***By this time you know what I own and what I don't. I trust that holds here.
****Thanks to you all for the amazing reviews and emails. You guys deserve a lot more than I've been able to put in here, two new jobs and a little guy who constantly likes to wander off of my own have me pretty busy. But here is a new chapter, as always I'm hoping you like it, and I should have one or two more up in the next few days! Yay productivity! Ok, maybe it's more yay new season starting up and lighting a fire under my ass. Whatever. It all ends up cake, right? Oh, and thanks Kit-Cat for the ideas. You rock girly! ;)
The wind had shifted, and, though it was faint, the smell of smoke hung in the air. Even in the house, it was evident, and everyone picked at the food Carol had made distastefully. It wasn't because of her cooking, and she didn't take it personally. Eventually, Maggie and Glenn excused themselves to go to their room, and soon Lori and Hershel had followed them up to get some rest. Carl had talked his mother into letting him stay up a little longer, and Rick sat on the floor by the empty fireplace with him, talking and laughing quietly.
Ruby and Beth helped Carol pack up the kitchen, chatting quietly as they worked. Ruby glanced back out at the living room from time to time, relishing the vision for what it was. Daryl watching the front yard from the couch and sharpening new arrows with his knife. Rick spending some much needed time with his son. Paul and T-Dog chatting quietly as they cleaned their guns. It was a blissfully peaceful moment in the anarchy that surrounded them.
"I can't help but wonder what we're going to find out there tomorrow." Carol was saying and Ruby brought her attention back to the slender woman as she put canned and jarred food in a wooden crate someone had found somewhere.
"Probably a place just as good as this." Beth said cheerfully.
"I hope so. This house has been good to us." Carol answered sadly. Ruby gave her a small smile.
"Don't worry Carol. They're not going to let anything happen to us."
"Especially Paul. He's really protective." Beth said and Ruby stifled a smile. It was cute, the way she was getting moon eyes over her friend. And Paul, well Paul wasn't being very coy either. He liked the girl, it was clear. Ruby had caught a couple glances between them when they didn't think the other was looking, both at dinner and while they gathered things from the farm up the road.
"I think that's about it." Ruby said, standing back and surveying the empty cabinets. "You guys should get some rest. Rick's probably gonna want to get out of here early."
Carol yawned, a hand over her mouth. "Yeah, probably. Thanks for your help, girls."
"I'm just going to fill the rest of these bottles." Ruby said, going to the sink. They'd already filled every available container with water for the trip, but there were a handful of empty bottles still on the counter.
"Goodnight, Carol." Beth said as the older woman departed to her room. She gave Ruby a little wave and went out to the living room. When Ruby was done she sat the bottles on the sink and walked out to the living room herself.
Rick was gone, probably to take Carl to bed. T grinned at her as he ascended the staircase and she returned it quickly before looking to Daryl at the window. Paul and Beth were sitting on the couch talking, and took little notice of anything else.
"All quiet?" She asked Daryl and sat down beside him on her knees, turned around to look out the slats like he was.
"For now. Wouldn't put it past to have a herd blow through here yet, though." He said in a low voice and she shuddered.
"God, don't say that. Tomorrow is going to be big, you want to get some sleep? I can stay up and watch."
He shook his head. "Nah. I'm good."
"Of course you are. Why did I even bother? Big tough guy." Ruby said jokingly, raising an eyebrow at him. He frowned at her from the corner of his eye, but she saw the traces of a smirk around his mouth.
"Don't you forget it, either."
"You know, you're going to have to let me work on the crossbow a little more, so I don't lose what you taught me."
"When the hell do we have time?" He answered with a roll of his eyes. "You've been pretty wrapped up, anyway."
"Is that why you've been so grumpy? I'm touched." Ruby knew to take the man lightly, don't read too much into his words. He could be a fireball if he wanted to.
"Yes. I've been less than sunshine because you're not spending time with me. How ever did you guess?" He said sarcastically and she chuckled.
"Kidding, Daryl. Breath. I just think you shut down a little when Paul came. We were having a good time out there, weren't we?"
"No I didn't." He said defensively. "Guy's fine by me, long as he pulls his weight."
It was enough small talk for one night, she knew. Rick came silently down the stairs and caught her eye, and she let out a deep breath. "Alright, then. I'll see you in the morning, then. You change your mind and want to get some sleep, come and get me."
He grunted and she left the couch. Paul stood with her and Beth gave him and the rest of the room a smile as she went upstairs.
"I'll be in in a second." She said to Rick softly and stopped in the dining room. He nodded and passed her, going into her room and shutting the door.
"Well, two nights in an actual bed was better than nothing." Paul groaned as he sat down on the side of the cot and pulled off his boots.
"Enjoy it tonight. God knows where we're going to be sleeping tomorrow." She sighed and leaned back against the dining room table.
"It'll be fine. You always did like the west coast. Maybe we'll go all the way to the ocean." He grinned and she laughed lightly.
"For all the good it'll do you. You won't go near the water."
He shrugged. "I wasn't born with gills. Swimming is unnatural."
"You are the strangest person." She chuckled and leaned down, kissing his cheek. "I'm glad to see you're making friends, by the way. Beth is cute."
"Goodnight Starlet." Paul said firmly, but his eyes sparkled sweetly.
She smiled, shaking her head. "Whatever. 'Night, Paul."
He laid down and she blew out his candle before going to her room. Rick was already in bed, the window behind him open. The smell had already permeated the area, it wasn't going to be made worse now. He raised his head as she entered and went to the vanity. She took down her hair and brushed it out, looking at him in the mirror as she did so. He was shirtless, and the candlelight danced off her shoulders and chest, and his dark brown hair. He looked especially handsome as he gazed back at her, and she shivered a little.
"What time are we leaving tomorrow?" She asked.
"After daybreak I figure."
"Maybe I should shower tonight then." She said, sniffing her long dark hair. The smell of smoke was sticking to her.
"They'll be time in the morning, come here." He said and she turned, unbuttoning her jeans as she moved. She kicked them off and curled up on the mattress next to him. He ran a hand up her stomach, and leaned his lips down to hers.
Despite her tiredness, Ruby was awake a mere two hours after she and Rick had fallen asleep in each others arms. She laid there for a while and listened to the sounds of the crickets outside, feeling the slight breeze blow through the window slats. Cool against her skin, so different from the baking sun of midday that was to come. In the distance she heard the unmistakeable sounds of rumbling thunder, deep and dark in the distance. She turned her head and saw Rick's sleeping face outlined in moonlight, so peaceful as he slept. His usual tensely set jaw was relaxed and the frown gone from his brow. He really was beautiful, so much younger when he wasn't fighting for his life.
Ruby sat up quietly and slipped out of the bed. Going to her dresser, she grabbed a few things and left the room soundlessly. Paul lay on the cot against the far wall snoring lightly, and the house was dark and quiet, patches of moonlight in crazy patterns on the floor. The living room lay still, but as she passed through the doorway and headed to the right, she saw Daryl's head move in the shadows and look over at her. She paused and walked over to him at the couch where he had obviously been keeping watch.
"There's a storm coming." She whispered, and he peered back out at the front yard lazily. His hair hung over his permanently narrowed eyes, and the moon lit up his face in stripes.
"I heard that. Haven't had one in a while, I was wondering when it was gonna break. It wake you up?" He asked in a low voice.
"No. I couldn't sleep anyway. Thought I'd get a shower." She sat down next to him and looked out at the wind swaying the trees outside dramatically. It was coming fast, she could tell. Thunder rumbled again and she let out a breath.
"Probably a good idea. Not gonna be able to get in there once the women get up." He said and she chuckled, not knowing whether to be offended by that. She decided against it. It was actually more of a compliment than anything.
"You think it's gonna stop us from getting out of here today?" She asked.
He shook his head. "These summer storms come and go fast. We'll be gone by noon at the latest."
"When I'm done you can get cleaned up if you want. I'll keep watch. You know, before the women get up." She said lightly and he actually chuckled a little.
"You know what I meant." He said. "But yeah. I'll do that. Now, go on."
"Sir, yes sir." She joked and left, tapping her way quietly up the stairs and to the empty, darkened bathroom. Lighting the candle left there, she shivered as she stripped off her dirty clothes. The scent of smoke came back to her for a moment and she stepped under the freezing water, anxious to erase every trace of the smell from her skin and hair. She took a little longer than she usually did, but then again, who knew the next time she'd get a chance to shower?
When she got out, she wrapped a towel around her and went to the sink. She brushed her teeth and her hair, looking at her reflection by candlelight in the glass. It was eerie, and perfect in the new world they'd found themselves in. The brightly lit tiled bathrooms she'd loved in the hotel rooms she'd stayed in for work were a thing of the past. Now it was all shadows and spiderwebs. They lived in the dark now, metaphorically at least.
She pulled on her jeans and blue tank top, and quickly braided her hair. Wrapping it in a tight bun on her head, she pinned it quickly and left the bathroom. Dropping her pile of belongings on a chair nearby she took the seat next to Daryl again and listened as the thunder, now a lot louder, rumble deep in the air and vibrate in her chest.
Lightening flashed in the sky causing the room to flash brightly. If people were hoping to sleep they were gonna be out of luck, this was going to be a bad one.
"Your turn." She said softly and he glanced over at her like he had just noticed her.
"Huh." He grunted. "Yeah. Keep sharp. They get active when it storms, I've seen it."
"You got it. Leave me your gun. I left mine in the bedroom." She said and he pulled his sidearm from his holster and turned it around, handing it to her handle first. She took it and put it on the couch beside her, resting her chin on her hands as she looked outside. Daryl padded silently away and she could hear the water turn on upstairs after a few moments.
"Starlet? What's wrong?" Paul's sleepy voice startled her and she jumped, whipping her head around to see him standing in the doorway between the dining room and the living room.
"Nothing. I couldn't sleep so I took over watch while Daryl got a shower." She answered softly. "You should go back to sleep, Paul. Get it while you can."
He came and sat down beside her, leaning back on the couch and letting out a low groan. "Can't. Storm woke me up. How's it looking out there?"
Lightening flashed again, brighter this time, and the room went daylight for a split second. "Big." She answered. "It's actually kind of nice. Maybe it'll take that smoke out of the air. It took everything I had to get the smell of that out of my hair."
He chuckled and leaned forward, looking out at the sky with her. "I think you smell like that stuff you used to use. What was it? Hyacinth?"
She looked at him with disbelieving eyes. "How the holy hell did you remember that?"
He shrugged. "I've spent the last six years surrounded by women. My brain is filled with volumes of useless knowledge. I could teach a class."
She grinned and shook her head, and a sharp crack of thunder shook the house. "Oh wow." She breathed, her heart in her mouth. She heard a door open in the house and Rick rounded the dining room wall almost frantically. When he saw her on the couch, his shoulder fell slightly and he let out a breath harshly.
"There you are." He said and she tilted her head at him with an amused smile.
"Yeah, I was going to go jogging, but I wanted to wait till after the storm passed."
"Now, who's hilarious?" He sighed, stifling a yawn as he came and took a chair nearby. He leaned back in it and they listened to the thunder crack again, the room flashing brightly twice right after. The sound of a fat raindrop hit the window in front of Ruby and she looked up at the sky.
"Here comes the rain." She said just as the sky broke. They sat quietly together, and listened to wild storm hit them full force.
Paul leaned forward after several minutes and frowned at he peered outside. "What's wrong?" Ruby asked and Rick's eyes snapped open.
"Thought I saw something." He said, narrowing his eyes and Ruby got in close to him to follow his gaze. The trees whipped around wildly outside the yard as the rain fell in sheets, blurring their vision. "There it is again." He said and she saw movement in the trees, pale and fuzzy in the distance.
"Walkers?" Rick asked, standing up and coming behind them to look. Lightening flashed and they could clearly see three shapes drifting across the trees and into the yard at the far right of the space.
"Told you the storm makes 'em active." Daryl said from the stairs, startling them all. The storm had been so loud they hadn't heard him come back.
"We can't get out there. We'll be sitting ducks." Ruby said.
"Yeah, well, at least the thunder'll cover the sounds of the gunshots. We'll wait till they get closer and try to time it right." Rick spoke, pulling his python.
"If the house wasn't awake before it will be now." Ruby said darkly. "What if the freaks from the fire hear it?"
"They won't be able to get a bead on where it came from." Daryl said, taking his weapon back from the couch where Ruby had sat it.
"We should go upstairs. Have a better shot." Rick said, backing up a step.
"Don't need to. I can take 'em out from here." Daryl said, going to the dining room. He took a long range rifle from the table and checked it quickly before going to the window nearest to him.
Ruby looked back to the walkers and stilled herself for the shots to come. The things had cleared the yard and were about halfway to the house. They weren't paying much attention to anything, just following each other almost in a line, meandering to some unknown destination. The rain had matted their stringy hair to their decaying scalps, but washed a lot of the dried blood from the their faces. Holes appeared in the first one's cheeks, showing old teeth through the skin. Suddenly, Ruby realized that one of them looked familiar. She remembered the bonfire, watching the beefy rednecks hoot and holler around the pit they'd made. One of them, a tall, portly man with a red plaid shirt, the sleeves torn off, had stood off to the side watching the melee. Now he was walking across their yard, between two of the things he'd been helping to burn alive. Daryl had been right.
"You see that?" She said, and Rick came and leaned over the couch above her, a hand on each side of her shoulders and resting on the back as he looked out. "It's one of the guys from the bonfire."
"Told you they'd get what they deserved, bein' so fuckin' stupid." Daryl said from the dining room and aimed. The gunshot was partially covered by a thunderclap, but Ruby still jumped a little at the rapport. The plaid walker dropped and Rick put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back a few inches and holding her tightly. Daryl fired twice more and both of the other walkers hit the ground. Unfortunately, the shots weren't quite so well covered and doors began to open upstairs. Carol appeared at the door and Ruby looked back at her, frowning at the woman's tense, apprehensive expression. She tapped Rick's hand and he let her go.
"What's going on?" Carol asked as Ruby reached her.
"Nothing. The storm woke up a few walkers. Daryl took care of it, they didn't even get that close to the house."
The woman's frown deepened. "With the storm and the walkers, you really think we should be leaving right now? Maybe we should stay another day."
Ruby shook her head. "No, Rick's right. We need to get going, and if we don't, this is just going to keep happening."
"Well, I guess we are all packed." Carol wrung her hands nervously, but took a deep breath and forced a smile.
"Right. Try to relax, take some time to yourself. We'll be on the road soon enough."
"Alright." Carol said, returning to her room and shutting the door quietly behind her. When Ruby returned to the living room, T-Dog was standing beside Rick at the window speaking quietly, and she saw Glenn going back up the stairs. Paul saw her and got up from the couch, following her back to her bedroom.
"The storm isn't letting up." He said, leaning in the doorway as she got a pair of socks and tugged them on.
"You think it'll bring more walkers?" She asked.
"Probably. But we'll take care of it."
"What do you think happened to the rest of those guys? You think they're all walkers?" She untied her ankle boots and slid her foot into one.
"The way they were going on, I wouldn't doubt it." He said, drifting in and sitting on the bed next to her. His face was drawn again, tense the way it was every time they came up against walkers. She understood. He'd only had to watch out for her and Sarah for so long and that turned out a complete failure to him. Now he had a whole house to be a part of. It had to make a person a little crazy just thinking about it.
She tied up her other boot and leaned against him, her head on his shoulder. "I actually think I'm looking forward to leaving here."
"Ruby?" Rick's voice came from the dining room and he put his head through the door as another gunshot sounded from the front window.
"Are they still coming?" She asked him and he nodded.
"Just two more." He answered as the second shot sounded and the house fell quiet. The sound of rain on the roof the only noise for the moment.
"More of the bonfire guys?" She asked.
"No, been dead a long time from the looks of it." Rick stepped in and leaned against the wall. Paul let out a deep breath and stood up.
"I'm gonna get cleaned up, be ready to go when the storm lets up. You need me, Rick, just yell."
Rick nodded his thanks and Paul left the room, closing the door after him. Ruby stood and grabbed the empty suitcase from the open closet and laid it out on the bed. She quietly went to the dresser and began pulling things out and packing them away.
"What's wrong?" Rick asked, coming up behind her at the dresser. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back to his chest.
"Nothing. I guess I'm a little tired." She said, yawning softly into her hand.
"You can sleep in the truck if you want. I'll pack it with blankets for you."
"You're sweet." She smiled, looking up at him. He kissed her softly, his hand grazing her chin lightly.
"You're worried about those fire idiots for the same reason I am, aren't you?" He asked, looking into her eyes. He knew already that she'd been on edge since seeing the spectacle yesterday, and they often thought along the same lines.
"Because if they're walkers, they'll be on the road? Or because if they're not, they'll still be on the road, but they'll shoot back at us?" She asked, turning the corner of her mouth down. She refocused on the task at hand, folding a couple shirts from the drawer.
"Pretty much. But look, if they do see us, we'll deal with it. Move fast and quiet, and most likely, we'll be past them before they know it, down the road and forgotten." He said, rubbing her back comfortingly.
"You're right. Don't worry about me." She said, moving past him and putting the last of her clothes in the suitcase. "It sounds like the storm is letting up."
He listened for a moment, and indeed the rain had softened and the thunder was lower, moving away in the distance and paced much farther apart. "Yeah, sounds like."
"You've got a whole house to get ready to move. I'll pack your things with mine, ok? No worries." She smiled at him convincingly and he returned it before slipping out the door and into the increasingly active house. Looks like those gunshots had killed any hope of sleep for the rest of that night.