Hey all, sorry for the late chapter, I was planning on posting it on Sunday, then I got sidetracked by trying to figure out my story timeline vs TWD canon timeline that doesn't exactly match (I have team family wander around for an extra 100 days before they meet Aaron) and then I thought I posted this chapter and only realized today I hadn't and I didn't even finish typing it, silly me.

But, enough of my excuses, thanks for all the follows and favorites, as well as to BlueBloodsSVUOrder, Devil Nightmare, FaithfulReader92 and celia azul for reviewing! O yeah, I have a piece of dialogue in this chapter I basically copy and pasted from a movie, tell me if you see it, I also give a incredibly massive hint towards what movie in the chapter:)

Oh, and sorry for the fake update, was giving me trouble with the chapter, so I had to delete it and do it over.

Enjoy!

Chapter 34

Anamika slowly strolled through the community, her gaze taking in the hustle and bustle of the people making a living there. Glenn and Maggie had said something about a checkup with Dr. Carson, Sasha went off somewhere on her own and Enid had trailed after the couple as she left. Anamika had requested that she get some time to think, to process what was going on in her mind.

She was in the apocalypse.

The dead were walking again.

She was part of a group.

The group was family.

She loved someone.

And she had lost all memory of it.

She sighed, ambling along with no sure destination, trying to wrap her mind around the almost two years she had lost. Apparently she met the group about two months ago, though she met the guy she "loved" almost a year ago, though briefly. Maggie and Glenn had told her all about how she had met the Daryl and eventually the group, while Sasha had told her about her involvement in their community.

Her community.

She sighed as she sat down next to the grave of their group member that had died, her feet having somehow led her here when she wasn't paying attention. She drew her knees up and rested her folded arms on them, laying her head in the cradle of her arms as she stared at the crude grave marker.

Her mind wandered to Daryl, her… lover. According to Maggie, she and Daryl got together about a month ago, though they've been dancing around each other a lot longer than that, If Maggie was to be believed. It seemed strange to her, that she would love someone, especially if the vague scattered memories in her head was to be believed.

Memories from before the apocalypse.

Maggie, Glenn, Enid and Sasha doesn't know that she has some of her previous memories, that she apparently lost when they knew her and she wasn't sure when she was going to tell them. It wasn't that she was trying to hide it from them per say, but she wanted to make sense of it before she told others about it. It wasn't clear-cut memories and it didn't even really feel like they belonged to her. It felt more like she had watched a movie-reel of her old life, as if she was a third party observer in her own life.

She couldn't even remember her name, though she could more or less figure what happened in her life. Her eyes were fixed on the grave marker, though unfocused as her memories played out in front of them.

She stood in a large mess hall, clothed in drab grey clothing, surrounded by a multitude of other children whispering in a subdued manner. Her hands clutched at her tray, her hair neatly pulled back in a ponytail as she waited in line. The kitchen staff stood at the front of the line, dishing tasteless porridge and bruised apples onto the kids' trays. She shuffled forward, her eyes focused on her tray as she held it out to receive her porridge and apple. Scooting to the side, she grabbed a small plastic cup, filling it up with water, before walking to an empty table. No one joined her, though she didn't expect them to anymore. She'd quickly made a name for herself in the orphanage, the eight-year old violent girl who's been to four different orphanages in less than a year. They talked about how she ran away from her first orphanage, how she physically attacked the matron at her second orphanage and how the third orphanage shut down because they couldn't deal with her.

What they didn't know was how the matron's son at the first orphanage touched her when everyone else was sleeping and how she ran away before he could do more. They didn't know how the matron at the second orphanage hit her and one day, when the matron dared to hit her with a belt in a drunken rage, she'd taken the empty whiskey bottle and hit the matron over the head with it. They didn't know how happy she was in her third orphanage, how the elderly lady that looked after the kids there had the warmest smile and the softest hugs, but such a frail body and health that the elderly lady died two months after she arrived at the orphanage and it had to shut down due to low funding and personnel.

Now she was in her fourth orphanage, but after she had hit a boy who teased her on her second day there, the kids stayed far away from her. She didn't mind, she didn't want to be friends with them anyway. She can take care of herself just fine, she didn't need anyone else.

Anamika blinked, focusing on the cross in front of her face, before sighing as she lifted her head and looked at the clear sky. So she was an orphan with an unhappy past; somehow, this didn't surprise her. Her mind drifted into her scattered memories again.

"Welcome to the Green Beret Selection program. You have volunteered for the most intensive military training known to man. In spite of your expertise in the U.S. Army Forces or the rank you achieved in those forces, many of you will not successfully negotiate this program. Those that do will experience an operational tempo that far exceeds that of any unit within the U.S. Arsenal. I will now turn you over to my Command Master Chief…"

She stood at attention, her gaze focused straight ahead as the Command Master Chief addressed her and the rest of the recruits. She knew she was the youngest of the recruits, at the tender age of 20 while the next youngest recruit was 22 years old. She had enlisted in the army when she was 17, serving her required 3 years of military training and reaching the rank of corporal. When her direct superior had recommended her for the Green Berets, she had accepted without question, even though some were cautious because of her age and status as a female.

She knew this wasn't going to be easy, as the only woman in the recruits and she also knows that no other female has managed to complete the training for the Green Berets. She just knew that she wasn't going to give up and that she was going to give her everything to complete this training. Joining the military was her way of escaping the orphanage and the people who didn't understand her or even try to. It was a outlet for her anger and violence, but it also taught her discipline and patience, something which she was truly grateful for.

Despite the difficulties and hardships she experienced during her service, she also made friends that she knew would stay for life, men that she would and had trusted with her life. She could see the subtle glances the men threw at her as she stood among her and though she felt irritation at the thought of having to prove herself worthy to be there once again, she also looked forward to showing these men that it was dangerous to underestimate her.

Anamika sighed, she couldn't remember everything about her training, mostly pain, exhaustion and more pain, with harsh voices shouting and insulting her on long, cold nights. She vaguely remembers graduating, becoming part of the Green Berets, though she doesn't remember how long that was before the start of the Apocalypse. Seeing as she estimated her age to be in her late thirties, she assumed she served for more than 10 years, probably closer to 15 years. She has no memories of anything other than the military and assumed it had been her entire life.

Well, except for the last set of memories she had.

A set of memories that was vaguer than the rest and more scattered. It seems as if she entered an experimental program that was sponsored by the military, but what that program entailed, she couldn't say. She remembered lots of people in lab coats, a Sergeant Major of the Army and numerous tests. She remembers harsh lights, needles, intensive training, but… she couldn't remember what the point of it all was. She guessed it didn't matter now, this far into the Apocalypse.

Sighing, she returned her gaze to the cross next to her, reaching out and gently dragging her finger over the wood. A flash of red colored her vision and she blinked, realizing she was smiling. She had no idea why she would be smiling, albeit sadly, or why the color red entered her thoughts. She didn't remember this man, but maybe it's just because Sasha had told her she wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him, wasn't for Abraham.

"Hey." She looked up, seeing Glenn crouched across from her, his kind eyes studying her. She straightened, leaning back on her hands as she straightened her legs.

"Hey."

"Look, I know this must be overwhelming and that you don't know us, but I just wanted you to know that if you ever need something, you can come to me, even if it's just to talk. For us, you're family." Anamika smiled, a warmth filling her at Glenn's words. She couldn't help but believe his sincere words and even though she felt like a stranger in her own body, knowing that these people cared for her really helped her feel less lost.

"Thanks Glenn. I'm a bit lost, to be honest. It's hard to believe the Apocalypse started and that the dead are walking. Seems a bit unreal." Glenn observed her for a moment, before he slapped his hands on his knees and stood, smiling.

"Alright, how about I take you outside the walls. Not far, just to show you what you're facing. I know you're still not entirely recovered, but I'll be there and you won't have to fight at all if you don't want to."

Excitement filled her body and though she knew it probably wasn't the right response to being told her life was going to be placed in danger by dead people trying to eat her soon, she couldn't help but feel restless and excited to get outside the walls. She jumped up, pausing for a moment to steady herself as her body trembled, but she eagerly followed Glenn. She stood by impatiently as he talked to Maggie and accepted the bolo machete Sasha handed her, that was apparently hers. It felt right in her hand and she swung it around a few times, her entire body relaxing as she did. She realized she was smiling again and that people were watching her, so she straightened her expression and followed Glenn out the gates, walking along the walls until they reached the woods.

"There's bound to be a walker somewhere, but we might have to move a bit further out, as the patrols try to make the surrounding area walker free." Anamika nodded and followed the korean man, her eyes flitting about the woods. The longer they walked, the more relaxed her body became, till muscles she didn't even know were tense loosened. She was once again sure this wasn't the appropriate response, but being in the nature like this just felt right.

Glenn was speaking quietly, telling her all about her group, describing the various members and telling stories. She felt a smile tugging at her lips and heard a faint giggle as he talked about Judith, the apple of everyone's eye, including hers apparently. She could feel a chill racing down her spine and smell baked goods when he talked about Carol, which she thought was an odd reaction, but decided not to dwell on it. Her fingers twitched with a ghost sensation of soft hair under them as he laughingly told her about all the trouble Carl got into the last two years and how it probably took years off Rick's life expectancy.

A pair of incredibly intense blue eyes flashed in her mind as he spoke of their fearless leader Rick and how she, along with Daryl, had basically become Rick's second in command. She felt vaguely reassured at the feelings his stories inspired, knowing now for certain she didn't completely lose her memories as just hearing about them inspired these feelings and flashes. Yet when he spoke about Daryl, all she could see in her thoughts was a green feathered bolt, clutched in her hands. She thought she would have a bigger reaction for a man she supposedly loved, but before she could think on it further, she heard a sound to her left.

Stopping, she automatically crouched down, vaguely aware of Glenn having followed her example, her ears straining to hear more. She soon heard a sort of moaning, grunting sound and she frowned, trying to find the source. Glancing towards Glenn, she met his eyes and saw him mouthing something at her.

Walker

She nodded, standing up and walking in the direction the moaning was coming from, as it didn't seem to be moving closer. It wasn't long before she saw the dead person and she paused, observing the creature in front of her. Calling it a person wouldn't be entirely true anymore, she guessed. The walker was missing both it's legs from the knees down and she could see the bone sticking out. It's flesh was so decomposed its guts were spilling out as it dragged itself forward. There was almost no flesh on the lower jaw and she could clearly see the rotting teeth as it gnashed them at her. Crouching down, she cocked her head, not worried as it tried to reach her. By the pace it was going, it would take a few minutes to reach her, giving her enough time to observe it.

"You said they only die from a head wound?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm." Standing, she strode over, kicking the walker in the jaw onto it's back. She supposed it used to be a middle aged man, but now it was just a rotting monster. Bringing her machete down, she easily sliced both its arms off and planted her boot on the middle of its chest, keeping it in place despite its struggles. She took a deep breath, shaking of the slight dizziness that came with her sudden movements, before she bent down. Holding her hand above the creatures face, she slowly moved her hand slowly from side to side, seeing the dead milky eyes slowly follow the movement, though not the entire way before it returned to her face as the walker snarled. Taking her machete, she made a small cut on her finger, barely bigger than a bad papercut and immediately the walker's struggles increased as it snapped its teeth.

So, that meant they had eyesight, but it didn't seem to be very good and their concentration was practically non-existent, but their sense of smell was very good. The walker had immediate;y smelt fresh blood and responded to it.

"What are you doing?" Glenn asked, his voice anxious as he hovered next to her.

"I'm just trying to see their reflexes etc." Glenn nodded, biting his lip as he frowned.

"Makes sense. This one is quite decomposed, its reflexes would be more sluggish compared to a fresh walker." Anamika nodded and turned her attention back to the walker. Though she trusted Glenn and the others' words, she also wanted to see for herself how these walkers had to be killed, even though it was obvious they're not alive anymore. Stabbing her machete where she instinctively knew the heart to be, she watched as it didn't even twitch, didn't seem to realize there was a machete stuck in it's chest. Next, she beheaded it and watched as the body fell still, but the head continued to gnash its teeth at her. Finally, she stabbed her machete through it's rotting forehead and the groaning moans finally fell silent.

She stepped back, flicking the gore off her blade and wiping it on the grass.

"Well...Now I ha-" Her head shot up as more moans filled her ears and by the way Glenn tensed, he heard them as well. She automatically listened and counted and thought she could hear five sets of moans and shuffling feet. Crouching down, she held up one fist as a signal to wait for Glenn as she scanned their surroundings.

Looking at her companion, she saw his determined gaze and nodded, holding up five fingers and pointing to her 3 o' clock with two fingers. Flicking her fingers to herself and to her right, she motioned for Glenn to go left and then crept through the underbrush, searching for the walkers she could so clearly hear. Finally, she spotted them and she crouched behind a tree, peeking around and seeing that there were five, just as she thought. When she saw Glenn behind a tree on the other side of the group of walkers, she held up three fingers, slowly counting down. When her last finger dropped, she jumped out from behind the tree, immediately slicing through the head of the closest walker.

One part of her mind was keeping tabs on Glenn's situation, making sure he was alright, but mainly she was focused on dispatching the dead people in front of her. She kicked the next walker down and knelt on one leg as she stabbed the machete through its head. The slight displacement of air behind her and the shadow that fell over her caused her to immediately dive over the walker she just stabbed, rolling, turning and coming up in a crouch as she evaded the walker that tried to ambush her from behind.

However, she had forgotten that she was still recovering and the next moment, her vision spotted and her body swayed as her head pounded. She could hear the walker, but couldn't see it reliably and couldn't focus as she felt like throwing up. She fell back, her body collapsing back as nausea welled up in her throat, followed by fear, as she couldn't protect herself like this.

"Anna!" Blinking, she saw Glenn's knife stabbing through the walker's ear, the creature collapsing as she lifted a trembling hand to her forehead. Glenn knelt in front of her, his hand on her back as his other cupped her face.

"Hey, you alright? It didn't get you right?"

"Ugh, no, I'm good. Just, stupid head, didn't exactly agree with my mad G.I. Jane skills." Glenn chuckled, sitting back and patting her shoulder.

"I imagine not, you just woke up. Maybe it was a bit early to bring you out here."

"No, I appreciate it. I wanted to see what you guys were talking about and… it feels right out here."

She couldn't quite understand the smile Glenn gave her, the cheeky tilt to his mouth, but she just rolled her eyes as he commented on her and Daryl being two peas in a pod. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, trying to get rid of her wooziness.

"You sure you're good?"

"Yeah, just need to rest for a bit, stabilize myself. Give me ten minutes."

It took them twenty minutes before they started making their way back, as she waited for the worst of the pounding in her skull to die down before standing, nodding her head to let Glenn know she was fine now. He kept a close eye on her as they made their way back, but she felt fine, other than a faint headache that she could probably ask Dr. Carson something for it. When they arrived back at the Hilltop, they had been gone for a little more than a hour and Maggie was waiting for them.

Glenn immediately went to his wife, smiling as he put his arm around her. Anamika waived off Maggie's concerns about her headache, saying she's just going to pop in by Dr. Carson to get a Tylenol or something, before she was going to go lie down for a nap. The woman nodded, smiling and Anamika smiled back before she left them.

Dr. Carson was more than happy to give her two Tylenol and she swallowed them down with a glass of water. Breathing out slowly, she rubbed her forehead and sat in silence for ten minutes, her shoulders relaxing as her headache slowly died down to a dull echo in the back of her mind. Dr. Carson had left to go get some food and she reckoned now would be a perfect time to catch a short nap. She was just about to lie down, when she heard the sound of a engine coming closer. Frowning, she sat up, hearing the people outside scrambling around and making a general commotion.

Standing, she could hear Enid calling out to Maggie and Glenn, her voice excited and Anamika opened the door to the trailer as she heard the gates to the community opening. The sound of the engine was overpowering now and she soon saw it belonged to a motorcycle. There were two men on the motorcycle, the one getting off first wearing a trench-coat and blocking her from seeing the other man clearly.

Walking down the steps, she tried to figure out what was going on. Maggie, Glenn and Sasha were gathered around the two men that had arrived, talking excitedly and hugging them, while Enid stood back smiling at the group. She cocked her head to the side when Glenn looked up, seeing her and smiling widely. He turned back to the man she still couldn't see clearly, saying something to him and gesturing towards her.

It was like the red sea parting, the way the people standing between her and the mystery man stepped to the side, giving her a clear view of the man. Brilliant blue eyes peeked at her from under dirty brown strands of hair and she felt like she received a blow to her chest as she stumbled to a stop. She couldn't move her body as a strange emotion swept through her, filling every corner of her. She felt short of breath and her eyes burned, though she couldn't say why.

She saw the man freeze, his entire body trembling just like hers, though she still didn't understand her reaction or even his. She couldn't think on it either, as all her attention was on the man now getting off the bike and walking towards her, then jogging, then running.

He barreled into her, lifting her off her feet as his arms wrapped around her like steel bands, his face tucked into her neck as he squeezed her to him. Instead of struggling and shouting, she found her own arms wrapping around him, her own face nestling into his neck. She strangely didn't mind the smell of sweat, dirt and unwashed body as she breathed in deeply and she realized distantly that she was crying, but that was alright because he was crying as well. Her heart seemed to crack open and spill over, making her feel light and warm, as if a fire was lit inside her and this man was the fuel to it.

She still didn't know who he was, though she could guess by his and her reaction. She didn't miraculously remember him and her memories of him were still missing. But though she couldn't remember who he was or how she knew him, one thing did become clear to her when she had first seen him, when she wrapped her arms around him and clung to him, crying.

She loved this man like she had never loved anyone else before.

WD

So, what did you think? I struggled a fair bit with this reunion scene, since I couldn't decide if she would get all her memories back when she saw Daryl or only remember him or nothing at all. I hope you guys liked what I decided to go with in the end. Next chapter will have a Daryl PoV from him escaping to arriving at Alexandria to seeing her, so you have that to look forward to. Also, did you guys catch the movie bit I copied and pasted basically?