Chapter 41 | The Calm Before
Episodes 9x13(Chokepoint), and 9x15(The Calm Before)
"You're second in command. You're not as bad as you think. You know how to look at the decisions and make good judgment for the people at hilltop. And plus they all like you."-Tara
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-September 7th 4029 days since the start.
-I wake up in Alden's arms.
-"Good morning." Alden says, noticing I'm up.
-"How long have you been up." I say.
-"A little bit I didn't want to wake you." He says.
-"I want to stay like this all day with you." I say.
-"Me too." He says and kisses my neck.
-"Alden you up?" We hear Tara say and knock on his bedroom door next to mine.
-"Alden?" She says again when she doesn't get an answer.
-"In here." Alden says and we both hurry to get dressed.
-"Whats up." I say and open the door to my room after we both finish getting dressed.
-"Earl wants to get an early start on the horse shoes that still need to be done so they can be ready to head out to the fair with us tomorrow." Tara says.
-"Alright." Alden says to Tara.
-"I'll see you later." Alden says and kisses me.
-"Bye." I say and he goes out to go help Earl.
-"I see you were busy last night." Tara says and gives a little laugh.
-Not really wanting my sex life to be a conversation I change the subject. "How's Henry doing about Lydia being back with her mother." I say to Tara.
-"About that. Henry went out for Lydia last night." Tara says.
-"What? Did he come back yet?" I ask.
-"Daryl and Connie went out for him." Tara says.
-"Are they going to bring Lydia back too." I say.
-"The plan is to just get Henry." Tara says.
-"Tara. Henry is going to keep going out for her if they don't bring her back too." I say.
-"Bringing her back here is dangerous. Alpha would retaliate." Tara says.
-"I still can't believe she calls herself Alpha." I say.
-"I can't believe they walk around in dead people's skins but each their own I guess." Tara says.
-"I should go check on Maya." I say.
-"Have you told her yet about you and Alden." Tara says.
-"I don't even know where or how to begin that conversation with her." I say.
-"I need your help later." Tara says.
-"With"? I say.
-"With Jesus gone it means me and you are up to the decisions for the hilltop." Tara says.
-"That's all you, I'm a doctor not a leader Tara." I say.
-"You're second in command. You're not as bad as you think. You know how to look at the decisions and make good judgment for the people at hilltop. And plus they all like you." Tara says.
-"Fine I'll help but all the important decisions are falling on you." I say.
-"That's all I needed to hear." Tara says.
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-"Are you and Alden dating?" Maya asks me.
-"What makes you ask." I say.
-"Tara and Ms Joanna said it was good you found someone again. They were worried you would never date after daddy died." Maya says.
-"You've been hearing a lot of things from Ms Joannas lately." I say.
-"I was supposed to be sleeping." Maya says.
-"What is dating anyways." Maya says.
-"When two people like each other more than friends. So like me and your dad we're dating." I say.
-"Oh. Then you and Alden are dating." Maya says.
-"I don't know princess." I say.
-"I like Alden, he calls me feathers." Maya says.
-"Well my little bird I think it's time for bed." I say.
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-September 8th 4030 days since the start
-"Do you think Auntie Judith will be at the fair." Maya asks me.
-"I hope she is." I say while helping Alden load up the wagon for our trip to the Kingdom for the fair.
-"We ready to roll out?" Oscar asks Alden.
-"We all ready?" Alden asks me.
-"Ready." I say.
-"Come on." I say to Maya and help her get in the wagon.
-"You excited to see the kingdom?" Alden asks Maya.
-"Yeah is it true that King Ezekiel used to have a tiger." Maya says.
-"Yes he did. I saw her myself." I say.
-"That's so cool." Maya says.
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-Our convoy meets up with Tara and all the others.
-"Who are they?" I say about the new people I've never met before.
-"There the highwaymen. Helping escort us to the fair." Tara says.
-"Okay." I say confused.
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-We get into the kingdom and I say hi to people I haven't seen in years.
-"Is this young Maya Grimes." King Ezekiel says.
-"Yes it is." I say.
- "Bet she has the strong will like her father. And even stronger will from her mother." Ezekiel says.
-"Oh she does." I say.
-Everyones worried that Henry, Daryl and Connie aren't here yet. They were supposed to meet us at the fair.
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-"We stand before you today at the start of a new tomorrow. A tomorrow made possible by the sacrifices of many over the years. Among them, a man whose mission was to build community and strengthen the bonds between us. A man who had to destroy the very thing that connected us in order to save us. It took us far too long to fulfill the promise of what Rick Grimes and his son Carl envisioned, the same promise Paul Rovia, better known to most as "Jesus," believed in when he brought us all together those many years ago. We've always been bound to each other. We always will be. We fought our way back to each other. We have grown. The crossing over the river may be gone. But we have rebuilt a bridge, nonetheless." King Ezekiel says giving a speech to the crowd.
-Maya is in the front of the crowd with Jerry and Nabila's kids waiting to help Ezra open the cage for the doves when the speech is finished. I'm in the middle of the crowd with Alden just leaning against him listening to yet another one of King Ezekiel's speeches.
-"Today is proof that we can unite, not against a common enemy, but for the common good. So eat, drink, trade, and be merry... 'cause we got a Lotta lost time to make up for." Ezekiel says.
-"Let the First Annual Inter-Community Reunification Fair begin!" Jerry says.
-"Jerry we changed that." King Ezekiel says to him.
-"For reels. F.A.I.R fair." Jerry says.
-"It's too many never mind. Let the fair of new beginnings begin." King Ezekiel's says and Ezra and Maya open the cage for the doves. And folk music starts playing.
-The door to the kingdom is opened and Daryl, Connie, Henry, and Lydia come in with two extra people. I can't make out who's there so I take a closer look and see Michonne and a little girl with Carl's Sheriff hat.
-"Come on this way." I say to Maya.
-"What is it?" She says.
-"You're gonna like this." and I lead Maya over to Judith.
-"Do you remember Ava?" Michonne says to Judith.
-"I do." Judith says and her eyes light up.
-"Maya this is Auntie Judith you've been begging me to see her." I say.
-"Maya." Judith says recognizing her and gives her a hug.
-"Last time you two saw each other you were both so little." I say.
-"But I still remember everything." Judith says.
-"I thought the plan was to get Henry just Henry." Tara says from behind me noticing Lydia.
-"Gather up all the leaders we have a lot to talk about." Michonne says.
-I go to leave to go help Siddiq teach the others about CPR and simple stuff like that.
-"Where do you think you're going." Tara says.
-"To help Siddiq." I say confused.
-"No, no you're the second in command. You're going to this meeting with me." Tara says.
-I let out a loud sigh. "Fine." I say.
-"Maya." I say and turn around and see her and Judith talking like two people that have been friends forever.
-We go into the auditorium to discuss what to do with Lydia.
-"I know I haven't always seen eye to eye with everyone in this room But I never stopped caring about any of you. I was just trying to protect my family and do right by my people. Alexandria's future is here. Together, with you. And we lost sight of that for a while. But...I'm here now. We're here now." Michonne says
-"I've taken an informal vote with the other council members at the fair, and we all agree. Alexandria is willing to grant asylum to Lydia. She's one of us now. We hope the rest of you can join us in doing the same." Father Gabriel says.
-"Thank you. I'll do whatever I can to earn my keep and pay you back." Lydia says from the audience seats Henry looks over at her and smiles.
-"If her mother retaliates, it's gonna be against Hilltop, not Alexandria." I say reminding them about the big issue.
-"We have to do right by our people. I thought we were on the same page." Tara says.
-"We were. And, look, when she came to my gates, I asked her to run away. And when she didn't, I was angry." Michonne says.
-"Then you know why I'm not okay with this." Tara says
-"I do. I also know why Rick didn't trust me when I showed up at the gates of the prison, and when Rick didn't trust Ava when we found her out there alone. And how people didn't trust you after seeing you on the other side of the Governor's firing line." Michonne says.
-"I was gonna kill you on sight when you washed up on our shore." Rachel says to Tara.
-"Okay, okay. Fair." Tara says.
-"Lydia didn't choose where she came from, but she chose where she wanted to be. Just like everybody in this room." Michonne says
-"I left some of my best fighters at Hilltop, but if Daryl's right about these skin job numbers, it's not enough people." Tara says
-"We should take a group to Hilltop to protect 'em, just in case." Daryl says.
-"It's a good idea. I'll take some from the Kingdom." Carol says.
-"Oceanside can spare some fighters." Rachel says.
-"Alexandria can, too." Gabriel says.
-"So we head out in the morning?" Rachel asks.
-"No, they can take advantage if we wait. We should go today." Carol says.
-"Agreed. But sending more people is only a short-term solution." I say.
-"In order to face this threat, the four communities have to present a united front. Which is why I'm proposing a mutual protection pact. An attack against one community is an attack against all of us." Michonne says
-"Together, we can make these people think twice before moving against the Hilltop." Gabriel says.
-"The leadership of the Kingdom is very amenable to this idea." King Ezekiel says.
-"Oceanside's down." Rachel says.
-"Okay. So, how do we seal it? Spit and shake, blood oath? What?" Tara says.
-"I have just the thing." King Ezekiel says and grabs a long piece of paper out off the cabinet.
-"What? How did you." Michonne says about the paper that she made a long time ago to unite the communities.
-"Well, he's magic. Obviously. I may have taken a few things with me when I left. I did what I thought was right. I'm sorry for the way it went down." Tara says.
-"Me too. And thank you. You were right." Michonne says to Tara.
-"You were, too." Tara says to her.
-"I knew this day would come. Never doubted it for a moment. John Handcock eat your heart out." King Ezekiel says while signing the agreement for the communities.
-Carol signs Queen Carol under King Ezekiel. Then Rachel does for Oceanside. Then Tara signs in for Hilltop then hands me the marker too.
-I try to refuse the marker.
-"You're signing." Tara simply says to me.
-I comply and simply sign Ava Reid in the Hilltop section.
-I hand the marker over to Michonne and she hands if to Gabriel without signing
-"It should be the head of the council." She says to him.
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-I go and help Siddiq teach some of the kids CPR.
-Maya is walking around the fair with Judith; she's not leaving her side anytime soon.
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-I finish teaching kids CPR and Alden finishes teaching the kids about Blacksmithing. So we are walking around the kingdom accompanied by Luke.
-"Hey. I know that I technically lost our bet." Luke says to Alden
-"I mean, there was nothing technical about it...You just lost." Alden says to him and hands me a candy apple.
-"Will you please make him see reason?" Luke says to me.
-"I don't even know what you two are arguing about." I say
-"I'm playing guitar before the movie tonight. I'm trying to make "A Night With Luke" into "A Night With Luke and Friends." Luke says
-"Oh, come on. I mean, you can't let him go out onstage by himself. Y-You're doing this. I want to hear my crooner boyfriend croon." I say
-"Boyfriend?" Alden says.
-"Well, it just came out. But, yeah. You're my boyfriend. I mean, I-I think you are. Are you?" I say worried I've been reading something wrong
-"I am." Alden says.
-"Good." I say and we clink the apples in agreeance.
-"Oh! Congratulations. You guys are adorable. Okay, could we get back to the task at hand here?" Luke says.
-"Right. Sorry, girlfriend. He lost the bet." Alden says.
-"No, no, no, no. Forget the bet... The bet was confusing. I-It's a wash. She wants to hear you sing... I can tell she does." Luke says.
-"I mean, you know, I-I said that explicitly." I say.
-"Sing for her, man. Sing for her! Come on. You're gonna think about it? Ohh!" Luke says and me and Alden walk around ourselves for a bit.
-"I think you should sing." I say.
-"You do." Alden says.
-"Yeah haven't heard you sing in awhile." I say.
-He sighs. "I'll do it." He says.
-"Really." I say excitedly.
-"Yes." Alden says.
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-"Are you serious? You want to start with a mid-tempo ballad, man?" Luke says while on stage practicing with Alden.
-"Why not?" Alden asks
-"These people need hope. They demand it. No, no, no. They deserve it." Luke says.
-"I can't believe I let you talk me into this." Alden says to me.
-"Oh, just go with it. I-I-I promise, when it's all over, I'll only make fun of you, like, the tiniest bit for the rest of our lives." I say.
-"Hey, have you seen Addy?" Joanna says walking over to me.
-"No not for a while." I say to her.
-"I've looked everywhere for her." Joanna says.
-"Do you need me to help you?" I say.
-"If you wouldn't mind." Joanna says.
-"I'll be right back. I'm going to help Joanna look for Addy." I say to Alden.
-"Probably just walking around with Gage and Rodney." Alden says.
-"Probably." I say. "See you soon." I say and go to help Joanna look for Addy.
-"Maya is with Siddiq and Judith in case you were wondering." Joanna says.
-"Thank you for watching her." I say.
-"No problem, you deserve some alone time with Alden." Joanna says.
-"I think if we split up we'll cover more ground." I say.
-"Yeah." Joanna says.
-The sun is starting to go down.
-While looking for Addy I come across a peculiar woman standing alone.
-"You're a doctor right." The woman whispers.
-"Yeah what's the problem?" I ask.
-"I have a concern I need to talk to you about. Alone." She says.
-"Okay." I say kinda creeped out by the women.
-She has me follow her to an area where no one is around.
-"So what's the issue." I say to the women.
-"You should have stayed with the others." She says and hits me in the head with something and everything goes dark.
Word count 2489
~Had a few chapters I did last week that we're waiting to publish figured I would give them to you today. As always hope you have a wonderful day/night :).
~I really could end the story here. Will I? Find out in the next chapter.