Disclaimer: I don't own Walking Dead or anything else that's probably in this fic. AU in episode Hounded, what if Beth went on the run for supplies with Maggie and Glenn.

Beth needed to learn how to survive in this new world, or what she told her father and Rick anyway. She needed to learn how to defend herself, walkers weren't going to take it easy on her just because she hated conflict or the thought of hurting someone.

"I can go with Maggie and Glenn on their supply run. Wait, wait let me talk please." She said, holding up her hands when her father started to open his mouth. "Glenn said they were just running up to that country store, they were going to scout it out to see if any walkers were outside, if there are any they'll just come back. I can go with them, just to see. If there are any walkers I won't get out of the truck. Please I need to get out of these walls, even if it's just to wait in the truck…please." She was begging now. Neither Rick nor Hershel looked happy about letting her go, but she did have a point. If it was that risky of a run they would have had more than two people going.

"Beth, honey it's dangerous out there." Hershel tried to reason with his youngest daughter.

"You're letting Maggie go!" She cut him off. "I need to learn dad, what if the walkers break through again? I won't be prepared."

"You stay by the truck the whole time, do you understand?" Rick cut them both off. Rick knew she did need to learn how to defend herself and get used to the idea of having to kill the walkers and; with a little bit of guilt, thought she did need a break from the baby. Beth had been the one, beside Carol, to be taking care of the baby, he knew she was just a teenager and she wasn't her daughter, so it must have been a bit overwhelming to have this responsibility. But who else would take of her, he could barely look at her without seeing Lori and feeling all that guilt and anger bubbling up in his stomach.

It was quiet for a moment.

"Rick are you sure?" Hershel asked, this was his baby, he hated the thought of sending both daughters out there at once.

Rick nodded his head once and walked out of Hershel's cell. Silence filled the cell for a few seconds with the man's departure. Beth sighed loudly and sat down next to her father and after a few seconds her father wrapped one of his arms around her shoulder and squeezed her to him. Beth wrapped both arms around his middle and rested her head in the crook of his neck. To be a little bit honest she was a little scared now that she got her way, but only an idiot wouldn't be.

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you and your sister." He whispered. She didn't say anything, he was speaking the truth and she couldn't promise and say that they would be back and everything be fine. The world now wouldn't let her promise such things, all she could do is hold onto him a little tighter.

"What?!" The yell came from outside in the main cell area.

"I guess Rick told Maggie I'm coming with them."

A few seconds later and Maggie came striding into the cell, her cheeks flushed and her arms crossed over her chest. She opened her mouth to say something when she gets cut off.

"Your sister is going, the decision has been made and there isn't anything to be done." It wasn't Beth but Hershel that spoke first. "I want you to make sure she gets back here."

Maggie frowns and locks eyes with her father for a few seconds before her shoulders drop and she lets out a resigned groan. She runs her hand through her messy hair a few times and nods.

Beth helps Maggie with getting a list of what they need and would most likely be at the little country store, baby items were at the top of the list and anything else that could be useful and could come in handy. She listened to Maggie as they prepared the guns and made sure they had enough ammo.

"I want you to stay by the truck the whole time, if you see a walker get in the truck. Glenn and I can take care of ourselves."

Beth was a little insulted but she knew Maggie was right. After listening to instructions from Rick, Maggie and her father, Beth jumped into the back of the truck. Laying her crowbar across her knees she looked out the window as they left the prison gates and into the unprotected outside. Glenn and Maggie were quietly talking in the front seat, Maggie smiling whenever Glenn glanced from the road and towards her. Beth stared at them for a little while before looking back out the window, now trying to ignore the two. She wished she had someone to talk to like that, someone to lie next to at night. She thought back to when everyone was still at the farm and when Jimmy was still alive, she didn't really like Jimmy all that much but he was comforting and she liked the warm tense feeling she got in her gut when they kissed, though that happened very rarely. But she hated the fact that everyone thought that they were a serious couple, like he had to approve everything she did. They had started dating a few weeks before the outbreak and then everyone had started dying and then coming back alive, and they're relationship had just moved so fast since then.

"Beth?"

"Huh?" Beth came out of her grey thoughts and looked towards Maggie, who looked like it wasn't the first time that she had called her name.

"We're almost at the store. Remember I want you to stay-"

"By the truck. Yeah I know." Beth finished for her. Maggie smiled a little and reached back and squeezed her hand. Beth couldn't help but smile and squeeze her hand back.

Now that they were almost there, Beth got a feeling in her stomach; not quite the butterflies but not quite the stomach flu feeling either. This is what you wanted, she kept repeating that to herself, trying to talk herself out of a panic attack. She tried not to think of the last time she had been in contact with walkers, how she had run and hid with her father and the group had been scattered and Lori had died. Nothing is going to happen; she kept this mantra running around in her head as they pulled up into the store parking lot. Glenn turned the truck off and the surveyed the parking lot, which was clear so far.

"Ok Maggie and I are gonna check inside the store real quick, I want you to sit up here and if we come out and they're biters following us I want you to start the truck and get ready to head back up to the prison ok?"

Beth nods her head and he and Maggie get out, Beth climbs over the middle console and sits in the driver's seat and keeps her eyes on Maggie and Glen. They quietly walk around the corner of the store and Beth can no longer see them. She tries to keep her breathing even and takes quick glances around the parking lot, starting to get scared now that she's by herself. After a few minutes Maggie and Glenn appear at the front of store and open the door.

"All clear." She smiles at Beth, and Beth lets out a sigh of relief. "Glenn and I are gonna star grabbing stuff, keep a look out ok?" Beth nods and Maggie goes back into the store. Beth scans the parking lot and surrounding area when she think she see something out the corner of her eye. She sits up a little straighter and scans the area again, it was by a care a few spots down from theirs. Frowning she gets out of the truck and pulled out her crowbar, if it was a walker, it would only be one and she could take it. Crouching a little she gets closer to the car and quickly moves around the car so she can see. Nothing is there. She laughs a little and puts her hand over her beating heart that really scared her. After a quick look around the whole area to make sure there isn't anything she heads back to the car and stops and lets out a quick gasp.

"What the hell Beth!? I told you to stay in the truck, Jesus what were you doing?" Maggie harshly whispers to her.

"Sorry, I'm really sorry I thought I saw something." Beth defends herself. Maggie shakes her head angrily and motions to the shopping cart of item she has brought out with her.

"Can you load these up real quick then? Glenn and I will only be another couple minutes and then we'll head back." Beth nods and starts stacking the item in the back of the truck while Maggie returns inside the store. Beth checks out the haul as she puts it away, mostly it's baby items and feminine items. She hears Maggie coming up behind her and grabs the box of tampons and holds it up in the air by her shoulder.

"I don't think I'd ever say this but I've missed tampons."

She feels something cool and hard come up around her neck. She freezes and looks down at the blade that is pressed against her venerable neck. The blade is attached to what looks like a man's arm. She's roughly pushed against a hard body and a hand is put roughly over her mouth.

"Well look what I got here." A raspy voice says, his hot breath arming the skin on the side of her neck. "What's a pretty lookin' girl like you doin' out here?" As soon as he says it, Beth hears gasps behind her and the man quickly turns them around so Beth is facing Glenn and Maggie. Maggie and Glenn both have their guns raised, shopping carts full of supplies forgotten.

"Chinaman didn't think I'd be seein' you again." Glenn has gone pale and is breathing fast, his chest moving with the rapid breathes.

"Merle…we tried…we came back for you. Daryl, Rick, T-Dog and I. We came back to Atlanta for you but you were already gone." Glenn is stumbling over his words, looking at the man holding Beth. Beth's eyes have slowly filled with tears through the exchange. The man's knife has been pushed against her neck so sharply she's forced to push her head back till it's pushing against the man's chest.

"Please just let Beth go." This time it's Maggie that spoke. She's panicking inside, Beth was supposed to be looking out for the dead, and they had forgotten that the living could be much much worst. And by the sound of things this was Daryl's brother Merle, Glenn had told Maggie all that had happened in Atlanta, and she just knew by the look in Merle's eyes, he didn't believe in forgive and forget.

"You and Officer Friendly left me up there ta die! I don't wanna hear you tryin' to explain yerself." Beth started to whimper as soon as he started raising his voice, her tears finally spilling over and onto the hand covering her mouth. Merle sighed as he felt the girl's tears fall on his hand, damn girl could looked barely over sixteen and as think as a twig. And by the look on Glenn and the other girl's face she must have been something special to them, he could definitely use to get what he wanted.

"You know where my brother is?"

"He's with us, let Beth go and we'll tell him you're here."

"You think I'm some idiot? No, we're gonna go for a ride. Chinaman, you and the woman throw the guns on the ground and get in the truck. Now!" He yelled when they stood still. Maggie and Glenn dropped their guns on the ground and got into the truck. Merle maneuvered Beth and him until he could reach down and grab the guns off the ground, tucking them into the back of his jeans. He headed to the truck and slipped his arm under Beth's legs and slid into the backseat of the truck, rearranging Beth till she was on his lap, his knife resting just below her collarbone.

"Don't worry sugar ol' Merle's gonna take good care of you."

AN: So yeah I ship Beth/Merle like no other, and thought I'd give it a shot with my own fic.