A/N- Sooo as I was sitting staring at the screen and wondering what I could possibly type for the next chapter of The Domino Effect, this came to mind and I had to run with it! Hopefully giving myself some space from that story and working on this one will cure this insane writers block! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!
~hateofme
Rick Grimes was just about certain he was fucked. He had finally made it to Atlanta, finally saw that ray of sunshine crack through the grey, only to have his horse literally eaten out from under him. As if life itself were laughing at him it saw fit to throw him another ray of sunshine in the form of a tanker. That wasn't the laughing part though... Feeling relatively safe in his self inflicted death trap, even though he'd had to shoot a walker, he swore he heard the voice of god himself come over the tanks radio.
"Hey, you! Dumbass." The voice crackled through the static.
He was fairly certain that god wouldn't swear; he was proven right. It wasn't god. The man on the radio instructed him to make a run for it, forgoing his bag of guns.
"Are you even listening to me?! It's not an option!" The voice snapped full of desperation and anger.
Rick hurriedly looked around the tank for weapons, and then rushed out of the tank, smashing in a walkers head before he had even gotten his whole body out of he hatch. Counting his shots he ran, shooting what undead he could as he went.
"Oomph!" He tripped, flailing his arms wildly and cursing himself as he fell flat on his face.
This was how he knew life was laughing at him; he wasn't a clumsy man by a long shot. It figured that right now, as he was literally running for his life, he would pick the time to start developing into a bumbling fool. He lifted his head to come face to face with the remnants of what used to be a businessman, old flesh and sinew hanging from his teeth. He kept his eyes open, staring into the walkers eyes; if this was how he was going to meet his end he was gonna do it with some god damn dignity. The putrid breath puffed hotly on his face and its jaws snapped. Rick steeled himself when suddenly- "THWACK!"- The metallic ringing and fresh breeze went unregistered for a moment.
"Unless you're bit, get your ass up!" A woman's voice barked at him urgently.
He blinked and scrambled to his feet, noting the shovel in the woman's hands. "C'mon!" He grabbed her arm and tugged her to where his radio voice had told him to meet. As they rounded the corner into an alleyway they almost ran head-on into a smaller asian man.
"Woah! Not dead!" The man exclaimed holding his hands up. He gave a quick double take at the woman, confused as to where she came from.
The three ran, following the asian man and scrambled up a fire-escape ladder. He held out his hand to the two as they paused to catch their breath. "Nice shooting Clint Eastwood. You the new sheriff, come to clean up the town?" He scoffed and shook his head slightly. "Name's Glenn."
"Rick. Thank you." They turned to the woman and for the first time Rick really saw her, and what he saw had his jaw dropping. She had long waist length dark brown hair, light brown almond shaped eyes, and was probably only about five to five foot four. He was fairly sure she was pretty tan, but it was hard to tell with all the grime and muck covering her. The jaw dropper though; that would be the fact that she wore no top save for a black bra and an obviously much too large men's leather vest, and she was barefoot.
. . .
Rachel Winters (otherwise known as Ray) peered at the two men distrustfully; the last male she had come in contact with, well, lets just say they didn't leave on such good terms.
"What's your name?" The man named Rick asked earning him a confused look from Glenn. Obviously he had thought they knew each other.
"She's not with you?" Glenn asked.
Rick shook his head. "Nah, she saved me back there though." He turned to look directly into her eyes. "Miss? We aren't going to hurt you, can you tell us your name?"
Ray resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Of course I can, but do you two really think we should just be standing around out here?"
That seemed to snap them into action and they followed Glenn across the rooftop and down a staircase into an alley. It was clear save for four walkers milling around aimlessly. Glenn brought out a handheld walkie and relayed the information to the man on the other end, including that he had found two newcomers. Two men in riot gear jumped out a door and beat the walkers down, rushing the group inside.
A pretty blond woman rushed at Rick and Rachel brandishing a gun. "We're dead because of you." She snarled aiming the gun at Ricks head, apparently not thinking Ray was to much of a threat. "You just rang the dinner bell." She motioned to the front doors as the hordes began to crack at the glass.
"Come on Andrea, calm down." A middle aged hispanic man tried to reason.
Andrea shook him off. " And who are you?" She rounded on Ray.
She eyed the gun and the woman distastefully. "Well, I'm just a tad terrified of guns in my face; seems to have shaken me up so badly I forget." She snapped.
"Everyone just calm down!" The hispanic man spoke again. "My names Morales. This here is Jacqui." He nodded to a black woman she hadn't noticed and then to a large black man. "This is T-dog, and you've already met Glenn and Andrea. Can I ask what the hell you two were doing out there?"
Rick sighed. "My names Rick, Rick Grimes and I was coming here for the safe zone and to try and find my family."
Everyones eyebrows rose, including Rachel's. Did the man not see the town just now? There was no fucking safe zone. "Thats a pipe dream." Someone spoke up. "Theres no safe zone. We've been staying outside of town a ways, with a larger group."
They all turned to her, apparently it was her turn. "Names Rachel Winters, just call me Ray though. I'm not looking for anyone and I'm sure as hell not looking for a non-existent safe zone." She scoffed. "Just trying to survive, like everyone else."
The woman named Jacqui spoke up. "Honey, what happened your shirt? And your shoes? It's a wonder you've survived at all without them."
Ray had the decency to blush. "They were misplaced about a week ago."
"You haven't been able to find anything else?" Jacqui asked obviously worried for her, although she wasn't sure why.
"Don't care about the shirt, and the shoes? Got tired of waiting for something better to come along; decided to take a chance and hope for the best." She said vaguely, a hint of a smile playing around the corners of her mouth.
There was obviously more to the story but at that moment shots rang out above them. "Oh god, is that Dixon?" Andrea snapped. the group rushed up the stairs with Glenn, Rick, and Ray trailing behind.
"So, uh, misplaced?" Glenn grinned at her a little hesitantly.
Ray looked at the man and decided she liked him; he seemed so open, and that was a quality she had to appreciate. "Tried to get my rocks off with some guy and walkers interrupted." She grinned back, enjoying the way his face went red. Rick sputtered and coughed behind them "Pease," she said dryly. " Don't tell me you haven't wished to get laid since this whole thing started."
Rick coughed some more. "I-uh..."
"Got to take my opportunities where I can get them." She chuckled slapping the man on the back. She turned back to Glenn to see him eyeing her vest. "Yes?"
He shook his head. "Nothing...just know a guy who used to wear a vest like that-ditched it awhile ago though, said it was too hot."
Rachel shrugged, she knew it wasn't the same one; the guy she got this from didn't willingly give it up. As they reached the roof, chaos had apparently ensued, and Rachel's jaw dropped when she saw why.
. . .
Merle Dixon enjoyed the simple things in life; he liked to fuck, drink, get high, and shoot shit. You'd think in the middle of people dying and coming back to life to eat ya no one would mind if ya shot the fuckers. It seemed everyone minded.
"Ought'a be more polite ta tha man wit tha gun, jus' common sense." He taunted.
He wasnt entirely to sure how it happened, but between that fool taco bender and the damn nigger, he lost it. This place was goin' ta shit, an' he wasn' about ta let them drag him down to. Besides, beatin' the piss outta tha' fat lipped fuck put him in a damn good mood.
"Democracy time ya'll!" He grinned as they rushed to help T-dog. "I vote me ta be tha leader- who else? C'mon now, don't be shy." he grinned waving the gun around.
"Still a prick I see." A woman's voice startled him.
. . .
The second Ray heard his voice she knew it was him. She cringed and tried to edge her way behind Glenn; it didn't work as he ran off to help T-dog. Her next best bet was Rick. She turned to look at him and realized that there was really no way she was going to just magically stay invisible. Even if she hid behind Rick she was fairly sure he was gearing up to run over there and 'assist' anyway. she sighed to herself.
"Still a prick, I see." She called walking up behind the man.
He almost dropped his gun as he turned to face her. "I'ma throw ya off this damn roof!" He roared and lunged for her.
The whole scene seemed surreally choreographed as Rick hit him in the back of his head with the butt of a gun, and T-dog ad Morales dragged him to a pipe, which Rick then cuffed him to. He shook his head dazedly. " Ya fuckin' thievin' cunt.' He managed.
"You stole my shoes!" She cried, outraged.
"I got ya different ones." He dismissed her with a wave.
"Off a dead woman!"
"Still shoes."
"She was still crawling! Her feet were still in them!"
"Ya stole my leathers." He snapped back referring to his vest.
"You grabbed my ass!"
"Ya asked me to!"
I didn't think you'd do it!"
"Ya left me ta die ou' there bitch!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.
The group had been watching them volley back and forth and she was surprised they didn't have whiplash as they looked at her incredulously, distrust written all over their faces.
She scoffed. "Are you trying to tell me if you had noticed them first you wouldn't have run off either?"
"Ya knew I couldn' run." He spat back at her.
"That true?" Rick asked, dreading the answer.
She nodded her head affirmatively.
"Why?" Rick sounded angry. "What were you thinking, leaving someone to fend on their own when they cant even run?"
She scowled. "I was thinking that with his pants around his ankles I didn't have to outrun the geeks-I just had to outrun him. Besides, he threw my shoes out."
"Hold up." Andreas voice cut across the choked laughter and talking. "When did all this happen?"
"About a week or so ago." Ray looked at her quizzically; what did that matter? A look of comprehension dawned on everyones face aside from hers and Ricks. The man handcuffed to the pipe glowered at her; his eyes promising the worst sort of revenge.
Morales turned to look at the man with disgust. "So the whole time you were out there telling us you were hunting? You were sneaking back here to look for a lay?"
The man spat at Morales' feet. "Not tha' it's any ya business but the lay woulda jus' been a perk. I ain't riskin' my neck fer some snatch."
Andrea turned on Ray once again. "How long have you and Merle known each-other? How long has this been going on? Do you realize how many people you could have been putting at risk?" She shouted, rapidly firing off questions.
Rachel searched her brain rapidly- who the fuck was Merle? She eyed each of the men and women, making sure to address them by name in her head, until finally coming to her ex-potential end of the world screw.
"Are you kidding me?" She addressed the man completely ignoring Andrea. "Your name is Merle? Dear god," She snorted. "How much did you get teased as a child? What kind of name is that?"
"When I git outta these cuffs ya better run, girlie. I'ma kick ya thievin' ass an' feed it ta tha walkers." The man now known as Merle snarled at her, tugging at the cuffs threateningly.
Rachel smirked and walked behind the large pipe he was cuffed to and then leaned over it ruffling his hair condescendingly. "But first you have to get out." She laughed as she sauntered away, the sound of his swears and promises of pain at her back.