chapter eleven- the highway

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Author's Note

SEASON TWOOOO!!!! Finally. We're getting into the interesting bits.

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The road was quiet and bumpy, our energy had long since depleted by day three.

We made a few stops since leaving Atlanta— to refuel, switch off cars, scavenge for food. The first two days it was me, Glenn, Andrea, Dale, Rick and his family in the RV. I think Dale was too scared to take his eyes off of Andrea, probably thought she'd find a way to kill herself. But he got over it by day three and now he sat behind the wheel again. We all switched cars and I spent that third day in the RV before deciding I couldn't stand being in a closed space with Shane.

Now, I sat in an awkwardly silent van with Rick, Carl, Lori and Glenn. Carl seemed excited at the thought of his mom sitting next to him so Lori took the backseat, leaving me in the front with her husband.

"I was just thinking about our trip to the Grand Canyon with Carl," said Lori suddenly, breaking the silence.

Rick glanced at the rearview mirror, his lips twitching up slightly.

"I don't remember that," Carl said.

"No, you wouldn't. You were just a baby." I watched Lori bring Carl in close. "Besides, we never made it past Fort Worth."

"No, you got sick. I never knew a baby could throw up so much," mused Rick. We made brief eye contact as he glanced my way. I gave him a small smile.

"Ick."

"Yeah, ick," Lori laughed. "The doctor in Texas said you'd live. Then we turned around and drove home."

"That sucks."

"No, it was a good trip."

Rick glanced at the mirror again.

I shifted awkwardly. I felt like an outsider, an intruder that got to know one side of Rick Grimes a week ago and now we were strangers again. Lori bringing up their family past made me realize how much I didn't know about his life with her.

"Can we go see it? The Grand Canyon? I'd like to." Carl piped up.

I watched as Lori and Rick shared a long, heavy look. Lori was the one to break it and force a smile for the boy.

"Yeah..." Lori glanced up at Rick again with doubt in her eyes. "We'll see, honey."

It was silent again. The tension was thick so I glanced back at Glenn to see him already looking at me. He subtly glanced between the estranged couple and physically cringed. I slapped a hand over my mouth to cover my amused smile.

Rick glanced at me. "You alright there, Daph?"

"Mhm."

"You ever been to the Grand Canyon?" He asked.

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