"You're going to go?" Carl frowned slightly, brows crinkling with worry at his father's words as he bounced slightly, holding Judith and keeping her moving.
Rick nodded, looking surprised. "...yeah. I thought that you'd come, too."
Carl shook his head, shifting Judith to his other hip. "Nah. Someone has to look after her." he nodded towards his sister, brushing her soft banging from her powder blue eyes.
"Besides- it's not like they'd want to see a kid with a messed-up face anyways.".
"Let me come with you."
"Nah."
"Dad..."
"I said nah, and that's how it is!" Daryl said firmly, turning to look at her frustrated.
The anger drained from his expression when he saw her face. The way her eyes were dull with disappointment, the slight tremble in her hands.
"Don't you trust me?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"Yeah I trust you- it's these people I'm not sure about, we never been there before, hell, it could be Terminus all over again..."
"I can handle it. We can handle it. That's why you took me outside the walls, right? So I could keep learning, keeping going- you want me to survive, don't you?"
"Going outside the walls and meetin' new people are two totally different things, 'nd you know it."
"We can't just fight the dead anymore, Dad! We have to deal with other people now, too... If you want me to make it, I'm gonna have to learn how to deal with new people."
Daryl scowled at the ground, scuffing the heel of his boot on the pavement impatiently.
"You stay close to me, you got that?" he growled, his voice low.
Jamie nodded, green eyes meeting his own. Daryl threw out a hand, pointing towards the house. "Go get your gun."
She was off and running before he'd finished the sentence.
The RV rocked precariously back and forth as they carved their way through the chewed-up roads towards wherever this place was. Jesus was present enough, sitting on the padded bench and sometimes standing to lean on the driver's chair and give Abraham directions. They'd outlined the route on the map, but every now and then they hit a snag. Still, it was nothing compared to what they'd been through before, and they generally were re-working the route. It was nothing they couldn't handle.
Jamie sat in the back, pistol sitting idle in her lap as she stared out at the road they were leaving behind.
Daryl sat down beside Jesus, who smiled at him in that serene way he had.
"You have a daughter." he said, nodding to Jamie.
Daryl grunted. "So what if I do?" he growled, eyes flashing. He gave Jesus a look that said the man had best choose his next words carefully.
"Whoa there, don't take it the wrong way." Jesus sat back, putting his hands up defensively. "When I met you and Rick, you two looked... rough. Even once I knew you were goods people, I never really pegged you as a family man..."
"That kid is the whole world to me." Daryl said calmly, shooting a quick glance at Jamie. She didn't notice either of them, idly fingering her pistol with one hand while she gazed out the window. "And if your people try to hurt her, I will kill you."
Jesus nodded, seemingly unbothered by the statement. "I wouldn't blame you. But you don't have to worry about it. My people- they're good. I'm sorry, by the way. About your wife. Must've been hard on both of you."
Daryl looked over at Jesus for a moment, confused, before he laughed, a quick exhale over a smile.
"She ain't my blood daughter."
Jesus looked over, glancing from Jamie to Daryl, surprised. "But... your eyes."
"Yeah, we look alike. That was luck. We found her a couple months after everything fell apart. She was alone, scared- I was there, I guess. She could've had anyone in the whole camp raise her. Hell, Rick even thought about taking her in and raising her with Carl, but she chose me... Still have no idea why. But I don't regret it." Daryl glanced over at Jamie for a moment, looking distant. "For most people, their world fell apart when this whole thing started. The walkers- they took everything from them. But this world- it gave me Jamie. I wouldn't change that, even if I could. This world can take from you- but in my case, it gave me my everything."
Jesus nodded, looking solemn.
"That's an interesting way to look at it."
They sat in silence for a brief moment, but were interrupted when the RV had a particularly large bump in the road, before the wheels were spinning helplessly in the mud.
"We're stuck." Rick said calmly, ducking into the back of the RV.
Jesus smiled, looking out the windshield. "That's fine. We're here."
The wooden doors rattled as they swung open, revealing a surprisingly ancient looking settlement.
A few cows ambled lazily over the grass, chewing cud, while there was a water pump and several shacks built around one central, brick building. Men patrolled the walls carrying spears, and the women and people working in the yard looked up, surprised, at the new arrivals.
All Jamie could think about was how easy it would be for someone to set fire to the wooden walls. It was a major vulnerability- one hard to overlook- and it made her grateful for Alexandria and her metal paneled walls. She'd rather have a food shortage than flammable walls.
She caught the looks from mothers- the way children stared at her face. She knew the scar would stick out, but she couldn't find it within herself to care. With a new place and new people, it was hard to focus on what they thought of her.
"Nice place you got here." Daryl commented. Jesus simply nodded and smiled,. bringing them to the large brick house in the center.
"This place was a museum, before the shit hit the fan. This is the Barrington house." the heavy doors swung open, ushering them into a nicely furnished parlor. "Had everything we needed to survive."
Rick gave the room a quick once over, before he nodded. "Alright. When do we negotiate?"
Jesus smiled once again. "I can't negotiate. Unfortunately, the only one who can do that is Gregory. Gregory is a bit..." Jesus winced slightly. "Eccentric. But listen- we need weapons and ammo, and you need food. I think if you ignore his attitude, you might be able to make a deal."
An older man with pale green eyes, clad in a dress coat and pants, as well as a blue dress shirt, stepped into the room.
"Jesus- you're back." he didn't smile, rather, he looked out across the room, eyeing their guns warily "And you brought guests."
Jesus nodded. "Rick, this is Greg. He keeps the trains running on time around here."
Gregory nodded, stepping forward. "I'm the boss."
Rick nodded slightly, stepping forward. "Well I'm Rick. We have a community-"
"Why don't y'all go get cleaned up, hmm?" Gregory interrupted, waving a hand towards the upstairs. He looked them all over critically for a moment, nose wrinkling slightly in disgust. His eyes lingered for a moment on Jamie- on the scar just below her left eye. Jamie pulled her lips back from her teeth into a smile that doubled as a snarl, eyes burning, daring him to make a comment about it.
Rick noticed his gaze. and stepped to the side, intercepting Gregory's attention. "We're fine."
But Gregory paid him no attention, stepping forward and again motioning upstairs. "Jesus will show you where you can get washed up, 'nd you can come back down when you're ready."
He stepped closer to Rick, lowering his voice. "It's hard to keep this place clean." he admitted, as though he were telling Rick some sort of secret.
Rick simply pursed his lips and gave a strained nod. "Alright."
They filed up the stairs, Rick taking Maggie aside and telling her something quietly before he kept walking. Jesus was visibly uncomfortable with the exchange, but said nothing, simply leading them upstairs to a bedroom with a washroom off it.
Maggie washed up first before she was heading downstairs, with Rick and Michonne close behind. Jamie lingered in the hallway, and Jesus idly watched her examine the vase fo flowers on a table.
"No offense- but Gregory is an asshole." Jamie muttered, not meeting his eyes.
Jesus let out his breath slightly in an almost chuckle at her bluntness, smiling. "Like I said, he's... unique."
"He thinks we're filthy." Jamie looked up at him, sharp green eyes meeting his own pale blue ones. "Is that what you think of us, too?"
Jesus shook his head. "I think you have far more experience living outside the walls."
"You saw the way he looked at me. At my face."
Jesus sighed. "Don't take it personally. We don't have many kids around here- not as old as you, anyways. Mostly babies and toddlers. It's rare to see a teenager. I like the scar- it gives you character."
Jamie smiled slightly. "You always this full of bullshit?"
Jesus chuckled again. "Just trying to be nice."
Jamie shrugged. "If you haven't already figured it out, 'm not very good with people. I can handle the dead- but people are more complicated."
Jesus nodded his agreement.
Daryl stepped out of the bathroom, then, face still shining and bang slightly wet. "Jamie- I'll be downstairs. You stay with the group."
Jamie nodded, and Daryl was gone. Before he descended the stairs, though, he turned, giving Jesus a look. Watch her for me.
Jesus nodded imperceptibly, before Daryl turned and was gone.
Jesus cupped his chin, staring at the checker board of the library, perplexed. "I never would've pegged you to be a chess player." he admitted.
Jamie shrugged, quietly moving her pawn forward. "I used to play it a lot. We were camped out at this farm, and this guy- Dale- he had an RV and a chess board. Carl and I would play for hours when it rained."
Jesus nodded. "You're pretty good."
She smiled. "Thanks." she slid her bishop across the board, wordlessly taking his rook and putting his king in danger. "Check."
Jesus frowned, sliding one pawn two spaces forward in an attempt to block. There was a pawn behind it in place to take her bishop, but he hadn't anticipated her moving her bishop anyway, taking his pawn. "Check."
Jesus frowned, confused, before he used his pawn to take her bishop. He thought she'd made a mistake- she hadn't. With him appropriately distracted, she slid her rook across the board and into position. "Checkmate."
Jesus studied the board for a moment before he laughed. "Nice game."
"You too." she stood, peering out the window. "I should get going- my people are probably working downstairs. I should be with them."
Jesus frowned for a moment, but nodded. "Alright. But I want a rematch later."
"Sure. I can kick your ass again later."
"You're getting cocky." Jesus warned, though he looked thoroughly amused.
Jamie grinned. "I can afford to be. Chess is just a game- I played with a lot higher stakes." with that said she was gone, clambering downstairs, leaving Jesus alone with the chess board.
Everyone looked up as she made her way downstairs, ducking into the parlor.
"What's up?" she asked Rick, looking interested.
"Maggie's talking to him right now." Rick supplied.
Jamie nodded, crossing the room to stand beside Daryl at the window.
"How long she been in there?" she asked, keeping her voice low.
Daryl simply grunted in response, and she sighed. That meant things probably weren't going well.
Everyone in the parlor looked up when a rather sweaty looking man entered the house, and the door to the study swung open, Gregory looking at his man, concerned.
"They're back." was all the man said.
Gregory nodded, striding briskly out of the house, down the steps, and towards the entrance.
Rick frowned, motioning to Abraham, who followed. The entire group trailed out of the building after him.
The only people Gregory was approaching were three haggard looking survivors.
Gregory frowned. "Nathan- where are the others?"
"Dead."
Gregory looked surprised. "Negan?"
"Yeah." Nathan's eyes smoldered slightly.
Gregory cocked his head. "We had a deal."
"He said it wasn't enough." Nathan said.
The man in the back spoke up. "Was the drop light?"
"No." Gregory didn't look flustered by the question.
The only woman in the group spoke up. "They still have Craig."
Nathan stepped forward. "They said they'd keep him alive, return him to us, if I delivered a message to you."
"What is it?" Gregory's eyes were filled with confusion. He didn't even notice how Nathan stepped closer, didn't see the knife in his hand until it'd been plunged into his stomach. his eyes bugged out and he clutched his middle fruitlessly, mouth opening and closing like a fish in shock.
Michonne and Rick rushed forward, driving Nathan back.
"Get off of me! I have to!" Nathan screamed, swinging his knife madly. Rick blocked the blow, knocking the man to the ground and punching him. the man in the back dove forward, trying to attack Rick, but Abraham intercepted him.
The grappled in the dirt, the man rolling on top of Abraham, choking the life out of him.
Steel toe of a women's size eight boot in the man's ribs knocked the window from him and sent him sprawling. Abraham gasped for a moment, his eyes focusing in on Jamie before Daryl stepped forward, pushing her behind him and moving to help Abraham subdue his assailant.
Nathan had managed to get on top of Rick, pressing his bloodied knife to his neck. "Hey!" Glenn had his hand on the hilt of his own knife, but Nathan was beyond reasoning with.
"Stop! Anybody who tries to stop me is killing my brother!"
"Drop it." Michonne snarled from where she stood behind the man, hand on the hilt of her sword.
The sound of a gun cocking made everyone freeze. The women of the group had raised her gun in shaking hands and was pointing it at Michonne, eyes impossibly wide.
Jamie materialized behind the woman, her own pistol cocking as she moved.
"Drop it. Now."
The woman's mouth open and closed reflexively as she gasped for air- she was clearly terrified.
"Drop. The. Gun. I don't want to hurt you." She kept her voice quiet and steady, like she was talking to a frightened horse. The woman took a gasping breath, and let the gun fall from her hands. It landed uselessly in the dirt.
Rick- seeing all danger to Michonne was gone- lunged, plunging his own knife into Nathan's throat. Blood spilled out, crimson staining everything, and the woman behind Jamie let out a muffled scream at the sight, starting to fall forward.
Jamie wordlessly jammed her pistol into her holster, letting the hysterical woman lean against her.
"Close your eyes." was all she said. It was the only thing she could say, really- the man on Rick was dead, the woman was scared stiff, and the best thing she could do was not see it.
She herself simply looked on sadly and watched the life bleed out of the man.
It'd been a long time since she'd dealt with someone so used to hiding behind walls.