The next morning, we all met back up to see Ezekiel again to hear his decision.

I met back up with dad first, knowing we could easily be separated soon hurt me. I wanted to spend as much time with his as possible, Carl stood beside me too.

"This is life here." He said. "Everyday. But it came at a cost, and I wanted more of this. I wanted to expand, to create more places like this. Men and women lost their limbs. Children lost their parents because I sent them into battle against the wasted when I did not need to."

"This is different." Rick said, my heart sank. I could almost hear everyone else's drop too. It was obvious that Ezekiel wasn't going to help us.

"It isn't." Ezekiel said.

"It is." Rick insisted. "The dead don't rule us. The world doesn't look like this outside your walls. People don't have it as good. Some don't have it good at all."

"I have to worry about my people." Ezekiel stood his ground, Rick gave us and turned around to join the rest.

"You call yourself a damn king." My dad snapped. "You sure as hell don't act like one." I nudged him in the rib. "Don't!" I muttered. But it was too late, Ezekiel approached.

"All of this came at cost. It was lives, arms, legs." He looked at me with sadness in his eyes before turning to Rick. "The peace we have with the Saviours is uneasy, but it is peace. I have to hold onto it. I have to try. Although the Kingdom cannot grant you the aid you desire, the king is sympathetic to your plight. I offer your friend Daryl asylum for as long as he requires. He will be safe here. The Saviours do not set foot inside out walls. "

I frowned over looked at my dad, I knew bad things were coming soon but I didn't expect them too come so quickly. I couldn't leave dad as soon as I found him again.

"How long do you think that's gonna last?" My dad asked before walking off. "Alright open it up, we're gone." He called out as the group approached the gates.

"You're not." Rick said. I turned around confusedly.

"I ain't stayin here." Dad gritted.

"You have to." Rick replied. "It's the smartest play you know it is. Try to talk to Ezekiel, or...stare him into submission, whatever it takes." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll be back soon."

"If he's staying then I will too." I stated and stood my ground but Rick shook his head and Carl perked up into the conversation. "You can't Lilia."

"You can't seriously leave him here and expect me to be okay with it?" I asked.

"It's the safest place for him, when Negan finds out you and Daryl are gone he'll suspect something about us all." Rick explained with a hand on my shoulder.

I sighed shakily, I had just got my dad back and now I have to leave him again.

"I'm sorry dad.." I spoke up, without hesitation my dad pulled me into a hug.

"It's okay, I'll see ya' soon. This ain't forever Lils." He whispered and I nodded shortly before letting go.

I could tell he wasn't happy with the arrangement, but nonetheless he had to put up with it for the sake of the group.

"Take care of her kid." He pointed to Carl.

"Sir yes sir." He promised with a smile.

We quickly got back on the road, I was sitting next to Carl and Rick was driving. "Hands where I can see 'em." Rick ordered while looking in the rear view mirror with a cheeky smile.

"Oh shut up." I shook my head with a small smile and looked out the window.

"I'll set the tiger on you."

"Oh please, you were more scared than the tiger than I was." I laughed. "Besides, she likes me."

"How do you know? She seemed to what to jump off and eat us all." Michonne perked up from the passenger side.

"I woke up in the middle of the night, went in a walk and found her in her cage." I briefly explained. "She's quite..wonderful."

"Well, if I find a tiger in my couch I'll know who to ask." Rick said and we all laughed for a second, until we all caught our breathe at the sight of the road blocked.

"The hell?" I muttered. Cars were blocking the road, someone clearly didn't want us to get past. Although we already know exactly who it would be.

"There base seems to be over there." Carl pointed out the window. The Saviours must be trying to make it hard to get to them. They're smart, always one step ahead. But we'll find a way.

"We gotta keep going. We'll move then, then we'll move them back. They don't need to know we were here." Rick said and we all immediately sprung into action, getting out of th car

"Rick, come take a look at this." Michhone said while looking through a pair of binoculars. Rick walked over to her and I followed to, he took a glance through and handed me them afterwards.

A tripwire, line with explosives, laid on the road.

"Well shit." I put it bluntly. "Big enough for a herd."

"It's not just for one walker, it's for a lot. Stall cable." Rosita mentioned and examined the bombs.

"We need these explosives." Sasha said to Rick and he nodded. "But we need to figure out how to disarm them first." He added.

Rosita bent down to the ground and lifted up a vent cover in the grass.

"Imma leave you to that.." I trailed off.

"Go crazy Lia." She commented whilst doing her own thing.

Jesus's radio suddenly went of, the sound of a certain man's voice caught my attention.

"We got ourselves a red situation. I need a search party. See if Daryl ran home to little Dixon." Negan's voice echoed through the walkie. Another man spoke through, Simon. "On it, I'll be back for lunch."

"Snatch up little Dixon if you have to, see if she knows anything." Negan said and I muttered angrily to myself.

"We gotta get there before them, but we need these. We need to clear a path anyways." Michonne rushed.

"Yeah, Rosita?" Rick asked.

"Firsy part is done." She stated.

Rosita gave us all orders and we all had to act as fast as we could to dismantle the explosives, working together as a team to load them into the truck.

Carl pointed out the herd that was approaching in the distance. They were far but we still had time, and that was something we couldn't waste. Walkers were after us, Saviours are going to Alexandria as we speak.

Rosita, Tara, Carl and I hopped into the car after loading the last few. We worked as quickly as we could to push the cars back into the same formation they were in.

The walkers were immediately hot on our trail, only a few seconds were spared when we got into a car and slammed the door shut after moving it.

"Shit!" I looked around to see walkers.

"We'll figure it out." Rosita reassured.

"I think they already have." I nodded to the window. Rick and Michhone hotwired the cars the wires were attached to. They drove in sync, taking all the walkers out in one go.

Once they came to a stop beside us in the car, they stopped and got out. Both of them barely made it into the car but not a single bite or scratch was on them.

"I pushed it. I pushed it." Rick shakily breathed out.

"We're here. You can smile. We made it. We can make it. We can. We're the ones who'll live." Michonne out her hand in Rick's shoulders with a smile.

"Well if nobody's gonna say it then I guess I will." I coughed and their heads turned to me.

"That was fuckin' awesome Uncle Rick." I said with a smile, everyone else faces lit up and laughed too.

"Language." Michonne scolded but a smile overthrew her face too.

Carl grabbed onto my hand and gave it a squeeze. We made it. We're going to continue to make it. Until the end.

Making it back to Alexandria was such a relief. We had to leave our car halfway just incase. As Carl and I walked hand in hand through the gates there was only one thing stuck in my mind despite today's little victory.

Negan's men.

This may not blow over well. They'll ask questions, interrogate, maybe even take me with them. But I know I won't let them hurt me and neither will anyone else. I trust my group.

"Listen, we need to get everyone ready-" Rick started to speak but then the rolling of vehicles was heard.

"Rick! Hello!" Simon waved and held his arms out to welcome us.

"We thought it'd be longer." Rick said, with a fake oblivious act.

"You think we're hear for a tribute? Do you?" Simon asked as it he was trying to do his best to catch Rick's bluff.

"Is there another reason?"

"There is. We're here for Daryl." Simon stated.

"But Negan took Daryl." Rick said and started to act confused.

"Oh but..then your son and Daryl's kid showed up, he went missing, might those two be connected?" Simon asked.

"My dad got out..?" I asked in a surprised tone, my face dropped and I slowly walked over besides Rick.

"We didn't know he was gone until right now." Rick stated.

"Then this should be easy!" Simon said with a smile that made me uneasy but I couldn't show it.

"Now, everybody find a buddy. Gonna have to follow us around. If he's here, we really need you all to see him die." Simon said and stepped closer to me, Rick stepped in front of me.

They searched every bit of the place. Trashing everywhere they could, including the infirmary. They were eventually satisfied with their search and went back to the gate.

"Boss wanted us to snatch little Dixon, but since she's been good I don't think that's necessary. Unless you want to join us of course darlin'?" Simon hopped into the truck with a smile.

"Fuck off." I said.

"Alrighty. If Daryl does show up here, two days from now, two months from now, hell..two years from now. Just know there's no statue if limitations on this. Keep that hatchet handy, you're gonna need it if he turns up with you people. We all know he'll come back for his little girl someday. And when he does, we'll be ready. And believe me when I say it won't be pretty." He warned before driving off.

"What happened to the pantry?" Rick asked. It was completely empty when we went there with Simon.

"We don't know, and..we need to talk about Gabriel." Aaron started.

He disappeared from his watch the night we left.. took a car and the pantry was wioed clean. Coincidence?

"That asshole." I muttered with rage in my voice.

Long story short, Rick and the others found so clues of where Gabriel could be. They immediately set off to look for him. Rick, Michonne, Tara and Rosita set off to find him. Whilst Carl and I stayed put, incase the Saviours showed up.

I didn't mind, those couple of hours gave Carl and I to be with each other alone, or be with Judith whenever she was awake.

"Do you ever think about the future?" Carl randomly asked, from his chair. I was sat in the rocking chair with Judith on my lap, her curls almost shining in the sun.

"Sometimes..a lot.. What about you?" I ask.

"No, I mean..our future."

"Oh, well yea of course. I can see us in our own house, with a dog and kids running around our feet every second." I explain, bouncing Judith when I mention kids.

"Kids? You'd want them?" He asks further.

"I wouldn't mind, what about you? Do you ever think about our future?"

"I imagine a mini Carl Junior skipping around sure." He chuckled.

"I think you mean Lilia Junior, thank you very much." I say back.

"Carl Junior."

"Lilia Junior." I say and place my hat into Judith's head who giggles. "What do you think Judy?" I ask the small girl who had no idea what we were on about.

"Li li!" She spoke and played with the hat on her head.

"See? Your sister agrees. Auntie Judith at your service." I stood up and placed her on my hip.

"Traitor." He acts shocked and pokes her cheek. "Now, who's hungry?" She lifted her arms up and squeeled.

"Back in a sec." I nodded and placed Judith down.

Judith giggled loudly as she then stood up, and went down the steps and down the path.

"Running away from me miss Grimes?" I ask as I trail behind the small girl who looked back with a smile, before taking off into a small sprint.

She laughed as she raced down the road as fast as her little legs could carry her, her blonde curls flapping from underneath the oversized hat on her head.

I wean behind her, obviously holding back me speed so Judith could win. I of all people wasn't like Carl who was mean in situations like this. But I suppose to was a brother thing. Of all things, the three year old loved to run.

It felt like time shot past, she's shot up to the size of a normal girl her age would be. I can easily remember back in the Prison when she could fit into your arm so you could rock her to sleep. Alexandria has done well for her, it has let her become a ray of sunshine everyone adores. The famous Grimes girl in her mini boots and jacket running away from the Dixon girl, before she threw herself behind one of the bushes to hide.

I crept silently, a grin plastered on my my as I tried to peer around the leaves to spot her. And then Judith jumps out with a high pitched yell, I pretend to be scared and screamed before hoisting her up by her middle.

"You scared me!" I said in the middle of the girl's hysterical laughing.

"Yay!" She squirmed. "Scaredy cat!"

"Well that's not nice." I said before she made herself go limp as if she was begging to be dropped.

"You missy are a real pain in the butt. You gonna be like this around other kids one day?" I asked as if we were going to have a real conversation.

"You have kid?"

"No I do not have kid."

"Have kid now?"

"That'd be cool."

"Cool kid!" She perked up and slung her arms around my neck.

"Maybe Judith Junior would be a cool name instead."

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

are my chapters in the correct order for you guys? they don't seem to be for me for some reason..

I love Judith and Lilia together

she would be a good mama