chapter thirteen !
❪ rest in peace ❫

EVERYONE WAS helping secure the church by adding some pipes in front of the place and putting wood over the door so nobody can come in.

daryl came back and riley gave him the biggest hug. he didn't like hugs but he let the girl have her joy. the archer told the others that carol was taken by a hospital worker that noah escaped from.

he mentioned the name 'beth' but riley had no idea who that was. apparently, she is maggie's sister when the girl asked carl.

when she went back inside with rick, he handed judith to michonne before giving carl a hug. "we'll be back soon."

"i know," carl nodded.

the churge doors closed, leaving judith crying. michonne placed the baby in her crib–basket and looked over at carl, "help me with this," she grabbed a piece of wood and placed it against the doors. carl got the nails and started to hammer it down.

riley grabbed judith as the baby continued to cry at the noise of the banging. she looked over at gabriel, who was aggressively scraping his sleeve on the hard wooden floor.

"what are you doing?" she slowly walked up to him with the baby in her arms.

he turned around, "oh, uh, nothing."

the brunette continued to stare before deciding to leave the priest alone. she sat on the bench and placed the baby down on her lap.

michonne glanced at riley before continuing to hold down the wood, "look's like riley finally likes judith."

carl furrowed his eyebrows and looked behind him, seeing his baby sister with the smith girl. the small corners of his mouth turned upwards.

"what's going on between you two?" michonne glanced at the boy with a grin.

carl shrugged, "nothing. why ask?"

"just curious," she said and finished putting the wood on the door.

carl grabbed a duffel bag from one of the wooden benches and walked over to gabriel, spreading out the weapons. "pick one."

gabriel didn't respond. "you need to learn how to defend yourself, we can teach you."

he stopped scrubbing and looked up at carl, "defend myself? they said they'd go."

"they were liars and murderers." carl defended.

"just like us."

"we protected ourselves. they wanted us dead. you're lucky your church has lasted this long. you can't stay in one place anymore, not for too long." the blue-eyed teen continued as riley furrowed her eyebrows, "and once you're out there, you're gonna find trouble you can't hide from. you need to know how to fight."

gabriel stood quiet before stretching his hand, grabbing the machete as his choice.

"good choice but you're not holding it right. you've got to be able to drive it down 'cause sometimes their skulls aren't as soft and you need to be able–"

"i'm sorry," gabriel interrupted, "no, i need to lie down." he walked past the boy in the sheriffs hat and into his office.

carl walked over to riley, who was holding his baby sister and sat down next to the pair. she gave judith to her brother, the room having an uncomfortable silence.

RILEY SMILED at michonnes answer and glanced at carl before looking back at the women, "biggest pet peeve?"

"people eating with their mouths open." she responded, settling judith on her lap.

"agree," riley nodded.

carl turned his head towards her, "what's your biggest pet peeve?"

"honestly, i hate when people 'shush' me." she answered, earning chuckles from the two.

"you being serious?" carl raised his eyebrows at her.

"mhm, it's the reason why i never got along with the students in my school." she laughed, "or my teachers."

"do you guys miss school?" michonne asked them.

"no."

"yes."

the pair looked at each other like they were crazy. "you like school?!" riley exclaimed.

"who doesn't?"

"um, everyone?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

michonne laughed at them as she continued playing with the baby.

"okay, okay," riley sighed. "i have an interesting question for you guys." she smiled and looked back at carl, "if you could do everything again, what would you do differently?"

"take down the governor," carl stated.

riley turned to michonne, waiting for her answer. "not sure..."

"that's alright, i'm not sure either." riley shrugged.

carl was about to respond until a pleading voice came from outside the church, "please don't leave me out here!"

riley looked at the doors, carl quickly standing up. michonne placed judith into her basket before running after carl. the girl stood up, "wait!"

"let me in! oh, god, please!"

carl stopped infront of the doors, trying his best to pull off the wooden barriers.

"carl! riley! michonne!"

"get back," michonne ordered the boy. she swung the axe to the wood until it was finally open.

riley pulled out her gun and aimed it at the doors. she can hear the walker groans from outside.

"please let me in!"

carl opened the doors and gabriel came storming in, "come on!"

riley and carl began shooting at the walkers, who began walking in the church. michonne pulled out her sword as she stood protectively in front of the teens.

she took down some but more of the dead came in. "the rectory, come on!" gabriel called out.

the priest led the way to the room and closed the door behind them. michonne moved a chair to block the walkers from coming in.

"that's how i got out, crawl under to the back." gabriel instructed.

riley stared at the hole in the wooden floors. "just go! take the little one and go!" he yelled out.

carl grabbed onto his sister and was the first to go down. riley was after him before getting stop by michonne, "make sure to wait for me." she told the girl.

the brunette nodded and crawled under, the sun beaming on her face. carl grabbed onto her hand to help her out, "thanks." she murmured.

michonne and gabriel climbed out, "i can't run anymore–"

"we're not running," the woman told him. the trio went to the entrance of the church, closing the two huge doors before the walkers can catch them.

carl grabbed a block of wood and hammered it against the door with his gun. the fingers of the dead came crawling out between the space.

the group moved away from the crowded church and riley checked on the baby, who was on carls back, sleeping inside the bag.

"is she okay?" carl asked worriedly, trying to see her but it just came out as him twirling around, looking over his shoulder.

riley chuckled at him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "she's okay." the brunette reassured him.

carl gave her a small smile before their attention was cut off by the wood on the doors starting to come off.

"where do we go?" carl asked the adults. riley heard a loud vehicle engine coming towards them and her eyes slightly widened when a fire truck came crashing in the church.

the people that was on the red truck came out and the group broke out into huge smiles. it was abraham's group.

maggie hugged michonne while riley wrapped her arms around rosita. "you're back," she breathed out.

"eugene lied." glenn confessed. "he can't stop it. washington isn't the end." he paused before looking around for the others, "where is everybody?"

michonne walked over to maggie, grabbing her hand, "beth's alive. she's in the hospital in atlanta. some people have her, but others went to get her back."

maggie gasped, "do you know which one?"

the woman nodded, "grady memorial."

maggie ran her hands through her hair before hugging her husband in excitement, "oh my god," she laughed.

riley smiled at the couple and looked behind her to see carl but was surprised when he was already staring back at her with a smirk.

"let's blow this joint, go save your sister."

WHEN THE fire truck finally pulled up to the hospital, maggie jumped out of her seat but glenn grabbed her hand, "shouldn't we check around the area? just in case."

"you're right," she nodded before looking back at everyone. "cmon, let's go everyone."

riley stood up from her seat and exited the truck while being beside carl. she pulled out her gun and entered the gates, seeing walkers slowly appearing from the sides.

michonne and glenn cleared them out, continuing to walk forward. maggie aimed her gun down with a smile as she saw rick and the others exit the building.

but riley saw how he slightly shook his head and everyone's face filled with sadness.

and that's when everything crumbled for maggie rhee.

daryl walked out with beth in his arms while tears stained his cheeks. she was dead.

maggie dropped her gun and threw herself on the ground. she began sobbing as she saw her lifeless sister being carried out. glenn bent down to his wife's level and tried comforting her.

riley was in disbelief. she barely knew the greene girl but the stories that carl use to tell her when he was in the prison, riley knew she was a good person.

rest in peace, beth greene.

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AUTHORS NOTE:

rip beth, deserved better!

question: what is your pet peeve?

y'all my grades are finally good so now i can update more xx 💋

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