Author's Notes: Thanks everyone for the reviews last chapter, this ones gonna be a bit different, but it's set in the same story, just further back and...ah screw it, just read the damn thing! P.S. Thanks for reviewing Superneos2, happy to have one of my fav writers in the fandom liking my stuff!

Review Shout-outs: RebelA2013, CrazedMachete, Rebel29, SuperNeos2, BLUENIGHT23 and SupedupJas

Disclaimer: The walking Dead and all its characters belongs to Robert Kirkman, AMC, Telltale Games and whoever else I'm forgetting to mention.

Warning: Rated T for language, violence, and suggestive theme.

10: Cross my Heart

Carl paced back and forth in his room/cell, stopping only for a moment, he closed his eyes, ran a hand through his messy brown hair, cursed under his breath, then started to pace back and forth again. The anxiety he was feeling was taking control of him; he couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, he couldn't stay freaking still! If he even tried to sit in one spot for longer than a second, he'd start to twitch, then shake, and eventually, he'd end up looking like a complete head case. He just couldn't believe the situation he was now involved in, it almost seemed surreal.

He always knew that sooner or later it'd come up, he was getting older, he was teenager, things change, whether you're ready for it or not. The problem was, he wasn't sure if he was ready for things to change.

The dead he could handle, it had already been years since the outbreak had started, and they were nothing new to him, a threat yes, but a threat he had gotten use to.

The living could be a problem here and there, but for better or worse, he had gotten use to them as well.

For Christ sakes, the Governor was still alive and hiding out somewhere, but even he didn't seem like a big enough deal anymore, at least not compared to the challenge he was going through now.

Carl dug his hands into his pockets and took out the item that represented the bane of his existence, the item that had made his life a living hell since he had first laid eyes on it, the item that threatened to change everything about the life he had made for himself since he had moved into the prison with his group.

The item in question that was driving Carl completely and utterly insane, was none other than...a condom.

"I hate you, so freaking much." Carl whispered to the condom.

The Condom didn't appear to say anything back, but the teenager could have sworn it was mocking him. MOCKING HIM!

Carl jammed the condom back in his pocket and started to pace through his room once again, trying to understand how things had changed so much, it just seemed like yesterday that him and Beth were trading winks and smiles when they thought the adults weren't looking, then it accelerated to holding hands, and small kisses in private, after that came the making out, hickeys, and now...now...damn it! He wasn't even sure if he was ready for sex yet! Why was this happening to him?! And why in the name of walker Jesus was this such a big deal!

Sighing, Carl laid his head against the cold, mental bars of his cell, he was a fifteen year-old teenager, sex should be the only thing on his mind! Instead, his mind had been more concerned with things like killing the Governor, killing walkers, killing any threats to his group, killing was easy for him to think about, but sex? Sex was going to drive him insane

'Why couldn't you of just finished me off, Otis.' Carl thought bitterly.

This whole mess had started a couple of days ago, him and Beth had snuck out of their cells late one night , which was a pretty hard feat these days since the prison was so full of people now, they had wanted some time alone away from prying eyes, and after finally finding a quiet part of the prison, they just hung out for a while, you know, talking, joking...kissing. Then One thing lead to another... and he had gotten a...and she was really...

It didn't happen, I mean, nothing really happened, they just stopped themselves before anything did happen. And now ever since that night they had avoided each other ever since.

That night had got him thinking; he had been in a relationship with Beth for some time now, and they never really talked about taking the next step, what happens after the hugs, holding hands, and kissing, and...other things...stuff. I mean, it wasn't like he was ignorant about it, he knew what Glenn and Maggie did in the watch tower, he heard enough of the jokes Daryl was always hollering at them whenever he could.

Carl sighed again, he needed advice, and he needed it soon. He just didn't know who to go to.

Glenn? No, he'd spill the beans to everyone in the damn prison, and then sex wouldn't be his only problem; a shotgun toting, one-legged, bible quoting farmer would be.

His dad? No, that wouldn't work. They still were trying to fix their relationship, yeah they were a lot better than they were last year, but he didn't want to start ruining things now with his petty problems

Hershel wasn't even an option, since you know, the whole thing about him being Beth's father, and also that whole part about him being a shotgun toting, one-legged, bible quoting farmer. Yeah...so, that wasn't going to work!

That left only one option...

Scene Break

Daryl sat at the workshop in the prison, staring intently at his crossbow, the damn thing hadn't been shooting the bolts right lately and it was driving him crazy, the last time he had fired it, the hunk of shit had missed the walker completely.

He flicked on the table lamp, grabbed a screwdriver, and just as he was about to start losing the first screw, a shadow casted itself over his crossbow. Grumbling he slammed his screwdriver on the workstation, he wasn't sure who the hell was quiet enough to sneak up on him, but God dammit, he was not in the mood to deal with any bullshit today.

"Ya best have a good reason for bothering me." He said coldly to the shadow.

The shadow gulped, took a deep breath, then said. "I need advice about sex."

Daryl's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and his mouth hung open, it only took a moment for him to recognize the voice. Spinning around in his chair, the last standing Dixon man came face to face with a tomato faced Grimes teen.

"Ah, shit." He cursed under his breath.

Scene Break

'Its just sex, it's just sex, it's just sex.' Beth repeatedly mentally to herself, nervously gripping her mother's necklace.

'You are a mature, reasonable, young adult, and you're about to have...to have...' Beth threw her hands in the air then plopped down on her bed and covered her eyes with her pillow.

'You're a child. An eighteen year old child!'

Why wasn't she ready for this? Was Carl ready for this? Was she the problem?! Oh, god she was the problem!

Beth sunk further into her bed as her mind made her feel worse, whispering words of doubt about her relationship with Carl. Just as she was about to let her doubts take a hold of her, a light clanging noise could be heard from her cell bars.

Pulling her pillow away from her eyes, she saw Michonne standing in her cell doorway, Katana in hand, and giving her a question stare.

"I must look really pathetic." Beth mumbled looking down, playing with her bracelet.

"No, not pathetic." Michonne offered softly, walking in to the younger girl's cell. "Just confused."

Tucking a strand of blond her behind her ear, Beth laughed bitterly to herself. "If only you know."

Michonne leaned against Beth's bed and crossed her arms. "Then why don't you enlighten me."

"It's a long story." Beth said, looking down at her bed.

Michonne offered a small smile. "I've got time."

Looking up from the floor, Beth gave Michonne a weak smile. "Well it all started..."

Scene Break

"And that's the whole story."

Daryl stared at Carl for a moment, he didn't say anything, just stared, letting the teen's words sink in. Finally, after the longest two minutes of Carl's life, the redneck said something.

"I got nothing." Daryl said, crossing his arms.

Carl's eye started to twitch.

"You got nothing?" Carl said, repeating Daryl's words. "Nothing? No words of advice, no encouragement or ya know, anything?!"

Daryl shrugged. "The hell you want me to say, boy? This ain't the talk ya should be squawking to me, this ya old man's job."

"My dad and me just got on the same page with things," Carl said weakly, looking down at his old, weathered boots. "I don't won't this to be the thing that screws us up again."

Sighing, the gruff man stood up from the workstation stool, he walked over to Carl and put on hand on the teen's shoulder. "Listen, kid, I ain't yer dad. It wouldn't be right for me to give ya advice on this." Daryl said, honestly. "It don't matter if ya like it or not, this is something ya gotta talk about with ya old man."

Carl ran a hand through his messy hair, anxiety slowly working its way back in to his body. "And I thought I missed normal problems."

Daryl smirked at Carl and ruffled the teen's hair. "Shit, welcome to the club, kid."

Scene Break

"So, what do you think?" Beth asked, looking at Michonne hopefully.

Michonne whistled lowly. "I think you and Carl have a lot to talk about."

"That's what I was afraid you'd say." Replied Beth, throwing her pillow back over her face.

whacking the girl's head softly, Michonne plucked the pillow off of her face. "Now, now, no trying to suffocate yourself today." The swordswoman said.

"What was it like for you?" Beth asked suddenly, looking up at Michonne.

"What was what like?"

"Ya know..." Beth said, unconsciously playing with her bracelet again." You and Rick..."

"Me and Rick, what?" Michonne asked, already fearing the girl's answer.

"Well, I mean, you two have had sex, right?" Beth says like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

Now it was Michonne's turn for her face to heat up, the woman started at Beth like she had told her she caught Glenn and Maggie in a threesome with a walker.

Michonne took a sharp intake of breath, trying to regain her composure. "Wh-what makes you think that?" She stuttred.

"Well...you two are always staring at each other, and spending time alone together, going on runs together..." Beth noticed Michonne giving her an evil glare. "And...and I'll just stop talking now." The girl said, looking down embarrassed.

Sighing, Michonne said. "It's not a big deal, some people know."

"Who?" Beth asked looking back up.

"Carol knows, Hershel, Daryl and well, now you." Michonne smirked kindly at the girl. "Welcome to the club."

Beth gave a small smirk of her own. "I didn't even know there was club."

"Invitation only." Michonne said without missing a beat.

Scene Break

The red glow of the evening sun covered the skies as the summer winds blew gently. Rick smiled from the guard tower as he watched his people go about their lives, smiling, laughing, living. He felt a small sense of normalcy at the humbling sight and for a short moment, he actually forgot about all the problems of the world, and even when the moment passed, a smile was still on his face. Sighing contentedly, he leaned against the railing of the tower, hoping to finish his shift in peace.

A couple of seconds later, he heard light knocking coming from the guard tower door, he turned his head and saw his son looking back at him.

'I wonder what he wants.' Rick wondered curiously, his son rarely made it a habit to visit the guard tower if he wasn't doing a shift of his own. Regardless, he waved his son in anyway.

Carl walked in slowly, taking a deep breath, he took of his hat and held it in his hand. "Dad I uh...need to talk to you."

Rick perked up a little, he knew him and Carl had been doing a lot better in the last couple of months, but the fact that his son was actually coming to him to talk made him feel a little fatherly pride, it was like he had his little boy back.

"Sure, what about?" Rick questioned as he pushed himself off the railing to look at his son.

Carl whipped at his sweaty brow. "Ya know...stuff...things."

At the mention of stuff and things, red flags started to go off in Rick's head, knowing that whenever a Grimes man used those words, the conversation was going to go bad, weird, or uncomfortable.

"Ok...what kind of stuff and things?" Rick asked, stepping forward.

Swallowing the spit he didn't even know had formed in his mouth, Carl simply said. "Sex."

Rick stared at his son.

Carl stared at his dad.

Rick then smiled brightly, and pridefully said. "My boys growing up."

"Oh, God, dad, don't." Carl whined, putting his hat back on his head and covering his eyes.

"Hey, hey, I'm just messing with you." Rick teased fatherly, he plucked the hat off of Carl's head and placed it on his own.

"Hey!" Carl yelled, feeling naked without his hat.

Rick just smirked at Carl, enjoying the feeling of having his old hat back on his hat. "Sorry, son, but this is gonna be a big talk, and I need my hat back for this one."

Grumbling under his breath, Carl crossed his arms and sat down. "Whatever, lets just get this over with."

Rick smiled at his son's antics and sat down next to him. "So, you and Beth, huh?"

"Yeah, I think so." Carl said.

"Do you think you're ready." Rick asked.

Carl opened his mouth, but closed it soon after. He actually hadn't really thought about it, he had spent most of his time worrying about doing it, that he didn't even think about being ready to do it. "I think so." He answered slowly.

"You can't think so, Carl," Rick said fatherly, looking at his son. "You have to know. We don't live in a world anymore where we can do something and not expect to have to face up to are actions."

"Do you think I'm ready, dad?" Carl asked as he looked out at the setting sun.

Rick patted his son on the back, joining him at looking out at the sunset. "You're the only one who can answer that, son."

Carl thought about his dad's words for a second, silently agree with him, he then asked. "Did you have to go through some of these things with Michonne?"

Rick stared at his son in shock, he then looked down and started to chuckle softly to himself. "So, you know about us?"

"I'm teenager, not stupid, dad." Carl said, offering his dad a small smile.

"Are you made I didn't tell you?" Rick asked, looking at his son apologetically.

"I wanted to be." Carl said honestly, looking away from his dad. "I thought I should have been mad at you two, at least be a little pissed off in some way, but after thinking about, I just...I just couldn't be."

"And why not?" Rick asked.

Looking back at his dad, Carl said. "Because I know she makes you happy, and you've done enough where you deserve to be happy without feeling guilty."

Rick felt a strong sense of pride at his son's words, smiling down at him, he took the sherif's hat off of his head and placed it back on Carl's. "Looks better on you anyway.

The two Grimes men then shared a laugh, feeling the tension that had been hiding under the surface for a year, finally fade away, they then continued talking, not as fellow survivors forced to communicate, but as father and son.

Scene Break

Michonne had offered Bethe some words of advice about her relationship with Carl, and it really had helped her, but just before they could finish their conversation, her father and Maggie showed up, Self-consciousness getting ahold of her again, she bolted away from her cell with a weak excuse, leaving Michonne to deal with the fallout.

Walking up the stairs of the cell block, she found Carol looking out window, a small, bright smile on her face. Wordlessly, she walked closer to see what the woman was looking at and when she caught sight of what Carol was seeing, she smiled warmly.

She saw Rick and Carl sitting side by side in the guard tower, the two looked like they were getting along, they were smiling and laughing. She watched as Rick put his arm around Carl, and her smile grew when Carl didn't push away.

"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?" Carol said softly to Beth.

Beth nodded her head. "Yeah, it really is."

They continued to watch the Grime's men in silence, happy that the two were finally getting along again. After some time, the sun disappeared from sight, and Carol and Beth could only faintly make out the shadows of the father and son.

Sighing, Beth turned to look at Carol and said. "I need some advice."

"About Carl?" Carol asked with a smile.

"It's that obvious, isn't it?"

"No, a mother just always knows." Carol said, her smile then fell a little. "Even if I'm not a mother anymore.

Beth reached out and grabbed Carol's hand. "If it counts, you're still a mother to me."

"It does, honey. It does." Carol said, giving the girl's hand a squeeze. "Now, about you and Carl..."

The girl bit her lip and looked down, she knew that Carol at of all people would understand, but that didn't make her nerves go away, finally after taking a deep breath she said. "I need advice about sex."

Carol nodded her head casually, like she wasn't even surprised. "You think your ready?"

"Um yes, maybe, uh, I don't know!" Beth put her head in her hands and sat down on the floor. "I mean, I know he's older now, but I'm...and...what if he..." She stopped talking, and started to nervously play with her bracelet again, but after pulling on it too hard, the thing snapped off of her wrist and rolled away.

Beth didn't move, she just looked at where her bracelet use to be, staring at the old scar on her wrist. She lightly traced her finger against her scar, remembering the day she had almost made the biggest mistake of her life. "I just don't want us to be another scar." She said softly. "We have enough, and I don't wanna be cause of another."

Carol leaned forward, and pulled the girl into an embrace. "Can I ask you something, Beth?"

"Of course." Beth sniffed, rubbing her her eyes with the back of her hand.

"How do you feel about Carl?" Carol questioned pulling back to look at Beth.

"I love him." Beth said without even thinking, shocked that she had just said that, she repeated it again. "I love him," She smiled warmly. "I love Carl Grimes."

"And why do you love him?"

Again Beth talked without thinking. "Because he's taught me I can be strong, that I can keep living in this world, even though it ended. He makes me happy, I smile more when I'm with him, I laugh more, I dream!" Beth said overcome with emotion. Then softly , she said. "But most impotently, he makes me believe there is a better life out there waiting for us."

Carol stood up, and smiled at Beth. "I don't think you need any advice from me, honey. I think you've got it all figured out." The woman than pecked Beth lightly on the top of the head and started to walk away.

"Thanks, mama!" Beth yelled out happily to Carol.

As Carol walked away, she felt her eyes water, it had been so long since she had been called 'mama' that she had almost forgotten what it sounded like. She mentally thanked Beth for allowing her to hear it again, because there was nothing more beautiful sounding to her ears.

Scene Break

"So you really do love her, huh?" Rick asked his son, as they walked back in to the prison.

Carl nodded his head. "More than anything, dad."

"Alright then." Rick said, patting his son on the shoulder. "Good enough for me."

Stopping short, Carl nearly tripped over himself. "Really? You're not gonna say I'm too young, or I'm grounded in my cell till the next apocalypse?"

Rick chuckled at his son. "Listen, son, I told you two years ago no more kids stuff, and Michonne already told you no more bull shit, so now these choices and decisions about your life are up to you, I can't make them for you."

Carl sighed, he was relived that his dad was so understanding, but that didn't change the fact that he still felt a little lost. "So, what do now then?"

"Go see Beth, son." Rick said, he then gave Carl a fatherly hug and walked away.

Scene Break

Carl walked in to the empty cell block him and Beth always visited when they wanted to get away from the group, he passed by cell after cell, until he found Beth in the last one, sitting on a bed.

"Hi." She said, smiling gently at him.

"Hey." Carl said, walking in to the cell and joining her on the bed.

The full moon hanging above the prison, shined through the thin bared windows of cell block, lightly illuminating the darkened cell and the two teens in it's glow. Carl looked at Beth, and the older girl stared back at him, after everything that gone through today, the only thing either of them wanted was to see the other.

"I missed you." Beth says slowly moving her hand over his.

Carl gives her cocky smirk, and says. "Don't we only live a couple of cells apart?"

Sighing, Beth lightly punched Carl's arm. "You're a jerk."

The teen rubbed his arm, smiling while doing so. "But I'm your jerk."

Beth laughed a little, shaking her head, she then looked at Carl lovingly. "Yeah, you're my jerk."

The two loked in each others eyes again, this had been the first time they had been alone together in days, and there was a lot to say.

"I talked to Carol and Michnne." Beth started.

"I talked to Daryl and my dad." Carl said, laying down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"How'd that go?" Beth asked, laying down next to Carl.

The teenager shrugged, "We talked about stuff, things."

Beth smiled, she lightly pushed Carl's hand off of his hair, then started to play with his messy brown locks. "Sounds like the talk I had."

Enjoying the feeling of Beth playing with his hair, Carl moved a little closer to her, and started to do the same with hers. "Did it help?"

"I think so, but I think it all has to do with us."

"Yeah," Carl says softly. "I think it's better that way.

"Do you think we even know what we're doing?" Beth said.

"I don't think we have any idea what we're doing." Carl said honestly, a smirk finding its way back on his way.

Beth knew he had a point, when the world had ended, she had been a naive, sheltered, sixteen year old girl, and he had been an immature twelve-year-old kid, they lived lives that would have probably never been connected if it wasn't for the walker outbreak. The last two and half years had changed them in more ways than they'd ever be able to fully understand; her depression had almost killed her, and his darkness had almost consumed him, yet they kept on living, kept on fighting, hoping that they could somehow hold on to their humanity.

"I love you." Carl says suddenly, "I don't know if I've ever really said it out loud, but I am now. I love you."

Feeling her eyes water a little, Beth moved closer, touching her and Carl's foreheads together. "I love you too, it's just...it's just."

"It's just what?" Carl asks looking into Beth's blue eyes.

Beth looked away from him. "I just don't won't to be your mistake." She said softly, finally voicing her biggest fear.

Reaching out, Carl turned Beth's head to look back at him, he then moved his hand from her golden locks to resting on her soft cheek, stroking her smooth skin softly with his thumb. "You'll never be my mistake, Beth, I want you to know that. No matter what happens, no matter where I go, you'll always be the best thing about my life."

"You planning on going somewhere, deputy?" Beth teased, blinking back tears and wrapping her arms around Carl's neck.

Carl leaned forward until his lips were only a couple of centimeters away from Beth's, "Not without you." He whispered.

"You swear?" Beth asked, loving the feel of Carl's warm breath on her lips.

"Cross my heart." Carl said, he then closed distance between their lips.

Maybe it was the way the moon was shinning down them, or maybe they had finally chose to give in to the desires they had felt for the other for the longest, hell, maybe it was just them realizing that in a world that where everything ran on borrowed time, you had to take you're chances and hope for the best. Regardless of the reason, as Carl Grimes and Beth Greene lost themselves in each others, they knew that tonight would be the night they wouldn't be returning to their group's cell block...

Author's Notes: Bloody hell that took forever to write! I wrote this chapter, because I finally wanted to touch on the topic of Beth and Carl reaching the next stage in their relationship, who would they go to with their questions and doubts, and how would they work them out. I also wanted to show how different they were in this chapter, than how they were in my last, since this is set before Carl left, before the prison fell, and before Carol and Beth found him again. Anyway, that's all folks, Please review and give me any feedback you have, good, bad, or weird, I love it all!

Till next time.

~Solareon