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.
Bob had gathered the men just before dawn to do perimeter checks on the fence, and Rick stood at the front gate, his hand over his eyes to shield the bright early morning sunlight while Bob and Paul made an adjustment to the metal enclosure. They all had slept hard despite being away from the girls. Well, besides Paul. The only reason Rick hadn't gone with him on his little visit the night before was because Carl had been nervous, and he was counting the moments till he could get back and see Ruby.
He had woken when Paul had slipped back in, a mere couple hours before dawn, and had teased the man lightly. The house was more dorm than anything, and he was sharing a room with Paul and Carl. Their conversation played in his head absently.
"How are they?" He'd whispered.
"Fine enough, just nervous, I think. That Margie is a bull, isn't she?" Paul sat on the edge of his bed and pulled his boots off.
"I'd sleep with one eye open, that's for sure." Rick had nodded before grinning. "You were gone a while. Didn't break any 'rules', did you?"
Paul had chuckled. "Probably, but nothing anybody needs to be concerned about." He laid back in his bed. "Ruby asked about you, not that you should be surprised."
Rick looked at him with a sigh. "She's really ok?"
Paul looked at him, amused. "You know Ruby. She's probably the only thing keeping those girls together right now. Especially Maggie. Chick is practically vibrating over there without Glenn."
They'd turned over to get some sleep then, and Rick slipped into a fitful rest with Ruby's face firmly behind his closed eyelids.
"Well, let's head on back to breakfast, what do ya say?" Bob spoke, breaking Rick out of his thoughts, his hands rubbing together rapidly. They all walked back, Daryl falling into place with Rick behind Glenn and Paul, Bob taking the lead, and were almost back to the house when one of Bob's men, Randy- Rick remembered from the previous night- jogged up to them. He said something low to Bob, who frowned for a moment before pasting a jolly smile on his face and looking back at them.
"Margie's got breakfast set up, girls went ahead without us. Guess they're getting' on pretty fast, huh?"
Daryl looked at Rick warily. The smile on Bob's face didn't reach his eyes, and from what Paul had said last night, he doubted Ruby would willingly miss the chance to see him.
"That's fine, but I'd like to talk to Ruby for a minute anyway, Bob." Rick said easily, testing the waters. Bob paused, shrugging.
"You got it, Rick. After we eat we'll go find 'em, ok? I'm just about starvin'."
"How 'bout before, Bob?" Daryl spoke up, and his voice carried much more darkness than Rick's.
"Now, why would we want to go buggin' em when they're getting' to know each other?" Bob answered, stopping and turning around completely to them. Crossing his arms over his chest, Randy in a similar position behind him, Rick felt his heart speed up. Something was very wrong.
He itched to pull his weapon, but Rick wouldn't do anything to antagonize the already tense situation. "Bob, we want to see them." He spoke evenly but firmly, making sure Bob knew it wasn't a request.
Sighing, Bob frowned, clearly irritated. "Fine. Come on, then."
The entire tone of the group changed with that statement, and Rick and the others were immediately on point. One of two things was going to happen right now. They were going to be taken to the girls and feel like jackasses, or they were about to fight for their lives, and from Daryl's stance it didn't look like he thought it would be the former any more than Rick did. Subtly, hands drifted to sidearms as they began following the men to the main house. Rick silently wished he had a place to put Carl, safe and away from him until he knew exactly what was going on. Not having that, though, he pulled his son closer beside him.
Carl's eyes met his fathers, and when Rick flicked his eyes to the place he had told Carl to hide the small gun he'd given him on the farm, understanding was obvious. Giving his father a slight nod, he looked ahead, his posture tensing like the rest of them.
As they neared the houses, Rick saw the windows and doors of the womens' had been closed, and it looked locked down. Several men from Bob's group had gathered here and there, trying not to make it look like they were watching Rick's group but failing badly. They were, Rick realized, being led into a trap.
He stopped, and the others fell into a kind of formation around Carl. Bob saw, and his face fell into a decidedly resigned expression. Weapons had been freely drawn on Rick's side, but Bob just looked at them passively.
"I wouldn't recommend that, Rick. Why don't y'all go on and put the guns away. Better yet, go on and give 'em to Randy here."
Rick raised his eyebrow. "I don't think so. Where are our people?"
"Safe. They got a little out of hand this morning, that's all. I think if you give Margie half a shot she can get this fixed up, right as rain."
"Out of hand?" Glenn spoke up, worry all over his young face. "What does that even mean?"
"Doesn't much matter. If they'd have listened to Margie, we wouldn't be having this talk right now." Bob shook his head. "Point is, you don't hand over the guns, I'm sorry to say things probably aren't gonna end well for any of ya."
Rick felt a burn of fury bubble up in his chest. Bob was right- this wasn't going to end well, but Rick didn't intend to let it fall in Bob's favor like the man assumed it would. Daryl, however, was the first to speak up. Leveling his crossbow at Bob's head, the others in the man's group that had taken objection to the threat and were now freely aiming at them from all around.
"You ain't walkin away from this you don't tell us where they are, man. And I guarantee you ain't getting us all."
Rick had to take this down a notch. He didn't know where Ruby and the others were, if they were armed or not, and his son was currently in the line of fire. He raised a hand toward Daryl, and lowered his own gun.
"Come on, let's calm down here, talk about this. What did they do wrong, Bob?"
The man narrowed his eyes, but seemed to consider Rick's change of heart. "I haven't gotten the whole story, but something about sassin' Margie. Looks like the tall one got a little violent."
"Maggie?" Glenn yammered, his gun faltering. Paul was looking to Rick to see what the plan was, and he lowered his own gun as well slightly.
"Come on, now. We can work it out. Daryl?" Rick said, struggling to disarm Bob with his seeming change of heart. Bob apparently wanted to believe it, because he gave a short nod. Daryl looked at Rick like he was crazy, but let out a disgruntled groan and dropped his crossbow. The firearms aimed at their heads around them also began to move, most of the men who held them were satisfied Bob had it under control and began to come out, some going into the house and others lowering the weapons and coming to stand nearby.
"Head on into the house, then." Bob said, and they followed him and the others. Randy brought up the rear, but Rick was able to meet eyes with each of his group, and their silent communication was never so welcome. He hoped they were going to be able to pull this off.
Once inside the large front foyer of the main house, Bob looked over to Randy. "It would make us feel an awful lot better if you went ahead and gave up those guns until we're sure you don't aim on pointing them at us again."
Rick pulled Carl behind him, and Paul and Daryl silently moved closer to the boy, shielding him as best they could. Paul turned his gun around and handed it out to Randy, and when the scruffy young man came close to get it, Paul jerked back and before anyone could blink he had Randy pinned, his gun to his head.
"Drop it, Bob. Warning you, man." Paul said darkly, but Bob had now pulled his own sidearm and everyone's weapons were aimed at someone now. It was on.
Luckily, the way the foyer was shaped meant that Rick and the others were now standing in a prime position to defend themselves, and Bob's group were bottle-necked into the hallway going to the dining room. They had turned and were looking frantically at Randy held hostage in Paul's steely grip.
"You don't wanna do that, young man. I'm tellin' you." Bob said, aiming at Paul as best he could.
Rick was done. He looked over at Glenn, who reached in and grabbed Carl, pulling him into the side foyer mud room. It was closed off from the rest of the house, so he knew they wouldn't be flanked and attacked. He shielded Carl in between himself and wall, his gun aimed at anyone who followed, and the house exploded into a barrage of gunfire.
Ruby woke up slowly, her head swimming with a deep seated headache and confusion. She struggled to remember how she'd gotten here, to this darkened room in what looked like a basement, laying on a cot in a corner.
"Ugh." She groaned, sitting up, and rubbed her head painfully.
"You're awake." She heard Amelia's voice before she saw the woman, and she came out of the dim corner on the other side of the room into the light of the candles along the wall. When Ruby saw her pinched face, she remembered everything. Margie knocking Maggie out, and Jimmy cutting off her air supply.
"Where's Maggie?" Ruby went for her sidearm, but of course it was gone.
"She's fine, for now. I don't think she's awake yet, actually. Momma must have hit her harder than I thought." Amelia seemed self satisfied, and Ruby fought the urge to break her face. At least until she got what she needed to know out of her.
"Amelia," Ruby took a deep breath and tried to still her swirling head. "Where are we?"
"Protected, don't worry. Daddy and Momma are dealing with the rest of your group right now." She looked so smug it made Ruby sick.
"What do you mean, 'dealing with'?" Ruby asked dangerously, and Amelia faltered a little under her harsh gaze. Ruby took a step toward her and Amelia backed up quickly.
"Jimmy is right outside that door. You touch me and he will be in here in a second."
"Perfect." Ruby growled and dove for Amelia. She had to get out there, find Rick, Maggie, the others, make sure they were ok. It blinded her thinking, made her crazed with worry and fear for them. And it made her strong. The woman had a good two inches of height over her, but Ruby sent her tumbling back against the door with a loud thud. Amelia let out a grunt as she sank to the floor, struggling to get back on her feet with the long skirts she wore. Ruby went for her again, and had grabbed the bun of hair on the back of her head tightly, slamming her head into the wooden paneled wall next to the door. Amelia crumpled in a heap just as the door flew open.
Jimmy slammed the door behind him and blocked it tightly as he looked down at Amelia, motionless on the floor. He was armed, and Ruby backed up, her hand out toward him in warning, posture slightly crouched defensively.
"I have been waiting for somebody to do that for a while." He said, and his almost amused tone surprised Ruby.
"What? Why are you people doing this?" She looked at him, her brow furrowing in worry and confusion.
"When Bob saw your guys out there the first day he thought he could bring them in, use them to make the camp stronger, find husbands for the women here. When you and your friends came too, it was just a bonus." He leaned against the door, and nudged his cousin on the floor with his toe. She didn't move, and he looked back up at Ruby sympathetically.
She stepped back again, her eyes wide and doubtful. "You're looking for... a wife?"
"That was their intention, not mine." He clarified.
She blinked at him. "So... you're going to help us? Get us out of here?"
"We need to talk first." He said, stepping toward her. She backed up quickly, and he sighed, stopping. "I'm not gonna hurt you. "
She widened her eyes. "You choked me out, dude. What the hell do you call that?"
He balked. "Margie was getting ready to brain you, girl. I wouldn't even have done that if you'd have calmed down enough to realize I was trying to talk to you so she couldn't hear."
She frowned. "Talk to me?"
He nodded, frustrated. "I was trying to get you to fake passin' out, but you were hollerin' so loud you couldn't hear me. Not that I really blame you, but I did the best I could."
"Why would you want me to fake it?" Ruby was utterly confused, and shifted her stance a little, trying to read his face better. He was tanned, his black hair almost blue in the dimness of the candlelit room. His face was both frustrated and worried, and she couldn't grasp why.
"Because I like your people. I know you only just got here, but the way your group is, the way you stick together... I never been around that. Not really. I kinda like it."
"So you're just turning your back on your family? Just like that, for people you don't even know?" Ruby looked at him like he was delusional. Who did that, even to such an insane group, when there was no one left out there?
"Call it a feelin'. Now, you want my help, or not?" Jimmy sighed, sticking his muscular arms down to his sides, his hands in his pockets.
Ruby stood to her full height, taking a step forward. Whatever happened, she needed to do what she could to get to the others. "Help us." She said, and he gave her an approving nod.
"Ok, listen. I don't know how this is going to go down here, so stay behind me, and if the time comes up, I'm gonna need you to play along, you got me?"
"Yeah." She said, taking a deep breath and nodding. He reached around behind his back and pulled out her gun, the one Daryl had given her after the river. Turning it around, he handed it to her, butt first.
"Don't go using that on me, huh?" He said jokingly. He was just as worried as she was about what was about to go down, and it showed on both their faces. "You ready?"
She nodded, and he opened the door quietly. Peering out in front of her, he whispered to her as they made their way down the dirt and wood walled corridor, but not before locking the door behind them, ensuring Amelia would not escape. "We're under the barn. These rooms been here longer than me."
"It's horrible." She grimaced, hunched down behind him. "Are the others down here?"
"Yeah, around the bend." He said.
They turned right at the end of the corridor, and he put a hand on her arm, pushing her back. Honesty stood in the hallway at the end, in front of doors much like the one Ruby had emerged from, and she knew Carol, Maggie, and Beth must be there. Taking his lead, she held back as he broke away and headed toward the woman, who looked up at him curiously.
"They causing you any trouble?" Ruby heard him ask from her place, pressing up against the wall tightly, gun in hand.
"Maggie woke up. She made a fuss at first, but now it's mostly just crying." Honesty answered and Ruby was stunned to hear the coldness in her voice. Christian, my ass.
"Hmm." She heard Jimmy grunt softly, then a thud, a gasp, and a thump. Alarmed, she peeked around the corned and saw Honesty on the ground, blood covering her front. Jimmy stood over her, a knife clutched in his hand.
He saw her approach, her gun slightly raised, and he frowned at her. "I caught her killing chickens not long ago, a hell of a lot worse than somebody needed to. She liked makin' things suffer, imagine what she'd do to your people."
Ruby understood, nodding, and her gun went back to her side. "Maggie? Carol?" She whispered loudly, and heard a thump behind one of the doors.
"Ruby? Oh thank god." She heard Carol near her and Jimmy got keys out of his pocket, unlocking the door quickly. The gray haired woman rushed out, straight into Ruby's arms. "Are you ok? Where did they take you? And what is he doing here?" The questions flew out of her mouth, and Ruby put a hand out to steady the woman.
"It's ok. He's helping us. He's not like the others." She said, hoping Jimmy wasn't going to prove her wrong. Carol looked at him reluctantly, but he just moved to another door and unlocked it, pulling it open. They rushed to the door, and saw Beth kneeling over a cot that held Maggie. Both had puffy, tear stained cheeks, and they looked out into the dim hallway fearfully.
"Maggie, are you ok?" Ruby rushed in, but Carol held back, unable to allow Jimmy to have them all in a cell again. He just nodded peacefully toward her, and she crossed her arms over her chest.
Maggie looked at Ruby, relieved tears pouring anew. "What happened to you?"
"Margie happened." Ruby said flatly. "But Jimmy got me out of there, and we're going to find the others."
"Yes, please." Maggie breathed. They hugged tightly, and Ruby pulled Beth in too after a moment.
Ruby pulled back. "Can you walk? We need to get out of here."
"Yeah." Maggie nodded, but winced. Her forehead was smeared with a little blood, and Ruby hoped she didn't have a concussion. They helped Maggie stand, and made their way back out into the hall on shaky legs. When they saw Jimmy, mistrust and fear shown on both their faces. He saw, but there was little he could do about it, Ruby thought.
"We're going as far as the barn, and I want you to stay there." Jimmy informed them before they left the corridor. Eyes were glued to Honesty's body, but they didn't have any love lost for the woman and paid attention to Jimmy. "I'll go out and see what's going on, bring your friends back to you. Then we can figure out what to do next."
"Thank you." Ruby breathed gratefully. They moved quickly, keeping an eye out for any of Bob's group. Down two more corridors, up a flight of stairs, and into the dusty, dim, streaming sunlight of the barn above. Hay muffled their steps on the ground, and the grunting and shifting of the horses inside hid their whispers.
Jimmy helped get Maggie into a stall off to the side to wait. It was hidden enough to not be the first place someone looked if it was noticed they were gone. Suddenly, gunshots from somewhere on the farm sounded, and Ruby jumped visibly.
"Jimmy!" She hissed, terrified it of what it could mean.
"I'll check it out." Jimmy said, and she shook her head.
"I'm going with you."
"Ruby, no!" Carol said, but she looked back at her and held up a hand. Carol knew she wasn't going to be able to keep the worried girl from heading out there as soon as she saw her face.
"If they see you, it's over." He knelt down by the door, looking down at her grimly. She returned it with a determined gaze, and when more gunshots sounded she nearly launched herself out of the barn. "Come on." Jimmy let out a low breath and she followed him out of the stall. He closed it behind them and rushed her over to the far wall, where he pulled a hooded sweatshirt off a hook and handed it to her.
"It's Mark's, he wears it when he's mucking out the stalls. Pull up the hood, and hope if somebody sees you with me they'll think it's him."
It stank of sweat and manure, but she pulled it on quickly, and they went to the front sliding door of the barn. The gunshots, many and rapid in succession, had faded into the bright daylight outside. Peering through the slats, she and Jimmy saw there was no one in sight. They slipped out of the barn and ran toward the main house, where the front door was hanging open, blood splashed across the white front door.
Ruby sucked in a breath when she saw that, her gun raised in the protective position Paul had taught her so long ago. They reached the front porch, and both silently slipped in. Bodies lay on the floor, but she was so relieved to see they were all of Bob's people, and none of hers. He leaned down over one guy, and kicked the gun away from his still hand before feeling for a pulse.
"It's Mark." He said, looking back at Ruby sadly. "He wasn't like them either, just so you know."
"Don't move." She heard a voice behind her, and froze. Jimmy looked past her and his face grew concerned. Turning halfway, she caught sight of Glenn behind her and let out a relieved breath.
"God, Glenn." She shoved the hood away from her face, and his gun fell when he saw her.
"Where's Maggie?" He blurted frantically, rushing forward.
"They're safe, hidden away. Jimmy got us out." She said, and Glenn looked past her doubtfully. When he saw Maggie, he'd believe it. "Where's everyone else?"
"Went looking for you after the blowout in here. I kept Carl and Hershel, but Rick, Paul and Daryl went after you."
"Where's Bob?" Jimmy asked, getting up from Mark's body and coming to stand behind Ruby.
"When he saw we were better shots than his guys he took off. I don't know where he went."
"And Margie?" Ruby asked, her anger taking back over.
"I never saw her."
Jimmy nodded. "He probably went after her. He'll die before he lets something happen to my Aunt. Listen, Glenn, take Hershel and Carl and go upstairs. First door on the right is a bedroom, but behind the clothes in the closet there's a door to an attic. Worse comes to worse and Bob comes back he'll never know you're there. Go, and we'll come back for you."
They waited till Glenn, Hershel and Carl had disappeared up the stairs before Jimmy led Ruby back through the house and out a back door. Slipping around the house, they crept toward the womens' house, and he pushed the back door there open quietly.
The house lay silent, and they crept through the first floor toward the front carefully. As they got close, a form lay motionless on the floor, and Jimmy went to it quickly. He pushed the shoulder, and when the body rolled over they saw it was Carlene. She'd tried to stop Carol and Beth, Ruby fuzzily remembered.
A knife protruded from the woman's chest, and Jimmy pulled it free, inspecting it closely. "It's my Aunt's." He said, his voice confused, but a sound behind them made them both whip around.
"She questioned me, Jimmy." It was Margie, standing larger than life in the doorway to the kitchen. She looked crazed and calm all at the same time, and Ruby was torn between anger over what had happened and fear of the unstable woman.
"Aunt Margie, why don't you sit down? We can talk about this." Jimmy said, his eyes going to her hands, finding her unarmed. Blood coated her hands and sleeves, giving her a macabre look.
She let out a strangled chuckle. "You questioning me now, too, Jimmy?" Her eyes flicked to Ruby, and an eyebrow went up. "Ah, well. That explains it. The whore here got to you, didn't she?"
Margie took an angry step toward Ruby, and Jimmy stepped in the way. The fury that came over her face was indescribable, and she rushed the young man. He raised his gun but Ruby was faster, and the gunshot ricocheted loudly in the painful silence. Margie crumpled to the ground, a bullet hole in her chest and blood slowly spreading everywhere, and Jimmy reached back and grabbed Ruby's hand.
"Run." He said, and they flew off toward the back hallway, and up a tiny staircase behind the rear bedroom. These houses, Ruby realized, where full of alternate ways to get around. Tiny, hidden spaces. If she hadn't had Jimmy here, she'd be lost.
He shut them inside, and locked the door behind them before darting to the top and locking that one too. It was pitch black inside then, and Ruby froze, her forehead and hands against the wall, waiting. She felt Jimmy move back down beside her, and he put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. She didn't want the touch, this was all too terrifying, but she didn't shake it off either. He was sacrificing himself to save her and the others, after all.
The front door slammed open, heavy footfalls pounded across the floor, and Ruby stopped breathing. Muffled voices, a heavy moan, and she knew it wasn't Rick, Paul or Daryl.
"It's Bob." Jimmy whispered in her ear. "Stay here."
She was terribly torn. She had to find out if her friends were safe, but walking out there in front of a psychotic Bob was a terrifying thought, too. "Don't go out there." She whispered to Jimmy, her eyes wide with fear.
"He trusts me." He answered, and she knew he was right. She pressed against the wall as he slipped out of the stairwell. When she heard the back door slam and footsteps running past her hiding spot, she knew what he was doing when she heard Jimmy shout.
"Uncle Bob!"
"They killed her, Jimmy!" She heard Bob's anguished voice clearly. "Find those sons of bitches, make them wish they were dead."
Was he alone? He obviously was still searching for someone, who was it? Her heart wanted to burst in her chest.
Then a gunshot made her heart come completely out of her chest, what the hell had just happened? Unable to stop herself, she slipped out of the stairway and moved around to the front of the house. Silently, she was stepping over Margie's fallen body, when she heard yet a second gunshot. Ducking down to the window, she let out a cry. Bob was lying still and bloody on the front porch, but down the stairs a little ways, Jimmy's body was on it's side, and Rick was standing over it, gun in hand.
Rick raised his gun to fire again and she screamed. "No! Rick, don't!"
Flying out the door, all their expressions were stunned not only to see her alive and well after so long, but that she went right to the young man's side.
"Jimmy! Come on, man, Jimmy!" She smacked his cheek sharply, shaking his shoulder and pulled back a hand covered in blood. Rick, for once in his life, had missed the chest, and the wound was over the young man's left shoulder. She looked up at Rick, who had gone pale watching her. "He saved our lives! Help me!"
"Where's Hershel?" Rick yelled, dropping to his knees across from Ruby, hovering over Jimmy's body. He moved her hands and applied pressure to the wound, pressing hard, and Jimmy didn't move. She felt her heart drop, and knew they needed to get Hershel there now.
"Paul, the main house. Up the stairs, first bedroom. In the closet is the door to the attic. Jimmy hid Hershel, Carl and Glenn there." She said quickly and Paul was gone before she finished. She looked back to Rick, who had frozen.
"He hid Carl?"
"He hid us all. The others are alive." She said softly, and he focused completely on Jimmy. He held the wound, tried to wake him up, and under all her fear and anxiety, she felt her heart break for him. There was no way he could have known Jimmy was one of the good ones. Daryl swept up behind her after making sure Bob was dead, and he knelt down to help. His face was serious, his lips tight, but his eyes met hers and he nodded. He was happy to see her.
Hershel was back then, and he started ordering people around rapidly. Paul ran to the truck they rode in to get medicine, and Hershel showed Rick and Daryl how to carry Jimmy inside to the couch. Ruby stayed kneeling there for a moment, stunned and exhausted. It was over, but Jimmy was probably going to die, and for what?
She looked down at her hands, covered in his blood, and pulled the sweatshirt off over her head, hating the sticky feeling of it. Glenn and Carl were standing nearby, hesitant, and she took a deep breath.
"Come on." She said, getting to her feet. She used every last bit of energy she had to jog back to the barn, leading Glenn and Carl close behind her.