Chapter 77-Returning to their homes

Clementine's P.O.V

The gates to Alexandria opened. Carl, Jesus, and Clementine had decided to return with Kenny's body while everything went to their communities to tell their leaders what had happened and set up a meeting. David, Kate, Gabe, and Javier were going to be taken to the campgrounds, and Tripp, Eleanor, and Conrad were staying at Hilltop. Carl stopped the car and looked at her. "You ready?" Carl asks softly.

"No." Clementine says as she pushes the door open and looks at Rick as he walks up to them. He hugs Carl and looks in the back. "It's Kenny," Clementine says.

"Clem, I'm sorry," Rick says sadly, coming to know that he was a good man, a bit brash but good nonetheless.

"Lilly here?" She asks.

"Yeah, she's with A.J in the infirmary." Rick tells her softly. Clementine nods as she walks away from the group as Rick motions Gabriel over to help Jesus with the body. Clementine opened the door to the infirmary and heard Lilly with A.J. She took a deep breath as she shut the door, causing the eyes to look up at her.

"Clem!" A.J says as he runs up to her and hugs her.

"Hey, goofball." Clementine says as she bends down and hugs him.

"Is Kenny out there?" Lilly asks. Clementine looks at Lilly as tears start to form in her eyes. "Where's Kenny?" A.J looks at Clementine.

"Kenny...Kenny's dead," Clementine says. "They killed him and shot him in the head." Lilly sits down against the bed as tears start to form. Clementine hugs A.J as the boy starts to cry as well. She holds her hand out to Lilly, who takes it and hugs her as they mourn the loss of the man they all loved.

Daryl's P.O.V

Daryl looks at the truck as he pulls into the campgrounds. Charlie was the first one out of the car. She comes up to Daryl and hugs him. "You okay?" Daryl asks her softly.

"Kenny's dead." Charlie tells him. Daryl paused, eyes wide, then nodded as the others get out of the truck.

"Go see Alicia, Ofelia, and Merle. I'll talk with them." Daryl reassured her gently. Charlie nods as he walks past them. "Who are they?" Daryl asks as he looks at Javier, Gabe, Kate, and David.

"We'll explain, but she needs June." Tobias says.

"Take them to June. Negan, Alden, and you two will come with me," Daryl says as he looks at Javier and David, who nodded. They walk to the big cabin where John, Morgan, and Shane are.

"Who's your friends?" Shane asks as he stands up, looking at them cautiously.

"David and Javier, brothers and Kenny's dead. They ambushed us and killed him. David was a leader in Richmond, but they tried to have him killed. Jesus said we're going to war, and he isn't wrong." Negan tells them as he sits.

"We got one of them. Max is his name. We were going to have you get the info out of them." Alden tells him as the door opens and Madison comes in.

"Charlie just told Alicia and me what happened. Alicia's with her," Madison tells them.

"Who's going to get the info?" Daryl asks them.

"Daniel, he has experience, a lot more than us. He's going to put him in the shed and get to work," Negan tells him. "Sherry, Nick, and Carol went to talk to Ezekiel, Norris, and D.J. went to talk to Reilly while Carl, Jesus, and Clementine went back to Alexandria."

"You guys got this?" Daryl asks them. "I wanna go check in on her," Daryl tells them.

"Go, we'll talk about it," John tells him. Daryl nods as he walks outside of the cabin. He goes to his cabin and grabs his crossbow.

"You going to see, Clem?" Alicia asks Daryl, who nods.

"You gonna be okay?" Daryl asks Charlie, who nods. He walks over to them and kisses Charlie's head. He kisses Alicia before he leaves the cabin.

Jesus's P.O.V

Jesus walked into the house he shared with Aaron and saw Aaron sitting on the couch with Gracie sleeping with her head on his lap. "Hey," He says quietly as he lays Gracie's head down on the couch and leads Jesus into a back room. "What happened?"

"How do you know something bad happened?" Jesus asks him as he sits down.

"I can see it on your face," Aaron answers.

"Kenny's dead, and we're going to have to fight Richmond," Jesus tells him. "They killed Kenny, Aaron. I was supposed to protect him, and I didn't. I should have seen it coming, should have entered the woods quicker. I let my guard down." Jesus says quietly.

"You were hopeful, Jesus. No one can blame you for that. Kenny wouldn't, and I know Clem, A.J., and Lilly don't. You tried to help save lives, Jesus. That is more than most people would today, and we'll save as many of them as we can. This wasn't your fault, Jesus."

"I was group leader."

"If leaders blamed themselves for each death, they would go insane, I saw that happen with Rick after...that night... You did what you could to protect him, but people die. All we can do is make sure Kenny didn't die for nothing."

Jesus nods as they sit there in silence, Aaron wrapping an arm around him in reassurance.

Carl's P.O.V

Carl walked into the house. He shut the door and turned around as Arya ran into him and wrapped her arm around his hips. Carl smiles as he bends down and hugs her. "Hey, can you give your Mom and me a minute to talk?" Carl asks Arya, who looked up a moment in worry...then nodded.

"I'll go see Jesus." She says as she leaves the house. Carl stands up and looks at Enid.

"What happened?" Enid asks after seeing the shift in Carl's mood after Arya left.

"Kenny's dead," He tells her. "And we're going to war with Richmond."

"Jesus," Enid says, covering her mouth...having been years since the community had lost someone.

"Some of his blood got on the back of my head, and after, I couldn't stop thinking about the night Glenn and Abraham died. We were caught off. We were helpless while he killed them. We let our guard down there, and he was killed, and we couldn't do anything." Carl tells her.

"You going to be okay?" Enid asks softly as she lays her hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah," Carl tells her. "Feels good to be home, but now we have another war to win."

"And we'll win it. Those assholes are fucking with the wrong people."

Carl grinned and kissed her "That's my girl."

Maggie's P.O.V

Maggie stood in the office with Al, Beth, Tripp, Arthur, and Tara. "This is Prescott." Tripp says as he marks it on the map. "This is the route we took until we met up with the group," Tripp says. "This is Richmond."

"Did you see it?" Beth asks him.

"No, David marked Richmond." Tripp says. "Now, looking at this map, they could come for Hilltop first. Depends on how fast they can rally their soldiers."

"We could use more fighters." Beth says.

"What about Georgia?" Maggie asks Arthur. "Could she spare some men?"

Arthur pulls out his notepad and writes on it. "She could if she knew the situation." He wrote.

"Okay, we should send someone to talk with Georgia." Al says.

"We'll go with Arthur." Beth says as she looks at Tara, who nods. "Maggie, you can lead Hilltop while we're gone, right?"

"Alright." Maggie says after a moment, swallowing. "You guys should leave at first light tomorrow morning."

Beth and Tara look at Arthur, who nods.

Daniel's P.O.V

Daniel walked into the shed and looked at Max, who had been tied to a chair. "Please, man, let me go. I don't know anything! Badger's the one you should talk to." Max pleads.

"You and your friends killed a friend of ours. A good man with a loving girlfriend and two kids." Daniel says as he walks around Max. "Shot him in the back of the head like he was a dog."

"It was Badger, man. I was just following orders!" He says quickly.

"Whose orders?" Daniel asks as he presses the knife against Max's leg.

"I won't give up my people." Max snarled.

"I admire your loyalty," Daniel says. He walks to a table at the back of the shed and grabs a pair of pliers. He walks back over to Max and grabs a fingernail. "Who gave the order?"

"Go to hell." Max spat at the man's feet with defiance.

Daniel smiles as he pulls out, and Max lets out a scream.

Al's P.O.V

Al looked at Maggie as she walked into the room after Hershel went to take a nap. "You okay?" Al asks her girlfriend.

"When Marco said there was a body, it felt like all the air in my body had been sucked out of me. And the first thing that came to my mind was. Could this be happening again? Can I survive losing you?"

"You could," Al says as she stands up. "Because you are strong, and you will keep fighting until you can no longer fight because this is who you are, Maggie Rhee," Al says as she wraps her arms around Maggie's waist. "I'm here, Maggie. I told you I'd come back."

Maggie nods as she lays her hands on Al's. "I might have to throw you in a cell to keep you here," Maggie says with a small smile.

"I'll get Hershel to let me out. He likes me more," Al says with a smirk after she kisses her neck.

"Because you spoil him." Maggie says.

"I play dirty. I don't plan on dying until I have scared the shit out of at least one girl he dates. Or guy." Al tells her. Maggie laughed at that as she turns around and kisses her.

Ezekiel's P.O.V

Ezekiel sat in his chair, looking at Carol, Sherry, and Nick. "What you have told me is disturbing news. Kenny was a good man and a great friend, and I am sad to hear that he didn't make it back." Ezekiel says after a moment. "What else has been said?"

"Jesus thinks they'll keep coming, and he's right. We need to prepare the Kingdom for an attack and have every man and woman who can fight ready to fight," Sherry says.

"Jerry, go do as they say," Ezekiel orders the man, who gave the king a thumbs up as he quickly leaves. "I will radio the communities, and we will set a meeting," Ezekiel says as he stands up and leaves.

Thanks for reading. The next chapter will be the rest of that day, as well as some other things, and I think the chapter after that will be the big meeting between the communities on how to deal with Richmond as Joan gets more people on her side. As always, suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.