Part Three

Here is the next chapter. Sorry it's so late, busy day. Can't say to much here since I'm still in a hurry.

Hope you like it.

I own nothing, Robert Kirkman owns all rights to The Walking Dead.

Enjoy.

XXX

Jesus had urged Maggie for an emergency meeting with the other communities. She, of course, agreed and sent riders out to the other communities while they took care of Aaron.

Enid had been training under Carson after they got him back and another man that Carl had found by the name of Siddiq so she was a pretty good doctor by now. But what made them take Aaron to her wasn't her skills in the medical field. It was her powers. She had been bitten a few months after the war and after three days of fever and misery, she was given the power of energy medicine. This meant she could use her own psychic energy to heal others. It didn't work on the virus that turns people, unfortunately, but it did help people clear rather than turn. She was a god sent really.

"Put him on the cot." she told them taking her place at the head of the cot.

They did as she said, gently setting Aaron down then backing up. Carson went to work checking his vitals and for any other injuries that could be life-threatening. When he gave her the all-clear she sat in her chair and placed her hands on his temples. She took a deep breath letting her energy flow into him so she could aid his body in healing. Aaron's body went stiff for a second then he relaxed and the healing process began.

"How long do you think?" Jesus asked slightly out of breath.

"I can't be sure." Enid shook her head barely, not even looking at him, putting all her focus into Aaron.

"Daryl." Carol called rushing into the medical trailer.

"It's not meh," he promised catching her in his arms.

Neither one of them were much for public displays of affection but when the other was worried they would show that side of their relationship without any fucks given.

"Oh god." Carol gasped seeing Aaron. "Was he bit?"

"Yes." Jesus nodded grimly. "It's about to start. We need to talk to Rick and Ezekiel."

"What was he doin' out 'ere so close ta th' Hilltop anyway?" Daryl asked letting Carol go but still keeping her close.

"I've been training him." Jesus sighed. "He wanted to know how to use martial arts so I've been showing him. We meet regularly every week."

"Was he bit during the training?" Maggie asked Glenn by her side.

"No." he shook his head. "He was late, I was waiting for him. When he did come he was stumbling and bleeding. Then he passed out. Daryl showed up and we carried him back here."

"Jus got done with mah hunt," Daryl told her. "Was headin' back when ah saw 'em."

"At least he's here." Glenn sighed. "Not out there with no one."

"Rick and the others will be here soon," Maggie told them. "We should go wait for them, give Enid some space to do her work."

They all agreed filing out one after the other, all except Jesus.

"Hey." Glenn hushed gripping the scout's shoulder. "He's going to be alright. Princess's vision showed that."

"But there is also a possibility he'll die." Jesus reminded. "She saw that too."

"Enid didn't have her powers in that vision." Glenn countered. "She does now, he'll be fine."

"Then I have a few other problems to deal with." Jesus chuckled.

"C'mon, Rick, and the others will be here any minute."

He nodded, sparing just one more glance at Aaron before turning and following the others finding Terra outside.

"Is he okay?" She asked looking panicked.

"He'll be fine," Maggie assured. "Enid's with him. We need to wait for Rick and the others before doing anything else."

Looking conflicted Terra nodded and followed the others back into the Bearington house.

It was another fifteen minutes before Rick, Ezekiel and their envoys showed up and by then everyone knew Aaron had been bitten. Jesus told them what he told Maggie and the others so now they were all caught up.

"That was stupid." Rick graveled out. "Both of you sneaking out like that, this was the best-case scenario. It could have been so much worse."

"Rick." Andrea abashed.

"No, he's right." Jesus murmured. "We should have done it inside the walls. But that doesn't change what happened. And it doesn't change what we need to talk about."

"The Whisperers." Michonne offered.

"Yes." Jesus urged looking every single one of them in the eye. "This is the start. After Aaron gets bit things start to get serious."

"What should we be looking out for?" Terra asked.

"Herds," he told them. "Massive ones. They'll be sweeping through here like a plague. We need to deal with them efficiently and quickly. We also need to be on the lookout. The Whisperers like to wear the skin of walkers. You won't know they're there until it's too late."

"Anything else?" Ezekiel asked.

"The B!TTEN need to be more careful now as well." Morgan spoke up.

"Why?" Andrea asked.

"If they get bit, they become a bigger threat than walkers or people." He told her.

"What does that mean?" Carol demanded.

"Even though they didn' turn the first time, don' mean they won' turn this time." he explained.

"And when they come back they will still have their powers." Jesus said grimly. "They won't want human flesh. They'll just be violent and tear people apart."

"You should have told us this sooner." Rick hissed. "Now the B!TTEN are a bigger threat now."

"Don't think of them that way." Jesus urged. "Yes we will be more dangerous if we are bitten again but measures can be taken to stop that. Just like when someone is bitten normally. We just need to be careful. And right now that is not the point."

"Then what is?" Rick demanded.

"The herds that will be sweeping through here." Jesus insisted stepping forward. "They will destroy everything unless we head them off. And what's more, now that Aaron has been bitten, everyone else will follow soon after. We need to be prepared. All of you will be powerful and we will have very little time to train you. We need to prepare as best as we can."

They all looked around at each other trying to mentally ready themselves for the hell just ahead.

"Fine, what now?" Rick sighed.

"For now we carry on. Keep an eye on the herds and manage them as best as we can. And prepare each community for the B!TTEN. Aaron should be taken to Alexandria right away. His powers may be a bit much for him at first. Princess would be the best to train him… where is she by the way?"

"We told her where we were going and she took off into the woods, said there was something she needs to take care of." Carl told him with a shrug.

"She probably went to head off a herd." He nodded. "But still, as soon as Enid says it's alright, you should take him back."

"Why?" Maggie wondered. "He's already here, why not have him stay here and you train him?"

"His place is in Alexandria." Jesus shrugged.

"No, she's right." Rick shook his head. "He's already here. We know he'll be safe. Plus from what I hear your training method is better than Princess's. She likes to throw walkers at people and let them figure it out for themselves."

"But he-"

"Jesus." Glenn called getting his attention. "You know this is how it was going to happen. Just let it."

Jesus looked like he wanted to argue but looked away not saying another word.

"We all know what to look out for now." Rick told them. "Let's rest up a bit then head home."

They went and said their goodbyes to Aaron then packed up and headed out for home. While they were talking others were trading any sort of goods they had to offer. Never waste a chance one supposes.

They bid them farewell then went back to their own tasks.

Jesus returned to the medical trailer to see how Aaron was doing. Finding Enid still in the same spot as when he left her. He remembered having to train her to do this. Sit in one place for long periods. It was torture for both of them. Though her power was a god sent, it took time. Like now, already he could see her start to fidget and see the sweat trickle down her brow.

"How's it looking?" He asked softly as if anything above a whisper would ruin everything and kill him.

"He'll be okay." she assured sighing and leaning back, wiping her brow with her arm. "I've helped with the clearing process. He'll clear within a couple of days after the fever dies down. Now, all we have to worry about is that."

"Good." he sighed slumping in a chair just a little aways from Aaron.

"You don't seem to happy about this." she noted.

"No, I'm beyond happy." he chuckled. "I'm ecstatic that he's going to live." his smile was brief as he looked down then out a window as if he was seeing past the walls. "But this means it's starting. This new war. The last one I hope. But this isn't going to be easy. We'll have to kill, and we'll lose people. That's war. That's what's expected. Doesn't make it any easier."

"But that's not all is it?" she said grabbing a cup of water and taking it in one gulp. "They're something else, and it doesn't have anything to do with the war."

"You Rhees." he groaned. "You're like bloodhounds I swear."

"Well?" she pushed.

He groaned again rubbing his eyes and looking at Aaron's prone body.

"It's Aaron," he admitted. "His powers, they'll let him sense emotions and lies."

"So?"

"So he'll be able to sense things about me that I don't want him to."

"Like your raging crush on him?"

"Seriously, what is it about you Rhees?" he cried softly shaking his head.

"Glenn told me." she shrugged. "Said that Princess had a vision where you two got together and lived happily ever after or something like that."

"Yeah well, her visions aren't always right." he snorted.

"Or you're afraid of getting close." she suggested.

"I'm done," he said. "You and your family are too much, I'm going to see what the B!TTEN are up too."

"Can't run away from your destiny." she called after him, giggling like mad.

"Goodbye Enid." he called back.

Three days passed before Aaron showed signs of getting better and by then Jesus had already told them what was needed. So on the day that Enid was sure he would wake they cleared out the medical trailer of people and let only Maggie in. She sat in a chair a few feet from him and waited patiently as his eyes began to flutter open.

"Aaron," she said softly not wanting to scare him. "Hey, you're okay."

"What's going on?" he rasped looking around blearily. "Where am I?"

"You're at Hilltop in the medical trailer." she started, her voice soothing but firm. "You came here three days ago to see Jesus and got bit, he and Daryl found you and brought you here."

"I was bit…" it wasn't a question, it was a reminder. "Shit." he spat attempting to sit up.

"No, stay laying down," Maggie ordered kindly. "Your body is still weak from the fever."

He looked over at her more than a thousand questions running through his head.

But most prominent at the moment, was why she was so far away.

"Why are you sitting over there?" he asked her still struggling to sit up. "What's going on?"

"Aaron," she took a moment to collect her thoughts then started again. "What do you feel?"

"What?"

"Tell me what you feel right now."

"Thirsty." he hissed licking his lips.

"Anything else?"

He wanted to tell her, no, but then it hit him. There was something, he couldn't understand it at first but this feeling. It was like it was with him, but not apart of him. There was a distinct feel that accompanied the emotions he felt. A grounded sort of feel. With that came compassion and steely resolve.

"Maggie." he breathed.

The feel, the presence was just so Maggie, he could feel it in a thousand different people and still know which one was her. It was just her. It was Maggie.

"I feel you." he gasped. "Your presence, you're… worried about something… about me."

And just like that the worry vanished and was replaced with delight.

"Now you're happy." he said still not really looking at her, just feeling her.

"Yes I am." she smiled. "You're powers are amazing. That's why Jesus said I should be the only one to see you till you can get it under control. Imagine if we had a room full of people right now."

He winced getting a migraine just thinking about it.

"Exactly." she nodded standing and filling a cup with water and handing it to him. "We're going to give you a few days in here before letting you out, get you used to your powers. We'll introduce you to a few more people each day, and once you're comfortable around enough people you can go out and train for real with Jesus."

"So you're placing me under house arrest?" he raised a brow. "In the medical trailer? Don't you need this for other patients?"

"We've set up a room in the house for now." she assured. "And would you rather us just let you roam with everyone out there? With all their emotions?"

He shuttered.

"That's what I thought," she smirked. "Jesus left a bunch of books for you to read. There's a notebook in case you want to write down anything, and there is also a puzzle that we found on the road. You should have a bit of entertainment until we can let you out."

"Thanks." he sighed laying back down. "But for now I think I'm just going to get some rest."

"Of course." she smiled. "I'll have someone bring you something to eat here in a minute."

He nodded gratefully before fully dozing off.

She smiled sweetly at him, and he could feel her care for him. It was soothing and lulling letting him slip into a restful sleep.

"How is he?" Jesus asked when Maggie came back to her office.

"He's doing well." she promised. "His powers are already developing nicely. He said he felt me. Not just my emotions but me specifically."

"That's good." he nodded. "He'll be able to find us if needed or tell the difference between friend and foe."

"So we're still keeping him in the trailer?" Glenn asked handing Hershel off to Enid who smiled and cooed at the toddler.

"He'll be overwhelmed if we don't." Jesus assured looking worried. "He needs time to get used to feeling people. It should only take a couple of days."

"So we just need to do what you and Princess did with me." he nodded. "Sounds good."

"You should be around him the most." Jesus told the new father. "You're powers are similar. You'll be able to help him the most. Once he's ready I'll take over training him."

"Sure thing." Glenn nodded.

"This is gonna be interesting." Jesus sighed already working on a plan to get out of training Aaron and maybe pawning the task onto Glenn.

"Dude." Glenn groaned. "Seriously."

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, and Glenn could tell he meant it.

"Just get over it already." Glenn sighed. "One way or another it's going to happen."

"Maybe." he thought worriedly. "Maybe not."

A few days later Aaron was more comfortable with his powers and had braved the sea of emotions that was the people of Hilltop. At first, he got freaked out and had to fight to keep from running back into the trailer. Glenn was with him every step of the way, reading him and helping him breathe. It took a few minutes but eventually, he was breathing easier and moved about people like normal. He had expected Jesus to greet him as soon as he was out, or for them to start training immediately so he could use his new powers to help the communities. But he wasn't there.

"Wheres Paul?" He asked once they made it to Barrington house. "Is he inside."

He could feel Glenn- a feeling of eagerness and calm (super contradicting, but Glenn in a nutshell)- go from soothing and alert to annoyance in a split second making him raise his brow.

"He's on a run with Daryl." Glenn groaned. "Until he gets back, I'll be training you."

"Why did he go on a run?" Aaron asked sensing something in Glenn that piqued his interest.

"Trust me, when he gets back, you'll know." Glenn snorted. "C'mon, let's go get you trained up."

Jesus came back a week later, with an epic hall. Lots of luxuries they thought were lost to them. And of course lots of books- Jesus couldn't resist. They were barely out of the truck when Carol was on Daryl checking him over for injuries.

"'Nough, woman." he told her pulling his arm from her grasp. "Aam fine."

"Good." she smiled leaning into him then. "I missed you."

"Yeah." he smiled back wrapping one arm around her. "You too."

Jesus smiled at the exchange before going to help the others unload their hall. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aaron approaching to help as well and he had to tamper down all sorts of emotions that were flying to the forefront of his mind.

"In through the nose, out through the mouth." he repeated to himself over and over.

"Hey." Aaron smiled.

"Hey." he smiled back.

"So why are you avoiding me?" Aaron asked bluntly as the other man handed him a crate of books nearly dropping it at his words.

"I'm not." he rushed to say turning his back to grab another crate.

"Yes, you are." Aaron smiled reaching out with his powers to get a good read on the man before him.

Peaceful, focused, strong-willed, Paul. This was Paul and Paul had the distinct urge to run away right now.

"I'm not avoiding you, but I do need to help get these to where they need to go." Jesus said jumping from the truck with the crate full of baby clothes.

"Hey." Aaron called softly grabbing Jesus's arm not missing the spike in nerves as he did. He gently took the crate and set it back in the truck then turned to Daryl. "You guys can take care of this right? I need to talk to Paul about my powers."

"Yeah, g'on." Daryl said grabbing the crate and handing it off to Carol. "Do what ya gotta."

"Thanks." Aaron smiled leading Jesus toward his trailer.

Jesus looked over his shoulder at Daryl and now a smiling Glenn and Maggie.

"Traitors." he mouthed.

Once inside Aaron stood guard at the door waiting for Jesus to get comfortable. The trailer was small and cozy, littered with piles of books of all kinds. There was a small bit of an emotional impression on it meaning that Jesus didn't spend much time here but it still felt like him making Aaron calm. Which was good considering the conversation they were about to have.

"So?" Aaron asked gently. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Jesus said smoothly, but it didn't help, Aaron could feel his panic.

"Paul, please." Aaron pleaded taking a step closer. "Since you got here you have been nothing but honest with me. Why are you hiding things now? Trying to get a read on you is way more difficult than the others. What are you hiding?"

Jesus stared at him. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to have to explain what was on his mind the second Aaron showed up in that clearing with his bite mark. But if he didn't do it now, then it would come later, and that may be worse. With the Whisperers on the horizon talking about this later may lead to something ugly. Best treat this as a band-aid and get it over with.

With a sigh, he let go of his emotions letting them flood him like a damn had just broken. Aaron's eyes widened and he took a sharp breath at the suddenness of it before settling.

"Oh." he breathed.

"Yeah." Jesus nodded sitting in a chair at his little table.

"How long?"

"... Since before I knew you."

"How?"

"Princess, she… sigh… she told me about the B!TTEN and then she also told me about this man who would be my everything. This dirty blonde curly-haired man who would be able to read me like a book. Who would always know what I need and be there for me? At first that made me laugh. No one has ever been there for me. Not like that. I've always been alone and I liked it that way. I never got close to anyone, friends, or boyfriends. Even when I was here I kept everyone at arm's length. So the thought that someone could find a way around all that was ridiculous. But then she started to tell me about you. You were in a town with Eric pretty close to the start and you had left a shirt there. She used it to see into Alexandria to make sure everything was okay there. She would give me updates on you. She was trying to make me fall for you, and it worked. The more she told me, the harder I fell. And I hated it. When we met, you had just lost Eric, the one thing that meant the most to you and here I am hoping you would just look at me like I mattered that much. It was wrong. But still, I couldn't stay away. When you asked me to teach you how to fight I was jumping for joy. I dreaded the day you got your powers because I knew you would know how I felt and I wasn't ready to face that. And I didn't want to be with you just because Princess's vision said so, that seems like a really stupid reason to fall in love… But here I am falling for the one she said I would… I'm sorry."

They sat in silence. Jesus's words hanging in the air like steam. Aaron wasn't sure what to say to this. A part of him was happy, he liked Jesus. But another part of him felt like he was betraying Eric. Yes, a year has passed, but the wounds were still fresh and bleeding. Still, if Princess was right, maybe this was meant to be… just not right this second.

"... I like you a lot." he finally said looking away. "But… I still…"

"I know." Jesus assured. "This doesn't have to happen."

"Not right now." Aaron amended. "But I don't want to stop hanging out with you. And maybe one day… who knows."

Jesus chuckled.

"Yeah." he smiled. "Who knows."

XXX

Thank you for giving this a read.

Hope you liked it.

Next chapter will be out next Sunday.

See you in the next chapter.