Chapter 16 – Incompleteness in absence

The storm rage on as they made their way through the city. The wind was ferocious, not allowing even a meter of clear vision, the snowflakes flew with such speed that it stung their skin and it was simply putting awful. Luke had one of his hands around the woman's waist as if to make sure she wasn't taken away by the winds, the other offering a semblance of protection to his eyes.

"This… is… too… much… we … need… to… stop."

She simply nodded her head frantically.

They kept on walking, braving the winds despite their fatigue but nothing can go as it should. Their little path was soon stopped by a screech form Adeline as a walker lunging itself from the storm grabbed her leg, she went down, and as they were in the middle of nowhere, closing by a city, they were walking on top of a hill and that little missed step and sudden lurker made her tumble down the hill. Maybe for the best as the fall released her from the zombie's grasp but still…

She barely managed to get on her feet.

"Luke! Where are you?"

The storm raged on around her.

"LUKE!"

He hand was trying to keep it at bay as she was looking around frantically.

"WHERE ARE YOU DAMMIT!?"

She was lost.

She attempted to climb the hill back up but to no avail and thus, thinking that certainty Luke would had come after her were it not for this snow, she started walking in one direction, desperately trying to find some cover or something. After what seemed like forever, her body started to feel as if made of stone, all of her nerves were numbed she managed to find a tree with its roots sticking out in an almost makeshift shelter. She managed to enter in the small den, the lack of the wind and its humidity taking away some of the cold, but she was unable to make a fire in there and thus she still struggled with the freezing sensation of hopelessness. She remained there for maybe hours, desperately trying not to fall asleep simply praying for the storm to end.

She took her arms out of her sleeves, pulled her knees to her chest, and fitted her head through the coat, managing to make a small tent and nestle herself in it. Her hands started rubbing her arms as she desperately tried to warm herself.

"Damn…"

They should have stopped sooner, but there was nowhere where to stop.

"DEL! Shit!"

It seems like the walker that attacked her came for its other victim, the only problem being Luke's boot across its face smashing it for several times.

"ADELINE!"

Attempting to make a normal climb down the hill, he slipped landing on to his back and sliding unceremoniously to the base.

"Fuck!"

Looking around he was obviously unable to see anything.

"Adeline!?"

Walking thought the snow and the wind he kept on screaming her name until he managed to get a glimpse of light in the distance. With hope bubbling up he dashed to that spot. It seemed like the light was coming from a small cottage, maybe a hunting lodge or something. Opening the door to the place wide open his eyes met with the barrel of a gun and he knew in that second… Adeline was not here.

She fell asleep but at least she also woke up, and the snow slightly calmed… which was good. Getting out of her cocoon and climbing out form the roots she was actually delighted to see a sun ray making its way towards her. Taking a few steps around, she was half hoping to see Luke right there but she wouldn't get that relieve… it would be too easy. Taking in the scenery she could see in the distance a small cabin, maybe it had some loot and a Luke in there and thus she slowly but carefully made her way towards it…

Before she could even get any closer a familiar voice echoed and she, instantly, hid behind a tree…

"I am tellin' you, Bonnie… If we leave she's dead!"

"She's dead, anyway."

And now a voice she can't really put her finger on it but it surely seems familiar spoke.

"Guys… guys, I know how it feels to leave someone behind… maybe we should look for this Adeline?"

"Are you for real, Wyatt? Do you remember how bat shit crazy she was… she put a knife through Carver!"

"It wasn't really like that, Russell...Com'on, Vince… You know I am right."

"Actually Russell is right… she seemed dangerous… though… pretty tough."

"I am not putting Becca through that danger again! You are not actually considering this woman?"

"Especially after I told you she's almost dead."

"I am telling you! She's better now!"

"And if she's almost dying again, who will you shot, Luke!"

"That's not fair, Bonnie!"

The safety of a gun being release could be heard next.

"Stay down, Luke!"

"I am not standing down or anything until I find Adeline! You can just let me go!"

"We should just kill him."

Was that a kid? Saying that?

"Becca."

"No, Shell… Did you forget what happened the last time we let someone go? Just kill him, he already betrayed us."

"Maybe the kid is right."

"We can't just kill him, Vince!"

"Then what do you propose, Russell."

"Tie him to a tree or something and just go… Wellington is not that far, and we'll be safe there."

"Wellington… of course…"

"Do you know something about it, Luke?"

"Why do you think I am here… I and Adeline… we are coming from there… Wellington ain't the hope we all searched for."

"What?"

She could almost picture all of their deject expressions.

"They send us off with some supplies because there is no more space ion Wellington."

Of course he'd meet face to face with these guys… fuck. He was looking at all of their desperate faces, especially at Vince as he was the one keeping him at a gun's length. Wyatt was the first one to speak.

"Shit, man. At least could you tell me if you saw…"

"We could only see a woman… the place was barred shut."

"Shit. What now?"

" Well… now… just maybe you could let me go!"

This was getting frustrating for Luke, Adeline was out there maybe dying somewhere and he was stuck here!

"You know we can't do that." Vince simply spoke as he pushed his gun in to the man's ribs pointing him to move forward. Despite the pain in his abdomen Luke stand his ground.

"I am not leavin' without Adeline."

"She is dead, man…move on." Another push and as he was simply standing there Russell took a step forward.

"This is bullshit… and what are we going to do… bring him with us?"

"Let's just kill him."

"Becca, shut up."

"Maybe the kid got it right." Raising his gun to Luke's forehead time stooped, Vince's finger was contracting on the trigger when a gunshot echoed in the distance followed by the scream of a man.

Somehow she managed to get him right in his hand, the gun at Luke's forehead flying meters away.

"Try doing that again and I won't miss your head next time." She was bluffing as that was her only emergency bullet, but Adeline was glad she grabbed the pistol despite the lack of ammunition.

"Adeline." Luke breathed out in relieve.

"Oh Well… the bat shit crazy bitch is here to save your ass again."

"Don't move!"

Russell got his own pistol out and Vince despite his slightly scarred hand grabbed his own gun and aimed it at the couple. Luke managed to get by her side before the guns were drawn, in full knowledge that Adeline's gun was empty.

"Me and my friend here are going to leave and you are going to leave and we are going to leave happily ever after… deal?"

"Man… maybe we should take the deal."

"Shut up, Wyatt. Look at them… after the beating they've got to come out this fine… they surely found themselves a group or something… that is what I've been trying you pry from Luke."

"Are you kiddin' me?"

"Bonnie… tell them of our mighty group."

The woman resigned from answering by turning her gaze from the couple.

"Alright… I will be out in the open with you." Luke spoke, his hand coming on to Adeline's wrist lowering her arm slowly. "We have a car… a working one… but we are out of fuel. We just wanted to find some fuel around here and go on out merry way."

"Where?"

"Don't tell him, Luke."

"Shush… If you want you can come with us."

"What?!"

Vince simply chuckled all knowing.

"We were tricked once with a better offer what should it stop us from shooting you and grabbing all of your stuff."

"Are you kidding me, Vince?" Russell stands up. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"We are desperate here, Russell!"

"I know but damn…"

"We want to get back to Howe's Hardware and remake it… properly."

"They actually have a plan… maybe we should listen to them, man. As you've put it… they look fine and comfortable."

All of their hearts stopped as they could see a small horde of walkers making their way towards them.

"The gun shots draw them here." Vince whispered as he turned his gaze towards the upcoming small army.

Thus was her cue. Adeline pushed Luke from her path jumping at Vince with all of her weight, managing to get a fist in to the man's face.

Before Russell could get his pistol up, Luke twisted his wrist behind his back grabbing the weapon for himself before pushing the boy away and drawing it at him.

Before Vince could do anything, the woman managed several blows to his face but he managed to regain his sense of reality twisting over her and giving one punch of his own right in her guts, all of her breath coming out in one shock filled gasp.

"Don't move!" Luke simply shouted at the man. 'And I can't believe you did this, Del! We were getting to them!"

The woman was still desperately trying to breathe… the pain in her abdomen abnormally high.

Unclenching his fingers from the pistol, Luke slowly let the weapon down to the ground.

"We need to work together here to survive!"

Taking a glance at the walker's making their way towards them; Vince nodded as he rose from the ground. Luke nodded back before walking towards Adeline, the woman still being on the ground in a fetal position.

"Del?"

"Shit this hurts."

His eyes widen and his right hand came on her shoulder.

"I didn't hit her that hard."

"As I told you guy... she ain't got much time."

"Shut up, Bonnie." Luke spat at the woman before slipping a hand behind Adeline's knees and one around her shoulders, grabbing her bridal style.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Internal bleeding… and you might have made it worse."

They managed to reach the city by circling around the horde, and they even found a rustic pension nicely protected by a high wall. Vince and Russell were quick to clean it up of any walkers and the small group took a break in it. Luke only managed to stele Adeline in one of the guest room's bed before being almost manhandled in to the main hall for questioning.

I sat there still in too much pain to do much besides sit and mope. I was glad in that moment because I realized the fact that I actually mattered to Luke… a lot. When we were parted we each feel the lack of the other. We were incomplete just like a book in two volumes from which you only have the second one. We were incomplete in the absence of the other one.

The pain started to let out, and she managed to take a deep breath of air just when the door of her room squeaked open letting in Luke.

"What happened?"

"I had a little fun chat with the others… they… actually want to come with us… surprises everywhere I guess."

"Maybe it is better to have someone with us."

"I actually don't know if this is a blessing or a curse… How are you?"

"You keep on asking me that…"

"Of course I am… you… could…"

"I am alive now."

A smile curved on her lips as did one on Luke's.

"It wouldn't be the best place to…"

"We did it in a pharmacy with a walker growling in our ear…"

Now he chuckled.

"Fine… you got me… but first."

He started walking towards the corner of the room where he grabbed two logs of wood. Adeline's eyebrows came together until she saw the god blessed fireplace.

"I didn't even notice it." She jumped form the bed, taking a couple of long steps and ending up right next to the man, eager to make the fire.
He simply chuckled as he started the fire.

The warm embrace of the fire soon enveloped the couple.

"The others still don't trust us…"

"Come on, Luke… don't ruin the mood." She simply said as she started getting undressed. He shook his head but followed her lead.

They ended up in the bed afterwards, the warm covers they found in a cupboard on top of them.

His body surged with the reckless strength she brought him and she embraced the pain the movement created with a masochist's fervor alongside with the love and lust there.

Maddeningly he kissed her, his hands traveling along her bare body, his lips across the curve of her throat feeling her soft moans as the pleasure build in.

When he felt the soft tremble strengthen in to her shaken limbs, when the keens of need vibrated from her lips he came and she followed suit tight, wet and pulsing around him.

I realized I was his right there and then in his arms, his sweat on my tongue, on my skin burning deep within my soul only to show me what I should had seen long ago that I was his and everything I've done until then was to lead me here… to lose everything but to gain all of it.

They fell asleep in another's arms finally whole only for a shadow to enter the room, her hands and fingers trembling on the grip of the gun… a tremble of rage and anger created by her frustration… by the little green monster harboring a house in all of our minds.