THOUSAND TIMES-042
The group walked away from the cabin, Matilda walked beside her redneck and son as she watched her family reunite. As they walked farther up the tracks, her father stopped at one of the Terminus signs. He picked up a piece of dirt, crossing out everything but Sancturay.
No Sanctuary.
Mid-day hit and the group decided to take a break, Carl was feeding Judith with his brother and Violet sitting next to them. Matilda stood next to her redneck and son, his arm wrapped around her shoulder while her arms wrapped around their son.
"You didn't want to be there. That's why I tried to talk to you. Glenn told me you saved his life." Her father spoke to Tara.
"He saved mine," Tara replied.
Rick chuckled, glancing towards his children, smiling when he saw his two girls interact. Matilda was sitting on the other side of his boys with Judith on her lap.
He looked back at Tara. "That's how it works with us, right?"
"Right," Tara said as she held out her fist, waiting for Rick to fist pump her.
"Hey." Rick looked at her fist and chuckled before fist-pumping her.
"Get something to eat. We'll start back at sunup." Rick said, walking over to his family.
Later that night, they were all crowd by a fire, watching their surroundings. Daryl, Lola, and Meredith were keeping watch around everyone. Matilda sat with her siblings and son with Carl was sleeping on her right thigh with his arm around Judith, while Lee and Max was curled up next to her.
"We own you everything," Rick whispered.
"You own Tyreese and Tilly. They were at the prison. Tilly kept her sister safe." Carol replied.
Rick nodded. "You got back there."
Carol didn't say anything before pulling out a watch, Rick's watch. "It was in one of their storerooms."
Changing look out shift, Daryl went of to his little family, taking a seat next to his girl and Max, who he thought as his son as Matilda handed Judith over to her father.
She shifted so that she was resting between her redneck's legs with her head on his chest. Daryl wrapped his arm around her, his back against a tree. Max crawled towards to his mom, curling himself on her lap, his father and mother planted a kiss on his head.
The next afternoon, they were on the road again, walking through woods. Matilda was carrying Judith, walking beside her father when they heard a ruffle of leaves. Rick stopped, pointing out his weapon making everyone to do the same and out came Daryl.
"We surrender." Daryl jokes, holding by a dozen squirrels.
Matilda shook her head at her redneck before they began walking again.
"No tracks. No nothing." Daryl said, walking beside his girlfriend.
"So whatever you heard last night..." Rick replied, inferring to Daryl waking up in the middle of the night.
"It's more what I felt. If someone was watching us, there would have been something." Daryl said.
Rick turned towards the group, whistling. "Keep close."
A few minutes later, a loud scream echoed through the air.
"Dad! Matilda! Come on!" Carl shouted, running off towards the sound.
"Carl! Wait, Carl!" Matilda shouted after him, she ran without hesitation after her brother.
"Carl! Tilly!" Rick yelled as everyone ran after the siblings.
Matilda clutched her sister as she grabbed onto their brother's shirt pulling him back to her chest. At the clearing, a dark skinned man on top of a rock screamed as walkers reached towards the man.
a arrow embedded it itself in a head of one of the Walker's as the group caught up to them. After the walkers were dead, Rick looked up at the man
"Come on down,"
The man's body shook as he climbed down the rock.
"You okay?" Matilda asked as she looked over his appearance. He was dressed in a preacher outfit.
The man didn't answer Tilly before he vomited in front of her shoes. Matilda grimaced, looking at the man in disgust.
"Sorry. Yes. Thank you. I'm Gabriel." The man said, standing up and wiping away the vomit.
"Do you have any weapons on you?" Rick asked, causing the man to chuckle looking around the group, stopping when he saw their faces.
"Do I look like I would have any weapons?" The mansaid, holding out his arms.
"We don't give two short and curlies what it looks like," Abraham commented.
"I have no weapons of any kind. The word of god is the only protection I need." The man replied.
"Sure didn't look like it," Daryl commented, making Gabriel smile nervously.
"I called for help. Help came." He said, looking around to everyone. "Do you have—have any food? Whatever I-I had left it just hit the ground."
"We've got some pecans," Carl said, holding out some pecans.
The man took to nuts, thanking the young boy. Carl nodded as his baby sister cooed in his oldest sister's arms. That caught the man's attention, he looked at Judith.
"That's a beautiful child. Do you have a camp?"
"No. Do you?"
"I have a church."
After Rick asked Gabriel questions and searched him, the dark skinned man ended up taking the group to his church. It was a white building in the middle of the forest with a church bus behind it.
Gabriel let them in and everyone expect Matilda who stayed with the kids as everyone looked around making sure the church was safe.
After checking if the church was safe, which it was, they had a feast. Rick, Lola, Bob, Michonne, and Gabriel went to the food bank and brought back tons of food. Laughter filled the air as they got their share of food.
Rick was feeding Judith with his sons next to him, while Matilda was standing next to Daryl, far enough away group so that they can't hear them.
Daryl took out the rings, it wasn't the ideal time but he wants to marry this girl. They live in a world where it kill or be killed. A world of death.
He glanced over to the group and caught Lee's eyes, who nodded and smiled, giving Daryl his blessing. Matilda stood in front of the window, looking out of it. The moonlight hit perfectly on her face, her hazel eyes sparkled.
Daryl cleared his throat making Tilly turn to him. She let out a quiet gasp when she saw Daryl Dixon kneeling on the ground. This was very very not Dixon like, but this was for his girl and he wanted to do it right.
"Matilda Mae Grimes, There are no words to decide how much I love ya. And I suck at confessin' how I feel out loud, but for ya, I will. You're the most kind, sweetest, most beautiful girl I know. You stole my heart, and I thank you for that. I never thought I find someone, but I did." Daryl said, looking into Matilda's hazel eyes. "I love you, Matilda, more than anything in the world. Matilda Mae Grimes, will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?"
Matilda looked at Daryl with tears in her eyes. Her redneck proposed her in the most non-Daryl Dixon way possible and she loves it. In his palm was a beautiful silver ring with small diamonds around the front.
Matilda smiled, nodding, unable to speak. Daryl smiled widely, grabbing her hand and slips the ring on her finger, surprisingly it fit her perfectly.
Daryl stands up straight and picks Matilda up, he smashed his lips on her as her arms wrapped around his neck. She ran her fingers through his hair, as they heard cheers and clapping.
They pulled apart, Daryl set his wife down, turning towards the group, who was cheering in congrats for them. Max ran over to his parents, wrapping his arms around them, smiling up at them.
After the proposal, the couple walked over to their family and sat next to them. Maggie handed them a glass of wine, smiling at Matilda and winked. Matilda leaned in her husband's arms, an arm wrapped around her son.
"I'd like to propose a toast. I look around this room...and I see survivors. Each and every one of you had earned that title. To the survivors." Abraham said, holding up his glass of wine.
"Survivors! Cheers!" Everyone shouted as they took a sip of their wine.
"Is that all you want to be? Wake up in the morning fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rinse and repeat? 'Cause you can to that. I mean, you got the strength. You got the skill. Thing is for you people, for what you can do, that's just surrender. Now, we got Eugene to Washington and he will make the dead die and the living will have this world again. And that is not a bad takeaway for a little road trip." Abraham says. "Eugene, what's in DC?"
"Infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even of this fubar magnitude. That means food, fuel, refuge. Restart." Eugene explained.
"However this plays out, however long it takes for the restart button to kick in, you can be safe there. Safer than you've been since this whole thing started. Come with us. Save the world for that baby. Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there...who don't got nothing left to do except survive."
Everyone looked around to each other, Rick chuckled. Judith cooed, making her father look down at her.
"What was that? I think she knows what I'm about to say. She's in. If she's in, I'm in. We're in."
***
Matilda woke in the middle of the night, not feeling her husband's arms around. She looked over to her right, to see nothing but a small piece of paper on the floor.
She gently placed her son down before grabbing the paper and stood up, not to wake her son and brothers.
Tilda, I went after Carol. You looked peaceful when you were sleeping I didn't want to wake you. But I needed to go after Carol, I hope you and Max understand. Stay safe until I come back. If I come back.
Your husband, Daryl
Matilda frowned down at the note that was clutched in her hand. She's couldn't lose him, not after they just found each other. She jumped when a hand touched her shoulder, she turned around to see her father as tears build in her eyes.
The dark haired girl didn't say anything, only gave the paper to her father. His brows furrowed as he read the note, his face turned worry.
"When did you find this?"
"A minture ago. He said he was after Carol. She's not here and neither of them is back. We have to go find them." Matilda said as a tear slid down her cheek.
Rick nodded, handing the paper back to his daughter as Sasha walked over a worried expression on her face.
"Sasha. what's wrong?"
"Bob's gone. He went outside a few hours ago and hasn't come back. I'm worried."
Rick looked between his daughter and Sasha before nodding. He looked at the dark skinned girl. "Get Tyreese and we'll head out. We also did to find Daryl and Carol."
Sasha nodded, before walking over to her sleeping brother as Rick turned to daughter. "I want you to stay here and-"
"No! That is my husband out there, dad. My husband! Don't you dare force me to stay back! I'm going, whether you like it or not."
Matilda glared at her father as he nodded, defected and spoke. "Okay. But listen to me."
"Of course," She said.
"Get ready, we're leaving now."
Matilda nodded, walking over to her hammer and handgun that Glenn gave her. Feeling movement next to her, she glanced over and saw her son, who was rubbing his eyes.
"Mom? Where are you going?" Max signed, looking up at her.
She kneeled down in front him, smoothing some of his hair back. "I'll be back. I'm going to go on watch with papa and Sasha, okay?"
Max looked unconvinced but nodded anyway. "Okay. Be safe."
"I will. If you need anything, ask Glenn and Maggie. Okay?"
Her son nodded as she stood up. She gave a smile, watching him lay down before walking over to her father and Sasha. As much as she didn't want to lie to Max, she doesn't want the boy to worry.
Matilda gave her siblings and son one more glance before following her father and the woman out of the church to find her husband.