Scarlett (Rick Grimes/OC)

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

I wake up in a cold bed the next mornin', much ta' my discontent. After I rub the sleep outa my eyes and pulls on my boots, I hop out the back a' the truck and dart over ta' where Tyreese, Daryl, and Rick are gathered around what used ta' be our fire but is now nothin' more than some scorched ground and a pile a' ashes. The sky is gray, threatenin' sleet, which might even turn out ta' be snow if the temperature is anything ta' go by. It'll be a slow day at the prison once we get back if that happens.

"Mornin' ya'll," I yawn as I plop down beside Rick and take the package a' saltines Daryl offers me. I'm sure everyone's plannin' on a bigger breakfast once we get back.

Rick and I aren't any different towards each other than we'd normally be, and fer a second, I'm panic-stricken at the thought that last night may have been just a one-time thing. But then Rick smiles at me when the others aren't lookin', the smile he doesn't always smile, and I'm content again.

"Where're Michonne and Sasha?" I ask no one in particular. Daryl makes a quick gesture towards the other truck behind him and merely says, "Sleepin'. I just nod and finish my last cracker.

After another couple minutes, Tyreese goes and wakes up the two sleepin' women and we get ta' packin' what little belongin's we scattered about back away where they should be. When that's done, we load up in the cars and start drivin' back.

It's just me and Rick like before, and as soon as we're out on the open highway towards the prison, he reaches over for my hand bring it to his lips, smilin' the whole time. I don't do nothin' but blush and scoot over a little closer to him.

"I, uh, wanna talk," Rick says after a few minutes. My stomach swoops and I start gettin' nervous. It's never really good when someone "wants ta' talk", especially not after the two a' ya' hooked up the night before.

"OK," I say quietly, tryin' ta' focus hard on somethin' in the distance just so I don't fidget.

"So, uh," Rick stutters, glancin' at me, "I have feelin's for ya', and you know that, and I think you have feelin's fer me too." Rick pauses, and I look at him and nod. He takes that as a signal ta' go on. "Well, I just wanna let ya' know that I can't rush this. I got kids, and they both lost their mother not too long ago. Carl- poor thing- he has nightmares about shootin'-" Rick cuts himself off and blows out a breath. I know what the rest of his sentence is, but I don't bother to finnish it fer him out loud, optin' fer squeezin' his hand instead. "Anyway, I just can't rush this. I know Carl and Judith both have some sort of attachment to you, and that's wonderful, I really mean that, but I can't have us doin' somethin' stupid and makin' an even bigger mess a' their lives. Judith's little now, but one day she won't be, and Carl's seen, and- and hell, he's seen and done enough already."

I study Rick's face fer a moment, the way the lines around his mouth are prominent when he makes the pinched expression he's wearin' right now, the way his eyebrows are knitted together, like he's thinkin' hard. He's tryin' hard not ta' offend me, not ta' push me away from him, and I get that that's not what he's tryin' ta' do at all. He's got kids and he's gotta protect 'em from gettin' hurt, plain and simple.

"Rick, baby, I understand," I say softly, kissin' the back a' his hand like he did mine. Rick's whole face softens and he smiles at me hopefully.

"Really?" he says. I nod and smile back at him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I reply, and then I lean over and give him a kiss real fast.

{~~~}

We come back to a cluster fuck.

Glenn is full-scale sprintin' towards the trucks when we pull in, and before we can even so much as exchange looks, he's shoutin' for us ta' come on and quick. He fills us in on the way ta' the yard, tellin' us that the lady that got attacked before was killed real early this mornin'. Glenn looks scared as he tells us that he and Hershel have been doin' damage control all mornin', tryin' ta; get people ta' just calm down until we got back.

"Everybody's antsy," Glenn presses. "Some of them are causing trouble, saying they want blood. It's stirring the pot and Hershel and I are afraid they might riot if this keeps going on like it is. It's not good, Rick, and they want answers from you and Daryl, not Hershel. Hershel's only been telling everybody to calm down and it's not working. They- they want..." he trails off and searches his mind fer a second. "They wanna hear that there's a plan or something."

This is a lot ta' take in all at once. Murder, angry people, a possible riot, I mean Jesus. There's so much we gotta do so that this doesn't get outta hand, and it's makin' my head spin just thinkin' about it. This is so bad.

"Where're my kids?" is all Rick asks Glenn.

"They're with Beth in your room. They've got their guns."

Rick nods and rubs his face with his palms. "Alright, alright that's good." Rick looks at the group of us. "Ya'll c'mon. We gotta handle this now before it gets outta hand."

Daryl falls right into step beside Rick and Glenn and they start hashin' out how ta' calm this down amongst themselves. Michonne, Sasha, Tyreese, and I hang back and share worried looks. I reach under my jacket and press my palm against the cool metal a' my pistol, just to make sure it's there.

***

Author's Note-

Hi!

I know it's short ya'll, but there's more to come! Thank you all so much for all the reads! 330+?! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G ! ! !

Comment! Vote! Thanks!

Love, Madison :P