Chapter 3:

'I'm gonna' need your help'

Rick slowly paced the hallway, his mind replaying everything he had seen over the last few hours. He could barely believe it, but he didn't have time to sit around and question it further. His only concern was keeping his family safe, but for the moment, he wasn't sure where 'safe' was.

He heard a little sneeze from the living area, and he glanced in the room, where Andre was sat on his grandmother's lap, watching the TV with his pacifier in his mouth. Carl and Judith weren't far from them, with Judith nestled under her brother's arm, tears still rolling down her face. They were all crying when Rick glanced again, all but Andre, and they all said nothing as they sat in shock.

While Rick didn't see the damage done to his father in law, he could easily imagine how horrific it was. To know the man would die in such a way left Rick feeling haunted, and at a loss for words.

He heard a thud come from the second floor of the home, and Rick decided it was time to check on his wife. She went straight upstairs when they arrived home, still sobbing for her father. As much as Rick wanted to follow her, he knew that he had to be on high alert, especially as the 'virus' was closer than he expected.

Michonne was in the bedroom, sat at her vanity table, still in her bloodied clothes, her locks on the floor around her. Rick froze at the sight, his heart sinking. Her dreads were secretly one of his favourite features about her, and the longer they grew, the more he loved to see them fall against her back. But that was no more. They stopped at her shoulders, swinging freely as she moved.

He stepped in the room and left the door ajar, his eyes on the dead hair on the floor. He spoke softly, "Michonne…"

She didn't answer him initially, instead she leaned forward and tied her hair in a bun.

"Mich-"

"Is Andre still awake?", She questioned, standing up.

Rick watched her for a second, "He is"

"I need to feed him", She sighed, crouching down and grabbing the hair off the floor.

He slowly inhaled, "Why?"

"Because he needs to eat", She glanced at him strangely.

"You know what I mean"

She sniffed, shaking her head, "Because they needed to go"

"Like this? At a time like this?"

"Better now than later", She shrugged, standing up again.

He rubbed his thumb and index finger together, his mind still racing, "I'm sorry about your dad"

Her steps faltered ever so slightly as she inched past him, but she tried to continue on like he hadn't said anything, so Rick took hold of her arm.

"Can you stop for a minute, please?", He pleaded, his tone still gentle but airing on the edge of firm.

"No. We don't have time for that", She shook her head, looking elsewhere in the room.

"We always make time for thangs like this", He urged, turning her to face him, "I mean it. Your dad didn't deserve that, and I'm sorry I wasn't there to save him"

She snapped her eyes shut as she shook her head, "Don't. Please"

It pained him to see her so hurt. He couldn't imagine how she felt to have both parents gone, let alone to lose one in such a way. He cupped her face as he placed a soft kiss on her jaw, "It's alright"

"Dad! Uncle Daryl's on the phone!", Carl called from the bottom of the stairs.

Rick followed Michonne's out of their bedroom and down the stairs. He noticed the way his son's eyes widened slightly at the sight of his mother, just as shocked as Rick was to see the change. He took the phone from Carl and headed to the kitchen, "What's going on?"

"You hear anythan'?", Daryl rasped.

"Nothing yet… But I'm not so sure if we should stick around to wait and see either…"

"Yeah?"

"You heard what that guy said, thangs are worse in the city and it's going to worse here. Every news channel is down so this obviously going on everywhere else. I think we need to start looking for somewhere to go. Somewhere quieter"

"Where are you thinking?"

Rick stopped by the kitchen sink as he looked out the window, "I don't even know yet… I say we give it one more night, tomorrow we go check out the hospital, bright and early… see what's happening there, but just in case, get everything you need packed up and ready to go. Call everybody you can, let them know"

"...Yeah. Alright"

"I'll call if I hear anythan'."

"Got it"

Rick hung up the phone just as the doorbell rang, and he raced to see who it could be. Carl kept his hand on the doorknob, waiting for his father to appear, and Rick gave him a nod, signalling for him to open it.

"I heard, I'm here", Andrea panted, stepping into the home with an overnight bag on her shoulder.

Rick breathed a sigh of relief, "You see anythan' when you was coming up here?"

"It's fucking mayhem in town!", She hissed, dropping her bag to the floor, "Everyone is breaking into stores! Why aren't you out there?"

He pinched his nose bridge, "We haven't heard anythan', I told everyone at the department to go home and stay there"

"What? Why? Because a couple of druggies have gone lose?"

"They're not on drugs. They're eating people", Carl informed, "Sharon died, and came back to life and attacked grandpa"

Andrea's eyes widened, "Wait, what? Donald? Is he okay?"

Rick huffed, dragging his hand over his face as he looked in the living area. Michonne held a sleeping Andre in her arms as she peered through the curtains, while Judith and Rick's mother looked over at the other adults with concern.

He turned back towards the kitchen, leaving Carl to break the news to Andrea about his father in law. He retrieved his gun from on top of the kitchen cabinet, tucking it in his waistband, then grabbed the phone off the counter again.

"Listen, new plan, we need to get everyone together, under one roof. It's safer."

Daryl gruffed, "Alright. Got it"

The only thing Rick could think to do was to gather all his loved ones. He would rather they were all in arm's length while he figured out what to do next.

"Listen, I'm gonna get Daryl… Maggie, Glenn… bring 'em back here", Rick announced to his family, "It's safer, we can wait this out here if need be"

"I'm coming with you", Carl insisted, starting towards him.

"Is that really the best idea right now?", His mother quizzed, her eyes wide with panics, "You already told everyone to stay in their homes-"

"I know, and they should, but you saw what was going on at the hospital… thangs might get out of hand before they get better"

"Can I come?", Judith asked, straightening up in her seat.

"No", Rick shook his head, "No. I need you here, sweetie"

The girl's shoulders fell.

"Andrea, I need you to call them, let them know we're coming to get them so they should be ready"

The blonde nodded as she was stood beside his wife, rubbing her back. Michonne only glanced at Rick for a quick second, giving him a quick nod.

"Alright", He looked at his eldest son, "Let's go"

…

"Mom cut her hair…"

Rick peaked in the rear view mirror at Daryl's car, making sure his friend and his family were still following them, "Yeah. She did"

Carl peered out the windshield, "...I have a feeling this won't just blow over, dad…"

"I don't think so either, which is why we need to be prepared for the worst", Rick huffed, driving easily through the empty residential streets, "We might need to go by the police department…"

"What for?"

"The gun locker"

Carl looked at his father, "You think we'll need them?"

"I think we should take what we can get right now. Hopefully we won't even have to use them"

"Mom said you had to shoot them?"

"Yeah. In the head. It's the only way they went down"

His son was silent for a moment, "So if grandpa… if that happened to him, that's what they would have done to him?"

Rick tensed, his hand gripping the steering wheel, "I hate to think they did…"

"...Sharon's still alive. Well… we left her"

He glanced at Carl, slowly nodding as he thought about it, "...Yeah."

They arrived outside of Glenn and Maggie's home, where Rick gave a quick honk of his horn. Moments later Glenn appeared, running to his own car with bags on his shoulder. Maggie stepped out the home, holding hands Cleo while carrying Demi, while Ally ran out in front of them.

The little girl stopped on the lawn, and waved excitedly, "Hi Carl!"

"Hey Ally!", Carl called back quietly, "Go on, get in the car, I'll see you in a little while"

"Okay!", Ally did as she was told, running over to join her family.

Rick eyes scanned the neighbourhood closely, looking out for any signs of danger. Lights were on in a few homes, but otherwise, most driveways were bare. He assumed people had either left, or they were taking part in looting the town's stores.

A scream belted out from somewhere nearby, and Rick quickly got out of the car with his gun in hand.

"You hear that?", Daryl called, stepping out of his own vehicle.

"Yeah", Rick nodded, turning around as he tried to see where the cry came from.

"We need to get out of here!", Glenn ordered, closing the back door of his car.

Rick looked around for a time, hoping it wasn't someone in danger, before reluctantly agreeing, "Alright, let's-"

"Dad! Look!", Carl climbed out the car and pointed further down the street.

Rick squinted, trying to see what caught his son's attentions, and he soon caught on. Two bodies were crouched over a third on the front porch, several houses down, and Rick didn't need to look any longer to know what was happening, "Get in the car. Now!"

An uneasy feeling was growing in the pit of Rick's stomach. Years on the police force hadn't trained him for such a scenario, but he was determined to come out on top by using what he knew, and common sense, of course.

"Call your Uncle", Rick instructed, peering over at his son, "Tell him we're going to the department now"

"Alright"

The closer they got to the police department, the more people they saw, darting in every direction in panic, diving in and out of stores, then filling their vehicles with stolen goods. Rick didn't want to risk drawing attention to themselves, so he drove around to the back of the department.

He learnt that we wasn't the only one with the idea to retrieve guns, as he, Carl and Daryl bumped into Leon by the back doors.

"We need to be quick. Thangs are getting out of hand", Leon huffed, shoving open the back door.

Daryl nudged Rick before the followed him, tipping his head towards Leon. Rick looked at the other man, and saw he had blood on the back of his dark blue uniform shirt. They both shared a concerned expression, but still stepped into the building.

"Everythan's falling to pieces. I called the boy's over in Macon and got nothing", Leon explained as they walked down the hall, "I think everyone's racing to get out of town since the hospital went to shit"

"What?", Rick frowned, still eyeing the man's back to see whether the blood was his own or someone else's.

"Yeah! The army boys left. Just upped and left-"

"We were just there a couple hours ago", Daryl gruffed from behind.

"It went down an hour ago. Melanie called me, remember she's a nurse over there. Said too many people were coming in, all 'em with that virus", They reached the gun locker, where Leon used his keys to open the door, "They're just killing them all with a head shot"

Rick and Carl both shared a sad glance as Leon confirmed their suspicions about Donald's fate.

"So what happened to you, man?", Daryl quizzed Leon.

The other man instinctively touched his shoulder, "Son of a bitch bit me when I was coming out of here earlier"

All eyes widened as Rick spoke, "You were bit?"

"Yeah", Leon nodded, grabbing a gun.

Carl looked to his father first, "Dad…"

"Don't worry. I know. Melanie told me. There ain't no coming back from it"

Rick stared at the man closely, "...So what-"

"I got a while before it kills me. I'm gonna head over to the Melanie's… say goodbye to her… then stay behind and help who I can"

Sorrow washed over Rick, and he found himself looking around the cage aimlessly, "Don't write yourself off just yet, there might be a cure or somethan'-"

"I probably won't be around long enough", Leon shook his head, shoving his gun in his holster, "It's fine. I think I had a good run… I even left my lunch in the squad car for you boys to clean up"

The man's joke didn't have the desired effect. Rick released a long, unsteady breath, while Daryl shifted behind him. Carl kept his head bowed, his gaze on his boots.

"Listen, you need to do what everyone else is doing, and get the hell out of here", Leon patted Rick on the shoulder as he inched past him, stopping for a brief moment, "It was great working with you boys. Send your families my love"

Rick nodded, inhaling slowly, "Yeah. You too."

"Take care of yourself", Daryl rasped, shaking Leon's hand when he was close enough.

"Yep. Carl", Leon gave the teen a smile and nod, before exiting the locker.

No one moved for a moment after the other officer left. It was as if they were all swallowing their second dose of their new reality.

Daryl cleared his throat, speaking first, "Let's get this show on the road".

…

Rick's hands stroked up and down his wife's back as they lay on the couch in the living room, his fingers disappearing beneath her shirt, which she refused to change, so her father's blood had long dried. There legs were intertwined, her head on his chest, his other hand holding hers.

His mother was asleep in their bed with Andre and Judith, while Maggie took Carl's room with her daughters, Sasha, Lily and Andrea in Judith's room. Rick had argued that both Carl and Judith didn't need double beds, but they came in useful that night. Daryl and Glenn wide awake and in the kitchen, too anxious to sleep, and Carl slept in the recliner opposite his parents. Having all his loved ones under one roof brought Rick only some relief, but the noise coming from outside the home reminded him otherwise.

The occasional gun would go off, sometimes screams followed, a car or two speeding down the street. He stopped peering out the window after hearing it all so often. They kept the lights off and the doors locked, and moved around quietly, hoping it would be enough for the night.

"We can't stay here…", Michonne whispered.

"We won't. We'll leave in the morning… Maggie said we should go to her father's farm. It's rural. Hardly anyone up there", Rick replied just as quietly.

She nodded against his chest.

"...I'm gonna need your help here, Michonne", He confessed, "I'm taking the lead on thangs… I don't know everybody wants me to but… I am. And if that's the case then I can't do it alone. I need you right up front with me"

She gave his hand a little squeeze, "I know. I'm here. I wouldn't be anywhere else"

He relaxed to some degree, "So the farm?"

"The farm", She affirmed.

"Alright".

Light footsteps came up the hallway, and Glenn appeared narrowing his eyes as he looked in the room, only lit by the moonlight pouring through the window, "You guys okay?"

"Yeah. What's wrong?", Rick queried.

"Nothing. Just checking in on everyone"

Rick nodded, watching him turn and head towards the staircase. Another gunshot was heard, causing him to look towards the window, as this sound was closer than the others. Michonne lifted her head, but Rick held her, "Wait. Listen"

They both stared into the darkness as they waited for any further noise, and when they heard the sound of a car pulling away, they both eased back down into their previous positions.

"They probably got away", Rick sighed.

"I hope so…", Michonne responded softly, "...I hope Leon's okay"

Rick felt sick to his stomach again, "Me too."

"...If anything happens to-"

"Don't. If you're about to say what I think you're about to say, then don't. I don't ever wanna' hear those words come out your mouth, alright?"

She exhaled against him, her thumb stroking over his.

"I just told you I need you, and you said you're here"

"I am"

"Good", He tipped his head and kissed the top of hers.

It was only seconds after he spoke that a loud booming sound could be heard in the distance. Carl jumped up in the recliner, his head whipping left and right. Rick and Michonne untangled themselves, heading towards the window. Three air force planes sawed over the town, heading away from a bright orange glow that lit up the sky.

"They blew somethan' up", Rick breathed, using the faint light to look around the rest of the street. Another loud bang went off, and three more planes flew past, "In the city…"

"...Do you think we're next?", Carl's tone had a hint of worry to it..

Rick shook his head, "We won't to stick around to find out"

Michonne turned away from the window, "We won't".

…

"What's going on, Daddy?"

Rick stopped in the hallway when Judith appeared at her bedroom door, "I'm gonna' tell you everythan' as soon as we're packed up and in the car-"

"I'm saw what Sharon did to Grandpa. I know somethings going on and you're not telling me", The girl pushed, crossing her arms over her chest, "You're sneaking around and mama doesn't like that. You're not meant to sneak around"

Rick had always known his daughter's attitude was near enough identical to her mother's, but the older she got, the less cute it became, "Judith, what did I just say?"

She stared at him with eyes that mirrored his.

Rick took in a calming breath, "Judith, what did I just-"

"You said 'I'm gonna' tell you everythan' as soon as we're packed up and in the car'...", She mimicked, perfecting her father's southern twang in the process.

He almost glared at his daughter as he pointed at her, "You better leave that attitude here. I mean it, young lady. Get your stuff, and get down stairs. Wait with your brother. Now"

Speaking to Judith sternly wasn't something Rick did often. He could probably count how many times he had done so in recent weeks, but when he did, the girl hated it more than anything. There was always a flash of sadness in her eyes before she returned to be angry at him, and Rick witnessed that range of emotion before she spun on her heel and disappeared in her room.

With everything going on, he didn't have the time to battle with her, but he still made a mental note to make up with her later.

He stepped into their bedroom, where Michonne was slinging a duffle bag over her shoulder, "That daughter of yours-"

"She's only ever 'my daughter' when she's done something to upset you", She quickly countered, raising an eyebrow at him, "So both of you cut it out and hurry up"

He eyed his wife, "I'm done, I'm waiting on you"

"Then why are you up here?"

"To see what's taking you so long-"

"Well I'm done, so let's go"

He took in another calming breath as he took the bag from her, "Go"

They stepped back onto the landing, just as Carl was making his way down the stairs, and Michonne stopped in Judith's doorway, "Come on honey, we gotta go"

"Coming mama", The girl appeared, holding a blue pillow under one arm, and her black and gold backpack in the other. She gave Rick the swiftest side eyed as she started down the stairs.

He hissed to his wife, "You see that? She gets that from you"

Michonne sent him the look that told him that she had no patience left, and Rick found himself taking another calming breath, wondering if breathing in such a way actually helped.

"We all set?", Maggie asked, stepping out the living area with Demi on her hip, the little girl nibbling on an apple slice.

"Yeah, we'll start getting things out in the cars", Michonne replied, looking over all the bags that filled the hallway.

"I told daddy that were on our way… I still need to talk to him… he doesn't really get what's going on…"

Michonne slowly nodded, taking her words into consideration, "Well we'll be there to help"

"You get the girls ready, we'll call you when it's time to go", Rick issued, peering down the hallway for the other men.

"Alright", Maggie turned back to the room, we're Lily and Judith weren't sat in the recliner, with Ally, Cleo and Andre on the floor in front of them.

"What are you doing?", Rick quizzed his wife when he noticed her grabbing bags.

She looked at him strangely, "Taking bags?"

"...Go call Glenn and Daryl. And Carl. They can help"

She stood up straight, "And so can I?"

He hesitated, "Well let me check it out first-"

"Wait…", She narrowed her eyes at him, her shoulders rolling back, preparing her argument, "So when we agreed that I'd be up front with you, you meant I can be up front but slightly behind you?"

His face crumbled with confusion, "What?"

"You're the big strong man and I'm just the dainty, little quiet housewife that sits in the back and waits on his return-"

He snorted at her, "I would never call you quiet. And if you turn around I'll show you the part of you that ain't little"

She tilted her head at him, "If I'm up front with you, then we both go out together, we do this together, and we can examine your sexist side later-"

"Sexist, huh? It's got nothing to do with the fact that you're my wife, and I love you, and I want you to be safe?", He questioned, dryly.

She pulled a face as she mimicked him, "You're my wife and I love you and I want you to be safe"

"You see that? You see what you did just there? My daughter did the exact same thang just a few minutes ago-"

"Oh my god", Carl groaned as he joined them in the hallway, followed by Glenn and Daryl, "Can you two argue later? Please?"

Michonne sent Rick one last snarl before resting her hand on the doorknob, "Ready when you are"

He fought the urge to roll his eyes as he grabbed another duffle bag from the floor, "Alright. Let's go"