My back was against Daryl's chest, his arm around my shoulder. I could've almost fallen asleep right were I was but Sasha stomped back into the church with some things to say after searching outside for Bob.

"Stop," she demanded. Gabriel stopped cleaning and turned around to face her. "This is all connected: you show up and we're being watched, now one of us is gone."

"I don't have anything to do with this," Gabe promised. Sasha took out her knife, gripping it tight in her hand. Gabriel jumped back, a few surprised outbursts erupting throughout the church.

"Where's Bob," she asked him angrily.

"I-I don't have anything to do with this," he sputtered. Rick pushed himself in front of Sasha, coming face to face with the Father.

"Why'd you bring us here," Rick growled. "You working with someone?"

"I'm alone! I was always alone!" Gabriel raised his voice in fear.

"What about the woman in the food bank, Gabriel? What did you do to her? You'll burn for this? What are you gonna burn for, Gabriel?" Rick ambushed the Father, pushing him up against a piece of furniture. "What did you do," he yelled. Daryl's arm tightened around me. He positioned himself at the edge of his seat, ready to fight if need be.

"I lock the doors at night! I always lock the doors at night," Gabriel cried out. "Atlanta was bombed the night before they started coming. They were scared and looking for a safe place, but it was so early and the doors were still locked. There were so many of them! They were banging on the sidings, screaming at me... so the dead came for them." He paused, shifting his focus to us sitting in the pews. "Women, children, entire families calling my name as they were torn apart, begging me for mercy and damning me to hell! I buried their bones; I buried it all and now the Lord has finally sent you here to punish me!" Gabriel dropped to the ground in devastation. "I'm damned," he sobbed loudly. Sasha relaxed, tucking her knife away in her pocket.

"There's someone outside laying in the grass," Glenn notified us. We all hustled outside to discover Bob lying a few feet from the steps, his left leg missing.

"Bob," Sasha shrieked. Biters were wandering towards us in the distance.

"Get him inside," Glenn ordered. Sasha cried as Tara assisted her in carrying Bob. I ran after a biter, pulling out my sword and slicing its head down the middle. I sliced another one's head clean off, stabbing it in the brain when it hit the ground. I scanned my surroundings. The coast was clear, Daryl stabbing the last monster. I ran inside after him, Rick closing the doors as soon as I entered. The group huddled around Bob who was sprawled out in the aisle.

"I was sitting in the graveyard and somebody knocked me out," he breathed heavily. "I woke up outside this place; it looked like a school. It was that guy, Gareth, and five other ones. They were eating my leg right in front of me like it was nothing..." Bob paused, groaning.

"Do we have anything for the pain," Sasha questioned.

"Save your supplies..." Bob struggled to say.

"No," Sasha protested.

"Really," Bob groaned again as he pulled his shirt collar past his right shoulder, a bloody bite mark being revealed. "It happened at the food bank," he whispered, slowly falling back in pain.

"There's a sofa in my office," Gabriel offered. "I know it's not much."

"Thank you," Sasha smiled weakly, a tear falling down her face. Tyreese picked up Bob while Daryl's fingers brushed over the top of my hand.

"They're coming for us, aren't they," I muttered, feeling sick to my stomach.

"They ain't gettin' anywhere near you," he growled, grabbing onto my hand. "I ain't lettin' them." I gazed into his eyes that were serious yet relaxing.

"Time for a reality check," Abraham called out from the middle of the aisle, interrupting Daryl and I's exchange. "We need to leave for D.C. right now. There's a clear threat to Eugene, here, and I need to extract his ass before things get any uglier, so if you don't come: good luck to you."

"You leaving on foot," Rick asked him.

"We fixed that damn bus ourselves," Abraham said bitterly. "Wanna keep your people alive? You should come."

"We saved your life."

"And I am trying to save yours," Abraham suddenly bellowed, the volume of his voice frightening me. "Save everyone's!"

"Do you really think you're gonna be any safer leaving in the middle of the night? What about tomorrow? We need each other to get to D.C. We can get through it together," Glenn reasoned.

"I have an idea," Tara spoke up. "If you stay one more day and help out, I'll go with you to D.C."

"Glenn and Maggie too." Abraham stared directly at Glenn.

"No," Rick blurted out.

"Good luck then. Rosita, grab your shit," Abraham demanded. Rosita started to protest but he silenced her. "Now." She obeyed him. "Eugene, let's go." Eugene quickly got up and shuffled over to Abraham. They turned around to leave before Rick interrupted.

"You're not taking the bus."

"Try and stop me," Abraham challenged. A horrible silence spread across the church, tensions high and everyone uncomfortable.

"You stay and help us, we'll go with," Glenn reasoned once again.

"12 hours then we go," Abraham finally concluded before walking past Rick to sit down in one of the pews. Everyone slowly dispersed and began to calm down before Rick spoke.

"Gareth and the rest of them'll probably come for us any minute now, so let's move out. Half of us'll stay inside and half of us'll go outside. Trust me, we can overpower them." Rick made his way towards the door, Daryl beginning to rise to his feet. I tightened my grip on his hand, trying to make him stay. He pulled my hand to his lips, kissing it before pulling away.

"They ain't gettin' anywhere near you," he reassured me again before following Sasha, Maggie, and a few others outside. The rest of us split up between rooms after blowing out the candles. I got stuck with Carl, Judith, and the Father. Carl and I sat on the floor in the dark while Gabriel curled up in the corner with a cross, crying and praying.

It was dead silent for about five minutes before anything actually happened; there was banging on the church doors. Carl stood up, taking out his gun. I took out my sword, standing next to him. I heard the church door squeak as it opened, the floorboards creaking as they moved to the front of the church.

"Well, I guess you know we're here," Gareth called out. My stomach tightened at the sound of his voice. "And we know you're here too." He paused before continuing. "We're armed, so there's really no point in hiding anymore. We've been watching you and we know who's here: there's Bob, unless you put him out of his misery already... Eugene, Rosita, Tyreese, Carl, Judith, and Aften who was getting hot and heavy in the woods with Daryl the other night before Martin stepped on a twig and they ran off." My jaw slightly dropped and my cheeks burst into flames. Fuck him. Truly, fuck him.

"Anyways, Rick and the rest walked out with a lot of your guns." Gareth waited for a response again. He got nothing. "Listen, we don't know where all of you are, but this isn't a big place so why don't you just stop this now before things get more painful than they need to be. Look, you're behind one of these two doors and we have more than enough fire power to take down both; can't imagine that's what you want. How about the priest? Father, help us wrap this up and I'll let you walk away from here! Just open the door and you can go and take the baby with you. What do you say?"

Judith let out a cry, startling both Carl and I.

"Shit," Carl cussed, rushing to cover Judith's mouth. They ran over to our door, furiously jiggling the doorknob. My body froze with fear.

"Last chance to tell us you're coming out," Gareth taunted us through the door. Two muffled gunshots popped off. "Rick, we'll fire into that office if you don't lower your gun." Another shot rang out. Gareth screamed out in pain. I tried to zero in on what was being said outside, cautiously putting my ear up against the door.

"You don't have to do this. We can walk away and we'll never cross paths again." Gareth sounded like he was struggling to breathe. "I promise you."

"But you crossed someone's path. Besides, I already made you a promise," Rick said, his voice laced with triumph. Gareth screamed, more shrieks breaking out after the fact. I jumped back a little, raising my sword just in case. When it went silent, I cautiously opened the door and peeked my head out to observe what had happened. Blood was splattered all over the walls and across the floor. I stared at the dead bodies on the ground in disbelief.

◇

The group crowded into Gabriel's office to say their final goodbyes to Bob. The fever had taken over and we knew it was time. Daryl walked over to him after I had shook his hand.

"Take care of her," Bob slurred, smiling. "Always keep her close." Daryl nodded in response to Bob's wishes.

We left the room, walking outside to now say goodbye to the people who were leaving for D.C. They pulled the bus up to the front of the church. I hugged Tara tightly, thanking her for helping me back in the train car and telling her to be careful.

"I'll be alright, Aften," she beamed. "This is a good thing! You and Daryl could have little babies running around if this all works out," Tara giggled, squeezing my arm playfully. I blushed at the thought. She pulled away, climbing aboard the bus. Rick nodded at Abraham as he slowly rolled out onto the road and away from the church. Daryl grabbed my hand and watched the bus drive further down the road. I sighed. I had a good feeling about this journey; everything was about to change.