We're The Ones Who Live | The Walking Dead (2)

Part 3 - The Bridge

A lot had happened in the month that had passed since CJ and Daryl left the Sanctuary one of the biggest things being that Maggie publicly executed Gregory the night the others arrived at the Hilltop. He had convinced Ken's father, Earl, to try to kill Maggie. Earl was grieving the loss of his son and was in a very vulnerable state when he agreed to the attack. Maggie kept him locked up for a while, but ultimately, she knew it wasn't his fault.

Gregory was the problem, so she eliminated him.

The bridge being down on Route A was an issue for all the communities, so construction had begun on rebuilding, and things were going well. There was an overall good vibe attitude from everyone around getting the bridge finished. All the communities were pitching in, as once the bridge was rebuilt, it would benefit all of them. Working on the bridge was a constant job, and everyone had been camping in the woods nearby the building site, living in tents for the last few weeks.

Although, there were a select few from the Sanctuary who were not best pleased about having to be a part of the repair job or having to take orders from Rick and his people. Carol had done a pretty good job at leading the former Saviors, and CJ had been trying to help her without being too much in the front lines. Daryl had put his foot down about leading, and everyone around him got the message to back off pretty quickly.

The freedom of being away from leadership gave CJ the chance to finally visit home for a few days. She tried to get Daryl to go with her, but he refused. As disappointed as she was, she understood his reasoning. Still, she went alone and was able to visit all the people she hadn't seen in a long time. And whilst she was there, she did not once ask about, or even acknowledge the man in the cage.

She got to spend an entire day with Judith; at first, she was worried the girl wouldn't recognise her, it had been so long. But when she went to Rick and Michonne's house, Judith came running to the door with a big smile as she shouted CJ's name. That night, CJ offered to babysit Judith for the night, and Rick was more than happy with it. Judith fell asleep snuggled up to her aunt's side as CJ read her a story. As CJ watched her niece sleep, she mentally kicked herself for not coming to visit more, and promised herself she would do more from then on.

On day thirty-five or rebuilding, CJ had woken up wrapped up in Daryl's arms in the tent they shared, located a little distance away from everyone else. Despite the long workdays that came with the project, the couple had enjoyed being able to spend time together properly. She wore a tank top under her zipped and buttoned-up vest, and the cuffs of her faded blue jeans were rolled up above her ankles.

Daryl headed straight off to the bridge to get to work, and CJ headed down the dirt road away from the camp to find Rick, who was out on watch. A few herds nearby were being watched and monitored by the group, and plans were put in place should any need redirecting.

"Morning, Sheriff," she greeted Rick with a smile. "How's it looking out there this morning?"

"Hey," he replied, hopping down from the cart he had been stood on. "It's the same. The first herd, 'Horatio', is still a fair distance away, but we'll redirect it long before it comes too close to merging with 'Margaret'. I talked to Rosita; she's letting the scouts and lookouts know."

"Sounds good," CJ nodded. "What about the other thing? Eugene told me he was down one more at the last headcount."

"We lost another during the night," Rick sighed. "I thought about askin' around but I don't know where I'd start. And the last thing we need is to cause a rift between groups. We're all on the same side here."

"Well, Saviors going missing isn't exactly something I'm losing any sleep over," CJ shrugged.

Rick let out a sigh. "CJ..."