The Archer's Warrior

| Chapter Nine | :: 18 Miles Out

No One's POV

Rick and Shane got out of the car that Rick was driving 18 miles out. He stopped cuz he wanted to have a chat with Shane.

"I thought we were going further." Shane says.

"We are. 18 miles out." Rick says.

"So why are we stopping?" Shane asks.

"I wanted to talk. Been waiting a week till we were gonna do this. I just wanna talk." Rick says.

"We don't need to." Shane says.

"We do." Rick says.

"No, man, we don't. We're doing this. I get it. He was passed out when y'all brought him back, doesn't know where the farm is." Shane says.

"That isn't what I need to talk to you about." Rick says.

He and Shane then had a bit of a stare down.

"I heard what really happened at the school. Was it to survive?" Rick asks.

"Yeah. One of us wasn't gonna make it out. Had to be him. One shot to the leg. Octavia lives. Reality is, he had no business being here- - there. Whatever." Shane says.

"You don't think I would've done it?" Rick asks.

"No, man. I know you wouldn't have." Shane says.

"You don't think that I can keep Lori or Carl or Octavia safe?" Rick asks.

"I didn't say that." Shane says.

"Or my baby? Is it gonna have to be me, too?" Rick asks.

"Rick, you can't just be the good guy and expect to live- - okay? Not anymore." Shane says.

"I'm not the good guy anymore. To save Octavia's life, I would've done anything. Anything! Now, Lori says your dangerous, bud you're not gonna be dangerous. Not to us, not to me, Not anymore. How about you look at me?" Rick asks.

Shane finally looks at Rick.

"You and Lori - - I get what happened. When I figured it out- - and I figured it out pretty quickly- - I wanted to break your jaw. Let you choke on your own teeth. But I didn't. That wasn't weakness. It took everything. That is my wife. That is my son. That is my daughter. That is my unborn child. I will stay alive, to keep them alive." Rick says.

Shane kept his head down the whole time.

"You don't love her. You think you do, but you don't. And I got some information that I'm looking into and if anything comes true, we will be having another conversation... unless I just completely lose it. Now the only way you and me keep on is that you accept everything I just said, right here, right now, and we move forward with that understanding." Rick says.

After some silence and Rick walking a bit away from Shane is when he spoke.

"When it started it was just- - it was just a couple of weird stories on the news. Then- - then it was so quick. Everything. It just happened. Two weeks later, I'm in the hospital with Octavia and there were soldiers shooting people in the halls. They were shooting people, man, not walkers. Then the walkers came through. You know, O and I tried to get you out, I tried, but we weren't gonna make it. Man, there was no way and I knew it. But I couldn't live with it. I couldn't live, knowing- - but I had to. I didn't keep Lori and Carl alive, man. Octavia did. And they all kept me alive. I want you to know I didn't look at her before that. Brother, if I could take it all back, I would." Shane says.

Rick contemplated if he should just open his mouth and speak on the other thing that's been gnawing at him. But he promised himself he'd talk to Octavia first.