𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗬 𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘, 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲

𝗜𝗩𝗬 𝗙𝗘𝗟𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗣𝗔𝗜𝗡 again. She hadn't felt like this since Glenn died. It was terrifying to know that they were no longer safe at home. These... things killed Jesus. They killed Paul Rovia. The man that wouldn't hurt a soul unless needed. He was a brilliant man, and he didn't deserve this.

Carl and Ivy walked besides each other, nobody speaking. Everyone talked around them, but they didn't speak.

"I haven't wanted to kill anybody in 6 years... nobody." Ivy finally spoke. Her voice was horse due to the screaming she had done. "And, now I wanna kill somebody. I don't know who... but someone."

Carl grabbed his wife's hand and sighed. "I've wanted to kill. And even more, now." Carl stated. "Jesus didn't deserve that—"

Carl was cut off by Dog barking. Ivy loved Dog, and she knew about Leah.

"The living kind or the original recipe?" Eugene asked. Daryl and the group walked forward.

"Let's find out." Daryl muttered. "Good dog."

The walker towards the a small bridge with a few walkers on it. Daryl stepped forward and sent an arrow into one of their legs. No reaction. He sent an arrow into another, and a scream was heard. The walkers started to rip him apart, and the rest of the group ran onto the bridge.

Two of them didn't move towards the man on the ground.

Ivy stepped forward it pulled a knife and stabbed him in the head. She sighed in relief as she watched the blood spill from the man's head. Carl came up from behind her and grabbed her hand.

Ivy and the rest of the group moved towards the second one. Daryl raised his crossbow in its face. "Drop it!" He ordered. Ivy grabbed her knife and pointed it towards the person.

The masked person dropped to its knee and flinched when the group moved closer. Daryl ripped the mask off of them, and revealed a girl.

Ivy's eyes softened when she stepped closer.

"Please..." The young girl pleaded. "Please don't kill me. Please." Daryl threw the mask to Michonne and she inspected it.

"How many?" Michonne asked angrily.

"Please... you killed them all. Its just me now." The girl cried. Michonne held her katana up the girls neck.

Ivy stepped forward. "Drop it, Michonne." Ivy warned.

"Her people killed Jesus. Maybe she was the one who did it." Michonne told Ivy. Michonne looked towards the girl again. "I don't believe you."

"She's a kid..." Ivy sighed. Ivy looked towards the small herd about to enter the enclosed bridge. "There isn't any time. We're gonna take her with us."

Carl looked at Michonne who was giving Ivy a death stare. "I'm the leader of Hilltop, and my first decision is taking this girl with us. You are in no position to argue with me because I do what I want with my community." Ivy stated.

Daryl nodded. "Get up." Daryl grabbed the girl roughly. Michonne shoved the mask in the girls face.

"Hey. You try anything, you wont have to pretend." Michonne warned her. The girl whimpered and flinched.

Ivy grabbed the girls other arm gently. "I'll take her." Ivy told Daryl. Daryl nodded and let go.

Carl walked to Ivy's side. "You're making a good choice." Carl reminded his wife.

"I hope so."

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗗 before everyone stepped in. Ivy and Carl led the group. Everyone walked to have a view of the gate and the people entering it. Everyone expected to see Jesus, but he wasn't there.

The small group approached The Barrington house with somber looks. Enid walked up to Ivy, and Ivy quickly fell into her arms and began sobbing.

Ivy looked back at them carrying Jesus' body off. Her sobs quickened and Enid had to shield her eyes. Carl shot Enid a saddened look as Ivy cried into her chest.

After everyone was aware of Jesus' death, they were deciding what to do with the girl. Ivy walked in front of the group as Daryl, Carl, and Michonne followed with the girl in hand. Majority of The Hilltop followed.

"Is this who did it?" Tammy rose asked.

Ivy shook her head. "No. O—One of her people." The Grimes woman stated. Ivy let Daryl, Carl, and Michonne walk before her, and she stopped in front of Tammy Rose.

"You lockin' her up?" Tammy inquired.

"We're getting answers." Ivy answered. She watched in sadness as Michonne, Carl, and Daryl practically dragged the girl into the cellar.

"And then what?" Tammy asked. "Ivy, you're the leader, so we're all lookin' to you now. But people are gonna want justice for this. And when that time comes, we're gonna look to you for that, too."

Ivy looked around at the people of Hilltop. "We're not gonna kill her." Ivy announced. Yells and disagreements were heard from all around.

"Stop..." Ivy whispered as people started yelling at her. "Please stop..." The yelling started blurring into all one blur. Tears fell as Ivy covered her ears. "Just stop..."

They didn't stop.

"Stop!" Ivy yelled. Everyone went quiet. "Jesus wouldn't want me to kill a kid. Maggie wouldn't want it either, okay? I'm doing what I think is right." Ivy nodded at the people and turned to walk into the cellar.

Ivy walked in and saw Daryl and Michonne pushing the girl into the chair. "Be careful with her." Carl injected.

"No more bullshit!" Michonne spat at the girl.

"Leave." Ivy spoke as she stepped into the cell. Daryl and Michonne looked at Ivy. "She's my problem, so get out." They just looked at her. "Now!"

They obeyed and left. Carl stayed behind for a moment. "I'm going out with Alden and Luke." Carl whispered to his wife. Ivy shook her head.

"No, not right now." Ivy disagreed.

"Well, I'm not gonna make them go out their by themselves. Besides, they're not as experienced as I am. They could use my help." Ivy sighed after his words. "I'll be back."

Ivy nodded. "Okay... I love you." Ivy whispered.

"I love you, too."

They kissed three times before Carl walked out. Ivy sighed and turned to the girl, walking into the cell.

"What's you're name?" Ivy asked softly. Ivy wasn't like who she was in her teenage years. She was nicer now, and took a more gentle approach.

"I don't have one." The girl answered, her voice cracking a little bit. "None of us do. None of us did. That's not how it worked."

"How did it work? How many of you are there?" Ivy questioned. The girl sniffled a bit.

"You killed them all. My family's dead." The girl cried. Ivy crouched down before her. "All of them..."

"My families dead, too if that makes you feel any better." Ivy smiled. "Watched 'em all brutally die in front of me."

The girl cried more and Ivy sighed. "Why do you wear their skins?" Ivy inquired. Ivy placed her hand on top of the girls, and she flinched. "Sorry..."

"They were... They were good people. We were good. It's what we did to live. That's— That's all we wanted to do." The girl explained. "Live."

Ivy stood up and scoffed. "Well, in the real world, good people don't just kill other people. Especially for no reason." Ivy stated. "It would be different if we killed your people... but we didn't... So, why?"

"You wouldn't understand." The girl answered.

"Then help me understand!" The young girl didn't answer Ivy. "You know, I'm gonna call you mouse... you don't talk very much."

Ivy sighed and stood still in front of the girl. "Okay, mouse. Help me understand." Ivy rocked back and forth on her feet. "Why do you do this?"

"We... We were just trying to see if they were good people, too. But then you attacked us, and now they're dead." The girl spat.

"Y'all put that on yourselves. You don't get to blame us..." Ivy shook her head.

"They're all dead." The girl sobbed. "And I don't have anything."

The girl inhaled sharply. "My people killed your friend, why are you being so nice to me? Don't you want to scream or something?" The girl asked, putting her head down.

"You're a kid. You're about, what? 16? 17? When I was sixteen, and if I was tied up in a chair and had someone yelling at me— well, I'd probably find a way to break out of the chair and— you know what? If any normal 16 year old girl was getting screamed at, the person that's screaming at her, their point really wouldn't stand."

The girl sighed almost knowingly. It didn't sit right with Ivy that this girl just excepted her to scream.

"What did you people know about us?" Ivy asked. "Do they know about this place?"

The girl shook her head. "I don't know. I don't know. I don't know anything. They didn't tell me anything." The girls sobs picked back up again. "Please stop asking me. Just leave me alone, please. Please just leave me alone."

"Don't cry... I didn't wanna make you cry, mouse." Ivy sighed. "You're just a kid... I shouldn't be pressuring you with these questions, but I have to. And you know that."

Ivy nodded before leaving the cell, closing it and locking it. Ivy walked over to Henry's cell. "You be nice to her, okay?" Ivy insisted. "That's an order, okay?"

𝗜𝗩𝗬 𝗚𝗡𝗔𝗪𝗘𝗗 𝗢𝗡 𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗟𝗜𝗣 𝗔𝗦 she tried to stop herself from crying. She took a sip of beer, swallowing it without a reaction. The woman watched as some members of Hilltop hammered Jesus' makeshift coffin shut.

Tears fell as she watched them. They finished hammering it and Ivy approached it. She dug her nails in the wood and began sobbing.

Carl wasn't there to comfort Ivy, so that made the situation ten times worse.

I need to find who did this. The words rang through her head. I need to find them, and kill them. And only one person knew who did it was locked up in a cell with no where to go.

Ivy's lip quivered as she wiped her tears. She stormed away from the service and towards the cellar, ignoring the few apologies she heard from passersby.

She opened the cellar door and stepped down inside them. She took a swig of beer before approaching the girls cell.

"Who are you?" Ivy asked. The girl sat up from the chair in huddled in the corner, which made Ivy open the cell door and step inside. "Answer the question."

The girl mimicked Ivy's expression, tears filling her eyes as well. "You want to die? Because I may be the leader, but people don't agree with me. They want kill you. And sooner than later, they will." Ivy stated. "And I wont stop them."

"Ivy, what's your problem?!" Henry injected. Ivy stormed out of Lydia's cell. Henry looked down at the beer can she held in her hand.

"What's my problem?!" Ivy yelled. "My problem is that my friend is dead and it's because of her people! And I've been so nice, and gentle, but obviously that isn't fucking working!" Tears were rapidly streaming down her face. Ivy wasn't possibly ready to lead Hilltop. She acted like a teenage girl on her period. "I have no one, Henry! Do you understand that? Do you?"

"I— I do, but—" Henry was quickly cut off by the yelling Ivy.

"No buts! I'm over this shit!" Ivy yelled before walking back into Lydia's cell. "You! You either tell me who the hell you are or those people out there are gonna come in here and fucking kill you! Nobody listens to a twenty-three year old girl whose losing her mind!"

Ivy cries heaved as she looked down at the girl. "H—How many in your group?" Ivy asked through tears.

"I already told you—"

"I don't fucking believe you!" Ivy yelled, throwing the beer can, grabbing onto the girl and pinning her against the cell bars.

"10! 10! There were 10 of us!" The girl answered. "I think. We wore skins to blend in. We didn't have names. I mean— I mean, we did, but we didn't use them."

Ivy let the girl go and blinked, not knowing what to do with herself. She felt disappointed in herself. Disgusted. She just pinned a 16 year girl against the wall and threatened to let everyone kill her.

"How long have you been..." Ivy trailed off, trying to regain herself. "How long have you been out around here?"

The girl ran her finger down the red line on her neck and cried. "I don't know. We moved around with the— with the dead." The girl replied. "I mean, the skins made them leave us alone. They protected us, so we protected them."

"Do you have a camp?" Ivy inquired quietly. "Walls?"

The girl scoffed. "Walls? Walls don't keep you safe. Places like this don't make it. They never make it. That's how it is. My mom and me, we saw it happen over and over."

Those words alone were enough to make Ivy break.

"I— I barely remember the world before all this. But my mom, she told me how it was changing, how we had to change with it, how we need the dead and each other to keep safe." Ivy blanked, not even listening to the girls words. "We're never alone."

"Move." Ivy muttered. The girl furrowed her eyebrows before Ivy forcefully pushed past her, closing the gate and locking it.

Ivy ran up the cellar stairs and closed the door. She sat down on the ground and brought her knees to her chest. She moved towards the window of Henry's cell and sat beside it. She hushed her cries and listened.

"Thank you." The girls soft voice spoke.

"What?" Henry asked.

"I said thank you. For sticking up for me." The girl repeated.

"She wasn't going to do anything to you... she's not like she used to be." Henry explained. Ivy sighed as tears fell.

"Used to be?" The girl inquired.

"She was a badass and would kill anyone in her path. I heard she's stabbed a guy in the penis, and all other crazy things." Ivy laughed slightly at Henry's words. "I'm Henry."

There was a moment of silence.

"I'm Lydia."

𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘
i just screamed. sm happened yall omfg
i had to write Ivy's little blow up on Lydia bc that really shows that she's losing it again