++++++ I do not own the Walking Dead or any affiliated characters apart from my OC. All rights belong to Kirkman and AMC ++++++
Forty-Nine
In the morning the campsite was busy as heck with everyone packing up and the kids running around everywhere. They'd become good at dismantling a whole campsite in less than thirty minutes and packing everyone up in the small convoy we had amassed.
True to my word, we reached the outskirts of the prison that afternoon. Stopping the convoy, myself, Lucas, Andrew and a couple of the others who'd stepped up as soldiers came with me on foot to approach the prison. I wasn't going to have another Governor situation on our hands.
Besides, if they turned us away then we could just as easily lie and say the prison was overrun then move on somewhere else.
With my bow in hand and an arrow notched and ready to go, we made our way through the bushes, breaking out near the fence where we'd come in a long time ago. I froze for a second, the place had certainly beefed up on security. Where the front gate had been was now replaced with two heavy metal doors surrounded by heavy spikes that had been pushed into the ground. I could see a proper farm going on, crops, pigs…man it was perfect.
"PJ?" Lucas frowned.
"Cous?" Andrew spoke up. "Cous…this is perfect…they can't turn us away."
"Lucas, Andrew, with me," I replied. "The rest of you…stay here."
The three of us broke from the others and ran over to the prison fence. We could hear someone shouting in the distance but I ignored it as my eyes swept backwards and forwards, looking for our original entrance into the prison.
Then I found it.
I pushed my bow and the arrow into Lucas's hands and started to work on the wire that was holding the fence together.
More shouting.
Once it was unravelled, Andrew and Lucas climbed through the gap, I followed. Andrew fixed the wire on the fence then the three of us headed to the gate.
"ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY!" came a sudden shout. It was Matthew. He ran down the road and crashed into both me and Andrew. "I ALMOST SHOT YOU!"
"Still a loud mouth asshole, I see," Andrew grinned as they hugged.
"You found them!" Matthew grinned, hugging me. "Anyone else alive?" He looked so hopeful that it would be more than just us. Our family had been so big but now it's all gone to hell.
I shook my head. "Alicia, the girls, Andrew…rest of the place was torn apart. Grandma Ruth got bit…I put her down…" Not one of my proudest moments…we couldn't even bury her. I looked around, "I need to see Rick…we've got twenty people at least, one's heavily pregnant and we've got kids."
"It don't work like that anymore," Matthew told me. "There's a council…we've been taking in people left and right. Who's the kid?"
"I'm not a kid!" Lucas argued, puffing out his chest and trying to look taller and bigger. "Name's Lucas."
Matthew laughed. "Really? First name, last name."
"Oh grow up," I laughed. "I've been teaching Lucas everything I know. He's a good kid, listens. You could learn a thing or two from him." We walked up the path towards the courtyard. It was amazing how much had changed. Everything was coming up good.
"You've been gone almost three months," Matthew spoke. "A lot of things have changed. Rick and Ebony never lost faith that you'd come back, both were pissed but after a long time-people have a tendency to think you're dead. Carl got pretty angry when Daryl and Ebony were arguing about it…man they're gonna crap themselves."
"Charming," I frowned.
"The council is in the library," Matthew spoke. "Andrew and Lucas can stay outside." I nodded at the two and they fell behind leaving me and Matthew alone. "FYI-it gets pretty loud in there sometimes. Rick, Herschel, Daryl, Glenn, Sasha, Carol and Ebony get loud in there sometimes."
"Ebony's on a council?" I laughed. "She lets people talk?"
"We don't argue with crazy pregnant lady," Matthew laughed.
"Speaking of," I frowned, "we got a lot of vitamins and medicine needed for pregnant women. Jason-one of the guys I picked up is a doctor so he knew what to get."
"How did you get that?" Matthew asked.
"We swept through a hospital," I shrugged. "Lost two guys doing it but we needed medical supplies. Risky plan but it had to be done." We passed by lots of people in the cell blocks, a few kids, they had gathered some people to their side-some I recognised from Woodbury. Eventually we found the library, the door was shut but inside we could hear loud talking.
"Stay here," Matthew ordered.
"You're on the council?" I asked.
Matthew nodded and headed on in.
"Where've you been?" Daryl asked.
"Tea and scones," Matthew replied. "I was on my way-we got a group seeking refuge. Around twenty. Handful of able soldiers, couple kids, a doctor and some pregnant chick. Couple of 'em made their way into the prison."
I waited patiently.
"Is their leader with you?" Herschel questioned.
"Little Red!" Matthew called.
I shook my head and walked in. "You haven't called me that since I was seventeen."
"And you got arrested for drunk driving," Matthew grinned.
Ebony screamed and bounced out of her chair like a jack rabbit, practically bowling me over and simultaneously breaking my ribs at the same time. "I knew you were alive you selfish bitch!"
"Well hello to you to," I laughed.
"Look at your hair!" Ebony grinned, refusing to let me. "It's long! Oh my God you're back! Oh my God! Jade's gonna be so happy! Oh my God you're back!"
"Don't cry Eb's," I sniffed.
"You're crying first!" she argued. "Bitch."
"Jerk," I retorted back. I tried to wipe my eyes but my traitorous tear ducts weren't listening to me.
"It's good to see you again," Herschel nodded from his seat at the table.
I was getting mixed feelings from pretty much everyone. Some were happy, others were giving off an angry vibe and then for me there was Rick. He sat there at the table looking at me like I was some kind of mirage or illusion or even a nightmare. I stared at him. "What's going on in that head of yours?"
Rick stood up. "Just one thing."
"Yeah?" I asked.
"You staying for good?" he inquired. "You just up and left us...me, Carl…Judith…everyone else." Rick crossed the room so that there was only inches between us. It was hard to tell if he was going to be happy or yell at me.
"Where else would I go?" I frowned. "This is my home…still…I hope. Look." I ran my hands through my hair and sighed. "If you want us to go, we'll go. I had no illusions about being welcomed back in the first place. Hell-if it's me you hate then send me on my way, just take in the group. They need hope and it's all but taped dry."
Silence.
Rick looked over at Herschel and the old man nodded. "Wait outside," I was told.
That never sounds good.
I walked slowly outside and leant against the wall opposite the door as it was slammed in my face.
"PHIL! PHIL!" Lucas shouted, running up the corridor.
"What?" I answered.
"It's Hayley!" he gasped, struggling for air. "Doc says her water's broke-she's gonna pop like now. They're at the gate in the Tucson."
"She's only seven months," I objected, pushing off the wall.
"Don't shoot the messenger," Lucas argued.
I bit my bottom lip and groaned loudly. The council was still debating over me but I'd made the decision. I let myself into their meeting room. "You're letting them in," I growled at the council. "Hayley's water broke and Doc says she's gotta give birth now. She dies you're gonna have worse than the Governor on your hands," I warned.
Matthew stared at me. "Whoa, PJ."
"Well?" I frowned.
"Let them in," Herschel nodded. "Cell block D is empty."
I didn't wait for them to change their mind. "Let's go Lucas!" I yelled.
The two of us ran down the corridor and into the sunlight.
