Chapter Text
The air tasted stale on your tongue.
It had been two days since you had eaten and one since your last drink of water. The last time you had found a stream, it was packed with water-logged Dead as they struggled to get out of the water and back to lumbering on land. The Virginian landscape stretched out before you as you walked along the grassy slope. A decade ago, these overgrown fields of nothingness looked very different and they didn’t feel as empty as they did right now.
The sun beat down the back of your neck with a ferocity you had gotten used to over the years since the Turn. In the new world, nothing was safe; nothing was certain; everything took something from you.
You had considered looking for a place to hold up. Maybe somewhere near the water or high up in an old building, but nothing ever fit. At times, you felt like Alice in the room with all the doors and no matter what you did, the key never fit.
The shaded tree line beckoned you ahead and you hoped to find some relief from the sun after walking for hours. Your feet dragged along the dead grass as you pushed yourself towards the shade. Eventually, the trees were surrounding you as your dehydrated mind struggled to stay focused.
“Look for high ground, find water, find shelter,” you said to yourself. Looking for the sun through the canopy, you found North easily enough and began your hike in hopes of finding a stream. However, it seemed the world had other plans for you.
The Dead came out of nowhere.
Their sun-baked flesh crackled as they staggered toward you, reaching out with their bony hands. Drawing your knife from its sheath, you steeled yourself for the attack. The first one fell towards you and you managed to stab it in its skull before it could grab onto your jacket. The creature fell to the ground with a crunch.
Two more came after you as you backed up, trying to gain perspective. You were tired, hungry, and a bit disoriented, but you did what you always did: fought to survive.
Just as you went for the Biter on the left, your feet were knocked out from under you. You shouted in alarm as desiccated hands pulled you to the forest floor. You kicked out at the groaning assailant, but you were getting weaker by the minute and the fall hadn’t helped.
You struggled as the Dead above you, fell to their knees, and tried to grab hold of your flailing arms and legs. You managed to kick one in the jaw, but it barely slowed down. As hands gripped your calf, you allowed yourself to scream as you awaited the pain, but then a rhythmic sound reached your ears.
Horse hooves pounded the ground as a man on horseback came barreling through the trees. From his hand flew a blade that lodged itself into the Biter that had your leg. Two more knives followed as the others were taken out.
Collapsing on your back, you had no fight left in you. If this man was an enemy, you couldn’t bring yourself to care.
Boots touched down to your left as he approached. The man crouched over you and as you peered up at him, you were taken aback by his eyes. They were the most beautiful shade of blue you had ever seen. He was tall with his hair pulled back and he wore gloves and a leather duster. With the sun lighting him from behind, he didn’t look real.
“Are you hurt?” He asked, checking over your body.
“No,” you croaked, sitting up.
“Here,” he said, offering you his canteen. You didn’t hesitate at the sight of it. You took two large gulps from it before giving it back. You swiped at your mouth with the back of your hand.
“Thank you,” you rasped. He smiled gently at you.
“You looked like you could use some help,” he said, his eyes glinting in the light. “I’m Jesus,” he introduced.
“(Y/N),” you said before the black spots returned to your vision. “I can’t…I can’t see,” you muttered as dizziness took over.
“(Y/N)?” You heard Jesus call, but he seemed too far away. Your adrenaline was fading and you tried to keep your eyes open, but everything was fading too fast. You reached a hand towards the stranger, but it fell at your side as you collapsed back onto the dying earth before succumbing to the darkness that eagerly awaited.
Jesus stared down at you and made a quick decision. You needed help and while he knew Michonne would have his head, Alexandria was closer.
Hiking you up into his arms, Jesus got you on the horse, draping you across the saddle before swinging his leg over as well. Once he was settled, he maneuvered you so she sat in front of him and he took the reigns, snapping them quickly and tapping his heels against the horse’s side.
With a quick pull, Jesus rode towards Alexandria, hoping that you would make it. He didn’t know what it was, but something was familiar about you and he knew he couldn’t leave you behind.
He rode hard through the woods, keeping a tight grip on you as he tried not to jostle you too much. He could hear your labored breathing and occasionally, you would move as if you were trying to fight the fatigue that weighed on you. It didn’t take long for the walls of Alexandria to come into view. Jesus whistled as he approached, gaining the attention of whoever was on watch. Luckily, it wasn’t their head of security.
Gabriel appeared at the top of the wall, looking down at the new arrival. “She needs food and water, please Gabriel,” Jesus pleaded. “I won’t leave her side and I take full responsibility for anything.” Gabriel hesitated, but only for a moment. He disappeared off the watch post and Jesus was worried, he would be turned away after all. He knew Michonne had rules about bringing in outsiders. He hadn’t gotten the full story, but from what Aaron had told him about Jocelyn, Michonne was right to be cautious. However, that didn’t mean he still didn’t have faith in what Alexandria once stood for.
Jesus steadied his horse as the main gate finally rolled open. Gabriel ushered him inside and locked up behind them. “We need to get her to Siddiq,” Gabriel said as he helped Jesus get you down from the horse.
“Her name’s (Y/N),” he explained. “Found her getting attacked by Walkers not too far from here. I don’t think she’s had anything to eat for a while.”
“Was she alone?” Gabriel asked as Jesus heaved you up into his arms bridal style.
“I didn’t see anyone else and she didn’t seem to be looking for anyone before she fainted,” he explained.
“I’ll have Laura and Scott be on the lookout just to be sure,” Gabriel said.
“I’m sorry,” Jesus said, “I know you don’t take in strangers, but Hilltop was too far and I think she hit her head.”
“It’s fine, Jesus,” Gabriel said, “I know what Michonne thinks, but I’m not Michonne.” Gabriel led him to the infirmary. The three of you got strange looks as you moved through the community and it was only a matter of time before word got back to Michonne. Jesus only hoped the resident doctor could fix you up before his Katana-wielding friend kicked you out.
“Aren’t you going to ask why I was heading here?” Jesus asked as Gabriel opened the door for him.
“Jesus, if you think some people haven’t figured it out yet, then you and Aaron a lot denser than I first thought,” Gabriel said with a sly smile.
“Fair enough, Father,” Jesus said as he followed the other man towards Siddiq’s main set up.
As soon as Jesus brought you into the infirmary, Siddiq was moving to clear a bed for you. “What happened?” Siddiq asked, not even caring to ask who you were. It didn’t matter to him right now.
“Severe dehydration, lack of food, and I think she hit her head,” Jesus explained, laying you down on the bed. “I already checked for bites when I saw the Walkers attacking her, she’s clean.” Siddiq nodded as he took out his penlight and shone it in your eyes, gently lifting your eyelids. He felt around the back of your head for any bumps or bruising, but was satisfied to not find any.
Gabriel had taken a few steps back to give the doctor room to work, but Jesus made sure to keep close. It helped when you slowly gained consciousness. Your eyes fluttered open and the first face you saw was the man who had saved you. Your hand blindly searched for him and Jesus was there, adding pressure to your sunburnt skin. “You’re okay, (Y/N),” he assured you. “You’re in a safe place and a doctor is taking a look at you.”
Looking around, you noticed you were in a room in some kind of house. Large windows brought in sunlight and the bed you lay on was the most comfortable thing you had felt since early on in the apocalypse. You let go of Jesus’ hand and tried to sit up. Another pair of hands, the doctor’s you realized, assisted you, placing a pillow behind your back. “What happened?” you asked, trying to get your bearings.
“You passed out after I saved you,” Jesus told you, “I took you here to get help.” You nodded, letting all the information sink in. You knew there were places out there that offered sanctuary to travelers, but you hadn’t felt comfortable enough to seek one out. The words from someone you knew years before ran through your head as you remembered them asking to go with them to “build a new world”. You had been too concerned with looking for your family that you hadn’t taken their hand, but perhaps you wouldn’t be in this situation if you had.
“My name is Siddiq,” the doctor said, “and that is Father Gabriel,” he said, gesturing to the man with the clerical collar that stood on the far wall. Still a bit out of it, you let out a small laugh.
“A doctor, a priest, and a guy named Jesus walk into a bar…” you joked and Siddiq laughed too.
“She had jokes,” Siddiq said with a smile. “Hard to find that these days.” Jesus nodded in agreement. “What’s your name?” he asked you.
“(Y/N),” you said, rubbing at your face. Siddiq then offered you a glass of water that he poured from the pot by the bed.
“Drink, (Y/N),” he said, “we’ll get you some food once your body is more hydrated.” You took the glass from him and drank half of it in one go. “You don’t seem to be injured so one we get you back on your feet with some more water and food, you should be good to go,” Siddiq said reassuringly.
“Yes, I believe that would be for the best,” a new voice said. You all looked over to the doorway to see a beautiful and tall woman. Her dark skin glowed in the sunlight, but her eyes were hard as they stared at you. When you noticed the sword strapped to her back, you inched behind Jesus, reaching for his coat. Siddiq squeezed your arm carefully. “What is this?” she asked.
“Michonne,” Jesus began.
“Don’t,” she warned. “I’ll talk to you later, Jesus.”
“She just needed water and food,” Father Gabriel said to her. “I saw no harm in helping her, Michonne.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Michonne said, approaching you. Jesus stepped away from the bed, giving the woman some room. Your hand fell away from his coat as you looked up at the warrior. “Who are you?” she ordered.
“No one,” you said honestly. “I didn’t even know there was a community nearby. I was on my way to the city and I got attacked. Jesus saved me.” Michonne glanced at the aforementioned man quickly before returning her attention to you.
“Where are you people?” she asked.
“I don’t have any. Not anymore,” you said. “We got separated months ago in the blizzard and I don’t think any of them survived.”
“But you did?” she asked, her tone accusatory.
“Barely,” you said, “it hasn’t been easy being on my own.”
“What do you want?”
“Nothing! I didn’t even know he was taking me here until I woke up moments ago. I’m not here to hurt anyone!” Michonne was quiet for a moment as she thought.
“I want her gone,” Michonne said. “Blindfold her and take her someplace where she can’t find her way back.”
“Michonne, please,” Siddiq said, “she needs rest, she can’t go out there like this.”
“That is not our problem, Siddiq. We have rules for a reason!”
“No, you have rules, Michonne,” he snapped back. “I never agreed to them.”
“Then you don’t need to stay here, do you?” she returned with a glare.
“Enough!” Gabriel said. “I know we all different opinions on how to handle outsiders, but turning on each other is not the way to handle it.”
“I made myself very clear, Gabriel,” Michonne said. Gabriel went to argue again, but footsteps echoed through the room as someone else entered, ready to diffuse the situation.
“We have a council for a reason, Michonne,” the new person said and the voice rolled through you like a wave. You couldn’t see them from your position behind Jesus and Michonne, but you knew that voice.
“Not now, Aaron,” Michonne said and that’s when it hit you all at once.
Aaron.
“Aaron?” you said, his name feeling foreign on your tongue. Slowly, a tall man with a beard and curly hair came around the corner and he froze. Nobody spoke, but the others kept looking between the two of you confused. Aaron stared at you as if he was seeing a ghost.
“Oh my god,” he gasped as he finally snapped out of his surprise. He ignored Michonne and the others as he walked forward, stopping at your bedside. Hesitantly he reached out his right hand to you. You noticed his left was now a prosthetic, but that wasn’t the only thing different about your big brother.
He seemed harder and his eyes looked almost ancient. As soon as his fingertips met your skin, you collapsed towards him. He grabbed you in a hug immediately, clutching you to him. “Oh god!” he cried, pressing kisses to the top of your head. “(Y/N),” he said as you held onto him, trying not to cry. He pulled back, searching your face. “You’re so big,” he said.
“Last time you saw me I was fifteen, so yeah, that tends to happen, brother,” you said and at your words, Jesus’ mouth fell open.
“Your Aaron’s sister?” he asked and Aaron jumped as if he just realized Jesus was there. “The one who lived in Massachusetts?” You nodded, surprised he knew that bit of information.
“She stayed with my mom after the divorce,” Aaron explained and then looked back at you. “How are you here? I thought you were dead.”
“Jesus found me, he saved me. I’ve been heading South since everything happened,” you explained, unable to keep any distance between you and your brother. You held onto his hand, examining all the scars that marked it.
“You found her?” Aaron asked Jesus who just nodded. Aaron reached out his left arm to Jesus and the latter walked into the embrace. “Thank you, Paul,” Aaron whispered, leaning his head on the other man’s chest. “Thank you.” Watching them, it wasn’t difficult to see that Aaron had a connection with your Savior. Jesus pulled back and gripped Aaron by the back of the neck, looking at him with something that looked a lot like love to you, but you kept your observation to yourself. Aaron then seemed to realize the confusion in the room. “This is my baby sister,” he explained to the others. “God, I never thought I would see her again.”
“Aaron,” Michonne began softer this time.
“I know the rules…” he said, but Michonne was shaking her head.
“Rules don’t matter when it comes to family,” she said and the look in her eyes told you that she had lost people, someone perhaps she was still hoping to see again. Michonne carefully approached you. “I’m sorry.”
“You have to be careful,” you said, “I understand.” Michonne nodded and then stepped away as Siddiq broke the tension again.
“(Y/N) needs her rest,” he said. “I’m gonna keep her in the infirmary tonight so I can keep an eye on her.” The others nodded and Gabriel moved to leave and so did Michonne, but not before pausing by Aaron’s side.
“I’ll take your guard shift and let the others know what happened,” she said.
“Thank you, Michonne,” he said and Michonne gripped his shoulder before following Gabriel out of the room. Jesus stopped by the doorway and looked back.
“I’m gonna be around for a bit, Aaron,” he said, “if that’s okay?”
“Of course,” Aaron said, “I’ll come to find you in a bit.”
“I can watch Gracie for you,” he offered, “She and I have some catching up to do anyway.”
“That would be great, Paul,” Aaron said gratefully. “Thank you.” Jesus smiled and then sent a wink your way before exiting the infirmary.
“I’ll let you two catch up,” Siddiq said, placing more water on the bedside. “Make sure she drinks, Aaron. We’ll try food in a bit.”
“Thanks, Doc,” you said, grabbing the water glass again. He nodded to the both of you before leaving as well. Finally, alone, you reached for him again and Aaron took you in his arms. “I can’t believe I found you,” you said into his chest.
“I’m so sorry, (Y/N), I should have come for you, but I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t even know where you were.”
“Don’t do that,” you said, leaning back so you could look him in the eyes. “Do not blame yourself. I’m okay, Aaron. I survived, we both did. It took a long time to get to you, but I’m here now.” Aaron nodded, blinking back the tears as he pressed a kiss to your forehead.
“I have so much to tell you,” he said.
“Me too,” you said with a weak laugh. “Though I have a feeling your stories are much more interesting than mine,” you said, tapping the metal arm. He scrunched his nose and lifted his prosthetic to his face.
“Pretty cool, right? A couple of the blacksmiths at Hilltop made it,” Aaron explained.
“Hilltop?”
“The community where Jesus is from,” he said.
“There’s another community?” you asked, surprised.
“Four in all. We’re in Alexandria, then there’s Hilltop, Oceanside, and the Kingdom. I’ll take you to them sometime soon. Introduce you to my new family. Though, we may have to go a little deeper into the wilderness to find one of my best friends. He’s not really a sociable person right now.”
“And yet he’s your best friend?” you asked, smiling.
“He’s…Daryl’s odd, but we love him.” You smirked as you drank more water, relishing in the feel of it cooling your throat.
“Who’s Gracie?” you asked after Aaron filled your glass again.
“My daughter,” he said and you nearly dropped the drink in your hand.
“Daughter?”
“You’re an aunt, (Y/N),” he said with a beaming smile. “I can’t wait for you to meet her, she’s everything and more.”
“How old is she?” you asked, trying to imagine your brother with a kid.
“Six,” he said, “almost seven and a total dream of a kid. I couldn’t have asked for better.”
“Well, I can’t wait to meet her too. If she’s anything like her daddy, I’m sure I’ll love her.” Aaron and you spent the new couple of hours, reminiscing about life before the Turn and what happened afterward. You told him how you tried to get to Virginia after the first outbreak, but got caught up in a group of people wanting to head West. Eventually, you had gotten away from them, but were on your own for months after until you found another group and stuck with them for at least a year. “I never really fit anywhere, you know? Couldn’t find my people. Though, it looks like you did.”
“Yeah,” Aaron said as he lay next to you, staring up at the ceiling. “It wasn’t easy, but we’ve all become more than family. Everything we’ve been through…” he trailed off, his hand fiddling with one of the straps on his left arm.
“Mom died at the beginning,” you explained softly. Aaron nodded.
“I figured,” he sighed, “I don’t know what happened to Dad, but he was sick the last time I spoke to him.”
“I know, he called me and told me about the cancer,” you said, “I just hope he’s not out there roaming around, you know?”
“Stubborn man like him? Probably went out with a bang, (Y/N),” he joked. You both were quiet for a moment before you asked what had been on your mind since you woke up.
“Am I safe here?” you asked. Aaron turned on his side, pushing the hair from your face.
“Yes, I promise. Tomorrow, I will take you out of this room and show you everything this place is. We fought hard to keep Alexandria, and now it’s home.”
“Okay,” you said, stretching your hands out in front of you. “I still trust you, always will.”
“Good,” Aaron said and then grabbed your arm suddenly causing you to jump. He turned your right arm over and exposed a large scar that ran from your elbow to your shoulder. “What happened?”
“Ran into a herd about six or so years ago” you explained. “Fell down a short hill and got my arm all shredded by some razor wire.” Aaron cringed at the thought.
“How’d you get away?”
“Some guys actually hauled my ass through the woods and saved me,” you explained. “Weird guy, but he was strong and he protected me until I could handle things on my own again. Never saw him again, but I owe him a lot.” Shrugging, you pulled down the sleeve of your shirt. “What about your arm?”
“Lumber accident,” Aaron revealed and you laughed.
“You’re serious?” you asked.
“It’s true, we were building a bridge and Walkers snuck up on us and some idiot let go of the rope that was holding the logs and it crushed my arm. Luckily, Hilltop has a badass field medic and she fixed me up good.”
“She still around?”
“Yeah, still at Hilltop.”
“Remind me to thank her when I visit,” you said as you curled into your brother’s side, closing your eyes. “What happened to you, Aaron? What haunts you?” Aaron pulled you closer, leaning his head on yours.
“I’ll tell you tomorrow, kid,” he whispered.
“Don’t call me kid,” you mumbled and as you fell asleep, finally feeling safe, but not because of Alexandria, but because you finally found him. You finally found your family.