So I've been obsessed with the Walking Dead lately. Watched all seasons on netflix and now im onto season five. I'm a huge BETHYL shipper. (even though its a ghost ship...it still goes on) But I also love DarylxOc stories. So this is my shot at one. We shall see how it goes.

I carefully placed the last of my clothes into the last suitcase before zipping it. I straightened, before cricking my neck. My eyes roved the bedroom, searching for anything I may have forgotten. Dirty laundry heaped in a hamper in the far corner caught my eye.

"Whoops" I mutter to myself. I'm a terrible housewife...

My eyes glided over to the wedding photo on the bedside table. A newly married couple grinned at the photographer. They both glowed in the picture, the man holding his bride tightly in his arms. It's been a little under a year since that photo was taken, but we were still in the blissful 'Honeymoon' phase.

"You have everything ready to go?" I heard my husband. I turned to the bedroom doorway, to see him leaning casually against it, his arms crossed. He wore a small smile.

"Yes. Everything's packed and ready to go" I smiled. I felt it slip as I looked back at all my packed bags. I had all my clean clothes packed into them. I would be gone for a minimum of four months while my husband stayed behind. Four months that we would be apart.

"Hey now. It's only a few months. And we agreed we would trade weekends to visit each other. You are only going to Atlanta. It's not that far away" He tried to reassure me as he held me.

"Weekends that would both work for us," I grumbled against his shoulder. "You are a cop who works shift work. I'm a Doctor who works shift work. There will be weekends where we won't be able to see each other." I heaved a miserable sigh.

He gently pulled me back from his chest. He looked down at me and gave a small smirk. "Well, we will have to make those weekends that we can, count, huh?" he waggled his brows.

"Shane!" I playfully smacked his chest. He laughed before continuing. "I know we will both be busy for the next few months. But it's a good opportunity for you. You are helping with research and a trial treatment. That's a huge deal for your career, right? We will make it work. I don't mind a challenge. That's part of marital life, I'm told. You go through easy times, and then you go through some tough times. I also remember something like that in our marriage vows, and I did say 'I do', so I really have no choice now," he dodged my playful swat with a grin. "We'll last the next few months. Even if it gets extended to six months, eight months, or a year. It will be okay."

"I'm so glad I married you." I smiled at him. He grinned back. "I'm just glad Lori had a hot younger sister."

"Shane!" I went to punch his shoulder. I missed as he side stepped it. "Hey! I'm an officer of the law, and have the authority to arrest you on the grounds of marital abuse!" He chuckled as he grabbed my wrists in his hands. I tried pulling them from him but he held on tight. I glared at him. "Oh, is this your version of handcuffing me, officer Welsh?"

"Oh Babe, we both know my version of handcuffing you." Shane smirked.

I just flushed before once more trying to pull and twist my wrists from his grip. "Okay, I get it officer. I won't do it again." I laughed.

"Until next time, that is." He smiled before finally letting me go.

…

…

…

Later that evening my sister and her family came over for dinner. We all sat in the living room visiting before I had to leave in the morning. Shane and Rick were relaying a funny story about a drunk man they had to arrest the week before. Shane was telling it animatedly while Rick laughed and added a few pieces here and there. Carl could not stop laughing, his face becoming a bright shade of red. Shane got even more ridiculous with his impersonations. I reached over and grabbed the half full can of Heineken from his hand, causing him to let out an indignant, "Hey!" at me.

"I think you've had enough for tonight." I smiled before walking to the kitchen.

I poured the rest down the sink, before placing the can on the counter. "Need help with the dishes?" I heard my sister inquire behind me. I turned to see her smiling.

I returned her smile. "That would be a big help. Thank you." She waked over and we wordlessly began washing and drying the pots and pans I had used to make our meal.

I remembered there was a time I had used to envy her. She was the beautiful older sister growing up. Tall and slender, with beautiful hazel eyes. She walked with an airy grace. She may have married young, but her husband adored her. I had envied that. I was the surprise child. Lori was in her mid thirties while I was in my mid twenties, my twenty seventh birthday creeping around the corner.

When I was younger I had wanted her life. She was happily married to a man who was working to be a cop, with a bouncing baby boy. She was in school to be a teacher, and she had a big circle of friends behind her. Before she even married Rick she had big following of guys wanting her. She was like a model, with her beautifully sculpted features and mahogany hair. Her eyes were a nice hazel, more green in certain lighting. She may have been more on the skinny side, but that hadn't bothered the boys after her.

As I grew older and matured, I realized how different we truly were from each other. We were both tall, but I tended to hold on to my calories more. I had extra meat on my bones and it used to bother me as an adolescent. My eyes were a plain dark brown. No cool green hue to them. My face was longer than hers, even though we had similar cut cheek bones. My gait was bit more awkward than hers. I would never be able to be described as graceful. Similar yet different. Also don't remember having a line of boys waiting for my word as a teen.

We hadn't actually bonded as sisters until I was older and moved back to Georgia after I obtained my degree in medicine. That was when she had introduced me to her husbands best friend Shane for the 'first time'. I had met him as a child at her 'shotgun' wedding to Rick. He had been friendly to me, but treated me like the child I was at the time. He had basically patted my head while saying, "run along now". I wasn't that much of a fan. But he and I hit it off the second time around and the rest is history. We married after two years and were planning to start a family of our own in a year or so. It didn't bother me that there was bit of an age gap. We were fine with it so it didn't matter if some disagreed. We hadn't really met much opposition anyway. But after he and I got together, all off us grew extremely close. There were a few double dates, or all five of us would do a big get together. We were a nice family unit. It made me happy.

"Things are different between Rick and I." She whispered as she handed me a damp pot. I glanced at her. "How so?" I asked drying the pot before walking to put the pot away.

"He's barely ever home. And when he is, we fight. Argue over the dumbest things. He always gets mad when I talk to him." She explained as she took out her frustration on a pan. I leaned against the counter beside her, watching her wash the pan. I refrained from telling her to take it easy.

"How do you talk to him?" I asked. Lori paused in her movements to look at me. "What do you mean?"

I shot her a look. "I mean in your tone. How do you talk to him?," I braced myself, "Because I say this with love, but you have a habit of demanding. Of getting in a persons face to get your way," I saw Lori rearing up to retort so I quickly continue, "Which isn't a completely bad thing! It's a good thing you're assertive. But Rick may be taking it differently or wrong, is all I'm saying."

Lori continued to glare for a few short seconds before sighing. "Okay, I can maybe see that. I do ask him to be home more often. He just works so much. It's like he's married to his job, and not me. I have no idea how you handle Shane working hours like that."

I shrug, "It's not easy, but when we do have time, we take advantage of it. Make up for it, you could say." I smiled.

Lori gave a small chuckle before becoming forlorn once again. "I just sometimes feel like he doesn't want to be in this marriage anymore." I sucked in a breath as she said that. That was tough. I wasn't sure how to reassure her.

After a few more beats. I opened my mouth, "Maybe you should tell him that?" I looked at her, before looking away at the clock on the wall. Her eyes were so sad and torn up. It hurt to see that. "You can't really fix anything without communication, right?"

"I suppose that's true" She agreed softly.

"You're strong. You can handle this rough patch. And I'm positive Rick loves you. You will make it" I smiled at her as we continued to wash the dishes.

…

…

…

It was my first week in Atlanta and I was having a hard time adjusting to my new life. I wasn't used to working as an active doctor. At home I was just a physician at the local clinic. Nine to five hours with the occasional emergency at the hospital. Walk in the park. Here, not only was I apart of a team of doctors conducting this trial treatment for people with leukemia, I also worked as a doctor in the E.R for the majority of this week. That meant long ass hours at the hospital, and when I went home, I was on call. It's only been a week and I was already dead on my feet.

I barely had any time to speak to my family back home. I was lucky to get a ten minute phone call in my busy schedule between work, eating and sleeping. I questioned my sanity on accepting the job offer. I could be home snuggled in bed with my husband, instead of lounging on my couch in my lonely apartment, listening to the busy street outside.

A shrill ringing sounded from my coffee table. I groaned as I sat up. I picked it up and saw my husbands face. Smiling, I answered. "Hey you!"

"Briella" was his curt greeting.

My smile fell. "Yes? What's up?"

"It's Rick. We had an incident at work"

I tensed before sitting up straight. "What happened? Are you okay?" I heard him exhale deeply. "Yeah I'm okay. We were pursuing two armed men. We didn't know there was a third man. He shot Rick. He's in the hospital"

"Oh my god!" I shot straight up, rushing to the door. "I'll be there as soon as I can!" I slipped on my shoes and just snatched my jacket off the hanger, not bothering with slipping it on. I slung it over my arm as I quickly locked my apartment door. "Do you know the condition he is in?" I asked Shane as I bolted down the hall to the stairwell.

"He's stable. He had emergency surgery earlier. Hasn't woken up yet, though."

"Why didn't you call earlier?!" I demanded as I flew out the apartment's back door to the residential parking lot. "I knew you were working, and probably wouldn't have been able to take my call. Look, I'm telling you now, isn't that what matters?!" He snapped, causing me to flinch.

"You're right. I'm sorry" I spoke softly as I started my vehicle.

I heard Shane sigh loudly. "No, I'm sorry. I'm in a shitty mood and shouldn't take it out on you. I'll tell Lori that you are on your way. Drive safe, babe"

"Always do"

…

…

…

I may have drove forty miles over the speed limit, making it home in record time. I sent a quick prayer to the big man upstairs that there were no cops on the highway as I rushed through the hospital doors. I darted over to the first desk I saw. A Pretty blond with big blue eyes looked up at me with a small smile. "Hello, Can I help you with something, ma'am?"

"Yes. Can you tell me what room Rick Grimes is in? He was the officer who was shot earlier" I rushed out, not really thinking my words through. I saw her eye widen in understanding. Everyone heard about the officer who was gunned down while on duty. "He's in intensive care." She informed me.

I gaped. "Intensive care?!" I shrieked. She nodded. "Go over to the left, make a right and you will see a pair of elevators. Go to the third floor. You will see a sign guiding you to the intensive care unit. The nurses station will take you to his room. If you are family"

I nodded. "Thank you" I said before I ran in the direction she told me. I kept to a very brisk walk, just a pace behind actual jogging. I bounced on the balls of my feet while I waited for the elevator. I just needed to speak with the doctor to get a better understanding of what had happened and I knew I would calm down. The unknown always bothered me. I heard a ding and shot into the elevator, ignoring the older couple that were wanting to get off. They shot me a dirty look as they side stepped me. I couldn't have cared less as I pressed the round three button. The elevator couldn't move up fast enough. Once it dinged a second time, and I was out before the door fully slid open. I marched over to the nurses station. "Rick Grimes?" I asked. An older lady looked me over. "Are you family? Because only family is able to see him at the moment." I nodded. "I'm his sister-in-law. My sister should be here with him. I was told to come"

She continued to stare at me for a second too long. "Okay. Follow me" She led me over to a large private room. As we entered I saw an older man in a doctor's jacket talking to Lori and Shane. He paused as we entered. "His wife's sister came to visit" The nurse told him before leaving.

The doctor gave a smile. "Ah, so you're the sister who is also a doctor. Then I am sure you would appreciate to hear what I have to say." I nodded as I walked over to my husband. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side.

"Now," The doctor tucked Ricks chart against his chest under crossed arms, "Rick is in a coma. Being shot is traumatic, as you can imagine. He lost a lot of blood. His body needs to heal and regain it's strength. This coma isn't permanent. It's just his body's way of saying, 'Hey, I need to recuperate. Give me some time'. It's not that surprising since he is very weak at the moment. He still needs to be monitored closely. He isn't out of the woods yet. But I do think he will recover. But I will also say he could take a turn for the worse. You need to be prepared for that." The doctor spoke calmly. All of us nodded. The doctor slipped from the room.

Lori turned to me. "That's mostly good right?" I nodded. "Even if he's in a coma, it's not a bad thing. He did a good job of explaining it to us. His body is just conserving its energy and strength, which he needs to make a full recovery." I smiled, "Rick is a good, strong man. A leader. He will pull out of this. It just may take some time." Lori just tearfully nodded before reaching out for me, pulling me into a hug even though I was still tucked into Shane's side. She pulled back and wiped at a stray tear. She shot Shane and I a quick smile. "I'm going to go get some coffee. You two want some?" We both shook our heads in a negative before she left the room.

Shane and I stood in silence for a few moments, his arms secured around me tightly. "So," Shane began. I pulled back slightly to look at him. He smirked, "You made it here in record time. Did you speed?" He teased. I ducked my head quickly, causing him to laugh. "A cops wife speeding! I didn't know I married such a delinquent" He continued. "Oh, shut up!" I laughed as I swatted at his chest. I heard and felt him vibrate with laughter. He pulled me into his chest in a tight hug. "I missed you." He confessed softly. I melted into him with a sigh. "And I missed you."

"I love you." He whispered. I looked back at him. "I love you too. Forever"

To Be Continued...

So there we have it. My first walking dead fanfiction. Let's see how it goes. I haven't written with a passion in so long. I love reading, and I used to love to write. Then life happened and I almost seemed to loose it.

I think I'm slowly starting to get it back.

I also have an other story of a different fandom that is under reconstruction since I think it's super sad now. I mean I wrote it years ago. My skills have improved since then. So if you are a fan of that story, know I will get to updating it...eventually haha!

Please let me know what you think. And maybe what you would like to see happen in the future. I have an idea where I'm taking this, but I can always weave ideas into my plot.

I also understand not everyone is going to like my story or my style of writing (Which is admittedly rusty), but you can criticize in a respectful manner. I had really mean reader years ago literally stalk every chapter I posted on my past popular story, flame it, and then send me nasty PM's. I hate to admit it but that person was part of why I kinda stopped posting. They were too much for young me haha. Now I think I'd tell you to get a life and move on but still. Point is we are human beings. Lets treat eachother with the dignity of human beings and respect eachother.