Reviews:

Guest- As of the end of chapter 24, three people know. Maggie and Glenn worked it out at the prison, which Maggie spoke to Rhys about in chapter 11, I believe. Michonne also knows, Carl told her before entering Terminus... which we discovered in chapter 20. That's all the people that have been revealed to know so far. :)

BabySlothXYaoi- Very sorry I didn't write a response to your last review! My head was all over the place, aha- In response to that, I agree, that's why I love Carol too, she's the one that makes the hard calls and gets shit done. I know, Bob had such a sad ending, poor Sasha. I think Abe saw the potential of everyone in Rick's group, he wants to surround Eugene with as many bodies as possible and he'd travelled with Tara, Maggie, and Glenn before so he trusts them, but I definitely see your point, more people. Thank you for all the lovely words! In response to your last review- I think I'm okay with ch24 now looking back, I just got frustrated because I had to re-write that restroom scene too many times to get it right. Thank you again for such lovely feedback!


Can't believe I'm getting another chapter out so fast!


Rick's voice wakes me from a dream, my head leaving Carl's snoozing shoulder as I lock eyes with his father.

"It's time," Rick nods after a moment of cold silence.

I push myself up slightly. Carl and I somehow managed to fall asleep sitting up. I know Rick's talking about Bob, so used to losing people that I don't even think about it.

"Okay," I whisper, trying not to disturb Carl as I prop myself up until my back is flat against the toilet stall wall.

Rick nods again, watching us both solemnly before disappearing into the nave.

I listen to a bird tapping its delicate beak against the frosted glass of the restroom window. Its shadow cast against the glass by the morning sun as it dances on the windowsill.

My back is stiff, and my arms crack when I stretch them overhead, trying my best to put off leaving.

I look at Carl. His head leaned back against the toilet stall, the sheriff's hat sitting over his face to block out the sun. I think about not waking him and going back to sleep, re-joining him in my dream. Maybe we were in the same dream. Away from death, away from the dirt and blood, away from everything. Just us together, away.

I don't do this. Instead, I wake Carl up, and we leave the bathroom, holding hands until we join the others.


Everyone said their goodbyes to Bob like he's going away on a business trip, and we'll see him again in a few weeks. Everyone was full of void smiles and sad eyes as we told Bob he'll always be apart of us. It's true, but it felt like no one wanted to say what was really happening.

Bob spoke to Rick alone before he's left with Sasha.

Now it's almost 9 AM. Sasha is with Bob while Tyreese and I stand outside the office door, trying our best to be there for her as she says her last goodbye.

We hear her sobs from behind the door, the door where nothing good is ever on the other side.

Tyreese opens the door, and I close it quietly behind us, trying not to make a scene, despite all eyes already on us.

I think about what I told Carl in the restroom as I step forward and take Sasha's knife from her hands as they tremble. Tyreese holds them tight, telling her to step out.

Once she does, I kneel beside a lifeless Bob, the knife heavy in my hand as I put the pointy steel to his temple, remembering my silent promise.

"Wait," Tyreese breathes out, "give it here."

"Are you sure?"

"I need to. For both of you."

I nod, passing him the knife, "Thank you," my voice breaks as he holds my hand over the blade.

"Go, make sure she's not alone."

I do, grabbing my poncho from the back of a chair and leaving the office.


I find Sasha outside amongst the churchyard gravestones, making a cross for Bob. I offer to help, but she declines with a weak smile.

"Go find Carl," she tells me, "You and the other are leaving for DC soon. Spend your last few hours here with him. Don't take that time for granted."

I agree, leaving again to find Carl. I begin to feel like an owl, being sent from one person to the next, flying between with no letters to give.

Rosita stops me at the doors to the church, blocking my entry with her arm.

"Mind if we talk?"

"Sure," I nod in affirmation.

We sit on the church's shabby steps. I decide I'm getting bored of sitting.

"So, I spoke to Abraham," Rosita starts, "well, shouted at him, but he came round in the end."

I look confused, so she elaborates.

"You don't have to come with us to DC."

"What?" I ask, now even more confused.

She sighs, "I heard Carl shouting at you... I feel bad. So you don't need to come with us anymore."

"Why do you feel bad?"

"Because when Abe asked me who to prioritise bringing to Washington, I said you. That's why he made you part of the deal."

I think about this, "Does anyone else know?"

Rosita shakes her in response, "Just Abe."

We sit and say nothing for a long while. Rosita patiently waits while I think long and hard before finally landing on, "No."

"No?" Rosita asks me, now being the confused one.

"No," I say again as if confirming it for myself.

"What do you mean, no?"

"I mean that I'm coming to DC with you."

"You don't wanna stay?" Rosita asks me, puzzled.

"I do... actually I don't, but I still do."

"Huh?"

I roll my eyes at myself, frustrated. "I want to stay with Carl and the rest, but I also want to help get Eugene to DC," I squint my eyes, trying very hard to get my words to match my feelings, "I want to stay here just as much as I want to leave. So choosing between them is impossible. Not having a choice made it easy. So, please don't tell anyone that you talked to Abraham. Don't tell anyone he said I could stay."

"Why?"

"Because then I don't have to choose," I give an exhausted sigh, not sure if I'm making any sense.

Rosita watches me for what feels like an eternity before she nods.

"I get it," she tells me.

"You do?" I ask her, not entirely sure that I understand myself.

She nods again, "You're saying you can't choose between the boy you love and saving the world."

I stare at her, eyes wide, my cheeks heating up rapidly, "H-how did you-"

Rosita laughs, shoving my shoulder, "I can read minds... that, and you came out of the bathroom without hiding that hickey this morning." She points at my exposed neck.

I go frantic, jumping to hastily raise the zip on my jacket, covering the bruise from any other prying eyes.

"Don't worry," Rosita tells me, "I don't think anyone noticed, with everything going on."

"Now go, find Carl and say goodbye," she tells me, checking her watch, "we ship out in ninety minutes."

I get up, turning the church doors, but Rosita stops me again. "What's the real reason?"

"Huh?"

She smirks, "Don't get me wrong, you definitely believe everything you just said... but it's not the reason you're coming."

"How would you know?"

She shrugs, tapping her watch again. "Ninety minutes."


Looking for Carl proves to be a challenge. I find Rick inside the church, standing by the organ, studying its pipes. I decide against asking him where his son is, still slightly frightened by him. But, before I can go anywhere, he calls me over.

"Rhys," Rick looks like he's struggling, and I'm not sure if it's because he doesn't know what he wants to say or because he turned a man into mincemeat last night. I make extra sure my coat is hiding the hickey.

"I never said thank you," Rick finally lets out, his eyes looking everywhere but me, as he pinches the bridge of his nose.

"For what?"

"Carl told me what happened after the prison. Before Terminus," he gestures to the red stain by our feet.

He goes on, "If you hadn't have talked, they would have tried to make Carl talk."

Guilt washes over me all over again as I think about how easily I had told Madeline everything.

Rick, clearly sensing this, bends lower until he's face to face with me, putting a firm hand on my shoulder.

"Listen, don't blame yourself for telling them anything. We're still here, and you've helped make it that way. You more than made up for whatever you told them. No one blames you."

"Thanks, Rick," his words felt like a warm tide washing over me, lifting a small amount from my shoulders. Not everything, but something.

He nods, "Carl's outside."


I find Carl behind the church, out of sight from the rest of the group, hovering by the damning message left carved by Gabriel's congregation.

I step on a particularly crunchy twig, causing Carl to jump, his hat falling to the ground as he spins to face me.

"Jesus, dude."

"Sorry," I apologise, not wanting to tell him that I'm actually apologising for being a coward.

"So you're leaving in an hour," Carl kicks the dirt, unearthing a solitary worm.

"I guess so," before the worm can reach his stetson, I pick the hat up, slapping it against my leg, causing dirt and dust to explode from it.

"It sucks," Carl sighs as I hand him his hat, careful not to step on the worm.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"Duh," he chuckles.

"No, seriously, if you had the choice, would you make me stay?"

"Who am I to tell you to stay?"

"The only one that can."

Carl lets out a high pitch hum as he thinks, shaking his head, "We'll catch up once Carol and Daryl get back," he takes my hand in his own, "Go save the world, and I'll meet you there."

I can't help my smile, his hand holding mine tightly.

"Can I at least kiss you goodbye?"

Carl grins, looking around to check we're alone, "Yeah, I'd like that."


Sasha was right. I spend my time with Carl, talking about nothing important and then sitting in a loud silence, filled with conversations we can't have in front of the group. We play with Judith, who seems thrilled to have Gwendolyn the blue giraffe back. The moments slip away, and now I stand outside with everyone except Tyreese, who's digging a grave for Bob, alone. I notice Sasha is missing too.

"This is our route to DC," Abe says, as he hands Rick a map, "we'll stick to it as long as we're able."

Carl stands beside me as this all goes on, Judith in his arms. I'm pretty sure he's only holding her to stop himself from holding onto me. I, on the other hand, have to keep myself back from him through great effort.

"This group should be there when things bounce back," Abraham tells Rick.

"They will be," Maggie affirms.

"We will be," Rick tells us all.

Glenn, Maggie, and I hug everyone goodbye, and I get a horrible feeling in my stomach like I'm abandoning everybody.

"Look after yourself. Them too," Rick says into my hair as he holds me not too tight.

"I will."

Michonne pats me on the back after a firm hug, telling me, "good luck." She hands me the broken spear that I left in the church, the belt strap hanging from it loosely.

I hug Carl while both of us smile, knowing that we'd already said our proper goodbye, the one for us. This one was just for everyone else.

I poke Judith on the forehead, making her laugh in a way that lifts the mood for everyone.

Over Carl's shoulder, I see Tyreese and Sasha hovering by the edge of the church, not wanting to get too close to everyone. I tell Rosita I'll only be a minute before I walk over, meeting the siblings halfway.

"Didn't think you could leave without a goodbye, did you?" Tyreese asks me with a gentle smile on his face.

"Wouldn't dream of it," I answer, hugging Sasha first. Tyreese gets impatient and wraps his arms around both of us in a Ty bear hug. For a few moments, before he lets go, I feel so safe.

Abraham gets impatient. "Get that ass in gear! Road's getting impatient!"

"Don't be an asshole," Rosita reprimands him.

"Well, excuse me for wanting to save this great nation," Abraham smirks.

"Look after yourself," Sasha tells me.

I nod, "And you look after him," I point to Ty.

"Been doing that my whole life," she shrugs.

"She's not wrong," Tyreese gives us a deep chuckle.

The seven of us finally board the bus. Maggie and Glenn sit at the front, with Rosita behind Abraham, who's thumbing at his steering wheel. I open a window at the back of the bus, sitting down and letting out a heavy sigh. Tara sits on the seat in front of me, her head bobbing to the rhythm of the engine. Eugene paces the aisle for a moment, before sitting down parallel with Tara, the aisle between them.

I don't stop watching Carl, standing on the church steps and watching me back. We all wave from our windows as we peel from the church's drive and onto the open road. Inbound for Washington DC.


A/N

On the road again! I know we all just got back together, but who doesn't love a road trip!? To give you a little sneak preview- I am very excited for the next few chapters! We're going to explore some new character relationships, as well as get a peek into Rhys' life before the world ended. Don't worry, if you've seen the show, you know how short this road trip is, so we'll be back together soon enough!

Reviews and Feedback always welcome!

:)