Officer Blue (Rick Grimes FF)

Chapter 38- Front Gates

Everyone looks at Rick until Maggie introduces him.
"Everyone This is Aaron.We met him outside.He's by himself.We took his weapons and we took his gear."
"Hi."
He says right away followed by nothing but silence. I froze at the moment she said his name. Is this my brother's new way to haunt me and make me feel something? To add another toture into this world? Carl stands next to me with his hand on my arm. "You okay?" He doesn't take his eyes off me. "Y-yeah." I lie. "No. I think I'm going to be sick." Feeling weak, i sit on the ground with Carl still by my side. Rick walks over to me but i put my hand up.
"Are you okay? I have some-"
"We don't need your help." Rick stands on the other side of me looking back at me and Aaron. "We just lost somebody who had the same name. He was close to her." Maggie tries to be friendly which is helping him but not Rick. I try to focus on them instead of myself.
"I'm sorry." He clears his throat as he looks at each and every one of us.
"It's nice to meet you-"
"You said he had a weapon? There's something you need?" Rick says harshly at Aaron.
"He has a camp, nearby." Sasha adds quickly. "He wants us to audition for membership." Audition? Audition for what?
I look at Carl who is holding my hand while Rick handles Judith. If Adrian were here i would have wanted him to grow up strong like Carl. Carl and i have our own little side conversation. "Do we trust him?" He asks with worry in his voice. "I want to say no." I question myself while looking at Daryl and the rest. "But i want to say yes." "I think we need new hope." Carl says softly.

"My job is to convince you all to follow me back home." Our eyes both shoot open. "I know. If I were you, I wouldn't go either. Not until I knew exactly what I was getting into.
He goes on showing us pictures of the place. But only the outside and the walls. "I don't know." Rick says in my ear as i stand up. "Just listen to him. Please Rick?" His eyes furrow as i disagree with him. "You want to trust this guy?" He scuffs. "Does it look like we have any other place? Do you want to keep our children sleeping out in the open?" "Out in the open and going to their place is the same damn thing." He rolls his eyes with his hand on his holster. I cannot believe he's talking like this. "Just listen right now. Listen Rick." I can't look at him. I know he's doing this to protect the group but this is something we desperately need.

"In fact, there's only one resource more critical to our community's survival. The people.Together we're strong. You can make us even stronger...The next picture, you'll see inside the gates-" Rick throws his fist at the guy. "Rick!" I yell. Nothing is getting into his brain. Maggie sits him up as Rick takes his bag. Now Rick can't even look at me. Great. I might as well have three children to watch.
Carl and I both look at the guy with sympathy as Rick goes through his things. "You do know i have every right to kick your ass-"
"Stop!" I yell at Abraham. "Let him relax and hear out what he has to say without threatening him." I look at Rick next. "Or laying a hand on him." But he is too busy to take his ears out of his ass. I stand in front of Aaron.

"You're being cautious.
I completely understand." He smiles until Rick's dangerous voice grows.
"How many of your people are out there? You have a flare gun." I cover my eyes with my hands. This is a chance he's overpassing.
"How many of them are there?"
"Does it matter?" Rick gives him the death glare while holding his gun. "Yes."

"I mean, of course, it matters how many people are actually out there, but does it matter how many people I tell you are out there? Because I'm pretty sure no matter what number I say eight, 32, zero No matter what I say, you're not going to trust me."
Abraham steps in. "it's hard to trust any shit head who smiles after getting punched in the face."
"How about a guy who leaves bottles of water for you in the road? How long you people been following us?" I stand next to him while Carl stands on the other. I'll be the one getting punched if one more finger is layed on this guy.
Annoyed at hearing their conversation of bickering, i catch the glimse of Rick yet again not giving this guy a chance. "East on Ridge Road, just after you hit Route 16.We wanted to get them closer, but then the storm came, blocked the road.We couldn't clear it."
"Yeah, you've really thought this through."
Although, Rick's voice catches me by surprise as he splits us up to search for these people.

"Just because we're good people doesn't mean we won't kill you.
If the five of them aren't back in an hour I'll put a knife in the base of your skull." His eyes search everyone elses and stops at mine.
"Eyes open, everybody.Weapons up. You see someone coming at us, you fire."

You have to be kidding me. I grab my machete and one of the Galil's we found. "Copy that." I said before rolling my eyes and heading out the door without having to look at Rick.

~

"Hey Daryl." I call out gently. He grunts at the sound of his name. He's not the same anymore. He's more depressed about Beth than her own sister. "This place...me and Carl think it actually might be good for us." I stop to turn around and look at everyone behind. "Are we the only ones?" Dead silence takes over. I cannot believe people still do not speak their minds. Hoenstly, i think the whole Rick being an ass situation is getting to me. Not even the damn crickets are making noises. "We can try it." Michone speaks out while smiling. "We always get ourselves out of sticky situations. If we happen to be caught in one, we can get out as easily." Tara adds on taking my side.

"Why don't you all shut up and do the damm deed?" Abraham pushes past me. "Asshole." I look down at Carl and laugh. "You pick the perfect words kid."

~

After finding the Rv and no people, we walked back to the crappy rundown barn. Rick and Aaron stayed silent as we entered and me? My mind is still flowing with words that Rick probably doesn't want to hear.
"We need this Rick. Even if you don't want to admit that we do, we need this..." I pause. "So we're going, all of us. Somebody say something this time if they feel differently." I look around once again expecting the same response as earlier.

"I don't know, man." Abraham recalls.
"This barn smells like horse shit." We chuckle at Daryls remark. With my arm around Carl we all look at Rick while waiting for a response. His eyes land on mine again as if he was asking me if i really want this.

"We're going."

We slept in a small building where we met Aaron's boyfriend Eric. Everyone was asleep but I'm still up. Did i really make the right choice to come here?

Carl's P.O.V
"Good night Carl." I felt my dad ruffle my hair, thinking i was knocked out but I'm not. I haven't been getting any shut eye. I crack my eyes to see Rick in front of Iris. My dad should have trusted her in the beginning.
"Go to sleep hon." I heard him say to her. I struggled trying not to form a smile upon my lips. He finally found someone who's perfect. "I know I'm an ass sometimes but i do it to protect the people i love." He bends to her level and takes her hands all while kissing her. I close my eyes while hugging Judy, knowing it's their time.
I love Iris too...as if she were really my mother.

~

Iris p.o.v

"The fight's over. You've got to let it go. I know it's hard.After it's kept you Warm and fed and Alive.But the fight It turns on you.You've got to let it go." Michonne tells Rick as we sit in the car. "What to risk.When it's safe.When to let someone in." The rules keep changing." I add and place my hand on Rick's shoulder. I love this man.

Finally after fighting through all that trouble, we make it in front of the gates where all you can hear is children laughing.

"You ready love?" Rick takes my hand as he handles Judy in the other.

"Yeah...I'm ready."