PROLOGUE

- The Next World -

Gunshot.

It was a sound everyone knew too damn well.

It pierced the silence, awakening those asleep and alerting the dead.

Seconds later and the doors were opened. Half-dressed people littered out of the houses and ran towards the commotion. Rick and Michonne later followed, pushing through the crowd to get a front seat.

Before them was Daryl.

After a quick examination to make sure that he was okay, they noticed he had a handgun held up at the intruder.

"Where is he?"

It was a girl.

Mid-twenties, if not younger.

Pretty.

Dangerous.

Her grip on the rifle tightened and the uncontrollable rage resounding in her words complemented her glare. There was no doubt that she had the capacity of firing the gun.

Though her rage caused her voice to waver, the grip on the rifle remained firm and decisive. Her eyes were challenging and her finger trembled by the trigger, almost like she itching to do it.

"Where's Paul? Where's my brother?"

The girl demanded.

Her anger was almost identically mirrored by Daryl. He continued to glare at the person responsible for the busted lip. Any other scenario and he might've taken the time to notice the stranger's attractive figure, even under the baggy parka. He might have considered Rick's new outlook on giving people a chance. Unfortunately, she'd made the mistake of refusing his help and throwing a pretty hard punch.

Not a lot of people crossed Daryl and lived to see the sun. Then again, not a lot of people would have managed to sneak up on him. Somehow she was the exception.

"I know he's here" she yelled when no one offered an answer. "Someone speak or so help me God…" she snarled and the gun was pressed further into the back of her hostage of choice.

The unlucky one was Sasha who had been accompanying Daryl at the gate.

She hadn't seen the girl coming either. She heard Daryl groan and looked to find him on the ground, cradling his jaw. Sasha had tried to sneak up on her and when she tried to attack, the gun hit her stomach, causing her to double over. Before she could comprehend what was happening, she was being pulled from the ground and feel the unmistakable metal against her back.

Rick inched closer, one hand on his holster and the other stretched out. "Put the gun down and then we can talk" he rationalised. Eyes darting between the intruder and Sasha, who had retained a calm composure, despite the blood trickling down her cheek.

The girl's glare darkened further than they thought possible. "Do I look like I was born yesterday?" she laughed bitter.

"Wait! Wait! She's cool"

The crowd parted to Jesus who jogged up towards them.

At the sight of her brother, she breathed a sigh of relief and her shoulders slumped with the release. Only then did she realise she had been holding her breath in anticipation.

"Hey," he grinned, wanting to assure her.

She shook her head in disbelief and disapproval. "Hey yourself" she muttered and assessed him briefly. "You alright?"

He nodded. "I'm good"

The others watched on, still afraid of the whole thing turning ugly. Jesus could feel how palpable the tension was so he decided to divulge some information. "This is Kara - my sister" he revealed.

"Tell her to put the gun down!" Michonne piped.

Jesus didn't turn but nodded in acknowledgement. He looked towards his sister. "It's okay," he promised, gesturing for her to drop the gun.

Still, she remained stubborn. "What is going on? Who are these people?"

"I made some new friends" Jesus grinned.

Realising that he was okay, she slowly lowered the gun.

Sasha released her own breath and moved towards her group. Abraham studied the cut and sent a glare towards the newcomers. Meanwhile, Daryl cautiously stepped towards her and snatched the submachine gun from her.

"Any more guns?" Rick inquired.

She shook her head defiantly like a petulant child. "Nope," she answered.

"Forgive us if we don't believe you"

Rick nodded towards Daryl who appeared again before her. With their gazes locked, he patted down her coat and further down to her legs. Once he was done and he came up empty, she gave him a sarcastic smile. In response, he grumbled something unintelligible and rejoined his group.

All she had by her side was her brother.

The way it always had been.