to the idea of her ex husband dating a twenty one year old. Their divorce was finalized but that didn't stop people from talking. Especially when Shane and Lori broke up. Rick didn't know the reason why, he didn't really care to, but his friendship with Shane began to slowly pick up. They would never get back to the way they once were but it was better than nothing at all.

On a particular Monday afternoon he was surprised to see Beth's car already in the driveway of her house. Usually he got home before her and waited with Amy and Blake for her to get home from work. After changing out of his uniform he headed over to see if everything was ok. He let himself in to see Beth sitting on the couch with tears running down her face. "Beth? What's wrong?" He asked instantly by her side.

Not answering she pointed to a stack of paperwork on the coffee table. Picking them up he quickly skimmed the front page. "What's this about custody? Who is asking for this?"

"Jimmy's parents." Beth murmured. "They want to take Blake away from me."

Dropping the paperwork Rick instantly took her into his arms. "But I thought you said they didn't want anything to do with you or Blake."

"They didn't!" She cried. "They haven't been apart of his life for over a year, since I first found out I was pregnant they said they wanted nothing to do with me or the baby. Now I have a lawyer come up to me at work and serve me with this."

"Beth, everything will be fine. All you have to do is tell the judge what you just told me and this will all be over."

"No it won't. Jimmy's dad is good friends with the judge. That alone will work in their favor. I don't even have the money for a good attorney. What am I gonna do?"

Running his hands up and down her back Rick held her close as she cried. Everyone knew how much Beth loved her son. The thought of her losing him was the worst thing he had ever heard.

Later on that night after Amy dropped Blake off Rick pulled her aside. "Jimmy's parents are trying to take Blake away from Beth." He told her quickly.

Amy's mouth fell open. "For the first time I'm speechless." She gasped. "I can't believe this, what is she going to do?"

"She doesn't know yet but I have a favor to ask. Isn't your sister Andrea Harrison?"

"Yeah, how did you know that?"

"Cause I used to go to school with her, we were good friends. I want you to ask her if she can represent Beth if this goes to court."

"Yeah, of course, I will. Anything for Beth and Blake."

Once Amy left Rick returned inside to see Beth holding Blake close rocking him in the recliner. "I have good news."

"What is it?" Beth asked keeping her voice quiet.

"I used to be friends with Amy's sister, Amy is gonna ask her if she can represent you during all this."

"Rick, oh my God, you didn't have to do that." She whispered standing up to walk over to him.

"Beth, you know I care about you and Blake. I'm not gonna let anyone take him away from you." He told her leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"Thank you, thank you so much." She breathed pulling him close.

Just like Rick expected the case went to court. Jimmy's parents, Jeff and Brenda, had gone all out trying to prove Beth was an incompetent mother. None of it was true but that didn't stop people from talking. Andrea had really come through, citing how Beth had a stable job, paid her bills on time, and brought up the fact they had said multiple times they didn't want anything to do with Blake. "The child doesn't even have the father's last name because these two didn't want him to have it." Andrea sneered during her closing argument.

The day before the judge was going to make his announcement Rick arrived at Beth's house to see Maggie and Glenn standing on the front porch. "Hey guys, is Beth home?"

"Yeah, she's inside. Mama and Daddy are with her." Maggie told him as he walked up the front steps. "I don't think I've ever seen him this mad, not even when Beth told him she was pregnant."

"He never did like Jimmy." Glenn sighed.

"That's what I've heard." Rick mumbled.

Hearing the door open made him stop. "Who's this?" An older man with a white beard asked.

"Daddy this is Rick, my...boyfriend." Beth announced. It wasn't the first time she called him her boyfriend but she felt nervous about saying it in front of her father.

"So this is Rick? Oh gosh, nice to meet you." A woman who looked just like Beth beamed. "Come on inside. I'm making supper for all of us."

"Annette do you really think this is the best time for dinner and small talk?"

"Oh Hershel a good home cooked meal isn't gonna hurt nothing. Come on in, Rick, Beth's told me a lot about you." Annette smiled guiding everyone into the house.

During dinner Rick couldn't help but feel Hershel's eyes on him. All of them tried their best to avoid any mentions of the custody case. Rick knew how nervous Beth was, the whole thing caused her to lose sleep and her appetite. He saw how she barely touched her food during dinner.

Maggie and Annette volunteered to wash dishes while Glenn played with Blake. Unfortunately that left Rick and Beth to deal with Hershel. "So Mr. Grimes obviously you're older than my daughter."

"Yes sir," Rick nodded.

"And you have a child?"

"Yes sir, he's twelve and he and Beth get along great."

"They've already met?"

"Yes Daddy, they come over for dinner on the weekends." Beth explained hoping the interrogation won't last long.

"Beth, honey, would you come here for a second?" Her mother called from the kitchen.

Frowning Beth patted Rick's knee before going to see what her mother wanted. Watching as she left Rick looked back over to see Hershel staring at him. "Sir, I'm not gonna sit here and say I planned on this. When I moved here I was getting divorced from a woman I thought I was gonna spend the rest of my life with. Beth helped me deal with that. She was there for me. She's one of the kindest people I've ever met and now I want to return that kindest she's shown me."

"Just answer one more question." When Rick nodded he continued. "Do you love my daughter?"

Rick wasn't surprised at the question. He had been thinking about his feelings for Beth for a while. Before the custody case he had been trying to work through them. Everyone always told him he fell hard too fast but with Beth it felt different. He didn't want to scare her by saying he loved her too soon but it was getting harder to hold them back. "Yes sir, I do. She's going through too much right now so I wasn't gonna say anything."

"Well right now I think she needs some good news."

The next day they all sat in the court house waiting to hear the ruling. Beth couldn't sit still, her knees were bouncing and her hands shaking. Seeing her nerves Rick reached over to take her hand in his. She sent him a small smile but she was too nervous to calm down.

After ten minutes of waiting Andrea walked out with a small smirk on her face. "Whatever friendship they had with the judge didn't work." She told everyone making Beth sigh in relief. "He denied their custody request but he is giving you the option of giving them visitation but everything will be on your terms."

"Oh my God, thank you so much Andrea." Beth breathed walking over to hug her lawyer.

"No problem at all," Andrea said handing paperwork to Beth. "Just read this over and let them over whatever you decide."

To his surprise Rick agreed to let Blake see his other grandparents at least once a week. "Its what Jimmy would have wanted. And I want Blake to get to know his family."

A few weeks after everything died down Amy volunteered to take Blake for an evening letting Beth and Rick get a much needed night alone. They spent their night at Rick's house and for the first time he decided to cook her a proper meal that didn't involve the grill. "I know stir fry isn't that impressive..." He chuckled.

"It sounds perfect. Thank you for doing this."

"After everything you've been through you deserve one peaceful evening."

After finishing their meal they sat outside on the back patio on the hammock Carl insisted Rick buy to decorate the backyard. "Thank you again for tonight. I loved it." Beth sighed leaning her head on his chest.

"You're welcome. I'm just glad everything worked out the way it did."

"I'm glad my dad didn't scare you away. I can't tell you how many of Maggie's boyfriends he ran off with his shotgun."

"He's just an overprotective father. I understand."

Biting her bottom lip she picked up her head to look him in the eye. "I heard what you two were talking about that night. The night before the custody announcement."

"Oh...I should have known you were listening." He smirked.

"It wasn't just me, it was Mama and Maggie too." She giggled burying her face in his chest.

"I meant what I said though. I do love you Beth Greene." Rick said running his hands up and down her back.

Picking up her head she leaned up to kiss him. "I love you too, Rick Grimes."

Not holding back anymore Rick cupped her chin with his hand and kissed her hoping she could feel how much he cared about her through his kiss. After everything they had been through it felt nice just to have a night to relax. Both of them knew life was going to be hard, challenges were always going to thrown at them they were ready to face them but for now all they wanted to do was enjoy their time together.