What Happens Next

Small Day

We had dinner and talked about what had happened over the past week when we eventually fell asleep. I woke up the next morning and felt the heat from the blanket and the heat from Carl's body. I smiled a bit bringing myself closer to him as I hid my face into his chest.

I heard someone get up as I looked over my shoulder and saw Glenn get up as I turned back over and kept myself close to Carl when I heard him go into the bathroom. I pulled away slightly and moved my bag and grabbed my bra from underneath it and waited hearing Glenn come out of the bathroom.

I pulled away from Carl as I went into the bathroom and took off my shirt and put my bra on and put my dirty grey shirt back on when I looked at myself in the mirror. I sighed as I remembered my transformation over the years from my eleven year old self now sixteen.

I looked down sighing again as I grabbed a brush and brushed through my hair as I left the bathroom and saw Glenn sitting at the dining room table drinking some water and saw everyone else still asleep. "Morning," he smiled a bit to me, "morning," I smile back as I went to the fridge grabbing a water as I smiled over at Carl, "you ok?" He looks to me asking. I looked back to Glenn as I nodded, "yeah, I'm fine," I smiled faintly as I drank a bit of my water as I .walked over to him as he put his arm around my shoulder

"I was really scared that night, I was worried something happened to you," he says looking down at me. I smiled faintly looking up at him, "did you think I was dead?" I whispered, "when it happened..?" He asked, "no, in the beginning, did you think I died?" I ask softly, "no. I knew you were with your dad, and I knew he'd do anything to make sure you were alive. I'd think of situations in my head about you dying. That's a reason I went to Atlanta, to see if you were there along with mom and Clairty." He says looking down at me as we made eye contact to each other.

"Me and dad got separated about three months since this started. I was on my own and I kept making a plan to find you and dad but I never was able to do it. Then, when.." I grew quiet for a minute thinking of what to say, "then Beth died," I say softly, "what?" Glenn looks more to me, slightly pulling away, "I was there when she died, at Grady, I watched it happen, I saw her take the bullet.." I say softer with each word as I looked down closing my eyes when Glenn held me closer.

"Carol wanted me to come back with you guys, but I didn't, and I regret it, I saw you holding Maggie when she fell to the ground, but I didn't know it was you, but you seemed so familiar," I closed my eyes as I looked down. "It's ok Jess, it's not your fault," he says softly as he rubbed my back.

I looked back up and saw Maggie had woken up and looked at me. I looked over and saw Carl had woke up as well.

I pulled away from Glenn and walked over to Carl, "we weren't being loud, were we..?" I ask softly as I saw Carl sit up as I sat next to him as he wrapped his arm around me, "no, you're fine," he shook his head looking to me, "so you knew Beth..?" She asks softly looking to me as I nodded, "yeah, I did. I'm sorry about her," I say softly looking to her as she shook her head, "don't worry about it."

It was later on as I had left the trailer and sat outside looking around as I saw Carl and Glenn talking to Jesus. "You grew up to nearly be like a Glenn mini me," Maggie smiles as she stood next to me, "Glenn basically was the person I looked up to and for guidance. My dad was never around. Honestly, Maggie, I'm not even supposed to be here.. alive. And if I was to be, I probably would be a completely different person, my real mom would still be dead, and maybe Negan wouldn't be as bad as he is." I looked up to her as she looked back down to me and faintly smiled and nudged me, "I think you'd still be a fantastic person, one we'd still look at as family, the girl Carl would still fall in love with," Maggie smiled down at me.

I laughed a bit shaking my head, "maybe 'fall in love with' is too strong?" I chuckle slightly, "I don't, I've known Carl since about, maybe six months after all of this, he looks at you different than every girl he's ever met," she smiled down at me. I chuckle a bit looking up at Maggie as I looked over to Carl and saw him look back at me as he smiled, "I know for sure I see him way different than I did when I was with Lucas, and I'm glad, because Carl makes everything better, like the gone to shit world doesn't even exist." I smile back to him, "that's the exact way I feel when I'm with Glenn, like it's just me and him, and his little one slowly growing inside me."

I smiled up to her and then at them again, "I'm glad you're part of our family Maggie," I smile up to her, "I'm glad to be part of it," she smiles back as we hug each other. "Maybe one day you can Carl will start a family," she smiles to me, "maybe, but that might not be for a while," I chuckle a bit, "what were you thinking about naming the baby?" I ask looking up to her, "I was thinking maybe Hershel, if it's a boy, Beth if it's a girl," she smiled, "who was Hershel?" I ask, "my father," she smiled down to me.

I nodded a bit, "one thing I learned from Beth, was that you were the group that attacked us when I was in Woodbury," I chuckle a bit, "sorry if I shot any of you guys," I chuckle a bit nervously, "no one was shot, just one person killed, that was after we got Daryl and Merle out of there," she says, "I wasn't there for that. I snuck out by the time that happened."

It went quiet and as she looked to me, "when you have kids, what are you going to name them?" she smiled, "well, I always planned on the father naming the baby if it's a boy, but if I was to have a girl, I never thought about a name, but now I know one. I'm going to name her after my sister, Clarity." I smile back.

More time passed as we got said our goodbyes as we got into the car as I started driving back to Alexandria. "What were you and Maggie talking about?" He asks as he looks to me, "the future, our plans for her baby and for mine when I deicide to have one, tons of things," I chuckle a bit as I look to him and then forward.

It grew silent for a bit when I felt Carl pull my right hand away from the wheel gently to hold it. I smile to him as I look forward.

It was a quiet ride back to Alexandria as I parked the car as we got out, "what took you two so long?" Rick asks coming over to us, "we ended up staying the night and we didn't leave until about twelveish." I say as I shut the car door and toss the key to Rick to put them in the storage room with the rest of the car keys.

I headed to my house with Carl as I looked the door and went up to my room. We laid down together and talked the night away and smiled to each other as we fell asleep, sleeping the night away.