Author's Note:
Omg so sorry I haven't posted anything for nearly two weeks, my job is stunting my creativity. . Alas, I shall try harder. Buuuuut only if I get more reviews. :3
Ooooh the chemistry between Leda and Rick is delicious. ^.^
Bluecrush611: Thanks so much for your support! And I'm glad that you agree with the time lapse failure. It's pretty irritating.
BethanyLeeRenner: Thank you also for liking my OC. :D It means so much to hear good things from my readers.
The single day that Leda was sentenced to bed rest was nearly enough to drive her to insanity. After weeks on the road, it felt strange to be immobile. Pretty much every other thought was that of getting up and walking around. It was only a day though, she kept telling herself. Just the longest day of her life. After Hershel had brought her some food, she scarfed it down immediately and ever since then, she was incredibly bored. Hershel was kind enough to bring her a book or two, but she was never a strong reader, except with car manuals and the like. She was nearly an expert with those. Both of the books he brought her were fictional works and she'd had enough fiction in her life already.
Midway through the unbearably long day, a girl of about sixteen or seventeen who introduced herself as Beth, Hershel's daughter, came in to keep her company. She was really quite a sweet girl and they managed to talk about normal things, like boys and what they used to do before the apocalypse. Beth talked about high school and her boyfriend Jimmy, who was apparently staying with them, and Leda told her about her days fulfilling her reputation. When she had to leave to go help with dinner, Leda thanked her for staying with her. A little later, Beth brought a helping of food to her and afterwards, Leda just decided to go to bed, looking forward happily to the next day.
As the first bright rays of sunshine penetrated the room the next morning, Leda's eyes flew open and she was instantly awake. Taking it easy as she got up this time, she first slowly sat up. When she attempted to stand, she found it was a lot easier than the yesterday when she had basically flung herself out of bed. There was no dizziness, nothing but the soreness present in her muscles which had been unused to too long. She did a few laps around the room just to make sure that she wasn't being deceived by her excitement. Everything was in working order, except the only difference was that if she bent her arm or shoulder in the wrong way, she was rewarded with a sharp stab of pain.
Better not use that arm a lot then, at least I have my good arm to use.
She was lucky that the bullet hadn't chosen to land in her right shoulder because her right arm was her machete hand.
She sighed contently, stretching what parts of her sore body she could without causing herself unneeded pain and crossed the room to the door. She stepped into the hallway and followed it, finding herself in the kitchen. Beth and a short-haired brunette, who Leda guessed was Beth's sister, were already up and making breakfast.
"Leda!" Beth exclaimed, rushing over to her. "How are you feeling?"
"A lot better than yesterday, that's for sure," she replied.
Beth quickly introduced her to Maggie, who smiled at her pleasantly.
"So I don't mean to be rude or anything," Maggie began, "but you look like crap. You want a shower?" A shower seemed like heaven to Leda and that was just an offer she couldn't pass up. In fact, she couldn't even remember the last time she had one. Some river or stream was usually all the option she got.
Leda happily accepted and Maggie led her to another part of the house, where she gave her a towel and showed her where the bathroom was.
"Maggie, um do you think I could get my bag back? It has my clothes in it," Leda asked.
"Yeah, I'll be right back with it," Maggie said.
As Leda waited outside the bathroom door for her to return, her thoughts where of how nice these people were. Hershel and his family were very different from the world she had grown accustomed to. She supposed it was true that their farm had remained completely untouched from the world around it. Somehow. She was stilled kind of worried about meeting more of Rick's group and she hoped there weren't more people like Shane.
Maggie showed up in the hallway, interrupting her thoughts. Leda thanked her as she was handed her pack.
"Enjoy," she said with a knowing smile before returning to the kitchen.
Retreating into the bathroom, Leda turned the shower on and started removing her soiled clothes when she caught her reflection in the mirror, just as she had the day she'd stumbled onto the farm. Her hair was hanging in stringy and tangled tendrils around her oily and unwashed face. She twirled her fingers in the long red waves and thought maybe she'd just cut it off. Her roots where definitely grown out enough, and she'd be a lot cooler out in the hot Georgian sun without all that hair.
There have to be some scissors somewhere in here.
After rifling through some of the neatly kept drawers and cabinets, she found what she was looking for. Smiling, she hoped she could manage to not end up cutting her ear off in the process.
"Morning guys, let's get going. Got a lot of ground to cover," Rick said as he laid the map Hershel gave him out on the hood of the old truck. The small party gathered around it, eager to start out their yet another day searching for the missing Sophia. Well at least Andrea seemed eager. Rick wasn't sure about everyone else. Shane seemed almost weary.
"Alright, everyone's getting new search grids today," he announced, motioning to the map. "If she made it as far as the farm house Daryl found, she might have gone further east than we've been so far."
"I'd like to help."
Rick turned around and saw Jimmy, one of Hershel's people stepped up.
"I know that area pretty well and stuff," he continued.
"Hershel's okay with this?" Rick questioned.
"Yeah, yeah, he said I should ask you."
Rick nodded. "Well alright then, thanks."
He was about to turn his attention back to the map when he noticed movement out the corner of his eye. His gaze locked onto a thin female figure that was taking long even strides toward the camp. As she came closer, at first he wasn't quite sure who it was a wondered if it was another one of Hershel's family that he hadn't met yet. Finally her face came into view.
He found himself at a complete loss. The strange red bottom part of her hair was completely gone and what was left were the still damp yet glossy jet black locks that stopped just above her bandaged shoulder and well as her bare one. Her bangs were piled atop her head. The now solid color of her mane brought out the vivid jade of her eyes even more, and the thin line of black makeup and thick lashes rimming them made him feel as if she could see right through him. Her clean skin radiated with a healthy glow and her full lips were curled into a gleaming and excited smile.
Her lean upper half was wrapped in what looked like a black cloth bustier with thick straps. It framed her in all the right places, and there was a ball and chain necklace nestled around her neck, something she had been wearing before. A pair of black, almost brown shorts accentuated her slender hips and stopped a slight bit higher than mid-thigh, along with a worn leather belt laced through the loop holes. Her almost knee-high boots made a soft swooshing sound on the grass and she joined the group.
"Morning," she said with friendly grin. "Seems I'm feeling well enough to help out."
Rick nodded to her and found himself staring a little longer than appropriate as Andrea took the liberties with introducing herself as well as everyone else to Leda.
"So you're the opossum," Daryl snickered.
Leda laughed. "Guess everyone knows about my love for trees now, huh."
"Hey, it's not a bad idea," Andrea defended. "Walkers can't climb, at least not that we know of."
"It's funny to watch when they try though," Leda smirked, crossing her arms.
Shane, who had been leaning on the passenger's door of the truck the whole time, finally grew bored.
"Well, are we gonna stand here shootin' the breeze er' what?"
Rick mentally shook himself into focus as Shane continued.
"Nothin' about what Daryl found screams Sophia to me. Anyone coulda' been holed up in that farmhouse."
"Anybody includes her, right?" Andrea spoke up.
"Whoever slept in that cupboard was no bigger than yay-high," Daryl pointed out, motioning out with his hand to emphasize.
"It's a good lead," Andrea agreed.
Shane just ignored them and looked off into the distance.
Rick nodded as he said "Maybe we'll pick up her trail again."
"No maybe about it." Dale brought a big sack of ammo and firearms up the trucks and laid it beside the map as Daryl spoke. "I'm gonna borrow a horse, head up to this ridge right here, take a bird's-eye view of the whole grid." He explained, pointing on the map with his finger. "If she's up there, I'll spot her."
"Good idea," T-Dog said before he added cheekily, "Maybe you'll see your Chupacabra up there too."
"Chupacabra?" Rick repeated incredulously.
"You never heard of this?" Dale asked. "Our first night in camp, Daryl tells us that the whole thing reminds him of a time when he went squirrel hunting and he saw a Chupacabra."
Jimmy laughed and Daryl narrowed his eyes.
"What er' you braying at, jackass?"
"So you believe in a blood sucking dog?"
"You believe in dead people walkin' around?" Daryl countered.
Jimmy ignored him and reached for one of the rifles that was laying on the truck.
"Hey hey," Rick said, grabbing it. "Ever fire one before?" He asked cautiously.
"Well, if I'm going out, I want one."
"Yeah, and people in hell want slurpees," Daryl commented before throwing his crossbow over his shoulder and walking off.
"Why don't you come train tomorrow?" Shane offered to Jimmy. "If you're serious, I'm a certified instructor."
"For now he can come with us," Andrea conceded.
"He's yours to babysit then," he said with a cocked eyebrow.
"Alright," Rick said as he started to organize groups, "Andrea, T-dog, you'll go up to this part of the grid, take some rags and nail them to some trees so we make sure that we won't overlap on our sections. Shane, are you okay with going alone?"
"Why?" He asked strolling up to the hood of truck.
"I'm taking Leda with me," he answered as he motioned to her.
Shane glanced at her condescendingly, then circled around the truck past Leda and the others. "Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked in a low voice.
"Hold on," Rick answered. He quickly finished up with Andrea and T-Dog, who promptly took their weapons and left with Jimmy in tow, then he followed Shane out to the driveway with a weary expression.
"You're not giving her a weapon are you?"
"Well yeah," he answered. "I thought I'd give her the machete back."
"You really think that's such a good idea? I mean we still don't know for sure if she has a group waiting on the edge of the woods, just waiting to come out at us the moment she give the signal. I don't think it's a good idea to let her be on this farm to even to let her come with us, let alone being given a weapon," he hissed.
"You're forgetting who this is Shane. Look, I know you never met her, but you've heard of her, and I know you can agree with me that she's no killer. And she wants to help. She told me that she feels bad for bringing those walkers onto the farm and wants to return the favor."
Shane rubbed his shaven head, clearly irritated by the situation.
"She's my responsibility Shane, and I know that. Why do you think I'm taking her with me and not sending her off with anyone else? I still don't trust her completely, and if I spend some time with her I'll be able to tell for sure if she's a threat or not." He paused. "Plus I've got the gun," he said gently patting the revolver on his side.
Shane sighed. "Fine, man. But if anyone gets hurt it's on your head."
Rick nodded and returned to the truck where Leda was patiently waiting. Shane followed him over, grabbed a rifle and ammo, then left without a word.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, concerned that they weren't going to let her go with them.
"Yeah, Shane and I just tend to have disagreements from time to time," he answered reassuring her. "I'll be right back okay?"
She nodded and Rick head over to the RV, disappeared inside it, and after a second, stepped out with something wrapped in a piece of cloth.
"Now Leda, I need to know that you're not planning on doing anything stupid," he informed her, the look on his face dead serious. "That's the condition on getting your machete back."
She smiled. "You have my word, officer." He held it out to her and she gratefully took it, unwrapping it from the cloth. "You know, you seem like a pretty good leader Grimes. I'm surprised you weren't Sheriff back in Kentucky."
He almost blushed at receiving a compliment from such a beautiful woman. Brushing it off, he shrugged.
"Never really wanted to be," he admitted, his eyes scanning the grassy fields in thought. "Everyone seems to look to me for answers, even though half the time I'm just going on instinct." He snorted. "I guess you could say that I never really signed up for it but I'm doing it anyway."
Leda caught Rick's gaze and the frown on his face was clear. God, the man looked tired. And it looked like there was a lot pain in his blue eyes. Leda found herself wishing that she could do something about it, a thought which surprised her, considering she barely knew anything about besides the fact that he used to be a good kind cop.
Her eyes fell to the map as she said "should we be going?"
After a second, he nodded and showed her which section of the grid they had.
Right as they were heading to leave, a thought suddenly occurred to Leda.
"Hey, um Grimes? Look, ah, I don't expect you to grant me this one thing but um, you remember that handgun I had with me?"
He immediately sighed, realizing what she was about to ask.
"Look Leda, I already-"
"Just listen, okay?" She said cutting him off. "I'd like it back but with just one bullet in it."
His brow scrunched up.
"That's kind of the main reason I have it, if you know what I mean," she said trying to convince him. Though it was pretty morbid, she always had a need for it. During the first week after she was learning to cope with the dead, it was her first weapon, and she indeed did eventually run out of ammo. It scared her to dead and from that time on she told herself that there would always be a bullet left for a painless dead if need be. Seemed like it was a better way to go than being torn apart piece by piece or waiting to turn from a bite.
She could tell he was still trying to decide whether or not he would give her that option or if it was to much of a risk.
"I'll even keep the bullet in my vest pocket, if that makes you feel better," she tried again.
"I'll meet you over there," he finally said, pointing over at the end of the field towards where they were going.
She sighed and nodded. Taking her machete in her hand, she did as instructed and strolled through waves of knee-high grass towards the tree line. Shortly, she spotted Rick coming towards her, the strap of his rifle slung over his shoulder.
"I'll give it to you as soon as we get deeper in the woods," he said as he approached.
"I appreciate it, Grimes," she thanked him, smiling.
Leda wandered into her thoughts as they started walking in silence. She couldn't help thinking about that pain she'd seen in the ex-officer. Then she remembered the same pain she just been able to catch a glimpse of when he'd told her about how he'd lost Sophia. Then of course there was the pain from being forced to survive with the presence of the hungry dead everywhere. It seemed like he'd been lucky though. He had his family, and one of his friends. Most people had to live with the fact that everyone they knew was dead. Yet, it seemed like he carried more weight on his shoulders than all the people at the camp combined.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed Rick had stopped and started to pull her gun out from under his shirt. He took the one bullet out of his pocket and handed them to her.
"I thought it would be better if I didn't let the rest of group know about this," he said.
"I understand, people would rather not think or know about shit like that."
She put the gun in her waistband and the bullet in her front pocket, just as she promised.
He started trudging through the forest again, and Leda fell into step beside him. Eventually, bored, it was her who took a shot at starting a hopefully lasting conversation.
"So last I heard you'd been shot and were in a coma," she started.
"And I woke up in a hospital full of dead people to find myself in the middle of an apocalypse."
"That's a rough start, I gotta say," she agreed. "Care to tell the rest of the story?"
He half smiled and explained to her how he met Morgan and his son Duane, and how he had decided to go to Atlanta in hopes of finding his family.
"Finally I ran out of gas and had to go on foot," he said. "Just when I thought I'd have to walk the whole way to Atlanta, I saw this horse pasture. It's owners had-" he paused, clearly not enjoying the image permanently engraved into his memory. "-opted out, so I found no harm in riding it into Atlanta."
"Wait," she interrupted, laughing. "You rode into Atlanta on horseback?"
He nodded, kind of chuckling himself. "Now that I think about it, it did seem kind of silly."
"I'll say." Her eyes were sparkling with amusement.
"So my faithful steed and I were walking through the streets of the city, until we turned a corner and came face to face with hundreds of walkers. I fired off a few rounds, which as I learned later, wasn't a very smart idea. The horse got spooked, threw me off, along with the bag of ammo, and I thought I was a goner. Luckily there was a tank near where I landed and it was my only option."
"Damn Grimes, how the hell are you still breathing?"
Rick then went on to explain how Glenn helped him and the whole series of events through Atlanta, purposefully leaving out the part about Daryl's brother. He still felt horrible about that, and he just wanted to avoid that topic altogether. Leda seemed to be very intrigued when told her about how he and Glenn had smeared walker guts all over themselves. Continuing, he described the pseudo-gang and the attack on the camp, leading on to the people they lost and where they intended to go when they decided to leave.
"We thought that the CDC was the best bet, and if not there, we'd move on to the fort."
"What did you find at the CDC?" She asked, interested that maybe Rick had been told something about how to virus was started or what exactly it did. That walker that rose without being bitten endlessly continued to unnerve her.
He started to answer, but immediately stopped when he noticed movement in the distance. He put a hand out to alert her, and then pointed. There were two walkers stumbling through the trees towards their unknown destination. Swinging the rifle off of his shoulder, he lifted it to his eye to aim.
"Put that thing down," she commanded without another thought. Surprised, he lowered it and cocked his eyebrow at her.
"Good Lord, there's only two. Spare yourself the noise and ammo and let me take care of it," she explained, rolling her eyes.
"Leda-" he started to object, but she just waved him off, trudging past the trees, machete out. Her good arm swung through the air, landing in a rotten skull. She forcefully pulled the blade from its target, and as the brain-dead walker fell to the ground, the second one lunged at her. Skillfully, she ducked behind a tree, and using a branch as leverage, she put her boot on the walker's back and kicked it down to the moist earth, lunged on it, and once again sheathed her machete with blood and brain matter.
As she was cleaning the metal off on a piece of cloth she tore from the walker's shirt, Rick made his way over to her. Looking up at him, she said, "didn't I tell ya?"
"I figured that you could handle yourself well but I never thought you'd be a show-off," he joked.
She shrugged, a smile playing on her lips.
"You're not going to make pride a crime are you, Grimes?"
He snorted.
"You can call me Rick, you know." As an afterthought, he finished," I'm not a cop anymore and it's not like I can call you Clutterbuck."
She froze. When he turned around, a completely innocent expression on his face, he was rewarded with a stony glare. If looks could kill, he was pretty certain that he'd be pushing up daisies at that moment.
"I may have only one bullet, but I'm thinking that it just might be worth using on you," she playfully hissed.
"Uh-oh, looks like we might have a threat on our hands after all," he countered, playing along.
Her glare turned into a smirk and her eyes narrowed.
"Come on," he said laughing softly as they resumed their gait. "Your surname sounds very-"
"English, yeah," she finished for him. "My dad was from England, my mom from here. They died in a car accident when I was too young to remember their faces. My only living relative was my mom's brother, who also lived back in Kentucky. And voila, I became a southern girl."
"That explains a lot," Rick replied.
Eventually, they finished up searching their part of the grid and decided it was time to head back to the farm, eager to see if anyone had discovered anything leading to Sophia's whereabouts. Of course, there could always be bad news too, and that's what Rick always appeared to be worried about. Leda didn't say it but she had as much faith in finding the missing girl as Shane seemed to have. It was hard enough for an adult to survive in the world now, let alone a kid. But she saw the look in Rick's eye as they hiked through the woods, and she wished that Sophia was still alive, just so that it would get rid of his guilt and pain.
A/N: Okay guys, points to anyone who noticed the easter egg in this chapter. If you don't know what that is, look it up. :3
