We were still walling on the road, hoping to make it to the Hilltop one of these damn days. I was started to contemplate on hopping in the back of the truck with Tara and Eduardo, but they had already sped up and I was left back here to watch the Saviors.

We were passing by two abandoned cars in the road and another off in the grass. We were close to the Hilltop, but it was just taking forever to get there, though.

I could faintly hear Jared talking and, when I glanced over, it was to Morgan, of course. He just loved to annoy Morgan. I wanted to go over there and just make it easier on everyone, and just kill Jared right then and there. He killed Ben and he had killed a lot more people than that, too.

The other Saviors were doing fine by just walking, keeping their mouths shut, and minding their own business. But not Jared, though. Nope. Not him. He just had to keep picking at Morgan and, any minute now, Morgan was going to snap back.

Before I knew it, Morgan spun around and placed his rifle at Jared, holding him at gunpoint. Everyone stopped moving and watched on, as I was secretly hoping that Morgan would just do it already.

Then, suddenly, a woman called out: "Walkers on the hill!"

I spun around and placed my gun up, seeing that actual Walkers were tumbling down the nearby roadway embankment towards the convoy. "Let's not panic! Let's just—"

Then, before I could finish what I was trying to say, chaos erupted when gunfire began to go off. I didn't know what to do than to kill the Walkers that were tumbling down our way, so I did just that. I raised my black rifle and pointed out, shooting down two shirtless Walkers.

One Walker came close to Alden, who was trying his best to not panic while backing up with the rest of his line. So, I used the scope, focused and aimed, then shot it down before it could get to him. He realized this, looked at me after taking a sigh of relief out, and nodded at me in gratitude.

I noticed that a Walker was trying to get Morgan, so I yelled to him: "Move, Morgan! I'll shoot it! You gotta move!"

However, either Morgan couldn't hear me — due to the raging gunfire — or because he didn't care to, but I couldn't get an angle on the Walker, unless it would kill Morgan in the process, too. Plus, it wasn't helping much that they were jerking around and not staying in one place.

I heard screams and realized that one ugly ass Walker had got on one of the Saviors, devouring him in front of everyone. I was disgusted, but I couldn't focus on that when I was worried about Morgan and that dancing Walker that he was with.

"Morgan!" I exclaimed, reloading my gun and focusing in the scope of it. "Move, so that I can—"

To my surprise, Morgan finally shoved the Walker off and shot it in the eye, finally dead and gone. He began to shoot the incoming Walkers while I did, too, also now noticing that Eduardo had jumped out of the back of the truck and was helping us, too.

I kept shooting until my rifle became low again, so I fetched for my extra ammo in my backpack. Though, before I could get it out, somebody practically jumped on my back and, from the sounds that it was making, it was a Walker than a human. I began to panic, but tried to remain calm as I took ahold of its right arm and flung it over me onto the ground.

However, this Walker was thinking ahead of me because, when I tried to back up to make some distance between us, it had reached out and took ahold of my ankle, making me slam down to the ground and bust my ass. Then, he used the grip that he had around my ankle to pull himself up, where he was now on top of me and trying to bite me with all of his might.

"Ugh," I whispered out while keeping the Walker at arm's length with my left hand while I used my right hand to grab my handgun that had fell out of my backpack. "God! Fuck! Shit!"

I couldn't find the strength to hold the Walker off with just one hand, so I went back to holding it with two. I wrapped my hands around its throat and squeezed, hoping that its fragile skin would collapse, even if it pours out all on me.

Then, before I knew it, the Walker was shot in the head and some of its disgusting blood poured out on me. I held my breath before shoving it off of me, and looked up to see Alden holding my pistol in his hands, while still being tied to the chain of Saviors.

He looked more surprised than I did, holding his breath, while lowering the gun. He urged the others to follow him as he tossed the gun down beside me, and said: "Jared and some others just took off into the woods. Morgan went after them. I think that your brother did, too."

I couldn't believe it that he had just saved my life. What the hell? Nevertheless, I didn't question it or the fact that he actually gave me my gun back.

Before I could officially get up, though, I heard Tara scream out: "Get back! Get away from her! Now! I will not hesitate to kill you all! Back away from her!"

"No, no, Tara," I tried saying, taking a deep breath and jumping up to my feet. I quickly grabbed ahold of my gun and placed it in my side-holster on my belt, picking up my backpack and sliding it back on me. "T-They saved my life. It's okay."

She was surprised, but still kept her gun up, just in case. When I glanced over at them, Alden was obviously glad that I said that while the others were probably surprised that I said that they all saved my life.

"Whatever," Tara sighed and rolled her eyes. "C'mon, let's get to the truck."

"No, I can't," I quickly claimed and she looked back in question. "Morgan and Jesus followed Jared and some others out into the woods. I have to go help them."

"Tess, no—"

"I have to go," I yelled back, now starting to run. "Keep them safe!"

Despite the fact that Tara was still protesting that I stay back with her, I took flight into the woods and, once I was in there, I stopped and tried to listen out for where they might be.

I heard a gunshot and, then, yelling. Was that my brother? I couldn't tell. Nevertheless, I wasn't about to pussy-foot around and wait for them to get killed. I was going to run and help.

"Morgan, stop," I heard Paul say as I ran up. He didn't care to look behind himself at the noise that I made. He was fully paying attention to just Morgan, who faced him.

Just then, Dianne showed up with two others and demanded that the remaining Saviors to get to their feet and to follow her back to the road. They did just that, leaving myself with Paul and Morgan. I was watching Morgan, who was mentally fighting demons in his head.

"Morgan," I spoke out and slowly approached them from behind my brother's back. "Are you okay?"

"They ran off to get away," Morgan began to say, facing Paul. "Then, what happens after?"

"We stopped them—"

"And they keep trying," Morgan interrupted Paul before he could break out into song. "Again and again. What? You think they were gonna come back? That they will change? That they will be something else? It doesn't change. It never changes. Once you turn—"

"Morgan," came Paul's warning tone as we jumped forward in his face. Paul was trying to remain calm, but his anger was slowly boiling up. I would know. We're just alike. "We're gonna find another way. Maggie will find another way."

Morgan paced himself for a moment before getting back in Paul's face and arguing: "Really think she won't want 'em dead? Every last one? After what they've done?" Paul just stared at Morgan while I did, too, from standing behind him. "And it isn't just them. 'Cause we're here now, to be this, do the same thing they do, but we go on."

Morgan was starting to raise his tone, so I tried to look around to make sure we weren't attracting the dead over to us, that were lurking around in the woods. I didn't want us to worry about the dead again, after I was almost murdered by a Walker only a minute before this.

"You see, we are the same," Morgan said before Paul said his name again, trying to cut him off, but Morgan wasn't having it. He was going to say his piece. "We're the same! We're the same, so there's no choice. Everybody turns, but w-we w—"

"There's war, and, then, there's peace," Paul claimed, trying to steer Morgan back into his direction. "We're gonna have to live with these people after. We're gonna have to find a way to peace." Morgan stared at him in shock and gulped, so Paul took an extra step forward and placed his hand on Morgan's right shoulder. "Morgan..."

Then, before I knew it, Morgan turned to look Paul dead in the eyes before he gave him a huge shove back. I was completely shocked, but was immediately there for my twin brother. I tried to step forward and stop it from more happening. "Paul!"

Morgan began to swing his sting around and Jesus kept dodging it until he finally gave Morgan a big boot into this chest and he tumbled backwards. For only a moment, they settled and watched for one another.

"Morgan, just stop," I yelled at my friend, pleading for him to stop fighting my brother. I jumped in between them and placed my arms out, trying to keep them separated. "Please? It doesn't have to be this—"

Before I knew it, Morgan jumped forward and that's when Paul stepped in, pushing me out of the way before Morgan came down on him with the stick. I fell back and immediately felt pain, after I hit the big ass roots out of a tree that hit the back of my head. I hissed, gritted my teeth, and closed my eyes in the new pain that I was feeling.

I peeked through my closed eyes and noticed that Paul fought back again, kicking Morgan back. They were both panting while Morgan stood back and Paul said to him, "Okay. You're having a little trouble."

Paul kept quiet after that, seeing how Morgan was panting and pacing back and forth with the stick in hand. Paul kept his hand, making sure that he wasn't about to do anything stupid again.

I gingerly began to stand up, dusting my pants off, and slowly tried to re-enter the fray. I was struggling to walk, let alone stand, after that blow to the back of my head that went down to my spine and legs, after I busted my ass once again.

"Morgan," came my warning tone as I tried pleading with my near and dear friend. "Please. Just stop fighting. It isn't worth it anymore."

"Worth it?!" Morgan breathed out, now hearing me out. His eyes were wide and, to be honest, I was kind of scared. "Tess, these people came into your home. They killed your friends and your little girl. They kidnapped you and Daryl. You can't tell me that these people deserve mercy."

"No, not all of them," I huffed back, remembering what Alden did for me not that long ago. He could've easily had taken that gun and killed me instead of that Walker, or sat back and did nothing at all. "Some of those people didn't have anything before Negan took them in, Morgan. I want a majority of them dead, for what they did to my friends and Izzy, but there is no sense of fighting my brother over it."

After hearing that, Morgan turned his back on me, paced himself, before he took the stick and tried to strike my brother again as I just barley got out of the way. Paul was fighting back, though, dodging almost every move from Morgan.

Until, finally, Paul hit him again and Morgan fell back, placing his hands on his knees to take another breather. "You want to stop now?" Paul asked him, not resisting on fighting back, if necessary. Morgan just glared at him and Paul put his hand down. "Maybe not?"

Just as I was going to get involved again, Morgan takes the stick and tries to strike Paul with it again. This fight was never going to end, at this rate.

Morgan took the stick and stoke Paul with it right in the pit of the stomach. Paul crunched over before Morgan continued by sticking him over the back with it and the stomach again, but Paul was ready to grab the stick and kick Morgan in the stomach. When Morgan yanked the stick back, Paul swung around to kick him again, but Morgan took the stink and swept Paul's legs from underneath him.

Paul fell to the ground and Morgan nailed the stick to the ground, intending to probably hit that stick through my brother's skull. Paul, however, moved out of the way just in time to hop up and give Morgan the back of his hand.

Morgan fell to the ground and that's when I exclaimed: "Stop! Stop it right now, dammit! I mean it! Paul, just back off and give him a breath!"

"Me?" Paul asked, eyebrows together. "Tess, if it wasn't for me, he would've hurt you before!"

"I know," I quickly claimed, not afraid to get back in his face, too. "I just want you to lay back for a moment and—"

Before I knew it, Paul called out, "Tess, watch out," and shoved me out of the way again. Morgan was back up, like a crouching tiger, and back to trying to murder my brother. This time, I was smart enough to crawl out of the way as they went over to the tree that I was once at, where Morgan tried to strike Paul through the trees that he was trying to use as armor at the moment.

Morgan got the upper hand as he hovered over Paul's body on the ground. Paul held the stick back with his hands while Morgan was trying his best to press it down on him.

I ran over and tried to put Morgan in a chokehold, but all he did was swat me away like I was a pest. This gave Paul the energy to use the stick against Morgan until they were up and fighting again.

Alas, Morgan held back while Paul held the sick and asked: "Is it over, Morgan?"

When Morgan didn't reply, Paul tossed the stick over to him and Morgan immediately took the stick and pressed it to Paul's throat. I held my breath and looked forward, seeing Tara, Dianne, and two others coming back.

"Is it?" Paul asked Morgan once more.

I wasn't playing around anymore, so I took out my pistol and held it out, pointing directly at Morgan's head. I gulped and was really nervous that I would have to, when I don't want to. I was sweating and panting from trying to keep them from fighting, but all I could see was Morgan was on the other end of my gun.

"Don't make me do it, Morgan," I cried, with actual tears in my eyes. I was hoping that, through his mental breakdown, he was hear me out. "I don't want to. You're my friend. One of my closest friends that I still have left, but... This is my brother and I will not let you kill him."

"T-Tess," said Paul, holding his hand up towards me. "Put the gun down. Morgan won't kill me."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked, now facing Paul with my eyes with my gun still pointed at Morgan. "He just tried to. Several times."

Then, I heard: "What?" I turned and saw that Morgan was confused, looking around like he didn't know what was going on. He looked dead at me and gulped. "Tess?"

I slowly put my gun down and gulped, myself. "I-I'm sorry," I decided to apologize since I couldn't think of anything else to say at the moment.

However, even though Morgan and I are close, I wasn't about to let him kill my brother. I looked to Morgan as my friend and would even call him a hero for saving me from myself. Despite this, he wasn't going to hurt Paul ever again.

Morgan looked up at Paul and stammered out, "I'm not right. I know that— I'm not right. But that doesn't make me wrong." He paused, looking from me to Tara and Dianne, and said aloud: "I can't be apart of this."

He walked three steps, bent down to pick up his rifle, and Tara called out: "Morgan, you are right."

Morgan heard her out before turning his back and heading towards me. I placed my hand on his right shoulder and he stopped, peering down at me and I said to him: "You are right, but you're taking your anger out on the wrong people."

He heard this, blinked a few times, and kept on walking away. I turned slightly around and saw that he paused and looked down at the body that he killed, one of the Saviors that had gotten away. Then, after that, he just kept on walking away until he was finally out of sight...

When I saw the Hilltop's walls in the distance, I breathed out a sigh of relief and closed my eyes. After what happened with Paul and Morgan, Tara and Paul both decided to put me on the back of the truck. Apparently, they said that I was beaten up badly, even though I wasn't in the actual fight, itself.

As soon as we rolled up, Cal was on guard and the door was creaked open and I heard him call Maggie's name and, then, Gregory say: "We are not letting them in!"

I hopped out of the truck and went running towards the door, where Paul was standing and peeked through, seeing Gregory standing in there with Maggie and Enid. "Who the fuck let you back in?!"

"Tess, not now," Maggie warned, shaking her head. She was probably more annoyed with Gregory than me right now.

"Hey, we are not letting them back in," Gregory continued to rant and rave, acting as leader. "No way! With what they did?"

"What you helped with—"

"With what they do? They are monsters!" Gregory cut me off before I could sing out my own rant.

"Gregory—"

"No," he cut Paul off this time. "This is not a sanctuary for killers. We'll be putting the safety of everyone in jeopardy!"

"Get out of here," Maggie demanded of Gregory. I could easily support her on this decision to wish Gregory away.

Gregory didn't want to hear it, so he added: "I know what they are. I have stared into the face of th—"

"Gregory," Maggie suddenly exclaimed, which surprised me completely. "Go."

Gregory looked at her before slightly siding his head and finally disappearing. Damn, I hate that guy. One of these days, he's gonna get his.

Once Gregory was gone, Maggie turned around and Paul said to her: "He actually came back after all that."

Maggie added, "And I actually let him in."

I rolled my eyes, smacked my lips, and crossed my arms over my chest. "Should've led him right to the Walkers. Better off without him here."

Maggie acknowledged what I said and nodded, gulping. "I know, Tess," she sighed, actually agreeing with me. "I know."

"No offense, Jesus," I heard Tara say, who was coming up behind me, but I made room for her to stand between myself and Paul. "But I kind of agree with that prick."

I glanced at Tara, but decided to keep my mouth shut. She had a point. Everyone did here. Morgan had a point, even when he was trying his best to kill my brother in the process, and so does Gregory — even though, I hate that guy. But, allowing Gregory in is as worse as letting these others in.

Maggie acknowledged what Tara said and, so, she says to Paul: "There are families here. Children."

Paul leaned in and almost whispered to Maggie: "There's two empty trailers out back. We could lock them up in there with round-the-clock guards until this whole thing is over. And go from there..."

"You know what they've done to us," Maggie immediately replied, not even caring for Paul's comment. "What they've taken from us."

"Of course, I do," Paul replied, calmly. "But they surrendered."

"Jesus..."

He scoffed and sighed, "We can't let them go and we can't kill them." He paused, waiting for Maggie's reaction, but she refused to say something right now. "We can't."

She stared and didn't say anything, then peered at me and Tara standing there. "Are you okay with this, Tess?" Maggie asked me, which was very surprising that she wanted my opinion on this.

I pulled my eyebrows together, glanced from Paul to Tara, back to Maggie, and pointed to myself. "M-Me...?"

She nodded and strictly replied, "Yes. How do you feel about this? Do you agree with your brother or Tara?"

Maggie was really putting me on the hot-seat here, trying to tear me into two. Maybe she was testing me to see if I really wanted redemption for Abraham and Glenn's deaths. I wanted that, but... It didn't feel right, though, to me.

I faced her, our eyes connecting, and I answered: "I spoke with someone earlier, who told me that he didn't have any other choice but to join Negan and the Saviors. He was out there on his own, starving and running out of fumes to stay alive for another second. Negan took him in and fed him, gave him a life. Maybe it wasn't the best life, but it was something to live for. I'm not saying that either of them are right. I'm not saying Morgan or even Gregory, for that matter, is, either. All I'm saying is that... There are still good people out there, who are willing to put their killer pasts behind them and start new again."

Maggie's facial expression said it all. She was completely shocked that I said that, but I wasn't finished yet.

I glanced over my shoulder at Alden and gulped. He was listening. I turned back to Maggie and continued, "I was a stranger to you guys, but you immediately took me in and gave me a forever home when I wasn't needed here anymore. I have killed a lot of people, but I keep coming back, somehow, and making myself brand new again. People do change, for better or for worse. We could give these people a chance, but only those who earn it. They screw up one time and we should kill them. They need to learn that we aren't Negan and we don't take anyone's shit."

With that said, Maggie nodded and the wind swept through her hair in that instant. She took a deep breath and simply said, "Okay. Thank you for your honesty, Tess."

I nodded and stood back, waiting on the final decision to be made right here and now.

• 4,000 words on the dot?! Wtf 😧 This is probably the MOST that I have EVER written! OMG, I am KILLING IT now 🔥 I hope you guys enjoy this chap AND loved the S9 premiere episode as much as I did 😍 Cause, BRUH... It was GREAT, except for Ezekiel and Carol 🤢 I prefer Caryl (Carol & Daryl) 🤷🏻‍♀️ Anyways, I love you all and I'll try my best to update tomorrow! If not, soon after that... ✨ All the love .xx •