Just run

Thirty six

"Hey, kids. You okay?" Rick asked Georgie gently that night, as her, Carl, and Noah played a far too competitive game of cards.
"What the fuck are you wearing?" Georgie laughed, looking over at the man, who was now dressed in a sheriff's outfit, holding his jacket.
"New job." Rick shrugged nonchalantly, and Georgie carried on laughing.
"I'm sorry, I just can't take you seriously." Georgie laughed, making Rick roll his eyes. Teasingly, he took Carl's hat, and pulled the jacket back on, the hat half covering his face.
Georgie breathed in slowly, the whole atmosphere changing, then she knocked the hat off his head.
"Enough fooling around." She mumbled.
"What's wrong?" Noah asked in confusion, and Georgie shrugged, then walked away, stepping into the downstairs bathroom.
"Hey. What was that about?" Rick asked softly, walking in straight after her a few seconds later.
"Nothin'."
"It was something."
"Nothing!"
"Georgie. Talk to me." Rick begged gently, and Georgie let put a sharp exhale.
"You just... Stood with that uniform on, the hat half covering your head... It reminded me too much of that officer who came to my house when my dad died. He knocked on the door, and I answered it, and he looked exactly as you just did. Then he took of his hat, knelt down, and asked to speak to my mommy. His exact words. Then I got her, and listened by the doorway as he told her my father'd been killed in a car accident. Then... Then I got Tegan, and I told her he died. I was nine. She was five and a half."
"Oh, Georgie."
"I miss him so much. Everyday."
"I know. I know you do. That's why you tried so hard to hate Daryl for so long. Why you tried to resist his and your mom's relationship."
"Carl told?"
"Carl told." Rick nodded.
"I don't hate him anymore," Georgie pointed out suddenly, "I... I actually think I love him."
"Tell him that one day. It'd change his life." Rick smiled softly, and Georgie rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop the smile from creeping up her face.

"You could wear this." Maggie suggested, showing Georgie yet another shirt.
"It's just not right." Georgie whined.
"Okay, you told me five minutes ago you don't want to go to the party and you don't care what you wear." Maggie laughed.
"I've got this." Rosita announced from the doorway. She passed Georgie two dresses, and nodded. "Try them. Choose one."
"A dress?"
"Yeah. Get moving." Rosita ordered, and Georgie rolled her eyes, but wriggled our of her jeans and shirt, and tried on both dresses, setting on a simple black dress, freckled with daisies, with bandeau top.
"I love it. Georgie, you actually look like a girl." Rosita half teased, and Georgie rolled her eyes, then laughed, a smile filling her face.
"Okay, go and have a shower, then I'll help with make up." Rosita smiled, and Georgie nodded, then stopped.
"Can I ask you a weird question?"
"Sure."
"I should shave my legs, right? I... I was twelve when this started. When the world ended. I didn't shave my legs. No one ever..."
"You can if you wanna," Rosita shrugged, "but you don't have to. Most women do. If you do, make sure you at least use soap as well."
"Okay. Thanks, Rosita."
"Yeah, no worries." Rosita nodded with a small smile, as Georgie left, then showered.
She quickly dried her hair, then pulled on the black dress, smiling slightly at her reflection. She didn't hate what she saw.
"Woah." Noah smiled from the doorway, and Georgie laughed, blushing slightly, turning away. "Hey. You look beautiful."
"No." Georgie blushed, feeling strangely feminine. It never used to be her, but she almost liked it. She also knew that she could laugh and blush, but that wasn't her; she wasn't a blushing, pretty teenage girl. She was a warrior. But maybe, just maybe, she could try to be both.
"You do look very different." Noah admitted, and Georgie laughed.
"Yeah. I'm wearing girl's clothes, had a shower, and I've actually brushed my hair."
"Both looks suits you." Noah smiled, putting a strand of hair behind Georgie's ear.
"You're cute."
"So are you." Noah grinned, and Georgie smiled again, then kissed his lips briefly.
"Hey, are you kids ready?" Rick shouted up the stairs, and Carl shouted a yes from his room.
"Georgie!?"
"Yeah! Me and Noah are." She replied, walking out of her room and down the stairs. "Is Daryl not home yet?"
"No. He said he might be out for a while. Don't worry. You know a party isn't really his scene."
"Not mine either." Georgie muttered, walking into the kitchen to see Rick feeding Judith.
"Georgie," Rick smiled, slightly emotionally, "you look so beautiful."
"Nah."
"Hey. I'm proud of you." Rick said softly, before hugging her, and Georgie sank into his embrace. Someone was proud. She wasn't alone.
She wasn't alone.