• TESS'S P.O.V. •

SOMEHOW, she convinced me to go back, but we didn't immediately leave, either. I still wanted just a little more time to myself before we go back while she sat back and let me do what I wanted to do, so we stayed another day.

I didn't ever tell her about Dwight, that he was here and that we made love. I didn't tell her that she was wrong about he and I, and even if he still loved Sherry or not. Everything that I ever needed to know about Dwight and my relationship spoke louder than words last night.

I didn't know if we would ever see Alexandria in its whole again, but I really was hoping for Carl's desired future to become a reality.

It was dark when we left Alexandria on one of our cars that wasn't thankfully destroyed in all the chaos. Brie was steadily driving as I looked in the mirror, until I noticed something up ahead. I saw lights and, as I put the window down, I could also hear gunfire.

"Hear that?" I called to Brie, now grabbing my rifle out of the backseat and loading it up. "Gunfire coming from Hilltop! It's gotta be Negan!"

"Shit," she cursed, now going off the clay-road to find a way in. "How do we go in? Through the front or what?"

"Go around the side of their trucks," I announced, putting the rifle out of the window to aim and shoot. "I'll take out as much as I can on the outside and, then, you can park on the side and we hope the fence!"

"Is it really that easy?" she called back, shaking her head. "Just to hop the fence?"

"Yes," I answered, now looking back out my window with my rifle's telescope. "Now, go! Hurry up!"

She rammed down on the gas and we came speeding ahead, picking up dust and rocks behind our tires. There were some Saviors shooting from their trucks outside the opened gate and, when we came around, I took aim and shot them down as Brie sped passed them. One shot back and the back window shattered, which nearly threw Brie into a total mess out of the sudden shock of it all.

She came up beside the fence and I hopped out, before jumping on the roof and she asked: "What are you doing?!"

"Just follow my lead," I called back, placing my rifle around me and hopping on the fence, pulling myself up with all my power and might. It felt like the fencing was going to cut right into the palms of my hands, which hurt like bloody hell. "Fuck!"

"Help me up," she called when I was up top and I quickly held my hand down to her, which she grabbed and I yanked her up. "What now?"

"Fight," I growled and felt the need to roll my eyes, too. "Duh! Go!"

I jumped down to the ground and was immediately greeted by two Saviors, who I shot down before they could do anything. I ran up to their bodies and grabbed their guns, giving one to Brie and using the other as my back-up.

As I ran off and left Brie in the dust, looking for everyone else, I continued to fight my way through until I heard someone exclaim out: "Tara!"

I halted where I was and looked, seeing Dwight use the crossbow to shoot Tara through the shoulder with a crossbow and took off with Simon before they could see me. Tara fell down to the ground and I ran over to her, with tears freshly in my eyes.

"Tara," I exclaimed her name, now kneeled by her side and holding her up next to the truck beside us. "Tara! Oh, God! Let me see it!"

"Tess," she breathed out through her weakened eyes, smirking. "You came back."

"You're more important than my epic return," I sighed and rolled my eyes. I heard something break somewhat close-by and saw the light go off.

"That's the signal," she grinned, lightly touching her injured shoulder. "We gotta go."

"Lead the way," I said, clearly not knowing any signals since I was away. "Show me where, T..."

"TESS!" I heard someone exclaim as soon as we were inside, noticing that it was Paul with fresh tears in his eyes. "Oh, God... Tara!"

"She was shot by an arrow," I said, now sitting her down in a chair as Enid approached her. I turned around and embraced my brother, as he held me tightly. "I missed you, too."

"Tess, what you did—"

"I will never leave you again," I promised and he seemed stunned by my sudden confession. "I'm sorry, but it'll never happen again. I swear."

"Get by the windows," I heard Maggie suddenly announce until she saw me, her face dropping. I suppose, she was surprised, too, that I decided to come back and fight with them. "Tess, my God!"

Before I could control what happens next, she approached me and wrapped her arms around my neck. Surprised that she was taking me back in with welcoming arms, I wrapped my arms around her body. "I am so glad you're back," she whispered in my ear, and I wondered what changed while I was gone. We separated, but she kept me at arms length for another moment. "It's time to take them down, once and for all. Now, go."

We started to set-up at the opened windows, ready to shoot them down from there. I aimed and got ready, hoping that Dwight didn't do what he did before on purpose to Tara.

It was so dark outside, but there was definitely movement out there. Then, the lights flashed on and the Saviors looked like deer in headlights, until we started opening fire on them. Most ran, but some got shot and fell.

I was hitting the trigger like there was no tomorrow, hoping to get most of them down before they can make a break for it. "Go! Run!"

I headed out the door as soon as I heard the call, heading after the remainder of the Saviors as they tried running out back to their trucks to escape. I came around the school bus and knocked into somebody, who almost punched me if I harden fell to the ground. "Rick?!"

"Tess, shit," he exclaimed, reaching his hand down for me. I took it and jumped to my feet, thanks to his help. "So glad you're back."

I nodded as I followed after him, hoping he'll lead me to where we needed to go. Immediately, Saviors came up to us and tried to kill us, but we fought them off, until Rick spotted something and we headed over. Rick raised his machete, ready to kill who it was, but saw that it was just Saddiq, who was hovering over Tobin's slashed body.

"Fuck," I sighed and shook my head. Tobin was holding on for dear life. "Rick—"

"Just stay down," Rick warmed Saddiq as I followed after him, now running towards the opened front gate. A truck was taking off, so we had to go after it to make sure it wouldn't get away.

Rick and I nearly collided with Maggie, who was hot on the truck's tail, too. I opened fire on the trucks that were now escaping, but between the three of us, we couldn't slow them down with our bullets.

With tears fresh in her eyes and gasping for breath, Maggie confessed to Rick and I: "I wanted them dead. All of them. Negan, most of all."

"Yeah," Rick simply said, clearly understanding her hurt and grief. "Me, too."

"Did you see him?" she asked, most likely referring to Negan, himself.

"He wasn't here," Rick answered and, now that I think about it, I didn't see him, either. "I saw him out there. I broke away and tried to kill him. I didn't, but I tried."

Sniffling, Maggie looked to Rick and said: "Thank you." Rick broke away his stare and that's when Maggie looked to me, putting her arm over my shoulders and pulling me close. "Just glad you're back, Tess. Let's go have another talk."

We turned out backs on the night and headed inside with Rick, who we tore away from, so that we could talk. We came over to the picnic table, away from everyone, and stood next to it.

"We should talk before we meet back up with everyone else," she said and I couldn't agree more. "I know what I said to you before you left, but when we realized that you were gone and so depressed deep down, I felt so hurt, Tess. I don't want you to leave ever again and it's not right for me to throw you out, either. I'm sorry for doing that to you, for making you feel so sad."

"So, what you're saying is...?"

She smirked and took another step forward, looking up in my eyes. "If you will accept my apology, then I would like to be your friend again, Tess."

Friend?! Almost crying out, I nodded my head and wrapped my arms around her body, while she wrapped them around my neck. We embraced as I practically cried on her shoulder.

My absence and letter must of brought Maggie to her senses, as she has finally accepted me for everything that I did to her, but as long as I got my friend back.

I have a good feeling that Glenn is smiling down at us right now, thanking God that Maggie and I finally made-up.

• MAGGIE AND TESS ARE FRIENDS AGAIN! THAT IS ALL 😍 All the love .xx •