Tour Guide ➣ Carl Grimes

38. Reunions

It wasn't long before they ended up in Hilltop. After everything, Rick had decided it was time to fight.

When they got to the gates of The Hilltop, with Carl and Hannah's hands molded together, everyone let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Maggie. She stood at the top of the fence, looking down at them. Hannah smiled when she found that the woman was wearing Glenn's hat.

They all filed through the gate, hugging Maggie as soon as they could get close enough. Everyone was smiling and laughing, hopelessly taking in the moment.

"You're okay?" Rick asked Maggie after pulling her into a hug.

"I'm okay. The baby's okay. All of us," Hannah heard Maggie tell him. She let out her own sigh of relief.

"You were right." Rick told her, "Right from the start. You told us to get ready to fight. I didn't listen, I couldn't. But I can now."

Hannah knew Rick was right. They couldn't keep letting the Saviors win. If they had to fight, that's what they'd do.

"Hannah!" the girl heard from the distance. She turned to see Enid running towards her and Carl and she let out a laughing sob.

"Enid" she sighed as the two embraced. Hannah could feel the girl's heart beating against her own and she couldn't describe how much she'd missed it. They hadn't seen each other in weeks.

Enid pulled back slightly, looking over at Hannah, "Are you okay?"

Hannah couldn't help but laugh at the question, "You're the one who ran away. Are you?"

Enid gave a wide smile as she nodded, not looking away from the girl. It was like she thought she might disappear if she did. Finally, though, Enid turned to Carl, pulling him into a hug as well. Hannah giggled as he held awkwardly onto his friend, never having hugged Enid before.

She was so happy. Everyone was.

Hannah let her eyes search around The Hilltop. She had never actually been there before, only ever hearing stories about it. It was so much bigger than she thought it would be. There was a huge house at the center of the town that reminded Hannah of a museum she had seen as a kid. The rest of the town seemed to be made up of small shacks and houses, most accompanied by small garden plots. It was all so beautiful.

As she looked around, Hannah saw movement by one of the shacks. It wasn't much, but she noticed it. Then, she saw Jesus emerge from around the corner, his eyes on the group. Behind him came Daryl.

His eyes met hers and Hannah froze.

He looked just like he had the night he was taken, though his hair had grown out. She couldn't think. He didn't look like he was hurt, but Hannah could see how much weight he'd lost. She couldn't hear. Daryl was alive. She was frozen.

It wasn't until she saw Daryl's lips move in the shape of her name that she snapped out of it. Now that she could, Hannah ran. She could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks when she met up with the man, but she didn't care. Just as quickly as she had gotten there, Hannah was pulled into a hug. It was tight and warm and desperate. She felt her feet lift off the ground as Daryl pulled her close. His heart was beating frantically and it felt so much harder than Enid's. Hannah could hear the sobs leave her throat as she held onto him, and he didn't move away when her tears soaked the fabric of his shirt.

Finally, she pulled back from him, unsure of where to look first, "A-Are you--Are you-" she spoke so frantically that Hannah couldn't get her question out. With tears in his own eyes, Daryl looked down at her, a soft smile on his lips.

"I'm fine, Sunshine. I'm good."

---

"No. No way in hell. That was not the deal," Gregory, Hilltop's leader, spoke as he paced around his office, "You people swore you would take the Saviors out and you failed. So any arrangement we had is now done. Null and void. We aren't trade partners, we aren't friends, and we never met." He leaned over his desk, looking at the group around him. Hannah stood next to Carl, with Daryl leaning on the bookshelf behind her. They had come to talk to Gregory hoping he would help them with the Saviors, but everyone who had known him seemed doubtful of the idea. Still, Hannah thought, everything was worth a try.

"I owe you nothing," Gregory continued, looking directly at Rick, "In fact, you owe me for taking in the refugees, at great personal risk." Hannah cringed at his selfishness.

"Oh, you were very brave staying in here while Maggie and Sasha were saving this place. Your courage was inspiring," Jesus mocked from the corner of the room.

"Hey, don't you work for me? Aren't we friends?"

Rick stepped forward, "Gregory, we already started this."

"You started it," he cut in.

"We did. And we're gonna win."

"These are killers," Gregory said, exasperated.

"Is that how you want to live? Under their thumb, killing your people?"

Gregory wasn't fazed by Rick's words, "Sometimes we don't get to choose what our lives look like. Sometimes, Ricky, you have to count the blessings you have."

Maggie moved forward now, aggravated with Gregory. Hannah could see it on her face. Maggie was not going to step down.

"How many people can we spare? How many people can fight?"

"We?" Gregory asked incredulously, "I don't even know how many people we have, Margaret. It doesn't even matter. What are you gonna do? Start a platoon of sorghum fighters? Cause that's what we've got. They grow things! They're not gonna want to fight."

Hannah couldn't help but speak up. If Maggie thought this was a good idea, so did she.

"You're wrong," she spoke, "When good people have the chance to do the right thing, they will. I mean people just--" Hannah was cut off before she could continue.

"Let me stop you before you break out into song, okay?" She scoffed at the man, stepping back slightly, "and who would train all this cannon fodder? Hm"?

Immediately Sasha and Rosita's voices cut through, telling the man they would both be happy to do it.

"Rhetorical!" Gregory dragged out, his words dripping with uncaring ego. "I don't want to know."

Hannah could feel Daryl move behind her. He pushed himself off the shelves before shouting at Gregory, "What the hell, man? You're either with us or you ain't! You're sitting over there talking out both sides of your mouth."

Gregory only nodded at Daryl's words before standing up slowly.

"Look. I think I've made my position here very clear. Now, I want to thank all of you for not being here today, not having this meeting with me, and for not being seen on your way out. In other words, go out the back." Gregory gave them a mean, lopsided smile.

With that, Rick took one last look at Gregory before signaling the group to leave.

As they left the room, Hannah saw Enid coming through the entrance. She seemed rushed.

"Hey, um," The girl started, her eyes searching over the group.

"What's wrong," Sasha asked.

"Nothing. Just," Enid chuckled, her eyes meeting Hannah's, "Come outside."

They all followed Enid out of the main building. When they all got onto the patio, Hannah saw what Enid was talking about. In front of them stood about ten members of Hilltop. Their eyes were wide and hopeful as they watched the group. They wanted to fight.

Like Hannah had said, good people will do the right thing when given the chance. 

--- 

Hey Loveliessss! This is the continuation of chapter 37 I was talking about. Originally I had put them together but it felt like the last chapter needed to be its own thing. Also, I wanted to let you guys know that I am officially on Spring Break!! Because of that, I won't be posting a new chapter this week. For anyone else who's on their break, I hope you have an incredible time and get some well-deserved rest!

Wasn't Hannah and Daryl's reunion so sweet 💕💕 I literally love them so much!!

Thanks for Reading!