Chapter 6

***The usual disclaimer. None of TWD or its stuff is mine.***

The "camp" turned out to be an old, abandoned farm spread over roughly three acres. It consisted of a two-story main house, three long bunkhouses, a shack, two big barns and what looked to be a few tents set up nearby.

"It was called Larkspur, when it still ran," Cassie explained as she walked beside Michonne, who carried Peanut (and Bruno) in her arms. She had taken him from Mike before Mike could let Cassie hold him. Even if these strangers were offering sanctuary...they were still strangers. And no stranger was touching her child

Michonne only half-listened as Cassie explained about what the farm had been. She was taking it all in. There was a wooden fence surrounding everything about four feet high. Looks rickety though, she fretted. Could it last, if the dead ones came in full force? Stop it, she told herself. Daddy would say you're borrowing trouble.

The structures all had definitely seen better days, but they had good, strong lines, and there was clear visibility around the fences. If a herd of the dead ones were to show up, you'd see them coming. It also looked like they had sentry stations set up on two sides of the fence.

"You post people to watch?" Michonne asked Cassie, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"Yup!" Finn answered from behind her before his sister could reply. He had been having a discussion with Terry about the video game series Halo before he'd interrupted. He was an exuberant, flame-haired youth of eighteen who shared his sister's grey eyes and knowledge of firearms. "It's my turn tomorrow night. Everybody eighteen and older rotates out for watch. Everyone with good eyes, at least." His tone was cheery, as if he were speaking about a fun activity they all got to participate in.

Which, Michonne thought a little sourly, to him it probably is. Bet he thinks he's in one of his damn video games. She shook her head a little to dismiss that line of thinking. Everyone had their own coping mechanism, and at least his seemed to be working for him. Unlike Mike.

When Michonne had stepped in to take their son from him before he could hand Peanut over to Cassie, it seemed to extinguish the brief spark of life that had manifested only seconds before. He became completely silent. Currently, he walked as if in a trance behind Terry and Finn. His eyes stared straight ahead, but didn't appear to be taking any of their new surroundings in.

"Yes, we keep watch," Cassie affirmed what her brother had just said. "We haven't had too many issues with the biters coming up here, but we do get a few. Doesn't hurt to be safe. Watches are four-hour shifts. They're timed with a couple travel clocks we keep for that purpose. Most watches have been uneventful."

Most? Michonne's inner voice couldn't keep silent. It was on the tip of her tongue to probe further into Cassie's last statement, but Terry spoke before she had a chance. "How are the buildings broken up? Where does everyone sleep?"

"Finn and I are in the main house along with Wallace, June and the Roberts' family. The bunkhouses hold a lot of the people that we've found or who've filtered in since we set up camp here. The shack is Adam and Mei, and the barns we treat as communal areas for meals and meetings, when we need to have them," Cassie explained. "I know I'm throwing a lot of names at you, but these are people you're going to meet."

"There are tents," Terry observed. "Who's in those?"

"Leonard is in one of them. Even though we still have room in the bunkhouses, he'd rather have his own space. Same with Ivan and Petra. Two of them we use for the people on watch. Whoever is on that night uses a tent for sleeping so that when the shift changes, they aren't disturbing everyone else," Cassie clarified.

"You seem pretty well-organized here," Terry said, not able to keep all the hope out of his voice.

"Finn and I lived not too far from here, seemed the best shot we had once everything went to shit. Both our parents died a few years ago in a car crash. Finn's been my responsibility since then. Dad was a big wilderness nut, so we both know how to use a gun and have a decent selection. We've also got ex-military here...that's Wallace. Adam is a physical therapist." Cassie sighed deeply and brought a hand to her forehead and rubbed it with the heel. "It's tough. But...we're trying to make a life out of...all this." Her eyes looked sad, and much older than her years.

Her words resonated sharply. Michonne said quietly, "That's what we want. That's what we were trying to find."

Cassie gave her a small smile. "Then I think you've come to the right place."

To Be Continued