LAST DAY ON EARTH-069
ONE MONTH LATER
The baby is the size of a peapod.
Matilda stood next to Glenn as the duo and Maggie sorted through weapons. It's been a few weeks since they went to one of the Savior's bases.
A few weeks since Daryl, Rosita, and Denise went on a medical run. They were running out of meds. Daryl and Rosita were all hesitant but the woman convinced them to go. But it didn't turn out to be a good run.
A man named Dwight. Daryl had another run-in with him, a group of other Saviors.
Matilda's arm brushed her thirteen weeks old stomach, making her smile. She was showing more then she originally thought which made her tell her father and Michonne.
Her father had knew she was pregnant because Carol had accidentally told him the day they went to the base. Matilda was slightly upset with the woman but knew it was in accident.
Rick had took the news of his second grandchild better than she inspected, though he was shocked at first when Carol told him. His little girl was going have a baby.
Michonne walked over to them and stood next to the second pregnant woman.
"We'll have these, but we should hide a few," Maggie spoke. "That way, we can find them but strangers can't. In case anyone gets in."
"They won't," Glenn reassured his wife.
The sudden revving of a motorcycle engine caught their attention. Daryl was driving towards the gate making Matilda sigh.
"Oh, no," Michonne muttered.
They watched as Daryl get off his bike and pushed past Rosita. She tried to stop him from opening the gate, but he had already opened it.
"What the hell is he doing?" Glenn asked, glancing at Matilda and Michonne
"Something he shouldn't," Matilda muttered.
"We got to stop him," Glenn said, behind they took off.
Glenn and Michonne jumped into a van and drove after the redneck, but Abraham stepped in front of the van.
"Make room for my freckled ass." but Rosita cut him off.
"No. Cover my watch."
"Hey, we should keep numbers here," Glenn spoke.
"I know where Daryl's going," Rosita said, before climbing into the van.
Glenn started the van again and drove off as Maggie and Matilda stood at the gate. Her best friend had a nature to protect others before himself and Daryl's suicide mission shouldn't drag anybody else with him.
An hour or some later, Rick and Tobin rushed over to the front gates as Maggie and Matilda headed over as her father held up something.
Sasha and Abraham were talking with them as the pregnant women approached.
"What's wrong?" Matilda asked.
Rick handed the paper over to her, Tilly read it with Maggie reading it over her shoulder.
"Carol's gone? How'd she leave without anyone seeing her?"
"The thing is," Sasha replied. "I took over at 12:00, I was on till 6:00. She must have picked a time slot between that. I never saw anything."
"The front's been quiet since the others left," Abraham spoke.
Rick's face turned confused. "What? Who?"
"Daryl. He went hell-bent on Denise's death." Matilda explained. "Glenn, Michonne, and Rosita went after him."
Mogan came over and listening to every word. "Can I see the note?"
Rick hands over the paper before Morgan walked over to the remaining cars. He hopped in and started the car, the others turned to look at him.
"Where are you going?" Rick called out.
"I'm gonna go find her," Morgan replied.
"Wait." Rick turned to his daughter. "Tell Carl and Lee, I'll be back soon. No one else leaves." Matilda nodded, as Rick jogged towards the car."Everyone else stays ready for a fight."
***
TWO DAYS LATER
Matilda sat at the dinner table with Maggie, she and the woman were worried about their husbands, who haven't come back yet. She took her mind off the worst case by making more arrow with Judith sitting, helping her.
They all looked up when the doorbell rang, Maggie stood up and walked towards it. Enid was standing at the door, shifting awkwardly.
"Uh, Scott said you were looking for me?" the teen says as Maggie nods. "What's up?"
Maggie hands Enid a pair of scissors. "I need some more help."
Letting the teen in, they walked over to the table. Maggie sat down as Enid started her haircut.
Matilda looked up and smiled. "Something new, Mags?"
"Yeah. Time for a change." the southern woman nodded.
After the haircut was finished, Maggie picked up the mirror. The frown on her face soon turns into a small smile.
"You look beautiful, Mags." Matilda smiled, looking at the now short-haired Maggie.
"Thank you, Enid."
"You're welcome. I like it," Enid agreed. "But why?"
Maggie sighs. "I have to keep going. And I don't want anything getting in my way."
All of a sudden, Maggie's breathing quicken as she tensed. Matilda placed Judith on the ground and rush over to her friend. She crouched next to the young mother and rubbed her back.
"Did I cut it too short?" Enid questioned, slightly panicking. "I-I only used to cut my dad's."
"Maggie," Matilda says, looking at the woman slight bigger stomach. "This is the baby?"
Maggie nods as she lean over, crying out in pain before trying to stand up. Another wave of pain hit that made her cry out again.
"Maggie, I need you to breath," Matilda told her beforelooking at Enid. "Go get Kelly! Now!"
Enid nodded before running off, Matilda looked back at Maggie who was squeezing her hand. "Maggie, the baby may be in trouble. I need you to breathe with me."
"Matilda! I can't lose my baby!" Maggie cried, tears rolled down her cheeks.
"You won't. I promise, Maggie. You won't loose this baby." She reassured the woman.
Maggie let out another scream as Footsteps rushed inside, Matilda looked at see Kelly and her father coming towards them.
She moved away from the woman as Kelly kneeled down in front her. Matilda watched as Kelly and her father picked up Maggie and hurried out the door.
Matilda grabbed her sister, hurrying after her father and best friend before watching them place her in the RV. She gave her son Judith before climbing into the vehicle with everyone else.
An hour on the road, Matilda brushed Maggie's newly cut hair out from her eyes, sweat rolled down her face. Her skin was deathly pale as she clutched into her free hand.
"Is my baby going to okay?" Maggie asked, quietly. "I can't lose my baby, Tilly. I can't."
Matilda swallowed. "Maggie, you're not going to lose this baby. Dad or I will not let that happen. No matter what."
"You promise?" Maggie said, squeezing her hand. "Promise me, you will do anything to save my baby."
"I promise. I promise, Mags." Matilda leaned her head on Maggie's.
"What the bitch?" She heard Abraham say where he was driving the RV.
Matilda kissed Maggie's forehead before joining her father at the front. Three cars were parked blocking the road ahead. A group of people standing around them, a man was tried up on the ground.
"We doing this?" Abraham asked Rick.
"No," Rick says
. He opened the door and everyone walked out. Rick held up his hands and the rest do the same. Matilda stood between her brothers, her jacket covering her swollen stomach.
"He's someone who was with a whole lot of someones who didn't listen." The leader's voice carried towards the group.
"We can make a deal." Rick declared. "Right here, right now."
"That's right, we can" The man shouted. "Give us all your stuff. We'll probably have to kill one of you. That's just the way it is, but then we can start moving forewords on business. All you have to do is listen."
"Yeah." Rick began. "That deal's not gonna work for us. Fact is, I was about to ask for your stuff, only I'm thinking I don't have to kill any of you. Any more of you."
The leader scolded, shifting on his feet. Another man came towards the prisoner and spray painted an 'X'. The group looked confused as they didn't know what that meant.
"Sorry, my deal is the only deal." The leader spoke again. "We don't negotiate."
Rick waves his hand at the group, making them head back in the RV.
"Me and my people are leaving," Rick said.
The leader throws up his hand. "Okay, friend. Plenty of ways to get where you're going"
Rick walked backwards as the group climbed back into the Rv. Matilda sat between her brothers as their father spoke.
"You want to make today your last day on Earth?"
"No." The leader states. "But that's a good thing to bring up. Think about it. What if it's the last day on Earth for you? For someone you love? What if that's true? Maybe you should be extra nice to those people in that RV, cause you never know. Just like that. Be kind to each other. Like you said like it was your last day on Earth."
Rick's nose crinkles as he nods. "You do the same."
***
"Bitch nuts." Abraham's voice breaks the tense silence in the RV. Rick walk up to the front of the Rv as Sasha looked at him.
"We making our stand?" She questioned.
"Yeah," Carl speaks from behind his father. "We end it."
Silence filled the air at his words, but Rick shook his head. "No. Not now. They've been waiting. They're ready. With one of us behind the wheel, that's 11 on 16. We're gonna play it our way, how we want it. Right?"
Carl nodded after a moment. Matilda laced her fingers through her baby brother's as Abraham started to back up. The leader of this group steps forwards, shooting his gun up into the sky. Warning them, Matilda's blood ran cold as the group of Saviors gets out of their sight.
Abraham drives down the other direction, everyone takes a deep breath. Matilda goes back to Maggie, brushing her hair out of her sweat-covered face.
Maggie opens her eyes. "I heard gunshots. What's happening?"
"The Saviors are blocking the roads," Matilda replied, giving Maggie some water. "It's like they know we are heading towards Hilltop."
Maggie hands back the water. "They have avenged on people, don't they?"
Tilly nods. "Way more. But we are going to get you to Hilltop, no matter what."
***
An hour later, Abraham and Rick carried Maggie though the woods as Aaron, Matilda, Lee, Rosie, Kelly, Violet, Sasha, and Carl all walked further into the woods.
Matilda clutched her bow, a bad feeling bleed in her stomach as her She walked behind her brothers.
"Matilda, please. Let me walk it." Maggie asked, causing Tilly to look at the woman.
"Absolutely not," Matilda said sternly. "You are in no condition to walk. Me or anyone is not letting you. Relax, you need to rest."
Maggie nodded, not arguing with the other pregnant woman.
"I heard what you told her," Carl spoke. Tilly glanced at her brothe. "We can do anything, 'cause we'll do anything we need to do. We have and we will, What happened to Denise, I'm not gonna let anybody die like that again."
"Son..." Rick started but was interrupted by whistling. Everyone looked around, panicking as they all froze.
"Go!"
Matilda, Lee, and Carl all took off sprinting ahead with the rest following as Maggie moaned uncomfortably. They get to a clearing and a bright light shined into everyone's eyes.
Matilda's blood ran cold as they were surrounded by hundreds of Saviors. The Saviors all whistled together as the group spin in circles. Matilda caught the sight of Eugene, who was sitting on his knees at gunpoint.
"Good. You made it. Welcome to where you're going."