The story will take a little sidetrack here to visit a bit with Rick and Andrea. I did resurrect Andrea in this story for a reason. Carol and I both think that Rick and Andrea are "right" for one another. Let's see if this works out the way I want or fate intervenes yet again.

Love is blind; friendship closes its eyes.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Kindred Spirits

Daryl organized the teams for the run. He had pared the trucks down to four. Team One-Sam and Dave, Team Two-He and Glenn, Team Three-Tyreese and Michonne, and Team Four-Andrea and Rick. Emily had given them a list of places that she had used in business, and one of those was in Sam's town. They were going to travel quick and light.

Rick settled himself in the driver's seat and Andrea jumped in the passenger side with an assortment of weapons. She handed Rick a travel mug with coffee lightly creamed. Andrea had woken up very early and started the coffee. She commented to Rick she did it to save Tyreese from a caffeine deprived Michonne. Rick was thinking that he had never ridden with Andrea, not even on a run after she came back from Woodbury. Andrea had come back from Woodbury a subdued and almost meek woman. She fought for the prison group, worked tirelessly with Carol to feed and clothe their family, and made no waves. He had sort of missed the pain in the ass Andrea. She had seemed a little more like her feisty self after the Governor had been killed. Andrea had laid some ghost to rest when Philip Blake went to his unjust reward. Rick thought about the ghost that he had finally laid to rest and thought we're probably kindred spirits.

"Thank you for the coffee, it's perfect", Rick yawned out a thank you.

"Lightly creamed, right?" Andrea asked and went on to say, "I worked my way through undergraduate school at a diner. You pay attention to regulars and you try to make them feel welcome when they come in."

"I worked summers in road construction with my father. Fourteen hours a day in the summer sun, I was glad to go back to school when it when it started. I went to a local college, majored in criminal justice, "Rick said.

The trip went quickly for them; the conversation never seemed to slow down. Rick was surprised at how easily he could share things with Andrea and at lonely he had been. She smelled like a mixture of soap and perfume this morning; she had obviously been in a scented bath recently. "You smell awfully good this morning, "he teased. "Thank you, a good friend gave me some bubble bath and I am not afraid to use it," Andrea returned saucily. "Do you remember back in Atlanta when you all put those guts on Glenn and me?" Rick asked. "We, I will never forget that. Poor Glenn throwing up on the floor and the smell of decaying guts everywhere. It was a brilliant idea but actually going through with it took well, guts, "Andrea laughed. " Rick felt the compulsion to share again, "Smell is different for me now than before; it's like all my senses are sharpened. I can smell walkers before I see them. I could smell the soldiers out in the prison field that day without looking through the fence. It's not all bad. I enjoy smells more than before. The smell of Judith as she lies in my arms, food cooking when we come into the yard, Carl's body odor since he started growing up, and the smell of a clean woman sitting next to you." Rick wished he had edited that last part out, but it was too late now.

Andrea knew what he was talking about, "I smell people now. I could walk through the house blindfolded and be able to identify everyone by their faint smell. First thing, men smell different from women. Then each person has their own smell."

Rick was curious, "What do I smell like to you?" Andrea considered the question, "Well, you smell like a man who showers daily but who works hard. So I can smell sweat on you, there is sometimes a faint whiff of baby powder from Judith, and then there is the Rick smell. "

Andrea watched Rick's face; he was looking a little chagrined. She didn't want to tell him that sitting here in this enclosed space with the Rick smell made her want to kiss him. Rick was probably giving off pheromones and didn't even know it. The old Andrea would probably have jumped him at first chance; she answered only to her own impulses. And that had brought her Philip Blake's bed and a lifetime of regrets. The new Andrea wasn't so impulsive, but the new Andrea whispered an essential truth; Rick Grimes wasn't Philip Blake.

Andrea said, "It's a good smell." Rick smiled at her, "Good to know".

They discussed the run, Rick would do the heavy lifting and she would guard him, have his back. Andrea would keep an eye on the truck and watch for walkers. Rick looked over at Andrea, she was nervous but a little charged up too. He knew what that felt like, it is how you got ready to go to battle. You let go of everything else and concentrated on the plan.

The road they took off the highway had some walkers and Rick had to concentrate on his driving. Andrea had her weapons handy but had the machete close at hand. They never slowed down and soon passed the small herd. The building was located a little out of town on two-land road. It wasn't a big facility and not fenced in. The place was still locked, and Daryl and Glenn had the cargo doors opened in a minute. They did find enough to fill two trucks, and no walkers were in sight. Andrea told Rick that she wanted to check something out and went back to the office area. The computers were long dead but she looked through the box of work orders. A large shipment had gone out the day before the ZA hit to a North Carolina address but she didn't know the town. She took the order back to Sam who recognized the town. It was closer to the mountains and not far off the highway they used to travel home. They decided to go to a home improvement store that they had passed on the way in and look for supplies. Then, on the way home they would try to check out the work order address.

The home improvement store showed signs of being scavenged when they got there. The door in the front was open and they knew it was going to have walkers in them. They did find some wood stoves, portable water purifiers, generators, and fencing. The walkers shambled over and kept the guardians busy. Sam called it over when the number of walkers started to pick up. They were quickly back into the trucks. They still have a half empty truck and Dave remembered that he had a friend who lived nearby who was very into prepping. They went by his house which was just off to the main road. No one wanted to get bogged down in a cul- de- sac subdivision. The trucks were turned and lined up. Andrea and Michonne guarded the trucks, and the others guarded Sam and Dave. They approached the house silently and tried the door. It was securely locked and Glenn pried it open. They found their friend in the bathroom with the pistol beside him. He must have decided that it was better to opt out. He did have a basement full of supplies that they brought back to the truck.

Andrea and Michonne had been busy, their presence had alerted the Welcome Wagon and the neighbors were shuffling in to say hello and to invite themselves to dinner. The house was picked clean in twenty minutes and they were back to the highway in ten.

Rick wrinkled his nose, "You smell a little less good this afternoon." Andrea complained, "There isn't a neat way to kill walkers, Maybe Carol and I will design a disposable smock to go over clothes. We'll make a killing." Rick laughed and told her to make sure that she got a patent on it before someone stole the idea. Rick gave her a glance, she did have some walker goo on her clothes, but her cheeks were flushed and she looked pretty in a Viking woman kind of way.

Andrea was feeling good; they had survived and she had did her part in that survival. She knew Rick was checking her out; she liked knowing that. She and Rick had not always been on the same page but she was ready to start a new chapter. Andrea had a sudden news flash. Carol and Dary'sl abrupt departure yesterday leaving her and Rick with Judith for hours had been set up. Daryl's sudden move to put her and Rick together in the truck for hours. Somebody was playing matchmaker and it wasn't Daryl. It was Carol, the same Carol who had liked Joaquin immediately. The same Carol who thought Rick and Emily would be a good match.

Andrea thought about Carol who was perfectly happy with Daryl. Happy married couples always wanted to fix others up, but she and Rick already knew each other. You don't need to fix up people who have known each other for years. Why all at once when they were starting new relationships with other people was Carol masterminding this fix up? What was it that Merle had said to her one day at the prison before he went to meet the Governor all by himself, "Don't underestimate Carol." She smiled at the memory of how sincere Merle had been that day, not like himself at all.

Rick catching that smile found himself smiling at her. "Share that smile with me, what's so funny?
Andrea had survived in the cutthroat world of courthouses by being bold and direct, "I just realized that we are being fixed up by Carol."

Rick said, "I got that on the way down. Daryl as matchmaker? Didn't make sense, but who in world can make Daryl do what he doesn't want to do? Carol . He would tie us up and leave us in a locked room if Carol asked him to. Be glad that it was a truck and not a prison cell."

"I feel like an idiot; it never occurred to me that anything but a regular run. I know that you are seeing Emily and you'll have to tell Carol to knock it off, " Andrea stated, she felt a strange sense of loss, but you can't lose what you don't have.

Rick wanted to clear the air here, "There really isn't anything between me and Emily. I haven't really talked to her in a couple of weeks. I impulsively kissed her after a run but she didn't respond and that is really okay with me. I was lonely, feeling left out, but I wasn't lonely for her if you know what I mean. You will have to tell Carol that you are seeing Joaquin and to knock it off".

Andrea knew that several things had just been said. Rick was not hooking up with Emily. He was asking her if she wanted to be with Joaquin. "Joaquin is a good man".

Rick looked at her again; she was beautiful. Saying that someone is a good man is not saying that you want to be with them. He was ready to venture for a possible gain again. "Andrea, I have made mistake, done terrible things, and many people have been hurt by the stuff I did. I can't take it back, it is done. I went a little crazy after Lori died. I chased after her ghost. The day that you escaped from Woodbury I almost let you get caught by Philip because I didn't trust what I saw. I have had nightmares in which I failed to see you coming out of the trees with him right behind you."

Andrea had made plenty of mistakes along the way but this didn't feel like another one. "Rick, I like crazy. You know some of my mistakes and you know I am sorry. I have the same dream but in mine when I get to the place where I feel paralyzed and unable to move another step, I always see you running from the prison to save me. You do it every time. We both have made mistakes but I want you for my friend. "Love is blind; but friendship closes its eyes".

Rick looked where they were on the road, close to the rest stop. He smiled at her, "You like crazy? Then I am the man for you, I can do crazy all the damn day". She laughed back, but there was something missing. Something unsaid or undone.

The trucks pulled off the road and lined up at the truck stop. Rick pulled his truck some distance ahead of the others. He turned to Andrea, "Are you ready for crazy?" She nodded and they both jumped to the middle of the seat, their first kiss was tentative but soon settled right into passionate. It was finally broken up by Michonne pounding on the truck door. Andrea and Rick broke reluctantly apart. The whole crew was standing around the front of the truck enjoying the show. Andrea said to Rick, "Michonne wants to go to the rest room and always remember, Don't underestimate Carol."

The crew applauded as they exited the truck. Michonne dragged Andrea to the rest room to get the details and to get to a bathroom. There was only one walker in there this time and Michonne took care of it quickly. "I'll get it, you are so flushed and giddy. You might stab me instead of the walker. Now what in the hell is going on between you and Rick? Tyreese said that he thought Daryl was up to something."

"I think I may love Rick Grimes," Andrea confessed to Michonne. "You know we spent a lot of time together yesterday and it just felt so comfortable to be with him." Michonne was unconvinced, "Saying you love someone serious shit; life isn't all about making pies together."

They fell silent and finished with the restroom and used the hand sanitizer that Michonne had in her pack. Michonne asked, "Why him and why now?" Andrea thought of her dream, "Because he always runs from the prison to save me, and because I just realized how much I trust him."

Michonne knew that it was Rick who saw Andrea in the field outside the prison with the Governor right behind her. He had shot at the Governor from the tower. Rick ran to her and carried her in while Daryl covered them from the fence. Michonne had tried to chase him down but he had gotten away in a truck.

Andrea said, "Thank you for being my friend and for closing your eyes to some of my mistakes."

Michonne hugged her and said, "Girl, you are crazy." Andrea laughed, "See how much Rick and I have in common, and I'll have you to know we're going to make some seriously good pies together."

Rick and Tyreese met them on the curb by their trucks with water and some food. Daryl and Glenn sat on a picnic table behind them, "Well, Daryl are you ready to hang out your license to be a matchmaker?" Glenn chortled. "Shut the hell up, it was Carol's idea," Daryl growled. Glenn got more serious and thanked Daryl for talking to him about dealing with Hershel's death. " Thank you, Dr. Daryl and I am being serious now. We could have drift apart because we weren't sharing how we felt. Maggie is going to spend some time with Beth today. They are going to walk up to Hershel's grave and put some flowers on his grave. So thank you for talking to me and for that," and he motioned to Rick and Andrea laughing together as they ate. "I haven't seen either of them that happy in a long time." Glenn finished his sandwich and stood up.

They decided to go home; they were tired of dodging walkers. Daryl was glad to hear that everyone was ready to go home; he just wanted to be back on the mountain. They trooped into the trucks and moved quickly up the highway. Rick and Andrea talked the whole way home; good friends always something to talk about.