Login with:

Facebook

Twitter

Tumblr

Google

Yahoo

Aol.

Mibba

Your info will not be visible on the site. After logging in for the first time you'll be able to choose your display name.

Solace

Chapter 80

A/N: Went for a run to brainstorm for the ending of this chapter. The song ‘Kings and Queens’ by 30STM came on and I thought it was absolutely perfect for what I came up with. I hope you all agree! Enjoy! ;)

Rick and Lindsey spent the remainder of their day cleaning up the dusty bungalow. They opened all the windows to air out the stagnant smell, allowing in the warm ocean breeze. Carl hung out in his room, which contained a plain, twin-size mattress on a simple wooden frame, a hoop-style, canopy bug net, and a rickety night stand. He was the only person to still retain their belongings, so he carefully placed them about the room, his treasured photograph front and center on the stand. He retrieved a dog-eared copy of ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ from the bottom of his bag and moved to sit out on the front porch as Judith played with a few spoons that had been found in the kitchen drawers.

Brian came by around lunchtime with a large box of things to get them started, along with a bag of fruits and vegetables. Once again they thanked him profusely, and carried their goodies inside. Among the essentials was a blanket to put in the bottom of the box to use as a crib for Judith until a real one could be supplied. Two sets of sheets were also inside. Lindsey looked to Rick and asked, “Want to help me put these on?”

He agreed, delighted to assist her with the simple task. They walked down the short hallway and into their bedroom. The furniture was the same as in Carl’s room except for that it was a full-size bed with two end tables. Lindsey flung the white fitted-sheet over the mattress, letting it float down until it came to rest on the soft surface. Rick used his free hand to stretch it over one side, while Lindsey did the other. Once it was in place, they did the same with the flat sheet, tucking it between the mattress and box spring until it was tight on both sides. Due to the warm temperatures, the only other layer they needed was a thin, white blanket. Lindsey stuffed each pillow into a crisp pillowcase and puffed them up at the head of the bed.

Rick gazed at his woman across the tidy, made-up bed. All he could think about was messing it up beneath the rise and fall of their desire-fueled bodies. Lindsey met his playful blue eyes and smiled intuitively. After checking to see that the hallway was clear, she crawled across the bed and stopped in front of him, rising up but remaining on her knees. Rick wished he could ditch the sling and touch her with both hands, but accepted the situation for what it was. He put his hand on her cheek, sweeping back her long, blonde strands. Lindsey returned the gesture by combing her slender fingers through his unruly hair. She brought his mouth down to settle over her own. The kiss was slow, yet deep, as their tongues intertwined. Rick moved his hand to her chest, fondling one soft breast in the rough palm of his hand. Her nipple hardened and he could feel it through the thin material of her bra and t-shirt. Lindsey moaned into his mouth with pure wanton lust.

The sound of advancing footsteps was lost on the impassioned couple until a squeak on the floorboards in their doorway alerted them to a new presence. Rick raised his foggy head and saw a flushed Daryl slowly backing away. He’d expected to see his son, which would have been horribly awkward, but to know that it was just his friend made it almost somewhat comical. The uncomfortable look on Daryl’s face solidified that.

“Sorry, I, um, can see you guys are busy…” the hunter mumbled, averting his eyes even though there wasn’t anything to see. They were both still fully clothed, but it was probably the intimate act itself that made him embarrassed.

“It’s okay, Daryl. Uh, what can we do for you?” Rick asked as he offered his hand to Lindsey and helped her down from the bed.

“Wanted to see how y’all were settlin’ in…can see it’s goin’ just fine,” he said to Rick with narrowed eyes and a smirk. They relocated from the hallway to the front porch where Carl was still reading. Lindsey sat down next to Judith and showed the infant how to use the wooden spoons like drum sticks. The little girl let out an infectious laugh and reached for them so she could try it on her own. “Also, Maggie was yappin’ about havin’ some kind of family dinner tonight….wanted me to extend the invitation.”

Rick was pleased to hear that someone else had proposed the group meal; it meant they were still on the same page. The people on the island were wonderful, but he missed his tight knit group – his family.

“That would be really nice,” Lindsey said as she smoothed back a strand of Judith’s hair that wavered in the light wind. “I wonder when Thanksgiving is…”

Daryl glanced at her. “It was the day before we got here. That’s half the reason Maggie wants to do this. Brian and some of the others said they’d help out, cook us some chicken and whatnot.”

Rick sighed. “All of this seem too good to be true?”

“I hear ya,” Daryl replied. “Nobody’s done anythin’ to make me think otherwise, but I ain’t droppin’ my guard just yet.”

Carl set down his book and looked between the adults. When he spoke, Rick realized he’d forgotten that the boy was there.

“Dad, do you remember when we were at The Plant and felt unsure about Grace, ya know, like if we could trust her?” Rick nodded. “I think we can trust these guys. Why wouldn’t they want this? They came up with a cure…they saved your life.” He emphasized the last line to push his point home.

“He’s right,” Lindsey echoed. “They have happy and healthy children here. You can’t fake that. I’m not saying we should believe every word that comes out of their mouths, but they haven’t wronged us yet. Let’s give them some more time.”

“They can have all the time they want from me!” Carl piped up. “This place is sweet!”

Everyone broke into a smile and concurred – for everything they’d been through, it didn’t get much better than this.

Lindsey held Rick’s hand and supported Judith in her opposite arm as they followed Carl to the outdoor dining area. The boy carried a bowl of mashed potatoes, their contribution to the feast. When they reached the opening, they could see a handful of families using the grills and occupying the picnic tables. All the way to the left side, three tables were pushed together, forming one long table. As they drew near, Maggie was in a flurry setting up plates, cloth napkins, and glasses.

“Damn, girl, aren’t you tired? Why don’t you sit down and let me do that?” Lindsey asked as she lightly bounced Judith on her hip.

“I know, I know! I am tired, but this is too exciting,” Maggie responded with bright eyes and a soft glow, which Lindsey attributed more toward her pregnancy than excitement.

“Fancy meeting y’all here,” Rosita’s sweet voice called out from a trail opening near them. The young woman was holding a bowl just like Carl’s, but a hint of orange showed through the top, most likely squash or carrots. She sat down next to the boy and gave him a wink, causing his cheeks to turn ruddy. Abraham wasn’t far behind, followed closely by Eugene and Zoey.

As Eugene struck up an instant conversation with Glenn, Lindsey quietly asked the dark-haired girl, “Zoey, where’s your father?”

Her expression dropped a little bit, but Lindsey got the impression she was trying to shrug it off. “He stayed home…said he wasn’t feeling up to it.”

Lindsey made eye contact with Rick over Zoey’s shoulder and knew that he understood. He would have to make an effort to talk to the man later. Clearly, Bill was hurting and it wouldn’t do him any good to feel alone right now.

The blonde patted Zoey on the arm and said in what she hoped was a cheerful tone, “Try not to worry about him. We’ll have a good time tonight.”

Before Lindsey could sit down, Daryl and Michonne emerged from the tangled foliage. The twosome didn’t appear to be talking, but she couldn’t help but feel like something was going on between them. They parted ways and Lindsey casually approached the silent hunter.

“You and Michonne have been spending quite a bit of time together.”

Daryl instantly bristled, shrugging off the woman’s perceptive words. “We’re sharin’ a place now – that’s it. Ain’t nothin’ goin’ on. Just thought it was stupid for each of us to have our own place when mine has two bedrooms. All I need is a place to sleep. Gotta leave more room if everybody’s gonna keep poppin’ out babies.”

Lindsey stifled a giggle. “Okay…” she replied in a sing-song voice.

Daryl ignored her disbelieving tone or possibly didn’t even pick up on it as he took a seat at the table. Lindsey sat between Rick and Maggie and placed Judith on her lap. The infant reached for her butter knife and she immediately snatched it away. “I don’t think so!” She turned to Rick and said, “What’s the point of this without any butter?” He nodded to a spot in the middle of the table where a small dish housed a pale lump. “Sweet baby Jesus, is that what I think it is?”

“Sure is!” Brian piped up from behind her as he set a large platter of chicken in front of them. The smell was positively to die for. Between that and all the fixings, Lindsey was salivating like a fool.

“I love you,” she announced to Brian. “Seriously.”

The man let out an amused laugh and glanced at Rick. “Did you hear that? She loves me.”

A handsome smirk adorned Rick’s face as he quipped, “Don’t get too excited. I gave her stale Cheerios once and she said the same thing.”

Lindsey playfully swatted him on the arm, but then counteracted it by leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

After having a brief moment of silence for their lost friends and family – in lieu of grace – everyone dug in. Lindsey was ecstatic to have such a big meal but knew that she needed to take it easy. They hadn’t been treated to such a spread since before. The last thing she wanted to do was make herself sick.

“Hey, have you guys been up to the bluff yet? It’s quite a sight. You really need to check it out,” Rosita informed Lindsey and Rick.

As Lindsey took a bite of food, Rick said, “No, we haven’t. Maybe tomorrow?”

“What about Judith?” Lindsey asked.

“Oh, I’ll watch her!” Rosita volunteered cheerfully. “We’ll have lots of fun, won’t we, darlin’?” she cooed across the table.

Rick smiled at the happy child and then moved to Lindsey. “What do you think – are you up for it?”

“I should be asking you that.”

“Oh, I’ll be fine,” he assured her.

Lindsey sighed at his unwillingness to rest, but experienced a jolt of excitement at the idea of spending some time alone with him outside of their bedroom – not that she was complaining about that kind of alone time.

“Okay, let’s do it,” she said finally.

Once dinner was over, Rick told Lindsey he wanted to check on Bill before settling in for the night. She slid him a look that promised what he was in for when he got back. He almost changed his mind on the spot but knew that this was, unfortunately, more important. After giving her a brief kiss on the lips, he watched her walk down the path to their bungalow, Carl and Judy in tow. Warmth flooded his chest, gradually filling the holes that had turned cold over time. He truly understood now what it was like to have his heart on the outside of his body. It was in three pieces and currently walking away from him.

Forcing himself to do this, he started down an adjacent path that led to Bill and Zoey’s bungalow. He passed Abraham and Rosita, who were going up the steps to their own place, and gave them a wave, happy to see that the young woman had found someone to share her time with. At the end of the row, he located lot number twenty and ascended the bowed steps. He knocked lightly on the screen door and heard a rustle inside. Zoey’s round face appeared in the shadowy doorway. She’d left the dinner early, claiming she wanted to get back to her dad.

“Hey, is your father here?” Rick asked.

“Yeah…he’s in his room…been in there since I left.”

“Do you mind if I talk to him?”

She sighed and opened the screen door for him. “Be my guest…you’re probably wastin’ your breath though.”

Rick frowned at her choice of words as he stepped into the dim interior. She pointed to a door on the right side of the hallway and he went to knock on it, but it was already ajar. He rapped his knuckles against it anyway as he pushed it open. It took his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the swallowing darkness, but eventually he could see Bill’s solid form occupying a chair in the corner. An empty bottle was tipped over at the man’s feet, and when Rick took a step forward he heard the crunch of broken glass underfoot.

“Here to check up on me, Officer Grimes?” Bill asked in a nasty tone, the words somewhat garbled.

Rick acknowledged the potent smell of scotch as he leaned against the doorjamb. “I’m here as a friend.”

“Well don’t come too close…I have a tendency to get my friends killed,” the man slurred.

“I can relate,” Rick began, “I know what you’re goin’ through.”

“You don’t know a fucking thing about me, so don’t act like you do.”

Taken aback by the man’s unusual attitude, Rick decided to try a different approach. “I know that your daughter needs you.”

“Don’t start lecturing me about how to be a parent. You have enough fucking kids to worry about. Just mind your own goddamned business!”

Rick bit his tongue to hold back the crude reply that threatened to escape. Somehow he found enough patience to say instead, “We’ve all lost people that we care about, Bill. Just remember that there are people here, alive, that still care about you.”

Suddenly, Bill launched up from his chair and stalked across the room. Rick took a step back, not allowing this to turn into a physical altercation – it wasn’t worth it.

“Get the fuck out of my house,” Bill spat, his breath reeking of alcohol in the short gap between them. And with that, he slammed the door in Rick’s face.

Before Rick allowed himself to storm out, he stopped to speak with Zoey. Leveling his gaze with her, he said, “You need anything, anything at all, come an’ find Lindsey or myself – day or night. I don’t care what time it is, you come right over… Okay?”

The girl nodded sadly, and then watched Rick go. He fumed all the way home, heading directly to his bedroom as soon as he stepped inside. Lindsey’s petite form was outlined under the thin blanket. Throwing aside the sling, he immediately stripped off his clothes and slid in next to her. She rolled over as his rough hands came in contact with her smooth skin.

“I take it things didn’t go well,” she whispered.

“No…I don’t want to talk about it.”

He silenced her with a fiery kiss, slanting his hungry mouth over her soft lips. And just as he’d requested, they didn’t talk for the rest of the night.

After breakfast the next morning, Lindsey and Rick walked Carl to Brian and Tommy’s bungalow. The boy settled in quickly, leaving the two adults to go on their way. Before they headed out, they delivered Judith to Rosita and Abraham. The young woman encouraged them to have a good time and told them not to worry. Lindsey seemed a little bit reluctant to go, almost like a new mother on her first outing, and Rick thought it was downright adorable. Finally, he urged her out the door and down the sandy trail.

“Do you realize that this is like our first real date?” she said as he grasped her hand, their shoulders gently bumping on the narrow path.

“What about Maggie and Glenn’s wedding? We danced…we kissed.”

Lindsey smirked. “And then you gave me the cold shoulder.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I came around though!”

“I was so worried that you never would.” She fell silent and he wondered what she was thinking about.

“I guess the cabin doesn’t really count as a date either…” he said, hoping to pull Lindsey out of her sudden silence.

She let out a short laugh. “No, it doesn’t…but when we were in that closet I really wanted to kiss you.”

He pinned her with a loving glance and whispered, “I always want to kiss you.” To prove his point, he leaned in and pressed a firm kiss to her soft lips.

The trail came to a head and she gestured to their left. “Rosita said that it’s this way.” Sand gave way to tiny rocks, and then larger rocks as the path took on a dramatic slant. Rick had told her that he felt good enough to go for a hike, but hadn’t expected something so intense. She glimpsed him over her shoulder and asked, “How’re you doing?”

“Fine,” he answered on an exhale. With only one arm free, he did his best to keep his balance on the loose rocks. It would kind of ruin their romantic getaway if he fell and ripped out his stitches, he mused.

They crested the final pile of rocks and were greeted by a flat ledge – Rick said a silent prayer of thanks. They walked to the edge and gasped at the sight before them. The wide open Gulf stretched out as far as their eyes could see, changing from a sapphire blue to light turquoise where it met the white sandy beach below. A few adults were stretched out on brightly-colored blankets as they watched their children play. Shrieks of happiness carried on the salty breeze, reaching Rick and Lindsey where they stood on the cliff.

“Oh, my God.” Lindsey breathed. “It’s so beautiful.”

Rick instantly thought back to the moment when they’d been standing by the lake at the cabin and she’d said the same thing. So badly he’d wanted to repeat those words back to her and now he finally could, whispering, “Just like you.”

Lindsey turned her head to gaze at him, her wild blonde hair fluttering about as she gave him a coy smile.

Staring at her now and realizing just how much he truly loved her, Rick felt a pang of excitement and nervousness in his chest. He willed himself to spit out the words and overcome his pounding heart.

“I noticed yesterday that you introduced yourself as Lindsey Richardson.” She slowly nodded and Rick took a deep breath. “How would you like to be Lindsey Grimes?”

The woman’s eyes widened as her lips parted on a gasp.

Feeling more confident now, he said, “Marry me, Linds.”

Notes

Comments

@Corall
Aw thank you so much!! :D

bluecrush611 bluecrush611
5/18/16

I just finished reading this story :) and its the most amazing story ever :D

Corall Corall
5/17/16

@Kandy
No worries. I actually used Paint, haha. I just figured out what size the banner needed to be (by trial and error) and then cut the image down until it fit.

bluecrush611 bluecrush611
4/13/16

@bluecrush611

Also, Another Annoying Question. Where did you make that Banner of Lauren And Andrew? I need to get a good Banner place thingy and i need advice xD

Mother Dick Mother Dick
4/12/16

@Walker Witch
Thank you so much for the kind words and for following along!

@eventualprocrastination
Thanks for all of your comments! I actually just published a book, so that's the direction I'm taking for now, but who knows. Maybe I'll post something here and there. :)

bluecrush611 bluecrush611
4/10/16