Apocalyptic Love

Chapter 3 Well, Shit

It was only supposed to take a few hours to get to Atlanta, but things didn't work out that way. The road was filled with accidents and abandoned vehicles. There were several abandoned campsites along the side of the road, along with Walkers that would chase after them. There was also the problem of fuel. Rick hadn't noticed that he had picked a patrol car that only had half a tank, so about halfway to Atlanta, Rick and Kagome were already running low on gas.

They had to stop and siphon gas from other cars. While Rick did that, Kagome would keep watch to make sure walkers or people didn't ambush them. Kagome knew that people could turn into savages when faced with situations like this, and she was prepared to face whatever danger came along.

Rick wasn't able to get a lot of gas when they had to leave in a hurry as several walkers started heading in their direction. They drove as far as they could until the patrol car finally ran out of gas, “I guess we're on foot now,” Rick said.

“No problem, I'm used to it. Let's get going,” Kagome said.

They gathered everything they had with them and took off towards Atlanta. Rick thought that they would be safer walking through the fields instead of the road. It gave them a broader view, and they wouldn't have to worry about being hit by crazy drivers.

Kagome and Rick walked for several miles, but eventually, the sun started to set. The duo had no other choice but to make camp; Kagome told Rick that they should make camp in the woods. The walkers would see their fire and come towards them, and they could set up an alarm system of cans that will wake them if walkers come stumbling into their camp.

Rick agreed, so they headed into the woods. What Rick didn't know was that Kagome was going to set up a barrier around their camp that would destroy whatever walker that touched it, so she wasn't worried about that. Kagome was more concerned about other people coming to harm them than Kagome was about the Walkers. She and Rick set up camp when they were finished, Kagome went down to the stream and caught some fish for dinner. When she came back, Rick had a small fire going.

“How did you catch the fish without a gear?” Rick asked.

“I have my ways. Let me clean them, and then I'll spit them over the fire,” Kagome said.

Kagome quickly cleaned the fish, seasoned them, and spitted them over the fire to cook. Rick sat there, watched in fascination, “How do you know how to do that?”

“I did a lot of camping when I was younger. So I learned a lot from my friends.” Kagome explained.

Rick nodded. He sat down by the fire as Kagome began to make tea for both of them. She hands him a cup of tea, then they both sit there and wait for the fish to cook. Kagome took a sip of her drink and looked at Rick, “So, why don't we get to know each other since we're going to be traveling together.”

“Alright, what would you like to know,” Rick asked.

“What made you become a sheriff?”

“I wanted to help people and protect them and ensure the safety of my town. And you, why did you become a doctor.”

“Pretty much the same reason you became a sheriff, I wanted to help people ease their suffering if I could,” Kagome explains.

Rick and Kagome continued to talk as they waited for the fish to cook. They talked about everything, Rick even told her about his marital problems. Rick didn't know why he was telling Kagome all this, but he had never felt more comfortable with anyone like he did with Kagome. Not even Lori or Shane. Kagome felt the same way; she felt a closeness to Rick she had never felt with anyone before even though Kagome had barely known this man.

When the fish was ready, Kagome took them off the fire and put them on the plates she had and handed one plate to Rick. He watched as Kagome took a bite then proceeded to do the same. He hummed at the flavor of the fish. Rick had never had fish cooked over an open fire before, and the spices the Kagome used gave it a unique taste. They ate and talked until they finished their fish.

After that, Rick stood up and stretched, “That was very good, Kagome, thank you.”

“You're welcome, Rick,” Kagome said as she cleaned up and walked to the stream to wash the plates.

“Why don't you go to sleep, I'll take first watch,” Kagome offered after she came back.

“No, Kagome, you fed me, it's only fair that I take first watch.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, please, get some sleep,” Rick insisted.

Kagome nodded and climbed into her sleeping bag. She turned towards the fire and closed her eyes; Kagome quickly fell asleep. A few hours later, she and Rick traded places. Kagome stayed up for the rest of the night. Around dawn, Rick took over again to let Kagome get a few more hours of sleep.

Rick woke Kagome up around 8:00. She made them some instant oatmeal for breakfast, then they packed up and headed out towards the highway again. This time they walked along the road to make up some time. They walked all morning and stopped around noon to get out of the heat for a while and eat something. Rick went out and set up a trap to catch a rabbit if possible so that they could have something to eat for dinner. He realized they weren't going to make it to Atlanta that day either.

Kagome continued to walking, surprised that they hadn't seen anything, not any people or walkers, but they counted that as a blessing. Just before the sunset, Kagome and Rick made camp again, and once again, Kagome put up a barrier around their camp. Rick took out the rabbits he caught and skinned and gutted them. Kagome took them, seasoned them, then spitted the rabbits over the fire. Kagome made her customary tea and handed a cup to Rick, who thanked her profusely. Rick wasn't a tea drinker, but the drink that Kagome made was excellent. It made him feel invigorated but after a long tiring day of walking. But it also calmed his nerves. He enjoyed the drink very much.

Kagome and Rick continued to talk and get to know each other. The more Rick found out about Kagome, the more he liked her. And that made him feel guilty. He had found Kagome attractive from the moment he met her, but now it was more than only attraction. There was something deeper there, and it scared Rick. How could he feel something so deeply for a woman that he only met a week ago?

Kagome was thinking precisely the same thing that Rick was thinking. How could she be feeling these emotions for a man she only just met? And it wasn't a typical attraction she felt for Rick. It was more profound as if her soul was calling out to him, and his soul was responding. That feeling was a bit unnerving; it was something that Sesshomaru had told her that mates felt for each other.

‘But I'm not a Youkai.’ Kagome thought, ‘Why would I be feeling this way toward Rick?’ She pondered. Kagome shivered at the thought that maybe she and Rick were mates. It would be the worst thing that could happen, considering that he was married.

Rick noticed Kagome shiver and moved to sit down next to her, “Are you cold?”

“A little bit.”

Rick put his arm around Kagome and pulled her into his side to keep her warm, “Better?”

Kagome hummed, “Yeah, thanks.”

They continued to talk while the rabbits roasted over the fire. Rick would tell Kagome stories about when he and Shane were in high school, and he told her jokes, anything that would make her laugh. She had the most beautiful laugh Rick had ever heard. They were both laughing about the chicken coop prank that Shane had pulled when Rick looked down at Kagome. Her cheeks were flushed from laughing so hard, and her blue eyes were shining.

Rick couldn't help himself. He leaned towards Kagome and captured her lips in a sweet kiss. Kagome sighed into the kiss and placed a petite hand on his face caressing his cheek. At that moment, Kagome knew that she was in trouble, Rick Grimes was her mate, and there was nothing she could do about it.