Rick pulls up to the 'stock house' where the community's supplies and weapons are kept. Rick and Tessa gets out as TORRI, the inventory keeper, walks out to greet them.
"Wow, you guys are really racking up," says Torri coming out. "I'm going to have to rearrange some things. "
" Well sorry for all the extra work," tease Tessa. She then turns to Rick. "I'll help Torri with the supplies."
"Alright," agree Rick. " I'm gone get back to the house. Drive the car around when you're done."
He heads off and continues down the street in the direction of their house. While walking, Rick takes in the sights before him. There is a sense of inner peace within him. Negan and The Saviors were defeated and Alexandria gained two new allies, Hill Top and The Kingdom. On top of that, the people in his community are fed and well taken care of. A smile spread across his face at children playing, neighbors out and about on their porches talking or walking down the street, tending to gardens and a few livestock. The community is not just alive but 'living' and thriving and in this moment he couldn't be more satisfied. Now at his doorstep he enters the house.
Rick looks over to see Michonne sitting on the couch that Tessa sleeps. She is reading a book to preoccupy her mind but closes it up seeing him.
"Hey, how was the run?" greets Michonne with a mellow tone.
"Great. We got more supplies… though we ran into a little trouble. Nothing we couldn't handle."
"Walkers?"
"No. Three guys the supplies belonged to. We tried reasoning with them but they wouldn't listen. It ended in a shoo out but one guy ran off."
"Oh my- where is Tessa?" ask Michonne with concern.
"Just fine. She's helping at the stock house right now. She actually injured the guy that ran off."
Michonne is relieved a bit but then a puzzled look comes across her face. Rick notices.
"Everything okay with you?" ask Rick unfastening his watch from his wrist. "How was your patrol?"
"I'm... fine. Just I had a little talk with Daryl that's all," says Michonne hesitantly.
"About?"
Michonne is conflicted on whether to tell him. To do so, well, there are endless possibilities. Maybe she should sit on this for a while longer. Michonne shrugs her shoulders and slightly smiles.
"I don't even know yet."
Rick goes over and gives her a sweet kiss on the forehead.
"Well, let me know when you figure it out," says Rick and he heads to the stairs. "I'm going to turn my brain off for a while."
Michonne's smile grows faint as she watches him leave for the bedroom. She takes a deep breath and gets up from the couch.
Roaming Walkers follow the sound of running, panting and not to mention the sweet aroma of the living's blood. Exhausted, Twitch stumbles over sticks and other forest debris whilst holding his wounded shoulder. To weak to fight back, he dodges as many as possible like a football player going for the touchdown.
Twitch can't shake the few already on his trail and yet he continue to attract more. Now with eight Walkers tailing him, his body is breaking with exhaustion from blood loss until he collapse completely on the ground. He frantically crawl to keep himself moving but they close in fast. One grabs hold to his leg and he turns to try and kicks it off just as it tries rip into his flesh. Before the bite is delivered, shots ring out and the creatures one after the other fall before Twitch. He kicks it off his leg and looks up with astonishment. Three armed men comes towards him from behind the slang Walkers. They glare down at the wounded man cowering in the dirt.
"No, he's not one of them," say PHIL.
"Yeah, just a commoner," Says BILL who seems to be the leader of the three. "Where you heading, sunny? Or maybe I should ask where you coming from?"
Still panting, Twitch just looks at them from his position on the ground. DAN, another man of the group, notices Twitch's injury."
"That wound on your shoulder… were you bit?"
Twitch still remains silent and panting.
"Well," says Bill with his rifle at hand. "If you were bit we should just put you out of your misery."
They all cock their guns and point them at Twitch.
"I was shot!" shouts Twitch. "I was shot… So were my friends."
"Well where are they?" ask Phil.
"Dead... in a small town off the old highway. We had supplies stored away and tried to protect it when we were attacked. Now I'm just a rouge."
"Attacked by who- how many? How long ago?" ask Dan balancing a cigarette between his lips.
"About an hour in a half ago maybe two. Some man with a beard and young girl... with dreadlocks."
This seems to catch their attention.
"…Really now?" says Bill. "Show us."
It's mid-afternoon and things are in full swing in the community as people carry out their chores. Michonne heads to the watch tower post where she is scheduled for her shift. Just as she reaches the tower, Daryl and Aaron are climbing down the post after their shift. Aaron reaches the bottom first.
"Everything clear?" ask Michonne.
"Yeah. We just spotted a couple of deer and small herd of Walkers up there. Nothing too exciting.
"Good. If it stays that way then it'll be an easy day for me."
A rifle dangles half way down the ladder and Aaron reaches for it as Daryl makes his way down with the crossbow over around his shoulder.
"Okay. I'll see you around," nods Aaron to Michonne and he starts to walk away but a thought tips his mind and he turns back to Daryl, walking backwards as he call out. "Oh, Daryl, I've got to get the tomatoes from the patch but if you could tell Eric I'll be there soon..."
"Alright," says Daryl.
Aaron continues ahead. Michonne turns to Daryl.
"Tomatoes?" she asks seeming somewhat amused.
"He's making some kind of stew tonight."
"You're staying over?"
"Naw, just for dinner. Might crash at Carol and Morgan's place."
"You're such a rouge," tease Michonne.
" Uh…," mumbles Daryl. "I'm gone see what else needs to be done."
He starts off but Michonne grabs his arm. His eyes meet an uncertain expression on her face.
"Hey. They just got back," says Michonne referring to Rick and Tessa.
"You talk to her?"
"No. But Rick said they ran into some guys that shot at them. Everything's good but when you were out there… you say you encountered some guys too?"
Daryl nods.
"I'm thinking maybe they were the ones you two saw."
"Where is she now?"
"Last time I hear, at the stock house helping with the supplies they found."
"Well..., shrugs Daryl casually. "won't know unless you ask. There's another rifle up there."
He walks off leaving Michonne in thought.
Back at the small town off the old highway, Twitch and the three men stand in the road where the incident occurred hours earlier.
"There's the bar," explains Twitch pointing in the directions. "No doubt they taken all the supplies. They had a car parked along the side of the road there."
Bill walks over to Twitch who still holds his wounded shoulder.
" I don't know which direction they came from or where they went."
"Oooh, but I do," says Phil examining tire tracks imprinted in the dirt.
"And you're sure, it was a dreadhead girl with a bearded man?" ask Dan.
"I'm handicap but being blind ain't one of them," says Twitch sarcastically.
"For our sake, let's hope you're right," reply Bill and with that, he pulls out his gun and plants a bullet in Twitch's brain. The man falls flat as Bill puts the weapon away.
"Gents," he continues. "we have a fresh trail. Let's get this done."
They move on.