AS THE WORLD FALLS DOWN I RICK GRIMES

Weeds Or Wildflowers

Weeds Or Wildflowers

I've lived enough to know the battle's never through
you pass something down, no matter where or how
will there be weeds or wildflowers affixed upon your bows...

Rick strode down the sidewalk, fists thrust into the pockets of his police uniform, shoulders hunched. Again, the walls of Alexandria were beginning to feel like they were closing in on him, the stupidity of its civilians getting on his last nerve, making him wonder exactly how the hell they'd survived so far. Sasha was now up in the look-out, but even as Rick supposed it was better late than never, it just served to show how much work had to be done to alter Alexandria in order to ensure its survival.

"Here's my hunk," Pamela said, straightening up from where she was posing on the porch, the other women tittering into their glasses. On the porch opposite, Carol sat amongst the smug marrieds and merry widows, deliberately separating themselves from Pamela's group of divorcees and perennial débutantes, society belles who would never see sixteen again. "Yoo-hoo, handsome!" she called, waggling her fingers at Rick, who glanced up, startled.

"Nice uniform," Dana heckled, making the other women wolf-whistle in a chorus of exaggerated appreciation.

Rick recovered himself, putting on his public face, sweeping his audience a mock bow, secretly feeling like a fool, Pamela blowing him a kiss, Rick pretending to catch it and put it into his pocket.

Carol rose to her feet. "I think I have to save Rick from his fan club," she said in an undertone to her own clique, making a ripple of genteel laughter ring around the porch. Smiling, she sashayed down the steps, waving at Tobin as he strode past, just one of the many residents she'd run into on her rounds, Tobin nodding in acknowledgement, ducking his head to hide his burning cheeks.

"I think you've made a hit there," Rick observed as Carol came over.

"How can he resist?" Carol said dryly, fluttering her fingers at Pamela and her posse, who just turned their backs on her, drawing the line in the sand.

"What were you and your girl gang gossipin' about, then?" Rick asked, running his hand down the side of his face. "You all looked like you were plottin' somethin' serious."

"Mashed lima beans, cocoa powder and a little sweetener," Carol reeled off, "a recipe concocted to satisfy the most capricious of appetites during the apocalypse. Full of protein and fills you up."

"Sounds delicious," Rick said darkly. "You heard about Deanna's shin-dig?" he asked abruptly, ramming his fists further into his pockets.

"Deanna issued me a personal invitation," Carol said, patting her hair into place, the pantomime not fooling Rick one whit. "You going?"

"We're all goin'," Rick corrected her. "Gotta keep up appearances, remember?"

Carol nodded, secretly relieved he agreed with following her example. "So tonight, then?" she said quietly.

"The armoury's right next to Deanna's," Rick said just as quietly, "I'll back you up."

"Just don't make it obvious," Carol warned, "and don't get distracted by Alexis, okay?"

"Why you still holdin' this grudge against her?" Rick snapped. "What has she ever done to you?"

"I'm not against Alexis," Carol said, exhaling sharply, "I just... I just don't want you getting hurt, okay? I know you and I haven't always seen eye to eye, but I think we've got past all that, haven't we?"

Rick looked at her for a long moment, relenting despite himself. "Yeah, we have," he said softly, patting her shoulder, before turning and heading into the house, reasoning it was best she didn't discover he was going to ask Alexis to Deanna's welcome party.