-Always forever-
Cults
01:43 ━━━━●───── 03:50
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   The grey strings of smoke could still be seen through the treetops even though the group was hours away from Terminus. The relief and happiness from their reunion lingered, though gave way to a wave of paranoia and anxiety. It filled their bellies and seeped into each step they took, forcing them to keep moving until their feet began to ache.

They needed to get as far away from Terminus as possible due to the walkers and any possible survivors. They also needed to find shelter for the night but Jungkook didn't worry about that. He noticed the new-found strength the group had and knew that they would be alright. He was more afraid for anyone who crossed them.

During the walk, Jungkook and Taehyung stayed glued to each other sides, or more like Taehyung trailed after Jungkook like a shadow whenever the latter drifted away. Jungkook also noticed Taehyung's constant gaze - it was as though his eyes had been sown into Jungkook's skin. Not to mention the way Taehyung's couldn't keep quiet for a single moment and used his breath to strike up conversation after conversation.

At first he explained how he had met Daryl on the road, how they ran into Rick and the whole ordeal with the deranged group. After noticing Jungkook's face sour at the information, Taehyung was quick to spit out a joke and move onto Terminus. He rambled light heartedly about how they had been Cannibals that wanted to slaughter them like pigs before Jungkook and Carol blew that place up.

When that was over, silence only settled for a brief second before Taehyung was opening his mouth again and rambling about random things. Sometimes it was about how and why Jungkook learned to draw, other times Taehyung asked what Jungkook would have done with his life if the apocalypse hadn't occurred. Jungkook indulged him out of endearment and a tiny tint of confusion at Taehyung's odd behaviour.

"You're wonderfully chatty." Jungkook teased after Taehyung's little rant about how he had found the throwing knives in an online store warehouse, "But talking about throwing knives, I actually have something for you." Jungkook twisted around to fully face Taehyung to pull the harness with the throwing knives out of his satchel.

The group had taken a break from walking, mostly because Judith needed to be bottle fed but also so that Daryl could scout the area and Rick could form a plan. Jungkook used this moment to present his gift to Taehyung and as the latter's eyes settled on the knives, Jungkook was flooded with satisfaction after witnessing Taehyung's brows raise and eyes glimmer.

"You got these for me?" Taehyung reached out, sliding his fingers over the back of Jungkook's hand before settling on the hilt of one of the knives.

Jungkook hummed, not fighting the smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he watched Taehyung pull the knife out and toss it up and down in his palm, "It's heavier than I'm used to and the shape is different." Taehyung murmured under his breath, brushing his thumb along the edge of the knife before turning around to face a tree, "But I'll get used to it." Taehyung's eyes narrowed and arm reeled back before he threw the knife.

The thing cut throat the air with a breathless whoosh, zipping towards the tree at blinding speed, only to fly right past it and hit the ground a few meters away. Jungkook snorted and sent Taehyung a teasing smile, "You're rusty."

Taehyung's eyes snapped towards him, narrowing slightly at Jungkook's lips before he stepped forward and leaned in, "Thank you, baby." Taehyung muttered and plopped a kiss right on the seam of Jungkook's lips before leaning away.

Jungkook's smile was frozen on his face and fingers clung onto the throwing knives as he watched Taehyung break away from his side to go retrieve the knife. He blinked a few times before smacking his lips and shaking his head - mind reeling at the ease in Taehyung's actions.

"He's acting off." 

Jungkook glanced over his shoulder to look at Michonne. The woman was leaning against the tree with one hand on the trunk and the other on her hip. Her eyes were set on Taehyung, who was trying to find the knife among the grass.

Jungkook pushed his tongue into his cheek, "Did something happen that he didn't tell me?" He questioned, wondering if Taehyung had left out some parts when he was retelling Jungkook everything that had happened.

"No," Michonne offered with a shrug, "Maybe when he was with Daryl." She offered with a glance towards the archer.

Jungkook followed her gaze with a squint of his eyes, "I noticed that they seemed closer than before, Daryl even gave Tae his water bottle."

Michonne nodded and pushed herself away from the tree to step up to Jungkook's side, "Daryl also said that he was with Beth before he met Tae, so he was alone for a while after you two split up." Michonne tilted her head to the side to make eye contact with Jungkook, "Maybe he's acting so weird because he thought you died."

A crease formed between Jungkook's brows, "Could be," he muttered and allowed a moment of silence to fall over them before pulling it off with his next words, "But he also said that he realised something and he wants to tell me when it's just the two of us."

A small smirk pulled at Michonne's lips, followed by a tint of mischief flooding into her eyes, "Now I'm curious, tell me afterward." She bumped her shoulder against Jungkook's, pulling a small snort from the man.

That was the moment when Taehyung rejoined the pair with a satisfied grin and the throwing knife in his hand, "Found it." He waved it in Jungkook's face, prompting Jungkook to dig his hand into Taehyung's ribs to push him away.

"You're so annoying." Jungkook huffed yet couldn't hide the smile on his face as Taehyung took the thigh harness out of his hands and began to strap it to his thigh.

"You love that, don't you?" Taehyung looked up at him through the dark strands of his hair, revealing the sweet mischief lacing his eyes, "You love it." He stated with inflated confidence.

Jungkook scoffed without a reply, tearing his eyes away from Taehyung once he noticed the group moving again. As Glenn was walking past him with a smiling Maggie by his side, Jungkook parted his lips to ask, "We're going?"

Glenn ceased their conversation to glance over at Jungkook, "Yeah, Rick wants to put more distance between us and Terminus. I think we're going to sleep outside tonight."

Jungkook nodded and allowed the pair to slip away, waiting patiently for Taehyung to finish tightening the harness before they rejoined the group, "What do you think about the new guys?" Jungkook switched to his native tongue before asking the question.

Taehyung stood up and nudged Jungkook to move. The pair trailed after the group, glancing at the back's of the new people that had joined, "Glenn was the one who met them on the road. He said that Tara saved his life and helped him find Maggie." He was speaking about the girl with the short hair and a flannel, "Later they met Abraham, Eugene and Rosita. He said that those three could've killed him but hadn't, instead they came with him to Terminus."

"Okay." Jungkook dragged out through a frown, eyeing the three strangers carefully, "What about them as people, have you picked up on anything?"

Taehyung peered over at him through the corner of his eye, "Why ask me, maybe you should talk to Glenn, he has been with them the longest."

"I trust your judgment more." Jungkook pushed out without a moment of hesitation, making eye contact with Taehyung, "You pick up on things most people don't."

"I feel honoured," Taehyung offered him a breezy smile and took a step closer so that their shoulders would brush as they walked, "Not only because of the compliment but because you have promoted me to your gossip partner."

Jungkook snorted with a roll of his eyes, "Speak." He redirected the conversation back on track with a simple command.

"Yes, boss. The ginger," Taehyung nodded his chin towards the tall man, "Is funny as hell, the things that come out of his mouth are pure gold."

Jungkook snapped his head towards Taehyung in disbelief, "That's your grand insight?" Jungkook hissed.

Taehyung forced down his smirk and feigned a look of confusion, "Did you really expect me to not appreciate a man with good humour?"

"Then go cozy up to him and find out if he's hiding anything." Jungkook huffed and turned his head to the side once he heard a walker approach the group.

"I got it!" Taehyung called out, already reaching for one of his new throwing knives, only to be stopped by Jungkook grabbing his wrist.

"No, you don't." Jungkook gave a small nod to Michonne who was the closest to the walker, "You haven't gotten used to them yet, if you go throwing them around, you'll make someone go blind."  Jungkook grumbled as they watched Michonne reach behind her as if to grab her katana, only for her to realise that it wasn't there. A sardonic smile curled at her lips before she lifted her rifle and began to smash it into the walker's head.

"Are you sure you don't want the swords?" Jungkook called out through a smug smile, referring to the twin blades attached to his back. Michonne straightened out and narrowed her eyes at him, making Jungkook snicker and continued to move forward.

Taehyung eyed the said blades through the corner of his eye before parting his lips, "Can I have your reject swords?"

Jungkook's eyes zipped towards him, "Yes, please take them, they're so annoying to carry around it feels like my movements are restricted." He pushed his gun into Taehyung's hands and immediately started to pull the harness off his shoulders.

Once that was done, they exchanged the weapons and Taehyung pulled the harness on while they continued to walk, "Gonna have to ask Michonne for some lessons on how to wield a sword." Taehyung muttered once he was done.

Jungkook eyed him, enjoying the sight of the harness wrapping around Taehyung's shoulders. It pulled at his shirt, making it cling to his chest and reveal his muscles, while the hilts of the swords behind his head made him look dangerous, "They suit you." Jungkook whispered, reaching out to curl his fingers around one of the straps.

"Would've asked to have them sooner if I would've known you would be drooling over me." Taehyung shot back, voice drumming with mischief.

Jungkook's eyes narrowed for a moment before the look was replaced by a ghost of a smirk, "I actually drool over you all the time, I just do it when you're not looking because some of us don't lack discretion."

"Being discreet is just a way for society to force us to reel in our big personalities, which I find unfair because people deserve to feel joy when they are in my presence." Taehyung boasted as he stepped over the rotten corpse of the walker Michonne had killed.

Jungkook huffed out a breathless laugh, "I don't know why I ever expected anything other than an outrageously bullshit answer."  

"Not sure, you've been around me long enough to predict what will come out of my mouth." The two shared a smile that dripped with sugar before looking forward once more to watch where they were going, "Just like you should've predicted that a pun is about to come next."

"Please don't." Glenn groaned from up ahead before Jungkook could voice his own complaints. The pair snapped their heads towards him, only now paying attention to the rest of the group and the fact that they were listening to their conversation this entire time.

"That's what you get for listening in on our conversation, Glenn!" Taehyung sung back.

Glenn looked at them over his shoulder, "It's hard not to when you're the only ones talking."

Jungkook's mouth opened to snap back, only for him to get cut off by Rick coming to a stop. The group followed and came to a pause, eyeing the less dense wooden area surrounding them, "I think this will be good enough for the night." The leader stated, dropping his duffle bag with the weapons, "We have to agree on who's taking watch first."

"I can, not gonna sleep anyway." Daryl volunteered without another thought.

Carol stared at him for a moment, "I will too, better two people than one."

Rick nodded and looked at Abraham to see if he agreed since he was the leader of his own trio, "Sounds like a plan, I'll take second watch." Abraham whirled around to face Eugene, grabbing him by the bag and pulling him towards the middle of the group, "Eugene sleeps in the middle, I don't want to risk his safety."

Rick agreed with that and instructed Carl and Judith to do the same. Jungkook went to set up his stuff next to one of the trees with Taehyung following just behind him. Rosita, one of the new girls decided to set her stuff down next to them, followed by Abraham.

Jungkook eyed them through the corner of his eye, feeling an awkward tension seep into his shoulders from being around complete strangers. He didn't know if he should strike up a conversation to get to know them, he didn't even know what he should say.

Jungkook exhaled a long breath through his nose and leaned his rifle against the tree before dropping his satchel on the ground and plopping down on his ass. He leaned against the tree with his back and pulled his knees into his chest, observing the rest of the group setting down their stuff and taking their places.

When Taehyung was done, he sat down next to Jungkook with a groan. Their shoulders were squashed together and thighs brushed from how close they were sitting. Jungkook decided not to comment, enjoying Taehyung's closeness and his sudden urge to be this close to Jungkook.

Jungkook's gaze drifted away from the group and up at the trees, he blinked at the grey smoke drifting through the sky, wondering if there had been any survivors at the Terminus. It didn't matter. Jungkook snapped his eyes back down to the group, allowing his lips to curl at the corners as he stared at the people he loved. It didn't matter because they were finally together again.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

The next day the group found themselves back on the road and now that Jungkook was surrounded by a group of twelve people, he didn't need to flinch at every sound he heard and was finally able to notice the changing weather. The blazing sun and his sweat soaked skin signified that summer had arrived. On one hand Jungkook was glad because it meant they didn't have to worry about freezing but on the other end, the summer heat could create entirely new obstacles in the future.

The heat was getting too much - not only did it create a pocket of steam under Jungkook's poncho but it also made the walker flesh and blood smeared on the poncho sizzle. The scent was awful as it drifted into the air and wafted into Jungkook's face. The rest of the group was unafraid of sending him pointed glances and walking a few steps away from him to avoid the scent. Some, like Maggie, were unafraid to comment on his reek.

"You have three seconds to take that poncho off, I can see Judith's nose scrunch." Maggie glanced pointedly at the baby nestled in Tyreese's arms. Her little face was scrunched in confusion, as though she could smell the guts but couldn't quite decide whether to cry or not.

Jungkook frowned, slowing down to pull the thing off his back and tie it around his waist instead. The breeze immediately clung to his exposed arms and made him slump in relief.

"God, why aren't you throwing it away?" Glenn groaned as he placed a hand on Maggie's back and ushered her to distance herself from Jungkook.

Tara, the stray pup Glenn had found on the road, also decided to pipe in, "It's nasty, dude."

Jungkook's eyes narrowed at the group before he snapped back, "Daryl smells just as bad but I don't see any of you complain about him." Taehyung snorted from behind Jungkook, causing the younger's eyes to zip towards him, "You shut up." Taehyung only smiled and raised his hands in defence.

"May I comment on this issue?" Eugene, another one of Glenn's strays, opened his mouth to join.

Jungkook exhaled a huff and rolled his eyes, "Great, now the safari tour guide wants to bully me too." Abraham let out a boisterous laugh and Taehyung snickered at that while Eugene's face remained blank, "Say your piece." Jungkook gave up with a wave of his hand.

"Given the sweltering conditions and the putrefied state of those walker guts on your poncho, you're at serious risk of infection. The heat is accelerating bacterial growth, which can penetrate your skin through sweat. This is particularly hazardous for the baby, whose immune system is vulnerable."

The group fell silent as Eugene rambled on and remained like that even when he was done. Jungkook stared at the man before peering over at Judith, unable to think of a comeback because he knew that Eugene was right. With a defeated groan, Jungkook tugged the poncho off his waist and threw it into the bushes as they continued to walk.

Jungkook didn't realise he was pouting until Taehyung leaned in and whispered to him, "I'll get you nicer poncho, baby."  Jungkook looked over at him, dragging his gaze over Taehyung's features before narrowing his eyes at the fact that Taehyung was walking so close to him again.

"You hated that poncho too, didn't you?" Jungkook hissed and shoved his finger into Taehyung's chest, "Now that it's gone, suddenly you're glued to my side."

"I want to do a lot of things to you but lying isn't one of them." Taehyung's lips twitched for a moment as if he was about to smirk before he forced it down and let his face remain blank under Jungkook's accusatory eyes, "Baby, that think reeked like absolute garbage, you're better off without it."

Jungkook's arm shot out to shove Taehyung away. The latter yelped and stumbled from the force of the shove. He slammed into a tree, barely latching onto the branches so he wouldn't fall. Jungkook's lips twitched into a ghost of a smirk before he tilted his chin up and continued to walk, ignoring Taehyung's grunts and huffs.

As the group walked, something dark flashed between the trees, followed by the crack of a branch. The group stopped and aimed at the direction. Jungkook immediately tugged his gun off his shoulder and aimed it at the trees. The air was tense as they waited for something to happen until Daryl stepped out from behind the trees and came to a sudden halt at the sight of all of them aiming their guns at him.

He raised his arms in defence - the rope of dead rabbits swaying with the movement, "We surrender." He mocked light heartedly, stepping closer once all the guns were lowered.

Jungkook kept the rifle in his arms as he watched Daryl approach Rick and whisper something to him. He squinted his eyes at their backs, wondering if there was something they were hiding. The conversation between them only lasted a few seconds before Rick was twisting around to whistle at the group, "Keep close." He waved them over, waiting for Carl to pass by him before walking once more.

This time he ended up next to Abraham who immediately began a conversation with him. Jungkook was close enough to hear them, "Ready to get some concrete under your feet?"

"I think it's time." Rick muttered back with a small smile.

"Oh, that's sweet music to my ears, officer." Abraham gloated, readjusted the heavy bag on his shoulder and the rifle he had hooked around his other one, "Take the next road we come to, try to get back to going north till we find a vehicle. Good?"

"Good." Rick hummed and paused in his steps, naturally drifting apart from Abraham. He turned to look at the group, "Tighten it up."

Jungkook sped up until he reached Rick and started walking next to the leader, "Is our new plan getting Eugene to D.C to find the cure?" Jungkook questioned with a quirk of his brow.

Rick offered him a small nod, "Better than nothing."

Jungkook rolled his lips together and glanced over at Eugene who was walking near the front of the group, "And what if he's lying?"

"Then he's lying." Rick murmured without much care, causing Jungkook's eyes to snap towards him. He could see it in Rick's face that he didn't care whether they'd find the cure or not, all that mattered to him was that his family was together and safe. He could also see that Rick thought that having the cure would change things but he wasn't willing to put a lot of hope into that goal.

Before Jungkook could answer, the sound of screams echoed through the forest. The group came to a halt and Rick lifted his hand to stop them from running towards the screams. Jungkook listened more closely and recognised that it was a man who was screaming for help. Jungkook eyed the group, letting his eyes linger on Rick who seemed reluctant to help before peering over his shoulder to look at Taehyung.

The man was already looking back at him before he took a few steps forward until he hovered behind him. Jungkook was reluctant to follow the screams, as was Taehyung. The pair had witnessed enough at terminus to not take such risks with strangers. But not everyone had the same mindset because the very next second, Carl was urging them to help.

"Dad, come on." Carl stared up at his father with eyes full of silent plea, "Come on." He took a few steps forward and Rick's face finally cracked.

The leader nodded and the group rushed forward to help. The closer they came, the louder the man's screams and walker groans became. Jungkook's body instantly locked up with tension and mistrust. His grip on his gun tightened and his eyes narrowed at the trees ahead, his vision narrowed and thoughts evaporated as he prepared to encounter a trap or a surprise attack.

But as they broke through the trees and finally came across the man, they found that he had climbed atop of a large boulder and was being grabbed at by four walker. He kicked at their wandering hands and snapping mouths. Jungkook slowed down and lifted his rifle, he aimed at one of the walkers and easily shot it dead, while the rest were taken out by Rick, Michonne and Carol. One of the walkers nearly snuck up to Carol before a throwing knife jammed into its neck and an arrow lodged into its head.

The dead walkers fell to the ground and the forest became silent once more. Jungkook glanced at the throwing knife in the walker's body before dragging his eyes over to Taehyung, the latter didn't meet his eyes, probably remembering how Jungkook had reprimanded him before about attempting to throw the new knives without practice. Jungkook exhaled a sharp breath through his nose, storing this moment into the back of his head before forcing his attention back on the man they had saved.

"We're clear, keep watch!" Rick called out to Sasha and some of the others who were eyeing the forest, "Come on down." Rick ordered the man with a wave of his hand.

The man's face glistened with sweat and eyes were zipping around as he cautiously began to climb down the boulder. Once he was done, his knees were trembling so much that the man was swaying. Jungkook was unimpressed but didn't allow himself to relax because what if this was an act put up by the man to make them put their guards down so that his group could attack and kill them. So he kept his narrowed gaze on the man and his gun aimed at his head.

"You okay?" Rick quirked an unpressed brow, eyeing the man as if he was about to faint.

The man lifted a finger before twisting around and bending over to vomit all over the floor. Rick jumped back and sent them a look filled with disbelief. Taehyung snorted and turned to look at Jungkook, only to find that the younger still had his gun up. Taehyung reached out until his hand laid on the weapon and gently moved the rifle. Jungkook looked back at him with a scowl but relented and kept the weapon aimed at the ground.

Once the man was done throwing up, he wiped his mouth and peered up at them, "Sorry." He sniffed and straightened out, "Thank you." He stuttered, still swallowing and swaying around, "I'm Gabriel."

"Do you have any weapons on you?" Rick cut him off and put out any potential conversation the man could have started.

Gabriel chuckled nervously and looked around the group, briefly making eye contact with every one of them. Jungkook met his eyes with a glare full of mistrust and Gabriel was quick to look away.

"Do I look like I have any weapons?" He referred to his outfit with his arms spread out. That's when Jungkook finally paid attention to the man's appearance and nearly started laughing when he realised that he wore a black suit and a clerical collar that only a priest would wear.

"Holy fuck." Jungkook whispered under his breath and Taehyung snickered with a silent 'literally' falling from his mouth.

"We don't give two shorts and curlies what it looks like." Abraham snapped back at Gabriel, accent heavy on his tongue.

"I have no weapons of any kind." Gabriel declared, "Word of God is the only protection I need."

Jungkook's brows lifted at that, while Daryl spoke up, "Sure didn't look like it."

A weak smile tugged at Gabriel's lips as he exhaled, "I called for help. Help came." He gestured at them and swept his eyes over the group again. When none of them said anything and only stared at him with cold eyes and blank faces, his smile faltered and silence followed.

Gabriel swallowed thickly and looked back at Rick who stood in front of him, "Do you, uh, have any food?" He pushed out with hesitation, "Whatever I had left, it, uh, just hit the ground."

"We've got some pecans." Carl stepped closer and extended his hand past his father and towards Gabriel.

The priest gave him a quivering smile in return, "Thank you." And took the pecans from Carl.

That's the moment when Judith began to coo, pulling Gabriel's attention towards her, "That's a beautiful child." He whispered with his expression softening at the sight of her.

While Gabriel grew more at ease, the group grew colder and tenser the longer his eyes remained on her. Gabriel finally realised the group's growing hostility and noticed their darkening expressions, making him quick to avert his eyes back to Rick. The silence continued to stretch out until the air was strained with tension. Gabriel shifted from foot to foot as his eyes flickered around before focusing on the ground.

"Do you have a camp?" Gabriel dared to ask, only for Rick to immediately snap back.

"No, do you?"

Gabriel's expression faltered, a small flash of hesitation could be seen in his eyes as he shifted away from Rick, "I have a church." He finally revealed, forcing a smile onto his face.

"Hold your hands above your head."

The order was sudden and while Gabriel seemed surprised by the sudden shift in the air, he relented and lifted his hands up. Rick stepped forward and started patting him down to check for weapons and while he did so, he started to lay out the three questions.

"How many walkers have you killed?"

"Uh.." Gabriel stammered, looking uncomfortable as Rick continued to check his pockets, "Not any actually."

"Turn around." Rick forced the man to turn - no emotion or empathy visible in his face as the man did as he was told, "How many people have you killed?"

"None." Gabriel retorted as soon as the question was asked, he looked at them with something akin to surprise that someone would even ask that.

Rick straightened back out, allowing Gabriel to turn face him and once he did, Rick leaned in and stared right into his eyes as he asked, "Why?"

"Because the Lord abhors violence." Gabriel uttered easily, meeting Rick's eyes without hesitation.

The leader pushed his tongue into his cheek before leaning even closer, "What have you done?" Rick whispered - voice dripping with silent threat. Gabriel flinched at that but still tried to force a smile onto his face, "We've all done something." Rick continued to push and his words made Jungkook chew on his cheek and glance away.

"I'm a sinner." Jungkook's eyes flickered back to Gabrielle and he found that the man had grown firmer and more unyielding after being prodded for answers, "I sin almost every day but those sins, I confess them to God, not strangers."

Rick's scowl deepened but before he could say anything else, Michonne spoke up, "You said you've got a church?"

The tension eased when Rick and Gabrielle broke eye contact and turned to her. Gabriel gave a few bobs of his head before cautiously moving past Rick to gesture where the church is, "I can take you there." He pushed out, offering the group a timid smile.

Jungkook looked at Rick for instructions and only moved when Rick nodded. The group began to move and Taehyung found himself by Jungkook's side once more, "A priest, never thought I'd see that." Taehyung whispered in Korean, staring at Gabriel's back as the man led them through the woods.

"I would love to say that the next oddity we would see would be a knife thrower that escaped from a circus but I've seen that already." Jungkook shot back with a painted glance and a small smirk curling at his lips.

Taehyung's eyebrows arched, "Look at you, making witty jokes." Taehyung's own lips lifted at the corners and the pair shared a smile before their attention was caught by Rick's voice.

"Earlier, were you watching us?"

Jungkook's smile was swept away by a heavy frown and his mind wandered back to Daryl and Rick's whispering. Was that why Daryl had wondered off and why Rick wanted them to keep close to each other? Was someone tracking them? Watching them? The thought only made Jungkook become more suspicious of the man dressed as a priest. It was nearly impossible for a man to live this long in this new world without killing a single walker or human.

"I keep to myself." Gabriel shrugged back, panting slightly from walking and speaking at the same time, "Nowadays, people are just as dangerous as the dead, don't you think?"

"No, people are worse." Taehyung stated, earning himself a quick glance from Gabriel.

"Well, I wasn't watching you. I haven't been behind the stream near my church more than a few times since it all started. That was the furthest I've gone before today." Gabriel informed them as he led them down a gravelled road that was probably once used by cars to get to the church.

After hearing that, Jungkook's mind began to wander and he couldn't help voice his thoughts, "How did you survive without going out further and without killing any walkers?" He paused before daring to ask more, "And now you're leading strangers to your church."

Gabrielle was silent for a moment before he smiled at Jungkook and shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe I'm lying." He uttered light heartedly, "Maybe I'm lying about everything and there's no church ahead at all. Maybe I'm leading you into a trap so I can steal all your squirrels. Maybe that's how I survived."

While Gabriel intended it as a joke, he underestimated the paranoia that had been not only installed in Jungkook but the rest of the group as well. And one thing an unarmed man shouldn't do, is feed and prod at the paranoia of people who had been hardwired to stay in survival mode for a long period of time.

Jungkook felt his emotions bleed out of his chest and be replaced by steel walls as soon as the words left Gabriel's lips. His vision tunnelled and eyes narrowed, lip curled into a nasty sneer and his grip on the gun grew tight to the point where his hands began to tremble and turn white. In his head, he imagined raising the gun and shooting the priest just to be done with him, just to not take any risks because truth is, they could find the church with or without him.

But he didn't, the gun stayed motionless in his hands yet the hostility on Jungkook's face remained unyielding. The same could be said for Taehyung who, for once, didn't have a shred of light in his eyes as he glared at Gabriel.

The latter recognised the looks he was receiving and let out an awkward huff of a laugh, "The members of my flock had often told me that my sense of humor leaves much to be desired." He tried to backtrack when Rick slowed in his steps and Daryl moved to stand next to Gabriel to corner him.

"Yeah, it does." Daryl rasped, wiping Gabriel's smile away and stomping the conversation out completely.

The group continued to move forward in silence until they observed how the road widened and led to a white church surrounded by a picket fence. Gabriel was ahead of the group with Rick and Daryl right behind him, and Taehyung and Jungkook at the end of the group. They made sure to keep an eye out from behind, surveying the area and the tree line as the group moved in on the church.

They reached the building and Gabriel walked up the steps to open the large wooden doors. Before he could do that, Rick interrupted him, "Hold up, can we take a look around first?" Rick stomped up the steps and as he extended his hand towards Gabriel to retrieve the key to the doors, he mocked without humour, "We just want to hold onto our squirrels."

The priest complied without any complaint by dropping the keys into Rick's hand and took a step back to allow the group to pass. Rick unlocked the door and pushed it open, immediately raising his gun and marching inside with the rest of the group spilling inside too.

Jungkook, Taehyung and a few others remained outside, armed and ready to fight in case anyone decided to ambush them from outside. Abraham and Sasha decided to explore the area behind the church, while Jungkook's eyes flickered from tree to tree, watching carefully for the slightest shift of movement among the trees. Taehyung sauntered around and even peered around the corner of the church to make sure Abraham and Sasha were alright. Once he was sure that the pair was fine, Taehyung walked back to Jungkook.

"I don't know what to think." Taehyung uttered under his breath, intending the words just for Jungkook to hear.

The latter shifted his body halfway towards Taehyung so that he could still keep an eye on the woods, "About him?" Jungkook nudged his chin towards Gabriel who was lingering by the door while Rick and the others were checking inside.

Taehyung hummed and spared a small glance at the said man, "I can't wrap my head around it - it's been nearly two years since the world ended and somehow he's still alive without having to kill a walker or a person, or even venturing out more than a few miles, at best." Taehyung shook his head and tore his eyes away, his expression stormy as he peered out at the trees, "How many people have smiled at you when you first met them?"

"I think he was more nervous-smiling than anything." Jungkook tried to joke with a small smile but when he noticed that Taehyung's eyes remained serious, he reached out to lay his hand on his forearm, "Bob smiled when we first met him, that's it, doesn't mean anything."

Taehyung rolled his lips together and seemed to chew on his words before uttering, "The governor smiled and the people at Terminus smiled."

The humour in Jungkook's eyes bled away and was replaced by a hint of steel, "Then he's either lying or he's telling the truth." Jungkook paused to lean closer and catch Taehyung's eye, "Either way, we can take him and his group because we're together."

Taehyung forced himself to smile back yet the thoughts continued to prod at his skin and the paranoia continued to creep up on him from behind.

A familiar whistle rung out and the pair turned to the church just in time to see Rick walking out with the others behind him. Jungkook and Tae walked forward until they were standing by the stairs, now close enough to hear what was being said.

"I spent months here without stepping out the front door." Gabrielle said as Rick handed him back the keys to the church, "If you found someone inside, well, it would've been surprising."

Rick didn't say anything, only stared at him with an expression akin to doubt, which prompted Carl to speak up, "Thanks for this." Gabriel smiled yet wasn't fast enough to reply because Abraham had already turned the conversation onto another path.

"I found a short bus outback, it don't run but I bet we could fix that in less than a day or two. Father here says he doesn't want it." Abraham nodded at the priest, who had already disappeared into the church, "Looks like we found ourselves some transport. You understand what's at stake here, right?" Abraham used the question to push at Rick when he didn't say anything.

"Yes, I do."

"Now that we can take a breath?" Michonne cut in, bewilderment painting her features and making her brows scrunch together.

Abraham shot back, "We take a breath, we slow down, shit inevitably goes down."

"We need supplies, no matter what we do next." Michonne refused to back down.

"That's right. Water, food, ammunition." Rick rasped in agreement and broke away from the pair to walk inside the church.

Abraham's face dropped when Rick chose the next course of action and it continued to drop when Daryl shrugged and stated, "Short bus ain't going nowhere, I'll bring you back some baked beans." And then the archer was gone with Michonne and Tyreese following behind him.

Glenn stepped up to Abraham, "One way or another we're doing what Rick does, we're not splitting up again." He walked away and Tara briefly paused as she was passing by the ginger, "What he said." She muttered, referring to Glenn.

Taehyung snorted from his place against the stairs before pushing himself off the bannister and following after Jungkook as he began to stomp up the steps to enter the church. As Taehyung slid past Abraham he patted the man on the shoulder, "What he said." He continued to walk and cracked a smile when he heard Bob tell Abraham the same thing.

As they entered the church, Taehyung drank in the sight of the red carpet leading up to the front of the church where a small altar stood. A small table with red candles atop was shielded by wooden railings. Behind the table, numerous empty cans of food could be found. An organ was pushed against the wall next for the altar, as well as, there were two rooms on either side of the altar. The doors were thrown open and inside he could see a messy bed and a desk with papers strewn atop of it. The walls of the church were decorated with framed artworks done by children and scriptures written out from the bible.

"How did you survive here for so long? Where did your supplies come from?"

Jungkook heard Taehyung ask the man but he was too busy staring at the artworks on the walls to look at them. The children had painted the same thing - a burning tree. The flames were in different shades, as were the leaves, while some artworks were just scribbles of a pen and couldn't be depicted at all. His eyes flickered over to the framed scripture and he frowned as he read it.

'And let us not
grow weary of doing good
For in due season we will reap
if we don't give up.'
Galatians 6:9

The statement tugged at a dusty string in his chest but Jungkook was quick to snap it and rip it out, for it did not have room to exist in this world. Seeing the scripture also reminded him of Hershel, the man had reread the bible plenty of times back at the prison and had quoted it more than once. The most memorable time was when Hershel had highlighted a line in the bible and had left it inside his cell for the Governor to find. Jungkook didn't know if the man had read it but if he had, it must've been a nice smack on the cheek.

"Luck." Gabriel replied easily before elaborating further, "Our annual canned food drive. Things fell apart right after we finished it." Gabrielle shrugged as he tried to ease the group's worries, "It's just me."

Jungkook turned away from the artworks to face the scene. His eyes skimmed over Rick and Gabriel before focusing on Taehyung who was leaning against the side of one of the benches.

"The food lasted a long time, then I started scavenging. I've cleaned out every place nearby, except for one" Gabriel informed them and his explanation only caused a fresh wave of doubt to flood through Jungkook. How had he survived if he hadn't killed a single walker while scavenging? He didn't believe that there hadn't been walkers around, nor did he believe that the man was smart or quick enough to plot a plan to evade them.

Rick's voice tore him away from his thoughts, "What kept you from it?"

"It's overrun."

"How many?"

"A dozen or so, maybe more."

Rick tilted his head to look at the others, his eyes flickered from Daryl to Michonne before bouncing over to Taehyung and Jungkook, "We can handle a dozen." Rick hummed.

"Bob and I will go with you." Sasha volunteered easily before turning her attention to her brother, "Tyreese should stay here, help keep Judith safe."

"That'll be okay?" Rick wondered and Tyreese's face bloomed with a smile, "Sure, you ever need me to watch her, need anything for her, I'm right here."

"I'm grateful for it." Rick's voice softened and his eyes grew lighter, he approached Tyreese and lowered his voice, "And for everything else." Tyreese nodded back, just as Gabriel spoke up.

"I'll draw you a map."

"You don't need to." Rick cut him off and stopped him in his tracks, "You're coming with us."

Gabriel looked confused as he tried to let them off gently without stirring up arguments, "I'm not gonna be of any help. You saw me, I'm no good around those things."

Rick stared at him as he nodded before shooting him down, "You're coming with us." The tone of his voice left no room for argument and Gabriel just accepted how things would be without protest.

The conversation ended at that and the group slowly began to disperse. While Taehyung wandered over to Michonne and Daryl, Jungkook walked over to one of the benches and plopped down. He pulled his satchel over his head and sat it down next to him before pulling his rifle into his lap. He unclipped it and counted the bullets, then unclipped his satchel and pulled out a box of ammunition. He grabbed the necessary bullets and began to reload the gun.

As he did so, he submerged himself in the comforting sound of movement and whispering of the group. It eased the tension in his shoulders and allowed him to sink deeper into the wooden bench. His thoughts grew quieter and emotions dulled until Jungkook was calmly counting and reloading the bullets in his rifle.

As his fingers were moving and eyes were skimming over the gun, he picked up on the sound of Rick's voice. He wasn't whispering nor trying to keep silent, which only made his voice bounce off of the walls and drift into Jungkook's ears.

"Listen, I don't trust this guy, that's why I'm bringing him with me but he could have friends. So I need you to stay alert and help Tyreese protect Judith, okay?"

Jungkook briefly looked up and saw that the person Rick was talking to was Carl and they were seated at the front rows. Jungkook averted his eyes and tried to focus back on his weapons yet he couldn't ignore their conversation.

"Now, I need you to hear what I'm about to say."

"Okay." Carl's whisper was barely audible yet Jungkook still picked up on it.

"You are not safe. No matter how many people are around or how clear the area looks, no matter what anyone says, no matter what you think, you are not safe.

Each words that left Rick's mouth pierced through Jungkook's skin and slithered its way into his head. His hands stilled on the gun and fingers stopped fiddling with the bullets.

"It only takes one second. One second and it's over."

Jungkook exhaled a breath and shut his eyes before shaking his head and staring down at the wooden floors as Rick's words carved a space inside his chest and filled it with something rotten.

"Never let your guard down, ever, I want you to promise me."

"I promise."

And Carl wasn't the only one who promised, the second promise echoed only inside Jungkook's head and he aimed it towards the whole group.

Rick nodded and stood up to leave, only for Carl to stop him by calling out to him, "Dad!" Rick turned back to him, "You're right, I'm strong, we both are but we're strong enough that we can still help people and we can handle ourselves if things go wrong." Carl swallowed and continued, "And we're strong enough that we don't have to be afraid and we don't have to hide."

That made Jungkook's eyes flicker towards Carl and finally see how much he had grown. He still remembered how small he had been back at the barn, how desensitised he had been towards killing that he had cheered his father on to execute Randall. It hadn't been that long ago but Carl had grown so much wiser and had preserved a flicker of hope towards humanity.

It was admirable and it took bravery, and Jungkook knew that while a part of him wished to have the same mindset as Carl, he had seen and done too many unspeakable things for it to become impossible.