Rock, Paper, Scissors Chapter 175: The Calm Before: Part Two, a walking dead fanfic

Reviews:

SlumberingVoid — Totally agree with that! Writing the charter scene is up there as one of my favourite moments of RPS. I've been looking forward to it for ages.

Fair

You got a smile so bright

You know you could've been a candle

I'm holding you so tight

You know you could've been a handle

The way you swept me off my feet

You know you could've been a broom

And baby you smell so sweet

You know you could've been some perfume

"Jerry said my dad gave a good speech before we got here," Henry told Carl and Rhys as they left the theatre to find him waiting for them with Lydia — Mikey stood there with them, probably having just bombarded them with questions about their journey here. The sounds of people filled the Kingdom's streets as they browsed stalls and traded their goods through lively barter. "He mentioned your dad, Carl."

Carl gave a modest smile, looking off towards the crowd, all the communities his dad fought so hard for, finally together. "He would have loved this."

"He would have," Michonne said, appearing behind them, holding Judith's hand and smiling at us.

"Congrats on the promotion," Rhys cheered suddenly with a grin on his face, slapping Mikey's shoulder.

Mikey was clearly very chuffed. "It's just a signature."

"Suree," Judith mocked, laughing when Mikey stuck his tongue out at her in protest.

"So, are we going to actually attend this fair, or..." Carl asked, pointing off toward the heart of the crowd.

"I've got to go find Carol," Michonne sighed, squeezing Judith's shoulders before pushing her toward her brother. "But you guys have fun."

When Michonne left, Henry punched Rhys' arm.

"OW," Rhys squawked at him, scowling. "Words! Use your words."

Henry grinned at him. "I was going to give Lydia the grand tour... did you guys want to tag along?"

Rhys could see the hilariously desperate plea in Henry's wide eyes for him to say no so he could hang out with his new girlfriend unchaperoned.

"Go," Rhys snorted, nodding in the opposite direction. "Have fun, man."

Henry looked relieved, turning to Carl before him and Lydia took their leave. "Oh, speaking of my Dad's speech, he mentioned getting you say a few words later."

Carl grimaced at the idea. "Thanks for the heads up."

"Guess it's just me and Judith third wheeling with you guys, then?" Mikey laughed as he watched the two scurry away. "You good to keep the mouth-to-mouth stuff to a minimum?"

"Gross," Judith sighed in agreement.

"Not a chance!" Rhys declared, immediately grabbing Carl's face for a messy and undignified kiss.

"Yep, sorry," Carl barked after the kiss, slinging an arm over Rhys' shoulders, pressing their heads together and grinning at the other two. "This is officially a date. And you two are official third-slash-fourth wheels."

Judith and Mikey both groaned as loud as they could.

Rhys was blushing and grinning stupidly at Carl. The two of them had never been the most forward about their relationship in front of other people. But Rhys quickly realised he enjoyed it. And he could see that, behind the dramatic gasps and groans, Mikey and Judith really did, too.

The four waded through the crowd, holding hands so they didn't lose each other as they weaved between people and market stalls. It was like camouflaging through a herd, only, these walkers were smiling, and their camouflage was a bag of popcorn Mikey had snatched from a confused Aaron before losing him again in the herd. Judith made them stop to appreciate Mateo juggling for a small audience — Rhys couldn't stop laughing at Teo's cheesy grin, knowing full well that he was used to showing his hidden skill only to other stablehands with the horses' evening apples.

They pulled away from the audience when Carl spotted Enid teaching a CPR class with Siddiq and pointed. "Look who it is!"

Enid's jaw dropped when she saw Mikey. Siddiq chuckled and told her to go say hi.

Rhys' grin was astounding as he watched Enid crash into Mikey. The two almost toppled over at the force at which she hit him.

"I can't believe it," she gasped, pulling away to clasp his face between her fingers and cry happy tears before yanking him into her arms again.

Mikey didn't say anything, he just held her tight with his eyes scrunched shut, like letting go might turn back time.

Carl was laughing when Enid pulled away from Mikey again and spotted Judith through her teary eyes. She looked about ready to fall over at the addition of the stetson wearing girl.

Judith went all smiles and wide eyes, like she was very used to this reaction by now and knew exactly how to respond.

"Hi!" Enid beamed at her, wiping her face. "Don't suppose you remember—?"

"Enid," Judith giggled. "Mikey talks about you all the time."

Enid's eyebrow shot up. "Really?"

"Maybe a little," Mikey laughed nervously, going bright red.

Enid hugged him again, squeezing his middle until he groaned from the probably painful pressure.

"You smell the same," she giggled into his shoulder.

"Thanks?" Mikey wheezed.

She pulled away to look at him again. Studying every change on his face. She was beaming.

"I can't believe it," she laughed. "I just can't believe it."

Siddiq could spare her, so Enid accompanied the others to some of the other stalls. Rhys and her dragged behind to talk to Marco, Alden, and Earl at their smithing stand. The tables were lined with weapons and tools that Rhys may have had a hand in making.

Tammy-Rose introduced them to Adam, the baby they rescued from the Whisperers when they came to Hilltop. Enid asked if they were keeping him, and Tammy loudly announced to Earl and them that she wasn't letting go of the baby. Rhys and Enid were grinning at them, and Rhys knew they were both thinking of Ken.

Tammy passed Adam to Rhys then, so she could hold Enid tight. "You know you'll always be 'part of this family, too. You and Alden both." She looked to Rhys after, offering a short smile. "And as for you—"

"Tammy," Earl grumbled as he traded one of his branded hammers for a box of chickpea seeds with a woman from Oceanside.

"Oh, leave off Earl," she shushed him before going back to Rhys. "What I was going to say is that I know you're not your momma, and I also know despite however much we used to chew at each other, you and her have always stood by the Hilltop. And Earl and I know how much you both cared about our boy, Kenneth. I hope you'll feel the same with our new boy."

Rhys nodded firmly. "Of course, Mrs Sutton."

Earl chuckled, poking at Adam's arm has he look up at them all from Rhys' hip. "And how could you not, with cheeks that chubby."

Rhys handed Adam back to Tammy-Rose before dragging Enid away from staring lovingly into Alden's eyes, holding her hand as they weaved back into the crowd — but not before telling Marco that Mikey was here, to which he shot them a shark-like grin and said, "I know, we're going to see the movie tonight."

"Enjoying the fair?" Rhys asked Enid, the two squeezing past Jerry as he chatted with Magna and Yumiko about where she could buy a new bowstring.

"Honestly?" she asked, stopping and pulling him to face at her.

Rhys nodded.

Her cheeks caught alight as she painted her whole face with an infectiously bright smile, beaming at him with it until it blinded him.

"I think it's the best," she laughed.

"You do?"

She nodded, squeezing his hand, still held loose in her grip. "I always used to complain about crowds... hated them, but I don't really know why. Maybe having to check up on people all the time back in Hilltop changed something. There's just something about people that makes me feel safe now."

"You used to be the opposite," Rhys told her.

"That's because I didn't used to think anything like this mattered," she said. "I thought it couldn't last. But, I guess things change."

"Or we change?"

She shakes her head, giggling at him. "Maybe."

They caught up with the others who they'd found talking with Rosita and Gabriel.

Rhys hadn't really talked to Gabriel yet, so it was cool to get the chance. He'd changed so much. Maybe it was his giant, round hat or the one misty eye that seemed to strangely suit him. Rosita was ecstatic, and when Rhys asked why she pulled him aside to tell him:

"A baby?!"

"Shh," Rosita half laughed, half hissed. "Yes, idiota, that's what pregnant normally means..."

"You haven't told anyone?"

"Well," she sighed, "Siddiq knows... being the father and all. And Gabriel... he's pretty excited."

Rhys scrunched up his face. "Why are you keeping it a secret?"

"I'm not," she said, her smile spreading wide enough to show her teeth. "I just wanted this kid's Padrino to know first."

"Padri—" Rhys was trying to put it together in his head, years of her Spanish lessons trying their best to slip away in this moment.

Rosita had her tongue between her teeth, still smiling and waiting patiently.

"Wait, no..." Rhys mumbled.

Rosita nodded, confirming his shoddy head translation. "Forgive me for not coming with you to Hilltop now?"

Rhys was shell-shocked, standing there with his mouth agape and eyes foggy. He didn't even know what duties came with that title. What it really even meant.

"I—" he stuttered. "I forgave you when I saw you back at Hilltop."

"Don't bullshit me, hermanito. And even if you did, I didn't. So I'm making up for it. Not to mention you'll be a kick-ass godfather... if you accept the job."

Rhys was laughing, grinning, maybe crying. "I don't even know what the job is... but yes!"

He could see Gabriel slyly grinning at him from the conversation he was having with Carl, Enid, and Mikey.

"What are you smiling at?" Judith picked up on it immediately.

"Oh," Gabriel sighed, shaking his head, "just the future."

"I told Alden I'd go get candy apples with him and Luke... you guys want to come?" Enid was pointing back the way they came.

"I forget that's your favourite food," Rhys said absent-mindedly, still pretty knocked off his feet by Rosita's news.

"And meet your boyfriend?!" Mikey squawked at her. "How could I say no?! Even though candy apples are totally gross."

"I'm game," Carl added.

Rhys noticed Judith looking longingly towards the dunk tank across the street that Eugene was suspended above in a seat that he mocked people from as they tried to hit the target that would plunge him in.

She pointed before he could offer. "I want to drench Eugene more."

"Yeah, ditto," Rhys said. "I'll take Jude, and after we've annihilated that smug look from Eugene's face, we'll come find you."

Rhys and Carl kissed, and then the group split.

The game was simple...

Five red balls.

One Eugene.

One tank of soapy water.

"You think you can take me out, Washburne?" Eugene called from the suspended seat.

"Prepare to get dunked, Porter."

The first two, Rhys missed by a mile. He went red in the face as Eugene continued to hurl insults to keep him off his game, and people snickered at his miss after miss.

"Is this what they call Hilltop's finest?"

The third ball missed.

"Thank sweet Christmas that your sister isn't here to give you pointers..."

Fourth ball... missed.

"This is as sad as a sour cat."

Rhys threw the last ball at Eugene's head, still somehow missing.

"Kings, aces, and hot potatoes!" Eugene laughed. "You've got the aim of a half-dead gremblygunk, Poncho!"

Judith stepped up to the plate while Rhys continued to sulk, noticing Henry and Lydia in the crowd of giggling audience members — when he knew Judith wasn't looking, he flipped them the finger.

Judith took a long moment to stare at the target. The same way Carl would before taking a shot when Rick used to take them out hunting after the war.

"Fire," Eugene hollered at her. "Focus and fire. I reckon I'll be about dried out here presently. I've seen better arms on a spiral galaxy. You couldn't even dunk a doughnut, let alone a—"

First ball.

Eugene plunged into the tank, a tidal wave of water sloshing out after him over the audience who reacted with an eruption of applause at his downfall.

Judith spun around, grinning at Rhys.

"Did you see!"

Rhys laughed, covering his ears like it was the most impressive thing he'd ever seen. "I did!"

Judith's toothy grin seemed to warm the day despite the scorching heat.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Rhys asked her. "You've still got four more balls!"

The fair went on. They found the others. Apparently, Luke was putting on a show later that day to sing for Kingdom and wanted Alden to join him.

"Why won't you?!" Mikey kept pestering him about it.

"That's a good question," Carl said, passing the last of his candy apple to Judith after Rhys took a bite and grimaced, deciding he didn't like candy apples either.

"You should," Rhys added, picking at the crystallised caramel clinging to his teeth.

Alden stared at him, mouth a little ajar.

"What?"

Alden laughed then, a sudden beat of disbelief. Then he grinned. And Rhys groaned because he knew was coming next.

"What?" Judith asked, noticing their exchange.

"No!" Rhys barked.

"I'll do it if Rhys does," Alden said with a Cheshire cat grin.

"I don't—" Rhys stuttered.

Mikey was hopping on the spot now, no stopping any of this.

"Come on!" Enid sang at him. "I want to hear my crooner boyfriend croon... and hearing my best friend join him would only make it like a thousand times better."

Rhys hung his head. "Fine. Let's do it."

"Wait," Alden said, his eyes suddenly wide with panic. "No-no-no... I only said that so you would back me up!"

"Nah," Rhys said, more confident now. "Let's. Do. It."

Enid took Alden's deathly silence as a yes, kissing Rhys on the cheek before wrapping her arms around Alden's middle and kissing him, beaming up at him after. "Croon, my love, croon!"

They all met Carol and Daryl by the gates at late noon, where they were preparing to leave for Hilltop. Sasha and Michonne were packing their stuff into one of the wagons. Carol was taking a few fighters with her, including Jenny.

"You're going already?" Judith asked her mom, dragging her brother by the hand to meet them all.

Michonne nodded, keeping her eyes on her kids. Rhys could tell she still felt guilty attending a fair she had cursed only a day ago.

"Hilltop needs the best of us," Michonne said. "We've got to keep our friends safe, right?"

Judith nodded, clasping her mom's middle and squeezing tight.

Michonne pulled Carl in to sandwich Judith between them and said into his hair, "Keep a good eye on her. And both of you enjoy the fair."

"Hey," Carl said in a smart-ass tone. "One good eye is all I've got."

Michonne chuckled, shaking her head. "I hated that."

Rhys marched right up to Sasha, stopping an inch away. "Need me with you?"

"Always," Sasha said, smiling softly, as she put her axe into the wagon. "But you stay here for now, yeah? Enjoy the fair for me."

Rhys nodded, and Sasha fixed the collar of his dusty brown jacket before stroking his cheek with her thumb. "I'll see you at Hilltop, kiddo."

Tara came to see them off, sending Marco, Dianne, and Kal with them. Mikey looked disappointed to see that Marco was leaving, but that was quickly replaced with a flustered red face when Marco pulled him aside and kissed his cheek. "We'll catch a movie next time, yeah? We've got the rest of our lives now that we're all friends again."

Henry came hobbling around the corner of the Palace. He headed straight for Daryl and shook his hand.

"Thanks for, erm, keeping me out of trouble..." Henry's smile was queasy.

Daryl patted his arm. "I'm gonna take care of your mom out there."

"Yeah," Henry said.

"Thank you," Ezekiel added. "When Hilltop is secure, know that our doors are always open to you. We'd be honoured if you'd consider calling the Kingdom your home."

Daryl nodded. "I'll think about it."

Carol was beaming at him. "Good."

Daryl walked off towards his bike that Tara had brought on a wagon from Hilltop. Carol grabbed Henry and pulled him in for a bone-crunching hug. Henry gasped a little. She pulled away to look at him silently, smiling, then letting go and turning to her husband.

"I know you've got a lot on your mind," she said, "but try to enjoy the fair. You deserve it."

The King's face was plagued with serious lines and dark eyes. "I won't enjoy anything until you're back."

They kissed, and it was sweet, and then they were leaving.

Tara fist-bumped them all, and then she, Rhys, Carl, Mikey, Enid, Alden, Judith, the King, and Henry were waving them off as the wagon and Daryl's bike rode out with a few guards on horseback.

The gates shut.

Ezekiel had his arm around Henry's shoulders.

Rhys was holding Carl's hand.

Enid clung to Alden's arm.

Mikey asked Judith if she was hungry.

"Well, yeah," she said like it was an obvious answer.

"Me, too," Carl groaned, holding his stomach.

Rhys smiled. "Well, why don't you guys go find seats for the 'night with Luke and friends', and me and Mikey can go grab some grub for us all?"

"I saw a barbeque," Mikey said.

The two went to find it, and while they were waiting in the queue, Rodney and Gage came storming up to them stinking of goat shit.

"The hell happened to you guys?" Rhys grimaced.

Mikey held his nose.

"Goat shit happened," Gage raged.

"Was it for fun, or..." Rhys looked them up and down, their faces smeared with crap.

"That skin freak did it!" Rodney yelled. A few people in the queue and standing nearby eating turned to look.

"Okay," Rhys said Coolly. "Keep your voice down, man."

"Lydia?" Mikey asked, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Yes," Rodney hissed. "We were just talking to her and—"

"Talking about what?" Rhys asked.

"Nothing, man," he said.

"So you were talking about nothing," Mikey said slowly, almost mockingly, if Rhys didn't know him better. "And then she shoved goat poop in your face?"

Gage shook his head, face red under the shit. "We were just warning her not to cause any problems."

"Problems?" Mikey asked.

"Well, if she's going to be living with us—"

"She's not," Mikey said quickly. "She's been granted asylum in Alexandria."

"Okay," Gage said. "But still, she's been pretty close with Henry... and we don't want your brother to get hurt by an outsider."

"Is that right?" Rhys asked.

They both nodded.

"Well, she's not, though, is she..." Rhys said.

"She's not what?"

"An outsider."

Well, yeah, but—"

"She's an Alexandrian now," Rhys went on. "And Alexandria are our allies. You wouldn't be threatening our allies, would you? And admitting to it in front of a member of their council..." He pointed to Mikey, who smiled at them.

Rodney and Gage were both quiet.

"Go enjoy the fair... get cleaned up," Rhys told them. "We've all come a long way for it, so enjoy it." He lowered his voice then, so only the two and Mikey could hear him. "And if I see you talking to Lydia again, I'll have Tara put you both on the next wagon back to Hilltop."

The two boys disappeared very quickly.

Mikey laughed. "You didn't have to scare them that bad."

Rhys shrugged.

"You like Lydia, then?"

"I do," Rhys said. "More importantly, Henry does."

The lady in the queue behind them shifted into their personal space, almost floating, smiling gently at them and whispered, "That was a very kind thing y'all did for that new girl..."

She was Rhys' height, wearing a beautiful green dress adorned with blood-red roses. Her blonde hair looked so familiar as it draped down from beneath her straw hat. Her face was also familiar. But together, the two things felt strange, almost dreamlike.

"Well, she's one of us now," Mikey said with a kind smile. "I'm Mikey Monroe."

"Debbie," she cooed back, her voice so soft but in a way that made Rhys feel strange. "From Oceanside."

"Haven't been there in years," Mikey admitted. "Is it still as beautiful as it used to be?"

"Oh," she hummed. "Even more so..."

"How are you enjoying the fair?" Rhys asked when the woman didn't turn away.

"It's wonderful..." she answered. "Did I hear you're Prince Henry's brother from those boys?"

Rhys chuckled. "You heard right..."

"Wow," she hummed. "Mikey from Alexandria and a prince. Those boys really did get off easy. If I were you, I might have just lost my head listening to all that nonsense."

Mikey laughed amiably.

Rhys smiled politely. "Oh, I'm not part of the royal family. I'm from Hilltop."

"I would just love to visit one day," Debbie whispered, getting close enough that he could smell her sour breath. Her eyes seemed to linger on Mikey. But Rhys thought little of it. "You boys have yourself a fine day."

Then she strolled away, leaving her place in the queue and vanishing into the horde of people.

The night with Luke and friends went well. Rhys hadn't performed music in front of a crowd since Ken's funeral, so he wasn't surprised that he didn't see Tammy-Rose in the audience. Despite standing on a stage making his knees knock, he had a blast. Alden took the lead while Rhys played one of Luke's many guitars and Luke a saxophone he'd somehow brought, too.

When they were done, Alden wasn't grinning with the other two at the standing ovation they received.

"Everything good, man?" Rhys asked him.

He smiled weakly, absentminded in his gaze over the people in the crowd starting to turn their attention to each other in conversation. "Yeah... yeah, I'm fine. Just don't see Enid."

"Unbelievable," Luke sighed. "You put on a whole show for the doc, and she bows out."

"Maybe she just had to find the loo," Rhys said.

Alden shook his head but answered, "Maybe."

Once they hopped down from the stage, they asked Carl and the others, but no one had seen her since they ate.

"The movie starts in five minutes," Judith said, tugging at Carl's arm in the direction the crowd was moving. "Maybe she went there!"

"That's not a bad call," Alden said. "We did say we'd go after the show."

"Onward then!" Luke barked, surprising everyone when they'd all thought he'd already left with the crowd. He slung an arm over Mikey's shoulder, slapping his chest and pointing off towards the Palace. "Since you and I have been abandoned by our peers, shall we sit together?"

Mikey grinned at the curly haired man. "Sure thing!"

The theatre was packed, and the movie had already started. They were showing Quack-a-Doodle-Doo, which Rhys had never heard of, but Carl seemed to get very excited about.

"How do you even know what this is?" Rhys asked quietly as they found their seats with Jerry and his family in the front row.

"Shane used to watch this on Sunday mornings with me before he and Dad went out on patrol."

Judith was sat next to Carl, and the two started whispering about how the heck a chicken could beat up a fox like this. Jerry leaned over to Rhys and whispered, "Can't believe boss man is missing this."

"Ezekiel?" Rhys asked.

Jerry nodded, eyes fixed on the screen.

"Maybe he's helping out with the pipes again," Jerry said.

Carl jolted against Rhys' other side as he and everyone else in the theatre started laughing at the film.

"Maybe I should go help?" Rhys mumbled.

"Don't you dare miss this," Carl hissed, gripping Rhys' hand.

So he didn't.

It wasn't long before Rhys was sucked into the movie. Almost in tears as the fox's shotgun exploded and blew him off into the stratosphere. There were colourful explosions, a giant duck dressed as a baby and an elaborate game of hide-and-go-seek. And it was all so amazing Rhys almost didn't feel Carl tugging on his arm and pointing to Jenny who was at the back of the room waving them down.

Carl left Judith with his hat and the two found Jenny outside.

"What's up?" Rhys asked. "Not catching the movie?"

"One of the guards..." Jenny panted, out of breath. "I was doing some last-minute rounds because we've sent so many people out to Hilltop— and one of the guards was unconscious."

"What?!" Carl barked, reaching for his revolver.

"Where?" Rhys asked.

"North wall," Jenny pointed, her eyes wide. "I've already got a few guards searching inside the walls for intruders, but I didn't want to start a panic in there... I was trying to signal Jerry. But it's also..."

She paused, her expression dire.

"What?" Rhys asked.

"I can't find Mateo."

Jenny looked terrified.

"Go get Jerry," Carl said. "We'll go check the walls. Make sure Judith doesn't leave Nabila."

Carl was at the wall first, Rhys racing around the corner with his bow that he'd grabbed from the armoury on the way. The unconscious guard had already been taken to the infirmary, but Carl was on top of the guard tower, staring out to the woods past the wall.

"What is it?" Rhys asked breathlessly.

"Tracks," Carl said, pointing out. "A lot."

Carl's face was dark, and Rhys understood as the sickening realisation came to him.

"You think someone snuck out..."

Carl nodded. "Someone that already got inside."

Rhys suddenly leapt down from the wall, landing on the other side.

Carl didn't ask him why.

He jumped after him.

Because even if they hadn't said it out loud yet, they both knew Enid was missing, too.

It was daybreak by the time they'd found something. Carl's time with Daryl had made him one of the better trackers in the communities. They found Michonne, Sasha, Daryl, Carol, and Yumiko in an open field by some shallow woodland. They were all exhausted and dirty. Rhys ran to Sasha. Carl to Michonne.

"What happened?" "Why are you out here?"

Carl and Sasha were both asking questions at the same time.

"Whisperers caught us," Michonne explained to Carl. "Like they knew we were coming. Alpha's claimed this as territory, said she marked the border—"

"People are missing from Kingdom," Rhys told Sasha. "Someone was inside..."

Carol opened her mouth to speak, but Daryl raised a hand to hush her.

They all heard it then, only a second after him.

Moaning.

Someone howling muffled cries into the wind.

They ran in the direction of the wails.

"Siddiq!" Michonne cried.

He was tied to a tree on the far side of the shallow woodland; at the bottom of a steep hill. He was bruised and bloody, gagged with a filthy rag.

Michonne cut him free, everyone else keeping their heads on swivels. Siddiq spat the gag out, crumbling to his knees. But then he was scrambling to his feet and towards the hill. Rhys and Carl looked at him, horrified and confused. Carol's eyes were lost as well. Yumiko tried to help him up. Daryl had his eyes on the hill Siddiq was now gasping and pointing at.

"What happened?" Michonne asked as Carl and her got under his arms to keep him on his feet.

But Rhys had already seen it. Carl's breath hitched, and he knew he'd followed Daryl's gaze, too.

At the top of the hill—

Eleven heads were peeking over the rise.

He thought they were walkers at first.

Rhys reached for an arrow from his quiver when they didn't move and realised they must have been people.

Whispers, maybe.

But as they started to climb the hill, he realised they weren't.

No bodies came into view.

Not people.

He was right the first time.

Their weak growls carried on the wind.

Heads mounted on spikes at the hills summit.

It wasn't until they reached the top that they could make out who they were.

Who Alpha had taken.

Daryl grabbed Carol the same way Sasha did with Rhys. They both held them there and told them not to look.

Begged them not to see.

But they did see.

The others stumbled closer to make sure.

But there was no mistaking it.

Their heads were severed from their bodies. It felt so much worse than dead. Seeing them like this — so disrespected and abandoned in a state less than human. Less than walkers. Staring at their ripped skin and oozing blood as it dribbled down the spikes they were paraded on.

Sasha had to fall to the ground with Rhys when he tried moving towards them and his legs gave out.

Toward Enid's expressionless eyes that followed him down...

Tara's squirming jaw that twitched at the touch of her tangled hair as the wind ran through it...

His brother's contorted mouth that hissed with cracked, blue lips.

"Please don't," Sasha whispered, pressing her lips to his ear as she held his face between her hands. "Don't look at them."

Rhys' eyes didn't flicker away. His knees ached in the mud, and Sasha pulled his head down into her arms. Carol turned away to sob, Daryl cradling her head. Rhys was so quiet. He couldn't feel anything but his chest. Some tight, burning fist, grasping at it. He vomited over Sasha's shoulder. It came with a scream. He screamed until his vocal cords tore, and he went light-headed with grief.

Henry.

Tara.

Enid.

"Don't look at them, baby," Sasha begged.

Mateo.

Addy.

Rodney.

Tammy-Rose.

"Look at me, Rhys. Please, just look at me."

Frankie.

Alek.

Ozzy.

The taste of vomit stained the corners of his mouth, and drool hung from his chin as he continued to cry without his voice. Without them.

-Carl-

We never found their bodies.

Carol and Ezekiel buried Henry's head in a wooden crate the size of a shoe box behind the Palace.

Rhys and Sasha took Enid and Tara back to Hilltop without the need of a wagon because that's what Alpha had reduced them to. They took Addy and Rodney back, too. Earl took Tammy back himself — Alden told Carl later that he wouldn't let go of her until they got back and he could bury her next to their son. DJ and Frankie were sent back to their families in Alexandria. DJ had a girlfriend. Frankie had a son. The Highwaymen collected their dead and took them home.

Carl sat with Jenny at Teo's grave in a plot of land near the Kingdom's gardens, or he spent his time with Michonne and Judith in their apartment in the Palace.

Rhys and Sasha were back after a few days.

The Kingdom was holding a funeral for everyone who had died.

A memorial day, only a few days after the fair of new beginnings.

Siddiq gave a speech from the stage Rhys had sung from.

"I was there. I was taken with the others. And I saw... I was supposed to die with them, I was ready to. Then Alpha whispered in my ear, 'tell them.' Something hit me, and everything went black. And when I woke up, I was alone."

He told us it was evil. He explained how Alpha wanted to break us all apart again with the story of how they died.

"But I want to tell you a different story," Siddiq said instead. "See, before the end... Ozzy, Alek, and DJ found us. They gave us an opening and everyone fought back. They fought like hell. And what they did was more than brave because they defended each other, and they sacrificed for each other. And some of them— they didn't even know each other, but they still fought like they did. Like they were family. Until the very end."

He said their names. Each one. There were some he'd known better. He cried talking about how he taught Enid how to save people because that's what she wanted to be; someone who saved people. He told us how Tara had put aside her past with people to make everyone safer.

"In the end, their time was cut short, but ours keeps going," he went on. "So we have to keep going. For them and... for all of us. We need to honour them. We need to honour them... and we need to remember these friends, our family, died as heroes. That's the story that I want to tell you. That's the story that I want us all to remember."

You really swept me off my feet