Stay Here Sweetie

We had been on on the road for 2 days and we made camp Just off the highway. Me and Dale were on duty but he had fallen asleep so I told him to go inside the RV leaving me on the top with the rifle. Which I had no idea how to shoot.

"I guess I'm losing hope that you can hear me." I looked over the side of the RV seeing Rick talk into a walkie talkie.

"I tried to do everything right. I tried to keep people safe Morgan." This is private. I shouldn't listen but I can't help myself.

"So there's just a few of us now. We gotta stick together. Fight for each other and lay down our lives for each other. If it comes to that." Rick gave out a large sigh running his hands through his hair.

"Be careful out there. This is me signing off." Rick closed the walkie talkie and turned around. I quickly scrambled back from leaning over the edge and sat on the RV with the rifle putting a headphone in humming to the explosive sound of Black Sabbath.

"Dale," I nudged him and he woke up with a shock.

"It's almost light I'll take watch." Dale muttered tiredly and climbed down the ladder getting into the RV.

"Hey Officer," I called out as Rick turned around to find the noise then looked up smiling.

"North Star shining above me."

"That was incredibly cheesy." I rolled my eyes. Inside I was blushing like mad and hoped he couldn't see it.

"What are you doing by yourself?" He looked around then back up at me.

"Keeping watch." I said simply.

"Alone?"

"I don't mind." I shrugged, to be honest I liked the quiet. Rick climbed up the ladder and sat next to me, legs dangling over the edge.

"And now you're not." He nudged my knee with his smiling slightly.

"You don't have to."

"I want to." Rick looked deep into my eyes and I was sucked into his sapphire blue pools. I felt myself leaning close to him seeing the rising sun hit his face but I caught myself and leaned back. I looked down at the ground biting my lip.

"So, What are you listening to?" He said looking at my CD player. I handed him an earphone and pressed play, Iron Man blasting in his ear. He listened for about 30 seconds and pulled it back out.

"Let me guess you don't like it?" I squinted trying to see his reaction.

"It's not bad actually." Rick said admittedly.

"I thought you're more of the. Yee has! Howdy!" I tried my best at a southern accent. Rick started laughing and he sound made so happy I remembered when I never thought I would find good human contact again.

"What?" I chuckled laughing with him.

"I find that kinda offensive." He said.

"Sorry." I grimaced.

"I said I'd teach you to shoot didn't I?" Rick said suddenly.

"Yes you did Mr Grimes." He stood up and pulled out his gun handing it to me.

"Okay you gotta plant your feet." He stood with his feet slightly apart and I followed suit.

"Take the gun in both hands since you're learning. And aim with one eye closed." He demonstrated and handed the gun to me.

I pulled out the gun in front of me and aimed into the distance closing an eye.

"Just hold the gun slightly lower." Rick placed his hand on my forearm pushing it down slightly and I suddenly noticed how close he was standing to me. I was sure he could hear my heart pounding in my chest, I could feel his breathing on my neck as he bent down to my level.

"God. I forget you're so short." He teased and I nudged him with my elbow.

"Safety off." I clicked it back and placed one finger on the trigger.

"Then you shoot. Don't actually do it though." He smiled.

"Okay I think I got it." A stray Walker came rolling into the camp snarling and blood dripping.

"Time to practise on the job." Rick said standing with his arms crossed. He placed the silencer on the end of the gun quickly and then I aimed with one eye and shot. The Walker was hit in the arm and kept going.

"It's okay try again." Rick remained calm. I aimed again for the head this time as it rambled close to the car Lori and Carl were in. I took my shot and hit it in the head, the Walker collapsing to the ground.

"Very nice." Rick said nodding.

"You'll be a pro in no time." He smiled.

"You're a good teacher." I said as we sat back down on the roof watching the sunrise.

"So you said back at the CDC you worked in research?" Rick asked. I wish you wouldn't Rick.

"Yeah I did." I said and he gestured for me to go on.

"Uhm it was in working on treatments for HIV, in Washington."

"Wow that's impressive." Rick said not pressing any further.

"What about you Mr. police officer I save people?" I smirked.

"It's a noble profession. And definitely useful now."

"I guess." Rick grinned.

"I was all about writing research papers, I had no idea how to survive when this broke out." I said thinking about the first day.

"But you did Pol." He nudged my shoulder.

"You know what's not fair," I started.

"What?"

"How your hair looks amazing when it's greasy." I moaned and Rick laughed.

"It does not." Rick defended.

"Yes it is! It remains adorably curly." I said before I could stop myself.

"Personally I'm a fan of this pixie cut you got going on." He gestured to my hair and I smiled.

"Thanks," I chuckled.

"You must be tired. Why don't you sleep, and I'll take watch for a couple hours." Rick said patting my knee.

"You sure?"

"Yeah I got this." He said sitting on the chair with the rifle.

"Sure you'll be able to handle those walkers without me?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I'm not sure but I'll do my best." He gave me one last dazzling smile as I climbed down the RV grinning. I think he's consciously aware that I'm unintentionally flirting with him. I want to crawl into a hole. Argh. I climbed into the front seat of the car and closed my eyes leaning back against the seat and dreamed about a certain Sheriff with blue eyes.

—

I had started waking up but I still felt in a sleepy daze.

"Come on y'all. Look around, gather what you can." T-Dog's voice rang out from outside. I could hear the car stop moving and the doors opened.

"Should I wake her?" Rick asked.

"Nah let her sleep." Lori said.

—

I heard harsh knocking on the window and jumped seeing Shane standing there. I made a face at him seeing he was in a particularly bad mood.

I rolled down the window scowling at him.

"What do you want?" I said annoyed I wasn't woken up by someone else. Literally anyone else.

"I know your secret." He said in a low voice.

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about." I scoffed, what bullshit is he trying to come up with now.

"You're the reason for this shitty apocalyptic world." He stated. I stopped in shock and stared at him.

"Oh yes." He smiled.

"You have no proof." I tried not to show the shakiness in my voice. He opened his pack and pulled out a piece of paper with my whole name, picture and accomplishments. With the CDC logo on top.

"H-how?" I stuttered.

"Oh I pulled it from the private archives of the CDC. It says here you were apparently part of a private team of researchers to find s treatment for HIV but one of your team got infected. And then the infection spread." He said.

"It's all your fault. I wonder if Rick knows." He spelt out smirking. My eyes widened before I could stop my reaction.

"Ah So He doesn't." Shane ran a hand through his hair.

"What do you want?" I asked him.

"You're gonna do exactly as I say." Shane said.

"How would that help you?"

"Rick listens to you. People in this group listen to you, if I say I don't want to do something. It's your job to convince them not to do it. If I want to go to Lori. You can't stop me. And if you don't agree, I'll tell everyone your dirty secret and you'll be kicked out of this group for sure. I may even hurt Rick." Shane finished smiling.

"I'll do what you say just don't bring the others into this. Don't hurt Lori or Carl. Don't hurt Rick." I said softly.

"So you do care for him." Shane said eyeing me with curiosity.

"I'm glad we could come to an arrangement." He hit the top of the car and went with the others. I let out the breath I was holding and started breathing heavily. He knew! If he told the others, I don't know what they would think of me. I would have to leave, survive on my own. I'd have to leave Rick.

"Hey Pol," Glenn chirped.

"Oh hi," I plastered a smile on my face.

"What's up?"

"So there's an insane amount of cars in the road and the RV needs new radiator hose, we're looking round for new parts and any supplies we can find. Look I found all this water!" He said happily.

"Well at least we won't die of thirst." I joked.

"Wanna help?"

"Yep I'm coming." I got out of the car and walked after Glenn seeing Carol open the trunk of the car.

"Ed never let me wear nice things like this." She picked up a frilly top.

"I say take em." I smiled at her and she took the suitcase of clothes out to bring to the RV.

"Carl, Sophia. Stay within my sight!" Rick ordered them.

"Hey sleepyhead." Rick smiled.

"Hi," I stretched my arms out hearing the bones crack.

"Good sleep?"

"It was alright." Ruined by Shane blackmailing me and threatening your life.

"Hey Polaris." Lori said wrapping an arm around Rick.

"Lori," I nodded.

"I hope you don't mind I borrowed your CD in the car. You got good taste in music sweetie." She said.

"Woman after my own heart." I smirked at her and she laughed.

"Oh Christ." Lori said seriously. I turned around and saw a couple of Walkers stumbling our way.

"We can take em." I said.

"No look." I looked again and saw the entire horde.

"Everyone get under the cars!" Rick shouted as everyone scrambled for safety.

Lori and Carol got under one car and Rick got under the one next to it.

"Carl! Sophia!" I shouted pulling them with me under the car and feeling my knees scrapes against the tarmac. My stomach hit the pavement and I felt pain. Carl and Sophia were either side of me and I kept my arms around them pulling out my knife.

Lori and Carol looked at us worriedly and I nodded at them. I would keep their children safe.

"Okay?" I mouthed at them and Carl nodded staying quiet. Sophia was tearful and I stroked her hair trying to calm her down. She was struggling against me and tried to get out from under the car.

"No no, stay here sweetie." I whispered calmly to her and she nodded burying her face in my side. Rick looked at me and nodded. I had to stay calm for the sake of the kids. The Walkers moaned and groaned walking past the cars. One Walker fell to the ground with a crunch and began growling towards us. I thrusted the knife into it as it bleed out onto our clothes.

Sophia started sobbing and whimpering .

"Stay quiet Sophia." I encouraged her. Just when most of the horde had passed Sophia began crawling out from the edge of the car when her ankle was grabbed. She started screaming and crying.

"No! Sophia!" I shouted as she was dragged away. I got Carl and myself out of the car as shots were fired. Suddenly Sophia was gone and everyone was out from the cars shooting.

"My baby!" Carol shouted panicking.

"I'll find her!" Rick shouted running off into the woods.

"Rick!" I said going after him.

"T-Dog's hurt!" Daryl called over shooting a few Walkers with his crossbow. I limped over to him holding my stomach and ripped a piece of my jacket seeing his arm sliced open.

"You're injured." Daryl pointed out and I shook my head.

"It's going to need stitches."

"I'll do that." Lori said.

"I'll bring Rick back. And Sophia." I looked at Carol and Lori nodding and ran off.

"Pol!" Lori shouted. I had my knife out and stumbled through the woods trying to find tracks. But there was no sign of Rick and no sign of Sophia. I came across a river with a shelter made of wooden trunks. I looked inside finding Sophia's shoe but no Sophia. I ran back the way I came onto the highway seeing Rick standing here.

"Thank god." I sighed seeing him standing safe. I engulfed him in a quick hug.

"I didn't know what happened." He looked slightly shocked by the hug but returned it nonetheless.

"I found Sophia's shoe. But no Sophia?" I asked but Ricks eyes were filled with tears.

"I-I told her to wait there while I lead the Walkers away. But when I came back, she wasn't there." He stuttered.

We walked back to the same spot with Rick, Glenn, Shane and Daryl.

"Sure this is the spot?" Daryl asked looking around and reading the muddy tracks on the riverbank.

"I left here right there. I drew the Walkers away in that direction up the creek." Rick explained mussing his hair.

"Without a paddle." Glenn commented.

"Sorry." He grimaced seeing the looks we gave him.

"She was gone by the time I got back here. I figured she ran off back to the group." Rick said frustratedly.

"Maybe she didn't understand you?" Shane suggested and I was about to comment until he gave me a knowing look and I bit my tongue.

"Shane she understood me fine." Rick said dismissively.

"Kids tired and scared man." Shane defended.

"Found tracks. They lead back to the highway." We followed Daryl back when he stopped reading the ground once more.

"She veered off that way." He said.

"Why?" Glenn asked.

"Maybe she got spooked." Daryl said gruffly as we continued to follow him.

"Shane you and Glenn should go back to the highway. Try and calm everyone down." Rick said as both agreed.

"Think Pol should come with us." Shane stated. **** off asshole.

"Why?" Daryl asked slightly defensively.

"Her stomachs still injured she's been limping and she should rest." Dammit he noticed.

"Pol?" Rick asked and I glanced at Shane who was staring.

"Yeah I'll go back with them." Daryl gave me a look asking if I was alright and I nodded. We got back to the highway and saw Carol, Lori and Carl standing there with Dale looking over T-Dog.

"Did you find her?" Carol ran towards us and I shook my head.

"We should all be out looking instead of moving cars." Carol said.

"We need to clear the highway for the RV." Dale came over sweating.

"We have fuel so we can double back to a bypass Glenn marked out. It'll be easier going back than trying to get through this mess." Lori pointed to behind us.

"We're not going anywhere till my daughter gets back."

"That goes without saying." I put my hand on her shoulder sympathetically.

"I'm still freaked out by that herd." I shuddered remembering how the night camp got attacked the same way. Carl and I opened cars trying to find resources before we moved them, we opened the trunk of a car and found weapons.

"Shane." Carl called out calling the man over.

"Carl, what happened?" He asked.

"I found something cool. It's an arsenal." He grinned.

"Good boy, go give em to Dale." He said dismissively. What was his problem?

"It is cool buddy!" I ruffled his hair and he ducked smiling at me.

"But those hatchets are sharp so maybe give them to Dale." I suggested.

"Can I Keep one?" He asked blue eyes stating at me.

"Maybe when you're older. Even I'm not allowed." I whispered laughing and Carl smiled.

"Hey man go give them all to Dale now." Shane emphasised seemingly in a bad mood.

"What was that Shane you just blew him off?" Lori came looking completely annoyed with him.

"Honestly you're giving me the cold shoulder?" Lori asked incredulously as Shane remained silent.

"Isn't that what you wanted? Me away from you both?" He asked.

"When you tried-"

"When I tried to what Lori?" He challenged.

"When you attacked her." I interjected glaring at Shane. To hell with his threats.

"Forgot everything we talked about Pol?" Shane threatened and Lori looked at me curiously before back at Shane.

"No she's right. I think you need to leave, You're a danger Shane." Lori said folding her arms over her chest.

"Oh I'm not going anywhere. I still got some cards to play." He looked at me during the last sentence as Lori walked off shaking her head. I was about to follow her when he pulled me back holding my arm. When Rick held my arm he did it with tenderness and I felt it in my heart. When Shane touched me, it was so predatory I was scared.

"That was a mistake Pol." Shane tsked testing the guns out in his hand.

"Let go," I hissed feeling his nails dig into my arms.

"Now you're gonna do something for me. You're gonna convince Lori to let me stay, because otherwise she'll tell Rick and I'll be gone for sure." Shane explained trying to work on the car.

"Why should I? I'm perfectly fine with you leaving." I scoffed.

"A little piece of paper and a threat on Rick says differently." He smiled venomously.

"Off you go." I left Shane's grasp and walked towards Lori who was cleaning out the guns.

"Hey." I said and she looked up.

"Hi."

"Listen I know you want Shane gone," I began.

"And you don't?" She said surprised.

"Oh I do don't get me wrong. But maybe right now isn't the best time for him to leave."

"Why? After what he did to me?" Lori raised her voice slightly looking upset.

"What he did to you was completely unwarranted and disgraceful, but Lori Sophia's missing. At the moment we need all the help we can get." I said looking at her as she continued cleaning the barrels.

"That doesn't mean I have to like it." She sighed as I gave her a brief nod leaving her alone. I hated that. I had to defend a rapist to a woman who was becoming a friend to me.

"Andrea," I said coming into the van hands up.

"What?" She said annoyed.

"What do you possibly have to say to me?" She asked.

"Just that I'm completely remorseful over the way I acted with your sister and I regret killing her the way I did. I had no right to do that." I said ashamed that I damaged her that badly she couldn't bring herself to look at me.

"Damn right you had no right to do that. None." She said angrily.

"I know why you did it. But it doesn't make it any less painful for me. I don't hate you for it but it doesn't mean we have to be friends." Andrea sighed.

"And I accept that." I nodded.

"Dammit where's my gun?"

"I saw Dale rummaging through your pack earlier." I said helpfully.

"Thanks." She said shortly.

"You has no right to take it." She came out of the RV and rounded on Dale.

"They're back!" Carl shouted. I walked out of the RV seeing Rick and Daryl's fed up faces. But no Sophia.

"You didn't find her?" Carol said worriedly.

"Trail went cold." Daryl couldn't meet her eyes.

"We'll pick it up again first light." Rick said firmly.

"You didn't find anything?" Carol's voice started wavering as she began to panic. I rubbed her back trying to comfort her.

"I know this is hard but I'm asking you not to panic. Daryl found her trail and I've asked him to oversee the whole thing." Rick said calmly.

The next day we all of us except for Dale and T-Dog went out into the woods armed with rifles and guns following the trail Daryl established yesterday. There were Walker remains littered along but no Sophia. The forest got thicker and thicker and the undergrowth was getting too much around my short legs.

"Want me to carry you." Daryl stated cutting down the leaves in front of me to walk properly.

"Real funny." I narrowed my eyes and heard him snort. The sound of bells filled the air and the whole group was alert running towards it. We reached and old church which was barricaded and broke inside. The benches were still intact along with a statue of Jesus to match.

"The bells are on some kind of timer." Rick came out of the steeple. We came out of the area seeing nobody around. Well this sucks. Carol was inside praying for Sophia to come back. I walked back outside the church seeing Andrea talk to Shane.

"I know Lori was trying to get you to leave and that you don't want to. But if you do I'll come with you." I gasped slightly. Well this is an interesting turn of events.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Shane scoffed. He still had some cards to play.

"I see two people who don't belong. We're the odd men out." Andrea said leaning against the wall with him.

"Put a gun in my hand and I'll cover you." She said to him.

"Look I'm not going anywhere. And neither are you." He said.

"Gotta move man everyone's tired." Shane said to Rick who I followed to Shane and Andrea.

"I can't stop yet. I can't go back. This is my fault." Rick said passionately.

"I can come with you." I said speaking up.

"You up for this?" He asked studying me.

"Definitely. It's my fault too. I should've kept a tighter hold of her under the car." I said feeling guilty.

"I'm entitled to agree with that." Shane said and Rick's face contorted in anger.

"What's the plan?" Lori came up before he had the chance to do anything.

"Me and Pol are gonna keep searching for another hour before we get back."

"You're splitting us up?" Glenn asked.

"Don't worry we'll catch up to you." I assured him and he put his hand on my shoulder before walking off.

"I wanna stay too. I'm her friend." Carl came into the talk.

"Just be careful." Lori said giving him a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Take this." Rick gave his gun to Lori.

"I've got a spare don't worry." Lori looked at him unsure before taking the gun and a magazine clip.

Carl, Rick and me set off under the trees to look for Sophia once more. We came to clearing before Carl stopped moving and turned back to us grinning. About 10 feet in front of us was a deer grazing in the leaves. Carl edged closer to it snapping the branches. I reached for the gun I had before Rick put his hand over mine stopping me and smiled looking at Carl. He was about to stroke the deer when we heard a gunshot. And Carl dropped to the floor.

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