"This is ours now." Rick held up a can of soup and waved it around like a personal trophy.
And it was. Every scrap of supplies was gold now.
Aaron nodded, "There's more than enough."
"Its ours whether we go to your camp or not," Rick exclaimed
"What do you mean? Why wouldn't we go?" Carl asked before Michonne decided to speak up.
"If he were lying or if he wanted to hurt us… but he isn't, and he doesn't. We need this, so were going, all of us. Somebody say something if they feel differently."
Michonne looked around at the tense group before Daryl spoke up.
"I don't know, man. This barn smells like horse shit."
Rick nodded. If even Daryl had agreed, then he couldnt say no.
"Yeah. Were going."
Michonne nodded and smiled a little before Rick turned toward Aaron again.
"So, where are we going. Where's your camp?"
Aaron looked up hesitantly.
"Well, every time I've done this, I've been behind the wheel, driving recruits back. I believe you're good people."
"I've bet my life on it. I'm just not ready to bet my friends' lives just yet." Aaron clarified
"You're not driving, so if you want to get home, you'll have to tell us how," Michonne said while marching up to Aaron.
Aaron hesitated slightly.
"Go north on Route 16."
Rick marked it down.
"And then?" Michonne asked
"I'll tell you when we get there."
Just as Rick was about to speak, the barn doors creaked open, making everyone snap to attention with weapons ready.
"How about you tell us now, or I put a bullet in your friend here." Glenn's voice sounded out through the barn, and he appeared with a tied-up man in front of him.
Daryl rushed to glance outside the barn, making sure it was clear, while Maggie rushed over to Glenn and made sure he was okay.
Rick glanced at Glenn before looking at the new person he had captured, before looking at the now pale-faced Aaron.
"Eric, did he do anything to you?"
Eric glanced around the crowded barn before his eyes fell onto Aaron. Taking a sigh of relief, he went over to him.
"I'm fine, you, on the other hand, look like shit."
"I think we should tell them where the camp is," Eric said, and Aaron looked puzzled
"Glenn had a convincing argument, and besides, if you don't, we might end up worse off," Eric whispered.
Meanwhile, Glenn told the rest of the group how he had found Eric watching them and that he was pretty sure that he was the only one.
"Okay Ill tell you where the camp is," Aaron spoke up, and Rick nodded before looking over at the rest of the group.
"Pack up. We'll leave now."
Everyone split off to pack up their belongings, while Rick went to check on their vehicles.
—---------------------------
"What were you thinking, breaking off from the group like that?"
Glenn looked over at Rick while he helped him load some supplies into the RV.
"I've always been good at going solo, you know that," Glenn said while remembering his days at the beginning of the outbreak.
"Yeah. Yeah, I know." Rick nodded while looking at Glenn.
"Still, if anything happened to you, Maggie would kill me," Rick smirked a little for the first time in a long time.
Glenn wanted to smirk as well, but he couldn't, not knowing how real his own death would become if he didn't change things.
"Rick, they all think this place is going to change things for us, and it might, but I have a feeling we're going to have to fight if we want to keep this place."
Rick nodded while thinking of what Glenn was saying.
"Then nothing's changed. You have to fight if you want to survive." Rick patted Glenn's shoulder before walking out of the RV.
"Everyone, load up. We're heading out." Rick's voice sounded out while he moved toward the car along with Glenn, Michonne, and Aaron.
Everyone else loaded into the RV.
They set off toward a new hope. One that wouldn't come without its cost.
—----------------------------
Glenn looked out the car window and watched silently as they got closer to a place he both loved and dreaded.
He knew they needed Alexandria for the long-term survival of their group, but at what cost?
He hadn't even lived to see the benefits, and yet, Noah, Abraham, and he had died before the real war had even begun.
The longer you live into the apocalypse, the more you forget how fast the weak can drag you down with them.
Usually, because most of them have already been weeded out.
'I'm here now, alive. I won't let what happened repeat itself.' Glenn felt Aaron's stare from next to him.
"If you have something to say, just say it," Glenn said without looking over at Aaron.
"I was just thinking you pack one hell of a punch. Also, I didn't mean to upset you earlier." Aaron rubbed his jaw, which was a little purple now.
Glenn glanced over. He could tell Rick and Michone were listening now.
"It's nothing, but you really got to work on your sales pitch, man. Nothing alive or dead gets through without our say-so." Glenn couldn't stop himself from chuckling again while shaking his head.
"You look like you've been outside your community walls a few times. I don't mean to be rude, but if someone found your community, I don't think you'd be the one coming out on top."
Aaron's face scrunched up a little, and Glenn saw his fist tighten up.
"But it's good that you found us. We can help you all change and understand how the world truly works now." Glenn put a hand on Aaron's shoulder before releasing it.
"And how does the world work now?" Aaron asked out of curiosity
"By doing whatever it takes, of course. Only those willing to adapt to the new world will be left to see it change into something better."
Glenn looked back out the window and watched as the trees went by.
No people, no traffic, no noise. Outside the walls of Alexandria, the weak had already been weeded out; now their time has finally come as well.