Safe haven | Rick Grimes

083. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DIE TOGETHER

Chapter eighty three

"We were supposed to die together."

The next morning, the bedroom was quiet as Rick woke up. He sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled his boots back on, letting out a heavy sigh as he stood. He turned to look at Scarlett, who rolled over in her sleep, facing away from him. Crawling back onto the bed, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her head before quietly slipping out of the room.

He knew he didn't need to check on the twins yet; they were usually still sound asleep at this hour. But as he passed Judith's room, a muffled cough caught his attention. Rick pushed the door open and stepped inside. Judith was still asleep, curled under her blankets. He walked up to the side of her bed and gently placed his hand against her forehead. Relief washed over him—no fever.

Back in the primary bedroom, Scarlett shifted. She couldn't sleep anymore. She never could sleep well on her own once Rick left the bed. As she threw off the covers and stood up, a faint cry echoed from down the hall. The twins were awake.

Scarlett walked into their nursery to feed them and change their diapers. Within twenty minutes, the room was quiet again. Caroline was contentedly laying down in her crib, while Scarlett held baby Daryl gently in her arms, swaying back and forth.

The door creaked open, and Rick walked in. "How'd you sleep?" he asked softly.

"Well... once you were beside me," Scarlett shared, looking up at him. "You know I don't like sleeping alone."

Rick walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You can't sleep alone," he murmured with a faint smile, pressing a warm kiss to the side of her neck before looking down at the baby in her arms.

"How'd you sleep?" Scarlett asked.

"Knowing you were beside me? Pretty well," Rick replied, kissing her neck once more.

Scarlett smiled, gently lowering baby Daryl back into his crib alongside his sister.

"You've been leading this place," Rick said, his tone turning serious as he looked at her.

"We both are," Scarlett corrected, turning around to face him.

"Ah, I've been out at the bridge," Rick shared, shaking his head. "Here, in Alexandria, it's you. You're the one keeping this place safe, figuring out how to make it better."

"Yeah, I doubt that," Scarlett muttered, her mind flashing back to her bitter argument with Maggie the day before. She pushed the negative thoughts away and focused on the good news. "But the kids aren't sick. Judith has no fever, so it's just a mild cough. There's nothing to worry about."

"Well, since I've been gone so much, I think we're due for a family fun day," Rick shared, a faint smile breaking through his serious expression.

Scarlett looked up at him, surprised. "Shouldn't you be heading back to the bridge?"

"Oh, I can take the day off," Rick insisted. "And honestly, you shouldn't be going back out there right now anyway. Besides, the last report said things were running smoothly. Maggie will be arriving at the camp soon, thanks to..."

"Michonne," Scarlett finished for him, her voice dropping. "Me and Maggie were almost about to throw blows when we spoke yesterday."

Rick raised his brows, processing the news.

"And then there's what me and Daryl did to Justin," Scarlett added, rubbing her bruised hand. "I don't exactly think beating him half to death is gonna help the Saviors join our cause."