Gareth's POV

About a month or so had gone by since the incident on that big run we all went on…..or rather, that we had been dragged on, if you asked Sadie, into the city.

About a month or so that had mostly been spent keeping our distance from most of the others, with the exception of Maggie and Tyra and a handful of Alexandrians.

Partly as part of Sadie's way of coping with what we'd been through, and partly because it was a way to set boundaries with a lot of the others. Something that I, of course, didn't disagree with.

Sadie, especially wanted it well known that just because she'd helped them in the war against Negan, didn't mean that we were gonna see eye to eye on every bit of this so-called vision for the future, nor would either of us be at anyone's beck and call.

—

—
I had started to mull some of that over again as I stood in the pantry with Jessie, while she was double checking and fetching me a list of stuff that was needed when Aaron I, at Sadie's own insistence, went on this week-long supply run we were planning.

"I think that's everything. If I think of anything else before you guys have to leave, I'll let you know."

I glanced at the paper list she'd handed me and returned her usual, warm smile.

"Appreciate it."

She nodded. "So, Sadie's not going with you?"

"No, not this time. She's got some stuff around here she wants to attend to, and we just can't exactly afford to put this off for much longer, you know?"

She nodded again. "That makes sense."

"Why do you ask?" I chuckled. "Tryin to steal my kid?"

"Don't I wish." She teased. "It's just that you guys have been talking about this run that you and Aaron are going on, so I was just curious."

"Fair enough." I chuckled. "She and I are usually a package deal."

She smiled again. "I've noticed. It's sweet."

I nodded. "Well, I should get going. Got another few rounds to make today."

"Alright. I'll see you around then. When are you guys heading out again?"

"Uhh, first thing in the morning, if the stars align and we get everything in order by then." I guesstimated.

She nodded. "See you then."

I smiled and gave her a wave, as I turned to leave.

—

—
I was passing through the armory on my way out when I noticed that Eric and Olivia were chatting about something and another guy, Tobin, I think his name was, was just getting back and returning one of his own guns.

"Hey, does anyone have today's date?" He asked no one in particular.

"Uhh, the nineteenth….August nineteenth." Eric answered, catching himself…..as well as my own attention at the mention of the nineteenth. "Wait, no…..eighteenth…" he appeared to be rethinking his new answer before relaying with a little more confidence, "yeah, eighteenth." He chuckled nervously. "Sorry, Aaron's generally better with that sort of thing."

"That's alright." Tobin chuckled, appreciative, regardless, as he turned back. And waved on his way out. "Thanks, Olivia! See you guys."

I offered back a friendly wave of my own, mostly for the sake of keeping up appearances, as I chuckled to myself in my own relief.

"Everything good?" Eric chuckled, having apparently caught my expression.

I looked up curiously and chuckled. "Yeah, thankfully. You just caught me off guard for a second there, is all."

"Yeah, I noticed." He chuckled. "So, what's the nineteenth?"

"Ah, Sadie's birthday." I answered with a smile at the thought.

"Really? Well, tell her I said happy birthday."

"Don't you know her well enough, by now?" I teased. "She'd shoot me for even saying anything."

This got a laugh from him at the thought of it. "Well, in that case your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you." I chuckled.

"So, got any big plans tonight?" He then asked, shifting the subject slightly. "...either tonight or, you know, when you get back?"

"Yeah, I- " Then it finallly dawned on me, somehow, and I connected the dots. "Crap, that's right…" I sighed. "Look, do me a favor, see if Aaron will put off the run another day, when you see him- although, don't let him let Sadie know why, again- "

"I gotchu." He chuckled, beating me to it. "I'll get him to come up with something."

"Thank you." I sighed, turning to head out. "Alright, I'll see you around then."

"Later." He chuckled again.

I finished my rounds, gathering some last minute list additions and whatnot from some of the others, before I eventually made it back to the house in the early evening.

—-
I opened the front door, and before I could even think to announce my return, Jett's barking could be heard from the other side of the house and Alex's feet could be heard racing across the hardwood floors as he rushed to greet me.

"Daddy's home!" He squealed with excitement

"Hey, you!" I greeted back, chuckling as I scooped him up into my arms.

"How was your day?"

"Good, it was real good!" He giggled.

"Yeah? Has Jett gotten his walk- "

"Shh, Shh, SHH!" Sadie urged, entering the room. "Don't get him all riled up again, we just got back from his walk." She whispered the word when she said it.

"Sorry." I whispered, kissing her, earning a little smirk.

"Mmhmm…"

"Alright, what about food? Has he been fed?" I asked.

"Just getting to that." She chuckled.

"Well then." I set Alex back down and kneeled down to his level. "Why don't you run along and get one of his food bowls, and I'll come in and meet you in a minute.

"Okay!"

"Alright, go then. Go, go, go, go, go!"

I watched as he raced back into the other room, with Jett racing right alongside him, giggling hysterically.

—

—

Once he was out of sight, I kissed Sadie again, for a bit longer.

"What about you? How was your day?" I asked when we pulled away.

"Interesting." She answered with one of her famous smirks. "Very interesting."

"Ohh, and how's that?"

She gave me a teasing smack to the chest at that, the smirk not leaving her face.

"I don't know, you tell me.."

It took me a minute longer than it probably should've. I chuckled when it finally did strike me. "I take it Aaron told you, then?"

"Bingo!"

"Right…" I chuckled, hanging my jacket up. "Yeah, I guess something just came up, and- "

"...Sssomething liiike my birthday?" She had a, somehow, more devious smirk when she said it.

"Ohh, is it?" I teased, glancing around, as if I were looking for a nearby calendar. "Well, I guess that wo- "

But I was almost immediately cut off when she picked up a nearby book and smacked me with it.

"Ow?" I laughed.

"Asshole!" She teased.

"I know, right? Not wanting to leave for a whole WEEK, and ON my wife's birthday? Who does that?"

"Gareth, I'm gonna kill you!" She laughed, raising the book again.

I raised my arm up, putting my hand on the book to stop her. "What a shame, and I had the perfect birthday present for you, too."

"Oh, did you?"

"Yess…" I fake whined. "...alright, maybe not perfect, but I think you'll really appreciate it, especially when I do actually leave."

She shook her head, trying not to show her own amusement, before she looked back and pointed her finger at me. "You leave the very next day, then." She let slip a laugh, despite her best efforts.

"I promise." I chuckled.

She shook her head, snickering to herself again, as if she didn't believe me and turned to go upstairs.

"Fine. I'm holding you to that."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." I called after her.

—

I watched as she disappeared up the stairs, not looking away til she was out of sight, and chuckled to myself as I went to join Alex in the other room.

When I eventually met back up with Sadie in the bedroom, after having settled Alex down for the night, she was sitting up on her side of it, wearing only one of her Doors t shirts, pretending she was more involved in the book in front of her than the distraction of my return clearly allowed.

"Hey, Stranger." She teased. "Alex down for the night?"

"In record time." I chuckled, pulling my shirt off just before crawling across the bed to lay next to her.

"I'll say." She chuckled, glancing at the numbers on the alarm clock on my little end table.

"Soo, about that perfect gift I promised you earlier…" I raised, changing the subject as I reached over to my little end table and began fishing for a specific little box I had hidden in its drawer. "I maaay have fibbed just a little bit on that."

She fake gasped. "It's NOT perfect?! Gareth I am shocked and appalled at this information."

"Oh, you are hilarious…" I chuckled, offering her the box. "...I actually meant the THE perfect gift part….there may be more than one.'

"And as flattered as I am, why don't I have to wait for this one? Or are you just showing me this box to taun- "

She stopped mid sentence when she opened it and set her eyes on the silver colored necklace that laid inside of it, picking up and smiling at the little crossbow that dangled from it. A smile that quickly, and likely more so than she intended to let on, grew to an even happier grin, which eventually ended with a sigh when she looked back over at me.

"I saw that on the last run I was out on with Aaron, and it made me think of you. I knew you just had to have it."

She smiled again, at that. "It's beautiful, Gar, but you know how I feel about jewelry." She fidgeted slightly with it, as she looked it over more closely. "I'm just going to feel awful when I lose it."

"If you lose it." I corrected. "You've had your wedding ring back, ever since Tyra found it for you, for how long now?"

"Gar, the thing to take away from that is that I lost it in the first place…" she pointed out, sullenly. "...the most important thing you've ever given me, and I fucking lost it."

"Sadie, we both lost a lot of things when that happened, and that's not even including our one shelter at the time." I reminded her. "That's not on you."

"Then how come you didn't lose yours?"

I sighed. "...Some really, really dumb luck, I guess. I don't know, what do you want me to say?"

This got a little bit of a soft, yet genuine, chuckle from her. "I want you to shut up, is what I want, Gar. Is that so much to ask?"

"Faaar too much." I teased back, lifting it back out of the box after she'd set it back down. "Come here.."

She smiled at the implication, scooting a little closer to me and turning her head slightly, so I could gently place it around her neck.

"Now, take the little crossbow in the front and give it a tug." I continued.

She chuckled, but humored me.

"Harder."

She chuckled again and tugged at it with a little more force.

"Harder." I repeated, earning even more of a laugh from her.

"Gar, if you were trying to get me in the mood, all you had to do is say so!"

"Shut up, just do it." I teased.

I couldn't see from this angle, but I could tell that she was probably rolling her eyes at me now, as she gave it another firm tug. "Fine, then what is the point of this?" She laughed again. "..is this just a pathetic attempt at trying to get me to choke myself? Because it's not working."

"Very funny." I chuckled. "...the point of it is, that you would have to go out of your way to lose that, at least if you're wearing it, right?"

"Ahh, just trying to guilt me into wearing it. Alright, that's so much better."

Now, I was rolling my eyes. "Sadie, you know what I- "

"I am teasing, Babe." She laughed, turning around to face me again. "Jesus, lighten up a little, would ya? Seriously, I love it. Thank you."

"I know." I chuckled. "You're welcome."

She laid back down and scooted even closer til she was close enough to snuggle up to me. "...and I love you.

"I know that too."' I chuckled softly, putting my arm around her and gently kissing her forehead. "And I love you, more."

"Impossible." She insisted.

"If you say so." I chuckled.