I don't own anything to do with Rick or any character from the Walking Dead. I own the OC characters, Ruby and Paul, however, and I adore them.
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 was 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.
To Kit and Emberka- your continued reviews are awesome and well loved. You two are so sweet, I cannot tell you how much I adore you! This chapter is especially long, but I had trouble figuring out where to break it. Hope you folks don't mind.
They pulled into the gravel roadway and parked next to the other cars. Getting out, they loaded up their arms as Daryl hopped up the hill and got to them.
"Looks like it went alright." He said, eying the almost full truck bed.
"You're not going to believe what we found. How was it here?" Rick asked, handing him a basket.
"We need to talk." Daryl said grimly and the three of them froze, turning toward him. "Didn't see any walkers in town, did you?"
"No. Why?" Rick asked warily.
"Doesn't look like we're alone out here, that's why. After you left we spotted a truck driving on the other side of the lake. Got everybody inside but me and Glenn, couldn't stop them from noticing the cars up there." Daryl shouldered his crossbow and Rick paled a little.
"What happened?"
"Two guys, said they had a place nearby they been holed up in a while. Invited us to come back, but they don't know about anybody but us two and you and the big guy. Got a whole group of 'em, from what he was sayin'. Some women, couple kids. Real religious types by my guess. Guess we looked like we needed preachin' to."
"What did they say?" Ruby stepped forward and crossed her arms over her chest.
Daryl shrugged. "Offered us food, said to talk to you and they'd be back tomorrow to see if we wanted to come back."
"We can leave tonight." Rick said, his tone suddenly authoritative and serious. "Be gone before they get back."
"Well, wait now." Paul said. "Don't you think we should talk to everyone? These guys didn't try to disarm them, offered food. Maybe this is what we were looking for."
"You want to take that chance? After seeing the survivors we've seen so far?" Rick put his hands on his hips and looked at Paul with wide eyes. "They're probably watching us right now, for all we know. No, we pack up and leave, tonight."
"They ain't." Daryl shook his head. "I been around that water twice since, I'd have seen if they were."
"Come on, let's get this stuff down there, what we need at least. We can talk about it." Ruby said, eager to break up the small circle. Rick was getting worked up, and she didn't like it. Paul made a good point, and she wanted to talk to him about it.
Storing what they didn't need right away in the trunks and safely away from probing strangers, they got back down to the cave and saw Carol cooking up a small deer. Daryl must have been busier than they thought while they were gone. After they ate and Rick was aside talking to Carol and Carl, Ruby went to sit near Paul and Daryl.
"So, what are you two really thinking about all this?" She asked, and Daryl went thin lipped while he worked on tightening his bow.
"New people. Doesn't usually end well."
"I still don't think we should discount them this quickly. You said there were only two, right?" Paul said, and Daryl nodded. "I think we should hide everyone and wait for them to come back. We don't like what they say, we say no. And we outnumber them."
"What if they bring more?" Ruby asked.
"We just restocked on ammo. Daryl gets into a point of defense, Glenn in the cave waiting... I don't see how it should be a problem to take them down."
Ruby nodded, biting her lip. Rick came up behind her then, and she looked back up at him. "You ready to pack it up? We can be far down the road before it gets too dark."
"And go where?" Paul asked. "It's already late, and... uh, we've been talking."
Rick squatted down, his eyes narrowed. "And making decisions, it sounds like." Even Daryl looked up at that one. "Well, go on. What were you talking about?"
"Waiting to see what these fellas have to offer. We've been on the road how long and the best we've found were broken down farmhouses and caves. How much longer can we do this?" Paul said in a higher voice than usual.
"We can't give up now. We had the farm, and we can find a place just as good. I know we can. Where it's just us." Rick finished, and looked around to them. Sighing, he looked down at Ruby. He held out his hand. "Can I talk to you?"
She nodded and got up, throwing a look back at Paul and Daryl as they went back up the hill to the cars. Once they got there, he let go of her hand and turned to face her.
"This what you want to do, or is this Paul's idea?"
She sighed and leaned back against the truck, rubbing her face tiredly. "I think we've run into some royal bastards so far. And I know I don't want to do anything that will put anybody here in jeopardy."
"But?" He asked, watching her closely.
"But, I like it here. I know we can't stay over the winter, but I wonder what we're going to find once we're back out on the road. We have just as much probability of running into crazies out there as we do with these people, only this time we can be prepared. Out there... we drive right into it, and how do we protect ourselves?"
"What if they attack? You guys think of that?" Rick asked, and he seemed to be getting angry. She frowned and looked intently at him.
"Why did you ask me if you've already made up your mind? I don't want to start playing that game again. And yes, we did think of that. Paul had an idea, keeping Daryl in a good position to fire and Glenn in the cave. Keeping the others hidden until we know their motives." She stopped and sighed. "The idea doesn't suck, you know."
He pressed his lips together, his hands going to that familiar place on his hips. Turning, he took a few steps away and stopped, his eyes on the ground as he thought. After a moment , he spoke but it was very soft and she strained to hear. "What if it goes bad? What if I can't protect you, or Carl, and something happens?"
She came up behind him and put a reassuring hand on his back. "I can't tell you nothing will happen, but I can say it won't be any more dangerous than getting back out on that road."
He looked back down at her, then turned and pulled her into his arms. She rested her cheek on his chest and felt him take a couple deeps breaths. "You swear you'll be safe?"
"When am I not?" She smiled and he chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"Fine." He sighed. "But we stay on the defense. Watch out, and fire first."
"That's the spirit." She said and he looked down, raising an eyebrow at her.
"So..." He said, and she tilted her head curiously at him. "That alone time we were talking about."
She laughed. "You gotta be kidding. We have a camp full of people thirty feet away and it's broad daylight."
He looked hurt. "You don't want to?"
"I didn't say that. It's just... logistically, you know..." She began, but he let out a low growl like the one in the fisherman's store, and pushed her around the truck and out of sight of anyone who came up the hill. Leaning down, he kissed her hard, his mouth full of need and passion. Hands roamed her shoulders, her waist, her chest, and she lost her breath to his intensity. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she let him balance her against the warm metal of the truck and his hard body. She didn't want to fight it, screw anybody that saw as far as she was concerned, and she almost laughed at the hedonistic feeling of it. It was lost in a wave of desire, however, when he lifted her and she wrapped her legs around him.
The next morning came quickly. The men didn't tell Daryl exactly when they'd be back, so it was spent most waiting. The mood grew from nervous to downright anxious, and Rick ran through what they were all supposed to do several times. Finally, even Carl spoke up and told his father they had it down. Rick had nodded and Ruby felt a little bad for him. She went over to him when he took a spot on the hill to watch, and he took her hand tightly in his.
"It's going to be ok." She whispered and he nodded.
"Just wish I knew when they were coming."
"It's afternoon already, probably won't be too much longer."
As if on cue, a glint of sunlight off a windshield sparked in the distance on the other side of the lake and Rick pushed her quickly toward the cave. She ducked into the darkness and joined the others in the back room. Leaning back against the stone wall, she kept her ears pricked and her breathing as steady as it could be. Her eyes met Maggie's and the girl reached out to hold her hand. Ruby squeezed it reassuringly and they listened.
The men had adjusted their positions. Rick had suggested Paul stay just inside the cave instead of Glenn. If the strangers got too sketchy having the huge man walk out armed to the teeth would be more of a deterrent than anything. Daryl had hidden a while ago, and Rick wasn't even sure of where the hunter was, but he could feel his eyes on his back. The truck rounded the water and came to a stop a couple yards away. A tall man in clean but worn jeans and a white teeshirt got out of the drivers side, and his companion, a shorter, younger man with a shock of black hair and startlingly green eyes emerged from the other side. The driver gave Rick a bright smile, and Rick eyed him warily.
"Hey there. Sorry we missed ya yesterday." The driver said, walking closer to them. They were armed, but their weapons were tucked away in their belts instead of in their hands like Rick and Glenn. " I'm Bob Walkerson. This is my nephew Jimmy."
"Rick Grimes. Glenn here says you came by, to be honest we were wonderin' why." Rick said evenly, unwilling to show as much friendliness as Bob.
Bob tilted his head. "Well, saw your men out here and thought you might like a safer place than out here in the open. We got the room, and we could use the man power."
"Just like that? You don't know us. We could be killers for all you know." Rick asked, shocked at how trusting the man seemed to be.
"I like to think I'm a good enough judge of character and the guys from yesterday didn't seem so bad. Where's your friend, the one with the crossbow?" Bob asked amicably.
"He's around." Rick said, adjusting his stance. "What kind of a place is this?"
"I guess you could call it a farm, but it's a lot more than that. Few houses, a barn and a good solid fence. We got some animals and good huntin'. Water from the lake here, and some wells. And we got people. It's a rare thing out here, ain't it?"
"How long you been there?" Rick asked.
"It's been our home since back in the 50's. Now we defend it pretty good, try to gather any good folks that pass by, give 'em shelter, someplace to start livin' again." Bob answered patiently. "Like I told your men, there's just about all kinds. Women, kids. We do the best we can."
"How can we trust you?" Rick asked blatantly.
Bob looked troubled, and it took Rick back a little. He hadn't expected that. "You got burned out here, ain't ya, man? Come up on some folks with motives?"
"You could say that." Rick gave a curt nod.
"Well, I'm real sorry about that. It's a shame when something like this can't bring out the best in people, but I guess it's just what the world is." Bob let out a disappointed breath, but perked right back up. "Listen, you're welcome to come alone, leave your people out here. Check it out, and if you don't like it, you come right on back. You can even drive your own car, that way you know you can leave anytime you want to. I'd like you to trust me, but I know how hard that can be when you've seen the things that are happenin' out here."
Rick breathed deeply and looked down at Glenn. He was rewarded with a shrug and a slight nod, to which he rubbed his chin thoughtfully and stared at the ground. As if Bob knew what he was thinking, he spoke up again. "Mr. Grimes, give it a chance. Truth is, we could use some men who know how to protect a group. We haven't even touched our weapons, and you've got yours in your hands. Doesn't that tell you somethin'?"
The man had a point. Rick wasn't getting any of the usual bad vibes off of either man. He looked over to Jimmy, who just stood listening patiently to his uncle, his arms crossed over his chest and his face calm. He was maybe Ruby's age, maybe a year older. Didn't look too weathered by any of the current standards with his youthful face and jet black hair.
"Rick?" Glenn whispered off to the side. "It doesn't sound too bad. We load up, follow them, if it looks bad we can turn around."
"You can." Bob agreed. "Come in, have a meal and a rest, see how you like it. I don't see tents, you stay in the cave?"
Rick frowned, but nodded. "Paul?" He called out, and when Paul emerged from the cave both Bob and Jimmy's eyes got wide.
"He's a big fella, ain't he?" Bob chuckled, taking in all Paul's 6'6 height and broad shoulders. "We might just put him at the gate and anybody who comes by'll just take off runnin."
Jimmy laughed at that, but Paul just took the hand Bob stuck out and shook it. Rick and Glenn did the same, with Glenn introducing himself at the end.
"We're not alone here. We have others, so if the offer doesn't still stand we understand." Rick said, but Bob shook his head.
"I figured as much. Guys don't usually stay together like this unless they're protectin' somethin'. Bring 'em on out, let's get aquainted." Bob grinned, and Paul whistled like he had done when he'd found Ruby at the farmhouse. Gradually, she appeared at the cave door, Maggie, Beth, Hershel and Carol behind her. Carl came to stand next to his father and Bob looked down at him with a smile.
"Well, hey there, man. Who would you be?"
"This is my son, Carl." Rick put a protective hand on Carl's shoulders.
"Nice to meetcha, Carl. You help protect all these people, huh? It's a big job."
Carl proudly nodded. "Yeah, I do."
"Well, we got some young people about your age at the farm, you'll be among friends. If you folks are all packed up, we can get on back in time for Margie's friend chicken. Told her we might be bringin' some new people in and she's doing up somethin' special."
"Come on, in the cars." Rick announced, if a little begrudgingly, and they made their way up the hill and to the vehicles. Paul rode with Beth and Hershel and Carl. Ruby looked around and saw Daryl jogging toward the caravan and he climbed up on his bike, nodding to Rick in the driver's seat of the truck. Carol waited for him to get on and climbed up on the back, saying something to Daryl that he nodded at. The bike fell into place behind the truck, Paul driving behind that, and they took off after the truck Bob had driven in.
"Doesn't seem too bad, huh?" Ruby said as they drove.
"We've known them five minutes. You'll excuse me if I remain suspicious." Rick answered tensely, and she sighed.
"Look, I don't know what's going to happen, but thanks for giving it a try. If it's not safe, we'll get the hell out of there, ok?"
"Damn straight we will." He said, and she grinned.
It didn't take long till Bob turned and led them to a narrow road well past the lake, and then down a dirt road off of that to a long, tall cattle fence that had been reinforced with chain link. Wide and tall, it was imposing looking, something Rick would love to have between his people and the world, that was for sure. Jimmy got out and opened it, and they all drove through. Rick felt a nervous tingle when Jimmy snapped the latch closed behind them and they made their way down a thin gravel road and over a hill. They were inside, no going back now.
Buildings appeared over the crest, set about in a semi circle of sorts, with a large barn that Bob had spoken off to the right. He could see a small field of cattle and horses next to it, and it was so large he couldn't even see the entire fence that surrounded the property. People were working here and there around the buildings, tending to the animals and gardening in a good sized vegetable field on the opposite side of the main houses. The largest one sat in the middle, white and three stories high, black shutters on each window, with a charming country feel to it despite its size. Two smaller ones flanked it, identical, except for being two stories each. While it was pretty, it was the strangest looking farm he'd ever seen, and the idea of a compound occurred to him briefly. He'd never seen a set up like this in Kings County, or since he'd been traveling with his group.
Bob pulled to a stop near a few trucks parked in a circular drive in front, and they followed suit. Getting out, he saw Maggie's eyes glued to the horses, and felt Ruby move close behind him as he approached Bob.
"Well, what do ya think?" The thick man asked proudly, hands on his hips and a smile on his face.
Rick nodded. "It's somethin', alright." He was reserved, but had to give it to Bob, this was- at least on the surface- beautiful. Here's to hoping it wasn't Texas Chainsaw underneath, he thought grimly.
A grayish blond woman appeared on the expansive front porch of the main house, and shielded her eyes when she looked over the group. She was older, like Bob, both of them in their 60's, with a wide grin that grew even bigger when she began to approach. A mousy brunette woman about Rick and Daryl's age followed behind her, and a pale hair and eye teenage girl after her, and the first thing all of them noticed about the women was that they all carried the same long hair wrapped tightly in braided buns behind their heads, and skirts that danced over the dusty ground down to their feet.
"Are they Amish?" Ruby whispered to Rick, but Bob spoke before he could answer.
"This is my wife, Margie. Our daughter Amelia, and this sweet girl here is Rebeccah, our grand-daughter." He introduced them and Amelia and her daughter gave them soft but welcoming smiles as they looked over the worn, ragtag group.
"Well, this is a blessing, isn't it?" Margie said, her voice even and cheerful as she took a stand next to her husband. "I thought you said it was just men folks, Bob."
He laughed lightly. "They grew a little since yesterday, I believe."
"Goodness then, welcome. All of you." Margie said. She quickly inspected the women first, a seemingly friendly look to her, but Ruby had a feeling she was really unreadable. "Why don't Amelia and I help you gather your things, ladies. We can show you in, get something in your stomachs, how does that sound?"
"We'll all go." Rick said quickly, unwilling to be parted so soon after arriving.
"Oh, don't worry, dear! I know Bob is just itching to show you men around, he's so proud of our home. Amelia and I are no threat, or any of the young ones inside. They'll be perfectly fine."
Ruby looked back at Rick and Daryl. She had her sidearm, as did Maggie, and Carol was armed with a good sized knife from Daryl's collection. Margie noticed them, but didn't say anything, and Amelia and Rebeccah stayed perfectly silent and obedient to their mother's word behind the woman. It was an odd dynamic in such a violent world, and it wasn't lost on any of them. Still, Ruby gave a nod to Rick, and while he pressed his lips together anxiously, he returned the nod curtly and watched Ruby, Carol, Maggie, Beth and Carl follow her into the house to the left of the main house.
With Paul, Daryl, Rick, Hershel, and Glenn left behind, they turned back to Bob, none of them especially relaxed now that the girls and Carl were not in sight. Daryl seemed a little more on edge even than the others, and was shifting from side to side frequently.
"Margie will take good care of 'em, don't worry, son." Bob noticed, but Daryl just frowned, his eyes trying to take in every possible threat. He glowered, but Bob didn't seem to be bothered by it.
"Who's all in there?" Rick asked, gesturing back to the house. There's no way it was just Margie and Amelia, and her daughter. Not with the as yet unidentified few men working the grounds.
"The ladies, most from neighboring farms and some that joined us here and there. Them and and young'uns stay in that one." Bob nodded after his wife. "The men, they stay over there in that house."
Uh-huh. Rick frowned at that and Paul's eyes met his, obviously thinking the same thing. They kept the men and women separate?
"Some of us prefer to stay together." Rick said, and Glenn nodded. There was no way he was sleeping without Maggie.
It surprised Rick to see Bob seem to brush the comment away. "Well, we can get to that later. Come on, I wanna show you what we got workin' here. I think you'll be mighty impressed, I really do."
The house was spacious but sparsely and conservatively decorated. It seemed most everything was useful, there for a purpose, but they could have cared less. The most glaringly obvious thing about the house were the lights and lamps turned on throughout. My god, these angels had electricity! Ruby looked back and beamed at her friends, gesturing to the lamp nearby.
Margie turned to the group, her face expectant. "Why don't you tell me who you are, so I can address you properly." There were several women working and moving around in the house, cleaning and cooking from the sounds and smells, and the ones that passed by eyed the newcomers curiously. Ruby noticed they all wore the long skirts of Margie and her girls. So strange... and her tone so formal, even if it was overly friendly.
Carol spoke up first, though, trying to be polite. "Carol."
Margie nodded, looking over to Maggie. "Maggie Greene, and my sister Beth. The older man out there is our father, Hershel."
"God bless you staying together. It's a miracle." Margie said in wonder. "And you, dear?" She looked to Ruby.
"Ruby, ma'am." Ruby couldn't help but adopt the formal tone of the older women, and Margie seemed to appreciate it. Putting a hand on Carl's shoulder, Ruby pulled the him closer to her. "This is Rick's son, Carl."
"Well, very nice to meet you. All of you. It will take some time to introduce you to all the ladies here, but you'll get it soon enough. Carl, I think you're old enough to stay with your father in the other house. You're quite the grown up young man."
"Why can't we stay together?" He asked, his eyes slightly alarmed. This was new, and he clearly felt 'safe' moving farther and farther away from him.
"Modesty is still a virtue, young man, even if the world is different now. " Margie said with a smile, as if they should accept it without question. "Come, let me show you ladies to your rooms."
Maggie looked at Ruby with a doubtful gaze. Ruby gave her a gesture that said to hang tight, and took the lead after Margie as she moved toward the stairs. No sense in starting trouble right after they got there, and the guys were close enough.
The rooms they were shown to were clean, functionally furnished like downstairs. Twin beds in each, with Maggie and Beth in one, and Carol and Ruby were shown to the one after.
"Just put your bags down for now. You'll have plenty of time left to unpack and get all cleaned up." Margie announced, and Ruby couldn't help but notice her eyes falling over their jeans and tank tops. They certainly didn't fit in with the long dresses and pulled back hair of the women they saw so far. Ruby couldn't imagine having to wear such impractical things. It was a sure fire way to become walker-bait.
They weren't given a moment to drop their things before Margie was marching them back downstairs and through an archway into a large kitchen. Four women were working in there, and the air was thick with the smell of meat and the temperature far too warm for comfort.
"Here is our lifeblood of the farm, you know. Men work on their stomachs." Margie announced proudly, and looked over to the women they had walked in on. At the attention, they lined up neatly to be introduced. "This is Sarah, Carlene, Honesty, and Beverly. Girls, meet our new guests."
The four women smiled and nodded to Ruby and the others, and they returned them reluctantly. It was so orderly and polite, Ruby felt a chill of uncertainty. Nothing was like this anymore, and she meant nothing. Still, she'd asked for this, asked Rick to give it a chance, and she wasn't going to be a hypocrite. At least until she found something to be legitimately creeped out by, she'd stand by her word and give this a shot. Giving a reassuring smile to the others, they followed Margie through the house, learning the layout quickly. When they were finished, she spoke up.
"Margie, would it be alright for us to go upstairs, maybe use the restroom and wash up?" She asked, fully intended to get the others alone for a moment.
"Oh, yes of course. And you'll need clean cloths too, won't you? Amelia, find something for them, won't you?"
"Yes mother." Amelia said, speaking for the first time since they'd met her. The woman disappeared and Margie showed them back to the staircase. She stopped, however, when she saw Carl proceed to follow them up.
"It's ok. We take care of him." Ruby said quickly, seeing the woman about to protest. She hurried the others up the stairs and swept them into the room she and Carol had been given.
"Is anybody else getting a serious vibe here?" Maggie said as soon as the door shut behind them.
"A little bit. But I'm not sure what kind it is." Carol said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and frowning up at them. Carl grabbed a chair in the corner and listened.
"Why can't we stay with dad?" He asked, looking between them.
"Well, you can." Ruby tried to sound cheery, so as not to further alarm the boy. "I don't know, maybe it's a religious thing. You see those skirts? The crosses on the doors? Keeping the unmarried people apart."
"Well, how does she know we aren't married? Glenn and I could be, for all she knows."
"We didn't introduce ourselves that way." Carol said. "I guess it's not the strangest thing in the world. If they are religious, I mean."
"Maybe not before, but now? They're really worried about that now?" Beth said skeptically, and Ruby knew she was right. It didn't make any sense, but maybe it was an attempt to have control over something in a world where control was a rare find. Shaking her head, she continued. "I say we play along for a while, Rick didn't want to come here, and I don't think Daryl did either. I'd hate to think we dragged them into this and then wanted to leave five minutes later because of sleeping arrangements."
It made sense. None of them wanted to do that. A knock sounded at the door, and Maggie went to it, opening it to reveal Amelia there, arms laden with clothing.
"I brought these for you. If you leave me your dirty things I can see that they are taken care of." The woman said flatly, and Ruby stopped to really look at her. She was mousy, her hair pulled back severely and face scrubbed clean. She had flattish brown eyes, and her nose was slightly large, pointed at the tip. When she spoke, her teeth were shown to be large, almost too large. She was plain, that was sure, but Ruby wondered if she began to speak more than seven words, she might at least be interesting.
"Thanks." Maggie said, passing Ruby and taking the clothes. Shutting the door quickly, she brought them to the bed and hands went for them.
"You... you're kidding, right?" Maggie said, eying the long, dusty gray skirt she held up. Beth looked just as skeptically at the high collared blouse she'd picked up, and Carol scoffed slightly at the thick, huge pair of underwear she'd found. Everything looked like it was maybe homemade, and most definitely meant for modesty. How could they wear this in this heat?
"Nope. No way." Maggie said, tossing the skirt down and flopping down on the bed next to Carol.
"Well, I mean, they aren't... that bad." Carol attempted, but she ended up just looking lost.
"No, she's right." Ruby put her hands on her hips. "This stuff looks like it was made for a 90 year old woman in 1972. But, our clothes could use a washing in more than lake water and I'd rather not offend them until we figure out what the hell is going on. What do you guys think?"
"Do we have to wear the..." Beth trailed off, and they knew exactly what she meant. The armor-like underwear was definitely off the list, and with Carl standing right there the girl was even blushing a little. Hell, Carl was blushing like he'd been set on fire.
"Absolutely not." Ruby grinned. "Carl, would you mind giving us a minute? We'll come get you in a sec, ok?"
Carl slipped out of the room, and they changed quickly, grimaces on each of their faces as they did so. Stuffing the offending underwear under the mattress, they looked at each other, and couldn't help but bursting out laughing as they surveyed each other. They looked terrible, so much so it was hilarious.
Rick was so anxious to get back to the girls, and to Carl, that when Bob finished showing them what felt like every well and cow on the planet, he felt like his skin was on fire. God, finally, he thought when they began to head back. When they neared the houses again, Bob led them to the main one this time.
He was still babbling away, but Glenn had long ago tuned him out and froze mid step, sending Rick crashing into his back, sending the young man stumbling forward.
"Good Lord..." Daryl said from beside him, and when Rick saw the stunned look on his face he followed his gaze. A moment later, he was sure his own face mirrored Daryl's exactly. Standing on the front porch were the girls, but they looked nothing like the people he knew. Dressed in dowdy, plain skirts and high necks blouses, their expressions were nothing short of defeated.
"Don't they look nice!" Bob exclaimed and stepped away toward them.
"I must be hallucinating." Paul said, barely containing his laughter. He rubbed his face with his palm and looked at Ruby's miserable expression.
"What did they do to them?" Glenn asked, looking at Maggie with wide eyes. She saw it and returned his stare with 'don't say one damn word' glance.
"It's... different." Rick said, stifling a smile when he saw Ruby meet his eyes. She looked hilariously lost, scowling as she pulled on the skirt with uncomfortable movements.
"Not my daughters at all, but it's not the worst thing I've ever seen." Hershel said, and the girls excused themselves from Margie when Bob reached them, crossing the yard quickly.
"Do you have a extra copy of the Watch Tower, ma'am?" Daryl smirked when Carol got to him, and she glared at him.
"That's hilarious." She said flatly.
"We didn't have a choice. They wanted to wash our clothes." Ruby said when she neared Rick, passing Glenn and Maggie who had all but huddled together. Rick stepped back with Ruby, giving them a semblance of privacy under the watchful eye of their hosts.
He grinned at her. "It's, uh... it's ….pretty." Truthfully, the clothes were so horrible it was actually adorable. And her face, trying so desperately not to scrunch up and offend Margie made it all the more so. He didn't want to do anything but wrap her in a tight hug, offer some sort of escape from her misery.
"You are a horrible liar." She rolled her eyes and quickly changed the subject. "How did the tour go? You think it's safe here?"
He shrugged, looking over as Paul came up beside them. "A hell of a lot better than anything we had before. Six foot tall fence, reinforced. Everything we need is inside, plenty of manpower from what I saw to back it up."
She bit her lip and looked around, nodding slightly. "That's something, I guess. And Bob, he still seem, I don't know... sane?"
" A little too cheerful for his own good, but I guess you got that already." Paul said with a grin. He was a little too smug about her particular situation and she gave him a murderous look.
"Margie smiles so much I think it's pasted on, but there's something about her..." She trailed off uncertainly.
Rick's brow furrowed. "What is it?"
She shook her head, looking up at him with her big eyes. "I don't know, it's probably nothing. I'm not complaining, it's not overwhelming or anything, but the way they all listen to her, don't speak unless spoken to. You should have seen the women in the house, Rick. They're all dressed like this, cooking and cleaning, and none of them are carrying a weapon. Who does that?"
"You hear that stuff about a 'man's' house and a 'woman's house?" Paul said, hands going to his hips and eyes to Bob and Margie.
"Exactly!" She exclaimed, before quieting herself quickly. "That's what I mean. I don't understand. Margie even said Carl was too old to stay with us, like he's some kind of... man threat. There are crosses all over the place, too. Are you sure they aren't Amish?"
"I don't think so, not the way the men dress. Doesn't match. So, you sayin' you want to leave?"
The others broke from their individual conversations when they noticed the intensity of Ruby's voice, and when they gathered close she waited for them to still before continuing. "What's our alternative? Nothing's changed, and we go back out there with the walkers?"
"So we're staying?" Glenn asked, and Rick frowned.
"Vote on it." He reasoned. "What do you guys want to do?"
"We stay here, at least we're safe. You saw that fence, nothing is getting by it easy." Maggie said.
"We could go back to the cave." Beth offered softly from between Paul and her father. She looked around to all of them, trying to gauge their expressions. "It was safe there, wasn't it?"
"Not like this. Why don't we stay tonight, talk about it again in the morning." Paul suggested, and Maggie and Glenn looked sadly at each other. Obviously the idea of spending the night apart in a new place was taking its toll.
"I think so too." Carl said, and they looked down at him surprised. He looked a little offended. "I have been paying attention, you know. We haven't had a fence like that yet."
"He's got a point." Hershel said, and Rick nodded. Bob was coming over, and they quickly ended the conversation.
"It's settled, then. For now." He said, and they turned to Bob when he got to them.
"Everything ok, folks?" He asked, and Rick nodded.
"Just fine."
"Good, then." Bob grinned. "Hope you're hungry, dinner is all ready. Give you a chance to meet everybody good and proper."