𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡, 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗣 wasted no time that morning to get a move on. They barely got any rest that night, especially Ivy and Carl. They were still arguing and they hadn't talked. Glenn and Maggie had to cuddle Ivy to sleep that night in place of Carl.

As the group walked through the forest, Ivy and Carl kept their distance. Ivy walked with Glenn and Maggie, and Carl walked with his father.

The group heard a figure walking and they all raised their weapons. But when they saw it was just Daryl, they all put their pieces down. He was holding a string of squirrels.

"We surrender." He said as he put his hands up. The group continued to walk. Rick and Daryl started a conversation.

Maggie looked over at the girl that was in between her and Glenn.

"You should talk to Carl." Maggie spoke. Glenn nodded in agreement.

"Hell no. He wants to be a bitch, i'm gonna treat him like a bitch. End of discussion." Ivy spat. Maggie looked over at Glenn with wide eyes.

"Alright, we were just trying to help." Glenn smiled. Ivy nodded slowly.

"Thanks. You guys remind me of my parents if, you know, they didn't die." Maggie and Glenn sent Ivy a scolding look. "Hey! I think it's time I can joke about my trauma."

Rick turned around and walked closer to the rest of the group. "Stay close." The group nodded and Rick walked with Abraham. They had a conversation, but it didn't interest Ivy enough to eavesdrop. Rick turned around and pushed some of the group forward.

"Tighten it up."

Ivy watched as Carl walked before everyone. His hat that fit perfectly on his head, his beautiful eyes, and his perfect hair.

"I miss him." Ivy sighed dramatically.

"Y'all haven't talked for one night and you miss him?" Maggie laughed.

"Yeah... he's so pretty, that's why." Ivy admired.

"Then go talk to him." Glenn said.

"Are you stupid?" Glenn was taken aback by her comment. "I need to be the bitch in this relationship, not him."

"What relationship? I think you made it pretty clear you guys were NOT in a relationship." Tara injected from the side of Glenn.

"Oh my god, i'm a horrible person— I need to apologize to him!" Ivy spoke. The three adults laughed at her as she began to walk towards Carl, but was quickly stopped by a voice in the distance.

"Help!" An unfamiliar voice yelled. "Help! Anybody help!" The group stopped in their tracks when Rick told them to hold.

"Dad, come on!" Carl whisper yelled. One of the many things Ivy loved about Carl is that he was always ready to help someone in need. "Come on."

The boy began to run and Ivy was quick behind him. The group took that as their sign to follow after.

As they reached where the screaming was coming from, they were surprised to see a grown man on a rock, kicking and screaming like a baby.

Members of the group quickly attack the walkers. Out of instinct, Carl pulled Ivy closer, but quickly let go of her.

"I deserved that." Ivy said, obviously winded.

"Yeah, you did." Carl breathed out and walked further away from her.

"Asshole."

Ivy turned her attention to the stunned man.

"We're clear. Keep watch." Rick ordered. Ivy looked up at the man who was quivering like a little kid.

"Come down, we don't bite." Ivy spoke sweetly. "Well, actually...." Ivy said as she looked to Rick. Rick looked at her with pure anger. Ivy was just playing Ricks game.

Ivy put out her hand for the man to grab onto. The man hesitated before taking her hand and jumping down.

"Thank you." The man shook the girls hand. He eyed the girl up and down, quite confused on her fashion choices.

"No problem." Ivy smiled. The group took notice of the girls gentle movements. She was being rude to Rick, but nice to everyone else. Usually it's the other way around.

"You okay?" Rick asked the man. The man put one finger up and turned his head.

He barfed right next to Ivy. Ivy jumped and squealed like a little girl.

"What the fuck! The one time I try to be nice to someone they- they fucking throw up on me!" Ivy cried in rage. She moved away from the puke in disgust.

"Sorry." The man apologized. The man looked to the rest of the group. "Yes, thank you." He straightened his suit jacket and stood tall.

"I'm Gabriel." He introduced, but was quickly shut down by Rick.

"Do you have any weapons on you?" Rick inquired. Gabriel laughed awkwardly but stopped when he realized no one else was laughing.

"Do I look like I would have any weapons on me?" Gabriel laughed slightly. Ivy took a look at the groups unamused looks and turned back to Gabriel. Ivy went to open her mouth but was quickly cut off by Abraham.

"We don't give two short and curlies what it looks like." Abraham spoke up. Ivy pursued her lips together.

"I have no weapons of any kind." Gabriel claimed. "The word of God is the only protection I need."

The whole group sighed, except Ivy. She was always for accepting people and their religions. It had quite literally nothing to do with her, so why would she care?

"Sure didn't look like it." Daryl spoke. Gabriel smiled.

"I called for help. Help came." Gabriel expressed.

"That's one way of looking at it." Ivy chimed in. The group looked the girl. "We could be psychopaths for all you know. We could kill you, right now."

"Well, God wouldn't put me in that situation-" Gabriel said but Ivy cut him off.

"God doesn't interfere. Take this as a wake up call. You need to learn a little something about survival. You can't rely on God and other people for everything." Ivy spoke. When Ivy talked, she talked with maturity and authority. She was being nice, but telling Gabriel how it was.

"Do- do you have any food?" Gabriel inquired. "Whatever I— I had left, it just hit the ground."

Carl pushed his hand towards the man, which was containing pecans.

"We've got some pecans." Carl offered. Gabriel took them without hesitation and looked at the boy.

"Thank you." Carl nodded at the man. Judith started to coo as Tyreese held her. Gabriel looked past Ivy and looked at Judith.

"That's a beautiful child."

Ivy would hate to be Gabriel in this situation. A whole group of very intimidating (and attractive) people just staring at you. With guns, knifes, and crossbows.

"Do you have a camp?" Gabriel hesitantly asked Rick.

"No. Do you?" Rick inquired. Gabriel looked around at the group.

"I have a church." Gabriel said. Ivy looked to Maggie and Glenn, seeing if they were also very confused on how they manage to come across the oddest people.

"Hold your hands above your head." Rick ordered. Gabriel raised his hands slowly and Rick began patting him down.

"How many walkers have you killed?"

"Not any, actually."

The group was genuinely confused on how this man survived longer then most. Longer then people who actually had weapons and knew how to kill.

"Turn around." Rick pushed Gabriel to turn around.

"How many people have you killed?"

"None."

"Why?"

"Because the lord abhors violence." Gabriel explained. Rick stepped closer to the man.

"What have you done?" Rick asked. Gabriel looked around confusedly, but you could tell he was hiding something.

Ivy knew if someone had asked her about all the things she's done, she'd freeze up. Especially if it was Rick Grimes interrogating you.

"We've all done something. We aren't all perfect." Ivy spoke. She was just trying to make him feel safer so he could actually speak.

Rick looked at Ivy angrily and gave her a scolding look.

"Drop it." Rick whispered lowly to Ivy.

"You want this man to actually tell us or what?" Ivy spat with an attitude. Rick pulled away from the girl and looked at Gabriel.

"I'm a sinner." Gabriel said, filled with shame. "I sin almost everyday. But those sins, I confess them to god, not strangers."

"My names Ivy." Ivy spoke. "See, now we're not strangers."

"I only know your name, you're still a stranger." Ivy sighed in defeat.

"You said you had a church?" Michonne injected. Gabriel looked to Michonne and nodded his head. He turned back to Rick and smiled.

"I can take you there."

The group made their way to the church, Gabriel leading. Ivy stuck by Maggie's side, and surprisingly Carl was right behind them.

"Hey, earlier," Rick spoke to Gabriel. "We're you watching us?"

"I keep to myself. Nowadays, people are just as dangerous as the dead, don't you think?" Gabriel said.

"No, people are worse." Rick answered. He would know. Ivy thought. She was still mad at Rick and Carl, so she was going to make sure they knew.

"Well, I wasn't watching you." Gabriel admitted. "I haven't been beyond the stream near my church more than a few times since it all started. That was the furthest I've gone before today." Gabriel faced the group.

He turned to face the road again. "Or maybe i'm lying. 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." Gabriel laughed.

"Gabriel, please stop before I put a bullet through my own head." Ivy said. Maggie laughed a bit before the group continued to walk. Gabriel quickly shut up when he realized no one was entertained by his words.

"Members of my flock had often told me that my sense of humor leaves much to be desired." Gabriel explained.

"Yeah, it does." Daryl said. Ivy giggled a bit at Gabriel's unreadable look.

Gabriel turned around and walked right into a branch. Ivy's mouth gaped and she started laughing. Gabriel whipped his head towards the laughing girl.

"Ivy, stop." Maggie started to laugh as well. Ivy continued to laugh which resulted in Maggie slapping her arm. "It's not that funny!"

"But it is!" Ivy laughed hysterically. Some members of the group laughed as well.

As they walked through their last bunch of trees, the church came into view. It was old and rickety, a little run down, but it reminded Ivy of the church she used to go to.

It was a little small church in her the next town over from her. It was down the street from her grandparents house. It was in a rich neighborhood, considering her grandparents were loaded, and Ivy made a lot of good friends at that church.

As the approached the church, Ivy read the sign, 'ST. SARAH'S CHURCH: EPISCOPAL'.

Gabriel walked to the door and was about to open it, but was quickly stopped by Rick.

"Hold up. Can we take a look around first?" Rick asked. "We just wanna hold onto our squirrels." Rick held his hand out for the key and Gabriel gave it to him.

Rick, Michonne, Daryl, Glenn, and Carol all went in to search the church. Ivy stood there awkwardly, waiting for them to return. Maggie picked up on the girl's awkwardness and tapped her.

"You good?" Maggie asked. Ivy nodded before looking over at Carl.

"I had a picture. It was of a little thing I drew in the dirt." Ivy started. Maggie nodded as she listened to the girl. "I lost it. I don't know where it went. I-I think I dropped it somewhere at terminus."

"What was the picture?" Maggie inquired.

"I drew a certain pair of initials together." Ivy explained. Maggie nodded and smiled. "Obviously, I could remake it— it's just memories, ya' know?"

"I get it. Memories are what we're surviving off of." Maggie spoke.

"Yes, we are."

Rick was the first one to come out, and the rest of the group followed.

"I spent months here without stepping out the front door. If you found someone inside, well, it would've been surprising." Gabriel explained.

"Thank you for this." Carl stepped forward. Ivy blushed at the sound of his voice. It was music to her ears. He was perfect.

"We found a short bus out back. It don't run, but I bet we could fix that in less than a day or two." Abraham injected. "Father here says he doesn't want it. Looks like we found ourselves some transport."

"You understand what's at stake here, right?" Abraham spoke to Rick.

"Yes, I do."

"Now that we can take a breath—" Michonne spoke, but was quickly cut off.

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

"We need this, Ab." Ivy spoke up. "I mean maybe you are fine to go on but we have a baby. This break isn't just for us, it's for her."

"Besides, Eugene could use a rest too. Don't wanna overwork your main man, am I right?" Ivy asked.

"That's right. We also need supplies. Water, food, ammunition." Rick agreed. Ivy looked over at Rick and nodded. Rick turned around and began to walk into the church.

"Short bus ain't going nowhere." Daryl spoke as he walked into the church.

"My sister used to tell me that I needed to ride the short bus." Ivy spoke, giggling at her words.

"V, stop." Maggie scolded.