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.

Rick grabbed her hand, pulling her behind him as he went to the living room. "How many?"

"I saw five, might be more." T-Dog said, looking out the front window through a crack in the boards. "Got a truck parked in front."

Rick stepped up beside him and looked out. A large dark truck was parked near their vehicles a large dark haired man was standing out front looking over the house. There were four others behind him, wandering nearby.

A smaller dark haired man came up next to him and said something Rick couldn't hear, and pointed to the cars.

"They're looting the cars." Rick said grimly. "We gotta stop them." He stepped back and grabbed his Python from his hip. "Daryl, T-Dog, come with me to the porch. Ruby, stay here."

He went to the door and looked back at the two other men. "Ready?" They nodded and he opened the door, moving out onto the porch, his gun in his hand. They followed and shut the door behind them, leaving Ruby at the living room window to watch after them.

The big dark man grinned when he saw Rick. "I knew somebody was here. How you doin'?" The four other men he had with him stopped to focus on Rick, T, and Daryl.

"I think you better just move on down the road, mister." Rick said quietly, readjusting his grip on his gun.

"Oh, we are." The man nodded, but the smile on his face didn't reach his eyes. Rick knew the look, he was bad news. "Just could use a night's rest is all. Maybe a little food and some ammo you got lyin' around."

Rick shook his head. "Sorry, we can't help. Best be moving on."

The man chuckled, and looked back at his men that had come up behind him, hands on their weapons and menacing looks on their worn, tanned faces. The big man turned back to Rick and tilted his head to the side. "Ok. Well, thanks anyway, man."

Rick frowned, surprised the man was seemingly giving in. Something wasn't right. We're gone, ok?"

Rick nodded warily. "I'd appreciate it."

They walked back to the truck and Rick stepped down off the stairs, following a few steps. He felt T-Dog and Daryl right behind him, and the men paused.

"Rick?" T-Dog said quickly, stepping up beside him. "Walkers."

Rick head snapped to the right and saw half a dozen walkers coming through the trees from the road. He'd been so busy keeping his focus on the men and their guns he hadn't heard the low moans and shuffling of feet.

"The guns'll draw more." T-Dog said and all them men, even the new group, turned toward the threat coming from the trees. The big guy held his gun up and fired, dropping the closest one to them.

"Can't worry about that now." Rick said and followed suit, firing into the crowd of dead things. Gunfire erupted around them and soon all six walkers were laying in piles along the ground beyond the tree line. Rick turned back toward the man he'd been speaking to before, his gun still in his hand.

"This is gonna draw more. I suggest you clear out before they get here." Rick said quietly, and the man gave an amused chuckle.

"No thank you for helping you here?"

"Considering they probably followed you, I'm gonna say no."

"We can handle the walkers." He peered around Rick to the porch. "Besides, I don't think you got much of a choice."

Rick followed his eyes back to the porch and let out an angry curse. His stomach flew into his throat. Standing on the porch in front of the open door to the house was one of the man's guys, and he had Ruby by the neck, holding her in front of him and a gun to her temple. She met Rick's eyes and though she looked calm, he could see the panic in her eyes. The man had taken the walkers as a distraction to get around them to the house, and now he was going to lose Ruby because of it.

He raised his gun and pointed it at the man on the porch, T and Daryl keeping their weapons pointed at the rest of his men in the yard. Rick took a step closer and the man who had Ruby shoved the nose of the gun deeper against her head, making her wince.

"Don't come any closer, man. I'll kill her, even if she's a damn sweet piece." He pulled her closer, moving his arm down around her waist and putting his cheek against the side of her forehead. She grimaced and tried to pull her face away, but he yanked her hard.

Rick held up his hands in surrender. "Not coming any closer, just let her go. You don't have to hurt her. We'll give you what you want."

The big guy spoke up from behind him and Rick looked back at him. "Well, now we're talkin'. We'll take her too."

Rick narrowed his eyes at the man. "You can't have her."

They started laughing and Rick felt his body set on fire. He looked back at T-Dog and Daryl, and took a deep breath, making a slight motion with his eyes. Take out the big guy and his guys on the yard. He'd take the man holding Ruby.

"She yours, man? Takin good care of you?" The big man said, almost obscenely. "I bet she does a fine job, can't wait to find out for myself."

"I'll go. Just leave them alone." Ruby said in a calm, strong voice, and the new men grinned.

"She's got sense, gotta give her that." The man looked at Rick, amused. He felt sick, and looked back at Ruby, deeply confused. She couldn't mean that. But she took her eyes away from him and turned around to face her captor. She looked up into his face and smiled seductively.

"Let's go, then."

He grinned lavisciously and gave her a little more room to move. They started down the steps and some of the new man's group started back for the car, leaving the big guy and one other still facing Rick.

Rick felt like he was in slow motion. He focused on Ruby as they got to the bottom of the steps. She moved her hand around to her side and in a flash of moonlight on metal, she whipped a knife out and spun around, burying it in the man's stomach. She grabbed the gun from his hand as he fell to his knees and turned it around to face the big guy as Rick, Daryl and T-Dog started firing. They moved as a single, coordinated unit, and Ruby ducked and got behind them.

The big guy seemed to know something was going to happen, but he wasn't prepared for how fast they moved. Rick got him in the neck and he fell, blood spurting out and pouring out over his light gray shirt. Rick fired again, not hearing the bullets flying around him, and this one hit him in the head, knocking him back.

"There's one behind the truck!" T-Dog shouted as the gunfire faded, and they flew around the truck, flanking it at both sides. The guy popped up and fired a round, and Rick felt it whiz by his ear as he fired. The guy was hit by three different bullets and he staggered back and fell to the ground in a shower of blood, not moving.

Rick spun around and jogged back to where Ruby stood over the man who had been holding her. His gun was in her hand and she was watching him writhe and groan on the ground, his hands dancing around the knife in his gut but not taking it out. Rick, T-Dog, and Daryl stopped a few feet away, watching her with wide eyes. She was so calm, anyone would think she was deciding what to order in a restaurant or what to wear by the thoughtful expression on her face.

"Don't kill me. I'm sorry..." The man was mumbling, his face contorted in pain. She knelt down next to him and frowned.

"I guess you shouldn't have put that gun to my head, huh?" She said like she was speaking to a two year old.

"Ruby, give me the gun." Rick said, stepping closer and holding out his hand. She didn't blame her for being pissed, but if he could keep her from having to kill a person, he'd do it.

She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow before putting her attention back on the injured man. "I didn't mean it, I'm sorry." He whined and she narrowed her eyes.

"Mmm, sorry. Don't really believe that." She said almost apologetically and stood back up. She handed the gun to Rick and walked around the man on the ground, all eyes on her. She leaned down and ripped the knife out of his belly and he let out a scream. Wiping the blade on her jeans she walked back to Daryl and handed it to him, handle end first. "I borrowed this."

"Thanks." He said, floored, and they watched her walk back to the house and climb the stairs. Rick let out a deep breath and looked down at the man twisting and blubbering on the ground. He brought his Python up and fired, and he fell still.

"Wow." T-Dog said softly. "Remind me not to piss her off, man."

Rick looked back at the house and frowned. "Get them off the yard, throw them off toward the trees and watch for walkers. I'm gonna go check on her."

They nodded and reached for the first body as he jogged up the stairs and went for her room. She was sitting on the side of the bed, looking at her hands in her lap, her fingers clenching and unclenching.

"You ok?" He asked softly from the doorway and she looked up, pensively nodding her head. "You were amazing out there. I thought you might have meant it when you said you were going to go."

She looked disgusted. "It's good to know I'm such a good actress." She stood and paced around in front of him.

"Rick?" Carol's voice came from the hallway and he turned and went to the dining room. She spotted him and came forward, wringing her hands. "Is everything alright? They're pretty scared upstairs."

He nodded. "We had a problem, but it's gone now. We're safe."

She looked relieved and nodded. "I'll let them know."

"Thanks. Get some sleep." He said and watched her go behind the wall and up the stairs. He went back to Ruby quickly and found her still pacing. "Hey, calm down. It's over now." He went to her and put his hands on her shoulders, stopping her. She looked up into his eyes and sighed.

"I'm fine. Just a little shaken up."

He pulled her into a hug and he felt her tense. He didn't blame her, it had been a traumatic even, but she relaxed after a moment and he felt her arms tighten around his waist. "Thanks, Rick."

"You're more than welcome." He said softly, his mouth against her soft hair. "I'm sorry, though. That I dropped my guard, let them get that close. It won't happen again."

"It wasn't your fault." She said, her voice muffled against his chest. He moved his hand, resting it on her cheek, his thumb lightly stroking her skin there and he pulled back a little to see her eyes. They were bright but reflected the worn countenance of someone much older, and he wanted nothing more than to take that away from her.

The front door shut, startling them both and her arms fell from around him, back to her sides. He reluctantly let her go, stepping back. "Get some sleep. I'm right outside that door, ok?"

She nodded and went back to her bed. She laid down and turned her face toward the wall, away from him. He pressed his lips together tightly and left the room.

"They're gone. The truck is pulled around back in case anybody else comes." Daryl said and Rick nodded his appreciation.

"How is she?" T-Dog asked, looking past him to Ruby's closed door.

"On edge, but she'll be ok." Rick answered. "I can take watch tonight."

"Nah. I'll do it." Daryl said, looking over his crossbow and arrows. "Probably be more of 'em and I don't want you firin' off that gun again. That's why we're gonna have walkers in the first place."

He had a point, Rick realized.