FEARLESS ➳ TWD¹ [REWRITE/COMPLETED]

29 ➳ ROCK IN THE ROAD

PAUL and I led the way to the decayed parking lot that would eventually lead us right to the gates of the Kingdom. I did not remember how to get there every step of the way, but my brother did, though.

Along with myself and Paul, almost everybody else was with us. Rick, Michonne, Tara, Daryl, Rosita, Sasha, and Carl came along with us for the ride. Maggie and Enid stayed back at the Hilltop. We had all piled into this somewhat small SUV while I was nearly in Tara's lap for the whole time — which she seemingly did not mind at all.

As soon as we all began to pile out of the vehicle when it had been cut off, Rick asked again, "It's called The Kingdom?"

Causally, Paul nodded and somewhat grinned. "Yeah," he replied, shrugging it off. "I didn't name it."

As I came up to the front of the SVU, I propped myself up against it while I let the wind cool me off. Rick was standing there beside Paul as he looked around his surroundings, suspiciously. "How much farther?"

Paul also looked around, but ended up struggling in return. "Well, technically, we're already here," he answered, which made Rick glance back at him once again. "I mean, we're always here, but we are here we are — at the Kingdom. Well, it's outer-edge."

"Hey," Daryl called out from now getting out of the truck to where he was almost on the roof. "What the hell we waitin' on?"

Smiling, my brother pointed forward and passed Rick's head. "Waiting for them."

I looked right when everyone else did, hearing the hooves before we seen them approaching. Coming on two almost identical horses was Alvaro and Richard from the Kingdom.

"Who dares to trespass on the sovereign land of the—" Alvaro was rehearsing his normal lines with his sword raised before. "Oh, shit. Jesus and Tess, is that you guys?"

"In the flesh," I mocked, lifting off of the truck and dusting myself off. Lifting his hand up to wave, Paul smiled — but did not utter out any type of greeting just yet, though.

Richard looked around to everyone and asked us, "Who are all these people, guys?"

"Hi, Richard," Paul finally said something to them and began to walk over their way. "Nice to see you."

Richard nodded and nicely replied back, "It's good to see you, too. You as well, Tess." I nodded back as my quiet response. "Your friends, though... Who are they?"

Standing before everyone, Paul began to introduce everyone — beginning with Rick. Pointing to him, he said, "This is Rick Grimes. He's the leader of a like-minded community. These are some of his people. Tess has actually relocated there recently. We would like to request an audience with King Ezekiel."

With that said, Richard took in what my brother had just delivered to him before he stepped down from the horse's back. He made his way over, looking over everyone that was already out and in the car, too, where Tara, Carl, and Rosita were still inside.

"Get out of the car," Richard demanded in a normal tone. Just like he instructed, they did and joined us. "You say they're a... like-minded community. Like-minded how?"

"Well, for one, they took me in when the Hilltop threw me out on my ass. Oops, I'm sorry. I meant to say, when Gregory threw me out on my ass," I spoke up first, which caused Richard and everyone else to look at me. "They took me in when they knew nothing about me. They fought like hell to get myself and Daryl back from Negan and his ass-wipes. They are good people that would give you the shirts off their backs if you needed them."