MORE PEOPLE WERE DYING.

Maggie had kept Vivian informed while Rick was away. She had spoken to Hershel, who was in A Block trying to help those who were sick.

Like Glenn and Sasha.

And there was not many available to help with the hordes by the fences. Vivian offered to join her, but Maggie knew she needed to stay there with the kids.

And she asked if Rick was back yet. Maggie said they were still out there, and Vivian didn't have the heart to say only one of them would be coming back to the prison.

Maggie had eventually left, leaving Vivian once again alone with her thoughts. And two young children.

She had just gotten the kids down for a nap when she heard a gunshot. It woke both the children up and they began to cry.

Vivian rushed over, trying to comfort them. In one arm she held Judith and in the other, she stroked Liam's hair, "It's okay." She whispered to the kids.

She silently prayed that it was an accidental shot that had gone off. That it wasn't an intentional bullet meant to end someone's life.

But deep down she knew what it meant.

Later that night, Vivian was sitting against the wall, flashlight in hand as she read a children's book to the two kids who were already asleep on the mattress.

Vivian wasn't ready to sit in silence, alone with her thoughts. So she kept reading.

"Viv..." She heard someone call from outside the door.

The brunette quickly set down the book and walked over, "Rick?"

"I need your help." He begged, 

She thought about it for a moment before opening the door, "But the kids..." Carl stood next to his father, holding out a baby monitor for her.

"There's no one left to ask." Rick stated.

Vivian glanced back at the sleeping children before setting the monitor down on the desk and clipping the matching set to her belt. She closed the office door behind her, "Glad I was your last resort."

Rick and Carl gave her a smile before they rushed down the hallway towards the door to the courtyard.

Vivian took a moment, taking a deep breath. It still stunk outside, but it was fresh air she hasn't breathed in days since being holed up in the office. Oh, how she missed those fences. She almost missed seeing the rotten faces on the other side of them.

He led them to the fences, where the walkers had piled up. Carl set up a lantern, turning it on so they could see what they were doing.

Vivian and Rick lifted large logs, propping them up against the fence and holding them in place while Carl planted stakes to keep it where it was.

It was only temporary. It wouldn't hold forever, but once everyone heals and gets over the sickness, they could come together to take out the horde.

"Think they're okay?" Carl asked them as he drove the stake into the ground, 

"If things were going bad, we would have heard more shots. Maggie would have gotten us" Rick reasoned as he and Vivian walked over to another log, "We have to do this."

The three of them worked together, picking up the log and setting it down against the main posts in the fence, where it was the strongest. As Vivian let go, she heard a cracking sound coming from behind her.

The logs weren't strong enough. They were breaking.

"No!" Vivian jumped over the log and grabbed onto the one that was breaking. She tried pushing it, keeping it from snapping, but the others began to break as well,

The fence began to fall and Rick grabbed her arm, "Run!"

He pushed her forward, turning his attention to a walker. Vivian sprinted and grabbed Carl's hand, dragging him towards the guard tower.

They made it to the door and turned around, "Dad, come on! Come on!" Rick slipped in the gravel and Viv shot forward, helping him up as the walkers got closer,

The two of them ran into the tower and Carl closed the door behind them,

The trio panted nervously as the walkers pounded on the door on the other side. They exited the guard tower and stumbled into the courtyard, "Dad, what do we do?" Carl asked,

"Maybe I could back the bus up against the fence." Rick suggested,

"Will it hold?" Vivian questioned,

His gaze flickered between the two of them before he glanced back at the walkers, "Come on." Rick grabbed both of their arms and led them over to the laundry basket full of weapons and ammo.

They were going to take all the walkers out. Right then and there. Three of them against at least a hundred of rotters.

She had a feeling the kids were going to be crying after this.

Rick handed them extra magazines, "Pockets." He instructed and Vivian stuffed the extra ammo into the back pocket of her jeans, "Here." Rick held out an automatic rifle.

Vivian stared at him for a moment, seeking his blue eyes out in the darkness. She has never used a gun like that before.

"Hey..." Rick stepped closer to her, placing the gun in her hand, "You got this."

She gazed up at him and nodded, "Okay."

"Okay." He repeated before he stepped back to hand Carl his own gun.

Behind them, the fence began to creak. It wouldn't take long before it collapsed.

Rick grabbed a gun for himself, "All right, listen to me." They approached the walkers while watching Rick as he instructed them on how to use the gun, "Magazine goes in here. Release is here. Make sure it latches. Pull back the operating rod and rounds feed up. Keep squeezing the trigger for rapid fire, okay?"

Vivian nodded, putting the magazine into the gun and placing the butt of it onto her shoulder,

Rick paused and grabbed the two of them, "You shoot or you run. Don't let 'em get close, okay?"

With one last nervous breath, Vivian turned towards the walkers. They had broken through, stumbling towards the trio.

They were the only thing keeping them from getting into the walls of the prison.  

Vivian raised the gun and fired the first shot, taking down the first walker. The three of them worked together to take out dozens of walkers, bullets rapidly firing into their skulls.

As Vivian went to change out her magazine, a rotter got a little too close for comfort. She used the butt of the gun to smack it in the head, knocking it to the ground.

Carl shot the walker in the head before Vivian could finish it off. She gave him a quick nod and a smirk before replacing the magazine and continuing to shoot the walkers.

It took a while, but eventually all the rotters were laying on the cement. But not all of them were dead. After making sure there wasn't any noise coming from the kids, Vivian helped the boys walk around and stab the walkers that were still moving.

Vivian stabbed one in the head with a crowbar, and feeling eyes on her, she glanced up to see Rick staring at her,

"About Carol..."

"We don't have to talk about it now." Vivian interrupted.

She was tired. She was now covered in blood and sweat, and wanted to shower before going to cuddle with Judith and Liam.

"Dad..." Carl called out and they turned to see headlights approaching the prison, "Everything is going to be okay."

Vivian dropped the crowbar and ran with Carl down the hill, towards the first set of gates. The two of them tugged on the ropes, opening the doors to let the minivan in.

Once they got the doors closed, the two went back up to the courtyard where the car was parked. Vivian moved to wrap her arms around Marcie,

"Boy, am I glad to see you guys."