Flashback- Two years ago
"Glenn! Glenn are you okay?" Maggie shouts, hearing a walker and growling and Glenn grunting.
She bolts through the store, her gun ready to fire. The noises stop and it pushes her to run faster in fear. Once she's made it to the other side of the store, she spots him hunched over a body, a blood soaked knife in his hand.
"She had a shirt like this back at the Atlanta camp.. I just thought.." He trails off.
Maggie scans the body at Glenn's feet, dark blonde hair with a teal shirt on. She couldn't be any older than fourteen.
"Glenn, not every young, blonde walker we come across could be her," She tells him.
"I thought it would be this time, considering the date," he only shrugs.
"What do you mean?" She asks.
"It's her birthday today. I think, anyway. If I kept count right it should be today. She's fourteen today. Can you believe that?" he turns to face Maggie, a tear pulling down his face, "My Jade is fourteen today."
Maggie can only kneel beside Glenn as he tucks his head and allows more tears to cascade down his face.
"She had a birthday back at the Atlanta camp. Only Carl and I remembered. Shane- Shane didn't even remember his own daughter's birthday. He was probably too busy with Lori," he trails off with a hint of disgust in his voice.
"She didn't want to think about it being her birthday. but I was still able to get her something. When I got to camp that first day, she was reading a book. She told me that fairytales were her favorite. When we were on a run, Daryl and I found this daycare center. Found this giant book with a bunch of the stories in it. She read it every night or had me read it. Of course after Shane found it, he didn't want her to have it. He said it took up too much space in her bag. That was the first day I ever saw her talk back to him," Glenn wipes his eyes with his shirt sleeve and takes a deep breath.
"That day at the farm. When she said they had that fight. When she cut her hand. I wanted to kick his ass. I- I wanted to kill him. If you didn't stop me before I got out the door, I think I might have," He admits, remembering the last night before the farm fell.
"I don't think I would've blamed you. Believe me, I wanted nothing more than to snap his neck," Maggie reveals.
"Mags.. How did this happen? I gave everything I could have given to this group. I do all the good I possibly can and what do I get? My daughter dead?" He asks, anger fueling his words to the point he doesn't realize what he's said until Maggie speaks up.
"Glenn," She trails off the phrase not leaving her mind.
"What?" He asks, oblivious.
"You just called Jade your daughter," She says with raised eyebrows. Glenn pauses and plays back his own words in his head.
"Yeah," he nods, "I did."
--
Now- Jade POV
"How did you get here?" Glenn asks, still not releasing me.
"I'll explain later, long story and we don't have much time," I tell him.
"Right, come on," He nods to the door, finally releasing me, keeping a hand between my shoulder blades.
"You need something," I tell him.
He nods and looks around before his eyes drop to the broken chair that was just holding him captive moments ago. He walks to it and grabs the chair leg that has a bit of a point on it from it breaking before.
"Okay," I nod and clutch the screwdriver tighter.
"Wait," He stops me once again.
"What?" I ask.
Is he seriously wanting to do this right now?
"I'm proud of you no matter what," he says to me. I show a slight smile and he quickly kisses my forehead reassuringly.
We both begin to the door only for it to open. We quickly raise our respected weapons as Merle, Martinez, and Paul walk in.
"Jade?" Paul asks.
I can only incredulously look at him and spit out, "You son of a bitch."
"What the hell are you doing in here?" Merle asks.
"Was hoping Michonne was lying and just trying to get to me. She got to me and turns out she was right," I glare, my heart breaking as my trust is ripped up and set on fire.
Although I couldn't deny the frustration I feel for the woman. She got in my head with all this. I was living in half obliviousness until she ruined it and showed me the cruel reality.
Merle shakes his head in disappointment. Any other day and the look on his face would hurt, now I just want to use his own bladed hand on him.
More footsteps approach and the Governor walks into view, dragging Maggie beside him. Leaving herself to cover her bare chest.
"Maggie," I gape and tears fill my eyes.
"Jade," she whispers and tears stream down her face even more than they already were.
"Jade, I should've known Kate couldn't keep her mouth shut," Governor says. I clench the tool in my hand even more to the point of my bleeding knuckles begin tearing skin.
"What?" I ask, not knowing how to react if Kate betrayed me too.
"Ask her yourself," he only says.
I half expect her to walk around the corner and join them but nothing comes of it.
"I'll deal with you and Kate later. As for you two, one of you is going to give up your camp," He tells Glenn and Maggie.
She looks to me and my first thought goes to the military camp. The one I wasn't allowed on and all ended up being dead. I shake my head to her which doesn't go unnoticed by the four men across from Glenn and I.
The Governor holds up a gun and puts it to Maggie's head momentarily before taking three steps forward and aiming it to my forehead. I feel Glenn tense up beside me and I take a deep breath looking into Governor's eyes.
"Prison," Maggie rushes forward only to be stopped by Paul, which results in me making a slight jump to him.
Governor pushes the barrel of the gun further onto me to the point of it resting on me. The coolness from it sending goosebumps up my body.
"The one near Nunez?" Merle asks.
I remember a few of us seeing that one, it was completely overrun.
"That place is overrun," Governor says.
"We took it," Maggie answers.
"How many of you are there?" Governor asks.
Fourteen, I mentally answer.
"Ten. We have ten now," Maggie answers, the last bit directed to me.
I get nauseous at the thought of whoever is gone now.
"Ten people cleared that whole prison of biters?" Governor asks with a chuckle of disbelief.
He lowers the gun and I let out a pent up breath. They begin walking out and Governor stops, brushing Maggie's hair out of her face. She whimpers and pushes herself away from him.
"It's all right. It's all right," He whispers.
Glenn's breathing becomes raged and I slip my hand into his, only calming him slightly.
"I take it you're staying with them? After everything, you choose them?" Paul asks as Merle watches and Martinez leaves.
"Yes. Because I know they won't do things behind my back and lie straight to my face," I glare at him.
He walks closer to stand in front of me.
"We were family," He states, shaking his head as I blankly stare at him.
"No, you were a fake. You acted like a friend but you didn't mean it. To think that I trusted you.." I shake my head.
His top lip trembles in anger and he turns away, stomping out of the room.
I turn my attention back to the real problem and Governor kisses Maggie's temple before pushing her toward Glenn and I. She comes between us and I wrap my arms around her, not caring what she is, or isn't wearing. I'm just relieved to have her with me even under the circumstances. Glenn's arms enclose around both of us, keeping the three of us closer.
--
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