Disclaimer: any and all characters are not owned by me, simply borrowing their images for readers entertainment.

Warning: Mentions and dustings of homosexual pairing, IF YOU DO NOT LIKE DO NOT READ.

Chapter 3: A Change in Pace

With the first jump taken, Judith found the new flow of school to be quite humble. Tuesday was almost just as promising as the day before, a well kept breakfast fueling her for her second day. Jude made her way to school, a spring in her step and Sophia close at her side.

Her B-Day classes were fair, happy that she had lunch with Sophia. P.E., Biology, and English were certainly not her best subjects but they weren't entirely disappointing. The highlight of the school day was her 2D Design class, her enthusiastic and quirky teacher Mrs. Fry leading them through basic sketching techniques.

Judith was astounded that day two had gone so well, not a single mishap to be had. She was sent home that day with no homework and since she had already completed her work from the day before she invited Sophia over to send the rest of the evening relaxing.

When the two friends entered her home together they found her dad in the kitchen along with another friendly face eating sandwiches.

Once she registered who the visitor was she hastened her steps, dropping her book bag on the floor and nearly tackling the strong figure in a hug, "Uncle Merle!"

Her uncle was a dedicated Military man who she hasn't seen in over 2 years. As far as she knew, he had been stationed in California, training new recruits. Merle had always been a loving man to his family, coming over as often as he could including holidays and get togethers. While his sketchy criminal recorded had been questioned often, the young Jude had paid no mind to it, happy to lavish in the man's presence. Some of her earliest memories were of wrestling her uncle at friendly barbeques, only winning when he was feeling generous enough to fake being injured by her.

Merle quickly set down his food before sweeping her up into a bone crushing hug that lifted her off her feet, a broad smile softening his features. "Hey kiddo! Surprise' ta' see y're ol' uncle?"

He set her down gingerly before rustling her hair. "Yah! What r' you doing here? When did you get back?"

"Jus' got inta' town las' nigh'. Thought I'd stop in ta' see y're ol' man and my favorite niece."

Daryl let out a comical scoff through a bite of bread beside them, "She's y're only niece."

The older man eyed him, "Whatever."

Jude could barely contain her excitement, "How long are you here for?"

Her uncle leaned back onto the counter, "On 'bout 5 month leave f'er now."

Things just kept getting better. It was then that the young brunette remembered her friend waiting patiently at the kitchen entrance, "Oh, Uncle Merle, you remember Sophia? We went to school together on the North side and she was over a lot."

Her uncle turned to nod and smile at Sophia, "O' course, how coul' I forgot? How's y're ma' doin', darlin'?"

Sophia took a casual step forward, offering him a smile back, "Hey Merle, good to see you again. My mom's doing great."

Excited to catch up with everyone, Merle asked if they could move to the living room, where everyone sat along the couch and loveseat.

"Y're uncle's thinkin' 'bout helpin' me work on my next project. So, 'm sorry ta' say we'll hav' ta' put up with his ass walkin' in n' out a' tha' house f'r a couple a' weeks."

Judith couldn't help the sarcastic groan that left her, pulling a fake hurt look from Merle as she said, "Ugh, really? Man, I don't know if I can handle that."

The room filled with laughter before her uncle retorted, "Ouch! Lil' lady, tha' hurt! See 'f I come ta' surprise ya' ever 'gan."

They spent a while catching up, her dad telling her uncle about the move, Judith and Sophia telling them about school. After the excitement wore off a little and it sunk in that her Uncle would be around a lot more often now, as well as for dinner tonight, Judith decided to excuse herself and Sophia up to her room. Daryl asked if Sophia also wanted to stay for dinner, the promise of carry-out pizza tempting her into accepting before the two made their way upstairs.

Sophia flopped onto her bed as she took out her cell phone, "Man, your family is so cool. All I got ta' show for is the inheritance I'll be getting from my granny when she finally keels over."

Judith laughed as she made to sit down next to her friend, her reclaimed backpack being dropped half hazardly on the cluttered floor, "Gotta' love 'em."

Sophia called her mother to let her know that she wouldn't be home for dinner, Judith talking over her to make her friend tell her mom 'hi' for her. After this was done the two laid back on her messy bed, talking away about their second day.

"I'm tellin' you Jude, drama may just be my new favorite class. Have you seen the instructor? He is HOT."

"Yah, Mr. Danahoo. I got him for homeroom. And while he isn't necessarily bad looking, I just think its weird to say a teacher hot."

"Callin' me weird?"

"I'm sorry, was that a question?"

The two paused in laughter before Judith continued, "I'm just happy I don't have many classes with that Tess girl."

"Tess? Tess Hegbeath? Blond chick? Real prissy?

"That's the one."

"Don't worry nobody likes her. She's a bitch."

Judith laughed again at her friends bluntness, "That's what that Sophomore Connor said."

"Connor? Connor who? You said he's a sophomore?"

"I wanna say Evens is his last name or something like that. I ran into him in the hall yesterday and I have a class or two with him. Nice guy."

Sophia sat up at the sound of someone knocking on her open door, her daddy occupying the open space, uniform still on.

Sophia smiled to greet him, "Sup', Mr. G?"

Rick took a step into her room, "Hey girls, dinners here."

The two girls stood up in eagerness, following her daddy into the hallway, "I'll be right down. Gonna change."

The two girls began their descent down the stairs before Jude spoke over her shoulder, "What, gotta' impress Uncle Merle?" and smirked when she heard her daddy let out a single barking 'Ha!' from inside his room.

The girls joined Judith's family at the table, 3 large steaming pizza's welcoming their appetites. Rick soon joined them, now in his casual wear, "ah man, I'm starvin'."

Merle couldn't help but laugh as he said, "wha'? Long day chasin' down criminals, Sheriff Friendly?"

Rick smiled as he took a bite of sausage pizza, "Tha's Mr. Sheriff Deputy Friendly to you."

Judith poured herself some soda which she assumed was ordered with their dinner. When she fumbled with securing the cap on the 2-liter however, Sophia leaned over and stole her cup, taking a few gulps, "too slow."

Judith punched her arm but let her friend keep it, pouring herself another. The group accompanied their dinner with friendly chatter, always at least two different conversations being had at once. It was a nice finish to the day, Judith thought, as they sat around the table, food finished and stories being told. Her Uncle Merle had just indulged them in a lively tale of the card games he and his buddies had made up to pass the long California nights when Sophia decided it best that she go home. The family said their goodnights to her best friend as she departed, stomachs grateful for the feast they had just had.

The week past by quickly for Judith as she got used to the routine of school life. She stayed up most nights to watch movies, with her parents cuddled together on the couch or sketch before going to school again. True to his word, her Uncle Merle was there most days when she got home and stayed through dinner. On her B-Day's with Sophia she began sitting with Francis for lunch, not yet fully comfortable with occupying lunch-table space if she were alone.

The weekend was uneventful. Her first high school Saturday morning was slept away, until her dad barged into her room at 11am and jumped on her. She got gutsy, finding the man napping on the couch only 2 hours later, and returned the favor. She had placed a kiss on his cheek before running for her life out the door, yelling through her laughter that she was going to Sophia's. Her daddy had had to work that day and with nothing else to do the two friends roamed the streets of Atlanta, window shopping. When she returned that night she noticed that her dad's lip was busted open, thinking she had been the cause of his injury she apologized like crazy. Her dad however had unconvincingly assured her that he had decided to work on one of his bikes in her absence and lost his grip on a steel tool, which had backlashed in his face. While she didn't believe him, she accepted that her father would never admit that she could do him any harm.

Sunday she spent to herself and with her family. Rick, having the day off, forced his husband and daughter into the car to go pick up groceries. Other than this, the farthest Judith got to leaving the house was doing her homework on the porch, the fall air a welcomed friend.

Judith was finding it easy to fall into the rhythm of her classes, making new acquaintances as she went along. It was like being reborn. Mostly everyone at her school was friendly towards her and if anyone didn't like her, they kept it to themselves.

It was Wednesday night and Jude was working on labelling pictures of different cells for her Biology class in her room. She had put on light rock music to fill the air when half way through one of her favorite songs she suddenly heard the sound of someone raising their voice from downstairs. She looked up from her textbook, training her ears for any other sound and when the noise continued Judith stood from her bed to pause her CD player. She could now hear the muffled sound of her fathers talking downstairs. She tiptoed through her doorframe, down the hall and leaned over the railing of the stairs to listen to what she was now certain her parent's arguing.

"-because Rick, ya' used ta' badger me all th' damn time 'bout opennin' up an' now tha' it's th' other way 'round y're makin' a big deal 'bout it!"

"It's nothing, Daryl! How many times do I gotta' say that?"

"Oh, bull shit, I've known ya' long enough ta' know y'er lyin'!"

There was silence before Rick spoke again, this time quieter.

"Hun', this ain't about us."

"Since when? Since ya' got y'er shiny new badge?"

"Maybe! Is that what ya' want me ta' say? That I don't fucking care about my family anymore? That something more damn important has come up and I'm just gonna leave?"

"Tha's not wha' I'm sayin', Rick."

"Than what? What are you saying, Daryl?"

"I'm sayin' tha' ever since we got here, it's like I don't know ya' anymore!"

Daryl paused, "I never see ya' and even when that happened before on the North side a' least ya'd talk ta' me when ya' were here!... I mean Fuck, Rick, ya' don' think this 's hard on me too? M' drivin' m'self crazy an' y're choosen' now ta' pull 'way fro' me!?" The last part was nearly a shout and Judith flinched.

There was silence again and Judith almost retreated until her daddy finally spoke softly, on what she guessed was the verge of tears, "I know. I know, okay? I just- I don't know what I'm doin' right now, Daryl. This-This whole thing is just- I don't know what I'm doin' anymore."

Both voices were whispers now and Judith had to lean farther over the railing to hear.

"I know, baby, I know. It's been hard on all a' us. But I can' help if ya' if ya' don't le' me."

"That's just it. I don't think ya' can. Ya' can't change the way the world is, Daryl."

There was a pause, "We came here ta' start over, but it's the same everywhere. We've only been here a couple months and ya' were already attacked, Daryl. And I- I wasn't there. I wasn't there ta' fucking kill that son of a bitch that jumped you in broad daylight. We came here ta' get away from it all. For us, for Judy."

"Jude's jus' fine, hun. Tougher than nails."

"Yah, but what if she'd been with ya'? It could still happen and I'm a cop- but there's only so much the law can do. It can't stop the crime from happenin'."

There was the sound of what Judith guessed was her parents kissing before Daryl continued.

"Firs' off, ya' know tha' if Jude ha' been with me and tha' asshole ha' even thought 'bout touchin' her, ya'd be watchin' me on trial f'r brutal murder righ' now. N' secon', I love you and ya' knew fro' th' beginnin' tha' this was gonna be tough."

There was another pause.

"But tha's it, Rick. I love you. And I love Judith. And ain't nothin' gonna stop my family fro' bein' happy."

"I worry 'bout Judith a lot."

Daryl let out a chuckle, "Well good. Tha's wha' a parents s'posed ta' do. I do too, all th' damn time. But I know tha' we raised our baby girl ta' not take shit fro' nobody an' hell she's 14 an' stronger th'n most grown men."

"I know... you're right. You're always right, damn you." Her daddy laughed.

"'M sorry. It's just something someone on the force said ta' me today. Got me thinking wrong."

"Who was it?"

"Ya' know I can't say. Protocol."

"Damn. N' here I was plannin' ta' kick some ass."

"Oh, it's MY protocol to not tell you. Not the forces. Guy mighta' been a jerk but he don't deserve ta' have his legs broken over it. It's for his own protection."

They shared a laugh and it was then that Judith decided to cease her eavesdropping. Her parents have fought before but it was never meaningless fights. They always had a purpose for getting so angry with each other. Judith turned her music back on but turned it down. She needed something to distract her while she finished her work but not blare her senses.

Judith had trouble sleeping that night, the conversation she had listened in on replaying in her head.

So that split lip she thought she had given her dad had really been from being jumped? And he hasn't said anything to her?

Each one of her close family members, including herself, had been in a physical fight because of her parents relationship but it never got easier to digest.

She hadn't even noticed her fathers talking less over the last few weeks either but thinking back she guessed her dad was right. Nor had she really acknowledged that her parents seemed worried about her enough to fight with each other about it.

Judith rolled over and sighed deeply, thinking to herself, 'I guess this isn't really the paradise I thought it was'

Sorry this one isn't as long and took a while to come out. I've started a new one-shot Rickyl collection that I'm having fun with and I'm kinda' really getting into it. Its called The Legend Of, and if you want more actual detailed Rickyl, I'd love if you checked it out. Thanks for the encouraging comments too! They are what really got me to kick my butt into gear and get this chapter done. Thanks again for reading, please review!