Amanda was working alongside Daryl, digging graves. Amanda had a bandana in her hair, shielding her from the sunlight. They worked in silence for a few minutes before Amanda spoke up, "I'm sorry about your brother. That must be shitty." She said softly, taking a sip of water before handing the bottle over to Daryl.
Daryl nodded a response to her, taking the bottle and took a sip. He placed the bottle down and they continued to work in silence.
T-Dog dragged a body over, "Amanda, what did you do before all this?" he asked as he noticed she was helping drag bodies and dig graves while the other women did laundry and tended to the children.
Amanda looked up, "I was a nurse. Before that, I was a Sergeant in the Army. I was a medic for the 14th Combat Support Hospital here at Fort Benning." Amanda said as she stabbed the earth with her shovel.
T-dog nodded, "ah." he said, turning over and looking back at the camp when he heard Jacqui scream.
Amanda rushed over, watching from a distance, "He's bit! Jim's bit!" Jacqui screamed
Rick and Shane jogged over, examining the bite on Jim's body, "what do we do?" Shane asked softly
"The humane thing." Daryl said, pulling a gun out from his holster
"No!" Rick shouted, "No! There has to be something." he grumbled
"Fort Benning." Shane said, "Amanda, you were stationed there a while back. Right?" He asked
"Yeah, like, three years ago. It's also miles away." Amanda said, looking at Rick, "we need something closer." She said
"The CDC." Rick said, "Disease Control. It's in the name. We can take Jim to get help." Rick said, looking at the group for support.
Amanda inhaled sharply as no one responded to Rick, "I think that's a great idea." Amanda said, "I think we gather all we have now and just head out. We know this spot isn't safe as it was, maybe the CDC can provide security. Or at least guidance on how to locate safe areas." Amanda said, playing with the necklace rick gave her.
Shane shook his head, "Fort Benning has a hospital there. He can get treated there." Shane argued, "Who's gonna protect us? A bunch of nerds at the CDC or the actual Army?" He shouted
Morales shook his head, "Wherever you guys go, we won't be joining you. We have family nearby and would rather be with them during this time." He said, embracing his wife and children.
Amanda frowned slightly, looking at Morales, "Okay, I support your decision. I would choose the same thing. Family over everything else." Amanda said, glancing over at Rick.
Rick looked at Amanda, guilt sinking into his stomach. He walked over to Morales, handing him a rifle and a hug.
"I think we try our luck at the CDC since it's closer. If that fails, we move onto Fort Benning. It doesn't make sense to ignore one in favor of the other." Amanda said, "does this sound sensible to everyone?" she questioned
Dale smiled, "Good thinking, kiddo." He said, grabbing her shoulder and offering a squeeze, "let's get all this junk packed and hit the road." Dale said
Amanda walked over to the tent she shared with Shane and began cleaning out the inside. Amanda looked up as Rick walked inside, "thank you." He said, "I know i don't deserve your support but i appreciate it." He said
Amanda shrugged, "You and me against whatever's out there." She reminded him, looking up at him with glossy eyes, "It's not fair of me to be angry that you're with your family. I don't know why i thought our three little kisses meant something. It's silly." Amanda said as she rolled up shane's sleeping bag.
"I thought they did." Rick said, "But you're right, Lori is my wife." He said softly, "Thank you for helping us reunite." He said before exiting.
Amanda sighed softly as she let some tears stream down her cheek. She wiped her face, carrying the things over to Shane's truck.
"Lotta good memories we had in this ole girl." Shane said to Amanda, smacking the hood of the car. Amanda laughed softly, looking up at him, "Yeah? Like what?" She asked
Shane grinned as he walked over to her, "Me, You, a blanket and a drive in movie theater? You don't recall?" He grinned at her cheekily
Amanda's cheeks flushed, "Unfortunately i do remember." she laughed, "but it was a good time." she said, shrugging. Shane grinned widely
"are you riding with me, the grimes family or the RV?" Shane questioned her.
Amanda sighed, "you, i guess." she said, opening the door for herself before climbing inside.
The group embarked on their journey to the CDC. After driving for a few hours, the RV gave one single honk, signaling to the group that they needed to pull over. Shane pulled the car over, glancing over at Amanda who was sound asleep. Rick climbed out of his car and walked past Shanes Truck. He looked inside and saw Shane stroking Amanda's hair. Rick exhaled deeply as he walked over to the RV, "whats going on, dale?" he asked the older gentleman. Dale sighed, "Jim isnt doing too well." he said, looking at Jacqui. Jacqui looked at Rick, "he wants us to leave him." She said softly. Rick shook his head, "no. no way, we're almost there." he argued. He walked inside the RV and saw the state of Jim.
Rick and Jim spoke briefly before they came to a decision. Rick helped Jim underneath a shady tree, sighing as he offered him a gun. Jim shook his head, "you need it more." he said, "i'll be fine." he promised, looking over at Jacqui.
Rick walked back down to the road, looking around for Amanda. Amanda was sitting on the hood of Shanes car, sharing a bag of almonds with him. Amanda was staring at the ground, lost in thought.
"everyone okay?" rick questioned, "we're almost there." he said, placing his hand on his holster, shifting his weight onto one leg.
Amanda looked over at him and smiled softly, "you look very sassy right now." she said, causing laughter from the group.
Rick rolled his eyes, smiling softly, just happy Amanda was talking to him, "ha-ha, alright everyone, its getting dark soon. Let's get going." he said, walking to
~*~
The group arrived at the CDC and they climbed out of their vehicles.
Amanda grabbed her gun, climbing out of the car, "this looks promising." she said to shane, looking at the ruins all around them. Shane looked down at her, shaking his head before he jogged towards the door.
"this is a graveyard!" Daryl yelled at Rick, using his crossbow to shoot a walker, running towards the building. Amanda grabbed the arrow out of the skull Daryl just shot, jogging after him. She placed the arrow in his holder, looking at the building. Daryl nodded at amanda in gratitude before using his gun to shoot some walkers, "We gotta go, Rick!" He shouted
"Someone's in there!" Rick screamed, pounding on the steel doors, "Look! Look! The camera moved!" Rick screamed, "Please, youre killing us!" He yelled
Amanda put Carl and Sophia behind her back protecting them from walkers, "Rick, we gotta go!" Amanda begged
Rick sighed and just as he was about to give up, the gates opened. Rick ran inside, stopping quickly when he saw a man holding a gun.
The man in the lab coat held his gun up, "stop, are you guys infected?" he questioned
Amanda shook her head, "no! no." she said, "promise." she said
"you all consent to a blood test, thats the price of admission. if you have a bag outside, grab it. once those doors close, they're closed for good." The man said
Amanda nodded, running outside with Rick and Glenn to gather the bags. Amanda ran back inside, dropping all the bags on the floor. She looked over at the doctor, who held up a needle, "who's next?" the doctor asked. Amanda sighed softly, "me, i guess." she said, sitting down. She looked up as Shane walked over to her, holding her hand as the man drew blood from her arm. Amanda laughed softly as Shane kissed her arm where the needle had gone into, "you're going to give me some type of disease." she said with a soft laugh.
After everyone had gotten their shots, they all gathered in a common area and looked at the Doctor. The doctor smiled, "Hello, my name is Dr. Jenner." He began, "I'm glad to say everyone here passed the blood sample test." He said, "You're all probably very tired and hungry. Please, help yourselves to a hot shower, anything from the kitchen and a bedroom. There's a recreational room for the children, you can use everything except the gaming systems - they demand too much energy." Jenner said, smiling, "There's alcohol in the kitchen as well." He nodded
Amanda walked down the hallway and opened the door to a small room. She dropped her bag on the floor, exhaling softly before sitting on the edge of the bed. She began unlacing her shoes slowly before she took them off and placed them besides her bed. She stripped her clothes and placed them in a neat pile besides the door. Amanda walked into the bathroom, cleaning herself off. She decided to keep to herself that night, feeling overwhelmed with emotions. She was conflicted about Rick. She felt drawn to him but knew he was married. She was afraid of spending her time alone, unloved. She leaned towards Shane because he felt familiar. She felt guilty for leaning on him for comfort, but knew deep down he was doing the same.
After Amanda's shower, she changed into one of Ricks old button ups that she had taken from him. She crawled into bed, picking up a book. She leaned against the wall, pulling a blanket over her lap as she turned on a lamp and turned off the main light, to conserve energy. She played with the necklace Rick gave her as she read her book quietly.
There was a soft knock on the door and Amanda perked up, "Come in." Amanda said, sitting up and closing her book, keeping her thumb inside to remember her page. Rick walked in slowly, holding a plate of food, "You missed dinner, i brought you a plate." He said, setting it down on the nightstand besides her. Amanda smiled softly, "thanks, i'm not very hungry." she admitted, "not very often we get to shower and relax." she said softly. Rick nodded in agreement, "i like your shirt." he said with a soft smile, looking over at her, "and your necklace." he added. Amanda looked down at her book, inhaling softly, "Thanks." She laughed quietly, "Well, thank you for bringing me dinner." she said, looking up at him, "i hope you enjoy your night." she said, dismissing him.
Rick raised his eyebrows slightly, "yeah, you're welcome. have a nice night. even though it's only like... 6:00pm." he laughed softly, walking out of the room and shutting the door.
Amanda curled back into the blanket and continued reading her book. After about two hours, there was another knock on the door. Amanda looked up, "come in." she called, sitting up again. Rick walked in again, his body language and demeanor different. He was slightly buzzed, "We need to talk." He said, pushing his back against the door, "I can't stand knowing you hate me." He blurted out. Amanda scrunched up her eyebrows, "I don't hate you, Rick." Amanda said, patting the edge of the bed for him to sit with her. Rick sat down, looking over at her. Within the two hours, he had showered and changed clothes. He smelled like nice soap and wine.
Amanda smiled softly, shaking her head, "I'm infatuated with you, Rick. That's the problem. But we can never be together. It's not fair to Lori or Carl." She said softly. Rick looked at her, "Or Shane?" He questioned, "I saw you two, in the water. Naked, or half naked, touching." Rick said, his eyes turning dark. Amanda shook her head, "It wasn't like that." She promised, "Shane struggles with boundaries and you know it." She said, tracing the letters on the front page of the book, "I think you and i make an amazing team. But i don't think it's our time, Rick." She said softly. Rick shook his head, "I know. I know." He said, looking at the ceiling. He sighed softly as he looked down, his gaze avoiding Amanda. Rick played with a loose thread on his pants, staying quiet.
Amanda leaned over, attempting to kiss his cheek. When Rick heard her shift, he had looked up, causing their lips to touch gently.
Amanda pulled away, laughing softly, "How awkward." She said.
Rick looked at her, his affect flat. He leaned in, cupping Amanda's cheek as he pulled her in for a kiss. Amanda's eyes widened and she pulled away, looking at Rick in disbelief.
Rick opened his eyes, "I'm so.. Im so sorry." He stammered.
Amanda shook her head, "stop." She said, leaning back in to reconnect their lips.
Rick closed his eyes, placing his hand on her cheek as he shifted his body so he was facing her. Amanda placed her hand on Ricks thigh for stability as she moved closer to him.
Rick grabbed Amanda's hips, carefully pulling her onto his lap as he deepened their kiss. Amanda placed her hand on the back of his neck, wrapping her legs around his waist as she bit his lower lip gently, before pushing on his chest to get him to lay back on the bed.
Rick held onto Amandas hips, laying back on the bed as he moaned softly into her mouth, feeling her sit down on his hardening bulge.
Rick pushed his hips up carefully, using his hands to push Amanda down deeper into him, for some relief.
Rick pulled his hands off her hips before reaching up and unbuttoning her shirt delicately .
Amanda pulled away from the kiss, watching his hands, her heart was pounding rapidly in pure excitement.
Rick let out a soft groan as he examined her breasts, noting her nipple piercings. He leaned in, leaving a hickey on her breast. Amanda closed her eyes as she inhaled deeply, "rick..." she mumbled, "Rick.." amanda said again, her voice shaking.
Rick stayed quiet, pulling away from her breast before he laid her down on the bed. He kissed down her stomach carefully before leaving a soft kiss on her clit through her panties.
Amanda bit the inside of her cheeks in anticipation, watching Rick closely.
Rick slowly pushed her panties to the side and used two fingers to spread her open. He leaned in and gently began sucking on her clit. He closed his eyes in bliss, moaning softly.
Amanda pressed her body into the bed, looking up at the ceiling in disbelief. She gripped the bedsheets, exhaling deeply as she felt Rick insert his middle finger. Amanda was trying her best to stay quiet but let out a shaky breath when she felt his ring finger insert along side his middle one.
Within a few moments, Amanda felt a knot in her stomach, "Rick... Rick..." amanda said forcefully, reaching down and attempting to push his head away, feeling overwhelmed from the pleasure. Amanda's breathing got shallow as she bucked her hips, trying to push Rick away, "stop i'm going to cum, rick." amanda whispered loudly.
Rick pulled away for a moment and pushed her knees up to her chest, deepening his face between her legs, slurping loudly as he swallowed her cum.
Rick looked up at her, his eyes dark as her juices dripped down his chin. He leaned up, kissing Amanda hungrily. Amanda reached over, unbuckling his belt as she tossed them to the floor. Amanda laid rick down on the bed and pulled down his boxers. She exhaled softly as she examined his length before she began pumping his shaft. Rick closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he felt her begin to suck on the tip.
Amanda quickly moved her hand, jerking off his shaft while she sucked on the head. She used her free hand to stable herself, on his hips.
Rick placed his hands in her hair, tugging on it slightly. He squeezed his eyes shut and after a few minutes, he released his load down her throat. Amanda pulled away, wiping her mouth as she looked down at Rick.
They both paused, realization setting in. Amanda went wide eyed, "Oh my god.." She said, moving away from Rick, "Oh my god." she whispered, covering her mouth, "What did we just do?" She gasped softly.
Rick rubbed his face, "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry."
He said.
Amanda shook her head, "No, it's not your fault. I'm the one that's sober." Amanda said quickly as she buttoned her shirt, "You should uh... I should go to sleep." Amanda said, standing up out of her bed, "Yeah... I'm gonna go to bed." Amanda said, watching as Rick got his clothes back on, "Goodnight." She said, watching as Rick walked down the hallway.
Amanda laid back in bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling disappointed in herself for enjoying Rick so much, for loving him so deeply. She rubbed her face, sighing softly before she drifted off to sleep