Carl and Lydia raced towards the walls of the Hilltop. Carl's lungs felt like they were about to explode, and the stab wound in his shoulder was throbbing with every movement. Lydia seemed to be accustomed to running for long distances and she soon was in the lead with Carl struggling to catch up.

"Do you need a break?" Lydia yelled from over her shoulder.

"No… can't…" Carl huffed, although inside, his body was screaming for rest.

You can rest when you know Enid and your family is safe.

"You said your wife was pregnant. She is weak. Alpha will kill her, or use her for her benefit" Lydia said nonchalantly.

Carl turned to stare at Lydia as he ran, almost tripping over a fallen branch.

"My wife… is not… weak. And Alpha… won't… touch her." Carl growled, wondering what this girl had to have gone through to be so cold.

Lydia noticed the fierceness in Carl's voice and turned around to glance at him. "I didn't mean to upset you. It's just a fact. While she's pregnant she can't contribute to the community. That makes her weak."

"You're wrong… my wife contributes… to the… community… every day." Carl said, using his remaining stores of energy to defend Enid. "She saves lives… she's not weak… don't say it again…"

Lydia didn't speak again as the two of them sprinted to Hilltop's gates. Carl was relieved when he could see the high wooden walls in the distance.

"When we get closer… you have to… put… your hands up… so they won't shoot" Carl said. He then glanced over at Lydia. "And you should… take your mask off".

Lydia glanced over at Carl. "I never take it off" she said quietly, her hand moving unconsciously towards her face.

"You have to" Carl said, "If you want to… live with us… you have to".

Lydia sighed and slowed down her running, but Carl didn't stop. He continued to run towards the gates and he knew he was close enough now to be spotted. There were dozens of left over walkers from the first attack circling the gates, but Carl ignored them, trying to get the attention of the people on watch. He was still covered in the blood Lydia had poured on him so that he could be in the walker herd.

"Hey!" he screamed "Open the gates! Open them now!"

Carl waited for someone to yell down at him, or for him to see figures moving on the lookout posts, but Carl couldn't see any movement, and no one responded. Carl's stomach dropped in panic.

Where are the guards on duty? They'd never leave their posts. What's going…

And suddenly through his panic, Carl could hear the growls on the other side of the fence. On the inside of Hilltop. The walkers.

"No!" Carl screamed in a panic, running to the gate and banging on it. "Open the gates! It's Carl! Open the gates!"

His yelling attracted the attention of the walkers on the outside and a few of them stumbled towards him. He was too busy trying to get in the gates to care. A walker stumbled up behind him, reaching out its arms to grab his shoulders. As its head lowered to bite him, Lydia shoved a knife through it, and the walker collapsed behind Carl.

Carl spun around and was startled to see Lydia, unmasked, standing behind him. Her blond hair was shoulder length and dirty, and she had big blue eyes that took up most of her small face. She had a funny look as if she was embarrassed, and she quickly rubbed her face, almost checking to see if it was still there.

"Thank you" Carl murmured, but his eyes were wide in panic and his mind was elsewhere. "They're not answering. There are walkers inside. I need to… we have to get inside"

Lydia tilted her head back so she could see the top of the tall gates made out of huge wooden logs. As she looked she nodded her head slightly as if she were having a conversation in her own head. Carl stared at her until she looked at him again.

"I can climb this" she said. She quickly pulled out two sharp objects. They looked like knives but they had a long metal hilt that looked handmade.

"What is that?" Carl asked.

"We use these to climb" Lydia said, inspecting the wood on one of the wooden logs. "When we're hunting we get in the trees to get an advantage on our prey"

She jumped up and quickly jabbed the knife into one of the logs, and while still hanging from the first knife she jabbed the second knife in even higher. Soon, both of her feet were completely off the ground. Carl watched in amazement as Lydia using mostly her upper arm strength and occasionally her feet or knees to hold herself steady, made her way up Hilltop's wall.

As Carl watched Lydia climb her way to the top of the wall he called up "Be careful. When you get over, you have to pull the ropes by the gates to open them." She didn't respond but he knew she heard him. Finally, she pulled herself up to the top of the gates and threw her legs over so that she was perched on the top. He saw her pause for a moment and then look back down at him.

"What?" Carl asked, terrified.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rick stared down into the tunnel entrance, listening to the moans of the straggling walkers at the back of the herd. His mind immediately went to Michonne who was in the house with the children.

She'll be ok, she can handle herself. You have to find Carl and protect Enid. That's your priority right now.

"We have to go down there. There's walkers, get ready to fight. Enid, you stay in the middle of us. There may be Walker People down there too. If it moves, kill it."

Rick quickly lowered himself down the ladder leading into the tunnel. He pulled his gun and waited for Enid and the rest of the team to make their way down behind him. He quickly grabbed Gregory and pushed him to the front.

"You go first" Rick said.

Gregory looked at Rick, terrified. "I don't have a weapon!" he whined.

"Then you should watch where you're going" Rick whispered quietly to him.

Rick quickly looked back to make sure Enid was ok, and then he followed Gregory through the small tunnel. The air smelled rank with death and a walker could be heard up ahead. Gregory was moving extremely slowly and Rick got impatient, pushing Gregory out of his way and taking the lead. A walker who had been trampled lay half flattened on the floor. Rick stabbed it quickly and picked up the pace, desperate to get back into the Hilltop. People lived in the rooms of the big house and they were all in danger.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Alpha followed the walking ones through the tunnel. Their moans echoed off the walls creating a roar. Two of her people were closer to the front of the herd so that they could open any doors or obstacles that the herd came up against. After a long walk she could see light up ahead, they had reached the inside of the town. Alpha walked into a large room and saw that the herd was making its way out into a hallway. She prepared herself for an attack, but it seemed like the area was empty. They were in some sort of basement and the herd was filling up the room quickly. She knew that if quarters got too close the herd might notice that there were living ones amongst them.

She held her hand up and pointed towards a door that was closed. Immediately, Beta and Gamma made their way over to the unlocked door and slowly opened it. They both froze and waved for Alpha to come over. She snuck a look through the door and she saw three men talking to each other while sitting on benches in a plushly decorated hallway. There were rugs on the floor and ornate furniture and paintings. Alpha rolled her eyes. These people live like they aren't surrounded by the dead. It's time to remind them.

She turned and signaled to her people who were mixed into the herd. They immediately began pushing the herd towards the door. Alpha and Beta swung the door open, startling the men in the hallway, and the walkers poured out of the door. The men yelled and held up their guns, firing on the walkers, but they were quickly overrun, and while the first few walkers fed on the still screaming men the others stepped past them, filling the house. Alpha could hear doors opening and footsteps coming towards them. She pressed herself against the wall, hiding in a corner where they couldn't see her. As they ran past her she took her club and slammed it into the nearest man's head, knocking him out and offering another meal to the walkers.

Impatient to find Omega, Alpha pushed forward and up the basement stairs with her people and some of the walkers behind her. She made it out of the basement and onto the first floor of the house. She entered the large lobby of the house which contained more ornate furniture and decorations. There were few people around, probably because it was such a late hour.

Alpha whispered to her people. "Check all the rooms for Omega. If the people refuse to talk or cooperate, kill them". The women nodded and snuck upstairs to do Alpha's bidding. Alpha also walked up the stairs, holding out her club as she slowly opened an unlocked door. It was a bedroom, and the occupant jumped out of bed startled by her.

"What? Who are…" the man started to say before Alpha hit him with her club, stunning him and knocking him to the ground, and used her knees to pin his arms to the floor.

"Where is Omega?" she asked, sticking her face into his.

The man's eyes were wide open, seemingly in shock from his unprovoked attack.

"Omega… what? Who the hell is that? Is that the kid Gregory was bitching about? Who the fuck are y…"

Alpha used her club to press down on the man's neck and he began to struggle as his breathing was compromised.

"You don't ask questions" she whispered. "Where is Omega? Tell me and maybe you'll live."

She released the club from the man's throat and he gasped in a breath. "I… I'm not sure. Gregory said he was living with the Grimes', but I don't know if he's still there. Please don't kill me." The man said quickly.

Alpha stopped leaning on his arms and pulled him up from his sitting position. "Show me where they live" she demanded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As the man led Alpha to the Grimes' household, she recruited several Walker People to surround him as they went through the herd, protecting him from the walkers. Her people then began forcing the herd out of the big house and into the town. As the walkers spread out around the town they drew the attention of the Hilltop defense team who was manning the walls.

"Walkers!" someone screamed, and suddenly the town woke up. Lights turned on in the homes and gunshots rang out. A bullet whizzed past Alpha's head and she ducked down behind some bushes, dragging the man with her. The walkers spread out through the streets, attacking anyone in their path.

"Which house is it?" she demanded. The man pointed at one of the trailers where the lights were turned off. Alpha slammed her club through the man's head and then ran towards the trailer, Beta and Gamma close behind her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Michonne knew Alpha was coming for her and her family, and she wracked her brain to think of how she could get the upper hand. She was at a disadvantage being pregnant, but she figured she could make the house as hard to get into as possible. She leaned against the couch and pushed it up against the front door blocking the only entrance. She checked all the windows making sure they were closed and locked. She then hid behind the front door. She figured if they did force themselves in through the front door, she could dispatch them one by one with her katana as they entered. Assuming they didn't have guns like Omega had said.

Michonne's heart was beating rapidly and she tried to slow her breathing down to relax.

You can do this Michonne. You have to do this for your children, for your baby.

She rubbed her belly and felt the baby move again.

Just hold on for the ride baby.

She could hear a creak on the steps outside. Someone was sneaking onto the porch. Not touching the curtains, Michonne peaked through a crack and saw the outline of three people creeping closer to the front door. A shiver went down Michonne's spine.

The doorknob rattled as someone tried to turn it, but it was locked. She pressed herself against the wall as she heard more creaking on the porch. A loud bang made her jump. She peeked out through the hole again and saw one of the Walker People slamming a club into the doorknob.

Shit.

She glanced at the bedroom where Judy, Joy, and Omega were hiding.

Stay quiet, just stay quiet, she tried to communicate with the children.

A loud bang shook the wall she was leaning against as the doorknob was hit again. She heard gunshots and screams in the distance. Michonne took another deep breath and tried to clear her mind of anything else but her and her sword. There was a third bang and she heard the clatter of metal falling to the floor. They had knocked the door knob off. The door opened inward slowly and then met resistance as it hit the couch.

"They are inside" someone said softly.

"Send out the boy and we won't harm you" she heard someone call.

Michonne remained crouched behind the door, her heart beating a mile a minute.

The door suddenly slammed against the couch, pushing the couch forward a few inches. Again and again the door was slammed into the couch until the door swung open fully, almost hitting Michonne in the face. She knew this was her only moment to take advantage of the element of surprise.

She leaped from behind the door and shoved her katana through the neck of one of the intruders. She quickly withdrew her weapon from the neck and the intruder dropped to the floor with a thud. Trying not to leave a second for the intruders to recover, she spun around, swinging her katana through the air trying to behead the next person, but they quickly ducked and aimed something heavy and wooden at her legs.

Michonne stumbled backwards but didn't fall. Her thighs burned as she regained her balance and held up her sword, panting from the exertion.

The two remaining intruders looked from her to their comrade that she just killed. One of them stepped forward nodding her head. "So they aren't all weak in this town" the female voice said, sounding amused.

Michonne stood with her katana held up, desperately trying to regain her breath. The masked woman looked Michonne up and down. "And you are pregnant. Did the men here get the jump on you?". When Michonne didn't answer, the woman called loudly "Omega, come out. Leave with us and these people will be spared." There was no answer.

Michonne just stared, calculating the best way to kill these people and protect her children. The woman slowly advanced on Michonne and Michonne swung towards her again, almost gutting her in the middle.

The woman chuckled. "Beta, get the boy" the woman said, and the second intruder started to move towards the bedroom. Michonne quickly ran forward, blocking the way down the hallway and placing her katana in Beta's face. Beta swung a large knife towards Michonne and Michonne sidestepped her, throwing Beta off balance, and then she punched Beta in the face. She then quickly kicked Beta away to give herself enough distance to use her katana. As the sword swung downward to stab her, Beta rolled out the way and kicked Michonne in the stomach, causing Michonne to stumble backwards, but she didn't fall.

Michonne clutched her belly, slightly panicked.

Please be ok baby, please be ok.

But she couldn't dwell on it, Beta was running at her now. Michonne, calling on all of her pre-pregnancy flexibility, dropped to the ground just as Beta was about to body slam her, and stuck out her legs, tripping Beta. Beta crashed to the ground and slammed into the bedroom door, and Michonne straddled her as quickly as she could with her large belly. She quickly took her katana and pressed it into Beta's neck, killing her.

Michonne, feeling completely out of breath and dizzy, struggled to get up from the floor and turn towards the woman who was watching the scene play out from the living room. She thought the woman would come at her any moment, while she was trying to stand, but the woman stayed where she was. Michonne turned and held up her sword again.

"You could've been one of us" the woman said with a nod. "It's a shame I have to kill you now. Just know I have great respect for you. I am Alpha."

Michonne was sweating from the exertion, her thigh was throbbing from where she was hit, and her heart was pounding, but she readied herself for this last kill. This is the woman who had allowed Omega to be starved and abused, who had terrified the poor boy. She wouldn't hurt him again.

Alpha raised her club, and Michonne moved from the hallway back into the living room to give herself more room to swing her katana. The woman began circling Michonne, looking for a weak spot, but Michonne circled along with her, facing the woman at all times.

Alpha suddenly swung her club at Michonne's head and Michonne jerked her head backwards just in time, the club swinging past her nose. As Alpha recovered from the swing, Michonne brought her katana down in a stabbing motion into the woman's side, but she missed. The woman, knowing she had almost been stabbed, smiled. "Yes, you're good."

As the woman brought her club up again, Michonne tried another swing, hitting the woman's shoulder and drawing blood. Alpha, ignoring her injury, threw herself at Michonne, tackling her to the floor and sitting on top of her belly. Michonne dropped her sword and used both hands to push the woman's chin upwards, trying to push her off. Alpha bit Michonne's hand hard and Michonne reflexively pulled her hand back, giving Alpha enough room to punch Michonne hard in the face. Michonne gasped at the impact, but quickly head butted Alpha to get her off of her belly.

Alpha rolled off of Michonne and Michonne tried to slowly pull herself to her feet, her head spinning from lack of oxygen and the impact of the headbutt. She stumbled a little, but she pulled herself upwards again. She reached down for her katana but Alpha quickly kicked it away from her reach. Alpha ran at Michonne again, and Michonne pulled a knife from the back of her pants and stabbed it into Alpha's stomach. Alpha stumbled backwards in surprise, looking down at the small red stain that was getting larger.

"Yes, you're good" Alpha repeated again, clutching her stomach. Michonne, keeping her eyes on Alpha, bent down and picked up her katana again. She cautiously approached Alpha and swung her katana to behead the woman when Alpha quickly thrust a knife into Michonne's belly, causing Michonne's katana to loudly clatter to the floor.