Author's Note: Also for those who have read the screenplay one, don't expect the labeling of chapters to be the same. Plus this one is a bit more detailed. Enjoy!

Late night. Nearly every light is of in the house but a candle's flame flickers, casting a shadowy orange glow on the living room walls. The woman known as Tessa, lies on the sofa under a quilt with Michonne sitting by her side in deep thought. So many questions swirl within her mind.

Rick stands at the arch way between rooms with a beverage in a mug.

"Michonne."

Rick calmly says to get her attention as he approaches.

"Nothing yet," says Michonne still staring at the unconcise being. "It's been two days since."

"Well, she has a slight concussion from falling into the creek bed. Be glad that's all she got. She'll come around. And she's breathing on her own so that may be soon."

He sets the mug on the coffee table next to her.

"Yeah," Michonne sighs deeply. "I'm still wrapping my head around it. After all this- I don't know what I would do when she does come around. "

Feeling her anxiety, Rick eyes her down.

"You take it easy. You take it slow. And enjoy every moment of the embrace. You'll find out what you need with time."

There is a brief silence.

"Why don't you go get some rest. I'll watch over her tonight."

Though she doesn't want to, Michonne knows it's not healthy to obsese over this. Though how can she not?

"Give me a minute."

Hesitantly, Rick nods and leaves. Michonne rears forward in her seat to hold Tessa's hand. She somewhat composes her emotions just enough to speak.

"I don't know what to say right now. I know what I should say but it wouldn't matter. I wasn't there then but I'm here now and I want you to be, too. I need you to be. I'm sure you've fought harder battles. Somehow you've make it this far so you need to pull through. (Beat) There so many- so many things I want to know so please Tessa... Just—"

Michonne lowers her head. After a moment, she feels pressure lock around her hand and looks up with astonishment.

It's midafternoon and community is in full function. Members go about their daily lives doing whatever is necessary to keep life going. In a far corner of the community is a campsite set up by none other than one lone survivor. There are two logs that lay next to a fire pit and a dead O'possum strung up on a post. Daryl sits near a dimly burning fire pit with a tin pale dry scaling a few fish with a pocket knife. Dressed in fresh clothes, the woman known as Tessa eases up from behind.

"What 'cha got there?" she ask.

Caught off guard, Daryl whips around to see her standing a few feet away. Usually the one with the keen ears, Daryl didn't even hear her. He meets her gaze for a moment before continuing his business.

"Bream. Caught 'em in the pond over yonder, " he says sliding the blade opposite of the scale's growth pattern.

Tessa stands back with her hands in her back pocket examining his actions of cringing from scales flying up and popping him in the face.

"There's an easier way to do that," she suggest and goes closer.

She takes the bucket with a few other fish in it and sets it in front of him then kneels down and holds out her hand. Daryl looks to her before handing over the knife. Tessa takes the blade and puts the fish in the bucket.

"It'd be better with a spoon but if you scale them under water it's less of a mess and the scales come off a bit easy. I may have grown up in the city but I'm a country girl at heart. Had my daddy to thank for that."

"And you some kin to Michonne?"

"A younger cousin. She's one of my aunt's daughters and about twelve years older than me,"

Tessa stops scaling and sighs.

" What are the odds right?"

Silence falls among them for a moment.

" I haven't seen you around much but want to thank you for what you did."

"By cleaning fish?" tease Daryl calmly.

Tessa chuckles.

"Sure. Yeah. But if you're looking for me to gut that possum, I'd have to be close to dying again."

Tessa hands the blade back to Daryl and gets up.

"I'm going on watch now."

She turns to leave. Daryl calls to her.

"Hey..."

Tessa turns back to face him.

"You're welcome."

Tessa flashes a smile and leaves. Daryl watches her for a sec before turning back to clean the fish just the way she did.