⋆ ★ REQUIEM FOR THE ACCUSED ⋆ ★

CRUSH

"hold you here my loveliest friend." - cigarettes after sex

hours pass as rick took everyone but carl, salem, judith, and tyreese with him on a run. he told carl to protect them, to be the man of the group. carl stands by the church doors, eyes scanning the surroundings, while tyreese sits with judith in the other room, trying to get her to sleep after days of walking. salem sits on a pew, fiddling with her necklace, lost in thought.

she reminisces about the times she would have sat next to her aunt and uncle, the three of them giggling softly, trying not to disturb the service. her aunt always dressed her in beautiful sunday dresses, though salem would have preferred to be in something comfortable. the memories of those days feel distant, a bittersweet ache in her chest.

she glances up at the cross hung on the wall, her mind drifting to her mother's golden cross necklace that always rested around her neck. it had tickled salem's head as she lay beside her mother, waiting for her father to return home. the thought of her father brings a mix of hope and fear—would he remember her? would she recognize him after all this time? she recalls the tattoos that covered his arms, how she used to color them with markers, the vibrant blue she imagined for the giant cross on his arm and the pretty pink connecting the designs on his knuckles.

her thoughts are interrupted as carl approaches, concern etched on his face. "you okay?" he asks, and she nods, but the heaviness in her heart remains. carl takes a seat beside her, his voice quiet. "you think this guy's legit?" he asks, glancing toward the door where gabriel had disappeared. salem looks around the church, observing the stillness of the room before nodding slightly.

she thinks of judith and the future they hope to build. it's not just about survival anymore; it's about finding a place where they can feel safe, a home for the little girl growing up too fast in a world that has forgotten how to be gentle. carl sighs, his shoulders slumping as he takes in the weight of their reality. salem rests her hand on his, a silent promise that they will face whatever comes next together. 

hours later, rick and the group return, lugging in bags full of canned goods and jugs of water. the church is dimly lit, the night sky outside covered in stars, and the candles they've lit around the room glow softly. everyone sits together, eating and talking, the atmosphere filled with a rare sense of comfort. "you eat?" jack asks, plopping down beside salem with a can of beans. "yeah." she mumbles, her eyes drifting over to carl, who is laughing with his father.

"i think this guy's got something going for us here. it can be good. we can make this place a home. rick was talking about some old buildings east that we could renovate." jack explains, stuffing his face with beans. "that's great." salem whispers, still focused on carl's laughter. "look, salem. i'm sorry i was a dick, okay? i just have a lot going on with beth being gone. i don't know if she's okay," jack admits, his expression turning sombre. salem glances at him, noticing this vulnerable side she hadn't seen before. "you got a crush?" she teases, a smirk creeping onto her face.

"shut the fuck up, okay?" he replies, smiling despite himself. "she could be really deep in shit. no one here is doing anything about it." "what about daryl? you two bonded. ask him to help you find her. he'd be your best bet anyway." salem whispers, her tone turning serious. jack nods, licking his spoon thoughtfully. "yeah, i know."

before either of them can say anything else, abraham stands up, clinking his glass to get everyone's attention. "i look around this room, and i see survivors. every one of you has earned that title. to the survivors." he declares, raising his glass high.

everyone cheers, lifting their glasses and taking a sip. abraham's voice booms as he continues, "is that all you want to be? wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep with two eyes open, rinse and repeat? 'cause you can do that. you got the strength, the skill. the thing is, for you people, for what you can do, that's just surrender."

the room goes quiet, all eyes on abraham as he paces slightly. "now, we get eugene to washington, and he will make the dead die, and the living will have this world again. and that is not a bad takeaway for a little road trip. eugene, what's in dc?" "infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even of this fubar magnitude. that means food, fuel, refuge. restart." eugene explains, his tone serious.

"however this plays out, however long it takes to press the reset button, you can be safe there. come with us. save the world for that little one," abraham gestures toward judith, who is cooing in rick's arms. "save it for yourselves. save it for the people out there." rick chuckles lightly, looking down at judith. "what was that?" he asks playfully. "i think she knows what i'm about to say. she's in, i'm in. we're in." he declares, his voice full of determination.

a wave of smiles spreads through the room and scattered clapping echoes through the church as everyone feels a renewed sense of purpose. salem exchanges a glance with jack, feeling the weight of the moment. as the initial excitement settles, the group begins to relax into the rhythm of their new surroundings. they start to mingle again, sharing stories and laughter, the sound of camaraderie filling the church.

salem watches as carl and judith play a quiet game nearby, the flickering candlelight casting soft shadows on the walls. she feels a warmth in her chest at the sight—there's a semblance of normalcy that they've been missing for so long.

jack gets up to help abraham clean up, tossing empty cans into a bag and making light-hearted jokes to ease the tension. "you think they'll let me keep the rest of these beans for breakfast?" he teases, grinning as abraham rolls his eyes.

"if you don't share, we'll just toss you out with the walkers." abraham retorts, but the playful tone suggests he's enjoying the banter. maggie sits nearby with tyreese, who is still holding judith. they're discussing plans for the following day, planning a supply run to stock up on whatever they can find nearby. "we should check out that old grocery store a few blocks away," maggie suggests. "there might still be some stuff left inside." "sounds good," tyreese agrees. "but we'll need to be quick and quiet. can't risk drawing attention."

meanwhile, salem approaches rick, who is leaning against a pew, gazing thoughtfully at the flickering candles. "you're taking this all in, huh?" he says softly. salem glances over, her expression shifting from contemplative to warm. "it's good to see everyone coming together again. it gives me hope." rick adds.

salem nods, feeling a flicker of that hope herself. "we've survived worse. as long as we stick together and keep looking out for each other, we'll be alright." rick explains. as the night wears on, the group continues to share stories, laughter echoing through the church. for the first time in a long while, there's a sense of belonging—a feeling that maybe they can carve out a new life for themselves in this world.

as everyone begins to settle in for the night, choosing spots to sleep among the pews and the altar, salem finds a quiet corner for herself, feeling the weight of exhaustion pulling at her eyelids. she can hear the soft sounds of chatter and laughter fading as the warmth of the candles flickers low, casting a comforting glow over the room.

with her necklace still clutched in her hand, she closes her eyes, hoping that the dawn will bring new opportunities and a chance for healing, both for herself and for the family she has chosen among these survivors.