Rick's Ruby

Chapter 3

I don't own anything to do with Rick or any character from the Walking Dead. I own the OC character, Ruby, however, and I adore her.

Summary: Shane's been killed by Rick and the group doesn't trust him anymore. So what does Rick do? Snap. He finds a girl in the woods and takes out his aggression.

Yes, I know if you've read my other stuff you know that I am a Shane girl, but Rick is awesome, too. So I decided to play with him a little.

Rate and comment if you like! Thanks, and please, no flames. They are... unhelpful.

He heard a movement at the door and looked up. Ruby was standing there, uncertainly, her hair damp and hanging around her face in tendrils. She had changed into a deep blue tank top and a pair of canvas shorts, her worn white tennis shoes on her feet and her bag hanging loosely in her hands.

"You ok?" She asked tentatively, and he wondered if she thought he'd get rough with her again. He wanted to. He wanted to grab her and throw her up against the wall and kiss her. His anger had turned into a twisted passion, he just wanted to take what he wanted from everyone around him right now.

He stood up and walked toward her and she leaned back against the door a little, her eyes trying not to look afraid. Getting close to her, he could smell her shampoo, see the redness of her skin where she had scrubbed it hard. He brought his eyes up to her and saw the hesitation in her face, and it began to quell the fury in his belly. She was like a drug, making the aching and disappointment fade away.

He dropped her hair and sighed. "Let's go see if Carol has food ready."

She looked relieved, and she moved past him and went to the bed, dropping the bag she held. She tied up her hair in a messy ponytail and she followed him out.

Somebody had made a fire in front of the house and Carol was leaning over it, stirring a pot. The others had taken places on the ground around it, and they must have found plates and silverware in the kitchen because they all had plates of food. Rick took Ruby to the fire and they sat down on the opposite side, her eyes avoiding the furtive glances the others were giving her. Carol handed her a plate and she took it, smiling a little at the older woman. Rick got one too, and Carol joined them with one of her own.

"So, Ruby. Where are you from?" Carol asked, and Ruby looked up quickly. She licked her lips, and hesitated, but finally looked back up at Carol, who was waiting expectantly.

"Um.. Chicago, originally. But I was in Branson when all this hit."

"Missouri?" Maggie asked, and Ruby nodded. "Were you going to school?"

"No. I was working."

Maggie looked interested. "What did you do?"

"I was a backup singer for Lady Antebellum. We were there for a concert." She answered and Beth and Maggie's eyes went round as plates.

"You're kidding me." Beth said, stunned.

"Nope." Ruby answered, her face still without too much expression. Rick saw her glance over at him as he ate quietly, obviously wondering if she was supposed to be sharing this. He didn't stop her, he wanted to know more about her too.

"I loved them." Maggie said wistfully, then looked back at her. "You're so young, how'd you get to be able to do that?"

Ruby shrugged, taking a bite. "I got lucky. I've been on the road most of my life."

"Who else did you sing with?" T-Dog asked.

"Katy Perry,Taylor Swift. And I worked a tour with Justin Timberlake two years ago."