Love the Other Half

Pain and Chains

Just warning! This is my longest chapter EVER! Out of all my stores, this is the longest one. So enjoy.

**RICK'S POV**

          After Dwight's letter, everyone got ready. We're gonna end this today. This fight. I walked up to the room Maggie is allowing us to stay in at Hilltop. I opened my top drawer and read the letter Carl had written for me before he died. I'm not sure how many times I've read this, but I can't stop reading it.

          To Dad,

                    I remember my eighth birthday at the KCC with that giant cake and Aunt Evie showed up on leave, surprising all of us. I remember mom. I remember Codger. I remember school and going to the movies and Friday-night pizza and cartoons and Grandma and Grandpa and church, those summer barbecues in the kiddie pool you got me. Could've used that at the prison. You told me about the walks we'd take when I was three, you holding my hand, around the neighborhood, all the way to Ross' farm. I didn't know that I remembered them, but I do. 'Cause I see the sun and the corn and that cow that walked up to the fence and looked me in the eye. And you told me about all that stuff, but it isn't just that stuff. It's how I felt. Holding your hand, I felt happy and special. I felt safe. I thought growing up was about getting a job and maybe a family, being an adult, but growing up is making yourself and the people you love safe... as safe as you can, because things happen. They happened before. You were shot before things went bad. Kind of felt like things went bad because you were shot. I want to make you feel safe, Dad. I want you to feel just like I felt when you held my hand. Just to feel that way for five minutes. I'd give anything to make you feel that way now. I want to kill Negan. I wish I did. Maybe it would've been done. I don't think it's done now. You went out there again, but I don't think they surrendered. I don't think they will surrender. There are workers in there, Dad. They're just regular people... old people, young people, families. You don't want them to die, Dad. We're so close to starting everything over, and we have friends now. It's that bigger world Jesus talked about... the Kingdom, the Hilltop... there's... there's got to be more places, more people out there, a chance for everything to change and keep changing, everyone giving everyone the opportunity to have a life... a real life. So if they won't end it, you have to. You have to give them a way out. You have to find peace with Negan, find a forward somehow. We don't have to forget what happened, but you can make it so that it won't happen again, that nobody has to live this way, that every life is worth something. Start everything over. Show everyone that they can be safe again without killing, that it can feel safe again, that it could go back to being birthdays and school and jobs and even Friday-night pizza somehow. And walks with a dad and a three-year-old holding hands. Make that come back, Dad. And go on those walks with Judith. She'll remember them. And go make peace with Jasmine. She's our family, Dad. Has been since Atlanta. Find her and make it right. Put our family back together. I love you.

                                                                                                                                            -Carl.

          After the letter, I went outside with Michonne, Rosita, Daryl, Carol and Maggie and went over the plan. "All right. We'll stick to this road, keep to the trees, we'll get there quicker. Plus, we can keep an eye on that road that way." Daryl said. Rosita was quick to speak after him. "Yeah, if they're planning anything, we'll see it." Rosita said. "You think we can trust Gregory? What he told us?" Michonne asked us. I looked over at Maggie. "I locked him up inside the house. He knew I wouldn't let him walk around free. He knew he was coming back to that. He doesn't believe in anything except himself, and he'd have to believe in the Saviors a whole lot to send us into a trap." Maggie said, answering Michonne's question.