Solitude -> The Walking Dead

67

"You could go further south, there are a couple of blind spots that I think Aaron-"

Rick's lips attached to my neck cutting me off. I closed my eyes while leaning further into him. His fingers went under my shirt caressing my skin. Goosebumps appeared on my skin and I swiftly turned around.

I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt until his lips met mine. He groaned into the kiss as he pulled me closer to him. My hands made their way to his face and I pulled away.

"-that Aaron overlooked." I finished.

The corner of his mouth quirked up. He took the map of the table and quickly scanned it while his other hand made its way to my hip. His fingers were tugging at my belt making my breath hitch

"You could just come with us. We wouldn't even need a map." Rick reasoned.

He then proceeded to throw it onto the ground and pick me up onto the table. My lips once again found his. The warmth of his body was so distracting. My legs wrapped around his waist pulling him closer for me to feel.

A sharp cry coming from Judith's room made us pull away. Rick let out a resignated sigh. I giggled at his defeat as his own kid conspired against him.

I pushed him further away with my hand. "Go be a dad, Ranger Rick."

His eyes never left me as he made his way upstairs. Moments later, I heard him hushing Judith and talking to her. A sigh left me as I bent down and retrieved the map. I dusted it off before taking another peek.

In blue pen was marked all the places he and Daryl had been going to see over the last few weeks. In red pen I marked all the places we've searched for Abby. They overlapped at some points, diverged at other and yet no Abby.

My fingers trembled upon holding the map and I set it down while taking a couple of deep breaths. It has been way too long since I last saw my sister. I wanted to believe I'd see her again. There was no body. A body was proof of death. Without it, anything could've happened.

Rick walked downstairs with Judith in his arms. She made an incomprehensible sound upon seeing me. I smiled weakly at her as Rick came closer to take the map I left.

I cared for her, but she reminded me of Rhea. It was a nasty habit. Seeing the people I've lost in others and resenting them for it. Judith only reminded me that my niece would never grow up to be her age. The same thing happened whenever I looked at Carl.

"Carol will be here any minute to watch over her while Daryl and I are gone." Rick said.

I lifted my hand to wrap one of my fingers around a lock of Judith's hair. She turned her head to look at it in amazement. Rick smiled at the action before kissing the top of her head.

"That's good. Glenn said he and I would leave after he sorted out some stuff with Maggie." I informed him.

He's been helping me look for Abby ever since he found out about what happened. His guilt over Rhea's death matched mine. We promised we'd protect them. And we failed.

"Hey, you're gonna find her," Rick lifted up my chin, "you will."

I nodded before leaning in and kissing him. As I pulled away, his eyes softened. Looking into them never failed to bring me ease. I heard a knock on the door and the rumble of conversation.

Daryl and Carol had arrived bickering about something. It brought a smile onto my face. Some things never change.

-----

"Have you talked to Dakota recently?"

Glenn's question hung in the air, unanswered. My grip on my knife tightened as I looked around the abandoned gas station. There were no messages written on the glass of the store or its walls.