GIVEN TO FLY [Daryl Dixon]

XII.

CHAPTER TWELVE
[ secrets ]

When she wakes up, Addie is gone. No longer next to her inside their tent, no sign that she'd ever been there. Her boots are gone, and her knife. Panic immediately sits in.

No, she thinks, no, please don't let this be a dream.

She shoves her feet into her boots and, without bothering to lace them, she tears the zipper of the tent open, and runs outside. Her head whips around, searching every corner of the farm. Addie isn't anywhere to be seen. She's gone. She's gone. She's gone.

"Merce," she hears, but doesn't pay attention. "Merce, hey." A hand grabs her arm. Glenn. She meets his eyes. "Hey, it's okay. She's okay. She's just going around to meet everybody. She's over there."

He points over to where she is standing and talking to Dale. The tension releases from Misty's shoulders, and they fall in unison with her long sigh of relief. "Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for. You know that." She does. They've been past apologizing to each other for small things for a long time.

"It's just going to take some getting used to. Waking up and not thinking it was all some sick dream."

"I know." His hand slides from her arm to her hand, and he squeezes it. "Maggie and I are going on another run today. You need anything?"

A smile tugs at her lips. She can't help it. "So is 'going on a run' code for sex now?"

He rolls his eyes. "No. She's mad at me."

"Does the reason she's mad at you have anything to do with why you were so jittery last night?"

"You noticed?"

"Of course," she says, like it's obvious. And it should be. After fourteen years, they know each other's expressions and mannerisms better than they know themselves.

"Fine." He lets out a long exhale. "I've wanted to tell you, I just knew she'd be mad at me if I did. But I blurted it out to Dale already, and she's already mad at me, so." He shrugs, then continues. "There are walkers in the barn and Lori's pregnant."

"Woah."

"Yeah."

"That's a lot of information first thing in the morning." He nods in agreement. "Is the barn secure?"

"Seems to be."

"Is Lori okay?"

"Not really."