"This is just how I wanted to die." Rick thought morbidly as he hid from the walkers that were slowly approaching. Of all the events of his life this had to be the worst! Thankfully Glenn happened to find him.
"You are more than welcome to come back to our camp. There's quite a few people. It's pretty much safety in numbers these days." Glenn said with a smile. Rick nodded. That was pretty much obvious now. Rick new without a doubt he shouldn't stay alone for long periods of time. Not every town would have a spare tank or two waiting for him to crawl into. "Ok. I may not stay to long though. I have to find my family. I have to find them." Glenn nodded sympathetically. He didn't want to tell this guy he was probably looking for ghosts. It would be the practical thing to do but it wouldn't help Rick's mental state. "Fair enough. Hey I may help you look for them. We got a few guys back at camp that could help out." Rick looked thankful at the response. "I would appreciate it. My kids mean everything to me." Glenn smiled as they walked in silence the remaining way to the camp sight. No one else had much to say. After the whole fiasco with Merle what could be said? No words could really change their situation. "So tell me about your family." Glenn said with a gentle smile. "I got a wife. My kids...I got a 12 year old boy and a 18 year old daughter. My wife and I started out kinda early on the girl. She was a high school surprise. Wouldn't take it back for a moment though. I grew up with that kid. She more like my best friend than my kid. My son he's your basic 12 year old. He was getting into baseball. I was lookin forward to all the games and everything." Glenn nodded sadly. He could feel the despair in Rick's voice.
Once at the camp Rick watched quietly as everyone did their own things. His heart was still heavy about not finding his family back in King County. As he stood quietly a voice caught his attention. "DAD?" He looked up to see Carl and Lori standing a few feet away with wide eyes and open mouths. They wasted no time in running to him. Rick felt the happy tears running down his face as he pulled them into his arms. "Oh my god! Your alive! Rick we have been so worried!" Lori cried as she held her husband. He gently kissed her than held Carl. "I don't know what happened. I woke up and all these zombies were running around trying to eat me. I went home and you all weren't there. Where's Madeline?" He looked up nervously praying that she wasn't dead. After looking around a few moments he spotted her curly light brown hair. She stood with Shane talking quietly. Rick took a deep breath happy to see his best friend was alive too. Carl looked at his sister with a smile. "Madeline look!" Madeline and Shane both looked at Rick and had the same expressions. Madeline gave Shane a smile before taking off to Rick and jumping in his arms. "Daddy your alive!" She whimpered hugging him as tightly as she could. Rick tried as hard as he could to fight back crying like a baby. Of all the night he had spent alone praying his family was alive this was the answer he needed. They were alive, well, and for the most part safe.
Rick spent the next few hours catching up with his family. He didn't want to let them go. Some part of him thought this was all a dream and he would wake up alone in Atlanta or somewhere else. Thankfully, that didn't happen. They stayed exactly where he saw them. Lori told him how horrifying the whole ordeal had been for everyone and if Shane hadn't saved them they would all be dead. Rick felt so much gratitude to Shane he couldn't express the words.
As the evening progressed and Rick got to meet everyone in the camp he slowly began to relax. Madeline sat a few feet away talking to a little girl introduced to Rick as Sophia. Shane slowly walked behind Madeline and leaned down to whisper something in her ear. Madeline looked at him nodding before standing up to follow him into the woods. Rick frowned slightly looking at Lori. Lori sat with wide eyes knowing all hell was going to break loose son. Carl looked at Sophia with a nervous expression that mirrored her own. Rick stood and followed his daughter and best friend as quietly as possible.
Madeline followed Shane to a small clearing in the thick forest. The sun had went down and peacefully dusky twilight had descended on the camp. Fireflies flickered on and off in the meadow. If Madeline hadn't known better she could say she was on camping trip and everything was normal. Normal what a funny word she thought sadly. Now she didn't really know the meaning of it anymore. Shane turned to her with a worried expression on his face. He hadn't said anything yet which made Madeline wonder why he drug her out here. She took a breath, "You told me he was dead Shane." Shane looked down, "Maddy I thought he was dead. I have told you the story." Madeline nodded, "I know you have. I'm not angry with you." Shane nodded running a hand through his hair. "What about us?" Madeline frowned stepping closer, "What do you mean?" She didn't like the expression on his face. It was something she had seen on him so many times. Shane cleared his throat nervously. "You dad isn't going to like the fact that we are together. Hell your mom about attacked me with a scrub board." Madeline smiled wanting to say. "Well that's how we do it in Georgia." However she had enough since to know Shane wouldn't be amused. "Shane we have been through so much the past couple of months. I'm not giving you up if that is what you are hinting at." Shane shook his head. That thought hadn't even crossed his mind. He just knew how Rick would see it. Rick knew Shane never kept a girlfriend for longer than 6 months and if they didn't keep his lights out they were gone quicker. "That's not what I said Maddy. I'm just not lookin forward to being shot." Madeline laughed slightly as she put her arms around Shane's waist. "He should be happy. He knows you. Dad knows you are capable of keeping me safe. What better of a match could someone want for their daughter?" Shane sighed resting his forehead against hers. "He knows my history." Madeline took a deep breath, "You've changed. All this that has happened has changed us all. He has to realize things aren't what they were before."
Rick watched with a open mouth as Shane kissed Madeline. He felt almost dizzy. Shane had been there when Madeline was born. Hell he had been there all of her life. This was wrong on so many levels Rick thought sadly. Worst off Lori was letting this happen! True Shane would be good for her in the sense he could protect her. However, knowing Shane wasn't the most "stable" of a partner a woman could have didn't help Rick's thinking. True Madeline was 18 and could date whoever she wanted but that didn't mean Rick couldn't put his 2 cents in. This was his daughter for Christ sakes. The girl that he pretty much raised because Lori didn't want to take care of a baby at 16. If he hadn't stepped in and taken his time to raise her it would have been up to Lori's crazy mother. This was probably the reason Madeline was so close to him and not her mother. He quickly walked back to camp before Shane and Madeline would know he was there.
He would talk to Lori about this little detail that no one had mentioned to him. Hell even Carl knew. He could see it on his sons face when Madeline left with Shane. As angry as he was part of Rick said. "If she is happy I will have to get over it." He couldn't keep her from growing up. She was an adult now and he knew this day would come soon enough. However, he didn't think it would be now and with Shane. He had expected some boy from one of Madeline's college classes or something. With a deep breath he walked back into the camp and sat down by Lori.