I don't have much to say about this one, so yeah.
I don't own anything to do with the show or characters, blah blah blah.
Enjoy!
"Blake?" A burst of static made the teenager jump as Rick's voice came through the radio. She rolled her eyes as it had only been about fifteen minutes since the last time he'd contacted her.
"I'm here." She said into the speaker as she continued forward. "What's up?"
"Just making sure you're okay." The concern in Rick's voice made Blake roll her eyes again, with a smirk this time.
"I'm fine. I've only been gone for like three hours."
"He knows that." Michonne's voice came through next.
"Hey, Michonne." Blake genuinely smiled. She was quite fond of the samurai.
"He's just a worrier." Blake could tell Michonne was smiling as she spoke.
"I know. But please, the static is loud, and I don't like- hold on a sec." Blake pulled out her machete, stabbed the walker in the eye, and wiped the blade off on the walker's shirt before sliding it back into the sheath. "Sorry, walker. As I was saying, I don't like advertising my presence to whatever or whoever is nearby. So can we keep the contacting to a minimum please?"
"No problem." Michonne knew exactly what Blake meant. "I'll keep Rick busy for a few hours, but I'll keep the radio on me just in case."
"Alright." And with that, the conversation ended.
Blake continued walking down the road, keeping close to the edge just in case she had to jump the fence into a backyard. For now, she was okay with walking without much cover, seeing as the air was nearly silent. She had missed this, the silence of nature, broken only by her own footsteps and breath.
It felt more normal to be outside, away from people. She had always known she was close to her old home, but had never gone back for fear that it wasn't there anymore. Or maybe for fear that it was. Blake never would have been able to face it alone, but when Carl was injured she felt she had no choice but to take everyone there. Being home, it felt strange. It didn't feel like home. Outside in the cold air, that's where Blake felt she belonged now. There was no home, just inside and outside. And being outside felt better. Inside, it felt like she was hiding, trying to not face the world, but outside, she felt confident in her ability to survive, and she was never scared.
Blake realised that she had never really had time to be scared. When the government personnel had taken everyone to the safe zone, she had truly felt safe. The people defending the neighborhood had guns and training, there was no reason to be scared. Once they had left, she always had to look out for Tegan. When her parents died, she didn't even have time to be sad. Everything happened so fast all the time, there was no way to keep up with everything emotionally, which was a good thing when she was alone.
Blake's thoughts were interrupted by snarls, and she looked up to see four walkers slowly making their way around a corner ahead. She sighed before grabbing her machete and heading towards the dead ones.
TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD
Rick sat at the foot of Carl's bed, staring out the window at the sunset. He couldn't believe that he'd let Blake go out there on her own. In the days that she'd been with them, Blake had found her way into everyone's hearts, and regardless of how long she was out there on her own, Rick was worried.
"She's fine you know." Michonne came into the room carrying a bottle of water. "She can take care of herself."
"I know." Rick sighed, shifting his gaze to his sleeping son, leaning towards him and placing a hand on his forehead to check his temperature. "Fever's getting worse."
"Blake will be back tomorrow." Michonne assured, passing the water to Rick. "He'll be fine."
"I hope so." Rick took a sip of water. "Have you heard from her yet?"
"No." Michonne shrugged, trying to ease Rick's worried mind. "She's probably finding somewhere to stay for the night."
"You think I was right to let her go?"
"Yes." Michonne sat down, looking Rick in the eyes. "I know what it's like to be out there by yourself. Once you've done it once, you never forget; it's like riding a bike. She can take care of herself, I'm surprised you don't think so considering how much she's been taking care of us."
"She's always been like that." Rick smiled, remembering the days before the outbreak. "Putting everyone else before herself. One time, when she and Carl were in the fifth grade, some kid in their class decided to beat Carl up, just for the hell of it. Kid couldn't even get a punch in before Blake tackled him. He was about three times the size of her, but she took him down, didn't even think about it."
"She had him crying in less than a minute." Carl groggily opened his eyes. "It was great."
"I'm sure." Michonne grinned.
"You know, she was the only girl on my softball team." Carl pushed himself up on his elbows so he could see the adults better. "Guys on other teams would make fun of her, and the rest of the team, but she was the best player on the team. Hit at least one home run every game."
"She wasn't afraid to stand up for herself, or anyone else." Rick smiled, shaking his head at all of the memories that had surfaced since the teenager had found them in the woods.
"That's why she's so equipped for this world." Michonne smiled too. "She knows how to handle herself in a way that keeps her alive and safe."
"True." Carl also let a smile creep onto his face, choosing to ignore the throbbing in his leg and head. "I just wish we'd found her sooner."
"So do I." Rick sighed.
"Rick?" Blake's voice suddenly came through the radio on Michonne's hip, making everyone perk up. "Michonne?"
"Hey," Michonne answered, "how're you doing?"
"Fine, I'm about an hour away from the pharmacy." Blake explained. "How's Carl?"
Carl gestured for Michonne to hand him the walkie talkie, so she did. "Hey cheater." He smirked as he called Blake by her new nickname.
"Hey loser." Blake's smile was audible. "How're you feeling?"
"Could be better, but not too bad." Carl lied through his teeth, he felt awful, but he didn't want anyone to worry more that they had to. "Where're you staying tonight?"
"A house. There was a broken window, but no sign that this place has been lived in for a long time. There would be footprints in the dust if anyone had been here recently."
"Good." Carl breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'll talk to you guys tomorrow, I need to be up early if I'm going to be back before sunset."
"Alright. Be safe."
"I will."
TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD
Blake set the radio on the bedside table, and laid down on her back, facing the ceiling. She knew she wouldn't sleep for a while, but closed her eyes all the same, trying to trick her mind into relaxing.
After about an hour of lying there wide awake, Blake turned over to pick up the radio, but knocked it to the floor. A burst of static startled her, and she reached over the edge of the bed to grab it. An unfamiliar female voice was coming through the speaker, but only random syllables could be heard through the static.
Remembering that she and the others were communicating on channel four, Blake switched the frequencies until the voice became clearer. She couldn't get it to the point of her conversations with Rick, Michonne and Carl, but she could make out about every other word.
"Who… survive… sanctuary… for all… there… follow… tracks meet…. maps… crossings… guide… journey…"
Blake tilted her head, curious. It was probably a recording, but even so, it might be worth checking out. If there was an organized community out there somewhere, and Blake was close enough to pick up the signal, she might just have to tell Rick and Michonne about it once Carl was well enough to travel.
With that thought in her head, Blake definitely wasn't getting any sleep.
Mostly filler, next chapter is more exciting. Please review! and Check out my one shot series, What If
