Shambles- The Walking Dead [Alden x Maggie] [1/2]

13- One of us

Alden woke up groggily and looked up at the ceiling. Maggie had him brought to Spencer's vacant home before it went worse and someone else decided to go after him. He blocked most of the light with the crook of his elbow. "Fuck." He groaned softly.

"And he's awake." Sasha said. "Here." She handed him a rag doused in cold water.

Alden took it, sat up and pressed it down on the side of his forehead. He felt nauseous as soon as he moved his head and the world spun around him. "Oh, I feel sick." He mumbled as he closed his eyes again. "Rick sure as hell knows how to throw a punch."

"You're probably concussed." Maggie insisted.

The nausea had ebbed away a bit and he opened his eyes again. He looked up at her. "I'll be fine, just give me a minute."

"You're gonna need more than a minute." She shot back. "Sasha, make sure he doesn't leave the house and get the crap beaten out of him again." She didn't give him the space to reply as she left.

He leaned back into the couch pillow and watched Sasha sit down in one of the armchairs opposite of him. "I'm kinda done being everyone's punching bag." He sighed as he continued to press the cold rag against his face. "Everyone's allowed to be mad. Hell, I understand why they're mad as hell at me, but I don't know if I can take another beating."

"Maggie made it clear to Rick and the others that it's up to her to decide what to do with you." She explained.

"That sounds pretty ominous."He tipped his head down. Another wave of nausea washed over him and he waited a second to recollect himself. "Maggie's going to need you. Glenn's gone. Beth and Herschel didn't make it. She's going to need someone to look out for her." He saw that Sasha looked confused. He shook his head slightly and continued, "I'd look out for her myself. Glenn saved my life. I owe them both that much. But we both know that's not an option, not now at least."

"No, I know that. But what do you think I've been doing?" She shot back. "It's odd for you to ask."

"Sorry." He mumbled. "It's just that I feel like I have to look out for her because I'm the reason Glenn's gone." He held a short pause. "She held a gun to my head. And for a second there I really thought she was going to shoot me. That's not how I remember Maggie."

They traveled back to Hilltop the next morning with all of Kingdom's people and some from Alexandra to pick up the kids they'd brought to Hilltop for safety.

"So, you're with us again?" Carol asked as she walked next to Alden. Her machine gun was still slung over her shoulder and bopped slightly with each step she took. He knew her well enough to know that the friendly smile on her face meant nothing and he knew she protected the people she cared about fiercely.

"Yeah, I am." He nodded. "I thought you'd died when I saw Mika and you weren't there. Some guy called Tobin was looking after her."

"I had to get away from everything, the killing mostly, and I left. I left Mika with Tobin because she'd be safe and cared." She explained calmly.