CHAPTER FOUR,
welcome to the new world.

Aiden and some of the others were working on getting the cars to the prison. "Alright, let's get the other car in. We'll park 'em in the west entry of the yard."

"Good. Our vehicles camped out there look like a giant "vacancy" sign." Daryl stated.

"After that, we need to load up there corpses so we can burn 'em." Rick said as the group of five began to walk up the gravel path.

"Gonna be a long day." T-Dog said.

"Where's Glenn and Maggie? We could use some help." Carol asked.

"Up in the guard tower. Took my goddamn idea." Aiden mumbled the last bit to Daryl. He rolled his eyes at her.

"Guard tower? They were just up there last night." Rick asked in a confused manner. Aiden cleared her throat and Rick looked over at her, she formed a circle with one hand and slid her finger into it. Rick's mouth dropped slightly at the crude gesture.

"Oh, God." She heard Rick mutter.

"Glenn! Maggie!" Daryl called. The door opened and a shirtless Glenn stepped out. Aiden snorted as he buckled his belt.

"Hey, what's up, guys?" Glenn called down to them. The group all laughed at him.

"Mini Glenn, apparently." Aiden mumbled causing T-Dog to laugh.

"You comin'?" Daryl yelled to him, causing Aiden and T-Dog to laugh harder, to the point where they were near tears.

"What?"

"You comin'?" Daryl called again. Glenn turned towards the inside of the tower, where Maggie stood.

"Come on. We could use a hand." Daryl yelled. Aiden and T-Dog at this point were leaning on each other for support asthey laughed. The five turned before T-Dog stopped them.

"Hey, Rick." They all turned and saw Axel and Oscar standing up by the gate. Aiden's good mood dropped quickly, everyone's else's dropping as well.

"Come with me." Rick said to the two men and Aiden. They followed him towards the two.

"Rick, don't do anything impulsive." Aiden said to him, pushing her hatred aside for a moment.

"That's close enough." Rick said to the two. "We has an agreement."

"Please, mister. We know that. We made a deal. But you gotta understand... we can't live in that place another minute. You follow me? All the bodies- people we knew. Blood, brains everywhere. There's ghosts." Axel said to Rick.

"Why don't you move the bodies out?" Daryl asked.

"You should be burnin' 'em." Aiden said to the two.

"We tried. We did."

"The fence is down on the far side of the prison. Every time we drag a body out, those things just line up. Dropping the body and just running back inside." Oscar informed them.

"Look, we had nothing to do with Tomas, Andrew, and Dalton." Axel started to walk forward as Aiden winced at his name. "Nothing. You trying to prove a point? You proved it, bro. We'll do whatever it takes to be part of your group. Just please, please... don't make us live in that place." Axel begged.

"Our deal is not negotiable." Rick stated harshly. "You either live in your cell block or you leave."

"I told you this was a waste of time." Oscar turned to Axel. "They ain't no different than the pricks who shot up our boys. You know how many friend's corpses we had to drag out this week? Just threw 'em out, like- these were good guys. Good guys who had our backs against the really bad dudes in the joint, like Tomas, Dalton, and Andrew. We've all made mistakes to get in here, chief. And I'm not gonna pretend to be a saint, but believe me... we've paid our due- enough that we would rather hit that road than go back into that shithole."

Rick turned to Aiden and Daryl, Daryl shook his head while Aiden merely shrugged.

"Maybe we should give them a change," she said to Rick. She liked these two. Sure, they were convicts but everyone screwed up. Axel seemed a bit loopy but he could be a valuable member to the group. Oscar seemed like a reasonable man. She liked him a lot.

»

Aiden had left the group working with the cars to go and burn Dalton's body. Daryl eyed her warily from down the hill as she dragged his body into the field. He watched as she turned around and grabbed a gas can, drenching him in the liquid.

Aiden sniffled she lit a match, "burn in Hell, you son of a bitch." And she dropped the match. His body went up in a flame that caught the attraction of the walkers leaning up against the fence and the group down the hill as well as the prisoners.

Her eyes became teary as she watched him burn. She could finally let him go, she got her closure. Her justice.

Aiden spit on the fire before returning to the prison to help with Hershel.  

She pushed open the door leading into the cell block and saw Hershel on some crutches. "You go, Hershel!" She cheered. Hershel smiled at her.

The small group slowly made their way and down the steps. "You cleared all those bodies out?" Hershel asked. "It's starting to look like a place we could really live in."

"Hey, watch your step." Lori said in a motherly way to him. "Last thing we need is you falling."

"Who's that burnin'?" Hershel asked suddenly.

Aiden sighed, "remember my ex boyfriend I told you about?" Hershel nodded. "We found a group of prisoners. He was one of them. He tried to kill me out here, but Daryl killed him first. That's what this nasty cut is from. Carol stitched it with some needle and thread." Aiden explained. "That's him."

"Alright, Hershel!" The heard Glenn cheer from  below.

"You're doing great, Daddy." Beth said to him.

"Ready to race, Hershel?" Carl asked with a sly grin.

"Give me another day. I'll take you on." Hershel said.

"Think you can beat me?" Aiden asked with a small smile.

Hershel studied her face for a moment, wondering if this was a trick question, "I believe so."

"Walkers!" Carl cried suddenly. "Look out!"

She whipped around, pulling her gun from its holster and firing a couple shots at the walkers.

Aiden could hear Rick yelled for Lori and Daryl yelling for her.

Aiden grabbed Carl's arm and Lori's, "come on!" She yelled. She led the two into the cell block.

Aiden gasped when walkers rounded out of the door. "Shit!" And pushed Carl the other way and grabbed Lori's hand. "Go, go!" She said to them.

»

Aiden didn't care about her own well being in the moments she led Carl and Lori through the tombs. She only cared about getting Carl and Lori out alive.

"Stay close." Aiden said to the two behind her. Aiden jumped when the alarms stared blaring.

Lori suddenly leaned against the wall. "What? What is it, Lori?" Aiden asked her in a panic.

"Something's not right." Lori replied.

"Are you bit?" Carl panicked.

"No, no, no. I think the baby's coming." Lori said. Aiden's heart rate rose.

"Mom?" Carl asked. Snarls suddenly filled their ears. Aiden looked to her left and saw walkers coming towards them.

"No, there's not time. Turn back." Lori said to them. Aiden wrapped her arm around Lori before Carl led them around.

"In here!" He said and pulled a door open. Aiden helped Lori in.

Lori held onto a chain and panted. Carl walked down the steps followed by the two women.

"What are those alarms?" Lori quizzed.

"Don't worry about it. Daryl and the rest will shut 'em off soon." Aiden tried to reassure herself and the two Grimes.

"What if it attracts them?" Carl asked.

"The sounds is coming from everyone, it won't bring them all down on us. Lori, let's lay you down." Aiden said.

"No- the baby's coming now." Lori said.

"We have to get back to our cell block and have Hershel help."

"We can't risk getting caught out there. You're gonna need to give birth to this baby here."

"Great." Lori said and began to pant heavily.

"What is she doing? Can't she breathe?" Carl asked frantically.

"She's fine, Carl. Come here- let's get your pants off." Aiden said as she unbuckled Lori's belt.

"Okay." Aiden laid Lori down and looked up at Carl. "You're gonna need to help reliever your brother or sister. You up for it?"

Carl nodded in shock. "I'll do an exam. Let me see if you're dilated." Aiden mumbled.

"Do you know how?" Carl asked.

"Mom was a labor and delivery nurse, she taught me a little bit, but trust me, it's my first time." Aiden mumbled. "I can't tell."

"I gotta push. I gotta push." Lori said and Aiden helped her stand.

Aiden watched as Lori grunted as she pushed. "I'm okay, I'm okay."

"You're doing great, Lori. Just keep doing it. Your body know what to do. Let it do all the work." Aiden said to the woman she grew up with.

Aiden felt something in her hand, "Lori, don't push- stop. Something's wrong." Aiden pulled her hand away and saw it was coated in Lori's blood. Lori screamed suddenly.

Aiden's mind raced with memories from one of the worst days of her entire life. The day she miscarried her child.

Aiden laid the woman back on the ground. "I'm not gonna make it." Lori mumbled.

"Lori, with all this blood, I don't even think you're fully dilated yet. No amount of pushing is gonna help." Aiden said.

"I know what it means, and I'm not losing my baby. You've gotta cut me open." Lori said to her.

"No, no, no- I can't, Lori. I have to get you back to Rick." Aiden choked.

"You don't have a choice." Lori said to her.

"I'll go for help." Carl informed.

"No!" Lori said loudly.

"Carol's the one that practiced that, Lori. Mom only taught me the steps and that was before I lost mine. If I-" Aiden was cut off by Lori.

"Please."

"I have no anesthetic, no equipment-"

"Carl has a knife, and so do you."

"You won't survive." Aiden said.

"My baby has to survive." Lori replied. "Please. My baby... for all of us. Please, Aiden! Please!" Aiden let out a choked cry as she shook her head. "Please."

Lori pulled her shirt up, "you see my old C-section scar?" Lori asked her, Aiden saw it. She was in the waiting room when she got said scar.

"I can't." Aiden breathed.

"You can. You have to. Carl? Baby, I don't want you to be scared, okay? This is what I want. This is right. Now you- you take care of your daddy and Aiden for me, alright? And your little brother or sister, you take care-"

"You don't have to do this."

"You're gonna be fine. You're gonna beat this world. I know you will. You are smart, and you are strong, and you are so brave, and I love you." Lori said to her son.

"I love you too." Carl cried.

"You gotta go what's right, baby. You promise me, you'll always do what's right. It's so easy to do the wrong thing in this world. So don't- so if it feels wrong, don't do it, alright? If it feels easy, don't do it. Don't let the world spoil you. You're so good." Lori whipped his tears. "You're my sweet boy. You're the best thing I ever did. And I love you." Lori brought her son in and hugged him as she sobbed. "I love you." 

Aiden's own tears spilled over as she bit down on her lip so hard blood trickled from it. "You're my sweet, sweet boy. I love you." Lori kissed his head. "Okay- okay, now. Okay."

"Aiden, you're my special girl. You take care of my boys. Take care of Rick and Carl for me." Lori begged her.

"I will." Aiden sobbed.

"Take care of this baby like they're yours. This is your family too, love." Lori said to the girl she's know since she was a baby. "Aiden, when it's over, you're gonna have to-"

"Shh-"

"You have to do it. It can't be Rick. Alright... alright." Lori said. Carl handed Aiden his knife, her shaking hands reached for it.

"Goodnight, loves." Lori Grimes uttered her final words.

"I'm sorry, Lori." Aiden sobbed as she slid the knife across her scar. Lori's screams bounced off the walls and into Carl's and Aiden's ears. Shaking the two of them to their cores.

"What are you doing to her!?" Carl yelled at Aiden.

"Carl, give me your hands." Aiden said shakily. "Carl, please! You have to keep the site clean, okay? I cut too deep, I'm gonna cut the baby." Aiden gasped when she saw it. "I see it. I see the ears. I'm gonna pull it out. I can't tell if this is the arm or the leg. Okay, I'm gonna pull the baby out." Aiden spoke.

She pulled the baby out of Lori's stomach and tapped it stomach. "Oh, no, no, no." She muttered when the baby didn't cry. She quickly flipped the baby onto its stomach and tapped its back.

The baby began to cry and both gasped. Carl quickly shrugged of his flannel and handed it to Aiden. Aiden cut the unbiblical cord. "Hey, baby girl. It's a girl, Carl." Aiden cried.

Aiden wrapped the shirt around her and stood. "We have to go."

"We can't just leave her here. She'll turn." Carl said to Aiden. She reached around for her knife.

"No..."

"Carl..."

"She's my mom." Carl said to her. Aiden looked down at his gun and turned. She jumped when the shot rung out. A sob escaping her throat.
Carl walked past her. She didn't miss the numbness wrote al over his face.

Aiden and Carl left the tombs and entered the common area of the cell block where they saw multiple dead walkers and opened the door to outside.

The sound of the baby's crying hit everyone's ears as they all turned and saw Aiden's shaking and sobbing figure as well as Carl's emotionless one.

Rick stated at the blood on Aiden's arms and Carl's hands. Rick dropped his axe and walked towards them. Aiden's lips quivered as she cradled her niece to her chest.

In those moments, she didn't hate Rick. Rick wasn't the man who had killed her brother but t the man she grew up with and the man who just lost his wife.

"Where- Where is she? Where is she?" Rick asked her.

Rick walked past her, "no, Rick! No!" She grabbed at his arm.  She watched as Rick sobbed. He bent down and looked at Carl.

"Oh, no! No!" He wailed and walked away before falling to the ground.

Daryl approached Aiden. He placed both hands on the sides of her face as she cried.

"Lori-" she sobbed.

"I know," Daryl breathed out.

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word count: 2,506
episodes: killer within

edited chapter #2 of the day.

aiden is truly one of the most complex characters i've ever written. 

i don't see why people hate lori so much. i used to but i changed my view on her. i don't stan her but i don't hate her.

this chapter is so depressing and i cried while writing while writing it.

delivering jude is one of the BIGGEST events that change aiden, for the better. it changed her view on the world in a way.

rip lori
rip t-dog

aiden's reaction to t-dog is in the next chapter and it'll breaks y'all little hearts. they got a lot closer and became best friends.

aiden is gonna raise judith and watch over her as if she was her own. after all, judith is her blood niece.