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make the memories

SPRING WAS WARM IN GEORGIA.

Iris had always loved the warm weather, especially the long springs and summers in the state she had lived in for her entire life. Georgia heat was an acquired taste, some may find the heat too sticky or humid, but Iris was used to the feeling of the sun blaring down on her. To Iris, it felt like a privilege and a blessing to feel the rays of such a powerful star, the same one that every single person on earth had felt. The one thing that connected them all.

Back in the old world, Iris would spend her days off outside in the park, visiting the outdoor cafe and working on her sewing. She could spend hours sitting on the same bench, watching the people around her and making up stories about their lives as they went about their days.

Now, when she looked up into her horizon, she saw nothing but the dead.

Despite the sounds of the walkers that had become inescapable, Iris found sitting in the prison courtyard peaceful. She was on top of one of the brick walls, swinging her feet below her as she read a beautiful clothbound copy of Great Expectations, which she was about halfway through. It had been a couple of weeks since she had finished Jane Eyre, and she had found a great love for the classic collection that was in the library. The pages were yellowing and worn, clearly having been read through a number of times, but that made Iris love the book even more. A good book was a loved book.

Her bangs had grown into long money pieces that framed her face, especially when she put her hair in her signature style, half of the blonde curls loose down her back and half of it secured in little space buns on the back of her head. There was a slight breeze today, but since winter had turned to spring, it was warm and felt nice against her face as she gently thumbs the pages of the book. She was so engrossed in Pip's journey, a story that she could never tire of, that she didn't hear a set footsteps mischievously approach.

It was only when the flash of a camera went off that Iris was shocked out of her trance.

She rolls her eyes, looking up to see Glenn standing beside her with his camera in his hands. The candid picture printed right away, but the sound was drowned out by his chuckles. "Seriously?"

"You looked too pretty not to." Glenn responds, flashing her his most innocent yet cheeky grin. "With your hair all done up, that book in your hands. I understand why Daryl calls you princess."

"Shut up." Iris says bashfully, shaking her head. She closes her book, placing it on top of the bricks beside her. The story was interesting, but Iris found her own life much more enjoyable to live in. At least when she was with her husband. She extends her hand out. "Let me see."

Glenn smirks, stepping closer to her until they were at eye level, even though the wall made Iris a little taller than him. He presses a kiss to her lips before presenting the polaroid to her. "I couldn't resist it."

Ever since finding the camera on one of his supply runs, Iris had found herself surprised by the flash of the camera more times than once. She would act annoyed every single time, but in truth, she loved it when he took pictures of her. She licks her lips and takes the polaroid from him, shaking it so it could develop faster. "Don't you have enough pictures of me on our shelf. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were some kind of stalker."

The second she finishes her sentence, Glenn pushes himself up to plant another firm kiss on her lips, making her giggle even louder against his mouth. "Look at it."

"Okay." Iris hums, taking her hands away from the back of his head to look at the photo. She stifles a surprised gasp as she looks at herself on the paper. Her hair fell over her shoulders perfectly, the dazzling blonde outshining everything else behind her. She had a look of concentration on her face as she stared at the pages, but her lips were curved into the perfect smile. It was a gorgeous photo, and she looked as radiant as the sun that she adored so much. She looks back down at Glenn, shaking her hair from her face. "It looks ."

"I know." Glenn replies, without even looking at it. "That's what I get to look at every single day."

"Stop it." Iris blushes, patting his cheek with a chuckle. She brushes her fingers over his stubble with a smile. "You're such a flirt. But I'm the lucky one. I love the stubble, it makes you look rugged. Especially with your longer hair."

It was Glenn's turn to blush, shaking his head but looking up at her with irresistibly adorable eyes anyway. "You love the stubble that I can barely grow?"

"It's cute!" Iris laughs, still running her fingers over his chin. When Glenn gives her a pointed look, she giggles, sliding off the wall as she grabs his camera. "I'm serious! Hey, give me that camera, I'll show you."

"Iris." Glenn raises his eyebrows, a smirk pulling at the edges of his mouth. But he smiles for the camera all the same when Iris slips off of the wall, resting her head on his shoulder. "Okay, do it."

The flash that followed was bright and slightly blinding, and Iris had to blink a couple times before her vision clears up. Glenn reaches for the polaroid that printed out, gazing his eyes over their frozen moment in time. Iris stands on her tiptoes, catching a glimpse at their smiling faces staring back at her. "Look at that. We're making memories, love. Memories for our future."

Iris' face falls at her own words. A month had passed since her last negative test, and it had only been weighing on her more. Glemm gives her a kiss on the cheek, knowing exactly where her mind had gone. "It'll happen when it's time, I promise. Come on, we'll put this with all the others. Oh, and Hershel wants us to have a meeting. Says he wants you to talk to Rick."

Iris sighs, burying her head in his shoulder. Ever since Rick had decided to stay at home in the prison and put away his gun, Hershel had wanted to try and persuade him to at least carry his gun around and go out there sometimes. Iris could understand where the man was coming from, they had all relied on Rick so much in the past that it felt strange to see him working the gardens rather than going out on supply runs, but she also knew that everything Rick did, he did for Carl.

She looks up to where Rick was, in his garden, seeing him wipe the sweat from his brow. She didn't want to take that happiness away from him, force him to carry his gun too early. She squeezes her eyes shut, feeling heavy. "Ugh, but I'm so tired.

Glenn wraps his arm around her shoulders. "Tired? You slept eight hours last night."

"I don't know." Iris shrugs, standing up straight as the two of them walk towards the meeting room. "I guess it's just one of those days where I'm tired no matter how much sleep I get."

I don't think the meeting will take long." Glenn says. "And then the rest of the day is ours, alright?"

Iris smiles and nods at him, taking a heavy breath. "Alright. But I don't think Rick is gonna be very happy about it."

𖤓𖤓𖤓

As it turns out, Hershel did want Iris to speak to Rick about going out there again.

She wasn't entirely convinced that it was going to help, but she had agreed to try. The council all thought that she was the best person to bring up the topic to her brother, which is why she was trudging out to the gardens with her own gun secured to her waistband. In her arms was Bonnie, staring at the crops with wide, curious eyes and tapping her feet against Iris' stomach.

"Is Uncle Rick afraid of the walkers?" Bonnie asks innocently, looking at the dead who line the fences.

Iris adjusts her grip on the little girl, hesitating before answering. "He's not afraid of them, honey. He's strong and tough and can protect himself against them. But just because he can, doesn't mean he wants to. We're in a safer place now, which means that not everyone has to kill the walkers."

Bonnie was quiet for a moment, as if she was pondering that concept. "Like you? You don't go outside when Glenn does?"

"Yeah, like me." Iris says softly. "I don't go out there because I don't have to right now. But that doesn't mean it isn't important to know how to deal with the walkers. They're dangerous, and you have to remember that they're not people like us. Not anymore. If we ever end up out there for any reason, the only way to survive is to kill them. That's why Carol teaches you kids how to use weapons."

Iris wasn't supposed to know about Carol's secret lessons with the kids. She had made sure that none of the other adults were in the room when she put the storybook down and began showing the kids how to use knives and daggers. However, she forgot to take into account that Bonnie was one of the worst people to try and keep a secret, so of course she had ran straight to Iris and Glenn to show them her newfound skills. Iris hadn't been mad, in fact she was happy that Carol had taken the responsibility on. If anything did happen, it wouldn't hurt to prepare their youngest. So Iris had kept Carol's secret.

Bonnie sighs, looking at the walkers as they crowded the other side of the fence. "Lizzie says that they're people too. She calls them people names and watches them."

"She what?" Iris asks, stopping in her tracks. Lizzie was the oldest daughter of Ryan Samuels, and Bonnie would play with her and her younger sister, Mika. "You go out by the fence?"

"Only the first layer." Bonnie says, looking at Iris guiltily. "Lizzie likes to."

"Well, you don't listen to her, okay?" Iris picks up the pace, putting Bonnie down on the ground as they approach the gardens. "They're not people, and we don't feel bad about killing walkers, understand?"

"Okay." Bonnie replies. Her attention was already pulled away by Carl picking peas from the large plants, and she grins. "Carl!"

Iris sighs, making a mental note to talk to Bonnie about it later, and she lets her run over to Carl in excitement. Both Carl and Rick were working hard to provide meat and crops for the entire prison, but they both pause at the sound of the little voice.

"Hey!" Carl smiles, ruffling Bonnie's hair as she hugs his legs. Carl had gotten used to not having his gun or fighting walkers (or people, for that matter). After the first couple of weeks, he had stopped begging to go out on supply runs or kill walkers at the fence, focusing on the crops and staying up late reading comic books just like a normal kid. It made her feel bad to even suggest to Rick about letting him carry a gun, but she wanted him to be able to protect himself.

They never knew what was around the corner.

"You alright?" Rick asks, dropping his rake back inside the pigs pen. He walks over to the three of them, raising an eyebrow. Carl had handed Bonnie one of the peas in a pod, which she had started happily munching on.

"Yeah." Iris breathes, wrapping her arms around herself despite the heat. She looks back out at the fences, chewing on her cheek at the sheer amount of walkers. "I've never seen that many built up over there."

"I know." Rick replies, following her gaze. "But your council has a good hand on it. Assigning more fence shifts, it's helping."

Iris leans against the pen, brushing her fingers over the wood. "Still It has us worried, you know? It's only a fence. It's not as strong as we would want, and we always need more people on it."

"Iris..." Rick sighs, bringing a hand up to his temple in exasperation. "You know why I don't. You're the same, are you not?"

Rick shouldn't have to leave the boundaries of the prison if he didn't want to, Iris truly believed that. They had plenty of supply runners that it wasn't necessary, but Iris did think that it was important for her brother ans her nephew to carry guns. Nothing came as a guarantee, not even the strong walls of this prison, and not carrying was just a risk they couldn't afford to take.

"I'm not saying you have to go on every single supply run, Rick." Iris sighs, crossing her arms. "Don't you think that the two of you should be carrying guns? What if something happens?"

"Nothing's going to happen." Rick replies, turning away from her.

Iris clenches her jaw, stepping back into Rick's line of sight. She spoke in a hushed whisper, not wanting Carl to overhear her. "You don't know that. It's been months, Rick. He's learned his lesson. Let him carry. You know how dangerous it can be. I wanna start teaching Bonnie, too. Keep her safe."

"I don't want this world to change him." Rick sighs, shaking his head. "He's lost enough, Iris. He's thirteen. He's just a kid."

"I know." Iris whispers, taking in a deep breath. She turns around to see Carl and Bonnie sitting on the ground together eating half of the crops they'd grown. Bonnie was giggling as Carl dropped the sheriff's hat on her head, and it fell over her eyes. "It's not Carl that's changed. It's the entire world. If you don't let him adapt then, I don't know what will happen."

"Please." Rick cuts in, staring at his pigs and holding a hand to his hips. "I've got a lot to deal with right now. Can we drop it?"

Hershel, I tried,

"Okay." Iris relents, feeling her muscles relax. She looks down at the pigs, frowning as she notices how odd they looked, lying on the ground and hardly moving. "What's going on?"

Rick shrugs. "I dunno. They're not right. They're actin' all lethargic, like they're sick or something."

Iris feels a rush of panic, and she shudders. "Sick? That's not good."

"No." Rick echoes. He looks around the field, running his eyes over the limp pigs, over to Bonnie and Carl sitting down and playing together and finally over to the sounds of the walkers snarling and pushing against the fence. "It's not good at all."

𖤓𖤓𖤓

Once the day was over, Iris and Glenn settled in their cell for the night. They had been guilty of spending a lot of time up in the watchtower, and Iris thought it was high time that they sleep on an actual mattress for the night before her back gave out. Plus, she was feeling just as drained as she had done this morning, and the thought of being welcomed by her warm bed was very comforting indeed.

Iris stretches out, groaning as she shifts positions, lying on her left side. "How can I be so tired and yet I can't get to sleep?"

"I don't know." Glenn murmurs, reaching out to touch her forehead with the back of her palm. "You're not warm."

Iris doesn't reply, letting out heavy breaths as she rested her head against the pillow.The blankets were strewn over her figure, and Glenn was radiating nothing but heat beside her, but despite her drooping eyes she just couldn't seem to fall asleep.

"You're warm." She whispers eventually, dropping her head onto his shoulder and wrapping her arm around his waist. She could feel his stomach rising and falling with his every breath, which calmed her. "It's nice. You're like my very own space heater."

Glenn chuckles, kissing her cheek and sinking even further into the mattress. He starts to softly caress her loose hair, lulling her into a sense of security. "Anything for you."

Iris hums, closing her eyes and smiling lazily to herself. She draws random pictures on his bare chest, barely even alert enough to move her fingers. Even so, her mind was overly active, replaying the conversation with Rick over and over again in her head. "Do you ever think that things are gonna end up going wrong here?"

Glenn sits up slightly as if the question had surprised him, but before he could respond to her, there was a soft patter of footsteps.

"Glenn? Iris?"

Bonnie's voice sounded small and broken, taking timid steps forward into their cell. Glenn and Iris immediately discard their hushed conversation, any lull of sleep forgotten. Iris holds out her arms. "Sweetheart? What's wrong?"

With a sniffle and one of her hands clutching her little ragdoll, Bonnie climbs onto the bed and into Iris' arms. Glenn moves closer, wrapping his arms around the two of them as Iris gently rocks Bonnie back and forth. "I had a bad dream. I was back in my old house and the monsters came."

"Shh." Iris soothes, leaning her head on Glenn's shoulder and holding Bonnie close to her chest. "You're safe here."

"They're all outside." Bonnie sniffles, wiping her red eyes. "They're everywhere."

Iris feels her heart break at Bonnie's words. She wishes more than anything that she could tell her that the monsters weren't real, that they weren't going to hurt anyone, that she could leave the confines of their home without fear, but Iris couldn't lie to her. Bonnie couldn't live in this world without understanding they were dangerous, because Iris had seen what happened to kids who were innocent enough to not know how to fight walkers.

"You'll always have us." Glenn whispers, running his hands over Bonnie's hair, softly pushing it away from her face. "We'll protect you. No matter what. You don't have to worry, okay? Let the adults do all the worrying for you."

Iris shoots him a grateful glance, shuffling in the bed until she is lying down, and Bonnie is snuggled between the two of them. "You can sleep with us tonight, baby."

Bonnie nods silently, nestling between the two of them. Glenn's hand rested on the small of her back, and Iris moved her hands up and down her arm. She had stopped crying, obviously exhausted enough to let her eyes droop, all of the fear evaporating from her body as soon as she felt the comforting touches of her parents. Despite the perilous situation, Iris smiles to herself

"You're gonna be okay." Glenn whispers to Bonnie, even though her breaths were already evening out. "You've got us now. We'll keep you safe."

Once she had settled between them, confident that no monsters would ever get her as long as she was with them, Bonnie slept like a baby. Iris had managed a full nights sleep, feeling just as reassured beside her family, and she had woken up in the morning feeling much more refreshed.

Glenn had a run planned with the team today, though their numbers were lower due to the need for more people at the fences. The walkers had somehow built up even more overnight, and now there was a thick layer of them around the entire perimeter of the prison. Whenever he did happen to have runs, they tended to wake up earlier so they could enjoy a long breakfast before saying goodbye.

Judith was making soft coos from her and Bonne's shared room, so Iris had picked the baby up and taken her with them to Tyreese's little setup outside. The kitchen area was a gazebo made from wood and adorned with dozens of stools so that people could eat together. Since there was a run happening today, there were more early risers than usual sitting around the hub. The chatter and the laughter echo through the courtyard, giving it the feel of a cafe back in the old world.

Carol was serving bowls of soup today, a fresh smile on her face as she handed out the steaming food. Bonnie had recovered from her nightmare and she was back to the usual happy little girl that Iris knew, clinging onto Glenn's hand and looking excited by the promise of food. Iris was bouncing a very awake Judith in her arms, running her hands over her small tufts of curly hair.

"Soup today, they're giving us a real treat." Glenn says, swinging Bonnie's hand up and down as they walk.

Iris sniffs in, the scent of the food feeling especially strong today, reaching her nose and creeping down her throat. "Do you think there's meat in it?"

"Yeah, Daryl found a deer yesterday, remember?" Glenn replies as they approach the counter. He hoists Bonnie up so that she's sitting beside him. He looks just as excited as Bonnie did to eat the broth, which made sense because they really were two peas in a pod. Iris chews on her lip, not enjoying the smell of the food at all, even though she usually liked deer.

"How are you doing?" Carol asks, booping Bonnie on the nose as she slides a bowl and a spoon towards her.

Bonnie nods rapidly, already picking up the spoon and shoving some of the broth in her mouth. "Good! Thanks, Carol!"

Iris smiles at Bonnie before setting Judith's diaper bag on the table, pulling out the bottle that she had warmed just before coming outside. She adjusts Judith in her grip before gently pressing the bottle against her lips. Judith started feeding hungrily, letting out soft coos as she drank.

"Glenn?" Carol asks with a smile. "I'm guessing you want a bowl before going on your run."

"Mhm." Glenn nods his head and playfully jabs Bonnie's side. "Or I might have to steal yours!"

"Nooo!" Bonnie protests, giggling as she eats another spoonful. Iris laughs at their antics, rocking Judith in her arms.

Carol leans on the counter opposite her, tilting her head. "Not hungry, honey?"

Iris shrugs, taking the bottle from Judith's mouth so she could pat the baby's back. "Not really. I usually love Tyreese's recipes, but I'm not loving the smell. I'm good here with Judith, honestly."

Carol hums, dropping the subject as she starts serving up more bowls. However, Glenn sends her a look. "Still feeling off?"

"I'm fine." Iris smiles back, giving Judith the second half of the milky bottle. With her spare hand, she reassuringly taps his shoulder. "Promise."

Dr. S was standing against one of the counters, having just finished his own bowl of broth. Iris catches his eye through the bustle of people and gives him a soft smile, which he returns. He looks past her into the distance and smiles wider, waving his hands. "Morning, Daryl."

Daryl was approaching the hub, swinging a cloth over his shoulder as he walked. Iris guessed that he had just finished cleaning his bike like he did religiously every other day, making it the cleanest vehicle left in Atlanta. Daryl gives him a short wave. "What's up, Dr. S?"

His presence caused a chorus of happy welcomes, and Iris stifles a laugh as she watches the gruff archer dodge all of the attempted greetings. He had become a very popular guy in the prison, being both the one who went out on hunts and the one who brought newcomers back. Still, he was the same gruff man he always was, with a secret soft spot only for a fair few.

Daryl rolls his eyes as he approaches Glenn, Iris and the girls. He looks over their bowls, turning to face Carol. "Smells good."

Carol gives him a cheeky smile. "Just so you know, I liked you first."

"Stop." Daryl warns, but Iris could tell he wasn't serious. Carol was one of the people that Daryl most definitely had a soft spot for, and Iris thought it was adorable. "You know, Rick brought in a lot of them, too."

Iris snorts, shaking her head with a smile. "Don't put yourself down like that. You've been doin' great and you know it."

"Give the stranger sanctuary, keeping people fed, you're gonna have to learn to live with the love." Carol teases, fiddling with the serving spoon.

Glenn chuckles. "Love and Daryl Dixon? We talkin' about the same guy here?"

Daryl responds by ruffling Glenn's hair, messing it all up. Bonnie giggles, staring up at Glenn's floppy hair all over his eyes.

"Right." Daryl stands up straighter, looking at Carol with urgency. He looked towards the fence, which made Iris think that he was worried about the crowd of walkers too. "I need you to see something."

Carol nods. "Patrick, you want to take over?"

"Yes, ma'am." Patrick's arm had fully healed now, no longer needing the bandage on it. He liked to help out in the kitchen just as much as he loved listening to stories in the library, so he was jumping at the chance to serve the food. With a beaming expression, he looks at Daryl. "Mr. Dixon, I just wanted to thank you for bringing that deer back yesterday. It was a real treat, sir. And I'd be honored to shake your hand."

Daryl stares at the young boy for a moment, not breaking eye contact as he licks every single one of his fingers before slapping his hand down on Patrick's. He didn't seem fazed, likely just happy Daryl had shown him any acknowledgement at all, but Iris turned up her nose. "You're disgusting!"

Daryl and Carol had already walked a few paces away, but Daryl didn't hesitate to throw up his middle finger. Iris rolls her eyes, taking the empty bottle from Judith's mouth and bouncing her on her lap.

She watches Glenn eat for a while, staring at his messed up hair that fell over his eyes as he licks his last spoonful clean. She loved that he was so good at what he did, but it didn't stop the swirl of anxiety taking root in her chest. "Promise you'll be careful today?"

Glenn puts down his spoon, sensing her worry. "Hey, I'm always careful, aren't I?"

"I know." Iris nods. She glances back at the fence, shaking her head. "It's the build up. Making me feel sick to my stomach. Just... try and get back fast."

"I will." Glenn smiles. He stands up, ruffling Bonnie's hair before walking over to Iris so he could kiss her forehead. "I've gotta go get ready to go, okay? Make sure you come up and say goodbye."

"Always." Iris replies softly, biting her lip as she looks at the walkers surrounding the fence. If they didn't find a solution soon, then no one would be able to safely leave the prison at all, let alone go out on long supply runs.

All Iris could do was pray that Glenn would come back okay.

AUTHORS NOTE

❥ Welcome back to Doomsday!
❥ We have finally crossed into season four territory 👀👀
❥ I really loved writing this chapter, it was very flowing to me and I found it quick to write once I got into it.
❥ The little Rhee family has my whole heart, I love writing their little domestic scenes so much.
❥ If it wasn't obvious by the first scene, a month has passed since the last chapter, making the timelines match back up to the start of season four.
❥ Stay tuned for some Glenn POV content next chapter!
❥ Nominate Doomsday in the newest fanfic awards if you like, I really appreciate it :) I'll provide a link!
❥ Please vote and comment if you enjoyed <3

Fanfic Awards:
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