Safe haven, Rick Grimes

079. ANYONE ELSE WHO'S TRIED TO HURT ME YOU OR DAD KILLED THEM

Chapter seventy nine

"Anyone else who's tried to hurt me you or dad killed them."

Scarlett didn't read her letter, she thought she could that night but she couldn't, she unfolded it and looked at the words then quickly folded it back up and went to bed, where the next morning when she woke up, she walked all around the hilltop trying to find the best place to read it, she wanted something that reminded her of him, as she found a part of the field that nobody was sitting in, as she sat down, the sun was shining down on her, as she took a deep breath, she unfolded the letter

To the woman who may not have given birth to me but became the best mother I could ever ask for

Scarlett looked up from the letter and already felt herself crying, as she looked back down at it

You once asked me if I understood how devastating it would be for my mother, my father, you, our entire group to find out that something bad happened to me and I was a stubborn kid who told you we needed supplies and you come back at me with what if I died, and I told you, you weren't my mother. And I saw how hurt you were and it hurt me too because what I said wasn't true.

When I was growing up, I always thought you were the coolest person I knew because you saved people like one of the heroes in my comic books but then when my dad got shot, you saved him but what I remember most is how from the second he went into that coma, you were always there for me even when my mom own mom couldn't be.

I remember when you gave me the last bigcat even though you said you wanted it. I remember the pudding trips to the cafeteria. I remember wheelchair racing in the hallway. I remember just asking my mom to come there not to see my dad but to see you.

And when the world stopped being what we knew and I thought you and my dad were dead I was so upset but then you two came back, together, you saved each other and in the end you two saved all of us.

You always protected me,

I remember that day when everything changed, my dad had gone back out and Jim tried to talk to me about how he wasn't back yet and you tried to tell him not talk to me about it, how at dinner that night I insisted like I always did when you'd come for dinner that you sit next to me and then..we got attacked. You and Shane were taking down walkers, I was so scared, I was gripping onto your sweatshirt like it would protect me but when we got safe or at least as safe as we could be, you picked me up in your arms and I felt safe.

Safe enough that whenever you weren't with me, all I wanted was for you to be there. To hold me. And I wish you were here right now to do so but I know where you are, you went to get dad because unfortunately you can't be two places at once and he needs you more then I do seeing as you and dad told me not to go after him but in normal me fashion I didn't listen.

The letter read, as Scarlett was sobbing

But I did that night at the lineup, I tried to be tough, to be brave but you..you risked your own life that night for me. Telling Negan to leave me alone. Telling me to look at you rather then Abraham. Where the moment you got dragged up there in front of Glenn, I didn't look. I heard your screams and put my hands over my ears knowing that's what you'd want me to do. And when you had to run into those woods and dad got pulled into that RV, I was so scared that neither of you were gonna come back.

And dad did, but he was broken and scared. Where I held onto your sweater that was on the ground cause it was the closest thing I had of you while dad was practically being forced to chop off my arm. But then you came and protected both of us even threatened Negan about how you'd kill him if he ever hurt dad, me or Judith or my brother or sister. And when he was gone, you held me in your arms and I felt safe again.

And the days after that I couldn't sleep alone where I was waking up in the middle of the night thinking of you and dad dead, and I came to you just like I did that night in the prison after my mom died and you always made the nightmares go away.

I would do anything to make your nightmare stop.

But what I'm realizing now is what happened to me, knowing that I'll die in your arms and that you'll never leave me alone, that your gonna hold onto this forever. Even more so I know your gonna hate Siddiq for what happened to me and I understand. Anyone else who's tried to hurt me, you or dad have killed them.

And I know you'll keep doing the same for Judith and whatever brothers and sisters I have after because like Tara told the people at oceanside, you can change things. But that doesn't mean Negan or the saviors have to die. Not if it means you or dad die.

I love you and I know I'll always be with you cause like I said, you'll never leave me alone cause your my mom

Carl

Smiling, she folded up the letter and as she did, Judith came running up to her "ooh!" she voiced, as Judith laughed, Scarlett laughed, holding her in her arms "who let you out in the meadow all alone little duck?" she asked her, as she looked at the letter that was lying next to her's in the grass, it was Negan's, as she grabbed them both and stood up with Judith in her arms and began walking off.

Where later, Scarlett and Rick were told that Maggie had something for them, as the two were walking down to where the cage was, Maggie had locked Gregory in there she turned around and walked up to the two of them, handing Scarlett a folded up map, Rick looked at it over her shoulder and it read, tomorrow afternoon Negan and ten men at the X. Other eleven person teams at each of the circles. End Negan. End the rest. End this, Scarlett then opened up the map "what are we gonna do?" Maggie asked, as Scarlett and Rick looked at each other.

After that Scarlett had taken the walkie her and Rick used to communicate with Negan and headed out of there with his letter so nobody could hear what she had to say, as she pressed down on the button "I'm looking for Negan? This is Scarlett Grimes." she said, letting go of the button and when she did, she didn't get anything back, as she pressed down on the button "I know your there." she said, letting go of the button "your husband there with you? Why don't you put him on?" Negan asked, as Scarlett pressed down on the button "just me. And it's about Carl. I told you he wrote you a letter. And I don't care if you listen or not but I'm gonna deliver it to you because he always confided in me with things like this and that's why he gave me the letters to give to people." she shared, letting go of the button.

"I can't promise not to kill the messenger." Negan told her, as Scarlett opened the letter and pressed down on the button "Negan, this is Carl. I was helping someone. I got bit. We didn't have to be doing what we were doing. I was just helping someone. Now I'm gone." she read, as her voice broke "you might be gone. Maybe my mom and dad made your people give you up and they killed you, but I don't think so. I think you're still around and you're working on a way out. Maybe you got out. Maybe you think you're a lost cause and you just wanna kill all of us." she read.

"I think you think you have to be who you are. I just wonder if this is what you wanted. I wanted to ask you. I wish I could've. Maybe you'll beat us..and if you do, they'll just be someone else to fight. The way out is working together. It's forgiveness. It's believing that it doesn't have to be a fight anymore. Because it doesn't. I hope my mom and dad offer you peace. I hope you take it. I hope everything can change. It did for me. Start over. You still can. Carl." she read, letting go of the button, she let out a shaky breath.

"All this...there is no getting out of it now. I wouldn't accept your surrender if you came to me on your knees. See winning isn't about beating you. Winning is about killing every last one of you. That is starting over. I never wanted this. You and Rick made this happen. You tell him that. No more.." Negan was saying, as Scarlett pressed her hand on the button, bringing the walkie up "well then..I guess I'll have to kill you then." she told him, letting go of the button, she dropped her walkie and stomped on it, before turning around and walking off.