SIX YEARS LATER

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➳ "JUDE?" I screamed out for the lost little girl, running with Rosita, Laura, Aaron, and Eugene. "Judith?! Where are you?"

"Judith!" Rosita added, screaming out for her, too. Then, Laura, "Jude!"

Eugene had a dead coyote on his back while Aaron screamed out for her, too, "Jude!"

Suddenly, a little and familiar voice called out, "I'm here!"

I snapped my head straight into her direction as I saw Judith, now around nine-years-old, running straight back to us.

"Are you okay?" Aaron asked, definitely relieved to see her alive and well. He kneeled down in front of her, holding her close to him.

"Judith," came my warning tone, seeing her as my own daughter now. "Where the hell did you go?"

I didn't want to curse at her, but I was furious she would just up and leave like that, then bring back strangers like they were stray animals. However, she didn't have time to answer before we heard people coming our way. I took out my machete, waiting to chop them up if needed to. They were chasing after Judith. They had to.

Rather quickly, Judith came to their defense before they even got here. "I heard them calling," she claimed innocently. "They needed our help."

Immediately, Aaron placed Judith behind him while I stepped up with my machete, ready to kill for my friends. A big guy, sort of like a teddy bear, ran up first as they were all so exhausted from running. They were sweating and heaving in this late summer heat.

"Our rig... It got overrun by sickos," the teddy bear man said, barely able to get the words out. "We owe our lives to Miss Grimes here."

"They still need our help," Judith quickly claimed, yanking off Aaron's water supply from around his shoulder. She threw it down to one woman, who looked to be Asian, and with a white cloth wrapped around her head from probably being injured.

Other than the fair-skinned man and Asian lady, there were three more people with them. There was a tan woman with tattoos all over her, and the last two were dark-skinned women.

I glanced down at the man and asked, "What's your name?"

He didn't exactly know if I was talking to just him or not, but he decided to just answer me. "Luke. You?"

I nodded and replied, "Tess. Tess Rovia."

The Asian lady gulped down the water, up until its last drop, while the tan woman watched us all with caution. They were all nervous and exhausted.

"So, um," Luke breathed out before he started to point to his friends. "This is Magna and Yumiko. A-And, that's Connie and Kelly."

"We can't," Rosita reminded Judith, looking straight down at her. "You know that."

"But—"

"Hey, uh, I dabbled in the culinary arts, uh — once upon a time ago, and, uh..."

"Luke," came Kelly's warning tone, probably for him not to start up.

"Y'know, with a little bit of help, I can help whip this buck into a mighty fine osso buco," Luke claimed, trying to show his worth to us after hearing Rosita's warning to Judith.

"Stew," Eugene suddenly spoke up, staring back at Luke. "We make stew. More mileage for the masses."

Birds chirped in the background while Luke appeared to be shocked, but the curly-haired lady stared back at us. "There are more of you?"

"Way more, with walls and—"

"Jude," came almost everyone's warning tones, staring down at the innocent girl. She just wanted to help these strangers, but she knew the rules. We couldn't afford to take anyone else in right now.

Rick and Carl would be so extremely proud of her if they were here right now. However, with Judith opening her mouth and spilling the beans about Alexandria, they would probably still tell her to keep her mouth shut right now.

Suddenly, I nearly broke my neck when I heard Walkers growling and coming our way. I guess those people really were running from the dead, and this crowd must have heard us yelling and started to come our way.

"Aaron!" I called out his name, hoping for him to actually take these people in. The dead were on us now. "Gotta make a decision. Quick."

"Incoming," Kelly called out, warning us of the dead coming our way. She and her team yanked out their weapons, but my own team already had ours out and ready to go.

Eugene, Laura, and I stepped up and took out the few that were already there. I swiped off two heads with my machete before flicking it off to the side to discard some blood.

"There's more on the way," Laura announced, glancing around the woods. "We gotta get outta here."

Walkers were growling in the distance, getting closer and closer, but I managed to hear Judith say aloud, "They need food and water and medicine." I started to walk backward, hoping we were about to get a move-on. "If they don't go, I don't go."

"What? Judith...," I breathed out, staring back at her now. She looked back at me but stood her ground. Dammit, I was a little proud of her sassy-self. She always knew how to face off with me, considering the fact I have always told her stories about her father and brother when she was growing up.

Alas, after Aaron exchanged stern and questioning looks with both myself and Rosita, he finally came to a conclusion. "Come on."

Luke turned and asked for reassurance, "Yeah?" As we started to get a move-on, I heard him say to his group to get a move on.

We started to run, just as I placed my machete back in its holster on my belt, but before I knew it, I tripped, and my body fell forward on the ground. "Fuck," I breathed out, just as I started to sit up and hold my knee. It was busted open. Lovely. "I'm so fucking clumsy."

Aaron turned back and asked, "You okay? Can you walk?"

I held my breath and tried to get up, and actually managed to stand on my own two feet, but I wasn't walking so well. Suddenly, someone's arm came up behind me and held me up in an effort to help me walk. "Here. I got you." It was Luke of all people. "Lean on me."

I didn't know what else to say or do, so I just shook my head and placed my arm over his shoulders, depending on him to get us home.

—

➳ I could see the sign to Alexandria — my home — and I smiled in gratitude.

"Again, I feel the need to remind you that what we are doing is in direct and flagrant violation of the current security protocols," Eugene was warning us, as I shook my head.

"Yeah, we know," Rosita quickly claimed, already annoyed by him saying it for the millionth time already. I had to roll my eyes, too.

After Rosita removed the bags from their heads, they took a moment to readjust their vision. I struggled to get inside the gates on my own, but Aaron placed his hand on my back in an effort to help me.

The gates screeched open with a thud, and I could Kelly say to her group, "Can't be worse than Jones Springs."

"Just like Jones Springs couldn't be worse than Coalport," Magna added with a stern look.

"Oh, God," Luke shivered, not liking the sound of that. "Coalport was a fossilized city of shit."

Judith saw their concern and decided to step forward. "You'll be safe here," she reassured innocently. "I promise."

Judith held out her hand for Manga, and after a moment of hesitation, she finally took the little girl's hand. With that, Judith welcomed her and her group into Alexandria with open arms. Also, I learned from Luke that Connie was actually deaf while Kelly — and the rest of the little group — spoke to her through sign-language. I really admired that.

Aaron left my side as I kept trying to walk on my own, but someone's familiar arm was back around me and willing to help me inside. "Here, let me help you again," Luke practically whispered in my ear, smiling. "It's the least that I could do."

I allowed him to help me again and managed to whisper back out to him, "Thank you."

He grinned as we steadily walked inside, when he suddenly said, "Holy shit." He turned to look at me and asked, "This is your home?"

I nodded and replied, "Yup. This is our home."

"This is Alexandria," Judith announced to our new shocked people. "This is home."

We kept walking inside, as I had to take another moment for it to sink in. This place looked a lot different six years ago. Judith and Tara Rose were still babies, basically, and this place was just starting to get back on its feet. I'm glad it was still standing. It is what Rick and Carl wanted.

"Mommy!" I heard a very familiar voice call out for me as I turned and saw Tara Rose running straight towards me. I quickly separated myself from Luke, ready to take her in when she got here. Despite being hurt, I took her straight into my arms as soon as she was here. I held her and kissed her hair, thankful to be back with her.

"Mom?" I heard another familiar voice call out to me, as I saw my grown adopted daughter coming my way. She appeared to be worried, seeing how there were strangers all around us. She was seventeen, from what I have gathered, practically an adult. She gingerly walked up to me and stared at Luke, who was still standing close to me.

"These are your... kids?" Luke asked, seemingly shocked. I nodded in return. "They're beautiful. Just like you."

I was honestly flattered, but Mollie wasn't impressed whatsoever. She actually seemed to be a little pissed off after placing her arms over her chest and staring Luke down.

I nearly fell back with Tara Rose in my arms, but Luke quickly caught me before I could. I had to let her down, who then walked over to Mollie and held her back.

Luke had his hands on my waist area, now looking up into my eyes while he was bent down and holding me before I could fall. I finally managed to stand up correctly, seeing how I wasn't hurting as much as I was.

"You okay?" he asked, and I nodded. "Hold it. Good?"

Again, I nodded and grinned. "Thanks. I got it now."

He was smiling like a goofball with red cheeks and everything, and I was pretty sure I was looking just as goofy. "No problem. Anytime. I'll do it again in a heartbeat."

Saddiq, D.J., and Gabriel — along with some others — approached us. "There's another one in the wagon," Rosita said to Saddiq, who was our certified doctor at this point. "Female with head trauma. She's conscious."

Rosita led Saddiq to the back of the wagon, and, immediately, he turned and said to everyone, "Alex and the other nurses are on standby." Then, about Yumiko, he added, "I'll take her to the infirmary right now."

Without hesitation, Magna stepped up and claimed, "I'm coming with her."

Immediately, D.J. stepped in front of her, stopping her from tagging along. Everyone stepped towards D.J. and Magna, hoping a fight or fuss was about the break-out. I wanted Yumiko to make it, and if Magna was her better-half, then maybe she should join her.

Thankfully, nothing occurred as a horse whined and squealed off in this distance but was coming closer to us. Michonne rode in on horseback, which was worrying already. She was the boss around here now, ever since Rick... died. Or, disappeared, as Daryl likes to think.

Michonne hopped off of her horse and grabbed her bag from the horse lady, who had come up to take it away. Michonne was already pissed, walking up to us in question before throwing her bag to the side.

She glanced at each one of us before asking, "You wanna tell me what this is?"

"Five unknowns... all clean, one headed to the infirmary," D.J. answered her, somewhat being her second-hand man now. And, to think, he was once out to kill us all those years ago, but is definitely one of us now.

I have to admit, though, D.J. had come a long way the past few years. He was once a Savior and even sided with Jed a few times years ago when he would start trouble. Now, he is a trusted companion.

Michonne made her rounds while taking a moment, with intense silence included, to stare down Connie, Kelly, Luke, and Magna. However, once she made it to Magna, she bent down and started to pat her down, like she was the sheriff and ready to arrest her.

"All clean?" Michonne asked, definitely not liking Magna the most out of everyone so far. "You sure about that?"

"Indeed," Eugene confidently answered. "They're whistle-worthy, clean as a-wise. They surrendered their weapons willingly and submitted to standard frisk procedure."

I stepped forward and added, "They seem to be good people, Michonne."

She stared me down before asking aloud, "And, why are they here?"

"My call," Aaron said, taking all the responsibility. However, he shouldn't have to take all the responsibility. He was one of my very best friends now, and I respected him.

Michonne turned her head into Aaron's direction and snapped back, "It's not your call to make."

Aaron lowered his head, disappointed in himself, just as Judith approached her mother and said, "I decided. They needed help."

Again, I couldn't talk about how innocent Judith was and how much I loved the little girl to death. Although I vouched for these people, the next ones probably won't be so nice.

"Judith," came Michonne's warning tone, as she took a step closer to her daughter. "You know the rules. You all do."

"Thing is, they're here now, and one of 'em's badly hurt," Aaron spoke up again, shining the spotlight back on him. "Siddiq's checkin' her out, but..." He cut himself off after taking a moment to breathe. "Look, no disrespect, but maybe their fate is something we should decide together."

I couldn't agree more, so I straightened myself up and spoke loudly, "I agree." Michonne stared at me, almost pissed that I did. "We should."

Almost immediately after I said that, Gabriel spoke up from being behind everyone, "It'll be dark soon. First thing tomorrow, we can bring them before the council for a vote."

I nodded and agreed with that. I admired Gabriel for saying this. So, I turned back around to see how Michonne reacted to that, and she did not like it. She kept staring Magna down, for some reason.

"Okay," Michonne innocently agreed, smacking her lips in the process. "Put them in holding."

I stepped forward and tried to say, "Michonne—!"

She stared back at me and repeated, "Do what I said." I decided not to fight her; rather, to step down, as it wasn't my place to fight her on anything. I decided to put myself back down rather than stand tall against her.

"Come on," D.J. called out, grabbing Magna's arm and trying to pull her back. She snatched her arm away from him. "Let's go."

I gulped, now holding Tara Rose's hand while Mollie stood her ground beside me. As soon as Luke started to walk away, she placed her hand on her gun — which was in her holster around her belt. She didn't like strangers and definitely didn't like it when they were around me.

However, just as he was almost away, Luke took a moment to turn his head back around and smiled over his shoulder. I actually couldn't believe how I smiled back, but Mollie nudged me in the side, out of disapproval.