"We're out of toilet paper?!"

Normally, Sinclaire wouldn't have been excited to hear Rick's news, but it would give her a chance to get out of the bar for a while. She felt tense and she couldn't put her finger on the reason why. Maybe she was afraid that Daryl and Nate were going to end up fighting. Her gaze went back to Merle and Tiffany. Maybe she just didn't want to watch them make out. God, how much closer was she going to stand to him? Seriously. Get a damn room.

"Captain Lewis is on the case!" she went on, prying her eyes away from the happy couple.

"Does Captain Lewis mind being accompanied by Officer Grimes?" Rick asked with a slight smile. "It is sort of my mission."

"Sure," she answered. "You can get us a vehicle. The box truck is occupied."

Daryl and Nate were still having what looked like a tense conversation near it and she didn't feel like getting in the middle just to drive the truck.

Rick nodded and waved Shane over. A short conversation produced the keys to Shane's Jeep and they headed out. She didn't bother to invite either Dixon brother, even though Daryl had looked hopeful. Merle hadn't noticed.

She and Rick didn't spend much time together anyway. Not that they avoided each other or didn't like each other. It was just that she recognized this as his command and didn't want to step on his toes, and he recognized that she handled Merle better than anyone else could ever hope to, so he didn't get in her way either.

He got behind the wheel and they headed out. There were a few random zombies along the roadside but nothing that the Jeep couldn't outrun easily.

"So," Rick said after some time. "How's Merle doing?"

"Pretty good," Sinclaire answered. "We had a little crisis moment earlier with the morphine. Hey, that might work! Rick, would you mind hiding a box of morphine for me? I really don't think Merle would suspect you."

"Sure," Rick answered. "Where'd you get a box of morphine?"

"Army supply base," she explained. "It was before we met up with you guys. I think Merle had forgotten it, but then Glenn found it and reminded him."

"But he didn't take it?"

"He let me talk him out of it," Sinclaire corrected.

"I'm really surprised at how different he is when you're around," Rick said. "You wouldn't have believed how much of a—"

"Oh yes I would," Sinclaire interrupted. "Merle and I have had our differences."

"You handle him well," Rick said simply. "I'm glad you're here."

"I'm glad to be in the company of humans," Sinclaire said, feeling a little awkward. She knew Rick wasn't coming on to her, but he was being nice and she was more used to the "insults=compliments" style of getting along. "Did Nate tell you how to get to the store?"

"Yeah. What do you think of him and the girls?"

"He's okay. The girls seem to be a hit."

"I'd noticed," Rick agreed dryly. "I really thought Carrie was going to have her way with Daryl for a while there, whether he liked it or not."

Sinclaire chuckled and nodded. "I threw her off the scent though," she said. "And now look at how happy Glenn is. I truly do make magic."

Rick smiled and pulled into the grocery store parking lot. He held the door open for Sinclaire and they headed for the paper goods section to load up what Rick referred to as a "buggy."

"Seriously? Buggy?" Sinclaire asked. "That can go in the redneck dictionary."

"It's not redneck," Rick said seriously. "It's Southern charm. What do you call it?"

"A shopping cart," she said. "It is what it is."

"And it's a buggy."

"Dune or punch?" Sinclaire teased.

Rick punched her lightly in the arm and they began loading the cart. When it was full, they took it to the Jeep and then went back for anything else they could find. They'd taken another load out and Sinclaire was browsing the canned foods when she heard a clatter and a confused grunt.

"Rick?"

"Yeah?"

It wasn't Rick making the noise. His voice had come from her right. The clatter had come from the back left of the store.

"I think we've got company."

She heard his footsteps approaching and she drew both guns from her vest pockets. The zombie shuffled around the corner. It grew more animated when it saw her and picked up its pace. She fired. The bullet grazed its head and took off an ear but it still advanced. Rick fired from behind her and dropped it.

"Sharpshooting has never been my thing," she said, slightly embarrassed.

"I've always had decent aim," Rick acknowledged. "It's improved lately though."

"Lots of targets," she agreed.

Another shuffle and they walked backwards, going around the aisle to see where the zombies could be coming in from. Nate had never mentioned seeing any of them when he went on supply runs.

"This isn't good," Rick said after a second. "Look."

Sinclaire looked in the direction he'd indicated. The swinging door in the back of the store swung languorously forward and another zombie trudged in. Before the doors swung shut she saw that the back door at the loading dock was open.

"Think we should retreat?" she asked.

Rick looked undecided and she could see why. Was it better to go and give the store over to the zombies or to kill them off and close up so they could come back? It all depended on how many there were and neither of them knew the answer to that. But it was winter and there wasn't as much food. They needed this store.

Sinclaire and Rick took deep breathes and stepped back to take out the one that they knew of. Sinclaire managed to land the shot just right this time and then the doors swung forward again.

"Our situation has not improved," she said idiotically.

If Daryl had been there he would have pointed out that the quote came from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. She missed bow hunter suddenly. Probably because a hoard of zombies was headed toward them. Rick grabbed her arm and dragged her backward.

"No point," he said. "We gotta go."

She ran after him as zombies ran after them both. They crashed into stacked cans and other floor displays, sending them toppling and creating an impromptu obstacle course. Sinclaire was disgusted with herself when she stumbled and nearly tripped but Rick held her up and she felt better when the same thing happened to him a few seconds later. She'd never eat another canned tomato again. Tricky bastards.

She turned to cover them while Rick shoved open the doors they'd been so careful to close for safety. Someone hadn't been quite so smart in the back. She fired into the crowd of zombies, really focusing on making each shot count and Rick finally pried the doors open.

They ran for the Jeep, not bothering to close the doors again. The store was as good as gone for now anyway. She jumped in and Rick followed. He gunned the motor and they took off down the street.

"Thanks," Sinclaire said once the hoard was behind them. "For the shooting and for catching me when I tripped over the canned tomatoes of death."

"Are you kidding?" Rick asked. "Do you know what Merle would do to me if I came back without you?"

Note: I'm sorry that it always takes me so long to update this story, but I promise not to let it die out! Thanks to everyone who reads and comments and likes it. It makes me so happy to see comments and faves and such!