Gareth's POV

With Sadie both gone and having taken Alex along with her, I decided to bide my time in picking up where I'd left off in helping her reorganize the office that she'd taken over from Deanna.

When she and I had left off on it, it was looking considerably better than how the Saviors had left it, but it still needed just a little more touching up.

Tara, who'd been surprisingly accepting of the idea of giving us another chance, even before the rest of them had come more around to it because of that kid's vision for the future…...whatever that meant, was kind enough to be lending me a hand with things.

"Hey, do you know what Sadie wants to do with these tapes?" She asked.

I chuckled, apparently showing a little more amusement at the question than she had expected.

In her hands, she held a small stack of various tapes from when Deanna asked everyone what they thought of Sadie taking over for her

"I didn't even know this many survived. Put 'em on the shelf with the interview tapes. Adds just a little more transparency, if anyone wants to see them."

She appeared to perk up at the idea. "You guys thinking of recruiting again?"

"You think we shouldn't?" I asked, curiously.

"No, not especially, it's just that it's not exactly a secret that she wasn't especially into Deanna letting other people in, even with you guys, which….I know she had her reasons for.."

I nodded. "...Yeah, she did….which is why nothing's exactly set in stone yet, in either direction.

"Makes sense…...you guys going out on that big run into the city a bunch of us are going on?"

"What, like a supply run?" Stupid question, I know. I realized it as soon as I said it.

"No, like a marathon." She joked. "Yeah, among other things that they can use up at Hilltop. Maggie mentioned she was gonna ask Sadie about it, I guess it didn't get back to you yet."

"Guess not." I chuckled, filing some papers away into a desk drawer. "Who all is going?"

"Uh, Maggie, Michonne, Enid…"

She listed off some more names, most of which I didn't recognize right off the bat, some of which I wasn't exactly thrilled with but I was willing to put up with if Sadie was intent enough on going.

"...and….Carol…." She sounded more hesitant when she said the last one.

I looked back up at her. "...I see, and am I playing peacemaker between Sadie and some of these people, or is Maggie?"

"Gareth." She said it as if she thought I was joking.

"Hey, I'm just telling it how it is….I mean, don't get me wrong, we're grateful for the extra chance and the roof over our heads, but you have to know that we're not all just going to be buddy-buddy from here on out." I scoffed. "...We lost people too, you know. Good people….one of them, not even a full year ago."

She looked back at me for a moment before returning to what she was doing.

"You're right….I'm sorry….."

I nodded.

-—

Part of me wanted to feel bad, but at the same time, the last thing that Sadie and I wanted was for any of them to confuse our truce or our part in the future we were helping build here with anything more than what it was.

Just because Maggie had been at least halfway decent to us, and Sadie had a good thing going with her now because of it, and Aaron and Eric had decided we were good people in spite of what Sadie had put Aaron through when we met them, didn't mean we were about to forget what the rest of them either did or would've done, if given the chance, and be all buddy-buddy with them.

And if Sadie decides she wants to go on this thing, for Maggie's sake or whatever reason, then I can bite my tongue and we can keep our distance from the others, but that'll be the extent of it.

"...When Sadie gets back, I'll run it by her." I finally told her.

She smiled back sympathetically. "I appreciate it."


I was at the house when Sadie returned with Alex, by the early evening.

I was sat across the couch with a book, and Jett was laying diligently by my feet, when the sound of Sadie's keys in the door caused him to perk up and bolt for it to greet them.

Sadie greeted him with some pets and "good boy"s, while a very giggly Alex greeted him with a big hug, which Jett was exceptionally patient and eager to allow.

The still eager toddler then looked up to find me on the couch and began to, just as eagerly, sprint my way with Sadie following shortly behind him with an amused chuckle.

"Daddy!" He squealed.

I set my book down on the coffee table and stood up to scoop him up when he made it over to me. "Hey, bud! How was your trip?"

"Daddy, I got to hold the baby!" There was a big, exceptionally eager emphasis on baby, as if this had made his entire week.

I fake gasped. "No way!"

"Yeah way!" He giggled.

"Well, I'll tell you what, I'll bet Jett's ready for some dinner, so why don't you run and get his food, and I'll meet you in there and you can tell me all about it?"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah?" I set him back down. "Alright then. Go, go, go!"

I watched as he encouraged Jett to chase him into the kitchen, and the eager mutt just as eagerly obliged.

—-

I went over and kissed Sadie, almost as soon as they had left.

"Mmm, what about you, how'd you enjoy the trip?"

She half smiled back at me, glancing toward the other room before looking back at me. "Tell you when you get upstairs. Don't wanna keep him waiting too long."

"Daddyyyyy!" Alex whined from the other room, as if on cue.

"Yeah, something tells me he doesn't have it in him." I chuckled, looking back in that direction. "Daddy's coming!"

"Case in point." Sadie chuckled, stealing another kiss just before she headed upstairs. "...and don't keep me waiting too long either."

"Yes, ma'am." I chuckled.