𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 ➳ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬

Chapter 30 ~ Take You Home

My heart caught in my throat and I felt all the air leave my lungs. She was just as beautiful as the last time I'd seen her. But no, even more beautiful. She had grown up so much! Tears filled my dark eyes as I gently lifted her up into my arms, cradling her gently. Her little eyelids fluttered open upon being moved and I gazed down into cocoa-brown eyes.

"Hey, remember me?" I asked, my voice breaking only slightly as I held her to my chest, "We've come to take you home,"

She gurgled and I laughed through my tears. I felt a warm hand rest on my lower back then and I turned to glance up into Carl's face. He was looking down at my daughter with a look of wonder in his ice-blue eye. Another laugh escaped my mouth and I was about to speak when I was cut off.

"Look what we have here - trespassers," a voice from behind me sneered, making my blood boil.

I turned around quickly, my daughter still in my arms and was met with the smug face of Arat.

A light dawned in her eyes and she smirked darkly at me, "Oh, I see. You must be the mother of the little brat then,"

A growl erupted from my throat at her words but she just snickered in response. Her hand went to the gun at her belt then and everything suddenly felt like it was in slow-motion. Quickly, I shoved the baby into Carl's arms and dove towards Arat before she could remove the gun. My heart pounded in my chest as I wrestled her to the ground. She squirmed underneath me as I straddled her, rearing back a fist and punching her square in the nose.

"That was for Olivia!" I seethed before heaving back and punching her again, "And that was for my baby!"

I could only see red as I hit her again and again, hearing her skin snap against my fist with every punch. Dark red blood began to pool from her nose, trickling down her lips. But none of that mattered to me at all - I only cared about protecting my baby. Suddenly, a hand clamped down onto my shoulder in an attempt to stop me just as I got ready to punch her again. I glanced up into Carl's concern-filled gaze, my fist held high. The look in his eyes wasn't one I had become accustomed to seeing on that face - one of uncertainty, almost like he didn't know who he was looking at.

Ever so slowly, I dropped my hand and looked down at Arat. Blood splatters covered her skin and I could just see bruises forming on her cheekbones from where I'd hit her. A slight twinge of regret coursed through me in that moment. As I panted from the excursion, Carl helped me to my feet. His fingers gently pushed a strand of hair from my face and I gazed over at him.

"You're not this person," he said to me softly and I nodded to him, still waiting for my breathing to even out.

He was right, of course. This wasn't me at all. Did Arat deserve it? Absolutely. But I wouldn't be the one to deal out her punishment. If I killed her like she had killed Olivia, then I would be just like her - stooping to her level. And I was not Negan.

There had been enough bloodshed already without me adding to the body-count. With gentle motions, Carl passed my daughter to me and I cradled her to my chest, being careful to support her head. Tucking my gun into its holster with one hand, I let Carl lead the way out of the Sanctuary. It took us only a few minutes to navigate back through the hallways and towards the back door where we'd entered from. Suddenly, loud shots of gunfire erupted from somewhere in the building and I whipped my head around to look back behind us. My eyes met Carl's blue orb and he nodded his head for me to get behind him.

The sounds became louder and louder as the gunfire got closer, the shots ringing in our ears so loud, I thought my eardrums would burst. The small pink bundle in my arms squirmed, beginning to wail loudly as I shushed her to no avail. My heart pounded in my chest and I had to fight the sudden urge to squeeze my eyes shut just as loud footsteps came nearer. Carl cocked his gun and I held my daughter tighter in my arms as we waited with baited breath. Suddenly, people rounded the corner. That's when the gun went off and I heard it hit something with a loud ping.