Author's Note: Hi everyone, I just wanted to let you know that my new username has been changed from can08 to can08writer to match my tumblr profile. This story takes place 20 years after the war with the Saviors has ended, and Alexandria has been living in peace ever since.

Three months. It had been three months since it last rained. Alexandria had never experienced a drought this long, and everyone watched in despair as their crops slowly withered away. Although there was an emergency store of food in case the town was boxed in by Walkers or people, it wasn't enough to feed everyone for this long. Rations had to be cut into fourths, and the animals were suffering just as much as the people. The ration of drinking water was limited to half of what they should be drinking each day, and bathing was out of the question. And so, Rick found himself standing at the front of the church with the other inhabitants, discussing what their options were until it rained again.

"We can't wait" Rick said, his voice dripping with emotion. "Within a week our water reserve will be completely gone. Gone for us and our animals. If we can't give our horses water, they won't be able to take us out of here when you finally decide to leave. Waiting any longer will prevent us from being able to leave."

"Where are we gonna go, Rick?" Pat, the mayor of Alexandria asked. "There is drought at the Hilltop and the Kingdom too. There isn't water anywhere! Moving isn't gonna help that. If anything, it'll make it worse."

"It can't get any worse" Rick snapped, "at least we can try, instead of staying here and dying of dehydration. There's a lake 40 miles from here, there may still be water there. It's a lifeline to keep us from dying. It's something. I'm not gonna sit here and watch my wife, and children, and grandchildren die."

"If I have to die, I'd rather do it here than out on the road" a woman said, shaking her head. "We'll never make it 40 miles. Not all of us. What about the children and the babies? You expect them to walk that far? You expect us to go out there and bring all our livestock as well? We'll be a walking dinner bell for those monsters."

"If it's all of us we'll have each other's backs. We'll make it! My group got here from Atlanta, only 12 of us and a baby. We did it before, we can do it again."

"We are all aware of what you and the original survivors accomplished so many years ago" Pat said, his voice slightly condescending. "But I don't know Rick, it'll take us days to prepare, and by then we would've used up a lot of our water already."

"That's the point! This town is on its last leg. Either you move now or you die. Those are the only options. Think about your own children. This is the only way!" Rick yelled, his frustration and passion showing through. "This is how we live! "

"My dad's right" Carl said, getting to his feet and turning to face the crowd. "There is no way we can survive if we stay here. I know some of you have lived here your entire lives, but it's possible to survive out there if we leave now. When it rains, when the drought is over, we can come back and continue our lives."

"I'm not moving my family out there. I'm not leaving everything behind to go God knows where. Something will happen here. Rain will come! This plan is not thought out, you don't even know what's out there, Rick, and to take children beyond the gates… it's just unconscionable" a man cut in.

Rick rubbed a thumb under his eye as he did when he was full of emotion. He desperately wanted to convey his point, but he couldn't make these people do something they clearly didn't want to do. He tried to plead with them one last time.

"I know you're all afraid to leave everything behind. But what's important in life is the living. Your family, your friends, even your livestock. The belongings, the houses, all of that will be here when you come back. And even if it's not, we'll find more, we'll build more. But if you stay here, you will not survive. I'm taking my family out of here, we're leaving whether anyone comes with us or not. I won't let my family starve. Anyone who wants to leave with us is welcome. The more, the merrier."

There was a brief silence in the church before Pat broke it.

"Rick, I understand emotions are high right now, but we're not going to have residents just up and leave without preparation. You and your family are needed here, we need you to stay. If you leave it'll incite panic. Others might leave too and be unprepared to survive out there. I don't mean to do this, but, I'm gonna have to insist you to stay" Pat said, nervously rubbing his hands down the front of his jeans. Pat had been mayor of Alexandria for two years, the third mayor in the town's history. Rick was the first. Although Rick was the unofficial leader for years after the war with the Saviors, he was officially sworn in a few years later. Voted in by the inhabitants, he served two terms in a row before stepping down, his physical and mental health taking precedent. He was more than happy to stay home with Michonne and his children, and their three grandchildren, and enjoy the perks of being an old man while someone else took up the responsibilities of leadership.

Rick, Carl, and Michonne all swiveled their heads to look at Pat, and the man's eyes widened. The rest of the crowd in the church went silent. There was silence for a few seconds.

"And I'm gonna tell you I'm leavin'" Rick said, his head tilting to the right.

"Rick…" Pat began, but Carl cut him off.

"My son and I are leaving too" Carl stated, turning towards the crowd, "and so is my sister's family. And you should leave too. We can do this together, on the road."

Judith, who was sitting next to her husband in one of the pews, with her youngest daughter sleeping on her lap, watched the scene noiselessly, but her eyes conveyed emotions that the rest of her family was ignoring. She didn't want to leave. She had had an argument with her parents and brother right before this meeting, pleading with them not to go on the road headed to nowhere. Her parents had tried to convince her that it'd be okay, that they had done this before and they could survive, but she didn't want to hear it. Alexandria was the only place she remembered. It was the only life she remembered. Sure, things were difficult now, but they'd always made a way. She didn't know how to be anywhere else.

An hour previously

"You don't know where you're going! What if there's no water in that lake? What then? What if there's Walkers everywhere? Selena's only 2, and Tabitha is 6. Colin is 10 Carl! What about them? And Kaleb? Huh? Dad, this is insane!" Judith yelled.

"Judith, the kids can make it. Kaleb has been trained to use a gun, and Colin, Tabitha and Selena can be taught to be quiet, they're smart kids" Carl said, taking a step towards his sister. He knew she was terrified about what they were proposing.

"I'm not taking my daughters out there! And I'm shocked that you guys are even suggesting it. Alexandria has always taken care of us. We've had droughts before and we will again. We ration and we make it through."

Michonne placed a hand on Judith's shoulder. "It's never been this long, Judith. Our supplies are already lower than they've ever been. And Alexandria hasn't taken care of us, it's just a town. We've taken care of each other, and we always will."

"Judy, listen to them. They know how to survive out there. They're your family, they wouldn't lie to us about this" her husband, Tony said to her.

"So, you're with them?!" Judith screamed at Tony, enraged. "You wanna take our babies out there to get eaten by Walkers?"

"Judy!" he said putting his hand up to calm her.

"No! This is insane! You guys are gonna go out there and die!" she said, putting her hands on her cheeks in disbelief.

"Judith, the kids will be okay because we will make it that way. We got here with you when you weren't even a year old. We did that when there were even more Walkers out there. We will be okay, but we need to do this. If we stay here, if you stay here, you will die. And I won't have that happen, ever" Rick said passionately, his eyes flashing.

"You've already told me the stories dad. Yes, you got here with me and Carl, but how many people did you lose along the way? Beth? Tyrese? How many people did you almost lose? Can you tell me without a doubt we'll all survive going out on the road during a drought with the entire family plus all of our livestock? Can you promise me that?" Judith asked, staring at her father.

Rick stared into his daughter's frightened eyes. He'd wanted Alexandria to be a refuge for her. A place where she could be safe and never have to worry about hunger, thirst, Walkers, or dangers from other people again. And he had found that for her. Judith had grown up in a relatively safe world inside of the gates. A world where she learned that staying in the walls meant safety, and venturing outside the walls meant death. And that was what she had taught her children as well. He couldn't be upset when now she was hesitant to go out into what had always meant death. But now, staying inside the walls led to death as well.

"I can't promise you that, Judith" Rick admitted, being as honest with her as he could. "I wish I could, but I can't. You know I don't want to leave here either. Alexandria is our home. Its where you and Carl and your children grew up, but it's a death trap now, and it will be as long as it doesn't rain. All I can promise you is I will die protecting you and your family. I will die before you do. That's the only thing I know for sure."

"I will too" Tony said, wrapping his arms around Judith. "I will die to protect you and my girls, but your dad is right. We can't stay here baby, we're gonna run out of water sooner or later, and then what?"

And so, Judith was sitting in her pew, listening to the townspeople of Alexandria say the same things she was feeling in her heart. But she didn't like what was going down between Pat and her father.

"Rick, I hate to insist, but we're not opening the gates. No one is leaving. We can't be responsible for all of you going out there and dying on the road" Pat said, his voice losing the uncertainty that was in it a few seconds before. "As mayor of Alexandria, I'm enacting a closed gate policy. No one is coming in or leaving until our state of emergency is over."

Judith glanced over at her mother, and their eyes met. Judith tilted her head towards Rick, knowing her father wasn't taking kindly to Pat telling them they couldn't leave. Michonne nodded back. She could see Rick was starting to lose the hold on his temper, and years of marriage taught her that if he went over the edge there would be no stopping him. Although Michonne was 20 years older than she used to be, she still possessed her cat-like grace, and she stealthily stood up and lightly placed her hand on Rick's forearm, instantly calming him down. She then turned to Pat. "You cannot prevent us from leaving. We aren't asking you, we're telling you. We are doing what's best for our family. You don't have to worry about blood being on your hands, because it's our choice. Don't make this into something it doesn't need to be." She said the last sentence more quietly as a warning to Pat.

Pat looked from Michonne, to Rick, to Carl, all of whom were glaring at him, and realized that he wouldn't win this fight. "Okay, I'll open the gates one last time tomorrow. Anyone who wants to go, that's your chance. You wanna go out there and die, that's your business. After that we're not opening them again until the situation is more stable."

Rick rolled his eyes and turned to the people gathered. "If you want to leave, you're welcome to meet us at the gates at dawn. Bring everything important to you, but not too much for you to carry."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Judith, are you okay?" Michonne asked her. They were all in Michonne and Rick's house after the meeting. Carl and Judith's children were playing upstairs in Rick and Michonne's 16 year old son Kaleb's bedroom. Rick, Carl, Judith's husband Tony, and Kaleb were in the dining room, talking about the plan for the next few days. Michonne had been in there too until she noticed that Judith who had gone to the bathroom a while ago still hadn't returned. Michonne left the kitchen to look for her, and found Judith sitting on the bed in the spare room, in the dark.

Judith didn't answer Michonne's question, and silently studied the rug on the floor, so Michonne closed the door behind her and sat next to her daughter on the bed. They were quiet for a while until Judith spoke.

"Someone's going to die, mom."

Michonne turned to view her daughter who's eyes were wide and full to the brim with tears.

"You don't know that Judith."

"I feel that" she said, wiping her face with the back of her sleeve. "This trip, this plan, it's gonna get someone killed. One of the people in my family. Maybe more. And I'm sitting here thinking who I'm able to lose. Who we could lose and the trip would still be worth it. And the answer is no one."

"Judith, if I thought there was another way, you know I would do the other way. I don't want you or your brothers, or my grandchildren in danger EVER. But this is what will save us. There is only death here in Alexandria, and we don't have another option. I know this is scary for you, and I'm wondering if maybe we didn't do everything we could to prepare you for the possibility that you may need to leave…"

"I'm not stupid mom! I'm not naïve. I know how to defend myself. You did teach me. But my daughters, my little brother, my nephew… I don't know if I can defend them. I mean I'll try, but I've never been tested before."

"I know, but your father and I, and Carl, and Tony, all of us have lived outside. We will protect you and the girls. Tony will protect you. I wouldn't have given him my blessing to marry you if I didn't think he would. You need to trust us Judith. We'll find a place that's safe."

Judith shook her head, still not believing Michonne, and a tear dripped down her cheek. Michonne wrapped her arms around Judith's shoulders. "This will be worth it. I promise."

Judith rested her head on Michonne's shoulder. "Mom, there's something else too."

"What is it?" Michonne asked, rubbing Judith's back.

"I'm pregnant again."

Michonne pulled back from Judith and looked into her face. "Are you joking?" she asked, hoping it wasn't true.

Judith shook her head sadly. "Tony doesn't know. I didn't want any more children, but saying you don't want any more doesn't stop it from happening when there's nothing to stop it from happening."

"No wonder you don't want to go" Michonne said softly.

"Yea" Judith sighed.

"How far along are you?" Michonne asked.

"I'm not sure, probably around 4 months. I couldn't tell Tony, I… I know he would want it, but I didn't want it. I was willing it to just go away. But now… now I can't hide it, can I?" she sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm a mess aren't I? Maybe you guys should just go without me."

Michonne put her hands on Judith's face, and turned her head towards her. "You're not a mess. You are my daughter, and you always will be. We will find a way to make this work, and whether you wanted one or not you have a child on the way. My grandbaby. I think you should tell Tony before we leave, but that's between you and your husband. Whatever you choose to do, I will help you get through this Judith. I love you."

Judith wrapped her arms around her mother's neck again, and held her tightly. "I love you too mom. Thank you for not being mad."

"Why would I be mad?" Michonne asked, stroking Judith's hair. "It's okay to be scared. But it's not okay for you to let fear control you, and stop you from making decisions that are best for you and your family. You will survive out there Judith because you're a Grimes. It will be okay, no matter what happens."

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, I get to use my gun now?" Kaleb asked excitedly.

"No!" Carl said, "we already told you, you only use your gun as a last resort, it draws Walkers"

"Duh, I know, I'm not gonna go shooting my gun off for fun, I'm just asking if I'm allowed to use it if I have to" Kaleb said.

"Yes Kaleb, you know how to shoot safely. If you have to you can do what needs to be done to protect yourself. But your main role will be to protect your nephew and nieces. If something goes down, if you get separated from us, or… or we don't make it, and you're left with them, you bring them right back here. You come back to Alexandria" Rick said.

"Wait, but you said if we stay here we'll die. You're telling me, if all of you die I should come back here so we die too?" Kaleb asked.

"Well… do you have a better idea?" Rick asked, genuinely curious to see what his young son would come up with.

"I mean, if there's water in the lake, we can stay there."

"Do you know how to hunt, Kaleb?" Tony asked the boy.

"Well dad taught me how to make traps. And it can't be too hard to shoot a deer, right?" Kaleb asked with a shrug, and an air of haughtiness.

"And what about people?" Tony asked him.

"What do you mean?" Kaleb asked, confused.

"People. Do you think we're the only ones who've thought about going to the lake? What about if you run into people who are already there? What if they're not friendly and don't feel like sharing their water? What if they want to do something really bad to a bunch of kids who they don't think can defend themselves? Are you ready to shoot someone to kill? Are you ready to kill to protect Colin, and Selena, and Tabitha? Huh?" Tony asked, his voice getting higher, "'cuz that's what you're gonna have to do to keep them safe, and if you're not, you need to come back here."

Kaleb looked at Carl. "When you guys were out on the road, before you came here, and dad told you to protect Judith. Is that what you were willing to do?" Kaleb asked Carl, pure curiosity on his face.

Carl nodded. "Yea, that's what I was willing to do to protect my little sister. That's what I did. And when we're out there, that's what I'll do to protect you, and Colin, and everyone else. That's what you have to be ready to do to protect the people you love."

Kaleb swallowed, finally realizing that going on the road wasn't going to be a walk in the park. He ran his fingers through his bushy hair and then pressed his thumb to his eye in the same way his father often did.

"Yea, I'll do it. I'll kill someone if I have to, to protect the people I love. Don't worry, if something happens to you, I'll take care of the kids, no matter what" Kaleb said.

"Good" Rick said, grasping the back of the boy's neck, "I know you will. So, I think we've gone over the plan as much as we can, everyone knows what to pack and how we'll be doing this. This is gonna be our last night in Alexandria in a long while, and maybe our last night to get consecutive hours of sleep too. Let's get the kids to bed and get some rest?" Rick suggested. The family agreed, hugged, and went off to their individual homes to prepare before the big move.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning at dawn, Rick, Michonne, and their family met at the gates with everything they owned in the world, and their caravan of horses, goats, cows and several hunting dogs. They met at the gates and quickly realized that no one else from the community was leaving with them.

"They'd rather stay here and die" Carl said to his parents, shaking his head in disbelief, "after everything…"

"They're scared" Judith said, empathizing with the townspeople of Alexandria. She could relate, spending almost her whole life there.

"Mama, is Nathan and Brandy coming too?" Tabitha asked her mother, pulling on her shirt to get her attention. Judith looked down at Tabitha's frightened brown eyes, and knew the girl wanted her two best friends to be safe as well.

"Maybe" Judith said, kneeling down to look Tabitha in her eyes. "Maybe their parents will meet us at the lake, ok? I don't want you to think about that right now. Remember I told you we're leaving the gates?"

Tabitha nodded, her scared eyes locked on her mother.

"And do you remember what you do when you're outside the gates?" Judith asked Tabitha. Tabitha nodded and pressed a finger to her mouth, shushing. "Good sweetheart. You stay quiet and keep an eye out for Selena okay? And if we need to be quiet, and Selena starts to cry, what do you do?" Judith quizzed.

"I'm gonna say shhhh, and put my hand over her mouth" Tabitha rehearsed.

"That's right, and mommy and daddy, and granny and grandpa, and your uncles will keep you safe. Okay?"

"Okay" Tabitha agreed, "But mommy, if we see a monster, can I put my hand over my eyes?"

Judith ran her hand down her daughter's brown curly hair and gazed into her eyes. She knew her daughter was terrified to leave the gates, and with good reason. Judith had to admit she was terrified herself, but she had to face her fears, and so did her daughter if she was to survive.

"No" Judith said softly. "You can't close your eyes, because if you do you won't be able to run away. You will have to keep your eyes open to stay safe. It's okay to be scared, but you still have to pay attention, even when you're scared." Judith held Tabitha's hand and walked towards the horses. She gestured for Carl's son, Collin, and her little brother Kaleb to come over.

"All of you need to hear this" Judith said, turning to the younger children. "If we're suddenly surrounded by a herd, or if we're in trouble in any way, your job is to follow Kaleb on your horses." Judith then turned to Kaleb. "Kaleb, you get them out of there. Don't wait for us, don't check to see if we're okay, don't try to help us. If we're surrounded, you run and don't look back. Run until you're safe. If we're alive, we'll find you. I promise, but you need to be safe no matter what."

"But Auntie Judy, my daddy will make sure we're safe, right?" Collin asked, turning to look at Carl who was having a conversation with Rick, Michonne, and Tony.

"Of course he will" Judith said, smoothing down Collin's hair. "We all will. But all of you have to be big boys and girls, and it's time you do your part to keep yourself safe. Now Collin, you go ahead and get on your horse. Tabitha, Selena, you guys are going to ride Peppermint" Judith said, guiding her daughters over to their short gray pony, who was just small enough for Tabitha to control on her own.

Judith lifted Tabitha on to Peppermint's back, and then placed Selena on the saddle in front of her sister. The girls looked frightened, so Judith gave them a wink and a kiss on each of their foreheads.

"You'll be alright" Judith said with a smile that she hoped looked reassuring. Tony suddenly appeared behind Judith and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Are my girls ready?" Tony asked, looking at his family with a smile.

"Ready!" Selena said enthusiastically, while Tabitha silently nodded her head. "That's my brave girls. Now you listen to instructions and make sure you follow us, alright?" he asked. Both girls nodded. Tony gave Judith a brief kiss on her lips.

"You'll be alright" he whispered in Judith's ear, inadvertently repeating what she'd told the girls.

"I know" Judith said, and squeezed Tony's arm before reaching into a wagon to grab her machine gun. She placed the strap over her head and let the heavy weapon rest across her body.

XXXXXXXXXX

"But Dad, Akisho wants to come!" Kaleb was yelling at Rick. "You said leaving is the only way to survive! Well, if she stays here she'll die. How can you make her stay?"

"Her father isn't leaving" Rick said. "Pat wants her to stay here. He didn't even want us to leave, he's not gonna let his daughter leave with us."

"So, you're gonna let her stay here and die?" Kaleb roared, "just because her father is dumb?"

"Kaleb, we're not going to kidnap this girl. I know she means a lot…"

"Mom! Mom!" Kaleb called Michonne loudly, cutting off Rick. Michonne, who was talking to one of the people at the gates, made her way towards them, her brows knitting in concern.

"Mom, dad won't let Akisho come with us. She'll die here. I can't leave her."

Michonne's eyes slowly met Rick's. She knew that he was right. Even though staying in Alexandria meant that the inhabitants would soon run out of water, they couldn't take someone's child without permission. Even if she was 16. Kaleb recognized the look on Michonne's face.

"You agree with him, don't you!" Kaleb yelled, shocked at the reactions of both of his parents. "What is wrong with you? You know she can't stay here. Having an asshole for a father shouldn't be a death sentence!"

"Kaleb…" Michonne began, but he angrily stomped away, headed towards his girlfriend who was waiting in front of the gates with a packed bookbag and another bag filled with all of her belongings. Michonne watched as Kaleb approached her and threw his arms around her, holding her tightly. Kaleb seemed to be whispering something in her ear, and the couple could hear Akisho moan "no, no… you can't leave me here…"

Michonne looked back at Rick. "Maybe we can take her" Michonne said, her heart softening at the scene.

"I wish we could, but her father doesn't want her to leave. It's his decision, not ours."

"He'll never get over this" Michonne said, watching her son comfort his girlfriend, "he'll never forgive us."

"I know" Rick said, nodding. Both of them knew their son. He was logical and headstrong like Michonne, and extremely protective of those he thought of as family, like Rick. Leaving his girlfriend to die in Alexandria was an event they knew Kaleb would never forget.

XXXXXXXXXX

After a last check to make sure they had everything they'd intended to bring, the Grimes clan was ready. The group on guard opened the gates as the caravan of horses, livestock and wagons made their way through the gates for what possibly could be the last time. There were no goodbyes, or good lucks. The townspeople stayed in their homes either still sleeping, or purposely avoiding the Grimes out of shame.

Michonne was calm and collected on the outside, but inside she was livid. After all that Rick had done for this town, after all that her family had sacrificed, no one even came out of their homes to say goodbye. For the first time, she realized that all the people she truly considered family were on the road with her. Many of the people who had arrived with she and Rick in Alexandria, her true extended family members, had died during the war with the Saviors.

Daryl had died a hero, he had been shot in the stomach by Negan, and still had the strength to set off one of the bombs they'd planted, blowing up himself as well as taking out dozens of Negan's men. Carol had died as well, in King Ezekiel's arms, a casualty of a shoot-out in one of the outposts. Ezekiel was never the same after that, and he died a few months later, many of his people claimed it was of a broken heart. Michonne and Rick also carried scars from the war with Negan, Rick had been shot for the fifth time during the war, this time in the shin, while he was simultaneously healing from the graze he'd received from Jadis. Michonne had gotten her face bashed into the concrete by one of Jadis' trash people, and she still had lasting migraines from the damage she'd received. Maggie had lived at the Hilltop for years, where she raised she and Glenn's son, Hershel. The previous year she had gotten sick with a severe bout of the flu, and after gradually weakening over the course of weeks, she passed away in her sleep and was mercifully ended by her son.

Their extended family had slowly withered away over the years, and Michonne and Rick felt each loss. Tara, Rosita, Eugene, Father Gabriel… each death taxed on their hearts and minds, but somehow, against all odds, Rick and Michonne had managed to stay together and alive. When Michonne had told Rick we're the ones who live, she had meant it, and she prayed that mantra over her children and her children's children. Somehow, the Grimes clan had grown while so many other families had racked up the losses, and others in the town had either admired or hated them for it.

As Michonne trotted away from the town that had become her home, she turned her horse around to take a last look. She had had so many fond memories in that place, but in this world, you always had to be ready for what you had become accustomed to, to come to an end. She could only hope that whatever was next, was better than what had been.

Rick looked back and saw Michonne staring fondly at the gates. He trotted back on his horse, to meet her, and she focused her large brown eyes on his.

"You ready?" he asked, reaching his arm across the space between their horses to grab her hand. Michonne closed her eyes for a moment and breathed out, opening her eyes and then squeezing his hand back.

"I am" she said with a smile, and the two of them turned their horses around and trotted to catch up with the rest of the family, neither noticing a shadow following them through the woods.