Sadie's POV

I shuddered slightly as I looked around while Gareth led me further into the sewer he'd brought us to.

We definitely weren't alone. A good number of others, Dwight, people from Alexandria…..and animals, for that matter….either sat or stood up along this place's walls

Along with seeing that Theresa had Alex, seeing Jett laying nervously by her feet was its own added relief.

Gareth placed his arm around me as we walked. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I whispered back. "I will be….You wanna tell me what's going on now? What did you mean when you said- ?"

My sentence was cut short when I looked up to see Carl sitting up at the end.

Another guy who appeared vaguely familiar was sitting across from him, alongside the samur- err, Michonne


I know it's probably fucked up to say it about a kid, but he looked like shit, if I ever saw it.

His skin looked whiter than a ghost and he seemed weaker than I'd ever seen him before, in previous encounters.


"Don't hate me." He joked weakly, when I finally approached him. "I'm the one who brought him here….I went back for him and….."

He reached to carefully, as if he'd been waiting for me to show up so he could reveal it, pull his shirt up about halfway…..just far up enough to show the bite mark that was underneath it.

It had been cleaned well enough that it couldn't have been too fresh….which definitely explained why the kid already looked as shitty as he did.

"Goddamnit, kid!" I muttered just loud enough for him to hear. "What did I tell- "

"He needed help, Sadie….." He sighed. "...He's the one we saw back at that- "

"Jesus Christ, I KNOW WHERE YOU SAW HIM!"

Alex, who...up to this point...had been fairly calmly clinging onto Theresa off to the side, started shrieking at the raise in my voice.

Shit!

"I'll take him." Gareth reassured as I whipped my head back.

The careful transfer into Gareth's arms and the gentle stroke of my hand through the hair on his little head seemed to calm him enough.

"Carl…" I lowered my voice this time.

"He needed help…." He continued to try to convince me. "...like you did, that day you showed up at the church…...the first time." He sort of scoffed at the last part.

"Yeah, and like I told you, you guys probably shouldn't have done that either." I sort of scoffed back. "...sticking your neck out for people like that is what gets you killed."

"It also got you here." He added.

"Well then, you're either entirely more noble than I've given you credit for…"

God knows if it was Gareth who had died that night at the church and it was Rick In front of me, there's no way in HELL I'd have an ounce of anything remotely near compassion for him.

"...or you're a hell of a lot more stupid than I've given you credit for, and quite frankly, I'm leaning on the latter."

"Well, here then." He chuckled weakly, coughing a few times before he could speak again, as he held out a stack of envelopes. The one on top had my name on it.

"...maybe this will clear up a few things. I wrote on for everyone in case….well...in case I didn't get a chance to say goodbye."

That asshole's kid wrote ME a letter, a GOOD BYE letter at that? Yep, stupid.

I'm definitely banking on stupid now.

I reached for that top envelope, pulling my hand back briefly.

"...this shit isn't gonna blow up in my face when I open it, is it" I joked.

This got a good chuckle out of him. "You would think that…...no. It's not going to blow up, Sadie."

"You're sure?" I chuckled.

"Positive." He chuckled back.

"Alright…" I finally reached back out and took it. "...I'm trusting you, Kid."

As I looked down at the envelope in my hands, my train of thoughts that were still trying desperately to comprehend why in the hell this kid….this dying kid would take the time write ME, of all people, a letter, were cut short as the distant explosions from The Saviors started to grow louder. One of them shook the earth enough for enough debris to start falling to trigger the kid to start coughing again.

While Michonne rushed to shield him, I turned my attention to Alex as he started whimper and cling onto Gareth even tighter.

"Shhh….I know." He tried to reassure him. "..you're okay, Daddy's gotchu."

I smiled back at my son, taking his little hand and kissing it when he reached it out to me. "Mommy's gonna make it all go away." I added in an equally gentle voice.


I stormed off just after that, setting my sights on Dwight and grabbing and then throwing him up against the wall he'd been standing in front of.

"You'd better make them stop that shit RIGHT NOW, OR I swear to GOD- "

"I can't- "

"BULLSHIT!" I snarled practically in his face, cutting him off right back. "You're one of them, they'll listen to you!"

Theresa got up from her corner and joined in right alongside me, gently pulling me back a little by the shoulder.

"...You said that Hilltop's safe, right?" She asked, apparently confirming something he'd said earlier. "We need to get everyone there….we can get the kid there."

"Carl." I corrected.

"They think you all got away in the woods." Dwight added. "They're out there looking."

"Well, they saw us go west." Theresa pointed out. "..so, we won't go west."

"Our best bet is to stay here." Dwight argued. "..until they're gone."

"Nah." Daryl, who was holding Judith in his arms, chimed in. "..if they find us here, we're dead."

I nodded toward him. "What he said…...and I've got a kid too, so- "

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

Theresa, who seemed to accept what he was saying, looked back at me.

"Sadie…" She cautioned, urging me to at least consider what he was saying.

I glared back at him, then looked at Theresa to give her a nod, then stared right back over at Dwight.

"Fine…" I scoffed, storming back off to return to Carl and my own kid. "It's your funeral if you're wrong about this."


As Michonne and that new guy that Carl, for fuck knows why, risked it all for did their best to tend to him….something about some over the counter shit that had helped the guy's parents before, something about how things could be better than they were, I did my best to keep Alex calm.

As much as I hesitated to admit it, that Dwight asshole just may not have been so far off after all.

The explosions seemed to be dying down, indicating that The Saviors were likely finally letting up…...just as he'd suggested they would.

"Guess he was right." Theresa finally said.

"Maybe…." I replied.

"Want me to go take a look?" Daryl offered, glancing briefly at Judith in his arms then back at me.

"I can take her." Gareth offered. "...just while you…."

Daryl just glared at him for a minute, glancing briefly to my arms at Alex who had become temporarily distracted by Jett, who had apparently mustered up just enough courage to venture out of his own little corner.

He nodded as he finally let up his glare and allowed Gareth to take her from him.


By the time Daryl finally returned and took Judith back, Carl's already shitty condition had reached the point where it had become a small matter of debate whether or not he could even make it up to Hilltop with the others.

Michonne, obviously, wanted to at least get him out of this shithole and the guy that Carl had brought here was sure that he wouldn't be strong enough for the trip.

Normally, I'd have half a mind to remark on what position he was in to make such a call….doctor or not, but Theresa with what little medical expertise her cousin had left her with didn't disagree.

"...At least take Judith then." Michonne finally asked Daryl, her voice breaking as she tried not to completely break down. "...She needs to be there if…." She couldn't even bring herself to finish.

Daryl nodded. "I'll get her there, I'll keep her safe." He glanced back over at Alex and Jett before directing his next offer at me. "...I can take them too, if…"

"Yeah, I have to go up there myself, anyway….but thanks." I chuckled a little to myself at the thought.

"Alright."

"Let me say goodbye to her first…" Carl requested.

I stepped back a little as Daryl stepped forward to gently set her down in front of him, and I'd be lying if I said my own tears weren't threatening to betray me.

He sighed as he gazed back at his little sister in front of him and put on a smile for her.

"You be good, okay? For Michonne, you gotta honor her.

Listen when she tells you stuff, but you don't have to always. Sometimes, kids got to show their parents the way….."

He took the hat off his head, which I was sure I'd never seen him without up until this point, and gave it to her.

"This was Dad's before it was mine…." He continued. "..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 sighed again.

"...before Mom died...she told me that I was gonna beat this world. I didn't.

But you will…..I know you will….Alex too." He smiled briefly up at me which I returned.

Daryl scooped Judith up right after, as she began to fuss, but stopped in the tunnel just ahead of me.

"Hey…These people, you saved them all. That's all you, man."

"...He's right…" I agreed, stopping before I headed out as well. "...your mom was too though…." I shook my head. "...this world didn't beat you. You went out swinging….she'd be proud of you…..I know I am."

He smiled back at me before I turned to take Gareth's hand and lead the rest of us out.

"Let's go."