I can multi task!

I've already got 4 complete chapters to the Alpha Rick story. Long chapters too. That's part of the reason this has been a bit slower than the other chapters. I tend to slow down a little bit when something new is dominating my mind.

Once I get it out good enough I should be able to update fairly decent.

Four in a half grilled cheeses later, Ali handed Rick half of her latest sandwich and told him that she was full and then polished off her latest glass of milk and sat back with a soft sigh as Rick eyed her strangely for a moment before deciding to broach the elephant in the room while he could.

Before anyone else woke up and came down for breakfast.

"So...um, you and the big guy..." He paused for a moment as her violet eyes flickered to his face for a moment before she asked,

"What about us?"

"He claimed that he didn't force himself on you."

She turned her head now to glare at him, her expression furious at the mere thought that Hina would do something so- so disgusting and cruel and quickly bit out, "He. Didn't."

Rick must have picked up on her anger more easily than she thought, because the man quickly backtracked and held his hands up in a slightly placating gesture as he said, "I'm not accusing him, nor trying to offend. So please don't misunderstand me on this. I merely brought it up because everyone is...curious as to why you would be okay with-"

Ali frowned for a moment before understanding finally dawned on her and she sighed again as she let her head drop back against the back of her seat. "To understand, I would have to tell you about Hina."

"Okay, so tell me about him. From what little bit everyone has said so far, he's a decent guy-"

Ali snorted slightly as if his words amused her somewhat and said, "Hina is a little bit more than just decent. He's one of the kindest and most compassionate people that I know. I met him almost four years ago. Before... Anyways, he was a widower with three kids. Two sons, and an adopted daughter. His wife died well over ten years before we met, cause his kids were still young."

Rick stayed quiet as she spoke, his mind absorbing everything like a sponge.

"I had noticed shortly after we met, that most of the people around him tended to look at him- just once- they would see his big size, his height, his build, and they would automatically fear him. Thinking that he was a brute and nothing else. Or that he was one of those insane people who tend to think that might makes right. He didn't visibly react to it when it would happen, but it bothered him. I could see it. Those closest to him could see it."

"When everything fell apart, he lost his kids, and his tribe- which is bad, especially for some one like Hina. His people were a small tribe to begin with, but they were excellent warriors and fighters. Losing them all has taken a toll on him that is a tad bit greater than everyone else's losses would. He needs someone of his own tribe, his own blood to keep fighting and living for. Without that, he'd eventually give up and let those things eat him alive... Because of the grief, ya know? It'd eventually overwhelm him. Steal his will to keep going."

"I don't want my friend to die like that. I want him to live, to have what he needs to keep going... Losing him would pretty much cripple Sin and some of the others. It might even cost them their lives too. So I said yes. Even though I knew that the other's likely wouldn't like or understand it. And it kind of scares me, being a mother at my age. I at least know that regardless of what happens to me or this place, my child will have a loving and doting father and a whole bunch of pesky adopted siblings and uncles and aunts to give him or her what they need. Protection, safety, security- home and hearth..."

"Okay, but what about what happened to you before? Didn't...uh, how can I say this delicately?" Rick wondered aloud as he spotted Daryl peeking into the room with Glen's head near his shoulder. It was more than a little bit obvious that the two had been there for a little while and were simply listening in. "Didn't being- you know- with him scare you?" Rick said awkwardly and then internally cringed.

Okay so maybe that wasn't the best way to say things. But it seemed no less awkward any other way either. There was simply no way to ask the question and spare her.

Ali looked at him for a moment before saying, "Being with him at first terrified me despite knowing who he is and trusting him. I can't begin to tell you how many panic attacks I have had. But Hina never takes any offense or pushed me more than I can stand unless I said that I was good. Instead, he backs off and sometimes if he thinks that I really need it, he just holds me until I'm calm again."

"Sounds like a nice guy."

"He is."

"Then I guess we just need to adapt to the idea of a baby coming some months from now, huh?" Rick said as he stuffed the last bit of the grilled cheese in his mouth and began chewing slowly as he tried to think of all the different ways that this situation could blow up in their faces.

Not just his people's. But Ali's as well.

Once everyone was up and noticed that Ali was finally awake, her entire group took turns hugging the girl and ruffling her already tangled hair, making the mess she would have to fix later on- that much worse. And finally once each of them were done, someone mentioned needing to tell Hina to come back to the house.

Apparently he'd been temporarily banned by Alex so that she could rest undisturbed. But now that he could see that she was okay with his own eyes, he mentioned bringing Hina back and maybe apologizing for reacting the way that he had. Sin merely nodded his head and let the young man dash outside to do just that with his girlfriend right on his heels.

Rick noted as they left that neither one carried a gun. And though Alex carried an ornate dagger of some kind, his girlfriend didn't carry any weapons at all on her. Not only that but she was barefoot.

Which in and of itself was dangerous. Especially out in the woods.

One never knew when they would come up upon a nasty surprise in the form of a severed walker head. One that hadn't been properly taken care of just yet.

Such a thing could still manage to bite someone, and as such could make them sick, injure or even kill them. It was something that Rick needed to talk to the others in Ali's group about and see if he could change things a bit.

To say that Hina was surprised by Alibaba, and Morgiana's appearance in his little camp in the woods- would be a gross understatement. To say that he was a little bit angry and embittered by Alibaba's previous attack on his person would be the understatement of the century.

He still couldn't believe that that Alibaba would think so low of him that he would believe that he had raped Ali.

"Hina, there you are." The blond said as they walked over to where Hina was sitting and stopped well within reaching distance. "Ali is finally awake," The moment that the blond said those words, Hina's eyes turned a peculiar shade of glowing red for a moment before changing back to their original color. "And Sin and everyone wants you to come back to the house. And also- I'm sorry for attacking you like I did. Logically I know that you aren't that person. You could never be that sort of person. But you didn't see Ali and what happened to her before we brought her back." Alibaba's voice was beginning to tremble slightly now, as the warrior eyed him in silence for a moment before hefting himself up from where he'd been seated, and brushed by the teen.

But didn't walk away without having the final word. "You're right, I didn't see what happened to her. But I was one of the first she trusted after. Try to keep that in mind the next time you want to fly into a rage over a perceived threat to Aladdin."