Chapter Thirty-Three // {carl's pov}

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I rocked my little sister back and forth in my arms as she slept. I knew she liked it by the way she cuddled into me more when I started. Rick and Jordan went into the room she was staying in earlier, doing only god knows what. I had a pretty good idea though. I rolled my eyes.

Knowing what had happened to Jordan before Terminus, which had almost happened to me, it showed how much she trusted my Dad to do all that stuff still... Gross thinking of it, but it really proved to me how strong she really was and she was able to move on from it. But, it also made me wonder if she had to deal with stuff like that before.

I snapped out of my thoughts when my Dad stepped out of the room. He had a slight bounce in his step and he didn't seem as tired. I rolled my eyes again, knowing exactly what had just happened. Jordan stepped out, closing the door behind her. She caught my glance and instantly blushed. I poked my tongue out at her, making her playfully glare at me.

"Right, especially after last night's turn of events, we need to stop these people," my Dad addressed from beside Daryl, referring to what happened to Bob, "we're going after them."

I looked over to see Jordan's reaction since she was the only one who wasn't here earlier. She seemed deep in thought and was staring off into the distance.

"We'll make a move before they do," Dad carried on speaking, "they'll think that we're not thinking straight after what happened."

I heard mumbles coming from the back of the church, I turned and saw some doubtful looks. I narrowed my eyes at them, sending them all a glare.

I turned back around to face my dad. He gave me a firm nod before looking back to everyone else.

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After everyone had finished discussing and finalizing the plan, they left with guns and weapons. I had confidence in my Dad's plan. Jordan helped tweak it. I was amazed by how similar her and my Dad's brains were. Both police officers, both always involved with work more than family and I didn't ever hate my Dad for that. At the time, I might've been slightly annoyed, but I understood why he did now.

My Mom and Dad just didn't get along anymore and it was hard on him. 

Before Dad left, he wanted to ask me a serious question. He said that he needed me to be 100% on board with it otherwise he wouldn't do it or something. I didn't know what and that was kind of worrying.

I heard the church's door get forced open. I stood up quickly, turning the safety off of my gun. Everyone in the room sat nervously in silence.

Suddenly a voice that we all were hoping would be banished from Earth spoke loudly from the main part of the church, "well, I guess you know we're here and we know you're here. And we're also armed." 

I could hear walker groans from outside. 

"So there's really no point in hiding anymore. We've been watching you. We know who's here," he said from much closer to our room. Gabriel looked as if he had started praying and Rosita had her gun pointing towards the door, following my lead.

"There's Bob, unless you've put him out of his misery already."

"And Eugene."

"Rosita."

"Martin's good friend, Tyreese."

"Carl."

The cannibal paused before speaking my sister's name, "Judith."

"Rick and the rest walked out with a lot of your guns. Listen, we don't know where you all are, but this isn't a big place. So let's just stop this now before things get more painful than they need to be," he tried to persuade us, more importantly, me.

The door started to rattle, making some people stand up, but my eyes and gun remained trained on the door.

"Look, you're behind one of these two doors and we have more than enough firepower to take down both. Can't imagine that's what you all want," Gareth spoke as if he had it all planned out.

I heard someone cock a gun from the other side of the church. Judith started to become restless from beside me, in her basket.

"How about the priest? Father, you help us wrap this up, we'll let you walk away from this," he addressed Gabriel who was looking like he was going to panic, "just open the door and you can go. You can take the baby with you. What do you say?" he tried one last time to persuade us.

Judith whimpered before starting to cry. I instantly ran over to her, trying to get her to settle down. I knew she had blown our cover, we had no chance now.

I heard Gareth mumble something outside the door.

"Last chance to say that you're coming out," Gareth warned. I could hear multiple guns click.

Suddenly, silenced gunshots went off and we all heard two bodies fall to the floor from just outside our room.

Dad and everyone else must of come back.

"Put your guns on the floor!" Dad yelled at all the Terminus people. Everyone in our room was dead silent, trying to listen in on what is happening.

"Rick, we'll fire into that office," Gareth warned my Father, "so, you lower you g-" Another silenced gunshot went off. Gareth let out a strangled cry. Someone shot him.

Footsteps echoed through the church but then it was back to silence for a second.

"Put your weapons on the ground and kneel," Dad demanded again. I heard shuffling, followed by mumbling, it sounded like Gareth was speaking but I couldn't hear what he was saying.

"Martin, there's no choice," Gareth spoke as if he was in pain. Definitely shot.

"Yeah, there is..." the man who I assume is Martin said doubtfully. 

More shuffling around.

"Wanna bet?" Abraham asked. I was guessing that he had his gun pointed to his head.

"No point in begging, right?" Gareth asked, pain evident still in his voice.

There was a pause.

"No," my Father spoke.

"Still, you could have killed us when you came in. There had to be a reason for that," Gareth continued to speak, dragging it all out.

More meaningful steps walked towards our door until they were standing right outside it.

"Carl? Rosita? Open up," my Dad's girlfriend whispered through the door.

I instantly opened the door and was greeted with Jordan. She seemed on edge. I tried walking out and into the church but she pushed me back in and closed the door behind her. She leaned on the door.

"What the hell?" I asked, frowning at her. I wanted to help.

"You don't want to see that," she spoke softly with her eyes closed.

"Why not?" I questioned, confused about what was going to happen.

"You just don't," she replied, using the same tone. I tried listening in on what they were talking about again.

"-never cross paths again. I promise you," Gareth begged. He probably just told Dad a sob story to win him over. But I knew him better than that, he wouldn't fall for it.

Another pause.

"You'll cross someone's path... You'd do this to anyone, right? Besides, I already made you a promise," Dad recalled. What promise?

"No!" Gareth screamed. 

Screams were silenced as everyone killed them. Brutally. I looked over to Jordan. She was now frowning, but her eyes remained closed.

"Jordan?" I called. She opened her eyes to look at me.

"Are you alright?" I questioned. She gave me a sad smile and nodded before closing her eyes again.

I could still hear the horrible sounds of weapons beating and cutting these people to death. They deserved it though.

Everything stopped and it was silent again.

"It could've been us," my Dad spoke quietly. 

"Yeah," Sasha agreed.

Jordan opened the door again and everyone slowly filed in. Gabriel, however, walked out to see what happened to the place.

"This is the Lord's house," he said sadly as he looked around.

"No. It's just four walls and a roof," Maggie commented immediately after Gabriel spoke.

›››‹‹‹ {following day -- jordan's pov}

"You'll always be with us. Part of us," Maggie told Bob sadly. We had all said our goodbyes. I stood beside Rick, who was holding Judith. She was smiling at me, trying to reach for my face. I poked her nose, making her giggle a little. Judith looked back up to her dad with a cheeky smile on her face. She reached up and poked him on the nose. I bit my lip, trying to stop myself from laughter. Rick poked her back and we all started leaving the room.

"Rick. Jordan," Bob called weakly. I stopped in my tracks and turned back around to face the poor man.

Rick attempted to hand Carl, Judith who was still in a playful mood.

"No, don't. I trust her," Bob joked, smiling at the baby in Rick's hands. Sasha and Carl walked out to wait near the door.

"I just want to say thank you," Bob explained, directing it towards Rick. I stood off to the side awkwardly, listening.

"For what?" Rick asked as Judith attempted to pull his beard. Rick perched on the side of Bob's bed -- well, couch.

"Before the prison, I didn't know if there were any good people left. I didn't know if anybody was left. You took me in. Because you took people in. It was you, man," he paused, "what I said the other day, I ain't revising it. Nightmares end. They shouldn't end who you are. And that is just this dead man's opinion."

Rick didn't reply straight away, he was looking across the room.

"I'll take it," he finally said, turning to smile at Bob.

Bob chuckled, "just look at her and tell her the world isn't gonna change." Rick smiled before standing up to leave the room. I didn't move, I figured he wanted to talk to me still. Rick turned around near the door, giving me a questioning look.

"Wait for me," I mouthed. He nodded and gave me a small smile before leaving, closing the door behind.

I turned to look at Bob, who was increasingly sweating more for the fever.

"Jordan. Don't leave his side," he told me, referring to Rick. I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"He looks to you for advice, love and most importantly, you keep him grounded. You love him," he stated. Bob was very observant and that was something I would definitely miss about him.

"Just, don't leave his side. Marry him even. You two are the perfect duo for the apocalypse, good cop, bad cop. You keep each other sane. Don't forget that," he finished. A lone tear fell from my eye, I wiped it away quickly and smiled at him.

"Oh god, I will miss you," I chuckled sadly, "thank you for that."

He nodded.

"Can you please get Sasha for me?" he asked.

"Of course."

I walked out of the room, letting Sasha know of his requests. Rick was waiting outside the door, he face lit up when he saw me.

"This girl, wasn't happy when I left without you," he informed me. Judith tried reaching out to me. Rick handed me the bundle of joy. She was smiling happily in my arms.

"I love you," I whispered to Judy, her bright blue eyes sparkled with happiness.

"She loves you too," the man who Bob referred to as the bad cop, spoke proudly.

"I need ask Carl something, I'll be back," he informed. He quickly kissed the top of Judith's head and then mine. We both watched as he signalled Carl to go outside. Carl seemed as if he already knew. 

"Do you know what that is about?" I mumbled to Judith. She was in her own little word, smiling in my arms.

"Bob told me to marry your daddy," I whispered to Judith, "I don't think that's one of his priorities though." Judith's hand wrapped around my dark brown hair, pulling it slightly.

"You are definitely going to be one strong girl when you're older, like your daddy," I muttered as she pulled my hair again, twice as hard.

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