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.
+++Janis- you got your wish, girly. Hope it turned out the way you hoped. ;)
And lastly, to Bnoell14- I am going to frame your messages. I really am. You are awesome, seriously! 3
Opening the door and calling out, she rushed to the stall door and threw it open to reveal a very relieved looking Maggie, Carol, and Beth. Glenn rushed to Maggie's side, and Ruby stepped back, suddenly very out of breath.
"Carol, Jimmy pulled it out. He did it." She said, pushing back tears.
"You found them? Everything's ok?" Carol asked, and Glenn spoke up from his spot next to Maggie as they walked out of the barn into the now quiet day.
"Jimmy was shot. Rick didn't know..." Carol looked horrified. "Hershel's working on him now."
"Well, let's go help." Beth said, and Maggie nodded. She must have been feeling better, because they took off with Glenn to go help their father save the one person on the farm that had cared if they'd lived or died.
The activity then was insane, and Ruby felt herself go a little numb. She couldn't see Jimmy die like that, she just couldn't, not after what he did for them. She saw Rick come back out from the room they had taken Jimmy to, now that Beth and Maggie were there to help. Looking to the right, he saw Daryl pulling Carol into a very fast hug. The woman held him just as tightly for a moment before he broke free and began to help carry Margie and Bob's bodies away from the house.
She felt Rick's arms around her then, and he lifted her off the ground. Burying her face in his neck, she fought the urge to sob.
"I missed you." She whispered, and he almost laughed. When he'd seen her come flying out of that house, everything he'd been feeling washed away, his anger, fear, hatred for these people that had done this. It was all just her. And Carl. And knowing Jimmy had done that for him, saved the people he loved and he'd shot the kid made him want to throw up.
"I am so damn sorry, Ruby." He said, his voice muffled in her cheek, eyes closed.
"You? This was MY fault. I convinced you to bring us here." She closed her eyes tightly, fighting those damn tears.
"No, baby. No." he shook his head and pulled back, his hands finding the sides of her face as he pulled her into a kiss.
Just then Hershel appeared at the doorway.
"Rick, I need your help."
Rick turned back to her. "Stay in here, I'll be back." He kissed her again and quickly went inside. She turned away, wiping her face, and saw Daryl and Glenn approaching.
"Rube, you want to come help me clear the house?" Daryl asked her softly, and she turned around, looking at him, confused.
"Clear?"
He sighed. "Yeah. Uh, we never found the kids they had here, but we haven't had much chance to search, ya know?"
"Oh my god." Ruby said, stunned, turning and heading up the stairs behind Daryl. Glenn set about taking the first floor, but she thought it was mostly just to be near Maggie.
At the top of the stairs, Daryl started throwing doors open, his gun drawn, and Ruby followed his lead. Empty, empty, empty...she notched the rooms off in her mind one by one till they were at the opposite end of the hall. Daryl turned to head up the next staircase to the third floor, but he stopped suddenly, and she almost ran smack into him.
She opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong, but she felt his arm circle her neck and hug her tightly, cutting off her words.
"Rube, I know what you did. Got everybody to safety, put yourself out there." He mumbled, seemingly embarrassed but unable to help himself. "Thank you."
She hugged him back, smiling against the scratchy material of his shirt, but her smile faded quickly. She hadn't saved Jimmy. "It's ok. We're ok." She said simply, and felt him shake his head. He pulled back, putting his hand on the back of her head.
"It's not. We shoulda been there."
She put her hand on his arm gently. "No one knew they were gonna lose their minds like that. Over clothes of all things."
"What?" He dropped his hold on her and his eyes went wide.
"Margie stole all Maggie and Beth's clothes while we were sleeping in our room, and burned them. Said they were indecent. It set Maggie off something awful and then it all... it all just happened."
"You're fuckin' kiddin' me." He said through clenched teeth. "Fuckin' clothes?"
Ruby shrugged. "Never know what's gonna set off a crazy person."
"Good lord..." Daryl sighed and leaned over, squeezing her neck again. "You did good. You know that?"
She smiled sadly. "Let's find those kids, huh?"
They searched the rest of the top floor, and, having not found anything but empty rooms, began to head back down.
"Maybe they're in another building." Daryl said, wondering if the insanity of Margie and Bob had reached the children. Were they going to find them dead somewhere in a crawlspace?
Ruby stopped suddenly when they reached the second floor. "Actually, maybe they're not..." Remembering where Jimmy had his her in the womens' house, she wondered if the main house had a similar spot. Moving quickly down the stairs and to the first floor, she and Daryl passed the others moving around in the living room and went to the kitchen. Rick followed them, curious. Ruby inspecting the back wall. Not finding what she was looking for apparently, she opened the pantry door and stepped inside. They followed, and saw her go to the back of the small closet, looking over it carefully. She lifted a hand and pushed, and it shifted slightly under her touch.
"Let me." Rick said quickly, and she did as he requested, but took up a place behind them as they got their weapons ready. Rick pushed on the wall harder than Ruby had done and it creakily swung out toward them slightly. The gasps of children reached their ears, and they looked inside in wonder. It was another staircase, and four kids, including Rebeccah, were hiding inside. In the middle of them was one of the women Margie had working in the house. Ruth, maybe? Ruby couldn't remember, but she looked furious.
"What have you done?" Ruth demanded, taking a step forward. "Where's Margie?"
Rick didn't want to point his weapon at the kids, but the woman might be armed after the way the rest of her group had acted, he wouldn't put violence past her at all. He aimed at her, ushering the small group out, but when he saw she was not, in fact, carrying a weapon besides the lit candle she held, he lowered his gun.
"She's dead." Ruby said flatly, suddenly very angry at the woman for being so pissed off. She wasn't the one imprisoned, almost killed, shot at, what the hell kind of nerve did she have?
"So," Ruth crossed her arms over her chest and the children huddled behind her fearfully, except a boy a year or so older than Carl. She'd seen him at dinner, and he must have been the woman's son because he looked at her like he was proud. She mimicked her stance and glared at them. "You come to kill us too? You're baby killers, shoulda figured."
"Shut up." Rick bit toward her, wanting to get the scared children somewhere safe, fast. "What do you think should happen? After what Margie and Bob did?"
"They didn't do anything God didn't tell them to do!" The boy shouted behind her, pointing a thin finger at them, and Daryl rolled his eyes.
"Let us leave." Ruth said defiantly.
Rick stood back, holding out an invitational hand. "By all means, lady. Go." She looked surprised then, but it faded as quickly as it came, like she thought it was a trick.
"We need our stuff." The boy said to his mother, and she nodded, her eyes never leaving Rick's face.
"Get it. Take food, water, whatever you need. But don't ever come near us again." He said dangerously, and Daryl took it upon himself to escort the woman out of the kitchen. Rick and Ruby knelt down to the kids who were left, and Rick tried to smile.
"Hey guys." He said softly, and Carl came in just then. It was a good thing, too, because having another kid around could only help. The oldest was Rebeccah, even if she was slight. Easily 13 or 14, and terrified when she saw no sign of her mother or grandparents. The next was a boy, a year or so younger than Carl, in suspenders and dark clothes. His hair was neatly cut around his round face, and he had bright blue eyes. Last was a girl of about 5 or 6, also seen at dinner the night before. Her long blond hair hung down to her back in two braids, and her oversized dress hung off her little frame. Her heart shaped face was pale and scared, and Rick held out a hand to her. She went immediately to Rebeccah, though, and huddled behind her.
"Where's my Momma?" Rebeccah asked, and Ruby realized it was the first time she'd ever heard the girl speak. She'd obviously been taught to keep quiet, speak when spoken to, and she was very uncomfortable now.
"Your uncle was hurt, Hershel is trying to help him now." Rick said, avoiding the question, and calling Carol from the other room. "Carol is going to take you guys upstairs, stay there for a while, then we can talk, ok?"
Rebeccah didn't object, but her eyes lingered on Rick and Ruby as Carol ushered her and the two other kids away. Glenn and a newly emerged Maggie entered just after they'd gone.
"Dad wants to talk to you." Maggie said.
"He's resting comfortably." Hershel said when they gathered at the doorway where Jimmy was. "The bullet went right in and out of his shoulder, and it missed the larger blood vessels. If we prevent infection, he should be fine."
"He's alive?" Ruby asked, shocked. He'd been so pale, so still, and there had been so much blood.
"He is. He's a bleeder, I'll give him that, but a tough kid. Woke up when we were were working on him and didn't make a sound. I gave him some medicine for the pain, so if you want to see him I suggest you do it before he falls asleep." Hershel wiped his hands with a towel as he spoke, and Ruby looked hopefully up at Rick. The look of relief on Rick's face was priceless.
Paul and Beth were talking quietly in the corner of the room when they came in, and Paul had a bright smile when he saw Ruby. He got to her a couple steps, and wrapped her in a tight hug.
"Starlet, you really pulled it out today, you know that?" He said into her forehead. "I am so proud of you."
"You too." She grinned as he broke away, and he and Beth left the room. She and Rick approached the bed, where Jimmy was laying, his face turned away from them and his eyes closed.
"Let's not wake him up." Rick said, and she could see how bad he felt looking at the kid laying there motionless.
Jimmy stirred, then, his head went to the other side, and his eyes opened. When they focused on Ruby, she smiled at him and went to the chair pulled close to the bed.
"Hey, glad to see you awake." She said softly, sitting down and pulling the chair closer.
He smiled back, shifting so his head was lifted a little. A long bandage had been wrapped around his left shoulder, and his arm lay still over his waist. "You and me both. I thought that was it."
"It wasn't that bad, Hershel said. In and out." She answered, looking at the bandage.
"Just a flesh wound." He weakly joked, and looked over to Rick. "Didn't come to finish the job, did ya?" Rick chuckled.
"Not after we went and wasted all that medicine on you." Rick answered, and Ruby grinned at him before turning back to Jimmy. Rick came around behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Ruby told us what you did."
"Did she." Jimmy nodded a little, watching Rick carefully.
"I don't know how to thank you. Making sure my son, my people were safe, it means more than you know."
Jimmy shrugged, but winced a little. Ruby frowned, but he spoke quickly. "It was the right thing to do, that's the whole point, ain't it? But you sure got a funny way of sayin' thank you."
"I guess so." Rick nodded, his voice soft. "I am damn sorry I shot you, kid. Damn sorry."
Jimmy raised a hand slightly, brushing away Rick's apology. "You didn't know. I don't blame you, man."
Rick pressed his lips together tightly, not really knowing what to say. He stuck his hand out, and Jimmy took it firmly in his good hand. They shook, and Jimmy shifted uncomfortably in the bed. Rick stepped back, looking down at Ruby. "We should let him get some sleep."
"Yeah, you go ahead. I'll be there in a sec." Ruby smiled at him, and Rick nodded, patted the foot of Jimmy's bed, and left the room. She watched him go, and when she looked back at Jimmy she found him regarding her curiously. "What?" She questioned his gaze.
"Your group is somethin', you know?"
"Yeah, well, we're all we got." She tilted her head at him. "So, the right thing to do, huh?"
He grinned. "You don't think it was?"
She laughed lightly, shaking her head. "No, it's not that. It's just... the way Bob and Margie were, it seemed like they'd convinced everybody what the 'right thing' was. What make you different?"
He thought about it for a second. "You mean, why wasn't I brainwashed like the others?" She nodded, and he sighed softly. "I was raised here, after my parents died when I was a kid. Bob and Margie were... well, they were all I knew, you know? Amelia was older, like a big sister, but we weren't close like you guys. It only took a minute, to see how you protected each other. They weren't like that."
"What do you mean?" She frowned. "They didn't protect you?"
He looked uncomfortable, his eyes going to the quilt. "No."
"I'm sorry."
He shook his head. "Doesn't matter now, does it? Does it make me a bad person to say I'm not sorry either?"
"No." She shook her head too. He'd clearly been hurt, seen pain, even before the walkers.
"So, is everybody..." He began, but trailed off. He was asking if everyone was dead.
She frowned deeply. "Mostly, I'm sorry. But we did find Rebeccah, and two little ones in the pantry stairway with Ruth and an older boy. She took off, took the boy with her."
"Benny." He let out a low breath. "It's good, let 'em go. But Rebeccah, she's ok?"
"Yeah. Carol took her and the two little ones upstairs to calm down for a while." She nodded, suddenly remembering something. "Oh my god."
He looked alarmed. "What?"
"Amelia! We left her in that place."
He huffed. "Good riddance."
"Yeah, well, even after everything, we can't just leave her there. I'll tell Rick, we'll deal with her. You gonna be ok here for a bit? I can come back after you get some sleep."
He looked pleased at that. "I'd like that."
She stood, and patted his hand gently. "Ok. Thanks, Jimmy. Really."
"You already said that." He chuckled.
"Yeah, well, get used to it. It'll probably happen a few more times."
He grinned and settled back, watching her go. She slipped from the room, shut the door, and went back down to the living room to find the others.
Paul and Rick were standing at the front door, talking to Daryl, who looked like he had just come in. Maggie and Glenn must still be up with Carol and the kids, and Beth, Carl and Hershel were in the living room, sitting down wearily. It had been a tough day for everyone.
"Are Ruth and Benny gone?" She asked as she reached them.
"That their names? Here I was just callin' her Psycho Bitch." He said. "Got their shit, got 'em down to the road and gave her a gun so she at least had a chance to protect her boy and the stupid cow took a shot at me when they was runnin' away. You believe that shit?"
"She didn't hit you." Ruby said thankfully.
"She didn't hit anything. Bitch couldn't aim to save her life." Daryl said, and Ruby looked back to the living room.
"Hey Beth, can you listen for Jimmy or Carol if they need anything?" She asked and the girl nodded. Looking back at the men, she frowned. "Gotta talk to you."
She led them outside, their expressions wary but curious. Going to the porch swing, she sat down and sighed. "What's wrong, Starlet?" Paul asked.
"Did they tell you what happened to us, other than what I said already?"
"No, we were too busy with Jimmy." Rick said, draping an arm over the back of her shoulders and pulling her close. She was obviously upset, and right well she should be.
"Well, like I told Daryl already, Margie was pissed about us not wanting to wear their... uniform or whatever. Paul, after you left the window last night Maggie and Beth stayed in our room, and when we got up this morning, their clothes had been stolen. Burned, Margie said. Gave us a whole talking to about how we were tempting the men and were indecent."
"Damn..." Rick murmured, rubbing his forehead wearily. That woman was insane.
"Maggie confronted her, and when we tried to get to you guys, Margie managed to knock us out. Locked us under the barn in a kind of... I don't know. Dungeon. That's all I can think to call it. Had Amelia and Jimmy watch us, and that's when he got us out."
"Show us." Rick said, going to stand but Ruby put her hand on his arm, stopping him.
"I will, but wait. I just wanted to tell you, I managed to bean Amelia pretty good before Jimmy got in there, and he locked her in. She's still down there."
"Well, let's go kill the bitch." Daryl growled and Ruby frowned.
"What about Rebeccah? It is her mother after all." Ruby countered.
"Did you talk to Jimmy about her?" Rick asked, and Ruby nodded.
"According to him, he'd just leave her there. She's a threat, but we have to consider the girl."
Rick sat back down and put his hand over his mouth, thinking. "Ok, we'll figure it out. Why don't you tell us the rest."
Ruby took a breath and quickly recounted the remainder of the rescue.
They sat there, the four of them, for a moment while her story soaked in. Finally, Rick let out a deep breath. "Well, we need to figure out what to do from here. About Amelia, the kids, all this." He looked around the farm, his face serious and drawn.
"What do you mean what to do?" Daryl frowned and they looked at him. "We know what to do, people. We were lookin' for a place to go before winter. We got a huge farm here, a fence, runnin' water and food."
"You want to stay?" Ruby asked, stunned. It was logical, even she realized that, but the thought of living in the same rooms as Bob and Margie made her nauseous. Still, she nodded. "No, he's right. It makes sense."
"You'll be ok with that?" Paul asked her gently, and she nodded.
"We almost didn't get out. Imagine how hard it will be for walkers to get in."
Walkers. When she said the word, a shiver went through them all. They had, in a mere two days, forgotten about the dead people walking around out there. Ruby grimaced, wondering what the hell kind of world this was turning into when that was even possible.
She looked up, suddenly very serious. "Are any of them- Bob's people, did they turn?"
Daryl shook his head. "Used my knife, don't worry."
Ruby nodded, relieved they didn't have to worry about that at least.
"Well," Rick smacked his knees and rose. "I want to see this 'dungeon'. You feel like showin' us?" Rick asked, and a moment later she was leading them back across the yard to the barn. Walking in, she turned away from the pile of bodies Daryl had stacked in the corner. Bob's still face, covered in blood, faced her, and she felt a wave of nausea.
"We'll get rid 'a those." Daryl said behind her, and she nodded.
"Soon, please." She said disgustedly, and led them back to the opening Jimmy had brought them out of.
"The hell..." Daryl whispered as they followed the stairs down and got to the bottom floor. With the dirt walls, the occasional slat of wood across them to hold the shape, and the pale yellow color of the bare bulbs strung along the top illuminating the numerous doors lining the place, it looked like a nightmare.
"Yeah, hell pretty much covers it." She said dryly, trying to remember which one Amelia was in. The one she had been held in. It was like a maze. Turning down one way, she froze when she spotted a large blood stain on the earthen floor at the end of the hall.
"What?" Rick whispered behind her, his voice close to her ear.
"Oh god. Jimmy killed Honesty here."
"So?" Daryl questioned her anxious tone.
.
"She's gone."
"Well she's down here somewhere." Daryl said grimly, realizing what Ruby had meant, and guns were immediately pulled. Making their way back down the corridor, they began testing each door, finding them shut, unlocked and empty.
"This way." Ruby was now behind Paul, and pointed around him to another hallway. "I think that's it."
Doors were tested on the way down, slowly stepping toward the door at the end of the hallway. Paul was close in front of her, and though she couldn't see Rick or Daryl, she could feel them just as close behind.
"Damn. I forgot Jimmy locked it.." She said. Rick pulled her back, and Daryl all but pinned her between him and the wall, his back to her and his crossbow ready. Rick stepped back a bit and aimed for the lock with his gun, firing once. The lock disintegrated and the door swung open.
Stepping forward, Paul and Rick were in defense mode when Paul pushed the door open and stepped back. The blackness inside was blinding, but a low growl sounded, and Amelia, or what used to be Amelia, launched herself out at Paul, and he fired a single shot, hitting her in the forehead and she fell in a pile in the doorway.
"He must have hit her harder than I thought. She turned." Ruby said softly, looking down at the woman's body. Blood pooled thickly forward and she stepped back to avoid it.
A whining sounded behind them made Ruby's heart thump painfully, and they spun around. Honesty was coming at them, her front stained with the blood from the knife wound. She stumbled as she approached, and Rick shot her while she inched her way toward them, her hand outstretched. He hit her in the top of the head and her skull exploded as she fell to the floor, unmoving.
Ruby's ears were ringing from the sound of the shots, and she allowed her breath to escape her body slowly. Daryl moved and she stepped away from the wall, her gun going into the band of her jeans, and her hands brushing her hair back from her face. Carefully, Paul and Rick put the dead bodies back in the room and closed the door.
Paul slung a heavy arm over Ruby's shoulders, and looked down at her, attempting his usual cheerfulness. "What do you say we get the hell out of here."
"Fuck yes." Daryl practically groaned and swept past them, obviously eager to be free of this man made prison.
"You better watch the cursing, Paul. This is a god fearing house, you know." Paul said as he led them back to the stairs.
"Jesus..." Daryl muttered, amused.
"Exactly." Ruby said innocently, and Daryl laughed. It was a beautiful sound to them all.