Anna lay in bed, the covers wrapped around her body. She stared at the darkened ceiling, waiting for her body to relax. Daryl was fast asleep, his breathing slow and steady. She envied him.
A pounding at the door sent a jolt through Anna. She and Daryl jumped out of bed as the pounding continued. Anna threw her clothes on and rushed out of the bedroom, grabbing her gun from atop the dresser. As she raced down the hallway, Jessie stumbled out of his room, pulling on a boot while hopping forward.
She tore the front door open to see Abraham's imposing figure standing in the doorway, his fist poised to continue his attack on the blue wood.
"What the hell is going on?" Anna asked, squinting up at him.
"The Messiah has risen," Abraham huffed.
"The fuck?"
"That Jesus dude. He's gone," he elaborated. "So, turn your shirt around and let's go. Where's lover boy?"
Anna looked down and saw that her shirt was, in fact, on backwards.
"How long's he been gone?" Daryl asked as he approached, pulling his vest on. Jessie was right behind him, standing straight now that he had both shoes on.
"Not a clue," Abraham said, leading them down the porch steps. "Tobin went in to check on him and saw he'd pulled a Houdini."
Anna pulled her arms into her shirt and spun it around her torso as she bounded down the steps after the three long-legged men.
"So, any idea where our resurrected friend went? Or how he got out?" Jessie asked.
"By the grace of God. Shit, we don't know," Abraham grumbled.
"Rick know yet?' Daryl asked.
"Not yet, on the way there now," Abraham assured.
They rushed down the street, other Alexandrians doing their own search of the town for the missing man.
As they neared Rick's house, the four met up with Glenn and Maggie and saw that the front door was open. They sprinted across the lawn and up the porch stairs, bursting through the front door. On the upstairs landing, they could see Carl holding a gun to Jesus's head. The group bounded for the stairs and aimed their guns as well.
"It-it's okay," Michonne assured at the sight of them.
"You said we should talk," Rick said, looking to Jesus. "So, let's talk."
"So, how'd you get out?" Rick asked as the group gathered around the dining table. Anna sat beside Glenn, analyzing the stranger in front of her.
"One guard can't cover two exits," Jesus started. "Or third floor windows. Knots untie and locks get picked. Entropy comes from order, right?"
"Right," Daryl said, hovering over the man with a gun in his hand.
"I checked out your arsenal," Jesus said, adjusting his posture. "I haven't seen anything like that in a long time," he praised. "You're well-equipped, but your provisions are low. Very low for the amount of people you have. 54?"
"More than that," Maggie corrected.
"Well," Jesus said. "I appreciate the cookie. My compliments to the chef."
"Yeah, she ain't here," Daryl snapped.
"Look, we got off to a bad start," Jesus said, looking between Daryl and Rick. "But we're on the same side—the living side. You and Rick had every reason to leave me out there, but you didn't." He turned to the rest of the group. "I'm from a place that's a lot like this one. Part of my job is searching out other settlements to trade with. I took your truck because my community needs things, and both of you looked like trouble. I was wrong. You're good people. And this is a good place. I think our communities may be in a position to help each other."
"Do you have food?" Glenn asked.
"We've started to raise livestock. We scavenge, we grow. Everything from tomatoes to sorghum."
"And why should we believe you?" Anna asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'll show you," Jesus said. "If we take a car, I can take you back home in a day, and you can all see for yourselves who we are and what we have to offer."
"Wait," Maggie interjected. "You're looking for more settlements. You mean you're already trading with other groups?"
Jesus leaned back in his chair and gave them all a knowing smile.
"Your world's about to get a whole lot bigger."
Anna re-checked her pack as she walked to the door, making sure she had everything she needed.
"You ready?" She called as she paused at the front door.
Jessie appeared from the hall, a pack and rifle slung over his shoulder.
"Let's go," he said, grabbing her stick from beside the door and handing it to her. "Don't forget this."
Anna took hold of it after slinging her pack over her shoulder. She wondered if, for this mission, she should switch it out for a rifle. But she reminded herself that this was meant to be peaceful, and she still had her 9mm.
With a final nod, they exited the house and started down the street.
"You're sure you want to go?" Jessie asked.
"I'm sure," Anna said firmly. "I've been locked away long enough."
"You did that to yourself," Jessie pointed out.
"I know. It's just—" she took a breath. "It's just what I needed to do. I'm good now," she assured.
"Are you?"
"I'm here, aren't I?" Anna huffed.
"Let's chew up some asphalt!" Abraham called, climbing into the RV.
Jessie climbed in after him, followed by Rick, Michonne, Jesus, Glenn, and Maggie. Anna paused at the door as Daryl approached.
"Ya bringin' that with ya everywhere now?" He asked, gesturing to her stick.
"It's an option," Anna shrugged.
Daryl shook his head and gestured for her to enter the RV. She walked up the steps and took a seat towards the back; Daryl sat beside her.
The engine roared to life and Rick hit the gas, pulling them out of the gates and down the road.
As they travelled, Anna looked at the RV wall, where bullet holes were scattered. She ran her fingers over the holes. They were there because Morgan had refused to kill those people. She wondered if she'd be able to make the same kind of choice.
"So why do they call you Jesus?"
Anna turned her head to look between her brother and Jesus.
"I guess because they think I look like him," Jesus shrugged.
"Jesus wasn't white," Anna blurted out. causing everyone in the RV to look at her. "He wasn't," she insisted. "He was born in Bethlehem, which is in Palestine."
"Look, I didn't choose the nickname," Jesus said, raising his hands in surrender. "They called me that 'cause I have long hair and a beard. My real name is Paul."
"What would you rather be called?" Anna asked, tilting her head to the side. "It's not a trap," she assured. "I'd just rather call you by what you prefer."
"Honestly? I don't really care, I'll answer to either," he said.
"I'm calling you Paul," Anna declared, nodding definitively. "If only for Jimmy Neutron."
"Who the hell is Jimmy Neutron?" Daryl asked.
"It was a cartoon I used to watch," Anna explained. "After the end credits this three-eyed monkey would show up in front of a tropical backdrop and say 'Hi, I'm Paul,'" she said, mimicking the monkey's voice as best she could.
Glenn laughed, "I remember that!"
"Did you ever see that cop at the end of American Dad?" Anna asked, scooting forward to address Glenn.
"Bye! Have a beautiful time!" She, Glenn, and Jessie all said in unison.
"This some kind of cult shit?" Daryl grumbled.
"No, I remember the American Dad one," Abraham said, holding up his index finger.
"Cartoons? Maybe Carl watched them," Rick mused.
"I hope he didn't watch American Dad," Anna said quickly. "That one wasn't really… appropriate for little kids."
"Yeah, lots of adult themes," Jessie agreed.
"In a cartoon?" Rick asked.
"Adults can enjoy cartoons," Michonne said.
"I remember when you wanted to be an animator," Jessie said, looking to Anna.
"Really?" Maggie asked. "Were you any good at drawing?"
"I was alright. I preferred writing over drawing the same thing over a thousand times in slightly different positions just to get one minute of animation."
"Jesus," Abraham said.
"Yes?" Paul asked.
Everyone snorted in laughter. As it died down, Rick came to a squealing halt.
"Yo, Rick. What's goin' on?" Daryl asked, pushing the blinds aside to peer out the window.
"We got a crash ahead," Rick announced. "Looks like it just happened."
"It's one of ours," Paul said, looking out the front window.
Everyone spilled out of the RV and gathered around the overturned car; walkers were caught in the wheels.
"If this is a trick, it won't end well for you," Rick warned Paul.
"My people are in trouble. They don't—" Paul huffed. "We don't have a lot of fighters. I know how it looks, but I'll play it out. Can I borrow a gun?"
"No," Daryl snapped. "We got tracks right here."
The group followed the tracks all the way to an office building. Rick beat his fist against the glass door, holding his Python out in front of him.
"They gotta be in there," Paul said.
"We movin' in or what?" Abraham asked.
"How do we know this ain't firecrackers in a trash can?" Daryl sneered.
"You don't," Paul sighed.
"We'll get your people," Rick assured. "You're stayin' here with one of us."
Paul turned to Michonne, hoping for some back up.
"That's the deal," she said.
"Will you stay?" Glenn asked, walking over to Maggie as the rest of the group gathered to enter the building.
"Yeah. Y'all go. Just be careful," Maggie said as Rick handcuffed Paul.
"Yeah, we're gonna be careful."
"Just hurry," Paul said.
"Anna, you stay here too," Glenn said.
Anna went to protest before he stepped closer to her.
"Please," he said. "I don't want her out here alone."
Anna glanced between Paul and Maggie before looking back to Glenn and nodding her agreement.
"You hear me whistle, shoot him," Rick instructed.
"I will," Maggie assured.
One by one, the rest of the group filed into the building, weapons drawn.
Anna leaned against her stick, much the way Morgan usually did, and kept her eyes on their surroundings while Maggie watched Paul.
"You guys are going to like Hilltop, you'll see," Paul said, cutting into the quiet.
Anna glanced at him before looking away.
"You two aren't much for small talk, are you?" He asked.
"Not much to talk about," Maggie said. "Not until the others get back."
"They'll be back," Paul insisted. "This isn't a trap."
"If it were, would you tell us?" Anna asked, watching as a walker shambled out of the woods on the other side of the road.
"That's fair," Paul relented. "You've just gotta trust me."
"Trust a stranger," Anna snorted. "Okay."
Anna started towards the walker, adjusting the stick in her hand as she neared. With one fluid motion, Anna slashed the stick through the air and across the walkers' face, knocking it to the ground before running the end of the stick through its eye socket. The walker taken care of, Anna returned to Maggie and Paul.
"I was wondering what that stick was for," Paul said.
The sound of a door opening pulled their attention back to the office building as the others filed out alongside four strangers. Maggie lowered her gun and Rick undid Paul's handcuffs.
"We got your people. Now let's get to Hilltop," Rick said.
The rest of the trip was uneventful. Anna sat squished between Daryl and Jessie as the RV was filled to capacity. She glanced around at the Hilltop survivors, taking note of their shaken but overall steady demeanor—aside from one.
"You okay, Freddie?" Paul asked the man who seemed to be staring at nothing.
Freddie shook his head and cleared his throat.
"For a second back there, just when I thought he was gonna—" he glanced at Abraham before looking away. "I saw my wife. She died before all this," his voice broke as he spoke. "Just when I thought it was over, there she was," he laughed. "Clear as day."
Anna looked sidelong at Daryl, who didn't seem to be paying much attention to the conversation.
The RV came to a stop and Rick revved the engine.
"Damn it," Rick said. "A storm must've passed through. We're stuck."
"No worries," Paul assured. "We're here."
Paul led the group out of the RV.
"That's us," he said as everyone stared up at the imposing wall. "That's the Hilltop."
He gestured to the looming wall at the top of the hill. The group admired it for a moment before following Paul and his people to the front gates.
"Stop right there!"
Anna froze, her hand reaching for her gun. The others raised their weapons and aimed at the two men standing on either side of the front gate. She had to look twice before realizing they were holding spears, not rifles.
"Whoa!" Paul called, standing between them and holding out his hands.
"You gonna make us?" Daryl asked.
"Jesus, what the hell is this?" One man asked.
"Open the gates, Cal. Freddie's hurt," Paul said before turning to Rick. "Look, sorry about these guys. They get antsy standing up there all day doing nothing."
He said the last bit mockingly and loud enough for the guards to hear.
"They give up the weapons. Then we'll open the gates," Cal said.
"Why don't you come down here and get 'em?" Daryl taunted.
"Gentlemen—" Dr. Harlan interrupted, stepping forward. "Look, we vouch for these people, alright? They saved us out there."
"Lower the spears," Paul ordered.
"Look, I'm not takin' any chances," Rick said. "Tell your guy Gregory to come out here."
"No," Paul snapped. "Don't you see what just happened? I'm letting you keep your guns," he insisted. "Look, we ran out of ammo months ago. I like you people. I trust you. Trust us," he said, glancing at Anna before turning back to the gates. "Open the gates, Cal."
The two men disappeared and, after a moment, the gates began to squeal as they slowly swung open. Everyone lowered their weapons and followed Paul inside.
Anna's scanned their surroundings. Hilltop looked as though someone had mashed a medieval village and a modern trailer park together and dropped the results on a colonial mansion. As they walked further up the hill, a chicken ran past her feet.
"There was a materials yard for a power company nearby. That's how we put up the walls," Paul explained. "A lot of people came from a FEMA camp. Trailers came with them."
Anna recalled the FEMA camp they'd visited in Atlanta, and a shiver ran up her spine.
"How did people find out about this place?" Michonne asked.
Paul turned to the colonial mansion.
"That's called Barrington House. The family that owned it gave it to the state in the '30s. The state turned it into a living history museum. Every elementary school for fifty miles used to come here for field trips." He shrugged. "The place was running a long time before the modern world built up around it. I think people came here because they figured it'd keep running after the modern world broke down." He pointed at the dome at the top of the house. "Those windows up there let us see for miles in every direction. It's perfect for security. Come on. I'll show you inside."
Upon entry, Anna's eyes widened. It was indeed a piece of living history. She had that familiar urge to look at every piece of furniture and decoration and admire the woodwork—an urge she hadn't had since she was in school.
"Good gracious, Ignatius," Abraham said from beside her.
"Most of the rooms have been converted to living spaces," Paul said. "Even the ones that weren't bedrooms."
"People live here and the trailers?" Rick asked.
"We plan to build. There's babies being born," he said.
Anna glanced at Maggie and Glenn.
A set of double doors to her left swung open to admit an older, balding man in business attire. He did not look like a man who liked dirt.
"Jesus. You're back," he said, sounding almost surprised. "With guests." He stepped out of what looked like an office, followed by a short young woman with deep red hair holding a book.
"Everyone, this is Gregory," Paul introduced. "He keeps the trains running around here."
"I'm the boss," Gregory elaborated.
"And that's Emma. She keeps Gregory running," Paul said, pointing to the woman.
Emma waved, but said nothing.
"Well, I'm Rick. We have a community—"
"Why don't y'all go get cleaned up, hmm?" Gregory interrupted.
"We're fine," Rick assured, a clip to his voice.
"Jesus will show you where you can get washed up. Then come back down here when you're ready," Gregory went on, almost ignoring Rick. "It's hard to keep this place clean."
Rick stared at him for a moment.
"Yeah," Rick finally said. "Sure."
"Follow me," Jesus said, leading them up the stairs.
Anna took up the back of the line, wanting to take in everything as much as she could. As she finally started up the stairs, Anna glanced behind her to see Gregory and Emma speaking in hushed voices. A knot of anxiety formed in her chest, and she gripped her stick a little tighter.