[DISCONTINUED] FIND YOU ( T. WALKING DEAD )

- XVIII.

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FIND YOU

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN;
( reflection. )

❛ elijah grows restless. ❜

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THE DOOR CREAKED open, the metallic sound like nails on a chalkboard. It was enough to bring Rick's attention away from his binoculars, but not enough to affect Elijah, who opened the door. His attention was glued to what lied on the other side of the cage they were in, what lurked outside the fences. He noticed the sunrise and the myriad of colors sweeping the sky, but he was just too drawn in by all the walkers filling the fields.

Maybe it was just being outside that Elijah was so overwhelmed by. After helping the group when The Governor attacked, they were nice enough to grant him free will - but he knew that they were still keeping an eye on him. They wouldn't let him carry a gun or be in close quarters with just one other person; they wouldn't let him have a say in their discussions. Which, he thought, was ridiculous - because he, aside from Merle, was the only person there who really knew The Governor.

But he wasn't complaining. Merle was their prisoner now, and Elijah was perfectly fine with that. Truthfully, Merle deserved worse but now didn't seem to be the time to bring it up.

Elijah stepped forward under Rick's vigilant glare. "Do you want me to take over for you?" the younger man offered, glancing down to the binoculars.

Rick's eyelids narrowed as he looked away without a word. He sighed. "It's been three days," was his only response.

It was vague, but Elijah knew what he meant. It seemed that every time Elijah spoke up, it turned into a conversation about Jack. He had no problem talking about her, but the entire group was looking to him with questions he couldn't answer. He didn't know where Jack was; he didn't know what was taking her so long; he didn't know if she lied to them or not. Asking him once seemed like it should've sufficed, but the subject of her arrival was brought up at least a few times a day.

"I know," Elijah grumbled, slowly settling in at Rick's side. They hadn't spoken since Elijah's arrival when the subject of their familiarity was brought into question, and that was fine. But Elijah noticed how plagued and stressed Rick seemed, so he worked up the courage to try to relieve him of his watch. If Jack was on her way, it seemed smart to make friends with her family - but Rick was a different story. If not for Jack, Rick would've executed him. It was difficult to move past.

"It's been eight or nine months," Rick said, bringing the binoculars back up to his eyes as he scanned the length of the fence. "You'd think a few days wouldn't kill me, but..."