Nineteen, Recalling and Remembering.
Beams of uncomfortable sunlight beat down on the prison, making Adeline sweat and become slightly agitated as she stood at the edge of the newly constructed piglet pen. Rick and Carl were inside, tending to the pigs, more specifically the sick one, 'Violet'— ascribed by Carl.
Lola was crouched in the corner, shovelling all sorts of vegetables— grown by her grandfather and the new farmer Rick— into the makeshift bucket.
Judith was resting comfortably in Adeline's arms, the young girl babbling and cooing as her big brown eyes scanned the prison, mesmerised by the unfamiliar environment.
"Feel better," Rick spoke, standing to his full height from his previous crouched position, "Violet." He reluctantly added on the name he wasn't exactly fond of. The man patted his son's shoulder, a warm smile on his face, finally happy for the first time in months.
Adeline was glad, she knew that was exactly what he deserved, to be happy and content, surrounded by his family. She was glad that his smile was finally real and filled with actual joy and warmth.
The harsh whistle snapped all their attention to the reconstructed gate, Michonne coming into view on one of the horses they had luckily found.
Rick patted Carl's back and the two of them stalked over to open the gates for the woman, Adeline nodded Lola over and swiftly passed little Judith to Beth in passing, also making her way over to the woman and the horse.
Michonne rode in, stopping the horse halfway up the gravel path to hop off.
Adeline immediately pulled the woman into a hug, her hands running soothingly up the woman's arms as she pulled away, "Glad you're safe." She whispered, thankful the woman had come home in one piece.
Michonne embraced the hug, pulling away momentarily to pull two items out of her saddle, she kindly gifted both Carl and Lola with the stack of comics she had scavenged and the two rushed off in excitement, gushing over who got which first. Then the woman turned to Rick who stood behind Adeline, "I found this," She smirked, handing him an electronic razor, "Your face is losing the war."
Rick scoffed, but before he could open his mouth to see him the rumble of an engine cut him off, and Daryl, on his motorcycle, stopped beside Michonne, a look on his face that both Adeline and Michonne knew all too well.
Daryl didn't even have to ask the question before Michonne replied, "Didn't find him."
Adeline felt the hair on the back of her neck rise, anytime he was mentioned, she felt sick. She hated knowing Michonne was out there searching for the cruel man, but she also liked that there was a chance she would find him and would be able to kill him, even if that made her somewhat sinister.
"I'm thinking of looking over near Macon."
Both Rick and Adeline made faces at that, similar ones. Rick didn't want anything to do with that man after he had destroyed their home and terrorised his people, (Adeline)— Adeline wanted the man rotting in the ground and she despised that there was still the possibility he was alive and roaming around. The brunette crossed her arms, looking down at the ground and kicking a few stones under her boot.
"I'm gonna go check out the Big Spot," Daryl changed the conversation blunt topic, "The one I was talking about, just seeing."
"Yeah," Rick nodded, "I gotta go out and check the snares." His voice lowered, almost as if he was embarrassed, "I don't wanna lose whatever we catch to the walkers."
"I'll go," Michonne offered, sensing Rick's discomfort.
Adeline shook her head, wanting to allow the woman a chance to rest. "You just got here. . . I can go."
Rick, Daryl and Michonne all turned to face her, "You wanna go?"
In truth, she didn't want to go. She hadn't left the prison since Mikael's death, she hadn't let Lola leave either. Far too paranoid and scared something terrible could happen again, the first time she left, she and two members of her family were taken and tortured, and the second time, her husband tried to kill both her and their daughter— she was no doubt afraid to leave the safe confines of the prison.
"Yeah," The woman's voice wavered, "I do."
Rick who could read her like a book could see she very obviously did not want to go, so for the first time in a long time, he looked into her eyes and placed a hand on her shoulder, "You haven't got to," He began, his voice soft and comforting, "Maybe it would be better to stay here with Lola," The man offered, he didn't want to be like Mikael and tell her she couldn't, because if she really wanted to then he would have no problem with that, but if it would make her uncomfortable and bring back terrible memories, he did not want her to go.
Adeline sucked in a breath and then eventually nodded, "You're right, I should stay with Lola." She announced, turning back to face Daryl and Michonne, bottom lip tucked between her teeth in embarrassment— she left pathetic, like a child. She was a grown woman and she couldn't even leave the prison.
"I'll go," Michonne stated for the second time, smiling at Adeline as she moved past her to get into one of the cars behind him.
Daryl nodded and patted Rick's stomach as he peeled away, the three vehicles making their way down the path and out of the prison.
Adeline and Rick stood there in silence for a few moments, both of their eyes trained on the ground, tension suddenly filling the air.
"I'm gonna go check the snares." He told her, briefly looking at her face as she walked off.
Adeline didn't bother to respond, instead, she walked off in the direction of her three favourite girls, Lola, Beth and Judith, the three of them sat around a table underneath the new shelter that had been constructed, Beth and Lola flipping through the pages of the comics and Judith babbling and pulling at the blondes hair as she sat in Beth's lap, small little fingers exploring.
She sat down beside her daughter, swivelling her hand around the girl's back and gently taking a handful of her hair to pull it over her shoulder, inspecting the roots of her hair between her fingers, "Looks like it's time for a haircut, baby."
"No," Lola whined, "It's finally getting longer, and darker!"
Adeline chuckled and let go of her hair, "Alright." She sighed, looking down at the stack of comics in Lola's lap, "Did you say thank you for those?" She immediately questioned her daughter's manners.
"Yes, mom." The blonde huffed, standing from her seat, "I'm going to find Carl."
Adeline beamed at her daughter as she departed, internally and externally thankful that Lola was living a semi-normal life without the constant threats and stress that the new world had brought them. The mother was more than pleased that Lola was starting to move on from her father's death, of course, it would be something neither of the two would get over, but it made her feel content that his death was no longer something that scared her and kept her up at night.
"And I'm going to change her, she got carrots on me," Beth exclaimed, slightly grimacing at the spit-up Judith had ruined her shirt with.
"Do you want me to take her?" Adeline offered.
However, Beth smiled politely and shook her head, "I've got it, thanks though." And she rushed inside to rid herself of the baby's mess.
Just as she was about to get up, Hershel sat down beside her, a welcoming smile on his face. Adeline looked around momentarily, dread filing her once again. He rested his crutches against the metal table and rested his amputated limb comfortably on one of the seats. "Adeline," He greeted.
"Hershel," She placed a hand on the man's elbow, offering him help in sitting down properly.
Once he got himself situated, he placed his hands on the table and faced her, and she for once looked him in the eyes. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything is. Lola's happy, Judith too." Adeline smiled at the thought of the two girls living happy and healthy lives.
The older man nodded at her words, "What about you?" He lowered his voice, speaking softly.
"I'm okay."
"Are you? You've hardly spoken a word to me." He chuckled, disguising his confusion.
"I've been. . . busy." She lied, she was in fact not busy, "I'm sorry."
"Adeline," Her father-in-law placed his hand over hers, "Talk to me."
"About what?" She meekly questioned, acting oblivious.
Hershel sighed, squeezing her hand in his, "Mikael's death was hard on all of us, you and Lola especially. I cannot excuse my son's actions, I know that. But you— I love you. Just as much as I love Mikael, even after he did what he did." His hands trembled slightly and Adeline could sense it, "That is just who I am. I will forgive him, I have to. He is my son— although I will not excuse his actions. I do understand why you cannot forgive him and I will not hold that against you, ever. I hope you don't hold it against me that I've made the decision to forgive him."
"That's. . . good. You deserve peace," Adeline began and she was genuinely pleased that Hershel had come to terms with everything and was able to find it within himself to forgive his actions.
The man smiled gratefully, "So talk to me."
Adeline remained silent, her eyes focused on the table in front of them.
"Did something happen between you and Rick?"
The woman's eyes almost shot out of their sockets, her face turning a shade darker as she began to sweat, "What? No." The tone of her voice and how quickly she had snapped said otherwise, she had hoped Hershel couldn't see it, but it was Hershel after all, of course, he could.
"I see the way you two avoid each other's eyes, can't even walk past each other without that same expression on your face."
"Me and Rick. . . we're fine."
Hershel didn't want to push, especially not to get her to admit something she didn't want to. So he sighed and nodded. Although it was clear he knew something happened, even if he didn't know all of the excruciating details. He reached for his crutches and pulled himself up, prepared to walk away, but before he stopped, "When you're ready, you can talk to me."
With no more words offered, he hobbled off on his crutches, although he didn't really need them anymore, after a prosthetic leg was found for him and it was doing a great job at keeping him stable, he still sometimes turned to the crutches for the extra support on his weighted and elderly knees.
Adeline was left to think, since arriving at the prison her mind hasn't rested. It had started with the deaths of Lori and T-Dog; then Rick's slow descent into insanity; then being taken and held hostage by a cruel man who has traumatised her; and then the death of her husband and how the small family of three shared his last moments, dealing with her own grief and her daughters pain stricken mourning that didn't stop with the sobs and cries she let out. Maggie also hadn't spoken to her, and it wasn't like Adeline was trying to get her sister-in-law's attention, after everything that had happened from Mikael's death to her night with Rick, she couldn't look the woman in the eyes without feeling like a betrayer.
Her mind hadn't had a moment to rest and it was slowly driving her mad.
authors bcs i wrote the last chapter in like twelve different sittings their emotions and feelings are all over the place and don't really correlate, ygh
anyway daryl is so hot in s4 im tempted to make him a fic
@efffys