Safe haven, Rick Grimes

013. YOUR SAFE WITH ME

Chapter thirteen

"You're safe with me."

It was Scarlett's first night in king county and she already had her first job as an attending at the hospital in the morning as she was sitting at a bar, many people's eyes in the room were on her seeing as she was the newest face in their small town, but one off duty deputy who came here every night before going home was the one who couldn't take his eyes off of her "straight tequila, really? You are gonna be sorry in the morning." the bartender told her, pouring her drink.

"Well I am alive, and officially start my first day as an attending at the hospital tomorrow so keep them coming." Scarlett told him, as she grabbed the glass, drinking from it, the deputy walked up behind her "I'll take a refill." he said, putting his glass down on the bar "old fashioned coming right up." the bartender said, taking his glass to refill it, the man sat down next to her, as Scarlett looked at him "you must come here a lot if the bartender knows your drink." she told him "well seeing as I and the rest of the people you see around here are usually the only one's in here, yeah, you could say that." the man shared, chuckling.

"Your, um, your new here." he added on, and when he did, Scarlett began drinking her drink "your ignoring me." the man told her "no. No.." Scarlett said, noticing his badge on his hip "deputy Rick Grimes." she said, as Rick looked down seeing his badge, he sighed, as Scarlett chuckled, drinking her drink, Rick looked up at her with a smile "well seeing as you know my name, I think I deserve to know yours." he told her, as his drink was put in front of him "Scarlett Avery." Scarlett told him "so what's your story? I only ask cause not many people exactly choose to come to this small town." Rick shared.

As Scarlett raised her brows "would you believe me if I told you it was for a job opportunity?" she asked him, and as she did, Rick furrowed his brows "seeing as you chose tequila for your drink before your first day as a real doctor I'd have to go with no." he shared "well I don't exactly tell strangers my real story." Scarlett told him, downing the rest of her drink, she put the glass on the bar, as the bartender laughed, refilling her glass "I'll take that as a challenge." Rick told her, drinking his drink.

Where as the night went on, the two were a few drinks in, where some people were gone but even if they weren't it was like Scarlett and Rick were the only two people there "you asked what my story was?" Scarlett asked, as Rick was looking at her "mm-hmm." he said "I'm a girl who watched her mother bleed out and die on the kitchen floor because her father beat her to death where he then started hitting me. And with all my medical training I wanted to use it to help other people. So I got out, went to college, met a guy who was nice and charming until he wasn't. Having told me if I tried to leave, that he would kill me and he meant it." Scarlett shared.

Playing with her empty glass "so when I passed my exam. I was at a hotel for it so my bags were packed in my car and I ran away. And I ended up here. Not for. along time thought, if I stay to long he'll find me." she shared, and as she did, Rick brought his hand out, putting it on top of her's, Scarlett looked at him "your safe here. Your safe with me." Rick told her, and when he did, with how gentle his touch was, his tone of voice and just looking into his eyes, for the first time in her entire life, she actually felt safe. And unknowing to her, Rick having grown up in this town, meeting her was like coming up for fresh air, having felt like he was drowning in his life doing the same thing over and over everyday.

As Rick brought his gun down, Carol sobs could be heard, as Rick turned looking at Shane then Carl, Scarlett and Lori "don't look. Don't look." Daryl said, as he pulled Carol off the ground and turned her around, Carol shoved him off of her as she began running off, Beth's cries were the only thing heard, as they looked to her, Beth walked past them all and to the walkers "shh, shh, wait, wait." Rick told her, but Beth didn't listen as she went to the walkers, rolling one of them off them off, she crouched "mom." she said, rolling her over, the walker growled, it grabbed onto her, as Beth started screaming.