Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Enigma That Is

Silent footsteps tracked his prey through the dense woods. He paused as he saw his target lift its head. A stag. Hoof frozen in mid-step, the proud animal stared into the trees, stretching his neck this way and that to see where the danger lay. But he underestimated his predator, silent as a breeze across the sand, the footsteps resumed their chase.

Lifting the bow up and ready, the deadly weapon slid into position, pulled taut, the hunter steadied his aim. Too late, the stag's eyes snapped to attention as he caught sight of his stalker, and the arrow met its target. Startled, the stag tried to scramble away, but another quick arrow prevented the animal from covering much ground. As the stag lay crumbled to the soft woodland floor, he turned his head to keep the hunter in his sights. From the shadowed cover of the trees, out stepped a man. No, not a man, but a boy. He walked over and lay his hand upon the neck of the frightened animal. With a calming murmur of apologetic words, a swift movement of a knife ended the suffering of the once magnificent stag. The boy removed the arrows and set upon preparing and gutting the animal. Blood and guts tended to attract animals and walkers, so better out here than around the camp.

Once the messy job was over, he cleaned his weapons and rummaged through his bag. Pulling out some rope, he tied up the stag's hooves for easy handling. Sitting back on his haunches, he cast an eye around his surroundings. It's easy to forget that the world has changed. That the dead walked again. The woods gave off a false pretence of peace and security, that is until a walker stumbled into the clearing. With a sigh the boy stood up, brushing leaves off his legs off as he went. Twirling a knife through his fingers he meandered up to the walker, and smoothly slid the knife through it's eye, side stepping the body as it fell to the ground. He turned away, wiping the blade on his top as he went. Before leaving the clearing, he bent down by the stag, grasping the knot around the hooves and heaved the massive weight over his shoulders before setting off on the journey home.

o0o

Lori sat at the fire with Carol, their careful eyes keeping tabs on the children. Carl and Sophia shared a strong friendship which came from surviving together during the 'awakening'.

She was relieved that Carl had found someone his own age to keep him grounded and prevent him from growing up too quickly. Even though she was thankful for Shane, keeping them sane and safe under his wing after Rick's passing, she was worried that his interest was too invested in guns and violence.

"There's something out there!"

Her thoughts were broken as a shout pierced the quiet air. Everyone suddenly stood to attention as they waited to see what emerged.

"Carl, Sophia. Get over to the fire." She heard Carol call out. Her eyes followed the two children as they dutifully followed the command. She absently wondered where the other children were, but relaxed as she saw them standing behind Miranda.

"It's getting closer." Ed called out. Lori inwardly scoffed, as she noticed him move away into the centre of the camp away from the danger. She and Andrea had seen the bruises on Carol, it's pretty hard not to when camping in such close confines. Carol refused to talk about the marks on her body, so obviously left behind by Ed. Everyone saw the way he treated her, but had yet to see him actually lay a hand on her. It was almost a mutual decision by the girls in the group to watch over her, looking after their own.

"Well why don't you check it out then instead of running away, ya chicken?" Merle Dixon. Lori was under no illusions that Merle was a pleasant man, but she knew when to admit that both him and his younger brother Daryl, added extra protection and were skilled enough hunters to keep everyone's stomachs mostly full.

She pondered this as she saw Merle knock Daryl's feet from a cooler box, upon which his feet rested as he lounged in a deck chair. "Come on baby brother. We'll check out the big mean nasty in the woods." Merle drawled as he pushed at his brother's shoulder.

Daryl scowled, and made a flapping motion towards Merle's arms, he sighed and peered around into the trees through squinted eyes. "No need, there's no danger there." He shrugged. "Well, no walkers anyway."

Everyone relaxed minutely at that, and waited to see what emerged from the dense trees, when a familiar shaggy mop of dirty blond hair appeared at the treeline.

"Well, as much as I'm enjoying the welcome party. Anyone care to help me with this? Because it's rather bloody heavy." He huffed out through pants of exhaustion, as he swung the heavy load to the ground.

"ALEX!" Carl cried as he ran down to meet the boy in question, with Sophia following closely at his heels. "Woah, that's a big deer." He said peering down, eyes wide in wonder. "You caught it and brought it back here all by yourself?!"

"That is a stag, and he sure is gonna fill our bellies tonight." Shane walked up from behind, ruffling Carl's head as he passed. He helped Alex haul the animal over to the fire where the girls began preparing it for food. "But Carl's right, this is pretty impressive. We were starting to wonder where you had disappeared to."

"Yeah well, I wasn't planning on being out so long." Alex said sheepishly as he ran a hand through his hair. "But, I saw the tracks and couldn't come back, knowing he was out there. So, I stayed out to find him. Took me two days straight before I caught a glimpse of him." He made a show of wiping his sweaty brow, and scrunched his nose up as he caught a whiff of the smell drifting from his own body, from the unavoidable sweat and dirt of the past few days. The kids around him giggled at the action. "Knackered now."

"Sure is a hellova find there boy." Merle proclaimed as he sauntered over to inspect the kill. "Could have made the gutting a little cleaner though."

Alex shrugged. "Don't want it, then don't eat it. But it's better than squirrels any day." He replied with a tired grin before he headed to his tent and disappeared through the flaps.

Carl started after him, probably to pester him and bombard him with questions about his recent exploration, Lori thought. Stretching her hand out, she gently grasped him by the elbow and led him away. "Let's leave Alex alone for now, yeah? He hasn't stopped for two days, so probably needs a wash and a rest. You can call him out when tea is ready, OK?"

Carl sighed as he scowled at his mother. "Ok." He said reluctantly. Lori pushed him gently towards Sophia where Carol had just finished setting up a game for the kids to play, as he trudged over to join them.

Lori started preparing all the cooking utensils and pots ready for the venison meal. "I don't know how he does it." Lori jumped at Carol's voice from her side. "Sorry, I made you jump." Carol said apologetically, her face twisted up in a nervous grimace.

"No no, I was lost in thought." Lori waved it off with a laugh. "Don't know how who does what?" As she reached for a knife and began cutting up a section of the meat.

"You mean Alex?" Lori looked around in surprise as Amy helped herself to a pot and started dumping the chopped up meat inside of it. She hadn't even noticed Amy arrive, her hunger distracting her.

"Yeah." Carol said. "He can't be more than nineteen, twenty? He's out here with no parents, but can hold his own against walkers and bring this back." She gestured at the stag between them.

Lori hummed as she mulled over Carol's words, she too had thoughts of the same nature. Movement in her peripheral vision saw a few of the others wandering over to help, who must have caught the tail end of the conversation.

"Not to mention, he's British." Andrea said.

"Well." Miranda pondered. "Didn't he say he was on holiday and got separated?"

"No, I said that may have happened. He never actually said anything about it. I didn't ask, figured it would have been too nosey." Andrea responded.

"Besides, he's only just began to open up a bit more. Well, to the kids anyway." Amy countered.

Carol nudged Lori with a smile. "Carl's really taken to him hasn't he? Sophia too, it's always 'Alex this and Alex that'. I think it's helped Alex settle here with us."

Lori laughed. "Yeah, I think he wished Alex was his brother." She paused for a second, staring at Carl as he chatted with the other children across the camp. "I'm just so thankful to Alex for finding him." She sniffed and looked up, feeling her eyes stinging with unshed tears. "If he hadn't brought him back. If he hadn't of saved him from that walker in Atlanta. I just-".

Carol reached over and wrapped the other woman in an awkward hug with the pots and pans between them. "But he did find him. He did save him, and Carl was brought back to you. You don't need to think about the 'what ifs' and 'maybes'. He's here. Safe and happy." She smiled, releasing Lori from the embrace.

Lori smiled back and nodded. "Thank you." She resumed her duties in preparing tea, peacefully listening to the chatter around her as she thought back to when she first met Alex Rider.

o0o

She remembered feeling lost and confused as she, Carl and Shane were stuck in the huge traffic jam on their way into Atlanta City. That's where they had met the Peletier's and Carl had struck up conversation with Sophia. She left Carl being watched over by Carol as Shane and Lori tried to figure out what to do. In the panic that followed the horrifying explosion, she set out to return to Carl. Over the terrified screams and cries of terror, she heard Carl's name called by Carol. As soon as she saw Lori, Carol had ran over clutching Lori's forearms. "He's gone." She remembered Carol crying out in panic. "He ran off after the explosion."

Lori had never felt a feeling like it. Like buckets of cold and hot water were dumped over her simultaneously, as her breaths began to quicken and her eye sight went blurry and tunnelled. Shane refused to let go of her, not wanting to lose her too.

During an agonising thirty minutes that felt like hours, she screamed his name, terrified that he had been trampled on by the hordes of panicked people after the bombing. Tears streamed her face and desperation clung to her like a second skin.

Suddenly Carol shouted out and pointed off the road a little way, where the crowed had seemingly parted to present Carl standing there, gripping the arm of another older boy. Lori surged forward with Shane shouting after her, with one destination in mind.

She reached her arms out and dragged Carl to her chest, promising in increasing hysterics that she would never let him go again. It wasn't until after, when they headed to find a safe place with their new group, that she realised the deathly grip that Carl still had on the boy's arm, who had shouldered Carl's backpack with his own. "Thank you. I don't know what you did, but thank you." She remembered wrapping her arms around him and whispering more thanks into his ear.

He had tensed up but had shrugged awkwardly and brushed it off with an "its fine, no worries."

After that, he stayed with them. There was never really a question of should he stay or not. He was a part of the group and did his bit with protecting the rest of them and bringing back just enough food to keep them going.

When the Dixon brothers joined, he started going out hunting with Daryl too, and learnt how to bring back more game and bigger meals. He kept himself to himself around the camp and stayed out of everyone's way, until the children, usually led by Carl, would seek him out to bombard him with questions and pestered him to join in with games until he usually gave in.

00o

Lori's wondering mind was pulled back to the present, when she was aware of Carl tugging on her jacket. "Mom, is the food ready yet? Can I go get Alex now?"

She smiled and shook her head with fond exasperation after casting an eye over the cooking meat. "Give it another twenty minutes, then you can call him." Carl huffed and turned to walk away. "Not a second before, do you hear?" She called after him.

"Fine!" He reluctantly shouted over his shoulder as he trudged back to the other children.

Whatever Alex's story was, Lori thought as she turned back to the meal, it would be an interesting one, of that she was sure. She smiled to herself and tuned in to the conversation around her.

Chapter Text

Daryl watched the boy from across the flames. He and Alex had returned that day from tracking a boar through the woods. They had spoken very little during the hunt, preferring the peace from the woods around them. He found himself watching the way the boy moved through the trees, it reminded him of a wild cat on the prowl, gracefully stalking its prey.

He tried to figure him out. To understand him. Not for sympathy, not for companionship, but for survival. To see if he was a threat, a loose cannon that would jeopardise the safety of the camp, or at least him and Merle.

Merle kept talking a big game of stealing from the camp in the dead of night, going off on their own, leaving the heavy load of the women, children and trigger happy idiots behind. But the more he pondered over it, the more he felt, dare he think it, attached to the damn camp. He just knew that if he left with his brother, he would be forever wondering what happened to the band of misfits. Not that he was going to mention any of this to Merle.

"Hey."

He looked up as the British boy sat next to him.

"Looked like you were deep in thought, so here's some food before this lot eat it all." Alex gestured to their camp mates, scattered around the fire chatting with each other. "Which I reckon isn't fair, seeing as you did help catch half of it."

Daryl scoffed as he accepted the plate. "Half?"

Alex shrugged. "Yeah well, you helped a bit." He shared a crooked smile as he picked at his own plate.

Daryl chuckled and shook his head. Ok, so he would admit, the boy wasn't completely annoying to have around.

o0o

The next day, Alex found himself listening in as Lori had a school session with the kids. He never really had much interaction with children before, aside from his own schooling back home. Sure he had met kids and helped the odd few on missions, but never lived in such close quarters with them before. Well, apart from Point Blanc Academy, but Alex didn't dwell on that…

So he didn't know how to feel, when he realised he had a slight fan club in the form of an energetic Carl and shy, yet curious Sophia. They would follow him around during the day when he was doing jobs, eating dinner, helping with the laundry, cleaning his weapons – (despite the nervous glances from the mothers), or creating games and trying to get him to join in, in passing time in their camp. Oddly enough though, he found that he didn't really mind. Although when trying to catch 40 winks, after a long hunt, only to be woken up in a cold sweat with his 'spy senses' tingling to children peering into his tent or arguing outside in hushed whispers, did get annoying sometimes.

Alex reckoned it started from when he first met Carl, when the young boy calling for his mother caught his attention in the chaos after the Atlanta bombing. Something called in his gut to help the young boy, only to find several walkers advancing towards the oblivious child. He remembered turning to the boy, after bringing swift executions to the zombie-like creatures, to find an awe-struck expression stuck upon his face, followed by an extremely tight grip from the small hand that latched onto his arm. After swinging the boy's forgotten backpack on to his shoulders, they set upon finding the boy's mother and friends.

What followed was a sequence of flurried events which led to Alex finding himself being dragged after the group, with one arm slowly losing its circulation, as he and the boy were corralled by the mother. Alex ended up staying with the group because, well what else was there to do?

o0o

The group had been split to gather more supplies. Usually it was just Glenn, but the camp was running low on just about everything, so a team had been led into Atlanta on a run.

Daryl had been gone for two days tracking a large game, so everyone's stomachs were rumbling with anticipation. Shane and Dale were on watch, keeping an eye out for lonesome walkers looking for an easy meal.

"I wonder if they're ok." Carol looked up at Sophia's voice. The kids were seated around a table working through some math questions. After all education couldn't be forgotten about, just because the world's ended.

"I'm sure they will be. Glenn's been there millions of times. He knows what he's doing." Carl said with earnest. "Right Alex?"

Carol smiled, all the adults had noticed the way the kids had latched onto the older boy. Especially Carl.

"Erm, what?" Alex questioned, caught off guard, He was sat away from them, but angled towards the table. He had found his own piece of paper, and had been doodling on it, seemingly lost in his own world.

"Whatcha doing?" Carl asked, twisting his head around to see Alex's paper. Apparently forgetting his previous question.

"Oh nothing." Alex said hastily covering his paper and began scrunching it into a small ball.

"No! Wait!" Sophia cried, with her hand stretched out towards the fore mentioned drawing. She quickly looked around to her tent where her father was snoozing, and quickly retracted her hand. "I only meant." She started again but quieter. "Please let us see it. We won't laugh, even if it isn't very good."

Alex hesitated and looked at Sophia speculatively for a moment. His eyebrows knitted together and he cast his eyes over to Carol for a second, who quickly looked away pretending she hadn't been eavesdropping at the proceedings. But she too couldn't resist checking in the direction of her tent where she knew her husband lay. Looking back towards the kids, she accidently caught Alex's eyes that still held slight suspicion. Carol could almost see the cogs turning in his head, as he put together the evidence in his head of all the public interactions of Ed, Carol and Sophia, and the well-practiced art in trying to cover bruises. She shook her head minutely and begged him with pleading eyes not to say anything. He narrowed his eyes, but nodded his head once and Carol drew a short breath of relief.

Alex turned back to the kids with a slight mischievous gleam in his eye which was rarely seen, and pulled the crumpled paper from his pocket. "Ok. You must promise not to laugh at my pitiful excuse for a drawing." He stated seriously.

With a glance at the eager nods and being met with a chorus of "We promise", he lay the paper on the table and smoothed it over.

He was met with silence, as the children tried to decipher what Alex had drawn. Carol smothered a laugh at the pouting face of the usually expressionless boy, but she saw a twitch at his lip as he tried to hold back his laughter. He noticed her looking between him and his drawing and shrugged. "Hey, I said it wasn't very good!"

She laughed out loud and shook her head. "I never said anything." Carol said with a smile. She noticed some of the others walk over and sit in the vacant chairs around the table.

"What's going on?" Asked Andrea, looking around trying to find the source of the amused look on Carol and Alex's faces.

"Well, Alex drew a picture and I don't know what it is." Sophia began to explain. She spun the paper round to face Andrea and Amy who stood by her sister's side. "I think that's a tree, and that's the sky. But I don't know what that is." She said, tilting her head this way and that.

Alex mock huffed and crossed his arms across his chest. "Well obviously that is a person kicking a football."

Sophia took the paper from Andrea and peered at the drawing again. "Oh, yeah. I see it now." She smiled at Alex and handed it back. "It's really good, honest." She said with mothering expression.

"Ha, thank you very much." Alex chuckled as he accepted the paper. "Very convincing."

The little girl had a sheepish expression upon her face, as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Who is it?" Carl interrupted.

Alex froze and began to fold the paper. He pushed his chair out and started to stand up. "Erm no one, just a drawing."

"Doesn't he have a name? The other boy playing football? Because that one has yellow hair which is you, right? So who is the other boy with black hair? What's his name?" Carl shouted the questions, as the other boy began to walk away.

"Carl." Lori chided as she arrived unnoticed, behind Carl. "If he doesn't want to talk then don't push him." She said, placing her hands on his shoulders from behind.

"But Mom, he doesn't say anything." He said looking at her, then pointing his stare to the older boy's back. He raised his voice. "He never says anything about himself. You know he has a gun?" He redirected his words to his mother. "He sleeps with it under his pillow with a dagger. He thinks I don't know but me and Sophia went looking for him once and saw them in there!"

Lori's grip tightened momentarily at her son's words, but spun him around with her eyes flashing. "Listen to me Carl, some people go through things in their life that leave them hurt and lost. We don't know what Alex's story is, and maybe we never will. But he is our friend and you never force a friend into a situation they don't want to be in. Don't you ever go in his tent or through his things again." She shook him slightly from where her hands were still on his shoulders. Glancing at Sophia, she carried on. "That goes for both of you. Do you hear?"

Sophia was sniffing and hid her face into her mother's side, who gently prised her out. "Sophia, did you hear what Lori said?" Carol asked.

"Yeah, I'm really really sorry Mom. Sorry Lori." She said.

Lori sighed and let go of Carl. "Now, I want you to apologise to Alex when he comes out of his tent. Ok?"

"Yeah, I will." He paused. "Do you think he hates me now?" He asked quietly as he looked up at his mother, who shook her head in response.

"No, I don't. But just give him space. Now go and finish your math questions. Food will be ready in a few hours." She turned and walked away, hearing Carol following her.

"Did you know he had a gun?" She asked Carol quietly.

"Yeah, saw it once when he came back from a hunt. It fell out his belt in front of me when he was carrying rabbits. He didn't hide it, just tucked it back in and kept going. Figured he was safer with it, what with being out there hunting alone, so I didn't question it. You?"

Lori nodded. "Shane told me. Apparently Alex told him when we first made camp here, I think Shane was impressed by his honesty so let him keep it. That and Alex said it played up sometimes and didn't always work, for some reason." She shrugged. "Sorry we didn't tell you, but we didn't want to cause everyone else to want one too. Hopefully no one else will want a gun after this, thanks to Carl I think everyone knows."

Carol smiled. "That's fine, it's the same reason I didn't tell you."

They were quiet for a moment then both laughed, walking away arm in arm to start on the laundry.

o0o

Later on, when everyone was tucking into a hearty meal. A shadowed figure made his way into the heart of the camp where plates of food were being devoured. He hesitated just outside of the human circle, then made his way in, accepting a plate as he went. Alex took a place between Carl and Sophia who automatically shifted over upon seeing him.

Several minutes later, Alex drew the paper from his pocket and smoothed it out over his leg.

"Tom." He said quietly, absently noticing how the buzz of conversation around him lessened as people took note of his voice and actions. His young audience stopped eating to listen to him.

Alex cleared his throat. "Tom Harris, my best friend back home. In the drawing we're playing footie in our school field at Brookland High."

Carl gently took the drawing and stared at it in a fresh light. "Did you play football a lot?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yeah." Alex smiled. "We both love it. Used to play it every second we could."

"Used to? Do you mean before the walkers happened?" Sophia piped up.

"Sort of, things changed, happened, a few years ago. Tom and I still played but just not as much." Alex said as he started to pick at his food. "Too busy for one." He muttered under his breath.

"Oh." Sophia resumed eating as Carl looked at Alex.

"Erm, Alex? About earlier, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you, and we shouldn't have looked through your stuff." He said honestly.

"Yeah." A muffled sounding Sophia took Alex's attention, as she nodded her head frantically, and gulped her food down in one. "I'm sorry too Alex, really sorry."

He smiled. "It's fine, honest. I shouldn't have had a hissy fit and walked off like that. I just clam up sometimes, so I'm sorry too." He resumed his eating and the conversation around them started up again.

Lori and Carol caught each other's eyes from across their group and rolled their eyes and smiled at the antics of their loved ones.

Chapter Text

There was a flurry of movement across the camp, as preparations were put in place for the second expedition into Atlanta. This time for guns and Merle.

There had been mixed emotions the day before, when the tell-tale noise of a car alarm as Glenn and the others, hurtled into camp. Alex had watched as there were tearful hugs between families and a surprising reunion between Lori, Carl and the new sheriff in town.

Daryl sat at the rear of the truck as he cleaned his weapons, a scowl etched upon his face. His squinted gaze, directed his heated glare bouncing between Rick and T-Dog, who kept glancing back nervously to the pristine weapons in Daryl’s hands.

Alex sighed and trudged over to Rick.

“Are you sure you don’t want me there as back up? I can help.”

Rick shook his head and laid his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“I need you here. Lori tells me you’re pretty handy with a knife and gun. You can help Shane keep watch and protect the camp whilst we’re gone. Please?” He looked down at Alex, pleading with his eyes.

Alex pulled away and nodded as he accepted his fate at being left behind.

“Hey Kid.”

Alex looked up at the voice but couldn’t see anyone, figuring someone was calling for one of the younger kids, he ignored it and started walking towards Daryl.

“Alex! Up here.”

He looked up towards the RV where he could see Dale’s smiling face from the roof.

“Come on up, and keep an old man company.” Dale grinned and disappeared from view before Alex could decline his offer.

Alex scowled as he moodily shuffled forwards, towards the ladder that led to the RV roof. “Pretty sure you’re not that old.” He mumbled under his breath.

o0o

Dale smiled as he saw the mop of dirty blond hair appear at the top of the ladder. He had seen how Alex was curious about the runs Glenn had taken into Atlanta, and how he had expressed an interest in joining the latest venture into the city with the large group, only to be shot down by Shane each time. He figured that Alex would want to go on the rescue mission for Merle and the Guns. But Rick, like Shane, wouldn’t want to be worrying about the young boy out there, regardless of his obvious talent for handing weapons.

Dale turned his attention to Alex, who by now had sat himself cross-legged next to Dale’s deck chair with a disgruntled expression etched on to his face.

“You keep pulling those faces, it’ll stick that way son.” Dale said light heartedly.

Alex stretched his legs out and grimaced as he heard a pop, he shook his head. “You wouldn’t be the first to say that to me.”

His curiosity peaked, Dale asked, “Oh, yeah? Who was the first?”

Alex smiled and chuckled under his breath. “A friend of mine. She always said that ‘one day the wind will change and your face will stick that way Alex’.” He had a light smile upon his face and was obviously remembering some distant memory.

“Sounds like something a Mom would say.” Dale observed.

Alex lost his smile and shrugged. “Jack was more of an older sister, or favourite Aunt rather than a Mum. She was too carefree and fun to be a parent.” He shook his head. “No, she was our house keeper.”

Dale hummed in response and nodded as they kept their eyes on the activity of the camp under and around them, ignoring the curious eyes from several fellow camp mates. Dale was very much aware of how closed off Alex usually was, so he was happily surprised to hear Alex open to reveal some information about his past.

“Are your parents away a lot then? Enough to have a house keeper anyway?” Dale couldn’t help asking.

Alex hesitated a little and cast his eyes over Dale before settling back down, and resumed his gaze over Rick discussing tac-tics with Glenn. “My Uncle.” Alex corrected slowly. “Ian worked away, a lot. He hired Jack when I was young, about 7 years old maybe. She looked after me and the house and just became part of the furniture.” He paused. “The family.”

He sighed and started fiddling with a patch of moss, which had begun its growth among the dirt in the roof. Dale stayed silent, letting him gather his thoughts.

“My parents died when I was a baby.” Alex began. “My Dad’s brother Ian took me in and cared for me, but he had a really busy job so Jack arrived one day, made us this weird foreign food and the three of us just gelled straight away. It was if she had always been with us.” Alex grinned and looked up into the distant clouds in the sky. “She was a wacky, funny, smart mouthed, red headed American with a quick temper. She was brilliant.”

They stayed silent for a while, both mulling over their own thoughts as they basked in the sun and the silence around them, up on the roof. Just below them, the daily jobs were being completed accompanied by a chatter, in an attempt to cover tense feeling that was smothering the camp in the wake of the Atlanta Incident, which had left Merle handcuffed to a pipe in a walker infested Atlanta.

Alex shook his head as if to clear away bad thoughts, stood up abruptly and dusted his legs off before he walked over to the ladder. “Thanks for the chat, but I want to talk to Daryl before the guys leave.”

Dale nodded as he watched the boy go. He tried not to feel too disheartened that Alex had left their impromptu heart-to-heart session. “Hey Alex.” He called out to the British lad who had neared the top of the ladder.

Alex stopped and cocked his head to the side.

“Anytime you want to chat, listen or just sunbathe. Just remember this old man sitting up here on his own. Ok?” Dale said.

Alex turned his head and a smile ghosted his lips.

“Cheers.” Dale heard softly, before the boy turned and quickly disappeared from view as he descended the ladder.

Dale sat back in his lounger with his own smile upon his face. He felt like he had accomplished something there with Alex and connected a little. But if anything was certain, it was now more than ever, he felt that Alex had one hell of a back story. The way he was speaking, the expressions in his eyes and on his face, strengthened the belief that something had happened before the re-awakening of the walkers. Something that had found this young mysterious British boy in America, on his own during a zombie apocalypse.  

Chapter Text

All he had wanted to do since waking up in that God awful hospital, was to find his wife and son. The pure unadulterated joy he felt upon reuniting with them, was nothing to the sheer terror he felt when entering the camp last night to the screams and gunshots, with the morbid chorus of groans from the walking dead.

The instinct of protector and leader had kicked in as Daryl, T-Dog and Glenn joined him in tearing up the ground, guns blazing to save their friends and camp mates.

Eventually they ended up victorious, but not without their losses.

Rick stopped and stood up from where he had been lugging the walker’s bodies over to an ever growing pile. He raised his hand and pinched the top of his nose with a sigh, letting the hot Georgia sun beat down through his eye lids, he reluctantly cast his mind back to the events of last night and the friends they had lost. Even though he hadn’t known these people for very long, he felt this protectiveness overcome him to look after this family of survivors that Lori, Carl and Shane had found for themselves.

His hand moved to rub his eyes in an attempt to brush away the tiredness and melancholic thoughts. He lowered his hand and felt the walkie-talkie he had pinned to his belt brush against it. Morgan sprung to the forefront of his mind. He hoped he and Duane were surviving out there and were receiving Rick’s signal. He had attempted to reach Morgan a couple of times to update the father and son as to his whereabouts and company. Rick found himself regularly using the walkie as almost a diary, talking into the empty abyss of the device, it was a small comfort in this new unknown world.

As Rick squinted against the shock of the sun, his gaze landed on Andrea clutching the body of her sister. He walked over to Daryl who taking a quick break from clean up.

“How is she?” He asked, gesturing over to Andrea with a nod of his head.

Daryl just shrugged and grunted in reply whilst returning to smashing in the heads of the deceased with a pick axe.

“Amy hasn’t moved yet.” Rick turned to see T-Dog standing next to him with his face twisted up in disgust at Daryl’s actions. “Man.” He murmured under his breath with a shake of his head. “We’re keeping an eye out for when she wakes up though.” He continued, patting the knife holstered to his hip.

“Ok.” Rick nodded. T-Dog moved away to help Glenn drag the bodies to the separate burial sites. Rick had already tried to talk to Andrea, but received a gun to his face for his efforts. It seemed like the entire camp was walking on egg shells around Andrea and the lifeless body of her sister, waiting for the inevitable reawakening of Amy, or the breakdown of Andrea who hadn’t moved since Amy died in her arms.

He heard footsteps approach and stop beside him.

“She just needs time Rick.” Dale said quietly.

Daryl scoffed from nearby. “Wait much longer, she’s gonna get bit, then we’re gonna have to put her down too.” He grumbled as he passed, the bloody pick axe hanging over one shoulder, with a gloop of red something clinging to it, swinging with the momentum of Daryl’s walking pace.

Rick and Dale watched him toss the axe to the ground, the tip embedded into the well-trodden dirt with the force of the throw, and sit next to Alex who was perched on the water cooler, eyes glued to the crimson trail of blood seeping into the ground from a nearby walker’s head wound. Glenn and T-Dog walked over to collect the body, both grunting and puffing with the weight of it as they heaved the walker up, leaving a pool of red in it’s wake.

“Ignore him Rick.” Rick’s attention was torn away from the sight, back to Dale who patted his shoulder and continued warmly. “Daryl’s still torn up about Merle, and twitchy about Jim.”

Rick nodded. “Yeah I know.” He looked at Jim, who was sat away from the camp, the blood on his shirt showing the fatal bite wound. “How is everyone? The kids? I know Carl’s a little shaken up, he was glued to Lori this morning, until he saw Alex, then acted all macho.”

Dale huffed a laugh. “Or at least as macho as a 12 year old can be.” He said with a grin.

Rick smiled in return and conceded with a nod.

“Oh they’ll be fine.” Dale continued in response to Rick’s question. “We’ve got a tough bunch here. Although Sophia’s a little quiet which isn’t surprising after her father’s passing. She’s with Lori at the moment, Carol’s seeing to Ed’s body.” He looked up to see Rick about to interrupt. Dale shook his head, guessing at what Rick was about to argue. “It’s something she needs to do. Leave her to it.” Rick sighed and reluctantly nodded, Lori had confided in him the other night, she told him of the camp’s suspicions as to Ed’s abusive behaviour towards his wife and daughter. Rick was ready to storm their tent, to take actions against Ed, but Lori begged him to leave it. Carol didn’t want the fuss, to risk making things worse, and she and Sophia were protected to a degree under the careful watch of the close confines of the camp.

“Having said that, you didn’t see Alex.” Dale pondered out loud. Rick turned his inquisitive gaze towards Dale. “Last night, when we were attacked.” Dale hurriedly amended.

“What do you mean?” Rick asked with a frown.

Dale sighed and looked towards Alex from his peripheral vision, he discreetly shooed Rick away from where Daryl and Alex were still sitting, discussing something and passing a water bottle between themselves. “I don’t know how to describe it.” He paused, searching for the right words. “He changed. The way he acted, moved, fought, it was like he was on auto pilot.”

Across from him Rick shifted his stance and crossed his arms, his eyebrows scrunched up in a frown as he took in Dale’s words.

“He took out the walkers with anything he got his hands on. Well I mean, we all did to a degree, I guess, but he did it almost professionally. Of course I was otherwise engaged what with the walkers, but later on I noticed him with a gun, and my god Rick. He just took them out! One right after another! If he hadn’t been here I don’t know how many people we would have lost, but it would have definitely been more. He saved my bacon once or twice for sure.” Dale finished with a gasp of air, as if he had been so engrossed in describing the events of the previous night, he had forgotten to take a breath.

Rick thought back to last night and now in the cold light of day, he realised that there was a heap of walkers in a semicircle around the RV with clumps to the left and right that he, Glenn, Daryl and T-Dog hadn’t been responsible for. He had just assumed Shane, Morales, and Andrea had protected the group with the few weapons they had in their arsenal.

“Don’t get me wrong.” Dale added. “Most of us took down a walker or two, especially Shane, but Alex, well he was something else.” He finished.

Rick pondered Dale’s words, whilst it was true that the young British boy had seen some luck with bringing food into camp, whether it was from hunting or scavenging, Rick realised that he, and maybe most of the others, still considered Alex as one of the kids.

“Hey Rick!” Shane’s shout from across the camp, pulled his attention from his thoughts for a second. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

Rick nodded “Yeah.” He called back, gesturing for him to wait a moment. He turned back to Dale and placed a hand on the older man’s shoulder. “Look, I’ll talk to Alex. See how he is, see if we can unravel this mystery a little more.”

Dale sighed a nodded, “We talked a while ago, and he opened up a little about his family and life. Let me tell you Rick, that boy has been through some hell from the sound of it.”

“Like what?” Rick enquired with a frown.

Dale shook his head. “Nah, it not my place to say. I can’t betray his trust.”

Rick nodded and smiled apologetically, holding his hands in a peace like gesture. “Sorry sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” He paused and glanced over to the boy in question for a moment. Focusing back at Dale, he looked him directly in the eye, and hesitated before speaking again. “He is safe though, right? You don’t think he’s a danger to the kids, to the camp?” He saw a look of shock pass Dale’s face, and hurried on, “I don’t want to believe he is! I just want to make sure.” He sighed and shook his head. “In my line of work you see different sides to people, you learn to never under-estimate anyone.”

Dale smiled begrudgingly. “I think he’s just a boy with a past, who’s looking to survive in this new world he found for himself. I think he’s looking to make friends Rick, not enemies.”

Rick smiled in relief and nodded. “Good. That’s good.” He clapped Dale on the shoulder as he left, his next destination set for Shane.

o0o

It was later on that Rick found himself face to face with Alex. It was after Amy woke up, after Andrea had to pull the trigger to her little sister’s head and after the funeral for the people they had lost, when Rick and Shane patrolled the perimeter of the camp. Shane was adamant Fort Benning was the solution, that it would provide safety, food and shelter. But Rick wasn’t so sure, he didn’t want to risk it. He thought the CDC was their best chance, but if he knew anything about his best friend, it was his stubbornness. Rick loved Shane, he really did. They had each other’s backs every second of the day when they were partners on the force, and Rick could never repay Shane for what he did to keep Lori and Carl safe the past few months. But hearing Shane blame Rick for the number of fatalities the camp suffered was something else, it crossed a line that warned Rick that his friend had started to change.

“Look, I’ve gotta do what’s best for my family.” Rick said as he and Shane strode through the forest. “If it was your family, you’d feel differently.”

Shane stopped dead behind Rick and scoffed. "What did you say to me? I kept them safe man." He snapped at Rick. "Looked out for them like they were my own."

Rick sighed and tried to calm him down. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Well how did you mean it?” Shane responded, getting into Rick’s face. “Go on man, how did you mean it?”

"You’re misinterpreting me man. You're just hearing it wrong." He attempted to get Shane to understand what he meant. “You know I can never repay that debt, okay?” He took a breath to continue talking when they were interrupted by a sound in the bushes nearby. The two men stood and drew their guns, after a glance, they separated to investigate.

Rick stalked through the forest, gun held ready in front of him. Keeping his eyes and ears peeled for sounds and movement which would point to danger, he wove a deadly dance through the trees when he heard a twig snap to his left. Reacting immediately, he span around and pulled the gun towards the offender. A squirrel sat in the line of fire, innocently nibbling on a nut, oblivious to it’s near miss. With a sigh Rick jammed his gun back in its holster and turned around, intending on trudging back to Shane to continue their patrol.

“Hi.”

Rick almost jumped out of his skin, when a mop of dirty blonde hair popped into his vision.

“Alex?!” Rick gasped out, which he would claim to his dying day was not a squeak. “What the hell are you doing out here?” He threw his arms out as if to demonstrate the forest around them. “How did you get out here? We didn’t see you follow us!”

Alex scuffed his shoe against the undergrowth, with a sheepish look on his face. “Sorry.” He shrugged, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “I was wandering around, doing a sweep and saw you having a fight with a squirrel.”

“I wasn’t-.” Rick started to defend his actions against the rodent, when he saw the half hidden smirk on the boy’s features. Rick dragged his hand down his face with an exasperated sigh followed by a quiet laugh. “I could’ve shot you. I could have-.”

“I know, I know. My mate swore up and down that I lived to scare him, but my Uncle always said I’m naturally quiet.” Alex responded with another shrug.

Rick smiled both at the information willingly given by the normally private lad, and the reminiscent expression which seemed to restore the youthful look on his face. “So, I was talking to Dale earlier about the attack last night, he said you took on your fair share of walkers. You ok?”

Alex nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just wanted to help where I could.”

“Dale said you looked pretty handy with the gun. You used one before?” Rick asked.

Alex hesitated before answering, looking a little distracted as something caught his eye over Rick’s shoulder. He frowned a little, taking a step forward, which manipulated Rick into stepping behind Alex. “Erm, yeah. I’ve had a bit of gun experience.” Alex continued to peer into the trees with the strange look etched into his face.

“You ok?” Rick asked in concern. He followed Alex’s gaze and saw Shane standing with Dale.

“Come on man.” He heard Shane call through the trees. Rick lifted his hand to show he heard.

Alex started walking forward. “I’m fine. Look, we should head back.”

Rick hummed in response as he stared at the back of Alex’s head. Something had spooked him, Rick was sure of it. What caused it though was another thing, all Rick saw in the forest was Dale and Shane. Maybe Alex thought they were walkers at first, which would have explained the way he moved Rick around to protect his back.

He sighed as he followed Alex out of the forest, his mind once again flooding with thoughts, concerns and theories as to how best he could keep the group of survivors alive.

o0o

Rick stuck the last bit of tape to the door of the car and stood back to re-read the note and map he had left for Morgan.

~ MORGAN, GOING TO CDC. THIS AREA NOT SAFE. RICK ~

He’d radioed Morgan with the walkie, but once again received no response. A surprising turn of events saw Shane change his mind and persuade the group to go with Rick to the CDC. Everyone that is but Morales, his family and a few others, who had decided to separate from the group, and head towards Birmingham to try and find family and loved ones.

Dale was piloting the RV and Glenn navigating with Jim in the back with Jackie, his bite wound causing him pain and making him feverish, but Rick hoped he held out until they got to the CDC, to try and find a cure.

Lori, Carl, Carol and Sophia waited for Rick to get into their truck, with T-Dog and Andrea following behind in theirs. Daryl and Shane had opted to drive their own vehicles, offering to carry any spare supplies in the empty seats.

“You ready?” Alex asked from behind, his shadow covering the note left on the bright red door.

Rick turned and nodded. “Yeah, you want to ride with us?”

Alex shook his head. “It’ll be a bit of a squeeze with me in there. I’m riding with Daryl, he already offered. Well-.” Alex adjust his statement at Rick’s raised eyebrow. “I offered the joys of my company and he just sorta grunted, so I’m taking that as a yes.” He said brightly.

Rick laughed and shook his head as he watched him walk over to Daryl’s passenger door. He looked over to Morales’s truck and saluted a goodbye and received a worried smile and a nod of a head.

“Come on Dad!”

He took one last look at the space that the campers had called home for the past month, before moving towards his truck. Things can only get better, he thought optimistically. Hopefully. Maybe. He just groaned in defeat.

You will probably have noticed that I have kept a few of the unnamed camp mates alive. I just wanted to show that Alex had made a difference by being in the camp. But I have had these people leave with Morales and his family, to keep our bunch of survivors the same and not confuse anything.

Chapter Text

Fear.

Desperation.

Failure.

Those were the flurry of thoughts which rushed through Dr Jenner’s head as he processed the last few hours. The morning started the same way it had done for the past 194 days, only this morning an incident occurred. Something so trivial that in any other situation, the thought ‘don’t cry over spilt milk’ would come to mind. The toll of sleepless nights, isolation, and pressure came to pass during a simple act of reaching for a beaker. He saw it happen in slow motion, with his arm stretched out, it knocked into the cylinder which spilt the corrosive liquid onto the specimen sample. Alarms blaring, he rushed into the decontamination chamber, and watched in horror as his experiments burnt before his eyes. Later on as he drank himself into a drunken stupor, rambling on to his diary log knowing full well no one was listening anymore, with the very sense of failure clinging to him like a second skin, he admitted defeat.

Now, the halls of the CDC were alive with chatter and laughter from its new residents. Despite breaking all the rules and knowing what would happen at the end it the countdown, he couldn’t just leave them out there. He knew that when he met his end in several hours, he would be also relieving these strangers of having to live through hell. He could live with that. Or, you know, die.

o0o

Carol held a wistful echo of a smile on her face as she gazed around the room, Carl browsing the collections on the bookshelves and Sophia nose deep in the worn pages of a book she had found. She felt at peace, in the moment. The tension of the past week had been pulling everyone down, but Rick stayed true to his plans. As promised, the fabled CDC proved to be their safe haven. Secure, comfortable, with food and hot water – a home.

In her dreams, she felt the axe embedded in Ed’s head, she saw the blood surrounding Amy, and she heard the screams of her friends being pulled apart by the walkers. Every morning, she clutched Sophia a little tighter, desperate to keep her safe. Sparing a thought for Jim, she wondered how he felt in his last few moments, for he would surely be dead by now. No one lasted very long once bitten or scratched.

Jim had asked to be left behind. He’d said his bones felt like glass, that the ride, which could have been his salvation, was killing him. Maybe he was at peace now, with his family. That’s all Carol could hope for. The walkers were just shells of the people that once occupied their bodies, Dr Jenner has assured them of that.

However, for all his knowledge and scientific research, he had more or less admitted there was nothing he could do. What could one scientist do, which so many others could not? His colleagues had left, gone to be with their families, to survive. But why they had not returned, Carol could not understand. Surely this building was safer than their houses and evacuation points.

“Mom? Do you want to read this book? It’s really good.”

Carol looked at her daughter who met her Mother’s gaze with such an earnest look of innocence that only a child could wear.

Carol smiled and nodded. “Sure sweetie, why don’t you come on over and share this couch with me? Show me what you’ve learnt.”

Receiving a blinding smile in return, Carol knew in that moment that she would do anything, anything to keep her daughter safe in this world. Safe from the world that lay in outside the shutter doors, and away from the monsters who had stolen the lives of so many just and deserving people who she had grown to care for and call friends. She would grow stronger in strength and in character and step out of the shadow she had hidden behind for so many years.

o0o

Alex lay reclined on the bed, hands behind his head staring at the ceiling, listening to the gentle murmur of voices and activity around him in the building. The day had been a whirlwind of information and advances in their survival. Finding Dr Jenner and this building which had stood the test of the apocalypse of the walking dead, had proven Rick’s decision to have been the right choice.

Subconsciously his mind drifted to the people he had inadvertently left behind back home in the UK. He hadn’t meant to get stranded over here. Mrs Jones had called him into the offices one day, interrupting a serious game of footie between him and Tom.

Several months ago

The unique ringtone allocated for Royal and General filled the football pitch, causing Tom’s face to scrunch up in disappointment and frustration.

“So is the Star Wars ringtone because Jones reminds you of Darth Vader, or is that the theme music you picture with an evil, manipulative spy organisation?” Tom asked with a weak smile and a raised eyebrow, masking his annoyance at the bank’s interference yet again in his best friend’s life.

Alex smirked. “She’s just that scary and her very presence fills me with doom.” He replied in mock mysterious voice with a wry grin.

He answered the call with a curt, “Rider.”

A stoic female voice filled the line. “Mr Rider, your presence is requested at the Royal and General Bank immediately to discuss your account.”

Alex sighed, “When is it anything other than immediately. Why not ‘at your leisure’?”

He heard the empty dial tone in response.

After apologising to Tom and promising another match of football upon his return, injuries dependent, he took off to the Bank to meet with the demanding force of MI6.

Within twenty four hours he had been briefed, given equipment, gadgets and new ID, and found himself shipped off on his way to the USA.

He had been in America for two weeks before news of the first ‘reanimation’ had occurred. Shouts of miracles soon spiraled into screams of horror. He called in the madness which was occurring in the USA but the mission handler ordered him to monitor the situation but continue with the original mission brief. Nine days later his mission quickly changed from tracking an international underground drug lord to trying to figure out what the hell was happening when he lost all communications with MI6. Eventually, after five days of attempting contact, his persistent efforts paid off.

“Hello? Erm, Smithers here. Blast this damned machine! I do hope you can hear me? Apologies for the bad signal chaps and ladies, I’m having to use an outdated system borrowed from the Bletchley days and have re-configured it to connect to some modern comms. If you can hear this, well there’s not much you can do until I find a way to work a two way communication system.

To sum things up, we were hit pretty hard here. We’ve lost a number of MI6 bases including the Royal and General. We are currently holed up an old World War Two base with old tech, and what I was able to grab from R&G. I do hope you’re alright my friends, we are able to track most of you, I hope you are yourselves and not … well, the walking deceased. I’m not able to do much for you all I’m afraid as we have no way to send help – there isn’t any. Not yet anyway.

This is a recorded message that will circle every few days, in case you’ve lost, or broken your comms, or trying to find a way to charge it. Remember you can use solar energy to charge it, either using the portable charging ports I gave most of you before your missions, or those of you with the updated version there is an attached miniature solar panel slotted in the base. Many of us are safe here with other agents, staff, directors and a lot of families of many MI6 staff, we tried to save as many of your families as possible. We are all working together with other Intelligence Divisions to try to figure this out.

Anyway, this is Smithers cutting this transmission. Look after yourselves and don’t do anything reckless. Smithers out.”

Several days after hearing that message, Alex found himself saving a young boy from some walkers and into the clutches of a mad woman who turned out to be a concerned mother looking for her son, which led to the impromptu formation of the ‘Camp Survivors’ as Alex had dubbed them in his head.

Present day

Alex jolted awake, never realising he had fallen asleep in the first place. The old CDC building groaned and grumbled as the pipes in the walls provided well deserved hot showers to the inhabitants. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Alex rubbed his eyes and reached for a glass of water sitting on the bedside table. Remembering that he forgot to pick up a book he had seen earlier in one of the lounges, he pulled himself up and walked to the door, grabbing a zip up hoodie as he went, hooking it over his bare shoulders.

He walked into the lounge and froze in the doorway. He wasn’t expecting the room to be occupied, but then he saw Shane moving to grab Lori in what seemed to be a fit of anger. Seeing the terrified look on Lori’s face, Alex crossed the room without a second’s hesitation to seize and lock Shane’s arms behind his back and twist them in a move which made Shane let out a strangled shout in pain. Alex turned his head to look at Lori whose face was frozen in a state of shock.

“You ok?” Alex asked.

Shane tried to wriggle out the painful hold that Alex effortlessly held him in.

“What the hell man? Get off me!”

Alex just pulled his hand back, knowing that it had the right effect when he heard Shane painfully hiss air through his teeth in pain.

“Alex, you can let go.” Lori breathed out in concern, whether for Shane’s arm or Alex’s sanity he didn’t know. “He’s not going to hurt me.” Her eyes flickering wearily between Shane and Alex.

Alex scoffed. “Didn’t look that way to me.” He said in scorn. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on between you two.” Seeing their alarmed faces, he shook his head. “Don’t insult my intelligence by trying to deny it. The entire camp knows something. Hell I’d be surprised if Rick hasn’t picked up on…” He paused, “Well whatever this is.” Nodding his head between them both. Turning his attention back to Shane, he stared him in the eye. “But if you lay one hand on Lori or anyone in this camp, against their wishes. Just know I will come for you.”

He let go of Shane and flexed his hands to release the cramp that had settled in from the tight grip from the altercation. About to spin round to walk out the room, his eyes caught sight of a strange look on Lori’s face. Following her line of sight, he tilted his head down to see his sniper scar shining out, pride of place above his heart along with his collection of permanent memories of past missions with mad evil tyrants. Slowly adjusting his hoodie so it once again covered his bare torso underneath, he stalked out of the room, pausing once to grab the book that caused his appearance in the first place. Looking down at the front cover and scanning his eyes over the summary on the back, he hummed “Yep, this will do”, and continued out the door, back to his room, leaving the estranged couple to their own devices, confident that his message had been received and understood.

Chapter Text

Carl walked down the lit hallway on light feet, aware of his friends sleeping behind the closed doors. He woke this morning and felt content for the first time in ages. His Mom and Dad almost had smiles on their faces in their sleep, although his Dad was snoring which was really annoying. He remembered in the past, before the walkers happened, his Mom teasing his Dad saying he snored when he was drunk. Carl blamed the alcohol the adults consumed the night before, for the high spirits around the dinner table. He and Sophia kept giggling as the grown-ups became increasingly drunk as the night went on, until Carol – who hadn’t drunk much – took them to bed.

“Carl.”

He huffed. As much as he liked Sophia, and he really did, he sometimes found her to be a bit twitchy and clingy. Like a puppy that followed him around, which was admittedly nice sometimes, but occasionally he wanted space. Like now.

“Hey, Carl!”  Sophia whispered loudly as she hurried behind him, trying to catch up. “Where are you going?”

Carl slowed his march to a more sedate pace and turned his shoulder a little to allow the conversation. “Just having a walk.”

“Oh.” Sophia muttered as she finally caught up and slowed to a walk alongside Carl. “I was getting a drink and saw your shadow go past the door.” She paused. “Not gonna lie, I thought you were a walker at first.” Her head tipped down, causing her hair to hide her face, but Carl saw the corner of an embarrassed smile.

He smirked and nodded in understanding. “Takes a little getting used to, doesn’t it.”

At the confused crinkle of her eyebrows, he elaborated. “The safety of the compound. The security of getting a drink during the night, without being escorted everywhere.” He gestured to the glass of water which was held in her hand.

She nodded in understanding and smiled. “Yeah, I see what you mean.” She responded quietly.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, and bumped her shoulder with his, a grin plastered to his face. She looked up and laughed at his dorky expression.

Together they quietly sniggered and joked as they continued their early morning walk down the dimly lit hallway. A few minutes later, seemingly in sync, they slowed to a halt in front of a door on the left, next to a flickering lamp.

They stood there in silence for a moment, each debating whether to broach a new conversation.

“Do you think he’s awake?” Sophia whispered, more cautious now with the volume of her voice.

Carl shrugged and he stared at the door handle. “Don’t know. He always seems to be the first awake.”

“Yeah, but it’s like you said. We can be more relaxed, we’re safe now, so maybe he’ll relax too.” She said in earnest.

Carl hummed in response, still fixated on the handle. “Only one way to find out.” He said, shooting a quick mischievous grin in her direction, whilst stretching his hand to grasp the door handle.

Quick as lightning, her hand snapped out and clamped down on his arm to stop him. “No!” She cried out.

“Shush!” He hissed in her ear, waving his free arm madly in her direction for her to quieten.

They both froze, straining their ears to catch any sound of movement from the other side of the door, or any of the others down the gloomy hallway.

After a moment of silence, Carl relaxed his muscles marginally, and took advantage of Sophia’s distraction and slack grip on his arm. He pushed down on the handle and the door opened smoothly without a noise. He glanced at Sophia and saw a look of horror on her face, which was looking at their joined hands still resting on the now redundant door handle, her eyes slid to the narrow gap the door now created. She recovered quickly and narrowed her eyes at Carl pulling her hand off his.

“What are you doing?” She hissed under her breath, narrowing her eyes at him.

He mentally shook off her anger, and mouthed shush again.

She smacked his shoulder in annoyance. “Stop saying that.” She whispered back, admittedly quieter than before.

He leaned close to her ear with a grin. “You need to live a little Soph.” He pulled away to see her scowl. He cocked his eyebrow and maintained eye contact as he gently pushed the door open the rest of the way, brushing off the stare of death given by one Ms. Peletier.

They both straightened up and stared into the darkness of the room. Curiosity got the better of Sophia as she followed Carl’s step over the threshold.

She heard Carl fumbling around in his pockets, as she nervously looked over to where a lump in the darkness indicated a body in a deep sleep. Suddenly the room was filled with light as Carl proudly held a torch in his hands. Her eyes widened in alarm, watching for any signs of movement.

The room was fairly sparse. Alex took up one bed and the spare remained empty. His bags had been left packed and ready to grab at a moment’s notice. Paranoid much Sophia thought as she stepped carefully around the room, always keeping one eye on the lump on the bed. It was strange, she thought, as Alex usually woke up at the slightest noise. He must be really tired not to have heard them.

“Look at this.” Carl’s whisper bought her attention round to the far side of the room, she slowly tip-toed quietly over to where he was standing with an object in his hand. On closer inspection under the torch light, the mysterious object was a small black device which looked like a thick cell phone. There was a screen which covered most of the surface, and a small keyboard below. On the top ridge there were two small lights next to a little socket and on the sides were grooves which looked like vents. Carl pointed to a thin line which ran along the back, there looked like a compartment hidden there. It almost looked like a Blackberry phone that her dad had for work once, she hadn’t been allowed to touch it but it looked cool at the time, this seemed better.

“Is it a walkie talkie?” She asked.

At the shake of his head, she ventured another guess. “An MP3 player?”

He moved it around in his hands and inspected every inch of it, offering a shake of his head to Sophia. “I don’t think so, but there is a headphone socket.”

“Well, what do you think it is?” She asked looking up at Carl who just shrugged, still focused on the box. “Where did you find it?”

He nodded his head towards an opened backpack on the floor.

Sophia’s mouth fell open in shock, “You went through his things!” She hissed loudly.

Carl had the decency to look a little abashed. “Remember how we found that gun that wouldn’t fire-"

“-You mean when you dragged me into your scheming, and we promised our moms we wouldn’t go snooping again?” Sophia interrupted.

Carl glared in response and continued talking. “Well, I saw him using the gun with the walkers outside the CDC. The one he said didn’t work, and I saw him talking into this device the other day.” Carl waved the strange black box in front of Sophia’s face. She scowled and shoved his hand away. “He was saying Smithers, over and over. It was like he was waiting for a response, but then he got angry and threw it in there.” He pointed to the abandoned backpack on the floor.

Sophia huffed and crossed her arms, careful not to crack her old drinking glass as she did so. “That’s why you wanted to come here? To snoop around in Alex’s room?”

“Well you’re the one who followed me in!” Carl answered back.

“I’m leaving. This isn’t right, he’s our friend.” She spun round and proceeded to quietly tread back to the doorway, illuminated by the hallway lighting. She heard Carl sigh, put the mysterious device back in the bag and follow her footsteps.

As she was making the careful journey out of this dangerous territory, she mulled over in her mind how on earth they got away with their little expedition, and how lucky they were that Alex hadn’t woken up to their whispers and mutterings. Back in camp, before the CDC compound, Alex was always the first awake at the slightest noise or movement. But recently he had been looking more tired and withdrawn – they all had. She had accidently overheard, read – eavesdropped, on her mom and Lori, talking about how they needed a win with how exhausted the camp was. Their conversation soon moved on to Alex, as it always seemed to, but Sophia put it down to the two women being ‘Mother Hens’. They too had noticed his pale complexion and tired appearance, but they’d hoped the security of the CDC could start to allow him some relief and improve his health.

Just as she was a step from the doorway, her thoughts were interrupted by an obtrusively loud crash from behind and the air was filled with explicit cursing from Carl – of which he had undoubtedly picked up from Merle during their time in the old quarry.

“GOD-DAMN IT!” Carl continued to shout, as he hopped around the room clutching his sock ladened toe, which had presumably just stubbed the side of the wardrobe, the torch that was pressed against it from his hand, expelling light bouncing from all corners of the room as it rose and fell with each hop that Carl made.

What happened next was such a blur of speed, that Sophia was almost positive time was sped up. One second Alex was fast asleep in the corner of the room, wrapped up in blankets with one leg sprawled over the covers and the other hanging off the edge of the mattress. His left arm tucked under the pillow and the other stretched out in front of him. The next second he was stood behind Carl, like a silent predator with a wild, unfocused look in his eyes. His messed up bed head hair, and chequered pyjama bottoms doing nothing to relieve the image. The most terrifying part though, was the hand that was positioned under Carl’s chin, which held a knife. A knife which was held to the vulnerable skin, the sharp edge glistening in the light from the flickering hallway lamp.

Everyone froze. Not a single muscle moved and no breath was taken.

Then, as if nothing had happened, Alex slowly slid away from Carl, dragged himself back into bed, and rolled over so his back faced the shocked occupants of the room.

“What the-" Carl breathed out he stood stock still, he looked completely in shock as to what had just happened, the echo of the knife pressed against his neck must have left an imprint in his mind. He almost jumped out of his skin when Sophia reached a hand out to grasp his arm and tug him out of the room. Sophia carefully shut the door with barely a sound, and sigh quietly as she paused for a moment resting her forehead against the door. Taking a minute to collect her thoughts, she breathed heavily against the grains in the wood, watching as the condensation created by her breath faded from view.

“Are you ok?” She asked quietly without turning around.

“Erm.” Carl stumbled over his words, and cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m good.” He subconsciously dragged his hand over his neck. Coughing again, he nodded to almost reassure himself of his words. “I’m fine. Just a little confused and shocked I guess.” He gave a nervous laugh and caught Sophia’s eye, who had now turned around and was resting her back on the wall. “Just, ah, give me a second to slow my heart rate down.”

She offered a small smile in return and gestured down the hall. “Let’s go in the sitting area. Don’t want to wake him up again.”

Carl nodded and glanced to the closed door behind them. “Yeah, lets.”

o0o

Once they had seated themselves in the comfy armchairs, Sophia broke the silence. “So what do you think happened in there?”

Carl scoffed. “I think we’ve figured out why Alex had his own tent, and room. Why he’s so secretive.” He paused and ran a hand through his hair. “He’s crazy! He’s gotta be. I mean why else would he try to kill me and then go back to bed as if it’s nothing?”

Sophia sat back and allowed Carl to let off some steam, it was only fair, she thought, seeing as he had just suffered a near death experience at the hand of their friend.

Carl huffed as he finished his tirade.

“I think he was asleep.” Carl looked up at Sophia’s explanation. “I don’t think he knew where he was, who we were, or what has happening. But, for some reason he thought he was in danger, and luckily for us, realised who we were so his subconscious mind took him back to bed.”

Carl sat, staring at Sophia with his mouth hanging open. “How did you think of all of that?”

She shrugged. “Come on, it’s not the first time we’ve seen him do something odd and we’ve tried to guess what his story is.” She sat back and tucked her legs underneath her. “But whatever happened to him in the past, whatever he’s lived through before joining us, his brain made him move when it thought he was in danger. That must be why he’s always up first in camp and why he’s twitchy when he’s tired.”

Carl’s eyes lit up. “Like a ‘sleeping’ sleeper agent!”

Sophia frowned. “A what?” Trying to follow his train of thought, but failing.

“In action movies and spy shows, where there are sleeper agents who are activated if someone needs taking out or someone else needs protecting. But he’s asleep when it’s triggered so he’s a ‘sleeping’ sleeper agent. Only, it's his mind that triggers it, not some bald evil dude with a white cat”. He said excitedly.

“Right." She answered slowly and dubiously. "That's the plot to James Bond isn't it?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Carl huffed and slouched in his seat. “Well it’s an idea.”

Sophia dismissed him with a roll of her eyes. “Whatever.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes whilst thoughts went rushing through their minds. The clock read 7.05am, and the compound would be bursting with activity soon, hangovers dependant. The two children decided to head back to their rooms and not mention anything to their parents. It’s not as if Alex actually hurt them, so what’s the harm, right?

o0o

If at the breakfast table, anyone noticed how Carl and Sophia sat together away from Alex, nobody mentioned it. They didn’t mention how the kid’s heads were squashed together as they traded theories as to the mysterious background of their friend.

Alex didn’t think anything of it, he just assumed the kids were taking a break from following him around. He did find it strange though that the strand of hair he had stuck to the door frame as a security feature (it's hard to break the training that's so ingrained in him!) had moved, and how this morning when he woke up, his palm was bleeding from a small incision. He just assumed that he’d accidently caught his hand on the knife he kept under his pillow, and maybe someone had popped their head in his room to see if he was awake this morning, and therefore disturbed the strand of hair.

He couldn’t deny though that he felt well rested. Better than he had in ages, probably even since this whole end of the world thing started. There was something welcoming about the hum of a sleeping building, knowing that his friends were safe behind closed doors, away from the horrors of the outside world, and finally in a warm and comfy bed. Hell, he could have probably slept through an earthquake with how tired he was last night.

Alex rubbed at his eyes and sighed as he looked around the breakfast table. A little more sleep wouldn’t hurt though, he had a lot to catch up on after all.

o0o

Of course things never go quite to plan when it came to Alex Rider. What was meant to be the start of a beautiful friendship with the CDC building and Dr Jenner, quickly turned into chaos.

Only a few short hours after he had sat down at the breakfast table that morning, the group found themselves one person short, homeless and running for the hills once again, after Jenner decided put the compound on shutdown, with an ominous countdown clock ticking away the moments until the building blew up, due to an experiment gone wrong. Something Dr Jenner failed to mention, as the gang settled down into their new digs the night before.

Sitting in the passenger seat of Daryl’s truck, Alex mourned the loss of one of their own. Jacqui had decided to stay behind with Dr Jenner. She never really got over the loss of Jim, and she found it difficult to go on in this horrible new world without her family and loved ones. They tried, they really did try to persuade her to follow them out of the doomed building, but she stayed put. One more person lost to this ridiculous new world they all found themselves in.

Alex squinted as he looked up at the bright sun above, he just hoped the group would catch a break soon. They deserved it after everything they’d been through.

Chapter Text

There’s something hauntingly terrifying about trying your damnedest to quieten your breathing when hiding from the enemy. Of course, Alex had been putting this into practice for a few years now, just not with a horde of the moaning dead - he was more use to an arch nemesis master criminal, plotting world domination type of thing. Alex would usually welcome a change to the usual mission brief, but this was a bit of a stretch, he just hoped and prayed that the others had spotted the mass crowd of the dead early enough. It would have been suicide to try and fight.

o0o

Several moments earlier …

Dale looked around in dismay as the group started to rummage through the vehicles around them, his trusty RV which had taken him on many a fine journey in the past, had broken down. Of course, it picked the right moment to do so though, on a road where cars stood, abandoned as their owners fled for their lives, stretching along as far as the eye could see, ready for pilfering.

Dale tinkered around with the broken area, preparing it for a new radiator. That is, if they found a suitable replacement.

“Hey.”

Dale tried to mask his jerk of surprise as a soft voice startled him from behind his shoulder. A small smile on the perpetrator’s mouth proved he failed in covering his shock. “Alex! Didn’t see you there. What can I do for you?”

Alex shrugged and looked around, his eyes constantly flickering this way and that, alert and ready as always.

“Well, that’s what I was going to ask you, anything I can help with?” He asked.

Dale shook his head. “Unless you know how to fix this.” He gestured to the broken down RV. “I think it’s a matter of searching the cars like the other guys are.”

Alex nodded, squinting as the hot sun bore down on them. “Figured as much.” He said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. “Thought I’d ask anyway.”

Dale threw a smile his way as he turned back to the RV. “Gotten use to the heat yet? Bet it’s a bit warmer here than England. Am I right?”

Alex huffed a laugh. “Just a bit! I think if Britain had this weather, everyone would be in a meltdown. Literally. It would be sun-mageddon! Same thing if it snows, even a little. Panic ensues from one little snowflake and supermarket shelves are wiped clean in case of a snow-in!” Alex chuckled to himself, Dale joined in as he pictured the image in his mind.

“Not you then?” Dale teased.

“Nah I’m tougher than I look. I’ve travelled to enough places by now to acclimatise quicker than most to the weather.” He paused. “Not that I’m not currently sweating buckets right now.” He wafted his t-shirt to emphasise his point.

Dale hummed in response whilst his thoughts latched onto something Alex had said. “Did you spend a lot of time in different countries? Before all this?” He asked feigning his blasé attitude to mask his interest.

Alex gave him a sharp, knowing look. Dale smiled and raised his hands in an innocent gesture.

After a pause, Alex allowed him an answer. “Yeah, I guess I did.”

Dale felt a small stab of victory as he stayed silent and let the boy continue.

“My uncle took me everywhere on little holidays. Although I guess he wanted me exposed to different cultures, languages and experiences. Worked too. I picked up a few skill sets here and there.”

With Dale’s interest spiked, he was about to pursue the conversation more when they were interrupted by Glenn.

“Which one?”

Dale turned to glare at him who had appeared at his shoulder with a few different screwdrivers clutched in his grasp.

“The flathead.” He said as he snatched it from the lad’s hand in a rare state of annoyance. “Radiator hose clamp is always a flathead.” He threw a glance to Glenn’s lost expression and after a short consideration, returned the tool along with a rag to the confused man. “Here, you do it, learn something.” Turning his attention back to Alex, he opened his mouth ready to speak when a sudden coughing and hissing of air came from Glenn and the broken radiator. Dale sighed and realised this probably wasn't the best moment to chat with Alex. He spoke up to regain the attention of the British boy. “We’ll continue this conversation later.” He ordered with narrowed eyes in a mock stern voice.

Alex smirked and gave a salute. “Anything you want me to do in the meantime?”

Dale waved towards the front of the RV and beyond. “Just search the cars like everyone else. You may want to go further up ahead, you’re quicker than some of the others. Once we get this up and running,” He smacked the side of the RV with his palm for emphasis as he spoke. “We’ll not want to stop again, so go see if there’s anything way out there. But for God sake, keep an eye out for walkers!”

Alex nodded and scarpered off, proving Dale right as the boy sped past the others who were meandering slowly from car to car. Dale marveled as Alex slid over bonnets and twisted his way through the abandoned cars with slick precision.

Dale left his thoughts behind as he headed towards the back of the RV to stand by Rick, who wordlessly handed over the binoculars. Dale nodded in thanks and began his trek up the RV ladder to assist with lookout from the vantage point of the roof. 

He stood as a silent watchman as his fellow survivors filtered through the cars for food, water, clothes and fuel. The whole world falls into disarray, and that's what it came down to. The few things essential for survival for the group, and probably the rest of the world. Well, those who survived the onslaught of the undead that is.

He heard clunking from inside the RV beneath his feet as Andrea, he assumed, worked on something. He was worried about her, if her behaviour in the CDC was any indication, he needed to keep an eye on her. As much as she was against the idea, he planned on keeping her around for as long as he was able. He had felt responsible for Amy and Andrea from the first moment he met them and took the sisters under his wing. Now Amy had been lost and in the most horrific way, none felt the pain more than Andrea, that much was obvious, but it didn’t mean Dale didn’t morn the young woman. He wouldn’t fail Andrea, no matter how hard she tried to push him away.

Gleeful laughter tempted his attention over to Glenn and Shane who had found water. A lot of water. At last, some good news, he thought with a smile. He returned to his watch, casting his eyes over the stretch of cars that took up the highway. He froze. Something moved in the corner of his eye. He hoped it was a member of the group. Prayed in fact. The binoculars caught a solitary walker in its lens. Dale signaled down to Rick who lined it up through the scope of his gun, and that’s when all hell broke loose.

o0o

Dale watched from the safety of the RV roof, as the walkers wove their way through the bodies and debris in the road, the knackered and battered shoes offering a chilling sight to the desperate souls hidden under the cars. He feared for the lives of his friends as they watched the feet scraping along, listening as the dead gurgled and grunted their way through the long stretch of cars on the otherwise silent road.

Not 10 minutes earlier, they had been happily scavenging through the cars for items of use, and now their lives depended on their silence and good fortune.

Dale could hear Andrea gasping for breath after her fight with the lone walker who found itself in the RV. He had ended up passing her the nearest thing he had that even remotely resembled a weapon, but it had worked. Armed with just a screwdriver and sheer adrenalin, Andrea had channelled all her grief, anger and terror into ending the walker’s existence.

Just after Dale saw the last of the stragglers pass through where he knew his friends lay hidden, he saw two walkers which had previously gone unnoticed, swarm around a car and a muffled cry followed. In horror, he quickly descended the ladder and moved towards where the sound came from. He and Andrea came across a hysterical Carol in the arms of Lori.

“Lori! There's two walkers after my baby!”

Lori clung to Carol, in a desperate attempt to quiet her down and hold her back from charging into the woods. Dale knew that the herd could easily turn around if they caught a sound or smell in the breeze.

“What happened?” Dale asked urgently as Andrea moved to Carol’s side, to try and soothe her anguish.

Carol just moaned in grief-stricken hysteria and shook her head, clutching Lori’s arms as if to keep her anchored down.

Lori stepped in to explain. “Sophia was spooked. Two walkers somehow found her under the car, and she ran off into the woods.”

Carol’s crying grew louder. “My baby.” She shook her head as the tears continued their path down her face. “My poor baby.”

“I know.” Lori rocked the older woman and calmed her as best she could. “Rick’s with her, he’ll find her. You’ll see.”

“Mom, she’s gonna be alright, isn’t she?” Carl asked in a quiet voice as he stood close to his mother who looked at him with tears in her eyes.

Shane gripped his shoulder. “Your Dad will bring her back. He knows what he’s doing.”

Carl looked up at Shane, trusting his word and returned to his vigil alongside Lori and Carol before once again speaking up. “Hey, where’s Alex?”

Everyone looked up and around at the realisation that not everyone was accounted for.

“Daryl and T-Dog too.” Dale added.

The sounds of a scuffle alerted them to the presence of incoming movement. Shane lifted his gun and aimed it still towards the sound.

“Don’t shoot.” A gruff voice called out quietly. “We need help.”

From around a car, Daryl appeared hauling T-Dog who had a long smear of blood down one arm.

“He bit?” Shane asked sharply with narrowed eyes.

Daryl dragged the moaning T-dog closer. “Nah, the idiot sliced himself on a car door.”

Dale saw the tension leave Shane’s shoulders as he lowered the gun. He moved past the others and stepped closer to T-Dog to see the extent of the damage. He let out a low whistle of incredulity. “You’ve sure done a number there.”

T-Dog laughed weakly. “Tell me about it.” Daryl left him propped up against the RV and started to inspect his arm. “Am I gonna live Doc?”

Daryl grunted. “Better get that cleaned and wrapped up.”

Dale stood up. “I’ve got an old first aid kit in the cab, I’ll bring it out.” He set off towards the van, hearing a quiet "thanks" in reply from the invalid.

o0o

A few minutes later saw a rudimentary bandage on T-Dog’s arm, with a "that will do" from Daryl.

Their small group formed a circle around Carol, still in the arms of Lori, as they waited for the lost members of their group to make an appearance.

Shane broke the silence as he looked around. “How far ahead did you say Alex went?” His question directed towards Dale, who shielded his eyes from the bright sun as he peered into the distance past the cars which littered the road.

“I’m not sure.” He said slowly. “I lost sight of him a few minutes after he set off that way.” He pointed up the road. “It was several minutes before the herd arrived, but he moves quick, so he’d of managed to get quite far away I’d wager.” Shane nodded in agreement, Dale continued. “Also he would have been hit after we had, so assuming that he wasn’t seen, he’s probably just stayed hidden longer.”

“So he should be back soon then?” Carl piped up from his place next to Lori.

“Yeah.” Dale said reassuringly, “He’ll be back soon.”

Carl nodded a little despondently. Dale reasoned internally that the young boy had just found that his two friends were missing, at the same time, but in different scenarios. He hoped Rick had caught up with Sophia, and Alex would show his face soon.

In the corner of his eye, Dale saw Glenn sit up a little straighter and a grin graced his face. Dale shot him an inquisitive look causing Glenn to nod forward with his cap. Following his gaze, Dale breathed a sigh of relief.  

There, stumbling down the road, Alex made his way back to the group, lugging something heavy behind him. He looked exhausted, bloody and fed up but happy to see his camp mates.

Carl turned around at the noise and shot to his feet. “ALEX!”

All the adults shushed him immediately, and a sheepish grin appeared on his face.

“Sorry.” He murmured as he made his way to Alex, who had come to a standstill next to Glenn, who started to inspect the load Alex had returned with, as he flopped down on the ground with his filthy arm over his eyes to block out the setting sun.

“Are you ok?” Andrea asked worriedly as they approached him with a wary eye on all the blood and muck on Alex’s clothes.

Alex moaned and pulled his arm off his face with an exaggerated move which signalled to the group how tired he actually looked. “I hate em’. Walkers. I bloody well hate em’.”

Shane’s eyebrows were pulled together as he raked his gaze over all the blood. “Is that your blood, or walkers?”

“You asking if I’ve been bitten?” At Shane’s stare, Alex huffed and continued. “Walker blood. When they came across me, the only cars around me were low ones, so I had to pull some ninja moves. Worked for the most part but then a bunch of lone walkers at the end of the herd saw me and gave chase.”

Carl gave a gasp, thoroughly taken in with the story. “How did you get away?”

Alex shrugged from where he still lay on the floor. “Killed them. Had to do it quietly mind you, or else the entire herd would have turned around. Mucky business.” He finished as he started to take notice in the state of his clothes. Sitting up, about to try and clean his t-shirt he looked around. “Hey, where’s the little’un? And Rick?”

Hearing Carol’s sob and the silence of everyone else who shot the mother a worried look, he narrowed his eyes and heaved himself up. “Seriously, where are they?”

Suddenly fast footsteps were heard from the woods and everyone, bar T-Dog, stood to attention.

Rick emerged alone.

Chapter Text

So much had transpired in the last two days.

No one really had time to fully take in what had happened.

From one thing to another. They barely had the chance to eat and sleep, and if they got the opportunity, thoughts filled with sorrow and terror would take over their dreams.

Sophia. Her little Sophia, that’s all she could think about. For her baby’s entire life, Carol had protected her. From her abusive father, from the imaginary monsters hidden under her bed, to the real monsters that now walked the earth. Carol always looked out for her daughter, but now she couldn’t. She couldn’t hold her little girl tight to her chest and whisper that everything would be ok, she couldn’t clasp her hands tightly around those smaller ones to reassure herself that they would live through this madness, and it was killing her.

She didn’t know what to do.

Sure, she had Lori and Andrea who sat by her side when the pessimistic thoughts filled her head. But it wasn’t enough, she needed her daughter back. She needed to know Sophia was safe.

Everyone was doing what they could to find her, search parties were being sent out left right and centre, but everyone had things going on in their own personal lives.

Carl had been shot the day the herd passed through the highway. A farmhand had mistakenly shot him when aiming for a stag. The owner of the farm was a veterinarian called Hershel Greene, who patched Carl up as best he could. There was a funeral held for Otis yesterday, Carol thought the guilt of shooting Carl, had led to him leading Shane to the school for the medical supplies, which were urgently needed for Carl’s survival. Otis lost his life whilst saving another, two if you count Shane who was saved by Otis’s heroic act. It worked though, you could feel the tension lift from the camp’s shoulders when they announced Carl would be alright, but the underlying stress was still there with Sophia’s disappearance.

The Greene family had allowed the group to stay on the land by the house. Jimmy decided to help with the search for Sophia, but Carol sensed Hershel wasn’t keen on Beth’s, his daughter, boyfriend’s decision. She didn’t think he wanted his family to get too close, especially so soon after Otis’s passing. His daughters were kind and willing to help where they could, Glenn and Maggie had returned from their run into town for medical supplies with Glenn looking a bit sheepish upon their return. Carol smiled, at least someone was enjoying their new life here, so long as Hershel didn’t suspect anything.

Carol was brought out of her musings as someone roughly brushed past the laundry she’d just finished hanging up.

“Alex!”

He turned to her, his stormy eyes catching the shirt which now lay on the floor.

“Sorry.” He said guiltily as he hurriedly picked it up and pegged it back in place on the makeshift line.

Carol stopped him from turning away by gripping his arm. “That’s not what I meant.” She paused. “But thanks for hanging it up anyway.” She said with a soft smile.

Alex nodded and made to turn away to continue his journey out into the forest.

“Alex,” Carol repeated. “Please, just sit down. You haven’t stopped. You’ve only been back about half an hour since you last went out.” She gestured to the log nearby which people used as a seat.

He shook his head, his hair haphazardly waving around emphasising how dirty it actually was. “I can’t stop. We can’t afford to waste a second.”

Carol’s eyes shone with gratitude as she pulled him down to take a seat next to her. “I know. Truly I know, but you haven’t stopped. The last thing I want is for you to collapse out there on your own.” She found his hand which was gripping the log tightly and grasped it in her own. “I can’t thank you enough. I really can’t, but you need food.”

Alex’s head shot up from where he was stormily staring at the floor. “I’ve just had food!”

Carol shook her head. “Real food. Not just the odd snack here and there.”

Alex shot his gaze over to her angrily. “You don’t need to mother me. I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself.”

Carol let go of his hand and stood up. “Yes well, someone needs to.” She said stiffly.

Alex shot to his feet. “Says who? I’ve done perfectly well staying alive so far.”

Carol sighed in exasperation. “I didn’t mean it like that.” She flung her arms in front of her as she paced a little way away from him. “I just think, we should all look out for each other, especially at the moment when so much is happening.”

Alex stayed silent and Carol feared for a moment that he had slunk off during her tirade. She turned around. He had sat back down on the log with his head in his hands, breathing heavily.

She sighed and silently moved to sit beside him.

They both sat there for a while with cicadas chirping away around them.

The moment was broken with Alex mumbling something.

Carol narrowed her eyes, attempting to decipher what he said. “What did you say?” She asked gently.

Alex sighed and spoke up a little. “I said it’s my fault.”

Carol sat there for a second, stunned.

He shot a glance her way, then regained his previous position with his hands cradling his head as he stared at the grass below their feet. “I know what you’re going to say, ‘whatever do you mean Alex? It’s not your fault Alex’.” He said in an odd voice as an attempt to mimic someone else. “It’s just,” He continued normally. “I could have done more.” He groaned in frustration as he raked his hands through his hair, the odd finger getting caught in knotted blond strands. He lifted his head and gloomily stared into the distance. “I know how to survive out there, I’ve been trained for things like this. I-” He cut himself off and glanced to Carol in the corner of his eye.

She gave him a look of sympathy and nodded reassuringly. “I know what you mean, I could have done more too-” She began as Alex cut her off.

“That’s just it!” Alex cried as he stood up sharply, the tiredness and frustration from the past few days which had worn down on him, caused him to finally snap. He spun on the spot to stare at her. “You don’t understand. No-one here understands.” He waved his hands around him as if to show her the members of their group milling around the farm. His raised voice caused a few of them to glance over towards them as their curiosity peeked.

She saw Rick and Shane set off in their direction with Glenn, Maggie and Lori trailing behind.

“I’ve seen things, I’ve done things that no one here would ever believe. I can do so much more than you people know. I’ve put up with being treated like a kid because for once in my life no one is expecting anything from me. If it wasn’t my Uncle, it was them and if it wasn’t them, then it was some insane maniac hell-bent on taking over the world.” He paused and let out a deranged laugh. By now the others had reached Carol and Alex. “Well good luck to them.” He cried. “Because there really isn’t anything worth taking over now!”

Rick approached him like he would a startled animal. “Hey Alex, you ok?”

Alex whipped around to stare at him. “There you go again!” He stepped closer to Rick, with a frenzied look in his eye. “I don’t need to be mollycoddled! I’m not Carl.” He poked Rick in the ribs. “I’m not Sophia.” He turned to keep Carol in his sights. “I’m me, and you people don’t even know who I am. Not really.” He had stopped with the furious pacing and was just left looking exhausted, like all his energy was just stripped from him in one go.

Lori came over slowly, ignoring Rick’s mumbled warning and held out a hand as she approached him. She gently grasped him by the elbow and spoke softly. “We’re not trying to treat you like a kid Alex. Ok? We’re just worried about you because you’re our friend. We know you and Daryl have been working your asses off to try and find Sophia, but you’re only human. You need food. Ok? You need rest. When did you last put your head down for an actual sleep, because no offence,” she chuckled before she continued. “You look awful.”

By now Alex’s body had loosened up and he looked ready to drop. Carol came over to his other side, caught Lori’s eye and shot her a concerned look. She shrugged her shoulders to express her unspoken question of ‘what’s just happened?’. Carol shook her head minutely in response.

“I don’t even know anymore, Jack would know. She’d send me up to bed so fast your head would spin.” Alex mumbled quietly to himself, reminding the women of Lori’s question.

“Well,” said Carol, taking charge, “you can start by eating a proper meal and catching a good night’s sleep.” Seeing Alex about to protest, she steamrolled on. “You can join in with the search tomorrow morning, first thing.”

“The sun will be setting soon anyway so we would have to turn back in an hour at any rate. Besides Daryl’s out there now.” Lori inputted.

“Yeah, and I’ll be talking to him about getting a good meal too when he returns.” Carol continued. “I can’t thank you boys enough for what you’ve done for Sophia and me. But like I said, you need to look after yourselves too.” She said with a soft smile. “We all need to look after each other.”

o0o

Two hours later saw Carol and Lori sitting on the front porch steps, after making some dinner for everyone. They took the time to sit and gaze towards the distant woodland.

Lori was aware of Carol shooting her looks every now and then. Eventually she sighed and cocked her head to the side to shoot Carol a look. “What?” She asked.

“Hmmm.” Carol innocently questioned.

Lori sent her a mock glare. “Don’t think I haven’t seen all the looks you’ve given me.”

Carol mulled something over in her mind before putting Lori on the spot. She turned her body around to face the other woman. “Are you ok?”

A slightly surprised look filtered across Lori’s face before she masked it. “What, because of Carl? I’m fine. He’s fine. We’re all … fine.” She fumbled over her words as she muttered weakly, not expecting the blunt question asked by the other woman. Lori was in no way ready to share the news with anyone, not when Rick didn’t know. She had no idea what she was going to do with the baby, let alone how to deal with the father, whoever the father was.

Carol stayed quiet for a moment before responding. “You just seem distracted, and I'm not talking about Carl or Sophia.”

Lori looked up to meet her waiting gaze. “I’m fine, really.” At Carol’s raised eyebrows she repeated herself, stronger this time. “Carol, honestly. Everything’s fine. Or at least it will be when we find Sophia.” At Carol’s morose slouch, Lori rubbed her friend’s back reassuringly. “We will find her.”

Carol smiled, a flicker of hope was seen amongst the despair that littered her façade.

Suddenly a call sang through the grounds of the farm.

“Walker!”

It was Andrea standing on watch, positioned on the RV roof. Lori and Carol were too far away to hear the conversation between everyone but they saw a group break away from the RV to investigate.

Suddenly a shot rang out, followed by Rick’s cry.

“No!”

It was Daryl. He’d been shot in the head by Andrea’s overenthusiastic effort to show off her skills.

Something shot past everyone who was stood at the RV, the blur ran towards their fallen comrade and the rest of the group gathered there.

Alex rushed to Daryl’s side, shoving Shane out of the way as he helped Rick and Glenn carry the bloodied man towards the house whilst the others ran inside calling for Hershel.

o0o

Hershel announced that Daryl would be laid up in bed for his stomach and head injury for a while. The shot to his head looked worse than it was. Not that Daryl hadn’t had a lucky escape. Something Shane heard Rick mention to Andrea after Daryl had been handed over the vet. He knew that after Amy’s death, she was a loose cannon but this was a close call. Not that he really liked Daryl that much, but he couldn’t deny that he was a help to the farm and brought another level of security which could keep Lori and Carl safe.

As he rounded the corner of the barn, he stopped suddenly when he heard raised voices. He ducked into a nearby stall as he came across the middle of a conversation.

“-Just be careful next time.” Alex was saying. “Always ensure your target’s identity before pulling the trigger. Always.”

Shane frowned, that sounded like something a shooting instructor would say, like he’d been taught it professionally.

“But he looked like a walker.” Andrea protested.

“Yeah, but what if it had been Sophia? She’s been in the woods for a few days now, she going to be filthy. She might even be injured and moving sluggishly. Would you just shoot her?”

Andrea scoffed. “Of course not! I’d know if it was her, I’d recognise her.”

Alex shook his head in disappointment. “Well by that reasoning, you shouldn’t have shot Daryl.”

Shane heard Andrea take a step closer to Alex. He peered his head around the corner to get a better look. “What do you know? Huh? You’re just a kid with some weird hero complex who thinks he knows better than the adults. Have you even ever fired a gun before coming here?” She laughed tauntingly.

Shane couldn’t see what Alex did next, but Andrea’s laughter was cut off. “Hey!” She cried in outrage. “How did-. Give that back.”

Shane strained his neck as far as he’d dare and caught a glimpse of Alex holding a gun and emptying the bullets out on the floor in a few slick movements. In the next second, he had tossed the weapon into a pile of straw in the corner and whipped a knife out, which was previously stashed securely in Andrea’s belt, with the art of an accomplished pick-pocketer.

He stood there with a cold calculating look in his eye, the likes of which Shane hadn’t seen before, and certainly hadn’t expected to see on a teenage face such as Alex. He twirled the stolen knife in his hands, leading the blade through a merry dance between his fingertips.

He took a solitary stride towards Andrea causing her to take a stiff step back.

“You, have no idea what I am capable of.” He said slowly. “I may be absolutely knackered, and feel like I’m ready to drop, but I could take you any day. Don’t push me. I am at the end of my tether so back off.” He looked at the knife in his hands. “Learn how to use this properly, same goes for the gun. If you don't know how, then come to me." He tossed it back to her so the handle ended up in her fumbling grip. “Don’t go around shooting my friends again or I’ll give you a lesson you’ll never forget, Malagosto style.”

He sauntered off, leaving a frozen Andrea behind. As he passed Shane’s hiding place, who had shrunk to the back of the darkened stall leaving no trace, Alex murmured into the empty space. “Enjoy the show?” He chuckled tiredly to himself as he left the barn leaving two confused and slightly terrified adults in his wake.

Chapter Text

Stupid. He was so stupid.

He let the exhaustion and stress of the last few days get to him. Big time.

He let his guard down, and his brain conveniently forgot all his training. His sole purpose for being in this country, was to slink by unnoticed, watch from a distance and stay professional and compete the mission brief. But at the first sign of trouble what does he do? He allowed himself to get dragged into a group of misfits, by a 12 year old at that!  They accepted him without question, not that he didn’t hear as they discussed him behind his back – his skills weren’t that rusty! They allowed him to get close to their family, their children.

He had managed to keep his secret close to his chest, hide his true self away since he was 14 years old, yet somehow this mismatched group managed to unravel everything!

Things slipped through the gaps. The odd comment here, losing himself in the moment when hunting or fighting, and then of course, the issue of completely losing it, yelling at the people he had come to trust, care for and call friends.

For sure, he warned Shane off Lori not long ago, but threatening Andrea, which was probably the actions of grief and frustration, was just down right cruel!

Carol was trying to get through to him, Alex knew that she was missing Sophia like you would a limb. She was trying to care for him and Daryl, and whether it was as a distraction, the need to mother someone, or to show her gratitude Alex didn’t know.

But he didn’t want her thanks or pity, he felt guilty for not finding Sophia yet and he knew Daryl did too. He didn’t know the older man’s motivation or drive to search for the little girl. It may have been a subconscious decision to rectify the fact that they never found Merle, or it could just be that he was a nice guy who kept it hidden with a gruff exterior. Alex reckoned it was the latter. The guy got shot in the head, stabbed in the stomach and almost became walker gruel but still kept going.

He knew Rick felt the pressure of the search too, seeing as he was the last person to see Sophia. But, Alex saw that he was distracted, Lori and Shane were too. He already knew the pair had something between them but from the looks Shane gave the married couple, Alex doubted if it was just a fling, from Shane’s side anyway.

Alex lay on his back with one arm behind his head on the sleeping roll in his snug tent. The moonlight shone in through a small gap between the tent flaps. A feeling of peace surrounded him as his frantic thoughts began to fade and sleep once again consumed him.

o0o

Outside the safety of their little camp, Glenn had stumbled across the horror which lay in the barn. As Maggie desperately tried to reason with him, the weary camp slept on, unaware of the terror which stood clawing at the rickety wooden doors a few fields away.

o0o

The next morning found Daryl lounging in peaceful solitude, under Doctor’s (vet's) orders of course. If he had his way, he’d be out searching for Sophia. He felt he was so close to a breakthrough yesterday, if only that stupid horse hadn’t freaked out, he could have covered more ground. Nervous Nellie. He scoffed out loud as he fidgeted on his sleeping bag. Of course getting shot in the head didn’t help. But he couldn’t fault Andrea for trying to protect the group, he just wished she’d learn to aim properly. Actually, scratch that, he wished she'd identified friend from foe, and not shot at all!

From outside the thin material of the tent, he heard the group beginning to wake up.

“Morning Alex!” He heard Carl chirp.

“Hey.” Alex quietly returned the sentiment with a mumble.

Daryl frowned, he had been told about the incident involving Alex’s meltdown. Carol put it down to tiredness, but Daryl wasn’t sure. There had always been something odd about the boy. Something lurked in his past, which maybe caused his strange behaviour. He liked the kid, he really did. Alex was one of the few members of the group that Daryl didn’t mind being around. They never spoke about personal things, never breached that mutually, unspoken, agreed line. On the good days he was a laugh to be around, had successful hunts and looked out for each other. But on the bad days though, the times when the kid was fidgety, quick to draw the gun, or any weapon for that matter, at the slightest sound, the way he could move without being seen, and the fighting. Daryl had heard a few different accounts from various members of the group, of how Alex dealt with an onslaught of walkers. The moves, the strikes, the final blow. The kid’s been trained how to fight, maybe even to kill. Daryl wasn’t stupid. He knew he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the box, but he had been around fights; drunken bar brawls, back alley clashes and sharks claiming their debts. He knew the difference between learning on the spot with adrenaline, which most of the camp mates were surviving by, and a professionally trained fighter.

Daryl sighed and rubbed his forehead as he stared up at the bleak ceiling, the smell of breakfast beginning to seep in through the open tent flaps. Who knew what the deal was with Alex, but he’s a good kid, Daryl knew that much.

He suddenly jumped as the sun was blocked by a shadowed figure at the doorway.

Speak of the devil.

Alex hovered at the threshold of the tent for a minute as if to ask permission to invade the small space.

“Morning.” Daryl drawled, channelling his inner Merle.

Alex just sighed forlornly as he swept in to the tent and flopped down on to the floor with one arm covering his eyes.

Daryl sent a smirk in the kid’s direction at the overly dramatic actions of the Brit.

“I can feel your grin burning into my very soul.” Came the smothered snarky response.

Daryl just shook his head at the antics of the boy. “Well don’t act so damn dramatic then.”

Alex huffed as he removed his arm and stared up at the ceiling. “I did a stupid thing.”

Daryl hummed in acknowledgement. “So I heard.”

“I just, I don’t know.” He groaned and grabbed his hair in frustration. “It’s so annoying!”

Daryl turned his head towards Alex and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Alex stayed silent and rubbed his face roughly with both hands. For once his face was like an open book, which showed his young age as he tried to decide what to say. He opened his mouth as if to start talking but clammed up before he even began.

“Is it the kid?” Daryl prodded to try and get the ball rolling. “Sophia? Cos we’ve done more than anyone to try and find that little girl. So don’t feel guilty.”

Alex sat up and lightly smacked the palm of his hands on the tent floor. “That’s it though! She shouldn’t have gone missing in the first place!”

“Why?” Daryl shot back. “It’s not your job to keep everyone safe.”

Alex looked down at his shoes. “Yeah but I should have kept an eye on her.”

“She’s not your kid.” Daryl reminded him gently.

Alex pulled a face and sent him a look. “Well obviously. That doesn’t mean I don’t care for her.” He hesitated before continuing. “I don’t have any siblings, but these past few months Carl and Sophia have sort of grown on me. I guess they’ve kind of become a little brother and sister. Sort of.”

He sighed and shook his head. “I just don’t know what to do, or say or think anymore.”

Daryl stretched his arms up above his head, hearing the bones crack and sockets pop. He winced as he felt the stitches in his side pull. “What do you mean, you don’t know what to say?” He asked. “You’re not hiding some big secret, right?” He said jokingly, whilst curiosity tugged at his mind.

Alex smiled and gave him a strange look. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” He said in a mock mysterious tone.

Daryl grabbed up some rolled up socks from next to his sleeping bag and lobbed them at Alex’s head. In that moment he didn’t care if he had torn his stitches that Hershel had fixed him up with, because the look on Alex’s face was worth it.

“Hey.” Alex cried as his reflexes kicked in, and knocked them out of the way before they reached their target. “That better not be an old pair of undies!”

“Undies?” Daryl mocked with a scoff. “What are you, eight?”

Alex stuck his tongue out in retaliation. “Maybe.” He said childishly.

Daryl just rolled in eyes and pointedly stared up at the ceiling.

Movement in the doorway interrupted their little dispute and Andrea walked in to the tent, hesitantly casting Alex a nervous look.

Alex heaved himself up from the floor with a sigh. “Well, I’m off. Things to do, people to see.”

He nodded to Andrea as he walked out of the tent.

“Hey!” Daryl’s shout caused him to pause in the doorway. “Don’t cause trouble.”

Alex sent him a feral grin. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” He said before disappearing into the bright morning sun that was creeping around the corner of the tent flap.

Daryl pointed his focus on to the woman who nervously stood in the tent, her hands kept fidgeting around their hold on a book in her grasp. He decided to let her stew, waiting for her to make the first move.

After an awkward silence, Andrea took a breath before she turned to Daryl and tossed him a book.

“This isn’t that great, but-” She trailed off as Daryl read the cover ‘The Case of the Missing Man’ book which had fallen into Daryl’s lap.

He skimmed through the pages. “What, no pictures?”

Andrea smiled and sent an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry, I feel like shit.”

Daryl grunted in response and looked up at her. “Yeah, you and me both.”

“Look, I don’t expect you to forgive me, but if there’s anything I can do-” She said earnestly.

Daryl shook his head and waved a hand in her direction to cut her off. “You were protecting the group. I’m good.”

Andrea smiled and nodded in relief, her shoulders slumped like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She moved as if going to take a step towards the doorway before hesitating. Daryl lifted an eyebrow as he waiting to see what else she wanted.

“You know Alex.” She began hesitantly.

“I may have seen the runt around from time to time, sure.” He drawled.

She huffed and shot him a glare. “That’s not what I-.” She composed herself and began again. “After I sort of shot you.” She hurriedly said awkwardly. “Alex came to see me in one of the barns.”

Daryl sat up slightly in interest from where he was laid up on the camp bed.

She continued, “I was in there trying to calm down. I didn’t know if you were okay, and everyone was avoiding me so I needed some space, and he found me there. He basically confronted me about shooting you and said some stuff.”

Daryl huffed out a laugh. “Well he kind of had a point.”

She rolled her eyes. “Obviously. But in the moment, I was so wound up and mad and embarrassed that I sort of yelled at him and he threatened me.” She paused to see Daryl looking slightly dubious from her accusation. “He managed to somehow grab my gun, empty the bullets and get my knife which he threw into the straw. Which, by the way, took ages to find!” She finished with a whine.

Daryl sighed, it seemed that Alex didn’t tell him everything that happened last night. “Look, I heard about his melt down with Carol and Lori. It sounds like he was just tired and worried about Sophia. As for the way he spoke to you, and I don’t wanna sound vain, but he was probably just shaken up about what happened to me.”

Andrea rubbed her eyes. “That’s a lot of ‘probablys and ‘maybes’ Daryl.”

He shrugged. “That’s the best I can do. Just give him space today, he’s not a threat to you despite what he said.”

“But how do you know?” She asked.

“Cos he’s a good kid.” He said.

There was a moment of silence whilst they both processed the thoughts flying through their heads.

After a while she nodded to herself as she seemed to come to a conclusion. “Sorry again for the whole shooting you thing.” She smiled weakly.

As she turned to walk out of the tent, Daryl’s shout called her attention back.

“Hey! Shoot me again, best pray I’m dead.” He called out with a smirk.

She grinned before continuing her trek.

Chapter Text

Chaos.

Pure chaos rained around them as the group ran to the barn. Carol looked on in terror as she watched Shane pull the open the huge doors. She stood with her hands over her mouth in numb silence as one by one the walkers began to trickle out. She felt sick at the thought that all these walkers had been here the whole time they had been sleeping mere fields away.

The sudden gun shot made her whole body jerk in shock. She’d think she would be use to the sound of a gun cutting through the silence by now, but no, it still made her blood curl.

Each bang of Shane’s gun was like ice being poured through her veins, as the others joined in the chorus of gun fire it grew louder and louder.

She felt more than heard Alex arrive at her side. She turned her head towards him and saw his hand clenched around the handle of his gun held at his side pointed to the ground. He looked upon the frenzied scene around him with an air of helplessness seeped in numb acceptance. The commotion around them grew in volume as more people joined in the fight. Hershel and his family were frozen in place at the hellish scene before them. As each walker hit the ground with a heavy thud, the sorrow etched on his face grew more apparent.

When the last walker had fallen an abrupt hush came over the group. It was almost an anticlimactic end to the heavy onslaught of the loud gunfire which had rained around them. Carol took a shuddering breath as she looked about the scattered bodies. Alex was poised next to her with his gun still grasped tightly in his hand. He blew out a breath and pulled a hand through his messy hair.

“Are you alright?” He asked quietly.

She nodded jerkily but the words died away as she heard a sound.

A distinctive groan sounded from the still open barn door.

The group around her readied their guns once more as the shadows moved in the doorway.

A mottled leg clad in a small mud stained shoe stepped into the opening.

Carol’s gasp caught in her throat.

She knew those shoes. She remembered the day she had bought them. She remembered going to the mall and smiling when Sophia’s eyes caught a glimpse of the shoes out on the display. She remembered the crestfallen look on her face when Carol said no to her pleading, the disappointed furrow of her eyebrows. She remembered the delighted squeal of pure delight when her baby opened her present on Christmas day, and her feet being firmly shoved into her new possessions as she proudly stomped around the house and refused to take them off all week.

Now she saw those same shoes unsteadily making their out of the barn. She heard the cry which bubbled out of her throat before she registered it was her making the noise. Her legs moved of their own volition as she stumbled towards her little girl.

“Carol, no wait!”

She skirted around Alex’s outward hands as she ran forward.

“Oh god, oh god!” She wailed. “Sophia! Sophia!”

Daryl grabbed her and they fell to the ground. He held her tightly as she wailed her baby’s name. She barely registered Alex standing behind her, hand clutched to her shoulder as Sophia slowly weaved her way through the bodies piled up on the floor.

She felt numb.

She felt cold.

She felt as though she was in a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from.

All around her the group stood still in silent horror at the sight of her Sophia. Her clothes were torn and streaked with dirt and there was the distinct mark of a bite upon her shoulder. She grumbled and groaned as she moved in slow awkward motions. She was one of them, she was a walker.

She saw a motion from the corner of her eye as her kept her horrified gaze on Sophia. Alex had quietly taken a step forward, pocketing his gun as he went.

“Alex.” Daryl called out from where he was still holding Carol in his arms from their place on the ground. She felt the vibrations of his words through his chest against her back. “Hey kid!” He urgently shouted as Alex made no move to stop.

Carol saw Rick in front of them start to raise his gun but half turned at Daryl’s call. He frowned in confusion as Alex walked to the front of their group. Rick moved aside him and put his hand firmly on Alex’s shoulder.

“It’s not her any more Alex. She’s gone.”

At these words Carol let out another sob, Daryl’s arms tightened around her.

“I know.” He said as he made to move, but Rick’s hand held him in place. “I know.” Alex repeated, an edge of desperation in his voice. “Let me do this Rick, I have to do this.” He said earnestly. “I promised I would save her and I failed, I can at least end her suffering.”

“No, I -.” Rick started his objection, a shocked look on his face.

“I’m not asking permission Rick. I’m telling you I need to do this.” Alex interrupted sharply.

Rick paused and looked at him for a moment. He glanced towards Sophia then back towards Carol. She cried as she shook her head desperately and moaned through her tears. What she was shaking her head for, she didn’t know, she just wanted her baby back. She just wanted to wake up from this nightmare. Rick sighed and looked over the group around them. His eyes lingering on where she knew Dale stood behind them. After a moment he stepped aside with a reluctant nod.

“Alright, if you’re sure.”

They all watched as Alex approached Sophia. He stood silently in front of her as she continued to make her way towards the group. As Sophia got closer to where Alex stood, Carol felt herself hold her breath, with barely a move she saw a slither of silver as a knife dropped into Alex’s hand. He murmured something quietly to Sophia as he sidestepped her outward grasp. He slid his leg between hers and quickly wrapped his arms around her as one of his hands slid up towards her head avoiding her teeth. She suddenly thrashed around in his hold and her growls grew louder in agitation.

“I’m sorry Soph. I’m so sorry.” Carol heard him say softly. “I’m sorry I didn’t find you. Rest now, be at peace.” Silent tears trailed down his face as the groaning and growling stopped abruptly. Sophia’s body crumpled to the ground as Alex fell with her cradling her to his chest, the handle of his knife sticking out the back of her head.

“No!” Carol cried, her breath caught in her throat. She felt Daryl’s grip slacken as she crawled to her feet and stumbled over to where her baby lay. She reached for Sophia, Alex gave up his hold on her as Carol sank to the floor, the tears which leaked from her eyes blinded her view. She cradled Sophia’s body and rocked silently, sobbing as she felt the cold weight in her arms.

“I’m sorry.” Alex said quietly as he got to his feet. “I’m sorry I didn’t find her in time, I’m sorry I couldn’t save her.” He sniffed and wiped his face streaked with muck and tears. “She didn’t deserve a bullet, she always said she hated the sound of guns so I couldn’t let them do that to her. She didn’t deserve that.” He stood there for a moment and looked at the destruction around them before slowly walking away.

Carol stayed where she was rocking her girl as if she was a newborn again, fast asleep in her arms. “Hush now baby girl. Sleep now.” She cried softly as she rocked back and forth, over looked by the silent onlookers who watched on in numb horror and shock. “Sleep now.”

o0o

Later that same day Dale sat on one of the logs by the camp. He struggled to comprehend the day in all its horror. All their hope it seemed, had been pinned on finding Sophia. Their grasp at an attempted light at the end of the tunnel had now diminished. Each day of searching he had seen the hope fade from Carol’s eyes as the search parties kept returning empty handed. But now, it seemed like their hope had been in vain. This entire time little Sophia had been here on the farm, right under their noses.

He shuddered as he remembered the dark pit in his stomach when he had seen her step out of the barn. Carol’s wails had filled the air around them, his heart pounding in horror, the silent shocked group staring in disbelief.

He wasn’t sure how he felt about Alex standing forward to end Sophia’s life, or second life he supposed. He had seen how Rick struggled over the decision to step aside. When he had met Dale’s eyes over the heads of their group, Dale had answered with a subtle nod. But now after seeing the effortless ease in which Alex had used his blade, he questioned his initial acceptance.

After Alex had walked away Rick along with Glenn had followed Shane and Hershel into the farmhouse, so Dale hadn’t had the chance to talk to him.

A movement prompted him to look up into the bright sun above, Alex sat down on a neighboring log with two plates of food. “Here.” He said as he handed Dale a plate. “They made dinner inside and made me take a plate for myself so I thought I’d bring one for you too.”

Dale smiled in thanks and accepted it. “That’s kind of you, thank you.”

They sat in companionable silence as they both ate their meals. Dale looked around him as he ate. The walkers bodies had since been cleared away and the area tidied up. It would need a rainstorm however to wash away the blood which still stained the grass.

The taste of food turned to ash in his mouth as the image of little Sophia hitting the ground came to mind. He appraised the young man picking at his food beside him.

“Have you seen Carol?” He asked.

Alex nodded as he finished chewing his mouthful and swallowed it down. “Yeah. I’ve not spoken to her but I saw her talking with Lori and Patricia.”

“Good.” Dale said. “I’m glad she’s not alone.”

Alex hummed in response as they finished their meals. The birds chirped around them, and the warm breeze rustled the branches of the tree they were sat under. The peaceful surroundings enveloped them with a false sense of tranquility which felt wrong after the events of the day, it made him feel uneasy.

“How are you doing?” Dale asked once he saw Alex had put his empty plate to the side of him, balanced precariously on the log.

He looked away. “Fine.”

Dale crooked an eyebrow at him. “Really? Because I wouldn’t be.”

Alex shrugged. “It had to be done, so I did it.” He looked up and met Dale’s gaze, he sighed. “It wasn’t her any more, but she didn’t deserve to be left to walk around as one of them, or for one of the guys to shoot her.”

“But why you?” Dale pushed. “Rick was ready to do it, you didn’t have to have that on your conscience.”

Alex said nothing at first, he stared at his hands as he raised them to rest on his legs and scratched at the dried mud on his worn jeans. “We spoke a few weeks ago, Sophia and me. It was late and when everyone was unpacking for the night, she came over to me and read her book whilst I got my bedroll out, I think Carol was helping Lori with the food. Out of the blue she asked if it hurts when you die. I didn’t really know where it came from, maybe she was thinking about her Dad or Jim or Jacqui or someone else we’ve lost, I don’t know, but I remember saying it’s like falling asleep I guess.” He sniffed and rubbed at his eyes with one hand. “She suddenly laughed and said I’d kind of quoted Harry Potter, I hadn’t even realised.” He smiled at the memory, and Dale found himself doing the same as he pictured her little face lit up in a laugh. “She said the actual quote was It’s quicker and easier than falling asleep. She said she hoped when it was her time, that it would be the case for her. But it hit me, when I saw her step out of the barn with that bloody bite on her shoulder, it wouldn’t have been quick and easy. She would have been in pain, she would have been alone and she’d have been terrified.” Alex stopped talking and took a deep breath, he cleared his throat then continued. “When I realised all that, I just had one thought and that was to help her. I knew I had to do it. I know how to use a knife, it wouldn’t have hurt her, it’s a popular way take down a target because it’s quick as long as you have the right technique.” He let out a low short grim laugh. “It was quicker and easier than falling asleep, as it should have been the first time round. Besides she hated guns, she told me she hated the loud noises and they made her jump.” Alex looked up at Dale. “That’s why I had to do it, and I don’t regret it.”

Dale took a deep breath and considered what he’d just heard. “You’re a good boy Alex, you have a good heart. Never lose that.”

Alex peered at him, his eyebrows slightly raised in surprise. “I tell you I know how to kill a target quickly and silently with a knife and your response is I have a good heart?”

Dale cleared his throat and shuffled on his log. “Yes well, I was meaning your intentions behind the act. I chose to ignore that particular bit, I figured there’s been enough drama for today.”

Alex chuckled under his breath and stretched his arms out to click his shoulders with a groan. “I think I’m going to take our plates back and see if I can find Carol.” He stood up and brushed his hands down his dirty jeans to wipe away the loose muck and crumbs from his meal. Dale handed over both plates and nodded.

“Thanks again for the food and company.” He held his hand up to block out the sun as he looked up at Alex. “I know I’ve said it before but I’m always here to chat if you need to talk.”

Alex smiled “Thanks Dale.”

Dale watched him walk back in the direction of the house, the sun bouncing off Alex’s blond hair as it moved with each step the boy took, he needed a haircut soon it was getting unruly again. He sighed and turned back in his seat to watch the surrounding fields, the bird song filling his ears. He was getting too old for this life, he longed for days of the past where the most he had to worry about was forgetting to buy milk or bringing the newspaper in from where the local kids had thrown it on the front lawn. He closed his eyes and lost himself in happier days and the memories he longed to relive, temporarily blocking out reality and the horror of his new life.

Chapter Text

It had been several days since Sophia had been discovered in the barn with the group of walkers. Several days since Alex had pushed his knife into his friend’s head. He had lied to Dale that day during their chat, he did have it on his conscience. Whilst he didn’t regret his actions, he stood by them, what he did that day had stayed with him. Sometimes at night he would wake from a nightmare where he used the knife on Sophia only for him to step back and realise she wasn’t a walker at all and he’d murdered her. He knew in reality though he had done the right thing, he couldn’t bare to think of his young friend with a bullet hole in her head, put down like a wild animal.

He focused on the clothes he had been folding which had been brought to his tent freshly laundered by Carol. She hadn’t spoken much to anyone since the day Sophia had been found. She had kept herself busy mothering the camp, similar to when they were actively looking for Sophia, only now her days were filled with grief hidden behind her mask of composure. He supposed it kept her mind busy when she focused on cooking, cleaning and tidying around the camp.

At night though Alex sometimes heard her muffled sobs when the days had drawn to a close and her grief had overcome her again.

The first night Alex had heard her crying, he had stopped by the entrance of her tent and called out.

“Carol? It’s Alex. Are you ok?” Alex had internally kicked himself. What a stupid think to ask when of course she wasn’t ok.

“Alex?” The crying had stopped but he still heard sniffles drifting through the tent door which separated them. “I’m fine. Sorry if I bothered you. Goodnight.”

Alex had debated with himself what to do. He remembered the odd rare occasion he had come across an upset Jack. He always dithered about not knowing how to comfort the crying woman.

“Do you want me to come in?” He asked Carol hesitantly, he heard rustling and sniffles.

“No, it’s alright you can go.” She replied quietly.

He made a decision.

“Carol, I’m coming in.” He warned before unzipping the tent doorway, he stepped though the entrance and paused on the threshold until his eyes had adjusted to the dim light emitted from the small camping light in the corner of the tent. Carol was sat on her sleeping bag which was pushed up to the left wall on a low camping bed. The right side was void of an occupant but Alex guessed whoever shared with Carol was probably out on watch. Her face was puffy from her tears and a scattering of red blotches were dotted over her cheeks.

Alex awkwardly hovered in the entrance and waved lightly. “Hi.”

A watery smile was directed back to him. “Hello Alex.” She murmured looking embarrassed.

He stepped further into the tent and perched himself on the empty camp bed opposite her. “I just wanted to check in with you, I’ve not really had chance to speak to you much.”

She nodded sheepishly. “Yeah, I’ve been keeping busy.” Her fingers rested on a familiar doll which sat in her lap. Alex’s breath caught in his throat, it was the doll Daryl had brought back after the eventful Nervous Nellie escapade.

“Is that?” He stopped, he didn’t know if he should say her name. Was that insensitive? Or was it more insensitive to not mention Sophia at all?

Carol looked down at Alex’s glance, she smiled and nodded as she held the doll up to the light. “Yeah.” She said, a wobble in her voice. “Sophia used to take this doll everywhere, she adored it.” To Alex’s alarm fresh tears shone in her eyes. The panic must have shown on his face because Carol stopped talking and hastily wiped them away.

“I’m sorry.” He said hurriedly. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

The smile returned to Alex’s relief and slight confusion.

“It’s alright.” She said. “Honest.” She added at the uncertainty on his face, she let out a weak laugh. “You boys are all the same. Quick to offer comfort but at the first sign of tears you look like you want to run a mile.”

Alex huffed slightly with a frown. “I don’t want to run a mile.” He protested.

Carol was quick to quieten her chuckles. “No I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. Sorry.” She mumbled looking down.

Alex instantly felt bad. “No I’m sorry.” He looked around feeling helpless and uncertain, he felt stupid and awkward again. But to his utter amazement he heard a low laughter. He looked up in admonishment to see Carol hiding a laugh behind her hand whilst her eyes continued to shine with unshed tears.

Alex felt his mouth twitch too as her laughter became infectious, he let out a chuckle and they began laughing in earnest. Full belly laughs with tears springing a fresh in their eyes, it was out of control, the kind of laughter where you can’t breath. They sat there in the low lit tent completely unaware of the confusion and curiosity of people passing by as they readied for bed, the sounds of their laughter escaping through the tent walls.

“Oh we are a pair aren’t we.” Carol hiccuped through her laughter as she started to regain control.

Alex wiped away the tears which had gathered in his eyes. “I don’t even know why I was laughing.” He exclaimed still giddy from the rush. Carol giggled a little as the burst of energy tapered off.

“Me neither.” She said with a smile. “But thank you.”

“I didn’t do anything except make you cry.” He paused. “And laugh apparently.” He added scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

Carol gazed at him with fondness. “You stopped by and put a smile on my face and that’s all I can ask for.” She said simply.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes listening to the voices of their fellow camp mates drift in through the thin walls of the tent as the others walked by.

“I am sorry.” Alex said into the silence after a moment.

“I know.” She shuffled towards him on her knees and leaned over the small space to pull him into an embrace. Alex sank into it, letting her warmth seep into him. He suddenly thought of Jack again and tears pricked his eyes, he missed her so much. It had been a few years now since she had died but the pain never left him. He missed her laugher, her bubbly carefree personality and her hugs. She had perfected a way of completely encompassing him in a hug and when he was a child she would pretend to squeeze him like a tube of toothpaste.

Carol rubbed his back and pulled away ruffling his hair. “I don’t blame you, you know.” She said gripping his arms. “I feel awful for saying this as you’re only young, but I’m glad it was you. I’m glad they didn’t put a bullet in her like they did with the others. Thank you.” She put her arms around him again and hugged him tightly. Alex felt choked up and a few wayward tears escaped him, he squeezed her back.

Eventually they both pulled away and said nothing about the tear stains which marked one another’s face.

Alex stood up and made to leave. “I’d better go, it’s getting late, night Carol.”

“Goodnight.” She replied and watched him walk to the tent flap. “Alex?” She called after him.

“Yeah?” He hovered over the doorway, with a look backwards.

“Will you let me cut your hair tomorrow?” She asked with a smile. “Its unruly enough to nest a few birds in there.”

He laughed dragging a hand through his messy overgrown head of hair. “Yeah, that sounds cool. It’s probably a bit over due by now.” He chuckled as he walked away back to his own tent, the sounds of Carol’s quiet laughter lingered behind him.

o0o

Back in the present, Alex refocused on his task of folding the clothes. He saw Maggie approach him from the farmhouse and smiled in greeting.

“Hey Alex.” She called out as her eyes hovered over the piles of laundry in front of him. “I don’t suppose you’ve come across any bandages there have you? My Dad needs some more for Randall.”

Alex sighed. Randall.

The boy Rick, Hershel and their bleeding hearts brought back from an ambush gone wrong. The day Sophia had been found, Hershel disappeared and in his grief at seeing his walker turned friends and family gunned down, had attempted to drink the local bar in town. Rick and Glenn had gone after him only to be pinned down and almost killed by another group. Randall, a boy from the rival group had been left behind after getting his leg speared on a railing. Idiot. Alex had no time for him, he knew the other boy was just a kid but by all accounts he had willingly taken shots at Rick, Glenn and Hershel before getting stuck. Hershel had the boy holed up on his farm and was doctoring him better.

Alex rummaged around in his basket and pulled out some clean bandages, he passed them to Maggie. “Here.”

She smiled and took them. “Thanks.”

“How’s your sister?” Asked Alex. “Glenn said she was shaken up by what happened at the barn the other day.”

Maggie looked solemn, the bandages twisted around in her hands. “Not great. She hasn’t said anything, barely eaten, not moved. I’m worried about her, we all are.”

“I’m sure it was a shock for her.” Alex said compassionately. “I guess because you’re cut off here at the farm, she hasn’t really seen violence like that before. We all came from busy areas filled with walkers so we’ve sort of got use to it but I suppose she hasn’t been exposed to it all before the barn shooting.”

Maggie contemplated his words, her eyes distant. “Yeah, I guess so. I’ve not considered it like that before.” She looked at him with new appraising eyes. “Thanks Alex.” She began to walk back to the house with her arms full of bandages.

“No worries, I hope she gets better soon. I’ve always found hot chocolate to be a winner for a good pick-me-up.” He called after her.

She laughed. “Thanks for the recommendation.”

Alex smiled and returned to the folding of clothes in front of him, the pile seemed to be getting bigger, not smaller. He scowled at it and restarted with considerably less enthusiasm than before. A shadow appeared at his side, and a glance down showed an equally non enthused Carl picking up clothes and beginning to fold too.

He looked up at Alex with a shrug. “Mom said I have to help out with the chores.”

Alex smiled and ruffled his hair. “Thanks, less work for me then.”

Carl grumbled under his breath as he got to work. It was nice to see him up and about, he had recovered surprisingly well after getting shot. Alex knew all too well the pains a bullet wound could cause, his scar above his heart prickled uncomfortably at the thought. He scratched it subconsciously. He hadn’t seen much of Carl lately, Alex noticed he had tended to stick close to Lori since Sophia’s passing, he had missed the kid pestering him and asking endless questions. Then again it wouldn’t be the same without his loyal and ever present shadow, Sophia usually popped up soon after Carl had started his usual barrage of questions. Alex swallowed down a wave of grief as he thought of the young girl, the image of her torn clothes and bitten shoulder sliding into his thoughts, just as his knife had slid into her head-

Alex shook his head and focused on the shirt he was folding.

“How are you doing?” He asked the young boy.

Carl shrugged again. “Alright.”

Alex said nothing for a while, the peaceful surroundings lulled him into a relaxed state, the warm breeze tickled his hair. Carol had cut it the next day after her request, the back of his neck now exposed to the elements itched despite the sun block he had put on.

“If you ever want to talk, then I’m here.” Alex said “Whether it’s about something random or if you want to talk about Sophia then I’m here.” When he had no response he looked down. Carl was staring at the shirt in his hands, there was a tear in his eye. Alex gently nudged him. “Ok?” He prompted.

Carl cleared his throat and resumed his folding, he nodded. “Yeah, ok.”

Alex left it at that, if the younger boy was ready to talk about his friend then he knew where Alex was, but he didn’t want to push him.

The two of them stood side by side folding the never ending pile of clothes, over time other members of the camp joined them each picking up an item of clothing off the pile. Carol appeared at his shoulder with a faint smile, Dale and Glenn were opposite and greeted them with a friendly nod.

Alex basked in the repetitive actions and listened to the gentle chatter around him, he felt at peace for now, the tightness in his shoulders lessened as the weight of the last few days drifted away somewhat.

If anyone has read the latest Alex Rider book yet: Nightshade's Revenge. Don't worry, there are no spoilers in this chapter for it. I'm taking artistic license with Jack's death, in my universe she passed away after the book series.

Chapter Text

Glenn felt conflicted. So much had happened lately, he found it hard to wrap his head around the events of the last few days, hell the last few weeks.

Yesterday Rick and Shane had left camp with Randall in tow. It had been decided that Randall was allowed to be set free as he had been blindfolded during his stay at the farm. It had been a relief to see the back of him knowing how his presence here had caused friction within the group. The camp had waved goodbye and sent him on his merry way, only for all three to return a few hours later looking a bit worse for wear much to the confusion and frustration of the group.

Now half the group wanted to execute the guy and the rest wanted him to stay. Personally Glenn wasn’t sure, Randall wasn’t a member of the group and they didn’t really know him or his true intentions. He could shoot them in their sleep for all they knew, for now Randall had been left tied up in a barn whilst the rest of them figured out what to do with him. But it was causing arguments, Dale especially had tried to convince each person to see the best in the new guy but Glenn wasn’t sold.

He lent against the wall of the Greene’s lounge, around him the group were scattered about the room. Maggie and Beth shared an armchair, the bandage a stark white on Beth’s pale skin. Maggie had told him about Beth’s attempt to take her own life, she had struggled to come to terms with the world they live in now but it seemed the words from the girls earlier in the day had got through to her. Hershel had checked on her and deemed her wound to be shallow, she was kept under the close eye of her family but Glenn thought she looked better already. He liked the kid, he had heard her singing to herself in the mornings when feeding the chickens and Maggie had regaled him with funny stories of the sisters childhood.

Raised voices pulled his attention back to the center of the room where Dale and Rick were arguing about Randall, again.

“Where is your humanity?” Dale was saying, the desperation obvious in his voice. “He’s just a kid!”.

Rick sighed. “We know nothing about him, we don’t know if he has family, a group. We don’t know what his motivation is to be here.” He threw his arms out and gestured to the people sat around the room. “I have to think about us, our safety, our survival.”

Dale scoffed. “What about his survival? Don’t you think that’s his motivation? So what if he has a group or family out there, shouldn’t we be the better person and allow him to return to them?” Around the edge of the lounge, individuals shifted awkwardly and avoided Dale’s gaze, there were clearly mixed emotions in the room.

“That’s just the problem Dale!” Rick cried. “If he has a group and goes back to them, who’s to say he won’t just lead them here? Who knows what kind of people they are? There may have been more people than the few we saw in town.”

Dale stepped closer to Rick. “Why would he lead them here? What could he hope to gain? He clearly knows we have weapons and people, even if he did have a group they wouldn’t risk coming here after what happened in town, they know we can protect ourselves.”

Rick groaned and shook his head, he raked his hands through his hair and made a slow circle as he looked around the room at everyone’s faces.

“Dale.” A voice interrupted the tension. Everyone looked to Alex who was leaning against the wall between Daryl and Carol, Alex was looking at Dale as he spoke. “People out there don’t use rhyme and reason, they see an opportunity and take it. Especially now in this life, people take what they can, when they can.”

Dale shook his head in disbelief. “You’re siding with Rick? I thought you were better than this Alex.”

Alex shrugged. “In my admittedly short life I’ve seen all sorts of types, you learn not to take people at face value.”

Andrea laughed dryly from where she stood nearby. “What would you know of the world? You’re young, you’ve had a few hard days in the past at school or something and think you know about people and humanity?”

Alex shifted against the wall with a hint of a smile. “You’d be surprised at what I’ve seen out there. I’ve seen the worst kind of people, I’ve lost the best kind of people who fought against the worst kind and let me tell you, after a while you start to view the world without the rose tinted glasses on, and that was before the dead walked.”

Dale threw his arms up. “So what, because you’re an orphan who had a tough start to life you think you’re the best judge of character?” Glenn twitched nervously in his place against the wall, he didn’t know Alex was an orphan and judging by the looks on the faces in the room the others didn’t know either. He wondered how Dale knew, maybe during one of his quiet chats with Alex. It always killed him to know what the older man found about of the elusive boy but Dale never told. Though apparently today was a day for revealing secrets, and judging by the words still trickling out of Dale, he hadn’t finished there. “You make your life sound so secretive and mysterious but you’ve been watching too many films, playing too many of those video games you kids like to shoot people in. Life isn’t like that. What would your guardian say, hmm? What was her name? Jack you said? What would she say about you now?”

Glenn held his breath as a shade seemed to come over Alex’s face. Daryl stiffened next to the boy and Carol looked nervous shifting her gaze between Alex and Dale, clearly they sensed it too.

“I told you that in confidence.” Alex said quietly his eyes not leaving Dale’s. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, you have no idea about my life or the people in it.”

Dale looked guilty for a moment before it passed over his face and he ploughed on seemingly unaware of Alex’s simmering anger. “But think Alex, what would they say if they knew you’d called judge, jury and executioner for a young lad who has been called guilty before even committing the crimes. You spoke so highly of Jack, you obviously cared for her. How would she have felt if she had known your thoughts? What of your uncle and parents, what would they think if they were still here?”

Alex’s voice was cold but quiet in response, his sharp words sent shivers down Glenn’s spine. “My parents were murdered when I was a baby by a man who wanted a promotion in a terrorist group.” He took a step towards Dale. “My uncle was murdered by the man my father called friend, all for a pay check.” Another step closer. “My godfather tried to kill me in order to keep his job, apparently blowing my parents up wasn’t enough for him.” He was close enough to Dale now to count the hairs on his head. “I was shot close to my heart by the same terrorist organisation, I had really pissed them off, and Jack's mutilated body was left on my front doorstep, to teach me a lesson when I was 16.” He stopped a breath away from Dale and cocked his head to the side in thought. “Ironically the only adult outside the dead guardians in my life who hasn’t used me for their own gains is the man who killed my uncle, so I guess you can say he redeemed himself there a little. He did after all save my life quite a few times after that, despite the fact that he tended to be on the wrong side.” Dale took a shaky breath, but Alex went on. “But I think I’m pretty self assured to say that I have a relatively good judge of character.”

Glenn’s mind whirled with this new information, he knew Alex had a past. He was an enigma within the group but his words shook him. What kind of life did he lead to be involved in this much loss and horror prior to meeting them before the whole world spun on its axis. Alex turned away from Dale and looked around the group who stared back at him in varying levels of disbelief. He sighed and rubbed his arms in a rare moment of vulnerability. He started to move towards the doorway, but before disappearing through the exit he turned to look back. “I’m going to sort this mess out, I’ll have a chat to Randall and see what he says. I’ll get the answers out of him and we’ll figure out where he stands.”

“How?” Maggie asked hesitantly and cringed at the eyes that looked her way, she cleared her throat and started again. “How will you get the answers out of him?”

Alex shrugged. “I’ll ask him, then if he doesn’t answer then by any means necessary.” He turned and left leaving a quiet room to mull over his words.

“I’ll go with him.” Daryl said and followed the younger man out.

Glenn met Carol’s eyes across the room, she looked shaken but surprisingly calm. He breathed out the breath he felt he had held in throughout that entire tense drama. “Well shit.” He murmured into the stunned room.

o0o

Fifteen minutes later found Daryl completely reevaluating his previous assessments of Alex. He was observing him from his corner of the barn as Alex slowly prowled around the restrained young man. Randall's eyes flashed nervously between Alex and Daryl. "Oh never mind him, that's just Daryl. He's just here to make sure I don't get too carried away." Alex said with a grin, a strange contrast to his cold words. He crossed the room and picked up a wooden crate. He dragged it over to Randall slowly, the loud scraping noise resonated within the wooden barn, he placed it on the ground opposite his chair. With a heavy sigh Alex plonked himself down on the crate, he eyed up Randall. "Now, here's what's going to happen, I'm going to ask you some questions and I want the honest truth from you, can you do that?"

Randall gulped and nodded shakily. Alex tutted and shook his head. "Words Randall, use your words."

He cleared his throat and nodded again with a terrified "Yes."

Alex beamed and clapped his hands together in delight. "Perfect!"

Randall flinched at the sudden movement. Daryl wondered where Alex was going with this, he had to give it to the kid though, even Daryl felt uneasy at the situation so he couldn't imagine how Randall was fairing.

Alex spoke gently next as to ease the answers from Randall. "The people Rick found you with, are they your group?"

Randall nodded. "Yes."

Alex smiled at him. "Ok. How many people are in your group?"

Randall's eyes flitted to the doors then back to Alex. "Erm, I'm not sure." Alex said nothing, just sat in front of the other boy, eyes on his face. "I mean, I don't know. Maybe 10?" He added pathetically.

Alex sighed. "Yeah, sorry but I don't buy it. Want to give that another go?”

"It's the truth, I swear." Randall pleaded as he nervously twitched in his chair. His bound hands pulling slightly at the tight rope which held them firmly in place behind his back.

Alex hummed as he contemplated the boy in front of him. "We'll come back to that one."

Daryl joined in as he called out from his place leant against a beam half hidden in the shadows. "Who’s in your group? Men, women, children? What are their objectives? Who do they go after?"

Randall looked up at Daryl, his eyes wide with fear. "I - I don't know." He stuttered. "I - I don't know, it's - I mean - I." His words trailed away, sweat had begun to trickle down his face from his hair line, the droplets leaving trails on his muck stained skin. It occurred to Daryl that he was shoved in this barn straight after returning with Rick and Shane from their messy ordeal. God, he must stink by now.

"My friend here asked you a question, I expect you to answer it." Alex's voice broke into Daryl’s thoughts. He was still perched on his crate but had tilted forward towards Randall, the other boy had slightly strained back from the perceived threat.

“I don’t know.” He cried. “I don’t know them, I’ve only just met them.”

Alex frowned at him. “Well see now that just doesn’t make sense does it. You’ve just told us they’re your group.”

Randall went pale. “I mean yeah they are but I haven’t been with them long.”

“Ah, I see.” Alex said in a soothing tone but Daryl sensed the edge in his voice. “So long enough to get to know them a little I’d wager. Long enough to know what the group is made up of and how many people are in it. Long enough I would say to get an idea of what they are like, what they do.” He lent back on his seat. “So why don’t you give Daryl’s question another go?”

Randall said nothing. Either he was loyal to his group or terrified of them but either way he wasn’t giving his answers willingly.

Alex stood up. “Well I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, I thought we could just have a nice friendly chat then go inside for some food. I bet you’re hungry by now, I think all you’ve had to eat is a bit of bread and water. We, and by that I mean me and Daryl, have got a plate of hot grub waiting for us later.”

“Please.” Randall said, tears falling from his eyes again. “I’m not a threat to you, just let me go.”

Alex used his foot to slide the crate he was sitting on out of the way. “Yeah, no can do.” He paused. “Unless you’re ready to answer the questions?” He looked at Randall with his head tilted to the side, but still Randall said nothing. “Pity.” Alex said and looked up to Daryl. “Keep him company for me would you? Just grabbing something from outside.” He disappeared through the barn door into the darkening evening.

It was just Daryl and Randall in the barn now, the younger boy’s sniffs were the only noise interrupting the silence apart from the distant gentle sounds of the herd of cows in the next field over.

“You should answer his questions.” Daryl said gruffly into the silence, he figured he may as well feed into this fear angle Alex was working. “He’s bat shit crazy you know, he’ll stop at nothing to get his answers.”

Randall didn’t reply but the tears stung anew.

After a few more minutes alone Alex breezed back inside with a small box in his hands. “Ok, so here’s what we’re going to do. I have a little concoction I’ve just made up here which you are going to drink for me. If you don’t answer the questions then you die. If you do, then I’ll give you the antidote and you live. Ok?” He looked at Randall who’s mouth hung open in astonishment, Daryl winced a bit at the bluntness of the statement. Alex looked at them both. “What? A bit cold? Ok then, here is some back story.” He crouched down, opened the little box and brought out two small vials. One was a clear liquid with a hint of green to it, the other a cloudy white substance. He spoke as he removed them from the box and cleared a small work space, pulling the crate back to him to use as a table. “A few years ago I attended this school, it was a special type of a school with a different kind of education. This school specialised in many things but the running theme was pain, death, suffering and general evilness.” He looked up at them for a moment. “You know the type.” He resumed his tinkering. “There were two teachers there who’s lessons I took a particular interest in. The poisons specialist and the world’s leading expert on torture techniques.”

Daryl wondered where the hell Alex got his ideas from, this was a strange angle to be working but it seemed to be doing the trick as he saw Randall take a terrified gulp of air.

Alex kept talking. “The poisons lessons taught me about all the different ways to kill someone whether it be a subtle method to remove a person quietly under the guise of ill health, or a way to draw out the death to cause the most pain and unimaginable suffering. The list is endless of the amount of poisons out there, you can quite literally find them anywhere.” He paused and looked at Randall. “If you know where to look that is.”

By now Alex had laid out the bottles on his make shift table and was calming walking slow circles around Randall, the other boy’s head turned to keep him in his sights as much as his binds would allow.

“The other teacher taught us torture techniques, it was a passion of his. Some stories were truly horrific, but impressionable. I’ve never forgotten them. Ironically he was actually a good teacher despite his subject matter.” Alex grinned down at Randall as he passed his front on his journey around the bound figure. “I learnt that both these lessons could be used hand in hand to get information out of someone. May as well put the talents learnt to good use, what do you think.” By now Alex had rested his hand on Randall’s shoulders as he moved around him, gentle like a friendly arm resting on a buddy’s back.

Suddenly with no warning, in a manner that made Daryl jump forward, Alex grabbed Randall’s head from behind by his hair, pulled it back and shoved a wooden wedge across his mouth to keep it prised open. Randall cried out, struggled under his restraints and shouted from behind his makeshift gag. “Last chance to answer our questions.” Alex calmly reminded him, one of the vials in his hand. Randall growled in frustration and tried to spit out the piece of wood. “Fair enough.” Alex said in a singsong type voice as he poured the contents of the glass vial down Randall’s throat. Daryl stood there watching in trepidation to see what happened next. He was shocked that Alex had gone so far with it already but stayed out of his way to see how it played out.

Alex took the piece of wood away, pinched Randall’s nose and held a hand under his chin to force his mouth shut. After a few moments, Randall had no choice but to swallow the rest of the liquid in order to breath. Alex let go and Randall cried out coughing and spluttering. “What was that?” He shouted. “What did you give me?” Pure alarm and terror was all over his face.

Alex calmly walked back to his table and put the empty vial down. “That was scorpion venom mixed with a little something extra.” Randall’s face drained of any remaining colour, his eyes bulged in panic and he struggled more in his chair. “In a few minutes you will start to feel the symptoms kick in. You will find it increasingly harder to breath, you’ll sweat and your heart will beat faster, and just before the moment of your death you’ll begin twitching and slurring your words, you’ll also feel incredibly sick.” Alex picked up the other vial. “That is of course, unless you answer our questions. We will obviously have to verify them before giving you the antidote which will take time so if I were you, I’d start talking.”

“How could you do this to me?” Randall cried out. “Who the hell are you?”

Alex gasped in mock surprise. "Oh how rude of me, I just realised I didn't introduce myself. My name is Alex." The false friendliness evident in his tone.

"Please Alex." Randall pleaded, his face pale, his breathing staggered. "You don't have to do this, you're just a kid like me. Please don't hurt me."

"Ooh, very well done." Alex crowed. "Using your enemy's name to try and forge a bond to plead to their humanity. I like it. I mean, it's not going to help you here but good effort all the same." Daryl felt a shift in the room as something seemed to change in Alex. It was like wild animal getting ready to pounce on its prey. Daryl didn't like it, he didn't like seeing his young friend this way but he didn't interfere. The group's life was at stake, if anything Alex's words had been effective. Randall began to almost pant in renewed fear.

"Do you feel it in your system yet? Your heart will begin to pound faster and harder. You'll feel it thud louder and louder, in some cases you know it's been said that it's actually forced it's way out of someone's chest. Rare of course but it can happen. That's the wonder of this poison, it's truly incredible." Alex peered at Randall with a childlike curiosity as he watched the other boy writhe in his seat. "Are you getting hot yet? Some reported their victims screamed in pain towards the end as their bodies felt like hot acid burning through their veins."

"Please." Randall cried. "Please, I don't want to die."

Alex smiled down at him. "You know what I want in exchange for the antidote. Just answer our questions and I'll give it to you."

Randall looked between Alex and Daryl, his desperation evident. He was really panting by now, each breath took an effort and the sweat was leaking from his skin by the bucket load. He cried in frustration and opened his mouth to speak.

o0o

The ticking of the clock was like a metronome counting the minutes which passed by slowly. Since Daryl and Alex had left the house there was air of awkwardness amongst the group. Carol and Patricia started dinner and pulled in Lori and Carl to help. For a while the chatting and noises of the food being prepared drifted into the lounge which helped stem the nervous silence. Everyone was still in the farm house, Dale had been made to sit down by Andrea who passed him a drink. Glenn pondered over what they had heard Alex say. Talk about a bombshell. Of course, just because it was said, it didn’t mean Alex was telling the truth but Glenn had never taken him for a liar before. A mystery yes, but not a liar.

Eventually they were all called to grab a plate and each found somewhere to sit with their meals. “What about Alex and Daryl?” Glenn heard Carl ask his mother.

“Their plates are in the oven keeping warm.” She replied, to which Carl nodded in response, his mouth full as he shoved the food in quickly. Glenn wrinkled his nose in disgust, kids were such messy eaters. He didn’t remember being like that when he was young.

Once all the plates were cleared and had been washed and put away, everyone came back to the lounge, the air felt more relaxed as they waited for the verdict off Daryl and Alex. The wonders of food.

“Do we know how long they’re gonna be?” T-Dog asked, he was perched on the end of the couch next to Andrea.

“Don’t know.” Replied Shane. “We don’t even know what they’re doing in there.”

Dale huffed from his armchair. “Yes we do. Daryl is probably beating up that poor lad to get unnecessary answers out of him.” There were low groans from around the room as everyone realised Dale was probably going to pick up steam for another debate. Glenn settled in his chair for the long haul.

Rick sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Glenn noticed him doing this a lot lately, it looked like the stress was getting to him. He wasn’t surprised though, they were a tough lot to lead. “It’s not unnecessary.” Rick sounded exhausted. “We need to know what kind of group Randall came from and whether it’s safe to let him go. We’ve been through this Dale.”

Dale stood up in frustration. “He’s no threat to us, he’s just a boy.”

“He’s just a boy who came from a large group of violent men with less than civil tendencies.”

Glenn turned in surprise along with the rest of them to see Alex stood in the doorway, Daryl at his back. He hadn’t heard them come in the house.

“There is a meal in the oven for you both.” Carol said quietly. Alex smiled in appreciation, he mouthed his thanks to her before he turned and left the room.

Rick looked to Daryl who’d stepped into the lounge, Glenn expected him to look a bit roughened up but nothing, not even his knuckles were bloody. “Well? What’s the verdict.”

Daryl looked grim. “It’s as the kid said. Randall is from a large group, we reckon at least thirty men maybe more, he’s been with them for a while. They’re staying close to town sleepin’ in a big house on the outskirts, they saw Hershel’s car drive into town the other day, that’s why they came knockin’. They thought he was easy pickings, figured he was from a group so they were gonna loot and run riot.” Glenn saw Hershel drop his head into his hands, Maggie rubbed his back reassuringly.

“What were they after?” Rick asked.

Alex came back into the room with two plates and chewing a mouthful of food, he passed one to Daryl and picked at his own. He ate quickly, barely chewing before swallowing it down and scooping a fresh fork full into his mouth. “Nothing good, they steal from groups and take food, weapons and anything else they have a use for.” Alex said around his mouthful. Lovely, Glenn thought, so it’s not just Carl who eats like a pig then. “They sound like the bad sort who prey on vulnerable people, women especially if you catch my drift. Randall had some stories to tell there, let me tell you.” Obviously picking his words carefully with Carl and Beth in the room. “We were right to be careful, Randall was reluctant to talk so he is either loyal to them or is terrified of them. Either way it’s dangerous to us.”

“How did you get him to talk?” Dale asked hesitantly.

Alex looked at him. “My charm.”

Rick cleared his throat pointedly. “So what’s your verdict?” He directed his question to Daryl. “What would you do?”

Daryl shrugged. “Dunno but he’s too dangerous to let go and I wouldn’t trust him around here. Think there’s only one option left.”

“Could you drive him further out.” Hershel asked from his chair, his features solemn.

Shane answers nonchalantly. “We could hang him, just snap his neck.”

Rick looked pained. “Shooting maybe more humane.” He said meeting Shane’s eyes pointedly.

“What about the body?” T-Dog asked looking at Shane. “Do we bury him?”

Dale looked horrified, he held his arms out pleading with the group. “Hold on, you’re talking about this like it’s already decided. This is a young man’s life and it is worth more than a five minute conversation! Is this what it’s come to? We kill someone because we can’t decide what else to do with him?” His voice held strong as he pleaded his case.

“We all know what needs to be done.” Shane said dismissively, looking around the group.

“No, Dale is right.” Interrupted Rick.

Dale saw a weakness in Rick and pounced. “You once said, we don’t kill the living.”

Rick sighed. “Yeah well that was before the living tried to kill us.” Glenn hated himself for thinking it, but he agreed with Rick. People out here had changed in this new world, you can’t trust strangers in fear of your own life. In the corner of his eye he saw Alex subtly nodding to himself as he finished his plate of food with one ear on the conversation.

“But don’t you see, if we do this the people that we were, the world that we knew is dead, and this new world is ugly. It’s harsh, it’s a survival of the fittest and that’s a world I don’t want to live in. I don’t believe that any of you do. Please.” He appealed to the room. “Let’s just do what’s right. Isn’t there anybody else who’s gonna stand with me?”

No one moved. Dale looked around with sadness and resignation as he moved to the doorway, unable to stay in the room any longer with the people who couldn’t look him in the eye. On his way out he paused at Daryl’s shoulder. “This group is broken.” He cast a final eye around and disappeared though the door.

Shane stepped forward at Dale’s exit and looked to Rick. “Do want me to do it? I’ll do it now.”

Rick wiped his face with his hands. “No, I need to think about this.”

Shane groaned. “Rick come on! You know it’s what needs to happen.”

“I said I need to think about it.” Rick snapped. “Dale’s right, it’s a life that needs some consideration.”

Shane rolled his eye and moved past Rick with an intentional nudge of his shoulder, Rick just watched him walk away. Glenn stood up and walked to Rick. “Look man, whatever you decide, I’m with you.”

Daryl nodded. “Me too.”

Alex piped up. “And me.”

Rick smiled softly and looked at them with relief. “Thanks guys.”

Alex stood with his plate. “You finished?” He held his empty hand out to Daryl who handed his own plate over. Alex made his way out and Glenn heard the water running as he presumably washed the dishes in the kitchen.

“Do you need to walk the perimeter?” Maggie was beside him.

“Erm yeah probably.” He looked to Shane. “Do you want me to go?”

Shane nodded. “Yeah, I need to talk with Rick some more, thanks.”

Glenn and Maggie made their way out. The sun had almost set whilst they had been inside. Glenn spotted Alex making his way down the farmhouse steps behind them. “Hang on.” He murmured to Maggie. “Hey Alex, you doing ok?”

The younger boy looked over. “Yeah, why?”

“Well, I just thought after Daryl interrogated that guy you may have wanted to talk about it.” Alex frowned.

“I didn’t touch the kid.”

Glenn literally felt his heart skip a beat at Daryl’s sudden voice behind him. “What?!” He squeaked.

“I didn’t do nothin’.” Daryl repeated, he nodded towards Alex who was watching with an amused expression. “He did it.”

Glenn and Maggie looked over at Alex in surprise. “Wait, you beat him up?” Glenn exclaimed.

Alex scoffed. “No, nothing so primitive.” Glenn sighed, what was happening? He felt so confused. “I played mind games instead.”

“Huh?” His confusion increased.

“More like you terrified the crap outta him.” Daryl smirked. “Where the hell did you get the scorpion from anyway?”

“You’ve got a scorpion?” Maggie cried in disbelief.

Alex laughed. “No, I’ve not got a scorpion, or it’s venom.”

Daryl looked confused, he wasn’t the only one. “So what did you poison him with then?”

Glenn’s head flicked from one to the other as he tried to keep up with the conversation. He saw T-Dog joining their small gathering and Maggie filling him in quietly. “Dude!” T-Dog yelled. “You’ve got a pet scorpion?”

Alex groaned. “No!”

“Then what the hell was that in there?” Daryl gestured to the barn.

Alex held out a placating hand to the group around him with a wary smile. “I tricked him The ‘poison’ -.” Here he used literal quotation marks with his fingers. Dork, Glenn thought fondly. “- was a placebo. It was just a harmless liquid that I told him was a poison. No scorpions, no real poison.”

Daryl looked bewildered. “But he had all the symptoms! His fast heart beat, the sweating, heavy breathing.”

Alex smiled. “All of which are also the signs of an anxiety attack, or panic attack, or just a really stressed out person. Just some well placed words of suggestion leading him on. Works especially well when the subject in question hasn’t slept much, hasn’t had much to eat or drink and is terrified.” He paused looking a bit guilty. “Also helped that I stuck him with a needle I’d found in Hershel’s veterinary supplies next door. I gave him a heart stimulant normally used for animals, figured it would speed things along. I did it when he was distracted by the ‘poison’ being poured down his neck.” He looked very proud of himself, but his words were met with astounded silence.

T-Dog drew out a long whistle. “Damn, you’re crazy!” He laughed.

“And the antidote?” Daryl prompted, clearly determined to solve the mystery.

“Some water with a herb from the kitchen to give it a taste, and I may have slipped a sedative in there, courtesy of Hershel’s supplies again.”

“That was a risky bluff.” Daryl warned.

Alex nodded. “Yeah but it paid off. First rule of torture interrogation lessons is always feed the fear into your victim, it shows you mean business and you aren’t afraid to follow through with the threats.”

“Torture interrogation lessons?” Glenn asked feeling a little lost again.

Daryl waved him off. “Just this story Alex made up to scare Randall.”

Alex smirked. “I never said I made that bit up. Anyway I’m going to find Dale. I think I need to chat with him to clear the air. I’ll do some perimeter checks whilst I look for him.” He stalked off into the distance by-passing his tent to duck in and grab his gun.

Glenn turned to Daryl. “What lessons was he talking about?”

Daryl looked tired and resigned, come to think of it this was the most Glenn had ever heard him speak in one day. The group listened in amazement as Daryl dutifully recounted the events in the barn. When he had finished everyone took a few minutes to mull it over.

“That boy sure is something.” T-Dog muttered, the group mutely nodded their heads in agreement.

Suddenly from across the fields there was a loud cry for help, they spun round trying to determine where it came from. The farmhouse door banged open as the others filed out summoned by the yell. “What was that?” Rick cried, Shane and Andrea were behind him guns in their hand at the ready.

Another cry sounded and as one they all ran in the direction of the noise. A single loud gunshot echoed across the fields, Glenn felt a cold dread wash over him. As the group drew closer they saw shapes huddled on the group, he saw the dead walker with a bullet hole in the center of it’s forehead first.

Glenn heard Andrea gasp from next to him. “No, no, no.” She whispered to herself as they tried to understand what had happened.

He heard voices. “You’re ok, it’s ok Dale you’re fine.” Alex was crouched over Dale who was on his back looking terrified and dazed, he was shaking uncontrollably and muttering low words in shock. “Honest Dale, it didn’t get you. No bite, no scratch, nothing.”

“What the hell happened?” Rick demanded. Glenn peered down and saw a tear on the old man’s white shirt. Alex had pulled it up to inspect Dale’s unblemished skin underneath.

“It came out of nowhere.” Dale cried out. “I saw the dead cow, turned and there it was. I fell with it on top of me. If Alex hadn’t shot it-” He trailed off and patted down his torn shirt.

Alex tried to console him. “Lucky for you I was on my way to find you then. Dale you’re ok, look nothing there.” Dale looked at his stomach and a wave of relief waved over his face.

“That was close.” He said sagging as the weight of realisation hit him. “That was close.” He repeated to himself.

Andrea knelt down beside him, her hand on his arm. “Yeah, way too close.”

Some of the dialog in the chapter between Dale, Rick, Shane, T-Dog and Hershel in the farmhouse was taken directly from The Walking Dead season 2 episode 11.

Chapter Text

So much had happened it was almost a blur. After Alex had saved him in the field that day there had been a lull, a calm before the storm. He and Rick had come to an understanding about discussing Randall’s fate, but Shane had taken it into his own hands. He had killed Randall in the woods then confronted Rick. Dale was hazy on the details but Shane had died. What they did know however is that any dead body can turn. Up until then they had thought it was just a bite or scratch which caused the turning but no, unless there is a head wound, everybody turns. After that there was more horror, more deaths, desperate fleeting grasps at survival. It made Dale’s near death experience in the field pale in comparison. They’d lost Shane, Jimmy, Patricia and Andrea. Oh god Andrea. Dale had taken her and Amy under his wing in the early days, they’d lost Amy at the quarry but now Andrea too. He’d failed them both. He didn’t see it happen, small blessings, but T-Dog did. He said he saw her get jumped by the walkers and in the confusion and the spreading barn fire he didn’t see her get up. Dale hoped it was a quick death.

Now they were back on the road, between running for supplies, finding shelter and staying alive, the group was run ragged. They were fighting each day to survive without food, water and warmth. It was getting colder now, Dale knew Rick was increasingly concerned for the fast approaching winter. Pregnant Lori was beginning to show, it was putting a strain on the group. No one said anything but Dale saw the looks people gave her, she was vulnerable. She needed more sustenance than the others and she would struggle to move fast on her feet in the coming months. They needed somewhere secure, sheltered and with a good food supply.

Dale looked around, they were currently holed up in a dilapidated house. Daryl had caught a few rabbits and a squirrel which were slowly being devoured by the group. Glenn and T-Dog were standing guard and Alex was on a solo supply run. Dale hated it when members of the group went off on their own, if the group had to move suddenly, they had no way of keeping track of each other. He never thought he’d miss technology. His wife used to say he was stuck in the middle ages, frowning down on the youngsters on their devices, but gone were those days. He always looked for walkie talkies when raiding houses but on the rare occasion he found anything, the batteries were long since dead or the devices damaged by the elements.

A low whistle interrupted his thoughts, that was their don’t shoot, it’s me signal. Everyone perked up as Rick unbolted the front door and Alex came through, a sack on one shoulder and a bundle over his arms. “Cheer up people, I have goodies.” He said with a welcome smile.

Everyone surrounded him as he spread out his findings on the floor. He took them out one by one as he handed the items over to their new owners. “Ok, here we have a new blanket for The Greene’s, your old one is frankly disgusting. Then we have some knives and a gun, here Daryl you sort them out. Next, as requested I’ve got a load of t-shirts for us in different sizes, Carol could you take them? Thanks. Somewhere in here I have some shoes for Carl, you my friend are growing at an alarming rate, a-ha! Here they are. If they don’t fit then tough, wear extra socks. Then for the main event, drum roll please, thank you T-Dog, a pretty old but working walkie talkie for Dale.” Alex sat back on his haunches looking very proud of himself at the clamour around him. Rick came behind and thanked him ruffling his hair.

“Alex this is brilliant. Thank you.”

“Not quite finished there. There’s another small sack outside which I dragged back too, could you grab it Glenn?” Glenn scurried out to retrieve it.

“How did you drag it? Your arms were full.” Carl asked from the floor as he pulled a second pair of socks on to bulk out his new shoes.

“Tied my rope round my waist and knotted it to the sack.”

“Cool.” Breathed Carl. “Could you show me some knots?”

Alex nodded. “How are the shoes?”

Carl showed them off, stomping around. “Good! I’ll grow into them.”

Alex grinned. “Great, just remember to double tie them up good and tight so you don’t fall when running.”

Carl nodded seriously. “I will.”

Glenn came through the door with the second sack, a delighted look on his face. “Alex got food!”

That was enough for everyone to quietly cheer, conscious of the risk of noise bringing unwanted attention to their door.

Meanwhile, with one ear on all this in the background, Dale had been fiddling with the walkie talkie Alex had found. It was indeed old but it worked, now they just needed another to communicate with. “How does it look?” Rick had come over to see the device.

“Good, we just need another one to talk through, shame you lost yours back at the farm.”

“Erm, maybe I can help with that.” Alex called over, still handing out little treasures like shoe laces and soap from his bag.

Dale frowned. “How? You have the twin to this one in that bag of yours?”

Alex looked a little sheepish. “Well, I didn’t want to say anything up until now as it wouldn’t have done anything on it’s own, and it’s not working, but yeah I have one. I mean, sort of, it’s mine from home.”

The room had gone quiet at Alex’s confession. “Do you mean to say,” Rick started slowly. “That you’ve had a walkie talkie this entire time?”

Alex looked alarmed at the accusing tone. “No! Well, yes. But it wouldn’t have been any help to us. It hasn’t worked properly since the reawakening kinda ruined everything, and it got battered during one of our mad dashes so I didn’t mention it. But now, maybe T-Dog with his tech background can fix mine, then tune them together or something. I’m not a very techy person, you’d have been better with my mate Tom. He can fix anything.” Alex suddenly went quiet. “Well, if he’s still alive that is. I don’t know.”

“Alex.” Rick said softly “Could you show us?”

Alex looked at him for a moment then nodded. He went to his rucksack in the corner of the room and rummaged around in his bag, he returned to his previous spot with a small item. It was a small black device the size of Alex’s hand. There was a screen and a small keyboard below. On the top edge there were two small lights and on the sides were vent - like grooves.

Some green earbuds were connected to the device via a thin cable which plugged in at the top.

“Is this an MP3 player?” T-Dog asked dubiously as he took in the unremarkable item in all it’s innocuous glory.

“It’s a communication device, among other things.” Alex replied.

“Who’s at the other end?” Hershall asked from his place across the room.

“Is it your friend Tom?” Carl chimed in.

Alex looked like a rabbit in the headlights as he became aware of everyone’s attention on him. “No, someone else.” He hesitated. “Well a bunch of people hopefully but it’s not working properly. It’s meant to receive two way communication but it stopped working not long after the reawakening happened. I figured it was my handler’s issue at his end, but the only thing I got is a rolling message they sent out every few days, I’m guessing it’s an automatic system they’ve set up but that’s not working now either, and I keep getting a black screen when trying to access it. But I do know you can use it as comms between two people as I was doing before, the only issue is that was between this device and a system build to receive it’s transmissions or a matching comms unit. I don’t know if you can channel it to this one I found or not, but I figured it’s work a try.”

“You weren’t part of a gang were you?” Glenn asked with a nervous laugh, as a few incredulous looks were levelled his way.

Alex smiled reassuringly. “Not quite, more of an exclusive club if you will.”

Dale noticed a few things odd with Alex’s words, he had a handler? What was Alex’s life before coming here? Why would a young lad like him use words like ‘comms’ and ‘handler’, and who were ‘they’? Judging by the look on Rick’s face, he thought it odd too. He saw Rick open his mouth to speak but T-Dog beat him to it. “Can I see it?” He asked, holding out his hand. Alex hesitated, he obviously was reluctant to part with it. “I’ll be careful.” T-Dog promised.

Alex took a deep breath as he handed it over and went with the other man as they moved away to the corner of the room to inspect the device.

As the excitement wore off everyone began to wander off to do their own jobs. Carol and Lori were bent over the clothes Alex had brought back, whilst Glenn, Maggie and Daryl sorted through the collection of knives, a garden axe, a rusty pocket knife and a worn looking gun. The gentle soft murmurers were interrupted with an excited “whoa” from T-Dog’s corner. Curiosity peaked again, everyone looked up. “What is it?” Dale asked the excited man.

“Alex has just been telling about this MP3 comm, this thing sounds so cool!” T-Dog enthused. “So, you see how it looks like an MP3 player right? Apparently it has a music menu and everything, but it’s fake! When you get past the initial login screen it’s an honest to god military level SAT phone, then there is a second login screen with more options!” Dale smiled at him, he was practically giddy. “I can’t wait to fix it and actually turn it on! Dude, where did you buy this?”

“Nowhere.” Alex shrugged. “A friend made it and gave it to me.”

T-Dog’s eyes widened. “Made it? Wow, they are good.”

Alex grinned. “He is, he’s a genius. He has so many ideas, he once made me a Game Boy which acted as a bug sensor among other things. It was also smoke machine too once.”

Dale frowned. “How did a game console identify bugs? Did you have to scan the insect with a camera?”

Alex looked at him with confusion for a moment, then his features cleared with comprehension. He smiled widely, then laughed. “Ah no, not quite.” He turned back to T-Dog. “One of the song menus is real you know, he put some actual music on for me.”

T-Dog looked down at the broken gadget as if it was a newborn to coo over.

“How do you know about technology?” Dale asked. “Didn’t you say you were a football player?”

T-Dog nodded. “Yeah in college, but I’ve always had an interest in tech, games and stuff. It’s been a passion of mine since I was a kid, I always said if the football didn’t work out then I’d go study technology instead.”

Dale smiled. “Well lucky for us, glad you know what you’re doing because I barely knew how to work my house phone, let alone this thing.”

“Just make sure you keep it safe ok?” Alex said seriously. “It’s probably the only way I have to contact home, when it’s working again that is. It’s important equipment.”

T-Dog nodded seriously. “I will guard it with my life. Actually, no I’ll guard it as if it’s a hot pepperoni pizza fresh outta the oven.”

“Mmmm, what I would do for a pizza right now.” Alex said, eyes half closed as if savouring a memory. There was laughter mixed with a few tummy rumbles and wishful sighs around them as the light-hearted vibe breathed life into the room’s occupants, it was nice to have a bit of a rest between the running for their lives thing.

A low call came from the window. “We’ve gotta go.” Daryl was on watch, Dale looked over to see a slow moving group of walkers edging their way to the house. He sighed, no rest it seemed after all. Like a well oiled machine, the group grabbed their gear and moved out to the cars. On the road again.

o0o

The weeks passed like this until Dale realised a couple of months must have gone by since the farm. They were well in winter now, huddled up close to one another, layered with as many blankets as they could find. Lori’s stomach was no longer hiding the life growing inside, her round belly grew larger everyday. They had found a storage container to settle in which was near to an abandoned residential area, there were walkers around but at least the storage containers were strong and had a lock. A supply run was sent out every few days but otherwise everyone stayed inside the container when not on watch. The best place for lookout duty was to lay down on top of the container, they went up in pairs so one could sleep whilst the other watched, then they’d swap. They rotated on shifts so most people had a go.

Whilst everyone helped out as much as they could, some people had a job they were more specialised in. Hershel was proclaimed the group’s doctor, he had started training Carol when she wasn’t doing target practice, she had become quite a good shot according to Rick. Daryl did most of the hunting for meat, the usual game he would bring back was rabbit or squirrel but on the bad days he’d return with birds of all shapes and sizes slung around his neck. Alex seemed to have a knack for supply runs, he seemed to do best on his own, Dale often worried when he disappeared all day. He would see the others start to fidget and look outside more as the nights approached, but Alex would always return. Sometimes he would have his hands full of loaded sacks and a delighted grin on his face, other days though he would come back with nothing, a worn tired look taken hold of his features. Those days were bad, he wouldn’t talk to anyone and would sometimes curl up with his back to the group in silence. Dale thought he was struggling being away from home, they all were of course, but Alex was away from his own country. He was a young man surrounded by foreign accents away from his friends and any family who he still had in his life. Dale was glad for the days Alex returned with something he found on his travels, it put a skip in his step if nothing else.

One of these days when Alex was out, the rest of the group were scattered in their own corners of the storage container. Daryl had not long returned with some rabbits which were being cooked by Hershel and Carol just beyond the doors, which were propped open as the cold winter had given them a rare warmer day. T-Dog was tinkering with Alex’s MP3 comm, as the group had taken to calling it, when a noise sounded from the device. Everyone paused, that was the first sound they’d heard from it since Alex had handed it over. T-Dog perked up as he peered at it, he sounded like he was reading words which had flashed on the screen. “Authorisation required?” He read aloud. The beep-beep sounded again.

“What is it?” Rick asked, he had given up on the walkie talkie idea as it had seemed T-Dog had failed in fixing it, but he had kept at it. It gave him something to do even if it never worked again, Dale had learnt that hope could go a long way these days.

T-Dog frowned at the screen. “The screen has turned on, I think the solar charging port in the compartment at the back was broken so I replaced the wires last week. But it was also blocked with dirt and dust so it hadn’t been charging up either. I took it apart and cleaned it out with that air pump Alex found a few days ago. I figured if I blew air into it at a high pressure it could clean it, I used to do that with my computer keyboard when I got crumbs stuck in it. It’s worked after charging all day outside in the daylight, but it’s asking for a start up authorisation which I can’t get round.”

Carl had come over to stand by T-Dog’s shoulder and looked down. “Does it need a password?”

“I’m not sure, there isn’t a box to type in. I know there is a keyboard here but I think it wants a verbal password, but there’s no option for that right now.”

“What’s that?” Carl asked pointing to something on the screen.

T-Dog brought it closer to his eyes. “It looks like a microphone icon.” They looked at each other. T-Dog tapped at the button in the corner of the screen and cleared his voice. “Turn on.” He said clearly into the device. Beep-beep. “No, didn’t work.”

Carl reached for it. “Can I try?”

T-Dog nodded and handed it over. “Go for it.”

“Password.” He spoke slowly into the little box and waited. Beep-beep. “Hello.” Beep-beep. “Open.” Beep-beep. “Power on.” Beep-beep. He sighed, shoulders slumped down.

“Can I have a go?” Beth surprised them by speaking up, she didn’t talk much these days. Usually she sat with Hershel and Maggie, or sometimes Alex would sit with her and they’d talk quietly in a corner.

Carl looked at T-Dog who shrugged. “Might as well.”

One by one everyone had a go of talking into the little device. Every possible word was spoken into the small machine but to everybody’s increasing frustration the only response was, beep-beep.

It was well on its way to getting dark when they heard the usual low whistle that signified Alex had come back. He walked into the container, hands empty and a grim look on his face.

“Finally!” Carl called. “You’re back!”

Alex grimaced. “Don’t get too excited, I’ve not got anything useful.”

Carl grabbed Alex’s hands and pushed the MP3 comm into his grasp. “How do you work it? We’ve tried every word but it won’t work.”

Alex’s eyes lit up. “You’ve fixed it?” He spun round to face T-Dog who shrugged, embarrassed under the sudden attention.

Alex held it up to look at the screen, Dale caught sight of the familiar words ‘Authorisation required’ still flashing in demand over Alex’s shoulder. “Alex Rider.” He spoke confidently. The group awaited with anticipation. Beeeep. Well this looked positive, it was a different sound that time. Alex typed what looked like numbers, waited a moment and typed in again then looked at the screen as it flashed with different loading options. It must have asked for two additional login codes. 

“You did it!” Carl cried excitedly. Lori gently shushed him, a reminder of the dangers outside. “Oops, sorry.”

Alex sat down on the floor and hit a few buttons on the menu. Suddenly a voice spoke clearly out of the little device, “Hello? Erm, Smithers here. Blast this damned machine! I do hope you can hear me? Apologies for the bad signal chaps and ladies, I’m having to use an outdated system borrowed from the Bletchley days and have re-configured it to connect to some modern comms. If you can hear this, well there’s not much you can do until I find a way to work a two way communication system. To sum things up, we were hit pretty hard here. We’ve lost a number of MI”- Alex hurriedly cut it off mid sentence. He coughed awkwardly, “I’ve … erm, heard that message before so don’t need to hear it again.” Dale thought he was hiding something, he met Rick’s eyes who shrugged subtly, clearly he thought it was strange too.

“Who was that?” Carl asked curiously.

Alex shifted uneasily and scratched the back of his head, his blond hair sticking up. Dale had noticed the young man was prone to doing so when he was nervous or cornered in an uncomfortable conversation.

“Erm, a friend.” Alex said slowly. He darted his eyes towards where T-Dog’s home made work station was, the equipment used to clean the MP3 comm still littered the surface top from T-Dog’s tinkering. “His name is Smithers.” Alex went on, eyes still focused in the corner. “I’ve known him since I was 14.”

“He sounded posh.” Carl interjected with a grin.

Alex stood up, the dust from the floor clung to his pants legs. He hummed distractedly in response to Carl’s words as he made his way over to the corner of their shelter. “That’s not actually his real accent, he puts it on.” He began to search through the items on the work surface, pushing things around and riffling through the sack propped up against the small table. He paused and cocked his head to the side with a look back towards Carl. “Although maybe keep that information to yourselves, you’re not suppose to know that.” He turned back to his task, but muttered. “I keep forgetting myself around you lot.”

T-Dog stepped forward. “Hey man, could I have your thing back? I’ll try to tune it to the other walkie talkie frequency.” When all that came his way was a frustrated groan, he added. “What are you looking for?”

Alex sighed and surveyed the now messy area. “The earbuds, the green ones that were wrapped around the comm when I gave it to you. Have you seen them?”

Dale saw T-Dog wince a little and exchange a glance with Daryl who shook his head with a pointed look. T-Dog took a breath and spoke quietly. “I’m sorry man, I was going to say something but then a few weeks passed and I figured you’d forgotten about them. Me and Daryl were trying to find some new ones before we told you.”

Daryl grunted from across the room with a scowl tracing his features. “Don’t bring me into this, I told you I wasn’t taking the blame for losing ‘em but I’ll grab some if I saw any on a run.”

T-Dog took a breath to respond, but was interrupted by Alex. “What? You’ve lost them?”

“Kinda.” T-Dog said awkwardly. “It was a while ago when we had to move quickly. I thought I’d shoved them in my bag but they must of fallen out when I ran to the cars.”

Alex stared at him aghast. “You lost them?” He repeated in disbelief.

T-Dog shrugged stiffly. “I said I’m sorry, I didn’t realise until we were too far away.” Alex huffed and stared down at the device in his hand. “It’s not as if you can’t use it though.” T-Dog added. “The speaker works, we heard that message before.”

“It’s not the point.” Alex groaned, hand moving through his hair again.

“It’s alright kid.” Daryl intervened stepping forward. “I’ll keep an eye out on runs, the others can too. We’ll find more headphones.”

Dale felt gratitude towards the usually quiet man, they were all indebted to Daryl and his survival skills. He was a valued member of the group who often disappeared under the other’s radar due to his lack of social skills. But Dale had noticed the other man come out of his shell more lately, especially since the farm.

Alex sighed again. “It’s not the point.” He said again quieter this time. “They were special, not like normal headphones, Smithers made them for me.”

This Smithers man was certainly an important man in Alex’s life. An uncle perhaps, or just a close family friend, Dale thought. Although he didn’t understand why the mystery man didn’t just go out to a shop to buy these things for his young friend like normal people. Who on earth made their own headphones?

“How are they special?” Lori asked from her place across the room, hand resting on her round belly.

Alex shrugged. “They just were, they were stronger than normal ones and had different functions. It’s my fault I suppose, I should have kept them with me.”

Rick so far had stayed out of the conversation, letting the others take the lead but now he stepped in and up close to Alex. “Alex, it’s alright. For now you can use the speakers on the MP3 comm and then when we find some headphones on a run we can plug them in and use them instead if you want to listen to music. Ok?” He looked Alex in the eye and held a hand to his shoulder.

“Fine.” Alex said dejectedly. “But I bet I won’t be able to scale a building with them, or tie a guy to a chair, or blow up a science lab.” He muttered as he stalked towards the doorway, the MP3 comm still tight in his grasp. “I’ll take first watch.” He disappeared from view, and a second later they heard him scrambling up the ladder to take watch on top of the container. The silence outside was broken by the familiar sounds of the same message being played from Alex's comm device. “Hello? Erm, Smithers here. Blast this damned machine! I do hope you can hear me? Apologies for the bad signal chaps and" - The sound faded as, from the sounds of it, Alex had turned down the volume.

“Well that was oddly specific.” Dale said into the quiet, which caused a smattering of laughter to escape the group.

“The imagination of the young folk today.” Hershel responded from his place by Beth along their section of the wall.

Dale nodded in agreement. Imagination indeed.

Chapter Text

To say a lot had happened since Maggie first met the rag-tag group of people who would become her family, would be an understatement. A big one.

The group had, against all odds, survived the harsh winter by all the luck in the world, although Maggie’s father would say something out there was on their side. She put all their good luck to their group and especially from the skill sets from some select individuals. Daryl kept them fed with whatever he could catch out there beyond the safety of their doors. On the days he found large game he became a new person, more talkative, animated and integrated himself within the group. The days of a bad catch however, he would hold himself accountable for the rumbling stomachs of everyone and wouldn’t rest until he had found something better, or until someone physically forced him to stay put and get some rest.

Alex kept them clothed and armed from his exploring in the area. Sometimes, but thankfully not often, he would go out for the whole night until he came back the next morning with something worthy. The days he did this would worry the group, he’d radio on his now working MP3 comm, courtesy of T-Dog, into base first, but the walkie talkie would always conveniently lose connection when someone, usually Rick and Carol, demanded he come back for his own safety. They always threatened him with bans from going out again but he had a such a talent for it that the ban would always be lifted, eventually. He was especially good at gifting them with odd bits and pieces which brought them joy for a few short blessed moments. He particularly had a talent for putting smiles on the faces of Carl, Beth and Carol with trinkets he had found.

Rick was their leader, their glue keeping them sane and focused on surviving. He had kept them moving from one location to another until they had fallen upon their storage container just before the really bad blast of winter. It had kept them mostly warm, safe and dry over the duration of the cold season. Her father was their in-house vet turned doctor, he was there to assess every scratch and scrape, every bruised limb, every cough and sneeze. Lori was his main patient, what with her ever growing hitch-hiker. Alex was given the task of looking for pregnancy books whilst out on his searches, most of the books were for expecting mothers but Maggie’s father and Lori read everyone of them, despite the fact that they probably already knew most of it from their experience of parenthood. Alex did once gleefully return with a medical book on naturally birthing babies of which her father practically absorbed every word on every page.

So they had survived, everyone got stuck in and did their part and they happily saw the last of winter disappear with every new ray of sun. It was pure fluke that Rick and Daryl had gone on one last run before planning to move the group on, when they stumbled across the prison.

West Georgia Correctional Facility.

Maggie knew it existed of course, she had practically lived on it’s doorstep her whole life, but she had never even considered it to be their refuge, their salvation. She admitted she had felt mildly guilty for forgetting about it when Rick had been searching for a safe place to live, but he had assured her it was no matter. “We got here in the end, its alright.” He had said to her. “It’s not on you, I didn’t see it this whole time, we’ve basically been going in circles these past months, this dense forest is hard to navigate.”

So here they were, in a prison. It was a bit uncomfortable at first given its history with inmates and previous occupants in their safe space. But they had settled into the place, home sweet home. Sort of. She missed the farm, it had been all she had known except for her time at college, until her mad bunch of misfits had trampled their way onto Greene land and into her life. But despite missing her home like she would a limb, and her hollow feeling of grief when her mind turned to Patricia, Jimmy, Otis and all the others who she and her family had known and lost, she couldn’t deny that without the guide of her new found family, she, her father and sister wouldn’t have been safe at home much longer. It had frankly been a miracle they had lasted as long as they did, given both the walkers and the unsavoury characters hanging around town. They could have done a lot worse than this group. But the best thing about them was a certain person who was quickly becoming one of the most important people in her life, and heart. Her dad and Beth came first in every way, but Glenn was her person, her rock, her soulmate dare she say it. No one knew her better than Glenn and she was very much aware that without the reawakening of the dead she would never have met him. To say she had conflicting thoughts on this matter would be another understatement. She tried not to dwell on this much.

A sudden ear splitting cry erupted from the main common area below the sleeping cells, Maggie sighed as her mind was cast back into the present. A muffled groan sounded next to her as Glenn tried to drown the noise out, with one of his arms thrown over the back of his head whilst pushing his face more firmly into the pillow. Maggie smiled fondly. “You’d better get used to that noise, it’s gonna be happening a lot round here.”

Glenn turned his head slightly towards her, the creases from his pillow had left lines in his cheek. “Why is she so loud? She’s tiny, how is it even possible that such a small body can create a noise that loud.” His voice had the hint of a whine.

Maggie patted his back sympathetically. “She’s just hungry, she need milk and now Lori isn’t here to give it...” She trailed off sadly as the events from a couple of days ago came flooding back. She had tried to forget about the horror of that day by forcing herself to get some sleep. Her father hadn’t even argued about Glenn sharing her sleeping space given what they had all had gone through. She couldn’t imagine what Rick was feeling, and Carl. Oh god, Carl. It had been such a rush of frenzied events that Maggie still hadn’t quite processed what had actually happened. She remembered the cries for help, the shouts from the others to get to safety from the sudden onslaught of walkers invading their supposed safe space. The alarm had been ringing so piercingly loud that her ears had the echoed ripples of sound in her head afterwards. She had found herself trapped in the boiler room with Carl and Lori who was in the painful stages of labour. All the research her father had done planning for the birth had gone to waste, there she had been in the room with no medical supplies and no help coming their way. Maggie remembered the tears blinding her, her sweat slicked hands gripping the blade, as Lori instructed her how to save the baby following her old C section scars. She was in such a state of shock, she wasn’t even aware of what she’d done until she had the bundle of new life in her bloody arms, she remembered the life leaving Lori’s eyes as she took her last breath. In that moment she had sat frozen, staring at the body of her friend, blood pooled around her. The loud bang of the gun had shocked her back into awareness, Carl walked past her soundless as a ghost, his mother’s body left behind them with the fresh bullet in her head preventing her turning into the undead.

Maggie was aware of a hand rubbing her back as she blinked the memories away, she took a shuddering breath. “You ok?” Glenn asked voice coated with concern.

Maggie smiled a wavered smile and wiped her unshed tears away. “Yeah, I’m alright.”

Glenn looked unconvinced but allowed her space to stand. “It’s ok if you’re not you know.” How Maggie loved her wonderful man, and how he loved her. She was lucky, all things considered. She took another breath, more sure of herself this time. “I know, but we’ve got to be strong for the others too. When Rick comes back, we need to be here for him. Really, I’m good. I may have a moment sometimes but I’m alright, besides I have you.” She gave him a peck on his cheek, causing his skin to break out in a light blush.

“Sap.” He said, gently teasing her.

She smiled and patted his cheek. “Says the blushing maiden.” She laughed lightly and left the affronted spluttering behind her as she made her way out onto the landing and down the stairs.

Carol was gently rocking the baby in her arms and the little girl greedily suckled down the formula from the bottle. “Morning.” Maggie said softly, she reached her little finger out to stroke the soft small hands of the newborn. “How is she?”

Carol smiled wistfully down at the baby in her arms. “Perfect. She’s perfect and healthy.”

“Good, that’s something if nothing else.” Maggie said. “How are we doing for formula?”

An answer came from behind them as Hershel hobbled over on his makeshift crutches. He had a nasty fall a few days before when they cleared one of the blocks of walkers. He and Alex had been separated from the others when they had been cut off by a rogue group of walkers. Her father hadn’t seen the walker on the ground at their feet and Alex had to push him out of the way of the gnashing teeth to spare Hershel from a bite. As a consequence the older man had crashed into the wall and twisted his ankle, much to the embarrassment of Alex. Her father had brushed off the many apologies from the young man, saying he’d much rather have a twisted ankle than a bitten one. Nevertheless Alex tended to wince awkwardly every time he saw Hershel hobble around on his crutches, of course the teasing from T-Dog that same day about beating up the elderly didn’t help matters.

“We need more baby formula.” Her father was saying. “What you and Daryl managed to find yesterday helped our stock but it won’t last long. We should send out another supply run before it becomes desperate.”

Maggie sighed, it was one thing after another for them. She and Daryl had managed to find some baby supplies but it was slim pickings. “How many days do you think we have left?”

Carol cocked her head as she considered. “Maybe two days? Depends how much she demands in the meantime. Don’t forget Lori wasn’t exactly eating enough for an expecting mother in usual circumstances, so this little one is a bit smaller than I think she should be. But she seems to be doing alright so far.”

Maggie nodded. “We could send Alex out I suppose, he said he had already scouted a possible place for baby stuff on his last run but his hands were full at the time.”

Hershel shook his head. “Daryl took him out to look for Rick, check boundaries and pick off straggler walkers we missed in the yard. I think he took T-Dog’s death hard.”

It wasn’t just Lori they had lost the day before, T-Dog had been killed whilst saving Carol, who up until yesterday they thought had died too. Alex, refusing to believe them dead, had come across her trapped in a storage closet with walkers fighting their way in. She had told them the events which led to T-Dog’s death, they had been cut off in the prison and trapped with walkers between them and their exit, he had given his life so she could get to safety. Carol was shaken and upset but thankfully alive and physically well, albeit dehydrated and tired. After the attack Rick had disappeared, he had been completely overwhelmed by his grief of Lori’s death. They were aware of his presence in the prison, systematically tearing through the walkers within the prison walls in the areas they’d yet to clear, but Hershel suggested they leave him to cope with his grief in his own way. Didn’t stop them from worrying about him though.

Carol looked up from the feeding baby as if a sudden thought had occurred to her. “Where is Beth? She wanted to have a go of feeding the baby.”

Hershel nodded his head towards the doorway. “She’s with Dale and Carl, they are keeping subtle a watch over our new neighbours.”

When they had first broken into the prison, they had found a few prisoners locked in the canteen completely unaware of the mess of the outside world. Two had died pretty quickly due to, complications. Two had stayed to plead to the group for sanctuary, and the last man had run off presumed dead. That is until he had reappeared and let the walkers into the safe zones of the prison to cause mayhem and death. The two former prisoners who had stayed with the group, Axel and Oscar, helped to clear the remaining walkers so were hesitantly given the benefit of doubt, especially when it was Oscar who had eventually killed his murderous ex-neighbouring inmate. They had been given more leniency since the attack but the group still didn’t like to leave them on their own, especially considering recent events. They had helped Glenn bury Lori and T-Dog despite not really knowing either of them. Carol too had been mourned and a grave dug for her, until she had reappeared.

“I guess it’s me joining you for a supply run this time.” A weary voice sounded, they turned as one to see a sleepy Glenn coming down the stairs, obviously hearing their conversation.

“You guessed right.” Maggie said a smile tugged at her lips. “Come on, it will be easy. Alex told me about a good place he had found, we’ll be back before you know it.”

Famous last words.

o0o

They sat round a table, each staring into space with thoughts clouding their minds, not a sound was heard in the room as they waited for a sign of hope. Hershel found himself thinking of his farm, his home where generations of Greene's had been lived, worked and died on the same land, the land he abandoned. He wanted to go back, he knew it was unwise but he ached with the yearning to return. He wouldn’t, he knew the risks and dangers, the monsters of both the living and the dead but by God he missed home. He had said nothing to his girls, Beth struggled as it was and Maggie, though she put up a strong facade, longed for the simple days of the past. He was proud of them, he probably didn’t say it enough but he undoubtedly was. Hershel was glad of Glenn, he gave Maggie something to cling to. He was a good boy, they would look after each other.

Hershel rubbed his tired eyes, he hoped she wasn’t scared. Wherever she was, if she was frightened or in pain, he hoped she knew they were coming for them. He took a shuddering breath as he tried to pull his mind away from the thoughts which began to mould into dark twisting shadows and shapes.

Beth glanced at him from her place by his side, she reached out her hand to hold his tightly clenched fist. “We’ll get her back Daddy, you’ll see. They’ll both come back.”

Hershel sniffed back the feeling of terror which had once more started the churning in his gut. From the moment they had heard the news that Maggie and Glenn had been taken during their supply run, Beth had remained glued to his side. Whether that was for her sake or his, he didn’t know, but either way he was glad of it. She calmed his racing heart and now her hand holding his had grounded him, he steadied his breath and responded to her words with a squeeze of her hand. His daughters were his whole world, he wasn’t going to lose them. He couldn’t.

He tried to stop his eyes from drifting to the large clock on the wall to no avail, he sighed and reached up with his free hand to rub his forehead at the headache which lingered there. It had been several hours and they had heard nothing, the walkie talkie remained quiet on the table they sat around. It had been left with them at the prison, whilst Rick, Daryl and Oscar had gone to rescue Maggie and Glenn. Rick had reluctantly allowed Alex to accompany them too after he had argued his case. He had loudly and stubbornly declared that if they leave him behind he will follow them anyway, at Daryl’s shrug Rick had sighed and nodded his consent. Their guide was a woman, who had appeared at the prison gates, badly injured and wavering where she stood with a familiar basket of baby supplies gripped tightly in her hand. She had looked like a warrior, beaten down but still fighting. They were weary of course given the events of the previous few days, it was becoming increasingly difficult to trust outsiders in this day and age. Once within the safe confines of the prison walls she told them what she had seen. Maggie and Glenn had been taken. They had been held at gunpoint, forced into a car and driven away.

The rescue group had been gone for half the day, they’d taken Alex’s MP3 comm to keep Hershel and the others updated, but as of yet they’d heard nothing. Earlier that day a small group of people had been discovered by Carl fighting off walkers. He had brought them to their common area, but kept them locked out away from their people. Given the events of the day, Hershel and the rest of the group were standing firm on their decision to keep their people safe. For now, Dale had offered to keep watch over the new people. He was sat in the doorway with one eye on the new comers and the rest of them in partial view, sat around the walkie talkie at the foot of the stairs.

A low whine cut through the silence, Carol soothed the bundle in her arms. She looked up at the faces turned towards her and flushed at the attention. “I think she needs a bottle, she’s woken up hungry.”

With a squeeze of Hershel’s hand, Beth let go from where she had remained her steadfast grip. “I’ll get one ready.” At Carol’s unspoken objection, Beth smiled and made her way across the room. “I don’t mind honest, it will keep my mind busy.” Carol settled back in her chair and nodded.

The gentle sounds of Beth moving around to prepare the baby formula soothed Hershel, he closed his eyes and thought back to his days on the farm. The chinking and light scraping of cutlery when his family would sit around the table for mealtimes. The murmur of voices between mouthfuls of food, the laughter from stories and anecdotes from events of the day. It doesn’t always help to dwell on the past, but sometimes the happier memories help.

There was a crackle of radio static.

Every person in the room froze. Hershel’s memories were washed away with sudden alertness as his eyes sprang open.

Another crackle.

“Hello?” Static.

“Can anyone read me, over?” Static.

Carl leapt into action, he swiped up the walkie talkie and held it close to his mouth. “Yeah we hear you Alex, erm, over.”

“Hey! It’s good to hear your voice kiddo. We’re on our way back.” The response came quickly.

Hershel stumbled to his feet, one hand on his crutch as his weaker ankle threatened to give way. He motioned to Carl for the walkie talkie, he fumbled with it when he found it placed in his hands. He looked at the device with frustration as he struggled to work the button to operate it, his hands streaked with anxious sweat. Carl gently picked it out of his grip again, pressed the button and nodded for him speak. Hershel cleared his throat and spoke into the device. “Are they safe? Have you got Maggie? Have you got them out?” His words rushed out in a garbled mess before he’d even processed them.

There was a breath of silence. Then, “We got out Dad.” Hershel let out a choked sob of relief. “Me and Glenn are ok, we’re on our way back.” He let himself be guided back into his chair by hands that surrounded him. He faintly heard Beth beside him hugging him tightly, whispering soothing words. They are ok. Maggie is coming home.

He was aware of more chatter through the walkie talkie, but the words didn’t seem to filter through. He hadn’t realised how tense his body had wound itself until the weight of worry had lifted from his shoulders. He sagged in his chair and allowed the surrounding joyful noise to wash over him.

o0o

“How are you doing?” Hershel looked over his shoulder to see Dale coming to sit by his side, he passed him a cool drink of water as he made himself comfortable. They stretched their legs out from their perch on the step over looking the yard.

“Thank you.” Hershel replied as he took a refreshing sip, the water was a welcomed addition as the hot sun beat down on them. “I’m doing alright. Yourself?”

Dale sighed and slouched on his step, his back resting on the door frame behind them. “Yeah I’m getting by I suppose.” He took off his hat and twisted it around his fingers. Hershel waited for his friend to continue, the pair of them had quickly developed a strong friendship over their months traipsing around looking for shelter in the midst of winter, and Hershel knew when the other man had something on his mind. “It’s just, do you ever feel like there is an end in sight?”

Hershel frowned, this wasn’t the direction he thought the conversation would go. “How do you mean?” He asked slowly.

Dale scratched his head as it undoubtedly began over heating in the afternoon sun. He scrunched up his hat before flapping it out and replacing it on his head. Hershel himself wore a wide brimmed straw hat which had been gifted by Alex, who had jokingly brought it back for him on a supply run, but Hershel had quite liked it and wore it regularly much to Alex’s amusement.

“Do you think we’ll ever be able to just live again?” Dale sighed and stared out towards the distant fields and beyond.

Hershel chuckled light heartedly at his friend’s words. “I think whilst our lives will never be the same as those which we once knew, I think we are doing a fine job of living now.”

Dale shot him a look. “I mean without fear. I want us all to live, not just survive from one day to the next.”

Hershel sobered with his friend’s words. “I don’t know.” He responded quietly. It seemed in this world they were fighting to survive in, the living were just as bad as the dead. They spent as much time hiding from walkers as they did people. As Alex put it, The Governor was just the latest ‘Wannabe Baddie of the Week’. The Governor. A man who had ran the neighbouring settlement, Woodbury, had all but disappeared after a stressful few weeks full of arguing, fighting, loss and distrust.

It had been about three weeks since Maggie and Glenn had been taken, so much had happened he felt like time had flown by. They had lost Oscar during Maggie and Glenn’s rescue and Axel had died during an attack on the prison. They had found out Daryl’s brother Merle and Andrea had been alive and living in Woodbury under The Governor’s rule. Hershel hadn’t known Merle as he had been lost to the group before they had met his family, not to speak ill of the dead but Hershel had no love lost for Merle. He had died in the days following the rescue, and whilst Hershel was sorry for Daryl, it was Merle who had taken Maggie and Glenn. Maggie hadn’t spoken much about what had happened but Hershel knew his daughter. He saw how shaken up she was, and her relationship had seemed strained until Glenn had come for Hershel’s blessing and a ring appeared on Maggie’s finger.

A sharp whistle broke through the air, Hershel looked up to see Alex approaching with a bag slung over one shoulder. He sported a streak of dirt on his nose and a torn t-shirt, but the grin on his face did nothing to disguise his apparent good mood. He had been gone for most of the day, but judging by the bulky bag over his shoulder he’d had a successful trip.

“Penny for your thoughts gentlemen?” He asked cheekily.

Dale groaned from next to him as he shifted on his step. “Not much going on up here.” He replied tapping his hat with a tanned finger. “I think I’ve fused in place, I’m too old to be sitting on hard surfaces like this now.” Hershel echoed similar sentiments as he too felt his back and bones protest with a deep ache from sitting in place for too long.

Alex let his bag fall to the floor and held out both hands. “Do you two want a hand up?”

Dale looked at Alex’s slim frame dubiously. “Well if you’re offering.” He said slowly, doubt flooding his tone.

Alex shot him a sly smile. “Are you saying you’re too heavy?”

“Hey now.” Dale protested.

Alex clapped his hands together and made a show of readying his feet firmly in place and returned his hands to their previous outward reach.

Hershel and Dale caught each other’s eye and smiled, the younger ones in their group always helped to put smiles on their faces but Alex especially seemed to have a talent for it.

Both men clasped the offered hands and on three Alex helped pull them up with an exaggerated groan. Dale, once he was steady and on both feet, pretended to slap the back of Alex’s head which the young man playfully dodged with a laugh. “See if I offer to help the older members of this group again!” He scampered off with his bag once again over his shoulder.

Hershel chuckled at the sight as they began the walk back into the prison building. At the entrance, he put his hand out to stop Dale. “Look, about what you said earlier.”

“Don’t worry about it, you just caught me in a bad moment.” Dale tried to brush him off.

“Nevertheless.” Hershel ignored his friend’s words. “I have a good feeling about the future.” At Dale’s doubtful look, he went on. “I honestly do. The Woodbury folks are here to start a new peaceful life away from that mad man, and we can grow something here. The Governor has vanished, hopefully to die from his wounds like an animal and we have a chance for peace now. I know you’re grieving Andrea, she didn’t deserve to die and for that I’m sorry. But we have a fresh slate to work with and to make something of this place.” He gestured to the fences and buildings around them.

Dale nodded and clasped his hand to Hershel’s shoulder. “Thank you my friend, you’re right of course. But - .”

“But it doesn’t stop the worries, does it.” Hershel finished his sentence finding familiarity in Dale’s concerns.

Dale shook his head. “No, it doesn’t.” He agreed softly. “But I try to look at the future positively instead of over my shoulder to think the worst scenario with every possibility. But some days my brain doesn’t agree.” He finished with a sad chuckle.

Hershel smiled. “You know, I was speaking to Rick earlier about growing some crops. Start looking at food sustainably and really making this place our permanent settlement.”

Dale perked up. “Really? I could help with that, I use to dabble in my greenhouse when I got bored with retirement.”

Hershel smiled at this friend’s improved mood. “Well you could lend a hand now if you want. I was going to get some of the younger ones to help start digging out vegetable plots this afternoon.”

“Well, I can give directions from the sidelines. My back isn’t what it was you know.”

Hershel threw his head back and laughed as he followed Dale into the cool depths of their home.

Chapter Text

Alex surveyed the land from his vantage point of the watch tower, his legs swung from where they hung over the edge. His chest leant against the lowest rail and his arms rested on it from either side, the light breeze a refreshing distraction from the surprisingly warm day despite the shelter from the watch tower roof. He shifted in his seat, the soft padded matt softened the hard ground, he remembered how numb his bottom had been the first time he had sat up here for hours. He'd learnt from that painful experience. A lone walker stumbled from beyond the trees, it’s once yellow sundress now stained and torn. The walker’s long lank hair caught on a gentle tug of wind as it stopped to scent the air. In it’s half turn, Alex saw the side of it’s face was scratched and torn down to the jaw bone, he watched it sway from side to side as it followed the enticing scent of food. The prison was practically a five star restaurant for walkers, the smell and heat of a large gathering of people was a prime spot for a meal. The walker continued on it's path towards the mesh fence until it bumped into the boundary line and began to scratch at the wire determined in it's mission to reach it’s goal.

Alex reached down to his lap and moved the crossbow into a readied position. He preferred a gun at this distance but bullets were a precious commodity and noisier, he didn't want to draw unnecessary attention. He steadied the weapon and aimed, with a breath he pulled the trigger and the walker went down. He would retrieve the bolt later. He put the crossbow back in his lap and resumed his previous position. Near to the downed walker were seventeen more, all with a crossbow bolt in the eye socket. Alex grinned to himself, he was getting pretty good at that. It had taken a good week of solid pestering to get Daryl to teach him how best to use the weapon on the deal that he found his own on a supply run. "What's the use if we only have one? You ain't having mine." Daryl had said. Charming. Determined, Alex made it his mission to source one on his many runs. It had taken about a month, but eventually he had found a half decent one, not as good Daryl's of course but Alex would have to prise it from Daryl's cold dead hands before the other man would give his up. So he made do. Daryl had shown him how to stand, hold the crossbow and aim. He taught Alex how to compensate for the wind or rain, and how to clean and conduct the necessary maintenance on the weapon. Of course Alex knew the basics of weapon use and maintenance from his previous training courtesy of Scorpia and MI6 respectively, but it didn't hurt to get more instruction. Especially from one as skilled as Daryl. Alex thought back to the beginning of all this mess, when he would go hunting in the quarry with a bow and arrow. Back then his aim was pretty shoddy, he'd hit the target but the animal would be left injured and suffering, or the walker would continue it’s advance until Alex pulled out his knife to finish the job.

He often wondered what the others back home would think of him now. Would they cringe, horrified at the person he's become or would they be proud he's survived against all odds. He'd like to think the latter but who knows. He has no idea what it's like back home, or who was alive. Alan Blunt was like a cockroach, nothing kills him. But the others, Mrs Jones, Mr Crawley and Smithers. Were they still in an old war bunker safe from the world or had they succumbed to the horrors of walkers? Mostly Alex thought about Tom, he'd give anything to know he's alright. They were best friends, brothers almost. Tom was all Alex had left in the world outside of MI6, he hoped he was ok. He had to be.

He hated himself to think this but when his mind went to darker thoughts he was almost glad Jack wasn't alive to suffer through this. It had been a couple of years now since she had been killed and he missed her every day, but he knew she would be beside herself with worry thinking about Alex trapped over here in America. Knowing the strong and stubborn woman Jack had been, she would probably had forced MI6 into extracting him out, or would have even chartered a plane herself. Alex chuckled at the thought, he wouldn't have put it past her.

He reached down to palm the outline of his MP3 Comm through his pocket, the same message was still going around from Smithers. It didn’t bode well, Alex doubted it was his end which was the issue as the group used his comms and the walkie talkie regularly with no problem so it would highly likely be from Smither’s end. Either he hadn’t bothered to rerecord a new message as there was no change in their situation, or no one was around to do it. He didn’t like what that implied so he tried not to dwell on it, but some nights when he couldn’t sleep, he would listen to the familiar voice and attempt to find comfort from it.

Creaking footsteps sounded up the ladder as someone began the climb to the top of the watch tower. Rick, he thought judging by the huffs and tread of boots. Sure enough the familiar head popped up through the trapdoor and he heaved himself up the last step onto the platform. Rick nodded at Alex as he approached and leaned on the top rail with his elbows to look around at the view. “You gonna leave some walkers for the rest of us?” Rick asked jokingly with a smile.

Alex laughed as he followed Rick’s line of sight, the many downed walkers still littered the area. “Nah, I thought I’d have all the fun.”

Rick laughed then sighed. “They never stop coming do they.” Another walker had appeared from between the trees, a second following close behind in it’s footsteps.

“Nope! But as long as it isn’t The Governor, I’m good.” Alex had already prepared a fresh bolt and held it up to aim, with barely a breath he pulled the trigger and let it fly. Score. “Then again, maybe The Gov should step out of that treeline when I have this in my hand and I could put everything to rights.” He mumbled under his breath.

Rick whistled in appreciation, he held his hand above his eyes to block out the sun as he took in the sight. “Pretty damn good.”

Alex grinned up at him as he lay the crossbow back down again. “Two for the price of one.”

“Indeed.” Rick laughed. They both gazed down at the felled walkers, one with a hole through it’s head, the other with a bolt sticking out it’s eye. “Dale reminded me you’ve been out here for a while now with no food so I’ve been sent to take over."

Alex rolled his eyes. “Yes Dad.” He muttered.

Rick shook his head fondly. “Hey don’t shoot the messenger.”

“Alright. Yes Grandad.” Alex pushed himself back to avoid the hand that came down to mess his hair up, but to no avail as he’d somewhat wedged his legs under the rail in awkward angle. “Not the hair!”

Rick grinned at him. “You sound like Carl.”

They both laughed, as they switched positions in the tower. Rick opted to use the chair instead of sitting on the floor as Alex did, but he took the padded matt off the floor to place on the seat of the chair. At Alex’s raised eye brow Rick tried to defend himself. “I’m not as young as you, if I sit on this chair for too long I’ll struggle to move after.”

“You sound like Dale and Hershel.” Alex countered.

Rick chuckled. “Fair.”

Alex shuffled around to pick up his belongings, some wrappers and bottles along with his knives and crossbow. “See.” He said waving a food wrapper at Rick. “I did eat something up here.”

Rick hummed. “I think Dale means a proper meal Alex.”

Alex shrugged. “I’m going now. He’d better not fuss over me like last time.”

“It’s just because he cares.”

“Yeah I know, but it’s bloody annoying.” Alex grumbled, feeling slightly foolish at how childish he sounded but to hell with it, he deserved to act out every now and then otherwise he’d go insane. He paused at the top of the ladder as a sudden thought occurred to him. “Rick, can I ask you something?”

“Sure. What is it?” Rick had finished settling down, the walkie talkie rested on his lap and his rifle stood up against the wall. Rick preferred to leave the fresh walkers until the end of his shift, then kill them with a knife through the wire. Like the others though, he still took a gun with him in case of emergencies.

“Well, I heard a rumour.” Alex started awkwardly. Rick looked over at him and frowned, Alex hurried on. “It’s about Carol.” Rick sighed and rubbed his head. “I guess it’s true?” Alex questioned as Rick stayed silent.

“What did you hear?” The older man asked slowly.

Alex leant back on the wall by the ladder and rested the tip of the crossbow on the floor as he let it dangle by his side. “Mixed things.” At Rick’s questioning look, he went on. “I heard you weren’t happy with her teaching the kids how to kill walkers, and I know that she killed Karen and David when they got infected by the pig virus.”

“How did you-” Started Rick looking startled.

Alex waved him off. “It wasn’t hard to put together, it makes sense it was her. I’ve not said anything to anyone but I guessed you had already worked it out too. Seeing as you came back from a supply run today without her.”

Rick suddenly looked tired as he slouched in the chair, he ran his hand through his hair and sighed. Some days ago one of the residents of another cell block became ill and was found dead, or walker-dead anyway, he’d managed to kill several other people in his undead state before he had been put down. One of the residents realised it was a virus that Charlie, the dead guy, had caught from the pigs. The pigs were killed and burnt but it had became a problem, a big one. There were quarantines in place, rules and restrictions, and when Glenn and Sasha had to be quarantined too, Alex realised how serious it was. He was close to Glenn of course, but he had become friends with Sasha and her brother Tyreese as they had been in the prison the longest out of all the new residents. They had after all been in the group that had stumbled into the prison when Maggie and Glenn had been taken all those months ago. Two of the sick infected residents, Karen and David were found burnt to a crisp with everyone having no idea who was responsible. Until now. Thankfully Glenn and Sasha whilst weak, were out of the woods after a medical supply run was made by Daryl, Bob and Michonne who had returned earlier that same day. Bob was Sasha’s boyfriend so he was pretty adamant on joining to get the supplies, and Michonne had come a long way from being the bloodied up wounded warrior who had appeared with baby supplies at the prison gates all those months ago.

“She is ok, isn’t she?” Alex pushed when he heard no response from Rick.

Rick looked up, horror written all over his face. “Oh god Alex, I didn’t kill her!” He exclaimed.

Alex help out a pacifying hand. “Whoa, that’s so not what I implied.” He totally didn’t mean to say Rick had killed Carol and dumped her body. He assumed that they had got into a fight and Carol went her own way, Rick was a lot of things and since Lori died he wasn’t exactly always in his right mind but Alex would never think him capable of killing one of their friends. Hell, basically family at this point after all they’ve been through, and sure you fight with family from time to time but you don’t kill them.

“I spoke to her today when we went on a run.” Rick explained proving Alex’s theory right, to a point. “I -.” He hesitated and looked out from the watch tower to seemingly avoid Alex’s questioning gaze. “I exiled her.”

“What?” Alex breathed out an astonished cry. “You exiled her? Why? This isn’t the medieval era you know.”

“You’ve got to understand Alex, she murdered two people and she justified it. She showed no remorse and we can’t have that here. It’s toxic.”

“She was protecting us.” Alex said loudly. He stepped away from the wall no longer leaning on it, his whole body was strung tight like a wild animal ready to pounce.

“Yes she was, but at what cost?”

Alex said nothing, his hands clenched into fists.

“Alex, I couldn’t trust her any more. She killed two innocent people and tried to cover it up. She was teaching the younger children how to use weapons, it’s a rocky road Alex and I don’t know how far she would have gone to protect us at the cost of the others and her own humanity.”

“Screw Humanity!” Alex yelled. “Look around Rick, humanity has been lost for a while now. I’ve seen the scum of this world, the worst kinds of people and I can tell you Carol is good. She is kind, she is a protector and above all she is family.” With that Alex slammed his hand on the wall behind him to emphasize his words. “She’s family Rick, you don’t turn your back on family.” He finished softer, all the energy zapped out of him at once.

Rick smiled sadly at Alex’s words. “I know, but I was stuck. I didn’t know what to do. It was for her safety as much as the others.”

“How?” Alex questioned, his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. Surely Carol was in more danger out there on her own than at the prison.

“Tyreese was ready to avenge Karen and David’s killings, he told me himself. If he had found out Carol was responsible then I don’t know what he would have done.”

Alex thought back to when the bodies were first discovered. Tyreese had attacked Rick with his initial rage at the deaths until Rick fought back and beat the crap out of Tyreese in return. It was quite the event to say the least.

“So she’s out there alone and unprotected and we’re just meant to, what, just forget about her? Or have you forgotten there’s a psycho out there who wants everyone in this prison dead?”

“We don’t know that he’s still alive Alex.”

“Anyone who has named himself The Governor, won’t die easily. Much too big of an ego, trust me, I’ve met his kind before.”

Rick sighed again and pinched the top of his nose, usually a sign that either Carl was pestering him with pointless questions or Rick was getting a headache. Or both, come to think of it. “One day you’re gonna have to explain the backstories to all these people you mention.”

“If I told you, then I’d have to kill you.”

“Yeah.” Rick said, his hands moved to rubbing his forehead. Definitely headache. “So you’ve said. Look, if The Governor returns then we’ll deal with him like we did the first time round. For now, lets leave this conversation here and call it a day. I’ll stay here for my watch and you go to Dale, your plate of food is probably stone cold by now.”

Alex reluctantly nodded. “Ok.” He moved to pick up his crossbow which had slid down the wall in the absence of his support and started the precarious climb down the ladder.

“Oh, Alex?” Rick’s head appeared at the top of the hatch.

“I won’t tell anyone what we talked about, don’t worry.”

Rick’s face broke out into a relieved grateful smile. “Thanks.” He hesitated. “Are we ok?”

Alex nodded after a thought. “Yeah we’re good. Doesn’t mean I’m not pissed, but I understand why you did it.” He continued his climb down the ladder before Rick had a chance to reply.

“Why are you pissed at Rick?”

Alex nearly jumped out of his skin as his feet touched the floor at the same time as Daryl’s unexpected voice, he hadn’t noticed the other man behind him as he descended the ladder. Damn it, he was loosing his touch.

“Jesus Daryl! What the hell? What are you doing out here sneaking around like that?”

Daryl just shrugged, a smirk lining his lips. “Dale sent me to find you. Why are you pissed at Rick?” He asked again, head cocked to one side with his eyes squinted as he looked up to where the ladder disappeared through the hatch door.

Alex’s heart resumed it’s normal rhythm, and he started to pace back towards the main prison compound with Daryl on his heels. “Oh, he stole my last piece of chocolate.”

Daryl cracked a smile. “Yeah, he did the same thing to me.”

o0o

Alex hated being right.

Less than twenty four hours later the entire place was utter ruin. Dust, rubble and pure chaos rained around him. He coughed in shock as he tried to stand but a sharp pain ricocheted up his right leg, he clamped a hand around his thigh and felt wetness. It was too dark to see but his imagination conjured up the worst kind of images. An unnerving groan echoed above him as the ceiling rumbled ominously, he had to get out of here. A wailing cry erupted in a neighbouring room as there was another distant BOOM from somewhere else in the building.

He really hated being right.

Chapter Text

Carl took a deep breath as he prepared to strike, the figure in front of him seemingly unaware. He readied the knife in his hand and balanced himself firmly, with one swing pushing all of his might into the move, he bore down on the walker and pushed the knife up through the back of it's skull. It crumpled immediately to the floor, it's legs unnaturally bent as they snapped with the unexpected force. Carl stood for a moment and stared at the body in front of him as he contemplated when this scene stopped being so awful and wrong. He remembered being young and his mom would banish him from the lounge when a scary or gruesome movie came on the TV, she always said it would give him nightmares. She was right, they always did. When he saw his first walker and his first dead body, coincidentally at the same time because the walker was eating the body, he was terrified. His mom would shield him and pull him away, she said he was too young and he would have nightmares. She was right, it did. Until it didn't. Carl couldn't remember when he stopped being grossed out or scared of a messed up walker or a half eaten body. Sure, he felt scared when one was running after him trying to eat him, he felt sad or shocked when someone died. But the normality of killing something that used to be human or seeing an unknown body on the side of the road like it was road kill? He can't remember when it became, well, normal.

"Carl!"

He turned at the call, his dad and Michonne were behind him contemplating a map. They had reached a crossroads and their small party were in a disagreement about the route to go. Carl was sure it was straight on, he was almost positive but his dad was adamant they were meant to go right. Michonne suggested left but Carl was pretty sure she was just trying to stir trouble because she was bored. At first it had just been Carl and his dad, but it was slow going as his dad had been injured from the fight. Michonne had appeared after a while, she added hope to their little group, a spark. She did that sometimes, a flicker of a cheeky streak, as Alex used to call it, would show periodically in her eyes and a smirk would trace her features before she would reactivate her stoic warrior facade. Carl grinned at the thought, then a shroud of grief overcame him. Alex. Although Alex was years older than him, he was Carl's best friend. He had told Alex once that if he had ever had an older brother he wished it would have been him. The older boy had grinned and pulled Carl into a head lock before rubbing his head, messing up his hair in the process. “Thanks kid'.” Alex had said, “If I had ever had chance for a little brother, then I would have liked him to be you”.

Carl sniffed as tears welled up in his eyes, Alex was probably dead as was Judith. His little baby sister, only six months old. Dead. Carl had learnt not to get attached, he should have known better. First his old life, then Sophia, Shane, his mom, Alex and now Judith. Out of everyone who has become his family it was just the three of them left now. Carl, his dad and Michonne. Anyone who even remotely possibly survived, Carl would never see again. They were all scattered. His dad had this idea in his head that this new place Terminus would be their salvation, they had seen the signs offering a safe place for all. Rick thought that maybe any survivors from the prison may have the same idea and they would be reunited, but Carl doubted it. When had things ever worked out for them?

"We're going straight on." His dad's call came from closer behind this time as they started to walk closer to Carl.

Carl rolled his eyes. "Called it."

A tap knocked into his head as Michonne passed his left. "Smart ass." She muttered with a grin, she sent a wink his way.

Carl felt a smile creep onto his face, before he smoothed it away with a practiced scowl and trudged after them.

He was fed up with walking, it felt like all they had been doing since this all began in the quarry was going from one place of presumed safely to the next. He had really thought the prison was it, they were happy, had a growing community and they had safe walls. That was all over now though. In one day it had all gone.

Carl thought back again to that day, he had kept returning to it in his mind. He watched every moment helplessly on repeat, still not completely accepting that it was all gone.

o0o

Several days ago

BOOM

A loud explosion from outside stopped Dale mid sentence, everyone lounging around the common area had previously been mid laughter as Dale recounted a tale from days of pre-walkers. At the startling loud sound, everybody jumped to their feet in the confusion. Carl felt the booming vibrations echo throughout his whole body, his ears rang with the onslaught of sound. He instinctually looked for Judith, seeing her safe in Dale’s arms he lurched towards the open doorway as he vaguely heard Dale call to Alex behind him. Outside he was met by the others as they ran to the fence to see what had happened. One of the watch towers burned in the yard, the one Alex favoured. He had only been in there that morning.

"Rick, we need to talk!" A loud clear voice carried over the confusion, as one their group turned to see a mass of people congregated behind the prison fence at the furthest boundary across the field.

Carl's breath caught on a choked gasp. The Governor. He thought he was dead, everyone said he was dead. Before Andrea had died she had said she'd injured him, he'd disappeared and they'd thought he had died from his wounds. All except Alex. He had been adamant the Governor was still out there. Apparently he was right.

Carl had blanked out the conversation between his dad and the Governor as he took in the sight before him. The Governor had assembled a large group of people, they were stood around several cars and a tank. Where the hell did they get a tank from? Carl gulped, the damage they could to with that thing. He saw one of the people walk to the car and bodily pull someone from it. Hershel. He looked battered and stumbled with a limp but Carl could see his stubborn pride from a distance. Next Michonne, she had some blood on her head but she was still a fierce warrior even with her hands bound behind her back. They were forced to their knees in front of the strange group on the outside of the mesh fence. Carl broke away from his terror as his Dad turned to him, Carl saw the fear in his eyes as he placed his hand to Carl's cheek. "We can do this, alright?" He said softly. Carl nodded, his body still seized with the horror of the situation. He watched as his dad walked away from their little group, he only had one gun to defend himself as he left the safely of their home. Daryl and Sasha turned to one another as they planned for the potential fight to come, they disappeared to prepare. Carl stood frozen as his eyes tracked his dad as he got closer to the group, he couldn't hear them talk, he was too far away now. Behind him he saw Daryl handing out guns and other weapons to their group, Carl took one too as he got into position with his gun fed through the mesh aimed at the unknown group and the Governor.

"We've got to do something." Carl muttered to Daryl who was in a mirrored stance next to him.

"Your dad's got it." Replied Daryl, not taking his eyes off the target.

"They're talking, we could kill the Governor right now."

"From 50 yards?" Daryl retorted.

"I'm a good shot." Carl shot back. "I could end this right now."

Daryl grunted "Yeah, or you could start something else."

Carl took a breath and tried not to snap back at Daryl. "Well Alex could make the shot, where is he?"

"He's inside with the baby and Dale, they're making sure everyone's alright, sending the weak and the kids to the bus. We've still got sick people recovering inside. Just trust your dad.”

Suddenly they saw the Governor jump down and grab a sword he must have taken from Michonne. He marched to Hershel and held it at his neck. Carl heard Maggie and Beth gasp, muttering in shock as they watched helplessly. Carl saw his dad's movements become more desperate as he kept talking, trying to salvage the situation without bloodshed.

Suddenly the screams from Maggie and Beth hit Carl before he realised what had happened, he had seen the swing of the sword but he couldn't understand. Not Hershel. Not him. Gun fire pulled Carl back from wherever his mind had gone, his Dad had taken cover from the group who sent gun fire hurtling his way. From their place behind the prison wire, Carl's group were shooting in their rage and shock. He could see Michonne still bound on her knees between the groups, looking at Hershel next to her in the bloody ground, weakly trying to shimmy himself away from the fight. In the next second she had rolled out of the way to the protection of the cars. Carl saw the Governor cut off Hershel's escape and with more swings of the sword he knew the old man was dead. He yelled as he fired again and again. How was this happening? They were meant to be safe. It was surreal.

The cars and tank started moving forward, bullets ricocheted off the body of the vehicles as they ploughed through the fences as if they were little more that a matchstick fixture.

Explosions and gun fire lit up the whole place, Carl lost sight of his group as they all scattered to safety and to help each other. It was pure chaos as chunks of the building fell all around them. Bodies littered the yard as the Governor’s group broke through, and they were suddenly in close range. Carl kept firing, aim shoot, aim shoot, like a mantra in his head guiding him along. A body hit him from behind, to his shock he realised it was a walker. They must have been pulled in by the noise. He tilted his gun and shot through the walker’s head, it slumped heavily onto him. He lay there a second as he caught his breath. With a heave, he pushed the body from him and took stock on his injuries. Lots of blood but not his, must have been from the walker’s clothing.

The sounds around him grew louder and louder as he got back into the swing of the fight again. It took him over, he just pointed and shot at anyone he didn't recognise. It may have been minutes it could have been years. He was aware of more walkers creeping in from outside through the breaks in the fences and some undead faces he knew who used to live in the prison.

From the distance he heard his name being called. His dad. He sounded so lost and desperate. Carl followed the calls to find two walkers stalking his dad, with two shots they fell and Carl was tugged into a rough hug.

"Where's Judith?" His dad asked desperately.

Carl shook his head. "I don't know." He saw the hope disappear from his dad's eyes. There were still distance booms and crashes as the building continued to crumble around them. They picked each other up and stumbled out of the prison yard, not a soul was around any more. Everyone had either died or ran, all scattered and gone. They were on their own. As they left the prison yard both their eyes were drawn to a lone baby carrier abandoned on the floor. It was torn and covered in blood.

O0o

Present day

Several days later they found Daryl. Beth had initially been with him after the attack at the prison, Carl overheard him when Daryl and his dad quietly spoke together one evening, but all he said was “She’s gone.” Carl hope she wasn’t dead too. The older man didn’t say any more, his voice overcome with anger and guilt. Daryl had stumbled across the trio when a group he’d reluctantly joined after he lost Beth had attacked Carl, his dad and Michonne. All four had overcome the attackers, bloodily and cruel but it got the job done. Carl saw his dad in a different light, Rick had fought back with no hesitation when Carl was in danger. The large man who pinned Carl down was heavy, smelt and had a bad breath but it was the danger of what he represented which made Carl recoil. No one said it, but clearly it wasn’t murder on that guy’s mind. Rick knew it too. He tore out the throat of the man who held him under gun point, with his teeth like an animal, or a walker. His face was covered in blood as he fought for Carl’s safety, teeth bared like a feral beast. Rick had then turned on Carl’s captor and beaten the living shit out of him. He had taken out all his rage, anger and grief on that one man. Carl couldn’t say he felt too sorry for him, given what he was prepared to do to them.

The next morning as they all walked nearer to Terminus, Carl considered his dad. He was all he had left now that Judith and his mom were gone. Sure he had Daryl and Michonne too, and whilst they were family, they weren’t blood. His dad needed him and he needed his dad, it had shaken him up seeing his dad turn but he understood why, mostly. He understood why this Terminus place was so important too. His dad needed him safe, and Terminus promised that, all the signs which showed their directions and maps showed a message. SANCTUARY FOR ALL. COMMUNITY FOR ALL. THOSE WHO ARRIVE, SURVIVE.

They weren’t stupid though, they had learnt from their mistakes of trusting too easily before. They hid their weapons in holes in the woods behind the huge compound advertising Terminus’ location, and went over the fence from the back after watching them for a while. But this could be it, this could be their new home.

Their salvation.

Chapter Text

This can't be happening.

Rick trembled where he was fixed in place, he physically couldn’t stop the shakes which ran through his body. He could hear the whimpers from the people around him as he knelt, frozen in terror. This couldn’t be how it ended, they had come through so much. They had found their salvation, the Terminus signs had given him a boost, a goal to get Carl to safety. He had failed Lori, he had failed little Judith. Oh god, Judith. The thought of her tiny fragile body in the rubble of the prison or being torn apart by walkers kept him up at night, the images his mind created in the dead of night where the shadows in his head betrayed him to his nightmares. Now he had failed his friends too, he had failed Carl who was trapped in a dark train car somewhere in this compound. He had fallen for their trap, lured into a lie. When he, Carl, Daryl and Michonne had first been corralled into the large metal train car, he had felt relief. Whilst they were trapped in an unknown situation, they had found their friends in an unlikely twist of fate. Most of them anyway. From the darkness of the metal box emerged Glenn, Maggie, Sasha, Bob and four strangers. Glenn assured them they were friends, Rick trusted their judgement. From the state of them, they had been through the works together. They had all formed a plan, next time the doors were open they would surprise them with handmade weapons, belts, chains, bits of wood from the box they were in. Anything. But the bastards surprised them. They had been separated and torn from each other as Rick, Daryl, Glenn and Bob were pulled away along with four more unknown men from another container. That brought them to now, eight men in total including Rick were lined against a large metal trough, bound, gagged and pushed to their knees.

The Terminus men around them made for the first man along their line, quick as a flash a bat was swung at his head then with a slash of a knife his throat was slit. Rick didn’t truly understand what he was seeing until he saw the blood start to pour down the trough they were pinned against. A chorus of cries suddenly rang out as the other men around him grasped the situation. He felt Bob on his left, Daryl to his right, and saw Glenn one more along shaking in terror. Another slash of the knife, more blood swam down the middle and another after that. Rick felt along his leg with his bound hands to grasp at the makeshift wooden dagger he had hidden in his sock, he started desperately slicing at the binds which held his feet together. Another swing of the bat, more blood. Glenn was next. Rick desperately looked around for a way out, to get them to safety. Nothing.

The man called Gareth who had initially greeted them with false smiles at the beginning walked in with papers talking to his men in the room, Rick heard Glenn’s breathing getting louder in his panic. Before the next swing the man with the bat was interrupted by Gareth, he was being asked a question. Rick had no idea what was going on, it felt like a low drumming in his ears, his heart was pounding so loudly. His body thrummed in terror, anticipation, adrenaline, he wasn’t sure which, he was desperate, he felt the binds on his feet give.

A noise outside beyond the doors caught his attention, a low boom. Gareth looked up and paused in his movements. He cocked his head and waited. A muffled bang, like a gun going off in a pillow. He barked out an order which sent men scurrying out to investigate, their guns held aloft.

Another noise outside. They didn’t come back.

Suddenly a louder boom sounded close by and the windows around them shattered in, throwing everyone to the floor, the men with the bat and knife lay still on the ground, blood oozing from a bullet hole in each forehead, dead center. Disoriented Rick pushed himself to his knees, his legs weak despite the snapped ties allowing him movement, he saw Daryl, Bob and Glenn doing the same, though still bound. The disbelief clear on their faces as they looked around.

Gareth growled in frustration as he swung back round to face Rick. “Who’s with you?” He yelled in Rick’s face, spit flying everywhere. His eyes darting back and forth between him and the other men lined up on the floor. “Who is out there?”

“No one.” Rick answered desperately. “We don’t have anyone else, it’s just us and our group you took us away from.” He pleaded.

Gareth sneered. “I don’t believe you, who is it?”

Suddenly he seized up, his eyes open wide. A wet gurgle sounded as he took a crackling breath, blood started to soak into the neck of his shirt as a long gaping wound in his neck became visible.

“That would be me.”

Rick knew that voice, he could recognise that accent anywhere despite not hearing it for a long while.

The man crumpled to the floor with a sickening thud revealing a grinning Alex Rider stood behind him, a bloody knife held in his grasp.

“Hi.” He said cheerily. “Sorry I’m late, the traffic was terrible.”

Rick couldn’t help it. He laughed. The relief came crashing down around him as he sagged in place. Daryl let out a long shuddered breath, Glenn and Bob were frozen in disbelief, mouths hung open as they stared at Alex.

A whine came from the floor and Alex looked down to Gareth slowly bleeding out. “If I was a better man, I’d put you out of your misery.” He sniffed and bent down. “But I’m not. You hurt my friends, you led them here like lambs to the slaughter.” He cocked his head and grinned at Rick. “Which is ironic wording seeing as this bunch are cannibals and were quite literally going to eat you.” He looked back at the man on the floor. “So I’m going to leave you here to suffer, just as you have caused many people before us to suffer too I’d imagine. Hopefully you turn and eat your friends, if you have any left out there anyway.” He leant over the dying man and cleaned his blood stained knife on Gareth’s shirt.

Alex stood up. “Now then, lets get you lot free and as far from this place as we can get.”

“But the other people outside. His people.” Rick reminded him with a jerk of head towards the man on the floor as Alex went down the line of them slicing his knife through the plastic ties which bound their hands and feet. “We’ve got to get weapons otherwise we won’t make it out here alive!”

Alex smiled at Rick as he approached him and released his hand ties. “Oh don’t worry about them.”

Rick frowned. “Why?” He followed Alex to the open door with the others trailing behind them.

“Because they’re all dead.” Alex said conversationally as if there was nothing wrong with their situation. “Took me a while as there were so many of them dotted around.” He looked at Rick solemnly. “Sorry about the wait, jokes aside I really did try to get here as fast as I could.”

Glenn pushed past Rick and pulled Alex into a tight hug, Alex laughed into his neck. “It’s good to see you too.”

Glenn pulled back with a grin. “Never thought I’d miss your cheeky wit.” He grinned.

Bob walked up beside him to clap a hand to Alex’s shoulder. “You have my thanks kid.”

Alex smiled in return with a nod. “No problem.”

Daryl stood close next and hugged Alex. “You ok kid? You been alright?”

Alex patted him on the back. “Yeah I’m good. Gone cuckoo talking to the trees though, I’ve missed you all.”

Daryl laughed. “No difference to normal then.” They laughed and pulled away.

Rick took a slow breath. “You killed them all? All those people out there?”

Alex sighed in exasperation. “You’re not still going on about trying see the good in people are you? Like, really? I’m pretty sure I saw a woman in Daryl’s old poncho setting up a barbecue and plating up ribs. Human ribs.”

Rick held up a placating hand. “No.” He smiled despite the morbid topic. “I’m just surprised is all. I keep underestimating you, you have my thanks.” Then he too embraced the young man.

Alex beamed, his whole face lit up. “That’s what I keep telling you all.” Rick laughed and let him go.

“Alex.” Rick called softly, halting the younger boy’s step with a hand on his arm. Alex looked up curiously. “Thank you. Really thank you, it’s so good to see you.”

Alex smiled. “You too.” He looked at all three with fondness. “It’s good to see all of you alive and well. You know, excluding all this I mean.” He waved his arm and gestured around them with a grimace.

Rick nodded grimly. “Yeah.” He looked at the others. “You guys ok?” He asked. They nodded slowly, still taking in the last few minutes, Rick swung an arm around Glenn’s back pulling him close. “We’re getting out of here. We’re safe now.” As one they stepped out into the bright sunlight, leaving the man behind them taking his last breath alone on the cold blood soaked floor.

Utter carnage awaited them outside, bodies lay strewn all around, walkers had begun to tear at the flesh. Some bodies had bullet holes in their heads, others had their throats slit. All four turned as one towards Alex who was nonchalantly looking around. He did a double take when he saw them looking. “What? Ok so I got a little carried away. I just had to get to you guys before they turned you all into stew.” Daryl let out a shocked laugh as he inspected a smoking barrel near by.

“The bombs weren’t enough?” He asked.

Alex looked curious at that. “Hey don’t look at me, I didn’t do that. I’ve never really trusted explosions. Knives and guns are more my forte. Almost blew up a boat once whilst I was still on it, didn’t end well.”

“You mean it blew up?!”

“No, that was the problem, it didn’t!”

Glenn choked. “You wanted to blow up a boat?”

Rick waved a hand between them. “Now isn’t the time guys, the walkers are getting closer. Lets find the others and get out of here.”

“Come on then!” Alex began to jog in a set direction, Rick noticed a slight limp every few steps, not that it affected his speed. “This way. I saw you lot being pulled out of this container, but I left the others there as I figured you guys were in deeper water. Watch out for walkers, they’re getting in through the breaks in the fences from the explosion.”

They followed him across the open space, dodging bodies and swiping at the odd walker who tried to take a grab.

One by one they opened the containers, some people they didn’t know but to their delight some faces they did. Carl piled out of one with a shout, Rick grabbed him with relief to make sure he was ok. He looked scared but alive. A chorus of confused voices called out as they saw Alex running and fighting walkers among them, but there was no time for greetings and reunions.

“This way.” Rick called. “Over the fence.” He pointed to a bit of fencing topped with barbed wire, one of the strangers with Maggie threw a thick covering they had found on the floor nearby over the top to protect them against the barbs, as one they all turned and threw themselves over the top to the safety of the other side. Rick and one of Glenn’s new friends with an impressive moustache, stayed behind until their last bullets had run out and their group had cleared the fence.

o0o

Once outside of the compound Rick lead the march through the woods away from the smoke and walkers, Daryl pointed out the place where they had kept their bags of weapons buried. Rick didn’t say anything but he was glad, he’d completely forgotten where they had left them.

“Alex!” Carl cried, ignoring the shush sent by multiple people who were still aware of the walkers just a bit further away still traipsing around in the compound. Rick had sensed his son almost quiver with continued joy at the sight of his friend during their near silent walk through the woods. In the mayhem of the rescue, there hadn’t been time for reunions. Now however Carl could barely contain himself as he lunged for Alex, the shock on the older boy’s face was comical. “You’re alive. I can’t believe you’re alive.”

Alex had readjusted his step as he got used to the weight of Carl who held on to him tightly, Rick was sure however he spotted a brief wince before Alex covered it with a big smile towards Carl. He cleared his throat and wrapped his arms around Carl and returned the hug. “Yeah, I’m alive kiddo. It’s all good in Alex land.”

“Hey give us all a go.” Maggie said with a small smile as she approached with her arms already lifting up to embrace Alex, Carl pulled away to let her pass.

Rick heard Alex mutter into her ear. “I’m so sorry about your dad. He was a good man.” She sniffed and squeezed him tighter. Rick didn’t catch her response but he saw Alex bury his face into her shoulder. After they broke their embrace, there were hugs and smiles all round as everyone realised they were safe to do so now.

Daryl suddenly stiffened and looked up, shock all over his face. With a burst of speed he ran across the few yards of the forest floor towards a figure who stood alone. Carol. Daryl ran into her with a desperate embrace, the two of them clung to one another. She had Daryl’s crossbow in one hand, and a rifle slung over one shoulder. She must have been in the compound too, the explosions. It must have been her, she helped save them. Rick walked up the them as Daryl stepped away. “Did you do that?” He asked with a nod behind them to the burning buildings, he couldn’t stop the tears. She nodded with a watery smile, and laughed as they embraced. “Thank you.” He whispered into her hair, they held each other tightly as the relief of seeing each other overcame them. Alex had been right all those weeks ago, he shouldn’t have exiled her for protecting them. They were family, and had it not been for her heroics and protectiveness then Alex may not have been successful in his rescue, he would have been too late for Glenn at the very least.

As they stepped back from each other, Sasha let out a surprised sound as she ran passed them to embrace someone else who had emerged from the trees.

Carol smiled. “I found him on the road.” She explained as they watched Tyreese swing his sister round in happiness at the reunion. “I saw the explosion at the prison from where I was staying, I set off immediately but by the time I arrived it was too late.” She turned to Tyreese. “How’s our friend?”

“He gave me the slip soon after you left.” He growled, obviously annoyed.

“Who?” Rick asked as the group came closer so everyone could listen.

“A guy who we caught setting explosives to try and lure the herd of walkers away from Terminus.” Carol shrugged. “So I took them and set them off to bring the walkers closer to cause confusion to the Terminus folks, figured it would help.”

Everyone grinned at her discomfort of being something of a hero, she never did like the spotlight.

“Hold up.” Glenn’s moustached friend called out. “Does this mean there is an angry Terminus guy running around these woods with us?”

“Erm, well -” Started Tyreese.

Alex squeezed his way into the circle made up of people. “Sorry to butt in, but this guy who gave you the slip.” He spoke to Tyreese. “Baseball cap, dark grey top, had a walkie talkie and sounded kind of whiney?” he asked, head cocked to one side slightly. Tyreese and Carol glanced at each other and nodded. Alex let out a rush of air between his teeth and rocked back on the heels of his feet. “Yeah he’s dead, shot him when he was calling in this walkie talkie for a ‘Cynthia’. I found Cynthia later and let me tell you, she was not expecting me. Just as well, otherwise that guy would have ruined everything.” He patted his hoodie pocket, which showed the outline of a traditional walkie talkie.

“Jesus, this kid is insane.” Rick heard one of the new girls mutter.

“I know. I like him.” The moustached one answered.

“Anyway.” Alex clapped his hands together as he turned in a circle eyeing up the new people in their group. “Introductions please, there appear to be some new faces among us.”

The quiet girl who stood next to Glenn waved shyly. “I’m Tara, Glenn found me a few weeks back after the attack at your prison so I’ve kinda stuck with him since.” Alex smiled and waved back.

The large moustached man stepped forward next with his hand held out. “My name is Abraham, these are my companions Rosita and Eugene.” Alex clasped his hand and they shook. “Thank you for your help getting out of there, we’ll be leaving once we’ve rested for a few days as we have a mission to complete but in the meantime we’d like to stay with you for some added protection. If that’s alright.” Abraham added with a questioning look towards Rick. Rick smiled in response with a nod.

“A mission?” Alex asked once the introductions were over. “What kind of mission?” He gave the trio a quick look over. “Are you military?” Rick could see why Alex reached that conclusion. Whilst Eugene didn’t seem to have anything special about him, except maybe his mullet, Abraham and Rosita seemed to hold themselves differently. They were aware of their surroundings, kind of like Daryl, Michonne and Alex, and they wore clothing similar to that of the army.

Abraham smiled at Eugene and clapped a hand on his shoulder in a show of camaraderie, Eugene shuffled awkwardly. “Eugene here is a scientist, it is the upmost importance that we get him safely to Washington DC. He has a cure.”

Rick and most of the others had heard this before when they were locked in the Terminus train car. Alex blinked, his eyes focused on Eugene. “I’m sorry, what? You’ve got a cure?”

“I surely do.” The scientist nodded. “It is imperative that I get to DC so I can put my theory into action, attempt to fight this thing and put the world to rights again.”

“Huh, well good luck with that.” Alex said after a second. “I never really paid attention in science at school but I know a few people in the industry. I hope it works out.”

Eugene gave a sharp nod, then shuffled back to his glorified bodyguards. He was a strange one. With an unspoken instruction, the group began to walk through the woods. Rick wanted to get as far away from this place as possible, he could smell the smoke that drifted behind them from the explosions and fires.

“So what happened to the Governor?” Alex asked the group. “I went back to the prison a few days later and everything was a mess, no signs of life except walkers and loads of half eaten bodies. But no Governor that I could see.”

Michonne spoke up, voice steady but her words short and to the point. “He’s dead.”

There was silence before Alex spoke again. “Definitely this time?”

“Definitely.”

No one asked for elaboration, her tone prompted no doubt.

There was nothing but the sounds of the distance crackle of fire, bird song in the trees and breathing as everyone walked through the woods before Alex broke the silence.

“Hey where is Beth?”

Maggie spoke up. “We don’t know, she got out of the prison with Daryl, they travelled for a while but she was taken.”

Alarm showed on Alex’s face. “Taken? Taken by who?” He turned to Daryl.

“I don’t know.” The other man replied darkly, his tone promised murder to Beth’s captors. “It happened so quickly, we were hiding in this house, and had to get out ‘cause of walkers. She climbed out the window whilst I dealt with some of ‘em, but when I got outside she had gone and all I saw was a black car driving away with a white cross in the back window. I don’t know who they were but they took her.”

Rick had already heard bits of the story when Daryl had stumbled across them after the prison, his friend was overcome with guilt. He felt responsible for Beth and blamed himself when she was taken. He made eye contact with Daryl as he spoke. “We’ll get her back Daryl.” He looked over to Maggie too. “I promise we will find her.” Daryl looked away and stared angrily at the ground, but Maggie held his eyeline and gave a firm nod. She was stronger than she knew, especially when it came to her sister but Rick could tell she was worried.

“So where have you been this whole time?” Carl asked Alex, he looked around eagerly. “Did you see Dale? No one saw him at the prison so we don’t know if he’s lost like we all were.”

A shadow crossed Alex’s eyes. “I saw him.” Rick was aware of the others looking up with renewed interest.

“You did?” Michonne asked. “Did you loose him in the explosions?”

Alex said nothing at first. “He’s dead.” Rick took a deep breath, as the words stuck him. In his heart he knew, he just had this feeling that his old friend hadn’t made it out of the prison. Everyone around them stayed silent as they waited for Alex to continue, still on their walk through the woodland. “After the first explosion Dale grabbed me and some of the others when you all ran outside. He asked me to help gather supplies so we would be ready to move if we had to run. I wanted to go outside to help but he stopped me with those stupid persuasive wise words of his.” Alex chuckled sadly, Rick could remember many times when Dale would have ‘A Talk’ to help solve a problem or ease some of Rick’s worries. “He left me to check up on outside, but ran in a moment later when the second explosion hit. He told me about Hershel and we grabbed everything we could but before we get out from the doorway the barrage of explosions hit the building and the entrance gave way, Dale pushed me out the way and a huge chunk from the roof fell down and -” He broke off as his voice wavered, Carol raised a hand to his back as they walked side by side. He cleared his throat. “It killed him instantly, if he hadn’t of pushed me out the way it would have been me instead.” Alex blinked away the tears and scrubbed at his eyes furiously. “After that I went to the room with the packs I’d gathered before,  when suddenly the wall gave in. The entire place was a mess and I’d hit my head when I fell, I don’t know how much time had passed. A bit of metal had cut into my thigh, I managed to slide my leg out of the metal spike, it had me trapped for a while though.”

At his words Carol turned to Alex in alarm with a look towards his leg. She made to reach out to him, but he stopped her with a gentle hand. “I’m fine now, I kept it clean and rested it as much as I could. It’s not one hundred percent, but mostly healed.” Carol looked relived but sent a dubious glance towards his leg. They all knew Alex downplayed his injuries, they knew him too well by now. But Rick supposed he had been able to fight off the Terminus people and run around afterwards with just a slight limp so he was probably alright. At least until later anyway when Carol would likely get Daryl to help pin Alex down to check his leg.

“So what happened next?” Carl probed.

“Well, after that I found my pack outside the room, I had some emergency first aid stuff in there so I was able to wrap my leg and stop the bleeding. Then I tried to leave but parts of the passage was blocked by the rubble so I planned to get out the back way instead when I heard -” Alex stopped dead in his tracks, everyone who had been close to hear the story bumped into each other at the sudden halt.

“What is it?” Rick asked, concerned at the wild look in Alex’s wild eyes.

“Shit!” Alex cried, he scrunched his hands into his hair and tugged anxiously. “Shit, shit shit!”

Everyone around him became increasingly worried as Alex became more unhinged. This wasn’t like him, something was seriously wrong. But what?

“I’ve got to go.” He stumbled over his words. “I’ve got to – shit – I forgot.” He began to turn in circles as he looked this way and that as if to get his bearings.

“Alex, what’s going on?” Rick wasn’t sure who asked the question, maybe Bob, as he stayed focused on the frantic face in front of him.

Alex began to back away, his steps became quicker, he dodged hands that reached out to comfort him. “Stay there. Don’t move, I’ll be quick.”

“Alex, what -.” He was gone, disappeared through the trees as if he had never been there at all.

“What.” Abraham said slowly. “Was that about?”

Glenn sighed. “I have no idea. I told you about Alex right?” The new guys nodded. “Well that was strange, even for him.”

They all settled down on the floor as they waited for Alex’s return, Rick was grateful for the chance to rest his feet. He hadn’t realised how tired he had been until they had stopped for the, unexpected, break.

About forty minutes had passed when Abraham looked up and Daryl held out a hand, he had heard something. A figure made it’s way closer to the group who had now all got to their feet in a stage of readiness to fight if needed. Alex became clear as he cut closer through the trees, he had a pack in either hand and a crossbow slung on one shoulder over the strap of a rucksack.

“Seriously?” Glenn laughed. “You freaked out because you forgot about your stuff?”

Alex grinned, a complete contrast to how they last saw him. “Nope, I freaked out because I forgot about my best mate.”

Maggie gave Daryl a look. “Oh great, he’s as precious over his crossbow as you are.”

Daryl just smirked at her with a shrug.

“Also no.” Alex laughed. “Well, yes but also no.” He amended as he dropped his stuff around his feet. “The reason I ran back, was for this little one.” He turned so everyone could see his rucksack for the first time. Rick’s breath caught in his throat, he heard Carl gasp next to him as everyone took in the sight. Not a rucksack. A baby carrier, and in it -

“Judith!” As one the group ran the rest of the distance to scoop her out the carrier attached to Alex’s back. She was hugged and embraced by everyone who knew her, she was passed around from one person to the next until she was back in Rick’s arms.

“Where was she Alex?” Someone asked.

“Oh, in a tree.”

“A tree?!”

“Well she was safe enough, it’s how we’ve survived when it was too dangerous for me to take her somewhere for supplies. I made a winch and everything, I’d climb the tree, loop the rope, climb down and then winch her up. She was safe from the walkers, I only did it during the day so less chance for animals to prowl near, and I always left booby traps in the area so people wouldn’t stumble across her. Most of the time she was asleep as I fed her beforehand so she never even knew I was gone. I never left her for more than half an hour, until today that is, but I figured if I let you all die then she would never let me live it down when she got older.” Alex grinned at the faces who stared dumbfounded. “Oh relax the lot of you, she’s here, she’s safe, and me and her make quite the team.”

Rick took a step towards Alex again, at his apprehensive expression Rick lifted a hand to his shoulder and dragged him in for a hug, Judith squashed between them. “Thank you.” He whispered hoarsely. “Thank you Alex.”

When he and Carl had found the bloodied baby carrier at the prison, he thought that was the end for his baby girl. But now, she was right in front of him, bright eyed and a beautiful smile as she reached for his beard. Rick laughed, Carl joined in and he felt whole again. For the first time since Lori died, he finally felt himself once more.

Chapter Text

Rick shifted from his place against the wall, his back twinged from where it lay against the deep groove in the wood and his behind had gone numb. Judith lay in his lap, eye closed and at peace with the world, far away in her dreams. What he would give sometimes to be able to do the same, to live or sleep unaware and uncaring of the dangers around them. He sighed and stretched his arms out as best he could without jostling his precious cargo.

"Do you want me to take her?" Carol murmured from near to him. She was watching little Judith with fondness in her eyes, Rick wondered if she had Sophia on her mind, or just loved Judith as the family she was. They all did he supposed, this group were close, even the members who hadn't been with them as long. They were all family, and they cared deeply for each other, despite getting on each others nerves on occasion. It was dangerous to have attachments so strong in unpredictable times like this but still. This was their life.

Rick hesitated as he glanced down. Was it worth the risk of waking Judith to simply move her? His backside protested with pain of pins and needles. He grimaced and nodded to Carol. They quickly managed to switch the sleeping baby over with little disturbance, a well practised art form by now. As he tried to hold in a grunt of pain, Rick stumbled to his feet and shifted his weight from one foot to the other whilst the numbness and needles dissipated. It took a while but eventually it cleared.

Glenn tapped the floor three times from his place by the door, everyone paused on alert. A low whistle sounded twice outside and they relaxed their frames. Daryl slipped inside noiselessly with four rabbits and a squirrel around his neck.

"Sweet." Carl grinned at the sight.

"We'll sure eat well tonight." Eugene echoed from across the barn where he was sat between Rosita and Tara. Daryl squinted over at Eugene, he looked like he was trying to determine whether the other man was being sarcastic or not. Apparently not. Daryl moved to the small wooden box which acted as their table to lay down the gutted rabbits and squirrel. Maggie and Glenn leant forward to start preparing them for a meal.

"Where's Alex." Carl asked as he poked his head out of the barn door. "He's not here yet."

Daryl shrugged as he got out a rag to clean his crossbow from the days hunt. "We split up to cover more ground. I followed bigger game, he went off to search a place he'd seen."

"What was the place?" Rick asked with a frown, he hated it when they did this which was more often than he liked. Frequently one would return before the other, despite Risk repeatedly asking them to stick together.

He got another shrug off Daryl as the other man spat into his rag to continue cleaning his crossbow and used bloody bolts. "Didn't ask." Rick sighed quietly but didn't press the issue. Carol nudged his lower leg with her elbow, her arms still full of a sleeping Judith. She cast smile up at him and rolled her eyes fondly in the direction of Daryl. Rick smiled in return, he was thankful for Carol, she helped him keep his mind together. He heard a quiet snigger from Michonne, she must have awoken from her nap where she lay on his other side. She had been at the end of his rants on the days when Alex and Daryl ignored his requests, she and Carol would listen to his frustrated words with exasperation, Michonne, and kindness, Carol, pretty much all the time.

"Where's the bigger game?" Asked Abraham from his place next to Rosita.

Daryl sighed and shrugged again. "Walker got it." He grumbled.

There were sighed all around this time. That was a common occurrence, it always caused the most frustration to Daryl who was usually the one who had wasted the time tracking it with no prize at the end.

Bleep

Bleep

Everyone paused at the sound.

“What is that?” Maggie asked, the knife paused in her hand over Daryl’s catch.

"It came from over there." Carl pointed towards Alex's bed roll. Rick picked his way over to where Alex's belongings were left in the corner, one along from Daryl's spot by the doorway. There was Alex's usual rucksack on his roll, he tended to take his more worn one on supply runs and keep the other safe with the group.

Bleep

Bleep

Rick paused and redirected his search, the noise had come from the back of the bed. Rick shoved his hand down the back and rummaged around until his hand clamped around something. When he pulled it out Carol gasped. It was the MP3 Comms that Alex usually kept on him all the time, the other walkie talkie that Alex had stolen from the Terminus man was currently clipped onto Rick's belt. His last one had been left behind during the attack at the prison.

"It must have fallen out his pocket." Carol said softly, but Rick could hear the worry in her voice. "He hasn't got any way to radio in."

Daryl walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. "He'll be fine, he can look after himself."

Rick shot him a look. "Yet another reason why you two should stick together though. For when things like this happens."

Daryl squint-glared back. "Never happened before." He mumbled.

"Yeah but that's because Alex normally doesn't let it out of his sight." Carl piped up again as he came to Rick's side to peer at the device in his hand.

Bleep

Bleep

"Why is it making that noise? Is it picking up a frequency from someone else?" Maggie asked, she had once again halted what she was doing with the meat to look curiously at the device in Rick's hand from across their small space.

"Nah." Daryl dismissed with a shake of his head. "That would sound like static. This is new."

"We should wait until Alex gets back." Carol said nervously, she had got to her feet with Judith still safely clasped in her arms. "You all know how private he can be with his stuff."

"Now hang on just a minute." Abraham who had wandered over, and caught a proper look of the comms for the first time. "That's state of the art military grade stuff there. I only saw a few prototypes like it when I was an active Sergeant." He cried in astonishment. “Where the hell did he get that?”

Glenn shrugged. “That’s just one of the mysterious of Alex.”

Abraham frowned. “Did he find it somewhere after the walkers started? Did he raid an army base or something?”

Rick shook his head. “No, he said a friend made it for him in England.” He looked at it in his hand, he never liked using this on the rare occasion Alex would lend it to them. Everyone was able to use the basic walkie talkie function after entering a six digit code which T-Dog had originally set up almost a year ago. It allowed them that far but not further. If they attempted to access the main menu, another code was needed. Not that Alex had given it to them. He just said it was private and left it at that. Rick could hear him sometimes listening to that message they had heard the beginning of that night in the storage container before they had found the prison. At night Alex would sometimes lay it under his head with the volume turned almost all the way down so all anyone else could hear if they strained their ears, was a distance tiny voice muffled and unclear. He supposed it was a way to cope with the homesickness for Alex, not knowing what had happened to his friends back home must be hard, being in a strange country even more so.

Bleep

Bleep

“Seriously, can you figure out that noise?” Daryl grumbled from where he had sprawled on his bed, his crossbow clean and ready for it’s next use was propped up again the wall.

Carl held out his hand. “Can I have a look Dad?”

Rick handed it over, may as well he supposed. Not much they could do without the code anyway.

“Thanks.” Carl muttered absent mindedly as he twiddled with the screen. Rick watched him walk back to his bed roll, eyes focused on the screen.

Apart from the occasional bleep bleep from the comms, everything was still and peaceful. Maggie and Glenn plated up their meals, one full plate left out for Alex. Michonne and Tara cleaned the various bowls and utensils like a well oiled machine, they all had their routines and jobs. Abraham, Eugene and Rosita planned to stay with them for a few more days until they had agreed on a route to Washington DC for Eugene’s miracle cure. Rick would be sorry to see them go, Abraham and Rosita were good in a fight, quick reflexes and skilled moves. It was reassuring to have more able bodied friends around. Eugene though, Rick still wasn’t sure about. There was something about him that unnerved him, Alex too seemed undecided. He would be friendly and chat to Eugene but then give him a look like he was reading everything about him, and didn’t like what he saw. Michonne said they were both being paranoid and maybe he was, but the past had taught Rick to be wary. He didn’t think Eugene was a threat or danger to his family, he just seemed like he was hiding something.

“Rick.” A hand on his arm jolted him out of a post dinner doze. His hands immediately went to his lap as he felt for Judith. “Rick, she’s fine. She’s with Carl.” Oh, yeah. Rick scrubbed at his eyes to wake himself up.

“Yeah Carol, what is it?” Her face swam into focus as his eyes cleared. She looked worried, Daryl was stood at her shoulder with an uneasy and nervous look. “What’s happened?” He asked again, fully alert now.

“Alex ain’t back.” Daryl said gruffly.

“It’s been five hours.” Carol added.

Sure enough a look outside showed the night drawing in. Alex would usually be back well before now, his plate of food was still untouched on the small makeshift table, just the sight of it made Rick’s gut clench with worry.

“You want me to go out?” Daryl asked, his crossbow already in his hand.

Rick looked outside again, if Daryl went out now he would be at risk from walkers. This is why they have rules. Damn it.

“Maybe he lost track of time and decided to stay out all night, but because his comms fell out of his pocket in the barn here, he couldn't radio in to tell us.” Glenn reasoned.

Maggie nodded from his side. “He’s stayed out all night before.”

Rick shook his head. “Something feels different.” He looked at the worried faces around him, ready for instruction. Carl thankfully had fallen asleep on his bed roll, Judith tucked up against him fast asleep and safe against her big brother. He hadn’t succeeded in figuring out the sporadic bleeping without Alex here to input his second code and everyone had soon become accustomed to the noise without grumbling. Well, quieter grumbling anyway.

“Daryl take Rosita, Michonne you go with Abraham, both pairs go in opposite directions. Search for half an hour then come back, it’s too late and dangerous to be out there any longer. We’ll have pairs on watch tonight if you don’t find him, just in case he calls out in the night or if someone else is out there.” With a nod from each pair, all four slipped out into the night, Glenn and Rick took first watch and the rest of them settled down into an uneasy sleep.

o0o

Alex still hadn’t returned by morning.

“What do we do?” Carl had been pacing the floor of the barn they were staying in for the last twenty minutes as they waited for the morning patrol to return. They had been gone an hour. The night before the same search party had returned with grim expressions, they hadn’t found any trace. Daryl had wanted to go back out but Rick had forced him to stay put with the promise they could go back out at first light.

Rick was worried. Scratch that, he was terrified. All he could picture in his mind throughout the night, was Alex being caught off guard and getting bitten by a walker. He had unwillingly imagined up images of Alex dying and turning out there, scared and alone.

Glenn tapped on the floor three times, Carl paused his paces as the occupants of the barn waited for a response. A low whistle sounded once, twice. Rick held his breath as he waited to see who had returned, the patrol. Daryl, Rosita, Michonne and Abraham traipsed through the door. Michonne shook her head. “We couldn't see any trace of him. We followed the tracks from where he left Daryl yesterday but we lost them at the road.”

Rick sighed, he couldn't do this again. He couldn't loose someone again. He wouldn’t. He just didn’t know what to do. Why couldn't they just follow the damn rules?

Static

The room held it’s breath as Alex’s MP3 comm came alive on the empty bed.

Static “Hello? Over.” Static

Carl dove for it, typed in the six digits needed to answer and threw it at Rick, he caught it with surprisingly steady hands given the situation. “Alex? Is that you?” He waited for a response, aware of the rest of the group huddled close as they stared at the device in his hands. Judith smiled at him from her place in Carol’s arms, her whole face filled with innocence, completely unaware of the tension in her family surrounding her.

“Rick? Yeah it’s me. Over.” There was a synchronized breath of relief released from everyone around him.

“Alex where the hell are you?” Rick remembered years ago when Carl had been small, he’d gone missing for two hours. Lori had been beside herself and Rick had tried to remain calm for her sake, but the moment they spotted Carl trotting up the street looking confused at their stressed faces. Rick’s legs had felt like giving way. He remembered the terror being washed out by a feeling of such immense relief, it felt almost euphoric. This felt like that.

“Erm, kind of a long story but I’m in Atlanta. Over.”

A chorus of “What?!” Came from several people around him at once.

“Atlanta?” Rick echoed down the comms. “What the – How did you -?” He took a breath and focused. “Alex, what are you doing in Atlanta, and why are you whispering?”

A nervous quiet laugh came back as Alex replied to the stuttered questions. “I found Beth.” A chorus of chatter erupted from the group at his words, until Maggie waved her hands and shushed them frantically so she could hear. “I haven’t got much time so I’ll try to make this quick. When Daryl and I split up yesterday, sorry Rick I know we broke the rules, I headed to a house I had seen by the main road. I heard a car pull up and so I hid, imagine my surprise when I saw the exact same car Daryl said took Beth. There wasn’t enough time to get Daryl so I jumped into the back of the car when they got out to explore the house and I hid under a lot of rubbish in the back seat footwell. They came out after ten minutes and set off. They had no idea I was in the car with them. Eventually when they stopped I realised we were in the city, I followed them through a huge building and spent the night exploring. This morning I saw Beth, she’s seen me but we didn’t get chance to talk. She’s staying quiet so they don’t suspect me but I’m going back later. Over.” He paused. “Erm, are you guys still there? I know I’ve been talking non stop, but I think this walkie talkie works properly, I nicked it from an office. Took ages to find the channel T-Dog set up on my comms, which I totally didn’t mean to leave behind by the way, lucky though I guess now that I think about it. Over.”

“Yeah, Alex we heard it all.” Rick said hurriedly. Maggie caught his eye and motioned for the comms, he handed it over.

“Alex? It’s Maggie, is Beth alright, does she look ok?” She asked desperately. Glenn had his hand rested on her back.

The response came a second later. “Yeah Maggie, she looks fine. Just a bump on the head but nothing major.” Maggie let out a sob of relief and she gripped the comms tightly, Rick winced but didn’t dare say anything, he just hoped she didn’t squeeze it too much to break it. He held out his hand for the comms again, but it was taken by Daryl before he had chance.

“Hey, kid. Why did they take her? What kind of place are you at?” Rick was curious about that too.

“Well, it’s strange. This place is a hospital, The Grady Memorial Hospital according to the signs. It’s patrolled like a prison though, I haven’t had chance to figure out what their game is yet. I’m meeting Beth soon, she can tell me then. Don’t come here though, chances are by the time you guys arrive, we’ll probably be out of here anyway. We’ll come back to the barn, but if you get compromised then leave a cryptic clue somewhere. Don’t try to contact me, I’m turning this off when I not using it so it doesn’t make a noise and blow my cover. I’ll contact you again at – damn, someone’s coming -”

Static

The room fell silent with Alex’s sudden departure, the kind of nervous silence that fills the ears with a sound Rick wouldn’t have been able to describe if asked.

“She’s alive.” Glenn whispered to Maggie. “She’s fine.” Maggie turned to him and pushed her face into the crook of his neck, her arms thrown tight around his torso as she hugged him. Rick thought she had hidden her face to hide her tears until he heard muffled laughter. Glenn squeezed her tight as he began to grin as the sound. He caught Rick’s eyes over Maggie’s head. “Only Alex right?” He said with a grin.

Just like that the stifling silence had been broken and chatter broke out amongst the group. Only Alex indeed.

o0o

Over the course of the next few days, the group got on with jobs. Daryl went back out, with the spare walkie talkie at Rick’s instance – Daryl had rolled his eyes but had taken it anyway. The others got stuck in with tidying and organising packs, whilst Carl entertained Judith, and Abraham and Rosita looked at maps to plan their route to Washington DC. By the time midday rolled around Daryl was back with a successful hunt which everyone ate with gusto, and the nervous air had returned as they waited for more news from Alex. They were getting restless, Alex had said to stay put but Rick was aware how quickly things could go wrong. History had taught him that. He had planned on the group moving on by now, but he was worried Alex, and hopefully Beth, wouldn’t be able to find them. They couldn’t contact Alex, as the channel his stolen walkie talkie used the last time he had spoken to them was inactive, but he had said he would keep his turned off. There was nothing they could do except wait.

Bleep

Bleep

“Urgh!” Carl huffed as he sat cross-legged glaring at Alex’s comms. A few sympathetic glances were sent his way, the bleep bleep noise had gradually got on the nerves of everyone in the barn. Even Carol who had the most patience out of everyone had a few choice words to say about the incessant noise. “I can’t access it!” He cried in frustration.

“Can’t assess what?” Bob asked. He was sat next to Sasha as they filled in a crossword that Alex had previously collected on a run. He had said he liked to keep his mind healthy, so everyone got into the habit of collecting them for the group if they came across one on a supply run. Almost everyone had developed a fondness for crosswords, word searches and sudoku puzzles during the quieter parts of the days. Daryl had found a couple of puzzle books in one house he had stumbled across, he had handed them out like candy to greedy hands.

Carl waved the MP3 comm in annoyance. “I think the bleep noise means there is a message, a new icon is in the top corner that I don’t think was there last time Alex let me play a game on it.”

On occasion, if Carl had pestered Alex long enough, he would be allowed to have the comm to play some of the games which were installed on it. Only however if Alex sat next to him the entire time, he was strangely private about the messages and recordings on the device which could only be seen after Alex inputted the second code from the menu screen. This was the only way the games could be accessed, much to Carl’s frustration as it meant Alex never let him use it alone. It also meant that Carl couldn't turn off the bleep noise as he didn’t know the code, no matter how much he tried to guess it. He had been adamant he had seen Alex put it in once, but apparently he hadn’t remembered it if the continued noise was anything to go by.

“You mean like a text?” Bob asked.

Carl hummed in answer as he was once again blocked by the incorrect passkey message which appeared on the screen every time he attempted to gain entry. “Or a voice message maybe.”

Rick peered over Carl’s shoulder. “Are you sure you won’t get locked out for trying too many codes?”

Carl shrugged. “Haven’t so far.” He shot a grin towards Rick, and dodged the hand which aimed to ruffle his hair in response.

Three knocks, two whistles.

Daryl had returned with more meat, the squirrels which had been strapped over his neck hit the floor with a heavy thud at Maggie and Sasha’s feet.

“Gee thanks.” Sasha drawled as she took in the sprawled mess of bloodied animals piled in a heap.

Daryl ignored her. “You heard anything?” He directed his question to Rick with a nod of his head towards the comms in Carl’s hand.

Rick shook his head. “Nothing yet.”

Daryl sighed and sat about his usual routine of cleaning his weapons on his bed roll. He was taking Alex’s absence the hardest, Rick didn’t know if it was because he was worried about him or he felt guilty for leaving him to explore. Probably both.

“Aha!” Carl cried from next to him. “Have I? - Yes! I’ve done it!” He beamed up at Rick and showed his the device, waving it back and forth frantically. “I guessed the passkey! I’d been getting the last two numbers wrong. I thought I saw Alex put 3 6, but it was actually 8 G.”

Rick felt a twist of unease. He hadn’t minded Carl playing around with the device as it kept him busy from worrying about Alex too much. But now that he had broken through the barrier, Rick realised how much Alex may feel betrayed by the intrusion. “Maybe you should put it down.” He said gently. Carl looked up in astonishment. “Just turn off the bleeps and put it back.” He amended.

Carl stared at him open mouthed. “But, I’ve spent the last few days trying to figure it out! I thought you said it was ok.”

Rick grimaced, he did agree to Carl’s tinkering at the time, but now it felt wrong. It felt like they had betrayed Alex’s trust. He voiced his thoughts to his son who looked increasingly incensed. “Look, we know Alex doesn’t trust easily. It’s taken a long time for him to open up to us and trust us with stories of his family, his past and now his belongings. For him to return to find us breaking in to the comms which he keeps private, how do you think he’ll feel?”

Carl sighed and stared off into the distance, disappointment etched into his face. His hands slowly turned the device around in his hands absent mindedly. After a moment he looked up towards Rick, who was aware of the surrounding group watching them curiously. “Fine.” He began. “I’ll turn off the noise and-”

He was cut off by a voice which drifted up from the device. Carl froze in horrified curiosity as he stared down at the device in his hands, his finger had brushed a button on the screen accidentality as he had turned it in his hands.

The occupants of the barn stilled in cautious anticipation.

Beep

“Old message.”

Beep

“Hello? Erm, Smithers here. Blast this damned machine! I do hope you can hear me? Apologies for the bad signal chaps and ladies, I’m having to use an outdated system borrowed from the Bletchley days and have re-configured it to connect to some modern comms. If you can hear this, well there’s not much you can do until I find a way to work a two way communication system.

To sum things up, we were hit pretty hard here. We’ve lost a number of MI6 bases including the Royal and General. We are currently holed up an old World War Two base with old tech, and what I was able to grab from R&G. I do hope you’re alright my friends, we are able to track most of you, I hope you are yourselves and not … well, the walking deceased. I’m not able to do much for you all I’m afraid as we have no way to send help – there isn’t any. Not yet anyway.

This is a recorded message that will circle every few days, in case you’ve lost, or broken your comms, or trying to find a way to charge it. Remember you can use solar energy to charge it, either using the portable charging ports I gave most of you before your missions, or those of you with the updated version there is an attached miniature solar panel slotted in the base. Many of us are safe here with other agents, staff, directors and a lot of families of many MI6 staff, we tried to save as many of your families as possible. We are all working together with other Intelligence Divisions to try to figure this out.

Anyway, this is Smithers cutting this transmission. Look after yourselves and don’t do anything reckless. Smithers out.”

Beep

No one had moved throughout the entire message. It was as if everyone was been frozen with bated breath for Alex to storm in to berate them for breaking in to his private message.

“Well.” Abraham said slowly in a low tone. “That presents a whole load of questions as to where he stole it from.”

“He didn’t steal it!” Carl cried, he had jumped to his feet in anger to Alex’s defence. “He said his friend made it, the guy in the message made it. That man Smiths something.”

“Smithers.” Glenn offered from across the room.

Carl swept his arm out in display. “Yeah, him. Smithers.”

Abraham approached with Rosita on his heels. “Kid, that is no ordinary walkie talkie. He must have stolen it from the military, and you heard that Smithers guy. They are in a World War Two base and he talking about MI6 and Intelligence Divisions. There is no way Alex told you the truth.”

Carl narrowed his eyes and glared at them. “He wouldn’t lie.”

Rick, his mind racing with what he had just heard in the message stood between them with a pacifying hand held up, he saw some of the others stand up too. “Ok, lets calm down. Clearly there is some confusion here. Lets just -”

Beep

"Two new messages."

Beep

“Maybe we shouldn’t -”

“Shut up Glenn.” A few voices called out simultaneously.

“Hello all, Smithers here. Long time, no speak! Sorry for the lack of new messages, I’m sure you’re all fed up with the old one on repeat. I do hope you are all well my friends, I’m sure you are eager for news. Well, the update from the home front is that the aftermath from the re-awaking was devastating. We have no true number for the fatalities however we predict that there is at least a 70% loss of the population of the UK, but in truth we suspect it to be much higher. Truly devastating. As I said in the previous message, we aimed to save as many of your family members as possible. I shall leave a personalised message after this one to each of your communication units with an update of your loved ones. Please prepare yourselves for the worst, we managed to help a great number of people, however sadly not all.

As for us, we are still in the old war base in the Scottish Highlands which we relocated to at the beginning of all this mess. Those of you aiming to return home, our exact location is the old RAF base Aird Uig also known as Stornoway Airport on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Though it was decommissioned as a war base in the 50s we have since commandeered it and have returned it to it’s former glory, the original base is secure and functionable and we have a small self-sufficient community outside but still within re-enforced walls where most of us call home. We are fully operational and on the defensive against the walking deceased and living alike so please refer to your communication units as to the approach policy. Do not go to any other branches, they have all been comprised and completely run over.

Remember your training, you are the United Kingdom’s finest. Know your strengths and limits but above all, stay safe.

Keep an ear out for a private message which will follow this one soon. I wish you all well. Smithers out.”

Beep

Rick breathed out slowly, this was confusing to say the least. What the hell was going on.

“It looks like that message came through when we heard the first bleep.” Carl muttered as he inspected the device in his hands.

“The noise must have been the notification.” Abraham said, he still looked at the device with suspicion.

Idle chatter had started up amongst the others as they pondered what they had just heard. They all knew Alex was private, extremely so. They knew he had his secrets but most of them had accepted him as the enigma he is, but this had added fuel to the fire.

Daryl had sidled up the Rick during the last message. “What the hell was the kid involved in?” He said quietly.

Rick shook his head and ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. “I have no idea.” He cast the other man a look. “You think he lied? Like Abraham said? You think Alex stole it from somewhere and just figured out the passkey?” He hated that fact that he had even considered it.

Daryl grunted, after a moments pause he spoke. “No I don’t. He’s private for sure and keeps things from us, but I don’t think he’s a liar.”

Rick took a breath, he thought so too.

Beep

“Shouldn’t we turn it off now?” Glenn said nervously.

“Shut up!”

“Hello Alex old boy, I do hope this message finds you well. Well you did say you wanted to take holiday time, but I suppose this was not quite what you meant. You’ve probably realised this already but I’m sorry to say that you are on your own, we have no way to get help to you. I’m ever so sorry Alex. I trust you still have most of your equipment which I gave to you before you departed, I do hope they have come in useful. I remain ever so proud of those headphones, but don’t go abseiling off any tall buildings unless you absolutely must. That is a direct message from Mrs Jones by the way!

You will be happy to hear that we managed to recover your friend Tom, and his family. He actually dragged his brother and parents to the doors of Royal and General as we prepared to move out. They are safe within the walls of our compound here, and send their regards.

Take care of yourself Alex, you are young but resourceful. I know you’ll be alright, don’t loose heart. Goodbye for now, Smithers.”

Beep

“End of messages.”

Beep

“What the actual hell.” A shocked voice broke the silence which followed the final message. As one, the group turned to see Alex stood in the doorway, his face bloodied and bruised. One arm was slung over Beth's shoulders who hovered next to him, supporting his weight as patches of blood showed through the worn fabric of the leg of his jeans. Beth looked better but she too showed signs off wear, her wrist looked hastily bound with a dirty bandage and her clothes had patches of dirt and dried blood.

Beth smiled at the group, evidently uncaring of the tense atmosphere, she held up her free hand and gave them a small small wave. “Hi, we’re back.”

Chapter Text

“Clear!” Alex called behind him as he slunk into the last room of the house. A quick glance around told him there was nothing much use here but it was worth a search anyway. It looked like a child’s room, with the bright walls, colourful bedding, and old posters of a now dated movie that had come out just before the dead walked. The dresser draws were haphazardly half open with the belongings strewn over the sides and floor. Clearly the parents hadn’t been planning on returning from their quick get away. His feet hit a few toys scattered on the floor as he picked his way across the room, there could be some clothes to fit Judith, she was shooting up quickly and outgrowing the ones he had previously found for her. He tugged a light blue top from the top drawer and gave it a sniff, nothing a good clean wouldn’t fix. A bit big but she would grow into it.

“Anything?"

Alex waved the top behind him to show it off. “Not much, but found some kids clothes.” He spotted a small bookshelf on the other side of the bed. Alex grabbed a handful of clothes from the same drawer before he made his way over to the bookshelf to inspect it. It was child size so with a sigh he crouched down to peer at the shelves, he put most of his weight on his left leg and put a hand to the ground to steady himself. A few titles stood out to him as he plucked a couple of books from the shelf. Judith liked to look at the pictures even if she hadn’t mastered reading yet.

“A bit advanced for her isn’t it?” The voice behind him held a light tone of amusement. “I know you think she’s your prodigy but that’s a bit ahead even for her.”

Alex spun round slowly on his left heel, still in a crouched position. “I like to read them to her, and besides, you can never start too early with babies.”

“Hmm, just how much experience have you had with rearing children?”

Alex shot a grin at Beth. “Absolutely none.”

She laughed and stepped further into the room, her hands trailed over the blanket on the bed. “I may take this, we could always do with spares.” She tugged it free and folded it as small as she could to stuff in her backpack. Alex caught sight of a wince as she twisted her wrist a little too harshly.

“Careful with that.” Alex warned gently. “It will take time to heal properly.” He ignored the glare directed back to him with ease as he looked back to the bookshelf to pick another from the selection. To his surprise there was an Enid Blyton book which he recognised from his own childhood, fond memories of Ian and later Jack reading bedtime stories to him filled his head for a moment before he shook himself free of them. It doesn’t do well to dwell on the past. He pocketed the book and stood up, his right thigh twinged as he accidentally stretched the muscles. He kneaded his hand onto his leg through the material of his jeans and the bandage underneath to alleviate the throb of pain.

“Careful with that.” Beth’s voice quipped from behind him. “It will take time to heal.”

Alex huffed, he had walked straight into that one, pun unintended. “It’s fine, just stretched it is all. I’ve had worst.”

He heard the answering sigh as he avoided her critical gaze. “Alex you had a gunshot to the same leg, a literal building fell on days before.”

“Weeks before.” Alex corrected, then internally winced. His sharp tone came out harsher than he had intended.

“Alex.” He turned slowly around to look at her. “I know you’re angry at the others and I understand why. I do. But please don’t shut me out too. I know your leg hurts, please be careful.” Her face was open and honest, her eyes wide as she pleaded with him earnestly. “Maggie didn’t want me to follow you out on runs but I promised her you would look after me, but really I’m here to look after you. You saved my life, let me be your friend. Talk to me.”

Alex tried his best to give her a carefree smile. He pulled his bag from his back to shove the books inside. “I’m fine.” At her annoyed look he added. “I’ll look after my leg, I promise. I’m not stopping the supply runs but I’ll be careful.” As he stepped around her to exit the room onto the landing, he spotted a bathroom down the hallway. Bathroom cabinets are always worth checking out for meds and supplies. He heard Beth scoff under her breath as she moved to follow him. He knew he was avoiding the metaphorical elephant in the room but he didn’t want to talk about it. He hadn’t done much talking to anyone but her since they returned from their trip to Atlanta. He couldn’t shake the feeling of distrust and betrayal he felt when they entered the barn to hear Smithers’ voice drifting from his comms unit.

He had heard the excuses of constant annoying bleeps, and disregarded them. He had trusted the others by leaving his stuff with them. Though he hadn’t intended on leaving his comms behind, it must have fallen out of his pocket. His fault he supposed. His MI6 training and Ian had always taught him to check his equipment before leaving, and he failed to do so. He had become cocky, over confident and familiar with the people around him.

Rick had tried to talk to him, to explain and ask for forgiveness, but Alex hadn’t granted it. Carl had attempted to go back to the way it was before, sitting beside him and chatting amicably. But when Alex hadn’t responded, the younger boy had begun to sniffle and apologise. Every apology had just come with excuses though. Alex was fed up with it. He and Beth had been back for a week now, and supply runs were his only escape from the questioning looks and silent tense atmosphere of the temporary accommodation they were staying in. The day after they had returned, Rick had made them pack up and moved them to a new space. Paranoia kept them alive he supposed.

“Hey, look at this.” He turned to find Beth holding a stack of magazines, he raised an eyebrow in question. “They’re quizzes and puzzles. They’ll keep the group happy in the evenings.” Alex held his bag open ready for her to dump them in, but to his confusion she shook her head and deposited them in her own, squashing them down next the blanket from before. Alex’s bag was bigger, which would have accommodated them easier. At his surprised expression she went on. “The less you have to carry, the less weight on your leg.” At this, she plucked the supplies he had found in the bathroom from his hand and put them in her other bag balanced on her shoulder.

Alex let out an annoyed groan and moved out of the bathroom, his limp only gave her ammunition as his uneven gait caused him to tense in pain on his route down the stairs. Ever since they had returned from the hospital where she had been held captive, Beth had been his shadow. She had told him she felt guilty that he had been shot whilst saving her, so she seemed to have made it her mission to watch his every step, literally.

It had taken a couple of days to plan a way of getting to her, the doctors were glorified guards and the ring leader was a stern woman by the name of Dawn. Beth hadn’t been sure what Dawn’s objective was in keeping her there but they had fixed up her wounded head and bolted the doors. Try as she might, Beth couldn’t leave. During Alex’s days of reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, he watched the guard’s patrol in shifts, the routines from the staff and more importantly planned the best way to get Beth out. All had been going to plan until the day came to escape. Alex and Beth had been meeting up in the evenings when a rogue guard had stumbled across them, Alex had leapt up to keep him quiet, but a second trigger happy guard hidden outside had shot Alex in the thigh which had already been trying to slowly heal from the prison explosion. The next few hours had been a blur to him, but as Beth had told when he regained full consciousness, she had pleaded with Dawn to get the doctors to help him. She had painted the picture of a useful fighter on their side later down the line. Alex had been impressed, the hospital staff had no idea Beth had been playing them all along. She had known the moment Alex was safe and out of the woods he would want to make a run for it, and so they had.

Alex was used to fighting for his life with injuries, had done it plenty of times before. But fighting three or four men whilst stumbling around on a severely injured leg was a new low, even for him. He had managed it of course, but the guards had taken the advantage of his sluggish fighting style to lay a few hits on him with their fists. Beth too had kicked and hit out with everything she had. He made a mental note to work on her fighting style, she had sprained her wrist during the scuffle, which in the grand scheme of things was a minor injury, but still. After their get away his head had swam, threatening to black out as they stumbled down to the lower level garage together, Beth knew how to drive from her days on the farm and Alex knew how to hot wire the stolen car. They made a good team. He didn’t remember much of the drive back until the car began steaming and smoking about ten miles out from the barn. They hobbled the rest of the way back on foot with Beth supporting most of his weight as the pain jarred up his leg with every step, the fight and their hurried escape had opened up some of his stitches. When they approached the barn with no warning knocks Alex had pulled up short. Had something happened to them? Had they moved on? Quietly, they had moved closer only to hear a distant familiar voice. Alex had honestly thought he had been hallucinating, the pain becoming too much. Smithers. But a glance at Beth’s confused face proved it was reality. They quickly covered the ground to the doorway, to find the group huddled around Carl who in the center held a familiar device.

“ -Tom, and his family. He actually dragged his brother and parents to the doors of Royal and General as we prepared to move out. They are safe within the walls of our compound here, and send their regards.

Take care of yourself Alex, you are young but resourceful. I know you’ll be alright, don’t loose heart. Goodbye for now, Smithers.”

Beep

“End of messages.”

Beep

“What the actual hell.” He couldn't help it. The anger that coursed through him at the blatant invasion of his privacy was undeterred. He had ignored Beth’s little waved greeting and shoved past the group, he snatched up his device from Carl’s hand and stormed back outside. Ok, so his impressive limp and torn stitches had slightly dampened the effect, he had left a small blood trail in his wake to where he had sat outside against the dilapidated barn walls. He remained there all night, brushed off everyone’s attempts of peace and listened to his new messages on repeat. He missed home. He missed Tom, Smithers, even the rest of the MI6 group. He wanted to go home, to Scotland apparently according to the message. He had tried to call back to speak with Smithers but no luck, maybe it was only set up for sending messages within the walls of the dated equipment in the Scottish Highlands. The only person he allowed to stay with him was Beth, after she reunited with Maggie, she had emerged outside with a bag of medical supplies. She’d forcefully pealed off his blood stained jeans from his bloody leg, ignoring his awkward jokes with a practised manner, and treated the wound as best she could. His unplanned stay at the hospital had treated the worst of it but their hasty escape and beat down had reopened and aggravated it. The next morning they were on the road again as Rick insisted on a quick relocation, Glenn had found a stick useful for a crutch, and apart from a muttered thanks, Alex hadn’t said a word. The rest of the group were walking around on eggshells, their apologies going unanswered. Abraham had attempted to ask him questions about his comms and the messages but was stared down until he backed off. Beth had honestly been his saviour, acting as a buffer to those who persisted with the questions. Alex’s only escape were the supply runs, they were hindered of course by his leg but he couldn’t stay there. Beth had become his side kick and together they had made quite the team. Rick and the others didn’t like it, but as Alex politely told them the first day he had hobbled back clutching his painful leg to find their anxious faces waiting for him and Beth’s lectures of going off on his own. They could shove their opinions up their arses.

That brought him to today where he and Beth had found a previously unnoticed house set back from the roads, the trees and overgrown hedgerows disguising the driveway from prying eyes.

“What do you think?” He turned to see Beth posing with a brightly coloured fluffy scarf thrown around her neck, finished off with a small top hat perched precariously on her blonde head. He stifled a grin. “You think it suits me?”

He let the grin escape and clapped his hands together in delight. “Brilliant! Where on earth did you find them?”

She make a mock bow before pointing to the cupboard door under the staircase. “They must have done fancy dress with the kids. There’s even a pirate outfit in there.”

Alex ventured forwards to peruse through the garments, and sure enough a small pirate hat found it’s way to the surface. “I’m gonna take this.”

Beth let out a laugh. “It’s a bit small for your big head isn’t it?”

Alex tried it on and did his own pose, pirate style. “Nah, for Judith. Carl has Rick’s old sheriff hat, so Judith should have her own hat too.”

Beth crooked an eyebrow at him. “Thought you weren’t talking to the group?”

Alex shrugged and tucked the hat under his arm as he made his way towards the back door where his walking stick was propped up where he had left it. “I’m not, but Judith didn’t break into my stuff, invade my privacy and listen to my personal messages. I’m not holding a grudge against her, she was an unwilling participant.”

He heard a laugh covered by a cough. “Fair enough.”

Together they made their way outside into the bight glare of the midday sun, their bags filled to the brim with goods. Alex would still give most of them to the group, but the candy he had found earlier would be his and Beth’s little secret.

o0o

She watched Alex as he walked in front of her. His limp more apparent as he picked his way over the uneven ground. He liked to go through the woods to go unnoticed by people who could be on the roads, the risk of bumping into a walker was higher of course but at least the trees could be used to their advantage to dodge any wayward dead hands attempting to grab at them. The woodland floor was littered with leaves, branches and rocks just waiting for an ankle to be twisted on them. Beth herself had already fallen over twice on their trip out today much to Alex's amusement. Despite his bad leg, he hadn't entirely lost his talent of silently creeping through the trees. She marvelled at his skills and not for the first time pondered over the mystery that was her friend. She remembered the look of confused betrayal when they had walked into the barn to hear the voice coming out of the comms in Carl's hand. She wanted to know the secret of Alex, of course she did. But at the risk of loosing his friendship? She would never push him. Especially after he risked his life to save hers.

Maggie had pulled her close when they returned from Atlanta, her grip almost to point of pain. "I was so scared I'd lost you."

She had kept Beth as close as she could for the next couple of days until Alex came back from a run limping worse than ever, ashen face and blood spotting through his pant leg again.

They had all seen him refuse to talk to anyone, he shut himself away from the rest. He refused medical aid for his leg from anyone with the exception of Beth, despite everyone clearly seeing the pain etched on his face when he shuffled around on the crutch Glenn had found. He ignored Rick and Daryl's demands to stay put whilst his leg healed, instead heading out in solitude on runs.

The final straw was one morning when they'd all woken up to Carl pleading with Alex to talk, Beth had seen Alex's face tighten with frustration as he tried to ignore the younger boy. Abraham too had been asking him questions about the comms unit and the contents of the message the group had listened in on. Beth saw it coming, Rick did too judging by the way he stood up to calm the incoming Alex storm. The eruption was epic, Alex shouted, Carl cried, Rick dragged his hand through his hair so much Beth was sure he'd go bald, and the rest of the group froze as if Alex's ire would slide off them if they didn't move. To make matters worse the fighting had stirred up some of the tension that had previously gone unnoticed between Eugene, Abraham and Rosita too. They had planned on splitting from the group to make their way towards Washington for Eugene’s walker cure, but Eugene had become increasingly agitated during the arguing between the others and blurted out he had lied about the cure. At his words the silence had been abrupt. It was a distraction from everything else and the others had sat back to watch the aftermath of his words. Rosita had been stunned at the deception, but Abraham took it the hardest. He punched Eugene twice, the force propelling the man into a bloody mess on the ground, then he sat outside in quiet rage and despair. It seemed all his hope and willingness to go on had been hinged on Eugene’s, apparently fake, mission. Since then the large moustached man had seemed to shrink in on himself, lost without a tether to reality. In the days afterwards, Rick had tried to get Abraham engaged in the group with the planning and organising of operations. It had seemed to work a little, but the tension was still palpable between the trio, which wasn’t helped by the dramas within the rest of the group.

During the mayhem on that day however, Alex had stormed off. He was gone the entire day much to the worry of Carol and Rick. Daryl had become fidgety, pacing across the floor and grumbling under his breath. Night had begun to fall when the telltale knocks sounded and two half hearted whistles came back. He looked awful, that was the day Beth decided to stick with Alex until he either healed or talked to the others again. Maggie hated the idea of Beth going out there, but Beth managed to pacify her sister suggesting that maybe she could help the fractured group heal. A little white lie, her main focus was Alex.

So that was that, she and Alex had become a team. A pretty good one she thought. Sure she didn't have the super ninja moves or the silent tread of feet or even the deadly fight manoeuvres, not that he was fully operational yet in that department, but she felt she helped Alex. She had certainly patched up his damn leg more times than she could count. It was taking a while to heal up properly because the idiot refused to rest it. It was times like this that Beth missed her Dad the most, he would have set Alex straight medically and fixed the morale of the group. Dale too, come to think of it.

Alex's gait came to a halt as they neared the shelter the group was currently staying in. He leant against a tree, his crutch propped up beside him whilst he kneaded his thigh again.

"Leg hurting?"

He pulled a face. "Just stretched it earlier when I looked at the bookshelf at the house. It will be fine." He cast a weary face towards the waiting building as if mentally preparing himself for the tense gazes of the group.

Beth shared a sympathetic look with him and patted his shoulder in comfort. "Come on, lets show them what we found, then I can rewrap your leg again."

He gently shrugged her hand away and swung his bag off his shoulder. "You do it. I want to sit out here for a while."

She took the offered bag from him and gave him a hard look. "Fine, but don't stay out too long."

He threw a tired smile her way. "Yes Mum."

She rolled her eyes and stepped towards the building. Three knocks called out and she responded with two low whistles. They should probably change that soon, it had been their code for a while now. Beth gripped Alex's bag and marched towards the open doorway, Maggie stood in the entrance waiting for her return. Beth sighed, she hoped this would all blow over soon. It was like being in high school again with all this drama. Kind of.

Chapter Text

It had been about two weeks since that snivelling, pathetic, mullet wearing back stabber told the truth about his so called cure. Two weeks of the sharp stab of betrayal every time Abraham made eye contact with him or heard his whining voice. This entire time, this whole entire time Eugene had been taking him for a ride. He had a purpose, a meaning to life. Get Eugene to Washington, help with the cure effort, start healing this messed up world. Now? All gone. He felt detached from his body, like he could just float away. If this was pre-end of the world, he figured he’d be holed up in a bar somewhere drinking his anger away. Then again, if it was pre-end of the world, he wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place.

When he and Rosita had first met Eugene, they had taken pity on him. A man with clearly no survival or fighting skills, out of his depth and crying for help. Then he told them he was a scientist who had a cure and needed their help to fix the world, he asked for their assistance in reaching his destination alive. With nothing else to do, they said yes. Suckers. Hook, line and sinker. Over the last year they kept him alive, fed and safe. Practically his own personal assistants and bodyguards. But now they knew him for what he truly was. A fraud. Abraham wondered how long Eugene would have kept up the facade had the group not broken out into arguing, triggering him to shout out his confession. They had planned to leave that very day, Abraham would have given his life for Eugene’s had it meant he got to Washington and fixed this sorry excuse for a world.

He shuffled on his seat, an upturned bucket, his ass was starting to protest at the uncomfortable choice of furniture. He stood up, stretched his back out and shook each leg to get the blood flowing. He sighed and smoothed his moustache down, a stress tick he seemed to have picked up recently. An ex girlfriend had once said he looked like a fiery red headed biker with his style of facial hair, she said it had looked cool. He had kept it ever since. It could be a nuisance in the hot weather but it had kept him warm in the winters.

The dark sky above loomed ominously and the moon tried to peek out from behind the clouds causing the flickering moonlight to brighten up the area sporadically. The shadows gave an eerie feeling of eyes on him as he moved around the building they were staying in. Rick and Daryl tended to find barns for shelter and this time it was an old long since abandoned barn but it had a door that locked, practically a five star resort if it wasn’t for the undead neighbours which wandered through every now and then. Abraham had offered to stand guard outside even though they didn’t usually bother with someone outside. A door and window guard normally did the trick but this shelter was smaller than the other places, and Eugene had been attempting to talk to him today. So it was either Abraham stand on guard outside, or his fist would come into contact with Eugene's face. Again.

His patrol took him around the back of the barn, the trees creaked in the light breeze that ran through the leaves and rustled the branches. The ground was soft under foot, his boots crunched the sticks which lay scattered under the trees. All was peaceful out here, just nature continuing on as it should be.

"There’s no walkers, I checked the perimeters a few minutes ago."

Abraham almost jumped out of his skin. His heart quite literally skipped several beats and his knife was in his hand before he even processed where the voice had come from.

"Sorry, I'm always doing that."

Abraham squinted into the darkness. There. Under the lean-to on the side of the barn sat Alex. He was shrouded in shadow, sat on an old table which looked near collapse, with a blanket over his legs and his hands in his lap.

"Christ kid. You damn near gave me a heart attack." He breathed, his galloping heart made a gallant effort to recover, slowly. He received an apologetic smile for his troubles. "What the hell are you doin' out here?"

Alex shrugged and pushed himself further into his seat, his table creaked in protest. "Just thought it would be nice to sit out here." At Abraham's dubious look, he amended his words. "It's just. It’s a little cramped inside, not much space to breathe."

Abraham could relate to that. “You checked the whole perimeter?” He confirmed.

Alex nodded. “Yeah, every bit.”

Abraham relaxed a little, he’d known Alex long enough now to know he did a good job. Even with his healing leg, he could be counted on to complete a thorough perimeter check. “Didn’t see you. Or hear you for that matter, and I’ve been out here for some time.”

Alex averted his eyes, almost sheepishly and looked down at his lap where his comms unit lay. “I’m used to running around undetected these days.”

Abraham huffed as he stepped nearer. “Something tells me you’ve been doing things like that for a long while.” He watched Alex’s face. “A betting man may even say you’ve been doing this long before the dead walked.”

Alex looked up and held his gaze but said nothing.

Abraham stepped closer and leant against the wall next to Alex’s table. He watched the shadows dance on the leaves in front of them, but remained aware of Alex to his side. From inside the barn, through the wood, he heard the light murmurings of some of the group who were settled down for the night. “I know you’re a private guy, it comes with the territory I guess. But, if you want to talk . . .” He let his words die off and watched him with the corner of his eye.

Alex shuffled in his seat and sighed. “No, I’m good thanks.”

“Kid -” Abraham started.

“I’m not a kid.” Alex snapped. “Everyone calls me kid, treats me like I’m Carl’s age but I’m not.”

Abraham held out a placating hand. “Hey, don’t take offence. I call everyone younger than me kid.” At Alex’s annoyed look he went on. “It’s true, hell I call Glenn kid most of the time too.”

“Sure you do.” Alex muttered.

“I do, you’re just not around that much to hear it.”

Alex scoffed quietly.

Abraham sighed, this was not going quite as he had planned. “I meant no offence, honest. It’s just something I say, Daryl does it too. I guess you could say it’s part of our language.” Alex let out a huff of air that sounded like a quiet laugh, he would take that for a win. “What I was going to say was, Kid -” He emphasised the word, earning a look from Alex. “- what we heard that day -” He held up his hand to fend off the angry comeback from Alex. “- regardless of it being the wrong thing to do, which it was and you have every right to feel betrayed, it opened a can of worms. I can’t help noticing you’ve shut yourself off from almost everyone. It’s not healthy, so if you want to talk, then I’m here. My ears are open.”

Alex said nothing for a moment, they let the quiet night air wash over them. Abraham became aware of Alex’s fingers tapping against his comms unit, almost a nervous tick. Inside the building he heard the quiet chatter pause a little, he imagined them up against the wall with their ears pressed to the wood, he had no doubt Alex heard it too. He had almost given up any chance of Alex responding and just waiting the night out in companionable silence when he quietly spoke again.

“A friend of mine would say that, my ears are open. She would say my ears are yours, just don’t forget to return them. It was her way of saying, please come home I’m here to listen.” Alex sighed and looked into the distance at nothing, Abraham almost held his breath. “She put up with so much from me. She came to us when I was young to help raise me, my Uncle was away a lot. She saw me through every bad school day, every tantrum, every teenage rebellious phase. She had my back through everything, and trusted me to have hers. Until it got her killed.” He paused and rubbed his healing leg through the material of his pants. “I was sixteen when she was taken by a terrorist group, not for the first time, these ones referred to themselves as a Private Military Company.” He said this with a mock tone to his voice, like it disgusted him to even entertain the idea. “They took her for revenge, like she was a plaything for them to dangle in front of me. They tortured her and killed her slowly.” He almost spat the words out, the anger not at all hidden in his words. “They left her body where they were sure I would find it. I didn’t even know she’d been taken, I thought she was visiting family over here. We’d had a fight so not to get messages off her wasn’t really unsurprising.” He paused to catch his breath, a few tears had splashed down into his lap.

Abraham’s mind was whirling, this was not at all what he had been expecting, but then again, what had he expected really? “I came home from school to find her body on the front door step. I didn’t know what it was at first, they’d wrapped her up like a gift.” He wiped his eyes, sniffed and looked Abraham straight in the eyes. “My past is dark, murky and awful. I was on a path to something slightly better until I got stuck in this mess here. I don’t like talking about my childhood because I spent so long hiding it. It kept people safe, it kept the questions at bay, and it’s also technically illegal for me to reveal anything about the secret stuff.” He said the last bit with a slightly cheeky smirk which echoed the Alex he had first met. “I’m aware that the message you guys overheard had some pretty incriminating information, which has lead to questions. I’m not deluded that I can ignore it. But it’s difficult, it goes against everything I’m trained to do.”

Abraham let it all sink in for a moment before replying, clearly Alex was involved with dangerous stuff. He had been hurt, lost people and was tied up in secrets. But the fact he was willing to open up meant there was hope the fractured group could heal, Alex could heal.

“What happened to the group? The terror group?”

Alex gave a grim smile. “They were called Nightshade. They’re all gone now, I made sure no one was left to rebuild.”

Abraham had never really related to the lines he had read in books like, gulp in terror, before now. He cleared his throat to continuing talking but halted, he didn't know what to ask. He had questions of course but he didn't want to overload him. He saw Alex quirk an eyebrow his way. “Thought you’d have more questions.”

“I do.”

“Well?”

“I don’t want you to feel like you have to answer.”

Alex lent back more firmly against the barn wall, he tucked up the blanket around his legs a little more to protect from the nip in the air the breeze sent their way. “I’m feeling hospitable, besides what is the government going to do? You heard the message, they’re all the way off in Scotland and I’m stuck out here, they can’t exactly arrest me for revealing information.” He shrugged.

Well alright then. “Your friend, what was she called?”

“Jack.” Alex shut his eyes briefly, whether in pain or memory Abraham didn’t know. Maybe it was both. “She was our house keeper and nanny mixed into one, she was one of my best friends and a maternal figure. But never ‘Mum’, she always joked she wasn’t strict enough to be called Mum. I think though she didn’t want to take the place of my real Mother, or at least the memory of her. My Uncle remained ‘Uncle’ for the rest of his life too, never ‘Dad’. I wonder if they’d planned it together, I’ll never know now.”

He kind of knew bits and pieces of Alex’s life from what the others had told him, Glenn mainly, especially over the last several days when Alex, and later Beth, would go out on long supply runs. He had been told about Alex’s outburst at the Greene’s farm they stayed at when he, accidentally it seemed, revealed information about his deceased family. “Where did you go after they passed? Any other family?”

He shook his head. “No, parents died when I was a baby, Uncle Ian died when I was fourteen, then Jack when I was sixteen. I don’t have any other family left so I was given emancipation rights.”

“When you were sixteen?”

He nodded. “Yep, it was a deal I struck with my, employers, at the time.” He had a strange way of saying that word, almost like it bitterly amused him. “As long as I stayed in school, and later on went to university then consider working for them for so many years, they allowed me to be self sufficient in my own care.”

Abraham felt like he had to shake his head to clear his thoughts a little. He didn’t, but it was a close thing. “I take it your employers weren’t for a newspaper delivery job?”

Alex let out a sharp laugh. “No, they weren’t.”

“So, who employed you?”

Alex looked at the dark sky above, then down at his comms unit in his lap resting on the blanket where Abraham noticed the time lit up in the corner of the screen.

“The British Government.” Well, high up indeed, that opened the metaphorical can of worms from earlier a lot further. Abraham was about to ask another question when Alex kept talking. “It’s late, I think I’m going to go back inside for some sleep.” Huh, apparently that was enough of the questions for tonight. Alex raised his voice a little bit and pointedly looked towards the barn, which had stayed suspiciously silent the entire time they’d been talking. “That may give any eavesdroppers a chance to pretend they were asleep the whole time and not glued with their ears against the walls.” A surprised cough and yelp sounded from inside the building, like someone had been elbowed for making the noise. They both grinned softly at each other. Abraham respectively ignored the elephant in the room caused by Alex’s recent admission and stayed silent. Another day maybe.

“Goodnight.” Alex murmured as he gathered his belongings before sliding off the table which made one last protest at the movement. Alex stretched his back and winced as he put weight on his bad leg. He saw Abraham look down at his hand which squeezed his thigh. “It’s fine, just stiffened up.”

Abraham hummed, unconvinced, but he let it go without further comment. “Night Alex.” He watched as the young man picked his way back around the barn towards the doorway, his limp looked stiff and painful after sitting in one place for so long, on a hard uncomfortable surface at that. Abraham chuckled lowly as he’d imagine Rick, Glenn or Daryl feigning interest as if they hadn’t been blatantly listening in to their conversation with whoever else was awake in the barn. Abraham smiled at the thought before he made his way to the perimeter, wouldn’t hurt to do another patrol.

o0o

Several days later saw Rick pouring over his maps as he tried to figure out their next move. He had quietly summoned Abraham over after breakfast. “We’ve run out of gas, and finished the last of the water.”

Damn, it was one thing after another. They had found some working cars a while back and syphoned gas from others scattered on the roads, they had got lucky with their finds, mainly from Daryl, Alex and Beth’s supply runs. Their water supply had been running thin over the last few days, and everyone had to be rationed. They were beginning to struggle, it had seemed their luck had finally run out. Abraham blew out a long breath as he looked at Rick’s scribbles on the map. “What are you thinking? The whole group go by foot, or send runs out further a field?”

Rick shook his head. “We’ve drained every car we can find in the surrounding areas here.” He pointed to a large circle on the map, it showed a huge radius which covered miles. “There’s nothing left, and I don’t want to send them further away than they’ve been going already.”

Daryl had left early before most have them had woken up, and Alex and Beth had headed out a few hours ago. Each time, they returned earlier with their bags much lighter, they had run out of places to raid.

“So, Everyone moves out?”

Rick sighed and nodded. “We’ll leave tomorrow.”

The next week was a blur and everyone was weary, thirsty and tense. The whole group had all been on the road for a few days and had little to show for it. Their way was slow due to the lack of water and they were becoming desperate in the warm weather. They were all on edge after finding a pack of water bottles in the middle of the road earlier that day, there had been a note left by the gift – from a friend. They didn’t trust it. The bottles remained in the road whilst they turned in the opposite direction. During an unexpected heavy downpour of rain they had found shelter in an empty barn, save for a lone walker. They were on alert but tried to rest. Daryl and Glenn stood at watch by the doors and Rick kept an eye on the windows. Someone had left those bottles of water, either it was a relic left behind from days gone, or there was somebody watching them, baiting them perhaps.

Everyone was sat around the old barn they were sheltering in from the rain, some were quietly chatting, others were doing some of the puzzle books and the rest were either dozing or reading on the bed rolls. The atmosphere had relaxed somewhat in the last few days between Alex and the others, he still wasn’t speaking to many of them but Abraham felt the icy air among them was beginning to thaw out a little. Eugene on the other hand was still being shunned by himself and Rosita. The rest of the group, whilst not overly friendly towards him, hadn’t been affected personally by his lies so he tended to sit near Sasha, Bob and Tara for the most part. They included him in the group but not everyone seemed to trust him much any more. Abraham didn’t blame them.

Bleep

Bleep

There was a moment where everybody froze, not a soul made a sound or movement, Abraham’s mind was cast back to the first time they had all heard the same noise. Alex was sat still in the corner by the doorway, his book held limply in his hand, eyes wide with shock.

Bleep

Bleep

Suddenly he jumped up, clutching his bad leg he marched across the room to his bed roll. He rummaged around in his bag as the muffled bleep bleep noise sounded again, his movements became desperate as he emptied his bag out on his bed, searching through his things. Carl came up quietly and helped seek out the sound, Alex paid no attention to the young boy until the bleep bleep suddenly became loud and clear. Carl held the comms unit in his hand, which had previously been hidden under Alex’s discarded hoodie on the sleeping bag. He held out his hand. “Here.” Alex looked at him for a second, then nodded in thanks. He peered at the device and hurriedly typed in a passkey. He paused for a moment and looked around the room at the group. None of them hid their curious gazes as they all blatantly watched him, Alex seemed to tense his shoulders a little then sigh. He stared at the device in his hands for a short moment, then hit a button.

Beep

“One new message.”

Beep

"Hi mate." The voice coughed to clear his throat sounding uncertain, Alex looked like his legs had given way as he sat with a heavy thump on his bedroll. "Tom here, Mr Smithers said I could leave you a message." The voice, Tom, paused again. Alex looked at the comms unit with wonder, eyes bright as if the tears were held captive in his gaze. "I er, I hope you're alright. Of course you will be, you're Alex Rider." The voice chuckled nervously. "I mean, you have to be." There was a heavy sigh, the speakers crackled with the sound, as if the speaker was right up against a microphone. "Bloody hell, this is a mess isn't it? It feels like I'm stuck in one of those end of the world dystopian PlayStation games we used to play together. I miss those days. I always did, when you went away to work, but I always told myself you'd come stumbling in through the door again covered in injuries with some out of this world story. Quite literally, when you went to space! Still think that's your best one." The voice coughed again, and the next words came a little quieter, distant and slightly muffled as if the speaker was looking away from the microphone. "Which of course I know nothing about."

Alex smiled fondly and the voice returned to normal volume. "I bet you are off having a wild time, living life like some veteran hunter. I hope you are. I hope you've found people to watch your back, these undead fuckers are creepy as hell. Don't shut yourself off mate, its important to have friends. Not a best friend, obviously you've already got one of them." There was another pause. "That's me by the way, just in case you've forgotten. You'd better have told them all about me, your best mate, brother from another mother." The voice's chuckles tapered off, Alex sniffed and wiped at his eyes. "Seriously though, look after yourself. Make friends if you haven't already. I know what you're like, you'll be all secretive and mysterious, and I know you don't trust quickly. But try to make connections, make friends not enemies. But most of all, stay alive. Please Al, I need you to live. Mainly because you're basically my brother, but also 'cause I'm going stir crazy here stuck in this compound with my parents and Jerry. Anyway, Mr Smithers is gesturing at me, I think that means I have to go now. We have to be careful with how much power we use. It's solar and wind energy here, so we're quite lucky but we still have to be careful not to use too much. I'll try to leave another message again at some point. Look after yourself Al. See ya mate."

Beep

“End of message.”

Beep

Then there was silence. Alex placed the comms until down on his lap and wiped his eyes with both hands. He sat there for a moment, his hands hiding his face. Carl was still stood nearby hovering uncertainly. “Are you ok?”

Alex pulled his hands away and wiped them on his pant leg. “Yeah.” He nodded. “I just wasn’t expecting to hear his voice.”

“Erm, Alex?” Glenn had his hand half mast as if he was a student attempting to get a teacher’s attention. Alex looked over to him. “When he said ‘space’, he didn’t mean the literal space did he? Like up in the sky?”

Abraham was glad someone had asked it, the second he had heard those words in the message he had felt like his brain had temporarily rebooted in order to process what he’d heard. Space. As in The Space. It couldn’t be.

Alex chuckled. Not the response any of them were expecting if their faces were anything to go by. “He always babbles when he is anxious.” He pulled a hand through his thick mess of hair and sighed. He must had seen their confused faces as he elaborated. “Tom and Jack had to sign the Official Secrets Act. I still wasn’t meant to tell them everything but I did, I had to tell someone. It gets a bit busy up here sometimes.” He tapped his head lightly with a finger, he fell silent for a moment but nobody spoke. Abraham could feel the anticipation in the room. This was the most Alex had spoken since Carl had hacked into the comms unit, it felt like they were on the verge of something. “He probably didn’t mean to say that, Smithers likely gave him a stern warning not to go around telling them what he knows about my, adventures.” He stumbled over the last word, as if he changed it at the last moment.

“Who is them?” Beth asked curiously from her place next to Maggie. Most of the group were perched on their bed rolls or blankets on the floor, it was almost like a bizarre re-enactment of a school story time. Alex looked around the group for a long moment, Abraham almost thought they’d blown it by asking questions, he half expected Alex to get up and walk away. He seemed to consider them, one by one, and rested one hand on the comms unit in his lap, the other hand kneading his old injury on his thigh. But it was more of a comforting act as oppose to a pain response. He opened his mouth and the words seemed to tumble out, no one dared to breath loudly or make a movement.

“I work for the British Government, specifically the intelligence division, MI6.” He paused as if waiting for an outburst, but there was nothing. They all hung on to his every word. “I have worked for them since I was fourteen, not technically legal I know but that’s a story for another time.” Abraham's mind was whirling. “I had been on several missions for them by the time I was sixteen, successfully might I add.” A wry smile crept on his face at the words.

“After Jack died, they allowed be to be emancipated and left me alone, the head boss stepped down and his successor wanted me to have a chance of a normal childhood. Well, what was left of it anyway. So I finished school, looked after myself and did pretty well academically considering the circumstances. Then in my final year of University they contacted me, they asked if I was interested in being employed by them again, although legal and above board this time. I said yes. It was probably similar to Stockholm Syndrome by that point to be honest, my life had felt mundane and pretty boring after I left their service the first time round.” He chuckled. “Tom called me an adrenalin junkie, but I guess it was kind of true. After that, I retrained and became a full time agent just after my uni course ended.”

He trailed off and looked around expectantly. The rest of the group had a range of expressions on their faces from shock and awe to quizzical looks filled with yearning questions.

“You were fourteen?” Carol breathed in a mixture of horror and anger, her mothering instinct showing in full force.

Alex looked almost sheepish and scratched the back of his head. “Yeah.”

“It wasn’t dangerous was it?” She asked desperately. “You were kept out of danger.”

Alex shrugged. “Well a little bit yeah. Most people hesitated before shooting because they didn’t expect to see a kid.” He laughed a little as if to try and put the room at ease then cocked his head as if remembering something. “Not everyone though, one of the people I was sent out to investigate told me ‘you’re never too young to die’, ironically he died not too long after.” Carol’s horror filled wide eyed gaze probably wasn’t the response Alex was after, so he hurriedly continued. “But I returned from all of them in one piece, mostly.”

“What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?” Carl asked eagerly, he gazed up at Alex in awe, ignoring the look Rick sent him across the room.

Alex pondered for a moment, then moved a hand up to scratch near his heart. “I suppose the closest I came to death was a sniper when I was 14. Still hit me but missed my heart by a few inches.” Carl gasped, which was echoed by some of the others. “I was fine after a stay in hospital.” Alex added as if proof of him in the room with them wasn’t enough evidence of his survival.

“I’d wondered about that scar.” Rick muttered, a few looks were directed his way and he must have noticed because he hurriedly explained himself. “I’ve noticed it on occasion and I know a bullet wound when I see one, but I didn’t want to push you to explain.” He directed the last bit to Alex who gratefully nodded his head.

“This whole thing is insane.” Glenn was saying to himself. “I mean we all knew you were secretive for some reason but I never expected this.”

Maggie who was sat next to him patted his leg then spoke up. “Why were you in this country when the reawakening happened? What brought you over here?”

Alex shuffled in his seat, still on his bed. He was looking a bit awkward under all the attention. “I was sent out to track down and gather intel on an international underground drug lord, but I abandoned the mission once I realised the world had gone to hell.”

“I’m glad.” Beth said, everyone looked over to her. “I’m glad you were sent over here and found your way to the group. Because if you hadn’t then from what I’ve heard, more people would have died and we probably would have suffered more without all your help and supply runs.” She put her hand up to stop Alex’s protests. “You saved my life, you saved Dale at the farm, you stopped my father from getting bitten at the prison. All your little actions add up Alex. So, yeah. I’m glad you got sent over here because without you who knows what could have happened.”

“It’s true.” Rick added. “You are a true asset to the group, and we are lucky to have you.”

Alex had a light blushing tinge to his face, he coughed and shrugged uncomfortably. He opened his mouth to probably deny the other’s words when Daryl’s gruff voice cut in. “There’s someone outside.”

The easy atmosphere disappeared instantly, and everyone was immediately on guard. Abraham went to watch Daryl’s post by the door as the other man stalked outside, Alex close on his heels with his limp sharply jarring his movements as they disappeared. Rick hovered by Abraham as they watched the doorway. Every person in the barn was poised with a weapon in their hands waiting for something to happen. Carl stood at the back with Baby Judith clutched close to his chest, Carol guarded in front as she gripped her gun confidently in her grasp.

Suddenly there was movement in the doorway, and a course yelling broke the tense blanket of silence. Daryl came in first with a slim brown haired man tight in his grasp, Alex followed behind holding a gun silently to the unknown man’s head.

“Please.” The man pleaded as he looked around the grim looking group. “I’m a friend, I’m here to help.”

“Shut up.” Alex grunted as he pushed the man from behind into a chair Abraham had pulled into the middle of the floor. Daryl came behind and bound the man’s wrists with rope which had previously been tangled on the barn floor.

“Who are you?” Rick almost growled the words. “Why are you following us?”

The man, eyes wide, stared right back at Rick. “My name is Aaron. I’m here to offer you a place in our community.”

EDIT - chapter 12, to fix continuity errors regarding Jack’s death.

No spoilers in this chapter for Nightshade's Revenge. I'm taking artistic license with Jack's death, in my universe she passed away after the book series.

Chapter Text

He felt so conflicted. On one hand, this offering could finally be the salvation that he had been searching for to keep his family safe. The same miracle he’d hoped Terminus would be until that ended with a bang, and security which the prison had provided until their neighbours decided to end that dream with The Governor at the helm. This could be the same. Aaron swore that it was a safe, secure, self providing community. He said all they needed were more people to keep the cogs turning and it was his job to bring new people into the fold. Rick's group could provide that, they all had their own strengths. This could be it. Then again, it could also not. History tended to repeat itself, and Rick was damned if he was letting his group walk into another trap. Rick had argued his case, but his people were stubborn. Most of them had pleaded with him to consider this stranger’s story. Rick understood their side, they were all fed up with this life on the road, he just wasn’t convinced this was the answer, it felt too convenient. Suspicious timing just when they were getting into deep trouble, this man just happened to pop out of the trees with a solution. He wasn’t sold.

After Aaron had introduced himself and tried to sell the idea of his community with pictures and sweet talking. Rick had knocked him out with a single blow to the head, fed up with the newcomer’s incessant rambling. It had felt good. After that the group had dispersed to scout any other people in the area but they had come up empty handed.

That was earlier.

Now, Rick found himself stood inside the gates of Alexandria. The compound walls stood strong and tall, barred by armed guards at the gates. He shifted uncomfortably as he and his family looked around their new home, Judith in his arms with wide innocent eyes at their surroundings and the new faces. He hated this, to put his trust and his family’s fate in the hands of the unknown made him nervous. No, it made him terrified. But he had to trust the others, he was the elected leader, but he’d always been open to their views. They’d persuaded him to give this place a go, and he had reluctantly agreed. He just hoped he hadn’t led them all their deaths.

Back when they had first met Aaron, Michonne had asked the stranger three questions. It had become a tradition the group had started back in the days of the prison when they had begun to meet more new people. It was a way to gauge unknowns and their possible intentions with their increasing numbers.

"How many walkers have you killed?"

"I don't know ... a lot."

"How many people have you killed?"

"Two."

"Why?"

"Because they tried to kill me."

After this Michonne had looked over Aaron’s shoulder towards Rick with a raised eyebrow. It’s down to you Boss. Rick had sighed, the guy came across as honest with his answers. That had been the final deciding factor and not long after that, they’d been off.

As he took in the sights of a crowd starting to form to take a look at them, Rick took comfort of the thought of the gun he had hidden outside the compound in the old shack just beyond the perimeter walls. Call it his insurance.

“Come on, this way.” Aaron caught his attention and motioned away from the main gates. With Rick at the front next to Aaron, they all made their way across the open area. There were buildings littered around the edge of the wide space. It was jarring to see so many normal houses packed in around them, seemingly unmarked by the hash realities on the other side of the high walls. As one the group clutched their weapons close as they walked to the unknown. They had originally been met by a guard, Nicholas, who’d ordered them to hand over their weapons, but Aaron, with one look at Rick had intervened and convinced Nicholas to let them keep their guns until after they’d spoken with the community's leader, Deanna.

Deanna was a small confident lady with big ideas but no clue of the realities of the outside world. It was clear to Rick and the group that these people had locked the doors at the first sign of trouble and stayed comfortable in ignorance. How the hell these people were still alive amazed them, all it would take was a herd big enough to trample the walls, or for someone to die in their sleep, turn and bite one person leading to an overrun camp, or the wrong sort of people to come knocking. These clueless people barely knew how to use the small arsenal of weapons let alone how to arm their community if, or when, needed. That would change, Rick decided. If they stayed in Alexandria, Rick’s group would change things up, train the people, upgrade the defenses and if the Alexandrians didn’t like it, then tough. He wouldn’t let his people be at risk in this unprotected place.

One at a time Deanna asked each member of Rick’s group into her house to question them. They didn’t like it, to have their own people taken away from the group, but they understood her motives to assess each of them. The rest of them stayed close by and armed to the teeth. When it was Rick’s turn he handed Judith over to Carol. “Keep an eye out.” He murmured to her.

She shot him a smile. “I always do.” She held Judith close to her and rocked her gently, but her eyes flitted around, not letting anything catch her unawares.

Eventually, as the night drew in the group found themselves led to the armoury.

“Please.” Deanna’s earnest face looked up to them all. “Trust goes both ways. I understand what you’ve gone through, I understand it’s hard to trust but all I ask you is to give us a chance.” She gestured towards the small building they had stopped by. “We have strict rules about weapons here. We’d hate for the young ones to stumble across a gun, so we lock them away here. When you need a weapon for going out beyond the gates, then you can sign it out with Olivia.” At this, a young woman with a cheery yet nervous smile popped her head from around corner with a wave. Carl scoffed and muttered something under his breath which Rick didn’t catch, but he saw Daryl stifle a grin and Alex elbow the younger boy in the ribs. Carl scowled up at Alex who shrugged and whispered back. Carl’s face relaxed slightly and a shine came back to his eyes. Rick frowned, he felt they were conspiring something but thought better to bring it to Deanna’s attention.

“So, if you could hand your weapons over then I can show you to your new houses. There are showers, hot meals and comfortable beds waiting for you.”

At this the group perked up a little. “Showers?” Alex questioned. At Deanna's nod, he questioned again. “Hot showers?” She smiled with another nod and opened her arm out to the open doorway. Nobody moved, Deanna looked at Rick waiting for his next move.

He sighed, he was going to have to make the first move. He stepped forward and handed his precious gun and knife over to Olivia. He didn’t like how bare and naked he felt without them. No going back now he supposed.

One by one they surrendered their guns to Olivia, each were reluctant to loose contact with their precious protection. Sasha in particular glared when her rifle was taken within the depths of the weapons hold, it took Bob’s amused huff and Tyreese’s elbow in her side for her to pull her angered glare from Olivia.

. To Rick’s bemusement, Carol pretended to struggle with her gun, he kept his face still but inside he hid a proud smile. She, like him, wasn't sure of their new hosts so it seemed she had masked her strength and skills, appearing the weak and subdued woman they all knew at the beginning. Their secret weapon he thought with a suppressed grin. Alex seemed to have an ulterior plan too, after he’d handed over his crossbow from it's place slung over his shoulder and the obvious knife at his side, Olivia had made a point of staring at the gun at his hip, he seemed surprised at the attention she showed the holstered weapon. “Oh this?” He pulled the gun free of it’s holder. “It doesn’t work.” Olivia didn’t look convinced if her stare was anything to go by. He looked around everyone pleadingly. “No, honest. Ask anyone, it’s not worked for ages.” He held it out to her. “See for yourself, go on try it.”

“Erm.” Olivia took it slowly with a glance towards Deanna.

“It doesn’t work huh?” Deanna asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Nah, not for a while now.”

“Then why do you have it?”

Alex shrugged and suddenly seemed to look younger. He lightly skimmed his foot this way and that in the ground and looked sheepish. “Well we didn’t have enough guns to go round everyone and with all the bad guys out there, I didn’t want to seem like a target so I kept it to trick people. Worked too, for the most part.” He finished quietly after the rush of words and looked down at his feet. Rick was impressed, the kid could sure act. Everyone in the group know fully well that his gun worked perfectly well, but was handprint enabled so Alex was the only one who would activate it to shoot. To anyone else it just seemed like an impossibly broken gun.

Deanna stared at him for a few minutes longer and called Nicholas over. “Test this would you?”

Nicholas looked at her. “What?”

She sighed. “Just.” She pointed away from the people into the distance towards the fence. “Just fire it over there and see if it works.”

Nicholas looked confused but did as she asked. They all watched him walk away from the gathered group and aim upwards over the fence. They watched him pull the trigger, to no avail. He opened the gun up to check the bullets, then fired again. Nothing. To their subtle amusement he seemed to grow frustrated, going so far as to bang the gun on the ground and even peer down the barrel, much to the unease of the group, all they needed was for Alex’s fancy gun to accidentally go off in his face. Deanna called him back and reclaimed the gun again, she held it in her hands as she looked at Alex. “Why keep the bullets in if it doesn’t work?”

Alex shrugged. “It’s got to seem real to keep up the ruse, right? Oh, I forgot.” He rummaged around in his bag and pulled out an old knife which Alex kept as a backup to the ones which Rick knew were still strapped to the inside of Alex’s ankles. He handed over the knife from his bag to Deanna with a bright smile on his face. “Here.”

She smiled, accepted the knife and after a moment handed the gun back to Alex. “Very well.”

As they all followed Deanna and Aaron to their new homes Rick heard Abraham mutter to Alex from their place towards the back of the group. “Why give her the knife from the bag? She didn’t know it was even there.”

Alex shot him a grin. “Got to keep up the ruse, if she thinks I trust her and willingly give up a weapon then she had no need to doubt the one she thinks is broken.” He responded so quietly Rick had to strain his ears, with a pat to the gun back in it’s holster at Alex’s side.

Daryl smirked towards them and added equally quietly. “Beside, she doesn’t know about the other five he has strapped to him.” Abraham snorted and disguised it with a cough, with an over exaggerated slap to his chest to sell the act when Aaron shot a look backwards at the sound. Rick frowned, he thought he had only seen four strapped to Alex. Then again Daryl had always been better at spotting these things.

“You have five under your clothes?” Carl whispered, amazed with a good look as if he was trying to work out where they were.

Alex nodded. “But he’s wrong.” He said with a nod towards Daryl who frowned. “I have eight.”

The others weren’t able to respond as Aaron and Deanna brought them all to a stop at their assigned homes. Two picturesque colonial houses stood proud next door to each other as if untouched by the war of the undead beyond the walls. Even the paint work looks brand new and fresh. It was oddly jarring to them all if their expressions were anything to go by. “You’re giving these to us?” Maggie asked from her place next to Glenn.

Deanna nodded gravely. “I’m sorry it’s not more, but it’s all we can spare for now. People tend to have their own homes but more may open up in the future if some of the others want to move in with significant others. You’ll have to plan out room arrangements between yourselves, but there should be plenty of beds for you all between the houses.”

“Are you kidding?” Tara exclaimed. “We haven’t slept in a proper working house for.” She paused, trying to think. “Hell, I don’t know how long it’s been but for a long time that’s for sure!”

Deanna smiled. “I hope these will suffice then. Well, come on in.”

She and Aaron opened the door of the first house and stepped in first. Suddenly the tension came back over the group, being herded into small places hadn’t worked out so well in the past. The group approached the doorway with guarded apprehension, subconsciously in pairs for added protection and safety as they crossed the threshold.

Rick cast his eyes down to Carl who cautiously looked around with thinly veiled awe. The room they entered was a typical lounge room, the average American family home unblemished and untouched by the undead madness outside. It was jarring. Deanna stopped in the centre of the room and waited patiently as the group spilled in behind Rick. Despite them being given a second house, Rick suspected no one would be leaving the group tonight, they were safer together despite the hesitantly positive feeling he had from this place. Next to Deanna was an unknown man who had apparently been in the house before they arrived. Rick gave the stranger a cursory glance, he was of a lean build with cropped blond hair, despite the man's relaxed manner, Rick felt a wave of unease. The man's face showed indifference to the large group of strangers entering the room, a mask of no emotion, Rick couldn't get a read on him but there was something about this man, Rick wasn't sure what, but he couldn't quite relax in the same room, even with Deanna's welcoming friendly energy in the vicinity, he felt like prey sensing a predator on the hunt. Behind him the group had settled into the room, they filled every corner packed in close together but it wasn't claustrophobic, it felt natural, safe with them all together.

Rick saw his people look around the room with a mix of nostalgia from some and astonishment from others. They too were surprised at the normality of the set up, as if the fence around this community was a jump back in time to before the reawakening. There were couches which lined the walls with a coffee table in the middle of the room, pictures on the walls and flowers in the vase ready to welcome the new occupants. It smelt clean and fresh, it was surreal. Suddenly a ripple went through the room as someone let out soft gasp. Rick turned around to see Alex stood frozen in center of the group, his eyes fixed on something in front of them. Rick turned, the unknown man had his eyes on Alex, a slight smirk ghosted his lips.

"What?" Alex's words were a whisper, almost as if he didn't know he'd spoken. He cleared his throat, his next words were clear. "What the hell are you doing here?"

So they knew each other then.

"Hello Alex." The words were soft with an underlying accent.

"Seriously, what the hell?" Alex had taken a step forward. Daryl and some of the others followed his footsteps, ready to step in if it came to blows. "How are you here right now?" The look on Alex's face would have been comical if in a different situation. His eyes were wide with shock, his posture tightly coiled with his hands twitching at his side. Near his weapons Rick noted, not friends then?

"The same as you it would appear, surviving." The man answered, unaffected by Alex's outburst.

"But here?" Alex threw his arms out to emphasize the place they were in, Glenn had to step back slightly to avoid the flying arms. "Around people? Playing happy families, you?"

The man shrugged. "The world changes, Little Alex, we have to adapt."

Alex scowled. "Stop calling me that, I tell you every time."

"Yet you insist on acting like a child."

Alex opened his mouth with a retort but Deanna hurriedly stepped in.

"Well now, I see you know one of our residents already. There's not going to be a problem here is there?"

Alex scoffed and folded his arms, ironically looking like a child scorned. Daryl met Rick's eyes from behind Alex, Rick shook his head subtly. They wouldn't step in unless Alex needed backup, they didn't know who this stranger was yet.

"Not from me." The stranger replied to Deanna's question. "Alex?"

All eyes went to Alex who fidgeted under the attention.

"Alex?" Rick questioned softly. "Are we ok here or do we need to leave?"

Alex began to say something then stopped, he looked around their group. Rick followed his gaze, their worn out faces, dirty clothing, dried mud and blood engrained into their skin. Carl's hopeful glance around the room and Judith's tired eyes as they fought to stay awake from her place in Carol’s arms, Alex sighed. "No, no problem from me."

Rick nodded. "And him?" He nodded his head to the stranger who watched with a curious look at the interaction.

Alex shot the stranger a glare with frown and stepped forward again to face him properly. "What are you doing here?"

"I told you Alex, I'm here to survive, like you."

"Not exactly your scene is it?"

The stranger shrugged slightly. "I make do."

"How did you get here?"

"I walked."

Alex let out a low laugh. "So you grew a sense of humour." He looked back again at their weary group before returning his attention to the man. "Are they safe here? This place isn't run by a psycho with an evil master plan or hiding contraband with killer creatures guarding the exits is it?"

The man tilted his head slightly, a quizzical expression on his face which he masked quickly. "Who are these people to you Alex?"

There was no hesitation in Alex's voice. "Family."

The man widened his eyes minutely at the forceful nature of the words. Rick felt a smile flash across his face, a strange sense of relief which he couldn't explain briefly flared.

"Answer the question."

The man sighed as if humouring Alex. "On this occasion no, no psychopaths or creatures, bar the ones beyond the gates of course. But they have nothing to do with me."

"Well I wouldn't put it past you." He shot back. "Are they safe?" Alex jerked his head lightly to indicate Rick and the group behind him.

The man nodded. "As long as the fences hold, yes."

"From you?" Alex clarified. "Are they safe from you?"

Rick shifted uneasily again and felt some of the others do the same. Just who is this man, and how does Alex know him? What is their history?

"Yes." The man said simply.

"Jeez, who is this guy?" He heard Glenn mutter behind him, Rick heard rather than saw the thump from Maggie's elbow in Glenn's side.

Alex turned slightly to face the group behind him. "Guys, this is Yassen. Yassen Gregorovich. Master assassin and wanted internationally by multiple intelligence agencies for now what probably equates to mass murder."

What. The. Hell.

Deanna shifted uneasily from her place at Yassen’s side, it was clear she thought Alex was kidding with the faint weary smile that touched her lips, but had picked up the tense shift in the house regardless. Rick didn't know what was more disturbing, the fact that this Yassen didn't argue the facts, or the almost blasé tone in which Alex spoke.

"Clearly the Official Secrets Act means nothing to you any more."

Alex shrugged nonchalantly back towards Yassen. "Who's going to arrest me?"

The other man just nodded in acceptance, a fond smile flickered across his lips for a fleeting moment. The feeling of grotesque uneasiness only grew in the pit of Rick's stomach. "Alex are you sure you can trust this man?" He murmured urgently.

Alex smiled reassuringly. "Yes, he's saved my life more times than I can even remember."

The other man spoke again. "16 times."

Alex spun around, aghast. "Wait, you kept count?"

Yassen shrugged minutely. "Just in case it came in useful one day."

Alex scowled. "You do realise the times where you put me in the life threatening situations in the first place don't count."

"11 times then."

The annoyed look stayed firmly on Alex's face. The man suddenly said something to Alex which didn’t make sense, Rick’s brain halted in place as he struggled to understand what was being said. The group behind him became restless as they too were momentary confused by the sudden change. Alex replied in the same unknown language and Rick had no idea what was happening, he turned to Daryl behind him with raised eyebrows, the other man just shrugged. Rick directed his focus back to the pair who were still speaking in different tongues, Alex had walked forward slightly, his body language relaxed a little. His hands gestured as he spoke and Yassen motioned his own towards Alex’s gun and leg. Alex’s hand went to his thigh where he had been injured weeks before, his wound had healed by now but he had been left with a severe scar and his limp had never truly gone. Rick knew Alex got angry with his leg on occasion, he had heard him ranting to Beth from time to time. But he seemed to manage as he did before, just as quiet and slight on his feet.

The conversation between Alex and Yassen died off and Alex turned to Rick. “What now?”

“You ok?” Rick questioned with a nod towards the man stood behind him.

Alex nodded. “He was just questioning my limp, and my er, broken gun.” Alex's eyes flickered to Deanna who still stood at the front with a bemused expression on her face.

Deanna misread Alex's sudden shifty behaviour, and hurriedly interrupted. "Oh don't worry Yassen, your friend isn't breaking the rules. Nicholas checked the gun outside, it doesn't work but Alex keeps it as a deterrent." Yassen just hummed and looked unconvinced at Alex.

Rick had noticed that since they had arrived in Alexandria, Alex had masked his limp as much as he was able, interesting how it had even been spotted by Yassen. Rick only knew about it because he knew it was there already, if he didn’t know Alex then he would have never have known Alex had ever had a limp.

“What language was that?” Rosita asked Alex from where she was stood near the back of the group.

“Russian.” Yassen spoke up as he moved forward towards them, he stopped at Alex and placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke quietly. “It is good to see you again Sasha. I had wondered what had become of you after your arrival in this country.”

Alex frowned. “How did you even know I was sent here?”

Yassen just gave him a pointed look which gave a heavy feeling of ‘don’t ask stupid questions’.

Alex hissed quietly so Deanna couldn’t hear. “You know it’s meant to be highly classified secretive information don’t you?”

Yassen just shrugged and took his hand away. “Maybe they should have improved their security then.” With that he walked away and out of the house through the group who scattered like animals sensing a predator in their midst, leaving an irritated Alex in his wake.

“So.” A nervous titter of a confused laugh sounded from the front as Deanna clapped her hands together to gain their attention. “Lets get you settled in. Hot showers, a good meal and hair cuts are in order first am I right?”

Hot shower. It was those magic words which prompted the group into action. Whatever this place brought them, at least they could get hot showers before things went to hell again. Or who knows, maybe Alexandria could actually be their home. Rick sighed as he stepped towards the stairs, who knew what the future would bring, because he sure as hell didn’t know.

I have no knowledge of the Russian language, but I believe Sasha is a diminutive of the name Alex in the Russian language. Please correct me if I am wrong or have other suggestions.

Chapter Text

The world felt more aligned as of late, like things were finally starting to look up. He tried not to think this too often, at risk of allowing himself to enter a complete false sense of security. Tyreese closed his eyes and let the cooling breeze wash over him, the hot cup of coffee in his clasped hands had a grounding effect. It was still a novelty to have proper coffee; the good quality stuff that is, not just the odd old find whilst on the road which was probably past it’s expiration date. There was the distant sounds of children laughing as they escaped their afternoon lessons, the clatter of pots and pans from a nearby open window where someone was preparing for their turn at hosting an evening meal with neighbours, and from behind him the soothing squeals of Judith entertaining herself in her playpen. He smiled, this little girl really was a balm for a weary soul. Rick had gone over to the gun range with Carl, who had finally cashed in the favour his dad had owed him from baby sitting the week before. Carl had been pestering Rick for proper shooting lessons since they had settled in Alexandria, and finally took his chance in the form of babysitting payment. Not that he seemed to mind looking after his baby sister, but Rick indulged the half hearted attempts at having a go at being a typical stroppy teenager. The kid wasn’t bad at with a gun, life on the road had taught him well but he’d picked up a few bad habits along the way. He wanted proper tuition, and Tyreese felt Carl was also eager for some father son time that didn’t involve running for their lives, he didn’t blame him. Although, he was sure Rick was getting a little fed up with how Carl compared his and Alex’s teaching methods when it came to shooting and fight training. Time certainly hadn’t seem to diminish Carl’s hero worship of Alex, much to the young man’s annoyance.

Whilst at the prison, in the days before they had met Aaron and the other Alexandrian residents, and before they had found out the truth of Alex’s secretive past, Carl had pestered Alex for some lessons in fighting and shooting. For a while Alex had refused, stating his techniques probably weren’t suitable for Carl to learn. Tyreese, whilst he thought it would do the younger boy some good to learn to protect himself better, saw where Alex was coming from. They had all seen Alex when he got carried away, his fighting became a little too lethal, and his shooting was, well, terrifyingly accurate at times. For a while this had gone on, with Carl whining every morning that he wanted to get better at fighting and shooting, until one day Alex had given in. Carl had excitedly trotted out after him and they had disappeared for almost a whole day. Upon their return, Carl had seemed quiet and low in spirits which had confused them all. They had expected him to run in beaming from ear to ear, crowing in delight at finally getting his way. That evening, after he’d gone to bed, Rick had answered their concerns, he had questioned his son about his day of lessons earlier. “It wasn’t what I expected.” He had told Rick, “Alex is a good teacher, a really good teacher, but it was a bit too real. There are lots of ways of killing people you know.” Rick had left it alone after that. Alex at their prodding that evening had shrugged, “I’ve not got much experience with teaching, only what I’ve been taught myself and my teachers had been pretty intense, one more than the others.” After that, Carl had had a few more sessions on shooting but once the destruction of the prison had displaced them all, it had stopped.

Back in the present, Tyreese had offered to look after Judith whilst everyone went off on their daily duties, he enjoyed the important job and none of them were quite ready to leave her in the care of the community nursery for other young kids yet, she was an easy youngster to care of and it enabled him to take a breath and de-compartmentalise. He had a habit of keeping everything wound up tight, trapped in his thoughts. He shuddered whenever he thought of their time at the prison during those days when the outbreak of the deadly illness started a chain reaction of death, suspicion and rage. He had since spoken to Carol, who had later admitted her actions and the motivations behind them. Whilst it had taken him a long while to forgive her, ultimately he understood. They were good now, him and Carol, he considered her family just as much as the others in their group.

“You good bro?” A hand on his shoulder jolted him out of his thoughts, Sasha had come home with Michonne who let herself into the house but Sasha paused as she stopped in front of him with a concerned look as she eyed him.

He smiled reassuringly and lifted his coffee to take a sip. “Yeah, I’m good. Just got lost in my thoughts for a second.”

She squeezed his shoulder before making her way into the house, obviously happy with his response. “Don’t get lose your way in there.” Her voice faded as the door shut behind her. He smiled into his cup, he was thankful Sasha was still here by his side, if she had been taken from him he dreaded to think what would have become of him. Sasha had spent their lives with one eye on him, her older brother, when he got lost in his own head, but it was easier here in Alexandria. He was able to step back and not worry about watching his family’s back at every waking moment.

He looked at the wall clock behind him through the window of the house, early evening. Everyone should start to make their way back home soon. Home, another novelty. After they had arrived at Alexandria it had taken several days for most of them to settle in and trust their new neighbours. He knew that Sasha had taken it hard to see the residents here, comfortable and ignorant to the horrors on the other side of the fence. At first she had seemed to have a constant cloud of anger hanging over her head when one of the ‘housewives’, as she’d taken to calling them, summoned her over to talk recipes or something equally mundane. Luckily she had Bob at her back to keep her grounded, and to stop her from pulling her gun on the women who braved conversation with her. Tyreese chuckled darkly at the image of Bob holding her back from yelling at one of the ladies attempting to discuss a Peach Cobbler recipe. He often thanked the powers that be that his sister still had Bob and himself in her life, he knew she was a strong person but he worried sometimes of what would become of her should something happen to them, they’d all had near misses of being bitten or killed by someone and frankly it was a miracle they were still here.

“All quiet on the home front?” Rick’s voice drew him out of his musings, he looked across the street to where several of his family began to appear. Carl was chatting lively to Daryl next to Rick, undoubtedly sharing tales of his shooting lessons. Daryl had joined up with Aaron and his partner Eric on patrols in an attempt find more people to join the community, similar to what they’d done with Tyreese’s group. Most of them had been given roles within Alexandria to keep them busy and to play their part in keeping the cogs turning, whether it was helping teaching and caring for the little ones, keeping inventory of supplies and weapons, taking up guard or security duties and attending runs beyond the fences, or in Rick’s case being peace keeper and Sheriff. Deanna was the one who assigned jobs to everyone and seemed to be the overall leader of the place. Carol was an interesting twist, she’d taken up the role as a baker in the large community kitchen, it was strange, she had seemed to revert back to a quiet and unassuming version of herself. There was no trace of the strong skilled fighter who they all knew, instead it was as if she were playing a role, working undercover to stay under the radar of the Alexandrians. Tyreese had seen a few of his family throw her the odd confused look, but they left her to play the role, perhaps she was playing the long game, who knew.

o0o

Within the next hour most of them had all returned to base, by now they had been assigned their own homes which they shared with a few others within their own group. But they tended to return to the larger one every few nights to check in, share a meal and to catch up. Only Beth, Tara and Alex had yet to appear.

“Ok, food is hot so everyone dig in before it goes cold.” At Carol’s words they all began to help themselves to the platters of food that littered the table. When they all came together they usually had a buffet type spread so they could take their pick of food, then find a seat or flat surface to perch on somewhere in the room whilst they ate. Tyreese preferred the days they all ate together, it was a comfort to see everyone safe and well, despite spending most of their time apart these days. When they sat down for meals in their own homes they would cook for themselves in their smaller groups in a traditional mealtime setting, but when they all came together it was a mad free for all. After so long on the road no one in their group turned away food or drink, they all knew it was a scarce commodity on the roads.

“No way is that true, I don’t believe it for a second!” Maggie was laughing as she listened to Bob describe his day at the little school set up for kids who’s parents had jobs around the site.

“I’m telling you that is exactly what happened!” Bob exclaimed, his mouth creasing with a smile around a forkful of food. He shook his head. “It was awful, I can still hear the screams.”

Glenn put his hand out. “So wait, you’re telling us that the little boy just cut off her hair?” He mimed a cutting action with his fingers in demonstration towards Maggie’s hair. “The whole braid?”

Tyreese smiled at the antics of his friends from his place across the room, he had no idea what the story was but it sounded like one of the trouble makers in Bob’s class had played up again. He felt a nudge and looked to his left, Sasha had sidled up beside him with a plate of her own. “What’s that all about?” He asked, his head nodding towards Bob who was still telling his story to Maggie and Glenn, the laughter still sounding from their corner.

Sasha chuckled. “One of his kids got a little too creative during the art class and painted glue over the braid of a girl sat in front of him. Bob didn’t realise until he heard the screaming.” She cut off her own words with a snort of laughter. “The boy cut it off before anyone could stop him, and according to Bob the kid just walked up to the desk, put the braid in front of him and said ‘there, I fixed it’.”

Tyreese just laughed, he couldn’t help himself. “No way.”

Sasha nodded. “Yep. He said it took two hours to calm the girl down, and then he had to explain it to her mother.” The siblings laughed at the image conjured in their minds of poor Bob desperately explaining to the mother what happened.

“Has everyone eaten? Who has room for desert?” Carol’s voice floated over the general hubub of chatter in the room.

“Oh wait, let me grab a plate for Beth and Tara, they said they would be late because they had to sort through the stuff they found on their supply run. They asked me to save them a plate, but I kind of forgot.” Carl hurried over to make a plate for each of the girls who had yet to appear. There were slim pickings left after the initial rush for food but Carl was making an honourable effort to fill the plates with what little he could find.

“Are you doing one for Alex too?” Carol asked eyeing the occupants of the room as if she looked for the missing young man. “He’s due back today isn’t he?” Alex had been away for the last two days with Yassen, the group didn’t know what they had planned but he had said that afternoon via his comms he was aiming to return by late evening.

“Oh.” Carl glanced a bit helplessly at the lack of food on the table, he shot a pleading look towards Carol. “I don’t think there is enough food left.”

Carol made a noise like air being sucked through her teeth as she pondered the near empty table. “Hmm I’ll go see what’s left in the kitchen, I may be able to knock something up for him. God knows he’s always exhausted when he gets home so he’ll need the food.” She turned towards the kitchen, picking up some dirty plates and empty platters as she went. “Come on, bring the girls plates in too, you can add to their plates in here.” Carl stared mournfully towards his own plate of food which was left between his father and Michonne, before he dragged his feet in the direction of the kitchen where Carol had disappeared. “Grab something as you go, don’t waste a trip.” Carol called through the door. Tyreese grinned as he saw Carl having to visibly stop himself from groaning in annoyance as he swiped an empty jug off the table with his free hand before following Carol.

o0o

Within the next half an hour Beth and Tara had come in through the door, wide grins on their faces evidence of a successful supply run. The second Maggie had seen her sister appear in the room, the last bit of tension in her body had dissipated. It was well known that she didn’t like Beth going on the runs beyond the gates, Tyreese had heard several arguments between the sisters on the subject. In the end however, Maggie had respected Beth’s decision to go, it didn’t stop her fretting though, then again no one really completely relaxed until the whole group was back together again.

Carol had managed to heat up some spare food she’d had in the kitchen, and the girls were happily munching from their plateful. Carl had reclaimed his plate, which Carol had reheated for him, only to find some bits missing. He kept casting an accusing eye to Michonne who maintained her innocence, which no one believed, despite Carl’s many accusations.

The front door was suddenly flung open and Alex stepped through, a weary look plastered firmly on his face. To say he looked a mess was an understatement, he had on a white t-shirt which was brown with mud, blood and what looked like scorch marks. He smelt pretty bad too, a sweaty odour with a sooty burnt smell lingering on his clothes. There was a nasty looking cut to the side on his face and a hastily wrapped bandage on his left arm, he paused in the open doorway as if to catch his breath, then dropped his bags which had been clasped in each hand, and made a beeline towards the table where a jug half full with water sat. His old limp was evident in his bad leg as he shot over to the table, Tyreese caught Rick shoot a look towards Daryl with a concerned gaze, they’d obviously spotted it too. Whilst Alex’s leg had never seemed to heal properly from the initial injury at the prison, it was rare Alex showed his limp unless he’d pushed himself too far. Judging by the look of him, this was the case today.

“You ok kid?” Abraham asked from his place in the room, Rosita at his side was staring with her eyes fixed curiously on Alex as he grabbed the jug, poured the contents into an empty glass and proceeded to hastily gulp the entire thing down in one go. He wiped his hand over his mouth as he nodded to Abraham even as he poured a second helping of water into his glass. After his second drink he placed the glass back onto the table and took a big breath in as if he’d sacrificed his hydration for air.

“Alex?” Rick had stepped closer, his eyes running the length of Alex’s obviously battered body in concern. “What happened, were you attacked?”

Alex opened his mouth to reply but was stopped by Carol rushing over with a first aid kid, she must have ducked out of the room to grab it when Alex had first come in. “What have you done to your arm?” She pulled at the bandage on his arm to see the damage, ignoring Alex’s cry of protest. “Didn’t you dress it properly? I’ve told you before to do it as soon as you can out there to prevent infection.” She tutted and began to wipe away the crusted blood which was smeared in a relatively deep cut in his upper arm.

“Here. Sit.” Daryl swung a chair down in front of Alex and pushed at his uninjured side to move him into the chair. By now most of the room had congregated to where Carol, Rick and Daryl were checking Alex over and asking him questions.

“Were you attacked?” Rick asked again, his brows furrowed with worry, his role as Sheriff evident in his questions and stance.

Alex shook his head. “No.” He paused as he seemed to think about his answer for a second. “Well not by the living anyway.” He hissed as Carol jabbed at his wound with a cleaning solution, she ignored him if her continued motions and mutterings were anything to go by. Tyreese winced in sympathy.

“Not initially?” Rick pressed.

Alex sighed. “It’s nothing to worry about, just a training and walker eradication session that got a little bit out of hand.”

Tyreese saw Rick share another look with Daryl, this one was more of a grimace. Alex’s previous ‘training sessions’ had become a bit of a sore topic within the group. Since the day Alex had introduced them to his, friend. Things had been a little tense between some individuals. Namely Rick, Carol, Daryl and Alex, or at least the three of them against Alex. It’s no secret most of them were wary of Yassen, given Alex’s unorthodox introduction of the man. However, when he knocked on their door for Alex the morning after they arrived to invite him to a training session which had lasted nine hours and saw Alex return a bit worse for wear, suffice to say not many in the group had fond feelings towards the mostly unknown man after that.

“What kind of eradication session?” Carol asked, taking over the questioning. She paused and raked a maternal hand through his hair with a sniff of the messy locks. “You smell of fire, and you have scorched bits of your neck and back.”

Alex shuffled in his chair which Tyreese had come to recognise as his guilty look. “Just the usual you know, shooting, fighting, endurance, stealth, tactics training and …” He spoke each word quieter than the last and finished with a nearly inaudible mumble which to Tyreese sounded like, explosives.

“What was that?” Eugene prompted from his place in one of the far corners of the room, earning himself a betrayed glared from Alex, he just shrugged unconcerned.

“Look, it all seems far worse than it actually is. I think you’re just over reacting.” Alex trying to play it cool, but he obviously saw it hadn’t worked. “Honest, I’m fine!”

Nobody looked convinced. “You have a hole in your arm.” Rick said in a deadpan tone.

“Alex is fine, he’s been through far worse.” The tone in the room chilled for a moment as they all turned to see the source of the new voice standing in the doorway. None of them had noticed him slip in, Tyreese swallowed uncomfortably, that could have been a death sentence beyond the fence. This place was making them complacent and judging by the unnerved faces around him, he wasn’t the only one to think it. Yassen stood unconcernedly in the doorway and whilst he seemed much cleaner and mostly unharmed compared to Alex, there were some signs that he too hadn’t come away completely unscathed. He also had some slight singed marks around the edge of his t-shirt that was mostly covered by a light jacket which had some muddy track marks. Yassen had a thin scratch on his neck and a small bloody patch coming through the thin material on show of his t-shirt from a hidden wound somewhere on his chest.

“Not helping.” Alex grumbled through another hiss of pain as Carol went back to her first aid on his arm.

“Fine?” Rick questioned, eyebrows shooting up. “Fine?!” There was almost a growl to his voice. He brandished a sweeping motion with his arm to gesture towards Alex still sat in his chair. “You call that fine? He’s filthy, bleeding, burnt, limping and you call that fine?” Abraham came closer and placed a hand on Rick’s shoulder as if trying to maintain the peace.

Yassen shrugged unconcerned where he stood. “Like I said, he’s been through worse.”

“No, this stops now. Every time Alex comes home you send him back with more injuries. What the hell kind of training sessions are you doing with him?” Rick had taken a step away from Abraham who had seemingly retreated back to his place to avoid getting caught up in Rick’s brewing storm of anger towards Yassen, his frustration and worry for Alex taking over. Alex moved in his chair at the action and stood up.

“Rick-”

“You think this is his home?” Yassen said coolly, talking over Alex or just ignoring him completely it wasn’t clear. His sharp eyes were pinned on Rick, a slight sneer at the corner of his mouth. “You’re not his father.” Tyreese felt like he should step in but he was frozen in place, he had the unsettling feeling like he was in the middle of a shark and it’s prey. He had never seen Yassen like this in the few weeks they had been in Alexandria, admittedly they hadn’t seen much of him at all barring when he’d come to take Alex away for the training sessions but still, this was a new side to the mostly unknown quiet man.

“Yeah, well by all accounts you aren’t either. Far from it in fact.” By now both men had taken a few steps closer to one another, the rest of the group subtly moving towards Rick leaving a wide open space in front of Yassen with a direct line to Alex who had taken a few steps closer to the men, brushing off Carol’s grasps to keep him in place.

“You know nothing of me, nor Alex.”

“I know enough.”

“Shows how little you truly know.”

By now they were so close they were almost chest to chest.

“Ok, ok, enough.” Alex had intercepted them and squeezed his arms in between them. He jiggled his arms with a wince, presumably his wound causing him pain with the movement. He forced the two men to take a step back with the action and took the opportunity to slip in between them like a referee in a sports match, each hand held up against their chests. “You are being stupid.” He said bluntly, throwing them each a look. “Both of you.” He gave Yassen a particularly sharp glare. When both men had taken another step back, after another jab from Alex, he brought his arms back to his side with a delicate roll of his bad one as if it had stiffened up a little. He sighed. “I don’t understand your little pissing contest but it stops. Now.” Yassen clenched a muscle in his jaw, which Tyreese assumed was his version of pulling a face, and Rick opened his mouth to speak but Alex held up his hand. “No. Neither of you are my father, that much is clear.” He turned to Rick. “You guys are my family, but you have to respect that I had a life before I met you all and Yassen was and remains a part of that.” He turned back to Yassen. “You have to accept that I have a family again. I know you feel responsible for me, especially with Jack gone and me loosing contact with MI6 and I’ll always be connected to you with our history, and sure, you are my last link to dad. But you’re not him, and you’re not my uncle, for obvious reasons.” The last bit was muttered as if it was only for Yassen’s ears only.

Alex sighed and lowered his hands slowly as if testing the waters, when neither men moved he brought his arms back by his side. “Are we all ok?” He opened the question up to both men either side of him, when he was met with silence he raised his eyebrows like a teacher who had received the wrong answer. “Seriously?”

“I just worry about what you are doing in these training sessions, they’re obviously taking a strain on you.” Rick looked pointedly at the state of Alex. “I would feel better if I, we,” He gestured to the group still gathered around them. “knew what you were doing, and that you’re safe.”

Alex looked around their people, he held the gazes of Carol and Daryl longer then the others then back to Rick. He must have seen something in their faces because he hesitantly spoke again after another weary sigh. “Fine.” He stretched his bad arm a bit and massaged the muscle around the injury.

He looked like he was about to continue speaking when Beth stepped forward with the plate of food that had previously been kept warm in the kitchen. “Here, do you want something off here? We kept it warm for you.”

Alex shot her a pleased smile and took the offered plate with a murmur of thanks. “Ok, so what happened was-”. But he was interrupted again. Yassen had stepped forward with a hand to Alex’s shoulder, he gently turned the young man around and pushed him back to the chair which had been left vacant where Alex had left it.

“Sit Yasha, eat. I shall explain.” At Alex’s surprised look, Yassen signed and pushed at his shoulder again until Alex sat down. “Eat.” He repeated, and stared at him until Alex slowly began to pick at the food still in his hands. Around them, people had reclaimed their seats from earlier whilst still watching the proceedings until the only people left standing near Alex was Rick who had followed Yassen to Alex’s chair, and Carol who still stood with the first aid kit with her eyes on Alex’s arm. Alex mumbled something around his mouthful of food which, to Tyreese, was either illegible around the food he was still chewing, or it was another language. He really hated not following their conversations on the few occasions Alex and Yassen spoke in an alternative language to English near the others, which, granted it wasn’t often. But, still. It was annoying being unable to follow. Yassen rested his hip on the back of Alex’s chair, it was the most relaxed they’d seen him but Tyreese thought it was probably a ruse to attempt to alleviate the tension which still circulated around Rick. It seemed to work to a degree. Rick took a step back, close to where he had been previously stood before Alex had returned home, near Carl, Michonne and Daryl, but not quite all the way out of reach of Alex, the room wasn’t huge after all. Not a father indeed, Tyreese thought with a mental scoff. It was clear Alex didn’t realise how many people here had taken him under their paternal and maternal wings. Yassen responded to Alex words in a similar way, the unknown speech apparently comfortably taking shape around his lips. Different language then. Alex scowled at whatever the older man had said and answered back in kind. Yassen shrugged and gave him a look, Alex signed and nodded his assent.

“Over the last two days, Alex and I eliminated a large group of the undead whom if left unattended would have posed a risk to the Alexandrian community, if not complete annihilation to all who live here.”

Yassen’s words were met with shocked silence.

“Erm, what?” Glenn’s gasped out alarm was mirrored by everyone in the room.

o0o

“You ok?” Rick’s soft voice brought Tyreese’s gentle movements to a halt. Judith was sleeping soundly in his arms, her little head resting on his shoulder as he stood out on the porch in the warm evening still slowly rocking from side to side from earlier in an attempt to guide her sleep. He had needed a break from the loud voices in the house and had taken the opportunity to escape with Judith as soon as she started to become fussy in the hostile room.

“Yeah we’re good.” He handed over the sleeping baby to Rick who took her with a careful well practised hold. “Everything ok in there?” He asked with a nod towards the house behind them. Yassen had silently exited the house around twenty minutes ago with a nod to Tyreese, but he had felt content to stay outside.

Rick tiredly chuckled under his breath and ran his free hand through his hair and down his face. “Just about.” He sighed. “The short story is Yassen has been aware of a large herd of walkers stuck in a quarry for some time. They were blocked in but over time the herd has grown and was threatening to break out by sheer volume crushing the blockade that was trapping them. The quarry is close enough to be a threat with an almost direct road to here.”

Tyreese felt his stomach jolt. “How many? Hundred?”

Rick laughed lowly and shook his head. “Thousands.”

“What?” His voice came out in a whisper.

Rick nodded. “Tens of thousands.”

“But how? Where are they? How do we stop them?” His words came out in a panicked rush, his mind ran away with images of carnage, death and destruction.

“Hey, chill Ty. It’s all fine.” Sasha’s voice instantly calmed him, her hand suddenly appearing in his momentarily blurred vision to rub his arm in a calming action which has worked many times before. She had come out of the house with Daryl and Michonne to cluster around him and Rick, Daryl leant on the porch railing similar to Sasha and Tyreese, whilst Michonne and Rick each took a seat on one of the porch chairs opposite to them.

“Alex and Yassen got rid of ‘em all.” Daryl grunted. “Did some fancy trick with home-made bombs or something like it.”

Michonne nodded. “Apparently Yassen has been picking off a few hundred at a time since he arrived here almost a year ago but needed Alex’s help to kill the rest of them off with some fancy explosive trick without many escaping.”

All words had left Tyreese in shock but he felt his eyebrows involuntary rise in astonishment. Sasha saw his reaction and nodded. “They heavily re-enforced the blockade that was keeping the walkers in, then just.” She mined an explosion with her hands along with an accompanying boom sound effect. “They rounded up the stragglers that had used the heaps of the burnt out bodies, from the explosions and fire, to walk out around the barrier, but yeah. All gone so nothing to worry about.”

Rick blew out a breath as if he were reliving the argument with Yassen again. Tyreese nodded towards him. “Are you ok about it all?”

Rick chuckled lowly. “Nope, not one bit. But it’s done I guess, so no harm done.” He cocked his head a bit. “Well except Alex’s injuries.” As Tyreese’s enquiring gaze, he elaborated. “If I’d known about the herd then we could have organised a group effort to lead them away or something. Instead that man just took Alex and tried to do it himself.”

“Which they did.” Michonne reminded him elbowing him a little over where their arm rests pressed together. The door opened and Carol poked her head out, when she saw them gathered outside she joined them perching next to Daryl.

“They did.” Rick allowed. “But Alex got injured and aggravated his bad leg again. I know he’s fine really, just a couple of cuts and minor burns but still. I just hate how ever since we got here Alex has gone to Yassen when ever he’s called.”

They were all silent for a moment contemplating his words. “I think we have to remember that Alex has a lot of history with Yassen.” Carol said softly. “He hasn’t had what you’d call a normal childhood from what we’ve heard so far and I think there have been many situations where Yassen has helped Alex out in several dangerous situations, saved his life too by the sounds of it.”

Daryl scoffed. “Sounds like he caused the dangerous situations.”

“Maybe.” Carol smiled, her mouth tight. “But I think Yassen has had Alex’s back when no one else has, and Alex obviously cares about him despite what he tells us.”

“And Yassen obviously cares for Alex.” Michonne added onto Carol’s words, at Rick’s pointed glance she amended. “Despite his questionable training techniques and methods for killing thousands of walkers.” She shot him a grin to which he rolled his eyes.

Tyreese felt himself relax at the other’s friendly banter and calming displays of camaraderie. “So everything is ok now. No more threats beyond the walls, everyone is safe here and Alex is healing and sleeping off his injuries.” He felt happy and confident with the statement, the tension in his shoulders which had been creeping back had dwindled away again.

“Well.” Michonne said with a halting tone, she glanced quickly to Rick as if to gauge his opinion on something. “There was one other thing Yassen said after you left the house.” Tyreese cocked his eyebrow in a silent question.

Daryl took over. “There is a big community not too far from here in a base called The Sanctuary, call themselves the Saviours. They have a leader called Negan who is apparently damn cold-hearted and ruthless.”

Carol carried on from where Daryl paused. “Yassen has been watching them for a while. He said the Saviours are glorified pirates, taking from other communities and killing when they don’t get their own way.”

Seeing Tyreese’s reaction, Sasha interrupted. “If it makes you feel any better, apparently there was another group around here who were just as bad and carved a W into the heads of their victims, the ones they didn’t dismember that is.” She paused in thought for a second. “Actually from what he described, even they got the W too. Called themselves the Wolves or something.”

Tyreese just stared at his sister. “How would that possibly make me feel better?” That cold feeling of helpless terror was slowly stirring in his gut again.

She shook her head. “They’ve gone now, don’t worry. Apparently Yassen scouted them out when he first arrived here and moved them on.”

Daryl scoffed lightly and muttered under his breath. “Assassinated their leaders and the worst of ‘em more like, and the rest scattered.”

“My point,” Sasha said firmly with a glare at Daryl for the interruption. “is that there was a more savage group than the Saviours around here and they’ve gone now.”

Tyreese took a shaky breath and welcomed Sasha’s hand on his arm in comfort, he looked to Rick. “So these Saviours?”

Rick stood up, Judith still safely cocooned in his arms, deep in sleep and blissfully unaware of the tense topic of conversation. He approached the porch railings and stared out to the tops of the trees beyond the boarders of their home. “They are a much bigger group than the other one, and they have their eyes on Alexandria next.”

Edit at the end of this chapter 28.08.25, Yassen killed the leaders of the Wolves a year prior to the group arriving, so there will not be an attack on Alexandria later causing Carl to be shot and loose his eye, (RIP eye patch, sorry!)