CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR || GOOD DAYS

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Rick Daryl and Hershel Arrived back at the Prison. Glenn, Alex and the rest of the group had watched them return driving through the gates, Glenn's Red flannel over his shoulder as Rick and Hershel got out of the car. Alex stood beside him smoothing out her jacket.

"everyone inside" Rick ordered giving Alex a look, One she knew wasn't good. she couldn't imagine what the governor had said to him. The group followed the three men who had gone to see the governor back into the Prison. a sense of worry thick in the air, as anticipation clouded everyone's minds wondering what Rick was going to reveal. 

Alex and Glenn shared a Look as they all closed in around Rick preparing to hear what had been said and if Alex's uncle had a plan, hoping he did. Alex stood beside her cousin as Beth looked over at Alex, Her eyes lingered on Alex's neck as Rick grabbed a rifle from his Cell before returning to the group. Anxiety throughout the group ran high as they wondered what could be next for the prison. if this was the end and the plan was to run. 

"so I met this governor. sat with him quite a while.." Rick began explaining only for Merle to cut him off almost immediately. 

"just the two of you?" Merle questioned, Alex, trying to ignore the fact the man was still alive let alone standing in the same room as her. Carl looked up at his cousin sensing her anger.

"you okay?" Carl asked quietly looking up at Alex and offering her a small smile, he didn't know a lot, but he knew enough. he remembered Rick and Lori explaining to him what happened when she came back from Afgan, and he knew something had happened while she was in Woodbury, but he didn't know the details, and she was glad about that. 

"I'm good jelly bean don't worry" She smiled down at him, her hand resting on the young boy's shoulder as he looked up at her trying to figure out if she actually was okay. he nodded partially convinced by his cousin's words before turning his head back to look at his father, yet Alex's eyes lingered on him for a second longer... she had to protect him, keep him safe. 

"he wants the prison. he wants us gone. dead. he wants us dead... for what we did to Woodbury." tension in the room grew. faces dropped. Glenn's eyes drifted to Alex, worry filling him for the safety of her and the rest of the group.

"We're going to war," Rick stated his eyes darting around the group. Alex knew they had to do this. they couldn't go on the road again. not with Judith. they had to do what they could for this prison. for their home. shed been to war before, she could do it again. 

**

Alex held her rifle close as she walked off, Maggie and Beth following Alex as she walked back into the common area, she knew they had to win this, they knew they could. all she had to do was stay alive until it was safe for Carl and Judith, they were her priority, she had to keep them safe. she'd happily die if it meant they could live. 

"we're with you, Alex. you and Rick." The pair agreed, knowing Both Alex and Rick were two of the biggest hopes the group had left. The two grimes were some of the best fighters in the group besides Daryl and Glenn.

"we'll be okay everything will be fine. don't stress about it. if you get locked down, make sure you find cover. try and get to someone if you can. if not stay where you are. we'll be fine we have to be" Alex smiled knowing Beth was more worried about the war than Maggie was. Alex tried to reassure them in an attempt to calm their nerves but she was never the best at that, she was always the one to run toward danger never away from it. 

Alex had spent a while speaking to the two girls, reassuring them everything would hopefully be okay. She eventually left them to process the fact a fight was coming, walking out into the yard she caught sight of her cousin, Carl, Judith in his arms.

"How you doing jelly bean?" she asked placing a hand on his shoulder and glancing down at the baby in his arms, the beautiful girl having been brought into a violent world. Alex had vowed she would protect both of them. no matter what the costs. 

"I'm okay.. are you okay? the thing with Merle.." Alex shook her head as the younger boy looked up at her, he was scared. scared of losing anyone else he loved. he wanted to follow Rick, he wanted to follow Alex, he wanted to be a protector. he'd always looked up to Alex boasting about her to his friends in school, how cool his cousin was, she's a soldier.  she remembered it so clearly but she never wanted him to have to follow in her footsteps.

"I'm good kid. glenn and Hershel have been checking in on me don't worry" she offered him a smile as she nodded. She gestured for him to pass Judith to her, arm slipping beneath Carls, supporting Judith's weight as she cradled the baby.

"she's beautiful, looks like you jelly bean" Alex's smile was genuine as she looked towards the bundle of joy. joy rushing through her veins, a feeling that was unfamiliar now... she wanted to bask in it, live in the joy all the time but that just wasn't possible.

"and she needs her cousin," Carl spoke, his words making Alex's eyes dart to him, the pain in his voice clear. she couldn't blame him. In recent weeks he'd lost his mother, T-Dog had died, Alex and Glenn kidnapped, Oscar had died, And Alex was shot. that was a lot to process. especially for a kid.

"I'm gonna be right here. I'm not going anywhere, Carl. you're gonna have to look after me in a wheelchair someday. run from walkers while pushing me around" She smiled softly trying to make light of the situation, a small smile tugged at the boys' lips at the thought. Alex Adjusted Judith in her arms so she could pull Carl into a hug with her free arm.

"ill push you around and Judith can push Dad. you could shoot the walkers from the wheelchair" Carl giggled as he accepted the hug grinning ear to ear as he thought about the future, and Alex in a wheelchair.

"jelly bean. I'm gonna look after you, Judith. and your stubborn ass dad. even when I'm in a wheelchair " She chuckled hugging him, and glancing down to Juidth, she smiled at the possibility of a future making a warmth spread through her chest.

**

Glenn huffed, his muscles flexing as he pushed one-half of a broken gate into place. Doing his part to ensure the safety of the group and that there were no weak points in the gates of the prison. no way for walkers or the governor's men to get in without someone hearing something. Glenn was so consumed with keeping everyone safe he'd barely had time to think about himself.

"Hey, ya seen my brother?" He heard Daryl's voice coming up from behind him. sighing Glenn shook his head as he continued fixing the gate, not particularly wanting to get into conversation with anyone. Seconds later, Daryl approached pushing the second half of the gate into place Allowing Glenn to bolt it shut.

"he said he was sorry yet?" Daryl questioned as Glenn secured the chain around the metal fence, Glenn stayed silent as he pressed the lock into place securing the gate. this was the exact conversation Glenn wanted to avoid. 

"cause he is" Daryl continued looking toward Glenn, the pain Glenn had been feeling since the governor had barely begun to fade. the guilt he felt for allowing that to happen to Alex had plagued him every day and Daryl's brother was the cause for all of it. Unsure of what to say, not wanting his emotions to take control. he bent down picking up a box of tools before carrying them over to a table.

"he's gonna make it right," Daryl stated his hand falling to his hip as Glenn placed the box on the table. the memory of the governor dragging Alex into the room half naked playing on his mind, seeing her like that, watching the governor hold the gun to her head, having seen Merle do the same made his blood boil.

"imma make him.. there's gotta be a way" Glenn nodded biting his tongue as he listened to Daryl, anger flooded his veins. daryl was family, but Merle wasn't, Merle almost killed him, held a gun to Alex's head. 

"There's just gotta be a bit of forgiveness" Daryl continued, Glenn but his lip looking off to the side as he bit his lip. Walking back around the table he approached Daryl.

"he tied me to a chair. beat me. and threw a walker in the room..." he clenched his jaw as he took a breath. if that was it, yeah maybe he could forgive him... but it wasn't. 

"Maybe I could call it even... but he- but he took Alex to a man who terrorised her. humiliated her... he held a gun to her head... Have any of you even cared enough to ask how it's affecting her? Because I know. I've seen it." he spat his heart race increasing as he acted on autopilot, words leaving his mouth before he had the chance to think as Daryl stared taking in his words. 

"I care more about her than I do about me." Glenn stated, his words laced with honesty as he turned walking back to the table, wanting the conversation to be over.