▎SAFE HAVEN ▎ 
»»————　act four. painful goodbyes
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO ━━ close calls

Both Maggie and Tiffany had been giving updates about Glenn, talking through the door as Josie did her job. Look after the children.

Lizzie had gotten sick and the rest were okay. Josie wanted to go see Glenn, but she couldn't. Even if every fibre inside her wanted to see her husband. She couldn't.

Josie rocked Judith in her arms, Beth and Riley sat beside her as they handed the food to the children. Both Greene's had been worrying about their father and sister, it was evident. But they shook it off, acting like they didn't care.

But they did.

More people were growing sick, and Josie didn't know who. And she was stressing out. She had waited for Maggie or Tiffany, but none of them had turned up. Josie knew Tiffany had gone on the run with Daryl and Michonne, to bring medicine back for the sick.

But Josie had her job.

She hadn't seen anyone. Rick, Carl, Glenn—everyone. The only thing keeping her sane were the children. They were full of life, trying to ignore the sickness. They were isolated. And Josie couldn't leave them on their own. That was the only thing that made her stay in isolation. To keep them safe, make sure they were okay.

But when she heard multiple gunshots coming from the sickness cell, she didn't think twice before passing Judith to Beth and getting her gun and sword.

"Josie!" Beth tried to stop her, but Josie didn't listen, running from the room and towards the hallways and towards the cell block where the infected were. She knew she was risking everything to see what the gunshots were about. She didn't care. Glenn was in that cellblock.

"Dad!" She heard Maggie yelling as she turned around the corner, trying to get in. "Dad! Open the door!" Maggie pleaded, banging her hand on the door.

"Is it locked?" Josie panted as Maggie turned to her with wide eyes, but nodded her head. "Shit, follow me!" Josie quickly said as she ran around the corner.

Josie led Maggie into the room where the glass window was, the other side being the room they needed to get into.

Josie shot at the glass, which instantly shattered, the glass shards falling to the floor. Josie was quick to move towards the now broken window, jumping over it as Maggie followed.

Josie ran into the room, her eyes wide as she looked down at the pools of blood, followed by dead bodies.

"Daddy!" Maggie called out as she looked up, seeing her father fighting against a walker in the netting.

"Glenn?" Josie then called, her breaths frantic as she looked around the cells, not seeing him. "Glenn!" She repeated, panic evident in her voice as it broke.

Josie turned around as she saw Maggie raise her gun. "No!" Hershel yelled down to his daughter. "You could hit the bag! We need it for Glenn." Hershel said as Josie's eyes widened.

Josie quickly ran towards the steps, pulling out her sword as she moved to where Hershel was, leaning forward and stabbing the walker in the head.

Hershel panted as he looked up at Josie, the brunette placing her sword back. "Where's Glenn?!" Her eyes wide as Hershel grabbed the bag from the walker.

"Cell 101." Hershel told her as Josie quickly turned around, hearing Maggie's footsteps running up the stairs.

Josie turned to the cell, quickly collapsing to her knees as she looked down at Glenn, who was choking on his own breath.

Josie felt a pit form in her stomach as she held his head, trying to put him on his side. Crimson blood decorated his mouth as he gasped, making Josie panic. "Hershel! He's turning blue!" Her voice broke as she yelled at the older man. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't loose him. She couldn't.

"Clear his airway. Me and Maggie are on the way." Hershel called towards her as her hands shook. She couldn't loose Glenn.

"Come on, Glenn." Josie pleaded as she held him on his side, her eyes glassy. "Come on, please." She uttered, her voice trembling as Hershel and Maggie arrived at her side. "Come on, Glenn."

"Roll him on his back." Hershel instructed her, and she did exactly that, moving him onto his back as she looked up at the Greene's. "Hold his arms down."

Josie moved to hold onto his arms, looking up at Hershel with pleading eyes as Maggie comforted her.

"Come on, son." Hershel pulled the breathing tube towards Glenn. "Come on. You know how this works." Hershel moved the tube into Glenn's mouth as Josie held him down. "Just relax. Stay with us."

Josie breathed out heavily, swallowing thickly as she stared down at her husband. She squeezed her eyes shut, holding the side of his face. "I've got you, I've got you." Josie sniffled, nodding her head. "You're okay. Just breathe."

Hershel squeezed the bag, trying to clear Glenn's airway and help him breathe. Maggie rubbed Josie's back as she watched the scene with wide eyes.

Then, Glenn's breathing went to normal, making Josie sigh, blinking away the tears as she lowered her forehead against his chest as Hershel spoke to his daughter.

The sounds of footsteps made Josie look up, seeing Lizzie. "I told you to stay put." Hershel looked up at the young girl, who stared down at Glenn and Josie.

"Is it over?" Lizzie asked, looking at Glenn.

"I hope so, Liz." Josie replied, lowering her eyes back down onto Glenn. He had to be okay. He couldn't die. He just couldn't.

Josie hadn't left Glenn's side. She didn't want to. She needed to make sure he was okay. Tiffany and Maggie had stayed too, for a short while. Keeping Josie company.

But Josie had sent Tiffany out for some air, which made the girl help Hershel and Michonne take the dead bodies out. And Maggie went to go see Roman, a budding relationship forming between the two.

Josie stared down at her husband, running a hand through his hair as he slept. He was stable, which Josie was extremely thankful for.

She had thanked Hershel multiple times, thanking him for his help and what he had done for her and Glenn.

Josie softly stared down at her husband, the corners of her lips twitching as she moved to hold his hand.

When she felt Glenn's hand move against hers, she moved her eyes up to him, watching as he weakly opened his eyes. "Hey." Josie softly spoke, squeezing his hand.

"Hey." Glenn weakly spoke, a slight smile on his lips as he rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand. "I could use a vacation." He randomly said as Josie breathed out a chuckle. "Get away." He chuckled as Josie nodded her head. "Just for a weekend."

"Where?" Josie raised a brow, smile never leaving her face as she looked down at her husband.

"Wherever." Glenn suggested as Josie chuckled, shaking her head. "Where's a place you always dreamed of going?" He asked as Josie bit on her tongue, thinking.

"Uh.." Josie breathed out—frown pulling on her lips. "Australia." She confidently nodded her head as Glenn breathed out a weak chuckle. "Always wanted to swim with dolphins."

"You know, our anniversary is coming up." Glenn also added as Josie raised her brow. Sometimes, she wished she had a Callander, so she could keep track of time.

"It is? Tiffany probably would have reminded me if it was. I swear she'd, like, have a calendar or something." Josie raised a brow as she thought about it. "She probably does."

Glenn smiled softly, nodding his head. Josie breathed out a chuckle, lowering herself down as she pressed a kiss against his forehead. "I'll get you some water." She pulled back, her face close to his.

"I can get it." Glenn went to sit up but Josie shook her head. "Jo-" His words were cut short as Josie gave him a look.

"I know. But I'll get it." Josie breathed in, pressing a kiss to his lips. "You need to rest." Josie reminded him as she squeezed his hand, standing up. "You don't need to strain your body as it is, anyways."

Tiffany pulled on her restraints, her eyes narrowed as she sat beside Michonne. The Governor was, indeed, fucking alive. Tiffany wanted to kill him right there and then. She stared up at the man with a glare, a glare that could kill.

But the man pulled out food, holding it out to Hershel. "You should eat. It's gonna be a long day." He told them, looking down at them. "Nobody's gonna hurt you."

"I find that unlikely." Tiffany's teeth grated together as she tilted her head, looking up at the Governor.

"Well, I don't care." The man responded, turning away from them as he sat on the opposite side.

"Just tell us what this is." Hershel then spoke, looking over the governor. "Please." The man's pleads were listened to, as the Governor breathed out.

"It isn't personal." The governor remarked, not looking their way. Tiffany raised a brow, her eyes narrowing at the man.

"That what is it?" Hershel asked, raising a brow, also. Confused. Didn't the governor want payback?

"Michonne, I want you to know, Penny, my daughter, she was dead." The governor changed the subject as Tiffany frowned. "I know that now." He nodded his head. "Now, I don't want to hurt anyone. I need the prison, that's it." The man looked over at the three. "There are people I need to keep alive."

Tiffany bit back a scoff, lowering her head as she shook it. Fat chance in hell. "There are people we need to keep alive, and that prison is doing exactly that. The prison we fought to get." Tiffany hissed, sitting up as she looked down at her tied hands.

The man didn't respond to her words, turning back around. "I'm gonna kill you."

Tiffany turned to Michonne as the words left the woman's lips. It wasn't a threat, it was a promise. And the Governor froze at her words, also. "No, you won't."

"I'm gonna take my—"

"Stop it." Hershel quickly turned to her, shaking his head. "You want the prison?" Hershel turned back to the man.

"Yeah." The governor nodded his head. "And I'll take it as peacefully as I can." Lie. Tiffany could see through his bullshit.

"Governor—"

"Don't call me that." He shook his head, looking over at Hershel.

"That's what you claim to be, is it not?" Tiffany sarcastically remarked, ignoring Hershel's stares. "What? You a priest now?"

"No." The man cooly responded as he turned back around. Tiffany let out a quiet scoff, turning to Michonne.

"Your people, my people, we can find a way to live together." Hershel then stared as Tiffany and Michonne turned to him with wide eyes. "These people you need to keep alive, do you love them?"

"You're a good man, Hershel." The governor fully turned to the three. "A better man than Rick."

"Like you're any better." Tiffany uttered, scoff leaving her lips. She just wanted to kill the man, but the ties around her wrists stopped her from doing so.

Tiffany blocked out the rest of his words, figuring the urge to just yell and scream. She needed to see Josie, she needed her people. She didn't want to be siting across from the man who had tortured her best friends. Caused them both pain.

Josie quickly ran out as soon as she heard something explode, shaking the prison. Herself, Roman, Maggie, Riley, Jada and Beth had all ran out, looking for the source of explosion.

But Josie felt like she was going to be sick as she saw a couple of cars and a tank. She couldn't see who was there. But when she heard the voice calling for Rick.

Her eyes narrowed...

The Governor.

All the things that had happened to her and her husband washed over her, the memories...it was like they were screaming at her.

"It's not up to me!" Rick yelled down to him as they all huddled around the fence, looking down at the scene. "There's a council now. They run this place!"

"Is Hershel on the council?" Josie's heart dropped at the mention of him. The governor signaled to a woman, who pulled Hershel out. "What about Michonne?" Then Michonne was dragged out. "And Tiffany?"

Josie covered her mouth with her hand as she saw the teenager being pulled out of the car to kneel beside Michonne and Hershel.

"I don't make decisions anymore!" Rick yelled down towards him. Josie swallowed thickly as she stared at her family. Michonne, Tiffany and Hershel. They were her family. She cared for every single one of them.

"You're making the decision today, Rick." The governor declared. "Come down here." He nodded at Rick. "Let's have that talk."

Josie's jaw clenched as she looked up at Rick. Her heart was practically pounding against her chest. She stared at the three as Rick moved to hold his son.

Then, Rick turned to Josie, making her change her gaze from the governor, to Rick. Rick squeezed her shoulder, pulling her into a side hug before he walked towards the gate, opening it as Daryl closed it behind him.

"We can't take 'em all on." Daryl grunted to the small group. Jada moved closer to Josie, a worried look on her face. "We'll go through the admin building, through the woods like we planned." He told them. "We ain't got the numbers no more." He looked at them all. "When's the last time someone checked the stash on the bus?"

"Day before we hit the Big Spot." Sasha replied as everyone else kept their eyes on Rick. "We were running low on the rations then. We're lower now."

"Yeah, we'll manage." Daryl nodded his head. "Things go south, everyone heads for that bus. Let everyone know." He told them all.

"What if everybody doesn't know when things go bad?" Roman asked, a faint hand on Maggie's lower back as he faced Daryl. "How long do we wait?"

"As long as we can." Daryl told him, keeping his eyes on Rick as he walked behind them before living away.

Josie couldn't hear Rick, his voice too muffled from where she stood. Josie pulled Carl closer towards her, holding onto her nephew as they watched Rick.

Daryl slowly stared to hand out guns to everyone, passing Josie one from behind her back. The Rhee woman took it from his hands, holding it tight.

She checked the ammo in the gun, seeing there was enough before cocking the gun and sticking it in the fence. "We got to do something." Carl murmured as Josie turned to him, sharing a look with Daryl.

"Your dad's got it." Daryl reassured him as he held onto his gun. Josie looked at everyone around her. She noticed how Jada's hands trembled as she held her gun.

"We only shoot if we gotta, okay?" Josie whispered towards her, making Jada breathe in, nodding her head.

"Okey dokey." Jada swallowed thickly, bringing her gun closer towards her as she closed one eye, looking through the scope.

The governor's movements made Josie follow him with her eyes, very carefully. She watched as he jumped off of the tank and grabbed Michonne's sword, storming towards Hershel and bringing the sword to his neck.

Josie bit down on her tongue, the taste of metallic not bothering her as her gaze hardened, as did her grip on her gun. She had an aim. She could kill the man who had ruined her.

The three Greene's sisters ran towards the fence, helpless as they cried for their father. Hershel couldn't die. No, he couldn't.

But Josie heard one word very clear. A small word. But it had a spring meaning behind it. Her ears started to ring as she watched the governor take away the sword from Hershel's neck.

"Liar."

Cries ripped through Josie's ears as Michonne's blade connected with Hershel's neck. Josie let out a cry of her own as she watched Hershel's blood splatter against the frozen Tiffany. 

Beth, Riley and Maggie's cries mixed together as they watched their father fall to the ground. Rick's yell echoed around them as he fired his gun.

Josie didn't think twice before blinking away her tears that fell from her cheek, firing at the people, getting a successful hit in the Governor's arm. The same arm she had fired into before.

Bullets were fired from every direction, Josie could barely comprehend what was happening. But she fired multiple bullets towards the people.

Then, the tank started moving towards the fence, completely breaking it. "No!" Josie yelled out as watched the cars drive towards them. She heard a muffled cry from Jada beside her, making Josie turn to her. "Run for the now!" Josie yelled over the gunshots. "Jada!" She added as the girl unfroze, nodding her head as she ran the other direction

Josie jumped as an explosion set off from behind her and into the prison. Glenn. Josie went to run towards the prison but Daryl grabbed her arm. "What are you doin'?" He yelled as Josie looked over at him and the teary eyed Riley

"Glenn's in there! I need to get him out!" Josie's voice trembled as she looked at Daryl with pleading eyes. "Daryl!"

"Go! Be careful!" Daryl let go of her as she quickly ran towards the prison, moving past everyone as she almost lost her footing.

She threw the door open, eyes wide as she looked around for Glenn. Her heart was pounding, a sigh of relief leaving her lips as she threw her gun over her shoulder, running towards Glenn. "What the hell's going on?" Glenn asked as Josie held onto him.

"We have to get everybody out of here!" She told him, holding him up as he wrapped his arm around her.

The pair jumped as the wall exploded, falling apart behind them as Josie helped him out of the prison.

Josie kept a tight grip on him as she moved him towards the bus. She quickly got Glenn on, her eyes scanning over the people on the bus. Her heart sank, seeing Jada help the people sit down. "Jada, Where's Judith and Carl?" She asked with pleading eyes. But the teenager shrugged her shoulders. "Fuck!" She quickly turned around as Glenn tried to follow her. "No!" She said firmly, pointing a shaking hand in his direction.

"What?" Glenn's voice broke as Josie pushed him back into the bus. "No, you're not going by yourself." He tried to leave, but Josie was more stronger than his weak self.

"No, Glenn." She shook her head. "I'll be right back. I need to get Judith and Carl!" She promised him, before quickly leaving him and dodging the bullets fired her way.

Josie's heart raced as she ran around the prison, looking for her niece. But all she found was Sasha, Bob, Maggie and Roman and Josie ran towards them. "Have you seen Judith or Carl?" She quickly asked them as she crouched to their side.

"No! I can't find Beth or Riley either!" Maggie yelled over the sounds of explosions and guns being fired.

But then Bob was shot, making him fall backwards as Maggie caught him. "We gotta stay down." Maggie said as Josie pulled out her gun, firing it at the people who shot Bob, as did Sasha.

Then, the bus drove away, spiking the attention of the five. Josie breathed out. Glenn was okay. "Come on." Sasha yelled as Roman and Maggie helped Bob up, Sasha and Josie firing at the people who shot them before following along.

"Sash, I can't leave without Judith and Carl! I need to know if they're safe!" Josie yelled over the gunfire, her eyes wide as she turned to Sasha.

"We have no choice!" Sasha replied back as she pulled Josie along, running out of the prison.

Realisation hit.

The prison was gone..

Tiffany and Michonne dodged the bullets fired their way, trying to find anyone they knew. But they did.

The governor straddled Rick, strangling him as he beat him to a pulp. Tiffany cocked the gun in her hands, which she had stolen from the guy Michonne killed.

Tiffany didn't blink as she fired into the governors head. She watched as his body fell from Rick and on the floor.

Rick gasped out as Michonne ran to his side. "Carl?" Rick coughed out as he looked at Michonne. "Carl? Josie? Judith? Where are they?" Carl wheezed as Tiffany teared her eyes away from the governor's dead body.

He was finally dead.

Michonne helped Rick up, turning to stand beside Tiffany as she tugged on her hand. "Come on." Michonne urged, looking at the Governor.

Tiffany fired another bullet into the Govenors head. She wanted him to pay for what he had done. To Josie, to Glenn, to Hershel, Maggie, Beth—all of them.

And he did.

— madeleines notes

act three is quite small tbh idek why oops.

But THE GOVERNOR IS DEAD

Tiff killed him for josie because they're the besties of besties in this fic, idec

They would kill people for each other and if that ain't a proper friendship, then idk what is bc they're the icons of this book.

TIFFANY AND JOSIE 4 LIFERS

BUT STOP

my school are doing a prom nomination thing and one of the questions was "which year 11 would survive the hunger games" and like four of my friends put me without me having to ask them.

BC I WANT TO WIN THAT ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!?

My friends know me so well bc I'd honestly survive.

But I've made like 10 of my friends vote me for it two so I better win it or I'm throwing hands like ong. ID GENUINELY WOULD WIN LIKW WDUM?

Even the girl I hate, and she hates me, voted for me and told me like SEE. Everyone knows I'd win. Like I have an obsession with twd and the hunger games like HEHE

ID OBVIOUSLY WIN.

Maths exam tomorrow chat...I'm cooked.

15th May 2024
3717 words