A/N: In this update, Rick might end up getting a little more inadequate with the rest of them; he's totally on the very edge of sanity, so let's all prepare for the worst! Only playing, but he's still going to lose a bit! Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I proudly leave these characters, settings, everything to the wonderful Mr. Kirkman and all the other masterbrains behind AMC's the Walking Dead!

Tears trickled down his dirt coated cheeks; he struggled to breathe, struggled to keep the beating of his heart calm and under control. He saw her again, she was beautiful and smiling. God, how he missed every little thing she had once done; he couldn't stop the tears from falling, as he lay wearily awake in his cot, staring out at Lori's lovely face.

"Don't go," he pleaded, his voice low and tormented. His hands reached out to grab her, but she was gone before he had time to realise she was never really there.

Rick rolled flat on to his back, brought his hands close to his face and hovered them above his eyes, watching them shake and tremble, the sweat cold and sticky as he covered his wet face to cry.

.

Daryl and Rick went on another supply hunt just before late noon came around. The southern sun above was hot and the kisses it gave burned their flesh red.

"Don't forget 'bout the pills," Daryl called out to Rick, who was busy withering away in his own disoriented thoughts, near the baby diapers and leftover wipes, whilst Daryl was packing his own tote full of canned foods and drinkables. Rick gave Daryl a late nod of the head as he was caught leaned over, staring at the silent Officer.

Finally, as late afternoon swept up overhead, they trudged on back to the truck waiting outside the nameless grocery store. The Dixon was worried about Rick's condition and thought up the worst scenarios of what would happen if he continued to stroll down the path of insanity. He took Rick's bag and along with his, he tossed them in the back seats, and took the wheel, watching Rick's careful steps through the door.

He shoved in the key, started the baby up and drove off like a maniac, with hands beyond sweaty from the southern heat gripping the wheel.

Once the two entered the gates and put the vehicle in park, Daryl jumped out and retrieved the bags. His eyes had been on Rick the entire stroll in to the city. Hershel, along with Beth with Judith wrapped in her arms, stood out and waited to take the bags. Daryl handed them over and just before he left, the farmer had whispered some secrecy in to his passing ear. He wasn't going to repeat it to himself or to anyone; he kept it locked in a box. Lunch was served, and lunch was finished in a matter of short quiet minutes. No one truly talked much anymore, unless it was something everyone needed to be in on.

Judith cried and it startled Carl. "Can I hold her?" Carl walked toward Beth, sitting at the table and she brought her eyes up to meet his. She didn't acknowledge him with words; she motioned over to Rick near the entrance of the new lunch hall with a bob of her head and she stood up and handed her over.

Carl got the idea and held her securely before bringing her to daddy. She still cried and cried, but as soon as her little eyes met Rick's, she automatically calmed.

Rick swallowed, eyes on Carl then his baby girl. His hands were shaking and his lips were quivering, attempting to smile and he took her in his arms, and embraced her little wiggling form. The others surely took notice of his interaction; it was a beautiful sight. All Rick truly needed was love, his boy, his little girl and the others that were more than eager to give him all their love. He wasn't alone, no one was in the prison. They had each other. Michonne stood back in the corner of the room, arms crossed against her breasts, eyes curiously wandering.

Rick acknowledged her from afar, eyes dancing across her form.

.

Nighttime eventually came right around the corner, sneaking up on them like a sly stalker in the wood. Beth sang Judith to sleep, Carol made sure all the infected folk had water to drink, and Hershel and Maggie chatted themselves in to a sleepy stupor.

Daryl hung around outside, the few crickets chirping quietly against his skin; he thought about Merle, he thought about him terribly, thoughts full of unwanted tears, sadness that clothed him when he didn't need it. Everybody hurt in this strange world; nobody was truly happy. Happiness was just a word that people used to make the pain go away. Rick pondered on several issues; he wandered around the prison, almost aimlessly, searching for something but nothing, nothing that he knew of.

Michonne remained in her cell, cleaning her blood-splattered katana with an old rag. Nothing was silent, her thoughts were never silenced. She only craved but knew she could never obtain.

All was dark around her, and that's when she picked up on soft pitter patters of rubber soles hitting the walk way. She held her weapon tight in a fist and stalked silently towards the curtain. She jumped as soon as she recognized a dark sillouhette across the thin sheet, and then smacked it open only to find that officer staring back at her.

Her startled heart beat was loud to her ears and that's when she gave him permission to enter. His movements were slow and untrusting, but she allowed him anyway.

"I saw her, I know I saw her, I can't be fuckin' crazy, I can't be!" tears swelled up in those blue eyes of his, pink where white should be, dirty tear streaks traveling down his cheeks. Michonne backed up as he moved forward. Her brows met in an awkward manner as she carefully sat her blade down.

He wasn't crazy, he wasn't one bit. He was just touched over and over, fondled by the cruel devilish hands of the new world growing around them. She couldn't, she wouldn't blame him. She saw things no one else could see; he wasn't alone.

"You are not crazy," her voice was low and quiet; it had to be, she wanted him to wiggle himself in to a soft kind of state. Rick held his head in his calloused hands and wept like he's never had before. Michonne knew exactly what to do, but didn't know exactly how to do it. She couldn't treat him like a child, and she couldn't treat him like a lover, but as one hand met his forearm, he looked up at her with wet eyes and wiped his nose.

All of their little touches have made such a big difference in their lives, definitely in their time of need. Rick swallowed and she watched his 'apple' bob as he swallowed a second time.

He was covered in dirt, hair and sadness. She stepped an inch close and then another. "Michonne?" his voice captured her attention, and she had been pushed out of her sensitive state. She knew better than to let her heart get involved in something so strong, in a world like this one. Rick looked down at the left over space between them, so had she.

Too quiet.

Rick looked back up at a surprised Michonne and let a tiny timid smile appear across his lips. She managed to form one as well, stronger than his.

"Goodnight," he left, and she was again there to clean her beauty of all the blood, humming to try and make all the screaming voices go away.

::

E/N: Another update, I hope it was good enough! Sorry my ending notes are so short but that's all I have to say. Thanks for all the ones who have read so far!