Disclaimer—I don't own or make claim to the characters from The Walking Dead. I only own my original characters.

What I thought would be a quick in and out turned into hours. Denise is very thorough and I send the kids ahead of me. She checks over each of them with a fine tooth comb, getting medical histories, and testing everything she can. She's finally done with all the kids and they are anxious to be set free. I give them permission to go explore as long as they stay together. Rick promises that Carl will look after them as they leave. Carl had come looking for them earlier, wanting to show them around. They all kiss me goodbye and promise to stay together and be on their best behavior. They promise to be home by dark. I really shouldn't let them go, but I've relaxed a bit since we got inside the walls. This place seems too good to be true, but I haven't seen anything to concern me yet. They all seem to be exactly as they present themselves--good people who are just trying to survive. People who are willing to bring us in to survive with them. No alarms have gone off yet. My hope for this place is growing. Carl was right--we were almost out there for too long.

Denise takes twice as long looking me over as she did my kids. I suspect she was told of my dizziness which is confirmed as she asks me several questions about it. I tell her it hasn't happened before and in the end she says I am malnourished, likely iron deficient, but doing OK. Rest and food, slowly increasing my portions so my stomach can handle it are my instructions. Rick comes back in to hear those instructions. He thanks Denise and tells me he'll walk me back to my place. That sounds so weird. I have a place now?

As we walk home he gives me a small tour of the town. He points out the pantry, the church and the homes of a few people I have met, like Aaron. It's starting to get dark out, I think I should get home and check on the kids, make sure they're home.

As I start to tell Rick I need to get home, a couple approaches us and stops to say hi in curiosity.

"Sandi, I'd like you to meet Glenn & Maggie Rhee," Rick says.

I shake their hands and they tell me it's nice to meet me. I internally roll my eyes at this polite world that exists within these walls. Then Maggie says, "I've heard a lot about you."

I eye her warily. "Really?" I ask. "From who?"

Maggie laughs and puts her arm through mine as we resume walking. "Nothing bad, I assure you." she says. "Mostly from Rick, surprisingly. He couldn't shut up about you over dinner last night."

That shocks me. I glance at Rick who looks back at me with a grin. What on earth could he have to say about me? 

"Really?" I ask Maggie. "We didn't meet for long yesterday and most of that was me threatening to shoot him. What good could he possibly have had to say about me?"

Maggie laughs again. "Well, you left an impression, I'll say that. He was impressed you've managed to keep 4 kids alive and in pretty good health as well in this crazy world. And we heard all about your coordination as a team to work back to back and take out all those walkers. It sounds like you worked seamlessly with Rick and Carl as well."

I'm stunned that he told them all of that. I figured they just thought of me as the crazy lady that came close to shooting them. Then again, they did seem pretty determined we should join their community.

Just then the kids rush past us giggling and yelling, "See Mom, we're home before dark!" I eye the darkening sky as they run up our steps a couple houses down. "You are cutting it awfully close, you know!" I yell back. The giggling shuts off as the door slams and Carl waves and continues to his own house.

Maggie says, "Well, it was very nice to meet you! This is home for us, so I look forward to seeing you again later." She squeezes my shoulder and takes a step back to where Glenn and Rick follow us. Glenn says, "Nice to meet you Sandi, I'm sure we'll get a chance to talk more later."

"Yes, good you meet you two as well," I say as they walk up the sidewalk to their home. Rick takes his place beside me again and we continue on to my house. I'm processing all that Maggie told me and sneaking glances at him to see his reaction. None of that seemed to faze or embarrass him, so I'm not sure what to think.

As we walk up onto the porch of my new home, he stops me with his hand on my elbow. I look up at him questioningly.

He says, "Well, as Maggie already told you, I like you. I want you to be comfortable here, be safe, make a life again for your kids. Follow Denise's instructions so you can be well again."

I respond, "Um, thanks. Don't worry, I'll do what I need to in order to be strong for my kids. To protect this community. And I suppose you're likeable enough even though you have a pretty intense way of communicating." I grin at him, hoping he can take my joking around. I know I have a weird sense of humor and not everyone gets me. Jokes take some of the pressure off intense moments though, like this one. I'm still not sure what to think of him.

His response is unexpected. "That's not the kind of 'like' I mean."

"Okayyyy," I stammer. " It's not? What do you mean then?" I had to ask. I should know by now not to ask questions I don't really want to know the answer to.

He gets straight to the point. "I'm attracted to you. I think you should know that right from the start."

I let out a nervous laugh. "I'm married. Um, I mean, OK, I guess technically I'm a widow. But I still feel married even though he's gone. I haven't really had a chance to even process that yet or grieve. It's been all about keeping the kids alive." I twirl my wedding ring nervously.

"I understand," he says.

"I really don't think I'm ready to have this conversation," I declare as I try to turn around and head into the house.

He tightens his hold on my elbow. "I'll wait."

I sigh and look at him. "To be completely honest, I'm not sure I'll EVER be ready to have this conversation."

He responds, "I'll wait until you are. You'll be ready eventually. I just wanted you to know my intentions."

I mutter under my breath, "I'm definitely not ready for intentions." I look up at him. "Umm, OK, well, you can definitely consider me notified. I'll say goodnight now. It's been a very long day."

He smiles, "That it has. I really wasn't expecting you at all you know. But here you are. Get some rest." He lets go of my elbow and runs his hand along the side of my head and down to cup my cheek. "Sleep well."

"Goodnight," I reply and turn and walk into the house, shut the door and lean wearily against it. Holy crap, what was all of that. That didn't just happen, right?

"Lock the door," I hear him say from the other side of the door.

I jump hearing his voice through the door, then slowly turn and shoot the deadbolt home with a loud click followed by the softer snick of the door lock. I stand there contemplating what he just said without any comprehension. I give up and run up the stairs to check on the kids and try to turn off my mind that was now running 100 million miles an hour. I pull all the kids into the master bedroom to sleep so we're all together with the door locked and blocked. I might not have alarm bells anymore about this place, but I'm not stupid. All the alarm bells have shifted to Rick but for a different reason. I don't have the brain power to figure this one out right now. I need sleep.

Outside, Rick walks down the stairs and over to his house once he's satisfied her doors are locked. He heads up to his porch to meet Daryl there.

"You scare her off a'ready?" asks Daryl.

"No, I have no intention of scaring her off. Just the opposite really," he replies.

Daryl huffs, "Well that might not be your 'tention, but I think you might do it anyway.

"How so?" Rick asks.

"I seen the way you look at her," Daryl says.

"And how did I look at her?" Rick asks.

"Like ya was starvin' and she was the last bit o' food in the world," Daryl replies.

Rick smiles. "Heh. That obvious huh?"

"Oh, you coulda cut the air wi' a knife ou' here—that's how 'lectric it were 'tween you two," Daryl comments. "I heard wha' you just told her," he says. "You don' think that was too much, too soon?"

Rick gives him a steady look. "You know how this world is. Chances like this don't come along often. I'm done waiting to see if things work out. I'm being honest with her about it from the start. We have something pretty intense going on between us already and I only met her yesterday. I'm not going to ignore it and put it off just because people think it's too fast. If I've learned anything over these last years, it's to take whatever happiness you can find with both hands as soon as you can. Because waiting only leads to losing that chance. I'll give her the time she needs to get used to me, to the idea of us, but she needed to know where I stand."

Rick ponders some more. "She's mine Daryl."

Daryl laughs. "Yours huh? And what does she think of tha'?"

Rick continues, "She's my other half. That shock that went through me every time I touched her, it took me the night to figure it out. It's some electric connection we have, but it tells me that we belong together. I've never felt this way about anyone before, not this fast. She's mine, and I'm hers. She just doesn't know it yet. I'll help her understand."

Daryl eyes him like he's crazy. "Ya do know tha' women don' like to be told what to do, right? 'Specially when they tired, hungry and protecting their family. Ya don' think you were a little TOO honest wi' her righ' up front?"

Rick shrugs. "I can't do anything else but tell her the truth."

Daryl laughs. "Alrigh' man, but jus' know that when women get scared or overwhelmed they have a tendency to run. This is gonna be fun to watch." Daryl claps Rick on the back in sympathy.

They walk away together to head for their watch assignments.

A/N  Two chapters in one day, wahoo!  If you liked this chapter please consider giving it a vote and I would love some comments!  What did you think of Rick's pretty blunt honesty?  It just seems to me he's done with dancing around things anymore, he's going to go straight to the point.  How do you think Sandi is going to react?