Jordan Taylor › Rick Grimes F.F

› Twenty-Four / A Dictionary ‹

Chapter Twenty-Four // {rick's pov}

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I've been giving Jordan some space. She asked me to leave her alone, but I don't want to completely abandon her. She still needs to know that I'm here for her.

Judith was my daughter and not 'technically' hers, but I think it's the first thing that she has looked after and lost. Judith was like her own. I've seen Jordan trying to teach her to speak and walk. Our little picnic we had. She loved her. I know how she feels, I was the same after Lori. I blamed myself just like how she thinks that it's her fault because I asked her to go find her and keep her safe.

I was hurting too, I just didn't show it so Carl will stay as strong as possible.

We all decided to have a nap. It was only about 3pm. I didn't know if Jordan slept in the same bed as me, or if she even slept. She wasn't there when I fell asleep, nor when I woke up.

I tiptoed down the stairs, trying to not wake anyone else up. I heard paper moving from the lounge. I figured that it was Jordan -- and I was right. She was reading.

"What're you reading?" I asked her, trying to not startle her. She flinched and turned out to look at me.

"A dictionary," she said as serious as possible, while putting the dictionary down on the coffee table. I could see the playfulness in her eyes. She didn't seem as unhappy as earlier.

"Seriously?" I asked laughing, making her frown.

"Do you have a problem with me reading a dictionary, Sheriff?" she smirked. My old Jordan is back -- temporarily. I chuckled. She hadn't called me that in awhile. I moved to sit down beside her, I wrapped my arm around her waist. Jordan leaned into me.

"I'm sorry," she said simply, raising her head to look up at me. I nodded in acknowledgement. We sat there together in silence. Eventually, Jordan fell asleep. I carried her back to the bedroom and carefully placed her on the bed. She stirred a little, but still remained asleep. I pulled the covers up over her. 

I decided to lie in bed with her, just so she doesn't wake up alone. I got in on the other side, planning our next step.

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Michonne and Carl woke up a little later and decided to go scavenge some food from other houses on our street. I offered to go with, but Jordan told me to rest and stay here with her. I still had a lot of cuts and bruises from the Governor.

"You probably think I'm completely bipolar but, I've accepted what happened," Jordan spoke up from beside me on the bed. I squeezed her hand.

"I'm glad."

"She wasn't even mine but for once in my life, I had a responsibility and I failed..." she explained. She snuggled into me more. I wrapped my arm around her in a comforting way. I drew little circles on her arm, I knew she did that when she'd wake up before me in the mornings.

"You didn't fail her... Wherever she is, she's happy and watching over us. Like an angel," I assured her. I felt Jordan nod her head. After that, we no words and slowly fell asleep in each other's arms.

›››‹‹‹ {jordan's pov}

"Jordan!" a raspy voice whispered, trying to wake me up. I groaned. The voice shh'd me. I opened my eyes to see Rick's panicked ones. They weren't as bright as they once were.