I am taking this chapter to introduce a new character and get caught up with what is going on at McAllister Mountain. Our new character is Jesse Graham, an old army buddy of Patrick who was instrumental in Patrick and his family surviving the first winter after the ZA. So welcome Jesse to this story as we say our goodbyes to Tyreese.

If you hate that Tyreese got killed off, say so. Read and review, please.

Jesse Come Lately

Jesse Graham walked up the western roadblock on the highway that ran into Adair. The men on the roadblock viewed him suspiciously. They weren't used to many visitors coming from the west and there was something about this man that said, "Don't mess with me". The bravest man called out, "Stranger, what is your business here?" Jesse answered, "I am here to see my friend Patrick McAllister. He came through this way some time ago". The men looked at each other; they knew Patrick McAllister and they would be afraid to turn away a friend of his. "Wait here and we'll radio Ashton".

Ashton didn't recognize the name but Patrick's son Joshua did and they went together to get Jesse. Joshua filled Ashton in on how Jesse had let them stay in his safe house with his family. They had survived because of Jesse and his family, Ashton said, "They just said Jesse Graham and nothing about a family."

Josh jumped out of the jeep at the roadblock and rushed to give Jesse a bear hug. Josh explained that his dad was away on for a few days but there was always a place for Jesse with them. Ashton welcomed Jesse to Adair and McAllister Mountain and gave him a seat in the jeep. The man looked ready to fall down and Ashton gave him a bottle of water and a sandwich that Jo had packed for him. Jesse inhaled the water and devoured the sandwich as Ashton headed the jeep home.

Josh explained that they were staying at Ashton's place until his dad came home. Ashton said that he had plenty of room for one more. Jesse seemed almost too exhausted to talk and Josh didn't ask any questions.

Jesse noticed that the houses along the road seem to be occupied. There were strong fences around some of the house and the windows had bars or heavy screens. He didn't see any walkers and he saw children playing in fenced in yards along the way. The road up the mountain was steep and curvy and he was glad that he wasn't walking.

Ashton stopped at a driveway and unlocked the fence. Jesse saw tall heavy duty fences around a large compound. There was a large main house with two wings on either side. Sarah, Rachel, and little Kevin came out of the main house to welcome him. They hugged him and dragged him into the house where he met more people that he couldn't keep straight.

Jo took one look at him and offered him a shower and clean clothes. Jesse took that offer as much to postpone the inevitable questions about his family as long as he could. He showered and shaved and dressed in clean clothes, but the man in the mirror was still a stranger. Two years ago he had been a husband, and a father, and an officer in the army. He had lost all of that and he didn't know who he was anymore.

Jesse found that the clothes were a little big; he had lost a lot of weight since he left Nebraska. He found his way back to the big family room that was built like a center courtyard big skylights in the roof. Everyone but Sarah and Josh had vanished; it was time for him to talk about his family.

Someone had left a bowl of hot soup on the table for him and he waited until he finished the soup to start talking. "Kelly and my children are dead. We made it to Nebraska and were living with my brother's family. There was some sort of virus going around and Kelly helped with the sick. She got the disease and the children got it and they all died". Jesse kept his emotions under control; he had lost his family a year ago.

Jesse went on, "I stayed and helped my brother get his farm on solid footing but I knew that I wanted to start over somewhere else and I love Pat like a brother. I knew that Pat would get all of you here and I decided to find Pat and see if there was a place for me here"

Sarah couldn't stop crying but Josh told him that there would always be a place for him. Ashton had already given him a room on the guest wing and there was an open garage apartment at their house around the mountain. Josh showed Jesse his new room that shared a bath with two other guest rooms and he crawled onto the bed and went to sleep.

Emily had gone over to Carol's house to check on how well the solar panels were working with the shorter days and all the rain that they had. Everything seemed to be working well and she was soon describing Jesse to the Carol and Andrea. "He's maybe forty, about six feet, African-American with blue eyes, and he is beautiful. His skin is the most beautiful shade of golden brown and with those blue eyes he is gorgeous".

Carol teased, "Does Joaquin have anything to worry about?" Emily blushed but shook her head no, "Jesse is beautiful but I love Joaquin."

Andrea laughed, "Any man that beautiful is either gay or married".

Emily said, "There was a wife and kids, but he showed up alone".

There was a moment of silence as everyone remembered all the family that they had lost. Carol said, "He sounds as if he needs a home and maybe he will find it here".

Jesse woke up from his nap and Josh drove him over to their house. It was a large timber framed house with a strong fence around it. There was a garage with an apartment over it. The apartment had a small wood stove in it and a functioning bathroom. The water for the house was from a spring behind the house and piped in.

Josh showed them the house. It was cold and chilly inside but it had a substantial homey feeling. Josh said, "I really like this house; it feels like our first real home. Jesse was an army brat like Josh and knew what it was like to move from base to base. Patrick had moved all the time as a child too. They had all grown up nomadic, but it looked as if John was rooted here.

Josh locked up and drove Jesse over to meet Carol and Andrea. He explained on the way that their "men" were with Patrick on a run to gather supplies. Emily had gone back to her house and Carol and Andrea were preparing supper for the "kids" while Judith helped from her walker.

Josh knocked on the door and Carol opened the door and let them into the warm house. Josh introduced them and Carol shook Jesse's hand. She stepped back and Andrea was introduced, Carol had gone silent and Andrea offered them some tea and a cookie. Josh's eyes lit up at the thought of an Andrea cookie and he came in and sat on a chair on the counter. Andrea picked Judith up and handed Josh and Jesse a cookie and a hot drink. Carol seemed a little out of it, but she went back to the kitchen and took Judith from Andrea.

Andrea was mentally agreeing with Emily; Jesse was beautiful in a manly soldier kind of way. He and Patrick had been in some sort of select fighting force in the army and Jesse moved like a ninja. He looked thin and worn though, as if he had been through a lot.

Carol studied Jesse. She had gotten a definite flash of sight when she shook his hand. He was an honorable man and he was a fighter. He had been brought here because they would need men like him to hold this place. Turning the power on was a good thing but there were evil people out there who would kill to control that dam.

Jesse and Josh left after they finished their snack: Andrea wiped off the counter and asked, "What did you see?"

Carol sighed, "He is here because we need him to hold onto the dam".

Andrea thought that made sense; she and Carol had talked about the dam being a source of progress and concern in the past. "That wasn't why you got all quiet".

Carol said, "One day I saw Judith being married and you standing there all pretty and proud of her. That made me happy even though I had to push Daryl to put you all in a truck together. Today I saw Jesse handing a dark skinned baby to Michonne. It was their baby. I think something has happened to Tyreese on this trip. I feel his spirit leaving. I can't explain it".

Andrea asked, "Is Michonne alright?"

Carol knew that Andrea was worried about Rick and everyone else too. "It's only Tyreese that is leaving".

Andrea said, "Michonne loves Tyreese but she isn't in love with him. She never lied to him about that".

Carol said to herself, "Good but not right. "