Artwork can be found on the A03 Post.
Summary: The Dead are walking, changing the reality of everyday life at every turn. Every moment becomes a struggle, a fight for each breath taken. They're living in an apocalypse, and Rick Grimes finds himself struggling to find his place in his family and the group of people he's saved. Daryl Dixon wants to go back to the things he knew - solitary and his older brother. But the challenges of living in a dystopian world force them all to face their new realities in ways they would never have imagined. Because really, surviving the dead outside is nothing compared to surviving the dead inside.
A/N: Unbeta'd and just for fun! We do not know or own anything that has to do with The Walking Dead. We are just taking, and playing. Feedback fuels the fire and comments are greatly appreciated! 3 Jo & Dani
This is a co-written fanfiction. Jo (psychoticmidds - A03) will be writing for Daryl & Dani (lotrspnfangirl) will be writing for Rick.
-Rick-
Rick Grimes' life was falling apart. It was funny, really, since the entire world was in complete chaos, death becoming more prominent than life. Strangely enough, Rick could handle that. He knew how to shoot, how to protect and to serve. Aim for the head, watch your back and those you love. Easy, post-apocalyptic life was just the same as real life. And yet...
Rick exhaled slowly, letting himself sink down to the ground, back pressed up against the outside wall of the farmhouse. He glanced around the yard once, scanning the perimeter for any movement, before he allowed himself to drop his head into his hands. His life was falling apart.
Just behind the wall he was leaning on, Carl was laying with a bullet in him, a fever raging through him and struggling for every breath he was taking. His son had been shot by a man who had only been working to provide for himself and for his family. The man was doing exactly what Rick and Carl had been doing - hunting, surviving. It hadn't stopped Rick from returning the favor and putting a bullet into his chest, but Rick at least understood where he was coming from. A life for a life, reality, because although no one was saying it out loud, Rick wasn't sure if Carl was going to make it through this.
Rick felt his stomach churn and he pushed the thought away quickly, willing himself to look at the positive. They'd found this farm. The farm had a doctor, well, Vet. So luck had to be on their side, didn't it?
From above him, he heard a soft murmuring of voices, Lori singing softly at Carl's bedside and Rick focused on the sound of her voice instead. How many nights had he come home late to find her singing softly while Carl slept? If he closed his eyes he could almost picture himself leaning against Carl's bedroom door, Lori wearing her soft, pink nightgown, her fingers carding through Carl's baby soft hair as she sang. Life had been good, so very good. Though, Rick couldn't necessarily blame the Walkers on the strain between him and his wife.
A walker didn't ask Lori to spread her legs.
The sound of footsteps crunching across the gravel had Rick's attention snapping back up, his right hand shifting back to his hip, fingers already wrapped around the butt of his pistol. Daryl, the redneck's bow-brother raised an eyebrow, eyes darting from Rick's hand to Rick's face before he nodded once.
"You comin' or what?" Rick nodded at the question and pushed himself up from the ground.
"I'm ready," he cleared his throat and Daryl stared at him a second more before shaking his head and pressing on down the path to the front of the house. Rick sighed, kicking at the gravel with his boot. Maybe he should check on Carl one more time... just in case. But the thought of seeing Lori, her large, brown eyes pleading with him, begging him for forgiveness or absolution for whatever fucking excuse she would come up with now, made his blood boil.
If he couldn't shoot her, he might as well shoot a walker. He followed after Daryl who was waiting impatiently at his motorcycle, arms crossed tight over his chest.
"Just us?" Daryl asked.
Rick looked around at their group and the group that was living at the farm- Glenn was fast, but he needed him here to watch out for the rest of them. Carol was watching Sophia, Andrea was a joke and Shane... Well, if Shane went, he would end up being the target. "Just us," Rick echoed and Daryl shrugged, swinging his leg over his bike and starting up the engine. Rick checked the backseat of the small Ford the farmer Hershel lent them to make sure his rifle and extra ammo were in the backseat before he slid in and started the ignition. He tipped his head to Daryl and pulled out of the driveway after him.
-Daryl-
Nodding back at Rick, Daryl revved the engine of his brother's motorcycle, tearing across the gravel of the driveway. He was still unsure of Rick and the rest of the group, but with Merle gone, there was nothin' else for him. Dodging in and out of abandoned vehicles, Daryl threw a glance over his shoulder to see how Rick was fairin' through the unmoving traffic. So far so good. Didn't need to be wasting time movin' vehicles if they could help it.
The farmer had given them a list of medical supplies he would need to save Carl's life; Daryl had only agreed to go to get out. He couldn't sit round that farm and do nothin', it would drive him crazy. Comin' to a tight fit, Daryl brought the bike to a stop and swung his leg round, dismounting from the bike. Rick parked the Ford and climbed from the driver's seat to help Daryl move the cars off to the side of the road. Daryl drew his knife as he approached the vehicle on the right, looking at Rick to make sure he was ready, just in case a walker came tumbling out the door when Daryl opened it.
Silently, Rick gave Daryl the signal and he threw open the door; the smell of rotted flesh hit him hard, but the corpse inside remained still and lifeless. Covering his nose and mouth, Daryl coughed, and with his free hand, he reached into the car, pushin' the corpse out of his way. Prying open the lower panel beneath the steering wheel, he exposed the wires he needed and struck them together. The engine sputtered and faltered.
"Come on..." Daryl grumbled, trying it again. The engine sputtered once more before it revved to life. "Got it!" Switching the gear into neutral, he called over his shoulder,"Push!"
Rick went to the back of the Sedan and began to push while Daryl steered the vehicle to the side of the road, effectively moving it out of their way. Daryl shifted the gear into park and moved out of the car. Straightening up, he noticed a walker that they had managed to catch the attention of. Sliding the crossbow from his back, Daryl quickly docked an arrow and took the shot. The arrow flew through the air, piercin' through the skull of the walker, squirting blood from the wound as the corpse fell lifelessly to the ground. Slinging the bow back onto his shoulder, Daryl assessed the clearing. "Think ya' can manage to get through?" he questioned Rick, unsure of the pig's driving skills. Rick took his own glance at the clearing momentarily before he spoke:
"I think I can manage." Daryl shrugged his shoulders, doubting the pig and returned to his bike. Swinging his leg over and taking his seat, he looked back, watching Rick get into the Ford and drive through the clearance, proving Daryl wrong. Knocking the kickstand back, Daryl straightened the bike out and took off, racing out in front of Rick and taking the lead once again. The town wasn't too far from the farm and when they arrived there was still a lot of daylight left for them to search with.
Killing the engine, Daryl lowered the kickstand and set the handles down before he looked over to the Ford, waiting for Rick. Silently, Daryl hoped that the pig's emotions wouldn't get in the way and possibly put them at risk because his mind was on his son and not the task at hand. Daryl couldn't even begin to understand what that was like, and honestly, he didn't care to understand. This was the guy that had left his brother handcuffed to a roof and left Merle behind to die. Yeah, so Rick had went back, so what? That was only because he felt guilty, not because he cared if Merle survived or not. So why the hell was it Daryl's problem to care if Rick's son lived or died?
Honestly, it wasn't Daryl's problem, but as much as he loathed Rick for what he did to Merle, he couldn't let an innocent kid suffer. Rick motioned for Daryl to follow, pulling his revolver, and Daryl drew his crossbow, taking a moment to dock an arrow before catching up to the pig.
"Check the pharmacy first?" Daryl asked, keeping his voice low and trying not to draw any unwanted attention from any walkers that may have been nearby. Rick curtly nodded his head in response and headed across the desolate streets which were littered with trash, crashed vehicles, dried blood pools, and lifeless corpses. Daryl thought he would have gotten used to the silence by now of the ghosts towns, it was eerie. At the same time, it made hearing the walkers all the easier. Approaching the door. Daryl took the left side while Rick took theright; the two exchanged a glance, letting each other know they were ready.
Daryl used the end of the crossbow to bash against the door, and the two waited to listen to any sound coming from within before proceeding. A few dull thuds came from the other side of the door; it sounded like there were two, maybe three, nothing the two of them couldn't handle. Rick looked to Daryl, wrapping a hand around the doorknob, Daryl pushed off the side of the building and moved to the other side.
Daryl's finger rested on the trigger, prepared to shoot once Rick opened the door. The arrow flew off the bow the second the door was opened, striking through the first walker's skull, while Rick used his knife to take down the other. Daryl didn't waste time docking another arrow, and instead used the end of the bow to bash the final walker's skull in. Stepping over the lifeless corpse, Daryl grabbed the end of the arrow and tugged it free, blood squirting out. Rick stepped past Daryl and headed into the building, digging out a piece of paper Hershel listed what he needed on, and began to search.
Daryl stood at the entrance of the store, watching out for walkers and giving Rick the time and freedom he needed to concentrate. Shifting back and forth from foot to foot, Daryl's eyes scanned the area and noticed something shuffling around from inside a nearby store. It was probably more walkers, but they seemed trapped inside so he put it out of his thoughts and let his gaze continue to scan the rest of the surroundings and back again. Rick swore loudly and something clattered to the ground.
Daryl turned his head and looked over his shoulder to check on the pig; he was alright, it seemed like he had dropped something because he had too much stuff loaded in his arms. With a roll of his eyes and a soft scoff, Daryl moved out of position and grabbed a shopping cart, rolling it over to Rick so it stopped at the pig's feet.
"Thanks," Rick grumbled, unloading everything from his arms into the cart.
"Mhm..." Daryl grunted and went back to his post, noticing the figure he had seen before in the nearby store was now gone. Furrowing his brow, Daryl rationalized with himself before jumping to conclusions; the walker could have moved to a different part of the store, nothing to worry about. Daryl willed himself to settle down and not let his paranoia get the best of him, even if was other people, would it be such a big deal to run into them?
"I told you someone was in there." Daryl heard a man say, not talking all that quietly from behind a vacant vehicle. Why were they hiding? Something didn't set right with Daryl about this. Looking back, Daryl let out a soft whistle, snapping Rick's attention to him. He motioned out the door with his head before Daryl turned his neck back into position and lifted his crossbow.
Thankfully, the pig had some knowledge of signals and came quickly to Daryl's side, pulling his revolver once more.
"Show yourselves," Rick barked out with that authoritative tone every pig possessed. Demanding to be respected and obeyed; even Daryl's body tensed for a minute before it relaxed with ease. For now, Rick was on his side.
-Rick-
Rick's heart was pounding in his chest, beating against his ribcage. He swallowed hard, willing himself to calm down as he peered out of the doorway, eyes scanning the pavement before their storefront. Beside him, Daryl was still and Rick had to glance down at his stomach for a moment to see if he was even still breathing. He snapped his attention back to the parking lot when they heard the scraping of boots on the pavement- he could be impressed with Daryl's stealth skills later.
Daryl's eyes were darting back and forth and his fingers twitched against his bow. "Is there another door?"
Rick shook his head once. While he'd been collecting the medications Hershel had listed, he'd seen the service door-completely blocked off with heavy metal shelves and in no way an easily accessible entrance. The only way they would be leaving was the door they were standing out, same with anyone wanting to come in. Daryl nodded once, just a slight movement of his head, and then squinted. Rick's eyes flicked to where he thought Daryl was looking. An abandoned car, their own vehicles, but no movement.
The twang of Daryl's bow made Rick jump and he was further impressed when he heard the curse from behind the car.
"Okay! Okay!" A deep voice called out, two hands appearing from over the hood of the car. Daryl had a small smirk on his face and together they watched as a short, stocky man pushed forward, Daryl's arrow sticking out from the top of his shoe.
"Missed," Daryl shrugged, cocking another arrow, his eyes staring at the man's left foot.
"Where's your friend?" Rick shifted slightly, making sure his body was behind the metal door frame, his eyes scanning the length of the car the man had emerged from. The man looked confused, opening his mouth to argue he was alone, and in tandem, Rick raised his pistol as Daryl raised his bow. Rick could see the man swallow hard, could practically feel the man's fear pouring off of him in waves as he stared back at them. It made Rick feel something he hadn't in a while - in power, in control. It felt so damn good. "Step forward."
"Slowly," Daryl added, voice low and threatening. Rick almost smiled at the look that crossed over the strangers face before he bent down and yanked up his partner. The two men stood side by side, half their bodies blocked by the abandoned car.
Rick waved his pistol, the first man jumping slightly as he followed the instruction and started shifting out from behind the second man hesitated and Rick's attention was instantly locked on him.
The first man, overweight, scared and seemingly a push over. He would be easy to get information out of, easy to handle. The second was the wild card and Rick was not interested in playing that game. He cleared his throat, making sure the sound carried over the parking lot and the second man's eyes pinned him with a heavy glare as he shuffled to the side. Daryl clicked his tongue beside him, his fingers twitching against the bow.
"Don't trust them," Daryl whispered and Rick fought the urge to roll his eyes.
"I don't trust anyone," he answered back and Daryl snorted.
The first man was fully cleared from the car, his hands shaking as his eyes flickered between Daryl and Rick. The second man stopped again and Rick tightened his hold on his gun, adrenaline suddenly back full force and pounding through his veins. It happened quickly; two shots, a scream, and a twang from Daryl's bow. Rick exhaled slowly, lowering his gun to point to the ground as he stepped out of the doorway, eyes scanning the area for any walkers drawn to the sound of the guns.
He knew, without looking, that Daryl was just behind him, didn't need to ask if he was okay. They'd gotten their shots out first, the second man's shot going wide over Rick's own head. Rick stared down at the corpses, two new decorations from the street and shook his head.
"Come on," he said cleared his throat and turned on his heel, shoving his pistol into the back of his jeans."I've almost gotten everything."
-Daryl-
Daryl lowered the crossbow, following after Rick back into the pharmacy, resuming his position by the door. The gunshots would have drawn the attention of the walkers, not leaving them much more time to gather many more supplies.
"Hurry up," Daryl muttered pointedly towards Rick as the pig went back into the aisles to grab whatever was left on the list. Daryl paced again, beginning to become impatient, starting to believe Rick was taking his sweet ass time on purpose. Huffing in frustration, and he craned his neck trying to get a look at what the pig was doing. Hearing the sounds of growls coming toward the pharmacy, he snapped his head in the other direction instead. "Shit," Daryl swore under his breath; time was up and the dead were upon them. "Rick!"
Docking arrow after arrow, Daryl started to release them upon the animated corpses that were closing in on them. 'The hell is he?' Daryl wondered to himself, not allowing himself to let his gaze leave the walkers. Docking the last arrow, he shot it off and lowered the crossbow and reached for his knife, hearing the familiar sound of Rick's revolver firing from behind him, taking out the walkers one by one, and littering the streets with even more corpses. The last one fell and Daryl walked out of the pharmacy, retrieving the bolts from the skulls of the fallen bodies, then turned on Rick upon hearing the wheels of the cart rattling, his temper flaring.
"The hell were you?" he yelled, ready to throw a punch at the pig for leaving him hanging the way he had.
"You had it handled," Rick shrugged his shoulders and Daryl locked his jaw and swung a fist at the pig; Rick stepped out of the way, grabbing on to his wrist and twisted Daryl's arm behind his back, restraining him. "Calm down," Rick stated smoothly, Daryl struggled to break the grip.
"Screw you! Let go of me! "
"I will, once you settle down," the pig stated calmly, waiting for Daryl to stop struggling before letting him go. Daryl pulled away with a huff, venomously staring Rick down, hating how easily the pig could overpower him. Merle would never let him live this down if he knew about this. Storming away from Rick, instead of helping him load the supplies to the trunk, he went to his bike and mounted it. He kicked the ignition, drawing Rick's gaze to him; his eyes narrowing at Daryl lightly.
"Aren't you going to give me a hand?"
"You got it handled," Daryl spat back mockingly, knocking back the kickstand with his foot and tearing off, leaving Rick behind. Some part of him wanted to keep on going right on past the farm; there was no reason to be there, Daryl knew he didn't fit in with the rest and he had no desire to fit in with them either. Somewhere along the road he heard the engine of the Ford catching up to him before passing him by.
Angrily, Daryl threw the bird at the pig, revved his engine and sped out in front of the Ford; it became a race and before Daryl knew, they were back on the farm's property. Cursing under his breath, Daryl cut off the engine, knowing there wasn't much gas to get him far away now. He waited for Rick to step out of the truck. "You can go by yourself, next time," Daryl spat at the pig and dismounted his bike, storming off away from the farm house and separating himself from Rick.
Adrenaline and fury pumped through Daryl's entire body, drawing the attention of the other members of the group who were setting up camp outside a few yards from the barn. Getting as far away as possible from the rest without actually leaving the property, Daryl gazed at the woods and headed into the trees, figuring he would take his frustration out as he hunted down some supper for himself.
A few hours later, Daryl returned, the bodies of squirrels lying limply on a string against his back. Frustration was still churning inside of him. He headed at first to his own space but noticed the others had managed to get a fire started. Daryl could have made his own, but instead he decided to go to the others, not entirely sure why. The kids had no food... yeah, that was the reason.
"Did you hear Daryl? Carl's going to make it! You helped save him," the small girl named Sophia praised and Daryl sneered at her.
"Didn't do shit," he said roughly, slinging the squirrels from his shoulder.
-Rick-
Rick exhaled a breath he hadn't known he was holding and felt himself collapse back against the wall.
Carl was going to be okay. Carl was going to survive.
"We're still not a hundred percent... but, like I said, his fever has broken. I am impressed you managed to find some antibiotics as well..." Hershel was continuing, his fingers tracing over the bottle of Cipro Rick had managed to find, a small smile on his face.
"But he's going to be okay?" Lori's voice broke through Rick's joy, managing to draw up the anger he'd pushed down for the last three hours he'd been sitting beside her at Carl's side. When they weren't sure, they shared something. They shared their love for Carl, their fear for his safety, and for a while, Rick could just pretend that they were two worried parents, clinging to hope and desperation for their only child. Now that Carl was safe and thank God for that, the choking feelings of hatred and disgust Rick held for his wife started to creep back in.
"Yes, I think he is going to be just fine." Rick gave Hershel a tight smile and the older man excused himself from the room, shutting the door softly behind him.
"Oh, Rick," Lori's voice broke and he glanced at her, her large, brown eyes swimming with tears. She reached for him, taking one of his hands in both of hers and let out a small sob. "He's going to be okay, he's really going to make it."
"I know, I heard the Doc," Rick replied, pulling his hand away from her, surprised at himself for the lack of vehemence in the action. For her part, Lori looked as if he had just slapped her and it almost made Rick laugh. Did she really think...?
"I think we should talk now..." Yeah. She did. Rick shook his head, staring at her in disbelief.
"About what, Lori? What could you possibly have to say to me?"
"That I'm sorry?" She shrugged, eyes searching his. "That I love you and I made a mistake? That I... I thought you were dead, so did Carl and I-"
"Opened your legs to the first willing man who would have you?" Rick cut her off quickly, shoving out of the chair he was sitting in. He stood over her and she curled in on herself, arms coming around her stomach protectively and it made him feel sick. "Seriously, Lori?" he asked, spinning away from her to stand by the window. "I have never hit you. Not once. So you can act the victim all you want, but I was the one that was abandoned."
"I had to get Carl to safety!" Lori hissed and Rick closed his eyes.
"I know, Lori. And I am glad you did. You had to get him out. You did not have to fuck my best friend two weeks into a fucking apocalypse." he turned again, pinning her with a cold stare."You think that maybe finding shelter, food, a weapon to protect your son would've been more important than opening your fucking legs?"
Lori stood up quickly, her hand darting out and clapping across his cheek. Rick gave a soft laugh but raised his hand to catch her wrist when she moved to slap him again.
"You can be pissed all you want Lori, I would be if I decided to whore myself out before I even knew if my husband's body was cold or if my son was safe."
"Well, he got shot on your watch, not on mine," Lori whispered back, handshaking in his grasp. They stared at each other, both of them breathing hard, the soft sound of the IV bag Hershel had set up dripping was the only other sound in the room. Rick glanced at Lori's ring, the diamond she wore reflecting in the soft candlelight and he reached up with his free hand, slipping it from her finger. "What- Rick, you can't-"
"I can," he argued, gripping the ring in his fist and releasing her. "Unlike you, Lori? I know what's going on out there. So we're going to stick together, we are going to have each other's backs and more importantly? We're going to make sure that Carl is kept safe and fed until this entire fucked up situation has been fixed. It's us against them Lori, and even though your heart is cold as stone? You're still alive. That means you're not completely useless. We are not, however, married and the conversations between us will be purely business or about Carl and his safety."
"Rick... Please..." Lori whispered, tears swimming in her eyes. "I love you..."
"No, Lori. You love yourself, and you loved our life. If you loved me? We wouldn't be having this conversation." Rick turned, shoving Lori's ring and his own deep into his pocket before crossing to the bed and kissing Carl's forehead. "I'll be back, buddy," he said against Carl's ear and then he slipped out of the room, leaving Lori alone.
-Daryl-
"Could you please not use that language around my daughter?" The woman with the dike haircut asked, and Daryl shot a glare at her.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Daryl spat incredulously, dropping the squirrels on the ground completely, no longer caring about them. He couldn't believe this woman. Wasn't she the one that had an abusive husband that cursed her out and beat her down? Now she had the balls to tell Daryl to watch his language.
"Hey man, have some respect. She asked you nicely to watch your language." The second pig, Shane, jumped into the confrontation, laying a hand on Daryl's chest, and he slapped it away
"Don't touch me," Daryl snapped darkly at Shane. "Your boyfriend's not around to back you up," he threatened.
"Both of you stop, you're scaring Sophia!" The protest fell on deaf ears and Shane reached out for Daryl's shoulder, trying once more to settle him down. Daryl moved away from the attempted contact and punched Shane in the jaw, surprising everyone around the fire; the pig rubbed at his jaw, checking his hand for blood.
"Screw ya'll," Daryl muttered, picking up the squirrels from the ground. That was the last time he was going to do anything for them; storming off, Daryl returned to his own area. Putting aside the squirrels, he went to fetch his own firewood and start his own could starve now, for all he cared.
Daryl was roasting the first squirrel when Shane approached him, "The hell you want?"
"We need to talk about your attitude..."
"My attitude?" Daryl interrupted witha scoff at the pig.
"Yes, your attitude and lack of respect for everyone in this group." Shane barked, and Daryl rolled his eyes.
"If anyone deserved respect, maybe I'd give it to em'," Daryl replied coyly, turning over the squirrel roasting on the open fire.
"Seems like you respect Rick some," Shane pushed a button and Daryl got in the pig's face, ready to strike him again.
"Rick can go fuck himself... or wait... it's your job to fuck him. Ain't it?" Shane threw the first punch and the two of them began to brawl. Abruptly, he felt himself yanked back and an arm wrapping around his neck.
"That's enough!" Rick's voice spat, holding Daryl back, but he was screaming at Shane.
-Rick-
Rick had his arm around Daryl, the shorter man gripping his forearm, almost painfully as he struggled to calm himself down-or possibly get out of the hold and kick Rick's ass as well as Shane's."I said enough," Rick hissed as Shane took another step forward.
"This punk-" Shane started and Rick was quick, drawing his pistol and stopping Shane mid-sentence and mid-step.
"I said enough."
"Rick," Shane's voice was soft, eyes trailing from the gun back up to Rick's face. "You're seriously going to pull a gun on me? Me? Your brother?"
Rick felt himself laugh and Daryl took the moment to slip out from under Rick's arms, still breathing heavy as he watched the two of them pair off. "My brother? My brother, Shane?" Rick asked, voice soft. He saw Shane flinch and knew he heard every single word as well as the ones he had yet to say.
"Rick, come on, man. This isn't about us..." Shane shook his head, holding his hands out before him. "I'm just taking care of a 'lil problem over in the group."
"I don't care what you were doing." Rick shrugged and slowly lowered his gun, placing it back in his pants."Far as I'm concerned, you can go and fuck yourself. The only reason I haven't shot you, you backstabbing son of a bitch, is because you know how to aim and to shoot and can do a hell of a lot to keep this group safe."
Shane stared back at him, something Rick couldn't decipher crossing over his features before he sighed, dropping his hands to shove into his jean pockets. He looked away from Rick, rocking back on his heels.
"Can you two have your lovers spat elsewhere? This is my spot," Daryl broke the sudden silence and Rick jumped, completely forgetting that he had been there. Shane's face snapped up and he glared at the other man.
"I came out here for you, actually," Rick replied, turning back to Shane. "You can leave."
"You're not the fucking boss, Rick. We're partners, brothers!" Shane hissed, taking a step forward and Rick was quick to close the distance between them, towering over Shane as they met chest to chest.
"You're nothing to me, Shane, except a means to an end. This case? Safety. So go make yourself useful and get the fuck out of my sight before I change my mind and do decide to shoot you."
"Get off your fucking high-horse, Rick," Shane muttered, shoving Rick's chest as he turned. "You'll get over it soon enough and you'll come crawling back. No matter what you say not? We are brothers, our blood runs blue, and you can never change that."
Rick watched as Shane stalked off, kicking the gravel with his boots and sending small rocks skittering across the lawn. The area around them became silent, save the crackling of the fire and sizzling of the meat Daryl was cooking in the fire. Rick took a deep breath and turned slowly, crouching down to his knees so he was the same height as Daryl who was still on the ground, now tending to his dinner.
"Carl is going to be just fine," Rick started and he took Daryl's grunt as a good enough response. "Just wanted to tell you thank you. I wouldn't have been able to do that without you."
-Daryl-
"Don't need ta' thank me..." He shrugged it off, eyes set on the squirrel, body tensed. He didn't need to overhear any of what was said between Shane and Rick; he didn't care about their problems or their bromance. Made Daryl sick to his stomach, actually. "Keep your boyfriend away from me."
"He's not my boyfriend," Rick shot back. "He was my best friend before he decided to sleep with my wife." Daryl didn't respond; he removed the cooked squirrel from the fire and bit into it. He was acting as if he didn't care, but he wondered to himself how someone claimed to be your best friend did something like that.
"You need better friends," Daryl muttered, his mouth full of squirrel meat. Then he motioned to the rest of the pile. "I ain't gonna eat that all," was his way of telling Rick to take it back to the others so they could eat.
Rick shook his head with a light chuckle, "Don't I know it." The pig picked up the pile of squirrels and put a hand on Daryl's shoulder, which the redneck pulled away from. "I didn't mean to leave you hanging back there. I knew we didn't have time and I had to get the rest of the medicine. I'm sorry." Daryl's eyes shifted and caught Rick's gaze at last and he grunted in response.
The pig left Daryl alone after that, and he finished the squirrel, using the fire to keep himself warm. Leaning back against the trunk of a nearby tree, Daryl pulled his crossbow on his lap, eyes set on the woods. Looking and listening, fully aware of every movement and sound that came from the tree line. Bored and restless, Daryl kept his crossbow close, deciding to take a walk around the farm and get a feel for the perimeter.
Daryl found himself by the farm house and he peeked through the window to check on Rick's boy. What Daryl saw in the room made his stomach drop in disgust; Shane had his arms around Lori, kissing her neck, and a hand on Carl's head petting him almost possessively.
Forcing himself to turn away, Daryl hurried away from the window, mind reeling. Rick really didn't have Shane at his side like Daryl had assumed, and he was sure the pig had no idea what was going on inside at that moment. Maybe... Maybe Rick did need Daryl to have his back. Just for now, least until Daryl found some other group or even Merle.
Catching Rick heading for the house, Daryl hurried to stop him; Rick didn't need to walk in on that shit. "Rick?" he called out for the pig's attention, " Want to do a perimeter scope with me? Get a lay of the land? Just in case the shit hits the fan?"
"Can it wait? I want to check on Carl," Rick tried to walk around him and Daryl stopped him again.
"Ain't nothin you can do for him. Kid needs his rest, and you need a distraction. " Daryl was being forward, but something he had said managed to make it through that thick head of Rick's.
"Alright, fine," Rick breathed out a heavy sigh and followed after Daryl. He was never one for small talk, so awkwardly, Daryl walked at Rick's side, looking around the property. "Land is pretty large, I don't think Hershel knows what he's got here. Or what the danger is." Daryl grunted in response, letting Rick ramble. At least his mind was on something else. "Soon as Carl's on his feet we'll be moving on."
"Where?" Daryl finally spoke and Rick shook his head; Daryl could tell how lost he was.
"Shane wants to go to Fort Benning..." Rick began. He didn't need to say that he didn't want to go with him, Daryl could read it in his expression. They finished walking the perimeter and headed back, Daryl saw both Shane and Lori were now with the rest of the group and no longer plastered against each other.
"See you in the mornin'," Daryl grumbled, leaving Rick's side and going back to his own space to sit back down against the trunk of the tree. He stared out at the tree line until he fell asleep.
-Rick-
Rick sighed, running a hand through his hair as he walked away from Daryl and towards the rest of the group, his eyes immediately zoning in on Lori and Shane. When they saw him, they separated, Shane slipping around the back of the group to where Glenn was checking their ammo supply. Lori stiffened but threw him a small smile when he approached. They honestly thought he was stupid, thought he hadn't seen that they were standing beside one of another?
Rick fought the urge to roll his eyes as he walked up beside her, crossing his arms over his chest immediately. "How's Carl?"
"Hershel says he's doing well. Fever hasn't come back and when he changed the dressing, everything looked good." Rick nodded once and went to move on, Lori's hand immediately stopping him. "Rick..."
"Don't, Lori. Unless you want to talk about Carl? Let go of my arm." From across the group, Rick met Shane's eyes, saw the way Shane's neck muscles flexed, the way his eyes narrowed as he looked between Rick's eyes and Lori's hand on his arm. Rick stared him down, daring him to say something, to make a move. The rest of the group seemed oblivious to the tension stretching across their fire, Carol and Sophia laughing along with Andrea who was animatedly telling stories about her childhood, Glenn still chatting away about their ammunition and the guns he'd managed to score in their last trip out to town.
"Rick, we need to talk about this," Lori whispered, fingers tightening. Rick sighed and turned, shaking his head.
"We already talked about this Lori, and this isn't the place or the time to rehash it all." He said finally, staring at her until she nodded and let her hand slip free. "I'll be doing first perimeter." He pushed away from her, dropping to a crouch by the fire and accepting a squirrel Carol had cooked for him. He nodded his thanks, stopped by Glenn and Shane to discuss their patrol plan, and then left the group behind. He relaxed immediately once he was outside of the heat and the light from the fire, taking solace in the cool, dark of the night.
The farm yard was quiet-most of the animals that Hershel had living on the farm, they'd butchered already, smoked and stored. The rest were kept locked in their pens, extra layers around their shelters to block most of their sounds. Rick hadn't been around many farms, but it surprised him how quiet this one actually was. It took him a moment, and he had to hold his breath, in order to hear the distant singing of the crickets in the fields.
He made his way around the vegetable patch, eyes scanning over the crops, thriving in the summer sunshine. Hershel's daughters spent hours out in this garden during the day, weeding and watering, picking and storing the crops they harvested. Rick wasn't even going to pretend to believe he understood everything they were doing, but he made a mental note to ask if Carol or Andrea or maybe even Dale knew anything about gardening. If they ever found a place to call their own, it would be necessary for their survival.
A soft cracking from the treeline behind him had Rick's heart racing and his eyes immediately trailed along the fence line. He held his breath, listening hard, eyes focusing on where the continued cracking was coming from. He sighed softly when a deer - emaciated and timid- broke through the trees. He watched it as it picked along the overgrown grass, looking for food, it's ears and eyes trained on its surroundings just as Rick's own were.
Finally, the creature looked up, spotted Rick and froze, eyes wide and terrified. Rick shifted on his feet, and it bolted, leaving Rick completely alone again. Rick was surprised at the feeling of longing that hit him when the deer was out of sight. He'd always thought himself as a fighter, a lion if you will, but life has a funny way of showing you just how weak you are. Rick sighed and closed his eyes.