ACT TWO
                         (sisters, dead or alive)

      AIDEN HAYES WAS UPSET, he knew he shouldn't have been but that didn't stop the feeling that had been festering in his stomach. He was upset with his current circumstances.

He was mainly upset that his sister and nephew had left, he knew their intent was good. Taking a scientist to DC to save the world is the best reason that they could have for leaving, but it didn't make it hurt any less.

When he was first informed he immediately wanted to leave to find them. Unfortunately for him, when Rick asked if he could stay til they got Carol back; he had caved. Which he was severely regretting.

His mind pondered on the possibility of sneaking away while the majority of the group was gone, yet when a screaming filled his ears. His escape plan was put to a halt.

"Let me in! Help! Please!" Gabriel's voice sounded from outside the church, causing the members inside to glance in between each-other.

To their knowledge, Gabriel was sleeping in the office. So, his screams coming from outside threw them all off guard.

"Let me in!— They're close!" More screams came, this time from right outside the church front door. His closeness causing the group to quickly make their way over. "Please, don't leave me out here—I had to see it, I know now!"

Currently, Michonne held Judith. Meaning she was unfortunately not very helpful in attempting to break the pieces of wood that kept the door locked.

Snarls filled their ears, Gabriel's pleading not stopping as the man and boy attempted to yank the wood off.

"Carl! Michonne! Aiden!" Gabriel cried, banging on the door with his fists.

"Hold on." Aiden yelled out, commanding the preacher. Not that it slowed down his pleas.

The Hayes man then pulled his machete out of its carrier, instructing Carl to take a step back as he did so. The boy immediately complying.

Aiden then swung his machete in the air, slamming it into the wood with a loud thwack. He didn't waste any time examining how far he was cutting, he just continued to cut through the wood pieces. Only stopping once the pieces fully cut in half.

Carl was the one to pull the door open, pointing his gun at the walkers that had just began to walk up the porch stairs. "C'mon!"

Carl shot two walkers, Aiden helping him by slicing through the next few. Michonne securing Judith in her baby wrap.

"Mich, go!" Aiden yelled, walking backwards as he cut through two more walkers. His killing not making much of an impact, after all it seemed as if three dozen walkers were slowly making their way into the small church.

That's why Aiden gave up trying to kill them, opting with turning around and running towards where Carl and Gabriel had lead them to. The office.

Once the four of them were inside, Gabriel slammed the door. Pressing his body weight against it as Michonne grabbed a nearby chair. Propping it up against the door, underneath the door handle.

Aiden cut off the walkers hands that had been attempting to claw their way inside the room, only pausing when Gabriel spoke. Still pressed against the door. "That's how I got out. Crawl under, to the back.. Just go! Take the little one and go!"

Carl nodded, glancing at Aiden before rushing to the hole that was in the floor of the office. The hole leading to the outside of the church.

The boy then slipped into the hole, Michonne following behind him. "You're right behind us?" She questioned as she lowered herself into the hole. Judith still strapped to her back.

"We are." Aiden confirmed, cutting off more rotting hands.

Once the woman was out of eyesight, Aiden turned to Gabriel. He pushed the man off the door, commanding him to move. "Go! I'll keep the door shut, i'll be right behind you.. Hurry."

Gabriel nodded at his words, nervously getting into the crawlspace as well. Wasting no time, immediately crawling after the other two.

Aiden then turned his focus back on the door, he glanced at the bloody nubs that had continued to push through the small crack. He then glanced at the crawlspace, taking a deep breath before running to it.

As soon as he lowered himself in, the door swung open. Walkers began to pile into the small room. Not wanting to wait around to see them all flood the room, Aiden began to crawl out from under the church. Only sighing in relief when he reached the rest of them.

"I can't run anymore." Gabriel spoke, the sounds of snarls from inside the church now background noise.

"We're not running." Michonne assured, patting the man's arm.

Aiden furrowed his eyebrows at this, not asking questions when the woman lead them to the front of the church. Instructing Aiden to run up and shut the door.

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    Aiden pet Judith's hair, a small smile on his lips as he stared at the baby. Reminiscing on when his nephew was this little.

The group weren't worried about the walkers that clawed at the now locked gate, they knew the wood they nailed in would hold them in. At least until Rick got back, if not they'd run.

While they weren't scared, they were tired. Tired of standing around and waiting. So when Michonne spoke up, they were relieved to have something to preoccupy their exhausted brains.

"Where'd you go?" She questioned Gabriel, both Carl and Aiden very interested as well.

"The school.. I had to see, I had to know." Gabriel answered, earning a scoff from Aiden.

"Well, did you see? Did you feel fucking dumb for—" Aiden was cut off when a loud bang sounded from the church doors. The groups head's immediately shooting over.

The persistent walkers had managed to get one of the nailed in wood pieces to fall, meaning only one remaining piece of wood was between them and the herd in the church.

There of the members pulled their weapons out, their eyes not pulling away from the door. Knowing any second the door could break.

"We should go, we can regroup with them—"

Aiden was cut off again, this time by the sound of a vehicle approaching quickly. But when the groups eyes set on a firetruck, confusion became evident in all their faces.

The firetruck ran over the church porch, positioning itself right in front of the doors. Creating a barrier between the walkers and the group that stood outside the church.

It was then that a familiar redhead stepped out of the truck, behind him more familiar members flooded out of the red vehicle.

Aiden scanned their faces, only breaking into a smile when his eyes landed on Rory and Veroníca.

His family didn't hesitate to rush over to the man, Rory being the first to throw his good arm around his uncle. "Tio! You're here!"

"Course, I am." Aiden spoke, tightly squeezing the boy. His smile never leaving his lips. "What happened to your arm?"  The man asked once he had let him go, lightly touching the makeshift sling.

"I sprained it in a bus crash—I didn't cry though." Rory stated, hoping his uncle would think he was cool for not crying. Even though he definitely had cried.

"A bus crash?" Aiden asked Vee, his smile not leaving as he wrapped his arms around his little sister.

"Yeah, it's been fucking crazy." Veroníca answered, hugging the man for a moment longer before pulling away. "Where did you go?"

"Long story for another time." Aiden answered. While he had wanted to tell Veroníca all of it, he knew telling her all of it would open a can of worms.

After all, he had gone after Carol for one reason. Revenge for his sister, and if Daryl hadn't followed him then Aiden would've killed her.

Veroníca tilted her head at his words, fortunately for Aiden; Glenn had interrupted the two. "How've you been?" He asked the Hayes brother, the two exchanging a half-hug, half-handshake.

"Good—it's been fucking crazy." Aiden replied, mocking his sister's words.

Glenn nodded, turning to Michonne. He side hugged the woman as she smiled brightly. "You're back."

"Eugene lied, he can't stop it.. Washington isn't the end.." Glenn paused, glancing around before continuing. "Where is everybody?"

"Beth's alive, she's in a hospital in Atlanta.. Some people have her, but the others went to get her back.."

"Which hospital? Does Maggie know?" Veroníca questioned.

"Grady Memorial—She's there with them, wouldn't let them go without her."

"Beth's okay?" Rory asked, a toothy smile across his face. While he hadn't been very close with the girl, he had always enjoyed her company.

Michonne nodded, Tara speaking up as she confirmed it. "Let's blow this joint.. Go save Beth."

The group nodded at her words, a light feeling in all their hearts. Beyond excited to know that another past member of their group was alive, happy to know they were going to get her back.

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The group felt antsy as they walked closer and closer to the entrance of the Grady Memorial hospital, nervous excitement pumping through them as they killed a few stray walkers.

The members that had guns raised them in the air as they walked closer. Only lowering them when Rick walked out of the entrance, their guards being immediately put down. Their pace quickening.

A few more members exited behind him, first Sasha and Tyreese, then Carol and a newer member. One who was unfamiliar to the Washington group.

A boy, around Beth's age.

The group didn't have time to question the new member seeing as another person caught their eye.

Daryl walked out of the entrance slowly, Beth in his arms. Her body limp, the group immediately clicking that she hadn't made it.

Maggie walked behind Daryl, her sobs filling the air causing the group's hearts to ache. Pity burning in their chests as they stared at Beth's lifeless body.

Veroníca placed a hand over her mouth, her eyes watering as she stared at the teen. Another member of the group, gone.

Aiden was the only one who moved, making his way over to the last living Greene woman. His eyes filled with pity as the woman hugged him, desperate for some kind of comfort. Thankful that Aiden could provide that for her.

Rory's eyes looked away from the scene, his arms wrapping around his mom's hips as he hid his face in her stomach. Not wanting to look at the teen's body any longer.

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authors note: sorry for short chapter :/ also sorry if it glitches and looks ugly, my wattpad has been messing up the alignment for some reason