I don't own anything to do with Rick or any character from the Walking Dead. I own the OC character, Ruby, however, and I adore her.

Summary: Shane's been killed by Rick and the group doesn't trust him anymore. So what does Rick do? Snap. He finds a girl in the woods and takes out his aggression.

Yes, I know if you've read my other stuff you know that I am a Shane girl, but Rick is awesome, too. So I decided to play with him a little.

Rate and comment if you like! Thanks, and please, no flames. They are... unhelpful.

It had been more than a week since the farm had been overrun, sending the broken and beaten survivors out into the wild. They were lost, out of fuel and almost out of food, and the ammo was starting to look like an out instead of a defense. Rick Grimes had taken off into the woods, in the opposite direction of Daryl, looking for food... anything they could use. He was not missed, he knew. Since the admission about the real reason Shane was dead his crew had become wary, afraid of him. And Lori... well, she had shut down completely. They didn't speak or touch, and even the looks she gave him were tinged in disappointment and disgust.

The respite of the woods was a welcome one. He would take a walker any day over the people at the makeshift camp and they looks in their eyes. The truth was, the moment the light had gone out of Shane's eyes Rick had changed. No longer was he 'Officer Friendly'. He was pissed off and he was intent on regaining some semblance of control, intending to hold it with an iron fist once he'd gotten it. See, that was what it took in this world, to survive. He'd tried the gentleness and the voting on decisions, and people died. He was done with it.

He had his Python in his steely grasp as he picked around the broad tree trunks and over fallen branches on the ground. He tried to move as silently as he could so as not to either draw walker attention or scare away any potential game. The activity gave him time to think, but he had little patience with that right now. All his thoughts were poisonous, and when they invaded his brain yet again he paused and ran a frustrated hand over the long stubble on his face, taking a deep breath and blowing it out through his nose. He rested against a tree trunk and looked out over the still and silent trees. The sun was setting, but he didn't turn back. No one would care if he returned or not.

The land was starting to slope and he followed it down, not having the energy to walk up. The trees parted slowly, and he saw the reflection of the setting sun in water beyond them, sparkling like a million lights. Long ago had his mouth become painfully dry and he headed toward it gratefully, falling to his knees at the waters edge and scooping it up into his mouth and gulping it down eagerly. When he'd had enough he holstered his gun and began to wash his filthy arms and face free of dried blood and grime. He watched the water around his hands turn red and drift away, and he felt almost hypnotized by it.

A sudden splash nearby caused his head to snap up. To the right, cattycorner to his position behind a large boulder, and over a short dock that stretched into the water, he saw a young woman bent over, water up to her thighs and up to her elbows. Rick backed up a step and peered around the boulder at her, his gun back in his hand in a second.

She was bathing, and doing a much better job than his little attempt a moment ago. She had her back to him, and she was dressed in a pair of blue boy shorts and a gray bra, which she was removing at the moment. She held it in her hand and ducked below the water, swimming out a little further so the water went up to her graceful, tanned shoulders. He still hadn't seen her face because of her angle in the water, but from the look of her curvy and lithe body she was young, and he looked around quickly to see her companions, but he came up empty. She looked to be alone, and he frowned. Surely she wasn't, no way. She seemed too at ease, picking up a bottle floating nearby and pouring soap in her hand and lathering up her hair. He watched as she leaned her head back in the water and rinsed her hair free of bubbles, and she made a motion below the water and brought up the skimpy underwear she had been wearing in her hands and soaped them up too.

Six months ago, he would have turned away, ashamed at himself for watching a perfect stranger in such an intimate and private moment. But his anger and bitterness had erased such manners from him and he just felt wary and mistrusting. He moved from around the boulder and to the entrance to the dock silently. She rinsed the articles of clothing and her hair one last time, and turned toward him.

She froze and he felt his arm rise, aiming his gun at her. Her eyes went wide and her mouth opened in shock, her arms going over her chest to hide the nakedness he couldn't see anyway. He realized she couldn't be more than her early twenties, and she was intensely beautiful. Olive skin, dark eyes with lashes that were unnaturally long and thick. Her features were delicate but proud, and her mouth was full and rose colored. It didn't even occur to him to be alarmed that the look of surprise and alarm on her face gave him a satisfied feeling in the bottom of his stomach.

"What do you want?" She spoke quietly but her voice was clear and strong, the look on her face more angry at herself for getting caught in such a position.

"You to come on out of there." He said flatly and she narrowed her eyes. In the smallest of movements her eyes flicked over to the shorts and tee shirt hanging over a tree branch nearby, and he followed her gaze for a moment, seeing a black Glock revolver laying on the garments. When he stepped over and picked it up, sticking it in his waistband he saw her jaw set angrily.

"Why would I do that?" She countered, her dark eyes flashing.

"I got a gun aimed at your head and you got thirty seconds." He said, his head tilted a little to the side, his blue eyes never wavering from her face.

She let out an angry huff and struggled to get her meager coverings back on. Keeping her eyes on him as well she walked slowly out of the water, arching to her left a little to keep him at a distance. He wasn't obvious as he looked her over as she emerged, but she seemed to know it anyway. He didn't care, not anymore. She was gorgeous, her olive skin tanned further by the Georgia sun, her full chest and hips moving like a cat. The muscles in her flat stomach and long legs were well apparent, and he felt an unusual knot of desire unfold within him as she finally left the water. He took a step closer and she froze again, looking at the gun.

"Will you just tell me what you want, not that I don't already know."

He narrowed his eyes, angry at the insinuation he was some lousy backwoods rapist. "Get dressed." He said and she frowned, obviously a little taken aback. Still, she went quickly to the tree where her clothes were and pulled them over her, the water dripping off her skin making them stick to her like glue. She grabbed a pair of sneakers from the ground and knelt down to pull them on.

"You gonna keep aiming that at me? I'm obviously unarmed." She said, bitterness in her voice.

He didn't waver, keeping his Python on her. "Where's your group?"

"What group?"

"Don't BS me, you got somebody around here."

She finished putting her shoes on and stood back up, her long wet hair clinging to her face and neck in silky dark tendrils. "It must be nice to know everything."

He set his jaw and took a step forward, and she backed up, pressing against a tree. "Where are they?" He asked angrily, his gun going for her forehead.

"Jesus! I don't have anyone. What the hell do you want me to say?" She retorted in frustration.

He narrowed his eyes again and watched her face. She was telling the truth. Crossing the few steps left between them in a flash he grabbed her arm and she fought back, pushing against him with her long arms. "Get off me, you freak!"

Her wet skin proved hard to hold on to, and she spun around, slipping out of his grasp and taking off into the woods. Cursing, he grasped his gun tighter and took off after her. She was quick, darting through the trees and leaping over fallen logs like a doe, and he felt strangely alive. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to have control over something, and this girl would do nicely. He paused and ducked behind a tree, knowing the loss of his footsteps behind her would confuse her. He peeked around the tree he was pressed against and saw her behind a tree of her own several yards away. Years of being a cop had taught him how to ambush people, and he leaned down and picked up a good sized rock from the ground. He threw it far away to the left and when she vanished from the tree he knew she had moved around it, her attention in the wrong direction. He went right and crept slowly in a small arc around her.

A low stone wall broken by time and weather blocked her from seeing him, and he made his way to her tree on the opposite side. She must have realized he had fooled her because she took off again, but he was only two steps behind her and tackled her to the ground. She grunted when he landed on top of her and she fought back again, kicking and pushing with everything she had. She was strong, but he was stronger, and he easily flipped her over, straddled her legs, and aimed his gun against her forehead.

She stopped moving and he saw a single tear drip from the corner of her almond shaped eye. She looked him in the eyes, the look of anger gone, replaced with fear and acceptance. "What are you going to do?"

"I haven't decided, but I wouldn't recommend running again." He said darkly and she flicked her eyes at the barrel of the gun before coming back to his eyes.

"Fine."

He raised his eyebrows at her, and moved slowly off her legs. She stood, still watching him as he rose with her. "Where are you staying?"

"I'm just passing through."

"What did I tell you about the BS?" He said, and she swallowed.

"You're just going to kill me anyway. Or worse."

He stepped forward and grabbed her neck angrily. "There's a lot of things I done, but I'm no rapist, so shut your mouth."

"Ok, ok." She said fast, wincing at his tight grasp on her flesh, her wide eyes turned up at him through her long lashes. "But I don't have anything you want. Almost no food, just the one gun you took already."

He lessened his grip but kept his hand on her neck. He didn't feel less aggressive, but he knew if he kept this up she really wouldn't take him anywhere. "Look, what's your name?"

She pressed her lips together and he squeezed again. She let out a low cry. "Ruby! It's Ruby."

"Ok, Ruby. It's getting' dark, and we need to hole up. So take me to where you're staying. Ok?" He lessened his grip again, and she nodded. "Good girl."

She turned and walked away, throwing furtive glances over her shoulder now and then. He followed, his gun at his side but ready to be used, and she didn't try and run again.

"How are you all alone out here?" He spoke as they walked, the growing darkness making the trek a little more dangerous. He kept his ears open for walkers, but his eyes on her back, admiring the way her skin shone in the moonlight. Like honey, he thought absently. He would have headed back to camp, but Daryl was probably already there and truthfully, he'd been aching to get away. This was at least interesting. She feared him, but there was no disappointment in her eyes and that alone was enough for him.

Not answering, she turned to the right and he saw a stone structure in front of her. She walked around it and he brought the gun up again, waiting for someone else to pop out. They didn't though, and she opened the door on the other side and flicked a light on just inside. He looked past her and saw a steep staircase and she didn't look back at him as she went down it. He shut the door behind him and locked it from inside with the sliding lock he saw there. He followed her quickly, knowing she probably had another weapon below.

He got to the concrete floor just behind her and he raised his gun again at her as he took in the small room. It was all stone, and cool. And old ice house, he realized, and she had obviously been there a while. There were blankets along the far wall where she slept. A couple bags lay spilled out, clothes and toiletries in groups on the floor beside them. An extra pair of shoes, empty cans and trash in another corner, and a small set of shelves held canned goods and a few canning jars. He turned back to her, satisfied she wasn't holding out on him, and he lowered his gun again and saw her let out a breath. She was standing in the middle of the room, obviously lost as to what happens next, and he frowned at her.

"You're wet." He said, taking in her still damp and clinging clothes. "You should change."

"I'll be fine." She shook her head.

"It's cold down here, you'll get sick. I said change." He said harshly and she took a step back. He sighed and turned to the shelves, going through the cans and jars, hoping she would take the gesture as what it was meant. He wasn't watching. He heard her moving in the small piles next to her and he grabbed a can of beans and canned peaches, and when he finally turned around she was buttoning up a pair of jeans beneath the black tee she'd pulled on. He walked over to her and she watched him take a seat on the floor next to her pile of blankets. When she didn't follow his lead he made a gesture and she dropped down next to him. He opened the pull top cans and handed one to her. She took it and pulled a peach out, putting it in her mouth.

"Do you have a spoon? Or water?" He asked and she got up tentatively, going to the shelves and grabbing a pair of spoons from behind some jars. She also brought a couple bottles of water back and took her seat again, handing them to him. "Eat." He said when she again paused, and he felt irritated he kept having to tell her what to do.

"Don't you want to know my name?" He asked after a couple bites, his blue eyes going back to her deep, dark ones.

"Depends. You gonna hurt me?"

"I hadn't planned on it."

"Then what's your name?"

"Rick."

She nodded and ate another peach. "We've established what you're not gonna do. Can we move on to what you do plan to do?"

He shrugged. He felt more in control than he had in months, and she was incredibly easy on the eyes. He'd be happy just hanging here for a while. "How old are you?"

"19." She said, putting the can down. He saw she'd left some peaches for him and he offered her the beans, but she shook her head and he set about finishing them.

"You're awful young to be out here alone."

"You're alone."

"Don't avoid the question." He gave her a dangerous look and she bit her lip.

"I wasn't alone, not always. I was with a couple people but we got separated on the road when the herd blew through."

"A week ago?" He asked, his eyebrow raising.

"A week and half." She clarified, her hands in her lap.

"That explains why I was able to come up on you like that. You're gonna get killed out here."

"Without my gun, I will." She said flatly and he set his jaw.

"You'll come with me."

She scoffed and he snapped his head at her, but he saw the anger was back. "Just like that?"

"Just like that." He said, tossing the empty can toward the small pile in the corner.

"And if I say no? You're not exactly the fuzziest person, man."

"I don't remember giving you a choice." He said, looking over at the scattered clothes in the floor. He found a stray pair of leggings and grabbed them, turning them over in his hands and twisting them.

"So you're a kidnapper, then. Glad we've established that, at least." She said and recoiled when he reached for her. He huffed and reached out again grabbing her wrist and making her wince. "What the hell is this?" She blurted as he leaned forward and turned her around, tying her hands tightly together behind her back.

"You're gonna get the gun back as soon as you can. This way I might actually be able to sleep." He said turning her around and grabbing her knees, bringing her legs out toward him.

"You've got no right to do this." She hissed, fighting at the bonds on her wrists. When he reached for a tee shirt and went for her legs she kicked at him, trying to scramble away. She was feisty, and he liked that. It meant he got to be a little rough back, and he pushed her back onto the blankets, wrapping his hands in her long and wavy hair, pulling her head back.

"Stay. Still." He said, his face inches from hers and she pressed her lips together, a shuddering breath going through her body. Hovering over her like that he again felt the satisfaction at his dominance swirl through his chest, and he almost smiled. He let go and eased back, using the shirt to tie her ankles together. When he was done, she pulled her legs up toward herself and pushed up with her hands behind her back, sitting upright and looking at him resentfully.

"Don't look at me like that. You'd shoot me in my sleep in a split second, don't act like you wouldn't." He said, sitting back and feeling a little self satisfied.

"I'm not like that. But I guess you assume I would because you would." She said, glaring at him.

"You've never killed anybody, huh? I can't believe that."

"I have. But they either tried to kill or rape me. You've pissed me off but at least you haven't tried that."

"So you'd just... walk away?"

"No. I'd run." She said pointedly, and he turned the corner of his mouth up.

"Well, you won't be running anywhere for a while. I suggest you get some sleep. Gonna have an early one tomorrow."

"You're really taking me with you? Where?" She asked, her face contorted in confusion and frustration. It only served to make her more beautiful. Her cheeks were pink even in the dim light, her lips more rosy, and her eyes glittered and flashed like onyx. He felt himself staring, but he put it aside for a moment, enjoying the fact that he had a beautiful woman tied up in front of him, having to do anything he said. It wasn't normal, he hadn't been like this. This was something Shane would have enjoyed, gotten off on. He guessed he'd finally gone to the dark side.

"I have a group nearby. Got hit by the herd too, could use the backup." He said, snapping out of his thoughts.

She shook her head quickly. "Oh no. No way. You think I'm just gonna let you walk me into some... man camp? Screw that. You'll have to kill me."

He chuckled. She was so insistent, so firm. "Lay down. I need some sleep."

He downed the last of his water bottle and held hers up so she could drink too. She accepted it but kept her eyes on him. He capped it and looked around the floor. It was chilly in here, his tee shirt not quiet doing the trick, and the floor was cold and hard. No way was he going to be able to sleep on it without not being able to move for days afterward.

He got to his knees and felt around the blankets behind her, ignoring her recoiling from him. He grinned when he felt an air mattress beneath them, and he pulled the blankets back and got around behind her. It was big enough for both of them, and he started getting settled in.

"Wait." She said and he paused. She looked back at him and frowned. "You're not sleeping with me."

"Yes I am." He said and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back and to the mattress.

"Dude, you smell. Like walkers." She pulled away from him and he looked down at his shirt. It was stained with blood and sweat, even if his arms and face had been washed off. "I got some clothes, they got mixed up with mine when I was with my group. In that bag over there."

He moved off the mattress and went to the bag she gestured with her chin to. He dug around and found a pair of army pants and a green teeshirt that would fit him and he looked at her interestedly.

"Were you with a soldier?" He asked, stripping his ruined shirt off. She lowered her head, keeping her eyes on the ground while he changed, his own shyness long gone.

"Yeah." She said quietly.

"Was he your boyfriend?"

"If he was I wouldn't be giving you his clothes." She said bitterly and he raised an eyebrow as he pulled the pants on.

"Ah. But you did have a boyfriend."

"I didn't realize we were sharing now." She said, looking up at him when he stepped forward again.

"What happened to him?" Rick said, crawling back in behind her.

"He's gone." She said simply, and he was too tired to press. The clothes smelled a hell of a lot better, and he grabbed her tied wrists, pulling her back. She went down silently, her head on the pillows but her legs still off the mattress. She was not going to make this easy. He put the guns behind him where she couldn't get at them and sat back up, grabbing her knee and yanking her legs up into the bed. He pulled the blankets up over them and settled in, getting comfortable. His chest was pressed to her back, and considered just throwing his arm over her. If she moved he would feel it, but with as tired as he was, he might roll over. She jumped when he sat back up.

"What now?" She asked wearily and looked up at him alarmed when he grabbed the leggings he had tied around her wrists and tied his own left wrist in, too. He grinned at her as he laid back down.

"If you get a mind to wriggle out of that, I'll know." He said and laid his head on the pillow behind her head. Her hair smelled like the ocean and he let it fall around his face in soft waves, enjoying the feeling. He hadn't smelled hair like that in ages. His arm was pinned in between them, tied to hers and his fingertips brushed her soft, tanned skin as he pulled the blankets up to their necks in the chilly air. He drifted off immediately there against her, not concerned if she slept too.