- Cass's POV -

The door to the church bangs open, aggressively jolting what was just a painfully quiet room. I jump to my feet, whirling around to watch as Sasha, Rick, and Tyreese walk in, bringing in a gust of the cool night air with them into the stuffy church. Desperately searching their expressions, I meet Rick's gaze, questioning him silently.

With disappointment written across his face, Rick shakes his head, sending a wave of defeat crashing over me.

Bob, Carol, and Daryl are all still missing.

Feeling an overwhelming sense of concern, I sigh heavily, dragging my hand down my face. Why is it that every time we take a second to enjoy something, it gets ruined?

When will we get a break?

Sasha strides towards the end of the church and my heart tightens with worry as her footsteps pound against the creaky hardwood floors. I can't imagine what she's going through- if Rick were missing I would be an inconsolable wreck. And he's not even mine to be worried about.

Sasha approaches the back of the church, coming to a stop beside the front pew, staring at Gabriel as he messes with some silverware.

"What are you doing?" Sasha questions Gabriel shortly, making him freeze, looking up at the expectant woman in front of him. The tension is growing steadily between them as Gabriel stares back at Sasha wordlessly.

"What. Are you doing?" Sahsa repeats herself, stepping toward Gabriel intimidatingly, her hand resting on her sniper rifle strapped across her chest. The feeble priest just blinks at her in shock, holding a silver spoon close to his chest as he watches her with wide eyes.

"This is all connected. You show up, we're being watched, and now three of us are gone." Sasha accuses darkly, her bottom lip trembling with anger as she glares the priest down.

I push off from the pew I was sitting on, edging closer to the altercation with uneasiness. I don't know if Sasha is thinking clearly right now with Bob missing.

Gabriel simply blinks back at Sasha in bewilderment. "I...I-" He stutters lamely, nervously looking at the rest of us watching him silently, meeting my gaze for a millisecond. "I don't... I don't have anything to do with this." The priest defends himself softly, searching the silent room for answers that we don't have for him.

Sasha abruptly rips out her knife from her belt, making Gabriel flinch backward, his arms immediately thrown up in surrender.

"Don't!" Rosita calls out as my stomach throttles, the rest of the group rushing forward to stop her.

"Sasha put it away!" Tyresse orders, but Sasha ignores him, stepping forward again intimidatingly toward Gabriel, raising the reflective blade up toward his face.

"Who's out there? Where are our people?"

"I-I don't have anything to-"

"Where are our people?!" Sasha shouts, her voice reverberating around the room, laced heavily with hatred, hurt, and fear, making my breath catch in my throat.

"Please, I don't have anything to do with this. I-" Gabriel stutters to a stop, sweat gleaming across the span of his forehead. Sasha falters backward, blinking past tears, and shaking her head in disbelief. Her knife-wielding hand drops as she turns and walks away.

I step out from the aisle, reaching out for her arm as she passes, but she gently dodges out of the way, her face crumpling with emotion. Sighing with defeat, I glance back to where Gabriel stands as Rick speaks up.

"Why'd you bring us here? You workin' with someone?" Rick challenges lowly as he tilts his head intimidatingly, slowly nearing the stuttering priest. Gabriel puts his hands up in surrender once again, true terror behind those eyes seeing Rick take threatening steps toward him.

"I'm alone! I'm alone. I was always alone," Gabriel insists with a wavering voice, his eyebrows raised as we watch him carefully. My arms crossed against my chest, I step forward, up the aisle, and behind where Rick is standing, staring unflinchingly at the blubbering idiot in front of us.

"What about the woman in the food bank? What did you do to her?" Rick asks darkly, making Gabriel pale. I glance to see Rick's expression beside me, contorted with anger and distrust.

"'You'll burn for this.' That was for you. Why?" Rick demands roughly, his severe gaze not straying from Gabriel's grimaced expression.

My brows furrow in confusion, darting between the two men. What is Rick talking about?

"What are you gonna burn for Gabriel?" Rick practically spits before abruptly lunging towards him, making me flinch back in shock as he roughly yanks the man forward by the collar of his shirt.

"What? What did you do? What did you do?!" Rick shouts at him before throwing the man back, making Gabriel stumble backward.

Gabriel looks like he might throw up again, tears forming in his eyes as he tries to catch his breath from being tossed around by the furious man in front of him.

My stomach twists in disgust as Gabriel reveals the story of his congregation desperately trying to get into his locked church when the turn first happened. How he let them attempt to claw their way into the church as walkers pulled them apart. How he stayed inside, refusing to help them like a coward.

He begins to sob as he recounts how they cried his name, women and children, begging him to let them in.

Shaking my head with repulsion for the worthless man in front of me, I find I can't take watching him a second longer as he falls to the ground in lamentation. Repeatedly muttering about locked doors and damnation.

Sasha slots her knife back in her halter, clearly realizing like the rest of us that he's not a threat.

Just a pathetic coward.

The tension begins to dissipate in the room and I sigh heavily, running a hand through my hair, not being able to believe the man and his vile wrongdoing he had been hiding from us. Rick backs up from the man, huffing in disgust before turning to face the rest of us.

While it's good that we've established Gabriel's not a threat, it doesn't help us find the rest of our people.

Just then, a loud sing-song whistling trails from outside, making the group freeze. My heartbeat pounding loudly in my chest, I turn to face the doors of the church, my stomach twisting at the daunting melody.

Glenn, closest to the doors of the church, rushes toward the window, squinting past the slats of wood nailed in front of the glass.

"There's something-- Oh god, there's someone outside lying in the grass!" Glenn calls out, his words making my blood run cold,

Rick and I call immediately Sasha's name to stop her, but despite this, she races to the front door, desperately ripping it open. Without thinking for another second, the rest of the group tears after her, out from the warm lit-up church and into the dark night.

Chills erupt across my arms as Sasha screams out Bob's name, her raw and blood-curdling voice making me feel nauseous. I push past Abraham and Glenn to get to the front, looking around wildly, my stomach dropping when I see him.

Bob is lying on the grass outside the church, alone, half of his left leg gone, clearly too weak to even hold up his own head. Horror shoots through me as my hand flies to my mouth in shock, not being able to believe the sight in front of me. A handful of walkers are wandering around the lawn, immediately being drawn by the shouts, groaning as they turn to us.

Sasha ignores them, falling to her knees beside Bob, already sobbing in distress as she looks over her lover's mauled body.

"Cass, Cass!" She screams desperately and in a second I'm there beside her, dropping onto the damp grass as I quickly assess our friend, water seeping into the knees of my jeans. Adrenaline is shaking my vision, my heartbeat racing in my throat, as I try to evaluate the man in front of me, my heart shattering at the horrific sight.

"Get Bob inside! We'll take care of the walkers!" Glenn orders loudly somewhere to the left of me, and I nod quickly, my mind racing as I try to recall all the information I memorized in med school about amputations.

"Help me, help me!" Sasha sobs repeatedly, looking around wildly in distress. Tara rushes over to help me and Sasha lift Bob, carrying him carefully as we head right back into the safety of the church.

My arms are burning with the effort of carrying a full-grown man's dead weight as the sounds of my group slaughtering the walkers fill my ears until we enter the quiet confines of the church.

"I was out in the graveyard, then someone grabbed me, knocking me out. I woke up in this place, it looked like a... school. It was that guy, Gareth, and five other ones."

I continue assessing Bob's vitals as he tells his story weakly, filling me with dread, my heart breaking for our friend. These Terminus people are monsters.

"They were eating my leg right in front of me. Like it was nothin' all proud like they had it all figured out," Bob recounts with disgust through his labored breathing, his skin covered with a fine layer of sweat.

As I examine his pupils, I sense Rick moving behind me. "Did they have Daryl and Carol?" Rick asks Bob slowly and carefully, clearly trying not to upset the man already in immense pain.

Leaning back, I watch as Bob furrows his brows in deep thought. "G-Gareth said they drove off." Bob manages through his sharp breaths of pain, his words sending a jolt of shock through my veins.

Uneasiness passes through the group as we shift slightly, looking at each other in confusion. They just- drove off?

Bob suddenly groans louder in pain, writing to the side, making worry flinch through me as I lurch forward to try to help him.

"He's in pain, Cass, can we give him anything?" Sasha asks me desperately, holding onto her lover, her eyebrows crumpled together with worry.

"There might be pill packets in the first aid kit," Rosita offers before I can say anything, getting up from the pew she was seated at.

I nod quickly in agreement. "Yes. Grab anything you can." I tell Rosita and she nods affirmatively, turning to walk out. Anything could help at this point.

"Save 'em." Bob calls, making Sasha whip her head to him, leaning forward with an incredulous look.

"No!" She cries, her bottom lip trembling, before she nods at Rosita, silently ordering her to grab the pills.

"Bob-" I begin but get cut off as he sends me a look.

"Really." Bob insists roughly, making Sahsa stop, leaning back, her face contorted with confusion. My heart is pounding in my chest as I stare at Bob, trying to figure out what's going on with him, a horrible feeling settling in my chest as I realize that he's not trying to be selfless.

I watch in horror as Bob sighs before pulling back his stained t-shirt to reveal the nasty walker bite on his shoulder. A gasp shudders through me, my stomach twisting at the reveal.

The red wound is large and swollen with blood and pus oozing out from the teeth marks. It must be hours old.

"It happened at the food bank." Bob mutters through clenched teeth, making Sasha stiffen, her expression frozen in horror.

Within seconds, something flickers across her expression and she leans forward, muttering "It's okay," softly under her breath. My heart sinks with dread, realizing we're going to lose him.

All the memories of me and him working together on block E come rushing back. All the times that he was nothing but kind to me as he helped with anything I requested. How he always kept that positive attitude and ever-present friendly smile. He is the reason Maggie and Sasha keep going, helping them reunite with all of us.

And now he's dying.

Bob suddenly falls back with a muffled grunt, wincing in pain, making me and Sasha lurch forward to catch him.

"There's a sofa in my office," A tentative voice offers from behind us. My brows raise slightly in surprise as I turn at the voice to see Gabriel standing a respectful distance from us, his hands clasped in front of him.

Sasha turns to the priest, who she had been screaming at just ten minutes ago. "I know it's not much, but..." He trails off as Sasha tilts her head slightly, her expression not visible to me as she turns to the man.

"Thank you." She responds simply, making what must be relief flutter across Gabriel's expression as he nods.

"I got him," Tyreese announces, making the rest of us stand up and back away to give them space as the burly man collects Bob carefully in his arms.

I follow Tyreese and Sasha into Gabriel's office, glancing back as Rick starts talking lowly with the priest, trying to figure out the place Bob was taken to.

Deciding to leave him to it, I help Tyreese set Bob down on the sofa as he grunts slightly in pain through his clenched teeth. Considering one of his legs is gone and he has an inflamed and angry walker bite, he's handling the pain extremely well.

I quickly dart back into the main room of the church, grabbing the first aid kit in the hope to find something to ease his pain.

Before I can go back in, Rick grabs my elbow gently, stopping me so I turn to him, Glenn, and Maggie.

"Does he have a fever?" Rick questions me softly, his concerned eyes searching mine. I shake my head just once.

"Not yet. He's just warm. Considering his injuries, I don't know how he doesn't," I respond honestly, making Rick nod, dropping his hand from my arm.

"Jim lasted almost two days before we left him," Glenn comments to Rick lowly and I watch the duo as they discuss someone I never had the chance to meet.

"It affects everyone differently. Some can turn in a matter of minutes, others in a few days." I interrupt, making the three of them turn to me, clearly thinking deeply about our options.

"Time for a reality check! We need to leave for DC, right now." Abraham calls from the aisle of the church, his assault rifle held ready at his chest. Rick stiffens beside me, making me glance over to see his expression harden at the military man's words.

"Daryl and Carol are gonna be back, we're not goin' anywhere without 'em," Rick states slowly and surely, tilting his head, his voice lowering into that commanding and intimidating voice of his.

Glancing back as Abraham speaks again, I realize an argument is brewing, and I don't have time for that with a dying patient and friend in the next room.

First aid kit in hand, I leave the rising voices of the church and enter the quiet office. Bob is laying alone on the sofa, Tyreese watching over him. Sasha is leaning against a far wall, her expression blank. She's clearly in shock.

Dropping the first aid kit, I fill a bowl with some of our river water which we have yet to purify and grab a small towel that had been lying around in a pile. Dipping the towel in the bowl of water, I place the drenched fabric against Bob's sweaty forehead, making him sigh slightly in relief. Hopefully, this will aid his rampantly increasing temperature.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you, Bob. You're a good man." I tell him softly as I move the towel gently across his forehead.

He smiles weakly as he looks back at me, that friendly twinkle still alive in his eyes.

"And you're a good doctor. Never thought you'd be mine," he says jokingly with a cough, making my brows knit together with concern.

He's not getting better. And I know deep down he won't. That doesn't make it any easier.

"I remember the first time you joined me in block E." I say, a fond smile forming on my face, ignoring the loud arguing going on outside the thin walls of the office.

Bob just blinks up at me, that ever-present smile resting on his face, the nearby candle flickering warm light across his expression, lighting up the beads of sweat across his dark skin.

"You were so cheerful all the time, it really took me off guard at first," I reveal lowly like I'm confessing a secret as I lean forward with a grin. Bob simply smiles wider at my words, blinking slowly. I remove the towel, placing it back into the bowl to give his forehead a break.

"I thought... you didn't like me," He manages slowly and weakly, making me laugh lightly, my chest tightening with emotion as I do.

"I didn't know if I could trust such a nice guy!" I defend myself through my wide smile, part of my stomach twisting unpleasantly remembering the fake nice guy I did end up wrongly trusting.

"But then I realized you were just... Bob." I tell him fondly, making his expression flicker with a grin. Grabbing his clasped hands in mine, I hold them closer to me as my eyes scan his face, memorizing my friend before he leaves us.

"Thank you for working with me, and keeping Sasha and Maggie going. You're a huge part of why we all came back together. That Glenn gets to see his wife every day. That Sasha and Tyreese are reunited. You are the reason." I inform him with sincerity, patting his hands warmly.

His expression lights up as he continues to smile back at me. "It was my pleasure, Cass," he responds weakly, making me smile widely as I fight the burning tears behind my eyes, not wanting to upset him.

I glance over my shoulder to see Sasha watching us blankly, still in shock evidently. Releasing Bob's hands, I stand up and clear my throat to try to rid myself of the lump growing with overwhelming emotion. Picking up the wet towel, I cross the room to pass it to Sasha.

Her eyes, darting around the room with shock, finally come to meet mine, her breathing uneven and shallow, her hands grasped so tightly around the towel that it dribbles water droplets onto the wooden planks next to her combat boots. I grab her by her shoulders, attempting to ground her.

"Keep him comfortable and talking. That's all we can do." I tell her softly, pushing past my own emotions, trying to fulfill my objective doctor duty despite my heart breaking with every passing minute.

Gulping, Sasha nods before going to sit beside Bob, dabbing his forehead and talking to him softly. With a heavy sigh, I cross my arms and glance beside me to see Tyreese watching the duo, pain written clearly across his features.

"He made her happy." He murmurs, not breaking his gaze on the pair. I nod, letting out a shaking breath.

"He did. That's how we have to remember him." I say quietly, swallowing thickly before patting Tyreese's shoulder. I leave, giving the three of them privacy.

Closing the door softly behind me, I look up to see the other half of the group separated, the tension unmistakable in the room. Rick and Abraham are standing in the aisle face to face, breathing heavily. The arguing has to have just ended.

Glenn, who was standing between them, shifts, glancing back at his wife.

Abraham huffs slightly before pushing past Rick and storming to the back of the church. Rick slightly turns his head to watch him go, the anger clear on his expression, the corners of his mouth turned down and his eyes dark.

What the hell happened?

"What's going on?" I question Michonne quietly, who is closest to me, making her turn to face me. She brings her lips to a firm line, glancing at the clearly still-angry men in the room.

"Abraham, Rosita, Eugene, Tara, Glenn, and Maggie are all heading to DC tomorrow morning," Michonne explains under her breath, making my eyebrows shoot up with shock, immediately looking over at the group members she just listed off, my heart dropping.

They're just going to leave?

"W-what? Why?" I question her, searching her warm brown eyes, my stomach twisting uneasily.

We only just got reunited and now we're splitting up again?

"It was the only way to keep them here tonight," Michonne explains gingerly, her eyebrows drawn together. I sigh, running a hand through my hair before placing it on my hip.

After giving the tension a minute to dissipate and the men time to calm down, we reconvene to discuss what needs to be done with the people that took Bob.

The Terminus people. The ones who trapped my family in the hopes of eating them.

After some deliberation, Rick repeats the final plan back to us, making me slowly exhale through my nose, looking down at my clasped hands.

It's risky.

But- it may be our only way of getting back at those bastards.

Gabriel is in the corner with prayer beads, murmuring lowly to himself as Carl aims his gun at the door unflinchingly.

I raise my rifle to the door alongside Carl as an unfamiliar and infuriating voice echoes through the thin walls of the room we're in, clear as day as the man walks enters the church.

"Well, I guess you already know we're here! And we know you're here." the grating voice calls out intimidatingly, making me grimace in disgust, glancing behind my shoulder to check on Judith and Sophia huddled together hiding behind the desk.

Sophia nods once to me in determination, holding Judith to her securely. I send her a reassuring look, glancing over at Rosita standing guard with Euegene behind her. Bob is still on the couch, Tyresse standing in front of him. As the unfamiliar man's irritating voice speaks up again, my attention refocuses on the white paneled door in front of us.

"We're armed. So there's really no point in hiding anymore!" The man, Gareth I assume, calls out loudly. Despite his taunting, we stay silent in the room.

We need to follow the plan.

"We've been watching you. We know who's here. There's Bob, unless you put him out of his misery already, then Eugene, Rosita, Martin's good friend Tyreese, Carl, Sophia, and then the two we never met. The pretty lady and the baby." The man finishes, his voice low. My stomach drops slightly, bile rising in my throat as I realize he's talking about me.

"Cass and Judith, is it?" The all-too-calm and impassive voice questions, seeming extremely pleased with himself, making me shake my head in anger, my stomach twisting with disgust. I readjust my grip on my rifle with determination, ready to pull the trigger if need be, that dark and twisted urge to end his life only growing.

"See we didn't meet Cass, but we heard your little story you told Rick earlier, about how you stepped on a man's neck until he died. Brutal. And yeah, he was one of us. Matt actually. My brother." Gareth reveals harshly. "So yeah, not a big fan of you already, Cass!" He calls out, making me gulp, shifting on my feet.

Shit.

"Rick and the rest walked out. With a lottt of your guns." Gareth declares intimidatingly over the creaking of his group moving steadily toward us.

As he continues to taunt us, I glance back at the rest of my family cramped in the room, making sure they are still sticking to the plan.

Gareth begins to try to bargain with Gabriel, offering him a chance to run free, the footsteps and creaking only getting closer. I suddenly realize that they're right outside the door, making my stomach drop with worry.

Rick, where are you?

My heart is pounding so loud in my chest, I swear they must be able to hear it through the deafening silence of the room. We have a plan, but these guys are unpredictable and dangerous.

Just then Judith begins to wail loudly, jolting me with shock, my stomach dropping. I whirl around to see Sophia panicking before clamping her hand over Judith's mouth, still giving her nostrils room to intake oxygen. Judith's face reddens, tears pouring down her little cheeks and onto Sophia's hand, breaking my heart. All I want is to take the crying girl into my arms and give her comfort. Take away any fear or negative feelings from our innocent baby.

"This is your last chance to tell us you're coming out!" Gareth calls, making my stomach drop. Where's Rick and the rest of them? We're running out of time.

As if prompted by my silent pleas, silenced gunshots erupt just outside the door accompanied by the thuds of two bodies hitting the floor.

Lowering my rifle, I sigh with relief knowing they're back. That relief only deepens at the familiar sound of Rick's voice rumbling incoherently through the drywall.

I can't distinguish what is being said but another gunshot rings out and a voice that sounds like Gareth's cries out, sending a flash of satisfaction through me.

Then I hear clearly, "Put your guns on the floor and kneel." From Rick, making a proud smirk quirk at my mouth. He's got them.

"Do what he says," Gareth orders to his men with evident pain in his voice. "Martin, there's no choice here!" He urges, until finally I hear the clatter of guns falling to the ground.

Glancing back at the room behind me, I wordlessly order them to stay put. I crack open the door quietly to assess if it's safe to come out.

As my eyes adjust to the darkness of the church, I spot the unfamiliar men of Terminus, scattered around the plush red carpet of the church, on their knees as our group keeps their weapons trained on them. They're now outnumbered and unarmed.

"No point in begging, right?" Gareth asks dryly, facing my direction as he looks up at Rick, holding tightly onto his hand, which is bleeding profusely. I try not to take deep satisfaction in the sight of this rat-looking man getting justice for the disgusting things he's done.

I can't see Rick's expression with his back to me as he looks down at Gareth unflinchingly. "No." Rick simply replies, his voice cold and steady. Chills flare on the skin of my arms at the harsh cadence of Rick's voice. If I was in Gareth's shoes, I would be terrified.

"Still, you could have killed us when you came in. There had to be a reason for that." Gareth manages through gritted teeth, his voice wavering with hope as he fidgets in pain.

"We didn't want to waste the bullets," Rick replies simply, his tone low and ice-cold. So far from the soft and warm voice he uses when he speaks to me. To his family. I suddenly feel a rush of gratitude that I'm part of that family he will protect to this extent. That I know, without a doubt, he would do this for me. Kill for me.

"We used to help people. We saved people. Things changed. They came in and-" Gareth cuts himself out with a desperate groan of pain, leaning forward and rocking back, his hand gushing blood.

"After that... I know that you've been out there, but I can see it. You don't know what it is to be hungry." Gareth implores desperately, his voice raw with pain as he tries to reason with Rick. It's a desperate and futile attempt. We're too far gone.

Rick just slightly tilts his head, clearly unphased by Gareth's pleas.

"You don't have to do this. We can walk away. And we will never cross paths again. I promise you." Gareth expresses with emphasis through his shaky and wavering breaths, sweat beginning to dot across his forehead.

The rest of our group stays rooted in their spots, their weapons still drawn on the Terminus people kneeling in front of them.

"But you'll cross someone's path." Rick mutters with a slight shrug. "You'd do this to anyone, right?" He asks knowingly, taking a threatening step toward the squirming man.

My breath is caught in my throat, my chest heaving as I watch the scene unfold in front of me. I can't help the feeling of pride surging through me. Seeing Rick, defending us while looking this intimidating and assertive, makes me feel incredibly safe.

"Besides... I already made you a promise," Rick adds coldly, before reaching to his hip, pulling out his machete with a red handle, and slicing it across Gareth's neck all in one swift movement.

I flinch slightly in surprise as the rest of the group flies into action, taking out the rest of the Terminus people with blinding intensity and rage. Sensing the approaching brutality, I step forward, closing the door behind me so Carl or Sophia don't see any of it, holding the door securely closed behind me.

The sounds of guns hollowly smashing against skulls and metal slicing through flesh fills the room as the group takes their revenge.

I don't feel the disgust or horror I see in Glenn, Tara, and Maggie's expressions as they watch the massacre in front of them. I feel satisfaction. Knowing that these monsters are getting what they fucking deserve.

Knowing what they had planned on doing to my family, to Carl? To a child, fills me with overwhelming rage. Seeing them being slaughtered just as they would have to my family, is an undeniably good feeling.

After everything we have been through, after surviving Phillip, I know now that we need to kill anyone who threatens us before they can do it first.

As the Terminus cannibals scream in pain while they're slaughtered brutally, my eyes find Rick again, repeatedly smashing the machete into Gareth's limp corpse.

Rick finishes one last blow, breathing heavily, before ripping the machete out of the mess of blood, flesh, and bone that was once Gareth's face. He steps backward, panting as the church is suddenly blanketed in silence.

Rick glances over his shoulder to meet my gaze already trained on him, his eyebrows raising slightly in surprise that I'm here. He was clearly not expecting me to be out of the office and watching.

His face, the structure and layout of which I have memorized every inch of, is coated with splatters of blood, darkening his skin and soaking into his beard.

His eyes are dark with a quickly fading rage that should scare me. It should send repeated waves of terror through me to see this ruthless killer in front of me, to see the wrath behind his irises as he looks at me now.

But it doesn't.

Through the darkness of the room, Rick stares back unflinchingly, still breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling steadily.

I just nod my head slightly, determination flitting through me. They got what they fucking deserved.

No one fucks with our family and gets to live. Not anymore.

What seems to be slight relief flashes across Rick's expression and he nods right back at me. He brings his finger up, nudging against his nose- our code that I showed him back at the prison. The simple gesture from him fills me with appreciation that he remembered.

So I do it right back, nudging my nose with my pointer finger.

I'm okay. We're okay.

We did what we needed to do.

With all the cannibalistic assholes dead, the church is filled with a new stillness, thickened with the tension of the ruthless executions committed. Behind Rick, I spot Michonne being reunited with her sword that the Terminus people had confiscated.

"It could have been us." Rick points out, his voice rough and raw as he breaks eye contact with me briefly to glance at the others. I notice a couple of nods going along with his words as Sasha mutters a slight "yeah", still staring down at the man she just killed.

Martin, I think. The one who found Tyreese and Soph in the cabin and threatened Sophia's life. Anger flashes through me at the idea but I push it down, reminding myself he just paid for that with his life. And he will never be able to lay another hand on one of our children ever again.

The office door creaks behind me and I turn with concern to see Gabriel step out, his eyes wide as he takes in what can only be described as a massacre.

Sasha, seemingly overcome with a new sense of shock, just brushes past me and Gabriel, beelining to Bob.

Rick follows, stopping in front of me and guiding me away from the doorway so we can talk without blocking anyone else from going inside the office as well.

"You good?" Rick questions me quietly, tilting his head to read my expression, his eyebrows drawn together.

I nod, looking back at him unflinchingly, hoping to convey my approval of what just happened.

"Yeah. Those fuckers got what they deserved." I tell him confidently, making him let out a slow and steady exhale out of his nose as he nods, looking down, his hand resting on his belt.

"I wasn't even there, and I wanted them to pay for what they did to you all. For what they did to Bob." I assure him darkly, reaching out and grabbing his arm through his sherpa coat, making him raise his head so his gaze can meet mine.

He needs to know that we've changed for a reason. We resort to this type of violence for a reason- to survive.

Rick's calmed eyes search mine, the appreciation unmistakable in his expression. My breath hitches in my throat as I gaze back at the man in front of me.

Despite the fact that he just slaughtered a man in cold blood and I didn't blink an eye, the simple act of him standing in front of me, looking down at me like this, is making my stomach flutter with wild nerves.

"Kids okay?" he asks me breathlessly, and I nod wordlessly, still fighting the sudden and bizarre rush of nerves jolting through my veins. Rick shifts to walk into the office to check on them, but I stop him, my hand pressed against his chest.

His eyes are slightly widened in confusion as I stop him from seeing his children. Quickly grabbing a stray towel from the pile I retrieved one from earlier, I bring it back to Rick, gesturing to his blood-covered face.

Realization washes over Rick's expression, his mouth forming a small 'o' shape. Smiling slightly in fondness, I hold the side of his jaw to keep him still as I begin to wipe his face, erasing the evidence of his killing. Carl has seen more than enough but it doesn't hurt to take a small thing like this away.

Rick's blue irises watch me closely as I drag the cloth across the inviting bone structure of his face, brushing away the blood carefully. Too shrouded by concentration, I only realize about halfway through cleaning him that I could have just handed him the towel to clean his face instead of taking it upon myself, making my face flame with abrupt embarrassment. Luckily, the rest of the group is too caught up with checking on their people and I don't think anyone has noticed my embarrassing act of intimacy.

I clear my throat as I finish wiping his face, dropping my hand awkwardly and tossing the dirty towel to the side. Luckily, Rick is too kind to say anything, pretending like he didn't mind it.

"Thank you," Rick tells me softly, his voice slipping back into that warm tone of his, nothing like the one he just used minutes before while killing Gareth.

I quirk a smile with a slight nod and watch as he turns to check on the kids. After taking a brief moment to catch my breath, I follow Rick into the office as he goes in to check on his children. I glance over my shoulder to see Gabriel, Maggie, and Glenn staring, unmoving, at the butchered corpses scattered across the room.

They weren't ready for this. I don't blame them. It was rough.

But it had to be done.

Going into the office, I see Sasha speaking to Bob on the sofa, Tyreese beside her. Abraham and his people are talking as Rosita checks his face for injury. Rick is squatted down in front of Carl and Sophia, brushing his hand across Judith's head in Carl's lap.

I lean against the doorframe, watching as the group settles down in a unanimous sensation of relief, knowing that the Terminus people can't hurt us anymore. While I am equally relieved they're dealt with, I can't help the lingering concern and worry going through me that Carol and Daryl left. That Bob is lying across the room, on his deathbed.

My chest suddenly tight, I take a deep breath, looking down at my boots, noticing a couple of new blood spatters on the worn leather. I can't help the feeling washing over me that we're changing.

And I don't know if we can come back from this.

After a long night of removing the slain bodies from the church and attempting to ease the tension between the members of our group, we say our teary goodbyes to the ever-smiling Bob.

As the morning light streamed through the window of the office, we took turns saying goodbye to Bob as he stayed strong enough to give his last moments to us. He kept Rick and Judith last before Tyreese went in to put him out of his pain, as Bob requested.

Forcing myself to walk away from Gabriel's office at that moment was one of the hardest things I've had to do. Knowing I couldn't do anything to help him. That he's really gone.

We bury him in a sunlit grave nearby the church, a large tree right beside it, giving his hand-made cross a pleasant sliver of shade. Sasha stays there for a while, kneeling on the dirt mound, staring blankly at the cross.

Giving her some space, I reluctantly follow the group to say our goodbyes as Glenn, Tara, and Maggie fulfill their promise of heading to DC with Abraham's people.

I'm standing behind Rick, beside Michonne, as Abraham hands Rick their map. "This is our route to DC. We'll stick to it as long as we're able. If not, well, you got our destination." Abraham tells him quietly.

Shifting on my feet, I glance over at my friends, trying to stay strong and not let the sorrow of our splitting up show on my expression.

All I had wanted, for the month I was alone with Judith, was for all of us to be together. I thought it was a ridiculous delusion. Then it happened. Miraculously, we all got reunited. And now, because of a disagreement, we're splitting up. Intentionally.

I can't wrap my mind around it.

"Once Eugene gets to the big brains left up there, things are gonna bounce back. This group should be there for it." Abraham tells Rick with that same confident tone he had the first night of the church when he lectured us all on the same topic. Rick just nods, looking down, his hand resting on his gun holster.

I watch him for a moment, wondering what thoughts must be swirling in that mind of his. The sun shines from behind his profile, illuminating the outline of his face from the slope of his forehead down his broad nose, making my chest tighten with tenderness. I find myself frequently having to fight the urge to cross the distance between us and embrace him tightly, pulling him close to me to ease any unpleasant thoughts he may have.

He puts so much pressure on himself. To be fair, so do we. He's our leader. He decides who goes where and why. When there's a problem, we look to him for a solution.

It must weigh so heavily on him. I wish I could ease that worry. To offer my shoulder to share that burden on.

I'm brought from zoning out as Abraham speaks again, immediately breaking my gaze from Rick's captivating profile.

"You should be there for it," Abraham tells Rick with finality, making Rick look back up at the burly ginger man, clearly thinking deeply.

"They will be. We will." Maggie decides definitively, making me turn to her with a hopeful smile. I would like nothing more than that. For us to be reunited again.

Rick shifts, turning to face Maggie with a nod, glancing at me for a moment. "We will." Rick confirms, still looking at me, his eyes boring into mine.

Abraham nods, looking at Rick for a moment, seeming pleased before he turns on his heels, heading towards the small church bus.

"Let's go!" He calls out loudly to his new group.

We say goodbyes for the second time today, and hopefully this time, it's not permanent. I pull Maggie into a tight hug, fighting hard against the intense emotions welling up in me.

No words are exchanged between us. There's a mutual understanding that if we say anything, we're both going to end up in a pile of tears. As I release her from my grasp, I meet her teary gaze, my lower lip wavering as I nod once at her. She made a promise, so she will go through with it. She's her father's daughter after all.

After Maggie, I embrace her husband tightly, all the memories of our experiences together rushing back, making that lump grow in the back of my throat yet again.

"Don't let anyone hold you hostage okay? That's my thing," I tell Glenn jokingly, my voice taught with emotion, making him chuckle as he pats my back.

"You got it," He confirms with a fond smile as we pull apart. Blinking past my tears, I smile back before stepping back and letting him and his wife board the bus.

Not feeling that I know the rest of the group leaving enough, I tell them goodbyes personally but opt out on the incredibly emotional hugs. I meet up with the rest of my family surrounding the stairs of the church as we watch the group pile into the bus.

Standing beside Carl holding Judith, I take a deep breath as I watch our family get ready to leave. I feel like a mother dropping off her child to school for the first time, watching them get on their school bus and disappear from my life.

I glance to my right to see Carl with furrowed brows as he clearly tries not to cry. He adjusts his baby sister in his arms and clears his throat, tilting his head down slightly so the wide brim of his father's hat shields his face.

It hurts me to watch how strong he tries to be. While he is probably one of the toughest people I know, he rarely lets himself feel his emotions and god forbid show them to the rest of us. I step closer beside him, reaching out and rubbing his back comfortingly. He glances up at me, the blue of his eyes that match his dad's meeting mine as he smiles slightly in appreciation.

The doors of the bus squeal closed, drawing our attention back to our departing family members. Slowly, Abraham peels the bus away from the gravel front of the church before accelerating down the country road. I let out a slow and steady breath, trying to calm the raging emotions inside me as they disappear down a side street.

Rick is looking down at the map he received from Abraham, seeming lost in the crumpled paper in front of him. The group files back into the church and I follow. As I walk beside where Rick is still standing beside the railing of the stairs, I pause. Placing my hand on his shoulder makes him glance up at me, clearly miles away.

I offer him a reassuring smile that he made the right choice. While I'm not sure if it's the right decision, he doesn't need to hold that burden alone. I think sometimes, he needs someone to reassure him that he's doing a good job.

Those blue eyes, lit up by the rays of the midday sun, find mine, coming back to reality as he nods back at me. My stomach flutters slightly before I drop my hand to follow the rest back into the church.

- that night-

"You doing okay, Soph?" I question Sophia as I sit beside her in one of the wooden pews, making her raise her head to face me. She smiles slightly, nodding as she attempts to push away the look of concern from her pretty freckled face.

"Yeah." She responds quietly, forcing forward a fake smile. I tilt my head, assessing the teenage girl sitting beside me who has seemingly grown up out of nowhere right in front of my eyes.

Like Carl, she's tough.

"You're allowed to be not okay, you know that right?" I ask her softly, making her turn to me, her shoulder-length hair swaying. "Your mom has been missing for a day now. Bob is gone. And the group is separated, yet again. None of us are okay." I inform her honestly, making her nod, emotion crumpling her face slightly, her bottom lip trembling.

"Oh honey," I breathe sympathetically, leaning over and pulling her into my side to offer her a hug of comfort.

"I'm so tired of everyone leaving," her feeble voice tells me as she leans her head against my shoulder. I rest my head on top of hers, feeling a wave of compassion for the teenage girl as I watch the rest of our family eat quietly.

"Me too, Soph. Me too." I assure her softly, rubbing her arm reassuringly. I know she's growing up. She's fourteen now, but she will always be the little twelve-year-old girl I found in the woods. The girl who changed my life.

The both of us jump out of our skin as the church door bangs open behind us.

I fly to my feet, ripping out my knife from my belt and whirling around to face the disruption.

Standing in the open doorframe are four figures. My eyes widen with confusion and hope builds in my chest as I subtly block Sophia behind me, shielding her from possible danger.

The figures walk forward, coming into view. Gabriel and Michonne, who were standing watch outside, alongside Daryl and some kid I've never seen before, making me widen my eyes, my heart lurching in my throat.

What the hell?

The conflicting feelings of relief that Daryl is back, continuing worry for Carol, and confusion about this new kid swirl in my chest, making it hard to even know what to feel, completely overwhelmed as they come walking in.

My widened eyes search Daryl's fallen expression, feeling more concerned by the minute. He meets my gaze as he begins to speak.

"Carol and Beth are alive. We need to get to Atlanta to get them back." Daryl says roughly while we stare at him blankly in shock.

Not being able to wait for another second, I squeeze past the pew and rush over to hug Daryl tightly, immensely relieved my good friend, who is practically my brother at this point, is back with us.

I pull away from our quick hug, assessing his hardened expression. My eyes dart to the kid beside him who can't be a day over eighteen.

"What happened?" Rick asks, suddenly right beside me, just as the rest of the group as they come over to see what's going on.

"And who's this?" Michonne adds, eyeing the kid down, who gulps under her gaze, seeming nervous.

"This is Noah." Daryl grunts, making the kid, Noah, nod as he puts on a slight smile, shifting his tall frame awkwardly.

"Hi," Noah breathes, something behind his eyes as he forces a friendly smile. He's shaken up, I can tell.

"And why is Noah here?" I ask steadily, slightly afraid of the answer considering Carol's absence, my eyebrows pulling together in the middle as my gaze moves from Noah back to Daryl

After a deep breath, Daryl recounts the story of him and Carol in the city, chasing after the car that took Beth. How they found out about the existence of a group at a hospital that takes in injured people. The hospital group, led by a woman called Dawn, then enters the person they 'saved' into a cycle of debt that they can never repay, keeping them trapped so they can contribute manual labor to keep the hospital running.

"Wait- what hospital is this at? Grady Memorial?" I interrupt, crossing my arms as my eyes dart between Daryl and Noah, looking for answers. I only went there a couple of times when my patients had organ transplants to receive whichever organ I needed. But I'm sure I could remember some of the floors if we needed to break in.

"Nah, not that one. Atlanta General." Noah clarifies, making me freeze with shock, my eyebrows raising as I look at the teenage boy in disbelief.

"AG? The one with the glass lobby and-"

"Yeah, that's the one. Do you know it?" Noah asks, tilting his head slightly as I scoff in astonishment.

"Do I know it? I w-worked there for years. I know it like the back of my hand!" I enthuse with amazement, looking at the rest of my group with excitement.

If I could sneak us in, with my knowledge of the building, we could have an incredibly good chance of sneaking Beth and Carol out!

"Really?" Noah questions in surprise, his eyebrows raised. I nod eagerly, glancing at the rest of our group, meeting Rick's gaze that looks far from being as excited as I feel.

I grab Noah's arm, pulling him away to discuss details of the part of the hospital they're at. I learn that they're on the west end of the fifth floor. The floor directly above what used to be my floor, pediatrics. The fifth floor was for neuro. I remember it clearly because that was Sophie's specialty, so I was up there all the time. I was constantly going up and visiting Soph or bringing one of my patients for referrals.

Noah and I return to the gathered group, who had been discussing lowly.

"We're thinking we trap some of the officers and use them as trading chips," Rick informs us as we return, placing his hand on his belt. "From what Noah has told Daryl, the officers are important to Dawn and she'll agree to a trade." He explains, his eyes meeting mine.

"That could work but..." Noah begins, looking over at me. I step forward as the attention from the group shifts onto me.

"I go. Sneak into the hospital after dark, use my knowledge of the hospital and its not well-known routes to get to Carol and Beth. We sneak back out to you guys and run. No one has to die and no one had to be bargained." I explain, slightly breathless, nervous about their reaction.

Michonne furrows her brows slightly, exchanging a look with Daryl.

"No. Absolutely not." Rick snaps almost immediately, taking a step towards me, his eyes, darkened in the low light in the church, bore into mine.

"Rick, I'm done having these conversations with you. I need to go. I know that hospital better than anyone else possibly could. I practically lived there." I implore the stubborn man in front of me, but Rick just shakes his head, not convinced.

"She's right. That place is like a maze, it took me forever to figure out our floor. If we-" Noah tries to contribute but falters to a stop as Rick's voice overpowers him.

"You are not going on your own Cass!" Rick shouts, right over the kid who is only trying to help.

"No." I snap back sharply, taking a step toward Rick, making surprise flicker across his expression at my harsh tone. "Look. I respect you Rick, I really do." I start, my chest rising and falling as he watches me, reluctance clear in his eyes.

"But- I am a grown woman. And if I want to go there to save Beth and Carol, I will. This is our best. bet. When we put those other officers in the equation, things are just going to get messy." I explain clearly, silently pleading that he just listens to me, making Rick exhale with frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I know every inch of that damn hospital. I remember all the back stairways that most people don't know about, the surgeon's quarters and how to get in, I remember everything. I'm going." I insist sharply, not breaking my intense staring contest with Rick, who seems to be getting more upset by the minute.

"But- alone?" Michonne interjects, her eyebrows turned in the middle with concern. I break my staring with Rick to glance over at her, faltering at the worry evident in her expression.

"If you're thinking of sneaking in, it can't be too many of us. It'll be too loud." Daryl counters, making me sigh, placing my hands on my hips in thought.

Then what do we do?

"I'll go with Cass." Rick decides, making my head snap up to his.

"Rick-"

"Wait, that's a good idea." Noah interrupts, making me stop, turning to the kid with curiosity.

He clears his throat, his dark brown eyes darting across our faces. "When they first got me, I was with my dad, but he was hurt badly so they left him behind. I was easier to manipulate than him." Noah adds, pain laced in his voice, averting his gaze momentarily.

My eyebrows furrow in concern. That means he had to experience this as an even younger teenager than he is now. Poor kid.

"But a couple? You guys would be much better. They could use your care for each other against you, making you easier to manipulate. They would definitely want you with them." Noah tells us, his words making my eyes widen.

"Couple?" Rick questions dryly, part of my heart aching hearing his tone. As if the idea of him and me together is that unimaginable.

Pushing past my emotions, I raise my eyebrows expectantly as Noah's eyes widen in realization as they dart between us.

"Oh. I-I mean pretending to be a couple of course," Noah breathes quickly, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

Furrowing my brows in utter confusion that he would think that, I turn back to look at Rick, noticing Michonne past his shoulder hiding a smirk as she ducks her head.

"So you're saying instead of sneaking in, we should... pretend to join them?" Rick asks Noah, narrowing his eyes, clearly seeming unsure.

Noah nods, eager to change the awkward subject of thinking me and Rick are together. "If you guys show up, with minor wounds and give them the answers they want, they will let you in. They have officers monitoring the floor at all times and if you sneak in, they might catch you. If you're already part of their group... they'll leave you alone." Noah explains, and I nod, thinking deeply. This may work.

It's definitely the safer way to go.

"Do they have access to the hospital records?" I ask Noah, and he turns to me, his face scrunching with thought as he tries to recall.

"Y...yeah. Dawn has a whole bunch of file cabinets of that stuff." Noah confirms.

"Would having another doctor help them? She could check the records to prove that I was a surgeon who worked there," I offer, and Noah's face lights up.

"Yeah! We only have one doctor and he's not always down with exactly what she wants. She would love to have another one. One who would go with her plans." Noah informs me and I nod, chewing my bottom lip in thought.

It should work, right? Knowing women previously that were similar to this Dawn character, they tend to prefer seeing other women in powerful positions such as their own. I could use that to my advantage.

"I used to be a sheriff's deputy. If she needed another officer...?" Rick suggests, making me glance at him as Noah confirms that would also help.

"Or it would complicate things," I interject sternly, crossing my arms with a sudden stubbornness. I don't want Rick to be left behind or hurt because that seems to be this group's go-to. To leave behind the strong one.

Rick turns to me, clearly exasperated.

"Either way, we need to head out. As soon as possible." Daryl interrupts, making us turn to him. We nod in acknowledgment, wordlessly deciding to talk about this on the way.

Carl, Judith, Gabriel, and Michonne stay behind. The rest of us, Tyreese, Sasha, Rick, Noah, Daryl, and I head out into the late night. After saying goodbyes for the third time today, we pile into the truck that Daryl had brought back from Atlanta.

Daryl and I are up in the front while the rest are in the back of the storage unit of the vehicle, discussing the plan.

After about twenty minutes of driving, I glance over to the driver's side to look at Daryl, who has been dead silent the entire drive.

"Hey, you doing alright?" I question Daryl beside me as he drives, his hardened gaze not moving from the road in front of him.

He clears his throat with a slight nod.

"I just hope they're okay," Daryl says lowly, his eyes scanning the road. I reach across the seat, patting his arm and making him jump slightly.

"I'm sure they are. They have you out here worrying about them and look what you're doing to get them back! They're lucky to have you. We all are." I assure Daryl, but he just gulps, looking down for a moment before focusing on the road.

He merely grunts in agreement, but I can tell something is bothering him.

"Daryl-"

"-It's my fault. All of it. I should have been there with Beth, I should'a protected her. A-and Carol was helping me get Beth back, helping me with my mistake, and now she's gone too. I just..." Daryl trails off, shaking his head.

"Daryl. Listen to me. None of this is your fault. It's these people for going out there, hunting people down to use and manipulate for their own gain. You're a victim of them too. We're going to bring them back." I assure Daryl, searching his face as I try to show my sincerity.

Daryl nods once, his eyes frustratingly still downcast. No matter what I say, the only way to make him feel better is to bring them back.

We arrive in Atlanta by the time the sun is rising. I had fallen asleep and needed to be woken up by Daryl rustling my shoulder.

Noah and I help guide Daryl to the closest but most discrete location nearby the hospital. We decide that the hotel across the street would be the best bet for the rest of them to hole up in while I go in.

We decide on a code as we figure out a way to break into the hotel. If they hold up a sheet on the designated window during the day, it's go-time. They will use flashlights if we need to wait until it's dark. Both Daryl and Rick know Morse code and can communicate that way if need be.

We break into the hotel from the back entrance, working our way to the fifth floor directly in line with the hospital floor the group resides on. Eventually, we pick out the perfect hotel room which faces the west side of the fifth floor.

It's faint through all the grime and dirt coating the windows of the hotel room, but in some windows of the fifth floor of the hospital, you can see slight slivers of light and figures walking past. Noah informs us that only the patient rooms have uncovered windows, making it the best place for us to communicate.

Tyreese and Sasha talk softly on one of the queen beds as Daryl stares unflinchingly at the hospital. Noah, Rick, and I are discussing the details of the plan. Noah fills us in on all the small elements that are important to us joining the group.

Key things he tells us are; eagerness to pay off your 'debt', willingness to do any task asked, staying clean, and essentially kissing Dawn's ass.

As Rick begins to ask about the officers, only filling me with worry that he's seriously considering coming with me, I glance around the room.

"Hey, I'm going to see if there's another vending machine to raid," I mutter to Rick and Noah making Rick stop, turning to me, his brows furrowing.

"Alone?" He asks and I crack a smile.

"Down the hall? Yes." I respond, and he nods, not smiling as I am, clearly consumed with concern for our upcoming task.

Or what will be my task.

I turn and leave, discreetly grabbing my rifle before I slip through the door undetected.

As I walk past the vending machine, I sling my rifle over my shoulder, feeling a slight sense of guilt as I jog down the stairway. I really should not be doing this, but damn it, I don't want Rick putting himself in harm's way. Not when these people left Noah's dad to die because he was someone strong who could have fought back.

Rick is one of the strongest people I know, and I feel like they will be able to sense that. Be able to realize that he could easily take them all down.

I maneuver around the numerous walker corpses we killed as we made our way up, nerves fluttering through me as I stride into what could be certain death.

After gritting my teeth through slicing my arm, bad enough to need stitches while being mindful to avoid any veins, I add a few little scratches on my face using a shop window as a mirror. Luckily, I have a few leftover bruises that will add to my disheveled on-the-road look.

Taking a deep breath, I turn the corner and shuffle towards the side entrance of the hospital, holding onto the wound on my arm tightly as I look around. The late morning wind, propelled by the skyscrapers surrounding me, whips around my body, jostling my hair as I look up at what used to be an impressive hospital.

Seeing it up close, my hospital, after all this time is jarring. What used to be squeaky clean windows that covered every inch of the lobby are now blanketed in a thick layer of dust and filth. The old signs indicating emergency room, delivery, and waiting room have faded into incomprehensible slabs of metal.

I never thought I would see this place again.

The glass lobby doors that I strode through every morning with my coffee in hand, gossiping with Soph as we walked to the elevators in the back. The side entrance I'm heading towards is the one I burst out of all that time ago when everything first fell apart. The day I had to kill Soph to save her. To save myself.

Lost in my memories, I don't notice the officer nearing me until he calls me to stop, his gun trained on me.

My stomach bottoms out and I freeze in my tracks, turning my wide eyes to his.

The sun gleams off his bald head as he assesses me, his expression is cold and calculating. "Hey! What are you doing?" He asks me sternly, making me gulp as I falter back slightly.

Readjusting my grip on my forearm, I prepare myself to lie. "I- uh used to work here before the turn," I tell the officer with a gulp, extremely concerned that he won't believe me despite the majority of what I'm telling him being the truth.

"I'm injured, but not bit." I clarify, raising my bleeding arm as his scrutinizing gaze drops down to the wound.

"I was just going to scavenge some of the storage rooms so I can stitch myself up. That's all. I don't want any trouble." I tell the officer as genuinely as I can manage, making him squint his dark eyes at me.

Worry flinches through me that he isn't buying my cover story, seeing straight past my subpar lying.

"You're alone?" He questions, his eyes briefly darting from my face, down to my bleeding arm, and back up to my face.

Before I can answer his question, I flinch as someone crashes out behind me, fear shooting through me as the officer immediately aims his gun at the source of the sound.

"No, she's with me," Rick's familiar voice pants, making my head whip over my shoulder to see him limping forward toward us.

That fear disappears very fast as it gets rapidly replaced with fierce agitation.

I turn to Rick with wide questioning eyes, not believing what this idiot is doing. Rage boils in my veins as Rick shuffles up beside me, doing a good job of pretending his leg is injured, his face grimaced in pain.

"And you are?" The officer questions harshly, his face hardening as he realizes that there are two of us. Two are harder to manipulate than one. But as Noah said-

"Her husband. Rick." Rick says breathlessly, his words making my stomach lurch as I carefully control my expression to not show how irritated I am at this moment.

I spare a look at Rick and his gaze meets mine, the same visceral rage I feel mirrored in his eyes.

"Yeah. He's my husband." I confirm through my gritted teeth, turning back to face the officer as Rick's hand comes around my back to rest on my waist.

My stomach flutters at the movement, but I push the sensation down, too overwhelmed with my concern and anger targeted at Rick for putting himself in danger yet again.

This idiot is going to get himself killed.

I hold my breath as the officer furrows his brows for a moment, his gaze darting down to my waist, where Rick's hand is placed, unmoving.

Then he grabs his walkie-talkie on his shoulder, making it chirp before he speaks into it. "Hey, Dawn? I got two on the north entrance. The couple needs medical attention ASAP." He says into the walkie-talkie, making a sharp twinge of relief go through me.

We're in.