Rick's Ruby

Chapter 9

When he woke, the house was moving quietly around him, and he could hear the sounds of doors opening and closing, low voices drifting in from the kitchen. Glancing at his watch he saw he'd slept late, it was nearly 11. He sat up on the cot and stretched his arms over his head, working the knots out slowly. Ruby's door was uncharacteristically left open, and he got up, peering around the corner to see if she was there. The room was empty, the bed made and a pair of jeans was folded neatly and sat on the end. He let out a deep breath, remembering the feel of her in his arms right on that very bed the night before and a small smile started to spread over his face.

"You wake up happy, don't you?" He heard her from behind him and she swept past him quickly into the room. He went to the doorway and leaned against the frame, watching her. She'd just showered and her damp hair fell in tendrils around her face, a clean pair of jeans and a cut off tee that said Empire Records showed off her curves perfectly.

"Not always." He answered with a small smile.

She looked back at him, excited. "Guess what?"

"What?" He played along.

"Daryl went out really early this morning, found the next farm over. They have a big garden still, grown over but he said there's a lot still growing. Can we go get it?" Her eyes glowed with anticipation, and her cheeks were still a little flushed from the cold water. She could have asked him if they could go on a picnic in the middle of Atlanta right now and he'd have said yes. He nodded and she grinned widely, showing all her perfect white teeth.

"Maggie and Glen wanna go too, I'll get the baskets from the laundry and some bags while you get some breakfast." She chattered happily as she drug a hairbrush through her wet hair and tied it up into a ponytail. "Carol set yours aside in the kitchen."

"Alright, I'll just be a few minutes." He said and went quickly to the bathroom, then headed for the kitchen. Carol was wiping the table with an old towel and he talked to her for a few minutes as he wolfed down the fruit she'd left out for him.

"Daryl, where is this garden?" Rick asked when the man walked in a few moments later.

"Next farm down, less than a mile." Daryl let out a small groan as he sat down in the chair across from him, and Carol handed him a bottle of water, patting his shoulder as she went back to the sink. Rick saw Daryl glance at her back before focusing back on him, and he chuckled to himself. The two of them never would say how they felt about each other, even if everyone else could see it. "You want me to take you down?"

Rick shook his head, taking a drink of his own water and standing up. "I can find it, stay here and keep a lookout while we're gone."

Daryl nodded and Rick thanked Carol as he left. Maggie and Glen were standing with Ruby in the dining room, looking over the bags and baskets she had gathered. All three looked at him with smiling faces as he drew near, and he returned it.

"Ready to go?"

"Hell yeah." Maggie said, her eyes twinkling as she grabbed the bags and stuffed them in the basket. Glen took it from her and they left for the kitchen. He fell into step beside Ruby and grabbed the keys to the blue truck off the wall as they stepped out the back door. Dark clouds were on the horizon, a storm coming, he could see. They'd need to be back before it broke, but he figured they'd have a little time.

Maggie and Glen hopped up into the bed of the truck and Glen put the new rifle they'd gotten in his lap. Rick and Ruby slid into the cab at the same time, and he backed the truck up and headed down the small road toward the highway. He felt a little knot in his stomach when he realized there would be walkers, and they could follow them to the new farm. But the road was deserted, a few rotting bodies evident where Daryl had obviously been.