Beatrice, Alyssa, and I are all sat on the couch, just talking and enjoying each other's company. She was livid that I had to leave her in the infirmary for another night but, nothing could've beaten the smile on her face when she saw me.
"When is Magna moving in?" Beatrice asks, Alyssa nods in agreement.
I shrug, "I dunno, we're not...I don't know how long that'll be."
Beatrice groans exaggeratedly, "I'm gonna put a cockroach in your bed if she doesn't move in here faster. I miss her."
I raise my eyebrows, "Oh yeah? Try me." I say, smirking and rustling her hair.
Alyssa chuckles, "You have cockroaches?"
Beatrice smiles and fixes her hair, "No...but I know how to find them. I read about it."
I chuckle and roll my eyes playfully, "You know so much about bugs, you practically are one."
She giggles, "I would find a way into your walls and bite holes in your clothes like Moths do."
I nod, "I'm sure you would...Bug." Her eyes widen and her smile grows at the nickname but she doesn't say anything. I continue, ignoring Alyssa's excited reaction, "I think you know more about bugs than I do and I'm like...in my thirties."
Alyssa groans, "Ew, don't ever say that again."
I scoff, "You're like twenty-two, it's a hell of a lot weirder for me to say that than for you to hear that I'm old as hell. You're a literal adult."
Alyssa shrugs, "Yeah, the only reason you hate it is because you can't tell me what to do anymore. And I get to actually participate in the fights now."
"Oh, I can still tell you what to do, don't underestimate my control freakness."
The front door creaks open and Inejra steps through the threshold. "What is up, cunts?"
Beatrice beams, "Inej!"
Inejra smiles and waves to Beatrice, closing the door and walking into the living room. "'Sup, dude?" She turns to me. "Shit news."
I can feel nervous chills trail up my skin, making the hair on my arms and neck stand up. "When is it good news?"
She shrugs and leans against the wall, next to Alyssa's seat. "Tree fell on Hilltop's wall. They need our help. Nine or something are injured, some are trapped. Got the news from Gabriel a few minutes ago."
"Got the news or eavesdropped?" Alyssa asks, smirking and looking up at Inejra.
She just scoffs and shoves Alyssa's head, "Fuck off, you know the answer."
Just then, I feel a small finger tracing the tattoos all over my arm. I look down and see Beatrice half asleep, not paying attention to the conversation. She's tracing a symbol Alyssa drew for Abraham: A weed leaf lounging on a couch with a high look in its eyes, smoking a blunt. I get tired of watching her fight to hold her head up as she falls asleep so I gently cup her head and lay her on my thigh.
Inejra and Alyssa both smile as best as they can, more of a half-smile but it's a smile to all of us after these past few months. "'I can't be a mom'. Shut the fuck up." Alyssa says, standing up and walking into the kitchen. "We're going to Hilltop. Is Bug coming?" Inejra glances at Beatrice at the mention of her new nickname.
"She doesn't have a fever anymore. I think I'll bring her if she's up for it." I say, combing my fingers through her hair.
By the asscrack of dawn, we're on our way to the Hilltop to help with the fallen tree. Inejra, Alyssa, Beatrice, and I are all in a carriage being pulled by two horses; along with Judith and Eugene. Michonne is riding her horse next to us.
"Woah!" She suddenly shouts, holding her fist up and peering through binoculars. Beatrice looks at me but I make sure to keep my expression calm so she doesn't freak herself out.
"It's Ezekiel." Michonne finally says, lowering her binoculars.
"Why's the King out here?" Judith asks.
"I don't know." Michonne admits, sitting back down on her horse. "You guys keep riding to Hilltop."
"Good luck, Mom." Judith says.
"Thanks, baby. I'll be right behind you." Michonne replies as she sets off after Ezekiel.
Beatrice looks at me, "I forgot to show you." She says, grabbing something out of her pocket. When she does, she hands me an old Polaroid Damien secretly took of Cato and I sitting on the edge of a cliff, just talking. Our faces are calm and he's laughing at something I said while I'm rolling my eyes. The sun is in front of us, making our skin glow gold and the trees behind us are a dark, foresty green, contrasting to our dark attire. We both look genuinely happy, something I miss more than anything.
I can feel my heart shatter as I grab the Polaroid. My chin quivers uncontrollably and I fight the tears that are begging to stream out of my eyes. "Bug...when did you get this?"
She looks at the yellowing Polaroid before looking at me, "They gave it to me to show me what you look like."
I sniff and hand Alyssa and Inejra the Polaroid so they can look at it, too. "I lost it," Beatrice admits, looking at her feet. "That's why I didn't give it to you sooner. I was super duper sad about it but I found it under my dresser in my room."
I nod and gently squeeze her shoulder, "Thank you." The Polaroid comes in between Beatrice and I as Alyssa hands it back, her eyes red and glossy. I grab it and offer it back to Beatrice, but she shakes her head.
"I have one of them both. You can keep that one. I'll show you mine but, "She furrows her brows and frowns. "I'm keeping mine."
I scoff, "You can keep that one. I like mine."
"Magna!" I yell, leaping off of the carriage before it stops moving. There's a wall down at the Hilltop next a a massive fallen tree. Walkers are beginning to make their way into the walls, posing a way bigger threat than that damn tree. I race over to her and quickly check her before kissing her quickly, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," She pants, looking behind me.
I follow her gaze and see a terrified Beatrice backing away from two Walkers. "Beatrice!" I waste no time, I run straight to her, leaping, spinning in a circle, and cracking my whip on both Walkers' heads. "Go inside, now!"
"I can't leave you out here, Adrian! It's not safe! I wanna be lethal!"
I crouch in front of Beatrice, sweat already dotting on my skin from my nerves. "Bug, you cannot stay out here no matter how much you want to be dangerous. You have no weapons, no training, nothing. As soon as we get back to Alexandria," I say, speaking frantically. "I will train you but-" I grunt and fall to the ground as a Walker pushes me down. Beatrice gasps and freezes in front of me."Go inside!" I order, groaning and rolling on my back so I can face the Walker on top of me. The Walker snaps and growls on top of me, my fingers beginning to smush through the skin of its shoulder. I don't hear a response, so I assume Beatrice listened.
Just then, blood splatters down on my face and the Walker stops snarling and moving. It drops dead on my stomach and I see Ezekiel standing before me, panting with his bloody sword in his hand. I nod as a thank you and he offers his hand to me to help me stand up. When I do, I quickly glance around to make sure Beatrice isn't still outside. "She went inside." Ezekiel assures me, killing a Walker. I release a sigh of relief and crack my whip on three Walkers' heads.
"You're a good mom." He says, killing another Walker.
"Don't." I groan, taking out two more.
He smiles, "You may not wanna hear it, but it's true."
I'm laying in bed next to Magna, half-asleep when I feel a small figure climb under the covers and lay next to me. "Beatrice, what are you doin'?" I ask, smirking and squinting in the darkness.
"That's not my name." She whines.
I scoff, "Bug, what are you doin'?"
She scoots closer to me but is careful not to touch me, "I had a nightmare."
I sigh and wrap my arms around her, pulling her into my chest. There's just something about Beatrice that makes me melt away, all of the ice I've built around my heart crack and the trauma I've ever endured float away. "What was it?"
She relaxes completely in my arms and sighs, "The Walkers...instead of just you getting pinned down, we both did. The Walkers got to you and," Her voice quivers and breaks and she starts crying into my chest.
"Bug, hey, Bug-a-boo, look at me," She looks up at me through teary eyes and a sad, quivering lip. "I'm here now, ain't I?" Sniffs and nods, hiding her face in my chest again and exhaling. Once I hear her breathing slow, I repositon myself to be more comfortable but make sure she's still laying her head on my chest.
Magna, who I thought was asleep, smiles at me. "You're cute." She whispers.
I scoff, "Yeah, well, kinda have to be for a five-year-old."
Magna exhales sharply and kisses me on the forehead, "It's not just for her." She says before rolling over.
"I'd like to head out right away. Two wagons, some supplies." Michonne says. A lot of the group has gathered at the bottom of the red brick house. Oceanside is asking for protection, they think the Whisperers are watching them, and I wouldn't be surprised if they are.
"Rachel's sure it was them?" Yumiko asks.
Michonne sighs, "'Sure' is a strong word, but she swears that one of those creepers were watching them, too damn close to where that mask washed up." I glance up at the steps where Judith is playing hand games with Beatrice, Beatrice giggles when she wins. Michonne continues, bringing my attention back to her. "It might be nothing, but in case it is one of them, you know as well as I do they move as a pack."
"Where there's one, you can bet your last dollar there's a hundred more, much like the order of Blattodea." Eugene butts in.
"Ah, the illustrious cockroach family." Luke says, making Beatrice look up from her hand game and pay attention to the conversation.
"So you think they're planning another attack?" Yumiko asks.
Michonne shrugs, "Walkers at Alexandria, the tree here, and now Oceanside? First time, coincidence. Second time might be bad luck, but the third time, we should check."
Luke raises his hand like a schoolboy, "Michonne? Uh, if you don't mind, I'd love to join you. I'm feelin' the ocean callin' me."
I chuckle, "Oh yeah, by 'ocean' you mean Jules?"
He blushes and smiles, "What are you talking about? Never even heard of her."
"Mm-hm." I smirk, nodding playfully.
"Oh, yes, of course, the very tall woman." Luke says. "With the face and quiet...yeah."
"Count me in, too." Dianne says.
Michonne nods, "In that case, Eugene, Adrian, you'll need to lead a wagon back to Alexandria."
"Actually, I'll be stayin' put." Eugene admits lowly. "Much like my amigo here, I feel an energy callin' to me, urging me on to help our good neighbors by employing my expertise in architecture to plug the metaphorical gap tooth in the metaphorical smile that is the Hilltop's fortification."
I look at Eugene confusedly, "What?" Beatrice giggles on the stairs.
"You wanna fix the wall?" Michonne asks playfully.
"Yes."
"Fine. We'll bring back some supplies so you can do it faster." Michonne tells him.
"Apologies. The only caveat being that I cannot escort Judith or Beatrice back to Alexandria."
I roll my eyes, "Oh, like I'd let anything happen to them."
"Oh, Judith? She's coming with me."
"I am?" Judith smiles.
"Well, yeah. Who else is gonna be my pair of friendly ears?"
Watching the carts leave the gates of Hilltop to go to Oceanside, I feel Magna grab my hand. "I'm gonna come back to Alexandria with you."
I open my mouth to respond but Beatrice beats me to it, "Yay!" She squeals, eliciting several smiles from other people. She does that easily, even without trying.
"Oh yeah? You excited?" Magna says, crouching in front of her.
Beatrice nods, "We were talking about you the night before we came here."
Magna raises her eyebrows and looks at me, "Were you now?"
I roll my eyes and put my hand on Beatrice's head, causing her to look up at me. "Alright, Bug, no need to go sharin' secrets."