Anna and Siddiq gently moved Carl to the cot, making sure he was comfortable. She held on to his hat so that it didn't get dirty and sat beside him. Daryl had taken Judith from Tobin at some point and was holding the little girl close.

"There's not a whole lot of time for eventually."

Anna bowed her head, feeling the tears pricking at her eyes and her chest throbbing painfully.

She looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and saw Rick and Michonne making their way through the crowded tunnel. Rick paused to look at Tara, and Anna knew Michonne had told him what happened. He continued on, looking to Dwight, who leaned against the wall, beaten. He brushed his hand against Judith's shoulder and stopped in front of Siddiq, hovering over him

Siddiq stared up in apprehension and a bit of terror, unsure of what Rick was going to do, but then Rick's eyes moved to Anna and Carl.

"I brought him here," Carl said, swallowing hard.

Anna got to her feet and moved out of the way so that Rick and Michonne could see him. As they fell to their knees around him, Anna stood at the corner beside Daryl and Judith, gripping Carl's hat with one hand.

"That's how it happened," Carl said, lifting away his shirt and bandage to show the bite to them.

Anna swallowed the sob that threatened to rip from her throat and looked away, unable to see it again. She felt a warm hand slip into hers, squeezing it, and she looked up and saw Daryl looking back at her. She hadn't even noticed him stand. She flinched as the explosions drew closer and gripped his hand.

"I… I don't—" Rick began.

"Dad," Carl cut him off.

"How—"

"Dad," Carl interrupted again. "It's all right. It's gotta be. I wasn't sure if you'd make it back before…. But just in case, you know…," he said, pulling a stack of folded papers from his back pocket. "I wanted to make sure I was able to say goodbye."

He handed them to Michonne.

"No. It's them. It's them," Rick insisted. "They—they don't—It wasn't... "

"Carl," Michonne breathed.

"No," Rick insisted. "No."

"I got bit," Carl said. "I was bringing someone back. His name's Siddiq. We saw him at the gas station, before…. It wasn't the Saviors. It just happened. I got bit."

"I, um, I got these," Siddiq said, digging in his pockets and pulling out a white pill bottle. "They're over the counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories," he explained, holding them out to Rick. "They'll, um—they'll help a little with the fever. They did for my mom and dad. Please take them," he begged. "Your son… he should have them."

Rick looked to Michonne, who nodded. He took them and read the label.

"You're a doctor?" He asked quietly.

"I was a resident…, before," Siddiq clarified. "Yeah."

"Your name is Siddiq?" Rick went on.

"Yes," Siddiq nodded.

"Did you know he was a doctor?" Rick asked, looking at Carl. "Is that why you brought him back?"

"He wasn't gonna make it alone," Carl corrected. "He needed us. That's why."

"He was the one at the gas station," Rick muttered.

An explosion erupted overhead, the sewers shaking with the impact. Dust and small rubble fell over them. Anna and Daryl curled around Judith as Rick shielded a coughing Carl.

"Water. Give him water," Michonne said frantically.

Siddiq quickly passed them one of the water bottles Carl had brought earlier. They helped him drink it. Anna and Daryl uncurled themselves from the little girl, who seemed unafraid by what was happening, but they remained close together, ready to shield her again.

Michonne turned and glared down the tunnel. She got to her feet, storming past.

"Make it stop," she snapped, approaching Dwight.

She grabbed him and threw him against the wall.

"Make them stop," she demanded as the bombing continued.

"I can't," he said.

"You can. You're one of them. They'll listen to you. Please," she begged. "Please."

Rosita stood and walked over to Michonne, resting her hand on the woman's shoulder and gently moving her away from Dwight before looking to him.

"You said that Hilltop's safe, right?" She asked.

"Yeah," Dwight said, bowing his head.

"We need to get everybody there," Rosita said, turning to Michonne. "We can get Carl there."

"And they think all of you got away in the woods. They're out there looking," Dwight insisted.

"They saw us go West, so we won't go West," Tara countered.

"Your best chance is to stay here until they're gone," Dwight implored.

"No," Daryl argued. "They find us here, we're dead."

"They're almost done," Dwight said. "They gotta be. It wasn't about destroying the place. They don't have the ammo for that. After they let up, after they're gone, that's when we go."

Rosita looked to Anna.

"We wait," Anna said. "Moving this many people? We can't risk them spotting us."

Rosita looked to Michonne, who nodded and then returned to Carl's side.

"You sure going to Hilltop's the best plan?" Dwight asked.

"You got a better one?" Rosita challenged.

"All of you in one place, together—" he started, only for Daryl to cut in.

"All of us together…," Daryl said. "We'll be their worst damn nightmare."

When the explosions stopped, Daryl handed Judith to Anna and he, Scott, and Tobin went to make sure the coast was clear. Anna hugged Judith to her, still clutching Carl's hat in one hand. The men returned not long after. Tara and Rosita began ushering people out of the sewers, ready to lead the Alexandrians to Hilltop.

"We can get Carl there," Michonne assured Rick.

"Carl? No," Rick said, shaking his head.

"Daryl can get one of the cars," Michonne insisted.

"Carl won't make—" he swallowed hard, unable to finish his sentence. "He can't leave here. I have to stay with him."

"Rick," Michonne tried.

"He can't," he said with finality. "I have to stay."

"We'll both stay," Michonne nodded.

"Will you—" Rick sighed. "Will you take Judith? She needs to be there. If she… If—" his voice broke and he looked away, "happens…"

"I'll take her," Daryl interrupted.

"We will," Anna said, still holding the little girl.

"We'll get her there," Daryl said, nodding. "We'll keep her safe. We got this."

"Let me say goodbye," Carl called, shifting on the cot.

Michonne and Rick helped him sit up and Anna knelt in front of him, balancing Judith on her knee. Carl smiled at the little girl.

"You be good, okay? For Michonne, and for dad," he said. "You gotta honor him. Listen when he tells you stuff. You don't have to always," he laughed weakly. "Sometimes, kids got to show their parents the way."

Carl reached for the hat Anna still held. She passed it to him, and he looked at it.

"This was Dad's before it was mine," he said, breathing heavily. "Now it's yours. I don't know… just—just having it and… it always kept Dad with me. It made me feel as strong as him. It helped me. Maybe it'll help you, too." He turned the hat in his hands. "Before Mom died… she told me that I was gonna beat this world. I didn't. But you will. I know you will."

Judith whined and reached out for Carl before she began to cry. Anna pulled her back and turned, handing her to Daryl, who quieted her wailing.

"These people," Daryl began, looking at Carl. "You saved 'em all. That's all you, man."

With that, Daryl turned and walked away to catch up with the others. Carl handed Anna his hat.

"Keep it until she's ready to start wearing it," he said and she nodded before bowing her head.

"Carl, I'm so sorry—"

"Don't be," he said, cutting her off. "It's not on you."

She took a deep shuddering breath and wiped at the tears that had escaped down her face. She huffed and forced herself to smile at him but it quickly fell away. She leaned forward and gently kissed his forehead, her lower lip trembling before she stood and backed away.

Siddiq stepped forward and sat down in front of him.

"You were helping me honor my mom," he said.

"Not just yours," Carl corrected. "Mine, too."

"You brought me here. You gave me a chance," Siddiq shook his head. "I know I can never repay you… but I can honor you by showing your people, your f-friends, your—your family that what you did wasn't for nothing. That it mattered. That it—that it meant something. Because it did. So, that's what I'm gonna do," Siddiq declared. "I'm gonna honor you, Carl."

Carl smiled at him and held out his hand. Siddiq took it.

"Congratulations," Carl said. "You're stuck with us."

Siddiq laughed and got to his feet. He looked to Rick and Michonne, who nodded to him, and then approached Anna.

"Let's go," she said, and they walked together down the tunnel.

Siddiq wiped at the tears in his eyes, and Anna glanced over her shoulder to see Carl one last time before they turned the corner.

They walked through the night and continued even after the sun came up, stopping only long enough to make sure they weren't being followed before continuing on. Anna circled around the group, slipping in and out of sight and keeping walkers out of their way with silent strikes of her stick.

Now the group was stopped under a bridge, hidden within the foliage as she and Daryl listened to the Saviors lingering above them.

- "Patrols, we got an Orange Situation. Dr. Carson and the priest. Might've split overnight, maybe this morning. Jeremy's green sedan is MIA so could be in that. Go for standard search and cover in our perimeter around Hilltop. Eyeballs open."-

"Patrol Four copies," a man responded.

"C'mon, let's hurry it up," a woman shouted, and the Saviors loaded up in their vehicle.

Their engine turned and they sped off. Daryl and Anna dared to step out from the bushes, and Daryl signaled for the others to hurry across the clearing.

"Best to stay off the roads, head into the woods right there," he said, looking at her.

She nodded but remained silent. They stood guard as Tara and Rosita ushered everyone across, the younger ones clinging to their parents' legs. Those who didn't have parents to cling to followed Mr. Sinclair, who seemed far more confident holding a rifle than he had that day in his basement.

As they walked along through the woods, a burnt walker stumbled around a tree, and Tobin just barely got himself and Judith out of its way.

"I got it," Tara called.

"I'll cover you," Dwight announced, approaching quickly only for Tara to throw the walker at him.

He caught the walker and stumbled back.

"Tara," Rosita snapped as she, Daryl, and Anna attempted to get a clear shot of the walker.

"What? It got away," Tara defended, not bothering to help the man. "He can handle it."

Dwight threw the walker to the ground and stomped its head in a few times until it stopped moving. He gripped his arm, blood seeping through his fingers.

"See?" Tara said, backing away.

"Hey," Daryl huffed. "Just keep 'em movin'."

Like a petulant child, Tara begrudgingly turned and kept the group walking.

"Did you hear them talking on the walkie about Carson and Gabriel?" Rosita asked.

"Yeah. Probably heading to Hilltop, same as us," Daryl said.

Anna pressed her lips together as another walker fumbled toward them. With her stick, Anna took it out with ease.

"Hopefully better than us," Jessie said before they moved on.

Anna and Daryl walked beside each other, their eyes scanning the woods for threats. She had wanted to talk to Daryl, but she couldn't find the words, and she decided to begin circling again.

"Hey, guys," Rosita called out.

They stopped and turned to see that only Jessie, Rosita, Tara, and Dwight were behind them.

"Where are they?" Daryl asked.

"They needed rest," Jessie said from beside Rosita. "They're exhausted. They haven't slept."

"All right, ten minutes," Daryl scoffed. "Then we keep goin'. I'm gonna go back, cover our tracks."

"I'll go with you," Anna said, and they started off.

"I have a question," Tara said before they could leave. "Is there a reason why he's still breathing?"

"Fight ain't over," Daryl said.

"It is for him," Tara said firmly. "I'm done waiting."

"Yeah, we've gathered," Anna sneered.

Tara shot her a glare.

"Not now. Not yet," Daryl said, pulling the attention to him before he walked off, gesturing for Anna to follow him.

They made their way around the group and picked up their tracks quickly, taking extra care not to make more tracks while covering the group's. The two were quiet for the most part, but Anna wanted desperately to say something.

"We shouldn't go too far," she said, though it wasn't what she wanted to say.

Daryl nodded, and they continued on a little bit longer before they were satisfied and finally started back to the group.

"Daryl," she said, and they stopped.

He waited for her to go on, his back still to her, but she wasn't sure of what she wanted to say. Daryl hadn't apologized to her, and she didn't exactly expect him to, but it made it hard to forgive him.

She shook her head and sighed, reminding herself that there wasn't enough time for eventually.

"What you and Tara did," Anna began, trying to find the words as she went. "I—"

"We should've waited," Daryl interrupted. "You were right."

Anna blinked at him.

"Right or wrong, it doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done, and we can't take any of it back," she said. "All we can do now is move forward and make sure we win."

"What I said… actin' like you didn't get it," Daryl said, turning to face her but not looking at her. "You probably get it more than anyone else."

Anna bowed her head.

"We should get back," Daryl said.

Anna nodded, and the conversation was over.

"They'll have these passes covered," Anna said, pointing out said passes on the map.

It was all that separated them from where they were and Hilltop. Anna, Jessie, Rosita, Daryl, and Tara were gathered around the map Anna had kept in her satchel, Daryl crouched to her right, Rosita and Jessie to her left and Tara across from her.

"If they're smart," Daryl added.

Anna shook her head. She didn't believe in underestimating her opponent. That was a stupid mistake to make for anyone.

"We have to keep moving," Rosita said.

"We'll just have to risk it," Jessie agreed.

"Maybe you don't have to," Dwight said, coming around the tree he'd been eavesdropping behind.

Tara closed her eyes irritably, and Daryl straightened.

"Negan won't send his people down into this stretch of swamp," Dwight said, pointing out the area. "Not if he doesn't have to."

"Yeah? How do you know that?" Tara asked.

Anna ground her teeth, shooting a glare at her. Tara had been getting on her nerves ever since she and Daryl had returned from Sanctuary, so sure their plan had worked and Anna's was a waste of time. But she needed to rein in her hurt feelings and focus on getting everyone to Hilltop.

"Negan wanted to map the best routes with cover from Sanctuary to Hilltop," Dwight explained. "He—He decided the swamp was too dangerous. Didn't think it was worth the risk."

Anna tapped her fingers against the map. She looked between Daryl and Rosita. Tara got to her feet and frowned at them.

"You aren't seriously gonna listen to him," Tara said, incredulous, but they remained silent. "It's too dangerous for the Saviors, so you're gonna send us? Are you kidding me?" She scoffed.

"They have us boxed in," Jessie reasoned.

"Tara has a point," Tobin called. "Why should we trust him?"

"He could turn on us like he turned on his own people," Scott agreed.

"I didn't just turn on 'em," Dwight corrected. "I killed 'em. Daryl saw it. Rosita saw it. Anna saw it. Jessie saw it." He looked to Tara. "You saw it. But one of them got away. So, if they find me, Negan puts my head on a pike. I'm not working for them, and I'm not going back to them. I chose my side. This is it. I'm here to help you beat Negan. After that—" he sighed and chuckled. "Well, I know how it ends."

Anna gathered the map and folded it, putting it into her satchel as she stood. She and Daryl looked to each other and nodded.

"All right," he said. "We try the swamps."

They surveyed the swamp as Daryl killed a walker with a single bolt to the face. The thing had clearly been marinating for some time, its decay sped up by the thick water.

"We have to be careful," Rosita said, poking around for a long stick to use for wading through the swamp. "But we can do this."

"We'll push through and clear a path for the others," Jessie said.

"Count me in," Scott declared, pulling his knife.

"I'll go," Siddiq said, joining them.

"If I can have the crossbow—" Dwight started.

"You can't," Daryl snapped. "You'll stay right there."

"You coming?" Rosita asked Tara, who was eyeing Dwight.

Tara turned her head to look at Rosita.

"I'm gonna hang back, watch over the group," she said before blatantly looking back at Dwight.

"Come on. Let's get this done," Daryl called.

Anna shook her head and dropped her satchel to the ground, careful not to let Carl's hat fall out, pulling her stick and knife before wading into the waters with Rosita. Everyone else paired off as well; Jessie with Scott, and Siddiq with Daryl.

They used their sticks to poke around at the bottom of the swamp to maintain their footing. As Rosita stepped forward, a walker emerged from the water and grabbed at her. She made quick work of it.

"You good?" Anna asked.

"Yeah," she said.

They were quiet for a few minutes, focusing on their task.

"What Tara said about your plan," Rosita began. "She was wrong. It was going to work. We just needed to wait. It's just… sometimes, we can't wait."

"Yeah," Anna muttered.

"You're not going to be pissed at them forever," Rosita said, almost sagely.

"What's done is done," Anna said, putting down another walker. "Can't go back now. We just have to focus on getting to Hilltop. We can deal with everything else later."

No one said anything for a few moments.

"I'm sorry about the kid," Rosita said, breaking the silence again. "I know you were close with him."

Anna's chest constricted painfully. She hadn't wanted to think about Carl—at least not until they reached Hilltop. She wanted to focus solely on getting the Alexandrians to safety.

"He didn't deserve to go out like that," Rosita sighed.

"He didn't deserve to go out at all," Anna corrected. "I don't trust Tara alone with Dwight," she said, changing the subject. The last thing she wanted right then was to start crying.

"Neither do I," Rosita agreed, seeming to take the hint. "Maybe one of us should go check on them," she suggested.

"Might be better if you did," Anna said. "I'm very close to hitting Tara."

Rosita shook her head, smirking. "Yeah, I'll go."

She turned and started back to shore, leaving Anna to cross the swamp alone. Now that Rosita had brought Carl to the forefront of her mind, Anna couldn't stop thinking about him.

There were so many things she wished she had said or done when she had the chance. She wished she had thanked him, told him how much she loved him. But now he was gone and the eventuality of those conversations was, too.

A few tears slipped down her cheeks and she paused, wiping them away.

"Damn it," she hissed when the tears continued flowing.

A walker launched itself from the waters, forcing Anna to stumble back. She brought her stick in between them, but was unable to whip it around when one end became caught on the mud at the bottom of the swamp.

"Shit," she snapped, taking another step back to brandish her knife.

The walker advanced on her, its movements slowed by the mud suctioning both of their feet. She went to step forward, but her left foot wouldn't budge. She was caught.

As she attempted to tear her foot from the mud, the walker fell on top of her, gripping her shoulders as it snapped at her face. She grunted, dropping her stick to hold the corpse at bay. Finally, she managed to stab her blade through the walker's skull and let it fall back into the water.

She panted, watching it bob along the surface. Then she realized she couldn't see her stick. Yanking her foot free, Anna began frantically feeling around the bottom of the swamp for it.

Her boot bumped against something and she practically dove for it, keeping her head above water. Anna fished with her hands until she found the long, slender stick. She pulled it from the water so forcefully, she stumbled back. Anna wasn't sure what she would have done if she'd lost the thing.

"I told you to wait!" Daryl yelled, straining his voice as he got into Tara's impassive face. "For all we know, he could be tellin' 'em everythin'. Negan could be on his way here right now!"

"He isn't. He won't," Tara assured. "He led them away. They were coming right for us, and he saved us."

Anna held Judith to her, the little girl cowering into Anna's chest at Daryl's outburst.

"She's right," Rosita confirmed. "He did. I saw it."

"I don't give a damn what he did," Daryl sneered. "He can stick with them, he can come back—hell, he can run. When I find that son of a bitch, I'm gonna—"

Daryl cut himself off when his eyes landed on Anna, who was now rocking Judith to calm her fussing. Anna looked at him patiently. Daryl didn't yell often, but when he did, it was rather frightening.

"C'mon," Daryl said, gesturing for the others to get moving as he started toward the swamp.

Anna got to her feet, hoisting Judith up in her arms.

"You okay?" She asked, raising the pitch of her voice a little.

Judith looked back at her.

"Yeah, you're okay," she said soothingly.

"I can take her across," Tobin said, walking up.

He had a gray sling across his body that he'd been using to carry Judith since they'd left Alexandria. He'd done well with her so far, and Anna figured he'd be fine going further. So, she nodded and helped him settle Judith into the sash, making sure she was secure before stepping back.

As she tied a knot in her satchel's strap to make it shorter so as not to get Carl's hat dirty, Anna looked around at the other children being picked up, too short not to be carried across. She took up her stick and gathered everyone who had not already begun to cross around her.

"Jessie, Andy. I want you two with guns behind us just in case," she instructed, and the two nodded. "Everyone else, follow me. Go where I go and you'll be fine."

Anna waded into the waters, using her stick to check the ground, careful not to lose it again, before moving forward, just like before. Only this time, she wasn't just checking for herself, but for the people—the parents and the children they carried—she was leading across.

She glanced down at the brown hat sticking out of her satchel. It suddenly seemed so heavy, and she felt as though she were carrying Carl across, too.

They made it across the swamp without incident and let their clothes and sloshing boots dry as they continued their march to Hilltop. Anna felt an enormous sense of relief when its walls came into view. Had she not been so exhausted, she may have run for the gate. But as it was, she used her stick for support as she walked beside Daryl, who now carried Judith.

The gates opened and the Alexandrians filtered through. Carol came running from behind the blacksmith, an excited grin on her face that quickly faded at their haggard appearances. Enid came running up behind her, followed by Maggie, Jesus, and Emma.

"Carl," Daryl said, shaking his head. "He—" He looked away, unable to finish.

A strangled sob erupted from Enid, and she covered her mouth, quickly succumbing to her anguish and falling to her knees. Maggie wrapped her arms around the teen.

"Come on," Emma said quietly, gesturing for all of them to follow her. "Let's get you guys settled."

Anna and the others followed Emma further into Hilltop, but she couldn't quite drown out Enid's pain.