A/N: So sorry for the late update everyone. Life has been pretty crazy and leaves very little time to write. When free time comes up, this story is all I ever work on. I've actually re-written this chapter several, several times.

I was blown away from the feedback from chapter 7. I appreciate all of you. Thank you all for giving me the motivation to write this story. You all don't know how great that makes me feel. Please, please keep the feedback coming. I will do my best to push these chapters out as fast as possible.

Restoration: Chapter 8

He was a sick bastard. A pathetic and lonely sick bastard. He was angry at himself for losing his grip on the emotions he had fought so hard to lock away, but at the same time, he was a little mystified that Alexis hadn't stopped him, had almost welcomed him.

With a groan he rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, trying to keep his thoughts free of the blonde hair woman, but failing. He proceeded to lay there, minutes stretching to hours, until sleep finally claimed him. Even then he could not escape, because his dreams were haunted by her blue eyes.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

Alexis jolted awake. Air rushed in and out of her lungs, feeding the lightheadedness. Her skin crawled, tingling with sweat. Her breathing was ragged and uneven. She stumbled into the corner of the room, holding herself up by the sink. The person she saw in the mirror was someone she knew, someone she hadn't seen in a while. Her eyes were tired and dark, her skin flushed from the nightmare.

She grabbed a bottle of water and splashed some water on her face, the chill simultaneously cooling her and bringing her back to the present. Slowly, the events of the night came back to her. Pain crept through her. God, the pain was so intense, coursing through her veins with every heartbeat of her heart. Her stomach writhed at the memory of the physical and emotional torment that man had put her through.

Dominic Vasquez.

Could he be one of the men in Victor's coterie? If so, he was doing a fine job concealing his inner demon. Maybe he was working now to recast himself from the role of savage stalker into that of a normal. Some sociopaths could put on a false persona that was more convincing than the best performances of the finest actors who had ever lived, and this man was probably be one of those.

She'd come full circle...somewhat. After all Rick's assurances that she was safe, that she couldn't be hurt by them anymore, she was right back where she'd started. She'd be looking over her shoulder, waiting for them around every corner.

She needed to get back in control. And she needed a game plan. But who could she tell? Beyond that, what would she say? The man who raped and tortured her repeatedly was in the fucking prison.

She'd been wrestling with the prospect of going to Rick or anyone for that matter. But what evidence did she have implicating him of such crimes? The sound of a fucking zippo lighter and a pet name?

Hell, how was she going to get through this? She could barely look at the man without having a full-blown nervous breakdown. Now she needed to live under the same roof, with him! She splashed more water on her face and toweled off before returning to the bed. She fell heavily onto the bed, curling up with the blanket that was unnecessary on the warm night.

She tried to go back to sleep but her mind was too full of thoughts of the newcomer to relax, so she laid awake until her room was flooded with the blue gray light of morning. She was exhausted, but could not sleep, instead passing the time staring at the ceiling until sleep had claimed her.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

He stretched, and yawned while surveying the area. At ground level, anyway, the wind had died. The air was still and moist. It smelled of wet grass, earth, moldering dead leaves, and pine forests.

Vasquez turned and headed back toward the prison-and discovered odd tracks on the ground. As he stood staring at them, a frown pooled and deepened on his face. The ground was shale, but during a quick and heavy rain, mud washed out from the surrounding area.

Here and there it formed a thin skin atop the stone, not soupy but dark and dense. In this skin of mud are boot impressions, size 11. Victor. He had crossed the area more than once. He saw a place where he stood for a while. Evidently Victor spoor date from after the storm. He crouched beside the tracks and placed his fingers to the cold mud. He could feel the hardness and smoothness of the treads that stamped the marks.

Rubbing his muddy fingertips together, Vasquez rose to his full height and slowly turned in a circle, studying the surrounding land. Victor— if it was Victor— was gone.

Dominic Vasquez stood motionless. Listening. Watchful. Breathing deeply, seeking scents. Then for a while he inhaled through his open mouth, catching what he can upon his tongue. He felt the moist air like the clammy skin of a cadaver against his face. All his senses are open wide, irised to the max, and the freshly washed world drains into them. Finally he can detect no harm in the morning.

The trees still dripping. The mists rising. The spent clouds scudding fast toward the southeast. Vasquez decided to abduct Alexis McKay immediately. He will haul her into the 'tombs', make her lie face down on the cement, and bind her, so he won't have time to play.

As he hurried toward the prison, he was startled to hear his thudding heartbeats chasing one another. He was never afraid, never. With Victor, however, he had been unsettled more than once. A few steps into the prison, he halted, getting a grip on himself.

Now that he was inside again, he didn't understand why abducting her seemed to be such an urgent priority. Intuition. But never has his intuition delivered such a clamorous message that has left him this conflicted. The woman is special, and he so badly wanted to use her in special ways. He is never afraid. Never. Even being unsettled like this is a challenge to his dearest image of himself.

But Victor does not rule Dominic Vasquez and never will, because he had no illusions about the nature of existence, no doubts about his purpose, and no moments of his life that ever require reinterpretation when he has the time for quiet reflection. Therefore, he will not allow this man to spook him. For a few minutes, he had lacked his usual self-confidence. Now he had it back.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

She woke up to the sound of children's laughter wafting into the room. Her smile faded when she rose. Her head was throbbing as if she'd spent the night drinking instead of crying. She reached for her knife from beneath her pillow and placed it into its leather sheath that was strapped to her left thigh. She took a deep breath and tried to pull herself together before stepping out into Cellblock C. She could do this.

The second she stepped out, Dominic was there. He stopped a few feet away, a distance she assured herself was safe. Her stomach tensed. An uncomfortable sensation prickled under her skin.

"Ah, you're awake, you sleepyhead." He said, "I thought it might take a brass band to bring you around."

Stay strong. No fear. No fear.

She may be frightened by him and even repulsed by him, but she found him alluring. He had no doubt about that. Everyone was fascinated by bad boys.

"Long night," She finally said.

She started to leave but he blocked her passage. "I was hoping I could speak with you, actually."

"If you haven't noticed by now, things have been rather hectic after yesterday's incident. I'm trying to do my part to contribute and so should you. So instead of wasting time standing here, you should be out there helping."

"Agreed. I'll be on my way as soon as I can have a moment of your time."

She sighed, her aggravation growing the longer she stayed in this holding pattern with him.

"People died yesterday, children even." Alexis said solemnly. "But I assume that doesn't have an effect on you now does it?"

She had no proof that this was indeed the man who'd caused her so much misery, but he was the best lead she had, and if he was involved, she probably wouldn't be getting very far with a polite line of questioning.

Unfazed, he fished the silver zippo lighter from his flak jacket causing her to tense, which didn't go unnoticed by him.

A sudden smile made Dominic look almost like a boy, one given to puns and pranks, collector of baseball cards, rider of bikes, builder of model airplanes, and altar boy on Sunday's. She knew that he was smiling at what he saw, amused by her trepidation.

With trembling hands, she pushed past him but Dominic captured her hand and swung her close to him.

A wave of nausea washed over her at the sudden contact of their bodies. She tensed, certain that becoming physically ill on the catwalk would not bode well for whatever she'd hoped to achieve today.

"You know, Allie," he crooned, bringing them so close his mouth was at her ear, his breath hot and moist on her skin. "When you start to make accusations like that, people will begin to think you're paranoid or crazy even."

Every place their bodies connected sent shockwaves of pain through her system. Years of loathing the men and the memories they'd given her were programmed into her brain, telling her body to fight. She clenched her jaw and took a deep breath through her gritted teeth, not because he wanted her to, but because she was determined to get through this without completely freaking out.

"You're an attractive woman." His mouth brushed against her neck and her whole body froze, panic taking over. Her focus blurred with the tears that threatened. "A real charmer under all that grime, I think."

Survivor's all around the cellblock c were in and out, but she couldn't see Rick anywhere.

He can't hurt you here. Logic's voice was quiet and easily overwhelmed by the loud and alarming thoughts reeling through her mind.

He'd gotten to her twice, despite a circle of friends and a crowd. She could put nothing past him.

"Let me go. Please," She pleaded. She started trembling uncontrollably. Ghost or man, she had to get away. When she thought she might actually scream, Dominic finally loosened his hold and released her.

She hurried out and down the stairs. She paused at the door, listening for his footsteps, but she heard nothing.

"Alexis."

Alexis shrieked and spun around to behold Rick's worried face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

She lowered her hand from her racing heart.

"You alright?" He asked.

She tried to avoid Rick's eyes. They bore into her with an intensity she was growing used to. "Um, yeah, I'm fine." She plastered on a fake smile and reached for Judith cradled in his arms. "Hi. Honey."

Hesitantly, she lifted her eyes to meet his and was surprised to find he was looking rather haggard. It looked like there were dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't slept much and his face looked gaunt and drawn. She couldn't remember ever seeing him like this. However, she had a feeling it all related to their almost kiss yesterday.

"Rough night?" Alexis joked, trying to focus on something else rather than the merry blue eyed man.

"You look pretty haggard yourself," He said.

"I didn't get much sleep last night." She admitted, feeling the exhaustion a little more acutely.

She turned, but when she looked back, she caught Dominic's tense expression, his hands fisting tightly around the railing.

As they stepped through the door to the courtyard, she wondered if the awkwardness she was feeling develop between them was merely her imagination or if Rick was feeling as uncomfortable as she was.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

Oh Rick was uncomfortable all right. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before as a result. It had taken hours of battling with his own mind before he finally slipped into a fitful sleep out of mental exhaustion. He was so fatigued that he hadn't woken when he had planned and now he was here, trying desperately to wake up as they gathered in the outdoor confines of the prison for breakfast when he had wanted to be on the road by now.

The vibe between the two of them was undoubtedly different. He knew once this morning grogginess wore off, he would be even more aware of the tension between them and they wouldn't have the option of focusing their attention on weapon training instead of each other.

Today was going to be a very long day.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

As Alexis and Rick walked toward the makeshift kitchen, greetings and smiles from other survivor's caught her off guard. She smiled back, surprised at being greeted with such enthusiasm so early in the morning and raised her hand in greeting.

Although Alexis truly didn't see herself as a hero, many others did since the incident. She was no heroine, no mystery-novel-series character with just a colorful dash of angst and a soupcon of endearing character flaws and, otherwise, the competence of Sherlock Holmes and James Bond combined.

Keeping herself alive, mentally stable, and emotionally intact had been enough of a struggle for her. She was still a lost girl herself, fumbling blindly through the years for some insight or resolution that probably wasn't even out there to be found.

A feminine voice emerged from behind them.

"I didn't think the two of you were ever going to get up." She chuckled.

Rick and Alexis both turned to find Michonne standing behind them with a smirk on her lips.

"Hey," Rick said and pulled her into his embrace. "Glad you're back. We could've used your help yesterday."

Michonne pulled away. "So I heard. Daryl filled me in on everything this morning." She said, then fixed her gaze on Alexis. "Boy, doesn't that baby look good on you,"

Michonne's lips twisted in a smirk as she gauged the effect her comment had had on the woman.

"You think so?" Alexis replied, her lips curving into a soft smile.

"I do," She chuckled softly. "She's like an accessory to you."

Her cheeks now tinged pink from her comment. She couldn't help but feel a tiny bit flattered by her remark.

Abruptly, Carl stood up. He didn't say a word as he grabbed his plate and left the table, ignoring his father's confused and angry calls for him to come back.

Michonne smirked. "You know, if you really want to win him over you should try giving him comic books. He likes those."

Alexis shook her head with a smile.

"You want me to bribe a child?"

Michonne shrugged. "Never hurts to try, just saying."

"I hope you're hungry." Carol assembled a plate for her that smelled wonderful. On her plate was a plump vegetable powdered egg omelet, stippled with sautéed onions. On top were two slices of a firm tomato and a sprinkling of chopped parsley. "Come sit down."

Alexis complied and took a seat at what looked like a shabby picnic table, the rough wood worn smooth by constant use. Threadbare cushions had been placed over the abrasive seats, making them more comfortable but they had lost their padding long ago.

"So, are you having fun out there with Hershel?" Glenn asked, his voice clearly holding a teasing tone as Alexis sat down.

"Playing Old MacDonald, who wouldn't?" Alexis said, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

Everyone at the long table laughed.

Finally Dominic came and joined them. He sat across from Alexis, relaxed and self-confident and military casual in his BDU pants and olive shirt.

Famished only a short while ago, Alexis could hardly tolerate the sight of food. She knew that she must eat, so she picked at the eggs, but she would never be able to finish all that Carol had given her.

"Alexis this is-"

"How are you, Dominic?" She interrupted Rick's introduction and forced herself to hold Dominic's steady gaze.

"Much better now," he murmured.

She harnessed all her energies to appear polite and unaffected, keenly aware that her reaction to Dominic's proximity would be noted by those around them.

Vasquez ate with gusto but not noisily or sloppily. His table manners were beyond reproach, and he used his napkin frequently to blot his lips.

Alexis was deep in her private grayness, and the more Dominic appeared to enjoy his breakfast, the more her own omelet began to taste like ashes.

"So, Allie, Rick mentioned about taking you out and teaching you how to shoot this morning." He smiled.

Alexis looked at Rick quizzically. "With everything that's happened here recently and with Michonne gone most of the time we're down a set of hands, we could really use the help. And with Victor still on the prowl, the sooner you're able to defend yourself the better off you'll be."

"You know, Rick, I'm a pretty good shot myself. Given your stature here, I don't mind showing her." Dominic said, then pointed his fork over at Alexis. "I know this quiet place a little ways from here I can take her to. It's the least I can do since you've graciously taken me in."

She masked her disgust at the suggestion. Why, so if it did happen to turn out he was one of them he could take that opportunity to rape and torture her some more before handing her over to Victor? She hated him more than she already did.

Rick casted a sidelong glance at Alexis and noticed her body language had changed significantly.

The lanky Sheriff stared at him strangely, as if he knew something he shouldn't, and he almost pulled the pistol from his holster the moment their gazes locked, almost blew him away without preamble. But he told himself that was misreading him, that he was merely intrigued by him, because he is, after all, a striking figure. Often people sense his exceptional power and are aware that he lives a larger life than they do. Back before the world went to shit, he was a popular man at parties, and women were frequently attracted to him. This man is merely drawn to him as are so many others.

Alexis opened her mouth to speak but Rick spoke first.

"We shouldn't be more than a few hours. Besides, I need you on watch today. Think you can manage that?" He said. Previous he was outgoing. Now he seemed reserved.

"Hell, friend, sounds like fun."

"Hey, maybe you can get Dominic to help you and Hershel out there with the pig pen," Glenn suggested to Alexis.

She fought the urge to roll her eyes and muttered an incoherent response.

Alexis took another bite of the omelet. It seemed greasier than before. Despite there being no butter and cheese, it tasted too rich, cloyed in her mouth, and she could hardly swallow.

She put down her fork. She was finished. She'd eaten no more than a third of her meal.

Dominic finished the food on his plate, washing it down with water.

Vasquez smiled again-and then turned his attention to her breakfast plate. "Do you intend to eat the rest of that?"

"No."

"Then I'll have it."

He slid his empty plate aside and pulled her in front of him. Using the fork, he cute a bite-size piece of the cold vegetable omelet, put it in his mouth, and moaned softly in delight. Slowly, sensuously, Vasquez extracted the tines from his mouth, pressing his lips firmly around them as they slid loose, then reaching with his tongue for one last lick.

Vasquez could taste her on the fork. Her saliva had a lovely flavor-except for a faint bitterness. No doubt that's not a usual component, just the result of a sour stomach.

"You done?" Alexis said to Rick, hoping to get far away from that man as possible-even if it was only for a short while.

"Yeah, ready when you are." Rick's said without letting his gaze flicker from Dominic. He sat still, his muscles taut and unmoving. Finally he relaxed enough to stand and leave the prison with her.

"I'll see you later, Allie." Dominic winked.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

"You sure you ain't gonna need me around just in case?" Daryl asked.

Rick shook his head.

"We shouldn't be gone for more than a few hours," Rick replied, casting a sidelong glance at Alexis who was loading a few bags into the back of the Hyundai.

The brown haired archer was silent a moment, a smug smile spreading over his features.

"Hey, if y'all just wanted alone time all you had to do was just say it."

Rick shook his head at his friend's shamelessness, but offered Daryl a smile of his own and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"We'll be back," He assured. "Watch over things while I'm gone."

~THE WALKING DEAD~

This was miserable, utterly, completely miserable. He would have preferred talking about his sexual history (or lack thereof) to this, this awkward, stifling tension that hung in the air so thickly that it was nearly tangible.

At first He had wondered if Alexis's disinterest in socializing was simply caused by her lack of sleep. However, even after they had eaten, packed and drove a good forty five minutes, she still didn't seem any more talkative than when they had been in the prison. Any questions he asked were answered with single words or grunts, making conversation increasingly difficult and he couldn't help but wonder if she was upset with him.

Alexis wasn't trying to be short with Rick as they drove along the paved road. She too was aware of the tension looming over them just like the dark clouds in the sky but she was unsure of how to fix it. She wondered if discussing the issue just might make it worse. Or how to explain her concern's without having him or the other's thinking she was a basket case. She had a big problem to solve in a very short amount of time. With all this to occupy her mind, she couldn't help it if she wasn't exactly the chattiest person to be traveling with.

The road was on a flat expanse of land, broken only by a gentle hill here and there. They continued on, the road gradually widening the further they went out. Though she secretly mourned the loss of the view in front of her, the surrounding scenery was pretty enough to keep her visually stimulated with the grasses around them nearly knee high and deep green. She was beginning to wonder if they would ever reach their destination when she felt Rick press on the brake slowly.

"Okay, here's the deal. You need to talk to me right now, or I'm heading back to the prison." Rick said, his voice shattering the silence that had been stretching between them for what felt like hours.

"There's nothing to talk about," She said, unsure how she could even begin to tell him, even if she wanted to. She could barely handle the onslaught of emotions that had been terrorizing her since leaving the prison.

Alexis threw the car door open, Rick followed.

"That's bullshit. You looked like you'd witnessed a crime scene back there."

"I was remembering one." She regretted the words as soon as she uttered them.

"Listen, if it's about what happened last night-"

She shook her head. "That's not why."

He seemed to relax a little. "Then what's the problem."

"Geez, Rick, just drop it alright." She said irritably. She turned and headed toward the back of the Tucson to retrieve the gear for this morning's training.

Rick lifted his hand quickly and turned her back, forcing her to meet his gaze, intense and full of determination.

"You're running away from something." He said. "Did Dominic say something to you?"

She searched his eyes, wishing that somehow he could just know— just understand without her telling him. His face seemed pale and stoic, giving her no indication of what he might be thinking of her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing her temples to stave off the tension headache coming on. "I really don't want to talk about this right now, alright." She said.

I can't fix it if you don't talk to me."

Alexis laughed weakly. "You can't fix me, Rick. But thank you for wanting to."

"Alexis." His voice sharpened.

"I'm fine, seriously."

"Fine." He said, releasing his clutch on her shoulder. "I'm going to set up the targets, you keep watch."

He shoved his hands through his hair. She took a deep breath. The day before she had berated him for the same thing. What a hypocrite.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

"This is a Glock G23. Or a .40 caliber Glock." Rick said and held out the Glock. She grabbed it, held it in both hands— a weight that buoyed her. The gun felt good in her hands. It felt wonderful in her hands. "Now remember, always treat every firearm as if it were loaded. Even if you know the gun is unloaded, still handle it as if it were loaded and pointed in a safe direction."

Alexis nodded mutely, signaling she understood.

"The safest direction to point a gun is always downrange." He continued. "Make sure to keep your trigger finger off the trigger and outside the trigger guard until you have made a conscious decision to shoot."

She nodded again.

However, when he circled around to stand behind Alexis, he had sensed her body stiffen momentarily and looked to find her biting her lip nervously. While she was still timid, she seemed more relaxed around him than she had been in the past, and decided that today he could perhaps push her a little.

Alexis gasped as he touched her, and her heart quickened as he guided her hands into their mandatory positions.

"Relax," he commanded and she had reluctantly nodded, seeming as determined as he was to overcome her fear of touch. "Your dominant hand should grip the gun high on the back strap, this will give you more leverage against the weapon which will help you control recoil when you fire the gun while your non-dominant hand should be against the exposed portion of the grip not covered by the gun hand."

At first she just stood stiffly against him until he gradually felt a little of the tension drain out of her. He could feel her heart beating madly against his own chest and was tempted to run a soothing hand over her back but refrained. The movement might make things worse instead of better.

At his command, she was suddenly aware of how close their bodies were, how warm their bodies were. It made her want to push him away and get the hell out of there but at the same time, why did the feel of his calloused fingers on her hands feel so…natural?

"Stand with your feet and hips shoulder width apart and bend your knees slightly." Rick continued as he let go, releasing her arms and taking a step back to watch her. Alexis nodded in understanding and did as she was instructed. "Now, raise your weapon toward the target and squeeze the trigger."

Alexis screwed her eyes shut and squeezed the trigger, completely missing her target.

How do you expect to hit your target with your eyes shut?"

"I'm sorry!" She blurted, rushing to amend her actions.

"You're fine. Try it again, only this time with your eyes open." Rick said.

Alexis nodded and got back into the athletic stance and squeezed the trigger, wincing as she heard the wood splinter beside her target as the bullet penetrated the split rail fence.

"Better," he said. "Now do it again, only this time try exhaling slowly before you squeeze the trigger."

Alexis complied and the effects were immediate, the bullet knocked the can off the fence.

"Oh…" Was all she could manage.

"Not bad,"

"Really?" she ventured, her smile bright and hopeful and Rick found himself smiling in response.

"Really." He assured. "Just remember, the sound of gunfire will attract walkers, only fire if it's absolutely necessary."

Alexis nodded and looked down at the weapon in her heads. If Victor returned, she was ready, no longer helpless, for she knew how to use guns.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

Alexis jumped out of the car and strode up to Beth who was holding Judith in her arms.

"I missed you so much. Come here. Come here." She smiled to Judith.

Coming out of the Hyundai, the woman had a gun strapped to her right thigh. It looked as if it might be a .40. This is a popular weapon with some cops. But this woman is not a cop. An amateur. Her Glock. He will need to be cautious. But oh, what fun he is having. Her gun only made the game more intense. Dominic had never been as intrigued by anyone as he was by this woman. She's a real treat.

Dominic's simple life is not often touched by mystery. There are things that can be killed and things that can't. Some things are harder to kill than others, and some are more fun to kill than others. Some scream, some weep, some do both, some only tremble silently and wait for the end as if having spent their whole lives in anticipation of this awful pain.

This woman is an enigma, all right, as mysterious and intriguing as anyone Dominic has ever known. What new experiences he will have with her are difficult to imagine, and he is excited by the prospect of such novelty.

Once more, the game is on.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

"What do I do about, Carl?" Rick said to Alexis as they walked around the perimeter of the prison. "He's testing me."

"Maybe he's just growing through a phase." Alexis said.

"I hope so." He said with a sigh.

"No, I see the way he pushes your buttons." She said with a smile. "Have you talked to him?"

"At this point I really don't know what to say to him."

"Maybe he's just lashing out to get your attention." She said. Or it could be that he feels threatened by me. "Maybe you should spend some one-on-one time with him. It might do him some good."

Rick inwardly sighed. He couldn't just be a father to Carl, he had to be a father to everyone in the prison, so he couldn't always give Carl as much attention as he would like. But Carl would have to endure this hardship, because in this world true survivors are "those who endure".

"But what do I know, right?" She said with a humorless laugh. "I never had the pleasure of experiencing that with Aubrey."

"Never?" he said gently.

Alexis shook her head.

"The last time I ever saw Aubrey, she was only two." She swallowed against the twinge of sadness that surfaced every time she spoke of her. "Even before she was born, William and I buried ourselves into our work. The two of us loved to help people, you know? William was a Neuroscientist and I was Linden County's District Attorney. The two of us worked long hours and were rarely ever home. Kate, my older sister, watched Aubrey full-time while the two of us were away at work."

"Sadly, it seemed as though Aubrey was more of Kate's child than ever mine." She continued. "I was envious of their relationship. So, I planned to step down from my position as District Attorney to be at home with her full-time, that was until several family members of the victim's targeted by Victor stormed into my office one evening."

"What did they want?" Rick asked.

"They personally wanted me to be the one to put Victor away." She said. "I'll never forget the look one father gave me. So much anger, sadness and confusion. He begged, pleaded with me, offered me everything he had to make sure Victor would never hurt anyone again like he did to those girls. He claimed I was the only one who could dig up enough evidence to convict him. As much as I was ready to be home with Aubrey, I couldn't turn them away, not when they so desperately required my help. And finally, when I had enough evidence to convict him that's when…"

Alexis let out a shaky breath.

"I was supposed to be with her, you know? I was supposed to be there for her when the world went to shit. Be there to comfort her when she was scared, to reassure her that things would be alright. But it's not okay. It'll never be okay because I have to live with the fact that I was never there when I should've been."

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Thank you." Saddened by the thought, she picked at the rip in her shirt. "So much time has passed, I have a hard time remembering everything about her. I feel like Judith is one of the ways I can keep her memory alive. That sounds strange, doesn't it?"

Before Rick could answer, screams from the guard tower they'd just passed alerted them. Someone was in danger - or so they thought.

"Wait here," He commanded to her and drew his gun. Alexis nodded, her breathing picking up.

The tower door was closed but unlocked. He slowly pushed it inward. One hinge rasped. He climbed the steep stairs and froze. It's funny how similar pleasure and pain sound. In this case, pleasure was the answer as Dominic was screwing one of the female survivors senseless.

Holstering his weapon, Rick inched out of the room as quietly and quickly as possible, only to return and find Alexis in the corner having a post-traumatic episode. She cried and covered her ears, trying to block the sounds of the woman's shrieks.

Rick knelt in front of her, troubled by her reaction. With some hesitation, he reached toward her and covered her hands with his, creating a double barrier to block the sounds.

The sudden contact shot remembered pain through her. Still, against every instinct, she let his hands stay, something in her not wanting him to let go. She clenched her jaw down, swallowing hard over the dry knot in her throat. Tears welled, but something inside her fought the reflex to fight. Her rational mind reminded her that he was no enemy, that she needed him. Like holding onto an electric fence, she simply waited out the pain and panic.

A/N: Whelp, that's all for now Walking Dead Fans. Have a safe and Happy Holidays! I'll post as soon as I can. :)