Chapter forty four
"We should go to Washington."
They found a quiet place to bury Beth, standing together in silence around her fresh grave. Afterward, the group scavenged two new vehicles, giving everyone enough room to travel together again.
When night fell, they parked to rest. Inside the back of one of the vans, Scarlett sat holding a sleeping Judith in her arms. Carl sat close beside her, leaning his head tiredly against her shoulder.
From the dark corner of the van, Rick watched them, the quiet family moment offering a stark contrast to the grief weighing on him. He sat next to Noah, who was looking down at his hands.
"She was gonna come with me," Noah said quietly, breaking the silence.
"How far?" Rick asked.
"Outside Richmond, Virginia," Noah shared.
Rick looked from the boy back over to Scarlett and the kids, processing the distance and thinking about their next move.
By morning, the entire group gathered to discuss the potential new destination.
"It was secure," Rick explained to the others. "It has a wall, homes, and about twenty people. Beth wanted to go with him. She wanted to get him there. It's a long trip, but if it works out, it's the last long trip we have to make."
Glenn looked around, his voice laced with caution. "And what if it isn't around anymore?"
"Then we do what we've always done, and we keep going," Scarlett said firmly, meeting his gaze.
"Then we find a new place," Michonne agreed, her tone final.
With the decision made, everyone climbed back into the vehicles, started the engines, and began the long drive toward Richmond, Virginia.
Upon arriving in Virginia, they left the rest of the group behind in a safe, hidden location. Rick, Scarlett, Michonne, Glenn, Tyreese, and Noah took one of the vehicles to make the final drive toward the neighborhood.
"How far out?" Rick asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Five miles," Noah replied.
Rick lifted his walkie-talkie and pressed the button. "Hey, Carol."
"I'm here," Carol's voice crackled back through the static.
"We're halfway there," Rick said. "Just wanted to check the range."
"Everybody's holding tight," Carol told him. "We've made it five hundred miles. Maybe this can be the easy part."
Rick pressed the button again. "Gotta think we're due. Give us twenty minutes to check in."
"We don't hear from you, we'll come looking," Carol replied.
"Copy that," Rick said, letting go of the button and setting the walkie aside.
As they rode in silence, Scarlett felt something bulky in her pocket. Pulling it out, she realized she had accidentally carried away Judith's small wooden horse.
Michonne noticed and chuckled softly. "She's not gonna be happy about that."
"She's been liking her stuffed bunny for a while now, so hopefully that'll be enough to keep her happy," Scarlett said with a small smile, slipping the toy back into her pocket.
In the back, Tyreese turned his attention to Noah, trying to ease the boy's heavy mind. "It went the way it had to. The way it was always going to."
Noah stared blankly ahead. "I never wanted to kill anybody before."
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Safe haven | Rick Grimes
FanfictionScarlett Avery has had a rough life between her abusive father to her abusive husband, she ends up running away to a small town outside of Georgia wanting to keep a low profile and continue her medical career with fear of him finding her and her nee...
