This story is set around 4/5 months after season 3 of The Walking Dead ended, because it's been said that time will have moved on by 3-12 months by the start of season 4. I'm rating it T, but please be aware that there will be depictions of upsetting events, but I've tried not to make them too explicit.

Please note; this story will contain spoilers for all seasons of The Walking Dead TV show, and character and plot spoilers from the comic books.

I own nothing related to The Walking Dead, I just love the show and the characters.

Thank you for choosing to read this fic, and please leave a review if you have the time, as I really value constructive feedback. - Mrs P.

The Twisting Knife of Loving You

Chapter 1

Beth Greene shivered and wrapped her sleeping bag and blankets tightly around her. The cold winter nights were really starting to bite now and she felt chilled to the bone. Carol shifted about restlessly on the bunk below her, and was evidently also struggling to get warm.

"It's as cold as a witch's tit in a brass bra," she suddenly exclaimed.

Beth giggled at her friend's colourful phrasing.

"That was one of Ed's sayings; he was such a charming man," Carol said with sarcasm.

"Y'know I'd never wish him back, but I could sure use a nice warm body to snuggle up to," she said longingly.

"Daryl might be willing to oblige," Beth said half in jest.

Carol snorted out a short laugh by way of a reply.

"I don't know, he didn't seem at all interested when Karen was flirting with him," her young friend wanted to offer some small ray of hope.

"That don't mean nothing, besides she's the type that's willing to bat her eyelashes at anyone if she thinks it'll do her some good. She was laying it on pretty thick with Rick, earlier," Carol said.

Beth didn't know why, but that last bit of news made her insides twist a little. She knew she held Rick in high regard, they all did, but now she began wondering if there was more to it than that.

"Was he interested?" She asked warily.

"Rick? He humoured her, but I don't think so. It's still too soon for him, after Lori," Carol replied.

Beth wasn't reassured, and she didn't trust Karen. There was something about the whole business that made her feel uneasy, and she couldn't shake off the feeling.

"I guess we'd better try and get some sleep," she said but feared it would be an impossible task.

Beth sleepily boiled the water to make up Judith's bottle, whilst she cradled the baby close to her chest. The infant was fussing and she was trying to calm her.

"Not long now, Judy," she said soothingly.

It had proven to be a restless night for Beth, full of strange broken dreams, and it left her feeling weary. She would have welcomed the chance to grab a few more hours of rest, but Rick had to go on watch, and when he'd come and asked her if she would look after Judith, she found she couldn't refuse him. Beth closed her eyes and pictured him, with his hair all mussed up from sleep, and an errant curl hanging over his forehead. She thought about how he smiled when she had repeated Carol's colourful phrase about the cold. Her very vivid dreams had been full of him, and she wondered why that should be.

"Hey, need any help with that?" Karen broke through her reverie as she walked into the makeshift kitchen area.

Beth tried to politely spurn her offer of assistance, but she was persistent.

"It can't be easy for Rick, having a teenager and a baby to take care of. He's lucky to have folks who are happy to help out," Karen said as she helped mix the baby's bottle.

"We take care of each other, that's just the way it's always been," Beth shrugged.

"He must get lonely though, after his poor wife, y'know? Anyways, I know I do," the older woman pondered out loud.

The conversation was making the young blonde feel very uncomfortable, and she looked for an opportunity to bow out.

"Thanks for your help," Beth said smiling as sweetly as she could.

She took the bottle from Karen before she could say anything more, and retreated back to the safety of her cell with Judith.

Hershel gathered the faithful from the group around him, for what had become their daily ritual of prayer and thanksgiving. He had become the unofficial guardian of their spiritual well-being, a role he took very seriously. He opened his bible and began to read the passage that he'd carefully preselected. He couldn't help but notice, as he struggled to make himself heard, that a few of the other older folks were doing a lot of sneezing and coughing. It was the time of year when colds and flu tended to take hold, and that wasn't good news for the group. Once their session ended, Hershel tried to tactfully discern if anyone was displaying any obvious symptoms he could use to make a diagnosis. He determined that one of the older men appeared to have influenza, and he wondered what should be done about containing the spread. Hershel saw that his youngest daughter was in her cell and he went over to speak with her.

"Bethy, go find Rick for me. Tell him that I need to speak with him, urgently," he said in a low voice.

"What's wrong, daddy?" She asked with concern.

"I think we could have a potential flu epidemic on our hands, and we need to take action sooner rather than later," Hershel explained.

"What about Judith?" She motioned towards the infant who was sound asleep in her crib.

"I'll watch over her," he said as he carefully lowered himself down onto the bunk and propped his crutches against the wall.

Beth went off to look for Rick; she knew he was still on watch but not his exact location. She soon spied him atop the remaining guard tower, and was dismayed to see that Karen was with him. She sighed as she opened the door and started to ascend the stairs to the viewing platform. She could hear that they were chatting, or rather Karen was, but she couldn't make out what was being said. Rick had already turned to anticipate her arrival as she came to the top of the steps.

"Beth, is everything alright with the baby?" He questioned as he walked towards her.

"She's fine, but I need to speak with you, privately," she emphasised the last part.

He gave her a quizzical glance and started to ask the other woman if she would mind leaving, but Beth butted in.

"Actually, it might be best if Karen took over watch here for a while, it shouldn't take too long," she said and tried to intimate that he was needed elsewhere.

Rick eyed her questioningly but he handed his rifle over to the dark-haired woman, and then followed the young blonde out to the prison yard.

Beth glanced upwards and could see that the other woman's eyes were fixed on them. She grabbed Rick by the elbow and steered him well out of her sight and earshot.

"Hey, what's all this about?" He was perplexed by her actions.

"Daddy needs to speak with you, he thinks that one of the old guys has the flu, and it could spread around the group if we don't try and contain it," she explained.

"Oh, crap," he exclaimed as they entered the cell block and went straight to find Hershel.

The members of the group with flu symptoms were moved into another cell block, cleared for the purpose of being a quarantine area, to try and minimise the spread of infection. But it had already taken hold in almost half of their number, and it wasn't limited to the old folks or the kids. Maggie, Glenn, Tyreese and Michonne had also succumbed. The rest of the group were under mounting pressure as they had to care for the sick, maintain the defence of the prison, and they were running low on supplies. Rick convened a meeting of his remaining inner circle to formulate a plan of action.

"I was thinking that Hershel and Karen could coordinate caring for everyone here. Daryl, Carol and Sasha could take watch, and be on hand in case anyone takes a turn for the worse. I'll take Carl and Beth out on a supply run; there's that town out west that hasn't been too badly picked over as yet," he suggested.

They argued it out, and Hershel and Karen raised objections about Beth going on the supply run. But Rick was adamant she would be able to handle it, and that he would need the extra help to get all the stuff they needed.

"I think that I should trade places with Beth, she'd be better off staying here with her father, and taking care of Judith," Karen argued.

"Weren't you saying yesterday, how you'd be only too happy to look after my daughter, if ever I needed you too, huh? You ain't backing out now, are you? Rick questioned.

"No, of course not, but I..." she began.

"Good, that's settled then," he jumped in to shut her down.

Beth wasn't sure about the plan, either. But she wasn't going to voice her fears, and question Rick's faith in her. If he believed she could do it, then she was going to give it her best shot, and try not to disappoint him.