Ellie Dixon

Maybe

We took a couple cars up to Hilltop. In one car was Rick, Michonne, Carl and Sophia while I went with Tara, Jessie and Rosita. I decided to stay with Rosita because two days before she accidentally got Olivia killed and Eugene taken prisoner. I didn't blame her... But I knew she blamed herself. I also knew that in her self loathing, she forgot to tell anyone about my little incident with my dad's supplies.

Tara was driving, Rosita in passenger, while me and Jessie were at the back. Rosita and Jessie had fallen asleep, so Tara struck up conversation. "So, kid... I heard what happened to you. I'm sorry."

I let out a sigh. "I'm the lucky one. Negan let me go. My dad on the other hand." I shook my head. "I- uhm... I've actually been meaning to talk to you."

"To me? The girl you held a gun to the first time we met? Why, Ellie, we've come so far." Tara spoke sarcastically.

I laughed. "That was my bad."

She shrugged. "You had your reasons."

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry about Denise. She was a good person. I liked her, and you know that I don't like a lot of people. She deserved better." I spoke.

Tara nodded. "You're right. And, thank you for saying that. Most people are afraid to talk to me about her."

"A good person told me once that I shouldn't be afraid to get close to people. That it's not my fault people do what they do. That I just gotta hang on and keep my head on straight while they make mistakes... I want you to know that if you have any regrets with Denise? Don't hold onto them. And, especially don't blame yourself. Otherwise you may end up like me, and nobody wants that." I laughed quietly.

Tara nodded. "Whoever told you that was very smart."

"Her name was Beth. Maggie's sister." I smiled sadly at the memory of the last time I ever saw Beth.

"And you know, ending up like you isn't the worst thing that could happen. You ain't so bad, kid." Tara looked in the rear view mirror and smiled at me.

I let a small grin take over. "I'd rather be like you. So, don't ever change."

"As long as you don't either." Tara nodded. "Deal?"

I laughed. "Deal."

We pulled up to the Hilltop and the gates opened. The first thing my eyes landed on was Mrs Cooper with her chickens, so I ran over. She was feeding them and I watched through the fencing. "Hello, Ellie. It's so good to see you again."

I smiled. "Feeling's mutual."

"How's the mother chicken I gave ya?" Mrs Cooper pushed.

"She's perfect. I named her Jacqui. She had six chicks." I grinned.

"Ellie." I heard my voice to my right. I saw Glenn. He smiled widely, squatting down.

"Glenn!" I yelled, throwing myself at him in a hug. His already unbalanced body fell backwards onto the grass. He hugged me tightly as he moved to sit up.

"I was so worried about you." He told me.

"I missed you so much." I whispered. "How's Maggie?"

"I'm okay." I heard Maggie's voice say as she squatted next to us. I moved my arms to hug her equally as tightly as I'd hugged Glenn.

"I was so worried that you would be hurt." I told her.

"I'm okay. Baby's okay... Most importantly you're okay." Maggie said in my ear as she hugged me.

I pulled back and looked at her face, then back at Glenn, then back at Maggie. "I love you. Both of you. And, I can't remember the last time I said that or if I've ever said it, and when I was in the sanctuary and I didn't know if you'd make it. I couldn't help but think that you could die, and I would never have said that to you." I rambled as tears pricked my eyes.

Maggie cupped my cheeks. "You didn't have to say it for me to know, Ellie. Cause, I love you, and you've shown your love everyday that we fought together to survive."

Glenn put his hand on my knee. "We're family, Ellie. All of us. Never once have I questioned whether you loved us, or whether we loved you... Because we just know. I know that I would die for you, and that's love to me."

I hugged him again, trying not to cry. I usually hated sappy moments. But, Glenn and Maggie... They were a mix between being like my parents, and being like an older brother and sister. I love them so much, I would've died a long time ago if it wasn't for them. "There's someone here who wants to see you." I heard Maggie's voice.

I looked to her, before feeling eye's on me. I smiled at Enid and Sasha, before I looked over to the others and saw Sophia pulling back from hugging someone. She stepped back and looked to me. It was... It was my father... Staring at me. I slowly got up and took a couple steps towards him. It suddenly hit me, that it was my father! In the Hilltop! 

I then didn't hesitate to run straight towards him. I'm a fast runner, and I put everything into that thirty foot run to my father's arms. He picked me up as soon as he could reach me. My legs wrapped around his waist and my arms around his neck. One of his hands were under me to keep me up, the other was on my back. I squeezed him so tightly I was worried he wouldn't be able to breathe... But, to be honest... I wasn't really thinking about that. I finally let the tears fall as I cried into his shoulder. My dad was back. "Daddy?" I let out, pulling my face back to look at him.

He smiled at me. "Hi, baby." He whispered, taking his hand from my back and brushing hair out of my face. I threw my head to his shoulder again because I wanted to be as close to him as possible. Dad used his free hand to pull in Sophia who wrapped her arms around us both. I didn't let go of my dad though. He was back. I needed to hold him. We were at the Hilltop, because we couldn't live doing what Negan said anymore, we were going to fight back... With my father there, I felt like maybe that could be possible. Maybe we would be able to be free again. Maybe. "Oh, there's somebody who wants to see you." Dad told me.

I pulled my head back, glancing past him and seeing Dr Morgan Ackles. "No way." I smiled. "You got out, doc?"

"I ran into Jesus. One thing led to another and I was helping break your father out." Morgan responded with a smile on his face.

"Doc!" Jessie called and ran over, offering the doctor a simple high five. "It's good to see that you're out."

"It's good to be out." He answered with a smile and a nod. "I also have something for you, Ellie." The doc told me, opening up a bag I hadn't realised he was holding. I had a quick flashback to the Governor, but pushed it to the back of my mind. 

When he opened the white plastic bag, he pulled out my belt which still had my gun, boomerang, knife and spare magazines in. "No way!" I grinned, dad put me down as he knew I wanted it back. "Thanks, doc." I grinned, starting to put my belt back around my hips.

"Jesus helped me." Morgan said.

I looked to Jesus and grinned at him. "Thank you. For going there... Saving my dad."

Jesus smiled and nodded at  me. "It was my pleasure."

I saw my father handing Rick a gun. Rick nodded, looking at me with a smile on his face. "We gonna do this, Mama Rick?"

Rick scoffed out a laugh. "Yea... Yea, I think we are."