Hey guys! So I realised I have never said this before. But thank you guys so much! Thanks for reviewing, favouriting and following this story. You have no idea how much it means to me and I hope you'll keep doing it.
Special thanks to:
scarlet-star-witch
galwidanatitud
lunasky99
MultiFanfomLover99
For reviewing the last chapters, I read all of them and really appreciate it.
Everyone had been woken up as soon as the sun started to rise, we didn't want to waste any time with going back to the church.
Today was also the day that we were going to say goodbye to Bob. We had offered to- you know, end his misery, but he told us to just walk away so he could decide if he wanted to turn or not. He had his gun with him if he didn't want to turn and if he did want to turn we'd already be gone.
He was currently lying down on the couch, Sasha sitting next to him, sobbing. I felt a bit awkward to go over there, I didn't want to interrupt their moment. It seemed like almost everyone felt that way, we were all standing a few feet away from Sasha and Bob, looking at them with sympathy. Daryl was standing next to Rick, softly talking to him. Judith was being balanced on Rick's hip and she was trying to grab his growing beard.
Rick suddenly turned around, facing Bob, and everyone started to leave the room. Apparently Bob wanted to talk to Rick, since even Sasha left the room.
It was warm outside, summer was coming quick, we needed to restock with water, lots of it. I almost jumped when Olivia appeared next to me, she was clearly deep in thought, she had been like this for a few days now, and I didn't like it. Every time that I looked at her, she seemed to be frowning or looking at everyone, observing us. I still wanted to ask her what was wrong, but I didn't want to do it in front of everybody, apparently so didn't Olivia.
''Can we talk?'' She asked, turning over to me. My heart skipped a beat, scared of what she might say. I still nodded confidently, not wanting to jump ahead of things. I was hoping she would tell me what has been going on with her, not wanting to go to the mall, not really going on any runs actually and distancing herself from the group. She hadn't talked to me after the incident with her archery lessons and I didn't think she'd talked to anyone else from the group.
We walked over to the back of the house, in the garden. I imagined that the garden used to be really beautiful. There was a pool at the very end of the yard and flowers planted at the sides of it. But now, the pool looked disgusting, by not being cleaned in over a year probably, and most of the flowers were dead, replaced with weeds.
''What's up?'' I asked her, subconsciously wiping my hands on my pants. She didn't say anything, which made me only more nervous. She was pressing her lips together, staring at the garden in front of her. I noticed that she was rapidly blinking and she was constantly brushing away a strand of hair that tickled her face.
Liv was never nervous to say anything, never shied away from anything that she had to say. Suddenly something popped in my head, what if she was bitten? But I quickly dismissed that idea, she couldn't have been. She hadn't gone to the mall, she stayed back with the rest of the group which meant that she hadn't been alone and from what I know, she also didn't have watch duty last night. There were also no signs of sweating and she wasn't burning up.
''I'm leaving.'' She said and my head snapped up to her, my eyes widening.
''What? Why?'' I asked her, clenching my fists. Thousands of thoughts were swimming through my mind. Why would she leave? After everything we've been through? After we found each other again, she was just going to leave like that? I was already trying to find ways to convince her to stay.
''I-I don't belong here.'' She mumbled, a bit ashamed. She refused to look at me, but I could hear she was trying her best to sound as serious as possible, to not show any emotion. ''You obviously do. I just- I'm better off on my own.''
''How can you even say that!'' I yelled at her, pushing her chest so she was looking at me. I could clearly see the shock and sadness in her face, but I was so angry that I didn't have time to comprehend it. How could she even think that? Why would she even think that she was better off on her own? That she didn't belong here?
Olivia shrugged at my words, staring back at the ground. Her dark hair slowly falling in front of her face.
''After everything, you're just gonna leave?!'' I flung my arms around in the air. I was sure I would attract every walker that was even remotely close to this place, but I didn't care. I had to talk Olivia out of this, she was going to die if she left. A woman, on her own was almost an invitation for every other group out there. And if she wasn't going to die by other people, she surely was going to die by walkers, what if there was a herd and she'd be surrounded, there would be nobody around to distract the herd or lead them away.
''What are you so afraid of Liv? That you're going to feel again? 'Cause God forbid you actually feel something!'' At those words her head snapped up from the ground and she looked at me with fury in her eyes.
''You have no right to-''
''What are you so afraid of?'' I repeated, not letting her finish her sentence. At this point there was a lump in my throat and I was sure that I wasn't the only one. Olivia seemed like she was going to burst out in tears any moment, which was actually what I was going for. I didn't want to see her cry, but seeing this, I knew she cared, that she didn't want to leave, she felt like she had to.
''What do you think!'' She yelled, crossing her arms in a frustrated manner. ''I-'' She took a deep breath in and out, ''I can't lose anyone else anymore, why do you think I was alone for so long Aubrey? Hmm?'' She questioned me, it was her turn to get angry at me, a few tears had escaped her eye and she angrily wiped them away. ''I'm just so- so sick of it!'' Her hands clenched into fists at her side as she took a step towards me.
''Liv, I understand- we all understand.'' I pointed at the house where the other were. ''But, you can't just run away from it. Do you think we want to lose people? It happens and we just have to deal with it.'' I placed a hand on her shoulder and quickly pulled her in for a hug. She didn't hug me back, she buried her face in the crook of me neck and let a few silent tears escape.
It was relieved that Olivia had told me what was really going on, she needed to talk to someone and I hadn't been there for her when she needed me. I was too busy with my own problems to think about her, too glad that I was back with my group that I forgot Olivia also needed me, even though she never showed it.
''I'm sorry,'' I mumbled, even though she probably had no idea what I was talking about. While she was crying in the hug, a few tears had also started to escape me, so now we were both crying in the freaking garden of someone we didn't know, pouring our hearts out.
I was the first one to pull back.
''Jeez we're so girly,'' I joked, wiping away some tears and Olivia let out a shaky laugh,
''We're freakin' crybabies,'' Olivia added and we awkwardly laughed at each other. I sniffed a few times and took a few calming breaths, let's just hope that they hadn't heard us in the house.
''Are you still planning on leaving? Because if you are, I know I can't stop you.'' I mumbled.
''No, I'm not leaving, don't worry.'' She said, I gave her a slight grin and gave her another quick hug. It felt like a weight was being lifted of off my shoulders, she wasn't going to leave.
Bob was dying. Of course this was something we already knew, but he was very close to death at the moment. Which meant that it was time for us to go.
After Olivia and I came back from the garden, nobody had said anything about it. That didn't mean nobody had noticed though, we had gotten quite a few curious looks.
We all got to say goodbye to Bob, I was one of the first ones. I sat down next to him on the couch as he softly smiled.
''Hey,'' I almost whispered as I grabbed his hand in mine.
''I'm sorry for forcing you into a bad haircut.'' He said and I softly chuckled, ''And all that over a bottle of whiskey,''
''It's fine, I think I'm going to keep this haircut actually.'' I joked and Bob softly smiled. His breathing was raspy and I was scared he could choke any second.
''You send me a card, where ever it is that you're going.''
''I will.'' He said and with those words I patted his hand before letting go and slowly walking away. My bottom lip was slightly trembling with the emotion I didn't want to show in front of Bob. You know, he could have died worse. He died with his friends, his family, around him. He wasn't being torn apart by walkers, wasn't shot instantly by bad people.
It wasn't long after, that we left the house, leaving Bob behind.
I felt bad for him. He died before we went to Washington, he'd never get to see the world change back to how it once was. My eyes flickered over to Sasha who was angrily walking in front of all of us. Bob had given her his jacket, which she was now wearing. Her AR-15 was clutched in her hands, refusing to let it go.
The way she walked and her posture kind of scared me a bit. She wasn't thinking straight, and that made people reckless. Her behavior reminded me of when Karen was killed and Tyreese flipped. How he had angrily taken on any walker that crossed his path and, even though he never admitted it to me, tried to put himself in dangerous situations in the hope of getting killed.
Sasha was acting the same way, well not yet anyway, but she seemed to be going down the same path. I hoped Tyreese would help her in some way, he seemed to be fine now. At least I hope he was.
Olivia was also walking in front of me, chatting with Rosita. I can imagine Rosita was also happy to have someone to talk to, I knew she was in a relationship with Abraham and that it was just them and Eugene for a long time. I was glad Olivia was trying, I felt like she was a bit reluctant to try at first, but after our talk.. well more like yelling at each other, she tried to get to know people a bit more.
I knew I shouldn't watch her so much, but I was just worried about her. Now I felt like it wasn't necessary anymore.
Even though I tried not to, my eyes flickered over to Daryl who was walking next to Rick and discussing something I had no idea off. I couldn't stop thinking about last night, about how everything was perfect those few hours that we were alone. And how after my watch, or our watch, he wrapped his arm around my waist and we fell asleep like that. But this morning, it felt like he was avoiding me, trying to forget the whole thing happened. I rubbed my hands together nervously. I knew it was to be expected with Daryl, but I couldn't help the pang in my heart every time he walked away when I got even closer then a few feet.
''Aubrey,'' I let out a small yelp of fright as Carl appeared next to me, holding Judith. ''Sorry, I didn't want to scare you.'' He apologized but I quickly waved it off, telling him it was nothing.
''What's up?'' I asked him, curious as to why he came over.
''Nothing, I just thought I'd walk next to you.'' He shrugged, moving Judith a bit.
''Well okay then, how are you doing?'' I asked him, placing one hand on my hip as we walked.
''I'm fine I guess,'' He was silent for a few moments, thinking, before he spoke again. ''Do you think Washington is real?'' He asked me and I bit my lip nervously.
I wanted it to be real, who wouldn't, and why wouldn't it be real. But I understood where Carl was coming from, it was almost too good to be true. Things like this barely happened anymore, a chance.
''I hope so.'' I told him, ''We have to try at least, because of we don't take chances, then what's the point in living?''
