"Rick." Y/N says.
He doesn't respond.
"Rick." He turns around.
They're about 50 feet away from the rest of the group, who are setting up camp for the night.
"We're gonna find a place." She says softly.
He sighs.
"We are. It's just a matter of time."
He nods. She walks up to his side and the two look out into the trees.
After a moment she speaks. "I'm afraid."
He looks over at her. She looks at him and continues. "About how people are gonna react. When they find out I killed Shane."
He faces her completely now. He grabs her hand with his. "Y/N, no one would blame you. He was a threat. Everyone saw it."
She shakes her head. "It's just... too much."
He nods. "I'll handle it."
"Thank you."
The two remain eye contact. Their hands still intertwined.
After a moment, Rick grabs something from his waistband. "I meant to give this back to you, but there wasn't time."
He holds it out to her and she looks down. "My gun." She says.
She gently takes it from his hand. "Thank you."
The tension builds even quicker. A breeze of wind hits them. Y/N lets go of his hand, reaching for her jacket.
"I should give this back."
He holds out his arm to stop her from taking it off. "No, you keep it. It looks better on you anyway."
His words bring a light blush onto her cheeks. He notices and quirks his lip into a smile.
"I'm gonna.. i'm gonna go help set up." Y/N says, breath shaky.
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That night, the group sits around a fire that Daryl made.
Lori sits next to Carl, still shooting Y/N dirty looks for wearing Ricks jacket. She sits on the other side of the fire next to Glenn and Maggie.
Carol whispers quietly. "We aren't safe with him. Keeping something like that from us."
Y/N scoffs, looking over at her. "He's kept us safe this whole time. I sure as hell wouldn't have made it this far without him and neither would any of you. Just put some trust in him."
"We need a man of honor."
Hershel eyes her. "Rick has honor."
Carol shakes her head. "I think we should take our chances."
Lori groans. "Don't be foolish."
Glenn nods. "We've got no food. No ammo. No fuel."
A twig snaps in the distance. Carol jumps. "What was that?"
Daryl shrugs. "Could be anything. Could be a raccoon. A possum.
"Or a walker." Carol says. Silence. "We need to leave. I mean what are we waiting for?"
Y/N shakes her head. "We don't have the vehicles. We definitely aren't traveling by foot."
Carol stands. "I'm not sitting here waiting for another herd to pass through. We need to move.
Now."
Rick finally speaks. He stands further from the group. "No one is going anywhere."
Lori's eyes widen as Carol tries to walk back towards the road. "Do something!" She tells Rick.
He faces them irritated. "I am doing something!
I'm keeping this group together, alive. I've been doing that all along, no matter what. I didn't ask for this. I killed my best friend for you people for christ's sake!"
He looks at Y/N when he says that. She didn't think that Rick was gonna take the blame for Shane. She mouths 'thank you.' and he nods back slightly. Daryl notices.
Carl clamps a hand over his mouth as he whimpers. Lori hugs him tight, her jaw dropping to the floor.
A few of the others are also shocked. Y/N takes a deep breath.
He continues. "You saw what he was like, how he pushed me, how he compromised us, how he threatened us. He staged the whole Randall thing, led me out to put a bullet in my back. He tried killing Y/N more than once. He gave me no choice."
"He was my friend, but he came after me. My hands are clean. Maybe you people are better off without me. Go ahead. I say there's a place for us, but maybe... maybe it's just another pipe dream. Maybe... maybe I'm fooling myself again. Why don't you... Why don't you go and find out yourself? Send me a postcard." He finishes.
Nobody speaks. "Go on, there's the door. You can do better? Let's see how far you get."
Nobody moves. Carol sits back down.
"No takers? Fine. But get one thing straight... you're staying: this ain't a democracy anymore."
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The next few days pass in a blur.
They get gas, and search the area for places to go.
On the third day, they find a rugged, old, house.
Daryl, Rick, and T-Dog make sure it's clear. They all go inside once it is.
Y/N searches the kitchen cabinets with Carl. He hasn't spoken to Rick since he told everyone he killed Shane.
She feels horrible. Carl doesn't know the truth.
Most of the cabinets are empty but in the final one, there's two cans of beans, a sealed pickle jar, a bottle of water and a pudding cup.
She smiles, handing the chocolate pudding to Carl. He smiles for the first time in days.
They take their mini haul to the living room where some of the others sit.
Rick comes out from a bedroom, carrying a few coats. He puts one on, handing out the rest.
Daryl searches through a linen closet and finds a small pistol.
The group stays there for two days. On the third day, T-Dog whistles and motions out the window. Walkers.
They keep moving.
A few more days on the road.
There's an abandoned car on the side of the road. Inside was some more water, a silencer, and a map.
They use that map to locate any nearby places.
Y/N scans the map and spots a small cluster of buildings. The map says Honey Grove.
She shows it to Rick and he decides that the group should check it out.
Another day on the road before they finally arrive. It's gated. Daryl bangs on the outer fence.
There's no noise from inside.
The group makes their way into the little town, weapons raised. There's no sign of life at all.
Y/N and Rick glance at each other, both thinking the same thing.
Maybe this can be their new place.
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YOU ARE READING
Sheriff's Lover ||| Rick Grimes x Reader (TWD x Reader)
Fanfiction32 year-old Y/N was all alone on the streets of Atlanta when a man in a sheriffs uniform trots down the road on top of a horse. She decides to join him on his journey to find his family because she doesn't want to be left behind. The two run into a...
