Rick's Ruby

Chapter 26

Bob had gathered the men just before dawn to do perimeter checks on the fence, and Rick stood at the front gate, his hand over his eyes in the bright early morning sunlight, while Bob and Paul made an adjustment to the metal enclosure. They all had slept hard despite being away from the girl. Well, besides Paul. The only reason Rick hadn't gone with him on his little adventure last night was because Carl had been nervous, and he was counting the moments till he could get back and see Ruby.

He had woken when Paul had slipped back in, a mere couple hours before dawn, and had teased the man lightly. The house was more dorm than anything, and he was sharing a room with Paul and Carl.

The movement at the open window woke Rick with a start, and he'd reached for his Python, but seeing Paul slide back in quietly he'd stopped.

"How are they?" He'd whispered, and Paul looked surprised to see him awake.

"Fine enough, just nervous, I think. That Margie is a bull, isn't she?" Paul sat on the edge of his bed and pulled his boots off.

"I'd sleep with one eye open, that's for sure." Rick had nodded before grinning. "You were gone a while. Didn't break any 'rules', did you?"

Paul had chuckled. "Probably, but nothing anybody needs to be concerned about."

He laid back in his bed. "Ruby asked about you, not that you should be surprised."

Rick looked at him with a sigh. "She's really ok?"

Paul looked at him, amused. "You know Ruby. She's probably the only thing keeping those girls together right now. Especially Maggie. Chick is practically vibrating over there without Glenn."

They'd turned over to get some sleep then, and Rick had fallen asleep with Ruby's face firmly behind his closed eyelids.

"Well, let's head on back to breakfast, what do ya say?" Bob spoke, breaking Rick out of his thoughts and wiped his hands together rapidly. They all walked back, Daryl falling into place with Rick behind Glenn and Paul, Bob taking the lead, and were almost back to the house when one of Bob's men, Randy- Rick remembered from the previous night- jogged up to them. He said something low to Bob, who frowned for a moment before pasting a jolly smile on his face and looking back at them.

"Margie set up breakfast in the main house for us, guess the girls are getting on better than we thought. Girls already ate together. Guess their gettin' on better."

Rick narrowed his eyes and Daryl looked at him warily. The smile on Bob's face didn't reach his eyes, and from what Paul had said last night, he doubted Ruby would willingly miss the chance to see him. He had been aching to see her, she had to feel the same way.

"That's fine, but I'd like to talk to Ruby for a minute anyway, Bob." Rick said easily, testing the waters. Bob paused, shrugging.

"You got it, Rick. After breakfast we'll go find 'em, ok?"

"How 'bout before, Bob?" Daryl spoke up, and his voice carried much more darkness than Rick's.

"Why would we want to go buggin' em when they're getting' to know each other?" Bob answered, stopping and turning around completely to them. Crossing his arms over his chest, Randy in a similar position behind him, Rick felt his heart speed up. Something was very wrong.

He itched to pull his weapon, but Rick wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the girls. "Bob, we want to see our group." He spoke evenly but firmly, making sure Bob knew it wasn't a request.

Sighing, Bob frowned and nodded. "Fine. Come on, then."

The entire tone of the group changed with that statement, and Rick and the others were immediately on point. One of two things was going to happen right now. They were going to be taken to the girls and feel like jackasses, or they were about to fight for their lives, and from Daryl's stance it didn't look like he thought it would be the former any more than Rick did. Soundlessly, hands went to weapons as they began following Bob and Randy to the main house. Rick silently wished he had a place to put Carl, safe and away from him until he knew exactly what was going on. Not having that, he pulled the boy, who had been following his every step since the night before, closer.