In the residence of Rick and Michonne, the sun's rays pound through the curtains on Tessa laying face up on the sofa under a blanket. She could see the light bleeding through her eyelids and folds an arm across her eyes before letting out a heavy sigh. Approaching footsteps alert Tessa and she peeks out of one eye to see who they belonged to. Rick stops near the sofa before her.
"Hey...," Rick softly says. "Good morning."
Tessa just grunts and rubs the back of her neck. Of the three bedrooms in the house, with two of them already occupied, Tessa prefers to sleep on the living room sofa. On restless nights, she could easily slip out and take a walk through the community or woods.
"Well you're the one who wanted to sleep on the couch. Why don't you get up, get something to eat. We're going on a run soon."
He exits the room as Tessa still lies with her arm covering half her face and looking up at the ceiling.
Now prepared for the day, Tessa heads down the steps of the house to the SUV parked in front of it. Rick is loading a few things in the backseat as she arrives.
"That was faster than I thought you'd be," says Rick.
"I've never taken long get ready," reply Tessa handing him her weapon and backpack to put in the vehicle. "Is everyone else ready?"
"Yeah, I'm ready."
He takes her belonging and place them in the back. Tessa gives him a puzzled look.
"Wait... It's just you and me?"
"Yeah. It's a short run. Maybe you can try some that "luck" of yours again. Besides, I can get to know you personally other than through Michonne. "
"Darn... I left my 'lucky horseshoe' in my other pants," tease Tessa.
Rick smiles at her sarcastic tease and pats her on the shoulder as he walks to the drive side.
"Come on. Let's get a move on."
They get in and Rick drives to the gates.
The day is calm in the community as Michonne patrols the streets. Other members are also out and about tending to daily chores as kids run around playing games such as hide n' seek, jump rope and street ball. She stops and watches them for a moment. The smiles on their faces, the energy they possess while playing sends Michonne into a momentary thought.
After a moment she snaps out of it and recollects herself then continues on her way until a familiar voice calls to her.
"Hey, 'Chonne! Hold up."
Michonne turns to see Daryl walking swiftly to her.
"Hey," smiles Michonne. "You're heading out?"
"I actually just got back...," Daryl pause his agenda for a second. He has been thinking on this for a while but just thinking will get them nowhere. Here it goes. "I wanna talk to you real quick about Tessa."
"Oh...?" says Michonne cocking her head a bit in curiosity.
"Look, I know you don't wanna "baby" her but you should really keep an eye on her."
"What makes you say this?"
Michonne glares at him, listening to the haunting seriousness in his voice.
"She's hiding something."
"So you're saying you don't trust her?"
"I'm saying something is up….. That day before we pulled up to the house, she was out in the woods—"
"With you. She said you were teaching her to track."
"Don't be naive, Michonne. You know she knows how to track. Hell, she was doing it when I found her and being extra careful about it too. Tessa was searching for something... and we found someone in the woods somewhere."
"Who?" Michonne gives him a concerned glare.
"I don't know who and she wouldn't let me find out either. But I went back out there today- nothing. You should talk with her and find out what's up. She'll listen to you."
Hesitantly, she nods in agreement to Daryl's protest.
"She's on a run with Rick right now. But I'll see into it."
Daryl just walks off leaving Michonne with her thoughts. Quite frankly, Michonne doesn't know what to think at the sudden news. Nothing about Daryl's words seem fabricated which now leaves her with a tough conflict. Trust a good friend who's been with her through hell and hot water or her only living blood relative she's favored since birth. Blood is thicker than water, yes, but blood only makes you related. Loyalty makes you family. Daryl has been just that. Loyal family. Because of his words, she fears Tessa may not be. To have a pre- notation perception of this without evidence to go on would be unjust. Well… there is only one thing to do. Find out.
The vehicle speeds down the two lane highway. Inside the car, Rick and Tessa are silent. Though she can feel Rick's eyes darting back and forward from the road to her, she looks out the window at the scenery passing by. Rick observes her for a moment before breaking the silence.
"You know, it's no secret that Michonne and I are together," he casually says.
Tessa remains quite for a moment at the ice breaker. When she first got into the car, Tessa predicted how this was gone go. She assumed this whole trip was to just ask about the supplies again but instead he starts with this.
"You want my opinion on it?" ask Tessa passively as she still glare out the window.
"I'm just thinking how much of an awkward situation this must be for you. Being reunited with a family member after so long then finding out the things we've been through."
"You don't need my approval, Rick. I'm happy for her. You're good for each other," says Tessa sincerely. "She'd probably agree that you're a lot better than Mike."
Rick looks to her as she seems a bit taken back by the last statement.
"Maybe that was too bold," mumbles Tessa apologetic.
Rick changes the subject as the reach an exit in the road.
"Why don't we head down the Old Highway and try our luck there?"
He merges on to the opposite road and heads down it.
Back at the residence, Michonne enters and the living room looking around for a moment hoping to find a clue as to what Daryl suspects Tessa of. She goes to the sofa and inspects the cushions and any other possible hiding place. After searching a bit, she stops. Tessa didn't have much when she arrived so she actually doubt anything would be found. Still the fact that Tessa would opt into sleeping downstairs on a couch verses the empty bedroom with a queen sized bed was a bit odd come to think. She gets on her knees to look under the sofa.
As Michonne search, Carl enters with Judith.
"Hey, Michonne…"
A bit startled, she whips around to him.
"Have you seen Judith's bag?"
"...I put it in the closet in our room," says Michonne recollecting herself.
"Okay," nod Carl but is now curious as to what Michonne is up to. "What are you doing?"
"… Nothing. Just straightening up things."
Carl slowly turns to leave but Michonne calls out.
"Carl… what do you think of Tessa?"
Carl hesitates for a moment to reflect on this. What an odd question to ask someone about your own relative but he answers truthfully.
"She's good with me. She's helpful in many ways... and your blood relative... why?"
"I just... wanna know."
Michonne sighs calmly. Well that's a bit of a relief to hear something positive. But maybe she thought to soon because the next second…
"Although… since she's been here, she sometimes goes out late at night. I've never thought anything of it because... well… I feel we can trust her."
Michonne frown at this. 'Late at night?' To where and why? She slightly smiles even if the news isn't totally clean.
"Yeah... I hope so," says Michonne under her breath a bit. "Come on."
She gets up and heads off.
On the busted up road, the vehicle is parked off on side near the tree line as Rick and Tessa walk side by side away from it towards the town. Both have a backpack but instead of her bow Tessa is armed with a hand gun holstered on her side. They are engaged in pre conversation about their 'use to be' favorite foods.
"You know, I use to be the one to bitch about GMOs, calories and sugars and made every effort to eat healthy. But now what I wouldn't give for a fat, sloppy, heart attack on a bun at a local fast food joint," explains Tessa.
"Well its good thing you chose to stay fit. You're better prepared for survival today."
"Survival wasn't on my agenda. I just wanted to live a long, illness free life. Something that should've been so simple is far from reality now."
"Well… none of us were prepared to live this way. But things always adapt and evolve. Isn't that what you scientist believe?"
"I'm no scientist, Rick. There are some things I agree with and others debatable. I'm more of a... naturalist… I guess. I believe in nature. Her laws. Her balance."
"And as in nature, you adapted to change. We all did."
"Tst… Did we, really? Or have we become who we were all along?"
They stop in front of the town bar.
"Things have always been like this, Rick. Man just created an illusion."
Rick looks at her. He slightly nods.
"Half and half," says Rick and he heads for the door drawing his gun. "Let's check in here."
Tessa follows.
The door creeks open and in walks Rick creeping cautiously with his weapon drawn. Tessa covers the rear, quietly shutting the door behind them. As usual, debris is everywhere. Everything from turned over tables, broken bottles, decorations barely hanging from walls and papers scatter everywhere.
Rick makes his way around the counter and checks underneath. Now relaxed, Tessa watches as he scramble through the bar's cabinets.
"Looking to get lit?" tease Tessa thinking Rick is searching for a bottle of booze.
"Usually bar owners strap guns under the counters in case things go sour. There's a chance a gun could have been missed," explains Rick continuing to search.
"Umm... That's good to know."
"What? No college parties back in your day?"
"Maybe back in your day they were in bars. Mine clubs."
Tessa checks around in some of the cabinets also. Nothing but a few empty or broken bottles, and other debris. As they search, she wonders deeper into the bar's back area leaving Rick in the front of the building. She attempts to moves quietly but floor broads creek beneath her feet. In case of surprises, Tessa draws her weapon. She reaches a back room where everything is in shambles except this one door that was clear from obstruction and a large, old juke box placed in front of it.
Curious, Tessa approaches heavy piece of furniture. Being that it's a bit taller than her and covering the door, she couldn't put her ear up to the door to hear what is on the other side. Her only option is to move it. It screeches across the floor as Tessa pushes the force of her body against it. Once it was clear, the door slowly swings out loosely. Her ears are met with the sounds of slight, groggy moans and then she realize…
In a panic, Tessa presses her body against the door just as the creatures ram against it. Their strength nearly knocks her off balance but she struggles to hold her own. Pushing the box back is out of option and there's nothing else sturdy enough to hold the door. Yelling for Rick would be good but who knows if she'll alert others possibly lurking in the building.
Tessa just lets go, moves back and draws her knife as four Walkers spill out of the walk-in closet. The ghouls rush towards her but she kicks the first one in the midsection knocking it to the ground.
Tessa stabs the second in the head, it drops to the floor then she goes for the third as the fourth close in fast. Upon stabbing the third, to her misfortune, her weapon gets stuck in the creature's skull and she tries prying it loose. Thinking fast, Tessa kicks a chair in the path of the forth Walker just as the first is getting up. It misses the chair and continues towards her. A few frantic tugs later, the blade is free and she takes the fourth by the neck driving the knife in it's skull. Now the first Walker has closed in behind her and prepares to deliver a fatal bite until…
BANG!
A shot ring out and the Walker collapse to the ground. Tessa turns to see Rick in the doorway with his Colt Python aimed. He goes to her.
"You alright?" ask Rick reaching out to Tessa.
"Yeah. Thanks."
She looks to the open closet and they walk over. In the closet, a large stash of goods and food items piled on the shelf.
"Looks like you didn't forget that horseshoe after all," tease Rick examining the items. "Let's pull the car around, get this and head back."
He starts for the door but Tessa calls out to him.
"No, wait…. This is somebody's stash and they obviously went through trouble to secure it here."
"So? Maybe they're dead."
"Maybe but it had to recent. The area around the door was clear and there's not a speck of dust on these cans."
Rick stands listening to Tessa's protest.
" Look, I know we'd rather have a lot than not enough but we still have more than this person. I'm just saying... what if this person is alone? I know what that's like. And it shows there are still caring people in this world."
Rick ponders a moment as he studies her expression. After hearing this, he realizes how sharp Her deductive reasoning skills are. She's got a point. Coming to terms he nods in agreement.
"Yeah… alright. How about we take half now and come back in a few days? If the place remains untouched… we take the rest."
Tessa smiles.
"That's fair."
Suddenly a noise is heard from the main bar area. Rick and Tessa draw their guns and head back.
Rick leads the way with Tessa covering the rear again. They creep through the hall but just as Rick turn the corner a shotgun cocks and aims for his face. Rick and Tessa both draw on the man but no one fires. He is a short fellow about Tessa's height of 5'5, with a scraggy beard, bucking eyes, dressed is sweat clothes and a skull cap. They call him Twitch.
Then two other men, larger than Twitch, back him up and aim for the duo. Three against two.
"What cha' take?!" Twitch yells shaken by the encounter.
"We didn't take anything," says Rick calmly in a negotiable tone. "Just lower your weapons and we'll talk about this."
"Ain't nobody "talked" in a long time!"
"Nobody got to get hurt," says Tessa butting in. "Just do as he asked."
"Shut up, you!"
Tessa looks a bit taken aback not by his remark but his reaction. As if he malfunctioned, when said that he made jerking or "twitching" motions. From behind him in the distance, the two others back him up.
"Twitch," says the husky built African American male aiming from over Twitch's left shoulder. "There's an SUV parked on the street. It must be theirs. We should check it!"
"Yeah I saw! It's looking pretty clean. That means you people must be from somewhere nice."
Rick slowly pretends to hand over his weapon and step towards Twitch as if he is surrendering.
"See we're "talking"," says Rick easing closer. "So let's just lower our weapons..."
Rick maintains eye contact as he continues to "hand over" but Tessa stands her ground. Just as Rick got closer Twitch cocks the shotgun with the intention of firing on Rick but Tessa fires first hitting Twitch in the arm. It catches the other two off guard giving Tessa and Rick escape time. They dive behind the bar as the two uninjured men use whatever cover they had. Bullets galore now.
"Still caring people in the world, huh?" says Rick sarcastically to Tessa's statement earlier.
"Yep," reply Tessa simply as she sits against the bar.
In between shots Rick and Tessa fire back. Twitch is alive but crawls towards the door.
Knowing this isn't going anywhere, Tessa stops for a moment as to devise a strategy. Aimlessly shooting not only waste bullets but is bound to draw in Walkers. She glances around to see a circular mirror hanging in the corner of the bar near the ceiling. Its in the perfect angle to provide the whereabouts of their opponents. The two men are spread apart. One behind a table, the other a pool table. Time to end this.
Tessa gets Ricks attention and points to the mirror. He understands and they split off. Rick to the right Tessa to the left. She fires a test shot from over the counter and ducks back down. As suspected, Man 2 rears up to fire back and with that, she rolls from behind the bar and shoots the man taking him out.
Rick is having a tougher time finding an opening due to the thick pool table. But with a little bit of patience no need. The husky man rears up at the wrong time or, for Rick, the right time and he takes the shot. Rick and Tessa unite but are suddenly alerted by the sound of the bar door flinging open. From the battered windows of the building, they see Twitch sprinting away holding his injured arm and give chase.
Twitch runs across the road towards the woods just as Rick and Tessa comes out. Rick pin points him and takes aim but he knows the distance is too far. He attempts to pursue but Tessa stops him.
"Rick he's not a threat to us anymore. Besides he's injured."
Rick looks to her.
"He might get an infection or just bleed to death anyway. Let's just get the stuff and go," says Tessa heading back to the bar. Rick dangerously glare in the man's direction before following Tessa.
Now loaded with the goods piled in the trunk and back of the vehicle, the ride back is quiet with Rick at the wheel and Tessa peering out the window at the passing scenery again but this time a slight smile spread across her face. Rick glances over to her.
"What's got you smiling over there?" he ask slightly amused to see Tessa in that state.
She doesn't respond immediately but still smiles and looks over at him.
"It's nothing much," says Tessa shaking her head. "Just… I just realized how much you remind me of someone."
Rick makes eye contact with Tessa for a moment. His expression reads "who?"
Tessa smiles.
"You remind me of my Dad."
"…. How's that?"
"Because you... you're the kind of man that can make a way out of no way. Make ends meet by any means necessary. My Daddy was like that and I can see that Carl is going to be, too. "
Rick divides his attention between her and the road.
"Thank you. In a sense we all are like that."
"True. But from the stories... it started with you."
They return to their individual thoughts the remainder of the ride.