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packing it up

MERLE DIXON WAS DEAD.

Iris may have had conflicting feelings surrounding the older Dixon brother, but when she learned that he had been killed by the Governor trying to save Michonne, she felt a pang of sadness. In his last days, Merle had taken a stand, taking out as many of the Governor's men with him as possible. Even though he had originally taken Michonne with the intent of handing her to the Governor, Merle let Michonne go and tried to take out the Governor himself.

Daryl had found him stumbling around in the aftermath of his final act of heroism; not himself but rather the monsters that plagued them. He had been forced to take out his older brother and put him to rest forever.

No one could stop the war that was brewing now, even if they wanted to.

Iris sighs as she stuffs the remainder of her stuff in her tattered and worn backpack, the one that she's managed to keep with her since the very start of this mess. She started with only a few possessions, but now it was getting so full that she had to force the zipper to close ― she had amassed a small collection of clothes that she didn't wish to part with, along with Bonnie's small doll, Abigail, perched safely on top.

"I don't want to leave." Bonnie mutters, pouting her bottom lip as she watches Abigail's face disappear.

Iris pauses her careful packing, turning to see Bonnie sitting cross-legged on the bottom bunk with wide brown eyes. She moves closer to her, gently taking Bonnie's hands in her. "You're not leaving forever, sweetheart. You're going to be safe with Hershel and Beth and Carl and baby Judith while we protect our home."

Bonnie pouts even more. "Why are the mean people trying to attack us?"

She was afraid, Iris could see it in her eyes and in the way that she was seeking out her touch for reassurance. Iris squeezes her hands tighter and shuffles closer. "I know it can be scary, Bonnie. I wish I had all of the answers, I really do. Some people just don't like sharing and they want to take what other people have instead of asking nicely."

"Why can't we all agree?" Bonnie asks, tilting her head innocently.

"I wish we could." Iris reaches up to gently push a strand of Bonnie's hair back. "Adults are complicated, unfortunately. People don't always agree."

Bonnie chews on the inside of her cheek. "Are people going to die like my daddy?"

Iris sighs and looks away, but she couldn't avoid the question like she so desperately wanted to. "They could. That's why you need to go with Hershel away from all of the guns, okay?"

"We'll be back in this room before we know it." Glenn pipes up. Iris turns around to see him leaning on the doorway, his own bag swung over his back. He looks at Iris. "They're getting the cars ready now."

"Okay." Iris replies, looking up at her fiance with relief. Bonnie's questions were coming from a place of fear, but Iris herself was terrified that she would say the wrong thing and traumatise Bonnie forever. "We should probably get going soon."

Bonnie frowns again. "I don't want you to die."

"Oh, honey." Iris turns away from Glenn to cup Bonnie's face. "That's not gonna happen."

"We're gonna wear that big, tough riot gear armour." Glenn adds, stepping into the cell and holding his arms out. Bonnie jumps into his arms right away, and Glenn lifts her up until her legs curl around his torso. "They're gonna have to go through a lot of layers if they wanna get to us."

Bonnie rests her head on Glenn's shoulder, sighing in discontent. "But how will I know you'll be safe?"

Glenn takes a big exhale and gently passes Bonnie to Iris. She may have been six years old, but she was incredibly light and easy to carry, fitting in Iris' arms like a glove. She watches as Glenn takes the flower wreath pin from his shirt, holding it up so that Bonnie could see it.

"What's that?" Bonnie asks, reaching out her index finger.

Glenn smiles at Iris for a moment before looking back at Bonnie. "It was a very special gift. The flower wreath pin is actually magic, and as long as it's safely pinned on your person, it'll keep you safe. If you wish extra, extra hard, it'll keep your family safe, too."

Bonnie's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Mhm." Glenn says with a cheeky smirk. "Now, it's very special to me and I don't like to part with it, but maybe you can borrow it until the fighting is over. That way you know that even though we're not with you, we're safe and we're coming back."

Bonnie got quiet, staring at the pin with unblinking eyes. As if she got shy, the corners of her mouth upturned and she just nodded, burying her head in Iris' chest. Glenn and Iris share an amused look, and Glenn gently takes the pin from his shirt and fastens it on Bonnie's little cardigan.

"There you go." Glenn beams, stepping back to admire his handiwork. "Now you have the magic too."

Iris kept a hold of Bonnie as the three of them trail outside to where Rick and the others were packing the car full of stuff. If their plan was going to work, it had to look like they had cleared out the prison in its entirety so that they could catch Woodbury off guard when they attacked.

There was an air of disturbed silence amongst the others as they packed up the cars. Rick was in the middle of it all, holding his hands to his head and watching the cars begin to fill up with stuff. Daryl was sitting on his bike, staring out into the distance. He was probably thinking about his brother and what he had to do to him: it was unimaginable. Even thinking about having to do something like that to Rick brought a surge of bile rise in her throat. She could only hope that once the prison was theirs without challenge, he could find it in himself to recover from it.

"Come on." Iris mutters softly, putting Bonnie down on the ground and walking towards the cars. "Let's put our stuff in the car."

Glenn opens one of the car boots, putting his bag neatly in the back. Iris follows his lead, gently dropping her own backpack on top of his. Bonnie slips her hand into Glenn's and watches anxiously, proudly displaying the flower wreath pin on her shirt. "Is Abigail alright in there?"

"She's having a cozy nap." Iris answers, looking back at the doors as they swing open. Carl had stormed outside, shoving his backpack into the open boot with a scowl. He was less than ecstatic that he wasn't allowed to stay and fight, and it was times like these that she was reminded that Carl was a teenager now, taking out everything on his dad even if he was just trying to keep him safe.

She was glad Bonnie had just accepted it.

"Carl." Rick calls, with an edge in his voice. He tries to reach out for his son, but Carl just brushes his arm off and walks away until he is by himself next to the fence. Iris sighs, wanting to go and talk to him but knowing it was fruitless.

Glenn, still holding Bonnie's hand, follows Carl with his eyes. "I've never seen him this mad. Even with Lori. He just shut down."

"He's still a kid. It's easy to forget." Rick replied, glancing at Carl one last time before walking in the other direction towards Daryl and Carol.

Glenn turns to look at Iris, but she just shrugs. "He'll get over it. It's for his safety. He won't sulk forever."

"I hope not." Glenn says, holding his spare hand to his hip. "I was hoping to ask him to be my best man."

Iris grins, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a quick kiss. "You're sweet. He'll love that."

Bonnie scrunches up her nose. "Eww."

"Come on now, Miss Flower Girl." Iris giggles, trying to keep things as bright and bubbly as possible before sending Bonnie off. She opens the car door (where Beth would be driving herself, Hershel, Carl, Judith and Bonnie as far away from the conflict as possible) and reaches for her hand. "Let's strap you in."

Bonnie sheepishly steps forward, peering into the car with worry. "Promise I'll come back?"

"Promise." Iris says warmly, extending her arms out. "Give me a hug goodbye."

The little girl fell into her arms, and Iris gave her a soft kiss on the head. She knew right then and there that she would fight to heaven and hell to get back to her alive. Come nightfall, the prison would be theirs forever.

𖤓𖤓𖤓

The riot gear felt heavy and uncomfortable against her body, as if she wasn't supposed to be wearing it at all. The thick armour wasn't designed for someone of her weight or height, and it fell lankly no matter how she positioned herself. The helmet was murky and hard to see out of, likely due to lack of use, and she could only just reach the trigger of her rifle. Rick's plan placed Iris and Glenn on one of the bridges, hiding behind the wooden palettes designed to keep them safe as they reigned bullets down on their intruders. The Governor may have an army, but Rick was strategic with his schemes and he knew how to use the resources that he was given. Their group of twelve was small but mighty, and Iris was confident they could beat any enemy that came their way.

Maggie was adorned in her own riot gear in the bridge opposite her and Glenn; the three of them were the first line of defense, ready to strike as soon as the Governor and his people walked back out to the courtyard thinking that they had left it all behind. Meanwhile, the rest of the group that had stayed to fight were scattered around the prison out of sight, with smoke bombs in hand. Once Woodbury's guard was down, all they would have to do was drive them away.

Iris squeezes her eyes shut for a moment, leaning against the pallette. The wait felt strenuously long, stretched out by the fact that she knew what was coming. Her limbs felt stiff as the armour weighed it down, and she let her leg drop to the ground with a sigh. The silence that surrounded them was brutally sharp, not even the walkers were making their usual groans as they wandered the fields. It felt like the world had come to a stop around them, like the entire Godforsaken universe was waiting to see who would win.

And it would damn sure be them.

"He'll give us a signal soon." Glenn whispers beside her, sensing her impatience. They were waiting on Rick's signal to start shooting, and it would certainly be an explosive one.

"I hope so." Iris whispers back, turning her head with difficulty to look at him. His face was partially concealed by his own helmet, though his riot gear fit him so much better than it did on her. "I'm worried about Bonnie."

"She's strong." Glenn's voice was still quiet, but she could hear the faith in his voice when he spoke about their surrogate daughter. "And she's safe. We're doing this for her."

Iris smiles, even though Glenn couldn't actually see her face. To hear him speak so protectively over the little girl who had stolen her heart was like music to her ears. "You're right. For her."

She opens her mouth to speak again, but she is cut off when the sounds of vehicles reach her ears. Her eyes widened in shock, listening to the engines roar with the declaration of war, storming through their gates and crushing the blades of grass that she had once walked through in bliss. Iris crouches down even further, twisting her body to look through the tiny gaps in the palettes.

The Governor was here.

Despite the fact that the prison courtyard had been overrun with soldiers slowly advancing towards their cells, Iris knew that it would still be a while before Rick gave his signal to them. The most important part of their plan was the element of surprise, and the army of soldiers had to be certain that no one was left behind in the prison before they could begin their attack. Iris had to force her hands from shaking as her entire body freezes in place, listening to the many footsteps thump on the ground below like little earthquakes that slowly cracked away at her soul.

Then, all sounds desist like they had never even existed.

The imaginary clock in Iris' mind kept ticking, on and on and on, counting every single second that passed as the army made their way through the prison. She knew they were rifling through the place they called home, and the picture in her mind caused a shiver down her spine. Even though no one remained outside, Iris couldn't bring herself to move and look at Glenn, as if the art of her simply breathing would tip the Governor off. It felt like she was helplessly watching everything burn around her all the while she was rooted in place. Even when she closes her eyes, all she can see is smoke and fire. Her heart crashes against her ribcage, like a trapped bird begging to be freed from captivity. She could hear Glenn's heavy breaths beside her, and it brought her some comfort to know that he was right there with her. Anything that would happen, they would face it together.

That is what marriage was.

"Do you think Rick has-" Glenn shuffles beside her, adjusting his gun from where it was resting. However, he didn't get the chance to finish his sentence.

A booming explosion rocks the very ground beneath them from the force of the blow. It happened right on schedule, as The Governor and his people would've turned the corner to the final hallway they had cleared out, where Rick, Daryl, Michonne and Carol were lying in wait. Right about now, their enemies would be blinded from the smoke, giving them the steady advantage.

Iris gasps, straightening herself up and gritting her teeth. She looks over to Glenn out of habit. "There he is."

Rick's explosion had the desired effect. Within seconds, the Governor's army began to sprint out of the cell blocks and into the open courtyard. There were screams and the obvious scramble for a getaway, but the brave few took out their guns and started shooting wildly, but Rick and the others weren't going to leave the cells until most of the soldiers had been scared away.

This was where Glenn, Iris and Maggie came in.

In perfect unison, the three of them stood, protected by the gear on their backs, and began spraying bullets down onto the people below. Once again, Iris has to force her hand to stop shaking even as she squeezes the trigger. Like expected, the array of people started to run around in fear. They almost looked like walkers as Iris peers through her visor.

No.

She shakes the thought from her mind. They weren't walkers. As much as they were invaders and following someone despicable, they were people. Walkers were not people. She may have killed in the past, but only when absolutely necessary.

The goal is to drive them away. The goal is to drive them away.

And as Iris looks back through her visor, she didn't see an unshrinking army, but people who were terrified. These people weren't fighting; they were running. Suddenly, it was hard to associate these people with those who had kept Iris and Glenn hostage in Woodbury. Back then, they seemed a formidable force of faceless soldiers, but perhaps the Governor was better at manipulation than she thought. Iris knew there were civilians in the town ― she had seen it herself as she was dragged through the streets but she had also heard of it from Andrea when she begged them to find peace. Did the Governor's army consist of these civilians who had barely even touched a gun?

"Get the hell out of here!" Glenn yells as he presses down on his trigger. When Iris follows the path of his bullets, she notices that he's not aiming for the men, but rather the ground under their feet.

Iris stops shooting, staring through her visor as she finds scared face after scared face.

Then, finally, the man himself.

The Governor was yelling words that she could not hear over the sounds of guns, but he was pointing at the cars hastily parked with hasty intent. He was tailed by Rick and Daryl, entering her line of sight as they chased the man out of their property. There was an eye patch over one of his eyes but the other one was looking around wildly in anger. Iris centers her rifle straight for his head, peering through the crosshairs as her entire body tenses.

This was the man who kept her and Glenn in captivity. A man who had drawn his knife straight down her face and taken pleasure from the pain it caused. A man who was responsible for the deaths of Oscar and Axel, their new friends who had lost their lives too soon. A man who had taken Merle away from Daryl just as they were working on repairing their bond. This was the man who manipulated an entire town into following his every move, no matter how dangerous, how wrong. She could kill him right here and get it over with before it had even properly begun.

Glenn grunts beside her, drawing her attention away momentarily. He was still shooting every so often, and Iris knew that he was aiming at the ground and not the people. He was good that way. Better than her, better than any of them. If one of his bullets really had struck and killed one of the people that they both knew deep down were just manipulated, scared civilians, it would scar him forever. She remembers his face when she killed one of the guards keeping them in the cells at Woodbury, even though he knew and understood that it was something she had to do.

She couldn't do it to him again.

Iris hadn't pressed down on the trigger for a while, but now she lowers her rifle. She wanted the Governor dead, but not at the expense of the clearly terrified people below. All of the shooting had ceased, and Iris sighs, ripping her helmet off of her head. The cars were driving away at the speed of lightning. For a moment, everything around her faded to grey.

The world shifted back into focus as Glenn pats her on the shoulder, embracing her from behind as he laughs with glee. His helmet was discarded on the floor, revealing his flushed face that was painted with joy. As the last remnants of the cars vanish out of sight, Iris turns around and hugs Glenn tight, despite the armour that limited their movements. Glenn kisses her on the cheek before wrapping her up in his embrace, an action that never failed to make her heart skip a beat.

"We did it!" Maggie's honey sweet voice calls over from the other bridge.

Iris gently peels herself away from Glenn, turning to look at Maggie. Her short hair was messy from the helmet that had covered it, but her grin was so wide that the corners of her mouth nearly touched her eyes. One of Iris' hands was still curled around Glenn's shoulders, but she raises the other one up in the air and echoes Maggie's words. "We did it!"

"Come on down!" Glenn calls, cupping his hands over his mouth so that his voice could reach Maggie. Then, with a whisper just for her, he says: "Look."

Iris' eyes find Rick, Daryl, Michonne and Carol pacing the courtyard victoriously. They were watching the empty roads as if they didn't quite believe that the plan worked.

"I'll be right down." Maggie calls back, and her head disappears behind the set of stairs leading to the courtyard.

Glenn licks his lips, getting a mysterious look in his eyes as he stares Iris up and down. Without warning, he grabs ahold of her hand and starts to run down the stairs, dragging her behind him like they were teenagers late for class. Iris lets out a bellowing laugh, her giggles echoing through the halls and lasting until their feet hit the concrete in unison.

When they approached, the others were staring up at the smokey but intact prison standing behind them. They may have driven the Governor's people away, but they were far from over in their conflict with the instigator. It was wishful thinking on her part to believe that just maybe he would leave them alone now.

Rick takes in a breath, looking around at the brazen emptiness of the courtyard: even their own group was currently divided into two, making it look even more desolate. "We did it. We drove them out."

Michonne clenches her jaw, putting her samurai sword back in its place against her back. "We should go after them."

"We should finish it." Daryl nods in agreement.

"It is finished." Maggie argues, her face dropping. "Didn't you see them hightail it out of here?"

"They could regroup." Michonne argues.

Glenn shakes his head, taking Iris' hand and squeezing it tight. She knew he was trying to reassure himself just as much as her. "We can't take the chance. He's not gonna stop."

"Did you see the people he brought with him?" Iris asks, her voice coming out shakier than intended. "They weren't soldiers. I don't think half of them have even held a gun before."

"I don't think it matters to him." Carol says, shrugging. "Men like that, they can get anyone on their side. He'll be back with more, and we can't keep living like this."

"So we take the fight back to Woodbury? We barely made it back last time." Maggie says, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I don't care." Daryl says in a gruff voice. For him, this fight was more personal than most. The Governor may have started this with her and Glenn, but the second that he laid hands on Merle Dixon, Daryl was damn sure gonna end it.

After all, as omnipotent as he seems, the Governor was only one man.

Iris nods, squeezing Glenn's hand back. "We should make sure that it's really done."

"Yeah." Rick nods in agreement, and despite the fact that they had returned to a democracy, the argument subsided following his comandeerings words. Rick points towards the prison. "Let's check on the others. Come on."

The visitor's room was eerily silent without all of their possessions inside that had made it into their home. Anything that was left behind had been lazily discarded, and all of the doors had been thrown open in the haste of the search.

Hershel had taken the kids just far enough that they would know when to return, and it only took a couple minutes before the door opened. Iris perks up immediately, dropping to the ground so that Bonnie could run into her arms.

"Iris! Glenn!" Bonnie's face lights up the second she patters into the room, her brown hair flying in the air behind her as she runs. "You did it!"

Iris makes an oomph sound as Bonnie collides with her, and Glenn kneels on the ground to join the two of them. He pats Bonnie's back as she squirms around, eventually nestling her head on iris' shoulder but resting in Glenn's lap.

"We did it." Iris echoes, running her fingers through Bonnie's hair with a smile. "We're safe."

"Hey." Rick says, his voice oddly quiet as he walks closer, hugging Carl tightly and looking up at Beth.

"Hey." Beth answers softly, rocking Judith in her arms. The newborn was wearing the hat that Iris had made for her way back at the farm, and the mittens she had found just before being taken to Woodbury. Despite the chill in the air and the conflict that still wasn't over, Judith looked snug and comfortable, which was all that really mattered.

"Dad." Carl says, breaking the hug to look at his father with coarse determination. "I'm coming to Woodbury."

"Carl." Rick warns, and the strain in his voice was obvious that the battle had drained him.

However, Carl was prepared. "Dad, I did my job out there. Just like all of you. Took out one of the Governor's soldiers."

Iris' head shoots up as Carl's words sink in. Even Glenn freezes next to her. He sounded so casual about the fact that he had killed someone, and when she gazed upon his face, it was hardened, but she didn't miss the uncanny glee in his eyes. Iris pats Bonnie on the back before moving her fully into Glenn's arms, allowing her room to stand up and walk closer to Carl.

She didn't want to judge too hastily. Maybe the man that Carl had come across wasn't just a civilian, but one of the actual soldiers, like Bonnie's dad or William had been. She glances back at Glenn, who was also standing with Bonnie in his arms, wondering if this soldier had attempted to hurt her. "You did? What did he do?"

"One of his soldiers?" Hershel spits, shaking his head in disappointment, which makes Iris step back in realisation. "A kid running away? He stumbled across us."

Something strange passes over Carl's face, and he shakes his head. "No, he drew on us."

A kid?

Rick hesitates, looking between Carl and Hershel. He eventually rests his eyes back on his son. "I'm sorry you had to do that."

Carl shrugs. His nonchalance brought a twist to Iris' stomach, and for the very first time, she began to realise that the apocalypse was affecting Carl in an unprecedented manner: it was making him desensitized. If he could take out a kid surrendering, what else was he capable of?

After all, this world was becoming the only world he knew.

"It's what I was there for." Carl repeats, gritting his teeth."I'm going with you."

Those were his last commanding words before he walked away, not even sparing her a glance.

Iris feels at a total loss with herself. She hadn't even been able to find the words when Carl was speaking, because she had never seen him act like this. He was almost acting exactly like Rick but without the experience to back it up. He was barely thirteen years old, and he already had blood on his hands. It felt like such a gigantic weight that Iris was surprised she didn't collapse from it. The worst part was, she always knew how to make Carl feel better, but right now, she had no idea what she was supposed to say to him.

The moment Carl disappears from sight, Hershel sighs. "That kid was scared. He was handing his gun over."

"He said he drew. Carl said it was in defense." Rick replies, holding his hands to his hips. It was clear that he wanted to defend his son as much as possible, but Iris could see the genuine worry in Hershel's face, and it terrified her.

Hershel shakes his head. "I was there. He didn't have to shoot. He had every reason not to..."

Rick holds out a hand to quiet him. "Maybe it looked like that to you, Hershel."

"Rick, I don't know..." Iris says, wrapping her arms around herself as she stifles a shiver. Rick glances at her, and she can see the denial but also the panic in his blue eyes.

"I'm telling you he gunned that kid down!' Hershel yells, putting his crutch down on the floor as if he were disciplining a petulant child.

Iris sighs, running her hands through her hair. She needed this fued to be over, and she needed it now.

This was the closest they had ever come to having something normal in this world, and it was right within their grasp. Maybe they could create a world where Carl never had to touch another gun again.

𖤓𖤓𖤓

There was only one more thing that needed to be done: go to Woodbury and end it. The majority of the group was standing outside by the fence, discussing their plan. Rick had already broken the news to Carl that he couldn't go and Iris hadn't seen him since, so she assumed he hadn't taken it well.

Iris and Glenn had already discussed things privately, which made their near future as a married couple all the more real, united on every front. Iris was still worried about Carl and Bonnie needed them here because she was already such an anxious kid, she didn't need the two of them leaving for yet another dangerous mission, and it wasn't like either of them particularly wanted to return to the place of their captivity.

Glenn leans against the car as Daryl drops his crossbow inside. "Rick, we're staying. We don't know where the Governor is. If he comes back, we'll hold him off."

Iris nods in agreement. "We'll make sure the kids are okay, too."

Daryl closes the car boot once he makes sure it has enough supplies for what they were about to do. He looks between Rick, Michonne and Maggie with a nod. "Just the four of us? All right."

"I appreciate you staying." Rick says to Glenn, patting him on the shoulder. He turns to Iris and his gaze softens. So much had changed in the past year, but he would always see her as the little sister who would tail behind him when he hung out with friends or crawl into his bed when she was afraid of the dark. "Look after him for me?"

"Of course." Iris says, wiping her cheek and reaching up to give him a hug. "Be safe."

"I will." Rick murmurs, giving her a soft pat on the head before letting go, opening the car door.

"We'll be back soon, Princess." Daryl adds, making Iris smile. The nickname used to get on her nerves, but it had grown on her a lot in recent months. "Hold down the fort for us."

Glenn reaches for her hand as the four of them get in the car. She leans into his side, letting out a sigh as Carol opens the gate wide enough for them to drive through. Rick presses down on the gas, and as the Carol shuts the gate again, they disappeared out of sight. There were still walkers wandering the field, but not nearly enough to even pose a threat, even with four of their best fighters gone. Still, Iris couldn't let go of the heaviness in her chest.

"You alright?" Glenn asks, wrapping his arm around her waist.

Iris sniffs, leaning her forehead against his cheek. "Yeah. I'm just tired of it all. I don't want Carl or Bonnie or Judith to grow up like this."

Glenn lightly kisses her on the cheek. "We're building a better future as we speak. Think about all that this place can become. We'll get there."

The image that he was so beautifully painting with his soft words sounded so peaceful and idyllic. She thought about the entire prison being decorated to look cozy and warm rather than harsh and soulless, or finding a double bed to put in her and Glenn's cell to turn it into a real bedroom, or turning one of the offices above into a classroom for the kids where they could teach Bonnie and Judith how to read. In fact, she was imagining dozens of little kids running about, completely safe from harm.

"I love you." Iris shuffles a little until she's facing Glenn with her arms resting over his shoulders. "I'm gonna talk to Carl. Make sure he's dealing okay. You gonna be okay taking in all of our stuff back in the cell block?"

Glenn rests his forehead against hers for a moment before adorning her with a cheeky smile. "And I love you. I'll be alright. Plus, I've got a little helper with me, anyway."

He turns around to show her Bonnie, who was sitting on the ground and leaned against the car that had all of their stuff, including Iris' backpack that had Abigail inside. The flower wreath pin was still proudly pinned to her shirt, glimmering in the sun.

"Okay." Iris smiles, kissing his cheek one last time. "Catch you later."

She thought she would have to look for a while to find Carl, assuming he had found some dark corner to sulk in. However, she came across him in minutes. Carl must've been watching his dad drive off, because he had positioned himself directly in the eyeline of the fence.

As Iris turns the corner, she sighs in relief. Carl was staring at the ground and kicking the wall every so often, but he didn't look too different from any normal teenager that had essentially been grounded by a parent.

Luckily, it was her job to just be the cool aunt.

"Hey." She says, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall.

Carl looks up at her, but instead of the warm smile she was expecting, he rolls his eyes. "What?"

"Whoa." Iris lifts her hands up in surrender. "I come in peace. I just want a talk."

"I don't need another lecture." Carl looks away from her. His voice was considerably deeper than she was expecting, even though he had lost the higher pitch a few months ago. He was growing up right before her eyes, and now he didn't even have a mom to help him through it. Even though he was clearly mad at Rick, he still wore the sheriff's hat on his head, which gave her some hope.

Iris was in no position to give Carl a lecture for doing what he did, even if it terrified her. Instead, she takes a deep breath and decides to be truthful with him, because that is what she would've wanted at his age. "I killed someone in Woodbury, you know?"

Carl immediately perks up, finally looking her in the eyes. He was surprised, but not in a way that made her feel judged. "You did?"

Iris nods. She had conflicting feelings about it herself. Of course it had affected her, she was only human after all, but she knew that there was nothing else to be done in the situation she was in. "He was keeping us hostage. Stopping us from leaving. They were gonna kill us. They almost did kill us."

Carl nods, holding his hands out in agreement. "So you had to do it. So you get it!"

Iris raises an eyebrow. "Was your soldier trying to kill you? Or was he handing the gun over?"

"He was handing it over." Carl mutters. He still rolled his eyes, but she seemed to be making progress. "I wanted to protect Beth and Judith and Bonnie. I wanted to make you all proud. I'm sorry."

"Hey." Iris steps closer to him, stepping forward to adjust the hat on his head. "I'm always gonna be proud of you. No matter what. You did what you thought was right. I'm not mad at you, kid. I'm worried about you. I want you to be able to talk to me."

"My dad is mad at me." Carl says. "That's why he didn't let me go."

Iris can't help but smile. "He didn't let you go because he's trying to protect you. Don't worry too much about your dad, okay? He loves you, he's proud of you. I was fighting with Glenn before, and it worked out for us because we listened to each other. "All you've gotta do is apologise to him. Understand where he's coming from, okay?"

Carl takes a moment to let her words sink in, and then he steps forward and hugs her. "Okay. I will. I love you, aunt Iris."

"I love you too, kid." Iris replies, patting his head gently.

𖤓𖤓𖤓

A few hours pass without any sign of the others.

People were getting pretty restless as they waited for their friends to return. Glenn and Bonnie had managed to put everything back in its proper place after the first hour, so the rest of it was spent anxiously lying in wait. The three of them ended up sitting outside on one of the courtyard benches, talking about anything and everything that came to mind.

"What do you do in a wedding?" Bonnie asks, playing with Abigail on the table after Glenn and Iris got on the topic of their engagement.

Iris laughs, sharing a look with Glenn before answering. "Well, usually you'd have two people who are in love who want to get married, and a bride wears a beautiful white dress and a groom wears a crisp suit perfectly tailored to fit. They invite all of their friends and family and they go to a church, say their vows in front of a vicar. And then they share their first official kiss as husband and wife and then they party all night to celebrate the first day of the rest of their lives. It's supposed to be the best day of your life, the most important day of your life, a special day just for you..."

She tails off when she realises both Glenn and Bonnie are staring at her.

Iris blushes sheepishly. "But I don't know we can do all that in this prison. It's all different now."

She had accepted that she'd never get her dream wedding in a church, where she could plan for months and months to make it perfect, like she'd wanted since she was seven years old. However, she had Glenn and that was enough.

"Why not?" Bonnie tilts her head and lets go of her doll.

Glenn smirks, raising an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, why not?"

"Glenn." Iris says, stifling a snort at the sincerity in his tone, despite the way his face looked.

"I'm serious!" Glenn exclaims, but he's laughing while he's talking. "We should have a proper wedding. The best one we can possibly pull off. I don't mind waiting. I know how important it is to you."

That just makes Iris blush even more.

"You're turning red." Bonnie giggles, pointing to her own cheeks like it was the most hilarious thing in the world. "You love him!"

"Yes, she does!" Glenn replies with a grin, booping Bonnie on her nose, only making her giggle more.

Suddenly, Bonnie's eyes widen and she points into the distance. "Bus! Bus! Bus!"

"What the-" Glenn starts, but he tails off. His expression turned to confusion so fast that Iris whips her head around, spotting a big yellow bus start to drive towards them.

"Who is that?" Carl asks, stepping out of the cell block. He was fearless for his age, taking a step forward without even thinking about it so that he could meet the new arrivals.

The bus halts to a stop when it reaches the fence, and Iris reaches for her gun at the same time that Glenn reaches down to hold an arm over Bonnie.

It was Rick who stepped out.

"Rick?" Iris whispers, the corners of her mouth upturning despite the confusion that she felt. Rick opens the fence and the bus drives through, stopping just in front of the four of them. When Iris peers through the window, she sees a lot of curious faces looking back. She lets out a sound of surprise and turns around to Glenn. "It's people from Woodbury."

Rick walks over to them just in time for Daryl, Maggie and Michonne to step out, followed by the large group of citizens from Woodbury who were staring up at the prison in shock.

"What is this?" Carl asks, narrowing his eyebrows. The others who had stayed behind had gathered around the bus now, but Hershel was by far the happiest to see the dozens of new people walking through the courtyard.

Rick pats Carl's shoulder. "They're gonna join us."

Iris' eyes widen at Rick's confirmation. He didn't provide any more information before he walked away with his hands still wrapped around Carl. Iris could only assume that their mission had been a success and the Governor had been defeated.

The prison was about to get a hell of a lot more crowded.

It felt like the best news she ever could've been given. Iris thinks back to Glenn's words, how they can truly make something out of this place. She watches as a group of kids step out of the bus, wide-eyed and innocent, and she lets out a laugh in joy.

"Glenn." Iris calls, turning around and holding her hands over her mouth.

"This is amazing." Glenn laughs back, walking over to embrace her in a hug. The acceptance of the citizens from Woodbury felt like one of the most significant moments of her life in this apocalypse so far, and she sighs in relief. Glenn laughs out loud again, letting go of her to hold his hand out for Bonnie. "Hey, there are so many kids to play with now!"

Iris takes another look around the crowded courtyard, but her face falls when she realises that there was someone still in Woodbury who was missing.

"Where's Andrea?" She asks one in particular, taking a fleeting step forward.

Michonne swallows, shaking her head. "She didn't make it."

"Oh..." Iris frowns as Michonne's words sink in. Andrea may have been apart from them in the past few months, but there was a time where Iris would see the perky blonde every single day, and Andrea had always been a friend. Andrea was so full of life in the way that she jumped at every opportunity to learn, and Iris would truly miss hearing her snarky comments whenever one of the boys did anything dumb. From Michonne's expression, she knew exactly who had done it. "Oh my god. Michonne, I'm so sorry."

Glenn and Bonnie walk over to her then, sensing her sadness. Iris sniffles and hugs Bonnie from behind, pulling the little girl's head into her chest. Glenn loops his arm over her shoulder, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder.

They had lost so much since taking the prison for their own, but now they were entering their own new beginning.

Now, they were going to make it a home.

AUTHORS NOTE

❥ Welcome back to Doomsday!
❥ And that's season three concluded!! What an incredible ride writing this season was, I had such a fun time writing it and especially reading all of your comments, I love you guys so much <3
❥ Season three ended up coming in at 129k words, which is literally only a couple thousand words shorter than ALL of act one, which is actually crazy since act two is only halfway through right now. The entire fic has already surpassed 300k and is very closely coming up to 400k which I absolutely cannot believe.
❥ I like how Iris' character ended this season. She's definitely a lot more hardened but she's also shown her humanity, especially in this chapter. Her conversation with Carl has my whole heart.
❥ There will be a few in-between chapters before we start season four to look forward to, which is so exciting! As always, it may take a few days (I always aim for 1-4 days) between updates but that's just to ensure I'm putting out my best work possible. I appreciate you all for waiting in between updates and being right here when I open my phone. You guys are the absolute best!
❥ STAY TUNED FOR SEASON FOUR!!
❥ If you liked, please vote and comment <3