Author's note: Thanks for all the awesome reviews, I really appreciate it. Well, I'm not too happy with this chapter. I feel it's kind of wooden but like always I'll leave that up to you. Should I rewrite it or leave it be?
~Cassandra
"You sure, you don't want me to carry anything Rick?"
It must've been the hundredth time Mara had asked him that in the past two hours. Since there was no gas at the station or another station in the vicinity. They were left to do the only reasonable thing there was…walk. And while Mara only had to carry her rucksack, Rick was carrying the guns, a bag filled with necessities and the gas can. "I'm fine, Mar. That bag you're carrying is practically twice your size. You don't need to carry anything else." Rick assured.
Mara gave him a look. "I know I always say this, but you do remember that I did happen to go to basic. They make you march miles with a fifty pound ruck, a helmet, Kevlar vest and your M-16."
"You also hurt your back in basic remember? It was why you got sent home. Don't need you screwing it up anymore with no more doctors around." Rick reminded.
Mara bit the inside of her cheek. She had a feeling her lie was going to come back and bite her one day. Until then she was still too embarrassed to tell the truth. "At least let me carry the gas can. It weighs nothing."
Rick gave her a reluctant look, but Mara continued to press. "Please Rick. I feel useless not carrying anything."
"Fine, but as soon as you get tired you're to give it back to me."
"Yes, big brother." Mara snorted rolling her eyes.
He smiled shaking his head at the stubborn woman. Mara had once told him that she was a Grayson, and that nothing kept a Grayson down. Something that she continuously proved to be true to Rick. Even if it was mostly because she was just too damn stubborn. "Looks like there's a house up ahead. If we're lucky they might have some gas to spare." Rick pointed out.
Mara nodded silently following Rick. Once again she decided not to tell Rick what she already knew. That they wouldn't be finding any gas again. At least this time there were no walkers. Only grisly dead bodies rotting about. Mara swallowed hard pushing the thought away as she picked up her pace to catch up with Rick. "You alright?" He asked worried.
"Peachy." Mara murmured.
"No, visions from the great seer Mara huh?" Rick joked half-heartedly. As much as he hated to admit it, Rick was actually beginning to believe in Mara's all foreseeing power. Normally such ideas made him laugh, but after a while everything Mara predicted eventually came to light. Moreover the world had come to an end from something just as improbable as Mara's 'gift'. So what gave him the right to question what was real anymore?
"None so far." Mara gave him a weak smile.
Rick could tell it was a lie. She looked ready to gag about something. However Rick let it go, continuing his way to the porch of the farm house. "Hello!" he called dropping the bags on the ground, "Police Officer out here! Can my friend and I borrow some gas?"
Mara watched him wearily as he headed towards the house. She followed him, gas can ready in hand. However she was stopped partway by Rick giving her the signal to wait. An impatient sigh escaped her. Not only would him walking in the house be pointless, but he was treating her like a child. "Rick. I'm twenty-two." Mara protested walking after him.
He ignored her. "Hello?"
He walked up to the front door peering into the glass panels, before knocking. "Hello, anybody home?"
"Obviously not Rick, if there were then they'd already have a shotgun drawn at us or something." Mara commented.
As always Rick gave her an exasperated look before deciding to ignore her . She let out a growl following him as he checked out the windows. "Why do I tell you anything if you're just going to ignore me?" Mara snapped as he froze in place.
"I had to see it for myself." Rick answered his voice a little hoarse.
He wasn't shaking this time, but his face was still pale. Mara placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. His blue eyes shot her a grateful. She nodded stepping towards the window to look for herself, but was stopped by Rick grabbing her wrist. "Don't. It's nothing anyone wants to see." Rick said softly.
Mara nodded not bothering to argue which Rick was grateful for . With one last glance back at the window he exited the porch all the while still holding on to Mara. It wasn't until Rick made it to a stone bench where they could sit on that he let go. "It's going to be alright, Rick. I know it's hard to believe with all the horrors we keep seeing, but we're going to make it through." Mara assured.
"I know." Rick replied, "Come on let's see if their truck is working. Maybe we can take that to the city."
"Alright, but you're driving." Mara ordered.
Rick shook his head as he walked to the truck. "Since when am I not driving?"
Mara smiled watching him search the truck. "Trust me, it's better that way. You don't want this little girl here driving, she'll crash into a tree or something."
It wasn't far from the truth. Mara was a horrible driver. So bad that she somehow how scared all three of her brothers three military brothers into never letting her drive again. And all three of them had been deployed in battle at least twice. "I take it, you're one of the people I pull over for driving like a beginner?" Rick asked slamming the truck door despondently.
Mara flashed him a grin. "Wouldn't be too far from the truth. Never got my licenses. After nearly crashing into a Jimmy Jones with Bryon, almost falling asleep while driving on a highway with Easton, and 'accidentally' hitting Zane's car while backing out, none of my brothers want to be my driving coach anymore."
"Well, there's plenty of open space now surprisingly. We can have you practice next time we get another car." Rick offered.
"You don't want that. There's a reason God made legs."
"Trust me, Mar. With the way things are looking, by the time we find another car you'll be done with walking for good."
The pair laughed temporarily forgetting the dead couple inside. They headed back towards the bags only to be stopped by the sound of a horse. Rick's head snapped towards the sound. His blue eyes gazing at the beautiful brown horse waiting in the field. It was a miracle, unfortunately Mara didn't see it that way. "No way." Mara gasped grabbing Rick's hand. "We are not going near that thing, Rick. For all we know a walker could have bitten it and now it's infected."
Rick stared at her in disbelief. "An infected horse?"
"Hey, it happened in 28 Days Later. Who says it can happen now? All we need is that thing biting one of us thus turning you or me into one of those disgusting things." Mara babbled.
Rick shook his head smiling. Looked like someone had a slight fear of horses. Who would have guessed? "Look, I'm going to go round up the horse, Mar. You –you stay near the bags. You know just in case the horse decides to go mad on me and turn me into a walker." Rick teased heading off to the barn.
Mara frowned. "Oh haha, make fun of the girl who is always right. Well, we'll see who is laughing when that creature decides to make you its lunch!"
Rounding up the horse was easier than Rick had expected. All it took was a calm steady voice to saddle the horse up. The real trouble was in getting Mara to get on. At first Rick thought she was just uneasy about them, but his mind was quickly changed the minute Mara started to back away from the animal. Her browns eyes went large and her normally tan skin paled. Rick hopped off the horse. "See? The horse and I are fine. Neither one of us are bitten." Rick assured jokingly, "Now let's get the bags and head off."
Mara bit her lip. "Yeah about that…how about you ride old Betsy here and I'll walk alongside you guys? Or you can ride ahead and I'll meet you there!"
Rick turned to look at her. Mara had half-expected to see a mocking expression on the cop's face. After all her brothers always laughed at her about the phobia. The novelty of it worn out when she was ten according to Bryon, now it was just funny. So it surprised Mara when instead of a look of laughter, Rick gave her one of sympathy. "I take it, you're scared of horses." He stated.
"Petrified." Mara admitted her face heating up, "When I was seven, my parents sent me to summer camp. It was fun until my horse threw me off its back. I had to go get my arm reset after that. Broke it thanks to the fall, since then I've been terrified of them."
"You're going to be fine, Mara. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise, but we have to ride that horse. It's the fastest way to Atlanta." Rick coaxed, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I know. It's just-Rick, that horse is going to throw us off its back some point in Atlanta. I just know it." Mara revealed.
Unfortunately Rick took her statement to be more of fear rather than actual premonition. "Mara, you'll be fine. If you want, I'll sit behind you that way if the horse does throw us off-you'll fall on me."
Mara bit her lip. "Fine. But if I'm right then I'm drinking your beer."
He gave her a perplexed look. As she trailed off to the horse with his bag. "Don't tell me you have beer in that bag too?"
"Three brothers, Rick. All of above the age of twenty-one. Of course they make me carry beer for the camping trip, but don't get too excited Bryon was carrying the majority of it."
"Mar. I think one beer just might be a blessing nowadays." He turned to her, "You're going have to get on first."
She pales a bit, but nods. "I'm a Grayson. We fear nothing and overcome everything."
Rick watches trying to hold back both the horse and his laughter as Mara flops on top of it. After what seems like forever Mara finally makes it over the top. He smiles seeing the mixture of accomplishment and trepidation on her face. Without another word he swings himself gracefully onto the horse. "Show off." Mara mutters, but she's gripping the saddle hard.
"You're going to be fine, Mar." Rick repeats as he takes hold of the reins.
The horse starts off causing Mara to squeak. Her back pressed into his chest as close as possible with the rucksack on. "Let's go easy on this okay? Mara here isn't too fond of horses and I haven't done this in years." Rick murmured to the horse.
"What do you mean you haven't done this in-" her words fall short as the horse rids off. "Shit! Get me off! Get me off!"
However Rick ignores her cries as he does his best to slow the horse down. She has to get over her fear sometime. Might as well be now.
