Better Days

Chapter 358

Author's Note: One more week. I get to watch it on the big screen because us walking dead fans are going to take over the tv, no football for these guys! As I said previous chapter, one of the kids are going to over here the conversation. I decided Eugene can be there too. Review please it makes me happy.

Members of Team Family POV:

Mar opened the pantry door to make a list of food they would need. "We're running out of baby food for Judith, that's going to be something we need sooner then later," she said.

"That's because she has a good little appetite," Carol said with a smile toward Judith.

"She's finally getting her stomach full, aren't you?" Mika asked tickling Judith. "I can go to the pantry, get some more jars," she volunteered.

"One of us can go," Mar answered.

Eugene looked up from his book. "If I may, I need to go to the pantry myself, to pick up some essential items for myself. I would be happy to accompany Mika, and to watch over her."

Mitch leaned over to Mika and whispered, "Who would be watching over who?"

Mika laughed and covered her mouth. "Everyone is busy getting ready to lead the walkers' away. You two are busy cooking dinner for all of us. Eugene is going over there anyway, there's no reason that I can't go with him. It doesn't take anyone away from doing anything else, and Judith gets to have a good dinner tonight and not some processed icky meat that's about ready to expire," she said as she jumped up from her stool. "Plus Eugene and I can watch out for each other."

"We are inside the gates, there are no dangers. I promise I will watch over Mika like she is my own, you do not have to worry about a thing, she is safe," Eugene assured them.

Mar and Carol exchanged glances. "Are you both sure you don't mind?" Carol questioned.

"Of course not," Mika answered.

"I was planning on going later, but there is no present time like the future," Eugene answered.

Mar nodded. "Alright, I don't see a problem with it."

"Mom," Mitch started to say objecting.

Mar shook her head. "Mitch, Eugene is part of this family and Mika is as much his responsibility as she is everyone else's. Eugene is also very aware of the consequences if something happens to Mika under his watch. I think he is showing a great amount of courage and growth to offer to go with Mika. It shows how much he has grown since the whole Washington ordeal. I think we should give Eugene the chance, as he pointed out, we are inside the gates and he did prove himself with getting Tara back to us," she responded. "What do you think Carol?"

Carol nodded. "It sounds like a fine idea and there's no reason not too. Eugene is perfectly aware of what will happen if he allows one hair on Mika's head to get messed up," she said with a smirk.

Mich shook his head. "Be careful," he said as he looked at Mika.

Mika went over and got a shopping bag. "We'll be fine, come on Eugene," she said as they went out the door.

Alexandrian's POV:

Emily crossed her arms as she looked at Carter in the pantry. "What are we doing here, Carter? Why did you ask us here?"

"Time is running out, he's talking about a dry run tomorrow, that's it," Carter said.

"Rick stopped Pete, he stopped him," Olivia pointed out.

"This is not taking out a wife beater," Carter responded.

"He was a murderer Carter," Tobin said.

"From what Jill told me, Deanna told Rick to do it, after he killed Reg," Brad told them.

"He did," Emily responded.

Carter sighed. "What Rick wants to do is suicide. I'm sorry, Spenser, but Deanna is asleep at the wheel. We can't go to Quinn she sided with them last night."

"So did Emily, so did I, so did Francine," Jill pointed out. "Leaving this alone, that seems like suicide."

"You and Emily are friends with Quinn, of course you two are going to take her side," Carter pointed out.

"Then why did you invite us?" Jill asked.

"Because we need people who can stand up to Rick and his group. This is on us to stop him. What the priest said about him, about these people, he was right. How many more of us have to die before we do something? Cause pretty soon it's gonna be to late," Carter told them.

"Carter you need to be careful here. You're talking about us going to Deanna and telling her..." Olivia started to say but was interrupted by Carter.

"No, I'm not talking about talking some more, or about meetings, I'm not talking about that. Plain and simple, we kill him before he kills us," Carter said.

"Now, I know you've lost your mind," Emily said.

Carter started to say something as he heard a crash and came out holding his weapon to see Eugene on the ground and Mika looking at him. "Hello," Eugene said.

Eugene and Mika's POV:

Eugene watched Mika as she walked beside him. "Do you think I'm still a coward?"

Mika looked up at him. "You brought Tara back, you got her out of the warehouse, and if you didn't do that, then she would have died. If you were a coward, you wouldn't have done that."

"I didn't feel very courageous at the time, it was the right thing to do," Eugene told her.

"Before we met, I was scared too. I still don't like the thought of killing people, and I hope I don't ever have to, but to save Hope and Judith, I would. Jewel, Summer, Mar and Rick say it doesn't make us bad people if we have to kill people to save others. The people that destroyed our home, the Governor, and then the people at Terminus, they were bad. I feel bad for them," Mika said.

"Why?" Eugene asked curiously. He had never spent a lot of time around Mika, or any children for that matter.

"Because maybe they weren't like that before, maybe they were like us. Why did you lie about Washington?" Mika questioned.

"I believed and I still do, that if a cure could be found for this thing, it would be in Washington. I am still a coward," Eugene answered truthfully as they went inside the pantry.

Mika turned at the sound of voices and looked at Eugene. She put her finger to her mouth as they both approached the door. She stood quietly and jumped as a jar dropped from Eugene's hand and shattered on the floor.

Eugene backed up, pulling Mika with him. "Hello," he said as Carter came out.

"Carter," Tobin warned.

"They heard," Carter said as he held the gun on them.

"Carter you're holding a gun on an eight year old girl," Brad told him.

"I'm ten," Mika said.

"We didn't...I mean," Eugene stuttered.

"They heard," Carter repeated.

"We heard," Mika said as she pulled away from Eugene's grasp.

"Mika," Eugene hissed at her. "This is not helping me keep my promise to Carol and Mariah to keep you safe," he said as he pulled her back behind him. "I made a promise to keep her safe, and even though you have a gun in our faces, you do not scare me as much as facing the women of our group and telling them I did not keep her safe. If you feel you must take revenge out then let her go. She does not have to be here," he said nervously.

Mika looked at Eugene then at Carter. "If you are going to kill him, then you are going to have to kill me. He's family and family doesn't abandon each other in desperate situations. They don't leave each other when things gets tough. So, if you kill Carter, you're going to have to kill me. Then you better run because Jewel is going to tear you to pieces and feed you to those walkers'," she said confidently.

"Carter, put down that gun right now. You are not going to kill them," Brad said as he started moving out of the room to get Carter to put down the gun.

"What the hell is going on?" Rick asked as he, Morgan, Daryl and Jewel came inside.

"I better be imagining the fact that you are holding a gun on one of my children," Jewel said as she took a step forward. "Mika are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but I wasn't leaving Eugene," Mika said.

Rick put his hand on Jewel's arm. "What are you doing?" he asked Carter.

"I'm taking this place back from you," Carter said.

"That's what you were talking about in here?" Rick asked as he looked at the others. "Didn't some of you stand with Quinn last night?"

"Yes and we still do," Jill answered.

"He was talking about it," Spenser told him. "Brad was just about to get the gun away from him."

Rick shook his head. "See I would have-I would have set some look outs. That would have been the smart thing. You know, if I happened to," he said as he quickly disarmed Carter and made him get to his knees. "You really think you're going to take this community from us? From Jewel? From Summer? From Glenn? From Michonne? From my children, my new born daughter? From Daryl? From me? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

Jewel glared at Carter. "You pointed a gun at one of my children," she hissed as Daryl held her back. "Daryl Dixon, you better let me go."

"Rick is taking care of it," Daryl told her. "Let him handle it then you can," he soothed his sister.

"It was just me," Carter said.

"What?" Rick asked.

"It was just me. Just...just kill me," Carter begged nervously.

"It was just him, Eugene and I over heard him," Mika said.

Daryl looked at Rick. "Rick," he warned.

Rick lowered the gun. "I'm good, I'm good," he said as he handed the gun to Daryl. "Mika are you alright? Eugene?"

"He did not physically lay a hand on either one of us," Eugene answered.

"We're both fine," Mika said.

Rick looked at Carter. "You can try to work with us, you can try to survive, would you do that?" he asked.

Carter looked nervously at him and nodded.

Jewel looked at Carter. "Stand up," she ordered. She sighed as he didn't move and pulled him up by his shirt. "You held a gun to one of my children. I should kill you just on that fact alone," she reasoned with him. "But, the way I see it is that we are going to need all the people we can get out there dealing with the walkers', and that means even you," she said. "But, I can't just let you get away with holding a gun on Mika without some kind of punishment," she said as she raised her fist and punched him. "You deserve more, but we have other things to do," she said as she watched his nose bleed. "You better pray to whatever God you believe in Carter that you don't piss me off again because I will kill you. Look at me the wrong way, look at one of my children the wrong way, cross the same side of the street as them, and I may get mad enough to kill you," she said as she glared at Carter. "Get out of my sight."