Set during the end of 5x13 "Forget"
Darling, darling, doesn't have a problem
Lying to herself 'cause her liquor's top shelf
It's alarming honestly how charming she can be
Fooling everyone, telling them she's having fun
She says, "You don't want to be like me
Don't want to see all the things I've seen."
"Carmen" – Lana Del Rey
Chapter 2 – Fooling Everyone
Rick was surprised at his innate fascination with the girl he'd come to know as Mia. And after speaking with her for only the second time since she arrived at Alexandria, his opinion of her became even more obscured.
The characteristics she was portraying seem almost too sincere. He had seen the scars and the lack of emotion in her expression the first time he laid eyes on her. Now, as he watched her circulating the room, she seemed completely relaxed and comfortable talking to so many people. Mia was smiling believingly, laughing genuinely, and telling jokes and stories that captivated her audience. It was as if a switch had been flipped. Mia had gone from being this obviously troubled girl to a social butterfly within 24 hours. And the partygoers believed every second of it—even her parents, despite the fact that they supposedly knew about everything she had been through.
But what had she been through? Rick didn't know how to even begin to guess the answer. What he did know was that he couldn't trust her. Even though his instinct told him he could, he couldn't allow himself to—not until he heard the truth for himself and was certain it was in fact just that. Until then, she was just another person he had to keep an eye on.
Mia's mother had been the one to pull her away from their short talk and she was immediately roped into another discussion just a few feet away from him. He couldn't stop himself from watching the way she maneuvered through a conversation. He could sense that she had every response planned out, even her smiles appeared calculated. This gut feeling should have made him decide to be guarded with Mia, but the truth was that other than the members of his family, she was the only person who'd managed to keep his attention for longer than a few minutes. And he only wanted to learn more about her.
Rick pursed his lips as he watched Mia say something and smile, a tailored laugh causing her shoulders to shake lightly. The small group of people who were fully enveloped by the conversation also broke out into fits of laughter, telling him that Mia had been the source of humor.
The young man, who Rick vaguely recognized, standing beside Mia smoothly closed the distance between them and they angled their heads towards each other, allowing him to say something to her without having someone overhear them. Rick narrowed his eyes when Mia smirked in response and nodded a few times. The guy then took her arm softly and began to lead her even farther into the room, but she stopped abruptly and turned to get rid of the empty cup she was holding. As she placed it on a nearby table, her gaze flickered across the room and met Rick's immediately. Since he was no longer holding Judith he knew that when she smiled at him she was only looking at him. Mia gave a small wave in Rick's direction after her friend called out to get her attention and he barely had time to return the gesture before she was escorted away through the living room.
Once he lost sight of her, Rick let out a silent sigh and faced the window behind him, his gaze skimming the backyard of Deanna's house. He knew the gates had kept out all the things he believed to be dangerous until then, but he still felt the need to be on constant alert. He couldn't let himself get weak—ever. And that didn't just go for the security of the safe-zone. He barely knew the people he was supposed to call his neighbors and Rick still had no idea what they were or weren't capable of.
He stayed by the window for the next hour, watching as the sky darkened and the party talk died down to a quiet hum of scattered conversation. Quite a few people had already left for the night, but most of the partygoers weren't showing any sign of slowing down. Rick had to guess that it was almost nine since at least a few hours had passed since he last checked the clock.
"You know that in order to get a refill you might actually have to leave that spot, right?"
Rick turned away from the window and smiled when he saw Amelia standing a few feet away from him with Judith sitting on her hip. He could tell she had held a baby before just by how comfortable she looked with Judith in her arms.
"I had no idea," Rick responded as he tipped his empty cup towards her. Mia's lips tugged up into a smile and she stepped towards him slowly.
"I don't think you've moved an inch since I last saw you," Mia sighed. She tilted her head a little and scrunched her nose. "It's a little concerning."
"Concerning?" Rick arched an eyebrow.
"What?" She shrugged, keeping her arms locked around Judith. "Am I not allowed to do that?"
"Well, I don't really know you, and the same goes for you." Rick hooked one of his thumbs through his belt as he used his other hand to gesture towards Mia.
"There's an easy solution to that, though," Mia pointed out with a quirk of her perfectly tweezed eyebrow. She let their conversation lag for a moment as she hoisted Judith higher on her waist and lightly rested her cheek against the infant's head, blinking innocently a few times. "Tell us a little about yourself, Rick."
Rick let out a breathless laugh as he pinched his eyebrows together and gazed out the window for a couple seconds. He sighed quietly, pursing his lips as he faced Mia again. "Uh, I was a sheriff."
"A sheriff," Mia mused aloud. "I had you pegged as a minor league baseball player."
"Really?" He asked even though he was almost certain she was joking.
"No." She smiled, shaking her head lightly. "I didn't know what you were exactly, but I had a feeling you were somebody in a position of power. You have that look about you."
"I look powerful?" Rick questioned, smiling.
"You look like a leader," Mia corrected with a short nod and she knew she'd been right when Rick didn't voice any objections. She looked down at Judith and smiled when the child met her eyes. "She's been so quiet since I got a hold of her." Mia glanced up at Rick and he nodded.
"She was never been much of a crier," Rick acknowledged.
"That must have been such a relief," Mia said, holding his gaze.
"It was," he told her, nodding weakly.
"So, what made you retreat this far from the front lines?" She gestured around the room they were standing in, which was almost empty beside three other Alexandrians who were talking in the opposite corner.
Rick took a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling accordingly as he glanced towards the living room where most of the crowd was. "I guess I'm just not used to it yet."
"I get it," Mia said. She turned her shoulders to watch the rest of the partygoers. "But they're not that bad and despite popular belief, they don't bite."
"Thanks for the notice," Rick responded with a small smirk.
"I just mean that it's not that hard to talk to them," Mia explained as she looked back at Rick for a moment. "They all have stories about their experiences after the outbreak and it's almost a relief to hear that not everyone had it as bad as some of us."
"A relief?" Rick asked, studying Mia's expression for any sign of deception.
She nodded and pursed her lips together. "Just look at them. They're good people, Rick. They've managed to put aside all their differences that could have ruined this community and become something better than anything I have ever found outside those walls. And deep down I think they know what's out there. They're just desperate to keep a hold of the hope that it will get better."
"It won't," Rick murmured, his expression turning serious. Mia wasn't shaken by the intensity of his blue eyes that were trained on her, though. She held her ground just like her mother had and even tilted her chin into the air slightly.
"I know," Mia breathed. "But like I said, they're good people. They don't deserve to die—none of us do and I'm willing to fight for that belief. I'm willing to fight for them."
"Why?" Rick asked as he took a step towards her. He subconsciously became aware of how close he was now standing to Mia, but he didn't feel the need to back away just yet.
"Because no one ever fought for me," Mia murmured and Rick let out a silent breath when he realized she was telling the truth. He knew because he could see that it pained her to admit it and he knew he could risk trusting her.
Their gazes parted when Judith began to fuss in Mia's arms.
"Do you want to take her?" She asked quietly.
"Yeah," Rick nodded and put down the empty bottle he'd been holding. They stepped even closer to each other, closing most of the space between them, and Mia held out Judith for Rick to take from her. He slipped his hands around his daughter, his arms brushing against Mia's briefly as they got caught up in the exchange briefly. Rick looked down at Mia as she started to pull away and she held his gaze. They both felt the pace of their heartbeats quicken at that moment and Rick decided not to over think the situation. He chose to do what he was being led to do without hesitation or debating the consequences. He tilted his head and pressed a soft kiss against her cheek, lingering in the moment for a few extra seconds.
Mia inhaled silently when Rick pulled away slowly, Judith now securely in his arms. She pressed her lips together as the corners twitched up into a small smile. They held each others gaze as Mia backed away through the room, giving him a nod goodbye before turning and moving out of his sight. Rick stood unmoving for a while, trying to discern what it was exactly that made him kiss her, but he couldn't accept the only reasonable answers that came to mind. He sighed heavily and pressed a kiss to Judith's head before turning to look out the window once more.
It was odd to see his dad actually talking to someone outside of their family. It was even more unusual to see that it was a girl—or woman. Carl recognized her, of course. Amelia Monroe was the latest arrival at the safe-zone and she also happened to be Deanna and Reg's daughter. Carl's dad had told him and the rest of their group all the details he'd learned about her, but it was minimal. All he really knew about her was that she was happy to be back with her family. At least that's what it looked like.
Carl tried to stay interested in his conversation with Ron and Mikey, but he found himself continuing to look over his shoulder at his father and his new friend. He wasn't surprised to see that she was the latest person to get her hands on Judith. Ever since news about his sister's existence spread through Alexandria, people had been trying non-stop to hold her and play with her. It had been a long time since they'd all seen a baby, and Carl guessed that also applied to Amelia.
When Ron and Mikey insisted they go into another room to play cards, Carl told them he'd join them later. He hung back in the room, just far enough away from his dad to see his interaction with Amelia. He was pleasantly surprised to see his dad smile several times within a few minutes. Carl was content with watching from afar, he just wished he knew what they were talking about—how Amelia was able to get his father to say more than just a couple sentences.
Carl's eyes widened slightly when Amelia went to pass Judith to his father and in return his dad kissed her on the cheek. It was the first time he'd seen his dad show any real affection towards a woman since his mother died. And while it brought back a painful memory, Carl reminded himself that he only wanted his dad to be happy in Alexandria and he was willing to do anything to make sure that happened—even if it meant accepting Amelia into their close-knit family.
There's always room, Carl told himself as he watched Amelia walk away from his dad.
There's always room, Carl repeated to himself before making a beeline for the older woman.
Mia came to an abrupt stop when Carl stepped in front of her, but she had no problem recognizing him. Her mind immediately went back a few minutes to her interaction with Rick, silently worrying that his son had seen them.
"Hi," Mia greeted with a polite smile. She wasn't sure where her conversation with Carl would go, but she was happy to get the chance to talk with someone else who'd been outside the walls.
"I'm Carl," he responded, holding out a hand for her to shake. She obliged and smirked at his manners.
"I'm Amelia, but all everyone calls me Mia," she told him as she shook his hand a couple times and they released at the same time.
"It's nice to finally meet you," Carl said, his blue eyes holding her gaze, reminding her of his father.
"You too," Mia agreed with a short nod. "My mom's told me about all of you."
"You watched the tapes, didn't you?" Carl probed with an understanding smile.
"No, actually, I haven't," Mia responded. "My mom wanted me to, but I opted into getting to know people the old fashion way; actual human interaction."
"Good idea," Carl chuckled. "So, what should I know about you?"
Mia pressed her lips into a taught line as she took a moment to think about the question. "Well, I was studying to be a doctor before the outbreak, I'm 23 years old, and I've seen and done a lot shitty things out there—excuse my language," she added quickly.
"I think everyone who's been outside those walls for some time has had to do some shitty things just to survive," Carl responded without hesitation and Mia sighed.
"Very eloquently put," Mia complimented. "I have a feeling you're smarter than some of the adults around here."
Carl shrugged. "I might be, but who knows?"
"Right." Mia nodded as she raked her fingers through her bangs. "So, what should I know about you?"
"I was a middle-school student before the outbreak, I'm 15 years old, and I've seen and done a lot of shitty things out there as well," Carl told her, smiling lightly as he finished his sentence.
"Please tell me you knew that word existed before I said it." Mia looked down at Carl with a raised eyebrow.
"I did," Carl said.
Mia smiled as she nodded shortly. "Well, I'll see you around, Carl, and it was nice getting to know you a little better." She took a step towards the front door, hoping to get some fresh air and a break from the party for a while.
"I had to kill my mom," Carl admitted just loud enough for Mia to hear. She stopped dead in her tracks and faced the teenager, her lips already pressed together. She didn't need to know why he had to take his mothers life. But no child would unjustly murder his mother if he truly loved her, and Mia could see that Carl loved his mother.
"You didn't have to tell me that," she told him as their eyes met.
"I wanted to," Carl responded. "It was on my tape anyways."
"You still didn't have to tell me, Carl," Mia said.
"I wanted to."
Mia glanced around the room, grateful to see that everyone was still immersed in their own conversations. She looked back at Carl as compassion filled her eyes. "I am truly sorry for your loss. For what it's worth, I know what it's like to kill someone you love. And being able to do that makes you one of the strongest people I have ever met."
"I saw what my dad did," Carl admitted, gesturing over his shoulder. Mia sighed silently as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I was being honest with him and I think him doing that was just his way of thanking me," Mia told the young teen sincerely.
"I figured it was something like that," Carl said. "But I just need you to know that I want my dad to be happy and if he has to find someone new to love then that's okay with me."
"Carl—"
"I know it's not like that, but I needed you to hear that just in case," Carl explained.
Mia bit her lower lip hesitantly, but forced herself to nod.
"I think you should come over tomorrow," Carl told her. "Everyone really wants to meet you."
"You might want to ask your dad first," Mia responded coolly.
"He'll say yes," Carl said with utmost confidence.
"What makes you say that?" Mia probed.
"It's pretty easy to see that you're a lot like us," Carl told her as looked at her with his intense blue eyes that matched Rick's. "You'll fit right in."
"Okay," Mia agreed quietly.
Rick kept his gaze on the houses ahead as he walked back towards his own home, having just returned from another meeting with Carol and Daryl in the woods. Carol had managed to do what she had set out to, retrieving several spare weapons they could use in case of an emergency. He knew it was now officially his duty to keep the safe-zone conflict free, but he felt better knowing he had the extra gun. This way, he could really protect his family and not just pretend like he could.
His train of thought was brought back to the present when he spotted Mia exiting her house. She was dressed in jeans and a simple black t-shirt with her brown hair pulled up in a ponytail. She wasn't nearly as dressed up as she was for the party the night before, but he still could not ignore her natural beauty. Rick came to a stop as she hopped down the steps, coming to stand a few feet in front of him.
"Morning," she greeted with a small smile. She sized him up in his new constable uniform and smirked lightly. She could always admire a man in uniform.
"Morning." Rick nodded.
"I don't know if Carl mentioned anything, but he invited me over yesterday," Mia said.
"He told me, and it's perfectly okay," Rick told her, causing Mia to smile again.
"Good to hear," she remarked, running a hand through her bangs. "Well, I'm giving some shooting lessons to a friend this morning, but I'll be able to come over some time after lunch."
"Sounds like a plan." Rick hooked a thumb through his belt as he smiled lightly. The gesture seemed to be coming more naturally to him these days.
"Okay," Mia sighed.
"You ready to go, Mia?"
Rick turned his head to see the same young man from the party heading towards them. The guy wasn't paying any attention to Rick though. He was looking only at Mia.
"Yes, I am," Mia nodded to her friend. "We just have to stop by the armory first."
"Right," the Alexandrian replied as he pointed to her.
"Uh, Max, have you met Rick yet?" Mia asked as she gestured between the two men. Max shook his head and held out his hand towards Rick. Rick narrowed his eyes at the hand, but eventually took it and gave it a few sturdy shakes. "Well, Max, this is Rick, our new sheriff and Rick, this is Max. He's Alexandria's personal mechanic."
"Nice to meet you, man," Max said as he released Rick's hand.
"Same," Rick responded, dropping his hand back to his side.
"I'll see you later, Rick," Mia said, turning her attention back to the new constable.
She was pleasantly surprised when he stepped towards her, grabbing her arm lightly before placing a kiss on her cheek. Mia leaned her head into it slightly, closing her eyes for a second as she allowed him repeat the tender gesture from the previous night. There was no denying that he made her heart beat a little faster every time he got within arms length of her, but she was barely remembering what it was like to be around people, let alone have romantic feelings for someone. She'd put on a good show the night before and somehow she was still able to keep it up the entire time, but she had no idea how much longer it would last. Her sleep was filled with nightmares and flashes of time from her past, and if that ever seeped into her mind while she was awake, she knew it be catastrophic for the new self she was trying to portray to the Alexandrians. Mia didn't want to have to be the person she became on the outside. But deep down she knew it was only a matter of time.
"Bye," Rick murmured, pulling her thoughts back to him. She waved goodbye and turned to leave with Max
Rick watched as they walked down the street together. He couldn't help but notice how close they were walking to each other. Rick absentmindedly reached for the spare gun tucked into the back of his belt. He kept his hand on the weapon until Mia and Max disappeared around the corner.
Rick wasn't sure what it was he was starting to feel for Mia, but he thought that it felt like something he hadn't experienced in a long time; jealousy. But then he thought back to the party.
Because no one ever fought for me, Mia had told him.
He wasn't jealous of Max. At least, that's what he told himself. He just wanted to show Mia what it was like to have people fight for her and Max would never be able to do that. Rick knew he could and would if she needed him to.
But what if she needed more than just someone to fight for her? Rick asked himself. What if she needed someone to save her from herself?
A/N: I was very uncertain about this chapter – I was trying to get it done quickly so I'm sorry for any mistakes and/or if it felt rushed. I hope you all enjoyed it anyways!
And I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed, or reviewed this story so far. It's been great encouragement. So, thank you!
Please make sure to favorite or follow if you enjoy this story and have not done so already. And reviews always give me inspiration for the next chapter and help me get them up faster and I appreciate the feedback. Also, I've decided that this is just going to be a Rick/OC fic so that will be the main relationship that I will work to develop romantically. Thank you for reading!