digging graves// rick grimes x OC//

Secrets Part 3

Andrea walks down an empty road, Shane pulls up in the car behind her, "Come on, let me give you a lift."
"My feet work just fine," Andrea shoots back.
Shane speeds up and swerves in front, forcing her to stop. He opens the door as she continues to walk, "Look, I'm just trying to get you rattled, give you an idea what it's like when the shit starts to fly," he says following after her.
"Is that an apology?"
He sighs, "I crossed the line when I brought Amy into it. Yeah, it's an apology."
"You're a real dick sometimes."
"Yeah, I acknowledge that, trust me, Winona's told me before. I'll tell you what: I've got a lead on Sophia. I'm gonna go check it out. Why don't you come with me, be my back up?"
She nods and they head back to the car.
——
Dale cooks some meat over the fire, preparing the dinner for the group. He notices Winona angrily moving around camp, seemingly trying to stay busy to keep her mind off of something. He then sees Lori glance at her and cover her nose with her hair after getting too close to the cooked meat. He follows her and sees her sit behind a tree. She looks up once she notices he came over. "My wife was pregnant once," he starts, "She miscarried and we didn't try again after that."
"I'm so sorry," Lori says.
"The thing that I remember most is how nauseated she became at the smell of cooking meat. And she was a meat-eating gal— my wife, but with the pregnancy— That Thanksgiving, the turkey— she couldn't be in the house for two days until it was aired out, poor thing."
"Glenn told you?"
"What did you expect? The boy has no guile. Winona knows too, but she didn't say anything to me."
"I know. I figured she wouldn't. She didn't find out through Glenn. I haven't told Rick. I can't."
"Because of Shane?" Dale says crouching down.
"Was it that obvious? Did Winona tell you?"
"No no, I don't think anyone knew, other than Winona. I didn't, not for sure."
"Look, I thought my husband and my best friend were dead. And I felt like I died with him. And I— I wanted to feel something— anything. And now I hate myself for it."
"And the baby?" Dale questions.
"It's Rick's. None of the rest of it matters."
"Then what's your concern?"
"Memories are what keep me going now. Memories of what life used to be. And I— I've got a deep well to draw on. I still remember joy. But I think Carl's well is already running dry. And this baby— the baby won't have any good memories at all, only fear and pain."
"You can't think like that. We can still find joy and we can still take strength from each other. Look at when Winona interacts with Carl, even during the so called end-of-the-world she still makes him laugh and smile. Who's to say she won't be there to help you with the baby too?"
Lori looks away, dodging the question, "Do you really think this baby has a chance, that it could grow up and live a happy life? Look me in the eye and tell me that my baby will grow up to be your age and die happy. Tell me. Tell me you believe that," Dale doesn't responds and she nods, getting up to walk away.
——
Winona sits down on the rock across from Glenn, watching in silence as he chops woods. "Everything okay, Wi?" he grunts, hitting the log.
"Just peachy, Rhee," she groans.
"Sure seems like it," he replies doubtful.
"I've—" she starts but quickly shuts her mouth as Lori approaches Glenn.
Lori glances to Winona, who looks away. Glenn quickly starts to apologize, "I'm sorry. I'm— it just came out. And it was Dale."
She smiles, "It's okay. I never should have put you in that position. I've been thinking about what you said about needing help. And you're right I do."
"Name it. Yeah," Glenn quickly responds.
"If you're still willing to make a run into town for me..."
"I'm your man," he gives a big grin.
She pulls him into a hug, "Thank you."
Glenn gives a questioning look to Winona, "It's okay. It's not a big deal really. Winona can help get the medical stuff, too. Right, Wi?"
She slowly nods, "Yep, count me in. That's what friends are for, right?" she says almost sarcastically.
——
Saddling up the horses, Glenn turns to Winona, "You seemed tense with Lori back there, what's wrong?"
"I've been told to stay away from Rick and Carl and Lori herself. All because she thinks I think I act like Rick's wife."
"You just care for him, that's not fair. I know I joke about you liking him but you wouldn't ruin a relationship."
"Exactly. Maybe it's just the hormones talking but goddamn that hurt like a son-of-a-bitch."
Glenn shakes his head, "I'm sorry, Wi, I shouldn't have roped you in. I just thought since the other night you had asked to come with me the next run, you'd want to go with me."
She walks over, ruffling his hair, "Don't worry, Rhee, it's not your fault. You didn't know. I'm actually glad you offered for me to come with, I might've died of boredom and I want to get some supplies anyways."
Maggie enters the stables, deciding to tag along but only speaking to Winona.
——
As they're heading to town, Glenn speaks up, "You didn't have to come. Wi and I could've done this. You could hate me from a distance. Please say something."
Maggie says nothing as they continue into the town. Winona give a sympathetic smile to the man and slows down, allowing for more privacy. "Maggie, I—" Glenn starts but is quickly interrupted.
"I asked for your trust and you betrayed it. Now my dad's pissed at me. Your turn," Maggie finally spits out.
Glenn is quiet for a few moment as he gathers his words, "So your dad thinks they're sick? You agree with that, even after what you saw at the well?"
"I'm not sure what I saw at the well."
"Yes, you are," Glenn says as they all get off their horses.
Winona adds on, "Look Maggie, if you had seen Atlanta, you would not have a barn full of walkers."
"I wish y'all would stop calling them that," Maggie declares.
"What do you call them?" Glenn asks.
"Mom, Shawn, Mr. And Mrs. Fischer, Lacey, Duncan."
Glenn and Winona solemnly tie their horses.
Heading inside Winona starts looking around the aisles. "What does she want now?" Maggie asks Glenn, venom dripping from her words.
"I can't say," Glenn answers.
Winona cringes as she sees Maggie slowly turn, "So when one of them asks you to keep your mouth shut..."
Glenn hands the list over, "Crawl out of my butt and help me look, please."
Giving the list a once over, Maggie sighs, "You've got to be kidding me."
Winona pipes up, "Hey guys, I'm gonna head over to the hunting goods store across from here and see if they have any tents, if not I'll come straight back though."
Maggie gives a curt nod and Glenn looks over, "Just be careful please."
Winona salutes as she heads out the door, "No promises, Rhee."
She stays on high alert as she crosses the street, she had her gun but decided on only using it if it was a true emergency. Her axe and hunting knife were her designated weapons for this. She went up to the window to check if there were any walkers inside from where she was standing. She saw only two towards the back where the alternate exit was.
The woman creeps inside, trying to make the least amount of noise as possible. "Okay, first things first: let's take these bastards down," she whispers to herself, gripping the axe tighter.
Tiptoeing closer, she kept her eyes peeled for any lurkers she wouldn't have been able to see from the window. Not seeing any ahead of her, she raises her axe to the unsuspecting walker, nailing it right in the head, removing the axe took some strength as she had to pull it out of the bone but once she got it, she went to get the next.
The walker had heard the commotion and started to limp towards Winona, she stood her ground and raises the axe once more. Getting just about to arms length, she swings the axe, crushing the side of the walker's head and causing it to fall to the ground for good. She yanks out the axe once more.
Going to look through the aisles, she comes across one last tent on a shelf she pumps a fist in the air, "Thank God." She slings the bag over her shoulder and heads to a different aisle, looking for any other weapon that may be easier to carry than an axe. There were many empty packages for hunting knifes and machetes, as a majority had been looted already.
Dejected, she heads to leave the aisle to go back to the exit. However, a walker that was slumped against the wall, opens its eyes and grabs her leg pulling her down, "Oh fuck!" she yells. She holds it back with one arm as she fishes for her hunting knife in her leg sheath. The walker getting dangerously close to her. She fumbles with the clasp on the sheath as her view is obstructed, "Shit shit shit." Finally, she gets it, and drives it right through its rotting temple. The fluids covering her, "Fucking nasty," she curses as she pushes the decrepit body off of her, ripping the knife out of the skull.
But where there's risk, there's reward and Winona sure saw that as she smiled to pick up the last machete that laid next to the the body of the walker. Standing up, she attaches the sheath to her belt so that she had the leg sheath for her hunting knife on her right and the larger sheath for the machete on the left. "Perfect," she grins to herself.
——
While Winona was in the hunting goods store, Glenn and Maggie were gathering the stuff from the pharmacy.
Glenn drops lotion in one of the shopping baskets as Maggie looks through the pills. Skimming over the labels, she starts to read one. All of a sudden, a decaying hand grabs at her wrist, causing her to drop the bottle, "No! No! No!" she screams, "Glenn!"
Glenn sees the scene and begins to run over to him, "Maggie!"
"Glenn, help me! Help! Glenn!" She screams thrashing and trying to get away from the walker. Glenn arms himself with a metal shelf. "Get it off me! Help!" The walker comes around the shelving unit and gets closer to the terrified Maggie. Glenn hops up onto the counter and smacks the walker in the neck.
She gasps, Glenn frantically gets in front of her, "Did it get you? Did it bite you?" She doesn't answer, instead she pulls him into a hug.
"Glenn," she pulls away seeing the corpse get back up with a nearly decapitated head. He grabs his hooked machete and hits it in the head this time, knocking it down. He continues to hit it until it finally stops moving.
Hearing the door close they jump up getting ready to attack, "Woah what the hell happened to you guys?" Winona asks.
Glenn lowers his weapon, "I could ask the same to you."
"Walkers," Winona replies shortly.
They nod in agreement, "Same here."
"You okay, Mags?" Winona questions seeing the traumatized expression on the girl's face. She replied with a nod her mouth still agape. "Alright. Let's get what we need and get the fuck out. This town seems to be getting a little crowded. There were three in the store I went in."
"Jesus, Wi, how'd you get out?"
"Well I thought there were only two... but hey! I got a machete and a tent so I don't have to share yours now," she laughs.
"When we get back you're gonna need to get cleaned up."
"Yeah, pretty gross, right?" They looked over the woman who was covered in blood.
"Definitely."
Winona goes back behind the counter sifting through the pills and vitamins to find what a pregnant woman would need and loads up the basket. She finds the bloodied corpse Glenn had taken out, the head practically detached and the face smashed in. She exhales, "Jesus Christ."
——
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