Next chapter guys and things are moving along. I'll tell you now, she doesn't meet Team Family in this one, but it's pretty darn close and she does meet another important character who's going to lead to her meeting Team Family;) Thanks for the favourites and follows, as well as to celia azul, lalilou10, Kaikitty165 and portalefiamme for reviewing!

Enjoy!

Chapter 8

The following week Anamika kept her guard up, constantly waiting for retaliation from Negan and the Saviors. However, it seemed like her message had worked, since no further people had come looking for her and she was left in peace. Though she had seen saviors here and there, they never seemed to be looking for her and the one time they had caught a glimpse of her, they had tucked tail and ran.

She had repacked her supplies into her truck that was hidden in the cave, only keeping the bare necessities in the truck she took from the saviors. Her truck would be her cache, while the savior's truck, quite a bit smaller and less secure than her own, would be the one she used for day to day stuff.

She was located near what, if the sign was to be believed, was called the Rappahannock River, though the water level was quite low these days as the heat of summer became more intense. She spent her days hunting, scavenging houses in the nearby town and just basically surviving each day.

She kept away from her hidden truck, only checking every now and then to make sure it was untouched, but she didn't want to lead someone there if they were watching her. Besides, she had made sure the area around her truck was rigged with traps and though it wasn't foolproof, it was enough to make her comfortable leaving it.

She fell into a routine, keeping to herself and living as comfortably as she could. Each night, she would lie on the hood of her acquired truck, looking at the sky and wondering, how it could have been, had she not been a monster. How she could have joined a group and made real connections. Maybe then, she wouldn't have this empty feeling inside her chest, this bleakness that invaded her life. She had a feeling that what she was missing was companionship, but couldn't be sure, as she never really experienced it before. If she wasn't a monster, perhaps she could join a group and live normally, or as normally as she could during the apocalypse.

Life went on, but it wasn't long after her attack on the saviors that another big change came. For the past week, she had felt eyes on the back of her neck, her hairs standing on end. She could never pinpoint where it came from, but she would find signs of people having set up camp or the marks of their passage through the brush, but it was always at least a few hours old. She didn't necessarily feel threatened, as the gaze didn't seem malevolent, but she was cautious of any stranger observing her and so she didn't go near the area she had stashed her truck and supplies, rather living off the land and scavenging new supplies with her stolen truck.

She had just hunted a squirrel and two rabbits and was poking a fire to get them cooked, when a twig snapped off to her left. She jumped up, her pistol held in front of her, when a man stepped from the brush, his hands held up. Immediately, a few things jumped out at her about this man.

He was smiling and she could see the kindness in his eyes, the genuine need to help people.

He was clean, impeccably so, his hair trimmed and his clothes free of the grime that came from living in the apocalypse, which told her he had a camp or community.

He was unarmed, as far as she could see except for one small pistol tucked in the pocket of his jacket, where she could see the outline resting. That alone told her he was an amateur, as getting the gun out of his pocket in a pinch would be difficult.

He was prey, weak and unused to living in what the world had become. She could see he had seen some horrors of this world, but he had been protected, as far as she could tell.

"Hello, my name is Aaron."

She kept quiet, her gun still pointed at him and she could see him licking his lips, fidgeting a bit at her unwelcoming silence.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I've come to tell you that I have a community, and I want to ask you to come back to audition for membership."

"Audition?" Her voice was rough, as it had been almost two weeks since she last spoke, but she couldn't stay quiet in the face of this man's words.

"I know, it sounds horrible, but that's the most accurate description. Our leader interviews any new members and see if they're a good fit for the community."

"You take the people you find to your community and let them inside for this… audition?" Aaron nodded, a smile starting on his face, before it fell as she scoffed and rolled her eyes, dropping her gun and sitting back down.

"That's the most stupid thing I've ever heard. And tell your partner hiding behind those trees to come out, it makes me nervous when he lurks in the dark. Might mistake him for the dead."

Aaron seemed surprised that she had noticed the other person who came with him, but after a moment of hesitation, he jerked his head towards her, signaling the other person it was ok to come out. Another man, with red hair and even kinder eyes emerged from the trees, his face open and friendly.

"Hi, I'm Eric."

"Anna." She grunted, turning her squirrel on a stick over, before doing the same to the bunnies. She watched as the men cautiously sat down on the ground, looking uncomfortable but hopeful.

"Why did you say it was a stupid thing to do? Don't you think we should have the… auditions?"

"Oh no, the screening process is most definitely needed, what is stupid is that you take them to your community and let them inside before you do it. Anyone could come in and then they know where you are located. Tell me, what do you do if your leader decides the person or persons aren't a good fit for the community?"

Aaron nodded, as if he understood her point and he shifted forward as he answered her.

"Well, Eric and I do some observing before we invite people back to the community, to see if they're the type of people we need at the community." Well, at least she knows for sure it had been these men who watched her the past week, which had her relaxing a bit, as they seemed harmless.

"However, if it happens that we invited someone back and they don't fit in, we… well, we take their weapons and drive them out far and leave them. We-we exile them and we all know that's basically a death sentence in this world."

Anamika stared at Aaron, wide eyed as an unfamiliar feeling bubbled up in her chest. She couldn't believe what he was saying.

They... exiled...people.

They let them know where they live and then they basically just let them go afterwards. The innocence and naivety of that action actually caused the feeling to bubble up stronger and she now realised she was amused. She was completely and utterly amused, like watching a foal try to walk for the first time only to stumble and fall down.

Aaron, misreading her expression, started to reassure her that they rarely exiled people, but his words were halted when a peal of laughter erupted from her mouth. She couldn't help herself, these people were like children and she found it baffling and amusing how they could be like this even after almost two years of the apocalypse.

"You...you exile them? That's suppose to be a death sentence? Are you a fucking idiot?" She gasped out, giggles still bubbling from her lips in short bursts. She could see Eric and Aaron glancing at each other, their expressions uncertain and she felt bad for making them uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she apologised, waving her hand as she wiped her eyes, "It's just, Aaron, you pick these people up from the Outside. It might be a death sentence for anyone living in your community to suddenly be thrown outside with no weapons, but for someone who has been there before, who survived it before you found them? It's easy as fuck. A branch, a rock, a fucking spoon becomes a weapon in this world. Exiling them leaves the chance for them to come back and harm the community, since they now know where it is."

Aaron seemed contemplative, but she knew even if she convinced him here and now of the folly of their actions, she probably wouldn't be able to convince the entire community back home, especially if they're all like these two. She suddenly felt bad for laughing at them, worried that she was being rude and she felt some remorse for being so harsh.

It had been a long time since she had to navigate the delicate waters of social communication instead of just threats and survival tips and her social skills had never been good, not even back at the beginning when she was in a group with that couple.

"Look, I'm sorry, you both seem like good guys who are trying your hardest, but I'm not a people person. I don't do well with people and am more dangerous than you know. So thanks for the offer, but no thanks. Maybe, if there were different rules in place or people who really know what it's like to be out here, I'd consider it, but at this moment, I'm just going to scare normal people."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't feel right to leave you out here on your own. Though I'm sure you're very capable and strong and can more than take care of yourself, you don't have anyone to watch your back and as a woman, the amount of danger doubles, with bad men seeing a target." Anamika nodded, acknowledging his words, but even though she smiled sadly at him, she remained firm in her decision.

"I know, but I've been with a group once, in the very beginning of this and after that, I swore I would never join another again. I've been alone since this all started and I'll stay alone till I die one day. Don't feel bad about it, it's my decision and I've made my peace with it."

Though Aaron and Eric tried to convince her otherwise, she had made up her mind and couldn't be budged. Finally, she agreed to stay in this general area, so they could visit to ease their minds. She didn't really mind making the concession, as this area so far had been abundant in wildlife and deserted from any of the living.

Secretly she thought to herself that this might be a way to ease the emptiness inside her. She wouldn't be living with a group, but she would see a friendly face every now and then. She was sure it would be fine if as long as she kept her distance and didn't see them every single day, even if she was a monster. Though she was good at surviving on her own, she didn't necessarily want to and this would give her a chance to have some company without endangering them.

The next day, after they shared their supplies with her and she shared her rabbits with them, they left, giving her a reluctant goodbye as they walked back to their cars. She really hoped they made it, as they seemed like good people.

Sighing, she slowly made her way to her hidden truck, all the while cursing the monster inside her for forcing this lonely existence on her.

WD

"Aaron, get out here." Anamika didn't even look up as the man stepped out from behind the tree, looking sheepish.

"How did you know it was me?" Anamika glanced up then, pausing in her skinning of the doe she had hunted, before she gave the man she was rapidly getting fond of a heartfelt smile.

"I can always recognise your footsteps. They try to be quiet and they sound gentle, yet confident. It's one of your calling cards." Aaron didn't look as if he understood, but he knew when she was giving him a compliment, so he smiled and walked closer, observing her as she peeled the skin of the doe.

"Nice. you're pretty good at hunting. That boar last week and the doe this week. I have to say, my community is dying to meet this mysterious survivor who refuses to come inside the gates, but provides them with fresh meat. The kids especially loved the bacon we made from the boar meat you gave me."

Anamika smiled softly, glad she could do some good. She felt as if she was atoning for all the horrible things she's done and though she still refused to follow Aaron back to his community, she did give him her kills when he came, enjoying the thought that people out there looked forward to fresh meat that she provided towards them.

She felt it was the least she could do for Aaron, who continued to come visit her every week for the last six weeks, even though she kept disappointing him with her answer. Her ribs was finally healed, with no twinge or ache if she moved too quickly and the bullet wounds had scarred over and was now just ugly reminders of the saviors.

"Well, they're gonna have some venison tonight." Aaron smiled at her chipper tone and laughed as he rummaged through his pack.

"One of the boys, he asked me to get your signature, so he can remember the lady who brought back bacon. The community has hunters, but they're not nearly as good as you and it's been some time since we managed to get a boar."

Anamika stared at the pen and paper uncomprehendingly, once again baffled at the stuff that came out of Aaron's mouth. Sometimes, this man just said the weirdest shit ever. Hesitatingly grabbing the pen, she braced the notebook on her one hand and paused. What should she write? And signature? Finally, though it seemed a bit morbid, she decided to just use her calling card, glad the boy who got it wouldn't know the history behind it.

Glad you enjoyed the bacon

A

She handed the notebook back to Aaron, who smiled charmingly at her and stuffed it into his backpack. Turning, she went back to skinning and quartering the deer, listening to Aaron's mindless small talk and occasionally responding. She couldn't relate to most of what he was saying, but he never judged her for it and he somehow never made her feel uncomfortable.

He told her about a massive group he had briefly spotted on the way here, though they were using a different road to the one she sometimes used and how he's going back to his community to get Eric and the camper and go to check this group out. As such, he might not be back next week, though he will try.

She felt a flash of concern for him, as confronting a large group of survivors had never ended well for her, but Aaron was a much more likeable person than she was. Nevertheless, she wished him good luck and told him to be careful.

She helped him carry the deer meat back to his car, loading it in the back and warning him, like always, that they needed to smoke what they aren't going to eat immediately, before waving as he drove away. She felt uncertain about letting him near a group of survivors, but acknowledged that she can't do something about it.

She just hoped he'd be fine.

WD

Daryl trudged along with some of his group, Carl showing them to the two houses they'd been told was theirs. His place was so clean, so untouched by the horror in the real world that he instantly felt uncomfortable, like a roach that had crawled into someone's perfect and shiny kitchen. People stared and whispered behind their hands, scattering as he caught their eyes with a glare and throwing wild looks over their shoulders.

They were weak, but Daryl never minded protecting people, he just minded the way these people looked at him. He didn't belong here. The prison, even though it was built to keep people caged in, felt less like a cage than this place did, with its fancy walls and fancy houses.

He didn't fit in here and the people instinctively knew it. He even felt out of odds with his family, as they all settled in and started to become comfortable in their jobs as the days passed. He still cared about them and would kill for them, and he definitely wanted them to have this place. Problem was, he felt like they didn't need him anymore.

This place could offer them more than he ever could.

So a couple of days later, when he saw Nicholas going for Glenn after Glenn punches Aiden, he jumped at the chance to protect his group again, to do something with the pent up energy he was feeling, to somehow deal with the anxiety and frustration of feeling locked up in a fairytale.

He grabbed Nicholas around his body, throwing him to the ground and gripping his coat as he pressed him into the pavement. He ignored Rick's arms around him and his voice in his ear, the anger coursing through his body.

Nobody touches his group, his family and gets away with it. Even as he stepped back, he could feel the adrenaline coursing through him and he paced back and forth, keeping his eyes on the cowardly fuck who was hiding behind Deanna. The elder woman was giving some speech about how they were part of them and equals and he almost wanted to scoff at her naivety.

When she declared Rick and Michonne constables, he really scoffed, disgusted with this comedy routine and feeling as if he was losing his brother. Things like constables wasn't a thing in this world, but apparently Deanna didn't get the memo that there was a fucking apocalypse happening.

He'd just picked up his crossbow, intending on walking away, when the gate opened again and Aaron drove in. Daryl knew the man had left early this morning but he hadn't paid it much attention. He did, however, notice the way the people seemed to crowd around the car, seeming excited and the way some of the kids were laughing and talking excitedly. Curious, he couldn't help but watch longer.

"Aaron! What did she send this time?" Aaron looked up at Deanna's question, his face smiling as he walked to the back of the car, popping the trunk.

"Well, she said since we enjoyed the previous boar so much, she'd send us another one. And hell, I don't know how she did it, but she also sent us some sheep!" The people gasped and chattered excitedly, everyone looking forward to bacon, pork chops and some mutton.

Daryl frowned, unsure who this she was that Aaron and Deanna was talking about. Obviously, she could hunt, but Daryl didn't remember seeing anyone who looked like a hunter here or even heard anyone talking about one; but then again, he didn't really interact with these people, so he could be wrong. However, it seemed Rick also wanted to know who they were talking about, as he stalked closer.

"She? Who are ya'll talking about?" Aaron looked up, seeming to notice they're there for the first time and he smiled a bit nervously. Deanna didn't seem to notice and turned to answer Rick, ignoring the odd expression on Aaron's face. Daryl, however, did notice and wondered what that was all about. It wasn't long before he understood.

"Oh, it's this woman Aaron met out there on one of his recruiting trips. Her name's Anna and she's stubbornly refusing to come back to the community. Says she doesn't do well with people. However, that never stopped her from providing Aaron with fresh meat for the community the last 7 weeks whenever he goes out there to visit her. I wish he could get her to come back, but she remains firm in her conviction. However, the people here always enjoy her gifts to us."

Alarm bells went off in Daryl's head and apparently the same happened with Rick, as he could see the muscles in Rick's back tensing. He stepped forward, his eyes narrowing a bit.

"Wait, does she know where Alexandria is? Have you ever mentioned anything about it to her? You can't just trust people out there, they always want something!" He ignored Deanna now, speaking directly to Aaron and to Daryl it seemed as if Aaron had expected this reaction.

"Rick, I promise she doesn't know where Alexandria is and I've never even mentioned the name to her. If she wanted to harm us, she had every opportunity to do it. Hell, I've been trying to get her to come back here for almost two months now. She's my friend and I promise you can trust her. You know, she said exactly the same thing you just said to me the first time I met her, even criticized us for bringing people back to the community. Rick, trust me on this, she's one of the good ones."

Daryl was pacing again, feeling that Aaron was telling the truth, but not trusting this mystery woman to not have duped him. Rick was still, seeming to consider what Aaron was saying, when one of the kids yelled excitedly.

"Hey, she left a note this time! Aaron, can I have it? I wanna put it with my other one!"

"Sure, go ahead."

Rick stepped forward, stopping the kid from running off, saying he just quickly wanted to take a look at the note. Daryl watched as his brother's shoulders tensed and he immediately came forward, along with Michonne, checking to see what had Rick reacting this way.

What he saw on that paper instantly took him back to a time of uncertainty, fear and rage, a time of the Claimers and their stories, or Terminus and Gareth's mutilated face. He could see Rick and Michonne also made the connection by the look in their eyes and the tense lines of their rigid bodies.

Looking down, his eyes traced the almost delicately written words on the paper, standing in direct contrast to the violent signature scratched below it.

Since I heard you loved the bacon so much, I thought you'd like some more, along with some mutton.

Enjoy

A

WD

Soooo... Next chapter there's some meetings, but Anna's meeting with team family is spread out over two or three chapters. No real action in this chapter, but you caught up to team family and Anamika finally came into contact with Aaron, which means, my gift to you, she meets Daryl in the next chapter. So, please let me know what you thought, especially about Anamika's interaction with Aaron, someone she sees as weak. if you have any questions about her reactions or thoughts, leave me a review and I'll PM you my thoughts or the answer to your question, as long as it doesn't contain a massive spoiler:)