Douglas led Rick inside his quaint, suburban home. Rick's eyes widened as he took in the sheer normalcy of the place. The pictures on the wall, vases filled with flowers on side tables, and even the odd bit of leftover food left by the sink. The idea of leaving leftover food seemed ludicrous - a slap in the face.
"Sit down, Rick. I just have a few questions." Douglas pointed towards the dining room table and so Rick pulled out an expensive looking chair and sat down.
"You've been on the road since the beginning?" Douglas asked, sliding a glass of water towards him.
Rick ignored the water and shook his head. "Off and on. We've had places for awhile. A farm. A prison."
"But those places didn't last, I'm guessing. And so you've been out there. You and your people know what it's like and how to survive in this new world." Douglas poured himself a glass of wine and offered some to Rick, who refused.
"We do what we have to do. We've all done things, things to survive." Rick kept his eyes steady and focused on Douglas's every move.
"The people here haven't, Rick. That's the thing. Most of us have been walled up here since the beginning. Most of the families here have never killed any walkers, much less another human being. Which I'm also assuming you've had to do." Douglas took a sip of his wine.
Rick's silence was the only confirmation he offered.
"I'm not judging you or your people, Rick. Aaron and Eric have assessed you and deemed you good, worthy people. I trust their opinions and therefore, unless you give me a reason not to, I trust you as well. I'm hoping you and your skills and your knowledge will come in handy here. Will help save us when the time inevitably comes that we need saving." They stared at each other for a good long while. "Where are you from, Rick? Originally. Before all this?"
"Outside of Atlanta. I was the sheriff of a small town." Rick's eyes darted down, not wanting to think too much about before.
"And now it's just you and your boy and this group of people?" Douglas asked.
"That group of people is my family." The intensity in his voice both startled and pleased Douglas.
"I thought so. If you decide to stay, we need everyone to help out. Lend a hand. We all have jobs here. Most people are doing things similar to what they did before or that involve skill sets they have. Teachers, doctors, and whatnot. So far, I've been the only thing you could call law around here, so why not make you constable? I've always liked the idea of having a constable." Douglas smiled at him.
"What exactly is your job?" Rick wanted answers more than he wanted a job title.
"I was a Congressman before from Virginia. So I've been leading this place with as much of my political knowledge as I know how. Which is pisspoor, if I'm being honest. I'd welcome your help. We do have one rule though which I don't see you liking all that much." Douglas sighed and settled back against his chair, wine finished.
"Yeah, and what's that?" Rick readied himself for whatever was coming next.
"We have an armory set up in one of the houses. It's well stocked and something I'm sure you'll appreciate. We keep it locked and for emergencies only. Sarah and Eric are the only ones with keys since they live next door to it. Guns are checked in and out - all weapons, really. Mostly just for runs and outside scavenging. So I'm going to ask your people to turn over your weapons and agree to live here peacefully. No violence unless violence comes from the outside. Is that acceptable?" The older man raised his eyebrows at Rick.
Rick's hand immediately went to the gun at his waist. "You're just going to confiscate our weapons?"
"Confiscate is a bit harsher word than I'd use. It will still be your gun, Rick, when you need it. I just hope you won't be needing it much - if ever. That's all. The people here don't have weapons beyond the odd hunting knife. And since you're constable, I'll even give you a key."
"Well, if I'm going to be constable then I want a deputy and that deputy will also have a key." Rick was clearly not going to take no for an answer.
"Absolutely. Who did you have in mind?" Douglas didn't miss a beat agreeing.
Rick thought about his choices for a minute, but didn't really have to think long. "Michonne - the woman with the sword. Mostly because she's damn good and you're never going to get her away from that sword. So the deal also involves her keeping her weapon."
Douglas extended his hand to Rick. "Agreed. She can keep her weapon as long as it stays inside her house." Rick took his offered hand and nodded. "I'll talk to her next, if that's all right?"
Douglas walked Rick down to Daryl and Beth and then took them straight to Joyce's house where the others were busy laughing and chatting and eating and bathing. Joyce, herself, was busy chopping off Carl's hair. "No boy should ever let the mop on his head get this out of line. What girl's gonna want to swim through fields of hair to get to all the good stuff, huh?"
Carl blushed and Rick smiled for the first time in a long time. "And you - the father. Rick, is it?" He nodded. "You get right on upstairs and into that shower. I'm coming for you next. I'm going to have to burn every stitch of clothes you all are wearing. We could smell you coming for miles." The promise of a warm shower was too much to pass up and so Rick disappeared. Michonne headed off with Douglas once Rick had nodded at her that all was well.
Beth joined Maggie at the table, grinning like she'd just won the lottery. The table was stock full with crackers and chips and something that looked an awful lot like a green bean casserole. Actual food. There were platters of tomatoes and cucumbers and strawberries. Bananas and peaches and apples. Heaven couldn't have presented a more miraculous spread.
She glanced up at Daryl who was still looking like he had no idea what was going on. His eyes caught hers and she patted the empty seat next to her. "Sit down and eat something already. Before Abraham and Eugene destroy it all." The two men were busy shoveling whatever was in reach into their mouths. Daryl sat next to her but didn't touch any of the food.
"What's wrong?" Beth asked, popping a blueberry into her mouth.
He eyed everyone suspiciously. "Yesterday we were all near starved and eating cold beans out of a can. Now we're sitting here gorging ourselves so fast our guts are going to ache. Just seems a bit too easy."
"Why does there always have to be a buzzkill at every good meal we stumble across?" Glenn questioned as the others sobered at Daryl's words and slowed their eating.
"Cause if memory serves me correct, ain't none of those meals ever ended well. Five minutes of good eating and you done forgot all that?" Daryl glared at Glenn and Glenn glared back.
"Sorry about our manners, Joyce," Maggie piped up. "We're not used to all this, is all. Good things don't happen much out there anymore. Makes trust hard to hold onto."
"Don't you worry, dearie. You all can relax now. Get some real rest and forget what being hungry feels like for a minute." She released Carl from her shears and he pounced on the food. His enthusiasm encouraged the others and soon the roar of their laughter was heard again.
Daryl got up and left the house. Beth watched him go and her heart hurt for him. Because she knew he was going to have a harder time than any of them here. A harder time letting go of all the things he kept locked up inside - the hurt and the guilt and the shame. And she knew he'd have a harder time finding his place and his worth inside the safety of reinforced walls. A place where his crossbow and his hunting skills weren't needed. A place where he'd feel trapped and unnecessary.
Rick rejoined them without a speck of dirt gracing his skin or fresh clothes. And once Joyce got him in that seat, shaved his beard, and cut his hair, he was no longer recognizable as the man they'd all followed all those miles since Georgia. Since the farm. Since the prison. He was younger. Looked innocent, somehow. But sadder, too.
"Douglas wants to meet with everyone. Assign y'all jobs to do around the town. He's made me constable, and Michonne will be my deputy. He's also asked that we all put our weapons inside their armory unless we go beyond the walls and need them. Sarah and Eric have keys. Michonne and I will have keys."
They looked at him then, amazed that he'd agreed to such a thing. But they also felt a collective sigh of relief wash over the room. Because maybe for the first time in almost three years they'd no longer need to sleep with their hand on a gun. And so, one by one, they emptied their holsters, their pockets, their sheaths. They placed their weapons on the table and returned to the kitchen, bellies full and hearts light.
Beth approached Rick away from the others. "Daryl's not going to just give up his crossbow."
"I'll handle him. He outside?" Rick made a move towards the door.
"Yes, but Rick?" Rick turned back to her. "He needs something to do with his hands, you know? So that they stay busy and he doesn't have time to think too hard about anything else."
Rick eyed her curiously and he wondered just what it was that was going on between the two of them. He wondered if it was simply the bonds of the road, the time they'd spent after the prison fell. Or if it was more than that. When she'd kissed him on the cheek last night, it had felt charged with something that belied the chasteness of its innocent location. "Like what?"
"Like maybe he can help with clearing the next streets over. Douglas said they wanted to expand, right? So maybe he could sweep the houses and buildings and still get to take the bow out everyday. Do you think that'd be a good idea?" She looked at him hopefully. He'd give her one thing, she sure seemed to know how to handle Daryl Dixon. Maybe even better than Daryl Dixon knew how to handle himself.
"I'll let him think it was his idea." Rick smiled at her and continued out to Daryl.
Later that night after everyone had their sit down with him, Douglas led everyone to the remaining three houses they had vacant. The pantries had been stocked, the drawers and closets filled, the bathrooms armed with shampoo and soap and toothpaste. "I'm sorry these houses only have power and hot water during the daylight hours, but I'm guessing that's more than you've had in ages. The water is clean and from several wells. Shack up together for a few more nights and then you'll be able to spread out however you feel most comfortable." With a final goodnight, he left them to themselves.
Abraham, Eugene, Rosita, Sasha, Bob, and Tyreese took one house. Rick, Michonne, Carl, Judith, and Carol took another. That left the remaining house to Maggie, Beth, Glenn, Tara, and Daryl. Exhausted, they all headed towards their new homes.
"Wait, guys?" Glenn whispered.
"What is it?" Rick paused and looked at Glenn.
"I just don't feel comfortable having us all split up here. Not at first. Not at night. I say we all sneak into Rick's house in an hour or so. Stay close. Just until we have a better idea of how things are going to go." Maggie squeezed his hand.
"I agree. Come through the back door. It'll be unlocked." They finally turned their separate ways and went inside. Daryl didn't move an inch towards any of the homes. He stayed outside, walked over to the sidewalk, and sat down. He still had his knife but his hands itched for his crossbow.
"It's cold, Daryl. Don't you want to come inside?" Beth joined him on the curb.
"I feel better out here. But you go on. Get a real night's rest for once." He had dismissed her but she didn't move.
"Please come inside? We'll all be together at Rick's. Just like always. No need to freeze out here all alone. If you're out here, I couldn't get a good night's sleep anyway." She put a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off.
"Go inside, Beth." He needed to start pushing. He'd gotten her to a safe place where she could have a life and now he had to start pushing.
"Not without you." He was pushing against one hell of a stubborn woman.
He shot her an ugly look. But she didn't so much as flinch. "Dammit, Greene. I ain't playing games with you." He jumped to his feet to put distance between them. He needed space because now he was yelling and yelling would attract attention.
She walked towards him, hand outreached. He shuffled back with every step she took, begging her with his eyes, finally turning his back to her. But she didn't stop. She kept coming and her arms wrapped around him and her grip was fierce and determined. She wasn't letting go.
"I don't know what to do here." He murmured.
"Same as always. Protect your family. And to do that, you gotta be with them." She walked around and faced him, shoulders squared for battle. "Come inside."
His hand reached up, unsure at first, but he found his certainty in her eyes. He fingered the soft ends of her ponytail for the slightest of seconds. Sighing, he dropped his hand and nodded. "After you, Greene." And she led him inside.
