What Comes After

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We were on our way home

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We were on our way home.

Just the four of us.

"I hate this bit." I admitted painfully, tightening my grip around Dwight.

"Bad enough doin' it the first time." He added, having wrapped his arms around my shoulders and embraced me.

"You take care of yourselves." I pushed the sentiment with deep meaning.

"We will." Sherry spoke up, just as Dwight and I released each other. "We have even more of a reason to now." 

Since we returned to the coast, they decided now was a good time to tell me that they were expecting. 

"If you change your mind about--"

"We won't- not for some time at least." Sherry said with sadness attached. "Maybe further down the line."

"I understand." I nodded gently with sympathy in my tone. They couldn't bare to be anywhere near Negan, which of course I knew plenty about considering it took me almost two years to step inside Alexandria again.

"Aye, this won't be the last we see of each other." Dwight said in a promise, smiling before taking Sherry's hand in his.

"I don't doubt that for a second." I added. 

I watched them drift away one by one, across the still water and into the thickened fog. Although I felt sad, wondering whether I would ever see them again, I also felt relieved.

"Promise you'll be careful!" Ali shouted from across the deepening wetness of the coastline.

A smile rose into my cheeks, "I promise!", I called back in response. My hand raised above my head, gently waving in the heavy air. "Let's meet again one day."

"I hope so." He grinned even wider in comparison, before returning to a frail Charlie's side.

My smile faded as they did the same beyond the white sheet, and I couldn't help but wonder how long the young couple had together; Charlie's radiation poisoning was gradually consuming her, and she too was fading away. I could only hope it would be as long and painless as possible.

Our goodbyes were short, but the coastline wasn't the last of them.

"From here we'll have to gear up." I blew a lung full of air out through my chapped lips, finding this one especially hard. I turned to face Alicia, taking in her features as I found this feeling so unfamiliar. "It's best that we part—"

"I have something for you." She cut me off, before throwing over her backpack and rummaging through it.

Ezra and Miya stood opposite us, not really knowing how to place themselves, whilst Kai nudged his strong body against my calf to tell me that he was near— as if he could get any nearer.

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