Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Fear the Walking Dead.
Author's Notes: These characters just won't shut up in my head, so I decided to write a series of random one-shots that are loosely tied together by a common element - rain. They're not in any particular order; they'll just be posted as they come into my brain. Also, the POV will shift each chapter depending on which character speaks the loudest in my head at the time.
I. Gridlock
Travis felt his blood pressure skyrocket the moment the first drop of rain hit the windshield. It was one thing trying to take part in a mass exodus when it was sunny, but everyone knew that the moment even a gentle drizzle fell from the sky, every single Californian lost all ability to properly operate motorized vehicles. People slammed on their breaks, honked their horns (like that was going to do anything), and moved at a crawl. And then there were the people who panicked and put their hazards on despite the fact that it wasn't an emergency and they were still completely visible through the rain.
Granted, the drive out of LA hadn't so far exactly been a happy 70mph clip on open roads, but they'd still been managing a fairly steady pace.
But now...
He clenched his hands around the steering wheel, knuckles turning white and all his usual optimism fleeting. He shot hot visual daggers at the one idiot who thought he was a goddamn NASCAR driver and was weaving through the other vehicles creeping along.
"Babe," Maddie said quietly from beside him in the passenger seat. He glanced at her and she gave him a small, tired smile. "Take a breath?"
Travis gave her a half-smirk in return and nodded, forcibly relaxing his hands. She had conveyed a lot to him with that single, concerned look and she was right, he needed to just take a breath and not get worked up. They were going to get out. It was just going to take a little longer. He took one hand off the steering wheel and squeezed her knee before returning it to the 2 o'clock position.
He glanced in the rear-view mirror at everyone in the back. All three kids were sitting on the row behind them with Alicia stuck in the middle, the unhappy buffer between Nick and Chris. Daniel and Ofelia Salazar were in the 3rd row with Liza who, not wanting to be far from her son, had placed herself behind Chris.
Originally Madison had wanted to sit with Nick and Alicia, and Liza had wanted to be with Chris, but after Travis had quietly told Madison about the loss of Mrs. Salazar, they had worked things out so that Daniel and Ofelia could be together.
A sudden siren wailed behind them and Madison tensed, turning around in her seat to look out the back at the approaching police car.
"Maddie, it's fine," Travis said softly, reaching out to grasp her hand. "They're not here for us."
"Why would you think they'd be here for us?" a female voice from the back asked.
Travis winced.
Liza Ortiz, sharpest ears on the West Coast. One of the many catalysts leading to their divorce.
"It's nothing," he replied, making eye contact with her in the rear-view mirror.
His ex-wife raised a very familiar eyebrow at him in return. "Doesn't look like nothing."
"Liza–"
"It's this car, isn't it?" she interrupted. "It isn't yours."
Travis and Maddie exchanged glances.
Liza's eyes went wide in disbelief. "You stole a–" she started to exclaim, but then dropped her voice just as the police car maneuvered past them as if she thought the cop would be able to hear her. "You stole a car?" she hissed, voice lowered.
"Borrowed," Travis immediately corrected. "We borrowed a car."
"It's not like he needed it anyway," Alicia murmured, eyes cast downward, staring at the center console rather than the road ahead or the two adults in front of her.
"Alicia," Madison scolded, though there was very little heat to her tone.
"What was that?" Liza questioned.
"He's dead." Alicia's voice was soft, haunted.
Travis watched in the mirror as Madison and Liza's gazes met, Liza's mouth open in shock. Madison rushed to explain. "Mr. Dawson, our neighbor," she said, voice tight. "He was one of them, the infected. He tried–... he tried to kill us."
"But Mom killed him first."
Travis caught Alicia's eye as she finally looked up and just before her usual mask of teenage indifference slipped into place, he saw it – fear and despair. He frowned.
Liza's mouth shut and Maddie, after reaching back to rub Alicia's knee for a moment, turned back around and focused her pained gaze out the windshield.
Silence fell and Travis realized his hands were gripped tight again, knuckles white. This time though it had nothing to do with the traffic or the rain.
A/N: More to come! I have several ideas for one-shots, but if you have an idea for a scene you might like to see, let me know!