Hold Fast - A Richonne Reunion Fic: Chapter 2

Summary: Every single night since Rick had been gone, Michonne had dreamed of him; even when she did not recall the dreams. Even when they were not so nice. Every night, she dreamed of him. And every morning, she felt the ache in her heart when she was reminded that he was gone. But she had never, in her wildest dreams, thought it was possible that he would still be alive out there somewhere. Just the mere thought of it would be like a dream come true.

Hold Fast - A Richonne Reunion Fic

Every single night since Rick had been gone, Michonne had dreamed of him; even when she did not recall the dreams. Even when they were not so nice. Every night, she dreamed of him. And every morning, she felt the ache in her heart when she was reminded that he was gone. But she had never, in her wildest dreams, thought it was possible that he would still be alive out there somewhere. Just the mere thought of it would be like a dream come true.

Flames. So many flames. Engulfing everything in sight. Red and angry and merciless. Destruction. She was not used to destruction. Decay? Yes. But destruction? No. They were building something. Rebuilding for a future. A future together filled with promise that, after everything they had been through, peace might be on the horizon. And just like that the flames swallowed everything up. Swallowed Rick up. Scorched him from this earth; from Michonne’s grasp.

In the days that followed, the sleepless days, she searched the ashes for him. Covered in soot and tears, she searched and searched. Looking for any sign that he had lived. That he had survived. At the end of every day, she returned home and held their daughter. The tears came, but sleep did not. Each day that followed, she searched through the rubble and waste, exhausted, but not willing to sleep.

“You should rest,” Aaron told her. “I’ll watch after Judith. You need rest, Michonne.”

“I can’t,” she would answer, her voice still hoarse from screaming and crying. “I can’t.”

“You can,” Aaron reassured. “Just take some time, close your eyes, and let it happen.”

“I can’t,” she replied in a whisper that was rough at the edges.

Aaron placed a steady, comforting hand to her shoulder and asked, “Why not?”

“Because,” she said shakily, wiping at the corner of her tired eye. “If this is just a bad dream, some kind of nightmare, then that’s all it is. But if I sleep and wake up from it, and Rick’s – Rick is really gone? I can’t live with that. I can’t – I can’t face waking up to that.”

“Rick Grimes is here!”