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noah

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noah

THE NEXT DAY, MAGGIE HELD SCARLETT TIGHTLY IN A HUG. Scarlett tried not to cry, but her hormones were all over the place. Maggie wiped the tear with a smile.

"Hey, you'll be right behind us. Okay? Don't worry," Maggie said with a teary grin, hugging her once more. Glenn followed, and even Tara hugged her. Scarlett watched as Eugene stepped over to her.

"You are one hot lady. It's a shame you're with the scary Officer, or I would have definitely tried to make a move. Since that is not the case, I bid you farewell with a hug that is strictly platonic," Eugene told her, hugging her. Scarlett laughed awkwardly as Rosita rolled her eyes next to them.

"You get used to him," Rosita promised, taking his place. "Keep the babies safe, Momma."

"'Course," she told them.

Abraham patted her head like a dog with a smirk. "Definitely am glad to be on your side, Firecracker. See you in D.C."

"See you, Abe," she said with a smile.

Carl hugged her side as they all waved goodbye to the bus. Maggie waved one more time to Scarlett, obnoxiously and dramatically as she hanged herself halfway out the window. Scarlett laughed, covering her eyes in embarrassment.

That day, Rick piled their resources as they decided the plan to go find Daryl and Carol if they were not back by sunrise the next morning. Scarlett was humming to herself as she watched Rick hold Judith as he spoke to Michonne about something. She was rubbing her stomach, a smile on her face when Rick's gaze moved to hers for a moment. He smirked, still talking to Michonne.

Scarlett felt those butterflies again. She argued it was the hormones, but she really wanted Rick to stop talking and do things to her body right now. Cursing herself as she glanced around the church, she muttered a 'Sorry' to the picture of Jesus next to her.

Scarlett was on watch that night first. Rick argued with her until he gave in giving her the first shift. That way she could sleep the rest of the night. Michonne was out there with her, and he laid down with Judith on his chest.

Scarlett leaned against the porch, twirling her knife in her hand as she gazed in the tree line. She knew Michonne wanted to ask her something, but she refrained from doing so as they sat in silence.

Scarlett was used to silence.

Sighing, she forced herself to sit next to Michonne on the porch steps, gingerly placing her knife next to her.

"What?" Scarlett grumbled, feeling crabby as she thought of wanting to sleep. "You look like you're about to hurl words at me."

Michonne chuckled. "Just wanted to know how you are?" she asked softly. "How you are really."

Scarlett shrugged.

She stared at the trees as she answered, "Tired. Scared out of my mind for the baby. Worried Daryl won't come back. Worried we've been out here too long. It's changing us."

Michonne hummed, reaching over and grabbing her hand.

"It won't change you. I still remember how nice you were to the samurai who barged in your gates," Michonne teased. Scarlett smiled, squeezing her hand.

"I don't think I'm that same woman," Scarlett murmured just as they heard rustling in the trees.

Scarlett stood up sharply, grabbing the rifle next to her. She stepped forward slowly as Michonne followed with her sword out. They walked toward the danger, prepared to save their family time and time again.

Scarlett was about to call out to them to just come out when Daryl shoved a bush aside. He saw Scarlett's shoulders fall in relief.

She rushed forward, pulling Daryl into a hug as Michonne asked where Carol was. Daryl held Scarlett tightly before pushing her off gently. He turned back to the bushes as a young man stepped out.

"They got 'er. Beth, too," Daryl grumbled. "We gotta go."

Scarlett felt dread fill her veins.

Michonne nodded. "Let's get Rick."

Scarlett walked inside first, calling for Rick. The man stood up immediately, giving Judith to Carl as he noticed Daryl and the unnamed young man. Daryl explained the man was Noah. Beth helped him escape. They had to go get her.

Rick immediately got to work on a plan, calling for them to start making the church safer first. That following morning, Scarlett helped them, gathering the pipes from the organ and bringing them out for Daryl to shove them in the ground. She noticed Carl and Rick were boarding up the windows. Tyreese and Sasha were destroying pews for more wood. Michonne was helping board up the inside.

She shoved a pipe down, grunting in pain from the strain on her back. Daryl gave her a look, but she kept going. She had to make sure they were safe.

Noah walked over, hobbling slightly from a previous accident. He smiled gently at Scarlett, the pair bonding over his time with Beth. She told him Beth was her little cousin, and he immediately began telling the few stories he had with her.

Gabriel was angry, but he tried to show it passively. He made a sarcastic remark about them tearing up the church. He asked if they were going to break the cross and use it, and Scarlett found that extremely rude toward their current situation. She liked Gabriel to a point, but some of the things he did and said had her angry. She kept a wary eye on him.

Rick found her picking up some wood to board the window near the area where there were so many scratches in the wood. He noticed her gaze as her fingers traced over the words carved into the church before she shook her head.

"Hey, you okay?" Rick asked.

"No," she replied with a smile. "I need my cousins here. I need you to not go off to Atlanta. I need the apocalypse to end. I need to get off my feet, too, 'cause Geez-Louise, I'm beat."

Rick rolled his eyes at her sarcastic answer. He helped hold the board steady while she hammered it.

"You can go sit. We pretty much have it all done," Rick said once she finished nailing the board up. "We'll bring 'er back, darlin'. Don't worry."

It was Scarlett's turn to roll her eyes as she stepped toward Rick. "Asking me not to worry is like asking you to shave your beard. Won't happen," she teased, tugging on it.

He kissed her once, eyes casting down. "You'll stay—"

"I'll stay with Carl and Judith. Gabriel's been too finnicky and scared to leave my babies with him. Don't worry, I'm not arguing," she promised with a grin. "S'long as Michonne stays, too. Need my bestie to keep me company."

"Thought Judith was your bestie," he asked with his own smile.

"There can be two," she affirmed, shoving him back after kissing him two more times. "Go save our world, Grimes. Love you."

"Love you. Always."

Violent Silence • Rick Grimes ✓Where stories live. Discover now