Forever Broken // Carl Grimes

Chapter 11

A week had passed since they had set foot in Negan's compound. Everything had seemed to laspe into silence, raids weren't attacked and the Saviors seemed to fall into a horrible memory. But even though the Survivors felt they were safe, a feeling of impending doom seemed to hover over the settlement.

They knew that they haden't killed them all. Somewhere, anywhere, Negan was alive. He was waiting, patiently, for them to slip up.

"It's not over," She said, burying her face into his neck. She sighed, a feeling of comfort warming her heart. He wrapped an arm around her, his thumb gently brushing over her freckled shoulders.

"I know."

She couldn't deny that the last week had been a welcomed silence, but she was afraid that she would lose more people every second. She had to protect them, and she wasn't sure that she could. She felt like their leads had run dry, and perhaps her haste to attack was a bad move on her part. She was in the dark and Negan could be planning something against her.

"I don't want to think about it anymore," She sighed, "I just have to trust that we can pull together and make it through."

"Let's leave today," He suggested, squeezing her a little tighter against him, "We can search for supplies and just take a breather from this whole situation. You need to get out of here, so do I."

"As long as we're back for dinner," She chuckled, "Vegetable soup is on today."

"Sure," He rolled his eyes and she smiled softly.

Greenview had managed to fall back into a sense of security, the fear dying out as silence held. Lives continued as normal, everyone doing the work they were set out to do. The hotel looked more lived in, the once dusty tables now covered in supplies and tools. The chairs supported people who chatted amongst themselves, people who could finally start to live.

Lauren usually spent her days making sure any problems had resolutions and making decisions with Rick and Sam as her advisors. She had sent out two groups the day before in search of medical supplies, both coming back empty handed. They had little left in that department. Broken bones were easier to fix, but wounds that become infected, less so.

They weren't low on water, they had their own well. Food, they had pleanty. She had spoken to Doc on many occasions and she had given her a list of needed supplies each time, the list only growing by the week.

Georgina had seemed to settle in, although she was still weary of most people. She had taken refuge in Lauren, someone she believed shared her pain and anger. She spent her days hunting, bringing back whatever she found in return for first pick of the candy that was taken back to the hotel.

The remainder of her group had all taken to what they enjoyed most. Daryl had hunted, disappeared on his motorcycle, returning with bits and pieces that caught his eye. Carol had taken to baking, although Lauren felt she was probably perfecting a poison pie to feed her enemies. Michonne, Sasha and Rick took to guarding and the overall security, like Greenview's own police force. Maggie had returned to her roots, farming with Glenn to help her.

Abraham had integrated himself into the raid group, along with Chloe and her boyfriend Josh. Despite missing an arm, Chloe had continued fighting, harder than she ever had before. Lauren felt like her safe place had finallt become a home, and she would defend it and its people until her last breath.