❝ A real hero is someone who does the right thing when the right thing isn't easy to do. ❞

- GEORGE FEENY -

-

There was no more pain.

All that she felt was happiness.

It was all that she could feel anymore.

He watched her from the door, how she danced around in her flowing dress. It was white and almost see-through, which was a very unusual color for her to wear. All she ever knew was black and gray, yet she looked so beautiful in that dress and in the light that came from the window outside.

She looked different from the last time that he saw her. She was much more crueler back then, hopeless, broken, and skinnier. Now, she flowed with the sparkle of the light and her new attitude. He admired that the most about her.

Bloody hell... He loved her.

And... Oh, yes. She loved him more, though.

They woke up next to each other every morning, and it was always a party when they woke up, staring into each other's eyes like that was all that mattered. To them, it was, and they couldn't get enough of each other.

They had worked very hard for this future together. Before, when they were constantly fighting for survival, they kept reminding themselves of this future together. Oh, how it was so blurry before. Now, it was so clear and staring each other in the face.

He remembered how he couldn't lose her, though, of how he could never lose her - now more than ever before. Since, of course, she is carrying the future...

-

IT hadn't been long since our last battle.

The smoke had cleared, and after the words that were said and the plans had been set, we were back at it again.

Maggie still wasn't my friend because she hadn't forgiven me yet. She still needs time, apparently, and I am more than accepting of that. She just lost her best friend, Sasha, after losing her other friend, Abraham, and her husband, Glenn.

Maggie and Paul found Sasha wandering around in the woods that surrounded Alexandria. She was definitely gone, turning into a monster rather than dying in peace. They put her down there, carried her back to Alexandria, and we buried her there alongside the others that were already buried there.

Gabriel spoke for them both, indicating that they were sent off to Heaven with our Lord and Savior. I believed that they did, too, but others were very hesitant. I couldn't be there for Abraham and Glenn when they were buried, but I could be there for Sasha when she did. I was thankful for that.

Maggie was allowed to speak on Sasha's behalf, explaining how Sasha was such a good person and an incredible leader. I agreed that she was seeing how she would sacrifice herself for everyone else.

Paul, too, had spoken up about Sasha - as he had known her fairly well. He was very close to Sasha as friends, speaking about how she had lived and died for this war that we would win against the Saviors once and for all someday. He wasn't wrong.

He declared that we always remember those whom we have lost along the way till the very end of this war. We were to remember Denise, Abraham, Glenn, Spencer, Olivia, and Sasha. Ezekiel spoke up after Paul's speech, informing everyone - including myself - that Ben had died recently, too, at the hands of a Savior by the name of Jared. My heart broke even more after discovering this heartbreaking news of yet another kid that I was very fond of.

I wish that I could have gone back and saved Ben. I probably could've, but I decided to leave and come fight the war alongside my companions - just to find out that the Kingdom and Hilltop were all my family, too. Together, as three united communities, we had become family through loss, blood, and dedication.

We have just gotten started with this war, already losing too many people to count, but it wouldn't be over...

Until the dead man is walking.

Tomorrow, the rain will come and pour down on Negan's parade. We will take him by surprise and isolate him into his own shell of insecurities and beliefs.

Even more, the storm will begin and keep going until it's tired of raining, and it wants to form a hurricane. Until then, we will stand here and defend our place - as well as our honor.

However, tomorrow is another day away from right now. Our three communities are all standing out here in an opened field, preparing for war against Negan once more. We're all together and ready for what's to come.

Rick is standing on the back of a truck, along with Ezekiel and Maggie, and he begins to announce to all of us, "When I first met him... Jesus said that my world was gonna get a whole lot bigger. Well, we found that world. We found each other. That 'bigger world' is ours by right. That we've come together for it, all of us it's that much more true - it's ours by right." He paused for a moment to regroup. "Any person who would live in peace and fairness, who would find common ground, it's their right, too. But those who use and take and kill to carve out the world and make it theirs alone - we end them. We don't celebrate it. We don't have shame about it, either. There's only one person who has to die... And I will kill him, myself. I will... I will."

Everyone listened to Rick's speech with care and discretion. Rick wanted to kill Negan, himself, and - if he could - he would probably do it with his bare hands. I would do the same, too, if the choice was given.

"But if it's the others... the others who prop him up, stand by his side, even those who just look the other way - so be it," Rick began to conclude on his speech. "Then... We keep making the world bigger. Together."

"Together," Ezekiel immediately followed up and spread his arms wide. "Bound forever! To quote The Bard, 'For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother. For she today my sister.' "

Shiva roared out from the distance as she laid back in another truck, watching Ezekiel as we did, too, obviously agreeing with him like we did as well.

Maggie stepped up and continued, "We've practiced. We've been through it over and over again. We all know the plan doesn't end this morning. That we may have to live in uncertainty for days, maybe more. That we have to keep our faith in each other. If we can hold on to that with everything we have, the future is ours. The world is ours."

She turned back to look at Rick, who was looking out in the distance. He was just looking out at that open and green field before glancing down and allowing the sun to hit him right in the place that shined him out to be the brightest.

Back at Alexandria, I spot Rick close-by right before he's about to climb the stairs up to the lookout post. He's looking through his notes and scratching the back of his head. I wanted to talk to him after all this and felt that it was necessary that we do.

Slowly approaching him, my boots scrapped against the pavement with the rocks, and I simply mutter out, "Rick?"

It took him a moment to return back to reality, but he finally looked down at me and mumbled back, "Yes, Tess? What is it?"

Gulping, I pursed my lips together before looking at him again. "Rick, I just wanted to talk to you real quick before this happens." He now looked like he was obviously very concerned, but I remained quiet for me to continue. "About what's going to happen... This is my home now. You know that, right? You guys, all of you here, have become like my family. Before, it was just Paul and myself, but now, it is like I have more people to care about. It sort of makes everything harder for me, though, now that I have more people to look out for."

He slowly nodded, having his hands on his hips like he usually does, and he went to talk, but he voice broke. He gulped and tried again, "I can see it in your eyes, Tess - especially now - everyone will be okay. You have to believe that, though, not just me."

"I will-"

"Tess," he suddenly cut me off, and our eyes intensely met, "I want you focused out there. No pussy-footing around, and definitely no trying to get yourself killed out there. You're better than that. I know it for a fact. You will recover from this, Tess, and when you do, you'll feel much better."

"Rick," came my own warning tone, and my voice almost broke, "the only way that I will feel better again is when Negan is dead and gone. Then, finally, I will get some sleep and stop talking to ghosts late at night."

We had to say our goodbyes to those who were going to stay behind at Alexandria while we went out to fight against Negan again. Michonne and Carl were two of those people who decided to stay back with Alexandria, along with Judith.

As Rick kissed Michonne goodbye, I had the opportunity to bid my farewells to Carl. I slowly approached him from behind, and he turned around, realizing that somebody was there. He smiled and tried, too, but came up short as my grin came out to be weak.

He spread his arms, and I dived what into them, burying my head into his neck. He no longer was the child in this situation. He had grown into an adult right in front of my eyes.

He held onto me, just like I had done with him back at the Sanctuary. Even though I was taller, we still managed to make it work as I had to sort of bend over to fit. I ran my hands over his back, which my arms were coming from underneath his, and I gripped a big handful of his plaid shirt in each of my hands.

"I'll miss you," he whispered in my ear and held me even tighter. "You'll be okay."

"Maybe," I muttered back in his ear and allowed myself to hold him as close as I could once more. I slowly began to separate myself from him but kept him at arm's length, though. "Just... I need you to stay safe, though, Carl. You and Michonne are one dynamite duo, so I know you will be okay."

He smiled and tipped his hat off to me before turning back around to talk to Rick and Michonne once more. I looked away, eventually fixing my vision on Rosita, who was sitting on her porch and watching us get ready. She wanted to go with us, but couldn't, due to the fact that she was shot in the last battle that we faced with Negan.

I decided that, even if he couldn't get along, I could at least talk to her. I honestly decided long ago to speak to her after Sasha died. It was all too much for me, but I think that I'm ready to bury the hatchet with her - if she's willing to, as well.

I walked up the short three steps and paused before her. She stared back at me without saying a word, obviously bitter and mad at the world. "Hey," I decided to start off casually. "We'll, uh... We'll miss you out there, but... Rick was right to decide that you should stay back, just in case. You need to recover, even if battling with Negan is the first thing on your mind."

She finally decided to slowly turn her head up at me, her hat somewhat shielding her eyes, and kept her face as molded as a statue. She didn't say anything, just barley twitched her eyebrows upwards. I spun around, almost leaving her with that said. But, no... I needed to get something off my chest.

"You know what? No," I squeaked out, and she watched on like before. "This may very be the last time that we see each other. I'm done being mad at everyone, and I'm tired of being mad at the world - like you. I've decided - since Sasha's been gone - that it's time to turn the page and start something new. So, I say... You and I bury whatever beef we have with each other. It's better than me going out there and getting killed, and you are learning the news later. I know that I would've felt horrible if you had died from that gunshot wound. So... Let's bury it and call it truce."

Just like before, I automatically assumed that she wasn't going to say anything. I simply believed that she was going to glance away and act like I wasn't there anymore, that I didn't say what I just said. I didn't have to prove a damn thing to her, but she needed to know.

"Just so you know," I began to say as I had my back turned to her and I looked over my shoulder, "you weren't the only one who lost someone you really care about that night."

This time, I decided to walk away without wanting to hear another word from her. However, I heard a scuffle, and then, she called out to my back, "Hey!" I paused, looked over my shoulder, and faced her from the distance. She took her hat off and threw it to me, which I surprisingly caught. "Take it. You'll need it. For the, uh, sun and all."

I halfway smiled and threw it on my head, feeling like I was suddenly a part of 'the club' or something. "Thank you."

She slowly nodded and, somehow, still looked like she was holding something back. "Make it back safe. See you when you get back."

With that said, I nodded again and kept the grin on my face. I dipped my head, using the hat to my benefit with the bright and hot sun above and shielding my eyes.

It was about that time that I heard Rick call out to me, "Hey, Tess, you ready? We're heading out!"

Somehow, I found the will to smile again and, after taking a deep breath, I called back, "Yeah, let's get this show on the road!"

En route to the Sanctuary, we stopped long enough for Rick to stab a lone Savior on watch. I decided to stay as close to Rick as I could until it all began, trusting this man with my life. He thought that it was a good idea for us two to talk after our last conversation with one another.

After brutally stabbing the man in the stomach area, Rick wiped off his knife on his pants and walked over to the man's belongings. I noticed that the man wasn't dead, so I warned Rick, "He's not dead. Want me to...?"

Coughing, the man somehow managed to ask, "What are you up to, Rick? You think you're gonna take us on?" He stopped to groan and cough over his injury. "I saw you... beggin'. Crying. You're gonna beg again, Rick. So are you, Tess." It surprised me of how much these Saviors actually knew us by name and looks now, to be honest. "Your-Your boy's gonna die."

As soon as the words fell out of his mouth, I had my machete out and pointed at his neck, pressing it into it while he gritted his teeth. "Do it. What are you waiting for, Tess? Do it, like-like what you did to Greg when you escaped the Sanctuary. Re-Remember? You ain't afraid, Tess, so do it because, no matter what you do now or later, that boy is still gonna-"

I lifted my machete back and was about to slice him open, but Rick came up out of nowhere and held my hand back that was gripping my machete for dear life. Without looking at him, I kept my stare-down with the man down below as I hovered over his body.

"Don't," Rick simply whispered in my ear, and I gulped in return. Somehow, Rick knew that I wouldn't - especially when he suddenly turned his back on me. He went over to the Walker that was hanging there on the pole, being held by a rope only, and chopped the rope for the Walker to fall down and feast on the lone Savior. To me, Rick said, "Let's go."

I did as he said, following in his direction as we walked together back on the road. After a moment, I had to ask, "You wanted to talk again. What's up?"

He suddenly stopped, looked over, and eyed me. "I'm worried about you, Tess," was the first words to leave his mouth. I was shocked because I thought that we now had an understanding with one another. "That last conversation we had, it... It felt wrong of how we ended it. I know that you're focused and ready, but... I can still worry about you."

I felt this unknown weight on my shoulders as to why it was there and how long it had been secretly there, too. Rick could see right through me so well, and nobody really could, except for my twin brother, of course. Maybe even Daryl and Tara now, too.

"You don't have to worry about me, Rick," I sighed out and shook my head. "It is what it is. I mean... I'm not ever going to the same sane person that I once was, but... I'm trying. Can you trust me on this?"

He slowly nodded, and somehow, I felt reassurance with this. With that said, Rick raised his hand and signaled the caravan to proceed, so we kept on walking together.

The caravan arrived in a large field, where members of all three communities are waiting together. We unload and separate rather quickly, finding random people to talk to in the meantime.

I found myself passing by my brother and Maggie, even King Ezekiel. I received a nod from Paul and, so, continued on until I found myself all alone. All of my closest friends, such as Tara, Daryl, and Morgan, were all out there together and safe. I just know it.

I will put down the weak sheep to protect the strong wolves.