Collision

Chapter Thirty Seven

~ Chapter Thirty Seven ~

Ellie's P.O.V.

I woke up in Carl's arms, my head on his chest as if it were the most luxurious pillow I'd ever slept on. He was lying on the ground, one arm covering me, another on the ground next to his bag. Carefully, I took his arm and set it down near him, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

The night was beautiful, stars all over the place, shining on us as the only form of light we had. My heart felt like it could not handle more happiness than now.

Right before falling asleep, Carl told me about how he'd come to the truth with Rick and Carol. I couldn't help but smile at how Maria handled the situation. The truth had been revealed, and I felt nothing but the lightness of a bird being set free from the cage. Liberation.

Up ahead, in the light of the darkness, Joel and Rick were conversing. They must've been first watch. I stood up and startled them with the sound of a crunched leaf under my foot.

"Ellie," Joel breathed. "You better get some shut eye, we'll be on a long road tomorrow."

I shook my head and made my way towards them, grabbing one of the branches from the pile, a knife and started to sharpen an arrow for Daryl. "I already had rest this morning."

Silence. Only the sound of my knife hitting the wood could be heard. "Look, Ellie," Rick started, his voice coarse and solemn. "We're sorry for putting you through that. If we'd have known, we would've taken the first step."

I smiled tiredly, "it's done and over with. I understand that I've been upset over something that happened a long time ago and couldn't be stopped."

"But you handled it more maturely than any girl your age could." Except for when I selfishly ran away and left all of you wondering, I wanted to add. Changing the subject, Rick spoke again, "How old are you again? If I may ask."

It took me a while to answer. I was fifteen, but the days in the maze seemed to take half a year. "Not sure," I admitted, "sixteen? Fifteen? Who keeps count these days?"

The two grown men chuckled and there was nothing but the warmth in my heart that everything had been solved. Sure, people were scarred, but at least the truth was out there. I had nothing to run from anymore.

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"Ellie, could you give me a hand with this?" Aaron asked, he looked over to the box of branches on the ground. I nodded and took the box, following him to the truck and placing the box in carefully.

I noticed the heat between Carl and Aaron, and I honestly was disappointed. I was disappointed at Aaron for not letting go and just being the cheerful, persevering guy that he was. But I was also disappointed at Carl's doubt in me, worrying that I'd easily leave him for someone else. Well, sure, I plotted to leave him in general, but Aaron never even crossed my mind.

They were arguing over something completely pointless and I needed to remind them that they weren't children and that they didn't have time to be children.

The group divided into three. Rick, Carl, Michonne, Daryl, and Maggie were in the car. Maria, Joel and I were in the truck. Julio, Carol, Bob, Sasha, Melanie and Aaron were in the van.

It was a while before I came curious, since no one bothered to ask, where we were going. Maria seemed to have a destination in mind and I had to know where that was. "We're trying to find Maggie's husband first. She said the last time place she thought he'd be in was on the bus coming from the Correctional Facility down in West Georgia, but she checked the bus and he wasn't there."