"Carl," I choked and almost pushed him over as I came to a halt and leant on my knees to catch my breath.
"What? What's wrong?"
"I-is Robin here? Did she come back?" he looked at me confusedly and I straightened up to grab onto both of his shoulders and shake them. "CARL, WHERE IS ROBIN?"
"I don't know," he pulled out of iron grip and rubbed his shoulders, "she went with you, don't ya remember?"
"No... no, no, no, no, no!" I sunk to my knees on the road outside of the house. "Oh my god, she's gone! We just got 'er back and she's gone again!"
"What?" Carl said sharply. "Where is she, what happened?!"
"I came out of the house and Robin and Clem were gone! I think Robin stormed off because we had a fight before and Clementine followed her! Oh my god, what have I done?"
"Rora, what's wrong?" Victor shot out of the house like a bullet and came towards me. "Is it the bite? Are ya turning?" tears were in his eyes and they were in mine then as I shook my head. I fell forward and he grabbed me, hugging me to him. "What's wrong?" he whispered.
"It's Robin," Carl informed him, his voice was cold and filled with hatred and I was scared that he was angry at me for leaving Robin alone outside while I searched the house. "She's gone somewhere."
"You mean like... last time?" Vic asked him and I pulled away from him to nod my head tearfully.
"She's gone, Vic. Like last time, only now it's my fault!"
"Carl, get everybody we 'ave to find 'er."
"Them," I corrected and started sobbing again. "Clementine followed 'er."
"Don't worry, Rora." Vic looked down at me comfortingly, holding my face between his hands. "We'll find her. It won't be like last time." He leant down and kissed me lightly before pulling me into the house and making me sit on the lounge while the group assembled, looking scared.
"The hell ya mean she's gone?!" Merle growled, looking furiously at Carl.
"I don't know! She just walked off and Clementine followed 'er."
"Not Clemmy!" Judith wailed and Maggie and Glenn hugged her and Demitri to them.
"Let's go, c'mon we have to find them." Daryl slung his crossbow over his shoulder and I stood and checked my gun to make sure it was loaded.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Hershel blocked my path. "Ya need bed rest. I didn't get a say in it the first time, but I'm sure as hell getting one this time."
"I'm. Going." I spelled it out for him and easily moved around his body to the front door -he wasn't exactly agile with those crutches.
"Rick," Hershel groaned for help but our leader didn't look at him.
"Ta be honest, I'd rather Aurora be with the strongest of us in case she does turn soon. I wouldn't feel safe leaving 'er here with just you an' the kids."
I smiled genuinely at Rick, but he didn't look at me, he was busy staring at his revolver guiltily.
I flipped my glock back in my holster and took a few extra knives to hide in the various pockets of my cargo pants. "Let's go."
Once we had all assembled outside: Rick, Daryl, Merle, Victor, Glenn, Maggie, Carol, Gideon, Sasha, Michonne, Beth and I, we jumped into separate cars and sped off to where I'd left Lee. Carl's foot was like a weight on the pedal and he skid to halt a few metres before Clementine's foster father.
We jumped out and Victor came and hugged me tight again -I hadn't realised I'd started crying. Carl, Lee and the rest were pouring over a map and marking it with a grid, making pairs and informing Maggie and Glenn that they had to stay here in case they came back and I just stayed zoned-out until somebody addressed me.
"C'mon, Rora, we're going this way." Victor gestured a direction and began to tug me forward but I pulled my hand out of his.
"I'd rather go with Carl." I informed him, and gave him a look that meant something along the lines of: please, I need to talk to him privately. Vic nodded and Michonne headed off with him instead, so I could pair up with Carl.
He stormed off in the opposite direction to Victor and Michonne and I had to jog to keep up with him. Once we were in the tree line, Carl whirled on me. "Why did ya leave her out there?!" he growled and I started sobbing again.
"I'm sorry! I thought she'd learned her lesson last time. I didn't think she'd ever run off again, let alone let Clementine go with 'er!" I cried and turned away from him with my hands over my face.
"I should've gone, not you!" Carl yelled. "I would have never left her alone and she wouldn't be gone right now. She loves me more anyway, she'd never run out on me."
I gaped, turning around and my surprise turned to fury. "Excuse me?!" I screamed right in his face. "She loves ya more?! Are you fuckin' jokin'?"
"WHY'D SHE LEAVE THEN, HUH?"
"WE WERE SEPARATED FOR ALMOST A YEAR AND SHE STILL LOOKED FOR ME EVERY FUCKIN' DAY! DON'T TELL ME SHE DOESN'T LOVE ME!"
"THAT'S WHAT SHE TOLD YOU!" He roared. "SHE TRUSTS ME WITH WHAT SHE ACTUALLY HAS TO SAY! SHE'D NEVER TELL YOU THE TRUTH!"
"SO NOW SHE TRUSTS YOU MORE TOO?!"
"WE MAY ASWELL BE FUCKING MARRIED, AURORA!"
"THEN HOW COME SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS PREGNANT FIRST?" I knew I'd crossed a line the moment I said it, but I couldn't take it back. Tears streamed down my face and I crossed my arms.
Carl's face turned white and he stared at me with unblinking eyes.
"If she trusts you more, than how come she told me and not you? We're fucking sisters, Carl. You've known each other for what? Four years? Never say she doesn't love me, or trust me. No matter how many fights we have. No matter how many more times we get separated and kept from each other. We will be sisters forever; and that will never change."
Running a hand through his hair, he fell back on the ground and hugged his head with his arms.
"Ya want somebody to blame?" I asked. "There's nobody ya can."
