Episode 7: The End

"3 weeks after the final encounter with the Raiders everything is going well at Gate City. Jack still drinks at Louis' bar while having a big conversation about sports and what wine tastes best, Will has spent a lot of time training, Mel's group has been thinking about staying behind, same with the Willmington militia, I'm guessing they are done with travelling a lot, Lamar has just been working on the farms, Dr. Green is finally getting the vaccine for the growing outbreak out to everyone, Jax has been cared for and locked up, he works and contributes, seems like he is slowly learning his lesson... I hope, me and Dex just spend our time preparing and helping out where help is needed... Guess it's a small crew once again as we travel home once more..."

Sarah stopped writing in her journal and put it in her bag, she stood up as Dex walked up to her, "You ready Sarah?" she looked at him and said, "Time to go home." Dex smiled as they both got up with their bags and left the house, and put their stuff in the front of Gate City to be loaded on the truck. James approached Sarah and Dex and said, "I was thinking that we group up at a fire with Louis and Dr. Green since we all worked so hard together to make a difference here, and to spend your last moments here together making happy memories. Plus you still gotta sing for us Sarah." Sarah laughed a bit and said, "We'll be there." Dex and Sarah continued to load the truck up to get it ready for departure.

In the bar Jack was drinking some whiskey with Louis, Jack looked at the old calendar on the wall and said, "What's the story behind that signed calendar there?" Louis took a good look at it and responded with, "Three months before the world ended, I was at a football game when they were selling stuff at the shop there... The quarterback of the opposing team that day happened to be buying a gift for his wife, he noticed that I couldn't quite pay for the calendar I wanted so he pitched in and bought it for me, on top of that he signed it, he was on the opposing team but damn it was cool." Jack laughed a bit and said, "What are the odds of that." Louis laughed a bit, Jack held his drink up and said, "To good luck then" Louis poured himself a drink and said, "To good luck" They drunk their drinks and continued to talk by the bar.

In the farm Lamar was picking tomatoes when Dr. Green walked up to him, "Hey Lamar, how have you been doing?" Lamar looked at her and took his gloves off and said, "I feel better than I did three weeks ago honestly." Doc looked at him and said, "Well before you go just make sure you take care of that wound because there isn't much in the way of medical care these days." Lamar laughed a bit and said to her, "I'll try, no promises though." Dr. Green laughed and said to him, "Good luck out there, I really hope you guys get to where home is to start over fresh there." Lamar nodded and said, "We couldn't have done this without you guys at all." Dr. Green responded with, "Well this wouldn't be possible without the help of you guys." Lamar then said, "Guess that makes us all even."

Will trained with his knife on a test dummy quickly as Sarah and Dex walked up to him. Sarah moved his foot and arm to the correct position and said, "If that dummy was moving and out to kill you, it would succeed." Will looked at her and jokingly said, "Thanks for the tip." Sarah laughed a bit as Dex walked up to Sarah and said, "When we get to where home is, will that be it, do we just settle down there and call it home." Sarah looked at him and said, "It's far from our problems, it's a way for us to start fresh after all that's happened since we met" Dex paused for a bit and said, "As long as we're together I'm fine with it..."

As the day went on Jax worked around the community, people tried to get things together finally, that day had a good vibe to it. Dex and Sarah were happy to be reunited, Mel and her group mourned for their losses, Will trained a lot, Jack and Louis spent the whole day talking to each other and bonding more. Lamar helped out with what little he could do, and James was considering letting Jax go free. They just spent the whole day enjoying themselves and trying to prepare to say goodbye to all these people that they have spent so long trying to help.

Night:

James opened a door and entered the cell room, he walked down the hall slowly and stopped at one cell at the end of the hall. "Wake up Jax, time for you to spend some time outside, get some work in" Jax looked at him and walked up to the cell door where James opened it, he didn't even threaten him or aim a gun. James walked up the stairs slowly, Jax followed, as they left the cell room Jax looked at the moon above and asked, "Plan on finally putting amend to me?" James didn't respond, he just kept walking, eventually he stopped and turned and unlocked his chains. Jax looked confused and said, "The hell is this?" James looked at him and said, "Most of these people want to see you hang, I want you to leave, start a new life somewhere, have a new beginning somewhere that isn't here. I don't wanna see you here at all ever again, if I do, I can't save you again, so leave and don't come back. I got a car ready with food, water, a gun, ammo, and some gas, I put a map in the glove box and left you Ryker's gun, that should be enough to get you off your feet."

Jax looked at James and said in a confusing way, "Why are you doing this, after all I've done? I don't deserve this at all, I deserve to die for what I did." James looked at him and put his hand on his shoulder and said, "You spent 3 weeks working, and being punished for what you did, now it's time for you to have a second chance, I won't do this again... Just don't die... Hopefully in the near future you can return and come and go as you like, Clara agreed to have her people allow you to exit the zone, good luck Jax" Jax looked at him and responded with, "I... I'm sorry for... for everything while I was in that cell I spent every second haunted by everyone I killed, my past finally caught up, and..." James cut him off to say, "The past if the past, you still get a second chance at a new beginning. Just don't make me regret this." Jax didn't waste anytime to get to the car, as he started it James opened the gate to let him out. James watched as the car got smaller in the distance, he took a deep breath.

The Fire:

James walked over to a big camp fire that included, Dex, Sarah, Louis, Dr. Green, Will, Jack, Lamar, Mitch, Izzy, Dom, Jim, Mel, and her crew. Sarah was sitting there tuning her guitar slowly, James looked at her and said, "It's your last night, at least play us a song." Mel laughed a bit and said, "Never knew you could play." Sarah looked at Mel and said, "Been playin for years." Will looked at Sarah and said, "Maybe when we get home you can get your old guitar" Sarah smiled a bit as she lowered the guitar to get ready to play. Sarah looked at everyone else and said, "Anyone able to sing?" Jack put his beer down and said, "Believe it or not I'm a not so bad singer, but you should sing first Sarah." Sarah laughed a bit and said to him, "Guess I can't get out of this can I? Okay okay, I'll start."

Sarah drove her finger down the strings and then started to play beautifully, she eventually sung in a great way, "I feel so extraordinary, something's got a hold on me, I've got this feeling I'm in motion, a sudden sense of liberty... I don't care cause I'm not there, and I don't care if I'm here tomorrow, Again and again I've taken too much of the things that costs you too much Iused to think that the day would never come, I'd see the light in the shade of the morning sun, my morning sun is the drug that brings me near to the childhood I lost replaced by fear I used to think that the day would never come that my life would depend on the morning sun that the day would never come, when I was a very small girl, very small girls talked to me, now that we've grown up together, they're afraid of what they see, that's the price that we all pay, our valued destiny comes to nothing I can't tell you where we're going, I guess there's just no way of knowing, I used to think that the day would never come, I'd see the light in the shade of the morning sun, my morning sun is the drug that brings me near to the childhood I lost replaced by fear I used to think that the day would never come that my life would depend on the morning sun that the day would never come, I feel so extraordinary, something's got a hold on me, I've got this feeling I'm in motion, a sudden kiss of liberty, the chances are we've gone too far, you took my time and you took my money, and now I fear you've left me standing, in a world that's so demanding..."

Sarah strummed the guitar again and looked at the fire, Will looked sad, and said, "That was mom's favorite" Sarah looked at Will and said, "Yeah, yeah it was...." Dex looked at Sarah and said, "That was beautiful." James looked at the guitar and said, "Well guess since radios don't really work anymore Jack you wanna show us your hidden talent?" Jack looked around and said, "Anyone else able to sing, it'll sound better then" Mel looked at the fire and then at Amir and said, "We can sing pretty well, I know you can Dex, I've heard it before." Louis laughed a bit and said, "Lets hear this...." Jack looked at everyone and said, "You know what, I think we should all sing this, if you know the lyrics, the song is called Home, which is where we'll be heading soon." the ones who were going to sing waited for Sarah to start the guitar up, she eventually began and they all began singing, slowly, eventually they all got in sync.

"Broken stones, broken lightning, this house of doubt is all we know chasing down the silver linings, of wounded minds and wounded souls, oh oh oh, we are coming home, we are coming home, oh oh oh, we are coming home, we are coming home, screaming minds all around us, safe and sound like the rhythm of snow, all young dreams, where have you gone now? these roads were paved with the golden song" Jack looked at everyone and said while Sarah continued to play, "Come on, I know you can do this.", "Oh oh oh, we are coming home, we are coming home, oh oh oh, we are coming home, we are coming home, we are coming home, we are coming home, we are coming home, we are coming home"

Sarah strummed her strings one more time as a guard came up to the group by the fire to tell them that the truck is ready. James stood up as the others did and said, "Well this is it I guess." Amir looked at Mel and said, "I think we are going to stay put, continue our lives here, I think we are done wandering around." Izzy turned to them and said, "That reminds me, I'm thinking I can stay with Mitch, Jim, Dom, and the others to help protect this place, as long as we can still see you guys occasionally when you are in town." Sarah looked at them and said, "We'll always be back to see our friends." James looked at her and said, "Just know you are always welcome here, our doors will forever be open to you and your friends" Sarah looked at James and said, "We will always be more than happy to come back around to see you people, maybe wherever we end up , you all will have expanded to the point to where we will be neighbors." James looked at her and smiled and said, "There are reports of a massive community in Ohio, that is often called the Commonwealth, bigger than us, our goal is to expand until we make contact and eventually grow with them, we are building something big here and I'd be happy if you guys will be apart of it."

Dex looked at him and said, "I would say goodbye but honestly I know this isn't the end of it, I know we'll meet again at some point... " Louis responded with, "Guess this is goodbye for now then..." Sarah walked up to James and they had one final hug before parting ways, Dex, Sarah, Will, Jack, Mel, Lamar began to go to the truck by the front gate. Dr. Green approached Sarah and said, "The outbreak that was beginning is under control thanks to you, and mr. Lamar over there needs to take it easy on his side because those bones will gladly break again with how bad it is." Sarah laughed a bit and said, "I'll make sure he keeps out of trouble. See you around doc." she nodded at Sarah and began to say her final goodbyes to the others, eventually they got into the truck, David approached Mel and said, "You know, I hope to see you again one day, Christy will be due any day now and I hope you'll be around for the kid at some point, she'll want to know you, you're one of the best people I know, she'll need to be around more people like you." Mel smiled and said, "I'll try... See ya around David" David nodded as he backed away, Sarah put the truck in drive and looked at Dex and said, "You ready?" Dex smiled and said, "Lets go home..." Sarah began to drive as they got smaller and smaller in the view of James and the others. They were off to finally go home like they had planned a long time before then.

Jax:

Jax stopped his car down the road to find out where exactly he was, he had left the zone already and didn't know where he had ended up. Jax heard some noise in the bushes and he grabbed Ryker's gun and said, "Who the hell is it?" Jax started to walk to the bushes when a walker came out, Jax said to himself as he grabbed his knife, "Just another damn walker" As he went to swing the walker dodged him and as he turned to see what happened the walker drove a knife into him. The Whisperer then said to him quietly, "You're people don't belong here." Jax was scared, very scared. The Whisperer pulled the knife out as Jax fell he walked into the woods again and into the fields nearby. The Whisperer slowly joined up with a massive herd on the move, he stopped next to a woman at the front and said, "There was one of them Raiders on the road, we must be close to the community, should we attack?" Alpha looked at him and said, "We'll let their luck run out naturally, for now we focus on moving the horde to somewhere by the coast." The Whisperer didnt respond, he just slowly rejoined the big herd as they migrated east.

END