❛ You take a mortal man and put him in control. Watch him become a god, watch people's heads roll. ❜

SEASON 5, EPISODE 2&3
strangers & four walls and a roof

━━━━━━ October 23, 2011

THE CHURCH WAS LIT by candlelight once the sunset. Cal and Bianca sat on the floor alongside Glenn and Maggie. The group had broken out the canned food, and Gabriel even granted them paper plates to eat off of. Cal felt like it made them feel a little more civilized than scooping it out of a can. Bianca's head rested on his shoulder while his arm wrapped around her. His food sat on his lap as he ate between their conversation and laughter.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca shuffled slightly beside Cal and raised her glass of communion wine at Glenn with a wide smile.

⠀⠀⠀"We can both legally drink now," Bianca mused.

⠀⠀⠀Glenn chuckled and clinked his glass against hers, and they both sipped. Maggie and Cal exchanged a confused look.

⠀⠀⠀"What do you mean?" Maggie asked with a confused smile.

⠀⠀⠀"There was a night like this when we made it to the CDC," Glenn smiled. "It was the first time we'd felt safe since everything happened. Jenner, the scientist guy, had a ton of wine and food he let us eat."

⠀⠀⠀"Daryl claimed we were too young to drink," Bianca explained, rolling her eyes. "Even kept it from me and laughed at Glenn when he got all red. It was a good night."

⠀⠀⠀Cal heard a fondness in her tone for the simple days. Back when the enemy was the dead and nothing more. Sometimes, Cal missed Woodbury. He missed the people, the routine, and the safety. Cal missed Milton and their conversations that went right over Cal's head. He knew Woodbury was bad because of the Governor, but it wasn't all bad. Just like he missed his mother despite how awful she was to him. He missed the occasional warmth and love that she would give him. If he could hug her one last time, he might.

⠀⠀⠀"T-Dog got wasted!" Glenn exclaimed, raucous laughter bursting from his lips. Cal had never heard him so happy. "He wouldn't shut up that night when we went to bed."

⠀⠀⠀"If only we had the hot showers here," Bianca sighed.

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, man, the showers!" Glenn agreed.

⠀⠀⠀A smirk made its way over Cal's lips as he moved closer to Bianca. He brushed his nose along the shell of her ear and said, "That sounds really nice right now."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca's elbow jammed into his ribs, and Cal bowled over with a groan. Maggie and Glenn laughed at his pain despite silently agreeing they'd, too, like a hot shower.

⠀⠀⠀"I've been meaning to ask," Bianca said, raising her hand to look at the shining silver ring. "Where'd you find these?"

⠀⠀⠀Cal looked at the ring on her hand and smiled. Bianca looked up at him, raising a brow as she waited for his answer.

⠀⠀⠀"They're Rick and Lori's," Cal whispered. "He very kindly said that he felt like it was what Lori would've wanted."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca looked back down at her ring, a wobbly smile, as she dragged her finger across the metal. Cal squeezed her shoulder, and she leaned deeper into his side. She raised her glass again, and Cal followed where her gaze was on Rick. Rick smiled, exhausted but happy, as he nodded and raised his glass.

⠀⠀⠀"I'd like to propose a toast!" Abraham called out to the room. The loudness of the room came to a simmer as all eyes were directed to the redhead. Cal wasn't sure what he was about to say, especially when his people didn't seem all that amused by their wedding, but he didn't interject. "I haven't known y'all long, but I see people like Bianca and Cal and am reminded of the humanity we still share. We are people who find simple pleasures in community and tradition. So, firstly, congratulations to the happy couple who has allowed us to come together as we have now."

⠀⠀⠀"Here, here!" Rick followed, and the room mimicked.

⠀⠀⠀"Now, I look around this room, and I see survivors," Abraham continued. "Each and every one of you has earned that title. To the survivors."

⠀⠀⠀The room erupted into cheers again, allowing them all another sip of their wine.

⠀⠀⠀"Is that all you wanna be?" Abraham asked, scratching his nose.

⠀⠀⠀Silence regained the room as no one responded. Something in Abraham's question struck the mood into something darker. As if death rode around the corner. Cal noticed Bianca and Glenn glance at each other, Glenn rolling his eyes before they returned their attention to Abraham.

⠀⠀⠀"Wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rinse and repeat?" Abraham asked, looking across the room for answers. "'Cause you can do 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 get 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."

⠀⠀⠀The room stayed silent, Rick cooing at Judith to keep her quiet as Abraham's eyes dragged across the room.

⠀⠀⠀"Eugene, what's in DC?" Abraham asked.

⠀⠀⠀Eugene paused to assess his answer before saying, "Infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even of this fubar magnitude. That means food, fuel, refuge. Restart."

⠀⠀⠀Abraham nodded, somehow knowing that this was his destiny. The future they shared together in this shitty world started here.

⠀⠀⠀"However this plays out, however long it takes for the reset button to kick in, you can be safe there. Safer than you've been since the whole thing started. Come with us. Save the world for that little one," Abraham said, nodding at Judith. "Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there... who don't got nothin' left to do except survive."

⠀⠀⠀Judith cooed, and Rick laughed at her response.

⠀⠀⠀"What was that?" he asked as Judith laughed. Her sweet giggles filled the room with an added layer of softness. "I think she knows what I'm about to say," Rick told Tyreese with amusement. He looked up at Abraham with a wide smile. "She's in. If she's in, I'm in. We're in."

⠀⠀⠀The room devolved into laughter as Bianca clapped with the rest of them. Then, the room returned to its previous volume of conversation.

⠀⠀⠀"So, where are you two plannin' for the honeymoon?" Maggie asked with a raised brow, sipping her wine.

⠀⠀⠀"Y'know, I always thought about going somewhere like France, but I'm not so sure anymore," Cal said with a shrug. "I mean, money's been pretty tight these days."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca snorted.

⠀⠀⠀"It's crazy that you say that because it's the same for us," Glenn said, an incredulous expression crossing his face.

⠀⠀⠀"What about you two? I forgot where you went," Bianca jested.

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, we were gonna go to Las Vegas but decided that the prison was just as nice," Maggie said with a wave of her hand.

⠀⠀⠀The four laughed at their stupidity as Tara walked over with a glum expression. She sat between Maggie and Bianca, unable to make eye contact, as the four concluded their antics.

⠀⠀⠀"You okay?" Maggie asked worriedly.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, yeah," Tara assured her, glancing up but returned her gaze to her hands. "I was at the prison. With the Governor," she explained. She looked up again, staring at Maggie, then Bianca and Cal. They all stayed silent, not exactly sure how to respond. Hershel had been killed by them, Bianca and Cal split because of them, their home destroyed! "I didn't know who he was or what he could do. And I didn't know who all of you were. I—I just didn't want it to be hidden. That I was there."

⠀⠀⠀There was a moment of silence. Bianca and Cal waited for Maggie's reaction before saying anything. She deserved to pass her judgment before either of them.

⠀⠀⠀"You're here with us now," Maggie said, her voice quiet before pulling Tara into a sisterly hug.

⠀⠀⠀When she pulled away, Tara looked to Bianca and Cal, hoping to get their reaction.

⠀⠀⠀"To be honest with you," Cal whispered, leaning across Bianca to speak with Tara directly. "I was with him, too. Before. If they can forgive me, they'll forgive you."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca nodded in agreement as he reached out to squeeze Tara's hand. She smiled. His words seemed to cast the reassurance she needed over her.

THE RECEPTION HAD BEEN the calm before the storm. Carol and Daryl left the church shortly after Abraham's toast, and Bob followed half an hour behind them. Now, all three of them were missing from their fragile group, and things were beginning to get tense. Sasha had gone out to find Bob, but Rick and Tyreese dragged her back to safety before they could lose another member.

⠀⠀⠀Sasha stormed down the aisle with her gaze pinned onto Gabriel. There was a ruthless rage behind her eyes as she stood toe-to-toe with the man.

⠀⠀⠀"What are you doing? What are you doing?" Sasha demanded.

⠀⠀⠀Gabriel stared at her with his jaw dropped open and a wide-eyed confusion in his gaze. Cal stood with the others as they circled Gabriel, watching and waiting for the cracks to form.

⠀⠀⠀"This is all connected," Sasha stated. "You show up, we're being watched, and now three of us are gone."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca tensed beside Cal. His hand wrapped back around her as he dragged her to his side. Cal knew that even Daryl wasn't immune to a biter. He was worried by how her jaw tensed, and Cal wished he had somehow reassured her it'd all be okay.

⠀⠀⠀"I... I don't... I don't have anything to do with this," Gabriel said, staring around the room at the untrusting faces. Slowly, he realized that maybe bringing them here, welcoming them into his home, wasn't a good choice.

⠀⠀⠀Sasha lunged forward.

⠀⠀⠀"Don't!" Rosita shouted.

⠀⠀⠀"Sasha, put it away," Tyreese demanded.

⠀⠀⠀Sasha held her knife at Gabriel as she continued, "Who's out there?"

⠀⠀⠀"I—I don't have anything to so—"

⠀⠀⠀"Where are our people?!"

⠀⠀⠀"Please, I don't have anything to do with this. I—"

⠀⠀⠀Rick dragged Sasha back and took her place.

⠀⠀⠀"Why'd you bring us here?" Rick asked.

⠀⠀⠀"Please, I—"

⠀⠀⠀"You workin' with someone?"

⠀⠀⠀"I'm alone. I'm alone. I was always alone."

⠀⠀⠀"What about the woman at the food bank, Gabriel?" Rick retorted, throwing a finger in his face. "What did you do to her? 'You'll burn for this.' That was for you. Why? What are you gonna burn for, Gabriel? What?" Rick yelled, grabbing Gabriel by his lapels. "What did you do? What did you do?!"

⠀⠀⠀Gabriel shrugged Rick off, taking a few steps back, and regained himself.

⠀⠀⠀"I lock the doors at night. I always lock the doors at night. I always lock the doors at night. I always—" Gabriel repeated, his throat closing and tears coming to his eyes. He steeled himself with a breath and continued. "They started coming, my congregation. Atlanta was bombed the night before, and they were scared. They were—They were looking for a safe place. A place where they felt safe.

⠀⠀⠀"And it was so early. It was so early. And the doors were still locked. You see... it was my choice. There were so many of them, and they were trying to pry the shutters and banging on the sidings, screaming at me. And so the dead came for them. Women... children. Entire families calling my name as they were torn apart, begging me for mercy."

⠀⠀⠀Gabriel began to sob.

⠀⠀⠀"Begging me for mercy. Damning me to hell. I buried their bones. I buried it all."

⠀⠀⠀He paused, staring at Rick as they all stared back, unrelenting.

⠀⠀⠀"The Lord sent you here to finally punish me." He fell to the ground in despair, sitting against the prayer rail. "I'm damned. I was damned before. I always lock the doors. I always lock the doors." He fell further, continuing to sob as the rest of them relaxed. Cal wasn't pleased to hear his story, but as far as he could tell, Gabriel was just a coward.

⠀⠀⠀There was a distant whistle, and then Glenn shuffled near the back of the church. Cal turned, and Bianca followed in confusion. She likely hadn't heard it with her bad ear. They looked at Glenn as he stared out of the window.

⠀⠀⠀"There's something—" he started to say, then corrected himself. "There's someone outside lying in the grass."

⠀⠀⠀Sasha was the first outside sprinting for the body. It was Bob. He lay in the grass, his left leg gone, leaving only a bloody stump amputated above the knee. Biters came from all directions as Sasha broke down at his side.

⠀⠀⠀"Get Bob inside. We'll take care of 'em," Glenn shouted.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca nodded to Cal, and he took her cue to help Sasha carry Bob inside. Bianca took out the approaching biters with Maggie, Glenn, and Rick. As one of the biters fell without any of them shooting, the group realized they weren't alone.

⠀⠀⠀"Get inside!" Rick shouted, firing aimlessly into the woods. "Go!"

BOB WAS LAID OUT on the church floor as he panted in pain while the rest of them circled him. They had checked over his injury, his leg missing, but strangely, they seemed to wrap him up well enough that he'd live through the night. Whatever they wanted from them, it wasn't for Bob to die yet.

⠀⠀⠀"I was in the graveyard. Somebody knocked me out," Bob explained with a hiss through his teeth. "I woke up outside this place. It looked like a-a school. It was that guy, Gareth, and five other ones. They were eating my leg right in front of me. Like it was nothing. All proud like they had it all figured out."

⠀⠀⠀Cal grimaced at the thought. It was one thing to lose a limb but another to watch it be eaten. He suddenly felt sick for ever considering an animal before. It felt like a horror show now, being on the other end of it.

⠀⠀⠀Rick leaned toward Bob, calm, and asked, "Did they have Daryl and Carol?"

⠀⠀⠀"Gareth said they drove off," Bob answered after a minute.

⠀⠀⠀Rick looked up at the others, startled by the revelation. Something in Cal's head clicked as if he had been outside and watched them go.

⠀⠀⠀"The car," he muttered, but the room was silent, and all eyes were on him.

⠀⠀⠀"What car?" Bianca asked, grabbing his hand and squeezing.

⠀⠀⠀"Beth got taken by a black car this time of night. If anything, I bet they saw it, and Daryl went after it," Cal explained. He looked at Maggie, who had kept her head high with the knowledge of Beth missing, to show that maybe there was hope. Her lips twitched softly, but she couldn't. It was too painful to keep thinking she was alive.

⠀⠀⠀Bob groaned loudly, readjusting their attention to him.

⠀⠀⠀"He's in pain," Sasha said. "Do we have anything?"

⠀⠀⠀"I think there are pill packets in the first aid kit," Rosita said softly. "I'll get them."

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah."

⠀⠀⠀"Save 'em," Bob said.

⠀⠀⠀"No."

⠀⠀⠀"Really," Bob urged. He struggled to sit up and then pulled the neck of his shirt down to show the bright red mark on his shoulder. "It happened at the food bank."

⠀⠀⠀Sasha started to cry, then whispered, "It's okay." He fell back as the stress of the situation started to exhaust him. "Bob?"

⠀⠀⠀"There's a sofa in my office," Gabriel offered. "I know it's not much, but..."

⠀⠀⠀Sasha turned to him with a soft smile. "Thank you."

⠀⠀⠀Tyreese carried Bob into the back room as everyone dispersed. Judith cried as Carl carried her bassinet to the back of the church to calm her. Rick approached Cal, Bianca, Glenn, Maggie, Michonne, and Tara to discuss their next steps.

⠀⠀⠀"Does he have a fever?" Rick asked.

⠀⠀⠀"He's just warm," Maggie said.

⠀⠀⠀"Jim lasted almost two days before we left him," Glenn noted.

⠀⠀⠀"And he'd already gotten sunstroke before that," Bianca added with a frown.

⠀⠀⠀"Time for a reality check," Abraham called behind them. "We all need to leave for DC, right now."

⠀⠀⠀"There's a man dying in the next room, and two of our people are missing. There's your reality check," Bianca snapped back, irritated.

⠀⠀⠀"Men die every day, and your friends left of their own volition. That is not my prerogative," Abraham snapped back at her, raising a thick brow.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca stepped forward, but Rick threw a hand out to stop her.

⠀⠀⠀"Daryl and Carol are gonna be back. We're not goin' anywhere without them," Rick told Abraham.

⠀⠀⠀"I respect that, but there's a clear threat here to Eugene. I need to extract his ass before things get any uglier. So, if y'all won't come, good luck to you. We'll go our separate ways," Abraham concluded in a quick, clipped tone.

⠀⠀⠀He and Rosita headed for the door.

⠀⠀⠀"You leavin' on foot?" Rick asked.

⠀⠀⠀"We fixed that damn bus ourselves," Abraham retorted.

⠀⠀⠀"There are a lot more of us," Rick said, getting hot as he stomped towards Abraham.

⠀⠀⠀"You want to keep it that way? You should come."

⠀⠀⠀"Carol saved your life. We saved your life."

⠀⠀⠀"Well, I am trying to save yours! Save everyone's!"

⠀⠀⠀"We're not goin' anywhere without our people."

⠀⠀⠀"Your people took off."

⠀⠀⠀"They're comin' back."

⠀⠀⠀"To what, picked-over bones?!" Abraham shouted.

⠀⠀⠀"You're not taking—" Rick said, reaching out.

⠀⠀⠀"Do not lay hands!" Abraham roared, moving out of Rick's way.

⠀⠀⠀"Abraham!" Rosita snapped.

⠀⠀⠀Glenn and Cal rushed over, separating Abraham and Rick before things worsened.

⠀⠀⠀"Do you really think that you're gonna be any safer leaving right now in the middle of the night?" Glenn asked Abraham.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah," Abraham said, nodding his head minutely as he looked around the room. "Yeah."

⠀⠀⠀"What about tomorrow?" Glenn pressed. "We need each other for this. We need each other to get to DC. We can get through all of it together."

⠀⠀⠀Tara pushed her way to the front and said, "I have an idea. If you stay just one more day and help, I'll go with you to DC... no matter what. Okay?"

⠀⠀⠀There was a beat of silence, then Abraham demanded, "Glenn and Maggie, too."

⠀⠀⠀"No," Rick said, absolutely.

⠀⠀⠀"Good luck, then," Abraham resolved. "I'm not interested in breakin' up what you have here. Rosita, grab your gear."

⠀⠀⠀"Abraham—" she said softly.

⠀⠀⠀"Now," Abraham snapped at her. "Eugene, let's go. Eugene. Move it."

⠀⠀⠀Eugene sat in the pew, unmoving, as he stared straight ahead.

⠀⠀⠀"I don't want to."

⠀⠀⠀"Now," Abraham growled, the sort of threat that would even have Bianca kicking it into high gear.

⠀⠀⠀"Okay," Eugene muttered, standing.

⠀⠀⠀"You're not takin' the bus," Rick claimed.

⠀⠀⠀"Try to stop me," Abraham said.

⠀⠀⠀Rick's shoulders were tense as he paused a moment. The air was thick as they waited for what happened next as Rick stormed down the aisle. Abraham passed his gun to Eugene, ready to fight, when Glenn rushed between them and raised his hands.

⠀⠀⠀"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Hey, hey, hey!" Glenn shouted, getting between them. He turned to Abraham. "You stay—You stay and help us, and we will go with you."

⠀⠀⠀"No," Rick hissed.

⠀⠀⠀"It's not your call," Glenn told him pointedly. "You stay, help us."

⠀⠀⠀"Half a day," Abraham wagered. "Come high noon, we're tail lights. I'm not waiting for the other damn shoe to drop."

⠀⠀⠀"And we will leave with you," Maggie assured him.

⠀⠀⠀"Twelve hours. Then we go."

CAL AND BIANCA SAT in the pews with the others as Rick discussed the plan for how they would defeat Gareth and his termites once and for all. They worked on loading ammo and preparing weapons as they listened to Rick speak.

⠀⠀⠀"They think they're in control. We're in here, and they could be anywhere. But we know exactly where they are."

⠀⠀⠀"Plan's got stones. I'll give you that," Abraham acknowledged.

⠀⠀⠀"Make our move before they do," Glenn agreed.

⠀⠀⠀"That's right. They're not counting on us thinkin' straight," Rick said.

⠀⠀⠀"Are we?" Rosita asked. She continued as all eyes turned to her, "I'm just making sure. It's a big play."

⠀⠀⠀"People like Gareth are cocky," Cal said, rolling his eyes. "They think they know exactly where every piece lands but doesn't realize they're just like us."

⠀⠀⠀Rick stood with a frown and said, "Remember what these people are capable of. Tyreese."

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah."

⠀⠀⠀"You up for this?"

⠀⠀⠀"I'm going with you," Sasha said, walking out of Gabriel's office.

⠀⠀⠀"You should stay with Bob," Tyreese told her.

⠀⠀⠀"No, I want to be out there. I want to be a part of this," she stated simply, then returned to the room to be with Bob.

⠀⠀⠀The room grew silent as Tyreese followed his sister. Bianca paused her work and turned to look at Cal with a frown. He noticed her gaze from the corner of his eye and looked back at her.

⠀⠀⠀"Do you really think Daryl saw that car?" Bianca asked. Her hands were slightly shaking as she held a handful of bullets.

⠀⠀⠀"I can't think of another reason he and Carol would up and leave," Cal said, his gaze assuring, but they both knew there was another reason. Someone, like Gareth, had taken them.

⠀⠀⠀There was no reason anyone would've done so in their eyes, though. Especially the Terminus people, as they'd brought Bob back as a message. Why hold onto Carol and Daryl without any signs they had anything to do with it?

⠀⠀⠀"It'll be alright," Cal whispered, tugging her shoulder over to him, and kissed the top of her head.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca nodded softly and pressed her cheek against his.

⠀⠀⠀"I just hope this doesn't lead to a Sophia situation," Bianca whispered nervously. He nodded silently. He knew bits and pieces of Sophia, Carol's daughter, who got lost before they found her dead as a biter. They had searched with little more than hope, and all they got was devastation.

⠀⠀⠀"It won't, I promise," Cal assured her.

⠀⠀⠀"Don't make that kind of promise," Bianca asked of him.

⠀⠀⠀Cal smiled sadly, feeling a tear slip between their cheeks. He held her a little tighter as they watched the candles flicker.

THEIR PLAN WAS RISKY, but if everything went as laid out, it'd be more than worth it. Gareth was like the Governor, Cal had noticed. He was the leader of a group that was made up of callous murderers and cannibals. They saw themselves as better, smarter than any of them locked inside the church could be. His plan was faultless, but Gareth didn't realize they had the upper hand. Rick's group wasn't blinded by fear or revenge. It enhanced them, knowing the exact steps Gareth would take to ensure victory.

⠀⠀⠀Carl, Judith, Eugene, Rosita, Tyreese, Bob, and Gabriel were left inside the church. The weakest were left behind, along with a few surefire shots to keep them safe. Cal, Bianca, and the rest of them walked out, fully armed, and headed toward the elementary school that Bob told them about.

⠀⠀⠀However, Rick had found that the amount of information he could supply was incredibly convenient. Gareth wanted them to go there. That's why when they passed through the tree line, hidden by trees and shadows, they stopped and watched.

⠀⠀⠀Gareth's men approached from down the road, just as they suspected. They believed the church was vulnerable, especially since they'd left a priest, a child, a baby, and a dying man inside.

⠀⠀⠀They waited in the woods for what felt like too long. Cal's breathing got heavier by the minute, Bianca was growing antsy beside him, and everyone was getting a little too loud. Gareth's men were already inside, but they couldn't hear anything. At least that meant no one had used their guns.

⠀⠀⠀When Rick felt that their enemy had let his guard down, they sprinted across the front lawn and to the stairs. Rick raised his hand for them to slow down and creep silently inside. Cal stood behind Bianca and followed her one step at a time until they were all filed into the back of the church.

⠀⠀⠀"Are we done?" one of Gareth's men asked.

⠀⠀⠀They stood at the front of the church, surrounding the door their people were in, and waiting for someone to give in to their demands.

⠀⠀⠀"We'll hit the hinges," Gareth sighed, waving his hand for them to start.

⠀⠀⠀Rick, with his gun already raised, shot the man on the left side of the door and then the one on the right. Their blood splatter against the wall with barely a sound hindered by the silencer. The sight of their slumped bodies did nothing to Cal. He wondered if that was good or if he was starting to lose some of his humanity.

⠀⠀⠀"Put your gun on the floor," Rick demanded lowly.

⠀⠀⠀"Rick, we'll fire right into that office. So you lower your gun—" Gareth demanded.

⠀⠀⠀Rick shot again, blasting Gareth's trigger finger into bloody stumps. Gareth groaned in pain, leaning over, and stared at the impacted sight.

⠀⠀⠀"Put your guns on the floor and kneel," Rick demanded, stepping into the moonlight.

⠀⠀⠀Already on his knees, Gareth grunted, "Do what he says."

⠀⠀⠀His men knelt and placed their guns to their sides. All except one man standing next to Gareth with a hoodie over his cap and a fresh black eye.

⠀⠀⠀"Martin, there's no choice here," Gareth gasped.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, there is," Martin challenged.

⠀⠀⠀Abraham took a few quick steps forward and held his gun at Martin's head. "Wanna bet?" he asked.

⠀⠀⠀Martin conceded, putting his gun on the ground, and slowly lowered to his knees.

⠀⠀⠀Cal and Bianca stood beside each other, facing opposite sides of the room with their guns raised and fingers resting on the triggers. Rick stood before them, with Sasha and Glenn a step behind. The rest of the group was scattered on the outer edges of the aisles as they waited for Rick's cue. Slowly, the group walked further in, each taking a Terminus person to stand by and hold at gunpoint. There was no escape.

⠀⠀⠀Cal stared a man in the eyes, knowing the trouble he had caused them, knowing that they wanted to separate him and Bianca. They wanted to slaughter and skin him, likely the same and worse to Bianca, and suddenly the fire was burning inside him. The same as when he stood with the Claimers, and they tried to rape Bianca right in front of him. These termites ate Bob's leg in front of him, were ready to kill children in their need of revenge, and would tear him and Bianca apart once again. Cal's shoulders readjusted, his head ready to explode, but he waited for Rick.

⠀⠀⠀Gareth groaned and coughed as he spun around and sat himself in the middle of the aisle. Rick towered over Gareth with a deadly glare Cal never wanted to be on the other end of.

⠀⠀⠀"No point in begging, right?" Gareth asked.

⠀⠀⠀"No," Rick stated.

⠀⠀⠀"Still, you could've killed us when you came in," Gareth pointed out, still trying to get into their heads. "There had to be a reason for that."

⠀⠀⠀Rick stared at him long and hard before saying, "We didn't wanna waste the bullets."

⠀⠀⠀"We used to help people. We saved people. Things changed. They came in and—" Gareth explained, atoning his sins, groaning in pain, but no one cared. "After that... I know that you've been out there, but I can see it. You don't know what it is to be hungry."

⠀⠀⠀He waited for some kind of reaction, but they weren't relenting. His words meant nothing to them when he had tried to kill them.

⠀⠀⠀"You don't have to do this," Gareth continued begging. "We can walk away. And we will never cross paths again. I promise you."

⠀⠀⠀"But you'll cross someone's path," Rick retorted, cocking his head. "You'd do this to anyone, right? Besides, I already made you a promise."

⠀⠀⠀With that, Rick pulled out his machete and ripped Gareth's throat from end to end. Sasha followed suit by stabbing a man over and over. Abraham mutilated another with the butt of his gun. Cal brutally cut into another man's head as if he were a biter.

⠀⠀⠀The Terminus people were dead in minutes, and the air in the room left in a sudden rush. Cal felt safe and vulnerable all at once, as if he'd see the same terrified face when he turned to Bianca.

⠀⠀⠀The thought ate at him as he noticed the scarred expressions of Glenn and Maggie. He was beginning down a road that he could never return from. A world that turned him red for the sake of survival and love. Then, his eyes fell on Bianca, and she didn't stare at him with fear. Her eyes were filled with a gentle warmth that reassured him that everything was okay. They had to kill them. If not, they were dead. Maybe Cal didn't need to take the man out so brutally, but he could live with himself a little longer as long as Bianca could look at him like that.

⠀⠀⠀"It could have been us," Rick told them.

⠀⠀⠀Slowly, their group walked into the office to detox from the events, leaving the bodies and blood to stain the floor of the church. Bianca smiled, not happy but comforting, as she walked toward Cal. Her arms wrapped around his torso, embracing him in a warm hug, and he held her tight. If he let go, she might just crumble into sand.

⠀⠀⠀"This is the Lord's house," Gabriel whispered, looking at the desiccated bodies.

⠀⠀⠀"No," Maggie said harshly. "It's just four walls and a roof."

━━━━━━ October 24, 2011

CAL AND BIANCA SAID their goodbyes to Bob, and by noon, he was in the ground. There wasn't much said over his grave as they'd given their peace in the church. Bob's death was a hard thing to take in, but Cal was thankful for the moments they got to share with him in the end.

⠀⠀⠀Sasha made a cross for Bob while they prepared to send Abraham's group off.

⠀⠀⠀"This is our route to DC," Abraham said, offering a map to Rick. "We'll stick to it as long as we're able. If not, well, you got our destination. Once Eugene gets to the big brains left up there, things are gonna bounce back. This group should be there for it."

⠀⠀⠀"They will be," Maggie said.

⠀⠀⠀"We will," Michonne agreed.

⠀⠀⠀Rick turned to them, nodding his head. "We will."

⠀⠀⠀Abraham gave Rick a nod before turning on his heel. "Let's go."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca brushed past Cal and rushed into Maggie, giving her a tight squeeze around her middle. Maggie smiled, wrapping her arms around Bianca's shoulders and dipping her head into her hair. They whispered silently to each other, promising to look out for themselves and their partners before she broke off to say goodbye to Glenn.

⠀⠀⠀"Cal," Maggie said with a smile. She gave him a tight hug as well. They hadn't talked much despite being close people to Bianca. Cal needed to work on that the next time he saw her. "You take care of her."

⠀⠀⠀"I will," Cal assured her, pulling back from the hug as they looked at their partners.

⠀⠀⠀Glenn and Bianca were both crying as they said their goodbyes. They had been together since the beginning, and it was the first time they were willingly separating. Cal knew how hard it was to lose a friend as good as Glenn, especially when he reminded them so much of her brother.

⠀⠀⠀"You take care of him," Cal said, nodding at Glenn.

⠀⠀⠀"You know I will," Maggie said with a wide smile. "I know I'm goin', but when y'all find Beth... would you tell her I love her and that... I'd never leave her unless I had to."

⠀⠀⠀"Beth will understand," Cal assured Maggie. " But I'll let her know."

⠀⠀⠀"Thank you," Maggie said with a breath of reassurance.

⠀⠀⠀Maggie and Glenn stepped onto the bus and sat in the front seat. The doors closed behind them, and the bus drove down the dirt path as everyone watched them head off to save the world. For once, Cal felt hopeful about their future and what Washington might bring them.

AUTHOR'S NOTE —

Happy Holidays everyone!!! I hope you all are having a good end of December with whatever you celebrate. 

I was thinking I might not be able to post today but... I've been off the last two days so duh I totally could. Although, I got sidetracked and had to get it out a little late :/

Anyways, I feel like we don't get much of Cal's POV when he's around Bianca so this felt really nice to write. And kinda weird because I know Bianca so well having written mostly in her POV, so to not disclose how she's feeling in these scenes is hard.

Also, polaroized made the sweetest playlist following Bianca and Cal's journey through the book and how she sees them moving forward in the future. I'll link it in the comments, but if you read the description you can see how she relates all the songs to their relationship. Please check it out because I think it's amazing.

Thank you guys for all the love and support you give to this story. I am so incredibly excited to continue writing this fic into the new year. I'm hoping we get some more readers and commenters because I always love reading people's reactions.

SONG: Symphony of Destruction by Megadeath

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you'd like, they keep me motivated! However, this is an all kind of reader safe space. So even if you ghost read or comment every chapter, I hope you know it means the world to me that you've come into this fic ♡ I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and until the next one.