Chapter 172-Getting ready
Rick's P.O.V
Rick walked out of his house the next day, heading down the stairs. He looked up to see Alicia coming up, wringing her hands. "I was coming to see you. Mind if we talk for a moment?"
"Course always." Rick says as he sits down on the steps and Alicia sits down beside him. "What's up?"
"We're going to stay in the Commonwealth, our group." Alicia said softly. "With the Campgrounds and the Sanctuary gone and the Hilltop being rebuilt, people are going to be cramped into Alexandria, and the Kingdom, Meridian and Richmond are already full. We need a fresh start and we decided to go there."
"All of you?" Rick furrowed his brow worriedly.
"I think Alden and Shane aren't thrilled about it, but it sounds like they're going to try it." Alicia explained "Shane wanted to stay here in Alexandria and Alden wanted to go to Hilltop to help Maggie, but I think Madison and Maggie convinced them."
Rick nods. "I get why you guys are going. I'll be honest Alicia, can't say I'm thrilled about it, I don't like being far away from you guys. At least you aren't going to Texas." Rick says and Alicia chuckles.
"You know that if you guys need us, we'll be there." Alicia says and patted his hand "I should get back."
"Alicia." Rick says, making her look at him curiously as his face clenched in concern. "Daryl's in a bad place, in the past he's lashed out. Just keep an eye on him, be there for him."
"I will." Alicia promised with a nod and Rick gave her a thankful look as Alicia walked away.
Maggie's P.O.V
Maggie puts her gun in her holster stepping out of Alexandria's gates as she looks at Al, coming back from hugging Hershel tight as well as lightly scolding him for his actions "He's still sleeping. I think the smoke's out of his system, but I think he's just...processing a lot." Al tells her wife who nods.
"I told him to go to Aaron when he wakes up if we're gone." Maggie tells her wife who nods.
"So we are taking that General Mercer to Hilltop?" Al asks Maggie who nods.
"Lance wants someone to take a look at it, he's going to be talking with Rick so he's sending Mercer there." Maggie says. "He's going to be taking pictures so they know what to send back here."
Al nods as they leave the house. They walk down the stairs and towards the gate where Beth and Tara were waiting.
"Is anybody else coming?" Maggie asks her sister.
"No, just us. I figured it would be mostly barren from the Walkers gathered by Alpha and Beta." Beth tells her as they walk to the gate where Mercer was waiting with a few guards.
"Are you guys ready?" Mercer asks them, a seemingly regular severe look on his features.
"Let's go." Maggie stated, as they headed to the vehicles.
Carl's P.O.V
Carl sat on the bench watching the pond, often doing that when he needed to think. "How are you doing, kid?" Daryl asks as he walks over to him and sits down next to him.
"It's been a lot." Carl confessed. "Siddiq, Earl, Carol, Negan almost getting killed himself." Carl paused and looked over, his face uncertain about Daryl's decision. "My Dad told me you're going to stay at the Commonwealth."
Daryl nods. "That's right."
"You know you have a place here, right?" Carl asks Daryl softly, who looks away, Carl seeing a flash of guilt before he resolves himself and nods.
"Of course I do." Daryl turned back to him. "We just need a place, a new place to start, we'll be here though if you need us and if you ever need me. I'll be here."
"Just remember where your home is." Carl put a hand on Daryl's shoulder, who nodded.
"My home is wherever you guys are." Daryl tells him. "It doesn't matter whether I'm in the Commonwealth or I'm in Texas."
Carl nods at that then looks back at the pond...feeling Daryl was either trying to convince him..
Or Himself.
Gabriel's P.O.V
Gabriel sat in his church, scribbling notes into his journal, knowing that Lance would be arriving soon to talk with Rick and some of the other Alexandrians, but heard a voice. "Do you still believe in God?" Gabriel turns around, startled, and looks to see Mary walking into the church.
"You don't?" Gabriel asks.
"Dead people are walking the earth, and I threw my sister into a herd of walkers." Mary says as she sits down in front of him. "No, I don't believe in God, not anymore."
"I remember the day I met Rick and his people. I was out of my church, and I had gone further than I have before. I was cornered by Walkers and I was up on a rock and I was crying out "Help me, God help me!" I was shouting and then one of the walkers fell with a crossbow bolt in the back of its head and they came out of the woods. I asked God for help and they came, I was a coward back then. I should have died, the only reason I am not dead is because they found me that day, I believe that God sent them." Gabriel says. "You may have killed your sister, but you found Lydia and that brought you to us. Whether or not it was God, just like me, you are alive because of these people."
For a long moment, Mary was silent then quietly said "You are a very strange person Gabriel."
"I like to think so." Gabriel smiled. "So are you going to go to the Commonwealth?"
"No, Noah is here, I'll be here," Mary says and Gabriel nodded then stepped forward.
"...How are you?" Gabriel asked softly "Their...their all gone."
"It's funny." Mary said simply "I never thought I would outlive either of them, they seemed so in tune with Death that it would never take them."
"You have your second Chance Mary. Live and be there for your nephew. Learn to live instead of being with the dead."
And after a moment, Mary quietly replied "Thank you."
Beth's P.O.V
Beth climbed out of the car and looked around Hilltop, the place barren and in ruins...it was mostly quiet with a stray walker stumbling around. "Let's clear these walkers," Mercer says.
"Carefully." Maggie warned Mercer. "Some of them are our people and we would like to bury them."
"Don't damage the bodies too much." Mercer tells his soldiers who nod as they walk towards Hilltop, Beth removing her knife and glancing over to see Mercer remove a pair of Axes. Beth grabs a walker by its shirt before she stabs it in the head as Mercer stabs his ax into one's head. They slowly go through Hilltop stabbing the scattered walkers, bringing them down. Beth stabs a walker in the head and throws it to the ground, and froze as she sees Siddiq, The Doctor's features just barely recognizable under the dead.
"A friend?" She turned to see Mercer behind her, the towering man giving this a sympathetic stare.
"Family." Beth corrected. "We need to take him back to Alexandria."
"I'll have some men load him up." Mercer says, whistling over to two soldiers and pointing at the fallen Doctor's body as he puts his axes away and looks at Beth. "I've had a lot of friends in my life. I can't think of many that I see as family, I admire the love you all have for each other, which is why I am going to tell you something. Your people need this deal with the Commonwealth if you wanna rebuild this place, just don't trust 'em."
"You don't trust your leaders?" Beth asks Mercer, surprised at that admission
"Hell no." Mercer snorted. "Everybody has their own motives. My first priority is the people of the Commonwealth, not the higher ups. Just be careful."
"...Thank you." Beth said then looked over "General...um...Mercer? Some of my family is going to the Commonwealth. I know it's a lot to ask already but...you'll keep them safe?"
Mercer gave her a matter of fact look and stated "Of course. That's my job."
Negan's P.O.V
Negan sat on the steps of the house they were staying in, staring around at this white suited soldiers walking around with suspicious...fuck maybe he was getting paranoid just sitting in that fucking chair-
"Negan..." He looked over and saw Regina...his last surviving former commander walking up...an apprehensive stare on her face.
"...Cool Armor?" Negan spoke, breaking the ice as Regina let out a breath chuckling.
"You've looked better."
"No kidding. I don't feel like it," Negan gestured next to him. "Come on, sit down."
Regina sits down beside him and said quietly. "I'm glad I was wrong about those kids."
"So am I." Negan sighed a bit. "Those are some good kids."
"They had good parents." Regina grinned and nudged his arm. "You're the only bad influence in their lives."
Negan laughs. "Daryl would agree!" Then he frowned, turning "Rick told me how the others died."
"I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for them. Lance only got bit because he was helping me," Regina says. "We couldn't stop what happened to Duke. We were getting ready for bed when we heard a car, they came in and they found Duke and shot him in the head, they took our things but they didn't find the rest of us," Regina tells Negan who nods. "It hasn't been easy for you either...Arat, Dwight…Laura."
"The last conversation we had was an argument," Negan tells her. "She was so angry after Troy died. She just wanted revenge and I wish I could have stopped her."
"She was too stubborn to be stopped," Regina says and Negan nods with a small smile, then Regina sighed, rubbing her head "Fuck...out of the 'Old Guard'...Gavin, Laura, Dwight, Arat, Simon, I never thought I would be the last one standing. Remember when Rick came up to the gates, he didn't even know my damn name."
Then they heard the door open and Kate came out with Rose, saying "Negan, I have to help Madison and Shane pack, can you watch her a second?"
"Oh of course! Come here, sweetheart." Negan says as he holds his hand out for Rose. Kate smiles as she hands Rose to Negan.
"I can't believe you're a father." Regina grinned and looked as Kate walked off.
"I can't either." Negan says.
"...Kate...wait I remember, she was the former wife of the new Frontier Leader David Garcia right?" Regina remembered, looking over confused.
Negan nodded, cradling Rose "Yeah that's right."
"Why Rose?" Regina looked confused.
"When the Whisperers took, Jesus, Laura, Nick, and the others, Kate and Rosita were taken ass well. Arat and DJ got in the barn before they could kill anybody and Arat threw herself on Beta. Rosita was able to get Kate out because of it, and after I killed Brandon, she was there for me. I wouldn't have Kate and Rose if it wasn't for Rosita, so we named our daughter after her. Rose Carl Smith. Rosita and Morgan are also the baby's god parents."
"She's beautiful, from my understanding, there is another baby coming. Alicia's pregnant, right?" Regina asks Negan who nods. "Man what a time for her to get pregnant."
"Yeah. She's a strong girl, she'll be fine. I bet you're wondering about her arm."
"Eugene told me." Regina waved it off "He talked alot on the drive over here."
Looking over to see Lance walking down to where Daryl was sitting, he asked "You know him?"
"Who? Hornsby? Not really." At his look, Regina defended "I swear he usually coordinates with Mercer directly, met him like a handful of times. That's it. But Mercer's a good man...yeah he's a bit of a stick in the mud, but he always cares about his people. Trust me, the soldiers and citizens practically worship him, he's the one you need on your side."
Nodding, the two fell silent for a minute...then Negan spoke up.
"I'm glad you're alive, Regina and that we could talk."
Regina chuckles. "Yeah...same. Friends?"
"Fri-Oh Smarty pants!" He looked up to see Eugene marching up, nodding.
"Negan. Apologies for our late arrival we...we went to Hilltop first." Eugene gulped, clearly wishing he got their sooner.
Patting his hand, Negan assured "Oh fuck sake Eugene, you got there at all. It's a win."
"Thank you. Regina I..." He turned to her, crunching his hands "I do appreciate what your risking vouching for us. Truly I am. But I just...can you do me another favor? I promise it's the last one."
Regina scoffed, standing "Oh relax man, anything for our favorite braniac. Shoot."
"...I was talking to a woman on the other end of the Radio. I need to try to locate her."
Daryl's P.O.V
Daryl walked out of the house and looked at Lance as he walked up the steps, seemingly waiting. "Are you here for Alicia?"
"No, I'm here to talk to you, not about leading." Lance added hastily, waving a hand "Just to talk."
"Then what do you want?" Daryl asks him gruffly, clearly not in the mood.
"Well I know you are planning on coming to the Commonwealth and we will be leaving tomorrow, one of my duties will be giving your people jobs." Lance tells him. "I was hoping to speak with you about that."
"What do you have in mind?"
"We have a small group that gathers food for the Commonwealth. A hunting party, they kill the animals and skin them, I know that you are very skilled, and last week, our lead hunter, died. Heart attack, so we've been looking for a new one so I was hoping you would be interested." He offered "I know this is a rough time, so why not go back to your roots?"
"How long are these hunting parties out?" Daryl asks after a minute of thought.
"No more than two days," Lance confirmed and Daryl nods.
"Let me talk with Alicia," Daryl tells Lance who nods, then bowed his head to him with a saddened look.
"I'm sorry about your friend, Mr. Dixon," Lance says before he walks away from him.
Charlie's P.O.V
Charlie walked out of the house and walked down the stairs, starting to walk down the street. "Charlie." Daniel says as he walks up behind her.
"Hey, Daniel." Charlie says slowly, bracing herself
"What are you doing? You should be packing," Daniel says.
Charlie stays silent for a moment then turned to him, locking eyes. "I'm not going."
"What?" Daniel blinked.
"I'm not going, I'm going to stay in Alexandria with Rachel."
"Do Daryl and Alicia know about this?" Daniel asks her worriedly.
"No, I haven't told them." Charlie says. "They may be okay with leaving everybody behind, but I'm not."
"That isn't what they are doing Charlie," Daniel says softly. "Negan is going to be in the Commonwealth. They have better medical supplies to handle Alicia's pregnancy, if the Campgrounds were still standing you know they would go back there."
Charlie gave him a flat look "Really? That's what you think. Fuck no. If it was still standing, he'd still move there. He might have you all fooled with this 'fresh start' bullshit but I know him too well."
"What do you mean?" Daniel asked, startled at the venom in her voice.
"'Fresh Start?' Bullshit. He's not wanting that, he's just running away again." With that, Charlie turned and stormed off ahead, leaving Daniel staring after her, confused and worried.
Thanks for reading. I'm sorry posting has been weird, I just started a new job and I am trying to get more free time to write. Next chapter the group leaves for the Commonwealth, Charlie, Daryl, and Alicia talk and the group enters the Commonwealth. As always suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.