I followed Carver to his office with Troy's gun to my back, they both knew I wouldn't go willingly. When we reached the stairs I felt an unease come over me. I began to remember things that happened here a long time ago. Coming up theses same stairs I heard the sounds of someone crying and screaming in pain every few seconds. That was when I started to see how bad things really were here. I went in the office that day and found Carver had been beating a man strapped to a chair without mercy, said he needed to learn a lesson. Now as I walked in the office the familiar sight of blood splattered across the floor was in view, and there a little to the left was Alvin. Strapped to that same chair. His head hung low, he was covered in blood and his face was hardly recognizable. His glasses were on the ground and one lens was crushed.

"Alvin!" I said racing over to him.

"Step away from him." Carver barked but I only got closer lifting his head trying to see what had happened. Thats when I heard the click of the gun, I straightened and turned around slowly. Carver had a revolver pointed right at me. "I said step away." I squinted at him hard looking right at the gun.

"Shot," I said, his face twisted into a scowl at my defiance.

"You've certainly gotten braver, but I'm not aiming at you." He said shifting his arm so it was clear he aimed it at the passed out Alvin. I stepped away.

"Have a seat, we've got a few things to descuse." With my hands balled into fists at my sides, I walked over to one of the blue desk chairs and sat down. I didn't take my eyes off the gun until he lowered it and put it away. He sat on the front of his desk this was his way of intimidating me.

"You know you were always one of my best. You always followed the rules, always did as you were told. You weren't afraid to face the walkers either. This community, it needs more people like you, to keep things in order and running smoothly. You're an asset I'm glad to have back. Now I'm sorry for the state of your situation but its the way things have to be, people would start drawing questions if I just let you back in." He said standing up now just in front of me, I reared my head back to keep some space. "You had a good thing going here. Food, safety, shelter. I've spent some time trying to figure out why you'd go leaving that all behind."
"It's not all that hard to figure out," I growled. He looked at me with a look I couldn't read.

"You need to learn to let things go, to leave the past where it is. Like me, I could have killed you and your group but I didn't. Because I believe in second chances, that people can make amensse for their mistakes. Now I know the last thing you intend to do it make up for what you've done but let me put a few things into perspective." He said now moving to look out the large office window that overlooked the store. "That girl," He started and I felt my blood run cold knowing exactly where this was going.

"I know you care for her, just like you do the rest of your little group. It be a real shame if she had to suffer for your mistakes. Are you going to let that happen? Are you going to make her pay for the things you've done?" He asked turning around now to face me from the other side of the desk. I couldn't will myself to speak, nothing but anger shouts and curses came to mind. My rage was so strong I saw nothing but red and felt the overpowering need to break something. But with this place, this room I felt this feeling of helplessness and weakness that lingered and haunted me from the past. I was both terrified and outraged. When I didn't say anything he walked around the desk slowly, my eyes still fixed to where he had been standing, a million things running through my head. He stood in front of me now and lifted my head by my chin so I was looking at him.

"I'll ask you again, are you going to let that happen?"

"No," I said barely above a growl. That same dark smile of success came over his face.

"Good." He didn't move, he still stood there looking me over, inspecting me like an animal. A knock came at the door and he looked away from me. His smile grew as he took a few steps back and waved for Troy to let whoever had come to the door inside the office. Carver nodded for me to stand up and slowly, with my hands shaking in anger I did.

"One other thing," Carver said looking at whoever walked in the room, I turned to see who had drawn his attention and another completely different wave of hate shot through me. I watched Tommy walk in and come to stand on the other side of Carver.

"I thought I might give you two a chance to work out your differences." He took a few steps back leaving me staring straight at my brother. He was trying to hide it but I could see the discomfort and the nervousness about him. Tommy must have had some regret, he opened his mouth to say something but before he could form any words I punched him as hard as I could in the nose. I felt a snapping beneath my tightly clenched fingers and watched him stagger back, hands thrown up to his face.

"What the fuck?!" He shouted in pain, I didn't say anything. He took his hands away and I saw the blood that was now smeared around his nose, good. I heard Carver laughed and looked at him sharply as he watched the two of us with amusement. My attention was quickly drawn back to my brother when he said my name is a pain filled slur of words.

"Scarlett, look I'm-"

"Shut up, I don't want to hear anything you have to say," I snapped knowing he'd tell me nothing but lies.

"I just want to apologize," He said and I rested my hand over the bruise on my arm, I was glad my sturdy jacket hide it from sight.

"I don't want your apogee," I said sternly looking to the door which was currently guarded.

"Look at you two, bickering like the siblings you are," Carver said with a chuckle as he put one hand on either of our shoulders. "Tom here told me your story, I understand you a little better now, Scarlett. I'm real sorry about what happened to your dad, from what your brother tells me he sounds an afoul lot like Pete."

"Fuck you." I spat moving out of his touch, angry that he had brought up Pete.

"You know I found Pete about a week ago, crying and groveling in the woods. The bastard had gotten himself bit, he begged me to kill him. I let him bleed out before I shot him." He said with this sick look of entertainment on his face, he enjoyed trying to get a rise out of me.

"You lying son of a bitch! Pete would never have begged you for anything!" I shouted turning to face Carver, fear no longer holding back my words.

"You'll never even come close to being half the leader he was!"

"Is that so? Well, thats unfortunate, but unlike Pete I've keep all my people alive, I've kept them safe. Seems to me that you followed the wrong man."

"I didn't." I snapped looking at the smug look on his face, I was so angry it hurt, it was unbearable to keep looking at him.

"You can go," He said nodding at the door. "We'll talk again later. I think I'm going to go see that girl of yours now." He said walking toward the door, Tommy right on his heels like a tamed dog.

AN: Hey guys sorry I've taken like a million years to update. I've already started the next chapter I shouldn't take as long to post again. Also, I wanted to get some feedback on my new idea for this story, I was thinking about posting a chapter from Scarlett's earlier life, maybe one about when it all started and another where she's at Carvers and what went down there that was so terrible.

Please leave ideas and options in the reviews :-)