Scarlett Greene hadn't spoken since she was twelve. After her Daddy was arrested for abuse when she was seventeen, she is sent to live with her Uncle Hershel. Her life gets better, but the trauma is still there.
When the apocalypse begins, she take...
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baby steps
RICK KNEW SOMETHING WAS BOTHERING SCARLETT THAT NIGHT. He heard about the run being only partly successful as Zach had died. They had gotten a few supplies here and there, but it was not enough. They would go back in a few days, and hopefully, there was less of a crowd. Maybe they geeks would go to the music that still played.
Scarlett sat in the 'common area' of Cell Block C, bouncing Judith as she tried to get the baby to sleep. He noticed Carl watching from afar as Sophia told him something. The boy was not really paying attention. He, too, noticed something off about Scarlett.
Daryl walked over to the perch that he had made his room. Curtains and lots more curtains surrounding a mattress and a small chest of drawers decorated it. Rick followed him, knowing he had just told Beth about Zach.
"You good, brother?" Rick asked as he followed Daryl up the stairs. Daryl opened his curtain, taking off his crossbow and other weapons.
"Beth. She ain't even cry," Daryl grumbled. "Losin' the innocence she had. Hershel'll be pissed."
"Are you good?"
Daryl shrugged as he pulled his leather vest off. "You ask yer girl that? Shitty day all around, bro."
"She won't talk," Rick grumbled, leaning on the wall next to the curtains. Daryl sat on his mattress as he unbuckled his boots. "She killed 'im, yeah? Zach, I mean." Daryl nodded. "I knew she shouldn't have gone. Man, I told her—"
"She needed to go," Daryl retorted. "Better than playin' house."
Rick shook his head, deciding to pick his arguments. "Y'all got some good shit though. We'll just go back."
"Nah, we'll go back," Daryl rebutted again, slightly trying to egg him on.
Rick clenched his jaw, nodding.
"Thanks for lookin' after her today," Rick said finally, going to leave.
"Don' even have to ask," Daryl grunted. "'Night."
"'Night."
Scarlett walked into her shared room, pulling off her shirt and bra just as she heard the curtain being pulled back again. Rick shut the curtain quickly, latching it to the rope to hold it shut as he walked forward to her. She still faced away from him as he hugged her from behind. She relaxed into his arms, leaning her head back on his shoulder.
"I'm fine."
"You're not."
Scarlett snorted a laugh as she pushed him away to change. She pulled on a large t-shirt and tore off her socks. Deciding with no pants, she snuggled into the bed while giving her sheriff a knowing look. Rick rolled his eyes, tearing off his shirt and laying down with her.
She immediately began to kiss him, but he held her face back a bit. "You can't just bottle it up."
"Says you," she retorted with a sneaky grin as she playfully bit his chin. "Sheriff turned farmer because he's tired of war. How about we open those wounds?"
He let her go as they both stared at the ceiling above them. He felt her intertwine their fingers as she sighed.
"M'sorry. Shouldn't have said that," she told him. He squeezed her fingers. "Just tired of pretending."
"I know," Rick murmured, thinking how he was pretending to be a farmer when his heart yearned to keep his family safe. "I just needed a break. I'll—I will try to give my opinions more if that'll make y'all happy."
Scarlett turned with a grin on her face. "You mean it?" Rick nodded as she kissed him. She leaned back, pondering for a moment before she added, "What about the weapons? Carl?"
"Baby steps. I don' want my son to be a serial killer. After that boy—"
"I know, I know," she mused. "Baby steps."
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Why're you actin' weird? About today? About Zach?"
"Baby steps," she teased causing him to roll his eyes and gesture for her to go on with talking.
Scarlett nodded, leaning her chin on his chest to stare at him. Her doe eyes trapped him immediately as she whispered, "I forgot the pain of havin' to kill someone to put them out of their misery. Hadn't seen it since Dale. Just reminded me the truth. We ain't safe."
"We are safe, darling. Here. I'm trying to keep y'all safe," Rick stressed.
"You can't promise it, though. That's why I'm worried 'bout you playin' Farmer Rick. Don' want you to forget. Don' want Carl to forget. Sophia. We will have to fight again. Walkers. People. I just can't lose y'all," she finished softly.
"You won't," Rick tried to soothe her with the words. Scarlett shook her head, kissing Rick sweetly. They kissed for a while before she groaned slightly. "What is it?"
Scarlett sat up, climbing out of the bed as she hurried to put on some shorts. Rick watched her pad out of the cell quickly with her hand over her mouth. She paled considerably. Rick stood to follow her into the bathroom area. He winced as she began to hurl into the toilet.
Immediately, Rick grabbed her hair and held it back. He sighed as she whimpered at the feeling of throwing up. She hated that feeling ever since she was a kid and got sick with stomach bugs a lot. Rick rubbed her back as he heard someone walk into the area. He turned, nodding at Maggie.
"What's up?"
"I think it's just the stress," Rick told Maggie as Scarlett leaned back on his legs. He ran a hand through her hair as Maggie looked at them sympathetically.
"I'll get her something to help her sleep. And some 7-Up. Glenn found some as a treat, but I heard it helps with upset tummys," she teased her cousin who gave her a finger that was rude. "Poor baby."
Scarlett grabbed a towel from Rick, wiping her face just as Maggie came back. "Here, lovey," she whispered, crouching in front of her. "Drink this."
Scarlett gulped the fizzy soda down, almost grimacing at the flat taste before deciding against it. She swallowed some pills too before nodding at Maggie.
"Thanks, Mags."
"Don't mention it. Go rest, Scar," she kissed her forehead before squeezing Rick's arm in thanks. She left quickly.
Scarlett squealed lightly when Rick picked her up. She wrapped her free hand around his neck as he carried her. He kissed her forehead, feeling slight heat to it but ignoring it for now.
"Love you, darling," Rick told her. "Sleep it off."
"Love you," she murmured back, eyes already feeling heavy when he laid her down. She grimaced at the pain in her stomach before snuggling into the blankets as much as she could. Rick's body soon joined her, and she let him cuddle up to her like the big teddy bear he was.
