I don't own anything to do with Rick or any character from the Walking Dead. I own the OC character, Ruby, however, and I adore her.
Summary: Shane's been killed by Rick and the group doesn't trust him anymore. So what does Rick do? Snap. He finds a girl in the woods and takes out his aggression.
Yes, I know if you've read my other stuff you know that I am a Shane girl, but Rick is awesome, too. So I decided to play with him a little.
Rate and comment if you like! Thanks, and please, no flames. They are... unhelpful.
He heard a movement at the door and looked up. Ruby was standing there, uncertainly, her hair damp and hanging around her face in tendrils. She had changed into a deep blue tank top and a pair of canvas shorts, her worn white tennis shoes on her feet and her bag hanging loosely in her hands.
"You ok?" She asked tentatively, and he wondered if she thought he'd get rough with her again. He wanted to. He wanted to grab her and throw her up against the wall and kiss her. His anger had turned into a twisted passion, he just wanted to take what he wanted from everyone around him right now.
He stood up and walked toward her and she leaned back against the door a little, her eyes trying not to look afraid. Getting close to her, he could smell her shampoo, see the redness of her skin where she had scrubbed it hard. He brought his eyes up to her and saw the hesitation in her face, and it began to quell the fury in his belly. She was like a drug, making the aching and disappointment fade away.
He dropped her hair and sighed. "Let's go see if Carol has food ready."
She looked relieved, and she moved past him and went to the bed, dropping the bag she held. She tied up her hair in a messy ponytail and she followed him out.
Somebody had made a fire in front of the house and Carol was leaning over it, stirring a pot. The others had taken places on the ground around it, and they must have found plates and silverware in the kitchen because they all had plates of food. Rick took Ruby to the fire and they sat down on the opposite side, her eyes avoiding the furtive glances the others were giving her. Carol handed her a plate and she took it, smiling a little at the older woman. Rick got one too, and Carol joined them with one of her own.
"So, Ruby. Where are you from?" Carol asked, and Ruby looked up quickly. She licked her lips, and hesitated, but finally looked back up at Carol, who was waiting expectantly.
"Um.. Chicago, originally. But I was in Branson when all this hit."
"Missouri?" Maggie asked, and Ruby nodded. "Were you going to school?"
"No. I was working."
Maggie looked interested. "What did you do?"
"I was a backup singer for Lady Antebellum. We were there for a concert." She answered and Beth and Maggie's eyes went round as plates.
"You're kidding me." Beth said, stunned.
"Nope." Ruby answered, her face still without too much expression. Rick saw her glance over at him as he ate quietly, obviously wondering if she was supposed to be sharing this. He didn't stop her, he wanted to know more about her too.
"I loved them." Maggie said wistfully, then looked back at her. "You're so young, how'd you get to be able to do that?"
Ruby shrugged, taking a bite. "I got lucky. I've been on the road most of my life."
"Who else did you sing with?" T-Dog asked.
"Katy Perry,Taylor Swift. And I worked a tour with Justin Timberlake two years ago."
"Wow. That is so cool." Beth giggled, putting her plate down.
"Hope you can protect yourself with more than just singin' at the walkers." Daryl said sarcastically. Rick knew he had no time for singers and such nonsense. Ruby looked back at him with a harsh look but stayed quiet.
"Well, I think that's very interesting. You'll have to sing for us." Carol said and Ruby threw her a glance and a small smile.
"I found a guitar in the closet in my room. Can you play?" Glen piped up and she nodded. Rick looked down at her surprised. Beautiful and talented. Glen grinned and got up to go get it.
"Don't, Glen. The noise will draw the walkers." Lori spoke up and Glen sank back down. Lori leveled her eyes at Ruby, and Rick felt the fury building again. "Looks like you're a little beat up. What happened?"
Ruby pressed her lips tightly together but returned Lori's gaze. "Not everybody out here is as nice as you guys."
Lori looked put off, like she'd wanted to hear Rick had done it. "And even after that you just followed a strange man home? That doesn't seem like it's the smartest thing in the world."
Ruby narrowed her eyes at the pointed statement. "As opposed to staying in a tiny concrete room by myself with little to no food or weapons?"
Lori looked pissed and told Carl to go into the house. She threw a hateful glance at Rick and followed her son, leaving the rest of the group in an awkward silence. Rick, however, was more than impressed.
"I'm goin' huntin'. See if those walkers from the road are makin' their way over." Daryl said, tired of the conversation, and he walked away.
"I'll go with him. Looks like we're good around here for a while." T-Dog said and followed. Carol and Maggie started to clean up.
"Can I help them?" Ruby asked, nodding toward Carol and Maggie.
"Yeah." Rick said, smiling at her. She didn't return it, but she didn't look angry either, and Maggie grinned widely when she approached, hers and Rick's plates in her hands. Rick leaned back and watched them chatter at Ruby, asking about her work with the various bands. Ruby was reserved but answered her questions patiently, and when they had gathered everything, she followed them into the house. She looked back at him one more time and he nodded, urging her to go on.
Rick got up and looked out at the trees surrounding the house, thinking about his latest fight with Lori and about Ruby. He knew he was being unnecessarily harsh with her for his own personal gain, but there was something about her that drew him in, made him feel centered and focused. She was simple, their interactions were simple. She would push him away and he would set her straight, that was it. He smiled to himself and went in, wanting to see her.
"What was it like, traveling all the time? Did you miss home at all?" Maggie was asking as he got to the living room. He could hear them clearly, the dishes in the sink clacking together and the sounds of cabinets opening and shutting. He took a spot on the couch and slouched down a little, his hands behind his head as he listened to them.
"It was fun. I didn't get homesick. Didn't really have a home to be sick about." Ruby said calmly. "I got to see a lot of really cool places, though. A lot more than most people my age."
"Like where? What was the best?" Maggie continued.
"Well, Sri Lanka was great. Hot, but the energy was amazing. And I liked Europe. I was on a tour with the Backstreet Boys then, and we spent a month there."
"My god, you are so lucky." Maggie said, and he heard Ruby laugh. It was the first time he'd heard that, and it was beautiful.
"Ruby, what did you mean you didn't have a home?" Carol asked and Rick heard Ruby pause.
"My mom died when I was 8, and my dad wasn't around so I got put with a couple in New York. The guy was a talent scout and he and his wife couldn't have kids."
Rick heard the scrape of chairs and assumed they must be taking a seat to talk. He would have gone in and gotten her then, but he was finding out things about her she never would tell him.
"Anyway, Dad liked my voice and started getting me jobs. Little things at first, like world choir games. And when I was ten I got my first gig with Disney doing voice overs for their straight to video movies. Kinda took off from there."
"What about school?" Carol asked.
"I took advanced classes on the road, graduated early when I was 16. Dad made sure I was taken care of on that, he thought education was important. He got me into online college so I could keep traveling and I got a bachelor's degree in media management."
"You gotta be smart, if you were able to do that." Maggie said.
"I guess. I liked school but I was glad when it was done and I could focus on work." Ruby said casually.
"What happened to your adoptive parents?" Carol asked.
"They divorced a long time ago and Emily went to California. Dad was in New York and I called him right before the phones went out. I don't know what happened after that. How long have you two been with Rick?"
"Carol and the others almost from the beginning. But my dad and sister not too long." Maggie said.
"Your dad? The older guy?"
"Yeah. And Beth is my sister."
"How exactly did you find Rick?" Carol asked and Rick sat up, slightly alarmed. The only thing that stopped him from going in there right then was what she had said as they'd been eating.
"In the woods. I had an old ice house I was holed up in. and came out to the lake to clean up." She answered and he bit the inside of his cheek hard, waiting for her to tell them how he'd attacked her, tied her up.
"And you were alone? How did that happen?" Carol pressed forward.
"When the news reports got bad and people really started losing it I was in a hotel. There was a bodyguard, Paul, came and got us and we got out of the city. He was a marine, and he was really good at keeping us safe. We didn't really start losing people until the survivors started attacking too."
"When did you lose him and the others?" Carol asked.
"The group changed a lot, but my friend Sarah, Paul and me stayed together. When the herd blew through here a week and half ago we got separated. I don't know what happened to them, but this was my first time being alone."
"It's a good thing he found him. He's saved us quite a few times, kept us covered. I think we'd all be dead if he hadn't been around." Carol said, but her voice was sad. Rick frowned, pleased at the kind words but knowing she was still wary of him since the outburst at the fire the night Shane died.
"He takes care of you?" Ruby asked.
"Best he can." Carol said. "It's been a rough road."
"Is he always so... intense?" Ruby asked and he almost laughed. She'd wanted to say 'abusive prick', he could feel it in her voice.
"The last few weeks have really gotten to him. He's a good man, he's just being pulled in a lot of directions right now. It's not been peaceful in a long time around here." Carol said gently, and Rick thought about how kind and understanding the woman was.
"Ruby, how did you defend yourself out there? I noticed you weren't carrying a weapon." Maggie said, changing subjects, and Rick tensed again.
"Paul and few others taught me to shoot, use a knife, but it wouldn't do a whole lot of good now. I was almost out of ammo and I'd lost my knife when we were attacked." Ruby answered. "But I found the ice house and stayed underground as much as I could. There're are a lot more walkers and survivors here, and I couldn't move on, I'd have been killed if I tried. Probably pretty quickly."
"I'm sorry you lost your people. We did too." Carol said sadly, and Rick decided this was enough for now. She'd kept her mouth shut and he was intensely pleased with her. He went to the kitchen door and poked his head in. Ruby was sitting with Carol and Maggie and looked at him, her face without expression.
"Ruby, I need you to come help me with something." He said and she nodded to the women and followed him out of the kitchen. He walked back out the front door and to the cars.
He looked down at her as he walked toward the cars they'd parked. "What do you think about the group?"
"It's not what I expected." She said, her eyes on the ground. "They're nice."
"No man camp. I told you." He said, popping the trunk on the Matrix and going through the meager belongings it contained. They'd been chased off the farm so quickly they hadn't had a chance to really bring anything. "Did you go through the closet and the dresser in your room?"
"Yeah." She said, taking a cinch bag he held out to her.
"Find anything useful?"
"Some clothes, shoes. The clothes are mostly men's, so maybe somebody else can use them." She answered, looking out over the yard.
He nodded, closing the truck and going to the red SUV and repeating his actions. He found some toiletries and a few clothes, and gathered them in his arms. "Why didn't you tell them what I did to you?" He couldn't help it, he had to ask.
"What good would it do? Besides, I figured you were listening, and I don't really want it to happen again."
"All that true, what you said about getting out of the city?" He asked, taking her back inside, dropping the clothes in a pile on the floor just inside before walking back to the bedroom he'd put her in.
"No point in lying about it." She answered simply and he chuckled.
"Well, you've had a pretty interesting life."
"Seems like you have, too." She said and he looked at her with a furrowed brow. "I heard you fighting with your wife."
He pushed the door almost closed before turning to her and crossing his arms over his chest. "Did you now?"
"You weren't exactly quiet."
"Are you glad I'm having issues here after causing you so much trouble?"
She walked away from him and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I don't have time for that."
He leaned back against the wall and ran a hand through his dark brown hair. "You aren't even a little curious?"
She shrugged. "I figure you're gonna tell me what you want me to know. It's what you've done so far."
"Why don't you seem as angry anymore?" He asked, honestly curious.
"Why does it sound like you're disappointed? Would you rather I'd be screaming, throwing shit?"
"Not particularly. Just curious, I guess."
"I guess I'm not as angry for the same reason you're not feeling the need to restrain me again. Maybe we're adjusting."
"Are you glad I brought you back?" He asked and she tilted her head.
She sighed. "I'm still pissed I didn't get a choice in the matter. But... I'm here now. You obviously don't want me dead because you would have done that already, and your people seem nice enough. At least here I've got a chance, provided you don't lose it. "
He chuckled, and it sounded strange to himself. "Let's go get some firewood before it gets dark."
She nodded, following him out of the room. "What are we gonna to do for lights in the bedrooms?"
"I saw some candles in the kitchen pantry, but I haven't been to the cellar yet. Maybe there's something down there we can use. And we can build a fire in the fireplace. The windows are boarded up, I don't think the light will be seen." He said. "I'll call Beth and Maggie and get them to go with us to get the firewood."
She met him at the front door after he'd called the girls, standing on the threshold and looking out over the large front yard. Maggie and Beth smiled at her and took a spot on either side as the four of them walked to the woods behind the house. Rick kept his hand resting on the butt of the gun on his hip as they reached the tree line and began to gather the driest sticks and branches they could find.
"Ruby, did you only sing pop, or did you do other kinds of music too?" Beth asked as they filled their arms.
"I've done country too. Sawyer Brown and Garth Brooks. Those concerts were always a little more fun, they don't take themselves too seriously."
"I love Garth. What was he like?" Maggie asked.
"Funny. He was always playing practical jokes."
"Who was the worst?" Beth asked as they moved down the treeline.
"I don't know. Katy Perry was nice but her manager was a dick. Always blaming somebody for something. Fired a lot of the people for shit he caused."
Ruby answered. Rick smiled as he listened to their chatter. They spoke low, but it was light banter, and took the girls' minds off the events of the last couple weeks. It was almost normal.
"I think we have enough." He said when he saw their arms were full, a large bundle under his own left arm. They walked back to the house and stacked the wood neatly in the corner of the living room for easy access. He thanked the girls and he and Ruby went back out to check out the cellar.
"Watch your step." He said, holding out a hand as they descended the stairs. She took it and stepped over the broken last step and getting to the dirt floor at the bottom. She saw the shelves T-Dog had mentioned before and picked up a canning jar full of corn.
"How long you think this stuff has been here?" She asked, looking up at it closely.
"Probably a while." He said absently, looking around the other shelves for anything they could use.
"Does it go bad?"
"Eventually. But we can try it out. Grab as much as you can and we'll take it to Carol. She'll know."
She started to gather the jars that looked the best, and when he let out a 'ah ha' she looked over. He pulled two oil lanterns out from behind a long wooden tool chest against the wall and held them up. He spotted a large can of oil next to them and grabbed that, too.
"This should do pretty well." He said and she walked over to him, her arms full of large jars. "These candle holders too." He grabbed them and they went back up the stairs. Carol was in the kitchen when they entered, and she smiled when she saw the jars Ruby carried.
She said, nodding with her head to a small pile of metal plates with spikes in the center.
"What's this?" She asked.
"I don't know if it's any good." Ruby answered as Carol helped her put it all down on the counter. She picked one up and inspected it closely.
"These can sit for years, I'm sure they'll fine. Corn, pickles, peaches... this will be wonderful."
"We'll get more." Rick said and the two of them went out again. They made three trips, and soon the counter was full of jars of various colors. Rick went to the pantry and brought out a dozen thick white emergency candles and he and Ruby started impaling them on the spikes of the candle holders and took them to the dining room, sitting them on the table so people could grab them as they needed them.
Next, they got the fireplace ready for Carol to cook dinner, but not lighting it quite yet. It was too hot outside still, it would become sweltering in the house if they did. Ruby left him for a moment and went to the kitchen, coming back with a couple boxes of matches.
"Found them in a drawer." She said, putting one box by the candles on the table and the other on the fireplace mantle. They walked out on the front porch and sat down on the stairs, looking out over the yard. They sat there quietly until Carol called everyone for dinner.
With the abundance of food they'd found in the cellar and Ruby's intriguing presence, dinner was a little more upbeat than it had been lately. Lori's foul mood was pretty much being ignored or avoided, her silence accepted as normal now by the small crowd. Rick had started the fire in the living room as soon as they'd finished hanging the clothes up. It was understood that making the evenings activities inside the house limited the possibility that they would draw walkers. Even Daryl had come in, and he seemed a little easier in his mannerisms since he and T-Dog had killed a small deer.
They gathered in the living room, taking places where they could. Lori sat with Carl across from them and he noticed every time she looked at the place where his and Ruby's knees would occasionally touch, her eyes were narrowed and angry. Eventually, he stopped noticing, and turned his attention back to the rest of the group. Back to Ruby.
The chatter was low but steady. Maggie and Glen talking quietly to each other, Carol and Lori saying something here and there or to Carl, Hershel and Rick saying quiet and watching the others. Finally, Glen looked up at Ruby with a grin.
"Ruby, will you sing now?" He asked and she glanced over at Rick. He didn't say anything, so she looked back at Glen.
"Yeah, sure."
"I'll get the guitar." He said, scrambling to his feet and darting away. They heard his footsteps coming back down a minute later and he brought a slightly worn Martin guitar back with him. Ruby moved a few inches away from Rick to make room for the instrument, and she crossed her legs underneath her.
"Any requests?" She asked, taking the guitar from Glen.
"Whatever you want." Glen shook his head.
"Alright..." She said, plucking the guitar strings, testing it. She took a deep breath and began.
Oh, Death, оh Death, oh Death,
Won't you spare me over til another year
But what is this, that I cant see
with ice cold hands taking hold of me
When God is gone and the Devil takes hold,
who will have mercy on your soul
Oh, Death, оh Death, oh Death,
No wealth, no ruin, no silver, no gold
Nothing satisfies me but your soul
Oh, Death,
Well I am Death, none can excel,
I'll open the door to heaven or hell.
Oh, Death, оh Death,
my name is Death and the end is here...
She was absolutely amazing, Rick thought. He was totally floored. When she finished she was met by a wistful gazes form most of the people. The song was haunting, and so appropriate for the situation, she couldn't have chosen better. Carol looked at her appreciatively. "That was wonderful. You have a lovely voice, Ruby."
Ruby grinned and thanked her and Rick took a moment to watch her. She sang beautifully, her voice low by clear and strong. She made the words come to life, her face peaceful and beautiful, and her fingers danced deftly over the strings of the guitar.
"What else you got?" Daryl asked from his spot leaning against the wall and Rick looked up at him, more than a little floored. Daryl was interested, little to no trace of his general grumpiness.
Ruby nodded and looked down at the guitar. She ran her fingers over the strings and began another soft, swaying melody.
In the deep dark hills of eastern Kentucky
That's the place where I trace my bloodline
And it's there I read on a hillside gravestone
You will never leave Harlan alive
Oh, my granddad's dad walked down
Katahrins Mountain
And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride
Said, won't you walk with me out of the mouth
Of this holler
Or we'll never leave Harlan alive
Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning
And the sun goes down about three in the day
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinking
And you spend your life just thinkin' of how to get away
No one ever knew there was coal in them mountains
'Til a man from the Northeast arrived
Waving hundred dollar bills he said I'll pay ya for your minerals
But he never left Harlan alive
Granny sold out cheap and they moved out west
Of Pineville
To a farm where big Richland River winds
I bet they danced them a jig, laughed and sang a new song
Who said we'd never leave Harlan alive
But the times got hard and tobacco wasn't selling
And ole granddad knew what he'd do to survive
He went and dug for Harlan coal
And sent the money back to granny
But he never left Harlan alive
Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning
And the sun goes down about three in the day
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinking
And you spend your life just thinkin' of how to get away
Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning
And the sun goes down about three in the day
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinking
And you spend your life digging coal from the bottom of your grave
In the deep dark hills of eastern Kentucky
That's the place where I trace my bloodline
And it's there I read on a hillside gravestone
You will never leave Harlan alive
She trailed off and looked up at Daryl, and he nodded, silent at first. "That's pretty good." He said simply, and focused on pulling out his knife and inspecting the blade. Rick was floored. That was as good a compliment as he'd ever heard from the man. Carol looked at him and raised her eyebrows, and Rick chuckled quietly.
"I think it was beautiful." Beth said and Maggie nodded with her.
Unexpectedly to everyone but Rick, Lori stood up and brushed her jeans off. "Carl, let's go get you cleaned up."
"Can't I listen to the singing?" He protested, but she shook her head.
"Up the stairs. Let's go." She ordered firmly and he hung his head a little as he followed her out of the room. The room became a little uncomfortable for a moment, until Maggie broke the silence again.
"Can you do something a little more mainstream?"
Ruby looked at her, tilting her head a little to the side. "What do you have in mind?"
The young woman thought a minute, then smiled. "Do you like Natasha Bedingfield?"
Ruby smiled and strummed the guitar again, singing "Pocketful of Sunshine". When she hit the chorus Maggie and Beth joined in and the room was filled with the warm sound of their harmonizing. They were good together. When they were finished, Ruby put the guitar off to the side.
"You should keep that." Glen said and she looked over at it.
"I'd love to. I had to leave mine." She answered, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She exuded a confidence and calmness that Rick felt coming off her in waves, and he hated to ruin it but he looked back at a crack in the boards on the window, and he clapped his hands on his knees.
"It's getting' dark." He said, standing up. "We need to get locked up for the night, get some sleep."
"Hell yeah." T-Dog said wearily and followed his lead. "I'm gonna sleep for a week."
"Maggie, Ruby? Do you want to help me clean up?" Carol said, gathering the dishes. Ruby looked at Rick and bit her lip, and he knew she could tell he wanted her to come with him.
"I'm going to help lock up, if that's ok." She said and Carol smiled.
"Of course."
"I'll help." Glen said, grabbing dishes and following Maggie and Carol into the kitchen.
"I'll sweep the woods again." Daryl said and Ruby got up, going to the door with him.
"You need a hand, Rick?" T-Dog asked and Rick shook his head.
"Get some rest, T." He said and T nodded gratefully and walked past them to the SUV in the yard out front. Rick saw him get a cot out of the back and take it back in the house as he and Ruby walked around the left side of the house. Daryl dipped into the treeline and vanished in front of them.
"You're a great singer." He said as they walked around the house slowly. She looked at the ground and shoved her hands in the pockets of her shorts.
"It was nice to sing for someone who likes it. Walkers don't really appreciate the effort."
"You got to Daryl. I don't think I've ever heard him compliment anybody."
"Now I can die happy." She said softly, her sarcasm not lost on him.