Rick's Ruby

Chapter 16

The wind had shifted, and, though it was faint, the smell of smoke hung in the air. Even in the house, it was evident, and everyone picked at the food Carol had made distastefully. It wasn't because of her cooking, and she didn't take it personally. Eventually, Maggie and Glenn excused themselves to go to their room, and soon Lori and Hershel had followed them up to get some rest. Carl had talked his mother into letting him stay up a little longer, and Rick sat on the floor by the empty fireplace with him, talking and laughing quietly.

Ruby and Beth helped Carol pack up the kitchen, chatting quietly as they worked. Ruby glanced back out at the living room from time to time, relishing the vision for what it was. Daryl watching the front yard from the couch and sharpening new arrows with his knife. Rick spending some much needed time with his son. Paul and T-Dog chatting quietly as they cleaned their guns. It was a blissfully peaceful moment in the anarchy that surrounded them.

"I can't help but wonder what we're going to find out there tomorrow." Carol was saying and Ruby brought her attention back to the slender woman as she put canned and jarred food in a wooden crate someone had found somewhere.

"Probably a place just as good as this." Beth said cheerfully.

"I hope so. This house has been good to us." Carol answered sadly. Ruby gave her a small smile.

"Don't worry Carol. They're not going to let anything happen to us."

"Especially Paul. He's really protective." Beth said and Ruby stifled a smile. It was cute, the way she was getting moon eyes over her friend. And Paul, well Paul wasn't being very coy either. He liked the girl, it was clear. Ruby had caught a couple glances between them when they didn't think the other was looking, both at dinner and while they gathered things from the farm up the road.

"I think that's about it." Ruby said, standing back and surveying the empty cabinets. "You guys should get some rest. Rick's probably gonna want to get out of here early."

Carol yawned, a hand over her mouth. "Yeah, probably. Thanks for your help, girls."

"I'm just going to fill the rest of these bottles." Ruby said, going to the sink. They'd already filled every available container with water for the trip, but there were a handful of empty bottles still on the counter.

"Goodnight, Carol." Beth said as the older woman departed to her room. She gave Ruby a little wave and went out to the living room. When Ruby was done she sat the bottles on the sink and walked out to the living room herself.

Rick was gone, probably to take Carl to bed. T grinned at her as he ascended the staircase and she returned it quickly before looking to Daryl at the window. Paul and Beth were sitting on the couch talking, and took little notice of anything else.

"All quiet?" She asked Daryl and sat down beside him on her knees, turned around to look out the slats like he was.

"For now. Wouldn't put it past to have a herd blow through here yet, though." He said in a low voice and she shuddered.

"God, don't say that. Tomorrow is going to be big, you want to get some sleep? I can stay up and watch."

He shook his head. "Nah. I'm good."

"Of course you are. Why did I even bother? Big tough guy." Ruby said jokingly, raising an eyebrow at him. He frowned at her from the corner of his eye, but she saw the traces of a smirk around his mouth.

"Don't you forget it, either."

"You know, you're going to have to let me work on the crossbow a little more, so I don't lose what you taught me."