ch.33

strangers

  everyone started to move, either sitting down, taking a walk, dispersing in the other groups. i stepped away from glenn, walking towards rick who was holding the baby.

   he smiled at me before looking down to baby judith, "look who's here, wave to aunt mel." he smiled, gently grabbing her little hand, making her wave at me.

    she giggled, reaching her arms out for me to hold her. i took her from rick, gently bouncing her.

    "looks like someone has baby fever." carl chuckled, causing rick to nod as he watched us.

   "maybe she'll have a friend soon." carl commented, referring to me and glenn having a baby. i shook my head, "you guys wish."

    i soon regretted my words as judith intertwined her fingers with my hair, pulling down.

    everyone around me started to laugh at her reaction, "look you pissed her off." rick stated, causing me to smile as i shook my head at her.

   "you're too cute." i baby talked, watching her place her hands on my cheeks. i stopped for a moment, just taking in her actions.

    maybe i was wrong about not considering a baby in this world...

"we need to go." rick announced, watching the smoke fill the air, while me and glenn played around with the baby.

"yeah, but where?" daryl questioned, looking to rick.

   "somewhere far away from there." he stated, causing me to stand up, still holding judith.

rick looked at me to make sure i was okay with holding her. "me and glenn got her." i assured, giving him a small smile.

he nodded, turning around to leave, both me and glenn leading the others along the train tracks.

   glenn smiled towards us, admiring the two of us as we walked. judith rested her head on my shoulder, sound asleep letting out little snores here and there.

"help! anybody help!" i heard a shriek, causing me to turn around to look at the others.

    rick raised his hand for us to stop walking, causing us all to stand in silence, glancing at each other.

"dad, come on." carl pleaded for his dad to help the guy. i nodded my head agreeing with carl, leading the way to where they were, still holding judith.

before i got close to the scene, glenn grabbed my shoulder pulling me back, letting the others check it out.

   "you need to keep her safe right now." he mumbled, looking to judith.

i hesitantly nodded, "you're right.", honestly forgetting about her being in my arms because it felt so natural holding her.

he placed a hand on the small of my back, leading me to where the others were after making sure it was safe for judith.

me and glenn walked up to the group, only to see a guy emptying the contents of his stomach onto the ground. i looked away in disgust, still bouncing the baby.

"sorry, thank you. i'm gabriel." the man revealed, earning a nod as i finally turned around.

"do you have any weapons on you?" rick asked, causing the man to let out a chuckle, "do i look like i would have any weapons on me?"

i gave him a dirty look, wondering if he was playing games, "we don't give two short and curlies what it looks like." abraham argued

"i have no weapons of any kind. the word of god is the only protection i need." gabriel informed, causing a scoff to escape my lips.

his eyes shot to me but back to daryl as he spoke. sure didn't look like it." daryl sneered, looking up at the dude.

   "i called for help. help came." gabriel smiled, trying not to piss anyone off.

"do-do you have any food?" he stammered, glancing between all of us.

   "have some pecans." carl mumbled, reaching out his hand, dropping them in the mans palm.

"thank you." gabriel smiled as he took the pecans, judith opened her eyes a coo coming from her mouth catching the mans attention.

"your child's beautiful" he pointed out forcing another smile as he looked down at me, glenn, and judith.

   "she's not ours." i stated, looking to glenn and then rick, unsure about this guy.

"oh um, i thought i saw a resemblance." he started, turning back to look at rick, "do you have a camp?"

"no. do you?" rick quickly snapped back, looking gabriel in the eye, "i have a church"

a little giggle escaped judiths mouth causing my eyes to shoot to hers, seeing glenn messing around with her.

i smiled as he played peekaboo, ignoring the whole situation with gabriel.

"here." i started, handing judith to glenn who quickly shook his head no, "why not?"

"you're good with her, i'll make her cry." he whispered, trying to not interrupt the others who were talking.

"fine then" i mumbled, pulling her closer to me, giving him a smug look.

the others started walking away with gabriel, causing my eyes to shoot to daryl, "we're going to see his church"

i nodded my head, before catching up with tyreese, "here, take her for awhile" i urged, handing judith to him.

he chuckled, "you had enough of her already?" he asked, causing me to shake my head, a smile sneaking on my face.

"i wanna help the others a little bit, that's all." i assured, lying through my teeth.

the truth being i didn't wanna get attached to having a baby, because i knew i would.

he nodded his head, letting me catch up with the others. a white church came into view, my eyes admiring the building.

"hold up, can we take a look around first?" rick questioned, looking to gabriel who stood at the doors.

gabriel nodded his head, dropping the keys into ricks hand. we all entered, taking a look around the place. my eyes shifting to all the opened cans lying on the floor.

rick whistled for us to head outside with him, i gave him a little smile as i passed. glenn met with me at the doors, walking with me to where the others stood.

"we found a short bus out back. it don't run, but i bet we could fix that in less than a day or two. father here says he doesn't want it, looks like we found ourselves some transport."

"you understand what's at stake here, right?" abraham questioned rick, who was still looking down.

"yes, i do" rick stated slowly, causing michonne to step in.

"now that we can take a breath-" before she could even continue, abraham cut her off, "we take a breath, we slow down, shit inevitably goes down."

i rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest as i stepped towards him, "we need supplies no matter what we do next."

"that's right. water, food, ammunition." rick agreed, nodding as he stepped back into the church.

"short bus aint going anywhere, bring you back some baked beans" daryl stated, heading into the church too.

i stood outside, waiting for abrahams reaction. glenn stepped beside me, pulling me along as we walked past abraham.

"one way or another we're doing what rick does. we're not splitting up again."

i nodded my head at abraham, soon turning my attention to glenn, "come on." he spoke softly, reaching out his hand for mine.

i smiled, moving my hand, interlocking our fingers as we entered the church.

"i've cleaned out every place nearby. except for one." i heard gabriel say, me and glenn only catching part of the conversation as we walked in.

"what kept you from it?" rick asked, looking to us as we walked in before turning back to gabriel, "it's overrun."

"how many?" i questioned, intervening in their conversation causing them both to look at me.

"a dozen or so, maybe more" gabriel informed as rick nodded to me and the others.

"bob and i will go with you." sasha started, stepping forward, "tyreese should stay here, help keep judith safe." she added, sending a smile to tyreese.

"that'll be fine." rick stated, turning to where me and glenn were, "what about you guys?" he asked causing me to look at glenn.

"i was thinking about taking a couple people out to try and scavenge what we can." glenn stated, earning a nod from rick.

"sounds okay, you too?" rick questioned giving me curious eyes, "that's the plan" i muttered, shooting him a smile.

glenn intertwined our fingers leading me out of the church but away from the others.

"where are we going?" i questioned as he smiled, taking me to the side of the church.

"what are-" i got cut off as he smashed his lips onto mine, taking me by surprise. i leaned in placing my hand on his face, making it deeper.

he backed away, causing me to whimper in frustration. "come on, let's go get the others" he mumbled, pulling my hand with him causing my mouth to form an o.

"you can't do that." i scolded yanking my hand away from his, making him chuckle, "i just did though."___________

glenn recruited tara and maggie to tag along with us to scavenge, i kept my distance from glenn on the walk causing him to laugh.

"what are y'all laughing at?" tara questioned glenn, who was trying to keep in his laughter.

"melanies sexua-" i ran over, cupping my hand over his face, not letting him finish his sentence.

"y'all act like you're high school lovebirds." maggie chuckled watching me and glenn wrestle on the road.

i pushed him away, standing up, "grow up" i sneered at him, only making him laugh more before he got up and walked into the gun store.

"you know i didn't wanna mention anything when we looked this place up in the phone book, but i just can't imagine a gun store having leftovers nowadays." tara stated while i brushed off the dirt on me from rolling around on the road.

    "don't look good, does it?" maggie questioned, looking up at the old sign. ruckus came from the store causing us to raise our guns.

   glenn soon emerged from the door, struggling to get out.

"was it a walker?" tara asked, looking behind suspiciously for a walker.

"uh, yeah. it was a walker." he stammered, messing with his gun.

   "really?" maggie questioned, tara and her still having their guns raised. i lowered mine giving him a, "are you kidding me?" look.

   he looked at me with disappointed eyes, "it was a stack of boxes and a mop and i tripped." he started, causing us all to laugh, "still... got what we came for."

   glenn reached out his hand, placing silencers in my palms, "three silencers stashed in a mini- fridge." he added, earning a grin from me.

   "lets get back to the others." i mumbled, ushering for them to follow my lead.

____________

    once we got back to the church, everyone joined around eating and chatting. i took my seat near michonne, with glenn in the pew behind me.

   "however this plays out, however long it takes for the reset button to kick in, you can be safe there. safer than you've been since this whole thing started." abraham explained, looking at everyone who joined around.

"come with us. save the world for that little one. save it for yourselves. save it for the people out there."

   i looked around, watching everyone nod their heads in their family members direction.

i felt glenn lean over, placing a hand on my shoulder, causing me to nod my head too.

    judiths coos, made me turn in her direction. a smile spread on my face as rick talked, "i think she knows what i'm about to say. she's in. if she's in, i'm in."

    i stood up, placing a seat next to glenn who gave me a warm smile. "i've been waiting for you to join me." he grinned, pulling me closer to him.

   i chuckled softly, looking down at my hand, fiddling with my ring. "what do you think would've happened if carol didn't save us?"

   "it's not about what could've happened. it didn't, and now we have to move forward." glenn reassured me grabbing both of my hands.

   tears burned my eyes knowing the things he was about to do to my family and me. "hey" he started, when i turned away not wanting him to see me cry.  he gently turned my face back around with his hands, "hey, i promise i won't let anything happen to you again. i love you melanie."

    i nodded my head, as he pulled me into a hug, "i love you too." i whispered, sitting there for awhile, cradled in his arms before pulling away.

   he placed his hands on my cheeks once again, admiring my facial features before connecting our lips together.

   he smirked in excitement but i quickly backed away, standing up and heading towards sasha who was holding judith.

"sorry, i'm on baby duty tonight." i smiled, seeing his reaction.

   "you're kidding." he argued throwing his hands up, i gave him a quick smile before picking up judith out of sashas hands.

   i turned back to him with the baby in my hands, "tell him, to look at who the prankster is now." i baby talked to judith, who started smiling at my actions.

   glenns facial expression turned serious for a moment as he watched me rock her, "what's wrong?" i asked, looking down at him.

   he hesitated before looking up to me, "should we have one?"

________________________________3/7/2021