Violent Delights

3. A Friend in Need

The months passed by and the Hilltop was thriving.

Jesus, with the help of Tara, Enid, and Wren, was insuring that everything within the walls of Hilltop ran smoothly. It was evident to everyone within his inner circle that he missed Maggie. She ran this place like a well oiled machine and it never seemed too daunting for her. For Maggie it just seemed natural.

But Jesus was struggling. He needed all the help he could get and even that wasn't enough. He keeps in constant contact with Maggie through the twins, and Wren could sense that was one of the only things that was able to lift his spirits.

Wren sat in the gardens, as usual, picking the freshest vegetables from the ever growing garden. "Wren!" A male voice shouted from the gates causing her to snap her head to the left. The gates were beginning to open, and she could see from where she sat Jesus was waving her over.

"What's going on?" She asked, looking from Jesus back to the gates.

"I'm gonna head out and meet up with Aaron. I'm going to see if he had any success in convincing Michonne to have any part in the upcoming fair." The Hilltop, the Kingdom, and Oceanside had been hosting a fair every year in an attempt to bring all of the communities together, but Michonne's falling out with Maggie lead her to keeping Alexandria out of the festivities.

"Meeting up with your lover in the fields again for some "sparing"?" She grinned at him like the Cheshire Cat.

Jesus cut his eyes at her as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Despite what you think, we actually do practice how to fight out there, you pervert."

Wren chuckled, "If you say so." She sighed before asking her next question, "Do you really think after all these years of saying 'no' to the festival that Michonne will really give it a second thought?"

"I'm really not sure. She's still bitter and somewhat lost after Rick's disappearance, I've always held out hope every year she'll change her mind." His words were hopeful but his voice was not. "I should only be gone for a couple of hours, if anyone asks I'm on a run, got it?"

"Yeah okay, tell your little boyfriend hi for me." Wren winked.

"He doesn't even know who you are."

"Well maybe one day I'll get to see the infamous Alexandria." She crossed her fingers as she began walking back towards the gardens. "Be careful."

"Be good." Jesus's voice was authoritative, like a father or an older brother telling a child to behave in their absence.

Wren merely kept her stride forward, and raised her middle finger in the air back towards his direction. She heard him chuckle behind her before she heard the gates closing.

***

Wren was standing in the kitchens chopping some fresh cucumbers when she heard the doors burst open, Bo was panting—catching his breath before he could speak, "Jesus...huh...needs...huh...you...ugh."

"Out of shape much?" Wren raised her eyebrow in amusement at him.

"This is serious, Wren." Bo straightened himself up catching his breath. "He and Aaron found someone from Alexandria in the woods, he said it was urgent I find you." Bo's bearded face held a look of concern.

He knew as he and Wren had grown apart since coming to The Hilltop, she had grown much closer with Jesus, just as Bo had grown closer with Melanie. Although, Wren's relationship with Jesus was anything but romantic. Bo knew Jesus would always take care of her, but since he trusted her more than most others, she was often put into dangerous situations that Bo could not accompany her to. He had to put his faith in Jesus to keep her safe.