Author's note: I just want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I was never expecting so many reviews. Anyway I wrote chapter two, but I'm slightly worried about Rick being OC, especially towards the end. But I'll let you decide that. Since I'm sick there's a good chance I'll write the next chapter depending on how people feel about this one. I'm not going to lie this story is not a serious, it's more of a parody than anything. Though I do plan on putting some Rick/OC and Daryl/OC loving in it. Out of curiosity who do you think Mara would get along best with?

~Cassandra

"You're joking. Someone was stupid enough to do that?" Mara laughed at the smiling cop.

"It's not a bad idea if you think about it. With a motorized barstool you'd always have a seat at a bar and a ride home, it just still qualifies as driving a vehicle while intoxicated." Rick smiled, "What about you? Any fun stories?"

"Probably more than necessary. I have three older brothers back home. Each one of them in the military." Mara's smile faltered a little. "I was the only who didn't make it. Not that they cared much. My oldest brother Bryon nearly got into a fight with my recruiter when he heard I was joining. Easton my second oldest brother actually had to hold him back, while Zane the youngest of the three dumb asses was on the ground laughing."

"They must've been glad to have you home."

Mara smile was replaced with a small frown. Rick noticed the faraway look in her eyes. "You're a good father, Rick. Don't mean to get sappy on you, but you are?"

He smiled at her softly. "How would you know?"

"Easy. If I were missing the only ones looking for me would be my brothers. My father couldn't give a damn if I vanished." Mara murmured. The relationship between her father and her if anything was shattered. It was never something to brag about in the first place. The early death of her mother was much to blame for that. However thanks to her failure to join the army, her father had officially disowned her. And in turn her brothers officially disowned him. "Anyway enough with the sad talk. We'll find your family by the end of the week."

"You seem so sure about that." Rick said uncertain what to make of Mara's optimism.

"Look Rick, I'm going to tell you something you can't tell anyone." Mara said her voice dead serious.

Rick glanced at her curious and admittedly slightly worried. There was still the option of Mara being an insane criminal in his book. Though it was rather slim. "I know this is going to sound too good to be true, but I swear it's the truth." She was staring at him now. "I am always right. Always. And if one day I am-ever by the grace of God not right, then I'll give you what is perhaps the last chocolate bar known to man."

He cracked a grin. However it fell the moment Mara waved the chocolate bar in front of him. The fact she even had a Hershey bar was an almost baffling reality. "You have an actual Hershey bar in that bag of yours and you didn't tell me?" Rick half-heartedly teased.

"This my friend is not any ordinary rucksack. It's a US army Mollie Rucksack that I just so happen to spray paint black after Zane threw it at me. And it holds perhaps more than you can even imagine. Besides where do you think Duane got that random pack of gum from?" Mara bragged.

Rick was about to ask her what else she carried in that magical bag of hers, when the patrol car suddenly came to a slowing halt. He sighed looking down at the gas gage. It wasn't a surprise to him at all that they were out of gas. He had know for the last couple miles. "Out of gas?" Mara asked, "Well I can't say I didn't see this coming. Come on officer let's get a walking."

Mara opened the door swinging herself gracefully out the car. Rick stayed watching the young woman for a second. She was something that was for sure. Despite the fact the world ended or that there 'people' eating people, she somehow remained cheerful. Though he could also attribute that to her whole denial about thing happening. After all the first thing she said-well screeched to Rick was 'you're not real!' Whatever that meant.

"You coming Officer Friendly? Or are you going to continue analyzing me from the car?" Mara called.

"I'm not analyzing you." Rick lied hopping out of the car.

Mara rolled her eyes, but let it go. It didn't take a genius to figure out Rick was still trying to come to terms with who she was. The man probably thought she was crazy with her go-get-them attitude. A big contrast to her original panicking paranoid self when he first woke her up. "Wouldn't be surprised if he suspected you to be fucking bipolar, Mara. It's the end of the world and you're having a ball here." She muttered to herself.

It wasn't long before Rick was right beside her with the gas can. And it wasn't even longer before they realized the patrol car had conveniently stopped near a gas station. Rick gave her a look before motioning her to stay besides him. She nodded ignoring the temptation to tell him there was no gas here. But she couldn't risk the chance of revealing too much.

They walked quietly around the abandoned campground surrounding the station. Their eyes glancing sadly around them. There was everything from rotting corpses laying out in the sunlight to tricycles a little girl would love. A shiver ran up Mara's spine. She knew what happened next, but that didn't mean she liked it. "Rick, I'm not one to chicken out easily, but there's nothing here. " Mara expressed.

Rick glanced at her, the emotion in his eyes almost matching hers. "I can't blame you for being scared Mara, but we don't have the luxury to rule this place out on a whim. Look stay here, where it's safe. I'll go see if there's any gas left."

Mara shook her head. She didn't know if being from a different world granted her some sort of strange immunity to death, but it didn't seem to be fair to leave Rick by himself to kill a poor little girl. Even if she was a walker. "No. We stick together, no matter how much of a bad idea I think this is."

He nodded giving her a brief smile before continuing to walk towards the pumps. Mara couldn't help but smirk slightly at the "No Gas" sign hanging on them. However it quickly vanished when Rick wearily eyed her. It wasn't hard to see he was getting tired fast of her 'predictions' coming true. Luckily their awkward interaction came to an end thanks to a strange noise. Rick spun around his hand on his belt. Mara moved closer to him. Her heart racing.

Rick took the first step forward walking a few paces before freezing. He shot Mara a look asking if she heard it too…the footsteps. She nodded, crouching down simultaneously with him. For a brief second Rick was grateful to whatever voodoo mindreading powers Mara owned. However his gratitude disappeared as he caught eye of a sickly pair of white legs scuffling along. One of Mara's hands clutched his shoulders as a soft 'don't' escaped her. But it was ignored the moment he saw the little girl's hand reach down to grab the teddy bear.

"Little girl." He called following her. "I'm a policeman. Little girl…don't be afraid. Okay? Little girl-"

Mara closed her eyes picturing the heartbreaking scene from where she was. The poor kid was a walker. A gruesome looking one too. She could practically her the regret in Rick's sigh as the girl came growling towards him. Without a second thought she pushed her cowardliness a side and rushed towards Rick. "What are you doing, Rick? She's dead. Shoot her!" Mara called out, although she knew it needn't be said.

Rick gave one last pitiful look at the walker before pulling the trigger. The walker flew back with a sickening splash. Slowly Mara walked over to the slightly shaking Rick. Quiet she wrapped an arm around his bringing both it and the gun down together. "There was nothing you could do, Rick. It was either kill her or be eaten." Mara assured, her arm still wrapped around his.

He nodded numbly before stumbling over to a nearby car. "She was a little girl, Mar. A few years younger than Carl or Duane. What if it had been one of them-"

"Rick Grimes don't you do this to me now. You know damn well your son and wife are alive. And if you don't believe your own judgment then believe mine, cause I am not lying to you when I saw they're alive. I know it! I can feel it in whatever military instinct rubbed off on me in boot camp you hear?" Mara snapped, "Besides I'm the emotional psychotic lunatic here, remember? Not the other way around."

Rick chuckled slightly giving Mara one last look. "Thanks Mar. I'm glad to have you with me. Even if you are an emotional psychotic lunatic with weird mutant powers."

"Whatever Officer Friendly, you'll be missing them once they disappear after episode four of this drama-rama. Now let's get a move on, before more of those things show up." Mara said making her way through the maze of cars.

Rick couldn't help but smile. Mara was right. Lori and Carl were alive, he could feel it in his bones. And if they weren't…well Rick had a feeling Mara wouldn't just let him give up.