As I turned on the next burner, the pan sizzled beside me, my head bobbing as 'More Than a Feeling" blasted throughout the house. Judith sat in her high chair, her mouth stuffed with stale cheerios. Selena stood beside me, humming as she mixed the contents in the pan. Daryl had managed to score big time and found bulks of canned vegetables, something we were starting to run low on in the pantry. I had managed to make homemade flour tortillas yesterday and felt beyond excited to serve them up today. Rick, Carl, and Selena had eaten half of what I made yesterday. The familiar sound of a ball hitting the wall in another room made me smile. Judith cooed and slammed her hand down on the highchair table, a giggle escaping her mouth as her cereal bounced everywhere.
"Smells great in here," I turned and smiled at Rick as he walked into the kitchen. I turned back to the tortillas with a giant smile and flipped them, making sure not to burn them. My stomach growled as I looked at the vegetables in the pan, my mouth almost watering. Warm arms snaked around my waist, making me jump slightly. I chuckled and turned a bit, kissing Rick's cheek as he leaned down on me, looking at the food.
"Arroz," I pointed to the saucepan filled with Mexican fried rice, "Vegetable medley and tortillas," Rick grinned as he looked at all the food, his arms squeezing me.
"I helped," Selena chirped as she gave the pan of vegetables a final stir before turning the burner off. Rick reached over and squeezed her shoulder, a proud smile on his face.
"I bet it'll be delicious," He smiled. The ball hit the wall again, but this time, a crash followed. I shook my head and rolled my eyes, knowing he had broken something.
"Carl!" I called out, my voice carrying through the house.
"What? Denise says it's PT," He called back, quickly giving me his excuse. I smiled with Rick and turned off the burner I was using for the tortillas.
"Can't hear you!" I said in a sing-songy voice, "Can you come here, please?" Carl came forward, his green tennis ball in his hands. The patch over his eyes stood out like a sore thumb, but it quickly became the new normal. A month ago, he was shot by that brat, Ron. Geez, it's hard to believe that that much time has passed already. The wall was finally fixed, and it was like life remained untouched behind it.
"Yeah?" Carl asked with a sly smile across his face.
"Denise says this is PT," Selena, Rick, and I said alongside Carl with smiles.
"You heard me," Carl accused with a bright smile. I nodded and grabbed plates from the cupboard, tiptoeing slightly.
"Yes, sir," I smirked, "It's time to change your bandage," Our front door opening made me peek around the tall boy. Michonne, Jacob, and Daryl entered, barging in like this was their home. It's not like I minded, in any case. "Oh, and you need to find a replacement for whatever you broke," I poked Carl in the stomach. He nodded and held his hands in mock surrender before exiting the kitchen.
"Smells great in here!" Michonne called out, entering the kitchen with the men following behind her.
"Feel free to serve yourselves," I smiled at them, "There's more than enough for everyone." I watched as they started to serve themselves and sit at the table to eat, my heart feeling fuzzy and full. Carl returned to the kitchen and thanked Selena for serving him, sitting next to his father and shoving the arroz into his mouth. Judith squealed from her high chair, throwing some cereal in Daryl's direction.
"This is great, June," Jacob said in between mouthfuls. Selena's head shot up from her place at the table, promptly reminding everyone that she had helped me this morning.
"Tryna get us fat?" Daryl questioned, a teasing eyebrow cocked my way. I rolled my eyes and started to serve myself.
"Shut it, Dixon," I laughed in response. Hungrily, I nearly inhaled the food on my plate. It's strange; I've had a big appetite lately. I could eat, and then I'd feel hungry again an hour later. Plus, a few pounds would do me good!
The men talked about the places they would hit today while on their run, while Michonne and I talked about what needed to be done today. Carl and Selena were off in their own world as they talked about some character in the latest comic book they were reading.
"I have watch right now," I told Michonne while shoveling food into my mouth, "Have to relieve Spencer,"
"He's not doing so good since Deanna...." MIchone trailed, not bothering to finish her sentence. He hasn't been doing good since his mom died; it all happened so fast for him, too. First, his brother dies, then his dad, and finally his mom. That's a lot. Michonne swallowed the food in her mouth, "It looks like he's searching every time he's on watch,"
"We never recovered her body," I nodded, "He's probably keeping an eye out for her so he could finally bury her," Rick, Jacob, and Daryl stood up, taking their plates to the sink. I smiled at the men and placed my nearly empty plate on the counter, giving Daryl and Jacob hugs. When I released Jacob, Rick pulled me into him, his lips finding mine. We kissed quickly and pulled away, my head resting on his shoulder.
"Be safe out there," I said out loud, wishing the safe return of all three men.
"Bye, Dad," Carl smiled from his place at the table.
"Be safe," Selena waved as the men started to walk away from us. Rick kissed the top of Judith's head and waved at us again, his smile bright and dazzling. The door clicked shut, and I turned to the two teenagers, curious about how they'd spend their day.
"What're you guys gonna do today?" I asked, sharing a sly smile with Michonne. Selena blushed but shrugged her shoulders, her gaze immediately falling to her plate.
"Probably read some comics," Carl shrugged, his eye on his baby sister. Michonne shook her head, indicating she didn't believe them.
"Whatever you guys do," I started, putting on a serious face, "No going over the wall today," Carl looked at me and frowned, knowing I had caught on by now. I'm not stupid. I know those two have been sneaking over the wall lately.
"How'd you—"
"I know everything, Carl Grimes," I teased as I took a final bite of my food, "If you guys go out there, I'm gonna kick your butts,"
"I'd like to see you try," Carl laughed, "A shorty like yourself? I doubt you could even land a single blow,"
"Don't tempt me," I retorted, "You may be taller than me now, but I still have the muscle," Carl cocked his eye and looked me up and down.
"Nah," He laughed as he stood up and put his plate in the sink, his fingers reaching out to pinch my stomach, "This is a belly, not muscle," I opened my mouth and looked at Michonne, both amused and slightly offended.
"I'll help you kick his butt, June," Michonne gasped as she playfully glared at Carl. Carl raised his hands in defeat.
"I'm only messing with you, June," Carl chuckled as he wrapped his arms around my head, pulling me into him, "Love you."
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered as I returned his embrace, "Love you too, brat,"
~*~
"Do you think I've put on some weight?" I asked Michonne as we walked towards the wall. Carl and Selena offered to wash dishes and take Judith to Carol's. Part of me is apprehensive about leaving those two alone with one another, but at the same time, if something's gonna happen between them, then it's gonna happen. Michonne kicked a rock and looked at me, a half-smile on her lips.
"You're joking, right?" I shook my head and frowned, suddenly feeling sad. "June, he was just playing."
"I know that," I whispered, hating how sensitive I've been lately, "I just—" Michonne shook her head and stopped, her hand grabbing my upper arm.
"You're fine, okay?" Michonne smiled at me, "You don't look any different," I placed my hands on my stomach and sighed. What is wrong with me? A comment like that would've never hurt my feelings before! Maybe I'm getting soft with age.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" I laughed, trying to force myself out of this funk, "One minute, I'm the happiest person ever, and the next, I'm either fuming angry or a tearful, snotty mess,"
"Comes with the territory of being a menstruating woman," Michonne sniffed as she flashed me a smile. Unfortunately, she's right. I frowned and shook my head, hating this time of the month. Now that I think about it... We stopped as we reached the wall, exchanging looks with one another.
"See you after?" I asked. Michonne nodded and flashed me another smile, waving me towards her. I closed the distance between us and hugged her, feeling content again. God, I'm such an emotional mess.
~*~
I paced atop the guard post, eyes scanning the area below us. The gun in my hands felt heavy as I continued to pace. I looked down at my watch and let out a sigh of boredom—only two hours had passed since I first took over, and I could feel each second tick by. I glanced to the far right, my gaze glued on Michonne as she manned the other wall. I watched as she placed her gun down and slowly started to climb down, a look of worry on her face. What's going on? Quickly, I diverted my attention toward the woods, not seeing anything. What'd she see? My stomach growled wildly, making me groan. Seriously? I literally ate two hours ago! How can I already be hungry?
"Little Red!" I looked down with a smile, already knowing who was calling for me. Abraham is the only person who calls me that around here. "Want relief?"
"You're a savior!" I called down to him as I placed the gun down, "I'm starving," Abraham chuckled as I landed on the ground next to him, his hand rummaging around in his pocket. He produced a squished granola bar and held it out for me. "I can't," I shook my head and pushed his hand back towards him, "Save that for when you get hungry,"
"If you say so," He shrugged and climbed up the guard post. I fidgeted with my knife handle and started back towards the house. A bag of some salty chips, like Lays, sounds fantastic right now. I could ask Daryl to get some for me the next time he goes on a run.
I stopped in front of the house and frowned, my eyes landing on Selena's hunched-over figure.
"Sel?" I called out as I neared the house. She shot up and wiped her eyes before facing me, forcing a smile. My face fell, and my legs automatically carried me towards the crying girl. "What's wrong?" She shook her head and pursed her lips, her big brown eyes filling with tears again. Worry started to consume me as the tears flowed from her eyes. I crossed the porch and sat beside her, my arms wrapping around her shaking shoulders.
"Why are boys so stupid?" Selena whimpered as she rubbed her eyes. Is this over Carl? What happened?
"I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong," I whispered as I cradled her.
"We got into a stupid argument," She sniffled, "I don't want to go out there anymore. Not when we have this place," I shook my head and sighed. "He grabbed some comics and went to Glenn and Maggie's place to get Enid," Is she jealous? Is that what this is all about? I can't speak because I went on a jealous tirade not too long ago.
"He's outside the wall right now?" I asked. That boy is going to be the death of me. I asked him not to go outside the walls, and what did he do? He goes out there. Selena weakly nodded and started fumbling with her fingers, her sniffles dying.
"Don't get mad," She whimpered, "Please don't get mad," I shook my head and grabbed her face with both hands, making her look at me.
"I'm not mad," I smiled at her, "I'm sure you two will be able to work things out, okay? Don't be sad anymore, please?" Selena sniffled and nodded, closing the distance between us to embrace me. I held her and gave her a reassuring squeeze. My stomach died down, and my hunger dissipated completely. "Don't get into trouble," I smiled at Selena and stood up, walking towards the wall.
~*~
The trees shook slightly as the wind tore through them. A few leaves slowly glided to the ground, and a soft growl hit my ears. I turned towards the noise and started to walk in that direction, my knife ready. I felt like a hypocrite but couldn't let myself go soft. I don't want Carl or Selena out here for their safety, and I can't blame them for sneaking out occasionally. We've been through a lot, and we can't afford to forget how dangerous things are outside these walls. I stopped in my tracks, my eyes glued to the back of the walker as it shambled after something—or someone. Scanning the woods around me, I saw the sheriff's hat through the trees. He veered to the left and kept to the wilderness, flanking the walker. My eyes widened, and sadness floored me as I recognized the walker. I had known Deanna died, and she must have been out here since we never found a body, but seeing her now?
"Come on," Carl called out before dashing away. I sucked in a silent breath and started to retreat. He's doing this for a reason. I've noticed Spencer coming out after his shifts—he must be searching for her. Carl's doing this for him. I tucked my knife away and turned, taking quiet steps away from Deanna and returning to the wall.
~*~
The sun started to set when Carl finally came back. I sat with Judith in my arms, stopping our game as her brother slowly approached the porch steps. Carl paused as he looked at me, a smile gracing his handsome face. Motioning for him, I patted the spot next to me and placed Judith down, smiling as she rose to her feet and started to walk around. Carl sat beside me and sighed heavily, his arms wrapping around his knees.
"I saw you outside the walls today," I told him, getting to business. I sighed and looked at him. He looked like a deer caught in headlights, "I asked you not to go out there," Carl frowned and kept his good eye on Judith, his lips pursing, "But I'm glad you did." I had to refrain from laughing as he looked at me with shock all over his face. The sun disappeared entirely, and darkness overtook us, making it hard to see his face. The porch light turned on, and footsteps immediately fled from the front door. Poor Sel.
"What do you mean?" Carl asked. I leaned back on my palms and smiled, watching as Judith lowered herself next to Carl and leaned against him.
"I saw Deanna out there today," I nodded, "I also saw you running ahead of her, luring her." Carl grabbed his sister and sat her in his lap, his eyes still glued to me, "Michonne also came to talk to me. She told me she was out there with Spencer and saw you running. She wanted me to scold you, maybe ground you for being out there like it's some game,"
"June, I know—" I raised a finger and smiled at him, shaking my head.
"I get it," I nodded, "I'm not gonna lie, I go out there after my shifts sometimes—don't tell your dad," We both laughed and looked at one another, smiles on our faces, "But I get why you were luring Deanna."
"It has to be family," Carl said, his smile falling, "I wasn't out there playing around or whatever. I was reading comics with Enid when we saw her."
"Oh," I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around my knees, "I want you to go in there and talk with Selena. When I came home, she was crying." I watched as a look of regret flashed across his features, "She has her reasons for not wanting to go out there, and you need to respect them, okay?" Carl nodded and rose to his feet, carrying a sleeping Judith.
"I'll do that," Carl muttered as he walked towards the door, "June?" I turned and smiled at him, "Thanks for being understanding... and for everything. I love you,"
"I love you too, kiddo,"
~*~
The house was silent as I sat on the sofa, burning a single candle. Carl and Selena had gone to bed an hour ago, and Judith was sleeping soundly in her crib. I looked at the baby monitor and laughed as I watched Judith toss and turn in her sleep. The door creaked open, and the sound of boots hit the hardwood floor. As Rick entered the living room, I leaned back against the sofa and placed the monitor beside me, a smile gracing my face for the millionth time today. He looked beyond tired as he dragged his feet, a lazy smile on his face. He threw himself down next to me and placed his head on my chest, arms wrapping around me.
"Welcome home," I whispered, placing a kiss on top of his head, "How was it?" Rick squeezed me gently as he started to speak, his voice laced with exhaustion.
"We found a guy," Rick groaned, "Daryl's watching over him until someone else takes over, and Jacob's at home," I buried my hands in his hair and started playing with the curls, "Crazy day,"
"Wanna talk about it?" Rick shook his head against my chest and sighed.
"No, I just wanna turn my brain off for a few seconds," He looked up at me with his hypnotizing blue eyes, "You wanna tell me about your day," I thought about it for a few seconds and shook my head. Compared to his day, I bet mine seems tame.
"Uneventful," I sighed and ran my hand down his face to play with his growing beard. We stayed on the sofa for a few minutes before Rick suddenly sat up, suddenly getting up and rushing to the front door. I furrowed my brows as he came back, a smile on his lips. I held out my hand and smiled as he placed a bag in my hand.
"It's not much," Rick muttered as I diverted my gaze to my hand, "But I'd thought you'd like some chips." The yellow bag of Lays was like a pot of gold to me, making my smile stretch widely.
"I was craving this today," I mused and felt my eyes sting with tears. Emotion swirled within me as I looked at the bag of Lays. Okay, seriously! Getting emotional over some chips? "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Rick caressed my face, a worried look flashing across his features. I shook my head and cleared my throat, still feeling ridiculous.
"Nothing," I laughed as I set the bag beside me, "We're on the same wavelength." Rick chuckled and pressed his forehead to mine, his teeth showing with how wide he was smiling.
"You know what that means?" Rick asked in a whisper.
"It means we spend too much damn time together," I played along, wrapping my arms around his neck. He chuckled and knotted his fingers in my hair, holding me in place as his eyes scanned my face.
"Are you complaining?" He quipped, cocking an eyebrow.
"Never," I responded, meeting his beautiful blue eyes, "I love you, Rick."
"I love you, June. More than anything." I felt my cheeks flush and closed the distance between us, my heart nearly bursting out of my chest. He's told me so many times that he loves me, and each time, I can't help but feel giddy.
Rick buried his fingers in my hair and pressed me closer to him, our bodies falling until my back hit the soft sofa. Our tongues played with one another, and our hands roamed each other's bodies, desire singing between us. Rick pulled away and stood up, holding his hand out for me. I grabbed it and let out a small yelp as he pulled me to my feet. Rick wrapped his arms around me and squatted, lifting me as he started to walk towards the stairs. I wrapped my legs around him and connected my lips to his neck, nipping and licking a trail on the warm skin. Rick moaned as I gently bit him, his arms tightening around me.
A playful squeal escaped me as he threw me down, the bed bouncing as I hit it. Rick laughed and reached over to lock the door before climbing on top of me. I moaned quietly as his lips trailed kisses down my neck, and his hands lightly brushed against the skin of my stomach. I helped him remove my clothes before setting my sights on him. He was wearing too much clothing for my liking.
Quickly, we worked together to get him nude, our lips meeting sloppily. My back hit the mattress again, and Rick fully sheathed himself in me, whispering, "I love you."
~*~
"Rick," I shifted and held onto Rick tighter, "Rick, wake up," My eyes snapped open at the unfamiliar voice, and I jumped up, grabbing my knife from the bedside table. Rick shot up; his gun held out in front of him as I pointed my knife. The man in front of us had long hair, a trim beard, and a beanie; his facial expression was grave as he held his hands up. The cold air hit my body, making me realize I was completely nude, but the man didn't seem bothered by our naked bodies. He made eye contact. "We should talk,"