Grimes - TWD finale [ 3 ]

Chapter 12 - hilltop

He stopped me, holding my shoulders, "What are you talking about? everything Siddiq said was wrong. You didn't kill anyone."

"I left him."
"You didn't."
"Daryl, I just need to be alone, I guess." I shrugged his arms off, "I don't know what's wrong with me."

-
11pm, during hilltops attack.

"So..." I cocked my head, "Whatcha get?"

Judith looked at me, looking at the amount of bandages on my arms and hands, "it's fine, don't be worried." I nodded.

"Mom. Your pale."
"Yeah, to put it straight forward with you, I think I have an infection. But I'll be okay." I nodded, "So Whatcha have?"

"... 4."
"I win." I smiled, dropping my cards, noticing Judiths blank stare. "Judith, please don't do that."

"Do what?" She asks.
"Look at me like that, that look of lost. You know I'm fine." I sigh. Standing up and putting the cards away, "I don't die."

Her lip trembled, she hid her face behind her hat.

I know that look, it comes with the Grimes family. It's the look of sadness, that you constantly try to hide to seem bigger and stronger.

"Please don't cry." I shook my head, kneeling next to her chair, "I'm okay."

"N-No your not mom." She sniffed, "I don't want you fighting again, never again. Not without dad."

I paused, "... What?" I hesitated, rubbing her knee in reassurance.
"I can't remember his voice well, but I remember his touch, how he cared so much. That's it, it's so vague. I knew you two would keep each other safe. Why can't you do that for us?" She sniffed.

I paused, dropping my head in despair, "I'm trying honey."
"I know... but... you get hurt and dad can't save you." She cried, "I don't like it when you can't protect our family and yourself."

She drops herself in my arms, hugging tightly around my neck, careful of my back. "I love you momma." She sniffed, "I don't want you fighting again."

"I love you too Jude." I squeeze around her small form carefully, "Promise me something."

"What?" She asks.
"To not fight without me."
"I promise." She nods.

"Good girl." I nodded, "Now it's time for bed, you are past your bedtime miss." I squint at her playfully, "Now wipe those tears, we don't have time for sadness!"

She snickered, taking my hand as I walked her upstairs.

She had already gotten ready for bed, but I kept her up to play a card game with her. I shouldn't have, but I felt like she needed to have a moment to have fun.

"Mom?" She asks me.
"Yes?" I smirked as I sat down at the edge of her feet, "What is it?"

"Do you care about our friends?" She asks.
"Why yes I do. Why do you ask that?" I asked her, tucking her in.
"You just... seem a little odd around them." She shrugged, "Can you lead us? Mom?"

I paused, she was being brutally honest in these questions. "I'm trying too, but when dad comes back, I can help him and he can take over." I nodded.
"Why do you keep saying that?" She asks, "Do you really think he's coming?"

I cocked my head, shrugging I sighed, "We can have hope."
"Mom?" She asks.
"Yeah?" I nodded.

"You don't have to lead them. You can help them." Judith nods, "Goodnight mom."

"... goodnight." I nodded hesitantly, closing the door.

I sighed, walking down the stairs with the weight on my shoulders feeling heavier.

I feel lucky that RJ was already asleep in his room when I played those cards. He wouldnt know what we're talking about, and then id have to explain.

I laid on the couch, looking at the embers glowing in the fire we just put out.

The whisperers are just one issue of many we have. And we can take it.

All of us.

-
At 2 am...

"AHHHHH!!"

I gasp, loud yelling and panic is heard outside as I sat up immediately. A switch flips and I run out and see Michonne, looking at me on worry.

"The whisperers are here!" She whisperers, "I think one of them is hiding somewhere!"

"Get everyone in their houses!" I nodded, "if anyone hears or sees anything, get someone to come to me."

Michonne nods, running and escorting people in their houses as the walkers start hoarding the streets.

They breached the walls? How? The walls are thick metal, unless Dante... oh no.

I lock my door and run upstairs. Going into Judiths room, "Honey, wake up." I shook her gently.

"What's going on mom?" She asks, sitting up.
"The whisperers are here, at least some of them. Go get your brother and go to the attic. Do not open it unless it's me. I need to check something out." I nodded.

"Okay." She nods, grabbing Ricks gun and her katana. "Be careful mom." Judith nods.

"You stay safe, I trust you to do this." I nod, "I'll be back."

I rush down the stairs. Putting my knives in their holders and grabbing my silenced gun.

I run outside, pressing myself on the houses behind me and weaving behind the houses for some sort of camouflage.

I see the old woman's grave sight that Dante had made. I always felt suspicious of Dante, but he had been missing all day yesterday and today. I feel my suspicions have been filled.

I look at the grave, seeing a large hole and no body. I feel a deep pit of despair in my stomach as grabbed my gun.

"You shouldn't do that." A deep growling voice echoed behind me, "Alpha loves her army."

I turn around sharply, pointing my gun to Beta hand as he simply shrugged, "You know you won't win." He smiled.

"But I sure can try." I glared, about to pull the trigger when I throw my gun, grabbing my knife I run at him, kicking him in the knee and wrapping my leg around his ankle.

"You are feisty." Beta says, grabbing my waist and twisting me onto the ground, stomping on my chest and pulling me on my feet so fast I didn't have time to react to the pain.

I heaved and held my knife, slashing his wrist as his blood soaked my clothes, drenching my hair. I panted and felt my chest pop, yet I didn't want to stop.

"I'll fight and fight until I drop for my home." I glared, "You may try, but let me say. You'll be the one having your hair pulled back, begging for mercy."

He smiled, groaning he grabs my throat, dropping my hair and squeezing the blade from my hand.

I gasp quietly, walkers being drawn by noise he holds me by the throat, killing ones that walk by us two.

"You deserve better than this." Beta smiled, "You are a queen among ants here, you are too good for these people."

Then he drops me, making me collapse on my butt as I panted, grabbing my gun on the ground he kicks it from my hand, stepping on my chest he grabs his knife. "I'll carve you, Isabella the Protector. The name doesn't suit you." He shook his head, "I hope you find a better—"

He cuts himself off, jumping off me as Michonne throws her Katana at him, "GET OFF HER!" She yells, "I'll drag every walker here and let them eat you dry."

He smiled, "I don't want to kill her." He says, "I want to make her better."

He says as he runs, jumping down the hole.

With an ugly gasp and cry I held my chest, coughing harshly as my arms started to sting terribly again. My lungs burn and my throat closed up.

"Oh goodness." Michonne whispers, helping me up, "You ok? What did he do?" She says, walking me home through the houses where the walkers weren't.

"... he carves the same hole in my chest every time." I growled, "that same irrational fear, every time he says protector." I wheeze, "I'll find it in me to kill him. I will."