Spruce Pines, current
The door to the house opens as Rick jumps up. Morgan looks at him, weary and completely filthy. He staggers inside and half falls half sits in the chair. Running his hands over his face, he leans his head back and groans. Rick watches as one by one Daryl, Maggie, Glenn, Tyreese, Sasha, Lilly, Tara and Stookey file in behind him. Each one falls onto a piece of furniture except for Daryl. Their eyes lock; as if by understood communication, Daryl shakes his head 'no'.
Rick walks over and puts his arms around Daryl as his tears fall. "We buried them both."
"Where was she?"
"Not Judith … Beth," Daryl whispers.
Tears roll down his face as he stares at Daryl. Letting him go, he walks over and kneels in front of Maggie. He reaches out and takes her hands. "I am so sorry about Beth."
She stifles a sob as she leans forward and throws her arms around his neck. He hugs her tightly as Mamie walks in from the other end of the house.
"I will put the coffee on," she speaks then looks around. "Where's Annie?"
Rick looks around and rises. "Daryl?"
"We haven't seen her since she dropped us off at the checkpoint to come here," Tyreese answers. "She hopped a Humvee and tore off when we landed. Something was going down tonight involving that Helms dude and Carol. We were going to help her but she took off before we could."
"Rick, there's something really bad about to happen," Lilly speaks up. "She wanted us to help then she abandoned us. She's mad, more than mad."
"She's outraged," Daryl comments.
"No, she's pissed off and is getting ready to bring the rain on their heads," Morgan speaks up. "She's going after Lloyd AND Helms tonight … alone."
"She's not alone, she has all those troops," Sasha comments.
"No, she told them to back off. She took Rick's gun from Montreat and hid it inside her jacket. She's going to kill them."
"Who are these people?" Stookey asks.
"Lloyd is the man over this area, and he's a sonofabitch," Mamie replies. "Helms was her father-in-law till David died, and now he's like her personal vendetta."
Abruptly, the ground around them begins to shake and rumble; everyone standing is tossed to the ground as the house shakes for several more minutes. Rick and Daryl exchange glances as he runs to the door off to the side. Everyone rises and follows him down the hallway and out onto the covered deck. Off in the distance, a large fire can be seen rising in the distance.
"That's Asheville," Morgan breathes. "Asheville's on fire."
Asheville, two hours prior
The Humvee comes to a screeching halt outside the main building. Annie, with her three guards, climb out and ascend the stairs. She lays eyes on several snipers along the roof and nods to them. A guard walks over as they enter the building and picks up a phone. "All personnel, this is a level 5 containment emergency … this is a level 5 containment emergency. Walkers are in the building, remain where you are … I repeat, walkers are in the building and remain in place."
He drops the phone and catches up to the group at the staircase. They push their way in and start climbing; they climb to the 5th floor before exiting the stairwell. They walk down the hall as the guards start opening doors, motioning the frightened people inside to stay quiet and head for the stairs. Annie's coat billows as she walks to a door and kicks it in.
"Hello Patrick, Lloyd," she smiles as she walks in. "We need to have a chat."
"Are you crazy there are walkers in here," Lloyd stammers.
"No, we're the walkers," Carol replies, watching the guards clearing the offices. "They're clearing the building so she can kill us."
"Annie, this is insane, what have I ever done to you?" Lloyd asks as his voice shakes.
"Made my life a living hell and left my son to die in Charlotte," Annie replies as a guard pulls the shades open. "There are five sharpshooters on the roof across from this room."
"And I have people watching them too," Patrick smiles and crosses his arms. "If you shoot, mine will shoot too."
"Yea well, your people jumped ship and joined my side earlier today," Annie grins and walks over to him. She brushes past him and pulls a drawer open. She takes three flash drives from the drawer and pockets them. She walks back around him and stands in the door. "Face it, you have lost."
"I don't think so," Patrick replies. "Besides, there's an innocent woman in the room."
"Carol is anything but innocent … Daryl says 'hi' by the way," Annie grins at her.
"What did you do, sleep with him too," Carol scoffs.
"No; I didn't have to do a damn thing … you see, he believed Rick about you and had no problem with you being kicked out. I began to wonder after your visit last night what was going on, then I thought about it. You're still pissed at Rick for kicking you out and taking your kids. Well, your kids are in a truck heading to Texas with a new family."
"You bitch!" Carol hisses and lunges for her.
"Calm down Carol, there's nothing she can do to us," Patrick smiles. "Besides, we still have our ace."
"Actually no you don't … Abby and Meredith went to the house and took Judith with guards helping them. They have Judith and they're on their way to my house with her as we speak."
Spruce Pines, current
The door knocks as Mamie makes her way over; she opens the door to see Abby holding a baby. "What are you doing here? Did you feel that?"
"We were on the way here when it happened," Abby smiles as she walks in. "Where is everyone?"
"Covered deck, Asheville is burning," Mamie comments as they come walking in.
"Look who I see, there's daddy," Abby smiles as Rick walks in. "There's daddy."
"Judith," Rick whispers as a tear wets his cheek.
"Oh baby," Maggie grins as she walks over to take her. "Thank you so much, where did you find her?"
"Carol had her at Patrick's house … I think they were going to use her as a bargaining chip against Annie. Annie had our people keeping an eye out, especially since a baby was registered by the Montreat Medical group the same time Carol showed up. Annie thinks Carol is the one who took her from the prison and has had her all this time."
"Why are they after Annie so much?" Tyreese asks.
"The Malitosin," Morgan chimes in. "Annie created the Malitosin herself … she didn't go through either Lloyd or Patrick, she just did it."
"It's more than that … they found out that President Whitfield was going to remove both of them and put Annie and Colonel Towne in charge of the area. That's why Towne was murdered," Abby explains, handing her over to Maggie. "She is so precious."
Rick walks over and hugs her tightly. "Thank you for my little girl."
"You're welcome," Abby replies and returns the hug. "Don't worry, she'll be fine. It's not the first time she's blown something up."
"Not the first time?" Sasha asks. "Do we even want to know."
"Not really," Abby smiles. "Anything I can help clean up Mamie?"
"Don't know yet," Mamie replies, "but stick around in case."
Asheville, 2 hours ago
Pulling her headset out of her pocket, she places it in her ear. "I'm here, and I have retrieved the drives. Keep an eye on our snipers, they may be targeted themselves. Only as a last resort if all else fails … yes I will give you the signal … Blake out." She repockets the headset and stares at Carol. "There's the door … either use it or don't blame me."
"Why should I believe that you wouldn't hurt me?" Carol hisses.
"I said I wouldn't and I mean it," Annie tells her.
"What about me?" Lloyd stammers.
"I am putting you out of my misery," Annie says and shoots him between the eyes with a .38. She pockets the gun and smiles. "It's that simple."
"You're just like your brother," Patrick spats.
"I take that as a compliment," Annie replies.
"Who's her brother?" Carol asks.
"He was Brian Blake, but I think you called him the Governor." She reaches into her coat and pulls the Colt Python out and levels it at Patrick. "I am going to love sending you to hell." Her headset squawks as she pulls it out. "Go for Blake."
We have a situation at the depot. You need to get down here.
"I am in the middle of something."
Then either shoot them or not, but get down here NOW.
"You two get a reprieve for now," Annie huffs and turns, heading out the door. She holds a finger up and twirls it around.
Patrick looks over at Carol and pulls her into his arms, kissing her quite passionately. "Let's leave while we can."
"All right," Carol responds shakily.
Annie stalks down the staircase and heads outside; she climbs in the Humvee and slams the door. It screeches tires as it pulls away from the building and heads to the opposite side of town. They arrive; she climbs out and walks to where the guards are located.
"Status report," she snarls.
"The depot is filled with walkers, at least 500 hundred or more," one guard stammers. "It's almost like the herds they talked about in Georgia."
"Do we have eyes in there?" Annie asks.
"Up those stairs and in that door leads you above on the catwalk," a guard spoke. "Follow me."
They head over to the stairs and climb; when they reach the door, he opens it for her and they walk inside. She stands on the catwalk and looks down … Patrick had been true to his threat, he had assembled his own herd of walkers and was going to release them on Asheville.
"Sonofabitch," she mutters. "What do we have in the way of firepower?"
"Not enough to kill them all," the guard replies.
Pulling her headset out, Annie taps a button on the side. "This is Blake, requesting air strike coordinates for the old armory depot outside of Asheville. I need something big but small enough to just take out the depot. We found Helms' endgame … he has a herd, I repeat a herd, of walkers."
ETA 3 minutes and counting.
"Blake out," she replies. "Let's move, we have three minutes to clear the area."
They head back out the door and down the stairs. The guards load up into the trucks as Annie climbs into the Humvee. The engines crank and all pull away as the scream of a jet can be heard. They pull out of the lot as the jet makes a surgical strike, destroying the depot. The ground beneath them shakes as she watches the explosion behind them.
"Take me home."
"What about Helms and Carol?" the guard asks.
"We'll deal with them later," Annie groans.
Spruce Pines, current
The Humvee pulls away as she walks up the walkway to the house. Reaching out, she opens the door and staggers inside.
"RICK!" Maggie calls out.
She looks up as Rick comes running over and engulfs her in his arms. She smiles and hugs him tightly as they stand there.
"Let me close the door," she chuckles as he releases her. She closes the door and takes her coat off. Reaching behind her back, she pulls the Colt Python free and hands it to him. "I didn't have to fire a shot from it."
"Where's Carol?" Daryl asks.
"She is with Patrick the last time I saw them," Annie replies. "Sorry about the minor earthquake earlier."
"What was that about?" Tyreese asks.
"We called in a surgical strike to blow up the depot … Helms' endgame was releasing a herd of over 500 walkers into Asheville. They are dust right now."
"Damn," Tyreese chuckles.
"Everything all right here?"
"My nerves are not fine! Woman, one of these days!" Mamie snaps and shakes her fist.
"Yea and you love it," Annie laughs. She looks over and sees Abby with Judith. She walks over and kneels in front of her. "Rick, she is precious." Judith pats Abby's leg then reaches for Annie. Annie takes her into her arms and rises. Judith starts patting her face playfully and bursts out laughing for no reason. "I'm glad you think I am funny." She turns to Rick. "We need to change her name, we need to do something so they can't find her."
"Like what?" Glenn asks.
"Her name stays Judith Grimes," Rick speaks and wipes his eyes, "Judith Beth Grimes."
Tears roll down Maggie's cheeks as she hugs him. "It's perfect."
"Mmmmm mmmmm ma mmmmm ma mama," Judith finally gets out.
"Oh my word," Mamie speaks, dabbing her eyes.
Annie wipes her eyes as she places a kiss on her head. "Whatever you say sweet angel, whatever you say."
The fire crackling fills the room as he lays in bed with his arm around her. He runs his hand through her hair as she adjusts in her sleep, her arm still resting across his chest. Running his fingers down her arm, he notices his wedding ring is still on. Lifting his other hand, he pulls it off and stares at it … the perfect circle was now oval in shape, bent through all the fights and turmoil he had endured. Reaching over, he pulls the drawer open and drops it inside. He notices a silver band inside and pulls it out. Closing the drawer, he looks at the band … a simple man's band. He slides it down on his finger, noticing it is the same size his was. He looks at it in the glow of the fire. Running his hand through her hair, he slides out from under her arm and gets out of bed. Pulling his robe on, he walks down the hall and pushes the nursery door open. Abby is asleep on the full bed with Tara in her arms as Judith lays there. He walks over and looks down at her; she looks at him and smiles as he picks her up.
Pulling the door closed gently, he steps onto the covered deck and walks to the screen. Using one hand, he stokes the fire gently as he gazes out.
"Things will never be the same, will they," Carl's voice echoes around him.
"No baby, they never will be," Lori's voice adds in.
"Don't worry sport, we'll be fine no matter what," Shane's voice echoes.
"Damn pigheaded fools are going to get us killed," Dale's voice chimes in.
"We need to keep moving," Andrea's voice comes through.
"What we need Rick is a place to call home," Hershel's voice finishes.
"We have a home," Rick smiles. "We found our home."
"I'm glad," Annie replies as she wraps her arms around him. "Who else is in your head?"
"Just echoes of another life."