Mortala

4.

Adrian hadn't slept for the last two nights trying to come up with a way to help Cormac; until one idea popped into her mind. 

The Alliance's hideout. 

She decides to write a letter to Jamesforth with Cormac's letter inside so that when Cormac delivers the letter to Jamesforth, they can allow him to read it before he retreats back to Forgefront. As she's packing the last of the four days' worth of food, Ezekiel comes up to her. 

"You're leaving?" he asks. 

Adrian sets the food in the trunk and turns to Ezekiel. "Yeah, I need to send a letter." 

"Does everyone know?" 

"Not that it's your concern, but yes. Of course, they do. Magna is in charge." Adrian replies. 

Ezekiel crosses his arms. "You're going alone?" His familiar father-like look punches Adrian in the gut. It's still weird to her how much of a father figure he was to her and now he's just...Ezekiel. It doesn't feel the same anymore; now their relationship is just the colorless shell it once was. 

"Yes, got a problem with it?" Adrian quips.

To Adrian's surprise, Ezekiel nods. "Yes. So much could happen if you go alone. Forgefront could show up, a herd of Walkers, you get hurt. Going alone is a stupid idea." 

Adrian scoffs and leans on the car. "Seriously? I'm over forty fuckin' years old, I don't need a babysitter because you're a little nervous about me gettin' an ouchie." 

Ezekiel smiles. "It doesn't hurt do have someone just in case." Adrian knows he's not gonna stop until she agrees. That's about the only thing about them that's similar; they're annoyingly persistent. 

"I suppose that someone is you?" Adrian asks, raising an eyebrow. 

He shrugs. "If you want." Adrian can see that glimmer of hope in his eyes. He wants her to take him. He wants their relationship to be the same again. 

But, it never will be. 

Adrian narrows her eyes and looks around, her guard quickly rising. "This isn't some ploy to get me alone and kill me? Because I assure you, I'd win." 

Ezekiel chuckles. "No, I'm not trying to kill you. And I know you'd win." 

"Fine." Adrian finally agrees, sighing and rolling her eyes. "Not because I'm scared to be alone but because I know you won't shut the fuck up until I say yes." 

Her former father figure smiles a happy, gummy smile and nods. "Yeah, of course, that's the reason." 

"Get the hell in. I'll radio Magna." 

Only a few hours into their small "road trip", Ezekiel has already mildly pissed Adrian off. It's mainly just his presence but Adrian doesn't care enough to figure out if that's the reason. The only reason she hasn't strangled him yet is because she doesn't know if he really had anything to do with the initial break-in. She's found no evidence of it and nobody will fess up so...innocent until proven guilty is her only decision. 

"So," Ezekiel starts, resulting in a groan from Adrian at the steering wheel. "Lexington." 

"What about it?" she asks, gripping the steering wheel. She wonders if he's trying to get information out of her so they can take over Lexington and The Alliance and dip.

"How'd you get there?" 

"This is what we're doin' now?" she hisses. 

Ezekiel shakes his head. "It's quiet, just making conversation. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." When Adrian doesn't reply, in her peripheral vision, she sees him visibly deflate.