When the walkers start approaching, Clem and I hold off the guards as Javi rushes to the truck. Both of us cover him as best we can. We watch as he finds David and Kate, but soon Gabe finds us and the three of us get caught between walkers. I quickly slice the walkers heads off just as Kate, David, and Javi get to us.

"Get inside!" I yell, holding the monsters off.

When we're inside, Kate speaks, "Joan's probably looking for us."

Gabe coughs, "No, she isn't. (Y/N) shot her!"

Immediately, everyone turns to me.

"What?" Kate asks.

"You were negotiating, I saw you!" Gabe yells, "You didn't have to shoot her! We're only here because of her!"

He gets closer and closer, but I give him a look, his eyes widen, but he doesn't back away.

"Gabe.." I whisper, warning him, "I'd back up."

"No." Javi suddenly says, "I gave her the okay. I'm the reason we're here."

"I would have done it too, Gabe." David says, "She made the right call, shooting Joan."

"That's because you don't have a problem killing people, do you?" Gabe responds, "Those dead guys, they were your friends."

After everything calms down a bit, David speaks, "We need to check the other entrances, make sure we're safe."

Gabe, Clem, and David head downstairs, I head with Kate and Javi to scoup out the building, she starts talking about how she blames herself for everything that's happened. Eventually, we come to a door and Javi opens it first. We enter to see Eleanor treating someone.

"Tripp was my best friend, Javi!" She says, "He died because of you!"

"You have no one to blame but yourself," Javi responds, "Your actions betrayed Tripp."

I step in, "And to think of how much he cared about you."

"I never thought it would be like this!" Eleanor cries,"You have to believe that! Everyone from Prescott is dead...everyone but, me." She sighs, "What's done is done. I don't have to like it, but I can't change it. But you two.." She says, point at Javi and myself, "You've both got a lot of nerve showing up here, after the bullshit you pulled! You're unbelievable."

"Oh, we have a lot of nerve?" Javi replies.

I grind my teeth, "Everything that happened is because of you! This is all your fault!"

"I told you I didn't want to leave." Eleanor hisses, "You didn't listen, Javi. Joan did."

"Why the hell did you tell Joan what we were doing?" Javi questions, putting his hands on his hips.

"I was triaging a bad situation. Their doctor is dead. And before you guys fucked it up, their walls worked." Kate's face saddens, but I secretly pat her back as Eleanor continues, "It's not only about me. I can actually save lives here- not just stitch them up and hope for the best. These people will die without me, Javi."

"I know she..well, fucked us over, but she's trying to help them." Kate says, "She's trying to make something right. That's worth forgiving, right?"

I shake my head, as does Javi.

"She's doing a good thing now," He says, "But she's got a long way to go before I forgive her."

Eleanor chuckles, "You're one to talk."

The woman turns back around, and starts treating the woman on the couch again.

"We should try to help, not everyone here is guilty." Kate adds, just as David and the others enter the room.

As the woman asks Eleanor if she's seen a little girl, I can sense that someone is about to go wrong. Soon, Kate offers her help to Eleanor but the woman on the couch, named Fern jumps up and aims a gun at Javi's skull.

Despite myself, I jump in front of Javi.

"Fern, it's my fault that everything has happened. I'm the one who shot Joan, I'm the one who caused all of this chaos. I'm sorry for hurting your daughter, it's my fault she's dead." I mutter, staring her straight in her eyes.

If this is how I'm going to die, then so be it. I'll be saving my friends, my new family. That's when I get a flashback, back when Clem and I were younger. I remember when Carver shot right beside my ear, and I passed out. Thankfully not without glancing behind me to my sister, and saying, 'I'm sorry.' So, for oldtimes sake, I do that exact thing now.

"Hey Clem, find AJ for me. I'm sorry."

Her eyes widen so much that I'm scared they'll fall out. The woman with the gun pointed at my skull freezes, and just as she's about to lower it, David jumps in and breaks her left arm. Everyone jumps at the sight, as she rushes backwards, towards her gun. Gabe jumps on his dad's back, trying to stop him. David throws him backwards though, just where I can thankfully catch him. Suddenly, time seems to slow down. Everyone stares at David with fear in their eyes, and eventually the man leaves, telling us that we're on our own.

My heart is beating so fast, that I drop to the ground as soon as David is out of my sight. Clementine rushes to my side, and slaps me across the face so hard that my neck snaps to the right.

"You were going to sacrifice yourself again!" She yells through tears.

I hold the spot that she hit, keeping my face neutral.

"You were gonna leave me.." Clem mutters, her eyes widening.

"I'm sorry, Clem." I respond, facing her, "I-I don't know what's come over me the past few days..I just stood in front of Javi without thinking much for myself or you."

She sighs, and wraps her arms around me tightly, "I understand, I would've done the same if it was you or AJ."

I hug her back and let a few tears fall, before the two of us get up and we all check the entrances once more. We find Ava, and head up to the roof, where Javi and David are talking.

Javi attempts to apologize to the woman that he almost killed, but she doesn't care.

"God, there's so many." Kate mutters, staring down at the city of walkers, "They're pouring in."

Ava tchs, "You don't know the half of it. The herd has taken over Richmond. The streets are filled with walkers. With that hole in the wall, this city is fucked. We're not safe here. No one is."

"So what do we do?" Gabe asks.

"Kill each and every one of them, before they get us." Javi says.

"I saw construction vehicles when we got that truck. Bulldozers and stuff. What if we used one of those, to just..I don't know..run the muertos over?" Gabe suggests.

"That's over by the motor pool at the water tower." David states, pointing, "We could use the highway overpass to get to the water tower."

"Come on, let's jump." Javi says, glancing over at deck nearby.

Javi goes first, then I do, then Gabe, Clem, Ava, David, and Kate. Thankfully, the deck doesn't break.

We head up some fallen metal and find a few walkers. After Javi and David clears some out, we keep moving ahead. We get to a point where we half to pass the side of a car. David, Clem, and I go first. Then, Gabe follows through. As Javi starts to go, the car suddenly moves. Before he can fall, Ava grabs his hand to steady himself. Ava starts to go next, then a walker grabs and pulls her into the depths of the water.

Next, we come to a helicopter in between a piece of the road. David tries to stop Gabe from falling off of the edge as he looks at it, which makes Clem speak up.

"I know Gabe doesn't see it, but David really is trying to look out for him." She says to Javi and I.

I smile, "He's not doing the best job, but no one gives you a rule book on how to raise a kid."

Javi chuckles at my response, "Yeah, they sure as shit don't."

"There's just one thing I don't get though.." Clem adds, "Did David really think he was helping AJ by letting him go? Why did he stop guarding him?"

"He was scared." Javi responds, "Holding a baby in his arms probably scared him ten times more than any muerto."

"I don't understand." I reply, "After you put in all that work. So much of your heart..."

"AJ was a brat."

The three of us turn to David at the sound of his voice.

"He lived with me after we kicked you two out. And I had already raised two kids, thought it'd be a piece of cake!" David continues, "Pff, not with that tyrant."

"Is that why you gave him away?" Javi sounds annoyed.

"We had a bad winter." his brother replies, "Destroyed every crop we had. I couldn't leave Richmond, and AJ couldn't stay in Richmond. I gave AJ to Lingard and told him to do whatever he had to save his life." He pauses, "I miss that brat."

"I bet the little brat misses you two." Javi replies, "All of you."

"It wasn't easy, Clem, (Y/N)," David quickly says, "Remember, as far as I knew, I had already lost two children. It wasn't any easier with the third."

"It's never easy." I mutter.

"I'm going to keep you alive, all of you." David responds, "And hope that that's enough..enough for atonement."

Both Clem and I chuckle, "Huh." I mutter, grinning.

"He was a brat, huh?" Clem adds.

"A goofy little brat." We mutter in unison.

"You were trying to take care of him. Sometimes, that's not so easy. Reminds me of someone who did the same thing for me." Clem adds, I think of Lee, but she..she stares at me.

"You did the right thing." She finally says.

She mostly stares at me during that sentence, but she glances at David as well. I suddenly feel a pang in my chest. I remember the promise I made to Lee, I have to protect Clem..with everything.

Now, I have to protect both her and AJ.

I must.

David turns away, and we all try to figure out a way to get across. Javi suggests that we swing with the propeller. Gabe goes first, and makes it across. Then, it's Clem's turn. She gets across safely, and then I swing across as well. Everyone else goes, but when it comes to Javi's turn..the propeller bends. He hangs down to where a walker is... but he shoves it onto a pole and is able to climb up far enough for us to help him.

After a breather, we all start heading once more. When we arrive at the water tower, and Gabe suggests that we use the generator to distract the walkers.

"We still gotta get to the generator somehow."

I perk up, "I got an idea."

Everyone turns to me, and Clementine chuckles at my sinister smirk.

"Cut a walker open and cover yourself with its guts. Then you can slip right through them. Clem and I tried it, works like a charm."

Everyone but Clem stares at me like I'm from Mars, but I chuckle, "Hell, I'll do it then."

Clem tries to stop me but I grab her shoulders, "Remember the promise I made to Lee? I haven't forgotten about it. And I will stay true to that promise 'till the day I die. I'm not dying today."

She nods, hugging me tightly as I climb down the ladder.

I kill the nearest walker and pull it over behind a dumpster. I stab into it's stomach and rub my entire body in its bloody guts. I walk slowly and silently through the walkers. One stares at me for a moment, as if contemplating if I'm a walker or not.

Thankfully, he walks away. I look up at Clem, who gives me a thumbs up. I continue walking and finally reach the generator. I open it up and push the start button. When the walkers start approaching, I sneak away and wipe off some of the guts. We enter the garage and start planning.

"We're leaving." David mutters, "We're all leaving."

"What? And going where? You saw it yourself, we're surrounded by the herd!" Javi replies.

"I'm taking my family out of here." David responds, then he turns to Clem and I, "You kept them safe as well, you can come."

"Absolutely not!" Javi says, "Everyone in Richmond will die without us!"

"They dont matter, Javi!" David hisses, "Don't you get that?"

"This all started the day we knocked on Richmond's door. We brought this upon these people, all of us!" Kate steps in, "We can't abandon them! Not after what we've done!"

"We're going home, Kate!" David responds, "Back to the last place we were a family. We're starting over. We're all together again, finally. It's time."

"What about here, man?" Javi responds, "Make Richmond our new home."

"Richmond is gone," his brother replies, "I'm not going to let the people I love die trying to save a dead dream."

"I'll go with you, dad." Gabe suddenly says.

"Gabe?" Clem and I question.

"He's my father." He responds, "I'm sorry, but you really wouldn't understand."

Javi seems to be getting angry, as am I.

"Think this over, Gabe." I mutter.

Kate sighs, "Is this really what you want, Gabe?"

"I know it's scary out there but..I have to." the teen replies.

"You don't have to be afraid, Gabe." David says, "I won't let what happened to Mariana happen to you."

"That's bullshit, David!" Javi yells, "She was lucky to have us! At least we were actually around to raise her."

"Javi.." Gabe mutters, "Just stop..this is what I want."

"Alright then.." Kate responds, "I'm still going back. I won't be able to live with myself if I don't try to help the people in Richmond."

David snorts, "You won't be able to live at all if you do that. Richmond is compromised. Doesn't matter if there were five of us trying to save it or five-hundred. We would all die. I know a losing battle when I see one. We're moving out. Everyboy get in, that's an order!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry for the slow updates, readers!

Exams are coming up since it's the beginning of summer, and I almost lost mine so I was working on some outstanding assignments. 

Anyways, this book is going to be much 'shorter' than the others because the chapters of the other books stopped usually when I got to 1000 words or so, the chapters of this book seemed to be much longer. There aren't as many parts, but there's more story since I've improved since I started this series. This chapter was made by using the last episode, so expect the ending to be in the next two or so chapters. But don't worry! I won't wait months to start working on the one for the final season, I'll get a jumpstart on it when this one is finished!

Happy reading! 

- Glossy