damnation → the walking dead ⁴

[ 027 ] the calm.

— CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN.
the calm.

DEAR THEO,

THE NOTE reads.

Dear Theo,

I don't know how else to say it so I'll put it simply. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not believing you. I'm sorry for choosing Kathleen over you. And I'm sorry I could never bring myself to apologize to you in person like a real man would have.

I'm gonna die today. I know it. I can feel it. That's why I'm writing this. That's why now. I'm sorry for leaving you so soon.

I was supposed to protect you. I was supposed to keep you safe and protect you even if it meant I died. But I didn't do that. I should've believed you. I should have trusted your gut because it's never been wrong about things like that before. Because you were right to leave Woodbury all that time ago, you were right to trust Michonne.

If I really do die, I don't want you to keep this letter. Don't keep it as a last memory of me. I don't want that. Burn after you read it. Please.

You're my brother, Theo. You always have been. Even in these hard times, you've still been my brother. I'm sorry for ruining what bond we had and I wish we could rebuild. I do. But we aren't going to be able to so I hope this letter can rekindle some of the brotherly love you once had for me.

Keep living, Theo. I know you can. You're strong. Stronger than me, stronger than the man your father was. You're gonna be the last man standing.

I'm sorry for not saying it before but I love you, Theo. If you can't stay alive for yourself, stay alive for me. And if you can't do that, stay alive for the Grimes children. Odessa, Carl, and Judith are gonna need you forever. You're their brother now. It's your turn.

With all love, Cole

theo blake and odessa grimes, the aftermath of the attack against the saviors.

Theo gets out of the truck. He slams the door shut. He walks straight for Michonne and Carl. They both smile in relief at seeing him alive. Michonne embraces her son tightly. "Are you okay?" She asks him.

He nods. "Is everything okay here?"

"Yeah," she says. "Waiting on the note from Rick and the others."

"Odessa has Rick's." Theo tells her. "I don't know about Carol's or Maggie's."

Michonne nods. Her eyes fall onto another car. She watches as Odessa gets out. Her eyes are red rimmed and swollen. Splotches of blood dry and crack on her pale face. Michonne's brows dip in confusion when Odessa opens the backdoor to the car.

Carl can't help but gasp when the girl steps out. She's small, no older than six. She's terrified. Immediately, she reaches for Odessa's hand. And the Grimes Daughter doesn't hesitate to grip it back.

Odessa's eyes find her family in a heartbeat. She leans down and whispers something to the girl. The child looks at Michonne, Carl, and Theo. She looks back to Odessa and nods.

The two walk towards the trio. Michonne is visibly tense as Odessa and the child walk up to them. When they reach them, Odessa meets Michonne's eyes first.