A World Like This [1]

[34]

Edited 1/28/17

"We're getting close." Daryl announced. I smiled a little to myself. I hoped Terminus works out, I hope it's still around. I hope the people there are kind, I hope for this not for me but for Carl. He's been through enough as it is. "Be there before sundown." Daryl told us. I couldn't help but fear the worst. I tried to remain optimistic but it seemed like a loss cause.

"Now we head through the woods. We don't know who they are." Rick told us.

"Alright." Dad said agreeing with him. We walked off into the woods. Carl and I still held hands as we traveled through the trees. Every so often dad would give Carl dirty looks and me questioning glares. I think he was a little happy when I told him Carl had dumped me. He never wanted us to be together.

We made our way over to a metal fence. Looking past the bushes and the metal fence we could see a building standing tall. Terminus was written across the windows of the building. I began smiling yet again at the thought of possibly being safe. Yet, I still remained cautious.

"We all spread out, watch for a while, see what we see, and get ready." I was thankful for how smart Rick was being about this. As happy as I am that we might actually have descent food and shelter, we still don't know these people or what they're capable of.

All I can hope for is that anyone who made it out of the prison was here. I really hope Maggie is here, Beth too, and Glenn, I miss them a lot.

"We all stay close." Rick told us. "You want to stick with me?" Rick asked Carl. Carl looked over at me and shook his head.

"It's all right, I'll stick with Ava." He told him.

"I'll be fine Carl, you can go with Rick." I told him. Carl gave me a weird look, as if to say I was stupid.

"I'll stay with Ava." Carl said once more before walking away from Rick and I. Rick gave me a questioning look. I shrugged my shoulders in response.

Daryl filled in some of the blanks last night, Rick had killed the guy who tried to touch Carl, along with the guy who tried killing Rick. He didn't go into too much detail but from what I was told it was a gruesome sight.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked Carl.

"Yeah, I'm good." He replied. I could tell he wasn't, he was scared and in pain. However, I let it go, when we're safe and when Carl wants to talk we will.

"Ava!" I turned to Daryl.

"Yeah?"

"You're coming with me!" He said. I looked back at Carl, He smiled before saying,

"Go."

"You sure?" I asked him causing his smile to get bigger.

"Yeah, I'll go with Michonne. Go with your dad." He told me. I smiled at his words. My dad that's what he was. But for some reason I couldn't keep my mind from slipping up and calling him Daryl every so often. I kissed Carl on the cheek before running off with dad.

"I thought ya broke up?" Dad questioned me, his eyebrows raising in question

"We did, but now we aren't?" I said it more like it was a question then a statement. Dad raised his eyebrows at me again, causing me to laugh.

"So ya just fergave him?" He asked me.

"What's with all the questions?" I asked laughing slightly. He shrugged his shoulders and continued looking at me, waiting for my answer. "Dad, Life's too short to hold grudges." I told him. He smiled at me, I don't know if it was because of my answer or because that was the third time I called him dad, but we moved on.

Daryl and I watched as Rick put a bag into the ground. We looked down into the hole and into the bag seeing guns, a machete, scopes, and other weapons. Rick turned around and looked at us.

"Just in case." He told us. I don't know if he was trying to reassure us or himself. He began to bury the bag. Dad and I stood there and watched as he did so.

After that we were ready to enter terminus. Rick hopped over the fence, then Michonne, then Carl, then Daryl, then me. I wasn't sure about this, I held my revolver out in front of me, everyone else held their weapons too.

Daryl led us over to the building. I walked beside Carl. I looked over at him and saw he was already looking at me.

"I'll protect you this time, I promise." He told me. I smiled at him before moving on to the building. Daryl and Rick opened a door and made their way through.

This is it no turning back now. I thought to myself.

Maybe we could turn around, maybe find a nice house to stay in the rest of our lives, snap out of it. I told myself. We need this, we need this place. We need to be safe again.

We walked in, not even bothering to hide ourselves anymore. No one looked at us, they didn't even notice our presence until Rick spoke up.

"Hello." He said to a woman who was speaking into a microphone, she was making a message to anyone who might be able to hear it I suppose, not that there is much out there to hear it anyways.

"Those who s--" She instantly stopped talked, looked up, and looked to Rick. Her eyes widened at the sight of us all standing in their building, surprised we managed to sneak in.

"Hello." Rick said louder this time causing everyone to stop what they were doing and look over at us.

"Well, I bet Albert is on perimeter watch." A man said, I didn't see his face. I felt like I had heard his voice from somewhere, something about it was familiar.

The man walked towards us and I immediately knew who it was the second I saw his face. I looked down to the ground hoping for him not to notice me. I hadn't seen him in so long my face has probably changed over all these years, please don't recognize me. I begged.

"You here to rob us?" He asked.

"No. We wanted to see you before you saw us." Rick told him.

"Makes sense." The man responded. "Usually we do this where the tracks meet. Ahem. Welcome to terminus." I still continued to look down at the cement flooring as the man spoke. He walked closer and closer to us and I prayed to god he wouldn't look at me, and even if he did I hoped he wouldn't recognize me. "I'm Gareth. Looks like you've been on the road for a good bit."

"We have." Rick told him. "Rick, That's Carl, Daryl, Michonne, and Ava." I looked up and Gareth's dark eyes immediately flickered to my light blue ones. I felt as if I might puke. He did recognize me. I felt an increasing amount of fear radiate throughout my body.

"Ava?" My heart started racing as he spoke my name.

"Hi." Is all I managed to say to the man.

"You're alive?" He sounded almost shocked at the thought of me being alive. "Where's your mother? Aiden? Asher?" He asked, as if he actually cared what had happened to him. He left us, he left us like we were nothing.

"Dead." I said through gritted teeth. I looked over at the rest of the group only to see their confused faced.

"I'm sorry to hear that sweetheart." He said as he inched closer to me. "Well come give your dad a hug."

Trust is so important and I'm so happy I have these four amazing people to call my family with me. That's the thing about family though, you find it where you least expect it.

What I didn't know at this exact moment is I need them more than I think I do. The things that will happen in the next few days will shock you, it shocks me myself. If I die I'm glad I had them to fight by my side.