Chapter Four: Who We Are

Caesar was awestruck by the man's offer. Not since before the outbreak, before everything had happened, had a human offer him anything other than the potential to be a threat. He was so… conflicted, about a gesture so small, yet, at the same time, so big.

"No… I can… get up… myself." The ape said, as he attempted to get up. The two were amidst the gunfire, the multitudes of Negan's men running away.

Eventually, Caesar was standing once more on his two feet, and he turned to go after the truck that Negan was in. But, before he could, he felt a hand grasp his shoulder, and stop him. He turned, and stared directly into the eyes of Rick Grimes.

"Don't. You won't survive against him." Rick said, attempting to reason with Caesar, who was glaring at him. "What do you know about him? About men like him?" He asked, through gritted teeth.

Rick stood his ground. "I don't know much about him. But I have dealt with men like him, before. Countless times. And, judging by what might have just happened if you didn't save my son, and, possibly, the rest of my people, we wouldn't have stood a chance against him. And, because you saved my son's life, I'm willing to give you a chance to get out of here, alive."

Caesar's angry glare dropped for a moment, as he took in what Rick said. He wanted to kill Negan for what he had done. The bastard deserved it, for what he had done. He killed Red. He killed Tinker. He took the rest of the Apes to God-knows-where.

And yet, at the same time, Caesar knew, deep down, that Rick was right. He wasn't ready to face Negan. Neither of them were. If an entire clan of apes couldn't take him on, how could he?

Caesar exasperatedly sighed, and, after forcing Rick's hand off of him, the man nodded his head, and said, "Let's go. We need to get out of here before we get killed, too."

"Fine. But, as soon as we're out of fire, I want you to explain yourself. The real reason you wanted to get me out of here." He said. "Fine. I'll give you that." Rick said.

As they ran back through the woods, and after Caesar had motioned for Maurice, Rocket, Luca to follow him and Rick, they made their way to a spot where an RV was parked.

The pale moonlight shined on their faces. It was a beautiful sight, especially considering the ugliness that had just occurred. Caesar saw the human group that accompanied Rick. The boy, whose life he had saved, Caesar now realized, had a bandage draped over his right eye.

"Your son… why does he-" Caesar began, only for Rick to interject with, "Let's… let's possibly talk about that, later."

Caesar closed his mouth, and stood back for a moment, as the rest of Rick's people looked in awe at the apes. The boy, Carl, was especially astounded by them.

"Now... why did you come back? To save me? You… you risked your life… for an ape. Why?" Caesar asked, calmly. Rick wiped his sweat-drenched forehead, and began to speak. "You saved my son. For that, I felt I had to help you. And, I heard you say something about your family. Do you… have family? And, did he do something to them?"

Caesar slowly nodded his head. "Yes. That man… Negan… he… he…" Caesar started, only for the memories of Negan smashing Tinker's head in. He could remember the brains being splattered all over the cold, hard ground.

His eyes could only stare at the ground beneath him, at the moment. He then realized that, since he had woken from Negan's attack on them, that he hadn't slept. Well, he had slept. Just not well.

He then felt a seething pain in his shoulder. He looked toward it, and saw something red trickling down his furry body. Blood. "Oh."

Caesar's eyes began to flutter, as he slowly fell to the ground. When he hit, he heard everyone begin to panic. "Oh, shit!" One person, another man with a southern accent, said. "Is he dead?" Another voice, a younger, male voice, interjected. It had to have been the boy. "We need to get a look at him." The voice of a woman interjected.

Then, Caesar heard the familiar growl of Luca, and could just barely see him, Rocket, and Maurice standing in front of his fallen body.

"Please, move out of the way. We need to get a good look at him!" Rick pleaded. Caesar, eyes barely open, saw the other apes standing their ground. He knew they were hesitant to let Rick, and anyone else in his group, help him.

"Maur… Maurice…" Caesar croaked, struggling to stay awake. Instantaneously, Maurice spun around, and kneeled down by Caesar. "Le… let them… do what they must…" He managed to weakly say.

The initially skeptical Maurice slowly nodded his head, and urged Rocket and Luca to move out of the way, in order to make way for the humans.

The two other Apes did as was requested, and moved out of the way. Then, as Caesar's eyes forced themselves shut, over and over again, he caught brief glimpses of Rick and his group moving towards him.

The last thing Caesar saw before he passed out was Rick's hand reaching toward him.

"Caesar. Caesar! Wake up."

Caesar gasped, sweat drenching his face. He looked around, and saw that he and his family were in the caves, again. It was Cornelia who woke him, and who pressed her forehead to his, as he breathed heavily, in and out, over and over, again.

"Are you alright?" Cornelia asked. Caesar, still breathing, let his rapidly beating heart resume its natural rate, and took his head away from hers.

"No. I wasn't. But… I'm fine now." He said, looking down at the ground, and then at his sons. They slept peacefully next to one another. Caesar was certain that, even if they weren't known beforehand, anyone could tell that they were brothers.

"Did you have a nightmare?" She asked. Caesar slowly nodded his head. "What was it about?" Cornelia asked, almost quietly. "Us. You. The children. The entire tribe. We were all… taken hostage… by a madman." He said. Closing his eyes.

He sighed, and, after what seemed like a long time waiting to open them, he finally opened his eyes only to realize, much to his horror, that he was no longer in the safety and comfort of his home in the woods.

Instead, he was in a cage. A cold, hard, metal cage. He gasped, and ran to the bars. Then, he saw what horrified him the most: the other apes, his entire tribe, the only family he had left, trapped in cages.

They screeched, and moaned, battered and bruised, with blood on their fur, and scars on their bodies. And all Caesar could do was stare in horror and fear at the family he failed, as he clenched the bars of his cage, and let out an anguished cry for help.

When he awoke, he was breathing heavily. His body lurched forward, and found that the sun was shining in his face. He was no longer on the rocky ground of the outdoor forest. He was in a bed. A bed in a room.

Caesar looked around, and saw that his left shoulder was bandaged. He carefully, slowly placed his right hand on it, and, for a few fleeting moments, felt a pain in his left shoulder. It brought back the memory of being shot by one of Negan's men.

As he stood up, he got off of the bed. He felt weak, and tired, but he would manage. He walked toward the door of the room, and opened it, for it had been shut, beforehand.

When he opened the door, he saw where he was being held: a house. A nice, big house. He was on the second floor of the house, judging by the staircase leading downstairs.

He walked towards the staircase, and descended down to the lower floor. When he got down, he found that it was empty. There was no one to be found on this level of the house. Not a single sign of one of the people that rescued him.

As he walked around, he saw a big dining room, with a kitchen table surrounded by four chairs. 'Perfect for a small family.' Caesar took note, as he explored the house, some more.

He continued looking through the seemingly empty house. It reminded him so much of what his life was like before the apocalypse. Before the world had changed, forever. Before… when he was with Will.

Eventually, he came across a door. A door that would, most likely, lead to the outside world. Caesar stared at the door, and puzzled whether or not he should open it.

After thinking on his decision carefully, for what very well could have been hours, but was, in reality, minutes, Caesar decided to not open it.

"Too risky." He said, before sighing. "It's really not." Another voice said, making Caesar spin around, to see who was talking to him.

When he turned, he saw the same man who had been pleading with Maurice, Rocket, and Luca, the last time he was awake, dressed in a grey shirt and dark-blue jeans, carrying a small, sleeping child in his hands.

Rick gave a small smile, and said, "Good morning." Caesar, cautiously and somewhat suspiciously, also said, "Good morning."

"Uh… have a seat, would you?" Rick asked, motioning to the seats around the table. Caesar nodded his head, and sat down. Rick proceeded to sit across from him, at the table.

For a few moments, there was nothing but silence. Just two individuals, sitting across from each other at a table, staring at one another. Then, Rick spoke. "So, your name is Caesar?"

Caesar slowly nodded his head. "I… I never caught your name." He said, in response. "I'm Rick. Rick Grimes." The man said, never diverting his attention from the ape.

Caesar nodded his head. "Pleased to meet you, Rick." Then, once again, there was silence.

"Thank you for… for bringing me here… wherever we are." Caesar spoke up. Rick chuckled lightly. "Don't mention it." Then, for the first time, Caesar smiled back at Rick. It was a small smile, but, nevertheless, it showed appreciation.

"So… where am I, exactly?" Caesar questioned. Rick gabe a small nod of his head, and said, "You're in a small town called Alexandria. I'd show you around, but, I'm not sure if you're quite up for it, yet."

"You'd be correct. I'm not entirely sure if I want to leave the house just yet. I have a few questions that I need answered." Caesar said. "So do I." Rick inquired.

Caesar sighed, and spoke. "Very well. You ask your question, first." Rick looked at the ape for a moment, before saying anything.

"Why did you save my son? Back in the woods? You could have easily just left us be. But you didn't. Why?" Rick asked, curious as to what Caesar's motivations were.

Caesar looked at Rick, and said, "I… I had seen that man kill, before. He… attacked my home. Killed my friend, and another's wife. Took the members of my tribe prisoner. My wife… my sons… my friend. And he left the three other apes you brought back with you, as well as I, to die."

Rick nodded his head in understanding. "You, you decided to track him down?" Caesar looked forlornly at the table for a moment, before saying, "Yes. That madman… Negan… he took everything from me. My home. My family. And I felt I had to find them. And the only way to find them, I believed, was to hunt him down. And that's where I found your group."

Rick gazed at Caesar, unsure of what to say. If what the ape said was true, that Negan had taken his wife, children, and entire tribe prisoner… it made him fear for what would have happened had Negan done the same thing to him.

"... So, you wanted revenge, and instead, you saved my boy from facing death?" Rick questioned. "Yes. I was not going to stand by and watch that maniac take more lives, or someone else's family." Caesar spoke, looking directly at Rick's face, as a small smile formed on it. Then, Caesar smiled back, though, Rick could tell that it conveyed something else other than happiness. Tiredness, maybe. And perhaps sadness.

At that moment, the child in Rick's hands slowly woke up, and rubbed her tired eyes as she did so. At that moment, Rick beamed when he saw her awake.

"Hey, Judy. God, you slept better than I did." Rick said, talking to the child, even though he knew she wouldn't talk back. The girl, Judith, smiled as he talked to her, and giggled.

While Rick talked to her, Caesar looked curiously at the pair of them. It reminded him of how he was with Blue Eyes and Cornelius, back in the cave. It reminded him of all the times he watched them go to sleep, or play together, or of them with he and Cornelia, together as a family. And it made Caesar think to himself, 'Where did yesterday go?'

"Is she your daughter?" Caesar asked, genuinely curious about the child. At that moment, Rick's smile faltered somewhat, and he set the child down on his lap.

He looked around the room for a moment, as if to make sure that it was only he, Caesar, and his daughter in the room, at that minute. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead, he stuttered, unsure of what to say.

"I… I'm not sure, honestly." Rick said, uncertainty evident in his voice. Caesar immediately regretted asking his question. "I'm… sorry. I should not have asked you that question." He remarked, sadly.

"It's… it's not a problem, Caesar. And, besides, you probably have a question of two of your own that you had for me, right? So, are there any more?" Rick asked, politely.

Caesar slowly nodded his head, before speaking. "Yes. First of all, where are my friends? Are they alright?" He asked. "Yes. They've actually proved useful these past few days, helping out around the community, keeping watch at night. They do that often, before your home was attacked?" Rick replied.

"Yes. Yes, they did." Caesar said, a small grin appearing on his furry face. "Any more questions?" Rick asked. "Just one more: how long have I been asleep for?" Caesar questioned in response. Rick sighed, before saying, "Three days. We've had a doctor check up on you, every now and then."

Caesar nodded his head once more. "Are there any more questions you feel the need to ask me?" The ape questioned. "Actually, yes, there is one more question that I need to ask of you." Rick said, to which Caesar's eyebrows rose.

Rick set Judith down in her seat, and walked over to where Caesar sat at the table. He sat next to him, and looked directly into Caesar's eyes. "Listen, Caesar, after what I saw back in the woods, and hearing your story, I want to make an offer to you: I want you and I to work together."

Caesar understood what Rick meant, but he needed more information. "Elaborate." Caesar said, bluntly. "I want you and your people to work with my people. I want to help you save your apes, as repayment for helping us. You saved the only family I have left, the one thing that I'm still fighting for, and I want to help you save yours." Rick replied. "And after that?" Caesar questioned. "We take the fight to Negan."

Caesar was conflicted as to what he wanted to do. On the one hand, he knew that Rick's intentions were good, and came from a place of genuinely wanting to help him. On the other, he feared that taking the fight to Negan and his men would mean war. And war meant casualties.

"I'm not sure, Rick. I don't know if I'm willing to sacrifice multiple lives, or if you're willing to sacrifice multiple lives, either." Caesar said, unsure of what to do.

Rick nodded his head, aware of what Caesar meant. "I understand, Caesar. But, at the same time, I've seen and heard enough of what this man has done to other communities. And I can't just ignore what he's doing, and what he'll keep doing if someone doesn't stop him. I mean, we can fight him. We have guns, ammo, cars, and we have people who will be willing to fight, with the proper motivation and the right leadership. Think about it, Caesar. We'll save other communities, including yours, and give our children a future. What do you say?"

Rick pursed his lips after saying this, before outstretching his hand, like he did the night of the gunfight.

Caesar pondered what Rick had said. Both knew the risks, and both knew that it may cost them in the end. But, at the same time, they both knew that they couldn't stand by and let a madman with a baseball bat strike fear into communities, including their own, for the rest of their lives.

After what seemed like forever, Caesar outstretched his own hand, and grasped Rick's. As the two shook their hands, Caesar said, "Let's go to war."

Author's Note: Okay, I know that it's been two months, and I'm really sorry about that! I've been really busy, and dealing with a lot of personal stuff in my life. However, I am trying to take my time with this story, and really trying to make this one great for you guys! Dedon53, glad to know you gave Chapter Three two thumbs up! HakaishinChampa, the first thing I made sure not to do in this story was kill of either Glenn or Abraham, and yeah, there will definitely be an all-out war. Killshot, I plan on making more chapters! Lots of chapters! Also, I'm glad you love the story, and hope you'll stick around for what I have in mind! Guest, I have one thing to say to you: APES! TOGETHER! STRONG! Anywho, thank you all for reading, please leave a review, and, as always, take care, and I'll see you in the next chapter! The Flying Hawaiian 001, signing off.