The next morning, Rick woke up in a panic when he reached over and Amanda was gone. He quickly grabbed his jeans and slid them on, stumbling to his feet as he scrambled out the door, "Amanda! Amanda!" He shouted
"What?! What?" Amanda asked, emerging from Judith's bedroom, looking at Rick in confusion
"God, you scared me." Rick said, pulling Amanda into his body
Amanda hugged him back, "I'm sorry." She said, balancing Judith on her hip, "I just needed to hold her." She said quietly
"It's alright." Rick said, stroking her hair back, "I got something I wanna show you." He said, "Get ready, yeah?" He smiled
"Okay." Amanda said, looking up as Dylan emerged from a bedroom across the hallway, "Good morning."
"Hey." Dylan said, rubbing his eyes tiredly, "What's all the yelling?"
"Grandpa lost his mind." Amanda joked
Rick laughed, "Gray hair is a sign of wisdom." He argued
"Mm, okay." Dylan said, "I'm going back to bed." He said
Amanda laughed as she held Judith in her arms, watching as Michonne came to join them
"Can I steal her?" Michonne asked hopefully, "We've got a routine where we garden in the morning." She explained
"Sure." Amanda said, her heart breaking a bit as she saw Judith reach for Michonne. She couldn't blame her, she had been gone for so long, Judith was bound to latch onto someone maternally. Amanda handed Judith over to Michonne, swallowing harshly as she walked over to the bedroom
"She loves you." Rick said, walking behind Amanda
"I know. I know." Amanda said, sighing softly as she closed the bedroom door. She slid off her t shirt, walking to her closet
"What's that?" Rick asked, walking over to Amanda. He touched the stitches on her stomach and his heart sunk, "What happened out there?" He asked
"Met some psycho family." Amanda said, her cheeks burning red as she remembered the way her body ached the morning she woke up after the sons had their way with her, "I don't wanna talk about it." She admired
"I'm sorry." Rick said, "I should've been there." He said, "I should've protected you. I should've believed you."
"You built something so amazing. You did this, Rick. You wouldn't have been able to if you were chasing after me." Amanda said, walking into the bathroom
Rick trailed behind her, "Did Shane say anything about me?" He asked, turning the shower on
"We spent months together. We talked about a lot of things." Amanda said, "We also kissed a little." She joked
Rick's face remained stoic as he looked at Amanda
Amanda laughed, "I'm kidding." She said, "We kissed a lot!" She joked
Rick clenched his jaw, staring down at Amanda as he turned the shower head off, "Amanda." He warned
"What!" Amanda laughed, "What else were we suppose to do?" She said, knowing she was digging herself a grave
Rick sucked on his teeth as he shook his head, making his way over to her. He cupped her cheek, forcing their lips together
Amanda moaned softly as she pressed her body against the bathroom sink, wrapping her arms around his neck
Rick pulled Amanda's body closer by her hip, his other hand tangling itself in her hair. He pulled on it firmly, forcing their lips apart
Amanda looked up at him, her lips slightly parted as she admired his beauty, "More." She begged, reconnecting their lips
Rick pulled Amanda back by yanking on her hair, "No, no. You wanna play games." He recalled
Amanda shook her head, "No I don't. I don't." She promised, forcing their lips to connect. She slid down her panties, kicking them across the bathroom floor. She fumbled with Ricks pants, pulling them down quickly
Rick spun Amanda around, looking at her through the mirror as he slid off the remainder of his clothes. He spit in his hand before he reached down and began pumping his shaft
Amanda stood on her tippy toes, spreading her legs eagerly, "Rick!" She said, noting he was getting carried away with jerking off
"Sorry."Rick laughed, guiding his shaft into her hole from behind. His eyes fluttered shut as he pushed his hips flushed to her backside, "Christ." He mumbled, bullying his cock inside of her tight hole
Amanda gripped the sink for stability as she adjusted to his length. Her knees trembled as she struggled to stay upright
"I've got you." Rick cooed, circling his arm around her waist as he held her up. He used his other hand to hold onto her neck, choking her lightly. His cock twitching when he noted how massive his hand was in comparison to her neck
Amanda's eyes widened as she stared at Rick through the mirror, noting the bulge in her stomach from his massive shaft. A loud moan escaped her lips as Rick tightened his grasp around her neck, "Oh, god." She cried out
Rick gently moved his hand up, covering her mouth to not disturb anyone who might've been in the home. He kissed beneath her ear before he pulled out, ushering her to their bed, "Lie down."
Amanda whined softly as she laid down on the bed, "Rick, please." She begged
"Patience, sweetheart." Rick chuckled, crawling on top of her body. He shifted, draping her legs over his shoulders, "Patience." He hummed, tracing her slit with the tip of his shaft two or three times before his head found her hole. He slid in, snapping his hips forward so he could push past the tight band of muscles
Amanda arched her back, her lips parting slightly as a moan escaped her lips. The angle and the intensity of Rick's thrusts were nothing short of devastating. Rick continued to give short and precise jabs to Amanda's cervix, his head bowed as sweat trickled down his temple, "I love you." Rick spoke up
Amanda nodded, unable to form a single thought, "God!" She cried again, her toes curling as she stared up at Rick in disbelief. Her vision blurred as her ears began to ring, which was accompanied by a familiar warm feeling in her stomach, "Please, God." She cried as she dug her nails into his tricep, cumming messily onto Ricks shaft, leaving a ring of thick white cream around his base
Rick looked down at where their bodies connected and he grinned widely, "There you go." He cooed, his thrusts speeding up. He pressed a deep kiss on Amanda's lips as he came deep inside of her, his thrusts never faltering.
Amanda placed her hands on Rick's chest, kissing him softly as she attempted to push him off her body, "I want to shower so I can see everyone." Amanda whispered
Rick kept his body on top of hers, his shaft still inside of her. Selfishly, Rick wanted to keep Amanda to himself. His wife was gone for months - he wanted to spend time with her; unwinding, reconnecting, and just being together. He knew he couldn't get Amanda to sit still and stay in the house with him, so his goal was to coerce her to staying in bed with sex. Rick kissed her neck softly, "Amanda, stay in bed with me, baby. I'll make it worth your while." He pleaded, giving shallow thrusts inside of her
Amanda moaned softly, "I want to see everyone." She pleaded, but made no effort to get out from under his body
"I want to see you." Rick said, kissing her neck as his thrusts became slow but deep, aiming for her g spot
Amanda gasped out as her back arched, her vision going blurry again, "Richard." She whined
"I'm right here." Rick said, kissing Amanda's knees softly - since her legs were draped over his shoulders, "I'm right here." He reminded, dragging his tongue slowly down her leg
Amanda moaned louder, the bed creaking beneath their bodies as Rick's thrusts began to speed up. Her body trembled lightly as she began to feel overstimulated, "Rick!"
"Almost, almost. Just one more big one, mama. Can you do that?" Rick asked, pressing his forehead against hers
Amanda nodded rapidly, squeezing her green eyes shut as she tried to stop shaking, "God!" She cried louder, her whines silenced by Rick's lips. Amanda felt warm tears stream down her cheeks from overwhelming pleasure, "I love you." She gasped out as she came on Rick's shaft messily, her back lifting off the bed
"Atta girl." Rick praised her, his release following suit not long after. He slid his shaft out slowly, hissing at the absent feeling of warmth, "Go shower, yeah?" He said, rubbing her leg soothingly.
Amanda laid in bed, staring at the ceiling as she nodded, unable to move, "Okay." She said, holding onto the blanket as she forced her body to stand. She limped to the bathroom, dropping the blanket on the ground as she closed the door behind her.
Rick stood up, sliding on his jeans and button up before he walked out of the room.
After 30 minutes, Amanda walked down the stairs. She was wearing light wash blue jean shorts and a black tank top. Her hair was damp still from her shower, "Hey." Amanda smiled, sliding on her socks
"Hungry?" Rick asked her
"No, thank you." Amanda smiled
"You should eat." Rick said, trying to keep Amanda from going outside. He knew it was wrong, but he just wanted her to himself
Amanda laughed as she grabbed an apple, rubbing it against her shirt before she took a bite, "Let's go see stuff!" She said, eagerly
Rick inhaled deeply as he looked at Amanda, nodding before he led her outside of the house, "Amanda. Carl uh, Carl wrote letters... before he died." He said
Amanda paused on the porch, looking down at Rick, "He did?"
"He left you one." Rick said quietly
"Where is it?" Amanda asked anxiously
"Sit down." Rick said, sitting down on the second step
Amanda exhaled deeply as she sat beside him, watching as Rick took out an envelope from his breast pocket, "Oh, wow." She said, using her pinky to open the envelope
Rick watched her for a moment before he turned away, wanting to give her privacy.
Amanda gently placed the envelope on her lap, exhaling deeply as she held up the letter. Almost immediately, her eyes began to well up at the mere sight of his writing. Since the apocalypse happened while Carl was so young, there were certain things he didn't really learn about due to lack of schooling. Punctuation being the biggest perpetrator, with spelling close behind. Amanda's hands trembled as she touched the paper delicately with her fingertips, a soft sob escaping her lips as she read his sweet words. She tore her gaze away from the paper when she felt Rick's calloused hand delicately touch her shoulder
"I know." Rick said simply, yet his voice cracked as he spoke. He inhaled softly as he pulled Amanda into his embrace, kissing her temple softly, "You've got company." He whispered
Amanda pulled away from Rick, wiping her eyes as Dylan walked over, Daryl on his tail, "Hi, buddy."
"You okay?" Dylan asked protectively, his eyes darting over to Rick
"I'm alright." Amanda smiled, her heart warming up at the idea of the young man trying to protect her, "What's up?"
"Can I go to the lumber yard with Daryl?" Dylan asked hopefully
Amanda looked over at Daryl, not wanting to pawn Dylan off on him
"We need the hands." Daryl said, pretending like he wasn't eager to spend time with the spunky young man
"Okay." Amanda laughed quietly, "I'll be over soon. Okay?" She smiled, watching as Dylan ran over to Daryl's motorcycle
"Good kid." Daryl said, "Reminds me of Carl." He said quietly
"Yeah." Amanda squeaked out, her eyes red from crying, "I'm gonna go wash my face." She said softly, standing up. She walked into the house, exhaling softly as she made her way to the room. She folded the letter up, placing it in her nightstand before she walked into the bathroom and rinsed her face off with cold water.
Rick watched as Amanda walked out of the house, minutes later, "Hey." He said, smiling softly
"Hi." Amanda said, kissing Rick delicately, "Who else did he write letters for?"
"Negan." Rick said quietly
"Too bad he's dead." Amanda laughed softly
"No, he's not." Rick said, rubbing the back of his neck
"Mm?" Amanda asked, "He's a walker?"
"No, Amanda. I kept him alive. Staying alive in a cell alone is worse than death." Rick said
A soft gasp escaped Amanda's lips, her brows furrowing, "I need to see him." She said, grinding her teeth quietly
"Amanda, Carl talked a lot about unity. How every life matters." Rick said, "We honor Carl by keeping Negan alive."
"How do we honor Glenn? Or our baby that died because we couldn't get to The Hilltop in time?" Amanda asked
Rick's heart sunk, his stomach turning in knots. Their unborn child. How could he have forgotten? He had been so overwhelmed with Judith, Carl, The Bridge, unity and mourning Amanda - who he thought was dead - that he forgot about the child they loss. He inhaled softly, "Amanda, please." He said quietly
"What? Does that baby not matter?" Amanda asked, placing her hand on her stomach, "Does it not matter how you almost had to cut Carl's arm off? O-or what about Abraham? How he carried me for two miles when I was sick? Gave me his jacket so I wasn't exposed to The Saviors? He took a bat to the head for me." Amanda said, her voice raising
"Darling, I know." Rick said soothingly, "But if we kill Negan, he becomes a Martyr."
"Who would know if he's dead?" Amanda asked, "Who? Me. Me! That's all." Amanda said, "I need to see him."
"Give me your gun." Rick said
Amanda laughed, "No, Rick."
"Amanda. Give me your gun." Rick said again
"No!" Amanda said, angrily
"Then no Negan." Rick said, firmly
"I'll find him myself." Amanda snapped, walking past Rick. She folded her arms over her chest, making her way to the building where Morgan held a wolf hostage at one point
Rick ran down the sidewalk after Amanda, "Promise me you won't do anything stupid."
"I won't." Amanda barked at him
Rick sighed at her tone, understanding her frustration. He led her down to where Negan was held, and he quietly unlocked the door
Amanda walked in first, looking around the dark cell
"Mandy?" Negan asked, sitting up, "I thought you were swiss cheese!" He said
"No machine gun can take me down." Amanda said, lightly
"Where ya been, sweetheart?" Negan asked
"With Shane." Amanda said
"Shane Walsh? He's alive?" Negan asked, looking at her curiously through the darkness
"Yeah. He abandoned ship when you guys were getting your asses kicked." Amanda explained, "Come to the light. I want to see you."
"Why? Ricky not doing enough for you?" Negan asked, cockily
"I just wanna see you." Amanda said, firmly
Negan stepped forward, examining Amanda closely, "You've lost weight. Shame. The way your curvy body looked kept me sane." He said, eyeing up Amanda's body. The months that Amanda was wandering the wilderness with Shane made her slim down. She still had her nice figure, but there was less cushion
"Good thing my body is not for you to oggle at." Amanda said, perking up when she heard a woman's voice
"Mother goose, come in."
Rick sighed as he picked up his walkie talkie, "What, Tara?" He asked, walking out of the basement
Amanda glanced at Negan before walking after Rick. She closed the door, watching as Rick's face contorted
"We gotta go." Rick told Amanda, running down to the stables
Amanda ran after him, "Rick!" She said, worriedly. She jumped up on the back of his horse, holding onto his waist
"Feels familiar." Rick said, recalling their encounter in Atlanta. He sped off down towards the lumbar yard, focusing on the task ahead and not the way his heart fluttered at the feeling of Amanda's hands on his waist
"What's going on?" Amanda asked worriedly
"There's a herd that didn't follow the route we set up!" Rick shouted over the clapping hooves of the horse, "Someone screwed up!"
"Who would do that?" Amanda asked
"Probably a Savior." Rick replied, pulling up to the lumbar yard
"Dylan!" Amanda screamed, jumping off the back of the horse, sprinting down to him
"Amanda!" Dylan said, "I'm okay!" He promised, using his knife to stab a walker in the eye
Amanda grabbed her machete from the sheath, slicing through a walker, "Get behind me!"
"I can do this, Amanda!" Dylan promised
Amanda looked over at him, nodding, "We stay together, okay?" Amanda said, "You ever done a kill circle?" She asked
Dylan shook his head rapidly
"Back against mine." Amanda said, "We gotta move outta here fast." She said, pressing her back against Dylan's, "Here." She said, handing him her machete. She took out her knife, feeling more comfortable if there was more space between Dylan and the walkers.
Dylan examined the red handle of the machete before he gripped it tightly, swinging at a walker. His eyes widened in amazement as the blade slid through its skull, "Woah."
Amanda drove the knife into the base of the walkers skull, "Rick!" She shouted, unable to see him
"I'm here! I'm here!" Rick promised, "There's too many!" He shouted, running through the lumbar yard to find Amanda
Dylan looked around at two men who stood on top of a pile of logs, "He-Hey! Hey!" He shouted, trying to get Aaron's attention that the grip that one of the two men had was weakening. But it was of no use. Dylan ran over, attempting to help Aaron hold up the log
"Kid! No!" Aaron said as two walkers made their way towards them. Aaron attempted to use his boot to kick away the walker, but he lost his balance, slipping down to the ground, dropping the log
Amanda had gone to cut the mules loose, not paying attention to anyone but the task in front of her. She struggled to cut through the ropes with her knife. She looked up hearing a loud scream, "Dylan!" Amanda shouted, seeing the young boy trapped underneath the log
"Fuck! Fuck!" Aaron said, killing the two walkers, "Help me!" He shouted at Daryl
Daryl helped Aaron lift the log, revealing Dylan's mutilated arm
Amanda sprinted over, dodging through the walkers, "No, no, no!" She screamed
"What do we do?" Aaron panicked, looking at the young boy who was struggling to remain conscious
Daryl watched in horror and admiration as Amanda picked up Dylan, carrying him bridal style
"Come on, baby, come on." Amanda cooed at Dylan, running towards one of the horses. She placed Dylan on top before she climbed up with him
Rick grabbed one of the mules, climbing on back, "We gotta take him to the camp!" He shouted, "Come on!"
Amanda followed Rick's mule, holding onto Dylan, her body quickly becoming covered in blood. She struggled to hold onto the reigns of the horse as well as Dylan's limp body, "Come on, baby. Don't do this." Amanda cried, her body physically unable to handle another dead child
Rick jumped off his mule once they arrived to camp, "SIDDIQ!" He screamed
"It's just me!" Enid called, rushing out of the tent
Rick helped Amanda lower Dylan off the horse, carrying him inside the tent
Amanda rushed inside after Rick, pausing when a pair of hands grabbed her, "Let me go!" Amanda snarled
"It ain't helpful that you're in there." Daryl said
"I'm a fucking nurse." Amanda said, pushing Daryl off her body
"You ain't in the right mindset!" Daryl argued, grabbing Amanda's waist, pulling her back
Amanda struggled against Daryl's embrace, fighting his strong calloused hands off her body. She ran into the tent, her eyes widening as she watched Enid saw off Dylan's arm while Rick held him down, "No, no." Amanda whispered
"Get her outta here!" Rick shouted at Daryl
Daryl grabbed Amanda, slinging her over his shoulder as if she was a bag of flour. He carried her down to the center of the camp, placing her on the ground
"Who?!" Amanda screamed, looking around, "Who fucked up?" She asked, loudly
"Ain't my fault the walkie talkie wasn't charged." A man spoke
"They're solar powered." Daryl said, angrily
Amanda turned on her heel, "What's your name?" She asked
"Justin."
"Justin?" Amanda questioned, nodding, "Justin." She repeated, walking over. Almost immediately, her fist connected with his jaw, causing Justin to double over. When he did, Amanda grabbed his shoulders, pulling his face down onto her knee, slamming his nose against her kneecap
"Psycho bitch!" Justin screamed, clutching his nose
"Amanda!" Daryl shouted, pulling her aside, "You ain't doing anything." He said, pushing Justin to the ground, giving him a kick in the ribs
"Hey!" Rick shouted as a gaggle of Saviors began to form, "Hey!" He yelled, running from the tent, "Amanda! Daryl!" He warned
"He almost killed everyone!" Amanda screamed
"Amanda, sweetheart." Rick said, calmly, "Go be with Dylan." He said
Amanda exhaled deeply as she walked towards the medic tent
Justin scoffed as he watched Amanda walk away, "You look better walking away, anyway." He taunted her. He looked over at Rick, "Keep your bitch on a leash."
Daryl chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked over at Rick - knowing his high and mighty plan of unity would crumble the moment anyone spoke ill of Amanda
Rage flushed over Rick's face, "Excuse me?" He asked
"I said - keep your bitch on a leash. She's a hazard. Flight risk." Justin said
Rick let out a shaky breath as he walked over to Justin, "You do not speak of my wife." He warned, "She does not exist to you. If I hear one more thing, stitches won't fix what I'll do to you." He barked, "My recommendation would be to pack up and leave camp before you make me do something I might or might not regret."
"You couldn't pay me to stay." Justin muttered, walking past Rick
Rick looked down at his shaky hands before he went to the medic tent
Amanda was sitting by Dylan, her knuckles bloody - whose blood they were coated with is unknown. She was stroking Dylan's hair, watching him sleep
Rick grabbed a rag, dampening it with some solution before he walked over to Amanda. He knelt down beside her, taking her hand. He cleaned the blood from her knuckles, chuckling softly
"What?" Amanda asked
"You're crazy, is all. A man twice your size? Really, Amanda?" Rick laughed quietly
"You know how when a mother and child are in a car accident and the mother has like super strength? She can move the car?" Amanda asked, "That's how I felt." She laughed softly
"Mama bear." Rick said, stroking her hair back, "I'm gonna go get us a cot so we can stay with Dylan." He said
"Please." Amanda said, gratefully, watching as Rick walked out of the tent. She brought her attention back to Dylan, stroking his cheek delicately. Her heart burned at the thought of him being without an arm. How weak it made him now. But she was proud of him for being so noble - risking himself to help a man he had never met before - willing to put himself in harms way for another human being. Amanda felt tears stream down her cheeks as she kissed Dylan's forehead softly
"Mom?" Dylan mumbled, in a daze from the medication
Amanda's heart fluttered, unsure of how to reply to the name. She knew he was most likely in a haze from all the medication - or maybe he did feel that way about her. She simply just pressed her forehead against his, "I'm right here, Dylan. I'm not going anywhere." She whispered