Quinn, Hilltop

It was already evening when we reached Hilltop, but what we saw, was not Hilltop anymore. The whole town was on fire. I gasped, but I didn't have much time to think as Henry started to run towards the wall.

"Henry, stop! Wait!" I yelled at him, but of course, he didn't stop. I ran after him. I noticed Carol on the wall, shooting walkers with arrows. "Look! It's your mom, up there on the wall!" I yelled at Henry.

Just as we got closer, Carol noticed us, fear befell on her face. She didn't want Henry there, it was clear, but I couldn't stop the kid. We hurried inside and we climbed up to Carol.

"Mom!" Henry hugged her.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" asked Carol, almost hysterically. "You shouldn't be here!"

"It's okay, I won't be alone. I want to find Lydia, please, mom, tell me where she is!" he said, really determined. Carol calmed down a little, then pointed in Lydia's direction. She was wearing Henry's old armor and was killing walkers with her stick. Henry smiled widely. "Thanks!" he said, kissed Carol's cheek, and hurried down on the wall to run to Lydia. We watched him with Carol.

"Sorry, I couldn't stop him," I said, panting, I was trying to catch my breath after running. "Daryl let Lydia call him in the morning through the radio and he wanted to come. I couldn't leave him alone."

Carol looked at me like she was seeing a ghost, then she smiled at me, but I saw tears and guilt in her eyes. This was the first time we met since I got angry with her.

"It's okay… Thank you for protecting him," she said quietly, her lips trembling. "You were right about everything. I should have stayed with Henry… And I'm so sorry about Negan," she said and a tear rolled down her cheek, she quickly wiped it away.

"It's okay. I forgave you and Daryl. I had to. I couldn't lose you, too."

She nodded, smiled slightly, quickly wiped her face once more, and continued shooting walkers. I didn't know how to shoot a bow, so I just stayed by her side. I tried to search for whisperers among the walkers, but I had no chance with that distance. I glanced at Henry from time to time. He was fighting walkers along with Lydia by his side. I also saw Aaron and Jesus with spiked shields, and I saw Daryl too.

"What happened at the cave?" I asked gloomily. Carol glanced at me.

"Connie and Magna died because of me," she said, her voice cracking. "I killed Daryl's friend," she said and looked me in the eye.

I shook my head disapprovingly.

"As far as I know, it was an accident."

"You were right," she said and shot another walker. "I was a threat to others. I didn't listen to you."

"It's okay. We should focus on the walkers and the whisperers now."

She glanced at me, nodded, and continued shooting arrows. My eyes found Aaron and Jesus again, they were fighting side by side. It was good to see them finally together. I smiled involuntarily.

"I know you're probably still mad at me…" Carol started out of the blue, still swallowing back her tears. "…but I have to tell someone or I'm going nuts."

"Tell what?"

"I was such an idiot," said Carol while shooting arrows, without looking at me this time.

"What?" I glanced at her.

"I had sex with Ezekiel."

I assumed everything else but this.

"What?! Are you crazy?" I snapped at her.

"I was really under the weather, Daryl hates me and… Ezekiel comforted me," she glanced at me, guilt in her eyes, then she quickly turned her gaze back to the walkers.

"Uh, gosh… It's hard to listen," I said. "Jesus Christ, Carol…"

"It's the end of the world. I thought maybe I die tonight," she said, then she continued in a lower voice. "Daryl said he doesn't hate me, but… I still can't stand it. I murdered his friend," she said, looked me in the eye with regret this time.

"You "murdered" his friend and then you have sex with another man? I don't think that helped the situation," I said grumpily.

"Daryl doesn't know about it…" she said, while she kept shooting arrows nonstop into walkers' heads.

"That doesn't justify your actions," I said.

"True… It was a mistake and it won't happen ever again."

I rolled my eyes, even though Carol didn't see it.

"It's like you cheated on him. Again…" I said quietly, but confidently. She stopped shooting arrows and turned to me.

"We are not together, it's not cheating."

"You will never be together if you act like this."

Her mouth winced. I noticed her hands were trembling. She was scared and tired.

"I hate that you are always right…" she said.

"I'm not always right. In fact, please, prove me wrong this time."

"I can't," she said and turned back to the wall, shooting more walkers.

Then she changed the subject:

"By the way, Jesus said, when they tried to take children to Oceanside, they found the road blocked… Daryl was furious… because he recognized Negan's tactic," she said, but she didn't take her eyes off of the walkers this time.

"What?" I jerked up my head. "So Negan is really working with them?"

"I think… at least I hope… that he is trying to earn Alpha's trust, so he can kill her to fulfill our deal," she said.

"I hope so," I was smiling. "That means he is alive and trying to help us."

"Well, he could get a move on, because this doesn't look good at all," she said, nodding in the direction of the horde. Half of the arrows were already missing from her bag, as she was shooting endlessly.

"I should make myself useful, I'm going down to Henry and Lydia," I said. Carol nodded. I felt pity for her. I was relieved that she got out of the cave, however, she really messed things up this time. I hugged her quickly, she was surprised, then I climbed down the wall, grabbed my knife, and headed towards the kids. When I got there, Daryl, Jesus, and Aaron welcomed me with smiles and nods.

"Are you alright?" I asked Henry and Lydia, I stood close to them.

"Yes, we are!" said Henry. We kept stabbing walkers in the head.

"It's good to see you again, Lydia!" I greeted the girl. She slightly smiled at me. I could tell she was blaming herself for this mess.

The walkers didn't want to run out, they kept coming at us. It was chaos. Everyone was running around like crazy, people popped up then disappeared around us. I saw Ezekiel and Jerry too, then they disappeared.

Sometime later, Rosita and Eugene ended up near me.

"Quinn?!" Eugene smiled at me happily.

"Eugene!" I smiled back at him, I stabbed a walker in the head, then I glanced back at Eugene.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I was bored. Wanted to kill some walkers," I smiled at him, he chuckled. "Henry wanted to come to see Lydia."

"I'm glad you're here," Eugene smiled. "I have to tell you something, anyway!" he said happily. "I got a date!"

"What?" I glanced at him, then at Rosita, she was nodding and smiling too.

"This guy's totally head over heels for that radio woman," she said.

"Wow! Congratulations! Then you must not die tonight!" I warned Eugene.

"You bet I won't!" said Eugene happily while he kicked a walker in the chest.

I saw Henry and Lydia headed away from me, so I hurried after them.

It was a damn long night, but by the time I saw the first rays of the sun the walkers' numbers were becoming less and less.

Then, there was the explosion.

I had no idea what exploded, I found myself on the ground, I could barely hear anything. Jesus was in front of me, pulling me to my feet.

"Quinn! Quinn, are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes, sure, thank you, Jesus," I mumbled. I shook my head, my ears started to clear.

I glanced around, that's when I realized I don't see Henry.

"Henry… Where's Henry?" I asked him, looking around, crazily.

"I didn't see him," said Jesus.

"No. No no no no…." I said and left Jesus there, without thinking.

I already pictured inside my head whisperers taking away Henry. I was running and looking around.

I couldn't see anyone. Not Carol, not Daryl, not Eugene, not Lydia, not even Jesus anymore.

I was on my own, flames everywhere.

"Henry!" I yelled, then I started coughing because of the smoke. I didn't see anyone.

I lost Henry.

…

Author's notes: Listen to "Warrior" by Avril Lavigne.

Thank You for reading! ❤