Notes: Happy holidays!

Much to my dismay at the time, Carl radioed ahead to let everyone know I was coming home — I'm pretty sure because I accidentally sided with his dad at the gas station. Rosita was the only person that didn't make me suffer through a hug. She just punched my arm and complained about hers. Apparently, getting shot takes too long to heal for her liking.

Now we're back in 101. It smells the same, and I collapse on the sofa with a satisfied huff before Carl's even shut the front door. He tuts at the fact that I haven't taken off my muddy brown boots or jacket. Barbara, who had been looking after Judith, hands the squealing girl over to me before leaving.

"Man, she missed you," Carl snickers, heading into the dining room and coming back with an assault rifle in his arms.

"Me too," I say. "Honestly, I'm only dating you so I can be friends with Jude."

"I had a feeling."

"She's kinda awesome."

I nod to the rifle and frown in a way that makes him snort.

"Got watch duty," he tells me. "Just because I have to stay here doesn't mean I have to be useless."

I beam at him. "You're incapable of being useless."

He smiles and points to the fridge with his rifle-free arm. "Make yourself at home... since you're, y'know, home. There's leftover meatloaf in the fridge."

"You made food?" I stare at him with my jaw hanging to the floor.

He tilts his head, sucking on his teeth and squinting. "Michonne did."

"Oof, even worse."

When he's gone, I decide that Michonne's meatloaf is not where my headspace is, so I take Judith and her pushchair to find Rosita.

When I eventually give up on finding Rosita, I do find her; sitting in Mikey's courtyard garden, the two of them at a table and studying over a map of Virginia and West Virginia.

Mikey hears the creaky garden gate as I come in from the street. The world seems to get a little brighter when he sees me, grins, and slams into me for a hug.

"What are you guys doing?" I ask, taking Judith from her pushchair and sitting at the table with them as they pour over the map. Chess pieces are scattered around where I think our settlements are supposed to be.

"Just going over the plan for after we hit the Sanctuary tomorrow," Rosita answers, sitting up in her chair to grab the king piece marking Sanctuary's location. She grimaces at the pain under the bandage on her shoulder. I know she hates being grounded by it — just the fact she can't fight has given her permanent sucking on a lemon face. But it's nice to see her involved in this. "Rick will take it to the meeting tomorrow and give everyone their jobs."

"We were just going to come to get you, actually," Mikey says, tapping his index finger against a castle chess piece that's sitting where I think the Kingdom is. "What did the King and Carol say?"

"I told Rick on the drive back," I tell them. "Isn't he coming?"

"Supposed to be," Rosita sighs.

I tell them what the King told me, which isn't much.

"Kingdom will be at the field tomorrow, and they'll be ready to fight."

Then, as if I summoned them, Rick and Michonne walk into the garden. "So will we," Michonne says, smiling brightly.

Rick takes Judith so Michonne can hug me. She asks about a scar on the tip of my nose. I explain that Downy Beardy does not like snakes and that it's a really bad idea to ride with your feet out of the stirrups.

"So?" Rick asks, handing me back Judith and looking at Rosita and Mikey. "You two wanted to say something about the plan before we go tomorrow, right?"

Rosita elbows Mikey in the ribs, making him jump up. He clears his throat and looks to be sweating profusely — his hair all bunched up at the fringe, and his cheeks clammy and red.

Rick watches him expectantly. Michonne and I exchange a smirk.

Mikey clears his throat again, pointing to a knight on the map, and a queen piece not far from it — I realise them to be Hilltop and here. "Right, erm, Sir... while you've been at Hilltop getting the convoy ready... and Michonne has been setting up security here... Rosita and I have been going over the plan of, y'know, attack. Mainly Rosita." The last part he adds on under his breath, trying to ignore the look Rosita shoots him.

Rick nods, pointing at the map. "Drop the sir, and let's hear it."

"Well... Rick," Mikey starts, clearing his throat for the third time. "After the three communities trap Negan and his lieutenants in the Sanctuary with that horde Tara and Daryl have been leading, there will be three major outposts to hit. Stop me if you have any objections or notes... or anything, really. I really don't mind if you—"

"Go on," Rick says.

Mikey keeps stumbling over words, so Rosita pats his back and tells him to sit, which he does gratefully.

Rosita nods at the map, to a bishop piece. "Outpost one is their big weapons cache, according to the letters Dwight's been sending us." Then she points to two other spots on the map marked with wooden pawns. "The other two are apparently where the bulk of the Saviors will be; a chemical plant led by Gavin, and the satellite station... which has been handled by Simon since we took it out last time."

I feel the circular burn on my cheek that still hasn't fully healed yet. I wonder if things would be easier if hadn't have killed Paula and she was still in charge there.

I bounce Judith on my knee and watch as they go on.

"Okay," Rick nods. "So what did you two have to say about it."

"The Kingdom has the biggest army, right?" Mikey pipes up with a squeak.

"They do," Michonne says, nodding.

"Probably the best trained, too," I add.

"Well..." Mikey shuffles in his seat, looking the map over like he's having second thoughts.

"Go on," Rosita says.

Mikey nods, pointing at the map again; to three smaller Savior outposts, both marked with the letter x. "Wouldn't it make more sense if Kingdom dealt with these three outposts on the way?"

"How so?" Rick asks. "They're out the way. Means Kingdom wouldn't get to the chemical plant until tomorrow evening."

"I know," Mikey says. "But wouldn't it be better to deal with these three first?"

Michonne tightens her whole face, her shoulders tensing. "If one goes wrong and they warn Gavin's compound..."

"It will put Ezekiel's people in danger," I say, mirroring her concerned face with my voice.

"It's fewer Saviors, though," Rosita backs Mikey up.

Rick rolls his head to one shoulder, glancing between the map and Mikey.

"This was your idea?" Rick asks him.

"Well," Mikey breathes, shrugging as his face goes red around the cheeks, "I mean, Rosita thought of—"

"Yes," Rosita grunts, rolling her eyes. "It was his idea."

Rick nods at Mikey after a second of speaking with Michonne and Rosita. "Okay," he tells him. "I'll talk with the Kingdom about it tomorrow before the attack."

-Carl-

I stand on the porch with Mikey, Barbara, and Rosita, watching Rhys sit in the street outside 101 early in the morning, drawing scribbly chalk pictures on the road with Judith as Alexandria's forces climb into cars and start to leave to meet the other two communities before the war really starts.

Dad kisses the top of Judith's head goodbye before he, Rhys, and I meet Michonne at the gate just as the last few cars leave.

Dad holds Rhys tight before he kisses Michonne goodbye. He takes off my hat and holds me, kissing the top of my head. He tells me, "This is the end of it," before he gets into his car and drives away after the others. A couple more that were waiting for him follow him out.

Rhys walks away to sit with Rosita on the porch, leaving Michonne and me to watch the last few cars go.

"I know you wanted to go with him," I say to Michonne when I catch her watching the convoy leave the same way I am. "I did, too."

"Everything hurts," Michonne says. "But I'll help you defend this place."

I frown at her. "Help me?"

"Oh, yeah. This is your show."

I scoff at her, shaking my head and watching as Minnie shuts the gate.

"Okay," Michonne says, standing closer to me and bumping our shoulders. "You'll see."

Late afternoons make me nervous. The day's almost over, but there's still so much time for things to change. To go wrong. To be the end.

I decide I don't want to worry about dad and everyone else; they've been gone hours, and will be hours more.

I decide I want to end this day well.

End it the way I want it to end.

At least for someone.

I pack my orange backpack with two cans of string beans and ravioli, tossing one of Michonne's old magazines in there, too. I find Rhys and tell him to come outside the walls with me. He gets his sniper rifle from the armoury and a box of bullets. I tell him we don't need it, but he just rolls his eyes.

By the time we're in the run truck, he's asking questions.

"Are you going to tell me what we're doing?" he asks, glancing at my bag as I stuff it between the seats next to his gun.

I look over at him. The cuts and scars on his face match the scrapes and bruises on his arms. His dirty brown jacket, which I'm pretty sure was Glenn's, is rolled up at the sleeves, putting them all on display. The boots I got him look worn and muddy, the orange laces faded and stained. I guess he looks the same as the boots — only I think he's beautiful.

"I've got to fix something," I tell him.

"What about Michonne?"

"She'll understand why."

"What about your dad?"

"He won't understand," I sigh. "But he's not here."

Rhys smiles at me, putting his hand on my knee and squeezing. "Let's get going then."

-Rhys-

We drive to the same gas station as yesterday. I raise my eyebrow as Carl pulls out a Magazine on home decoration and starts tearing out a page.

"Is this about the guy your dad scared away?" I ask, watching as he pats his pockets, searching for something.

"Yeah— do you have a pen?"

I reach into my boot and pull out a pink magic marker from my sock, dropping it into his outstretched hand.

He scribbles the word sorry onto the torn paper and climbs out of the truck.

I watch from the window as he sets the note on the ground and takes two cans from his bag, placing them on top of the magazine page to keep it from blowing away in the hot Virginia wind.

He gets back in the driver's seat, and I don't have to ask.

"He wasn't a spy," Carl tells me. "He was just someone that needed help. Our help."

"Think he's alive?"

Carl nods.

"Before you guys got here yesterday, he told me something his mom used to say. Said, whatever you have of good, spend on the traveller. Helping the person without a home— that's everything. He said that."

"You're trying not to let the world spoil you," I say.

Carl's eye gets a little wider at that. Maybe surprised I remember that he told me what his mom had said all that time ago.

He nods. "Jus' want to do the right thing."

"Sorry I didn't agree with you back then," I tell him.

"Do you now?"

"Yeah," I say, nodding. "I liked the other thing that he said— from the Quran."

"May my mercy prevail over my wrath," Carl says like he's been saying it for years.

He hands me back my magic marker, and I return it to my sock while he starts up the truck's engine.

"Let's go home," he says, pulling off the side of the road and cruising away from the gas station.

After not long at all, the radio on Carl's belt hisses, a muffled voice crackling from the speaker.

He struggles to keep his eye on the road and get the radio off his hip, so I lean over his lap to grab it.

"Could be Saviors," he warns me. "Careful."

I nod, breathing in and holding down the button. "Hello?" I say after a short pause.

"Rhys?" The voice that responds is too staticky and broken up to recognise.

Carl gives me a cautious look.

"Who's asking?"

"It— It's Je—y."

"Who?" I ask, twiddling the dial. "You're hardly coming through."

"Jenny— It's Jenny."

I smile. "We're meant to be using code names," I remind her.

"— all dead."

Carl and I look at each other as he slows the truck down to a stop.

"Repeat," I say into the walkie.

"Chemical plant— the King... Carol... Jerry... everyone... they're all dead. I can't help, not with this— my leg. The guns were here... not at the other outpost."

"Where are you?" I ask, starting to panic, holding the walkie up to the roof to help the signal. "Have you told the others?"

"In the car," she says, her voice audibly trembling now that the signal's better. "Rhys, I think it's just me. Alvaro went to check if anyone made it after we heard the gunfire and someone screaming. You're the only person I've managed to reach."

"Hold on," I tell her, taking my finger off the button as I turn to Carl, who has gone pale as a sheet of paper. "They must be out of range of the other communities. Hilltop's closest."

Carl snatches the talkie from my hand and changes the dial. "Hilltop? Come in Hilltop... this is Grimes."

I start pulling out a map from the glove compartment, running my finger between roads as I search for where we are.

"Go for HT," Enid answers.

"Hey!" He exhales loudly. "Erm," I watch him wrack his brain for code words, remembering that we're not meant to give anything away. "Just got word from the Big-Kats. The chocolate went stale. Anyone from HT in range to assist?"

I don't wait for an answer. I grab my rifle out the back, stuff the map into my jeans pocket and slip out of the truck.

"What are you doing?" Carl leans across the seats to grab my arm.

"We're just under two miles away," I say. "All the roads from here take the long way around the forest, but I can make it in under half an hour if I run."

"If the Kingdom militia got wiped out, what the hell are you going to do?" he huffs.

"Jenny needs help," I say. "I won't go near the outpost."

Carl starts taking off his seat belt. "I'll come."

"No!" I bark, slamming the door and leaning in the window. I point at the radio in his hands. "You need to try and reach your dad, so he can stop the guns from getting to the Sanctuary. They'll tear through the horde if they do."

Carl grits his teeth, hissing cuss words through them before nodding.

"Go. I'll wait here for you."

A/N

Kinda have to take some creative liberties in this season to keep it interesting since the whole war takes place in only a few days. If I don't play around with distance and time then Rhys will just be sitting in Alexandria for most of the first half.