ACT TWO
(old threats)

   AIDEN LOOKED AROUND the ghost town. Far too used to the trash that littered the ground. While the group had momentarily stopped, Rick peeked inside. Listening as Gabriel spoke.

"This is the food bank. It served the whole county. All the cans at my church were gonna end up here."

No one responded to his sentence, instead Rick turned around. Looking at Aiden. "Aiden, cover me."

Aiden nodded, immediately taking the spot right behind Rick. The rest of the group following his action.

The group walked in, weapons raised as they looked around the inside of the building. Prepared for any walkers that were inside.

When the only noise that filled their ears was splashing, they paused. Unaware where the sound was coming from.

A few faint snarls erupted from the room they stood in, the group watching as Rick walked forward. Aiden close behind him.

The duo walked over to a large hole in the ground. The hole was an entrance to a lower floor, a floor that was completely flooded with water. A few walkers walking throughout it.

While Rick pinched his nose at the sight, Aiden gagging obnoxiously.

His gagging acted as a cue for the other members, making the rest of the group walk closer. Now standing beside Aiden and Rick.

"If a sewer could puke, this is what it'd smell like." Bob mumbled, earning a stifled laugh from Aiden.

Michonne was the next to speak, staring at the ceiling. Which had a large hole in it. "Water's been coming down that hole for a while."

"That's what she said." Aiden mumbled, making Michonne send the man a look.

"We can use the shelves to block them."

"Yeah, that's it, Sasha. There's our way, down those shelves." Rick slung his gun over his shoulder, prepared to climb into the disgusting water.

Right before he stepped onto the shelf he paused, noticing Gabriel's hesitation to join. "Hey, I said you were coming with us." Rick reminded, beginning to climb down.

"You heard him." Aiden added, seeing as the man didn't move an inch at Rick's words.

Although he was still hesitant, the man forced himself to move closer. Knowing he couldn't get out of it.

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Aiden pushed the cart full of canned food, despite the group now smelling terrible, a sense of happiness stayed over them. They currently walked back to the church, knowing they wouldn't go hungry any time soon.

Rick and Michonne were making small talk as they walked, knowing the group that pushed the food behind them were listening in. "Do you miss the sword?"

"Wasn't really mine in the first place.. I found it in the very beginning." Michonne replied, peaking Aiden's interest. Yet, he remained silent.

"How'd you get so good?"

"It was just me and them out here, all day, everyday. A good long time. I don't know what that was, but it wasn't a life. Not like today. Stumbling around in three feet of slime for peas and carrots, that's living.—I miss Andrea though... I miss Hershel too."

"Yeah.." Rick mumbled, hurt filling his eyes as he thought of the old man.

"I don't miss what was before. I don't miss that sword—" Michonne was cut off by the sound of running footsteps approaching them. Causing the group that was pushing the carts to go on high alert, subconsciously reaching for their weapons.

The grip on their weapons only dropped when they caught eye contact with the figure, Veroníca focusing her attention on Rick and Aiden as she now stood in front of the group. "Rick—You need to see this."

Rick's light eyes darkened at the words, his small smile dropping as he nodded. Letting go of the cart, leaving Michonne doing most of the heavy lifting.

"Show me."

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Rick held one hand in his pocket as he followed behind Veroníca. His glare still stern when the duo got closer to Rory and Carl, who happened to be standing where Vee was leading the man.

"Dad." Carl spoke, his dad reaching him just as he did. "Those scratches—they're like knives or something.. Someone was trying to get in."

Rick examined the scratches, his hand running over the now-ruined wood as he silently imagined what they could be from.

"There's something else." Veroníca interrupted, beginning to walk around the corner as Rick stayed close behind her.

She then lead her leader to another wall, this one having the same scratches. The only difference is, these scratches spelled out a message.

YOU'LL BURN FOR THIS.

"Doesn't mean Gabriel's a bad guy—but it means something." Carl butt in, rereading the words that him and Rory had found.

"I'll take care of it."

"Take care of what?" Aiden rounded the corner, pretending like he wasn't out of breath. Despite the fact that he had rushed putting the cans up, so he could hear the conversation. "Rory, there's food inside."

Rory nodded, taking the hint as he began to make his way towards the door. Carl hesitating to follow behind him. Sending Rick one more lingering look before he did so.

Once both boys made their way inside, Rick looked between the two. He then placed his thumbs in his belt loops before speaking.

"Vee and the kids found markings. Threats. Intended for Gabriel." Rick paused glancing at the bright sun with squinted eyes. "We don't know what it means—"

"It means he's a shitty dude! I fucking knew it!—All religious people—"

"We don't know what it means. I'll bring it up, when the time is right." Rick cut Aiden off, a stern look as he stared at the man.

Aiden glared in return, only reluctantly stopping when Veroníca spoke up. Attempting to ease the air.

"You said there's food inside, right?" Veroníca asked, waiting for Aiden to nod once before linking their arms together. "Great!"

The woman then began tugging her brother towards the door, leaving Rick alone with the markings as she did so.

Once the Hayes duo was out of ear shot, Veroníca spoke up once more. "Worst case scenario. Rick doesn't help and we have to beat the shit out of Gabriel."

"That's the worst case scenario?—I don't know.. I would enjoy beating the shit out of him." Aiden replied, a smile playing over his lips as he spoke.

Veroníca stifled a laugh in return, playfully pushing her brother away from her as she rushed towards the door. Aiden attempting to beat her to the door, in somewhat of an unannounced race. One that Veroníca won.

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Veroníca leaned her head against the wooden bench, Rory sitting right beside the woman as she did so. He had currently been spewing facts to Andre, who was sitting in between Michonne and Aiden.

Glenn had occupied the seat next to Vee, his arm slung around his girlfriend's waist. Despite the fact that doing so made it harder for the man to eat, he didn't care. After all he had gone through to find her, he didn't want to physically separate from her anytime soon.

Vee didn't mind either, enjoying the feeling that had reminded her of life before the apocalypse.

Unfortunately for her the moment only lasted a little longer, her temporary state of bliss being broken by Abraham speaking loudly.

"I look around this room, and I see survivors." the redhead started, raising his glass. "Each and every one of you has earned that title. To the survivors."

"Survivors!" The group replied, their hands simultaneously raising in the air. Cheering on themselves.

Aiden didn't fully raise his hand though, taking a sip of his drink as he intently stared at Carol.

She wasn't a survivor. She was a murderer. She didn't deserve a toast, yet Aiden kept his mouth shut. Feeling as this wasn't the right time.

"Is that all you want to be?" Abraham continued, the happy chatter dying down once more. "Wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open; Rinse and repeat?—'Cause you can do that. I mean, you got the strength. You got the skill.. Thing is, for you people, that's just surrender. Now, we get Eugene to Washington and he will make the dead die. The living will have this world again."

"Big promises." Aiden mumbled.

The mumbling caused Abraham to temporarily pause, scratching his chin as he continued. "You're right, but it is a promise. It will happen. That is not a bad takeaway for a little road trip."

Judith cooed in Rick's arms, the man placing a short kiss on his daughter's head as she did so. He was contemplating it, that was clear to the group.

"Eugene, what's in DC?" Sasha questioned, leaning more to the idea of the roadtrip.

"Infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics, even of this fubar magnitude. That means food, fuel, refuge. Restart."

"However this plays out, however long it takes for the reset button to kick in.. You can be safe there, all of you." Abraham added on. "Safer than you've been since this whole thing started.. Come with us. Save the world for that little one."

Despite the fact that he pointed at Judith, Veroníca looked at Rory.

The boy had been quietly playing Sticks with Andre, a smile over his lips as he added two more fingers to his friend's hand.

Veroníca knew she wanted the world to restart for him, but she also had heard alot of fake promises in her life. She didn't want to get her hopes up for another one.

Glenn noticed her stare, smiling at the sight of Rory as he pulled Veroníca's head closer to him. Placing a kiss on the back of her head.

Once he had done so, he continued to listen to Abraham. This time with much more willingness to agree.

"Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there, who don't got nothing left to do except survive."

Judith cooed again, this time causing Rick to laugh lowly. "I think she knows what i'm about to say." The man joked, looking back up at Abraham. "She's in, if she's in. I'm in. We're in."

The group laughed in response. Veroníca clapping her hands twice, turning to Rory as she did so. "Hear that? We're going to Washington, Ro."

"Think we'll be able to break into the White House?" Andre questioned, butting into the mother and son's conversation.

Veroníca hummed in response, pretending to think before letting a smile play on her lips. "I don't see why not."

Both boys smiled in response, turning their attention back to their game. This time making small conversation about how many rooms the White House had.

Once Veroníca had leaned back into Glenn, the man lightly smiled. His voice coming out in a hushed whisper. "Think we should pick out where we're gonna sleep? Get a good spot?"

Veroníca nodded, standing up immediately after his words. The woman then offered a hand to Glenn, pulling the man up as well. Pretending to be out of breath after she did so.

He rolled his eyes at her action, softly pushing her away from him as he began to walk through the pews. Determined to find the best spot.

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a/n sorry its been so long !! i published two new fanfics (peter parker and steve harrington books if you want to check them out) and have been working on getting some chapters out for those !

thank u so much for still reading this and i hope to have another chapter out soon (hopefully one with more interesting action, seeing as this episode was a little slow)