This is AU. Daryl/Rick. There will be some one-sided Shane/Rick as well. Uh… No warnings except two really hot dudes lusting after each other.

I don't own the Walking Dead.

Officer Friendly/Preface

Rick inhaled deeply, catching himself in the midst of a sob and managed to hold back before the sound could wake his son who had fallen asleep on his lap only moments prior.

Carl.

Christ.

What the hell was he going to do?

The weary man carded a hand through his son's identically unruly hair, moving on to the youth's forehead and easing the crease that grief had placed there. Carl. His son—his alone. Heat gathered at the back of his nose, causing a chain reaction of pooling liquid in his eyes, a tightening of his throat and slightly jumbled thoughts.

Lori, the mother of his child and his wife since they were eighteen, was dead.

His vision grew hazy and he allowed a couple of stray drops to slide down his cheeks, mindful of his son, and ensuring that they didn't fall on his sleeping angel's face. He glanced down to the pale, tearstained cheeks of Carl and tensed his muscles to keep from shaking.

What the hell was he going to do without Lori? Rick wasn't a fool; she was the primary parental figure in Carl's life. She was the one who went to parent teacher conferences. She was the one who helped Carl with his homework, the one who checked if their boy had brushed his teeth before bed. She usually the first and last person who Carl saw every day.

How the hell do I even start to think of filling her shoes? A tanned hand rose and scrubbed over his face, growing with ferocity as his thoughts continued to grow more and more antagonizing.

The only thing that he knew was that he couldn't carry on being a deputy, and he had already quit earlier on in the day.

Five hours earlier…

"She's dead…She's—she's… Shane…My wife is dead."

Warm brown eyes were alit with sympathy and sorrow as the owner of the tawny orbs reached forward and pulled Rick into an embrace. Shane's rough hand cupped the back of the broken man's neck, cradling his best friend to him as much as he could without actually carrying him.

"…I am so sorry, Rick. If there was one man out there who didn't deserve this happening to him, it's you." Shane's free hand was busy rubbing soothing circles on Rick's back as he tried to calm him as much as possible in such a situation. "Lori didn't deserve going out like that…"

Rick pulled away, twisting his face in disgust. "Don't, man." It was far too soon for talk like that. With her death still fresh on his mind, talking about the nature of said death didn't bring the deputy any closer to strengthening his resolve and finding a way to break the news to Carl.

The widower stalked off to a nearby chair and sunk down into it, pressing the heels of his palms into his leaking eyes. The soft scuffle of shoes hitting the ground informed Rick that Shane had followed, but neither one of them said anything.

They sat for a good while, before Rick's head shot up, startling a nurse who was walking by.

"I'm quitting the force."

Shane was on his feet in a matter of seconds. "What?! Rick, you can't quit! How the hell are you going to provide for Carl? You didn't go to college, and you've worked there for almost half of your life!"

Rick was already shaking his head. "I can't. I can't keep working at such a high risk job. What if I was to go to work and get killed? Who would be there for Carl? How can I continue on working as a deputy when I know that there is a possibility of leaving Carl alone in this world? I am not putting him through this again!"

Shane's hands went to his hips and he got that stubborn set in his jaw, his eyes growing intense as they usually did in serious discussions. "We could get you a desk job. I'm sure that if we explained—."

"Paper pushers don't make as much as deputies, Shane. I have a son to provide for. I don't know what I'll do yet, but I know that I'll be making more than an office worker."

"Rick, I really don't think—."

"Officer Grimes?" A policewoman interrupted as she strode over to them, a soft expression on her face when she finally had their attention. "Your son has arrived, sir."

Rick inhaled deeply, and nodded lightly in thanks before turning to Shane for support.

The hardened gaze was gone, replaced with that of overwhelming kindness. "Come on, Rick. Let's go get your boy." He stepped forward and clapped a hand on the brunet's shoulder, rubbing lightly before steering him in the direction of what was sure to be the hardest conversation they were ever going to have.

Breaking the news to Carl had been like finding out for himself all over again. Nothing pained him more than hearing his son's grieving sobs, to feel the desperate tugging at the bottom of his shirt as his baby boy stared up at him with those wide, youthful blue eyes.

Eyes that pleaded for false tales. Eyes that pleaded for his mother.

Rick's hand stroked his son's hair lovingly, managing to pull himself well enough together that the mere thought of Lori didn't cause his breath to catch painfully in his throat.

We'll get through this. Rick thought, determinedly. I don't know what kind of work I'll find that'll take someone who isn't college educated, but I'll manage. Not for me, he placed a small kiss on his son's forehead, but for Carl.

Preface/End.

So yeah, you guys. Daryl will be in the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed.