A/N: this is a work of fan fiction and not meant to infringe upon the properties of Kirkman/Moore/AMC.
Redemption (The Road to Alexandria)
By Leah Pensotti
Chapter 10: And You Will Know Us By Our Trail of Dead
Anna didn't mind the pairing of macaroni and merlot.
It might have been Spencer's company that brightened her mood...or the most normal evening that she had experienced in over a year. She didn't think of anything else until after Spencer left and she went to bed...in a queen sized bed...not the floor or couch or little hospital bunk or somewhere under the stars.
In her sleep, she dreamed of Phillip. He was tall and formidable. But somewhere in the dream he'd turn into Rick, and then back into Phillip.
After awhile, she stopped fighting and just stayed awake.
Spencer had not overstayed his welcome, in fact he left promptly after dinner and the wine were all gone. He didn't try and kiss her or touch her or confuse her in anyway. He just talked, and listened.
She told him about Tom and Jeannie...he even helped her organize the letters; Tom's wartime messages and Jeannie's loving responses. It was a whole story now. She wanted to find a folder for them, so she could preserve the words and pictures. Spencer told her he would check his parents offices and see what he could find.
She liked Spencer a lot. But he did not have her heart in a vise.
The one who did, though...well, she should have known better.
When the sun came up, Anna showered and dressed and went in the back yard to survey the garden...and what could be salvaged. There were no classes today. Deanna and Reg would be sending off the scouts soon and it left Anna free for awhile to figure some things out.
She pulled up weeds as she went through the rows. There were snap peas, peppers, radishes, and spots where lettuce and tomatoes used to grow. It definitely needed love and tending to, but it could be saved.
There was a small shed that she had not noticed before, and she went to open it. Deciding that even though the houses had been cleared, she wanted to take no chances so she walked inside and got her bat. Standing outside of the shed door she took a breath and opened it quickly, jumping back and in a swinging position.
A rake fell out.
But no walkers.
Anna exhaled and peeked inside. A wheelbarrow, gardening shears, some fertilizer and packs of seeds. Tomato, cucumber, peppers, squash, spinach and wax beans. She felt overjoyed. She wanted to talk to Reg about building raised beds and perhaps some tomato cages.
Maybe this was something the kids could help with. Something she could teach.
She took the packets of seeds in and found one of he notebooks and made an inventory list, and then sketched out ideas for a garden. What needed to be built and what seasons would be best. She made a list of things to give to Glenn when he went on supply runs.
Anna took her notebook and pen outside and walked to the town gates where people were gathering to send off the scouts as they go and find the parts to sustain the solar energy of Alexandria. Maggie was saying goodbye to Glenn, Michonne, Eugene and Rosita were talking to Noah and Tara while Rick and Daryl stood by watching. Deanna, Spencer and Reg were speaking to Aiden.
She didn't want to interrupt, so she hung back with Rick and Daryl.
"I thought ya might sit this one out, P.T.A."
Anna wasn't sure which of Daryl's nicknames she liked the least.
"Nah, I just got caught up figuring some stuff out. Going to talk with Reg after...you know. I need his help with building."
Daryl sounded a little interested, "What're ya gonna build?"
Anna flipped open her notebook and showed him her ideas for the layout of the garden and the list of the materials that could work. She explained to him that with summer coming they could have a nice little supplement of fresh foods.
He nodded, "Could work. If I run across anything useful I'll bring it back."
She nearly hugged him, but thought that might be pushing it.
"I'd really appreciate that, Daryl."
Rick stayed mostly silent until Daryl went to speak with Aaron.
"Looks like you've been busy."
Anna nodded, "Didn't sleep too well."
"Me either. I was up with Judith and saw Spencer leave your house."
She felt backhanded and excited all at once. Had she detected a hint of protectiveness? And who did he think he was thinking he had any right to to say anything about who has dinner at her house? She composed herself and reeled in her emotions.
"He brought me dinner. We ate it. He helped me organize the letters I found. That's all."
Rick didn't say anything in response, he just turned on his heel and began his patrol. Anna sighed and approached Glenn after the goodbyes were said. She ripped out the list from her notebook and handed it to him.
Anna then stopped the Monroe's after the scouts had been let out and the gates secured. She laid her case after greetings and pleasantries, "I really think this could work. We could use the whole back yard. Seasonal veggies. I just need some help and materials and building."
Reg smiled and held the notebook, "I'd be happy to help, Anna. Deanna and I really appreciate your initiative to advance the community."
Deanna and Reg said goodbye and walked back to their home, leaving Spencer and Anna alone. Spencer smiled, "You need some help with the garden?"
"Absolutely. The goal is to grow as much as we can and start canning for the winter. Have a nice cushion in our food stores."
When Anna returned home, she started to go through the books and records in Tom and Jeannie's house. Classic novels, gardening and cook books, military non-fiction and lots of music by country artists and big band crooners.
She kept out the books about gardening and turned on a Dolly Parton album. She remembered braiding dolls hair and listening to "9 to 5" over and over growing up. She gathered her notebook and holed up in the big comfy chair next to the bookshelves. She made notes from the books about Virginia. The soil and seasons, when the first frost usually came.
Anna woke from a deep sleep in the chair, the book still open in her lap and the pen had dropped from her hand. There was a lot of movement and noises outside. She heard and automobile squealing to a stop. It was now dusk.
She got her bearings and ran to the front door. She stood on the porch and watched the lights and heard the panicked voices. It was coming from the main gate.
Anna sprinted to the gate and saw the van from earlier in the morning, the same one the scouts had taken. Rick and Michonne were helping getting someone out of the back. Eugene and Glen were accounted for, and Nicholas-one of the original scouts, got out of the van and disappeared into the dark.
Maggie appeared and Deanna and Reg ran down the street with Spencer not far behind.
No Aiden.
No Noah.
Tara had been very injured.
And Glen was a mess.
Deanna howled in grief at the loss of her son. She clung to Reg and wept.
Anna felt her eyes widen and her stomach pull. Noah was gone.
Rick and Michonne got Tara out of the van. Everything moved so quickly.
Jessie's husband, Pete, the surgeon appeared and lead Michonne and Rick to the clinic.
Anna stood in the street feeling lost.
She noticed Carol out of her periphery, looking stern, but calm. She heard weeping behind her and saw the Monroes. Spencer had his hands over his face and Anna bridged the gap between them and hugged him. He looked a stunned at first but wrapped his arms around her tightly and cried.
Carol handed Anna a mug of tea as they sat in Rick's kitchen. Both Carl and Judith were asleep and Rick still wasn't home. She felt run over and gutted. A far cry from her ebullience of the gardening plans that same morning.
"You need to go see Deanna tomorrow. She is going to blame us for her son."
Anna shook her head, "She isn't that kind of woman. She knows the dangers in this world. And we lost Noah..."
Noah. Who almost a week ago she sat playing cards with. The same Noah that was her only built in friend once she left the hospital.
"Anna. She needs to see. We need more protection. We need weapons."
Anna sipped her tea, "I just. I can't go there right now."
"We can't hesitate."
At that moment, a very weary Rick walked in the front door. He looked surprised to see her. Carol readied the tea kettle and a mug and Rick sat down next to Anna at the kitchen table.
"Tara is stable. Pete Anderson is taking care of her."
Anna felt herself judging Rick silently, the way he spoke about Jessie's husband with venom. The woman he wanted...her husband. She folded her arms across her chest for some sort of protection.
"Anna, we need you and Maggie to find out what the Monroe's are thinking."
She met his eyes and felt the dismay boiling over, "They're grieving, Rick. I doubt they have thought anything other than that. When are you going to start treating them as allies and not enemies?"
"We don't know them."
"True. But they haven't lied to us, led us astray."
Rick shook his head, "You're too close to them. This is about Spencer, isn't it? You're letting your feelings get in the way."
Anna stood up and felt like she was going to cry and tell him everything she felt about him...not Spencer. But she was too angry at him," I could say the same thing about you, Rick. "
She stomped angrily to the door, not allowing him to see her cry. She ran across the threshold of their yards and as she was walking up the steps to her house, she saw Spencer sitting alone in the dark.
"I couldn't be at home."
Anna nooded and offered her hands to him so he could stand up, "I understand. Come in."
When Anna left, Carol sighed.
"Pete hits Jessie, Rick. Sam told me."
Rick's head seethed with anger. Anger over Anna. Anger over Tara and Noah. Anger over the images in his head of what Sam told Carol. Sam hiding in a locked closet and later finding Jessie knocked out.
"You have to kill him."
Carol's simple, unflinching tone un-nerved him. If only Ed Peletier could see what she had become.
He had been drawn to Jessie, thinking she was unbroken. That none of this had touched her, or her spirit. But now, Rick realized she was fragile. Too fragile.
This whole damn place was made of thin glass.
A/N: I am really excited about writing this story. I wanted to watch the finale for season 5 before I posted another chapter.
It didn't end how I expected...so once I catch up to where the show left off, I will be taking the lead from the comics.