Hello and good evening! This is your new captain speaking! This is a Rick/OC story. And is a part of a challenge that my friend and I have given to each other.

Disclaimer: I do not own TWD, if I did... well some things would be different...

The first time she saw Rick Grimes was when he ran up the steps to Hershel's home clutching his dying boy to his body.

Rick was terrified that his son would die in his arms, she guessed she could empathize with what he was feeling, and she had lost one of her best friends this year. Hershel believed that she was just sick and put her in the barn with everybody else.

Eva knew better, when she awoke she did not have the look of recognition, her voice could not make a syllable. Eva knew she was dead, and she hated that she was put in the barn with others….

She came outside of the house behind her mother Patricia, her father –Otis- had shot the boy, or so Rick told the group. Hershel took no time and let the two in, her mom immediately went to help Hershel with helping the boy.

It was best if she kept out of the way of everybody, Eva had no medical expertise, she was just a college student and worse yet a jack of all trades and a master of none.

The boy was put on the bed, he didn't look like he'd last much longer, and she would hate to help put the boy in the barn, every time they opened those wretched doors she would see all the faces she loved inside.

All Rick would ask is "is he alive" Well, if Hershel was doing something obvious he was still alive.

Eva watched from the sideline, she was always excited seeing people do the thing they love the most, something they knew everything about. "Hey, do you need my help?" she asked.

Hershel looked over at the young woman, "Eva, you need to get ready for the rest of their group. And in the mean time get dinner ready"

The young woman frowned and looked down dejectedly, rubbing the sole of her converse shoes on the ground, "Yes Sir" she replied. Ever since her father worked for Hershel, Hershel always viewed her as a kid, even though she was older than both Maggie and Beth.

When Hershel dismissed Rick, Eva motioned for him to follow her, he was still out of it, "Hey, Rick right?" she broke him from his trance.

He nodded to her to confirm her question, "Eva, nice to meet you, don't worry, your boy is in good hands, Hershel knows what he's doing" she assured him, lightly touching his arm. He flinched away. That was when they heard two voices, one was her dad's the other a stranger. "Dad!" she exclaimed happily as she went to go greet him on the porch steps.

Of course her Dad was more concerned about the boy than her greeting, asking about the boy. Rick stumbled and wiped his forehead, showing how out of it he really was when he didn't even feel the blood he smeared on his face.

"He will be fine" she said for him. The stranger glared at her and then ascended the steps towards Rick, pulling out a rag and wiping Rick's face. The stranger then put the rag in Rick's hands so Rick could wipe off the blood from his hands. Though it was near impossible.

The two entered the house, she noticed how Rick's hands were shaking, Eva looked back at Dad, "So, where is the rest of the group?" she asked.

Her Dad shrugged, "Shane didn't tell me, we ran all the way here" he breathed out heavily.

She nodded and sighed while going back inside the house, after all she was on dinner duty. She separated from her father as he followed Rick and Shane into the bedroom, she got to work on making scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes for dinner. If there was a chicken ready to be butchered maybe even chicken soup.

She quietly listened to what the people were saying, Rick's wife, she apparently had no idea what had transpired. Eva kept to her thoughts when Beth came up beside the woman, "You need help Eva?" she asked, a small smile on her face.

"Yeah if you wanna, B" Eva replied while scooting over, she was peeling the potatoes half hazard and without much though when she felt the skin get sliced open. "SON OF A BISCUT!" she hissed loudly, immediately putting the finger in her mouth.

Beth jumped, after all when somebody yelled abruptly it disturbs the peace. "Are you okay Eva?" she asked.

"yeah, just get me a big band aid" she instructed her, when the woman turned around she saw Rick looking at her intensely, "What?"

"I heard you yell" he replied.

"Oh yeah" she took the finger out from her mouth and waved it a little "Cut my finger, I'll be fine" she confirmed. This was the first good look she got of the sheriff, despite the blood stains he was quite handsome in his own way. His eyes were intense and focused, his jaw was clenched slightly and his whole aura screamed leader, and confidence even though his son was dying in the next room.

Shane came up behind Rick and put his hand on his friends shoulder, "C'mon lets go sit down" he suggested.

Beth then came into the kitchen, "here" she then wrapped the finger.

"I think I'll take a break, I'll be back" the older woman told her and walked outside, to scan the horizon with Maggie. "Anybody out there?"

"Nope, I think his group would be right behind Otis"

"I think they split up or something" she sat beside Maggie, "you think the kid will make it?" Eva asked sincerely.

Maggie nodded, "Yeah, Daddy knows what he's doing".

Eva hummed and nodded, "I'll give you that, and I don't know how many times he's been able to help all of us out of a bad problem"

"Eva, I've been thinking, maybe we should strengthen our fences, I don't want anything bad getting in"

Eva nodded in agreement with Maggie, "Yeah, we will do that soon, maybe tomorrow if the kid survives?"

All of a sudden the women heard a commotion inside, Maggie and Eva went inside to investigate. Hershel was removing the shrapnel from the kid's body. And knowing it was only one of six was even worse. "Is there anything we can do?" she offered again.

"Did you get dinner ready?" Hershel asked, and she shook her head, "Well get to it, we all have a job to do"

Of course, get the food ready, which was all she was good for today. With an indignant sigh she left the 'adults' to their own. Beth was still making dinner when she came back. "hey, I'm back"

Beth smiled at her, "Welcome back! How's Carl?" she asked.

"Well, you're dad is working on him, so imma assume he'll be alright" Eva replied with a smile.

"I'm almost done peeling the potatoes, why don't you grab a chicken?" Beth suggested. Eva leaned on the counter and watched Beth as she quickly got the potatoes done, she seemed to be having an easier time peeling than Eva did.

"When did you grow up? I remember, just yesterday I was babysitting you, and you n Maggie tied me up to that tree outside and raided the pantry for the cookies"

Beth giggled, "That wasn't yesterday, that was a good ten years ago… time sure does fly, doesn't it?"

"Oh shut up! Girl you like making me feel old don't you?" Eva said, a smile was gracing her thin lips. She ruffled Beth's blonde hair and left the girls side to go retrieve a chicken or two. She went out to the chicken coup, the flock of chickens had been dwindling ever since Hershel got the bright idea to feed the dead, something she thought was a little dumb. She just hoped that the chickens would be making babies quickly, they didn't need to die because Hershel thought it necessary to feed dead people.

She sauntered to the coup and watched the chickens for a while, trying to pick out the best one. Two hens were fighting for a piece of food, they were both plump. "Well, sorry ladies, today is your unlucky day" she said as she went into the fenced in yard to retrieve the hens.

She grabbed the two chickens and quickly went to the slaughter house. Little did she know that she was being watched by an individual. His eyes were ice cold, and calculating.

Two hours later the chicken were ready to be cooked and eaten. Of course this would take some time because they had to cook the chicken outside on a fire pit.

She had never cooked a chicken on an open fire, the only thing she had cooked was a s'more. Soon she heard heavy footsteps coming down the porch. Eva looked up to see the stranger coming towards her, something wasn't quite right with the man. His aura screamed cocky and danger. She bit her lip, their first encounter wasn't the most pleasant.

"You've never cooked a chicken before have you, girl?" the man asked.

"I have…. Just not over an open fire" she replied.

"Well first you need a stick to cradle the chicken, so when you turn it, it won't slip" he instructed her, he was now only about a foot away from her, his thumbs in his pockets. "Kinda like a clasp"

Eva looked around and found the prefect Y shaped stick. "Will this do?" she asked.

The man nodded, "Okay, now you need to use something to tie the ends together"

Eva pulled her ponytail out, letting her auburn hair fall out, the wave of her hair framed her face. She tied the ends together the best she could.

"Now, comes the easy part, just keep turning it, till its golden brown"

Eva nodded and smiled, now she noticed that he was closer to her bubble, she didn't particularly like that he was intruding on her space, but she wasn't about to show it either.

"Shane"

She blinked, "What?"

"My name, it's Shane" he said.

"Oh, my name is Evangeline" she replied, "So, you and Rick… uh are you two together?" she asked, but then just remembered how Rick was mentioning a wife, she mentally slapped herself.

"Naw, we're partners for the same police department" Shane told her. Why would this dumb chick think he and Rick were together? He didn't swing that way.

"Oh I see, okay 'cause I was wondering why you were holding him, and talking to him like you really cared for him"

"Partners for 9 years"

"Wow, not even my best boyfriend and I lasted that long" she tried to joke, but Shane wasn't really that type. She saw her father descending the steps, he looked like he meant business and was heading towards the two, "Daddy, what's up? What's wrong?"

"Shane and I are going to hit the old high school, we need medical supplies for the kid"

Eva frowned, that was a dead end, and nobody could get close to the school.

"Maggie is going to find Rick's group"

"Can I come with you two?"

Shane shook his head, "No, this is no place for a girl"

Eva frowned, "Hey, I know how to shoot a gun!"

Otis put his hand on her shoulder, "this is a dangerous thing, I don't want to have to worry about you" he told her. Eva visibly calmed down, tears were brimming in her eyes. "Oh honey, we will be in and out, quick as a flash" he calmed her and enveloped her into a hug.

Eva held her father for a good minute, she knew this was an essentially a suicide mission. "Okay Dad, I'll hold you to it then, Shane showed me how to cook a chicken, I want you to taste it once you're home."

Otis kissed the top of her head, "Of course sweetie, now take care of everything" Before the two left, Rick handed Otis his gun, this was it, the moment of truth. Rick was counting on them to bring the supplies back.

"That's a fine weapon Rick, I'll make sure to bring it back in good shape" Otis told him, Rick nodded.

Eva watched as he hugged her mom, then both Shane and Otis jumped into the old pickup truck and left quickly. Patricia held her daughter, tightly. "He'll be fine, with Shane I'm sure nothing will happen"

Eva felt her stomach fall, ever foot they left she had a foreboding feeling… She should have gone with them. She stood watching the truck leave while everybody went back into the house.

She tarried a moment longer then returned to the chicken, the last thing she want was for it to be burns, that would not be a pleasant welcome home dinner.

Not but a few minutes later she saw Maggie mounting a horse, "Where you going? Aren't we a little short staffed as is?" she asked.

Maggie sighed, "Yeah, but Rick is going crazy asking for his wife, best to bring them back"

"On that horse?" Eva asked as she wiped her hands on her jeans.

"Nelly is fine, the others are too far for me to get right now" Maggie quickly brushed down Nervous Nelly and easily put on the saddle.

Eva shrugged, "Well, just be safe"

Maggie nodded and nudged the horse into a canter then at the edge of the property into a gallop. It appeared to Eva that everybody was doing something important, everybody but her. She looked at the chicken, it looked golden brown, did that mean that it was good? Taking her knife she cut a little piece off, and popped it into her mouth, it was a hair dry but not too bad.

She swapped it out for the next chicken. As she was tending to the chicken she watched Hershel and Rick talk on the porch, they seemed amiable enough. That was when Maggie and apparently Rick's wife came riding up quicker than a bullet.

The woman only had eyes for Rick, her face was twisted into nothing but tears and sobs. The couple embraced each other and Rick led his wife up the porch steps and into the house.

Hershel meandered towards Eva, "How's the chicken going?"

Eva smiled at him, "One down, one to go. If you want you can bring the finished chicken to Beth, I'm sure she can season it better than I could" Hershel complied and took the finished chicken inside.

Evangeline was left to her thoughts once again, obviously the rest of Rick's group would be here soon, but how soon, and were they to be trusted? Could they deal with a full group, despite Hershel's iron grip and rationing, they were struggling as is. But the extra hands could help with the growing chores around the house. Would Hershel tell them about their 'pets' in the barn?

Finally the other chicken was finished and she brought the chicken inside when she heard the other woman talking to Hershel.

"Otis"

"The idiot who shot my son"

Eva saw red and could not hold herself back, "that idiot is my father, THAT idiot is putting his life on the line, when we all know it's a suicide mission!" she hissed. This woman hasn't even been inside the house more than twenty minutes and already she was insulting her dad. It didn't matter if the woman was technically right, but her dad did not shoot the kid with malice, he was going for the deer!

Hershel looked from the woman to Eva then back to the woman, "Ma'am, it was an accident"

"I'll take that under advisement later. For now he's the idiot who shot our son"

Did she just ignore Eva? Eva was already fuming, Hershel put his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to hold her back. "Bitch! Did you not just hear me?" she growled.

The woman looked at her with anguish in her eyes. Hershel gripped her shoulder where it felt like he was going to break the bone, "language young lady!"

Eva looked back at Hershel with astonishment, "This woman is insulting my Dad!"

Rick sighed as he held the woman's hand, "Lori, they're doing everything they can to make it right" Rick's eyes caught Eva's. He was somehow so calm even in the face of a calamity like this.

Lori looked at her husband and then at the woman still fuming, "Does she even need to be here?" Lori asked.

Hershel sighed, "Evangeline, why don't you help Beth in the kitchen"

Eva knew that when Hershel used the full use of her name that he was not playing, nor was it up for debate. She threw one hand up in the air, "Fine, fine. But if I hear her insulting my dad, all bets are off!"

She listened to the three talking from the other room, Beth stood beside her, "You okay Eva?"

Eva shook her head, "Naw, back where I come from you pop a cap in somebody's ass for dissing your family"

Beth laughed, "Eva, you do know you grew up here, right?" Being around Beth, it made her comfortable. Even for being a teenager, Beth was a source of comfort, a save haven. Being around the young woman made her calm down considerably, like it was impossible to be angry around her.

Eva smiled and bumped Beth's shoulder playfully, "Yeah I know, I've been watching too many MTV videos"

"I miss T.V. "Beth said.

"Yeah, what show do you miss the most?"

Beth hummed as she looked up, trying to pick the best show.

"It's a tie between Once Upon a Time and Are you smarter than a 5th grader"

Evangeline smiled, "For me it was Law & Order: SVU and Cake Boss"

"That's funny cause you can't bake to save your life" Beth retorted. Eva punched Beth's arm even if it only hurt a little, "Oww! What was that for?"

"I sure can't bake but I can make you a knuckle sandwich!"

Hershel was incredibly calm through all of it, never once did he lose his composure when the couple asked him about the surgery.

He went into the kitchen when Rick and Lori went into Carl's room. He watched the girls work for a moment, "You know Eva, I don't tolerate language in my household"

Eva looked over her shoulder, "I know, I'm sorry" the type of sorry she gave was not a sincere one, but it was the best she could give.

"I should go check on the boy, dinner looks great by the way" Hershel commented before he went back into the room.

"Well, damn"

Beth giggled, "Be careful, you don't want Daddy to hear you"

"Don't be a tattle tale and he won't ever know" Eva play threatened.

It was a long day that was slowly turning into a long night, by this time both Eva and her mother were in a tizzy, the men were not home yet and that made them nervous, Eva had no appetite and elected to stand watch outside while everybody ate.

The rest of Rick's group did not show up that day, just a black man and a young Asian man. Eva wondered why, they had prepared this wonderful feast for them, for them not to show…. It was ridiculous. All this time spent for food to go cold. Well at least the pigs had good food.

With the two new comers people swarmed them, wondering if they were friendly, what they knew and who they knew. Eva tucked herself into the shadows of the house, growing up on the Greene family farm she knew every nook and cranny that held the best shadows, mostly because she would use those to make out with her boyfriends in the past, and to not get caught sneaking out of the house to go to an over eighteen party.

She noticed that Rick and his wife Lori was outside on the porch.

She listened to Lori and Rick talk about their son's life, Lori, she written off as a horrible mother, she was contemplating if their child should live or not; and the handsome sheriff trying his best to deter the conversation or to at least spin it in a new direction. Rick, Eva thought, was an honorable man…. Trying to fix an already fucked up situation. Of course any good parent would chose to lay their life down for their child, why would anybody willingly think about being okay with their child dying.

"What changed?" Rick asked, Lori looked dumbfounded, "Jenner offered us a way out. You asked him to let us keep trying. You begged him. 'For as long as we can'. What changed?"

"There was a moment the other day, it was just a second but I had forgotten Jaqui was dead" Lori replied, "I turned around, I wanted to tell her something. And I almost said her name, it was just a second and then I remembered, then I realized she didn't have to see any of this" Lori argued.

Eva could see where Lori was going, but deciding to let a child die, that was no way to go.

"The highway, the herds, Sophia, Carl getting shot…. She didn't…. She didn't have to see any of it, she didn't have to be afraid anymore. Hungry. Angry. It hadn't stopped happening Rick. It's like we're living with a knife at our throat every day. But Jaqui doesn't, not anymore"

From where Eva was standing she could see the back of Lori's head and Rick rubbing the bridge of his nose in an effort to keep calm. Lori continued to argue her point, which was becoming more of a pity fest in Eva's eyes.

"I don't accept that" Rick countered, "I can't accept that, that man surrendered, it doesn't matter—it doesn't matter what he said. None of it" he gestured to the house, "Do you really think that it would be better that Carl…" his voice trailed off, he couldn't even bring himself to say the rest of the sentence, "Do you think it better if we just gave up?" he asked.

Eva sighed, she couldn't take much more of their argument. She shrunk back into the shadows, intending to leave the situation.

"You know it's rude to eardrop on private conversations" a voice said, making Eva jump and turn around. It was Hershel on the other side.

"I know, I wasn't intending to" Eva frowned, "Did you hear what they were talking about? It's no better than doctor assisted suicide"

Hershel sighed, "You wouldn't really understand, not until you have a family of your own" often Hershel gave very unique words of wisdom, seldom did she ever follow or understand them, "You will know someday, that day when you will have to make the hardest decision in your life" with that Hershel left, as he was just taking a breather from the room.

Eva sunk down into the damp grass to contemplate what he said. Obviously she never thought about having a family, let alone in this day and age. It's not like she could go online and do a dating profile. And she was sure walkers had no romantic ability.

She listened to Maggie and the Asian man talk about faith and God. Even with all this, she still believed in God. She had seen miracles even when there was no hope and no light in the world.

She then stood up, brushed the dirt from her clothes and decided to introduce herself to the occupant on the porch. "You know, if you really wanted to make a good impression you should have told her you are a new believer"

The Asian boy jumped, and she smirked. "Jesus! Are you all just a bunch of ninjas?"

Eva hoisted herself up onto the banister, "I was in the middle of ninja training when all this went to hell, and watch it. Maggie is a Christian, you might just want to hold that tongue of yours, or at least don't curse around Hershel, he'll wash your mouth out with soap"

The boy nodded and gulped. "By the way, I'm Glenn" he introduced.

"Eva, nice to meet you" she shook his hand, she gripped his hand in a strong embrace, she never did like it when people shook with no effort.

That was when the old truck came barreling down the road. Immediately the pleasantries were done with as she took off like a bullet down the road, "HEY! THEY'RE BACK! THEY'RE BACK!" she yelled. She ran all the way to the truck, expecting to see her dad step out of the driver's side. Instead she saw Shane. She pulled up abruptly, all good feeling gone. "Where's my Dad?" she immediately asked. Most of the group had heard her exclamation and went outside.

Shane ignored her as he gathered all the supplies inside the cab. "Shane! Where's my dad?" Eva repeated.

Once again she was ignore, "Carl" was all he muttered.

"There's still a chance" Rick replied.

Hershel took the bag and glanced around, "Otis?" he asked, Eva threw her hands up in the air, was she invisible?

Shane hesitated and looked in Eva's direction, he had to let the lie spill, otherwise there would be no hope for him. "No" was his simple reply.

Eva could feel her mouth fall open, and a horrible screeching noise came from her mouth, like a wail from the deepest part of her body came out. She fell to her knees and grasped her face, trying to stem the tears and sobs that racked her body. Everybody lurched, Maggie was there first, holding Eva and cradling her as if she was a baby.

"Maggie, please quiet her down, before Patricia hears her crying. I need Patricia at her best, not having her head clogged up" Hershel instructed.

Maggie nodded and tried to hush Eva, to no avail. Rick looked at Shane, wanting some sort of elaboration to what had happened. Shane glanced down, and instead Rick embraced Shane. Eva wanted to scratch Shane's face off.

"They kept blocking us at every turn, we had nothing left. Just ten rounds" Shane couldn't believe how easily the lie spilled out from his mouth. "He then said that he'd cover for me that I should keep going. So that's what I did, I just kept going" of course, with every lie there was a grain of truth, "but I looked back and he…. I tried" Shane told the group, while he continued to shake his head.

Eva watched him, clinging onto his words as if they were a lifeline, her father's last words, his last deeds… they were heroic, of course her Dad would go out like this, risking his neck to save somebody else's neck.

Rick grasped Shane's shoulder in an attempt to show his gratitude. "He wanted to make it right" Rick interjected. Eva quieted down to sad little hiccups and sniffling.

The small group stood outside for a moment longer, then Lori grabbed Ricks arm, "Let's get inside"

They all nodded solemnly, Eva pushed Maggie away, "Go ahead, go inside… I need a moment alone" Maggie understood what she was going through, as she too had lost not one but two mothers. Eventually Eva was able to find her footing and shuffled much like a walker down to their home.

Her family lived on the farm, when Eva was little she thought her family owned the farm, but then Maggie came along, that was when she learned that the farm wasn't theirs. Now, as she grew older she was happy with their living conditions, their house wasn't too shabby, it was cozy and wonderful. She made her way to her parent's room; the bed was neatly made, no doubt her mother did that. She sat down on her dad's side of the bed and laid her head on his pillow, it smelt like him.

Personal thoughts/ things while writing

I'm surprised Otis died so quickly.

I wonder what type of psychological disorder Shane has, maybe a bit of Sociopath...

Please send me reviews! I will hopefully be updating every Sunday! So please look forward to this!

Captain Shy signing off!