Just Keep Walking

Sixty six

"Stop right there!" A man in the lookout shouted as soon as the group reached Hilltop's gates, holding a spear down at them. All of the Alexandrians pointed their guns on him suddenly, and Jesus raised his hands quickly.
"Woah."
"You gonna make us?" Daryl spat.
"Jesus, what the hell is this?" The man shouted angrily, as Mary's fingers curled around her knife.
"Open the gates Cal, Freddie's hurt." Jesus ordered, then he turned to Rick, "Look, sorry about these guys. They get antsy standing up there all day doing nothing."
"They give up the weapons! Then we'll open the gates!"
"Why don't you come down here and get 'em!" Daryl threatened.
"Gentlemen, look, we vouch for these people, alright? They saved us out there." Harlan assured.
"Lower the spears!"
"Look I'm not taking any chances. I have Mary here. Tell your guy Gregory to come out here." Rick ordered.
"No. Don't you see what just happened? I'm letting you keep your guns. Look, we ran out of ammo months ago. I like you people. I trust you. Trust us."
Rick sighed, then signalled to the group, making everyone lower their guns.
"Open the gates, Cal!" Jesus ordered, and he did as told.
"You good?" Rick asked Mary, as she buried her head into Michonne's neck.
Mary didn't answer, but Michonne squeezed her food gently. "She's good."
Then they walked into the community, and Michonne grinned. "Mary, look up. You'll like it."
Mary opened her eyes to see a massive house, wooden buildings, trailers, a blacksmith, crops, and, to her excitement, animals. "It's chickens! A cow! Mishy! Daddy! Look! CHICKENS!" Mary squealed in pure joy, her eyes wide.
"There was a materials yard for a power company nearby," Jesus explained as they walked in, "that's how we put up the walls. A lot of people came from a FEMA camp. Trailers came with them."
"How did people find out about this place?" Michonne asked curiously, as Mary gazed at the chickens.
Jesus signalled at the house proudly. "That's called Barrington House. The family that owned it gave it to the state in the thirties. The state turned it into a living history museum. Every elementary school for fifty miles used to come here for field trips. Probably your kids, Rick. Mary, you recognise it?"
"She was only just four when it stated and we lived in King's County, so no." Rick replied snappily.
"Oh. Yeah. Well, the place was running a long time before the modern world built up around it. I think people came here because they figured it'd keep running after the modern world broke down. Those windows up there let us see for miles in every direction. It's perfect for security. Come on, I'll show you inside."
"I wanna see the chickens." Mary whined.
"Later, okay?" Michonne promised, and Mary nodded, letting Michonne carry her into the house, Jesus shutting the door behind everyone, everyone looking around the old fashioned room in awe.
"What is this?" Mary asked in shock, and Michonne swung her over to her hip so she could see better.
"Good gracious, Ignatius." Abraham whispered.
"Most of the rooms have been converted to living spaces. Even the ones that weren't bedrooms." Jesus explained.
"People live here and the trailers?" Rick asked.
"We plan to build. There's babies being born."
Suddenly a door swung open, and an older man in a suit walked out. "Jesus! You're back. With guests."
"Everyone this is Gregory. He keeps the trains running on time around here." Jesus introduced.
"I'm the boss."
"I don't like him." Mary breathed into Michonne's ear, and Michonne shushed her in reply.
"Well, I'm Rick. We have a community..."
"Why don't y'all go get cleaned up, hmm?" Gregory cut off rudely, creating an awkward silence.
"We're fine."
"Jesus will show you where you can get washed up then come back down here when you're ready," Gregory repeated, walking up to Rick's face, "It's hard to keep this place clean. And we don't want dirty children running around, leaving footprints and sticky fingers."
"Yeah. Sure." Rick nodded, his jaw clenched, and Gregory backed away. Mary raised her middle finger in his direction, and Michonne gently pressed it down.
"Follow me." Jesus sighed, heading towards the stairs.
"I'll take her." Rick said gently to Michonne, taking Mary off her and carrying her on his hip and he walked up the stairs next to Maggie. "You clean up first. You talk to him."
"Why?"
"I shouldn't. And you gotta start doing these things." Rick answered, making it the end of the conversation. Everyone took turns in using the bathroom to wash up, Rick, Michonne, and Mary going last, sat in the hallway, Mary on Rick's lap, Rick's hand on Michonne's knee.
"Well, he seems like a prick. What type of person doesn't like kids?" Rick sighed suddenly.
"A bad one."
"A smelly asshole." Mary added.
"Language."
"Sorry, dumbass." The child giggled, and Rick rolled his eyes, knowing she still believed that that word was a compliment.
"We just gotta play by his rules, for now. He's harmless enough."
"He doesn't like kids," Rick repeated, "not even Mary. Everyone loves Mary. I mean, he's obviously a dick. Don't repeat that word, Mary."
"Okay. Is it naughty?"
"Very."
"I'll only call it to Carl."
"No, not to anyone."
"Carl finds it funny." Mary giggled.
"No." Rick chuckled, rolling his eyes.
"Why are you and Carl always teasing each other nowadays? You used to just snuggle and be cute, and now you tease each other and do silly things."
"Because I'm more grown up, so we're even better friends now. I love him millions. More than everyone except daddy. He's my best friend." Mary explained with a smile.
"Good. As long as it's all in fun." Michonne smiled, and Mary nodded. Glenn came out of the bathroom, and Rick went in, Mary following him. He washed her face and hands, even scrubbing the dirt from under her fingernails and her arms. He did the same to himself, and once they were dry, Rick went downstairs, leaving Michonne in peace and quiet to get cleaned up.
"Can we see the chickens now?"
"Soon." Rick chuckled, as Mary hug off his arm while he walked down the stairs.
"I like it here."
"Good."
"Can we have this house?"
"No, we already have a house. We couldn't move and leave all our friends, could we?"
"'No. That'd be too sad. I love our friends."
"Me too."
"We could leave Gabriel. I don't like him." Mary smiled mischievously, and Rick chuckled.
"Leave Gabriel where?" Michonne laughed, coming down the stairs.
"Apparently we're gonna all live here without Gabriel, in this house."
"Brutal." Michonne laughed, rolling her eyes.
"Hey. Listen, we've been talking, and we want to generate trade. Gregory does. But ammo isn't something we urgently need." Jesus began.
"Well how's that?" Rick asked almost harshly.
"The walls hold. We just brought in more medicine. Gregory wants the best deal possible."
"Yeah, well, we want things too." Daryl spat.
"We need food. We came all this way, were gonna get it." Rick hissed.
"I will talk to him, and we will work this out. Circumstances change. We're doing well now, and you will next, I will make him understand that. Can you give me a few days?"
Michonne nodded slowly, speaking up when no one else did. "We can."
"Yeah." Rick nodded. Suddenly, a man burst into the house, and Gregory rushed over.
"What's wrong?" He asked in panic.
"They're back." The man answered, and Gregory and Jesus ran outside, the group following.
"Okay, go to Mishy, and stay behind her." Rick hissed to Mary, putting her down, and she nodded, going to Michonne's side.
"Ethan what happened to everybody else? Where's Tim and Marsha?" Gregory asked one of the three people who'd came into Hilltop; two men, and a woman.
"They're dead." Ethan answered emotionlessly.
"Negan?"
"Yeah."
"We had a deal."
"He said it wasn't enough. Was the drop light?"
"No." Gregory denied, as Mary clung onto Michonne's hand and her bunny.
"They still have Craig." The woman pointed out.
"Who's Craig? And Negan? Or did he say Megan?"
"I don't know." Michonne whispered, squeezing Marys hand.
"They said they'd keep him alive, return him to us, if I deliver a message to you." Ethan explained.
"So tell me."
Ethan put a gentle hand on Gregory's shoulder, and whispered, "I'm sorry." Then he stabbed him in the stomach, making Rick and Michonne fun forwards, pulling him away, panic breaking out. Marys hands wrapped around her small gun she'd had in her boot, her finger ready in the trigger.
"Get off of me! I had to!" Ethan shouted, pushing Michonne off him harshly, and beginning to fight with Rick. Rick kicked him to the floor, punching him in the face. The other man pulled Rick off Ethan, but Abraham grabbed him. Quickly, Abraham was being choked, but it ended as quickly as it started, by Daryl snapping the man's arm in two.
Then all Mary could see was Ethan holding a knife to her father's throat.
"Stay back!" Ethan screamed, "Anybody who..."
But before he could finish his sentence, Mary shot him in through the temple.