"Morgan, why can't you stay?" I asked him, almost pleading with him. "I have already lost so many people. I can't lose you, too. Please, Morgan. Just stay."

He shook his head, almost ashamed to look up at me. "I can't, Tess."

"Why not?" I quizzed with tears in my eyes. "Negan is done. He may be alive, but he's done. He won't ever see the light of day again, so please just... stay."

Again, he shook his head and avoided my eyes. "I can't..."

"You can. Morgan, just—"

"Don't you hear me, Tess?! I can't do that, so don't make it worse on me," he injected, his eyes now in mine. "You'll be okay, Tess. You will survive. I know you will. You are smart, brave, and a warrior. You will survive anything that comes your way. Don't ever turn to darkness again, Tess."

I had tears in my eyes, just as he stood up and came over to me. He extended his hand down to me and I accepted it, before he pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried on his shoulders, because I was losing — yet another — close friend.

—

"THE world is changing, either for better or worse," I found myself admitting, like I was talking to a preacher behind the darkness. "The bridge is going to help us. At least, this is what Rick says. We're building a better future. Right?"

I shook my head and looked straight ahead, before they could answer. "You're probably wondering why I'm even talking to you right now, why I always come in here and talk to you. Maybe it's because I'm lonely, or just because you're the only one that talks to me anymore. I have Maggie, Rick, and some others. Daryl and I aren't so close anymore, but Tara is always there for me as well as my brother. You always talk to me, too. But, why?"

The man in the shadows stood up and walked towards me, but was almost immediately stopped by the bars that surrounded him. "It's because, in reality, I'm your only true friend, Tess," Negan almost laughed this out, but seemed like he was being serious at the same time. "I'm the only one that will tell you how it is. I'll tell you the truth, even if you don't like it."

"Then, tell me this," I said louder, getting up and walking up to the bars of his cage. "Do you honestly think that Dwight will ever come back for me?"

Negan smirked while he kept his eyes on me, in deep thought. "Honestly?" I almost frantically nodded. "I don't know, Tess. I would like to think that he would keep his promise to you, even if he couldn't with me. He really loved you, and if he had known that you were pregnant at the time, he would've fought like hell to stay with you two."

I nodded, slowly looking away. I felt his hand come over my left hand, his warmth over mine. "You'll be okay," he reassured, feeling that it was sincere. "You and that little girl of yours will be just fine, Tess."

Since I felt somewhat uncomfortable with his hand over mine, I quickly removed mine from underneath his and took a huge step backwards. "Uh... Thanks, Negan. I-I have to go. It's 'bout time for us to get going."

I turned my back on him and started to leave, almost to the stairs, until I heard him call to me, "Same time tomorrow?"

I froze in place and gulped, before slowly glancing over my shoulder and nodding. "Sure. See you then."

Again, I started to leave, until I heard him say, "How 'bout tomorrow you bring that sweet baby girl with you? I miss her pretty little face."

Again, I stopped, but it would for the last time. I just nodded and agreed, "Sure, Negan. See you later."

"See you," he practically muttered underneath his breath, like he was disappointed that I was leaving.

Nevertheless, I shook it off and left the building, locking the door behind me. Only a selected few of us have the keys to this place, to Negan's cell, and I am one of them.

Finally heading out on the streets of Alexandria, I walked down the sideway and waved to some of the people with a smile. It wasn't until I was almost home that I heard a very familiar voice call out to me, "Hey, we're leaving soon. In about twenty minutes or so."

I looked up and saw Aaron, who waved to me. I stopped and called back to him from being on the other side of the road, "Okay, let me just go get my things. See you in a bit."

He smiled before returning to talk to one another while I headed down to my house, the same one which I used to shared with Daryl, who doesn't even live here in Alexandria anymore. I'm all by myself here now.

I headed inside my unlocked house and shut the door behind me, throwing my keys on the counter, before heading up the stairs. I walked to my left and through the door to my right, noticing the pink-patterns on the wall.

I hovered over the crib and smiled down at the smiling baby in there. "Hey, sweet pea," I grinned back, dipping down and placing my hands underneath her armpits. "I didn't hear you on the monitor. Must of just woke up, sweetheart."

For once, she was in a good mood after waking up with a smile painted across her face. She was nine-months-old to the day and so beautiful with her dirty blonde hair, with her father's baby blue eyes. She was my little angel, who I loved with all of my heart. I didn't think that I could ever love another human being so much, like I did with her.

I held her in my arms, swaying her. "Are you hungry, baby girl?"

I started towards the rocking chair in the corner of the room and popped open the mini-fridge on the dresser, grabbing one of her bodies that I had already made before shutting the door again. I walked over to the chair and sat in it, rocking her back and forth.

I stuck her bottle in her mouth and softly sang to her, "I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you will be." It was from one of my favorite children's books, called Love You Forever. My mother used to sing it to me and Paul when we were babies, and I always said that I would sing it to mine one day.

"Mom?"

My head went up, staring at the figure in the frame of the door. She was small with blonde hair dark green eyes. "What is it, Mollie?"

She titled her head and decided to come in, walking over to me and placing her small hands on my right knee. She looked up at me with those beautiful eyes of hers. "Who is going to watch us while you're gone?"

I shook my head and sighed. "I already told you, Mollie. It's gonna be Ms. Maple. Remember? She babysat you and your sister last time."

"Oh," she squeaked out, slowly nodding her head to remember. She did that sometimes, where she forgets things here and there. She was only eleven, after all, and still just a child who has had to grow-up in all of this. "I'll miss you, Mommy, until you come back later."

I smirked, locking eyes with her, and admitted, "I'll miss you more, sweetie. You'll be okay, you and Sissy. Maple loves you girls."

Again, she slowly nodded with her lips pursed. She was such a quiet child and I have come to believe that it is because of her actual parents, who probably used to tell her to be quiet all the time when they were hiding from the dead out there. She hasn't said much about them, just that her mother had been gone for a long time now and her father left her in the woods before Michonne and I found her months back.

Ever since then, she has been attached to me like a moth to a flame, almost immediately referring me as her "mother." I didn't know how to take it at first, especially because I had just had my daughter months before, but I got used to it. Hell, I had to — because she was never going to call me by my actual name.

Michonne told me that she thinks that she does that because Mollie has apparently repressed all memories of her real mother as her actual mother when we met — and I saved her from being eaten alive, and now believes that I am her actual biological mother.

I have come to believe this to be true, especially when I try to ask Mollie about her real mother and she'll say to me, "What are you talking about? You're my real mother."

Maybe losing her biological mother was too much for her and I could remind her a lot of the woman, too. I can't just not refer to her as one of my daughters now, too. I can't break her heart... Again.

I heard the door downstairs open and a sweet little voice call out, "Tess? I'm here." It was Ms. Maple, who has come to babysit the children while I'm away.

I stand up and take her to the crib, laying her back down in it. I take the empty bottle from her and call downstairs, "We're up here, Ms. Maple!"

I walked over to the dresser and put the empty bottle away to deal with later. I turned and looked down at Mollie, before kneeling in front of her and holding her little hands with mine.

"I'll be back soon," I promised, like I always do before I ever go anywhere. "What do we do if something happens while I'm gone?"

"I keep Sissy in here and lock the door," she recited, word by word. "I have to grab the gun in the closet and kill anything that tries to come in."

I smirked and nodded. "Yes, ma'am," I agreed before leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Alright. Now, I love you and I will see you soon."

"I love you more," she responded before leaning forward, throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me. "Before dark, please."

I embraced her back and whispered in her ear, "Before dark, I promise." After a moment, we released one another before I stood up and walked over to my baby's crib. I leaned down and pressed a kiss on her forehead, too. "I love you, Tara Rose. I'll be back soon, baby girl."

Her name was as unique as she was. I named her after two important people in my life – my best friend, Tara, and the woman who had come to be like a mother to me, Tammy Rose. I took their names and smashed them together.

Everyone normally perfers to Tara Rose as "Little T," either being as Little Tara or Little Tess. Either way, she was loved beyond words.

Just as I spun around, Ms. Maple appeared in the frame of the door with a smile on her wrinkled face. "Have a good and safe trip, Tess. We'll see you soon."

I just smiled and left the room, heading out with my same old crew.