I can't even tell you how grateful I am for that review response! Wow. I really did not expect that many reviews for a first chapter.

Thanks to frankielouwho, Alnihan, steffy2106, Kass95, SIERRAWOHLMAN, Mione788, SailorJollyRegina, Dollyrocker85, JElysha11, Guest, candi, b and Guest.

And thanks to anyone else who have favorited, followed or just jumped in to read! Really, I'm honored.

I am super excited about this chapter myself because I'm introducing an OC character I've created and I'm quite attached to him already. Unfortunately Daryl will not appear very much in this one but we'll get there!

Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for The Walking Dead and it's characters.

"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night."

Steve Martin

The corridors echoed with a soft, gentle voice, ringing with a familiar melody that anyone who listened had thought they would never hear again.

"…anytime you feel the pain, hey, jude, refrain. Don't carry the world upon your shoulders."

Beth bobbed Jude in her arms, walking back and forth in the empty corridor near her own cell. Judith was nestled in a warm blanket in Beth's warm, protecting arms. Her eyes drifted closed, sleep starting to take over.

"For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool, by making his world a little –…"

"It's an oddly fitting song."

Beth flinched, turning around to see Carol coming towards her with something that looked like a glass-bottle filled with flowers. "'Hey Jude.'" She smiled warmly at Beth. "I never thought I'd hear The Beatles again. Maybe even they can outlive the apocalypse."

Beth shrugged, good-naturedly. "I figure she just likes hearing what I call her."

"I think it's your voice."

Abashed, Beth's cheeks tinted a little pink, but she said nothing.

The woman gave her a steady smile, observing her for a second before placed the bottle with flowers on the wooden table Rick had set up for Beth and Jude right outside her cell.

"That's not gonna last long without proper sunshine," Beth observed, still rocking the now sleeping baby in her arms.

Carol nodded, eyes settled on the bottle with a frown etched between her eyebrows. There was still something close to amusement evident in her eyes. "It's not, isn't it?"

With a small chuckle she looked up at the wall. The two windows on the wall were divided into small sections, small squares that let through very little daylight. "You'd think prisons where people are supposed to be rehabilitate would be made with at least a few more windows. Like in the good old days."

"Concrete bars and black-white stripes?" Beth sounded amused even with the sarcasm.

Carol supressed the urge to wink at her. "No, you're right," she nodded. "We're impossibly lucky as it is."

The young woman allowed a finger to brush over a yellow petal of one the few flowers. The texture felt marvellous against her skin. "It's pretty." Her eyes spoke of nothing but honesty when they met Carol's. "Thank you."

"I thought this part of the prison deserved a little more decoration."

The young woman tilted her head as a gentle observation came to her. "Home."

"I'm sorry?"

Beth looked briefly down at Judith before she met Carol's eyes again. "Judith's going to grow up here, her first good memories are going to be born right here and I can't imagine a better place right now. This isn't a prison, Carol. It's home."

The warm smile that always seemed to wake good feelings in Beth spread out over Carol's friendly face and she looked almost proud. She nodded at Judith.

"I can take over, now. You need a break, kid, I'll tuck her in."

Taking care of Judith was one of the things that kept Beth going. Judith was the reason she got up early at mornings. Judith was the reason she skipped dinner when she had to look after a crying baby. Most nights Judith would sleep by Rick, but Beth knew most of the time he already had too much on his plate during the day and some nights he desperately needed to sleep uninterrupted, which was why she took care of her those nights, even if it meant she had to wake up several times to comfort her. Saying that Beth cared for the child was an understatement. Beth loved Judith as her own. That didn't mean being relieved of the burden every now and then wasn't appreciated.

"C'mere, love-bug." Carol took Judith into her arms without waking her in the kind of natural and practiced manner only a mother would know.

Beth nibbled on her bottom lip. "Are you sure it's okay?"

Carol tilted her head at Beth with a look that made her beam. "Go on, kid. Skedaddle."

"Thanks, Carol. And thanks again for the flowers!"

The older woman winked at her before Beth turned around and disappeared behind the wall.

"Flowers, Ted. Really?"

Carl arched a brow down at the young man who was kneeling by the edge of the small field they had created for the crops. At the edge, there was a small square with white flowers coming out of the soil.

Ted had put the seeds there several weeks ago after he'd found a package of them out on a run.

Ted's shoulders tensed and he sounded almost embarrassed. "You can say what you like, I've seen enough situations to know that girls dig it!"

Carl pursed his lips to hold in the smile that was threatening to spread out on his face. He cleared his throat and took a step back with a relaxed hand over the holster.

"You sure it's not just because you like flowers, Ted?"

As Ted pulled out a flower he tried to keep in the chuckle that threatened to escape him, but it came out as a breathy cough instead. "Shut up, Carl. You're just jealous you don't have a better plan."

Ted pushed himself to his feet and dusted off his grey and dirty, worn-out jeans while Carl gave him an incredulous glare.

"Why would I even want a plan?"

"Please, don't pretend like nothing. I know you've been staring at Beth."

Carl was silent for a small moment, unable to hide the colour that quickly rushed up to his face. "No, I haven't." He tried to sound calm.

"Yeah, you have! You've been ogling her at every chance you get, every time she's in the same room as you!"

"No, I haven't!" Carl took a step forward, face practically red with embarrassment to which Ted only snickered teasingly.

"Yes, Carl. You have. Her old man's even noticed, you're terrible at hiding it! At least admit it!"

Carl took another step forward but with a threatening edge to it this time and Ted threw up his hands in mock surrender. "Oh, did that strike a nerve?"

Carl thrust out a hand and pushed him, but not very hard, just enough to make a point. "Shut up, Ted!"

They were both too busy – Ted having fun at Carl's expense and Carl glaring holes through him – to notice the walkers, groaning and hissing louder because of the noise they were making or the person that was quietly nearing them inside the garden.

"Hey, guys!"

A comical silence filled with tension suddenly dominated the air and Ted tried to keep from snickering by keeping his lips tightly pressed together.

Carl twirled around and had to put a hand on his hat to keep it from falling from his head. "Uh- hey, Beth. W-where's Judith?"

"She's with Carol. What are you two up to?"

"Nothing," they both said in unison and Beth arched an incredulous brow.

Ted stepped forward, both hands behind his back and smiled at her. "Beth, close your eyes."

Her eyes narrowed instead. "I'm not goin' to face a disgusting worm or somethin' like that, right?" She was already familiar with Ted's pranks. "Because if I am, I'd like to remind you I can punch harder than people think I can."

Ted had experienced that first hand when he had chased her with a spider. He almost winced at the memory. "Uh- promise."

She looked like she was still considering it but eventually closed her eyes. "I'm warnin' you, Ted," she said low as she felt him slip something into her hair above her ear.

"Go ahead."

When she opened her eyes Ted was merely smiling at her and he looked pleased with himself. Her hand went to her ear and a smile broke out in her face when she felt the flower there. "A flower? Aw, Ted, where'd you get it?"

He stepped aside and gestured down at the flowerbed and Beth's eyes lit up. It looked too arranged to have grown there naturally. "You did this?"

"Sure did."

Beth bent down to her knees to admire them and Ted crossed his arms, looking at Carl with a smug smile. What I tell you? his eyes were saying and Carl merely rolled his own.

When an idea suddenly came to Ted, his eyes widened and he straightened his back. His smile slowly grew and by the look he was giving Carl, it was obvious he was up to something. Carl shook his head pleadingly.

"Beth, Carl here mentioned he wanted to help you get to know firearms better before."

"What?" Carl exclaimed.

"Really?" Pleasantly surprised Beth looked from Ted to Carl and then back to Ted again, though her stare was incredulous. "Ted. I know that face."

He swore and took a step back, disappointed that she called him out.

"I wouldn't mind, though." Carl crouched down beside her. "I guess knowing some more about it wouldn't harm, right?"

"Guess not. What would your dad think about it, though?"

"Think about what?"

Rick came up right behind them, hands on his hips and thumbs hooked through the belt-loops.

Ted cleared his throat and lowered his head reverently. Always when the people who held some kind of authority – especially Rick – came around Ted made sure to show as much respect as he could. Had it not been for these people, he would have been dead after all. "Hi, sir."

Rick nodded at him. "Afternoon, Ted. Beth."

"Hey, dad," Carl squinted up at him.

Beth pushed herself to her feet, brushed the dust off her knees and smiled at Rick. He looked into her eyes like he wanted to ask her a question, but Beth was ahead of him. "She's with Carol. Sleepin'."

"I see." He nodded. "Carl?"

"Um," he shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Can I teach Beth how to use guns?"

Rick's eyes went from Beth and back to his son. "She's got a Vektor, don't she?"

Her Vektor CP1 was probably one of the easiest guns to navigate. That's why they had given it to specifically her. It looked like one of those space-guns, like it came right out of a Star Wars movie, but it was more comfortable than any other gun they had.

"Yeah, but it's the only one we got and the bullets will only last that long."

Beth felt awkward standing there and having them talking about her like she wasn't. "It's fine, Carl. I don't want to be any trouble."

"Learnin' to survive ain't trouble. It's a necessity." His voice was harder, with an air of stubbornness that made Beth nervous. She really didn't want to be the cause of an unnecessary drama.

Rick shifted on his feet and gazed out the field, eyes squinting. "Alright," he said after a small moment.

"Alright?" Carl sounded happier and relieved.

Rick nodded at his son "Alright. But if she's going to learn, she needs to do it properly from the start."

"Fine, I'll start planning it first thing today-"

"I'll do it."

Silence came over them. Carl stared up at his father. "What?"

The older man put a reassuring and steady hand on his son's shoulder before he looked at Beth. "I'll help you. If that's alright with you, Beth?"

"I," she looked at Carl and then back at Rick. "I mean, I'd love to as long as it doesn't get in the way of Judith or my other chores."

He smiled reassuringly down at her. "I'll ask Carol to help with that."

Ted leaned over to Carl, his voice low. "You totally blew it, man."

"Shut up, Ted!" He was practically hissing at him.

"So," Rick brushed the back of his hand over his forehead. "We've some crops to pull. Carl, Ted." He nodded at them to follow him.

"Yes, sir," they said in unison and did as they were told.

Ted twirled around and walked backwards as he winked at Beth "See you later, Greene."

She rolled her eyes at him, the corners of her lips tugging up. "Later, Vega."

Michonne tried to keep her composure, tried not to reach out and punch the face of the ugly gorilla that was currently pushing her forward with a tight, painful grip around her arm. So tempting.

Her eyes went to Daryl who silently communicated to her to keep her cool. He looked like he wanted to punch someone himself. They had been relieved of their weapons and were being pushed forward to a tent that looked different from all the other ones in the camp.

"Boss," one of the goons called from behind Daryl and pressed the tip of the shotgun he was carrying into his back, daring him to make a move.

Daryl's jaws clenched with frustration. He should never have let them get caught, damnit.

There came a sound of movement from inside the tent before the drape was lifted to the side. Out came a rough looking blonde man in a black wife-beater and army pants. Scars were all over his dusty face and he had a cigarette between his lips. Quietly, he gave Michonne and Daryl a once-over before he looked at the person behind Daryl's shoulder.

"We found them sneaking around the area. Won't say nothin' but I've got a good guess where these came from."

A pang of panic went through Daryl when the leader's eyes lit up. Nothing about this felt good at all.

"Well done, Patrick." His voice was sleek, the kind of voice that would make you shiver with disgust.

His eyes shifted between Daryl and Michonne again. "So," he said, a grin spreading out over his scarred cheeks. Daryl refused to let the shiver that ran down his spine show through.

"Let's talk about that prison."

Oops, cliffhanger. I'm sorry! Those torture me, myself. I'm pretty aweful for this. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, though! Tell me what you think! What did you think about Ted? He's a bit of an annoying little shit, but we all have those in our midst.

Tell me everything; good, bad or ugly, lay it on me!

Until next time,

KaptenKramp.