Fight, Love, Live.

VII

"So, what's your name?" Andrea asked as T-Dog messed around with the C.B. The others stopped whatever they were doing and turned to look at us, where we were leaning up agains the roof ledge. 

"Riley Grimes. Rick is my big brother." I said simply, grasping some hair on the back of Bailey's neck to calm myself down as all the eyes on me freaked me out, after all the days not seeing a single person. 

"Oh, where are you from?" Andrea continued to question me. 

"Portland, Maine. I hate the south, it's too hot, so as soon as I graduated high school I moved up there, went to college there, and I eventually opened a bakery up there." Andrea smiled at that. 

"You don't look like a baker." Merle said from where he was sitting, cuffed to the pipe. 

"Why? 'Cause I'm not fat?" I grumbled angrily. 

"Yep. The only fat you got on you is from that baby in ya belly." Merle said matter-of-factly, with no care in the world, and I felt my jaw drop open. I glanced over at Rick, who was staring at me, a look of utter confusion on his face, before he stormed over and grabbed my arm, dragging me away from the group, to the corner where they (might) not be able to hear us. 

"You're pregnant?" Rick hissed harshly once we were far enough away, and I yanked my arm out of his bruising grip, suddenly angry that he was angry at me. 

"Yes." I answered simply, allowing the anger to enter my tone so he would know to tread carefully. 

"How far along are you? Where is Ashton? He is the father, right?" I scoffed at the anger in Rick's eyes, that he was trying to keep hidden. 

"Ten weeks. It's about the size of a strawberry right now. And he is dead. Found him in his house, being eaten. Shot the one eating him. And then he woke up so I shot him too. And yes, he was the father. I didn't get the chance to tell him. I found out about a week ago, and I wanted to tell him first, that's why you didn't know. Besides, you were in a damn coma Rick." As I told Rick what happened, I could see the anger fade to sadness, and a few moments after I finished talking, I could see the excitement blooming in his eyes. 

"You're pregnant Ri." He said quietly, and I couldn't help but smile back, feeling the tears fill my eyes.

"I'm pregnant." Before I could say anything else, Rick was pulling me into a hug, and I was crying yet again. After a few moments Rick pulled away, and I could see the tears making tracks down his cheeks, and I let out a chuckle so I could wipe them away. 

"My god. It's like Times Square down there." I heard Andrea say from the edge, and I grabbed Rick's hand and dragged him back to the group. 

"How's that signal?" Morales asked T-Dog. 

"Like Dixon's brain... weak." T-Dog replied back, shooting a glare at Merle. 

"Keep trying." Morales said, ignoring the jab. 

"Why? There's nothing they can do. Not a damn thing." Andrea grumbled. Morales glanced over at us when we arrived, and began to explain. 

"Got some people outside the city is all. There's no refugee center. That's a pipe dream." Rick nodded, and put his hand on the hilt of his colt, like a reflex. 

"Then she's right. We're on our own. It's up to us to find a way out." 

"Good luck with that. These streets ain't safe in this part of town from what I hear. Ain't that right, sugar tits? Hey, honey bunch, what say you get me out of these cuffs, we go off somewhere and bump some uglies? Don't gotta worry bout you gettin' pregnant, and we gonna die anyway." Merle said with a smirk, and I flipped him off before turning back to my brother, who was glaring hatefully at Merle. 

"I'd rather." Andrea said with a smirk in my direction, and I let out a laugh. 

"Rug muncher. I figured as much." Merle said to both of us. 

"Oh yeah, that's how I got pregnant. From eating out a woman. And us not wanting to have sex with you has nothing to do with the fact that you are a repulsive human being, who probably has several diseases. I would bet you have the clap or something." Merle made a face, and I automatically knew I was right, which made me snort out my laughter, and I turned away, deciding not to give him any more of my time. 

"The streets ain't safe. Now there's an understatement." Morales said, trying to steer us back on task. 

"What about under the streets? The sewers?" Rick asked. 

"Oh man. Hey, Glenn, check the alley. You see any manhole covers?" Morales asked, and Glenn ran over to the edge to check, but turned back shaking his head. 

"No, must be all out on the streets where the geeks are." 

"Maybe not. Old building like the built in the '20s... big structures often had drainage tunnels into the sewers in case of flooding down in the subbasements." The African American woman said, and I leaned over to whisper to Andrea. 

"What is her name?" Andrea let out a giggle before responding. 

"Jacqui." I mouthed 'thanks' as I finally had a name for a face, and tuned back into the conversation. 

"How do you know that?" Glenn was saying. 

"It's my job... was. I worked in the city zoning office." Glenn, Rick, Morales, Andrea, and Jacqui went down the stairs, and left T-Dog and I to watch over Merle. 

"Anybody out there? Hello? Anybody read? I'm hoping to hear somebody's voice 'cause I'm getting sick and tired of hearing mine." T-Dog was saying into the C.B. and I groaned annoyance when all we heard back was static. 

"Yeah, well, that makes two of us. Why don't you know that crap off? You're giving me a headache, boy." Merle said from where he was cuffed, and I rolled my head on my shoulders, trying to loosen the tension. T-Dog glanced up at me, but looked back at Merle a second later. 

"Why don't you pull your head out of your ass? Maybe your headache will go away." Merle chuckled but didn't say anything. 

"Try some positivity for a change. Damn." T-Dog grumbled, as he fiddled with the C.B. 

"I'll tell you what... you get me out of these cuffs and I'll be all "Sammy Sunshine" positive for you. Hey, see that hacksaw over there in that toolbar? Get it for me, hmm? Make it worth your while. What do you say, man? Come on. Get me out of these things." T-Dog scoffed in response, and didn't even look up. I sat down next to him, and leaned my head up against the wall and closed my eyes, and Bailey laid down next to me, and put her head in my lap. 

"So you can beat my ass again? Or call me nigger some more?" 

"Come on now. It wasn't personal. It's just that your kind and my kind ain't meant to mix. That's all. It doesn't mean we can't... work together, parley, as long as there's some kind of mutual gain involved. So... about that hacksaw..." Merle trailed off hopefully, but I knew neither of us would be getting it for him. 

"I guess you want me to get that rifle over there too so you can shoot that cop when he comes back up, huh?" I felt my hands clench in anger, but didn't say anything, and didn't open my eyes.

"Huh." Merle said, but nobody moved, and nobody said anything else.