Next chapter will probably be after the upcoming episode.


The smoke billowed in the distance and Anne could hear frantic voices shouting on the radio. Little snippets and shouts that were chaotic and desperate. Anne knew she was stuck. They were coming. She held her gun close, heart hammering. The propellers and the radio wailed in her ear, but then everything faded away as she approached the riverside, watching the bodies of walkers drift downstream, her eyes darting to something moving. She tuned them all out for the man laying on the edge of the river. Rick turned onto his side, movements weak and sluggish. The helicopter thundered in the distance and Anne knew she had found her golden ticket. She watched him closely, looking over the blood oozing from his side. He would die. She decided. If she didn't do this, he would die. She ignored the cries from the radio, instead focusing on the helicopter.

"I have a B. Not an A, I never had an A." She glanced back to Rick again, swallowing the lump in her throat. "He's hurt but he's strong, can you help him?"

"I warned you there'd be consequences if you tried something." The voice responded, sounding disappointed.

"It's not a trick. Not anymore." She tossed the gun. "I'm trying to save a friend. A friend who saved me. I have something for you now! We have a deal? Do we have a deal!?" She looked from Rick to the helicopter, hoping he would say yes, hoping she could save him. Already, she had a backup plan in mind. She could radio Alexandria, give them Rick's coordinates, allow them to find him if she was about to be killed.

Then the helicopter began to descend.

"You're still here. You're gonna be 're gonna save you." She had assured Rick after he was loaded up and hooked up. Rick had stared at her, uncomprehending and so vulnerable. She was taking him from his home, yet justifying it as what was best for him.

What had she done? She should have known they would catch on. Her last minute decision to label Rick Grimes as a B was in a desperate bid to protect him and save his life. Rick Grimes was no B.

Rick fought.

She knew he would. She knew who he was and that once he gained enough strength as he recovered, he would not simply allow the abuse. They labeled him as an A and suddenly Anne was powerless to protect him. They had brought in the walker and Anne had never been so hysterical in her life. She had run down the corridors, chasing the heels of the lead doctor, pleading with him to reconsider this. To spare her friend. This was a death sentence and she could not face it. They liked having subjects that were recently bit, it gave them more to study, but a limited time to do so before the subject expired and reanimated.

She had seen the lengths these people would go to in order to ensure compliance. Most of the captives fell in line because they realized there was no escape, some resisted and were punished in a never ending cycle until they became husks of themselves. The testing they did on victims was inhumane. The whole premise of the facility was disgusting. The walker had bit into Rick and Anne had sobbed, knees going weak. She hadn't saved him. She had only prolonged the torture.

But Rick never turned.

With what could be considered either wonderful or terrible luck, Rick was immune to the disease. It only ensured he would never be free and Anne knew she had to do knew they were in Europe. But where in Europe she could no longer say. The dead had decimated so much of the old world. She had to get him out of there. She had to make up for what she had done.

Rick was heavily drugged during the night to stop his numerous escape attempts. She had snuck into the holding cells, bypassing the other prisoners. Rick was her only focus, Rick was her end goal. He had followed her with placid docility, slow on realizing where she was leading him, but trusting enough to allow her to hold his arm and guide him. He was too trusting. Still naive despite all the hurt he had seen in the world. She would bring him home. But the were found out and soon security was on their heels. Rick told her to go and she did. Leaving him behind was the most difficult task she had to do, but she ran nonetheless, legs burning and chest heaving by the time she found herself a place to hide.

Then, she began to plan. There were pilots out there, she could find someone wanting to escape back to the other side. With a target now on her back, Anne was forced to lay low and avoid any notice.They were looking for her and were everywhere. She had managed to smuggle items from the facility, medical supplies and equipment that were nearly lost in the world now. Now, she just needed to find a pilot and go back for Rick.

An old contact that had been with her when it all began. He had been a pilot for the Air Force stationed in Germany when the dead began walking. He had been her friend. She knew where he would be hiding out. Knew that he was avoiding them as well. They were always looking for former military. She found him in an abandoned bunker in what she believed to be Spain. He had seen her approach and lifted a hesitant hand in greeting, fingers curled over his military grade weapon as if uncertain if he would have to use it.

"Brandon, I have a favor." Was the first thing out of her mouth and Brandon laughed, shaking his head.

"Same old Anne, always asking and never giving." He hummed. His dark hair was now lined with silver and a scar ran down his jaw. He ushered her into the bunker, latching the door behind him.

"You still fly?"She asked and Brandon shook his head.

"You're kidding right? World's gone to shit, Anne. Or did you forget whole you were picking berries and braiding hair in that little hippie commune?" So he had heard. Her eyes darted to the state of the art radio system against the wall. She could hear their people as well as others.

"I need to go back. I have a friend I took from his family...I need to bring him back." She explained and Brandon threw himself onto the ratty couch on the opposite wall with a dramatic motion of his arms, dark brown eyes narrowed at her in thought.

"The air ain't safe anymore, Anne. Your old crew has eyes everywhere. They control the skies." He motioned upwards.

"Helicopters are not the same as planes. They wouldn't be able to keep up."

"You want to get back to your commune? Take my advice to sail. They haven't got anything on the water." The water was unpredictable. Their had been attempts to set out by ship, but the communication was terrible on the water.

"The dead could still reach us." She had seen them floating in the water, bobbling around and waiting to sink their rotted teeth into flesh. "And they could see us."

"It's risky wither way, you can get rid of the walkers as long as you have weapons on you when you dock. But if you're seen in the sky, you will be shot down."

"I don't know anyone who sails." She muttered and Brandon shrugged, unconcerned and tired.

"Then you better start looking." He cocked his head at her. "You've been on the run for awhile Anne, are you sure your friend is even alive?"

"He is." She confirmed. "I know he is." He couldn't be dead. He couldn't.

He allowed her to stay the night and even allowed her to toy with the radio. "You can probably reach your people no problem with these. The issue with the hand held radios is that you can pick up a signal, but there's no guarantee it will hold. I've managed to reach out to a community in Mexico," He slapped the radio fondly. "Alexandria should be no issue."

"How have they not managed to get your signal." Anne had asked and Brandon had only smiled at her. She had picked up the radio, palms sweating. She knew she would be able to reach Alexandria from here. She knew she would be able to tell them Rick was alive. But she was a coward. She couldn't stand the idea of facing their wrath, even thousands of miles over. She had set the radio down, pushing it out of sight and refused to touch it again.

'He'd tell them himself when he returns.' She decided, pushing a strand of hair from her face.

When she heard that the facility had gone up in flames, she had known it was Rick. All those people freed, it had to be Rick's doing. Brandon had agreed to help her find him, seemingly pleased to be able to walk out in the open while they were scrambling to regain power. It was now or never. Rick had managed ti topple them and she could use the chaos to sneak him home. She had looked at the smoldering building, so much like the bridge all those years ago and smiled.

"He never does change." She mused softly, her laughter lost in the wind.