All Out War

Chapter 42

I stood right in front of him, looking him in the eye.

"After everything we did for you. After we kept you with us once we found out you didn't know shit about a cure, it was still so fucking easy for you to turn your back on us. Although almost everyone told me how much of a coward you really were, I didn't believe them. I didn't want to because I saw the potential you had and how much we could learn from you. I saw what you could offer. You just needed time to gain the courage to fight. And you did. What you did to Dwight when we ran into him and the others on the tracks, showed that much. You learned how to survive. But the second you were taken away, it was as if you didn't know us. Everyone back home is pissed at you. It's obvious that Rosita and Daryl can't stand you. But even with everything you pulled, I never gave up on you. After seeing Sasha coming out of that coffin, I thought, 'Maybe he'll finally come around.' But I was wrong. Like everything else with you, I was wrong. I'm not mad at you, Eugene. I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed that after everything that asshole did to us, you could stand there and vouch for him. After what he did to Abraham...and Glenn...you'd willingly kneel to that piece of shit. I hope you realize that the second Negan gets what he wants from you, he'll kill you. Cause that's who he is. If you'd come back and begged us for forgiveness, we wouldn't kill you, because that's who we are. We would have given you a second chance. Even if everyone else wouldn't give you the time of day, I would have accepted your apology. But everything Rosita just said about you is true. You're selfish and a coward. The only regret I have, is that I didn't see it sooner," I said.

I had started to get teary-eyed. Once I'd finished I turned around and started walking again. I didn't know until after I had said all of that that I too needed to get that off my chest. Like Rosita, we needed to make some things very clear to Eugene. I wiped my face, sniffled and looked straight ahead. Daryl came up next to me and took my hand. I inhaled then exhaled. He knew I needed a few seconds of silence and I loved him even more for that. We were almost to the car when we heard some growling.

"Shit," I said.

"They must have heard us pull up. I got it," Daryl said.

"I'll cover you," I said pulling out my knife and moving forward.

"Watch him," Daryl told Rosita.

I went up to the first walker and ended it. I heard Daryl shooting his arrows then reloading them. I kick one of the legs from another walker and drove my knife into its skull quickly. There was another that grabbed me and pinned me against the car. I held it away from me while it tried to get it with my knife but I was struggling. Its decaying teeth snapped at me over and over again. Daryl came and knocked it upside the head with his crossbow. 

"You good?" he asked looking at my arm for scratches.

"Yeah. I'm fine," I said.

I inhaled and exhaled a few breaths.

"You sure?" he asked looking at my other arm.

"Yes. Babe, I swear, I'm okay. It caught me off guard is all," I said.

He kissed my forehead then hugged me. I looked over to Eugene and Rosita and right at that second, he puked all over her then started running.

"Son of a bitch!" I shouted.

Eugene was getting away. Rosita was fighting off two walkers. She took care of one while I ran toward her then helped take out the other. She fired at him.

"That asshole," Daryl growled.

"He couldn't have gotten far," I said.

We saw him go through a wooden fence with a huge hole, right in the middle. We went through it and found that the other side was completely vacant. Daryl moved forward and knelt down by a pile of ashes. He pointed to the visible tracks that were there.

"We should be able to catch up to him. Come on," he said.

We started running with Daryl leading the way.

"We can't let him get back to them. If you see him, shoot that pig's head off," Rosita said.

"Oh, we will," I said.

As much as I didn't want to, if he got back to them, he'd make those bullets helping them out once again. I wasn't ready to let that happen. He was once family but after seeing him make the decisions he has, it was clear what side he decided to be on. We were getting closer to the warehouse. Daryl suddenly held his arm out and stopped us.

"Dammit. They're all over the place," he whispered.

We went over and crouched by a rusty car to see what we could see. There were Saviors all around forming a perimeter.

"Shit," I said.

There was then some shouting that came from the distance.

"Over here!" a man shouted.

I looked to where the shouting was coming from and was once again filled with disappointment.

"It's Eugene. He got back," I said.

"What?" Rosita said.

She looked through the scope of her rifle.

"I could get him from here. I've got a clear shot," she said.

"No," I said grabbing the neck of her rifle and putting it down.

"You kill him and they'll be on us within minutes and we are vastly outnumbered. He made his choice. There's nothing we can do about it. We have to head back. At least we know that the place works. I know you want to get back at him for all he's done, believe me I know. But right now, we have to be thinking of the bigger picture," I said.

She sighed then nodded.

"Here. Take this," I said taking off my button down.

"I doubt you want to head back smelling like Eugene's insides," I said.

Daryl looked away while Rosita took off her shirt that was drenched in vomit.

"Thanks," she said.

I nodded. She tossed her shirt on the ground and buttoned up the shirt I had given her. I kept watch for anyone that could possibly sneak up on us.

"Okay. Let's go," she whispered.

We stayed crouched until we gained cover by one of the buildings close by. Rosita took the lead while Daryl held back.

"You were right to do what you did," he said.

"I just didn't want any of us to die because of him," I said.

"Yeah. I wanted to kill him too. I wanted Rosita to take the shot. But then I thought about you...and our kid...it wasn't worth the risk," he said.

I grabbed his hand and kissed the back of it.

"Thank you," I said.

He stopped us and gently kissed my forehead. We walked the rest of the way with his arm wrapped securely around my waist.