Sheriff's Lover ||| Rick Grimes

6 ~ Camp

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If today was not a crooked highway

If tonight was not a crooked trail

If tomorrow wasn't such a long time

Then lonesome would mean nothing to you at all

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Glenn and Elaina take off, followed by Rick. They rush to the chain link fence and Glenn starts to climb. Once he's at the top, he reaches his arm down to Elaina who graciously accepts and follows him up.

They jump down onto the concrete on the other side, now inside the construction site. 

Rick climbs up after and he runs to one of the trucks. Elaina finds the set of keys and tosses them to Rick. She climbs in the front seat as the metal fence falls, allowing the walkers in.

"Glenn!" She shouts. He hops inside and the three drive past the hoard back onto the street.

They're blocked off so Rick drives past the department building where the others are.

Rick turns back to look at Glenn briefly. "You need to draw them away. Those roll-up doors at the front of the store... That area? That's what I need cleared. Raise your friends. Tell them to get down there and be ready."

He pulls up next to a red sports car and hops out. He shatters the window which sets of the car alarm. He slides in the driver seat and hotwires the car, starting up the engine. Glenn gets inside and drives off, leading walkers away.

Rick gets back in the truck with Elaina and starts driving back towards the store. She glances at him with a small smirk. "How'd you learn how to hotwire a car?" 

He glances at her, hint of a smile on his face. "I'm a cop, remember?"

She huffs out a laugh. They pull up to the building and bang on the metal garage door by the loading dock.

Andrea, Morales, T-Dog, and Jacqui climb into the back. Rick drives off as Morales and Elaina slam the back of the truck shut.

Everyone sits inside, sighing. Elaina looks around. Merle isn't with them.

There's silence for a moment when T-Dog speaks. "I dropped the damn key."

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The drive is awkward for a bit. Elaina is back in the passenger seat next to Rick. Jacqui is directing him towards their camp.

Morales finally speaks. "Best not to dwell on it. Merle got left behind. Nobody's gonna be sad he didn't come back... Except maybe Daryl."

Elaina looks back at him. "Daryl?"

"His brother."

After a little longer, the group drives up a large hill. Elaina sighs of relief when she sees other people.

Everyone gets out and Morales smiles at the two. "Welcome to camp."

Elaina gets out of the truck but doesn't move for a moment. Rick does the same.

An older man asks Glenn how they escaped the city.

"New people. They helped us escape."

"What?" A man with black hair asks.

Morales nods. "Hey guys! Come meet everyone!"

Elaina and Rick walk around the truck and towards the people who look at them expectantly. 

Suddenly Ricks face falls. His eyes fill with tears and he points ahead of him. 

There's a woman and a little boy who look at him like they've seen a ghost. Suddenly the boy starts running. "Dad!"

Elaina sucks in a breath as the three reunite.

His wife and son. 

She notices the man with black hair watching them. He seems shocked but also something else lies beneath his rough features.

She stands next to Glenn as the group watch in awe at the family.

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That night, they sit around the fire. Elaina sits by herself. The light from the flames flicker across her face.

She learned that the older man with the RV, is Dale. The woman with the short grey hair is Carol. Her husband is Ed and their daughter is Sophia.

The black haired man is Shane. Andreas sister is Amy. Ricks wife is Lori and their son is Carl.

Rick gives them the backstory on his journey. He woke up in a hospital to discover that the world had fallen apart.

Carols husband Ed, stands and throws another piece of wood in the fire. He gets reprimanded by Shane. They argue and it gets heated quickly. 

Elaina bites at her fingernails. She should've stayed in the car in Atlanta.

She doesn't belong here.

Dale looks at the others. "Have you given any thought to Daryl Dixon? He won't be happy to hear his brother was left behind."

T-Dog nods. "I'll tell him. I dropped the key. It's on me."

Rick shakes his head. "I cuffed him. That makes it mine."

Glenn sighs. "Guys, it's not a competition. I don't mean to bring race into this, but it might sound better coming from a white guy."

T-Dog rubs his head. "I did what I did. Hell if i'm gonna hide it from him."

Amy shrugs. "We could lie."

"Or tell the truth. Merle was out of control. Something had to be done or he'd have gotten us killed. And if Merle got left behind, it is nobody's fault but Merle's." Andrea says.

Dale raises an eyebrow. "And that's what we tell Daryl? I don't see a rational discussion to be had from that, do you? Word to the wise... We're gonna have our hands full when he gets back from his hunt."

"I was scared and I ran. I'm not ashamed of it." T-Dog answers.

Jacqui looks at him. "We were all scared. We all ran. What's your point?"

"I stopped long enough to chain that door. Staircase is narrow. Maybe half a dozen geeks can squeeze against it at any one time. It's not enough to break through that... Not that chain, not that padlock. My point... Dixon's alive and he's still up there, handcuffed on that roof. That's on us."

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