"Come on, Carl. Get ya ass up," Daryl told him from the doorway. "Got medical in an hour."

Carl rolled over and sat up fast. He'd stayed the night. He'd eaten with them. Yelled at them. Cried. He wiped his eyes and looked down. He was in his boxers and his clothes were clean and folded at the end of the bed. He dressed and found his way to the kitchen. Michonne, in between his yelling at her, had showed him around.

He flopped in the chair that was pulled out at the small table in the kitchen. Daryl put some pancakes in front of him with some juice. He poured syrup over them and ate. "I'm still mad at you guys," he said with a full mouth.

Daryl shrugged. "Can be mad all ya want, Carl. We wasn't chancin' Spicer lyin'. He wasn't," Daryl drank what Carl assumed to be coffee. "Daniels woulda hurt ya. 'Chonne woulda died. She'da tried to kill him." He sipped more. "Don't yell at 'Chonne no more. Get why ya did. Don't like hearin' it. You need to yell? You find me and yell."

Carl ate. "You think he would have hurt me?" he moved his pancakes around on his plate, before taking another bite.

"Yeah. Daniels was like your dad. Wanted to take over. Deanna made that shit easy. Don't know if he just wanted to be an asshole or like your dad, wanted a safe place for his people. He'da done what he needed to do. Don't think it woulda bothered him none. Woulda killed your dad, too. Leavin' Judith alone."

"We lost so much, Daryl, after you left," he sniffed.

"Sorry to hear it, Carl. We won't ask. You wanna tell me? You can. Don't gotta." He gave a little smile, which shocked the crap out of Carl. He'd never seen Daryl smile before. "Good thing about the Place? People'll leave ya alone. Ain't like Alexandria when we got there. All them fuckin' idiots in our faces." He looked at him. "How'd ya know we was here? Do wanna know that."

"Enid. She said she thought she saw Sasha."

"Who's Enid?"

"She was one of the not fucking idiots in Alexandria. She was Ron's girlfriend."

"Huh," he grunted. "Don't remember her."

Carl finished his breakfast. "Where is everyone?"

"Sash and Glenn have watch. Don't know where everyone else is. Around somewhere. They let me know if they leave."

"Are you the leader?"

Daryl frowned. "Nah. I ain't no leader. Just let me know, is all. Silk and Teresa run the Place. Good people."

"Do they really go outside and kill walkers?"

"Not here. The Island. We'll go out and kill herds. Done it once since we been here. Clog the traps. Them people? Shit. Better than we are. Silk? Don't stand by him. Almost killed 'Chonne. Them long arms and that long ass sword a his."

"Are you and Michonne together?" Carl got up the courage to ask.

"Why?" he narrowed his eyes.

"You call her 'Chonne'."

"Yeah."

"You call Sasha 'Sash'. Maggie 'Mags'."

"We all do. Us. Not the others."

"Huh," Carl grunted. "I'm still mad, Daryl."

"Know it. Told 'Chonne you would be. If we left ya there. Heard ya when you was talkin' to her in the kitchen." Daryl sat back. "Thing is, Carl, Rick's your dad. She was right. You belonged with him. We didn't know what was gonna happen if we left like we was plannin'."

"Were all of you planning to leave?"

"Yeah. We didn't know it 'til we left Alexandria. After Spicer. Rick seemed to like it there."

"He stopped going over Jessie's house. The Wolves attacked us. They drove eighteen wheelers throught the gate and they had walkers in the back. They let them out. Jessie, Ron and Sam died. Deanna and Reg died. Then my dad and Aaron found Jesus. He told us about Negan and the Saviors. Carol? She left. Found the Kingdom. My dad talked everyone into fighting him. He was taking our stuff. He called it protection. Rosita, Tara and Father Gabriel died when it started. Negan killed Spencer. Sara died, too. When it started. The garbage people threw her off the roof of a building."

"Sara?"

"You didn't know her. I think my dad liked her. She was blond, like Jessie. I think my dad likes blonds."

"Alright."

"They set Alexandria on fire. We left. Gregory? He runs Hilltop, where Jesus is from. He helps Negan. We couldn't go there," Carl wiped his eyes. "We go to the Kingdom and it's on fire, too. King Ezekiel and Carol are the only ones that made it." He let out a sob. "I. We needed you, Daryl. All of you. You weren't there," he shouted.

"Sorry we wasn't there to help ya, Carl. Woulda if we hadn't been kicked out. We coulda ended up killin' you and your dad if we'd stayed. You hearin' me? Then li'l asskicker'd be dead. You think anyone a them fuckin' idiots coulda saved her? Would they have tried? Shit's hard now, Carl. Real hard. Ain't just you and your dad that have been through shit. Everyone still alive's been throught shit. Here. The Island. Hilltop. The Kingdom. Everyone's been through shit. We ain't together 'cause we're fuckin' friends."

Carl sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve. Daryl rolled his eyes, got up and gave him a paper towel. "Are you my dad's friend?"

Daryl shrugged. "Don't know. Know he was countin' on me when we was gonna take over. Dropped out. Think he's still pissed. What him and Carol wanted to do? Coulda got 'Chonne, Mags and Sash hurt and killed. Me, Glenn and Abraham, too. I'm kinda pissed."

"Why?"

"Mostly mad at myself. Coulda found a way to talk to your dad." He shrugged a shoulder. "We followed him. Got to Alexandria? He's off fuckin' some bitch he don't know. Left us." He sipped more coffee. "Kinda pissed me off." He took Carl's plate and put it in the sink. "Done talkin' about it right now. Shit happened. Can't change it. You got doctor's appointments. Get the hell outta here."

Carl gave a watery laugh. "This is a good place?"

"Better than Alexandria. Don't let none a these people fool ya. They ain't like them. Better than the prison."

Daryl walked Carl over to the infirmary. Aaron was outside waiting when they showed up. "Carl. Your dad's inside with the others."

"Thanks, Aaron," he responded and headed in the building.

"Aaron," Daryl greeted.

The man held out his hand and Daryl shook it. "Daryl. It's a shock to see you. You look good."

Daryl snorted. "That all you got?"

He gave a little grin. "I." He cleared his throat. "I'm glad you're not dead."

Daryl laughed a little. "Yeah, me, too." He looked at the infirmary. "Eric?"

Aaron shook his head 'no'.

"Sorry. Was a good guy. Liked him."

Daryl shifted on his feet when Aaron looked like he was gonna cry. "He liked you, too. This place?" he waved his hand around.

"Good place. Silk and Teresa's good people. Not outta touch like Deanna."

He raised his eyebrows. "I see."

"Sorry to hear about her, too. Carl told me."

"It was ugly." He shrugged a shoulder. "When's death not ugly?" He cleared his throat again and gave a strangled laugh. "I'm not sure what to say."

"Don't gotta say nothin', Aaron." Daryl looked at the man. They wasn't friends. "Sorry 'bout Alexandria. Know what it's like to lose a place. Lost a few."

"My second, I guess. I lost my first during the turn."

"Right. Why." He paused. "Can come over tonight. 'Chonne's cookin'. Mags has watch. Can eat in our apartment. Mine and 'Chonne's."

Aaron's eyebrows rose. "Are you and Michonne together?"

"What in the hell? First Carl then you. Why?"

"I would never have guessed."

"We are," he retorted.

Aaron put his hands up. "I like her, too."

Some guy Daryl'd never seen before walked outside. "Aaron? You're up," he told the man as he looked Daryl over. Daryl rolled his eyes.

"I'd like that. What time?"

"Don't know. Just later. Depends. Come over. Can talk to whoever's around, if ya want."

"Thank you. I'll be over…later. Should I bring anything?"

Daryl frowned. "What? We got everythin' we need. We need somethin' just go to stores and get it."

Aaron laughed again. "I missed you, Daryl."

"Whatever, man," he frowned. "The fuck you lookin' at?" he snapped at the other guy.

"You're Daryl. I'm Jesus."

"And?" Daryl challenged.

"Nice to meet you. Rick's told me a little about you."

"Go fuck yourself. Jesus, my ass." He rolled his eyes again. "Aaron."

"I'll see you later, Daryl," he chuckled.

"Interesting guy," Jesus muttered as they walked inside the infirmary.

"Aaron?" Rayshonda looked at him.

"Sorry. I was talking to Daryl," he gave a faint smile.

"Daryl's a good man. This way, please," she indicated the hall behind the door she was holding open.

"Daryl's a good man?" Carol repeated. "He was here?"

"He walked Carl over," Rick told her. "I think you were in the back, Carol."

"He didn't come in?"

"Guess not," Rick replied.

Jesus watched the interaction between Rick and Carol when they started talking about Daryl. The guy didn't look like much. Aaron liked him. He guessed Eric did, too. Carol looked pissed. She must have cared for him. Rick looked sad. He'd told Jesus one time Daryl was like his brother.

"Must be a bitch. Thinking your people were dead and they were here," Jesus commented. "From what you said they wouldn't have left voluntarily."

"They didn't. They, Daniels, threatened Carl if they came back," Rick repeated.

"Rick," Tim leaned toward him. "I had no idea Daniels did that."

"Would he?" Rick glared at Tim.

"Probably. The man was loosing it at the end. Hell, we all were. We'd been stuck on base for years. We didn't know what the hell was going on."

"You were fucking chipper when you got there," Carol sneered.

"Daniels said we needed to be careful. After what we'd seen in DC and we got to Alexandria and found out someone, a Congresswoman, made it, we had to make a good impression." Tim glared at her. "Fuck you, Carol. Most of those people were nice. Sheltered, but nice. I thought the decision to have everyone learn to kill walkers was a damn good one. Daniels made the suggestion. I didn't see you or Rick making it."

Carol scoffed. "Right. She wouldn't listen to us."

"But she listened to him. Must have been your charming personality," Tim taunted.

"That's enough," Ezekiel broke in. "It's in the past. We can't change the past."

Jesus thought Ezekiel had a point.

Abraham opened the door to see Aaron standing outside. He stepped aside and let the man in. "Aaron," he nodded.

"Abraham. It's. Shit, this is weird. You're looking…alive," he stuttered.

Abraham laughed. "Thanks. Feeling alive. Daryl said you were having dinner with them. Usually we eat together when we can."

"Don't change on my account."

"Good. Michonne makes good chicken stir-fry." He led the man toward the dining room. Aaron stopped when everyone looked at him.

"Hi," he waved.

"Aaron," Sasha acknowledged.

"Alright," he whispered.

"Sash," Daryl sighed.

"Aaron. We're sorry to hear about Eric," she amended.

"Come on, Sash. It wasn't his fault," Abraham nudged her before he sat down. Michonne came out with a platter.

"Hello, Aaron," she greeted. "Have a seat," she waved at the table. "Would you like wine?"

"A juice. Juice would be good," he requested.

"Fine." She left the room.

"This is nice," Aaron said hesitantly.

"Thank you. Everyone helped," Glenn finally spoke.

"What the hell happened?" Abraham asked as he ate.

"Do you think we could live with Daryl, Dad?" Carl asked at dinner.

Carol looked up from her plate. No one, not one person, came over and talked to them. They acknowledged them with a quiet 'hello' or a head nod, but other than that they were left alone. She didn't know how to take it. After her massive breakdown in Tab Haver's office she felt tired. Bone tired. She wanted to sleep for days. She was planning on spending her transition days sleeping.

"I…don't know, Carl. We'd have to ask them," Rick replied.

Carl ate the salad she'd thrown together for them. It had been surreal, going to stores and getting fresh food.

"I think we should," Carl pressed. "Mags said we shouldn't have split up. In Alexandria."

"Mags?" Rick laughed a little.

"Maggie. It's what they call her. Mags. They call Sasha 'Sash'. Daryl calls Michonne 'Chonne'." Carl furrowed his eyebrows. "No one else does. They call her Michonne." He shook his head. "They have a nice house. Did you know they have apartments, like here, but they have a big kitchen, living room and dining room? I guess they try and eat together when they can." Carl ate a little. "It's a nice house. They have a barbeque on a patio out back. It's cool. I guess Rob painted the mural on their wall. The sunrise? It's nice. Michonne said it was symbolic or something." Carl ate more. "Daryl and them are on stampede rotation. I guess they had one when they got here. Don't stand by Silk. I guess he almost took off Michonne's head. His long arms and sword." He grinned. "Daryl said the people here? Better than us at killing walkers."

"Really?" Carol tossed out.

"Yeah. Daryl was impressed. Michonne was pissed. About Silk almost killing her. Abraham laughed and said she'd been warned. Sash said she'd never do that again. They were the first new people here. The BMF made this place for Silk and his people. They didn't want to go outside anymore." Carl finally shut up.

Carol took her plate to the kitchen and washed up before she went to the dorm room she was sharing with Ezekiel. She wasn't surprised when he came in a few minutes later. He held up some coffee and a bottle of Irish Crème. She nodded her head, sat at the little study table and waited.

Ezekiel poured her coffee and doctored it before sliding it over. "How are you?"

She sighed heavily. "Tired," she gave him a sad smile. "You?"

"Feeling foolish," he admitted before drinking his own coffee. "Tired. Sad my people died. Pissed at Negan. Pissed at the BMF."

"Because they didn't help us?"

"They could have. Seeing this," he got up and walked around. "They could have."

"Yeah, well, they didn't know."

"Didn't they?"

"The BMF don't involve themselves in community affairs," she repeated sarcastically. "I yelled at the shrink about it. She admitted they probably knew how many communities were in the area, they like to be 'thorough'," Carol did air quotes. "They have a hands off policy. It's not their place. Or some such bullshit." She sipped more coffee. "She asked me what would we have done if they'd helped and part of the price was actively killing walkers? Everyone would have had to do it. I can't see Gregory doing it."

Ezekiel sat back down. "I wouldn't have wanted to."

"Me, either. I stopped yelling about them after she asked. She said that usually shut people up." Carol laughed harshly. "It's effective." She paused. "It's a nice place."

"It is. We didn't do bad, Carol. We weren't secret agents or Special Forces. I wish I'd found this place sooner."

"Me, too," she admitted. "We could have. When we left Terminus. If we'd traveled the coast we would have."

"I was in DC. After I found the first almost safe place I stayed. I'd lost a few before, like everyone else."

"Do you think fighting Negan was the right thing to do?"

"I was. I was feeding some of my pigs walkers. I laughed on the inside after every time the Saviors took one of them."

"Gross."

"I was desperate. Was fighting them the right thing? Yes, it was. I didn't like bowing down to that asshole."

She raised her cup in a toast. "To King Ezekiel. Stealth fighter."

He shook his head and touched her mug with his. "Are you planning on living with them?"

"No. I'm so different. Even from when we made it to Alexandria. I look back and I can't even recognize myself."

"Change is constant," he told her.

She frowned. "Funny. No. We've gone different directions. I doubt Rick would. Carl's just a kid. He still sees us as what we were like at the prison."

"He's a young man."

She laughed a little. "I remember Carl when this first started. A scared, brave boy. I guess I'm like him. I still see him as the scared, brave boy." She took another sip. "I figured we'd live together."

He widened his eyes. "Did you? This? From the woman that showed up at my Kingdom asking for solitude?"

"I…needed it. Badly. You left me alone. Until you asked for my help."

"I did not," he protested.

"No, you didn't. I stuck my nose in it. I couldn't stand back and watch my family die. Again. I'm not sure if it wasn't habit. They haven't been my family in a long time." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "I could use a new one."

He squeezed back. "As could I, Carol. As could I."

Rick stood in the doorway to Carl and Judith's room and watched them sleep. It was nice knowing he could feed them tomorrow morning. Not have to worry about runs. Wolves. Saviors. His kids would have a chance here. They could grow up here. The only thing they'd have to worry about was walkers.

He went back to his room and laid on the small bed. He didn't have anything to do for the next three days. Different. He didn't know what the hell he'd do with himself. Talk to Daryl. Apologize to Michonne, Maggie and Sasha. He wished Spicer, Mayor or Wilson wasn't dead. He'd kill them. He needed to apologize to Glenn and Abraham, too. Fucking Daniels. Fucking Negan. Fucking Jadis.

He rolled to his side. Fucking Governor. Fucking Shane. Fucking life. He felt the tears fall. He'd missed his brother. Michonne. Glenn. Maggie. He missed his family. The one they'd had at the prison. He could imagine them still living there. Building a life there. Not the best but a good one. The garden and pigs. Maybe found some chickens. He missed Carol. The Carol she'd been before she killed Karen and David. He missed Hershel and Beth. Ty. Noah. Andrea. T-Dogg. Dale. He missed Lori. Not like he used to, but he still missed her. Hell, he even missed Shane. The Shane that had been his friend and partner.

He fell asleep.

When he woke up, he sat up fast and reached for his gun before he remembered he'd locked it away. He listened and could hear Judith babbling. He smiled before he got out of bed. He saw Carl and Judith in the study area.

"Hey, Dad. I was going to wake you up." He looked around. "We don't have anything to do. It's weird."

"Yeah, you do. Testing with Jane. Gonna eat and go find her. You should take a shower and get dressed."

Carl sighed and put Judith down on the floor. "Fine," he stomped off to the bathroom.

Judith held up her arms. "Foo, da," she squealed.

"Food, Judith," he smiled as he picked her up. "Let's go eat."

By the time Carl was finished, he took a shower and dressed Judith it was late. Rick made eggs and bacon, almost setting off the smoke alarm. Fred came in the kitchen. "Rick Grimes. Trying to burn the place down?"

"Fred," he nodded. "Trying to cook breakfast for my kids."

"Those kids in the dining room?"

"Yeah."

"Huh," he grunted. "Move out of the way. I'll do it," he sneered. "Damn useless," he muttered. Rick stood and watched as Fred threw away what he started, grumbling about waste, before he started more. He really was a dickhead.

"That weird ass Peletier with you?"

"Yeah."

"She's a few screws short," Fred announced.

"She's my family."

"Guess you can't choose family," he conceded after he turned the bacon over. When it was finished he put it on a rack he'd dug up from one of the cupboards before he left without saying another word.