Reviews:

SlumberingVoid — It's definitely rare for someone to get a peaceful death in this world... something I quite liked about the big one that happens in season 11, but we won't talk about that because it broke my heart and I'm still recovering! Funny how with characters like the Miller's I would never know about them if it wasn't for sifting through the episodes for writing this, but they're such sad characters to miss.

DemonCatJ17 — Wow, that's so awesome to here! I do sometimes think that with how long the story is now, people might get put off from starting it, but it's awesome to here that you weren't! Ahhh, and thank you so much, you've made my week! :)

It's been thirty-five days since Gregory was hung. The bridge is coming along slower than Rick had hoped, but at least it is coming along. Over half the workforce is from Sanctuary, thanks to the deal we made thirty-five days ago. The rest is a jumbled number of Oceansiders, Kingdomites, and Alexandrians. From Hilltop, it's only Enid — because we need a spare doctor on hand with all the extra bumps and scrapes. Daryl — because he prefers being outside the walls. Sasha — because she refused to let me go on my own. And me — because I couldn't deal with Tammy Rose's offhand comments about Earl being locked up anymore. Alden and a few others came when they heard we were going.

Carl and I had sex behind the makeshift stables last night because our tent is at the top of the camp, and right next to Rick and Michonne's — and tent walls really aren't that thick... and Rick and Michonne are not as thoughtful as us.

"What's your day?" I ask him through a stifled yawn, searching for my socks in a pile of dusty hay that made me sneeze when I woke up.

Carl's using his knife as a mirror as he tries desperately to fix his bedhead.

"Helpin' finish up the bridge floor," he tells me.

"Right," I say, nodding, remembering now that he told me last night. It's not my fault I forgot. Not while he was doing those things he's so good at doing to my neck. "I'm helping—"

"Helping Rosita blow the rockslide," Carl hums, smirking out the side of his face. "I remember."

"Want me to swap and help on the bridge?" I ask. "It'll be nice to spend the day together."

Carl gives me a once-over with his eye before nodding. "That would be nice."

I snort at him. "Did you really just check me out?"

"I'm aloud!"

I shake my head.

"Cool," I say, kissing him. "Pretty sure Arat's on the bridge today, so I'll ask her to swap."

Carl nods, pressing a hand against my chest and grabbing a fistful of my shirt, pulling me close to him until are bodies are against each others.

"Your dad still going back to Alexandria tonight?" I ask.

I feel him smile against me, letting his forehead slide from mine down to my cheek where it presses down hard. He nods. I can tell he's tired.

"You still going with him?"

Carl nods again. "That's the plan..."

I wince when he takes my hand and grazes the small line of jagged cuts along my knuckles that I earned last night.

"Still hurts?"

"Yeah," I say softly.

"You took your bandage off."

"Yeah, it just needed some air. I'm fine."

He kisses me again. "I know."

The stables are at the bottom of the camp, so we make our way up through the forest of tents and tired coffee drinkers that are hidden safely inside an actual forest where the camp is safely pitched. We head in the direction of the bridge.

Both of us wave as we pass by Anne and Tara.

"Same clothes as yesterday?" Tara snickers at us.

Carl and I quickly look at each other, realising we forgot to swap a few clothing items like we usually do to stop people from noticing when we're making the walk of shame.

I spot Rosita handing a pistol to Beatrice from the gun locker that's right in the middle of the camp for ease of access. I break off from Carl, who says he has to go talk with his dad about heading back tonight anyway. He puts his hat on my head before leaving me and mentions something about sunscreen and me burning too easily.

Rosita acknowledges me with a firm nod as she finishes locking up the gun shed, handing me my beretta, which she had already gotten out and set aside on a stool.

"Rick said we're going ahead with the blast today," she says, pocketing the keys when she's done. "Horde Horatio is gonna pass by us, but Rick doesn't want to risk drawing Margret."

"Margret?" I ask.

"The other herd."

"Right."

"Siren crew," Rosita says, "Jerry, Tara, and Justin... they'll redirect Horatio if it heads our way."

"So about that..." I say slowly, scratching my nose and trying to smile away the awkwardness.

"You wanna stay on the bridge with Carl?"

"How did you—"

"I read the rota, manito."

"Apparently, I'm the only one that hasn't," I sigh.

"It's no worries," Rosita snickers. "Who were you gonna pick to spot you?"

Now comes the awkward bit.

"...Arat."

"Asshole." Rosita shakes her head and grimaces. "The bitch that cut my face open?" She points to the dark, faded scar on her cheek.

"Laura said she's got experience," I say.

Rosita rolls her eyes.

I walk up through the camp, waving at dozens of people awkwardly when they call my name. Even Ezekiel and Henry came to help with the bridge. I'm pretty sure Zeke is just here to see Carol, and Henry is only really helping by handing out water to the workers. I've been avoiding Rick since he won't stop mentioning that Alexandria is running low on food since it's having to provide for both the camp and the Sanctuary. I have the same answer for him every time...

It's Maggie's call.

I decide to go straight for the bridge and skip breakfast. Eugene and Mikey appear on either side of me as I reach the edge of the camp, both keeping pace with my quick steps.

"Mornin' and hello, Poncho!" Eugene tips the end of his cowboy hat at me. "I am aware that you have no interest in a chitchat about a food stack with Rick, but—"

"Euge," I groan. "Carl already told me that Michonne is going to talk to Maggie about it. So please, talk to me about anything but that right now."

He grumbles something under his breath, running a finger down a wooden clipboard with a pen connected by a piece of frayed, brown string. "The Doc was hoping to get a face-to-face with you around lunch-chow."

I frown. "Siddiq?"

"Nope," Mikey chimes in, holding his own clipboard like some terrifying mini-Eugene. "There's a bug going around back at Alexandria, so Rick's sending Siddiq home. Enid's taking over here."

We reach the edge of the camp and the woods it's pitched in. I step out onto the run-down road, glancing back at them as they look at each other.

"What is it?"

"Rhys..." Mikey winces. "Another Savior walked off last night."

"That's six in the past month," Eugene adds.

I shrug. "Most of those assholes haven't had to work hard before. Makes sense they'd bale on this."

They both look at me like there's more.

"What?" I ask.

"It was Turner," Mikey says, glancing down at my injured hand. "Turner walked last night."

"Oh, so it's my fault?" I laugh at them.

"Mikey said you..." Eugene flicks through his notes, "... knocked several of his teeth out last night over supper."

I glare at Mikey, who is suddenly finding the trees above very interesting.

"Asshole had it coming," I snarl.

Eugene nods. "Arat informed me last night of the... vocabulary... that he used against you. I understand that he most certainly had the knuckle sandwich ordered, but..."

I raise an eyebrow. "But?"

Mikey groans. "Carol wants to speak to you when you get the time."

"Fuck," I sigh.

They both eye me up and down, speaking at the same time.

"Good luck."

I punch Henry's shoulder with my good hand as I get out onto the bridge, after he shoots me a goofy grin and calls me a name his brother would have gotten pissed at him for saying, so I laugh and tell him to cool it.

Regina and Jed give me dirty looks and start snarling at me as I pass them.

"Nice hat, sheriff," Jed barks with a grin, wiping the sweat from his short black beard. "Where's the Sanctuary's food, kid?"

"Your momma better not skip out like last time," Regina adds.

"Oh," I shrug, "I've got some right here for you actually." I reach deep into my pocket, fishing out a middle finger and flipping them off with it before I stroll off.

Daryl waves me over to him and Aaron to help put timber floor boards into place to be nailed down. It's hard and hot work. The sun blazes down for hours. Carl arrives and helps Sasha at the far end of the bridge. My eyes keep darting to Regina and Jed.

"They giving you trouble?" Daryl asks, throwing his head in their direction as I hand him a nail to secure the board.

I shake my head. "Sooner this is all done, the better."

"Damn straight," Daryl grunts.

Aaron holds his hand out to me, and I give him a nail from the jar by my leg.

"You visiting Alexandria soon?" Aaron asks me as he nails the other end of the board down.

"I don't know," I say, shrugging as I use Tyreese's hammer to knock in my own nail.

He smiles. "You should. Both of you. I want you to meet Gracie now that she's bigger. And I know Judith misses you both. Michonne said a day barely goes by that Jude doesn't make a painting of you, or ask when Rhys and Uncle Daryl are coming home."

"How is it being a dad?" I ask him, half interested, half wanting to switch topics.

Aaron laughs to himself.

Daryl squints at him. "What?"

"So," Aaron grunts as we move on to fitting the next board, "I go in after her nap and pick her up, and the diaper just explodes all over me." He gestures all over his chest, and I can't help laughing.

Daryl grimaces with a nail between his teeth. "Sounds like good times."

"Oh, the best," Aaron says without a trace of sarcasm and a grin spread across his face. "You'll see."

Daryl throws him a look.

"What?" Aaron asks sincerely. "You'd be a great dad."

"Yeah," Daryl says ironically, turning back to hammering.

I tune out after that, watching Henry make his way towards us with the water dispenser, my tongue starting to feel like sand.

Henry offers some to Justin, a tall guy with long black hair hanging down to a chiselled jaw... and one of the bigger assholes leftover from the Saviors — the type of guy that definitely enjoyed stomping on sandcastles and kicking dogs before the apocalypse. There's a loud and sudden clatter as Justin pushes Henry to the floor, trying to get more water. Henry jumps up, snatching his stick out and hitting Justin's knee, flipping him onto his back. Henry snatches up the water cooler and starts walking away.

Justin clutches the back of his head, yelling at the sky.

Jed goes over laughing, helping Justin up. "Hey, man, it's cool. I got my ass handed to me by a kid one time, too. 'Course, I was six at the time."

Justin pushes past Jed, marching towards Henry, who is already handing water out to someone else.

Daryl and I are there in a second. I jump between them, a hand on Henry's arm as I keep him behind me.

Daryl grabs Justin's shoulder. "Hey! Kid's just doin' his job. Get back to work."

Justin huffs at me over his shoulder before squaring up to Daryl. "I don't need your people telling me what to do. You're not my babysitter anymore."

Daryl grabs his arm, but Justin spins around and throws a punch. Daryl dodges it and clocks him across the jaw, sending Justin into a pile of packing sand. Justin launches a handful of sand into Daryl's eyes and tackles him to the ground. I see Jed go to help Justin, but before he can get close, I jump at him, throwing punches that a year ago would easily be deflected, but now they land as heavy and hard blows across his face. When he throws one back, I'm surprised at how easily I take it. Aaron's helping Sasha hold the crowd back, and Carl's dragging me off Jed just after Rick arrives and pulls Daryl and Justin apart.

"Hey!" Rick roars, killing the bustling crowd's volume in a second. "Break it up. Right now!"

"Kid broke my fucking nose!" Jed barks, blood pouring through his fingers as he cups his face.

"Back off!" Carl yells at him.

Jed shouts insults at me while Aaron holds him back. Carl keeps my arms locked behind me, and Henry pushes my chest back. I spit a mouthful of blood in Jed's face.

"I said enough!" Rick barks, pointing a finger in my face, his other hand between Daryl and Justin as they stare daggers at each other.

Daryl spits blood on the floor as Justin holds his bruised jaw. I tear away from Carl's hold and storm away, but Rick catches my arm.

"You and Daryl. My tent. Now." He turns to everyone else. "Go back to work!"

"That fuck was about to attack Daryl!"

"Rhys—"

"Rick."

Rick stands by the small table in the middle of the tent, Georgie's key to the future book in front of him. Carol's beside him. Daryl's pacing by the entrance.

"Nah," Daryl hisses. "Rhys is right."

"We need to finish the bridge!" Rick yells.

"So that asshole just gets a free pass?" Daryl yells back. "Is that it?"

"It's just a few more days! I don't like it either, but we're in a rush to get that work done before the dam upstream gives out. Justin's strong. The Saviors are over half the workforce." Rick shoots me a glare. "And we've had too many walk off already."

"He was about to hit Henry!" I shout.

"You know that's not what I'm talking about," Rick growls.

Daryl stands up for me when I go quiet. "That's just who they are. Some of 'em ain't ever gonna fall in line just 'cause you say so."

Rick huffs.

"Daryl and Rhys are right," Carol says calmly from the back of the tent, where she's been standing and watching quietly. "These people have never had to live together. And we can't expect them to just forget what's happened."

"It hasn't been easy, I know," Rick sighs. "It won't be, not for a while, but it's not about forgetting. It's about moving ahead, all of us, together. We keep doin' that, and they'll see we're all on the same side."

"Are we, though?" Daryl asks. "Are we on the same side, Rick?"

Rick grimaces. "Well, you tell me."

"Thing is, man, I've been tryin' to. But you don't seem to want to hear it."

Daryl storms out after that, and I try to follow, but Rick stops me.

"Not. You."

I stand still, and Rick waits until I turn to face the two of them.

"That fight you started last night with Turner," Rick says softer. "I understand why. We all get why. But you can't throw punches every time someone—"

"He told me he was the one, Rick!" I yell, my eyes welling up.

"I know..."

"He was the one that took the pictures!"

"Rhys, I know..."

"Glenn's head got bashed into the fucking ground, and he took the goddamn picture of it!"

Rick's very quiet. He breathes deeply, looking down at the book in front of him. His eyes are cold when he comes back to look at me.

"We have rules now," Rick says. "You broke them. Turner left this morning, but the people of Sanctuary are still gonna want some sort of reprimand. Carol's in charge of Sanctuary, so it's her call."

My chest is tight, and my jaw starts shaking. Rick can't seem to look at me.

"I've got it from here," Carol tells him.

Rick nods, leaving the tent.

Carol looks at me and waits until I pull myself back together. When I do, I meet her eyes.

"Turner was a piece of shit and barely did anything at the Sanctuary," she tells me. "People are only going to want something done to see that we care."

"I get it," I say bitterly.

"Rick wanted to take you off the campsite," Carol tells me. "Send you home."

I grimace. "Okay..."

"I think it'll work if we just take you off the bridge. You can go to the lumber camp later and keep helping from there."

I look at her. "Seriously?"

She nods. "You're not the only person that still feels guilty that they weren't there that night."

"I know," I say.

She pauses for a minuscule moment. "Thank you for protecting Henry."