𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗟𝗨 was moving quite quickly. Nobody had passed yet, but many have gotten sick. Ivy had gotten news a couple days ago that Karen and David were brutally burned and murdered.

Ivy had distanced herself from the group, not really talking to anyone. It was a lot for a kid to carry, and she was worried if she spoke to anyone about anything, she would break down.

Ivy had taken up the spot of watching over some of the kids in the library. She didn't speak a word to them, she just made sure they were alive and well.

Ivy stood in the corner of the library, looking through all of the books that still remained on the shelves. She picked up a book and dusted off the dust particles, than sat on a chair in the middle of the room.

Ivy watched all the children laugh and play. They all knew what was happening to our world, but they made the best out of it.

It was weird to admit, but Ivy was envious of the kids. Envious of their innocence, their happiness.

Ivy had spent a couple of days cooped up in a library, babysitting. She didn't fully mind. She just wished she could be more help and maybe talk to the children. But every time she opened her mouth, nothing came out.

As Ivy read her book, a loud explosion shook the building. Ivy stood up in alert. All the kids let out screams, stopped playing and stood up as well.

"Get outside, now!" Ivy yelled to the kids. The kids all scrabbled to find the nearest exit. Ivy gripped her gun and followed after the kids.

Ivy ran outside and she noticed everyone else had gathered outside too. She found some of the group. Consisting of Beth, Tyreese, Maggie, Rick, Daryl, Sasha, and Carl.

Ivy stood besides Beth and Carl. Ivy's eyes focused on the many cars beyond the fence.

The Governor.

Ivy heard a few things about the Governor. She heard through some people that he was a murderer, a sadist—

a creep.

Ivy gripped her gun in anger as the man began speaking. "Rick!" The governor yelled from the top of one of the cars. "Come down here! We need to talk!"

It was like time had stopped. Everyone stared at the governor. Ivy wasn't scared, but others might've been.

Ivy never thought she would have to step to this occasion. But she had to protect her home and her family.

"It's not up to me!" Rick spoke. "There's a council now! They run this place."

"Is Hershel on the council?"

Ivy's head shot up at the sound of Hershel's name. A lady went into a red car and dragged Hershel out. Ivy looked to Maggie and Beth. The two girls had horrified looks are their faces. As well as the rest of the group.

"What about Michonne."

Ivy furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't want to know what the Governor was planning, but it obvious wasn't good.

Hershel was a brilliant man. He appreciated Ivy. Hershel had thanked Ivy many times for helping Beth and Maggie through hardships. Ivy really liked Hershel.

Michonne was brilliant as well. She was a badass with a sword. Ivy looked up to Michonne a lot. Michonne was always willing to take Ivy under her wing.

"She on the council too?" The governor said. Ivy wanted to shoot him right then and there.

"I don't make decisions anymore!" Rick yelled. A man pushed both Hershel and Michonne onto their knees.

"You're making the decisions today, Rick." The governor stood high and mighty— for now. "Let's have that talk."

A few moments passed, and Rick walked up to Ivy and Carl. Rick inspected the kids quickly. Rick put his hand behind Carls neck.

"We can do this. All right?" Carl nodded and Rick looked to the girl. "Be careful." Ivy smiled lightly at Rick and gripped her gun.

Everyone hadn't really seen Ivy fight. They were nervous she wasn't going to handle it well due to the fact that it was Hershel and Michonne on there knees. And due to the recent death of Patrick, they were worried she was very vulnerable and was going to be careless with her life.

Rick stepped outside the fence. He walked towards the governor.

Ivy moved more towards Beth, trying to come up with a plan to calm the girl down.

"We can't take em' all alone." Daryl spoke. "We'll go through admin building— through the woods like we planned."

"We ain't got the numbers, no more."

The 'no more' hurt Ivy's heart. Ivy knew this whole thing was risky, but she didn't care. They were going to kill every last one of them.

"Where's the last time someone checked the stash on the bus?" Daryl asked.

"Day before we hit the big spot." Sasha answered. "We were running low on rations then. We're lower now."

"Yeah, we'll manage. Things go south, everyone heads for the bus. Let everyone know."

"What if everybody doesn't know when things go bad?" Tyreese asked. "How long do we wait?"

"As long as we can."

"So if shit hits the fan we run?" Ivy spoke, anger laced her voice. Everyone looked at the girl.

"What? We just let them take over?"

"Ivy, yes! We have to." Carl answered.

"Why would I listen to you when you would bend over backwards to disagree with me." Ivy spat coldly. Everyone was a bit taken back by the girls words, but left it alone and focused on Rick.

Rick and the governor went back and forth on how he doesn't need to keep the hostages. Everyone was practically on the edge of their seats waiting for something to happen.

"You and your people, you have till sundown to get out of here." The governor ordered. "Or they die."

"Doesn't have to go down this way." Rick stated.

"I got more people— more firepower," The governor started. "We need this prison."

"There it is. It's not about the past, it's about right now." The governor went on.

"There are children here." Rick said. "Some of them are sick. They won't survive."

"I have a tank."

Ivy was ready to go up there, beat the shit out of the governor herself, then cut his head off and use it as a dart board.

"And i'm letting you walk away from here." The governor said. "What else is there to talk about."

How good your head would look on a stick. Ivy thought.

There was a moment of silence before anyone spoke again. Daryl gave huge guns to everyone.

"-I could shoot you all. You'd all shoot back. I know that." Ivy scoffed— that man didn't know shit. "But we'll win and you'll all be dead. All of you."

"I'm gonna kill him-" Ivy's whisper was quickly cut off by the governors voice.

"Doesn't have to be like that. Like I said, it's your choice." A few walkers had came towards the governors group. The governor shot at them— making Hershel and Michonne flinch. "Noise will only draw more of them over."

"The longer you wait, the harder it will be for you to get out." The governor smiled a sick smile.

"We got to do something." Carl said.

"Your dads got it." Daryl answered.

"Are you sure about that?" Ivy said looking at the two men just talking.

"They're talking. We could kill the governor right now." Carl explained. This was the first time Ivy actually agreed with Carl.

"From 50 yards?" Daryl asked.

"I'm a good shot. I could end this right now."

"Yeah, or you could start something else." Daryl was right, and Ivy and Carl knew it. "You got to trust him."

"You got maybe about an hour of sunlight left. I suggest you start packing." There was another moment of pure silence. The silence was so loud. "The longer you wait, the harder it's gonna be for you to get out of here."

"We can all— we can all live together." Rick spoke. Ivy was ready to shoot herself because there was no way in hell she was every living with the governor and his animals. "There's enough room for all of us."

"More than enough." The governor smirked. "But I don't think my family would sleep well knowing you were under the same roof."

Fuck him and his weird ass family. Ivy thought.

"We'd live in different cell blocks." Ivy wanted to smack the shit out of Rick for being to nice. She understood he wanted peace— everyone did. But it's too late for peace. "We'd never have to see each other till we're all ready."

"It could work." Hershel spoke, slightly turning his body to look at the governor. "You know it could."

"It could've. But it can't. Not after Woodberry."

When Ivy first heard about Woodberry, she laughed. The name was almost as stupid as the governor. Michonne and Maggie had both told them versions on the story. Both basically saying the governor was not someone to get involved with.

"Not after Andrea."

"Look, I'm not saying it's gonna be easy." Rick explained. "Fact is, it's gonna be a hell of a lot harder than standing here shooting each other.

We should really start shooting each other. Ivy thought.

"But I don't think we have a choice."

"We don't. You do." Ivy wanted to put a bullet through the governor's cocky little head— and the feeling was obviously mutual throughout the whole group.

"We're not leaving." Rick stood his ground. "You try to force us and we'll fight back."

"Like you said, the gunshots will just bring more of them out here. They'll take down the fences. Without the fences this place is worthless." Ricks voice was laced with a hint of sadness and his voice was breaking. "Now, we can all live in the prison or none of us can."

The governor jumped down from the tank and grabbed Michonnes sword from one of the men. Ivy took a deep breathe in and looked at Beth. Beth spoke a few kind words, trying to calm Ivy down. But she just couldn't calm down.

The governor put the sword up to Hershel's neck making Maggie and Beth jump forward. Ivy raised her gun, finger basically pressing the trigger. Ivys eyes widened as she bit her cheek anxiously.

"You. You in the ponytails." Rick pointed to one of the governors people. It was a girl with two pigtails. "Is this what you want? Is this what any of you want?"

"What we want, is what you got!" One of his men spoke. "Period." Ivy scoffed at the man's cockiness. "Time for you to leave asshole!" The same man yelled.

"Look, I fought him before. And after, we took in his old friends." Rick explained. "They've become leaders in what we have here."

Ivy completely zoned out and only focused on Hershel. Ivy watched as the governor removed the sword from Hershel's neck, and it felt as if a huge weight was lifted from everyone's shoulders.

"Liar." The governor whispered. The sword went through Hershel's neck, his head practically hanging on by a thread. Maggie and Beth screamed in horror. Ivys eyes widened at the horrifying sight.

"No!" Rick yelled and raised his gun, pulling the trigger. Everyone started firing shots. Ivy raised her gun, quickly joining in on the war. It was odd, honestly. The girl was once an elementary schooler, learning multiplication—

but now, here she was, shooting at a group of grown men.

Suddenly, an explosion erupted behind them. Ivy ducked slightly and ran. She ran towards the bus and got inside. She saw a few children but not a lot.

"Are you guys ok?" The kids nodded slightly in fear. "Ok that's good! I need you guys to stay in here, comfort each other— sing, play patty cake— I don't know! Just do something that'll keep you busy."

The kids all agreed and started comforting each other, telling each other everything was going to be ok, stuff like that.

"Wait!" All the kids looked at Ivy. "You guys are badass. I want you guys to know you're badass. Say you're badass."

"I'm b-badass." One of the kids hesitantly spoke. And soon all the kids were saying it. Another explosion happened and Ivy looked quickly out the door and back at the children.

"Shit! Don't tell anyone I taught you that! Be safe!" Ivy ran outside the bus, shooting at anything or anyone that crossed her.

Maggie ran past Ivy and stopped. "Have you seen Beth?" Maggie asked.

"I didn't see her on the bus!" Ivy replied.

"I can't find her and someone said she was looking for Judith." Maggie explained.

"Shit!" Ivy quickly turned to Maggie. "Please find her." Maggie kissed Ivy's forehead and nodded.

Ivy saw Tyreese getting shot at by some man, and Ivy started getting shot at by a woman. Ivy went to shoot, but was quickly stopped when she was out of ammo.

"Oh fuck!" Ivy yelled. The woman still shot at her, which made her even angrier. The woman was suddenly shot in the head and fell to the ground, revealing Lizzie holding her gun up. Mika threw Ivy her gun, which she caught quickly.

Ivy tilted her head in confusion, her eyebrows pinching together. "What the fuck?" Ivy said to herself, not expecting to see Lizzie Samuels shooting someone.

"Ivy, we have to go." Michonne said, grabbing her hand. Ivy looked up at Michonne. The governor was dead, Rick was beat up and looking for his kids, and the rest of the group was M.I.A.

"We're not gonna go get Rick, Carl and Judith?" Ivy asked.

"They can handle themselves." Michonne told her.

"No. No. I have to get them. Michonne, we have to get them." Ivy pulled Michonne by her hand and started to run.

"Ivy- There's too many walkers coming." Michonne noticed.

"We have to at least look..." Ivy sighed.

"Carl! Rick! Judith!" Ivy yelled. Ivy and Michonne stumbled across Judiths carrier. Michonne looked to Ivy. "Do you think they found her?"

"No, they would've taken her carrier." Michonne answered. Ivy walked towards the carrier. Her heart dropped when she saw that Judith was not in the carrier. Instead, it was filled with blood.

"Fuck..." Ivy sighed, put her hands on her face. "Fuck!"

"L—lets go.." Michonne muttered. "Lets go.."

𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘
i'm just gonna leave this here...