"Hi." Tara spoke when Austin handed her the little something to eat.
"Hi." he said in return.
"I heard about your girlfriend." she explained with a nod. "I just- I wanted to say I'm sorry. My girlfriend, we got separated too. I'm pretty sure she's dead though. With the Governor."
"Right." Austin recalled Rick say she'd been with him, but didn't want to be there. "Sorry abour your girlfriend."
"Sorry about yours." she spoke in return.
"She's alive, I just have to find her." Austin confirmed as the pair fell into the walking line down the road, Michonne killing a walker. "I know it."
"I believe you." Tara gave him a tiny smile, the two staying side by side as they walked and walked and walked until night fall came, and they had to set up camp.
"Help!" a cry shouted the next morning as they walked. "Help! Anybody!"
"Dad, come on." Carl spoke quickly. "Come on. Come on."
"Come on." Austin agreed, hurrying forward to show Carl he was gonna go, weather the rest did as well. Though, they did when the boys ran off.
"Anybody, help!" a man yelled as they approached. He was ontop of a rock, kicking and screaming at the walkers grabbed at his foot.
"Hang on, man!" Austin called to him, stabbing a walkers while Rick and Daryl shot two, Carl taking one down with a knife, Michonne as well before it fell silent. "Clear!"
"Keep watch!" Rick called over his shoulder to Abraham. He looked up at the frightened man. "Come on down."
Austin held his hand up, letting the man grasp it as he got down from the rock. Austin nodded as he started at him, seeing the familiar look. "Go on, dude. We've all done it."
He hunched over, puking at his feet as they all cringed and shared their own share of grossed out looks. He sat back up. "Sorry. Thank you. I'm Gabriel."
"Do you have any weapons on you?" Rick nodded to him.
He gave a chuckle as he looked around. "Do I look like I would have any weapons?"
"We don't give two short and curlies what it looks like." Abraham spoke up to him.
"I have no weapons of any kind." Gabriel rose his hands in surrender. "The word of God is the only protection I need."
"Is that a type of gun?" Austin questioned.
"Austin." Glenn caught his attention, making him look back as he shook his head. "Shh."
"God is no gun." Gabriel smiled as him, looking to the sky. "His word protects me."
"Oh." Austin blinked. "You mean, God, God
"Sure didn't look like it." Daryl spoke up to go with Gabriel's previous statement.
"I called for help. Help came." he gave a smile on return, though it appeared he was still a bit shaken up. "Do you have...have any food? Whatever I had left, it just hit the ground."
"We've got some pecans." Carl held his hand out to him.
Gabriel took them with a smile. "Thank you."
Judith's coos caught his attention as he smiled. "That's a beautiful child."
The group seemed weary, staring at him. Gabriel looked down at the pecans. "Do you have a can?"
"No. Do you?" Rick rose his eyebrows.
"I have a church." he looked around.
"Hold your hands above your head." Rick encouraged him quickly as Gabriel did so, getting a pat down. "How many walkers have you killed?"
"Not any, actually." he gave a clearly forced laugh. Austin took pity on him, because he was the same. In uncomfortable and awkward situations, he'd often laugh after everything he said to try and ease the tension. Or, he had, before the world fell.
Rick turned him quickly and patted the back of his arms. "How many people have you killed?"
"None." Gabriel spoke in almost shock.
"Why?" Rick questioned, standing up straight when realizing he had been telling the truth about no weapons.
"Because the lord aborts violence." he blinked his way, Austin and Carl shared a look.
"What have you done?" Rick narrowed his eyes as he eyed him closely.
Gabriel looked around oddly, forcing an uncomfortable smile. Rick shook his head. "We've all done something."
Like leave my girlfriend for dead, Austin thought.
"I am a sinner." Gabriel admitted. "I sin almost every day."
Austin had to snort. "Me too."
Glenn slapped his arm to get him to shut up.
"But those sins, I confess them to God, not strangers." Gabriel spoke in return with yet another forced smile.
"You said you had a church?" Michonne spoke up as she leaned on the rock.
He nodded his head her way, being encouraged to lead the way as they went through the woods again. Austin
looked around, mainly to the group. Carl nudged him. "What are you looking for?"
"Tire tracks." he hummed. "The people that took Beth, they were in a car."
"You think they went through the woods?" he looked oddly.
"If something was blocking the road." he pointed out, pushing the bandana up on his head some more when feeing it started to slip.
"Hey, earlier, where you watching us?" Rick asked Gabriel as he stayed close by.
"I keep to myself." he said in return. "Nowadays, people are just as dangerous as the dead, don't you think?"
"No, people are worse." Daryl shook his head.
"Have you come across any people?" Austin questioned him. "With a car, maybe?"
"No, sorry." Gabriel shook his head, Austin's shoulders fell. "I wasn't watching you. I haven't been beyond the stream near my church more then a few times since it all started. That was the furthest i've gone before today."
He walked forward and was met with silent. "Or maybe i'm lying. Maybe i'm lying about everything and there's no church ahead at all. Maybe i'm leading you into a trap so I can steal all your squirrels."
Austin hid a smile at Ricks stare of disbelief, Gabriel's face fell. "Members of my flock had often told me that my sense of humor leaves much to be desired."
"Yeah, it does." Daryl nodded.
Gabriel led them to a church, the outside clearly once white but now a slightly yellow tint. It cleared had been a nice little place once, one that people likely walked to and found comfort in on Sundays and sometimes Wednesday.
"Hold up." Rick called when Gabriel walked toward the doors, having him turn back. "Can we take a look around first? We just want to hold on to our squirrels."
Austin took a breath as Gabriel let Rick have the keys, walking in after him. His eyes looked around the church curiously. "Carl."
"What?" he spoke up.
"Remember when Mom took us to church and I put you in the holy water?" he hummed.
Carl gave a look of disbelief. "What?"
"You were so small." Austin shook his head with a minor smile. "And I set you in there."
"That's probably why we didn't go back." Carl gave him a look of terror as Austin shrugged. They stayed back as Michonne, Daryl, and Rick scanned the area with their guns, checking everywhere they could to avoid any surprises later on.
"Beth is okay." Carl looked up at Austin, sensing his constant state of anxiety. "She's tough. Takes after you."
Ausrin nodded his head. "I know she is. Still, I just wish I knew for sure. I wish she was here."
Carl frowned but nodded. "So do I."
•
kylie speaks
can't stop picturing
toddler austin setting
baby carl in a fountain
of holy water