S3E16P4

Ava gave herself a few minutes with each of the twins before joining the others in preparing for the Woodbury raid. Beth smiled as she took Amy. Ava sighed, looking between her and Jeff.

"I am sorry that you seem to be looking after them all the time lately,"

Jeff shrugged and Beth smiled.

"It's fine, really. You're keeping us safe in a way I can't," Beth said. "I'm glad I can do something to help."

Ava smiled.

"Still, thank you for doing it,"

They nodded. Ava grabbed her spear, pulling a jacket on over the bullet-proof vest, and headed out. Daryl was ready on his bike, Merle impatiently drumming on the roof of the car while Michonne glared at him.

Ava looked over as Rick approached, leaving Carl to storm off back towards the Cell Block. She frowned.

"What was all that about?"

"I talked to him about the boy. Seems to think he had to do it, that he didn't have a choice,"

"Why?" Ava asked, bemused as to how that little boy could think he needed to – for lack of a better term – murder someone. Rick sighed.

"He says he can't stop thinking about how if he'd killed that walker, Dale would be alive. And how if we'd killed the Governor when we first went to Woodbury, Lori would be alive,"

"Christ," Ava rubbed her face, her heart aching for the boy. "What did you tell him?"

Rick shrugged.

"He walked off before I could say anything, but I'll definitely talk to him about it later. He needs to be reminded of what you taught me,"

Ava looked up, surprised.

"What do you mean?"

He smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You stood up for Randall, for Dale. You told us that killing him was a choice between doing what is right and what is easy. Carl needs to see that, too."

Ava smiled sadly, remembering that night and how it was the last time they'd seen Dale. She shuddered at the memory of his death. Rick squeezed her shoulder and handed her his sheriffs' badge.

"Look after this for me. You deserve it more than I do,"

Ava went to protest, but Rick was already heading over to Glenn and Maggie. She stroked the cold metal, thinking back to the day she and Rick had met.

"Rick," Glenn said, as Ava approached. "We're staying."

Ava blinked, surprised.

"We don't know where the Governor is. If he comes back, we'll hold him off."

"Just the five of us?" Daryl said.

"Six," Andrea said, walking to Michonnes' side with a shotgun resting on her shoulder.

Rick looked between Glenn and Maggie before nodding. Ava didn't blame Maggie for wanting to stay out of this, not after what the Governor had done.

"I appreciate you staying," Rick said.

Glenn nodded.

"Sure." Maggie said.

They piled into the car, Merle perched in the bed of the truck and Daryl on his bike whilst Ava, Michonne and Andrea rode with Rick. Nobody said much, all too pent up with thoughts of what was to come. Ava fiddled with Ricks' badge absentmindedly. As they pulled up behind an array of abandoned vehicles, she shoved it into her pocket.

"Hold on," she frowned. "Aren't those the trucks that attacked us?"

Without Sasha, Maggie or Glenn there, she got no confirmation, but she was sure of it. They climbed out of the truck and saw fresh walkers feasting on bodies. Merle wasted no time in taking out a walker, Michonne and Andrea getting another two.

Ava glanced towards the forests, but as she'd suspected, no walkers came from there. These walkers were all a part of the convoy.

Rick stabbed a walker in the head and shared a look with her. She shrugged, then jumped as someone banged against the truck behind her. She whirled and everyone instinctively turned their guns on the truck. Within the cabin, a woman stared down at them.

Rick drew and cocked his python, coming to Avas' side as Daryl opened the truck. The woman didn't fight. She held her hands up and came out slowly.

"Ooh, Karen. Got yourself in a shit-show now-"

"Bite me, Merle," the woman – Karen – said. Her lip trembled as she looked at the bodies around her.

"What happened here?" Ava asked, stepping forward despite Ricks' uncertainty.

"The Governor, he…" she shook her head, fighting back tears. Ava gritted her teeth.

"That bastard," she muttered, turning to Rick. "He did this. He killed them all."

"Why the hell would he kill his own people?" Andrea said.

"Because he's a Goddamned psycho, blondie. Thought that was obvious."

"Will he go back to Woodbury?" Michonne said. "Finish the job?"

Karen paled.

"Christ, I hope not,"

Rick shared a look with Ava, who nodded, and put his gun away.

"Look, I get that the Governor has told your people that we're the enemy-"

"You attacked us! Killed our people."

"We didn't try to attack you." Rick argued. "The plan was to sneak in, get back our people."

Karen frowned.

"Your people?"

"Yeah," Merle stepped forward, doing a valiant impression of guilt. "The Governor didn't want those three-" He gestured to Ava, Michonne and Andrea. "-to leave, so he sent me after them. I brought them back and he had me torture them."

"He was going to execute us, would have done if not for Rick and the others," Ava said, taking Ricks' hand.

"Hang on, weren't you pregnant?"

Ava nodded.

"Gave birth a few weeks ago,"

Karen stared at her, aghast. Andrea stepped forward.

"The people in Woodbury aren't evil," she said. "And the Governor is now either gonna go and kill them, or run for it. He's gonna leave them. They don't deserve that,"

Karen nodded.

"Take me back. Take us back and I'll convince everyone that you're not who he said you were."

Rick nodded, squeezing Avas' hand as they turned towards the truck.

They didn't exactly receive a warm welcome. It was dark by the time they got to Woodbury and Ava shuddered to be back there. They edged around a car and were met by a volley of gunfire. Rick grabbed the back of her jacket, yanking her behind the car as they sheltered from attack. Michonne, Andrea and Merle fired back at the barricade. Ava gripped her rifle. In a brief moment of silence, Karen pushed away from them and stood.

"Chad!" She yelled. "It's me!"

"Get down!" Rick hissed, grabbing her arm.

"Karen!" A voice called. "Karen, are you okay?"

She ripped away from Ricks' grasp and stood, arms raised. Ava squinted and could just make out a figure on top of the wall.

"I'm fine!" She said.

"Where's the Governor?"

"He fired on everyone. He killed them all."

The silence that followed was a heavy one and Ava held her breath, wondering if they'd believe their friend or think this was some kind of trick.

"Why are you with them?" Chad said, confused.

"They saved me."

More silence. With a sigh, Rick lowered his gun.

"We're coming out!" He yelled, giving Daryl a look as Merle rolled his eyes. Ava holstered her gun reluctantly. Her jaw ached, tense as anything, as they approached the gates with their arms held high.

The gates groaned as they were opened, revealing a blond-haired man and another woman with plaited brown hair. They didn't immediately shoot them, which Ava took as a good sign.

"What are you doing here?" Chad said, staring at Rick.

"We were coming to finish this until we saw what the Governor did." He said, lowering his arms. Ava followed suit, resting her hand gently on her gun, a move that wasn't missed.

"He ... he killed them?" Chad said, looking between Rick and Karen.

"Yeah," Rick said.

Chad, after exchanging a look with other woman, nodded and gestured for them to enter.

After what seemed like hours of explaining and negotiations, it became clear that the Governor wasn't coming back, and even if he did, no one wanted to stay with him. No one wanted to be there when he came back.

There was little discussion between Ricks' group. The choice seemed obvious and while some of those within Woodbury chose to go off on their own, most of them wanted to come to the prison. Ava made a point of talking to as many of them as possible as they gathered their belongings and packed into the school bus. It felt strange to have so many people after a year of a small group. It was like a proper community, a village of sorts. As they climbed back into their truck, Ava looked at Rick and he looked at her. For the first time in a while, she wasn't just happy. She was hopeful. Rick smiled and her and she saw he felt the same. He held something out.

"I think this belongs to you,"

There, dangling from a familiar belt, was a tri-bladed dagger. A grin split Avas' face as she unsheathed the dagger that had served her so well.

"I didn't think I'd ever see this thing again," she said, laughing at herself. "And I can't believe I'm so fucking happy to see it. When did I become so weird?"

Rick failed to fight a smile.

"Are sure you weren't always weird?"

Ava elbowed him, unable to keep her scowl in please as he chuckled.

"Well, if I'm weird, so are you," she countered, sticking her tongue out mockingly.

"That's fine by me," he said, reaching out to take her hand. He pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "We can be weird together."

It was morning by the time they arrived back at the prison and those left behind stared in shock as people piled into the courtyard. They looked around, a little scared and more confused. Hershel, ever the good man, wasted no time in introducing himself to the people and welcoming them into the cell block. Carl frowned at the procession.

"What's going on?"

Rick put a hand on his shoulder.

"They're going to join us,"

He looked between us, incredulous.

"Why?" he said. "They were trying to kill us!"

"Were they?" Ava said. "I don't remember seeing that old lady pointing a gun at us. Besides, it doesn't matter if they did. The Governor told them lies about us and then killed a lot of their people."

"I still don't understand. They could be lying. They could be planning to kill us!"

"Yes, they could be," Rick said, putting emphasis on 'could'. He knelt down in front of Carl. "When I found Ava, she could easily have killed me. I could have easily left her behind. That would have been the easy thing to do. Instead I took a chance on her, and she on me. And if not for her, I never would have found you."

"And if not for you," Ava said. "I never would have found my new family."

Rick smiled.

"You see, Carl, we have a choice now. Between doing what is right and what is easy. And we should always try and do what is right, because there aren't many people left in this world who are."

Carl looked past his father, to the crowds of strangers filtering into their home, and nodded.

"Okay," he said. Ava smiled as she saw a number of people fawning over Aidan and Amelia, snug in Beth and Jeffs' arms. "If that's what you think is right."

"It is," Rick said, patting his son on the shoulder.

"I'm glad that's sorted," Ava said, leaning up to kiss Rick. "Now I think I'm going to go see my babies before they're stolen away by the newcomers."

Here we are! At the end of Season 3 and the end of Between the Living and the Dead! Don't worry, this is in no way the end of the story, but at 135 chapters I'm thinking it's time to move on to the sequel :) This will be up soon starting with Season 4 and will be called In the Dying Light! I've loved every moment of writing this book and hope you've enjoyed reading it just as much. I want to thank everyone for the reviews and support - I loved it all! I promise family reunions will be happening in the next book :) and look forward to reaching Alexandria and, of course, Negan... see you in the next one! Xx