Love's Conquer

Fallen Angels

Rick's POV

We had been running for miles; never once stopping to catch our breaths. At some point through the course of the night, we had managed to outrun the dead that were once hot on our trails. All that mattered in this moment was keeping my son safe, but my mind couldn't help wandering to all the places it shouldn't. The not knowing consuming my every thought. Did my wife and unborn child make it? Will they be at the highway? Did everyone else make it out alive? Bella...

"What if she's not here?" Carl spoke up from beside me as we ran through the sightline of the woods and up the verge of the ditch that led back to the road.

"She has to be." I said softly, tugging him to my side as we searched through the graveyard of vehicles.

In the distance, I picked up on voices.

"We have to go back! My baby boy is out there!"

"An the others."

"It's not safe, we have to keep moving."

Carl and I froze in place for a moment, before smiles drew on our faces as we recognised the voices of Lori, Daryl and T-Dog. We hurried through the rest of the cars and came face to face with our group. They made it.

"Mom!" Carl shouted as he ran towards her.

"Oh thank god!" Lori cried, kneeling down to catch him in her arms.

I crept down with them, wrapping my arms tightly around the two as I placed a soft kiss on my wife's cheek. I didn't want to let go. The relief of just holding them both in my arms, knowing it was real, it was here in front of me, no deception. It was all I wanted to cling onto. But it somehow felt different. The memory of when I got out from Atlanta and Glenn took me back to the camp, my son and wife already being there, with my best friend. It was like a dream. Everything was so fazed but magical. I found my family when the odds were stacked against me. Now, we're reunited again and I can't help feeling as though something was missing.

"Where'd you all find each other?" I asked, leaning back slightly to stand up as I kept my wife's hand in mine.

"Well, he's got his taillights zigzaggin' all over the road." Daryl began, motioning towards Glenn as he spoke. "Figured he had to be Asian drivin' like that."

"Good one." Glenn laughed in response.

"Where's the rest of us?" Daryl continued.

His words caused me to glance around every member that had made it here. Realising one of the most important people in my life, someone I cherished, was not in sight. "Where's Bella?" The group remained silent as I noticed my wife exchange a saddened expression between T-Dog, Hershel and Beth. "Where is she?"

"Andrea got taken down." T-Dog finally spoke up. "Bella went after her an then Shane—"

"Are they dead?" Maggie questioned quickly, taking a couple of steps forward.

"I don't know, we don't know." T-Dog expressed as I switched my gaze between him and my wife. My stance stiffened and I let Lori's hand drop from mine. I shook my head in disbelief. This is Bella. How could they just leave her behind? What if she's hurt? What if she got bit?

"You left her there? Is that what you're tellin' me?" I pressed further, feeling my infuriation and disappointment rise.

"We tried to—"

"Clearly didn't try hard enough." Daryl spat. "I'm gonna go back."

"I'm comin' with you." I stated, throwing everything else aside as I was about to walk in the direction of one of the vehicles, until a hand stopped me.