Daughter of the Fallen

Still Gotta Mean Something

I stared at myself if the mirror, not being able to believe this day was here.

I could hear baited breath outside the door and I laughed.

"Alright, mom," I called. "Come on in!"

My mom immediately opened the door and her eyes widened when she saw me.

She gasped. "Bree, you look stunning!"

I giggled as she came up to me. "Thank you."

She got a little teary eyed. "You are gonna be the most beautiful bride."

"Don't cry, mom!" I laughed. "You're gonna make me cry.

"Right," she said, nodding determinedly before smiling again. "Gosh, what takes you so long to get ready? You're 24 years old!"

My jaw dropped in mock offense and I gestured to my dress. "Do you know how long it takes to get into this?"

She giggled. "Come on, the ceremony's about to start."

I nodded and we walked out.

A smile crept on my face as I saw my dad standing by the doors. Enid has just walked out as my maid of honor and we were next.

"Hi, daddy," I giggled. He turned to me.

He smiled widely and hugged me.

"You look absolutely beautiful, darlin'," he mumbled.

We pulled away and I looked up at him. "I love you, dad."

He tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. "I love you, too, sweetheart."

The music started playing and we linked arms as they opened the doors.

As I began to walk down the aisle, I looked at the guests staring at me.

Rick, Michonne, and Judith were in the front row with huge smiles on their faces.

Behind them, were Glenn, Maggie, their child, and the rest of my family. I gave them a smile.

My smile grew when I finally saw Carl standing at the end of the aisle, the biggest smile on his face.

•••

My eyes shot open and I sat up, looking around at my surroundings.

I was in my trailer in Hilltop.

All alone.

I closed my eyes and exhaled, wiping away the tear rolling down my cheek.

None of my dreams had ever been that vivid before.

Ignoring the pain in my heart, I got out of bed and grabbed an apple before heading outside.

As I looked around, I saw Maggie pacing by the gate, seeming really stressed out.

I walked over to her. "Maggie, what's wrong?" I lightly grabbed her arm to stop her.

"The Saviors escaped," she mumbled.

My eyes widened. "What?? The Saviors you were keeping prisoner?"

She nodded. "Someone let them out."

"Do you have any idea who?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No."

"Anything I can do?"

She sighed. "Not anything I can think of. Just keep an eye out."

I nodded and went to see Rick.

As he came into view, I immediately saw he looked troubled.

"Rick," I called out, walking up to him. "Everything okay?"

He sighed. "There's a job that I...really don't wanna do."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What is it?"

His gaze travelled to the ground. "I've been meaning to go back to Alexandria to see if there's anything salvageable."

The mention of Alexandria made my chest tighten a little.

"You don't wanna face it yet," I concluded.

He exhaled. "No, not really."

There was a moment of silence before I looked up at him. "Do you want me to go?"

He dawned a surprised look. "Bree, I can't ask you to-"

"I'll be fine," I cut him off. "Unless you need me here."

He waited a moment before breathing a laugh. "I think I can hold everything down on my own for one day." He put his hand on my arm. "I appreciate it."

I sighed. "I'll go get ready then."

•••

I was heading out to the car when I heard a voice call my name.

I turned to see Enid running up to me.

"Hey," I greeted, surprised to see her.

"Hey," she panted, coming to a stop. "Rick said you're visiting Alexandria. Want some company?"

Surprised, I asked, "Are you sure? It's pretty bad."

She became somber. "It's better than you going by yourself."

I was about to say I could take care of myself, but instead, I found myself nodding.

"Okay," I said softly. "Come on."

We both got in the car and I started driving, afraid of what was next.

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an: hey y'all! sorry it took me so long to update. the life of a high school junior is a busy one 😂