The farm was gone and the group was homeless not to mention emotionally distressed. Rick had to think of something to do. Being the leader was certainly beginning to suck now. Maybe he should have listened to Shane and not let him walk away. He had to think of something to bring to the table and quick! Rick hated to admit it but his best friend was right.
Rick walked through the woods trying to piece together a plan that would get everyone taken care of. As he walked something deeper in the woods caught his attention. With a frown Rick pulled his revolver from its holster and walked closer until he came upon a young woman sitting on a horse. Her back was turned to him so all he could see was her long blonde hair. He watched her silently until a walker happened to walk out of the woods. The horse seemed to freak at the sight and bucked causing the girl to topple backwards. Rick's eyes widened and he ran forward catching her before her body hit the ground. The walker meanwhile, obviously hearing and seeing all the mess had began to attack the horse.
"LET ME GO!" The girl squealed and started kicking. Rick held tighter not about to let her go. She was young probably 23 at the most. "Are you bit?" He asked coldly. The girl shook her head, "No I ain't bit! You?" Rick shook his head, "No. Look I'm going to put you down now please don't run." She nodded as he sat her down than shot the walker. Rick sighed before turning back to the girl who stood looking at him with a displeased expression on her face. "You ok?" She nodded looking down at her horse, "God damn it" she hissed before walking over slowly, "Stupid walker killed my favorite horse." She turned back to Rick with a wary expression, "Thanks for catching me." Rick smiled stepping forward holding out his hand, "Rick Grimes." The girl shook his hand with a smile, "My names Molly." Rick smiled looking at her pretty deep blue eyes. This girl was a doll. "Are you alone?" He asked gently. She shook her head, "No. I got a group about 4 miles from here. I was out looking for a missing horse. What are you doing out here?" Rick shrugged putting his gun back up, "I needed some alone time. My group is up on the highway. We were staying at this farm a little back and it got attacked by walkers." Molly nodded looking at him sadly. The guy looked stressed beyond all reason, "I'm sorry to hear it. Not many places are too safe anymore. How many are in your group?" Rick shrugged, "Quite a few. I have my wife and two sons. Ones 12 and the other is 5 months." Molly's eyes softened, "And you have no where to go?" Rick shrugged, "We were thinking about heading to that prison." Molly's eyes widened "Don't go there it's horrible. Look…my boyfriend is the leader of our group. Come back with me and I'll see if yall can stay. I wouldn't want anyone going to that awful prison. We don't normally take in strangers but I think this time we can make an exception, especially with you having kids and all. They don't need to be in this world unprotected." Rick looked a little surprised but smiled, "Well that would be nice. You want to walk up to the highway with me?" Molly picked up her knife that had fallen on the ground after being thrown from her horse. "Sure let's go."
Molly spent the next few minutes listening to Rick explain to his group that they were going with her. His wife Lori already got under her skin when she said that she didn't want to go with some random strange girl. "Look lady if you go to that prison you will die quick. The governor isn't a nice guy and he doesn't like kids or women." Molly finally said crossly. Lori looked at her a little nervously. Everyone else seemed more than happy to go with her. The thought of a home again sounded great.
As they waked through the woods Rick glanced at Molly, "You sure you're ok with this?" Molly nodded, "Yeah…I just hope if I was as deep up shit creek as yall someone would help me too." Rick smiled looking her over carefully. It was wrong for him to be checking her out especially with Lori a foot away but he couldn't help himself. Her loose blonde curls fell down her back framing her face. As he looked at her the necklace she wore caught her attention. The "22" pendant shot a sense of darkness through Rick. "So what did you do before all this?" She asked casually. Molly looked anywhere but right at Rick. Something about him was so familiar but she couldn't put her finger on it. "I was a cop." Rick said softly. Molly smiled, "so was my boyfriend. Damn it's getting dark he is going to be pissed I was gone so long." Her voice was calm there wasn't any dread in it that most women would have when they said their men were mad. "I'll talk to him. Surely he will understand." Rick said ignoring the expression he was getting from Lori who looked pissed.
After walking in silence for another hour or so Molly led them out of the woods and toward a huge plantation house, "Well here we are." She said as they walked to the porch where two guys stood with guns. They looked nervously at each other before one stepped forward. His blonde hair fell messily into brown eyes, "Molly what's all of this?" Molly glanced at Rick before looking to the guy that Rick thought could have easily been a bouncer on Jerry Springer. "Tom I found them. They had no where to go. Look they got kids." Tom blinked a few times sadly. He couldn't play the tough guy all the time. It was getting to be hard to strangers especially now a days. "You know he won't like this." Molly nodded, "I know. I can't leave them out there. Is he back?" Tom nodded putting his gun down. "He's really upset that you have been gone so long. Molly smiled before opening the door, "I figured. Rick yall come on in."
The house defiantly belonged to some rich person before the earth went to shit. Lori smiled at Carol, "I think I can get used to this." Carol said with a smile. Rick walked over to Molly who was hanging her sweater up, "Look we have one more man we left behind. He was out hunting but I left him a map to find his way here." Molly smiled, "I'll let Tom and Josh know." As Molly turned a voice Rick hadn't expected to hear caught his attention, "Molly are you ok?" He looked up to see Shane step into the room. Shane didn't even notice his old group standing all around him as he grabbed Molly pulling her into his arms. Molly smiled standing on her tip toes kissing him like it had been years since they had last seen each other. "Yeah I'm good. Damn walker spooked my horse and she knocked me off. Stupid ass killed Daisy." Shane sighed his eyes widening as started looking her over to make sure nothing was out of order. "Shane I'm fine. This guy helped me." Molly grabbed Rick's hand pulling him over. If Shane Walsh's face ever went pale white this was first time Rick had ever seen it. "Shane!" Rick said with a huge smile before looking at Molly, "He's your boyfriend?" Shane frowned, "well I certainly hope so or her boyfriend would really be pissed off seeing her kiss me." His voice had an icy tone in it letting Rick know that they were still on "Ex best friend" terms. Molly looked confused, "You all know each other?" Shane nodded looking at her gently pulling her against his side. "You know my old group? Well this is them." Molly looked genuinely shocked. Rick looked at his ex best friend sadly as Molly glanced at Lori who was holding a baby, "Is that her?" Shane nodded not even giving Lori and glance, "Good guess." He looked back at Molly, "How and why did you bring them here?" Molly looked at Rick who was silently thinking of how to ease this situation over. "They have kids Shane. I couldn't leave the out there on that highway. Rick caught me when I fell off that horse and saved me from that walker. You owe him." Shane looked down at Molly with a look of tender devotion that Rick had never once seen in his eyes. Shane hated to admit it but she was right Rick saved her and he did owe him. If something happened to Molly he might as well kill himself. She was the only thing he loved in this world. "Don't send them away." She whispered softly running her fingers through Shane's hair. Rick watched them closely with a sad expression. If he hadn't known better Rick would have thought it was Shane before the outbreak. He looked just like he used to. His dark hair was grown back out and he looked like he had been doing some serious working out. With a deep breath Rick stepped forward, "Shane, it was my fault she was late." Shane pressed his lips together before looking back at Rick with a softer expression. "Thanks man. Yall can stay a while." Rick smiled nodding as the rest of the group sighed happily. Shane glanced at Molly who Lori was giving a dark look. "Darlin go show everyone to their rooms please." Molly nodded with a smile leading everyone off.
Only Rick stayed behind watching as Shane shook his head running a hand through his hair. "Can we talk?" Shane turned before leaning against the door frame. He didn't say a word leaving Rick slightly annoyed. "So how did you meet Molly?" He finally asked. Rick had to revert to old tactics to get Shane to talk. Ask him about a girl he was with and he would talk. "I found her not long after I split with yall." Rick nodded, "Walkers took over…the whole place got burned down. I guess you were right it wasn't safe." Shane laughed, "Guess I wasn't so nuts after all. I see Lori had her baby." Rick nodded with a smile, "Yeah…he's defiantly mine. Got my eyes and features!" Shane raised an eye brow, "Yea? Well thank god for that." He was silently thanking god it wasn't his. He didn't want anything to do with having a kid with Lori now. "Molly's pregnant." Rick's smiled dropped and he looked at Shane closely. Shane didn't smile didn't act happy or anything. "Congratulations man! You excited?" Rick asked hoping to get some form of emotion from the man. Shane shrugged looking over his shoulder, "This isn't the best time to be having kids Rick. Look yall welcome to stay as long as you like. We have 3 rules. 1. I'm the boss. 2. Molly is 2nd in command and 3. Don't do anything stupid. That should pretty much cover everything else. Look man if shit starts happening whoever is starting it is going. Tell Lori to leave Molly alone. I seen how she looked at her and I'm not putting up with it and neither will Molly." Rick nodded, "I'll talk to her. Molly seems pretty tough." Shane smiled darkly. "You have no idea. That girl can kick my ass. That's just between you and me though." Rick laughed when Shane actually smiled.
After showing everyone to their rooms Molly was exhausted! She went to her and Shane's room and collapsed on the bed. All the excitement in one day had worn her out! After a few quiet moments Shane walked in and sat lay down beside her, "So he caught you?" He looked his girlfriend over. She was defiantly ten times prettier than Lori ever dreamed of being. "Yeah damn horse." Shane smiled gently kissing her, "Why don't you go on to bed darlin? You look beat." Molly shook her head sitting up, "I got too much to do before bed time." Shane sighed pulling her back down beside him. Molly could be too stubborn sometimes. "Look doll you're pregnant even though you don't look it at all. You need to relax." Molly rolled her eyes laying her head on his chest. She hated to admit that he was right. "Fine. But you aren't going anywhere." Shane pulled her tighter against him letting his hand fall to her stomach, "Molly you are going to have to start taking it easier. I don't want you goin off alone anymore. We were luck Rick was there to catch you. If you hit that ground the baby would have been gone." Molly smiled. So he actually did care about the baby! He never seemed really excited about it or let on that he really cared but that simple statement was everything she needed to hear. "We were lucky."
The next morning Molly walked down the stairs and was shocked to see Carol had already made breakfast. She smiled at Molly sweetly. "Good morning honey." Molly smiled, "Hi Carol." She already liked Carol the best. Carol seemed like the only genuine person other than Rick. She hadn't really got to know anyone else yet. Glenn and T-dog seemed nice enough and so did Herschel and his girls. As she stood surveying everyone the front door opened and Tom walked back in. "Shane some guy is here with a note from Rick Grimes." Shane looked at Rick, "We left Daryl directions how to get here." Shane nodded and gave Tom a look, "its cool man." Rick sighed knowing Daryl wouldn't be too happy with the guards at the door. "Get your hands off me." Daryl's angry voice shouted. "Good going Rick you bring us to the fucking god father's house. Oh…hey Shane." Shane smiled, "Sorry about the guards Daryl." Daryl looked at Tom than at Shane, "Glad he didn't try to shoot me again." Molly pushed past Tom with wide eyes looking at the man in front of her. Shane smiled, "Daryl this is my girl…" Daryl turned and his eyes got big. "MOLLY!" Molly smiled before rushing over to him throwing her arms around his shoulder. Shane frowned looking at Rick who looked as confused as everyone else. "Oh Daryl your alive! I never thought that I would see you again!" Shane stepped forward ready to peel Daryl off her. "How do you two know each other?" Molly smiled, "Shane this is my brother! The brother I told you that was dead." Everyone was looking at each other with wide eyes and open mouths. Rick started laughing, "I know why you looked familiar now Molly. Daryl you showed me that picture of her not long after we left the CDC." Daryl nodded, "Yeah your right. Don't worry Shane I wasn't trying to steal your girl. I ain't that big of white trash. Whoa…you two are dating. Eh…I don't like it" Molly smiled rolling her eyes, "Learn to like it. He's mine." Daryl nodded darkly as Carol handed him a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. "You look like you need food dear." Daryl nodded not saying a word but looked down at Carols cooking with a nod of approval. It was defiantly better than his cooking. Molly smiled as Carol offered her a plate. She looked down at the eggs before her face went pale. Her stomach started to churn at the sight of the eggs in front of her. She put a hand on her forehead trying to fight of the sick feeling but turned and bolted from the room before she got sick in front of everyone. Carol looked at Shane who was walking toward whatever direction Molly went in, "Did I do something wrong?" Shane shook his head, "Nah Carol your fine. She can't handle eggs right now. She's pregnant." He turned and walked from the room not staying for everyone's reactions. Lori looked like she could scream. Being in this damn house this close to Shane was making her all loopy with feelings for him. Now here he was having a baby with some girl that had to be 7 or 8 years younger than him. Rick leaned back looking at Daryl who was standing stiff as a board with his mouth open, "did he say pregnant?" Daryl finally asked. Rick nodded, "Yea…Congrats Daryl you are going to be an uncle." Daryl pulled out a chair, "I gotta sit down." Lori turned to Rick standing up angrily, "She's pregnant?!" Rick nodded giving Lori a displeased expression. "Yes Lori we have covered that. Everyone Molly is pregnant and it's Shane's. Anyone else have any questions regarding this?" Carl held up his hand but Rick shook his head, "Don't ask where babies come from." Carl put his hand down instantly and started to pout. Lori rolled her eyes, "Well this is just perfect." She turned and stormed out of the room leaving everyone else in silence.