No Way Back ♧ Rick Grimes

Chapter 6

Rick P.O.V

I watch Elena and Carl laugh at something. Elena messed up his hair before kissing his forehead.

Elena became a second mother to Carl. Carl loves her a lot.

Elena got up and walk over to Carol.

"How long have you been with her?" Andrea asked sitting beside me.

"About 3 years." I remember our first date. I was a nervous wreck. I haven't been on a date in years. I thought it was too soon. Lori died 3 years ago. I thought Carl would hate me for it but he was the one who pushed me into it.

If it wasn't for Carl I wouldn't be with Elena.

"She seems like a good girl. Loves Carl to death" Elena was helping Carl tie his shoes.

"What's with Shane and Elena?" I wanted to ask Elena but she seemed angry with him.

"I don't know. Shane wants to talk to her but Elena runs away from him. It looks like she's afraid of him" Andrea says walking away.

Afraid of him?

Elena P.O.V

"Well, look, I—I don't, okay, Rick? So could you just—could you throw me a bone here, man? Could you just tell me why? Why would you risk your life for a douche bag like Merle Dixon?" Shane yelled to Rick as they walk up to the cooking fire where Daryl was.

"Hey, choose your words more carefully." Daryl said with clenched teeth.

"Oh no, I did. Douche bag's what I mean. Merle Dixon—the guy wouldn't give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst."

"What he would or wouldn't do doesn't interest me. I can't let a man die of thirst. Thirst and exposure. We left him like an animal caught in a trap. That's no way for anything to die, let alone a human being." Rock replied.

"So you and Daryl, that's your big plan?" I said crossing my arms. Rick turns and looks at Glenn.

"Oh, come on." Glenn covered his face.

"You know the way. You've been there before. In and out, no problem. You said so yourself. It's not fair of me to ask, I know that, but I'd feel a lot better with you along. I know she would too" Glenn looks at me and Carl.

"That's just great. Now you're gonna risk three men, huh?" I would think Shane would be happy if Rick left.

"Four." T-Dog appeared behind me.

Daryl huffs annoyed.

"My day just gets better and better, don't it?"

"You see anybody else here stepping up to save your brother's cracker ass?" T-dog says.

"Why you?"

"You wouldn't even begin to understand. You don't speak my language." T-dog walked away.

"That's four." Dale says.

"It's not just four. You're putting every single one of us at risk. Just know that, Rick. Come on, you saw that walker. It was here. It was in camp. They're moving out of the cities. They come back, we need every able body we've got. We need 'em here. We need 'em to protectcamp."

"It seems to me what you really need most here are more guns." Rick said to Glenn.

"Right, the guns."

"Wait, what guns?" Shane asked confused.

"Six shotguns, two high-powered rifles, over a dozen handguns. I cleaned out the cage back at the station before I left. I dropped the bag in Atlanta when I got swarmed. It's just sitting there on the street, waiting to be picked up." I start to see that Rick's trip is more than just a rescue mission.

"Ammo?" Shane seemed to understand.

"700 rounds, assorted." Rick said.

"You went through Hell to find us. You just got here and you're gonna turn around and leave?" I said trying to control my anger.

"Dad, I don't want you to go." Carl begged. Rick looked at Carl and looked back at me.

"To Hell with the guns, Shane is right. Merle Dixon? He's not worth one of your lives, even with guns thrown in. Tell me. Make me understand." I can't believe I'm agreeing with Shane.

"I owe a debt to a man I met and his little boy. Elena, if they hadn't taken me in, I would've died. It's because of them that I made it back to you at all. They said they'd follow me to Atlanta. They'll walk into the same trap I did if I don't warn him."

"What's stopping you?" I whisper.

"The walkie-talkie, the one in the bag I dropped. He's got the other one. Our plan was to connect when they got closer." Rick says.

"These are our walkies?" Shane crossed his arms.

"Yeah."

"So use the C.B., what's wrong with that?" Andrea said.

"The C.B.'s fine. It's the walkies that suck to crap. Date back to the seventies, don't match any other bandwidth, not even the scanners in our cars." Shane sighed.

"I need that bag." Rick says to me. I didn't like it but I can't refuse to him. Rick goes over to Carl.

"Okay?" Rick touched his shoulder. Carl nods looking down.

"All right." Rick says giving me a kiss on the forehead. Rick and the others left.

I find Carl lying on his bed. I try not to cry.

"Hey." I said sniffling.

"You know, I bet they'll be just fine." I said.

"I'm not worried. Are you?" Carl looked at me.

"Yeah, a little." I shrug.

"Don't be." Carl said.

"Why?"

"Think about it, Elena. Everything that's happened to him so far. nothing's killed him yet" I chuckled laying beside him.

"You're a smart kid." I said looking at him.

"I love you Elena" he says holding my hand. I stop crying and smile.

{{I'm so sorry for taking long. I'll try to post more. Comment what you think? }}