NOT DEAD YET | C. GRIMES

TWENTY - SEVEN

"And we can work with the Hilltop." Rick spoke. Luna felt Carl shift next to her, his hand resting on her knee. The others were finally back after nearly a week, and Rick had gathered everyone in the church to tell them what was going on. On the plus side, though, they'd gotten a load more food. "Maggie hammered out a deal. We're getting food-eggs, butter, fresh vegetables. But they're not just giving it away. These Saviors, they almost killed Sasha, Abraham, and Daryl on the road. Now, sooner or later, they would've found us, just like those Wolves did, just like Jesus did. They woulda killed someone or some of us. And then they would try to own us. And we would try to stop them. But by then, in that kind of fight, low on food, we could lose. This is the only way to be sure, as sure as we can get, that we win. And we have to win.

"We do this for the Hilltop, it's how we keep this place. It's how we feed this place. This needs to be a group decision. If anybody objects, here's your chance to say your piece." Luna looked around before glancing at Carl, who was watching his dad intently. She heard someone standing up so she turned, seeing Morgan rising from his seat.

"You're sure we can do it?" He asked. "We can beat them?"

"What this group has done, what we've learned, what we've become. All of us-yes, I'm sure." Rick nodded.

"Then all we have to do is just tell them that." Morgan said. Luna did her best not to sigh, glancing over at Carl as she rolled her eyes. She could tell he felt the same way, annoyed. She'd been able to come to terms with how the world worked now-you kill to survive or you get killed. It was that simple. From what Carl had told her, Morgan used to know that. So she couldn't understand why he was so different now.

"Well, they don't compromise." Rick started.

"This isn't a compromise." Morgan interrupted. "It's a choice you give them. It's a way out, for them and for us."

"We try and talk to the Saviors, and we give up our advantage, our safety." Rick said. "No, we have to come for them before they come for us. We can't leave them alive."

"Where there's life, there's possibility." Morgan urged.

"Of them hitting us." Rick said, his tone raising.

"We're not trapped in this." Morgan argued back. "None of you are trapped in this."

"Morgan..." Rick sighed. "They always come back."

"Come back when they're dead, too." Morgan nodded.

"Yeah, we'll stop them. We have before." Rick said resolutely.

"I'm not taking about the walkers." Morgan breathed.

"Morgan wants to talk to them first. I think that would be a mistake, but it's not up to me." Rick started. "I'll talk to the people still at home, I'll discuss it with people on guard now, too, but who else wants to approach the Saviors, talk to them first?"

"What happened here, we won't let that happen again." Aaron said as he stood up. "I won't." He looked at Morgan before nodding at Rick and sitting back down. Rick waited a few moments, and no one else made a move.

"Looks like it's settled." Rick nodded. "We know exactly what this is. We don't shy from it, we live. We kill them all." Morgan looked around before finally sitting back down. "We don't all have to kill. But, if people are gonna stay here...they do have to accept it."

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"Come here baby, it's okay." Luna mumbled, bouncing Judy in her arms as she got Judy's breakfast ready. Usually she wasn't awake and fussy before dawn, but the thunderstorm outside had woken her up. Luna hadn't wanted Rick or Michonne to have to get up since they'd be raiding the Saviors tonight, so she'd pulled herself out of bed before she was ready to and brought Judy downstairs. "It's okay Judy." She said lightly as Judy fussed. "It's okay."

"What are you doing up?" Luna couldn't help but jump at the sound of Rick's voice, turning around to see him standing in the doorway. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"No you're fine." Luna breathed, shaking her head. "Judy was crying and I didn't want her to wake you guys up, since you have to be out all night."

"You didn't have to do that." Rick said, moving towards the fridge. "I was already up, anyway."

"I'm more than happy to." She said lightly, turning her attention back to Judy. "I don't mind taking care of her."

"Well I appreciate that." Rick shut the fridge. "I appreciate everything you've done." Luna looked up from Judy. "For Judy, and for Carl. He's told me all about your time out there, how you saved him, patched him and kept him from dying. You brought my son back to me, after I thought...I thought I'd never see him again. I don't think I can ever thank you enough for that."

"You don't need to." She shook her head lightly. "Really, Rick I...I don't know what I would've done without him. I thought I was fine out there on my own, but looking back I realize how wrong I was. Without him, I'd still be out there, alone and pretending like the rest of the world just didn't exist. I didn't realize it when I first found him passed out my couch, but I needed him. More than he ever needed me. So you really don't have to thank me."

"Well too bad." Rick said with a light smile. "Because I am, and I'm gonna keep thanking you for a long time."

"What's going on?" Luna turned around, seeing Carl half asleep in the doorway, rubbing his eye. "I could hear you guys talking."

"Nothing." Luna smiled. "I was just giving Judy her breakfast."

"I can handle it." Rick moved over, and Judy started holding her arms out to him. "You two go on back to bed."

"You sure?" Luna asked, shifting Judy into his arms as he nodded.

"C'mon." Carl grabbed her hand, not paying attention to the look on his dad's face as he pulled Luna back towards the stairs. Rick watched them go, a light smile on his face, before Judy's coos drew his attention again.