For You // R.G.

Chapter 82

"RICK!"
I was shouting but he couldn't hear me, he was leaving me. I tried to run to him but my feet weren't moving. I was stuck in place, I screamed and cried as I watched him leave me for good--

I woke up abruptly. I had sweat on my forehead and neck from a nightmare. I sighed, I laid down on the pew, I tried to remind myself where I was, in the house of God. I was on and off with God before the apocalypse. My family mostly turned me away from the religion because they were narrow minded people, and I was also a science fanatic so the two subjects sometimes contradicted. But the thought of a higher being existing and keeping you safe sometimes made things a little less scary. Now that my mind was on God and everything pure, I was more calm and felt safe. I got up from the pew, I was alone in this wooden piece of furniture. Most everyone was on the ground or other pews, Rick was at the front with Judith in his arms, sleeping. I decided to get up and keep watch.

I went to the front towards the alter and looked out the few clear window panels to see if there was any walkers, none. I looked over to where I saw someone moving across the dark room. I saw a man stand up, I couldn't make out who it was until the moonlight shined on his face some. It was Abraham. I was glad, I liked him as a person. He had an attitude and it helped that he was a red head like me.

"You suppose it's about 2 in the A.M.?" He asks quietly. He sits next to me against the wall.

"Yeah, seems about right. I could never sleep all through the night before either." I say. He looked over at me,

"You got that insomnia?"

I nodded,

"I had that too. Back in combat with my men... We never got any sleep." He told me. I looked at him as he watched a particular thing. I assumed it was Rosita who was still sleeping.

"How long have you been traveling with Eugene?" I asked.

"A year or so. I stumbled across the ass during a dark time. He says he knew the cure and I've been wantin' to help him ever since." He explains.

"Do you ever think that he doesn't know?"

He shakes his head, "not for a god damned minute," he paused and chuckled lightly, "and if he is, I'll cut that bastard's mullet off and strangle him with it."

I smiled and laughed, amused with his threat. I couldn't help but look over to Rick who was still sleeping soundly.

"You guys are kinda like Rosita and myself." He says, referring to Rick and I. I nodded, it was a little weird to think about but there was no denying it.

"How'd it happen?" He asks. I was a little caught that he was actually interested in how we met. He seemed too busy to care about stuff like that. He read my mind when I hesitated to tell him,

"Look, it's 2 in the morning and I like you as a friend. Here's your time to tell me all the mushy shit." He says. I laughed, he smiled a little and I told him,

"We knew each other for a couple years... Met in Atlanta in a walker herd. I always had a crush on him but he was married."

I paused, he whisked his hand in the air, giving me a signal to continue on. I laughed a little, amused at his fake anxiousness to hear the story,

"Him and I had our moments where we'd tell each other we cared for another. Then when his wife died... We finally kind of did it."

"Literally." He comments. I laughed. He tells me how Rosita and him met and how he loves her. It was good to talk with him, he was wise and hilarious.

When it was finally light out, people began to wake up. Abraham was wide awake but I wasn't, I was barely able to keep my eyes open.

"Where's Daryl?" I heard michonne ask me. I then scanned the whole church, seeing the group but Daryl was gone.

"And Carol?" Carl asks. I started to become worried, I ran off the alter and began to search for them

"I thought you were keeping watch?" Rick yelled at me once I stopped running and when we realized Daryl and Carol were gone. I turned to face Rick,

"I was. They were gone before I got up." I retorted. He was angry and clenched his jaw.

"She speaks the truth, Rick. The two were gone long before we were up." Abraham backed me up. Rick stayed silent now that he couldn't blame me anymore,

"Who was keeping watch before us?" I asked everyone. They all exchanged glances, not knowing until michonne said that Carol and Daryl were.

"Why would they leave like that?" I asked but as I looked at everyone, the answer was uncertain with them as well. Finally Rick took charge and told everyone the news, that Daryl and Carol were missing. He was explaining that we needed to branch off in groups to find them.

"Why should we go? We're not missing anyone." I heard Rebecca ask sassily behind most of our group. I looked over to Rick, I knew he'd be a little peeved hearing that.

"Did you leave with us back at the cabin?" Rick asked. He sounded like a prosecutor asking the defendant questions he already knew the answer to. Rebecca, the defendant in this case, was now standing with her hand on her hip, clearly in distaste with the idea of finding the two.

"Yeah, we did that because your whole Washington deal sounded better than staying here." Nick says. He crossed his arms against his chest, he looked mighty idiotic with his beat up ball cap falling in his pale face. Then there was Rick, Nick was no match to him. Rick was taller and muscular, more manly and intimidating. And finally Nick caught onto the fact that Rick wasn't to be messed with once Rick stepped forward towards him and said,

"Once you're here, you're here." He states, "or you can all hit the road, see how that will go."

Everyone shut up, there were no problems now that Rick scared the shit out of them. Rick turned, he faced me and we locked eyes but he kept walking forward, taking his eyes with him.