Summary: Rick and his group have found a permanent home, and he loves the beautiful girl by his side. In the old world, that would have been it. He could live happy. But "happy" is an strange thing when the dead roam the earth and the people that are left want you dead.
This is a sequel! PLEASE- if you have not read Rick's Ruby, you are most likely gonna be lost, so read it first! Due to overwhelming response to the first Rick's Ruby this was inevitable.
Rick/OC, no slash, rated R for graphic lovin' and ass kickery.
****Thank you guys so much for the feedback to my question. You've given me a lot to think about! And Brooklyn Knight- I loved your suggestion, and I will work it in, I promise! It was a great idea, and you're right. Knowing how to do things is going to be very helpful. Thanks to you all for the wonderful reviews too. You make my day in so many ways! (A HUGE shoutout to Noell- I hope you feel better, honey! Hate to hear you are feeling under the weather. Rick and Ruby told me to tell you to get better soon so you can come out for target practice. They made dummies of Andrea to use this week. ;)
Ruby woke to the sounds of crickets outside the window and the moonlight streaming through the window. How long had she slept? Laying there on the bed, she listened to the sounds around here, and there were none from the house. Wait, the bed? She'd been on the couch. Sitting up slowly, rubbing her eyes, it came back to her. Deep in sleep, Paul had left, but before he'd gone he'd picked her up off the sofa and carried her to the bed she'd given him for their nap. Smiling a little at the blanket still tucked tightly around her, she remembered it fuzzily. She stood and stretched, went to the bathroom and came back out to tug on a pair of jeans. Starving... her stomach growled loudly, and she hoped Carol had left something out to eat for her. The woman was so good about that stuff, Ruby was certain she'd find something.
As she left the room, she padded quietly in her barefeet along the well worn floors. She really didn't want to wake anyone because she'd decided to sleep in. The ground floor was quiet and dark, and she didn't realize Daryl was sitting up in a chair in the living room, his arms crossed over his chest and his breathing deep and even, till she was almost on top of him. Wincing, she froze, and waited to see if she'd woken him, but he didn't stir. Damn it. She'd forgotten to tell him that they'd opened the men's house for him and his brother, and Merle was probably still taking his bed. Then again, why didn't Maggie tell him? Hm...
Stepping lightly past his sleeping form, she was almost to the kitchen when she heard him.
"Come to raid the kitchen?" He said calmly, and she nearly left the floor.
"Damn it!" She cursed in a hiss, her hand to her heart. "You trying to give me a heart attack?"
He opened an eye and looked at her with a grin. "Gotta get my fun somewhere."
Rolling her eyes, she proceeded into the kitchen and clicked the light on. Jackpot. Carol had left a plate on the counter for her, a pile of meat from a deer that had been killed and carrots. Yum. Taking a seat at the table with her treasure, Ruby was digging in when Daryl followed her in and grabbed a seat across from her.
"You look beat." She remarked around a mouthful of carrots.
"Heading up in a bit. Figured you'd be down soon enough, you slept all damn day." He said teasingly and she grinned.
"You were waiting for me?"
He got up and poured the two of them some lemonade from the fridge, bringing a glass back to her. She looked at him, a little surprised, but nodded her thanks. Daryl Dixon, serving her. He never failed to surprise.
"Got Merle over in the other house, he liked his room." He looked at her intently when he spoke, like he was reading her.
She raised her eyebrows and took a bite. "So Maggie told you we did that. Good. So why aren't you sleeping in your own bed?"
"Wanted to thank you." He said simply and she nodded.
"Don't have to do that. We were running out of room here, anybody that wants a room over there can have it."
"That ain't why you did it, and you know it." He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "We got room enough, even with the kid and it's folks. When Rick gets back it's gonna be a hell of a lot easier to get him to agree to all this shit if Merle ain't staying right up on him. You did that for me, and ain't aimin' to forget it."
She looked down at her plate, knowing he was uncomfortable with the show of gratitude, and feeling it a little herself. But strangely, she realized he really wasn't that uncomfortable. His voice was even, firm, and his eyes didn't leave her.
"It's nothing, Dar. I just wanted to see you get some sleep. You know, I set up a room for you over there, but you don't have to take it. I hope you know that. You already have a place here, I just didn't know what you wanted."
"Nah, it's better. It's good. I can keep an eye on him. 'Specially if you're gonna be talkin' to him like you did earlier." He chuckled a little. "Took me a freakin hour to get his blood pressure down." She opened her mouth to apologize, but he waved it away. "Girl, he deserved it. I was about ready to clock him myself."
She laughed and took a long drink, washing the dry meat down. Wiping her lips with a napkin left at the table, she sighed. "Well, I'm wide awake, figured I'd take whoever was on watch out, let them get some sleep. You gonna hit the sack?"
He leaned forward with a little groan and stood. Rubbing his face, his voice was muffled. "Yeah, I'm pretty trashed. You need me-"
"I'll yell." She promised and he rounded the table, putting a large hand on the top of her head. He squeezed gently and nodded to her, and she watched him as he left the kitchen. When she was finished eating, she went back upstairs, pulling on her boots, grabbed her sidearm, and left the house, making sure to lock the door and put the key in the hiding place they left it.
The night moved peacefully around her, but a storm was coming. She didn't know why she didn't feel it before. The low rumble of thunder in the distance was new, but she could feel the electricity in the air. As if on cue, the right side of sky lit up in the distance. The men's house lay darkened, and she wondered if Daryl had locked up behind him when he'd gone in. No sense taking a chance, she crossed the yard and went to the front door. Trying it, she found it locked tightly. Good, Daryl, she thought. Rounding the house, she kept an eye on her surrounding as she went to the back door. Trying that one too, she found it locked as well and sighed satisfactorily. Continuing around the back of the house, she went in the direction of the front yard and toward the tree stand.
The sky lit up again, and a shape in the small place between the trees and the trench to the left caught her eye. A body, she saw. Narrowing her eyes, she paused and watched it carefully, but it didn't move. Though it was too far to be able to really see any detail, it had to be a walker, and she wondered if Daryl had put it down earlier, waiting to clear it away till the morning. No arrow protruded from it, and she frowned in confusion. Finishing the short walk to the tree stand, she climbed the ladder quickly.
Paul looked back at her as she opened the hatch, and he grinned. "Hey you. Get enough sleep?"
"Yeah." She closed the hatch behind her and crawled on her knees to the place next to the plastic barrier. "Some storm, huh?"
"Gonna be big." He nodded, looking out with her. The sky was becoming alive, and the wind was picking up so fiercely that the stand swayed slightly with the tree. "I think we should head back in. I don't think a tree is the best place to be with that lightning getting closer."
"We need to keep watch, though. What if Rick comes back and needs us?" She scrunched her eyebrows together worriedly.
We can watch from the men's house, now that you opened it. The attic, remember? See pretty good from there." He suggested, but she shook her head.
"One foot in there and Daryl will be awake like that." She snapped her fingers. "The way Merle's been on him he hasn't slept as it is. The barn. We can watch from the loft."
"Let's go." He said, and they both went for the hatch. Climbing down, Ruby remembered the walker past the trench.
"Hey, you put down a walker over past the gate that way?" She pointed, and he shook his head.
"No, you see one?" He frowned and she nodded. "Show me."
She raised a reluctant eyebrow at him. "No."
"What?" He balked.
"No way, man. I know what'll happen. You'll want to go check it out." She said, and he grinned, shaking his head.
"No," He laughed lightly. "Not in this mess, you have my word. Show me."
"Fine." She rolled her eyes teasingly and they crossed the yard back to where she'd seen the form. It was still there, and the rain was holding off long enough for them to pause and look out around them.
"You think it's another one of those crispy ones? The old ones, like before?" She asked.
"Maybe. It's down now, anyway. We'll look tomorrow. Come on, let's get to the barn."
Paul unlocked the barn's sliding door and they slipped inside just as the first fat raindrops were beginning to let loose from the sky. If they wanted to talk now, the thunder would force them to almost shout.
"How will we know if Rick is back?" She asked as they clicked up the stairs to the loft above.
"He'll use his flashlight to signal us, don't worry." He said as they went to the front of the loft and he threw the swing door open. Securing it with rope against the side of the barn, they moved back out of the line of rain and sat down, watching the violent storm outside.
"Wow..." Ruby mused as the sky turned daylight for a second and a crack of thunder was deafening overhead. She jumped a little and Paul put out a hand to steady her. The houses were sure going to be awake now. Sure enough, lights began clicking on nearby, and she wondered if Sally and Jeb were in someone else's bed yet.
It lasted a while, the storm did, and they sat there, side by side watching it quietly. Talking was useless in the thunder anyway. Finally, a good forty five minutes or so later, they noticed the thunder wasn't quite as ferocious, and Paul sighed. "Looks like it's moving on."
"Thank goodness. Nobody is getting any sleep now."
"Well, you wanna head back in, make sure everybody is ok? I'll stay on watch a while." He asked and she frowned a little.
"Hate leaving you up here like this."
He waved at her. "I'm good, I'm good. Been through worse."
She shrugged, standing. "Ok, but I'll probably be back."
"Bring something to drink."
She grinned. "You got it."
She was halfway down the stairs when the brightest flash of lightening of the night lit up the sky like an afternoon day, she could see it painfully even through the slats of the barn around her. A huge clap of thunder, something like an explosion nearby shook the ground and she nearly fell down the stairs under the movement.
"Holy shit!" She heard Paul yell above and turned, racing back up the stairs. She was by his side in a flash and saw the tree by the front gate, the one that held their tree stand, and coincidentally the exact one Paul had been worried about being in, had all but imploded and was now a mere shape of limbs buried in a wide fire.
"Oh fuck." She breathed, looking over at Paul with wide eyes. "Good call."
He let out a ragged, shocked breath, and they both took off downstairs together. Bursting out of the barn, they hit a wall of rain as they ran, and were soaked steps into it. "It's standing alone, don't get close!" He screamed at her, and she slowed with him, looking back as Glenn from the main house and Daryl from the men's house met them on the lawn.
"It won't spread! Get back to the house!" Daryl said loudly, grabbing her arm and motioning for them to follow him.
"We have to do something!" She pulled back but he tightened his grip and yanked harder. She hated to watch their only tree stand burn to the ground.
"Nothin you can do! Now come on, get out of the storm before you end up like that damn tree!" He yelled back, and the four of them ran back for the main house.
"Good lord." Daryl breathed when they were finally able to come back out into the yard an hour later. The tree had burned right through the rest of the storm, the entire house watching from the porch and windows. Only the kids and Merle were absent, Carol keeping them busy and Merle not particularly caring as long as he was safe himself. Even a nauseous Beth had come out and sat on the swing with Ruby, her head on her shoulder, watching the gigantic tree burn like a match in the middle of the yard. When it was over, and they stepped out onto the grass again, it stood like a skeleton, smoking in the pre dawn sky.
"Well that's gonna be bitch to clean up." Paul murmured as they all walked, side by side out to survey the damage.
"Don't know how much "clean up" we're gonna be able to do. Unless you got a bulldozer around her somewhere." Maggie remarked and put her hands on her hips and paused with them several yards from the husk of the tree.
"We can use the digger we used to build the trench." Ruby suggested.
"We got an attachment for that?" Glenn asked and Daryl shook his head.
"Look at it, don't need no attachment. A good run into it will take it down."
"We should wait till it cools off before we do anything." Paul rubbed his head tiredly. "No sense in hurting somebody trying to do it now."
Beth looked up at Paul nervously. "Just curious, but why didn't the noise draw more walkers? Have you seen any?"
Ruby frowned. She was right. Daryl answered her first. "Probably couldn't peg it in the storm. Call it a lucky break."
"Lucky break? I'm unfamiliar with that concept." Ruby joked and he chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah." A door opening and shutting loudly nearby made them all look over and they saw Merle walk slightly unsteadily onto the small front porch of the men's house. He stopped at the railing and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest and watching them all closely. Daryl glanced at him, then at the ground before excusing himself and walking over. Ruby watched him go and sighed. She hated he felt so parted from the rest of them now, but she was doing everything she could to try and help. She didn't know what else to do.
"Come on, Beth." Paul said softly, and he led the girl back to the main house and out of the wet grass. He looked back. "You guys want breakfast? I can cook."
Maggie laughed. "You?"
He looked slightly offended as they all began to follow him. "Yeah, me. Tell her, Starlet."
Ruby nodded. "Boy can cook a mean egg. He used to make ranchos nuevos or whatever in the hotels all the time."
"Cute and a good cook?" Beth smiled up at him. "Jackpot..."
"You have no idea." He raised a cheeky eyebrow at her and they kissed cutely as they passed into the house. Glenn had Maggie hand and went in, kicking off their shoes, and Ruby glanced back at the men's house. Merle and Daryl had vanished. Frowning, she paused and went back.
Knocking at the front door lightly, she opened the door softly. "Daryl?" She called out. Nothing. Walking down the hallway, she peeked into the living room, then past, to the kitchen. "Hey, Daryl?"
"You looking for something, sweet cheeks?" She heard and closed her eyes, nearly groaning out loud.
"Good morning, Merle." She said tightly. "I see the storm didn't keep you out."
"Good old fashioned pharmacuticals helped, darlin'." He said and she narrowed her eyes.
"You taking something? Not a good idea if we need you."
"Ah, don't worry about it. I ran out of my stash a long time ago and dealers are pretty few and far between these days. Sleeping pills, baby. But I'm touched you care."
"Daryl around?"
"Now, what you lookin for my brother for? Just walkin' in a boys' pad ain't the most ladylike thing you could do, you know. What if we were indecent?"
"I'd burn my eyes out." She said flatly. "I just came to ask you if wanted breakfast. So if you'll excuse me-"
She pushed past him in the hallway, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back a step. Yanking away from him, she saw the dangerous glint in his eye and her heart jumped a little.
"Ruby!" She heard Daryl call from the bathroom sharply and she pulled free roughly just as the door opened and his face appeared around the crack. He must be prepping for a shower, because he stopped there. "We'll be out in minute. Go on."
"Ok." She nodded to him, shot a dirty look at a still smiling Merle, and left the house quickly. They both came to the kitchen a while later, luckily after the kids had finished eating, and Ruby avoided Merle's gaze. She was torn. She hated it when he looked at her, but she hated it more when he turned it on Maggie, Carol, Beth and Lola. Maggie could take care of herself, but Lola and Beth were in no shape. Daryl, however, kept an eye on him, and took him back outside right after they ate.
Ruby kept busy for the next several hours cleaning up the yard with Maggie, Paul, Daryl and Glenn. Paul got the machine from the barn and soon the burnt out tree was on the ground. Ruby and Maggie kept watch for walkers while they took chainsaws to the trunk and carted it away into a pile near the barn. No bother in keeping the noise down with those things going, and Ruby relished the feel of the gun popping off in her hand every time she fired on a walker that stumbled out of the trees toward them. With the mood she was in, the anxiety of the fire and missing Rick more than she could remember, she needed to shoot something. Picturing Merle's face on the walker's bodies helped immensely, she found, and when she downed a particularly rotund, once tall, one, she smiled a little evil smile to herself.
Rick was recognizing the landscape around them as they went back homeward. A handful of hours left and they'd be pulling into town again. He sighed as the storm clouds above cleared. It had been a violent one, and he wondered how the farm was doing. If it had caused any problems for them, maybe brought out more walkers. He couldn't wait to be back. They'd stopped at several houses along the way back, rounding out a little more in the roadways to hit places they'd not hit on the way out. Using the potty breaks for the kids to do so, he'd managed to gather the last thing on his trip he'd actually been looking for actively and not been able to find. Blessed, lovely coffee. God bless caffeine.
Whit seemed to be more himself after their talk. His laugh a little easier, his mannerisms a little less strained. In fact, the last stop they'd made, little Jack had approached him by the truck and Whit had picked the boy up, speaking softly to him. Rachel, the boy's mother, had stood by and watched with a little smile on her face. It had taken the women a little while to trust them, regardless of the rescuing, but when Rachel was convinced that they were indeed not only good guys, but actually military, things had become much easier. She was an unofficial leader of the other women in a way, you could tell they looked to her for guidance. They didn't need to watch them that closely, they stayed nearby and patient on their own. When they'd stopped at a small lake to wash up and rest for a little while, they'd followed orders brilliantly. Rick would have felt a little out of place with the deference they showed the soldiers, but Whit wisely addressed him as Sheriff in front of them from then on out, and it helped dramatically. Once they were back in town, they could worry about becoming comfortable. For now, while they were all in danger, it was best to keep things formal.
Whit told Rick what Rachel had told him at one point after a break, his voice become strained again while he spoke. Apparently the thieves and rapists, repulsive as they were, had gathered this small group over a period of time. Coming across a group of survivors and ambushing them much like they had Rick and the others, they would kill the men first. Then keep some of the kids as bait and all the women they deemed good enough, at least until they'd become tired of them. Some were traded off to like groups for food or weapons, some were simply used up and killed. Rachel said she'd seen at least four women just since she'd been there outright killed by talking back or rejecting the unwanted advances put upon them. The only reason she'd remained alive and not allowed herself to follow that path had been Jack. If she was gone, he was dead. For all the good that was, she'd said. They'd taken Jack anyway to distract Whit. His rescue, she was obviously attributing much to the Lt., and looked at him like he was an angel in fatigues. It was actually a little endearing.
"We'll drop them first, then load your stuff and get you two back home." Whit said to Rick and Jimmy as they neared town. The two of them looked at each other excitedly. It couldn't come fast enough. Still, it turned out Jimmy could wait a little while longer- when they got to the front gate and a little blond head poked up over the wall, the smile on his face was nothing short of goofy.
"Hey cowboy." Disco dropped to the ground when they'd pulled into the gate and grinned at Jimmy. Rick chuckled to himself when the young man clawed his way out of the truck and went to talk to her. He left them be while he helped Whit and the others get the women and kids out.
"Rick!" Andrea waved and jogged over when she saw him. Rick sat one of the kids down as he helped him out of the truck and gave her a welcoming hug. She leaned back and put her hands on his shoulders. "Man, it's good to see you! How was it?"
He glanced back at the flatbed. "Productive."
She chuckled. "I see that. And survivors, too. You raid a women's center?"
He shook his head sadly. "These guys are gonna need some looking after, Andrea. They've really been through it."
Her smile faded, and she looked sadly at the thin, traumatized group now gathered near Whit nearby, listening to instruction. "Don't worry, we'll take care of them."
"You want to come out to the farm with us? Whit's gonna drive us out when he's done."
She shook her head. "I would, but this changes things. I want to help them get settled in first, then I will. Besides, you'll be looking to rest and get back to things yourself for a while, huh? Got people been missing you."
He grinned. "Missed them, too. It's good to be back. Drove straight through on the way back, I could use some sleep."
"You all look like it. Hey, looks like Whit's ready to get you back. Take care, ok? I'll see you soon."
He bid her goodbye and tipped his head to Rachel as he passed. She didn't let him go that easily, though, she came up quickly and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, Sheriff. For everything." She said, her eyes brimming with tears. "Are you leaving for good?"
He shook his head quickly. "No, I live with my group down the way. You'll see us."
"Please come back and visit us soon. I don't think I can ever thank you for Jack, or for me. You saved our lives."
He gave her a small smile and nodded, and she let him go. It took a few calls out to Jimmy to try and get his attention, and eventually Satch did a semi vulgar cat call that made the young man blush bright red and back up from Disco, and jog back to the truck.
"That was unnecessary." He grumbled as he slid in next to Rick, behind Whit and Satch, and they laughed in a good natured way at him.
"You sure you don't wanna stay? We can put you up." Whit offered, and Jimmy actually took a look back at the blond girl standing atop the gate as they pulled away. Rick wondered if he'd actually do it.
"Nah. But thanks." Jimmy said, but they were unconvinced. "But uh, I think we should come back soon, check on those people we found, right Rick?"
"Oh, yeah." Rick went along with it, nodding enthusiastically. "Yeah, we should absolutely do that."
Whit glanced, amused, back at Rick and Jimmy settled in for the ride back to the farm, a secret little smile on his face. He kept it the whole way.
Daryl heard the trucks approaching before anyone else. He'd left Merle resting in the men's house so he could come out to hunt. With all the excitement lately, no one had gone out and they were now officially out of wild game to eat. He stood looking fairly proudly at a large buck he'd felled when he first heard the scratch of tires in gravel. Heaving the animal over his broad shoulders, he stepped through the clearing just in time to see the large flatbed enter the space. His stomach dropped a little. He'd been a little afraid of this moment, to tell the truth, though he'd never admit it in a million years. For so many reasons. First, the possibility that that truck would come back without Rick was a very real one, and he didn't want that for Ruby. Well, for any of them, really. He'd become a good friend to the Sheriff. But for Ruby. God, that would kill her.
Then again, Rick's return meant sure upheaval considering the fact that Rick was fixing to walk right in there and see Merle, and that was not a surprise that would be find for anybody but Merle. His brother was just itching to get at Rick, it was almost all he talked about and it was driving Daryl crazy.
He sighed when the truck spotted him, and walked over to it. Looking up reluctantly, he peered past the sunlit windshield and past Whit and Satch. There, peeking around them, was Rick and Jimmy. They were fine, and Daryl let out a deep breath.
Rick hopped down and Daryl dropped the deer he held to shake hands with him. "Good to see ya, man."
Rick nodded, and looked past him in confusion and worry. "Uh, Daryl... where's the tree stand?"
"With the tree." Daryl answered simply and Rick narrowed his eyes.
"Fine, where's the tree?"
"Burnt down with the storm. It was a sight, I'll tell ya that."
"Is everybody ok? Ruby? Carl?" Rick asked quickly and Daryl held up a hand.
"Fine. Everybody's fine, Paul moved Ruby to the barn on watch just before it happened so she wasn't anywhere near it."
"Thank god." Rick breathed, trying to still his heart. When he saw Paul, he was gonna kiss him. "Anything else happen?"
"You could say that. I think we best talk about it at the house, though. Help me get this thing up on the truck and I'll ride back with ya."
Rick frowned at those words but helped him pick the deer up. Once it was up on the flatbed Rick got back in the cab. Daryl got on the side rail, gripped the roof brackets, and spoke through the window as Satch drove them across the field. "What's up? What happened."
Daryl sighed, shielding his eyes from the bright sun. "Eddie's farm got attacked. Some of 'em are dead, Buck and Anna are back at the town. You didn't see 'em?"
"No. Who's dead?" Rick asked quickly.
"Canton, and that old lady's grandson. Ruby and me had went out to check on em, it wasn't pretty. Got run over while we were there, but she's just fine. Had to shoot Canton, poor thing. 'Bout broke her heart the way Eddie went over the edge with that one. Got him and his girl and the baby up at the house now."
Rick covered his face with his hand. "Oh god. Come on, Satch, pick it up, please."
"Come on, Rick. She's fine." Daryl tried to calm him, but Rick resisted.
"In two minutes you tell me Ruby almost got struck by lightening and caught in a walker attack. What do you want me to think?"
Jimmy spoke up quickly. The news had hit the truck a little hard. The trip clearly hadn't been easy on anyone. "Rick, it sounds like Daryl here kept her safe, I think you should focus on that."
"Just get me back there."
"Ok, ok. We're here." Satch said, stopping at the gate. Daryl spotted Paul at the porch and waved him over, giving him a signal, and Paul poked his head into the house before running to the trench and gate.
"Starlet!" He shouted up the stairs, and he heard the thump of her feet at his sharp tone.
"Paul?" She called out, coming to the top of the stairs.
"They're back." He said quickly and turned to run. She moved fast, barefoot and unprepared but not caring, and she was at his side when he reached the gate. When she saw Rick hope down from the flatbed cab, and let out a ragged breath. The bridge couldn't come down fast enough, and he met her halfway, on her side of the trench. The others watched happily as she launched herself like a flying monkey into his arms, tears flowing down her face. He spun her like they were in a movie, and kissed her deeply.
"Oh god, I'm so happy to see you!" She sobbed against his shirt, holding him so tightly it hurt her arms.
"I missed you so much!" He breathed against her hair. "Daryl told me what happened at Eddie's and with the tree. I can't believe it, but you're ok? Are you ok? Really?"
The others had gathered around them, smiles on their faces, happy to see the two of them back, but Rick and Ruby didn't see anyone but each other. "I'm ok. Just so happy to see you!" She kissed him again deeply.
"Dad!" Carl shouted excitedly and threw himself at Rick and Ruby. Rick got down and wrapped him in a tight hug.
"Hey! How are you?"
"Fine! You're back! How was it?"
"Insane, but it sounds like you had a time, too." Rick grinned, brushing Carl's hair away from his face.
"We handled it." Carl said proudly. Rick stood and put arms around Carl and Ruby, and the others came up to greet them. Smiles all around, and they were just pulling the flatbed over the trench to unload when Ruby looked back up at Rick.
"So, Daryl told you everything?"
"Yeah. I can't believe it all. Where's Eddie?"
"Should be back here, somewhere. Hasn't left the house much. But, you're ok with what's going on?"
He tilted his head at her. "Ok? Yeah, baby! I'm just happy you're ok."
She sighed, relieved. "I knew you'd understand. We had to bring him in, Rick. You know, for Daryl."
Rick looked confused. "Bring who in? Eddie?"
Ruby looked just as confused, and opened her mouth to speak when a voice came up behind Rick.
"Well, if it ain't Officer Friendly. Remember me?"
Rick's blinked at Ruby. He knew that voice. Turning around, his mouth opened in surprise when he realized he was face to face with Merle Dixon. He tried to process what he was seeing- one handed Merle balling up his one remaining fist and going right for Rick's face.