Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

 John stood on the porch, smoking a cigarette from some wild tobacco that grew along the house. Inside, He watched as Jenna gingerly placed herself on the floor, curled around her baby girl. The other baby, Judith, was cooing and working her fretting body over, crawlin unsteady to lay down next to his younger sister. He glanced back to the scene in the field.  

“What are you doing?” Rosita asked. John inhaled some smoke.  

“Watching Daryl rip into the two cops,” John replied, grinning. Rosita quirked an eyebrow.  

“What do you mean? Why?” she queried. John shrugged.  

“Who knows? Could be that the two guys are seeing my sister as a potential partner.” he dropped nonchalantly. The Latina jerked her head up to face the larger man.  

“What?” she asked.  

“Yep. I think Rick and Hardhead over there like-like my sister.” John rolled the cigarette in his fingers into a ball and flicked it to the side.  

“Like-like? Are you fucking thirteen? You mean those two want your sister?” Rosita countered.  

“Yeah. I don’t blame them. My sister is awesome.” John admitted, watching. Rosita scowled. She didn’t agree with her companion.  

~~~...~~~  

Daryl was huffing, snarling even. Rick and Shane looked mildly ashamed, keeping still in front of the pissed-off redneck. He was pacing in front of them, looking far too much like a mad tiger.  

“Look, Daryl,” Rick tried to speak.  

“Shut up! Just shut the fuck up! How can you...How could you...” Daryl hissed out. He stopped his pacing and pinched the bridge of his nose.  

“Jenna is my wife, she’s mine. How could you fall in fucking love with her, knowing she is with me?!” Daryl demanded. Rick turned his head away, the sense of shame creeping into his mind.  

 Of course, it was Shane who opened his idiot mouth.  

“How could we not? She is clever, strong, smart, and not bad to look at.” Shane admitted.  

“Shut the fuck up, Shane.” Rick hissed at the man. Rick watched as Daryl went still, very still. And then, without any warning, Daryl swung and punched Shane to the ground.  

“Jenna is my wife! You already fucked up once with Rick’s wife, I ain’t letting you do the same with mine!” Daryl snarled. His voice was still soft, and quiet, but not lacking the blazing heat of his anger.  

“Daryl?” All three men stiffened and turned to see Jenna, looking both bored and mildly interested in what she was witnessing. Daryl stood up straight, the concern being etched onto his face at the sight of her.  

“Jenna, you should be inside. Get some rest.” Daryl whispered to his little wife. Jenn waved off his concern.  

“I’m not tired just yet. What is this I hear that Rick and Shane...want me?” Jenna pointed to herself, curious. Shane stood, wiping off the blood from his nose and lip.  

“Rick and I...we realized that you are one hell of a woman. Hell, you do so much, and both Rick and I agreed, that if you would have us, we can be yours. Like Daryl.” Shane revealed.  

“...Huh? Did I hear that right?” Jenna asked, stupidly. Daryl was growling again.  

“Yes. Please, can you take us?” Shane asked. Jenna glanced between the three older men. She sighed and ran a hand through her sweat-sticky hair.  

“Look, you both just lost Lori and Sarah. We lost our home. Emotions are high, and morale is fucking low. As much as the thought is pleasing, and believe me, I have dreamt of it a few times in my world, I am loyal to Daryl. I love Daryl. I won’t cheat on him, ever. I’ve seen how that ends, and I don’t want to put myself, Daryl, or my daughter through that. It isn’t right for them. Listen, we’ll talk about this later. Much later. Let’s just recuperate and reform our bonds. Fuck knows we need to.” Jenna then grabbed Daryl’s hand and led him away.  

Rick sighed and copied Jenna by running his hands through his hair.  

“She’s right. We just lost our partners. We should give this some more thought.” Rick sighed. Shane let out a loud sigh as well.  

“Very well. But I am serious about this. She is the perfect woman.”  

“She’s also a bit nuts, and happily married.” Rick countered. Shane grumbled.  

“I know. And I haven't exactly been a good example of my loyalty.” Shane admitted. Rick rolled his eyes.  

“No shit.”  

~~~~...~~~  

Jenna led Daryl upstairs into a secluded room, Marisol and surprisingly Judith, curled in a large, tub-shaped laundry basket, already deep asleep.  

“I thought you were going to sleep downstairs,” Daryl added.  

“I was, but Carol, Merle...basically everyone, kinda bullied me to take the room with the bed. Said I deserved it more.” Jenna grumbled at that. Daryl smiled, bending low, gently cupping her jaw, and placing a soft kiss at the corner of her mouth. He found out over the months that she was adamantly disgusted by being kissed on the lips.  

“You do. Deserve it, I mean.” he then wrapped his arms around the smaller woman, he held her, letting Jenna listen to his heart.  

“...were you serious about thinking about a harem?” Daryl asked after a few seconds complementing.  

“When I was in my world, sure. But who didn’t want handsome men waiting on your hand and foot? But I also meant what I said. I married you, and I am staying with you.” Jenna replied. Daryl let out a heavy sigh.  

“That’s a relief. Come on, let’s get some rest.” Daryl then tried to coax Jenna into the bed, but the short woman slipped away. She smiles at Daryl, removing her clothes. He felt himself tent up at her soft yet battle-ready body.  

“You’re injured. We shouldn't have sex.” He whispered, mostly to himself. Jenna took a step closer and began to push off Daryl’s vest.  

“Injured or not, I need you. God, so much has happened, and I need just something to release all this stress. Sex with you, it’s freeing. Please, just let me indulge?” Jenna asked in her soft voice. Daryl grunted and was already removing his pants.  

“Sex with you is freeing for me as well.”   

Once they were both naked, Jenna fell back onto the bed, very little dust wafting up like a musky perfume. Daryl drank her in: Muscular Arms, a more feminine version of his own, Breast swollen large from motherhood, thick thighs still pillow soft but her lushness protecting powerful muscles. Soft stomach which also hid strong muscles. But her scar collection was growing, fresh bruises still dark on her body, like a swathe of lilacs. She had knife wounds now, still a vivid red from freshness, but even with all that, she was beautiful in his eyes.  

Daryl gently lifted one of her legs, revealing her slick cunt. Jenna reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, guiding him to the curves of her body. He kept his eyes on hers, plunging in quickly.  

Jenna gasped as she was filled, digging her dull nails into Daryl’s shoulders. She moaned quietly as her husband rolled his lean hips into her, gyrating and rubbing in her sex. His coarse hair at his groin rubbed wonderfully at her clit, causing her inner body to clench with wanton need.  

Daryl was huffing, his body starting to sweat as he increased the gyrations, holding her thick leg up to keep access easy. Jenna pulled him down, biting him on the neck, his little vampire. Daryl returned the gesture, now placing his hands by her head, focusing on his thrusts as he focused on her eyes.  

“Daryl, please, more. I need more...” Jenna gasped. Daryl then increased the strength of his thrusts, the obvious sound of flesh hitting fleshy echoing in the room.  

From the basket, one of the babies whined, making the two adults freeze. Jenna lifted herself to her elbows, peering at the infants.  

“False alarm,” she whispered, sparking the two of them to devolve into chuffing laughs, quiet chuckles. Daryl, suddenly flaccid from the shock, pulled out and slumped next to Jenna.  

“SO much for sex,” he grumbled, a bit humored. Jenna chuckled.  

“Yead. The mood was ruined. But Daryl?” Jenna whispered, resting her head under his heart once more.  

“Yea?” he asked.  

“Thank you.”  

~~~...~~~  

In the morning, Daryl woke up alone. He, bleary-eyed, looked around and saw that Mari and Judith were on the bed by his stomach, drinking a lukewarm bottle of goat’s milk. Then, he heard it. The full-out sound of a girl fight. He rushed to get dressed, grabbed the babies, and hurried to the fight. Beth and Jordan both grabbed the infant on his way down. Daryl then stepped out and saw who were brawling.  

Fighting, Jenna and Sasha were full-on mauling each other. John and Abraham were trying to separate them, but both women had a firm hold on the other’s hair. The kids were on the porch, out of the way, while nearly all the adults were fanned out, keeping guard. In case the sound of the squabble drew in walkers.  

John held Jenna like one would hold a bobcat, at arm's length, as she growled and tried to scratch at the taller woman. Sasha was kicking and yelling, trying to reach the smaller woman.  

“Johnny! Put me the fuck down!” Jenna shouted.  

“Not until you calm down!” her brother tried to placate.  

“Calm down? She fucking attacked me first! I am getting sick of this shit!!” Jenna snarled out. Sasha shrugged off the man holding her.  

“It is your fucking fault we are lost now! We lost our home because of you!” Sasha shouted. Jenna let out a scream as she bit Johnny’s arm, making him drop her. She then lunged for Sasha, biting and digging her nails into the woman’s skin. Sasha gave back as well as she could.  

Finally, Daryl stepped in and pulled Jenna back, her back to his chest. Her own chest heaving from angry panting.  

“It’s my fault? I didn’t ask for my fucking mother to attack us! I didn’t ask for my friends to die! I didn’t ask to be hunted down and attacked, over and over! For fucks sake, I KILLED MY MOTHER FOR YOU ASSHOLES!” Jenna screamed, finally bringing down silence. Her fighting energy was draining, fast, having her slumped on Daryl.  

“I killed my mother for you guys...” Jenna whispered. Sasha scoffed.  

“She killed, beat, and raped this group. And you’re upset about it?” Sasha jabbed. Without warning, Roy ran forward and punched the woman in the stomach.  

“Shut up! Just shut up! Yeah, our mom was evil, but she was our mom!” Roy then ran and buried his head into Jenna’s soft body.  

“She was our mom. Yeah, she was evil, but there were times she was an amazing mother. I can remember her baking a cake for my birthday, I remember her taking me to the fair and comforting me after I stuffed myself with cotton candy. I remember getting sick and having her sing Metallica to my brothers and me. I remember her crying and trying to comfort me after I tried to kill myself the first time. Yeah, she was awful, especially in this damn hellhole. But she was still my mother. SHE WAS MY MOM! I AM ALLOWED TO MOURN HER!” Jenna then collapsed to the ground.  

“She was my mom...” Jenna then began to sob, bowing her head to the ground and sobbing, her voice echoing her heartbreak. Johnathon and Roy also knelt down by her, also crying. Daryl looked up at the others. He stopped Merle, who was going over them.  

“Let’s let them be. The Redferns need some time alone.” Daryl then made everyone head to their jobs, sparing his little wife another look. Jenna was still sobbing, her cries bordering on painful screams.  

“She was my mom...”  

Chapter Text

Jenna fell asleep after having her much needed cry, allowing Johnathon to carry her inside of the house. Behind him, Roy and Jordan followed, who in turn were followed by the dogs. Daryl all but growled at Sasha, forcing the woman to cower. He moved to tower over the woman, making her attempt to step back.  

“Fucking leave her alone. That is the one rule. Leave her alone and listen. If you cannot do that, you have no place with us.” Daryl warned the older woman.  

“You can’t force me out. I worked hard for my place here!” Sasha countered. Daryl then got right into her face.  

“Jenna worked hard. She dealt with your insults, your jabs, ignoring her orders unless they were relayed through Rick or Shane, and blaming her for every bad thing that comes for us. The reason you are with us is because Jenna gave you a chance. She did. Jenna gave you a chance. Everyone else was ready to leave you to the walkers. But she knew you were a good person, and she let you in.” Daryl snarled out. Behind Sasha, Tyreese began to get closer.  

“Sasha. Just stop it. Stop. He’s right. You have been antagonistic to her since we met her. Now, I’ll admit, I was apprehensive following a teenage leader, but she has done so much good. Just leave her alone. I don’t know if I will follow you if you are made to leave.” that sudden declaration made Sasha take a step back.  

“You...will leave?” she asked.  

“Yes.” Sasha then let out a sob and fell to the ground, crying. Her brother chose someone else over her.  

~~~...~~~  

It has been three days since Sasha and Jenna’s fight, and everyone was still resting. Or rather, waiting for Jenna to heal. Of all of them, she was the most injured. By orders of Carol, Hershel and Morgan, they restricted their young leader to bed rest, just barely getting her to calm down and relax. SO far, convincing her to dote on Marisol was the only thing working.  

The little leader was resting right now, clutching her daughter as Daryl, Merle and Roy spread out to hunt for meat. Outside, Jordan and Sophia were attempting to make cheese from Nanny’s milk, using some of the pecans for a sense of flavor. Lucky, the damn chicken living up to her name, was pecking as some of the nuts too sour for the girls. As for the cheese, It was working...kinda. They think.  

Lizzie was still being watched, observed as she worked on all chores that needed to be done until they left. But she was shuffled between the adults, helping them out in various ways. She was gathering edible grasses, roots and medicinal weeds, helping Carol dry and store them for later use. She was then in charge of fetching water, giving some to the animals, storing plenty in canteen and bottles. She was made to help Merle dry meat, learning as she helped cure it. With Daryl, she hunted down salt for the meat. She helped him skin animals for their fur and turn the furs into a soft blanket. She helped Tiny gut walkers for their intestine, and strip skin to stitch into small head scarves. She helped Philip grind grass seeds into flour, along with some of the roasted nuts. She helped Beth clean clothes, sorting underwear. She helped Hershel look over animals, trimming horns under supervision and de shedding. She was made to practice Akido with Morgan and Duane, harnessing her violent energy into something else. Everyone had a job for her, but she was lonely not being able to hang out with the other children.  

Lizzie was watching Mika gather some long grass, and under the new man Eugene, weave the grass into a loose rope. Some of the pelts from Daryl’s kills were braided into other ropes, occasionally mixing in walker fat and sinew.  

“Lizzie. Come on now, keep working.” Lizzie pouted as she was currently working on making bolts and arrows with Daryl. The gruff redneck was watching her like a blue eyes hawk as she carved the sticks into a useable shape with her knife.  

“I’m tired of working. Why can’t I go play with the others?” she whined. Daryl gave her a steady glare.  

“You know why.” He stated, continuing his carving.  

“I won’t play with walkers anymore. I did all my chores.” she stated back. Daryl huffed.  

“Doesn't matter. You proved to us that you cannot be trusted alone. So you are going to work. Keep carving.” Daryl ordered. Lizzie pouted, but she obeyed her adoptive father.  

“How is everything over here?” Daryl stood and moved to gently embrace his little wife, breathing in her soft scent.  

“I’m bored. I want to go play with my sisters.” Lizzie stated. Jenna quirked an eyebrow at the pluralization of sister.  

“Sisters?” she asked, a bit amused.  

“Yeah. Mika, Jordan, Eliza. They are my sisters. Can’t I go play with them? Help them gather nuts?” the little girl asked. Jenna bit the inside of her cheek. She surveyed the surroundings. Rick and Shane were standing guard at the north and east of the clearing, Merle was drying meat and some edible roots, Maggie was guarding the southern point of the clearing, Glenn was standing next to her. Morgan, Hershel, Bob and Carol were drying herbs for medicine, and watching Jenna with a frown. She quickly ignored their team of doctors. Beth and Lilly were watching over the babies, With Tiny being guard for the gentler girls. Philip was watching the other kids, teaching the boys how to make slingshots. The new guys: Rosita, Eugene and Abraham were also milling about, keeping eyes on the surroundings...and her. Johnny was also watching her, concerned. She subtly flipped her brother off, making him grin and shake his head playfully.  

“...Finish up the bolts, and then you can take a few minutes to relax with the others. Daryl, can you go see if we need anything else? I think we can leave tomorrow.” Jenna asked. Daryl leaned down slightly to press his forehead against hers.  

“Are you healed enough for travel?” Daryl asked. Jenna paused.  

“...Healed enough.” she replied.  

“Jenna...you need to rest.” Daryl chided. The little leader scowled.  

“I’ve rested enough. But we need to get a move on. We’ve been here too long.” she countered. Daryl didn’t argue.  

~~~...~~~  

“Back on the road...” Merle rasped out. His voice was a lot rougher from the illness that weakened their home. But everyone was healthy now. Or healthy enough to travel.  

Merle was walking next to one of the horses, Wild Bill, allowing two of the girls to ride on its back. Said girls were Jordan and Eliza. On another horse, Michonne's Flame, Mika and Penny were talking in low tones. Riding on the back of Oakley were Meghan and Andre, along with two saddle bags altered to hold two rowdy infants. Lilly stayed close to her daughter, tepidly putting faith in the other adults around her. Carl, Lizzie, Sophia, Duane and Roy all walked by the horses, hanging on to their leads. Michonne walked next to Blaze, keeping his reins in her hand.  

Big Tiny was walking by the horses, moving casually between the three as a guard. Behind him, the nanny goat was pulling her jerry-rigged cart, ladled with dried foods, roasts nuts and blankets. Riding on the goat’s back was Lucky, the good luck chicken cooing as she ate ticks that clung to the goat and several blankets.  

Rick and Jenna were walking in front of the group, followed shortly by Shane and Daryl. Jennas’ dogs were also next to them, darting in and out of the shrubbery.  

Near the center, next to the horses, Hershel and Carol kept an eye on the surrounding people, watching as some were still on the cusp of recovery. Morgan especially was watching Jenna. Beth stood nearby, holding a bow like Jenna’s. She was to guard their doctors.  

Philip walked behind the horses, next to the goat. Maggie and Glenn kept him company, the three sharing stories of their old lives in hushed whispers.  

Tyreese walked to the right side of the miniature convoy, As Sasha walked to the left. Both remained stoic, on alert. Sasha especially since Carol kept shooting glares at her when she got near. Bob stood in between the two siblings, fiddling with a few snare wires.  

Johnathon stood between his sister’s group and his own, with Tara by his side. Behind him, Abraham was huffing angrily, like a bull as Rosita marched by his side. He was huffing at Eugene, the timid man staying a bit closer to Johnathon.  

And right behind them, taking the rear, were the cattle. The young bull, the bison calf and the bison, all trailing behind the convoy, silent. On occasion, one of the dogs would circle back and encourage them to speed up.  

“So, where is our designation?” Rick asked, keeping his voice low. Jenna stretched her arms up, rolling her shoulders.  

“There is a church up north. As I said, there is a priest who needs us. But we shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to grab water. When we get further north, we will enter a kind of drought. We need water.” she replied.  

“What about food? Do we have enough to last until we get further on?” Rick asked.  

“Possibly. We do have quite a load, and each kid has a small go bag with food and water, along with water canteens tied to the horses. But if we can, we will grab what's available. If we ration, and heavily ration, we should have enough to last us a long time.” Jenna glanced over to her left, watching as a few birds flickered through the trees. Rick followed her gaze.  

“Anything?” he asked.  

“....its nothing. Just some birds. If the birds are singing, then there ain’t any walkers around. Thats a good sign.” Jenna stated.  

“We’ve been walking for a few hours now. We should stop and rest, let the kids stretch their legs. Water our animals.” Shane added in behind them. Jenna nodded.  

“We will. I think there is a creek up ahead. We can rest there.” she replied. Daryl moved to stand closer to his wife, glaring heatedly at Shane and Rick.  

“Still mad?” Shane joked.  

“Don’t push it, Walsh. I will kick your ass.” Daryl warned.  

Beth moved closer to the kids, checking in on the two infants and toddler. The other kids were older and could be safely ignored as long as they were in the vicinity of the group.  

“Bebe!!!” Andre chirped, playfully reaching out to Beth.  

“Stay right there, Andre. We will let you run around a bit soon.” she crooned. Next to her, Merle chuckled. Beth shared a smile with the older man.  

“THe kids are getting restless, aren’t they?” Merle asked.  

“Yeah, I don’t blame them.” Beth replied. Beth then wiggled her fingers at Marisol and Judith, the two babies cooing and reaching out to grab the digits.  

The group then slowed to a stop next to a small creek by the road, relaxing as Jenna took a seat on a large boulder.  

“Rest up now. Let the kids run about for a bit, and we can check on our supplies and refill our water. Rick, Merle, I want you two to take point on the front and back. We are still way too close to Terminus, too close for comfort. We’ll rest for an hour.” Jenna ordered. Beth moved to grab little Marisol, handing her to her mother and smiling as Jenna repositioned the infant for her to latch onto her breast to feed.  

“Hey, Jenna? What should we do with Nanny? Her milk bag is very full.” Roy asked as he approached his older sister.  

“Milk her. And give it to the dogs. We don’t really have a way to store it. But that way it wont really go to waste.” Jenna instructed. Roy nodded and quickly milked the goat. Waiting by his side was the tiny kitten Sophia saved at the prison gates. The fuzzball was quick to warm up to them and was always nearby when the goat was milked. After the goat was relieved of her milk, the kitten yowled in a squeaky voice as Roy placed the milk to the side. Both Murphy and Snowball loafed on over and began lapping up the fatty liquid. And so did the unnamed kitten.  

“How much longer do we got?” Johnathon asked. Jenna looked a the sun, shading her eyes. She also quickly glanced at a map found at the farmhouse. It was a few years out of date, but it still worked enough.  

“Well, If I am reading this thing right, we are about two, maybe three days away from the church. But, due to the increasing heat, that might slow us down. So, I would say about three days minimum.” the small leader replied.  

“What should we do about the heat? We can’t exactly avoid it.” Carol asked.  

“I dunno. Maybe we can make shades, like covering our heads with some of the thin walker blankets. Other than that, the guys can do shirtless if they want to keep cool. I would recommend the women to do that same, but that might be pushing it.” Jenna theorized.  

“How is that a bad thing?” Merle joked.  

“Exhibit A, right there.” Jenna pointed out.  

“Shirtless women aside, the shade thing might work. The bastards in the desert over in Iraq do something similar.” Merle added in, dodging Michonne’s head smack.  

“He’s a dick, but he’s got a point.” Johnny pointed out.  

“True. Okay, some of the walker blankets we have are a bit thin, but still thick enough to form a darkness that can help us. As for the babies, we can rigg up a small canopy over the goat cart, shuffle around some supplies over to the saddle bags. With them in there, they can also move about a bit, and be in the center of the convoy. Safe and sound.” Jenna added.  

“But Andre...he’s more mobile than Marisol and Judith. He might not be able to stay in the cart.” Michonne brought up.  

“Hey, ‘Chonne. We can keep Andre riding the horses, still in view. He might be bored, but better bored than dead. That, or we can make a leash for him, let him run about a bit, still in safety.” Merle piped up.  

“We might have to do that. Make a leash, that is. He isn’t able to be as patient as the older kids, or as still as the other babies.” Michonne added in.  

“Is there anything we can do to make a leash?”  

“Walker rope.” Jenna added from up front, startling the two lovers.  

“Tie three feet of walker rope to his belt loop. Then hang onto it. Easy enough.” Jenna chuckled.  

“Good idea.”  

The group kept on walking, passing the time listening to some of the songs Jenna sang, playing quiet spying games, sharing events in their old life, and simply taking in the minuscule peace they were able to experience.  

Jenna paused, stopping in her tracks and causing the others to stop as well.  

“What’s wrong?” Rick asked, drawing his gun.  

“We’re being followed.” Jenna stated as she readied her bow. All around her, the adults did the same, ready.  

“Hello? I heard you can help?” Jenna turned to the left, quick as a rattlesnake, and pointed an arrow at the voice.  

“You’re Gabriel.” Gabriel nodded, his hands up to show peace.  

“Yes. I was told you might know my name, and you can help me.” he replied.  

“Who told you?” Jenna growled out.  

“He said his name was Kyle. Kyle Jacobs. Told me he was your husband.”  

“My what?!” Jenna gawked.  

“Her...what?!” snarled Daryl. Gabriel gulped. That was probably a mistake to say...

Chapter Text

knew he fucked up. Big time.

Standing at the doors of the dingy white church, the lanky man gulped and felt his face pale as his good fiend, one ornery Jenna Redfern, marched right up past the pastor and...

Delivered on hard punch to the jaw. The action knocked him back by a few feet.

“Fuck! That hurt. Nice to see you too, Jenna.” he grumbled. Kyle then let out a yelp as an older man, a man with thin blue eyes and shaggy hair, grabbed his shirt and lifted him to stand on his toes.

“Who the fuck are you?!” the man snarled.

“Uh...you’re kinda hot,” Kyle stated, enraptured by the ruggedness of the man. Said man flinched and dropped him hard on the floor. He didn't stay there long as Jenna took his place and lifted him up, also holding him by his shirt collar.

“What the fuck are you doing here?! And why did you say you were my husband!?” Jenna hissed, which to him, was scarier than her yelling. She shook him with each word.

“I figured, since I recognized the preacher, that you would follow this way. I said I was your husband to get your attention!” Kyle explained. Soon enough, the burly yet hot guy stepped forward again.

“I’m Jenna’s husband! You got some balls to say you married her!” he growled.

“Wait wait wait! I literally said I just said that to grab her attention! I was her best friend until she died!” Kyle covered.

“Friend? You left me to deal with my grief all on my own! I reached out to you! Asking for some sort of comfort in my despair! And you ignored me! You left me!” she hissed. Kyle threw up his hands in surrender.

“I know I was wrong to do so! But I’m here now!” he explained.

“Um...maybe we should take this inside?” realizing they weren’t alone, Kyle looked to see a fairly large group and livestock behind Jenna and her husband.

“Wow...that is a lot of people,” Kyle stated.

“Yeah. This is my new family. They know all about me, and how I got here. How did you get here by the way? You hated my interests.” Jenna demanded.

“I don’t know! One minute I get hit by a damn truck, the next I’m waking up here, just a few miles from the church. I tracked down this squirrely guy and stayed close. I thought I died and went to Hell.” Kyle explained.

~~~...~~~

Jenna sighed as Kyle led her group into the church, all but Daryl, Shane, and Rick stayed behind to talk to Gabriel. Shane and Daryl were holding their respective daughters while Rick and Jenna kept a level gaze on the preacher.

“Okay, what has Kyle told you?” Jenna asked. Gabriel gulped.

“He told me he came from a different world, in a different time. He helped me find ways to survive like gathering water and growing a small garden. I got really good at catching squirrels and grasshoppers for protein. After what I had done...I saw this man as my own guardian Angel.” Gabriel explained.

Shane cleared his throat.

“What did you do? What was so bad that you clung to this man from another world?” Shane asked, bouncing Judith slightly as she chewed happily on a maple stick for the sweet sap. Marisol had a calm hand clinging to her father’s hair, content with being a quiet baby.

“I...I...” he stammered.

“He left his flock to die. They reached out to him, for help. For salvation. And he left them to die by the hands of walkers.” Jenna stated, her eyes leering at the timid man.

Gabriel flinched, but he nodded. Shane gave the man a look of disgust and horror.

“Why? Why did you leave them?” Rick asked, sidestepping his friend.

“I am a coward. I admit it. I left them to die because I was so terrified of the Walking Dead. People I married, people who donated food and clothes for the needy, people I counseled, I left them all to die. Men, women, and children. They're all dead now.” Gabriel replied, his voice cracking. Jenna sighed.

“I know all of this. But shit man, it's still another thing to hear you say it out loud, and to me.” Jenna muttered. She glanced at her husband, Rick, and Shane. Jenna bit her lip as she then turned back to the pastor.

“Look, I don’t give a rat's ass about the people you killed,” Jenna stated, shocking her comrades and the pastor, “I have people now who need me, especially now. And I do know that despite being a cowardly fuck, you are a good man. And you can become strong. So, for now, let us rest here and let us use that bus in the back as our ride. Can you do that much?” Jenna demanded.

“How?” Gabriel asked.

“HOw what?”

“How do you know I am a good man? You just said it, i killed all my people. How can I still be a good person?” he whimpered. Jenna sighed again.

“Because you sought us out. I knew of you, but I had no idea where your church was, or how to find you. But you found us, simply because of some FUCK HEAD!” Jenna shouted towards the church, “said I can help. I’ll do what I can, but I need your help too.” she finished.

“Jenna is a good person. Hell, she saved me in the beginning, which from what I theorized has been two years. And she fought hard to get to where she is today. I chose to follow her, and I was a cop, but I know she is the best choice of a leader.” Rick added in. Gabriel gazed at all four of them, noticing that the men formed a loose semi-circle around the woman like they were her honor guards.

“If I follow you, will I have to kill people? Not just the dead?” the man whispered shakily.

“Possibly. The people are more of a threat than the walkers are. No one here has clean hands. Well, the kids do, but everyone else has taken a life.” Daryl added, gently passing over Marisol to her mother.

Gabriel smiled softly as he watched the slight moment of tenderness between the older man and the young leader.

“You had a baby. In these horrid times, you had a child.” Gabriel stated. Jenna and Daryl smiled as they stared down at the baby, allowing the child to coo and grab their hair.

“I did. Humans will still be humans. We will fight, we will fuck, we will eat and sleep and laugh and cry. The world as we know it is gone, but it doesn’t mean it had to stop there. Humans are resilient. We will adapt and we will thrive.” Jenna stated with well-hidden wisdom.

“I’ll join you. If you let me.” the preacher stated after a few minutes of silence.

“Welcome to the Chaos. I think you’ll get along best with Hershel.”

~~~...~~~

Inside, Roy watched as Kyle, his sister’s friend, joyfully chatted with Beth and Maggie. He and the rest of the kids were escorted into the church, along with the dogs and Lucky.

“Who is he?” turning around, the younger Redfern spotted Eliza and Penny watching alongside him.

“His name is Kyle. He declared himself Jenna’s best friend and she kinda hates the guy.”

“Why?” Eliza asked.

“He just gets on her nerves. Overly peppy, posh, and doesn’t take a hint.” Roy explained. Carl looked back at the new man.

“He seems nice. If he is from your world, does he know stuff too?” Duane asked.

“Nope. Thought it was beneath him to be anything but a future politician.” Roy explained. Next to the boys, Eliza and Jordan scrunched their faces. Sophia however...

“Jenna is going to rip him to shreds, isn’t she?” the tall blonde girl asked. She then looked for their young leader, noting that Lizzy was under the watch with Tiny; her sister playing with the single kitten found at the fall of the prison. Jenna was standing close to the doors, conversing with the priest, Kyle, Daryl, Rick, and Shane. She still held little Marisol in her arms. Philip was outside, tending to their small flock of livestock, Maggie and Glenn surveying the area for dangers, Tyreese and Sasha sorting supplies, Bob and Hershel were chatting with Carol near the small spot of woods they came out of, Merle and Michonne checking out the short bus by the church, Beth was watching over Judith and Andre, and Philip honing some of their bladed weapons to razor sharpness. Johnathon’s group was nowhere to be seen. Tara and Lily were sitting on the pews inside, with Meghan taking a nap on her mother’s lap.

“More like Daryl would.” Penny chimed in.

“What do you mean?” Carl asked, curious. Penny ducked her head.

“Remember what the priest said to Miss Jenna? He said her husband, Kyle, was waiting for her. And when we got here, he kinda flirted with Mr. Daryl.” she explained.

“Oh...yeah, he is fucked.” Roy stated.

~~~...~~~

Daryl gently took Marisol from his small wife, watching as she slowly walked over to Kyle.

“I just have the last thing to do...” She then was quick as a viper, and punched the man in the gut while kneeing his groin, making him fall with a grunt.

“Flirt with my husband again, and I will gut you myself. You say I am related to you, I will gut you. Do you understand?” she snarled. Kyle groaned, but he nodded his head.

“I...I understand. Threat noted.” He then flinched as Jenna stepped over him and moved to check on their livestock.

Shane knelt low so he could talk to Kyle.

“Listen, we love Jenna as our leader. She has a high knowledge of our world, she is incredibly strong, and she is kind. You almost threw our group into chaos! Hell, any one of us would have killed you where you stood. We would probably let our own little psychopath do it! Now, you are going to make up for it. Now.” the bullish man stated.

Kyl groaned, rising to his feet all while still holding his balls.

“How exactly am I supposed to do that? I don’t really know a lot about this hellhole.” he stated. Shane grinned, all teeth. Daryl and Rick, who still stood nearby, glowered at the deceitful man.

“Easy. You show us where we can grab supplies. Our group is large. We need every crumb and can we can get.” Shane replied.

“Fine. I know a place. It's flooded to shit, but it has a lot of canned goods.” Kyle grunted out.

“Why was it not raided?” Rick asked.

“I just said it was flooded. And I didn’t want to go in there and end up with a virus.” Kyle replied.

“In case you weren’t aware...we don't have that kind of luxury nowadays. We are willing to take the risk.” Daryl stated, gently bouncing Marisol, all while looming and appearing as a threat to the twink of a man.

“Okay, fine. I can take you there. Happy now?” Kyle grumbled.

“Almost.” Daryl turned to the priest, Gabriel if he recalled, and placed Marisol in his arms. He then spun around fast and punched Kyle in the face, knocking him back down to the ground.

“Now I’m happy.” he then turned and took his daughter back from the meek man and walked away to join his wife.

“That fucking hurt.” Kyle whined. Rick scoffed.

“You got off easy. If he wanted, he could have beaten you bloody, and let you turn into a walker.” Rick stated. Kyle groaned yet once more as he rose to his feet, this time rubbing his jaw.

“Can we just go now?” he whined once more.

“Yeah.”

~~~...~~~

Abraham was leading Rosita through the woods, looking for a place just secluded enough to do what he desired. Eugen and Johnathon were up ahead, digging holes in the shallow creek, deepening the water just enough to fill canteens.

“Here is good.” Abraham then turned around and grabbed Rosita, crashing their lips together. The lithe woman hummed and moved to unbutton her blouse. Abraham then moved to undo his pants, using deft fingers to undo his woman’s as well. He then cupped her bare ass, gently leveling her down on the soft litter of leaves.

Rosita gasped and Abraham parted her legs more, exposing her sex, lining up his own. She let out another gasp as she was impaled by the redhead's thick girth.

“Is he watching this time?” Rosita asked in between the large man’s thrusts.

“Nope. Johnny is keeping him busy.”

“Damn. I like having him watch.” Rosita then let out a moan as Abraham rolled his hips just right to penetrate her even deeper. The slick sound of skin hitting skin was loud in the quietness of the woods.

“Little perv.” Abraham grunted out.

“Him or...ah! Me?” she asked, clenching her inner muscle onto the man’s thick sex organ.

“Both.” Rosita then let out a fluttering gasp as she came quickly, tightening and bringing up an orgasm for her partner. Both then sat still, panting hard as they came down from their endorphin high.

Once dressed both adults turned to face each other.

“What do you think of the girl leader? She is a bit young to be in such a high position.” Rosita asked.

“I don’t trust her. She has all the men wrapped around her skinny, little finger.” Abraham stated.

“She is dangerous. You saw what she did to her friend. You heard what she has done to her mother.” Rosita agreed.

“Any bitch who offs her own mother is a dangerous one to be around. We’ll go back, and try to get people on our side. That woman, Sasha? Doesn’t seem to like her much. She would follow us, I think.” Abraham stated.

“Or...you can stop plotting against my sister, and just leave on your own.” Johnathon hissed, stepping out of the trees with a few canteens full of gritty water. Eugene walked behind him, nodding along.

“I agree with John. Jenna has been nothing but kind to us, she is leery, I can understand that, but she has every right to be. From what i gathered from the others, she has been injured badly, is still injured, but she is pushing through her immense pain to help her group. She was able to secure livestock. And I heard she found a way to walk along the dead without injury or being seen.” Eugen stammered. Abraham scoffed.

“She is still a great danger. She has everyone convinced the sun shines from her ass and treats her like she is the next Jesus Christ. How is that trusting?” he asked.

“Watch it, Abraham. That is my little sister you’re talking about.” Johnny warned.

“Big fucking deal! She is dangerous! She is a damn snake hiding among lambs.” Rosita snapped.

“She is my sister. She went through hell in our world and is still going through hell here. She lost our niece, our sister-in-law, and our brother.” Johnathon hissed.

“Roy is still alive. She didn’t lose him yet.” Abraham pointed out.

“I'm not talking about Roy. I’m talking about our brother Joshua.”

“Who is Joshua?” Rosita asked.

“When Jenna met our mother, she found out she, our own mother, killed Joshua. Kept his head in a bastardized shrine, letting it turn. And this was after our mother tortured both her and the sheriff. Abraham, you lost your family. You should know the heartache she had to go through. Rosita. What about your brother? What would you do if you saw your parents kill and keep your brother’s body on display?” Johnathon stated.

“Did she tell you all that?” Abraham jeered, unbelieving.

“No. Rick did.” both Rosita and Abraham then stiffened in shock.

“She really went through all that?” Rosita asked, the heaviness of what went on finally weighing her down. Abraham was silent, his normally angry red face pale as a trout’s belly.

“And more. So I don’t want to hear you guys talking shit about my little sister. If i catch you again, I will not banish you from the group. I will kill you.” with a jerk of his head, Johnathon had Eugen follow him back to the church, leaving the two behind.

~~~...~~~

Jenna bit her lip in thought. The group retreated into the church due to the dying light, with Merle and Philip on watch in order to defend both the group and the livestock. The children were all secured in the priest’s office, sound asleep with the dogs.

“It’s risky. The supplies can be of use immensely. But I don’t think it’s worth it.” Jenna stated after hearing Kyle’s plan to raid the food bank.

“We need all we can get. If this drought is coming, we have to be ready.” Carol chimed. Behind her, Lily and Tara nodded in agreement.

“We are stocking up on as much water as we can. But we do need the food. We can only go so far on dried roots and roasted nuts.” Tyreese added. Jenna sighed. She ran a hand through her hair, wincing as the movement jolted her still-healing stab wounds.

I know. Fuck, I know. But this plan... it's not good. Someone will die from it.” She stated. The group went silent.

“How the fuck do you know?” Abraham demanded. Jenna shot him a halfhearted glare.

“I’ve seen it happen,” she stated. Hershel took a step forward.

“Who died?” the old man asked. Jenna then turned her eyes towards Bob.

“He did. Got bit, tried to wander off to die somewhere else so we didn’t have to mercy kill him.” Jenna stated.

“I tried? What does that mean?” Bob asked, nervous.

“It means that you went to kill yourself so no one had to do it. But you were instead caught by cannibals. I can let you guess what happened.” Jenna stated.

“Shit. Do we still have to worry about the cannibals?” Shane asked.

“I hope not. They were at Terminus.” half the group went pale at the words. Hell, they almost went there.

“But right now that doesn’t matter. The point is that the food bank is a bad idea. It's not worth the risk. We just have to find another source.” Jenna stated. She then looked out the window, noticing the encroaching darkness.

“It’s getting late. We should get some sleep. We will find a way to get food in the morning.” Jenna then moved towards Daryl as the older man led her to the children’s room. Shane and Rick followed, along with Michonne and Lily.

Philip though...

“I'll go with you. I’ll help you clear out the food bank,” he told Kyle, who remained quiet from Jenna’s speech.

“I will too.” Sasha offered, ignoring her brother’s protest.

“Okay, we need one more.” Kyle chirped.

“I’ll come.” The four turned around to see Johnathon, who held a hand up as a volunteer.

“You sure?” Kyle asked.

“Someone has to watch your backs.” he stated, “when do we leave?” he asked.

“We leave in the morning, tell Jenna we are hunting for food to store. It's not really a lie, but we need to be careful. She is shrewd.” Kyle replied.

The small group hammered out their plan for the raid, unknowingly watched by a young set of blue eyes...

Chapter Text

Daryl woke up slowly, smiling as he cuddled with his wife in the faint morning light. Jenna had Marisol, Judith, Eliza, Mika, and Penny cuddling in a puppy pile next to their chosen mother. He sat up carefully, watching Jenna as she scowled at his lack of warmth. She didn't wake, luckily. A smile graced his lips as the little ones shifted around to fill in the gap of warmth.  

There was some soft knocking at the door as he dressed himself for the day. Quickly arming himself with a large knife, he waited as whoever was on the other side knocked again.  

“Daryl? Are you there?” Relaxing, the burlish hunter quietly walked out of the room, coming face to face with Sophia and Lizzie.  

“What do you want?” Daryl asked, closing the door behind him. The two girls held worried looks on their faces. Both shared a glance at each other.  

“Well, Lizzie saw something last night. And I woke up early to check on the animals. But some of our people are missing.” Sophia replied. Daryl glanced around, taking note of everyone. Where he stood, he couldn’t see the entire church. But he did take the girls’ word.  

“Who are we missing?” he asked. Lizzie spoke up next.  

“Mr Philip, Miss Sasha, that Kyle guy, and Miss Jenna’s older brother. They are missing,” she relayed.  

“Shit. Wake everyone up. I’ll wake Jenna.” The two girls nodded and rushed to do their job.  

Slipping back into the room, Daryl knelt by his wife, gently shaking her awake.  

“Wha...what is it?” Jenna mumbled as she woke. The two infants by her side grumbled as she moved about, but remained fast asleep. The other kids did wake up, though.  

“What’s going on?” Eliza asked, rubbing sleep sand out of her eyes.  

“Where’s daddy?” Penny mumbled, rubbing her eyes as well.  

“Daryl? Is everything alright?” Jenna asked, more alert.  

“I’m not sure.”  

Once everyone was awake and alert, Sophia and Lizzie relayed what they told Daryl. Soon enough, the others were in shock.  

“Where could they have gone?” Tyreese asked. Several pairs of eyes fell on Jenna, who was pacing in thought.  

“Philip, Sasha, and Johnathon. They wouldn’t leave just randomly. Philip has Penny here. And he loves that little girl. Johnathon wouldn't leave the other Redferns. Sasha might, but she is loyal to her brother, so she wouldn't take off without a cause either. And then there's that Kyle guy....” Rick mumbled.  

“Just those four, right? No livestock?” Jenna asked. Sophia nodded. Bringing a fist to her mouth, Jenna nibbled on her knuckles in thought.  

“Only one taken was Red Bean. The rest are still here,” she replied. Jenna kept on pacing.  

“Where could they have gone? It's not like Philip to leave Penny behind. Only time he ever did was if...” Jenna paused mid-sentence. She even stopped her pacing.  

“If what?” Shane asked. The room turned to their young leader, waiting for some sort of answer.  

“...if he went for a run.” Jenna finished. She turned to Gabriel, moving to get into his space.  

“Where is the food bank?” she demanded. Gabriel nodded once.  

“I can take you there.” He waited as Jenna grabbed her walker-treated poncho and her bow, but not before scanning the small crowd one more time. She then turned to her group.  

“I’m going to say this; I don't know how I’m going to find our wayward members. I’m not even sure if all of them are coming back. So be ready.” Jenna then nodded to Gabriel, motioning for the holy man to start walking. Jenna led him to their horses, casually mounting Oakley as Gabriel hopped on behind her. Daryl gave the meek man a warning glare as he wrapped his arms around Jenna’s waist.  

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. Have the kids tend to the animals. Murphy! Astam!” Jenna called out.  

Murphy then began running next to Oakley as their little leader rushed to find the others.  

~~~...~~~  

Duane watched as Jenna rode away with the priest and Murphy. Snowball whined, longing to go after. But she was a good dog and sat down in front of the one remaining calf. After Sophia and Lizzie woke everyone up, all the kids were told to either start with chores or go to the back room and wait. Carl, Duane, Jordan, and Roy went outside, since they were older. Sophia and Lizzie were following Carol, who was cataloging provisions.  

“What do you think happened?” Duane asked Carl.  

“The food bank. Aunt Jenna mentioned the food bank.” Jordan replied instead.  

“Oh shit.” Roy muttered.  

“Why ‘Oh shit?’” Carl asked. Roy ran a hand through his curly hair.  

“IN our world, several went to the food bank, and one got bit. They kept it hidden and were trying to walk away to die in peace. But they got caught by cannibals instead,” he explained. Carl hissed through his teeth.  

“Is that what is happening now?” Carl asked. Roy shrugged his shoulders.  

“I don't know. We never went near Terminus, so we didn't encounter the cannibals. But the food bank is flooded, since it was held in a basement. And walkers don't move unless they see movement,” the shorter boy explained.  

“There are walkers in the food bank?” Duane asked. Roy nodded.  

“And they are resting under the water. Disturb the water...” he trailed.  

“Disturb the walkers.” Carl finished. Jordan turned to face the direction Jenna and Gabriel had left.  

“We should keep on working. Milk the goat, start making cheese if we can. That would help a lot in the upcoming famine time.” Jordan explained.  

“How do we make cheese?” Carl asked.  

“How will we store it?” Duane asked as well. Roy and Jordan shared a look.  

“....we don’t know.”  

~~~...~~~  

Philip felt something in him shudder. Johnathon, Sasha, and Kyle all stood tepidly in front of the flooded basement known as the food bank.  

“Johnathon. We should head back. Jenna did say this was too much of a risk.” Sasha lamented. Philip let out a scoff.  

“Now you listen to Jenna?” the one-eyed man replied, his voice dry. Sasha glared at the older man.  

“I don’t like the little bitch, okay. But looking at where we are now, I can see what she meant.” Sasha snipped. Kyle worried his hands behind them.  

“So anyway, this is the food bank. I can go now, right?” the younger man asked. He started to slink away, but Johnathon grabbed the collar of his shirt.  

“Not a chance. I’ve heard what you've done to my sister. And I ain't letting you go until you pull your weight. The only reason you know about this world is from her anyway, right?” the larger man snarled.  

“....right,” Kyle mumbled, slumping into the hold.  

“Good. You go first, then.” Johnathon then shoved the younger man into the basement with a splash.  

After he was done sputtering, Kyle heard rasps. He looked behind himself and began to panic.  

“Uh...guys? Can you help me?! There are dead things down here!!” Kyle struggled to wade through the sludgy water as the walkers slowly made their way over to his flailing body.  

Johnathon jumped past and was quick to stab the closest one in the head.  

“Phil! There’s one trapped by a rack.” Philip moved on past Johnathon and took out the walker in question. All three men stood still in the water, waiting.  

“I think that's all of them. Sasha, is the damn donkey secured?” Johnathon called up. Sasha scanned the area as Red Bean grazed on some overgrown grass near the entrance.  

“The little jackass seems to be alright. Let’s strip this place.” Sasha then walked on down to the filthy water. She had to chuckle as Kyle seemed to tiptoe in the water, rather squeamish as a few dead rats bumped into him.  

The remaining shelves were full of canned goods: lima beans, corn, canned salmon, collards, hash...everything that would make a good staple. There were lumps of grey and blue mold that used to be bread, and black piles of rot that were fruits and vegetables.  

Slowly, bit by bit, the four living humans carefully carried cans of food over to Red Bean. The donkey made a soft nicker and kept on eating.  

Downstairs, Philip stiffened as he felt something pull on him, dragging him under the muck. Thrashing, he dislodged the head of the secretive walker and rose to his feet, gasping, holding the head at arm's length. The walkers’ jaws snapped at him, but he paused as Murphy let out a bellow and thrashed the walker in the water, severing the head and carrying it outside, where it was put to rest by a very familiar, and very pissed off woman.  

“Philip!” All four people stiffened as they looked up the stairs to see a very livid Jenna and a panicked Gabriel.  

“Are you bit? Tell me now!” Jenna said, wading through the water to reach the man. She began tugging on his shirt, examining the man without fully undressing him. Philip gently grabbed her wandering hands.  

“I...” he trailed off, moving to the stairs. He sat down and pulled the hem of his jeans past his hips, revealing a fresh, bleeding bite. Jenna collapsed to her knees, the murky water reaching under her collarbone. Philip smiled; a sad, defeated upturn of his lips.  

“I’m bit.”  

~~~...~~~  

Penny waited for her father, cuddling the kitten Sophia rescued from the Fall. Mika and Eliza were also with her, all three waiting for their parents. Lizzie was still on her hardcore imposition, so she was currently helping Merle dry squirrel meat into jerky. The boys were tending to their meager livestock, out of the way but still doing something worthwhile. Sophia was with Eugene, building water purifiers.  

“Penny!” Turning her head, Penny saw Carol approaching her, smiling.  

“Yes, miss Carol?” she asked. Carol kept her light smile, amused by the young girl.  

“I found a bunch of acorns and rampion. Why don't you help me dry and roast them for the upcoming trip? Mika, Eliza. Can you root around the chapel to see if Lucky laid an egg or not?” She asked. Mika and Eliza nodded and hurried on in, snooping in the corners for a mystery egg. Once they were gone, Penny and the kitten followed Carol.  

“Miss Carol, what's rampion?” the little girl asked.  

“It's a type of bellflower. And it's edible. Grows like a weed, but you might have heard of it before.”  

“I have?”  

“Yep. It’s also called Rapunzel.” Penny’s blue eyes grew wide with awe.  

“Like the princess?” she asked. Carol nodded.  

“Yep. Just like the princess in the books.” Carol watched as Penny gently tucked the kitten into a small ruck sack that Jenna or one of the Dixons had made for each kid. The sack was just large enough for the kitten to settle comfortably and hold a small number of snacks like dried berries, nuts, and some homemade pemmican.  

Penny was smiling as she placed the small bellflowers and leaves in a basket that Carol provided, humming a made-up song as the basket filled up with the rampion. Curiosity overtook her, and Penny popped a few flowers into her mouth. They were sweet and faintly bitter. But it was good.  Carol watched as she also put in small plucks of clover in the basket, approving that the girl remembered her mandatory botany lessons from the prison.  

The sound of a horse whinny and the rapid barks of a dog caused everyone who was outside to turn to see their young leader trotting back to them. Behind them was Red Bean, the little donkey carrying saddle bags chock-full of goodies and their missing members. Each face looked grim. Jenna and Philip rode on Oakley, their faces red. Not from the heat. But from crying.  

“Jenna. What happened?” Carol asked, gently handing the basket of herbs to Penny. Jenna’s red-rimmed eyes were filling with tears once more. She slipped off the tired mare and fell to the ground, openly crying, her shoulders quaking as she sobbed.  

“Jenna? Jenna!” Daryl, who was back from a quick hunt, dropped the fat doves he caught to kneel next to his wife. Her sobs were growing quiet, but her body still shook with the force. Concerned, Carol scanned the group for answers.  

“What happened?” She ordered. Sasha bowed her head. Kyle kicked up some dirt, not meeting anyone’s eye. Johnathon also kept his head low. Gabriel stepped forward, brushing his fingers over the white collar of his outfit.  

“Something happened out there,” he explained. Carol glanced over the group.  

“Everyone came back. That's good, right?” Carol asked. She looked around and saw that the others were also coming in close. She then noticed that Philip was looking for Penny. A chill went down her spine.  

“What happened?” she asked again, more urgently. Gabriel didn't answer.  

“Everyone. Let’s head inside. I have an announcement. It ain’t a good one.” Jenna called out, wiping away drying tears. Taking heed, everyone obeyed.  

~~~...~~~  

Rick watched as Penny cried into Philip's chest, her young wails heart-rending. Jenna sat on the steps up to the podium, her shoulders shaking as she cried more. Daryl sat with her. Beth and Maggie were also crying. Shane was holding Judith in his arms, holding her tightly. The kids stood near the first pew, all crying as they felt sympathy for Penny and grief for Philip. Morgan held Duane as the boy cried. Hershel stood next to Gabriel, preparing for the inevitable. Big Tiny went outside, keeping watch despite how he felt. Tyreese joined him, ignoring Sasha, who refused to meet anyone’s eyes.  

“This is all your fault.” The room grew quiet as Rosita chimed up. Jenna stood, livid. Her once mourning eyes were bright with anger. At her sudden movement, Glenn, Bob, and the Chamblers moved out of the way; the first two knowing what was going to happen, the others following their lead. Jenna stomped down the stairs, a snarl on her pretty face.  

“Explain to me. How is Philip getting bitten by a fucking walker is my fault?” Jenna hissed. Johnathon began to step slightly in front of Rosita and Merle, since Daryl was holding Marisol, did the same.  

Rosita shoved past Johnathon, getting right into Jenna’s space. She glared down at the younger woman.  

“If you told him about the rotters hiding in the water, he would have been prepared and lived.” Rosita hissed back. Jenna was quick and slammed her fist into Rosita’s nose. The force of her punch pushed the older woman back.  

“I DID TELL THEM! I EVEN SAID NO! IT WAS TOO FUCKING RISKY AND THEY WENT ANYWAY!! This isn’t my fault. I warned them that the food bank was a bad choice.” Jenna yelled. She was panting once more, her breath hot with anger.  

Rosita rushed Jenna, punching her in the face, right over her still-healing cross scar.  

“You bitch! I have been nothing but accepting of you! I’m still recovering from our damn war! And now I have to deal with losing a friend and your fucking bullshit!” Jenna shouted, her face bleeding as her wound reopened. She shoved the taller woman, moving to leave the chapel.  

“You know what, Rosita? I know your future. And you had something wonderful. But I don’t care anymore. If you hate my leadership so much...just leave. I’m not holding you hostage. I’m not stopping you. Take your shit and go. I’m fucking done.” Leaving the building, Jenna shouldered her bow. Surprisingly, Philip stood and followed. He stopped in the doorway.  

“Rosita. Jenna saved my life. She saved my daughter many times. This bite? This is on me. She did tell me not to risk it. But I didn’t listen. And now I am paying the price.” he then left and followed the other woman. Rosita turned to see that the large group was glaring at her, from the oldest to even the god damn chicken. Hell, the damn wolf and hellhound belonging to the young chit were calmly, calculatingly herding the children away.  

“Daddy?” A soft voice called out as Penny sat up in a pew and looked around for her parent. Carol moved to comfort the young girl. Taking a seat next to her, Carol placed a soft hand on her shoulder.  

“Your daddy went out with Jenna. He’ll be back. Don’t worry.” Penny leaned into Carol’s side. Her blue eyes looked up at Rosita, who was still frozen in place at her transgression.  

“How come you’re so mean the Miss Jenna?” Penny asked.  

“I...” but Rosita couldn't finish the sentence as Penny continued to speak.  

“Miss Jenna is super nice. She gave me Squirrely, kept me safe from the walkers, and even fixed Daddy’s eye so it would stop bleeding. She taught me how to braid leather. She is the nicest lady ever. She even let me play with Marisol and put flowers in her hair.” Penny was smiling at the memories, not noticing Rosita’s flinch at her recall.  

“I want Miss Jenna to be my mommy when Daddy goes away. She’s nice, like a mommy.” Penny’s face scrunched up as she tried her hardest to fight new tears.  

“Daddy got bit, and he’s going to go away forever...” she whimpered. At her little whimper, Roy, Jordan, and Eliza scooted closer to offer the distraught girl some comfort. Lizzie and Mika also joined.  

“I lost my mama when Alice attacked, and Jenna became my mama. She risked her life to get medicine for Cipriano when he got sick.” Eliza crooned.  

“Alice was my mom. Jenna took care of me all my life since our mother didn’t give a damn.” Roy added.  

“I just lost my mom. Alice killed her. And Jenna is my aunty, she is doing her best helping me grow strong like her.” Jordan also added.  

“I don't think of Jenna as my mom. I got Carol. But Jenna is a great mom!” Mika chimed in. Lizzie touched her cheek from where Jenna struck her for playing with a walker.  

“She can be mean. But her meanness is what keeps us safe. I don’t play with walkers no more.” Lizzie concluded. Penny lifted her head to look at the older kids.  

“She won’t mind another daughter?” she asked.  

“Nah. She will love you like her own.” The kids looked up to see Daryl, holding Mari, starting to kneel in front of the girls and Roy.  

“Jenna will burn down the world for her kids. And that means all of you.” Daryl explained. He stood and leveled Rosita one last glare.  

“She killed her mother for us, she got raped for us. Either get your petty shit together, or get the fuck out. Your feelings mean nothing to me.” Daryl snarled. He then turned, motioning the older kids to follow for chores, leaving Penny sniffling next to Carol.  

Johnathon approached the lean woman, his face cold as a gravestone. He didn’t dawdle, he didn't flinch. He walked right up to the woman and slapped her across the face. The women of Jenna’s group flinched at the brutality.  

“I warned you about attacking my sister. I fucking told you to leave her the fuck alone,” he growled as Rosita picked herself up off the ground.  

“You...you hit me. I thought you didn't hit women...” Rosita mumbled, her lip split and starting to swell.  

“All I see is a petty, vindictive bitch taking out her frustrations on the one woman who can save us all. Be lucky I ain’t a true woman beater like some. That was a warning. Get your act straight.” Johnathon then marched over to Abraham as he rubbed his knuckles from the shock of impact.  

“Get your woman under control,” he snarled at he larger man.  

“And why should I listen to a piece of hog shit like you?” the larger man sneered. Johnathon opened his mouth to counter, but was shoved out of the way by Merle.  

“Everyone here owes their lives to Jenna. Some redhead prick and his little Mexican squeeze don’t deserve to be with us. If you can’t accept that we are all here because Jenna, alive and well, then get the fuck out.” Merle snarled out.  

“Or what?” Abraham taunted. Merle’s face twisted into an ugly grin as he then pivoted his body to deliver a sucker punch towards the larger man’s chin.  

And the fight was on.  

~~~...~~~  

Philip found Jenna by the drying creek, digging holes to pool the retreating water.  

“You’re fast when you want to be,” he whispered.  

“It’s kind of a habit for me. If I don’t want to hurt anyone, or I’m sick of being hurt by others, I just take myself away from the situation,” she replied, filling up a comically large flask with the water.  

“Does it work?” Philip asked. Jenna stood and gave the man a sad smile.  

“Not all the time.” Jenna moved to sit on a large rock, hissing slightly as she held her side. Philip's face went white as spots of blood began to stain her shirt.  

“Shit! Are you bit too?!” Philip cried out. Jenna gave the man a confused scowl.  

“What? Oh, this? It’s not a bite. Just a parting gift from my mother,” she explained, lifting her shirt to show off the reopened knife wound from their war.  

“I thought you were healed,” Philip asked. Jenna shook her head.  

“If we stayed until I was fully healed, then we would be in danger. From the Claimers, maybe Terminus. I don't know the exact details, but I couldn’t risk it, so I said I am healed enough for travel.” she explained. Philip rolled his eyes.  

“Well, when we travel again, you are to rest. NO walking, just riding horseback. If we can get the bus up and running, you can sit and enjoy the ride.” Philip stated.  

“When we travel...” Jenna trailed off.  

“Oh. Right.” Philip sat down next to his young leader, his hand on his hip, covering his bite. The two sat in silence, listening to the soft twitter of birds.  

“Jenna. You will take care of Penny for me, will you?” Philip asked.  

“Of course. You don't have to worry about her. I’ll take care of her as if she were my own.” Jenna replied.  

“Thank you,” Philip whispered after a few moments of silence.  

“For what?”  

“For saving me. For saving Penny. For rescuing me from Alice. For giving me a chance,” he replied. Jenna smiled, a soft, sad twist on her plump lips.  

“What are friends for?”  

~~~...~~~  

Johnathon watched as Rosita sat alone on a pew, no one sitting or standing close, just leaving her alone.  

“John.” Turning his gaze, Johnathon saw his sister’s husband walk over, their baby daughter snuggled onto his chest. He had to admit...that baby was fricking adorable.

“Yeah, Daryl?” he replied.  

“I’m going to go look for Jenna. Can you watch Marisol for me?” the burlish man asked. Johnathon nodded and held his hands out for his niece. He smiled as the baby cooed and tugged on his scruffy goatee.  

“You’re family, Daryl. I got you.” He happily cuddled with the baby as her father picked up his weapon of choice and let out a whistle, calling the ugliest dog in the world and a scruffy wolf. He then walked over to the small gaggle of girls feeding the horses and spoke to them in low tones. Too low for him to hear. He then took off for the woods, making barely a sound. The dogs slinking right behind him.  

“He loves her. He truly loves her.” Johnathon muttered, smiling as the gruff man disappeared. He looked down at his little niece. She had dark blonde hair and icy blue eyes that were contradicting warm and bright. She even had two small moles by her lip and nose. Marisol cooed as the new man held her and traced her nose.  

“You are a gem, little Mari. You obviously look like your daddy, but I can see Jenna in the curve of those teeny lips,” he whispered to the baby. Marisol kept on cooing as her uncle then bounced her lightly on his hip, smiling as she made soft giggles.  

“Hey, Johnathon?” Letting out a sigh, John turned around to half-heartedly glare as Rosita guiltily shuffled over to him and his tiny niece.  

“What? I think Jenna and I were pretty fucking clear on what we said,” he growled. Rosita rubbed her arms.  

“Listen, I might have been too...violent with Jenna. But please understand,” she started.  

“Understand what? You don’t trust her because she has some powerful men who listen actively to her words, because she is physically younger than her followers, and because she knows information that can be crucial? Yeah, I heard everything. You, Sasha, some broad named Andrea, all of you look down on her for her age, her beauty, and her knowledge.” Johnathon snapped, still bouncing Marisol.  

“Yes. But she-”  

“But nothing! I asked you guys to trust me if you don’t trust Jenna. And yet you didn’t. Jenna didn't have to help any of you. And if you want to apologize, apologize to Jenna. Not me.” Johnathon then walked away, followed by a chicken with a collar.  

“Whoa. About time someone gave that chick a lashing.” Looking up, he saw Shane and his baby walking up to him.  

“You heard that?” Johnathon asked. Shane nodded.  

“You weren’t exactly quiet,” the other man replied. Judith was babbling as she tried to reach for Marisol, who in turn was reaching for Judith. Johnathon looked around, noticing that everyone was doing their duties, so the babies would be safe. He sat down and placed Marisol between his legs. Shane did the same, allowing little Judith to squeal and patter over to her age mate.  

“You are good with her. Did you ever have any kids?” Shane asked. Caught off guard, John let out a sigh.  

“A daughter. Her mother wanted nothing to do with me. I tried my best to be there for her, but I was high all the time. I sent her a card and some money for her to enjoy, but it wasn’t enough. Since coming here, I never even thought of my Sienna. Heh, what kind of father does that make me?” John sadly smiled to himself.  

“And what now?” Shane asked.  

“Now, I just support Jenna in whatever she says and does. I cannot reverse what I did. I’ve come to accept that I will never see my daughter again. Besides, she was better off with me dead.” John smiled as Marisol turned to smile up at him, a teeny tooth beginning to breach her gummy mouth. The two men sat quietly, not a word shared between them.  

“What now?” Shane asked.  

“What do you mean?” Johnathon asked.  

“We are kind of at a standstill until Jenna, Daryl, and Philip come back. Rick is managing as a leader for now, but ever since...Alice, he has been pretty fragile.” Shane admitted.  

“I understand. Jenna will be back soon, and hopefully with Philip. Daryl is going to find her, remember? She’ll be back, they all will.” Both Shane and Johnathon watched as Rick gave instructions to the group. Sasha and Rosita were given guard duty, protecting the meager livestock they had. Merle and Michonne were sorting weapons. During their talk, the children were inside the church, half of them waiting for their designated mother. Roy and Jordan stood outside the church, holding a small gun each.  

Scanning the area, Johnathon focused on the small copse of trees where Jenna slipped in. The bushes were shaking, and Philip and Daryl burst through with the dogs. Philip was panting, his fresh bite oozing, and his skin pale with illness. Daryl was red, blood on his face, and walking with a limp. Rick rushed over, offering support to Philip, as Daryl marched towards the group.  

“What the hell happened?” Shane declared, standing with Judith. Beth rushed over to Johnathon and took Marisol as he stood. Philip lifted his head.  

“Some fucking asshole shot Jenna!” he gasped out. Daryl was all but snarling, moving towards Merle for a gun...or five.

“WHAT?!”  

~~~...~~~  

Jenna groaned as she came to.  

“What the fuck...?” she muttered. Sitting up, she let out a hiss as fiery pain laced her shoulder. Grabbing said shoulder, she paused as she felt gauze and cold air on her chest.  

“You were in pretty rough shape when my men brought you in.” Jenna reached for her side, looking for a knife. Only to feel more bare skin. With a sudden realization, she noticed she was nude. Pulling the tin, grey blanket up to her chest, she looked around.  

“Where the hell am I?” Jenna demanded. It looked like a dingy hospital room. With ice trickling down her spine, she figured it out.  

“You are at Grady Memorial. I’m Dawn.” Dawn then stepped closer into the faint light. Jenna fell onto her back.  

“FUUUUCK!”