In Your Eyes [TWD]

°•nineteen•°

I knew Lydia was avoiding both Carl and I as neither of us saw her all day.

But, Daryl saw her.

And Daryl explained how she so gracefully gutted a squirrel on the table Gage, Alfred, and Margo were eating at.

"They deserved it," I remind Carl as he sets Glenn in his high chair.

"I know," he agrees, kissing the baby's head and stepping around to the counter.

RJ holds his hand out and he and Carl trade a high five before Carl makes it to my side.

"You would do the same," I point out.

"Nah.. That's definitely something you would do," he deflects, picking up the stack of plates.

As he does so, I watch on carefully. Lydia always sat the table.. She liked knowing that she was helping even though she couldn't cook.

Sophia, Emily, and RJ were already sat down, ready to eat. Glenn was in his high chair. Lydia was still nowhere to be seen.

"I'll be right back," I tell Carl before going upstairs.

Once by Lydia's door, I knock a few times.

"Lydia? You in there?" I ask.

With no answer, I knock again.

Receiving more silence, I open the door and find the room really was empty. I close it back, heading downstairs again.

As I return to the kitchen, Sophia voices my thoughts-

"Where's Lydia? She never misses dinner."

I glance to Carl and he nods knowingly.

I head to the front door, hearing Carl explain in the distance.

"She's probably just running late. Daryl probably needed her help."

As I walk up and down the streets, I see no sign of Lydia.

But, I could hear her faintly.

And when I realize it was her crying, I pick up speed to running.

Not knowing where she was, I thought I would run around aimlessly. Yet, something in me snapped and followed in the right direction, anyway.

"Jade!" Negan calls, meeting me halfway.

"Where is she? Where?" I desperately ask, heart pounding in my chest.

"Negan!" Brandon, his guard, shouts, chasing after him.

"Get off me!" Lydia cries, sounding closer than before.

Looking to see Brandon catching up, I grab Negan's arm and begin running in the direction I heard Lydia.

"Come on!" I hurry Negan.

Together, Negan and I run between the houses as Lydia's crying gets louder.

"Lydia!" I call.

"Hold her! Get her down!" Alfred demands.

As Negan and I emerge from behind the house, we run into Gage and Alfred pinning Lydia to the ground as Margo picks up Lydia's staff and towers over Lydia. Just as Margo raises the weapon to Lydia's head, Negan lunges toward her and throws her to the side hastily.

With Alfred knelt down, I deliver a kick to his chest, knocking him to the ground as well. Gage stumbles back onto his hands, crawling away as he watched on with wide eyes. Negan points to him, making sure he was kept at bay as well.

"Lydia," I gasp, falling to the ground beside her.

She sobs- her face covered in tears and blood as she desperately crawls into my arms. She hides her face in my side, her entire body shaking from fear. Protectively, my arms wrap around her, glaring to Alfred as he sat up.