" IT'S NOW OR NEVER
A REVERIE ENDEAVER. "
----
Ellie and AJ were a hell of a team. Having to adapt and travel the post apocalyptic world alone was one hell of a way to grow up. After loosing the...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
————
RICK STOOD OUTSIDE with Hershel and Daryl, explaining who the Governor truly wanted away from everyone else.
"It's the only way." The leader tried to convince himself. "No one else knows."
"You gonna tell'em?" Daryl asked, already knowing the answer.
Rick shook his head. "Not till after. But we have to do it today and it has to be quiet."
The Dixon man nodded, unsure about this approach. "You got a plan?"
"We tell her we need to talk. Away from the others." The leader stepped closer to his friend.
Daryl glanced at Hershel for help. "It just ain't us, man."
"No. No, it isn't." The farmer finally spoke up, his voice thick with unspoken emotion. He hobbled away, not wanting to hear about it any longer.
"We do this." The Grimes man turned back to the archer. "We avoid a fight. Avoid our kids getting hurt. No one else dies."
"Alright." Daryl finally agreed.
Rick hesitated. "We need someone else." Daryl knew who he meant by the look on his face.
"I'll talk to him."
"I'll do it." Rick dismissed.
The Dixon man shrugged. "I'll go with you."
"No. Just me." He walked away quickly.
Maggie jogged over to Ellie as she trimmed AJ's growing hair.
"Hey, guys. We could use your help by the fences." She put her hands on her hips, smiling softly at the image of the two.
"What is it? Are the walkers filling up again?" The Dixon girl shook out the boys blond hair, dusting the cut pieces from his top.
"No, but we want to spread them out anyway. And Glenn and Daryl are gonna put some traps in the yard." The Greene woman explained.
"Alright, you up for some walker distraction?" Ellie looked at a tired AJ.
"You know it!" He took off down the hall.
Now, the kids, Maggie, Carol, and Beth where making noise along the fences. Shouting and slamming sticks onto buckets to cause more of a ruckus.
When the silver truck was done, they left calmly.
"Hey." Maggie jogged up to her boyfriend as AJ ran over to his father.
"Hey, buddy. Did you have fun?" He smiled softly.
"Yeah. I love making noise now more than ever." The Whiting boy laughed, jogging off ahead of them.
————
ELLIE SPENT THE rest of day with AJ, following him around to help him with anything he'd be doing.
However, when they were outside and talking to their dad, a distressed Rick jogged over.
"It's off. We'll take our chances." The leader panted, keep his eyes peeled at their surroundings.
"I'm not saying it was the wrong call, but this is definitely the right one." Daryl agreed. "What's wrong?"
"I can't find Merle or Michonne. They've gone." Rick informed, the stress evident in his tone.
"Where you gonna give Michonne to the Governor?" AJ deduced quickly. And by the look on the men's faces, they were.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Ellie seethed, glaring at them both.
"Don't matter now. We gotta find'em." Daryl set off in a jog. "Come on." Rick, AJ, and Ellie quickly followed after him, racing up the stairs and into the building.
They ran down to the tombs, Daryl leading them into the boiler room specifically.
"He was in here. Said he was lookin' for drugs." The Dixon man glanced around the room.
"Of course he was." Ellie grumbled.
"He said a lot of things, actually." Daryl continued, ignoring his daughter.
"Like what?" Rick rushed to another part of the room, looking around for any clues.
"Said that you were gonna change your mind." Daryl dropped to his knee. "Here we go. Yeah, he took her here. They mixed it up."
"Damn it!" Rick seethed. "I'm going after him."
"You can't track for shit, Rick." Ellie stopped him.
"Then I'll take your dad." The leader motioned him along.
"No, just me." Daryl stopped in front of his friend. "I said I'd go and I'll go. Plus they're gonna come back here. You need to be ready."
He backed up into the door, hesitating a moment. "You're family, too." He then rushed off.
Ellie immediately whirled around to Rick. "You we're gonna give Michonne up? After everything she's done?"
"I thought about it." Rick huffed a breath. "But I couldn't go through with it."
"That's something we all need to know." Ellie walked after him as he stormed off.
"Come on, Ellie. You telling me you wouldn't have thought about it? If it was AJ on the line you wouldn't give someone up?" Rick stopped briefly. When she didn't answer, he continued walking away.
"Is she gonna be okay, Ellie?" AJ turned to his sister.
"Yeah. We're all gonna make it through this. All of us."
