Saved

LVI

"When I left all of you, I met Morgan. He helped me and Dale, let us stay with him in his loft for what... six, seven months? Something like that? And then of course Daryl, Merle and Carl found me. Daryl and I talked and I decided to leave. Dale and I bounced around. We circled this end of the US, never staying in one place too long. And every few months Morgan would set up a signal, letting me know he wanted to meet with me. That went one for three years, and the last time, I was heading up to D.C. to meet him, and I was stopped by Negan and a group of his men. I was mouthy. Asked him to let us through, and not to touch Dale, and apparently I impressed him. He invited me to stay. It wasn't much of an invitation, more like a forceful suggestion. But he said we could leave whenever we wanted. I thought he was telling the truth so we went. We were only there for a few months when he promoted me to be one of his Lieutenants. I accepted, of course, since it was either that, or continue to be one of the slaves. Or his wife, which he offered often. Uhm, I was a lieutenant for awhile, in charge of the main building, the Sanctuary. Until Dwight escaped, because of something I said. I was trying to warn him, that we were onto his plans to steal his wife back from Negan, and leave. And when we went to check on Simon's base, uhm he was one of the Lieutenants, we heard that Dwight had left. Negan hit me with his bat, hard in the head. He left me on the floor to bleed out, but he changed his mind I guess, because he let the doctor fix me up. When I woke up I had amnesia, but it was related to trauma, so I forgot what things were, and I also forgot certain faces, faces I related to a traumatic event. I didn't know Negan was Negan when I woke up. I remembered Negan and everything, just I couldn't put his face with his name. I was made a slave again, and since I was put in the cells Dale was taken away from me. Put with the wives. That went on for awhile, while they searched for Dwight. When they found him, they brought me with them, as a scare tactic, to let him know that there wasn't anyone on his side or something. I saw Daryl that day. I didn't know who he was, or I would have reached out... but I saw him. I saw you blow up the men with Abraham and Sasha, and then when you left I ran back to the other group to get a ride back to the Sanctuary. I couldn't have escaped or I would have never seen Dale again. So I went back, and eventually Negan made me a Lieutenant again, and sent me to spy on your group. I didn't know it was your group... I never recognized anyone that came in and out. And when we set up the trap for you, I didn't know what would happen. Maggie... I'm so sorry." I paused, looking over at her. 

She was clutching her stomach, and I knew from the limited information I had gotten from her that she had been pregnant but she had lost the baby. She just shook her head, so after a minute, I continued. 

"I recognized most of you. But I didn't know who Daryl was until he said his name. It was part of the amnesia. And then when we got back to the Sanctuary, Negan put me back in the cells. He used me to torture Daryl. Had men hit me while Daryl watched, things like that. And then a few days ago... something happened... and the door was left unlocked. Daryl and I snuck out, got Dale and escaped, and now we're here." I finished, and even I could tell that it was awkward in the room. They wanted to know what had happened to leave the door unlocked, but I wouldn't tell them. I would never tell them. 

"Anyway... I think it's time we all go to bed. I'll see you all in the morning, I hope." I said after a long heavy silence. I scooped Dale out of Maggie's lap, and he wiggled, but barely woke up. Daryl stood up after me, and gave me a look. 

"I'll be right over." He said, and I nodded, and left without looking back at any of their uncomfortable faces. 

"I would... I would appreciate it if we don't talk about what happened to her there. She's... she's still dealing with it. So... let's let it go okay?" I asked, scratching at my beard nervously, but when everyone nodded, I let my hand fall back down to my side. 

"Great... okay, see you." I backed out the room, and hustled over to our house, the only one without any shit littering the front lawn. When I got in, no one was downstairs, so I hustled upstairs, and found Dale sleeping soundly in the small twin bed in the room across from the master's. I shut the door so it was only open a crack, and then turned to our room, where Riley was already sitting on the bed. 

"Hey." I said softly, moving so I was kneeling in front of her. She looked up from her hands to meet my eyes, and a small smile fell onto her beautiful mouth. 

"Hi." She said, and for the first time since her breakdown, she leaned forward, and pressed her lips against mine. It was warm, and soft, and everything I remembered it to be. I cupped her face in my hands, and stood up, never breaking away from the kiss, until I was towering over her, leaning over her, and then pressing her into the bed. 

Her legs naturally wound around my waist, her hands tangling in my hair, just as they used to, and my hands skimmed down, one remaining on her face, and moving into her hair, but the other one went down to where her hip  met her thigh, pulling her closer to me. Desperately wanting all space between us to disappear. 

I pulled back, just enough to breath, but with every motion my lips brushed against hers. 

"I love you." I whispered, and I felt her lips curve up into a smile. 

"I love you." Without waiting a moment longer, I pressed my lips back against hers, and lost myself in the bliss that is my wife. 

I put the RV in drive, glancing over at Riley who was sitting calmly in the passenger seat with the stray tear falling down her face, and Dale sitting calmly on her lap. 

"Everyone ready?" I asked, looking behind me to see our family. Well... our family minus one. Lori nodded, glancing at her children, and when the others said that they were ready, my foot moved off the break. I looked in the side mirror on Riley's side, where I could see Rick standing on his driveway, looking miserable as all the cars behind us and down the street, ready to follow us roared to life. This was the longest caravan I had ever been a part of. Eighteen cars, and five motorcycles were following this RV that had managed to hold our entire family. 

"Are we sure he's not coming?" I asked again, looking at Lori and Riley, who both didn't bother wiping away their tears. 

"Yes." Lori said, her voice breaking around the word. 

"Okay." I said, heaving out a sigh as I finally pressed on the gas, and pulled out onto the main street, missing the man who we were missing, break into a run to follow us.