A/N: Yay! Rick is finally here! Thanks as always to the readers and reviewers!

Disclaimer: I don't own Walking Dead

"Daryl's gonna be pissed." Alice mumbled from the back of the truck Rick was driving. She was using a ripped up shirt to bandage the ribs T-dog had broken when fighting with Merle. They had no real medical supplies; the shirt would have to do. T-dog had been silent the whole ride. It was obvious he felt guilty about what he had done on the roof before they left.

It had taken a while, but they managed to get out. Alice's stomach was still churning from the memory of Rick chopping up a walker and rubbing its guts all over lab jackets he and Glenn wore. The smell was one she was sure she wouldn't soon forget. She had smelt death before since she worked in a hospital, but never like that. Rick had broken into a nice, red car and gave it to Glenn to drive around as a distraction to the walkers because the alarm was obnoxiously loud.

Glenn had sped off, excited about driving the fast sports car. He didn't know how to turn off the screeching alarm since it was hot-wired but at the moment, he could care less.

The only person missing was Merle. He was still handcuffed to the roof. T-dog had accidentally dropped the key Rick had given him down a drain in a panic. He was supposed to unlock Merle when they were about to escape. T-dog knew he should have tried to help the man, but he didn't want to get left behind. He assured everyone that he had locked the roof door so no walkers could get in, but that did not sooth his conscience.

Merle wasn't a good person, anyone who knew the man would agree, but he was still human.

They pulled into the camp site, parking behind another truck. Rick turned the truck off, but remained seated as everyone jumped out excitedly. Alice moved into the passenger seat that Morales had previously occupied.

"Hey." She placed a delicate hand over his rough, calloused one. "I want you to meet everyone. I think you'll be surprised." Rick eyed her familiar smile. He knew she was hiding something.

He couldn't help but smile back. "Surprised how?"

"You won't know till you get out the car." She teased. Alice moved her hand back, but Rick quickly grabbed it, eyeing her wrist.

"What's that?" he asked, touching the bracelet with his free hand. She had put it on during the drive back. "You didn't have that on back at the department store and I don't remember you owning something like that."

She looked down at her lap. "Oh… Well it was real pretty… So I kind of, you know, borrowed it." Her voice was steady. It was never shaky when she spoke to Rick. She always felt like she could joke and be comfortable with him, but hes her closest friends, so of course she felt that way, right?

"Borrowed huh? When you gonna return it?" he asked playfully, still holding her hand.

"Oh Rick!" she rolled her eyes "Just get out the car and meet everyone."

"I don't know Alice. I feel a little weird, you know?" She squeezed his hand reassuringly before letting go.

"You're gonna be happy and surprised, trust me." Giving her a doubtful look, he got out.

She took a deep breath and followed him out. Even though she wanted Rick to see his family, she knew what went on while he was gone. It would kill him if he knew.

Alice also had guilt about leaving him at the hospital that day. It was part of her job to be able to tell if someone was dead or alive, but she had failed him. In her panic, she was not able to find his pulse and only God knows what hell he had gone through to find them.

Maybe things would have played out differently had she and Shane managed to get him out somehow.

"How'd you get out anyway?" Shane asked Glenn, looking around for his wife.

"The new guy. Come on and meet everyone helicopter man!" Rick stepped into everyone's view, Alice close behind. Shane's face was unreadable. Carl looked up and started to smile.

"Dad! It's dad!" he ran to his father, jumping into his arms and bring him down to the ground in a tight hug. He stood up and held his as close as he could.

"Thank goodness Carl, I found you!" His voice cracked as he held his son tight to him. Lori eyed Rick in disbelief as if she were seeing things. Slowly, with her mouth hanging open and eyes wide, she made her way over. She shot Shane an angry look when she passed him.

Alice held onto Dales arm, smiling at the site.

Rick grabbed his wife quickly and held her close, kissing her forehead. He let tears of joy roll down his cheeks as he once again held his son and wife. Lori started to cry as well, but the look on her face was far from ecstatic. Alice wasn't sure what Lori was crying about.

Were they tears of joy or guilt?

Lori hid her face against his chest. "You're alive Rick." She mumbled with a slightly guilty undertone.

Rick let out a laugh, not noticing. He was far too happy to notice anything off about his wife. "I knew I'd find you! I knew it!" he let them go and turned to Alice. "This was your surprise?" she gave a shy nod. "You got me! I wasn't expecting this." He turned to Shane. "Your wife is something else." The two men hugged, but it was awkward on Shane's end. Shane was happy, he really was, but now there was a big problem with Rick's arrival.

"Don't I know it."

"Thank you brother. I knew I could trust you to watch over my family."

"You know it. We barely made it out, but I got them Rick, I got them."

Rick held Carl and Lori close as everyone sat around the camp fire. He had never felt so much joy in his life. The world went to shit, but he still had his wife and son. Lori was still acting distant, but he would deal with that another day. She was probably still mad about the argument they had before he was shot. Rick retold his story of waking up alone in the hospital and finding walkers and dead bodies that had been shot. Lori gazed at the fire as he spoke. Shane clenched his jaw but listened. He suddenly shot up from Alice's side when he saw another fire by their group get brighter.

"What the fuck Ed! I told you to keep it low!"

"It's cold." Was all the man said, not looking up at Shane.

"It's cold huh? Deal with it like the rest of us! We all agreed to keep the fire low so we wouldn't attract the walkers and here you are just blazing it up!" Ed frowned and looked at his wife, a woman with grey, close to the scalp cut hair.

"Fine. Put it out woman." He ordered her. Alice watched with gloomy eyes as she watched the woman jump up and remove the extra log. She related to the woman, Carol, all too well.

Carols husband was the definition of an asshole, but she stayed, justifying everything he did. Everyone would whisper about it, wondering how she could stay with someone that treated her so bad, but not Alice. She knew how the woman felt, trapped with someone who treated her wrong, yet hopeful that it might just work.

The two women had a friendship built on that understanding alone.

Their daughter, Sophia, watched silently. Everyone pitied the girl. She had no say in anything, and had probably seen things no child should ever witness.

Shane put the fire out before kneeling in front of the woman and child.

"Thank you for cooperating. How's everything going Carol, Sophia?"

"Good. Look, I'm sorry about the fire-"

"It's alright Carol. Just remember next time." Just at that moment, thunder sounded.

"You going to bed?" Shane asked, standing awkwardly in front of Alice. She nodded, playing with her fingers. It was a nervous habit. Shane laughed a little as he grabbed her hand and holding them in his. "Look, um I know I been distant, but-"

"It's alright." She cut him off. "I understand. You thought Rick died and you were mourning. I get it." She lied. She would take him back without question, as she always did. It was sad to her though that Rick had noticed her new bracelet and Shane, her own husband had not. He reached out and brushed some of her hair from her face.

"I'm proud of you, you know. You did good out there today." She gingerly lifted his hand to her lips and placed a soft kiss on his knuckles.

"Thanks Shane." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the chain with the '22' pendent. "Here. I meant to give you this sooner." Shane's eyes lit up and he took it. It had been the number on his jersey back in his high school football days. It had meant so much to him and he thought he would never see it again.

"You got it when you packed our things?" she nodded. "I thought this was gone forever… I can't believe you saved this. Oh, baby you're the best." He pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back, but it was awkward. He let her go and put the chain on. She didn't miss the flash of guilt in his eyes as he fixed the pendent. "I would join you tonight; cuddle you just how you like, but I got watch tonight."

"Just be careful, it looks like it's gonna rain hard."

Shane lifted her chin up and placed a kiss of her lips. He pulled away slightly before grabbing her hips and pulling her closer to his body. She leaned up on the tips of her toes, initiating a second kiss. He tilted her head, making it deeper. He slowly broke the kiss. Resting his forehead on hers, he looked deep into her blue eyes. He loved her, he couldn't deny it. No matter what he did or way he strayed, he knew he loved his wife.

"You go rest that pretty little head of yours." She nodded and walked into the RV.

Once she had settled in her spot where she slept, her fingers danced across her lips. They didn't feel warm or tingle like they used to when he kissed her. They felt like… Nothing. She let out a sigh as she stared at the RV's roof.

She had felt numb when he kissed her. She was starting to realize how much she had been forcing herself to pretend she was happy and still in love with Shane. It confused her when she tried to figure out what she really felt for the man.

One thing she knew for sure now was she didn't feel love, not like she used to anyway. Her thoughts started to drift to Rick. The smile on his face when he saw his son brought a smile to hers. When he smiled, his eyes smiled. It was something Alice always liked about Rick. She liked a lot of things about Rick, but he was her friend, so of course she liked things about him.

Besides, even if she did see him as more than a friend, he loved Lori and she was with Shane.