Sheriff's lover ||| Rick Grimes x Reader (TWD x Reader)

Chapter 11) Loss

"Cmon!" Rick is helping Y/N who's fallen behind. The five members of the group are running on foot back to the camp. When they got back to the tracks where they left the cube truck, it was gone.

Daryl figured it was Merle who would be bringing vengeance back.

The sun has already set and the air is warm. Y/N is out of breath. Suddenly gunshots are heard in the distance and Glenn almost trips. "Oh my god."

They pick up the pace and finally make it to the camp. It's chaos.

People are running around, holding weapons. Walkers are everywhere. People are screaming. Y/N notices bodies of their group laying on the ground.

Carl suddenly cries out as a walker grabs his arm. Y/N lifts her pistol and kills it before it can bite the young boy.

He runs up to Y/N and wraps his arms around her waist. She hugs him tight and pulls him away from the walkers.

Until now, she hasn't interacted with him. She hasn't really interacted with Lori either.

She glances around. Ricks face softens when he realizes that Carl is safe. He turns back to kill more walkers. Y/N spots Lori by the RV and calls for her. "Lori!"

She rushes over to Y/N. Y/N uses her body to block Carl and Lori as she shoots a few more walkers. She misses one of her shots and flinches as the bullet goes near Dale. Thankfully, it misses him.

Finally, after several minutes of gunshots, it goes silent. The only sounds are families crying softly.

Carl hugs Y/N again and Lori grabs her hand. There are tears in her eyes. "Thank you for protecting my boy." Y/N nods.

Rick runs up to his wife and son and pulls them into a hug. Y/N goes to leave but Lori grabs her arm and pulls her into the hug too.
————————————————————————
It's morning now. Andrea is kneeling over Amy's body. She was bitten.

They also lost Ed, Carols abusive husband. Quite honestly Y/N believes that he deserved it.

Y/N is sitting on a log. Carl sits next to her. He hasn't left her side since she saved him. Lori is comforting Carol and Sophia.

Rick walks up to the log where Y/N and Carl sit quietly. His head is resting on her lap. Nobody slept a wink the whole night. He nods his head towards Andrea. "She still won't move?"

Y/N shakes her head. "Won't even talk to us. She's been there all night."

Rick sighs. Shane walks up. "Can't just leave Amy like that. We'll have to deal with her. Same as the others."

Rick nods. "I'll go tell her."

He walks up to Andrea but she suddenly whips around, gun aimed at his face. Rick steps back, hands up.

Y/N's finger grazes her gun at her side. Rick backs off and Andrea turns back to face her dead sister.

Daryl walks up and scoffs. "Y'all can't be serious. Let that girl hamstring us? The dead girl's a time bomb."

Rick shrugs. "What do you suggest?"

"Take the shot. Clean, in the brain from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance."

Lori shakes her head. "No. For Gods sake, let her be."
————————————————————————
Jacqui, Jim, and Y/N are helping pile up walker bodies. Carl stands nearby. Lori tried to distract him or let Y/N have a break but he refused.

Y/N wipes her forehead and glances at Jim. "Are you bleeding?" There's a small patch of blood on his t-shirt.

He waves his hand. "Just got some on me from the bodies."

Jacqui tilts her head. "No, that looks fresh."

Y/N steps back. "Were you bit?"

"No. I got scratched during the attack." He says.

Y/N shakes her head. "You got bit."

"I'm fine."

Jacqui crosses her arms. "Then show us."

He tries backing away. "Don't tell. Please."

Y/N raises her voice. "A walker got him. A walker got Jim."

A crowd forms and Carl slides his hand into Y/N's. She gives it a squeeze.

Daryl points at Jim's shirt. "Show us."

Jim shakes his head. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

Shane and T-Dog grab hold of him and Rick lifts up Jim's shirt. Several members of the group gasp. There's a bite on his torso.

They remove their grasp on Jim and he stumbles away, repeating that he's okay, over and over again.
————————————————————————
Daryl, Dale, Shane, T-Dog, Rick, Y/N, Glenn, Lori, and Carl all stand away from the rest of the group.

"I say we put a pickaxe in his head and the dead girl's and be done with it." Daryl says.

Shane eyes him. "Is that what you'd want if it were you?"

"Yeah, and i'd thank you while you did it."

Y/N bends down to Carl. "Hey, bud. Can you go over there with Carol and Sophia for a minute?"

He shakes his head and she sighs. "Please?"

He reluctantly nods and hugs her again. She laughs and ruffles his hair as he walks over to the others. Lori smiles gently at her. Rick eyes her with a look that Y/N can't read. Admiration? Thankfulness?

Dale rubs his arm. "I hate to say it... I never thought I would... but maybe Daryl's right."

Rick sighs and looks at the man. "Jim's not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog."

Dale tries to refute. "I'm not suggesting-"

"He's sick. A sick man. We start down that road, where do we draw the line?"

Daryl shrugs. "The line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers, or them to be."

Rick thinks. "What if we can get him help? I heard the C.D.C. was working on a cure."

Shane shakes his head. "I heard that too. Heard a lot of things before the world went to hell."

"What if the C.D.C. is still up and running? If there's any government left, any structure at all, they'd protect the C.D.C. at all costs, wouldn't they? I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection..."

Shane sighs. "Okay, Rick, you want those things, all right? I do too, okay? Now if they exist, they're at the army base. Fort Benning."

Y/N scoffs. "That's 100 miles in the opposite direction."

"That is right. But it's away from the hot zone. Now listen to me. If that place is operational, it'll be heavily armed. We'd be safe there." He says.

"The military were on the front lines of this thing. They got overrun. We've all seen that. The C.D.C. is our best choice and Jim's only chance." Rick says.

Daryl rolls his eyes. "You go looking for aspirin, do what you need to do. Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem!" He walks toward Jim, pickaxe in hand.

"Daryl!" Y/N shouts.

Rick aims his gun at Daryl. "We don't kill the living."

Daryl scoffs. "That's funny coming from a man who just put a gun to my head."

Shane touches Daryl's shoulder. "We may disagree on some things, not on this. You put it down. Go on."

Daryl drops the pickaxe.

Rick grabs Jim by the arm and starts dragging home away. "Where are you taking me?" The pale man asks.

Rick sighs. "Somewhere safe."
————————————————————————