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.

Like a giant indicator of their anxiety, the sun never fully re-emerged as they left the house and started out toward parts unknown. Rick glanced at his watch as he slid behind the wheel of the large black truck they had gotten from the killers, and saw it was just after 7. The sky was a mixture of new dawn and the pale colors from a storm retreating. It had rained steady ever since the thunder had first woken him. If they had to off road it, it was going to be a bitch.

Paul sat beside him, Ruby and Beth in the backseat of the large cab, chatting quietly with Carl between them. The boy had won the right to go with his dad after not quite as much fighting as he expected. Maybe Lori was tired, but whatever it was, he didn't question it and now sat happily between the girls, peering out over the seats to the road below. It was a large truck, he felt very tall in it, and he enjoyed it. Rick caught his eye and winked once, earning a beaming grin from his son.

Daryl picked the way ahead for them, as usual. Carol was going to ride with him, she always liked to do it, but with the threat of the bonfire men still hanging in the air Daryl had told her to stay with Lori and Hershel in the SUV. T-Dog, Glenn, and Maggie headed up the rear in the Matrix, and every vehicle was loaded to brim with food and things gathered from their time at the house.

Rick stayed tense as they got away from the house, heading west, back the way they had come before they had found Ruby. Not the ideal situation, perhaps, but it was away from the prison and that was good enough for the moment. He didn't relax until they were a clear two miles away from the spot on the road the charred walker had fallen.

"The smell is gone at least." Beth had said as they'd passed the blackened and wet remains on the pavement, not sparing more than a tiny, disgusted glance down.

"Thank god." Ruby had grimaced and returned to casual chat with Carl. She liked the boy, his inquisitiveness holding a certain charm for her. They played rock, paper, scissors, anything to pass the time and hold off the anxious thoughts they all had.

Walkers were fewer and farther between as they drove, and by the time the sun had begun to set, Rick realized they hadn't seen one in the better part of an hour, and even that one was off in the distance past a field to their right. He made the signal to stop when he found a place along the road that looked passable for a impromptu camping spot, and pulled behind Daryl to the side of the road. Silence fell over the group as they quickly pulled tents and cots from the vehicles and set them up in a semi circle inside the safety of a larger semi circle formed by the cars.

"Ruby, will you get the plates out so we can eat?" Carol asked when Ruby had finished helping Maggie and Glen set up tents, and she went to search the Matrix trunk for the box Carol had put them in earlier.

Paul came up behind her as she searched, his fists on his hips, eyes scanning the surrounding trees. Ruby looked back at him curiously. "Got a bad feeling?" She asked.

"No, not really." He gave a subtle shake of his head. "Just wishing we had walls made of more than canvas right now."

"You and me both." She grunted as she found the box and lifted the heavy thing up onto the bumper.

"I got it, Starlet." Paul said, taking it from her and they walked back to the group now surrounding a small fire. "Feels cooler, doesn't it? Weather is changing."

"It's about time. But I can't say I'm looking forward to the snow. It's going to be hard getting by in that, you know." She looked up at him nervously.

"Got plenty of time before that happens." He assured her as he sat the box down by Carol and she and Maggie began dishing out the simple dinner of veggies and fruit to the group. Ruby took a place between Rick and Paul at the fire, and stared into the flames absently as she listened to the quiet chatter around her.

"You ok?" Rick leaned into her after a moment, speaking quietly.

She snapped out of her daze and looked around the group. "Yeah, I'm good. Where's Daryl?"

"In the trees somewhere. He wanted to make sure nothing was close by before it got too dark." He said. Sure enough, as if on cue the hunter emerged from the dense foliage and made his way back to the group. He squatted across from them and wiped some mud from his hands on the grass below.

"Looks empty enough for now." He said and Rick nodded.

"We'll keep watch in shifts, then. I can take first."

Rick took a perch on the bed of a truck in front of them after dinner, leaving T-Dog to watch the other side. The night air was crisp and breezy, stars shining like beacons in the heavens, lighting the camp with a soft glow. Once everyone had retreated to tents or pallets around them, Paul looked up at Ruby as she drug a few blankets and pillows over to him by the dying embers of the fire.

"You're not taking a tent?"

She shook her head. "I'd rather stay out here with you guys."

He shook his head at her stubbornness, but smiled as she sat down next to him and wrapped one of the blankets around her shoulders. Someone had brought a fallen log closer and he leaned back against it, draping a heavy arm around her and letting her snuggle into his side. "Get some sleep, Starlet. No worries." He said softly, resting his chin on the top of her head affectionately. She watched Rick through increasingly heavy eyelids, and when he looked back to her once she raised her fingers to her lips, kissing them and blowing it toward him quietly. He smiled lovingly at her and went back to watching the darkness. A few hours later, when Daryl came to relieve him, he grabbed a spare blanket Ruby had sat aside for him and fell asleep quickly.

The camp woke with the sun, and when Rick opened his eyes he saw Carol hunched over the bags of food, searching for their breakfast. Paul was keeping watch nearby, and when he didn't see Ruby he looked at the man quickly. Paul saw, and pointed behind them, where Maggie, Ruby, and Beth were returned from using the bathroom behind the tents. He stood, stretched, and found Daryl, who was packing his saddlebags on the bike.

"I want to try and find a house next time. This out in the open is nerve wracking." He said and the hunter grunted at him softly.

"Done it before. Probably do it again."

Hershel emerged from Lori's tent and approached them slowly, his bones obviously achy from sleeping on the hard ground. "Lori's going to have to take it easier, Rick. Get as much sleep as she can. I think we should let her have the backseat of the SUV while we travel, give her a chance to stretch out."

"Good idea. We'll move people around." Rick nodded, and went back to the group who had all gathered around to eat, making a general announcement. "Be ready to leave in half an hour."

Blankets were gathered, tents and cots packed back up, and people were climbing into the vehicles when Ruby found Rick. "Morning." She said, smiling up at him sweetly and he had to stop himself from wrapping his arms around her in front of everyone.

"Morning. How'd you sleep?"

"Hard. You get enough rest? Gonna be long day"

"I've had less, and that was before all this started." He grinned. "Ready to get back on the road?"

"A world of yes. It's kinda creepy out here. You feel it?"

"I think we all got used to the house." He agreed with her. And the farm, he thought. But that had been taken away too. It was a never ending cycle of fear and running, the slight times of close-to-peace moments only served to make times like this more tense. Having her here was making it bearable, but also scarier in a way. The thought that he had one more thing that he cared about so much to lose was terrifying.

Daryl made his way to them and scratched his forehead absently, looking up the road a ways. Sighing, he looked back down at Ruby. "You feel like a little fresh air for a while? Can't be comfortable piled in that truck with everybody."

"You mean ride with you?" She asked, slightly surprised. "You don't mind? Carol is in the truck now too, you sure she doesn't want to go with you instead?"

He shook his head. "She didn't get much sleep. Likely she'd fall asleep more than not."

"I'd love to, thanks." She grinned lightly at him. It took a longer-than-usual look to Rick to ensure him she would be fine, and he watched her back like a hawk as she climbed up behind the hunter on the bike. A moment later, they shot gravel from the roadside underneath them as they began the trek to God-knows-where again.

The wind blew her hair free of the ponytail she had tucked up on her head as they rode, and she reveled in the feeling of freedom she felt. Knotting her hands in the flannel shirt Daryl wore, she didn't try to talk over the rushing wind. Once, he nudged her and pointed to the left. Far away in a field ahead she saw a small group of what might have been farm horses at one time but were now grazing freely. She grinned up at him, thinking Maggie would like that. The girl had told her of her own horses on the farm, and she knew Maggie missed them quite a bit.

"They're beautiful!" She shouted and he shrugged slightly.

"If I knew it'd keep, I'd shoot one. Horse meat's good." He answered loudly and she frowned a little. Thinking of killing something so beautiful when there wasn't a lot of beauty around anymore was less than appealing, but she could understand where he was coming from.

"Is there anything you won't kill and eat?" She teased.

"Can't much stomach bugs." He said with a tilted grin and she laughed softly. He was a trip.

Round about the time her ass felt like it would be numb forever, Rick gave the signal to pull over and she could have kissed him for it. There was no way in hell she was going to whine about it after Daryl's offer to bring her along- she didn't want him to think she couldn't handle it.

"That was awesome, Daryl. Thanks." She said, climbing down and stretching her legs, shaking out the numbness.

"We'll do it again." He grunted and went to patrol the area with T-Dog while Maggie and Carol scrounged up something for them all to eat. As Ruby passed the SUV behind them, she saw Lori curled up still sleeping, and silently thanked god for the brief reprieve of the woman's presence.

"Have fun?" Rick asked her as she joined the rest of the group in a circle nearby.

"Better than a roller coaster." She grinned. "Don't tell anybody but that was the first time I've ever been on a motorcycle. I think I strangled Daryl a little."

"He'll live. Could have fooled me, though. You looked pretty comfortable." He said, leaning against the large truck.

"You sound a little jealous." She raised an eyebrow playfully and he chuckled.

"Would you hold it against me?" He was just as playful and she grinned back at him.

"I'd rather hold something else against you."

He took a deep breath at her cheekiness. "Girl, you're gonna kill me one of these days." No one was looking and he slyly squeezed her rear end as she passed him, chuckling between each other. If he didn't get her alone again soon he might explode, and he had to focus as he followed her to the others.

"There haven't been as many walkers around here, you guys notice? Maybe we should find a place to stop." Glenn said as they ate.

"I don't think we've looked long enough." Paul shook his head, frowning.

"We'll keep going a while, I think. We're only halfway into Mississippi." Rick agreed through a large bite of apple.

"I think we should head for east Texas. Big cities are few and far between there, could be safer." Paul said, and Ruby looked up to see Daryl approaching the group, a couple dead rabbits clutched in his hand. He laid them down near Carol and she gave him an approving smile.

"What do you think about east Texas?" She asked him and he frowned.

"I think it'll take a week to get there, if we're lucky. Low on gas again and the cars we've been coming up on are mostly out. Looks like there's been a lot of people with the same idea through here before." He considered the thought as he accepted the food she gave him.

"Still, wide open places. No big city nearby. Could be good." Maggie chimed in.

"Well, we'll head that way. Might make it all the way there... might find a good place before then." Rick sat back on his haunches and bit his lip thoughtfully. "We'll just have to take it as it comes."

"We'll be fine with whatever you decide Rick. You've gotten us this far already." Hershel said and wiped his hands on his pants' legs. They chatted a little more briefly, and before long Rick found himself in the passenger seat of the truck with Ruby and Carl behind him. Paul had offered to drive when he'd seen how worn out Rick had looked, and Rick had accepted the help. He leaned against the door and crossed his arms over his chest, settling in as comfortably as he could. The sounds of quiet conversation in the truck lulled him to sleep, and he dreamed over his days on the police force, sitting in his cruiser with Shane at his side.

The sun was due to set in about an hour when Ruby leaned up and scratched Rick's shoulder softly. "Hey, I'm sorry to wake you up." She whispered, and he started awake, looking around the cab frantically. She gave him an apologetic look and he calmed quickly, realizing there was no emergency.

"I miss anything?" He yawned, and looked back, seeing Carl leaning back napping peacefully, beside a similarly sleeping Beth.

"Passed a few houses a ways back but they were pretty torn up." She answered.

"Thought we should try to find one before nightfall though." Paul continued for her, and Rick nodded. "Saw some signs for a little town ahead. What do you want to do?"

Rick reached for the map he'd tucked into the truck's glove box and opened it quickly. Scanning the paper, and pointed ahead. "We'll stay out of the main drag, but there's a road should be up ahead. I bet we find something there."

"Walkers." Ruby said the word softly, and everyone's head snapped over to where she had pointed between the men to the right. Four shambling figures were crossing an overgrown hay field, and Rick frowned. Daryl lifted an arm ahead of them, indicating he'd seen them too, but they picked up their speed and passed the field before the figures were even halfway to them.

"Keep going. And hope that's not an indication of what we're about to walk into." Rick ordered and Paul revved the engine a little more.

The road Rick had seen on the map came up, and with a slight beep of the horn, they announced to Daryl to turn off. They moved a little slower then, picking their way through the slightly more crowded roadway. Just past a large travel bus that was overturned on the side of the highway, the corn and hay fields parted and they found themselves driving into what once might have been a more populated area. Houses lay within distance of each other of a half mile or so, the kind of place the upper middle class would settle. Not farmers at all like the house they had left far behind, just people who had money and liked nicer things, a little privacy with neighbors close enough to be useful but not get in the way.

"Doesn't look horrible." Ruby murmured.

"Not the kind of place we usually go for, either. The houses have too many windows, they're too close together, could walk right into a big group and not know it until they were on top of us." Rick shook his head and scratched at his denim clad knee in frustration. Paul was right, the sun would be setting soon. Even now the deep purple and orange flames had started stretching across the sky in anticipation.

Paul opened his mouth to answer but the sound of a horn behind them startled them all.

"What the hell?" Paul knotted his eyebrows in confusion as Ruby and Rick turned around in their seats to see what the problem was. Glenn had been driving behind them with Maggie, Hershel, and Lori, and the young man had stopped, hopped out, and was jogging after their still crawling cars. "Damn..." Paul cursed and brought the large truck to a halt, waking Beth and Carl instantly.

"Dad?" Carl said sleepily, but was immediately alert when he saw Rick exit the truck in a flash and run back to the stopped vehicle behind them.

Daryl had pulled the bike over and gripped his crossbow tightly in his hand as he came back to the truck that Ruby was still in, trying her best to keep Carl calm. From the muffled voices and concerned look on Hershel's face, this wasn't going to be any good.

"Wonder what's wrong." Ruby said softly to him, leaving Carl in Beth's grasp and hopping down out of the truck.

"Nothin that wasn't gonna happen sooner or later." Daryl said grimly and she frowned at him.

"Well, that's dire." She said, fully intending to school him that women had been having babies for millions of years. Lori was fully capable of pulling it off now, but his harsh gaze cut her off, and made her breath catch in her throat. He looked from her to Paul, who had come up behind her suddenly, and when he turned on his heel and went to keep watch nearby she let out a deep breath.

"What was that about?" Paul had a wary eye on Daryl's back as he spoke, his side almost pressed to her shoulder protectively.

"He's worried, same as us." Ruby crossed her arms over her chest and watched as Carl wriggled free of Beth and ran back to where Hershel was hunched by the open car door, Rick in front of him and shielded from sight. "What's going on?"

"She's bleeding, from what I heard." Paul said softly and Ruby felt a sense of dread creep through her stomach.

"We have to get her somewhere stable so I can do a proper examination, Rick." Hershel was saying as he and Rick stepped back and away from the car, and into Ruby and Paul's earshot. Tentatively, the four of them met in the middle.

"We'll try and take one of these houses." Rick was tense, determined, and Ruby hadn't seen that look on his face since the day she'd met him. It actually frightened her and little, and she took a step nearer Paul, who threw a heavy arm over her shoulder.

"Well, let's do it fast." Daryl came up behind them and Ruby jumped a little. "We're gonna need every bit of this daylight."