Amanda was awake early in the morning, sitting on the back porch with Maverick, reading a book. Amanda didn't go anywhere without Maverick. Rick found comfort in that, knowing he would always be alerted by barking if Amanda was in danger.
Rick woke up, looking at himself in the mirror, examining his thick beard. He cleared his throat, walking downstairs, "Babe?" He called
"Out back." Amanda called back in return, looking as the backdoor swung open.
Rick smiled as he looked over at her, "you're up mighty early." he said
"I couldn't sleep." Amanda admitted, "I fed the chickens, though." amanda said
"Thank you." Rick said, walking over and kissing the top of her head. Amanda and Rick had made a home in that small house, with some chickens and a small garden. There was a creek nearby, which they used to clean their clothes and fill their canteens.
Amanda shifted, looking up at Rick, "I think we should start looking for the rest of the group."
Rick looked at her, unsure of how to feel, "Are you... are you comfortable with that?" Rick asked gingerly. He knew Amanda still had night terrors and panic attacks from The Governor. He was afraid that being out in the open would reveal some unknown triggers, sending her over the edge again.
Amanda nodded, "I can't spend my life in a bubble." She said, "You killed him... He's dead." She said slowly, "We should leave in a few days." Amanda said
Rick nodded, "we can slaughter the chickens and make jerky. take whatever fruits we've got and make some jam... tie up any loose ends." He said as he sat down besides her, "it was nice while it lasted." he admitted, "we got to live out our dreams briefly. remember?" he smiled
Amanda laughed softly as she nodded, "small house with land, chickens and animals." amanda said as she rested her head on his shoulder, "thank you." she said softly as she rested her chin on his shoulder, looking up at him
"for what?" rick chuckled softly
"bringing me back down to earth." amanda said quietly
~*~
A few days later, Rick and Amanda were tying up loose ends, preparing to leave.
Amanda placed a carton in the trunk, filling it with jerky, jam, fruit, vegetables and canned foods. She placed multiple jugs of clean water in the back as well as their clothes, some extra blankets and sleeping bags. They had a pretty good amount of supplies, due to Amanda being able to hunt and Rick being able to garden and scavenge.
Amanda closed the trunk and opened the back door for Maverick and Butterscotch, the cat.
Rick walked over and reopened the trunk, placing in some cartons of gasoline before he walked over to the passengers side, "you ready?" he asked as he opened the door for her
Amanda nodded as she looked up at him, "born ready." she said softly as she kissed him deeply
"I'll drive back to the prison, there's a set of tracks behind. I think the truck will be able to get over the tracks so we can drive on them. Maybe we'll find someone who hung around." Rick said
Amanda nodded as she climbed in the passengers seat, opening his drivers side door
Rick climbed in and started the car, driving off.
After driving for about 30 minutes, Rick looked over at Amanda, who was knitting quietly. Amanda looked up at Rick, "what's up?" she asked as she felt the car jerk around from the terrain
"Nothing, just making sure you were still alive." Rick said as he smiled softly. He drove to the tracks and drove along the side of them, looking out the window
"Stop, stop." Amanda said as she looked out the window, "look." she said as she saw a map pinned to a tree, "I can't read it." Amanda said
"I told you, you need reading glasses." Rick said
"Rick i'm 27, I do NOT need reading glasses." Amanda argued, "You're fricking 32, your knees crack every-time you squat."
Rick laughed loudly, rolling his eyes as he pulled the car over, "I think you'd look sexy with glasses on. Like a little librarian. I think you fit the vibe. You like to read, knit, make jam and take naps. You're essentially an old woman. Glasses will complete the profile." He said as he climbed out the car, opening the passenger door for Amanda.
Amanda stayed in the car and stared up at Rick angrily
Rick laughed as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the car.
Amanda jerked her hand away from him, wiping it on her jeans playfully, "nasty." she grumbled as she opened the back seat for Maverick to come out.
Rick grinned as he kissed her head, walking over to the map, "Terminus? What's that?"
"How am I suppose to know? This my first time seeing it." Amanda said
"I guess you're right." Rick said, "Those who arrive survive. Do you think the group made their way over? It's about a two day drive." Rick said, ripping the map off the tree, "give or take."
Amanda nodded, "I think they're there." She said. She heard Maverick begin to growl and she turned around, looking at a walker who was shuffling towards them. Amanda reached into her belt and grabbed her knife. She stabbed the walker, kicking it to the ground as she felt her eyes twitch in discomfort due to the encounter
Rick looked at her worriedly as he rubbed her shoulder, "let's go before more come." he said quietly as he rubbed Mavericks head, opening the door for Amanda. Once everyone was settled in the car, Rick climbed in the drivers seat, "you alright?" he asked
Amanda rubbed her eyes, "yeah, you?" She questioned
Rick nodded as he leaned over, kissing her gently, "let's go." he said softly as he started the car
"hold on a minute." Amanda said as she tucked her hair behind her ear, "you know.." she said
"What?" Rick asked as he looked at her
"I've never done it in a car. This may be our only chance!" Amanda argued
Rick laughed, rolling his eyes. He leaned down and kissed her lovingly, "mmm, maybe, maybe not." he mumbled against her lips, a happy grin on his face
Amanda cupped his cheek sweetly, "Let's go." She smiled as she pulled away from the kiss, getting comfortable in her seat. Amanda sighed as she looked out the window, "It's getting colder out. Do you think at the next town we find, we stop at a store for some warm clothes?" Amanda asked him
Rick nodded, "that sounds like a good idea." he said as he rubbed her leg, driving down the tracks.
"What's our plan for night fall? Do we sleep in the car? Or do we find some place and risk someone stealing our stuff?" Amanda asked
"I think we find a place and take our stuff inside with us. It shouldn't be that much stuff." Rick said, rubbing the back of his neck, glancing over at her
Amanda nodded, "okay." she said as she rested her head on the back of the seat, looking down at her lap and continued knitting.
It came to be about 6:30pm, the sky was getting dark. Amanda was driving now, looking around quietly as she turned into a small town. She glanced at all the stores, looking around, "your choice, CVS, Walgreens, gas station, uhmmm..." Amanda said, squinting to read the names of the building
"CVS, maybe they've got glasses for you." Rick chuckled
Amanda rolled her eyes as she parked, backing the truck up into a spot near the door, "Game plan?" Amanda asked him
"I'll knock, you open the door and I'll clear the walkers." Rick said as he climbed out of the car, jogging over to the other side and opening her door.
"Thanks." Amanda smiled as she climbed out the car. She stood in front of the dead automatic doors and knocked loudly. After a few minutes, about 6 walkers came to the door. Amanda exhaled deeply as she pried the door open, letting one out before shutting it quickly. Rick stabbed the walker, nodding at Amanda to continue. This process continued until all the walkers had been terminated.
Rick let Maverick out of the car and walked towards the door with him.
Amanda stepped inside first, looking around, "i think we make camp in the break room." Amanda said as she opened a door that said EMPLOYEES ONLY.
Rick nodded, "I'll clear out the car, you look around the store for supplies. If you need me, holler." Rick said
Amanda nodded as she watched him disappear out the front door. Amanda walked down the aisles, holding a basket as she walked slowly. She stopped in the pet section and whistled for Maverick. She smiled as the dog came running over to her side, "Let's see." Amanda hummed as she put different collars on him, "I like this one." She said, showing Maverick a bright orange collar with a reflective light, "so people can see you." Amanda smiled as she opened one of the bags, giving him a bone.
Rick finished putting everything in the break room and he walked over to Amanda. He held two pairs of glasses in his hands
"No." Amanda said bluntly
"You haven't even tried them on." Rick argued
"No." Amanda repeated
"Please?" Rick begged
"No." Amanda said for a third time. She walked down the foot aisle and grabbed a box of minute rice, freeze dried fruit, a can of green beans and a couple cans of ravioli.
Rick trailed behind her, "just once." He begged
Amanda sighed as she put her basket down and took one of the glasses. She put them on and blinked a couple times, letting her eyes adjust, "oh goodness." Amanda said in surprise but took the glasses off, "pass." she said, handing them back to Rick
"what? why?" Rick questioned
"What's there to look at?" Amanda laughed as she shrugged, "let's go to the room, i'm kinda tired." Amanda said, changing the subject
Rick nodded a she picked up the basket for her and walked behind her, "did you stop over here?" rick asked as he nodded towards the sexual wellness aisle
"essentials only." amanda reminded him
Rick grinned as he turned on his heel, walking down the aisle. He hummed as he put something in the basket, quietly, and walked back after Amanda
Amanda walked inside the room and waited for Rick to enter before closing the door. Amanda laid out their sleeping bag and placed their pillows down. Amanda watched as Rick boarded up the door.
Rick crawled onto the mattress besides Amanda, kissing her temple gently, "goodnight."
Amanda rested her head on his chest as she squirmed under his touch, "goodnight." Amanda smiled
~*~
It was about 0400 when Amanda woke up. She stretched quietly and stood up, brushing her teeth and spitting into the sink. She watched Rick rest before she began packing their items into the truck. When she finished at about 0445, Amanda kneeled besides Rick, giving him a small kiss to wake him up
Ricks eyes fluttered open and he smiled seeing, "goodmorning." he said softly
"Good morning." Amanda smiled as she kissed him again, "I got the car all packed up. We just need to fold the sleeping bag and get you ready for the day." Amanda smiled
"Why didn't you wake me?" Rick asked as he sat up
"I just did." Amanda grinned
Rick rolled his eyes, "earlier. why didn't you wake me earlier?"
"Oh! Because you were sleeping. I can take care of things on my own." Amanda smiled, "So i was looking at the map and there's a nice neighborhood nearby, maybe we can go take a look? Maybe one of the people from the groups there?" Amanda asked
Rick nodded, "sounds like a good idea to me." He said as he stood up. He walked over to the sink and began brushing his teeth. He heard growling and he turned around but relaxed seeing Amanda and Maverick playing with a toy rope. He smiled before he dried off his face, "everyone ready?" he called
Amanda walked back into the break room, "yeah." she smiled as she walked outside. She paused, squinting her eyes as she saw a gaggle of men park their car in the parking lot of a store a couple blocks away. Amanda watched with anxious eyes as she looked over at Rick, nodding her head over to the men
Rick jogged outside and looked over to where she was pointing, "get in the car." Rick ordered as he basically pushed Amanda into the vehicle to ensure the men didn't see her. He walked over to the drivers side and climbed inside, starting the car. He looked over at Amanda who was watching the men.
Amanda watched as the men argued back and forth, pushing each other around. Amanda shifted as one of the men looked over at their vehicle. Amanda looked away quickly, looking at Rick worriedly as he drove down the road
After driving for about 30 minutes, they pulled into a small neighborhood. Amanda watched as Rick pulled the truck to the side of a house, climbing out of the car and helping Amanda out.
Amanda smiled as she kissed him softly before she opened the back door for Maverick. Amanda opened the trunk and grabbed a large tarp, putting it over the car to hide it.
Rick smiled as he locked the car, "let's go." he said as he readjusted his holster
Amanda smiled as she walked down the street. She opened the door to one of the houses, knocking quietly. She waited for someone or something to come down. She looked over at Rick, "I'll take upstairs and you take downstairs?" She asked
"Take Maverick with you." Rick nodded at her as he walked into the living room.
Amanda pet Mavericks head as she walked up the stairs, looking around. She opened the bathroom door and found a pack of unused tooth brushes and hardly touched toothpaste. She put it in her bag before looking around. She grabbed a hair trimmer and put it in her bag, "maybe rick will trim his beard one day." amanda sighed hopefully as she walked into the room connected to the bathroom. She looked around what looked to be a teenagers room. Amanda sighed softly before opening another door, freezing when she saw three children laid out on the bed nicely and a woman sitting on a rocking chair with a gun in her hand. Amanda closed her eyes tightly as she gripped the door knob, trying to normalize her breathing.
After clearing out downstairs, Rick started walking up the stairs.
Amanda heard his footsteps and she quickly shut the door to the room, tears streaming down her face
"What's wrong?" Rick asked worriedly as he walked over
"Don't." Amanda said firmly, "Don't." She said, shaking her head
Rick looked at her, unsure but trusted her judgement. Rick nodded as he rubbed her shoulder, "okay." he said
"I have one more room to check, i think it's the master bedroom." Amanda said as she walked inside. She looked around and found a dark green rain coat. Amanda hummed as she slid it on, "little snug. the woman who lived here must've been skiiinnnnyyyy." amanda said as she slid the jacket off and folding it nicely before laying it down on the bed.
Rick smiled as he lead her back downstairs, "find anything good?" he asked
"toothbrushes, toothpaste and a beard trimmer." Amanda smiled
"I've noticed you've gotten a little scraggly." Rick joked
Amanda rolled her eyes, "your beard covers your neck." amanda laughed as she walked up the steps to the next house. She looked in the window before knocking quietly. Again, the house was empty. Amanda walked inside looking around, "someone is staying here." Amanda said as she noticed the bags on the floor
Rick looked around, but froze seeing his sheriffs hat, "Carl." He said, "Carls here." He said eagerly, "Carl!" He yelled loudly as he ran up the stairs
Amanda exhaled deeply as she sat on the couch, waiting for Rick to come back down.
Rick jogged down the stairs, "they might be on a run. They left all their stuff here." He said as he sat down besides her
Amanda smiled as she nodded, "I'm happy we found their stuff." Amanda said as she shifted on the couch, "I'm gonna go into the yard and play with Maverick, get some of his energy out." Amanda said as she noticed the dog was pacing around eagerly. Amanda grabbed Mavericks bag of items and led him outside. She hummed softly as she threw a ball, waiting for Maverick to return it.
After about 45 minutes, Carl and Michonne walked towards the house.
Michonne stopped, seeing movement in the window, "Carl.. stay behind me." She said as she reached for her gun. She crept towards the door and exhaled softly, pushing the door open. She paused, dropping her gun seeing Rick
"Dad!" Carl cried as he ran over to Rick, collapsing in his arms
Rick let out a happy cry as he hugged him tightly, enjoying his embrace
Amanda walked inside, smiling widely as she watched them. She quietly shut the back door and walked inside, "Hi." Amanda said to Michonne with a soft smile, "I don't think we've met before." She said, extending her hand out
"You're Ricks girlfriend, right?" Michonne asked as she shook her hand
"Wife." Amanda corrected with a tight smile
"Sorry, I thought Lori..." Michonne said
"I'm Ricks wife." Amanda said again with a tight smile, "My names Amanda." She said as she pulled her hand away
"Michonne." She smiled as she gave her an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry."
Amanda nodded as she sat down on the couch, Maverick running to her side
"Oh sweet, dad! You've got a dog?!" Carl asked excitedly, "You never let me get a dog!" He said
"It's Amanda's." Rick laughed
"You can pet him." Amanda smiled, "We also have a cat. He wanders off and just shows up randomly." Amanda admitted, "Maverick, down." Amanda said, watching as the dog laid down
Carl walked over and pet the dog gently, "Where have you guys been?" Carl asked
"We made camp in a house a couple towns away." Rick said, "We left to see if we could find y'all." He said exhaling deeply. He rubbed his arms, looking out the window as a car went zooming by, "That's the same one from earlier." He told Amanda
Amanda nodded, "I see." She said softly, "We should get going soon."
"And go where?" Michonne asked
Rick pulled out a map from his pocket, "Terminus." He said, "It's still a days drive from here. So we can make camp here tonight and head off in the morning." He said quietly
Michonne looked over the map, "You think it's real?" She questioned
"We're running on hope. When that dies, we die." Rick said
Amanda smiled softly as she kissed the top of Ricks head, "I'm gonna go put our stuff in a room." Amanda said as she grabbed their bags and walked up the steps.
Amanda walked into one of the bedrooms and froze when she saw someone scaling up the side of the home, attempting to get in. Amanda gasped as she dropped their bags, watching as the man took his gun and shot out the window. She was frozen in place.
The man climbed inside, "you're the girl from CVS." He grinned as lunged at her angrily
Amanda screamed as she fell to the ground, the man on top of her. Amanda groaned as she reached for knife in her waistband, breathing rapidly, "Maverick!" Amanda called out of reflex
Maverick ran up the stairs, barking loudly as he jumped on the man, knocking him off Amanda. Amanda stood up, reaching for her knife as the man pushed her against the window, "the more you fight, the worse it is." he admitted as he fumbled with the waistband of her jeans.
Amanda's eyes darkened as she grabbed one of the shards of glass from the broken window, stabbing the man in the eye. She cried out in pain as he leaned against her, causing a sharp piece of glass still attached to the windowsill to impale her stomach.
The man kicked Maverick off his legs and screamed loudly at Amanda, almost to try and intimidate her.
Amanda exhaled deeply as she pushed herself off the glass shard, sliding out the window and standing on a part of the roof. Amanda slid down the side of the roof and whimpered in pain as she landed on her backside. She saw one of the men standing on the porch, bouncing a ball. He was on watch, but was too focused with his yellow ball. Amanda crept up, holding a shard of glass. She was unsure what to do, anxiously she crept along side of the porch before she reached up and stabbed the man in the ankle.
The man groaned in pain as he doubled over, peeking over the railing at Amanda.
Amanda ran up the stairs, fighting with the man. Amanda screamed as he pushed his fingers inside the open wound on her stomach. She kneed him in the stomach, pushing him off. She grabbed his rifle that was sitting idle on the chair. She quickly put a bullet in his head before running inside.
Amanda looked in the window and saw Rick trying to fight off two men, one who was attempting to pull off Carls pants. Meanwhile, Michonne was pinned down, her tank top ripped down the middle
Amanda reloaded the gun and rushed into the front door, just in time to watch Rick bite the throat out of one of the men. Amanda's eyes widened as she put a bullet in the head of the man fumbling with carls buttons.
Amanda ran to Carls aid, helping him up as Rick went over to Michonne, pulling the man off her and stabbing him in the head.
Amanda looked around at the dead men on the floor. Amanda heard rustling upstairs and Maverick came running down, covered in blood. Trailing behind him was a walker - the man Amanda had stabbed in the eye.
Rick lifted up his gun and shot the man, looking over at Amanda for a reaction.
Amanda was staring at Carl who was clinging to her hip. Amanda stroked his hair back, exhaling softly, "everyone get your stuff, i'm gonna run down the block and grab the truck." Amanda said, walking over to Maverick and making sure he wasn't injured.
"Hold on." Rick said, looking at the stab wound on Amanda's hip that was bleeding profusely, "You're gonna need to clean that up." Rick said
"Rick we can't stay here." Amanda said, her adrenaline pumping, causing her to not even remember she had been impaled. She reached down and touched the wounded area and flinched
"Michonne twisted her ankle, You're stabbed.. We have to stabilize then we leave." Rick snapped, wiping the blood from around his mouth
Amanda nodded, not wanting to argue. She held onto her wound and limped up the stairs. She sat down on one of the beds and lifted her shirt up slightly, her hands trembling
Rick walked in with the first aid kit. He shut the door behind her, he looked furious, "You called for Maverick." He said
"Huh?" Amanda asked as she laid back, propping herself up with her elbow
"You got into trouble and you call for your fucking dog. Not your husband." Rick said angrily
"I-I think it was just reflex." Amanda said
"What? You think I can't protect you?" Rick asked her angrily
Amanda eyed Rick up, knowing he was lashing out simply because he was stressed from the event that almost happened with Carl, "I'm sorry, is that what you want to hear?"
"You don't think I can take care of you." Rick said as he slammed his fists against the wall
"Rick.." Amanda said as she reached over, grabbing the first aid kid. Amanda exhaled deeply as she cleaned off the blood from her stomach, but the wound wouldn't stop bleeding, "Maverick kept me safe for months while we were alone. I owe my life to that dog. Yeah, I called out to him. He came. He saved me again. I'm not arguing with you about a fucking dog. I understand emotions are high right now but get a grip on reality." Amanda said as she opened her mouth and ran her tongue over her back teeth, "I think when I fell off the roof i chipped a tooth."
"You fell off the roof?" Rick asked angrily
"I wouldn't say roof, it was like... the part beneath the window. It wasn't a bad fall, so think i just clenched my jaw as i fell and then it cracked." Amanda said
"What? Maverick didn't come to your rescue after you fell?" Rick asked, "Why don't you ask Maverick to stitch you up?" Rick yelled
Amanda flinched at Rick raising his voice. Amanda shook her head, limping to the mirror. She watched carefully as she looped the thread into the needle. Amanda asked deeply as she mentally prepared herself. She bit the insides of her cheek as her hands trembled, putting the thread through her stomach, stitching up the wound
Rick watched her, his emotions going rapid. He hit the wall angrily with his fist before walking down the steps, "I'm going to get the car." He said, looking at Carl and Michonne who were sitting on the couch, looking at Michonnes bruised ankle.
Rick walked outside, jogging down the road to where the car was hidden. He removed the tarp and folded it up, throwing it inside the trunk. He drove back to the home, pulling into the driveway.
Carl was taking stuff out of the house and setting it on the porch. He looked up at Rick, his face stoic.
Rick walked over and placed a hand on Carls shoulder, squeezing gently, "you alright?" Ne asked
Carl nodded, "i think." he said softly, walking back inside the house. He helped Michonne out of the house and into the truck.
Rick walked inside the house and went upstairs to the room Amanda was in.
Amanda's face was flushed as she finished the final stitch. She was sweating slightly and looked a bit ill
"sit down, amanda." rick said
"I'm fine." Amanda replied, just wanting to finish her stitch. She cut the thread gently before placing a large bandaid on top. She wiped off the needle looking over at Rick, her knees buckling
Rick rushed over, catching her before she hit the floor. He sighed as he helped her lay down on the bed, "easy now." he said
Amanda shrugged his touch off, "I'm fine." She said as she stood up carefully, holding onto the dresser for support.
Rick rolled his eyes as he walked over, scooping Amanda up bridal style and carried her down the stairs. He walked out the front door and placed her in the back seat besides Michonne. Rick leaned in to kiss her but Amanda turned her head, upset he had snapped at her.
Rick sighed as he watched Maverick climb in the backseat besides her.
Rick shut the backdoor, looking over and smiling at Carl, "thanks for loading up the car."
Carl nodded as he got into the passengers seat, "so, are we going to terminus?" he asked
Rick nodded, "yeah, i think so." he sighed as he started the car, driving off