Set during 6x10 "The Next World" and beginning half of 6x11 "Knots untie."
We live in cities you'll never see on screen
Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things
Living in ruins of a palace within my dreams
And you know, we're on each other's team
"Team" – Lorde
Chapter 10 – Team
"Back up!" Daryl shouted. "Now!"
"Keep 'em up!" Rick ordered when the man started to lower his hands.
"Whoa, easy," the stranger said. "I was just running from the dead."
"How many?" Mia asked.
"10, maybe more," the man responded. "I'm not risking it. Once it gets to double digits, I start running."
"Where?" Daryl questioned.
"About a half mile back," the stranger answered. "They're headed this way. You probably have about 11 minutes."
"Okay, thanks for letting us know," Rick told him and lowered his weapon. Mia and Daryl kept their weapons raised, though.
"Yeah, there's more of them than us, right? Gotta stick together," the man said. He looked at Daryl then Mia, tilting his head slightly. "Right?"
Daryl lowered his weapon first and Mia followed a few seconds later.
"You have a camp?" The stranger asked.
"No," Mia answered.
"Do you?" Rick asked.
"No," he answered. "Sorry for running into you. I'm gonna go now. If this is the next world, I hope it's good to you."
"I'm Rick. This is Daryl and Mia," Rick said as the man turned his back to them and started in the opposite direction. "What's your name?"
The stranger turned towards them and lowered the bandana covering his face. "Paul Rovia. But my friends used to call me Jesus. Your pick."
"You said you didn't have a camp," Mia noted.
Rick shared a look with her before turning back to Jesus. "You on your own?"
"Yeah," Jesus said. "But, still, best not to try anything."
"Best not to make threats you can't keep, either," Daryl told him.
"Exactly," Jesus said before turning his back to them and jogging away.
"How many walkers—" Rick started.
"No, not this guy," Daryl said, cutting him off.
"How many walkers have you killed?" Rick continued, but Jesus didn't slow down.
"Sorry, gotta run. You should, too," Jesus told them. "You got about seven minutes."
"What the hell was that?" Daryl asked Mia and Rick.
"He was clean," Mia explained. "His beard, it was trimmed."
"There's more going on there," Rick added.
"He didn't have a gun either," Daryl said.
"We could track him, watch him for a while, get to know more. See if he's really alone," Rick suggested. "Maybe bring him back."
"Nah, the guy calls himself Jesus," Daryl said.
Mia reached for her gun when she heard gunshots ring out. Rick and Daryl fell into place behind her as they circled the building. They slowed when they reached the back and discovered sparks coming out of a trashcan.
"Firecrackers," Rick identified. "Shit."
"He swiped your keys didn't he?" Daryl asked and Rick checked his pockets.
"Oh, shit!" Rick exclaimed and they went running to the front of the gas station.
"Sorry!" Jesus shouted from the truck.
Rick, Mia, and Daryl ran out into the street, watching the truck drive off with the vending machine trailing behind it.
"Shit!" Rick said.
"If we keep going on foot, we might be able to catch him eventually," Mia suggested.
Daryl picked up his backpack off the floor and looked at Rick. "She's right. It's our best shot."
"Okay," Rick sighed. "We run."
They started off at a slow jog and kept up that pace until they reached the vending machine in the middle of the road. Daryl went over to the machine while Mia and Rick tried to catch their breath. He broke the glass with the crowbar from his backpack and started to pick out snacks and sodas.
"This was a special request from Denise," Daryl explained before taking a drink out of one of the cans. He tossed the broken can to Rick. Rick took a drink before passing it to Mia.
"Whatever she wants. She helped save Carl's life," Rick said. "We didn't know her and she turned out to be all right. If there's still people out here, and they're still people, we should bring 'em in."
Mia gave the can back to Daryl after she took a drink. He drank more before speaking. "What, like this guy?"
"Definitely not this guy," Mia answered for Rick. Daryl took another drink from the soda can.
Rick went to the machine and picked something out, tucking it into his back pocket.
"We still got a trail," Daryl said as he handed the soda back to Rick. He finished it off before tossing it back into the vending machine.
"Let's go," Rick said and they took off at a jog down the street.
They ran for a while without stopping, but sped up when they saw tire marks on a side street. They followed them for a short distance until Daryl gestured for them to slow down. They peered over a small hill in the road and saw the truck sitting idle a ways down the street. Jesus was kneeling beside the truck with a tire iron in his hands.
"Come on," Daryl said and gestured to the woods.
They snuck through the woods towards the truck, keeping their guns ready. They split up once they got close enough. Mia went with Rick around the back of the truck while Daryl went around the front. Mia stayed back as Rick crept up behind Jesus and grabbed onto him.
"Hold still and maybe we won't hurt you," Rick told him.
"Sure thing," Jesus responded.
Mia pulled her gun when he took down Rick and then Daryl. She couldn't get a clear shot until Rick pushed him down into the dirt. All three of them then pointed their guns at him.
"This is done," Rick said.
Mia glanced up when she heard a walker, but turned her attention back to Jesus when she saw it wasn't too close. He sat up on his elbows and looked between Rick, Mia, and Daryl.
"Do you even have any ammo?" Jesus asked.
On cue, the three of them raised their weapon and shot the single walker in the head.
"Okay," Jesus said. "You gonna shoot me over a truck?"
"There's a lot of food on that truck," Rick answered. "The keys, now."
"I think you know I'm not a bad guy," Jesus said.
"Yeah? What do you know about us?" Rick asked. "Give me the keys. This is the last time I'm asking."
Once he handed the keys over Mia tied him up.
"Damn it," Daryl said as he inspected his backpack. The soda cans had popped when Jesus knocked him against the truck.
"You gonna leave me here like this?" Jesus asked Mia. "You're really gonna do that?"
"The knots aren't that tight," she told him. "You should be able to get out of them once we're gone."
"Maybe we should talk now," Jesus suggested. Mia smiled as she looked at him and shook her head.
"Nah. Here," Daryl said. He shook up one of the sodas and tossed it on the ground in front of Jesus. "In case you get thirsty."
Mia gave Jesus one last glance before getting in the truck with Rick and Daryl. She had to sit on the center console since there were only two seats. She smiled as Rick twirled the keys around his finger. Daryl took out the last soda can from his bag and handed it to Mia. She tucked it into the cup holder between her legs and leaned against the back of the truck cab. Rick started the car and Daryl put his feet up on the dashboard before he stuck his hand out the window, holding up his middle finger.
"So long, you prick!" He called out.
Mia laughed quietly as Rick drove down the street. A short while later Daryl took out some of the candy from his bag and offered some to Mia and Rick. Mia passed, but Rick took a piece.
"Still worked out," Rick said. "Today is still the day."
Daryl turned up the music as they continued down the street. He offered another piece of the candy to Rick, who gladly took it.
"Look," Mia said as they came upon a large field.
"Yeah, a barn," Daryl said.
Several loud thuds came from above as they pulled into the field.
"You hear that?" Rick asked as the thudding continued.
Mia turned down the music and listened for the sound. It came again, almost louder this time.
"I think that son of a bitch is on the roof," Daryl said.
"Hold on," Rick told them. Mia stuck her feet up on the dash and held onto Daryl and Rick's seats as Rick hit the brakes suddenly. Jesus came flying off the top of the truck and landed a few feet in front of them. He stood up and looked at them for a long moment before turning and running in the opposite direction. Rick accelerated, gaining on Jesus quickly.
"Mother—" Daryl started. Mia turned her head to the side when she heard Daryl open his door
"Daryl! Daryl!" Rick shouted after him. He hopped out of the moving vehicle and ran after Jesus on foot.
Rick continued after him, but when he closed in on him, Jesus dodged the truck. Rick reversed until the truck was out of the way. Jesus continued to dodge Daryl in the distance, but Mia was distracted by a few walkers tied to a car. They snapped loose suddenly and started towards the truck.
"We came to a conclusion, asshole!" Daryl shouted after Jesus. He looked to Rick and Mia and gestured to the man he was running after. "I got him!"
Rick and Mia took his word and went after the walkers, taking them down two at a time. Both of them turned back to the truck when they heard a gunshot. Mia could see that Daryl and Jesus were still in the cab as the truck started to reverse down the hill. She ran towards them with Rick by her side and was grateful when Daryl fell out of the truck with Jesus. She winced when Jesus got hit over the head by the open door as the vehicle continued backwards towards the water. They reached Daryl as he kicked Jesus onto his back. They watched as the truck sank into the pond.
"You all right?" Mia asked as she glanced at Daryl.
"Yeah," Daryl said. "Law of averages. That's bullshit, man. Let's go check them cars, get the hell out of here."
"What about him?" Mia asked as she gestured to Jesus.
"What about him?" Daryl questioned.
"He helped you, didn't he?"
"Maybe," Daryl said.
"He ever pull a weapon on you?" Rick asked.
"Fine," Daryl said. "Let's put him up a tree."
Mia sighed as she peered out the window. They had found another car rather easily, but it was convincing Daryl not to leave Jesus up a tree that was hard. She looked up at Rick when the car swerved slightly. She followed his gaze to the rearview mirror to see Daryl push Jesus off him. She smiled lightly and shook her head as she turned her attention back to the scenery outside the car.
"He took a pretty hard hit," Rick said aloud. "Maybe you or Denise could look him over when we get back."
"I can do it," Mia told him without sparing a glance in his direction.
"You wouldn't have gone through with it," Rick said to Daryl. "You wouldn't have left him."
"I would've, right up in a tree," Daryl retorted. "I would've."
"No. I know," Rick said. "Almost as soon as we got to Alexandria, you got it. You saw—you… and Michonne, Glenn, you all tried to tell me. So, shut up."
The car swerved again and Mia could hear Daryl shove Jesus.
"Cause I'm finally listening," Rick finished.
They barely spoke on the way back to Alexandria. It was only when the gate was in sight that someone broke the silence.
"You know, I was thinking," Daryl paused, "back before we went out to the quarry. The morning after Reg and Pete. You said we shouldn't be looking for people no more. You were right."
Rick stopped the car in front of the gate and gave Mia a sidelong glance.
"No," Rick said. "I was wrong. You were right."
He flashed the headlights twice and the gate opened a few moments later. They pulled into the community and went straight to the infirmary. Daryl and Rick carried Jesus onto the porch and to the front door while Mia knocked.
"Sorry to wake you up," Mia said when Denise answered the door.
"Who is this?" She asked as she gestured to Jesus.
"Come on, man. He's heavy," Daryl said. "Oh, that thing, uh, didn't work out. It's this asshole's fault. Sorry."
"Lay him on the bed," Denise instructed as she moved out of the way.
"You and Mia should take a look at him," Rick said.
"He ain't staying though," Daryl said.
Mia waited by the door as Daryl and Rick put Jesus down on the bed in the basement of one of the empty buildings. She watched while Daryl put down a cup of water and a cookie and Rick placed a note against the cup.
"We'll see," Rick sighed. He stood up and started towards the door. "It is pretty stupid for us to go out there, isn't it?"
"Yep," Daryl and Mia chorused.
"Do it again tomorrow?" Daryl asked.
"Yep," Rick and Mia answered before they walked out of the building.
Daryl volunteered to keep watch over Jesus while Rick and Mia went home. They went straight to their room and got ready for bed.
"Mia," Rick said as she undressed. She looked over her shoulder at him.
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad you were out there with us today," he told her.
"Me too," Mia said, nodding. She faced him as she pulled on one of Rick's shirts. "Even though we did lose that entire stash, it was worth it."
"You think we should let him stay?" Rick asked.
"Jesus was just looking out for himself," Mia explained. "He did exactly what I would have done."
"Really?" Rick questioned. "You would have climbed up on top of that truck?"
"I would have tried," Mia said with a weak shrug. She laughed breathlessly when Rick smiled. "I think we should give him a chance. Hear him out, at least."
"After everything you've been through, how can you still see the good in people?" Rick asked.
"I'd like to think that it was because that's how my parents raised me, but I think it just comes down to the fact that I still have faith in humanity. I hope it still exists," Mia explained. "And I was right when it came to you."
She hopped up on the bed and walked across the mattress to Rick's side. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned down to kiss him. It started out as a sweet gesture that quickly deepened. Mia let out something between a laugh and a squeak when Rick grabbed her legs and knocked them out from under her. He caught her and laid her back on the bed. He climbed over her and leaned down to kiss her again. This one was slower and more passionate. Rick dragged his hands up her sides, noting the curves of her body. She kissed him back harder as he ran his fingers through her hair. Her fingers found the hem of his shirt and slipped under and up, tentatively touching the warm skin of his chest. They helped each other out of their shirts and Rick was quick to remove his pants. Rick's eyes were lustful as he peppered kisses along her collarbone, hands moving to her hips. Mia arched her back as Rick's mouth descended upon her neck.
"We should go to bed," Mia huffed as Rick continued to kiss her neck. "We've got an early morning."
Rick lifted his head and raised a hand to smooth some hair out of her face. "You're right."
She bit her lip softly as she placed one hand against his chest while caressing his cheek with the other. "I love you, Rick Grimes."
"I love you, too, Amelia Monroe," Rick replied without hesitation. He pushed himself off her and laid down beside her, taking her hand in his. "We'll talk to Jesus before we leave on the run tomorrow. See if he's right for this place."
"And if he isn't?" Mia asked, turning her head to look at Rick. He met her gaze with a sigh.
"Then we'll take him back to the gas station, tie him up, and leave him," Rick answered.
"And actually make sure he stays tied up," Mia added quietly.
"Yeah," Rick said. He kissed her forehead before wrapping an arm over her bare stomach. "We'll talk over specifics with Daryl in the morning."
"Sounds like a plan," Mia agreed. She took a deep breath as she stared at the ceiling.
"What's wrong?"
"The nightmares," Mia told him. "I'd just like to have a break for once."
"Maybe tonight's the night," Rick said, causing Mia to look at him.
"Yeah, maybe."
"I'm here if you need me," Rick said.
"I know," Mia murmured. She shut her eyes a few seconds later and turned onto her side. She felt Rick slide closer to her and took comfort in his company. It took a while, but sleep seemed to welcome her like an old friend when it finally came.
"Rick. Mia. Rick, wake up."
Mia's eyes bolted open and she sprung from the bed, grabbing her gun from the nightstand before turning to face whoever had woken them. She sighed when she saw it was Jesus who had snuck into their room. She thought about lowering her gun, but she could see Rick out of the corner of her eye with his gun poised.
"We should talk," Jesus told them. He glanced at Rick then Mia, making her tilt her head daringly. "I'll wait outside while you two get dressed."
"Great idea," Mia retorted before grabbing the blanket off the bed and covering herself with it. She dropped the blanket once Jesus was gone and pulled on her shirt and pants as fast as she could. Rick hurried to get dressed as well and they appeared in the hallway together. They stopped short when she heard Jesus' voice at the end of the hall.
"—waiting for your mom and dad to get dressed," Jesus said. "Hi. I'm Jesus."
"Mia's not my mom," Carl told him. "She's my dad's girlfriend."
"I thought she looked a little young to have a teenage son," Jesus responded.
"My age is none of your business," Mia said as she walked up behind him and Carl. Abraham, Daryl, Glenn, and Maggie came running up the stairs a moment later, each with their weapons ready.
"It's okay," Rick said to the others, but they hesitated to lower their guns.
Mia exhaled slowly as she ran a hand through her hair. "You said you wanted to talk, so let's talk."
"So, how'd you get out?" Rick asked. They were all seated at the table in the dining room.
"One guard can't cover two exits or third floor windows," Jesus answered. "Knots untie, locks get picked. Entropy comes from order, right?"
"Right," Daryl said.
"I checked out your arsenal. I haven't seen anything like that in a long time. You're well-equipped, but your provisions are low," Jesus noted. Mia squared her shoulders as she stood beside Daryl, her gun still in her hand. "Very low for the amount of people you have. 54?"
"More than that," Maggie told him.
"Well, I appreciate the cookie. Compliments to the chef," Jesus said.
"Yeah, she ain't here," Daryl said.
Jesus shifted in his seat to face Daryl. "Look, we got off to a bad start. But we're on the same side—the living side. You, Mia, and Rick had every reason to leave me out there, but you didn't. I'm from a place a lot like this one. Part of my job is searching out other settlements to trade with. I took your truck because my community needs things, and the three of you looked like trouble. I was wrong. You're good people and this is a good place. I think our communities may be in a position to help each other."
"Do you have food?" Glenn asked.
"We've started to raise livestock," Jesus answered. "We scavenge, we grow. Everything from tomatoes to sorghum."
"Why should we believe you?" Mia questioned.
"I'll show you," Jesus said. "If we take a car, I can take you back home in a day, and you can all see for yourselves who we are and what we have to offer."
"Wait, you're looking for more settlements," Maggie said. "You mean you're already trading with other groups?"
Jesus leaned back in his seat and smirked knowingly. "Your world's about to get a whole lot bigger."
It didn't take long for them to get the RV ready for the trip. Mia volunteered to watch over Jesus while the others packed the car. She kept her gun in her lap as she sat beside him on the couch.
"How old are you?" Jesus asked quietly.
"Why do you care?" Mia retorted with a glance in his direction.
"I'm just curious," Jesus explained.
"Is it because of me and Rick?" Mia cocked an eyebrow.
"Partly," Jesus answered as he ran a hand over his beard. "And partly because it's been a while since I've met someone your age."
Mia looked away from him and leaned back in the couch. "I'm twenty-three."
"I would have guessed twenty-five," Jesus told her.
"I know Rick's older and I'm younger, and chances are that one of us will die before we get to live happily ever after, but… I love him and he loves me," Mia explained quietly as she fiddled with her gun.
"You must if you're willing to tell a complete stranger about it," Jesus joked with a small smirk.
Mia looked at him and smiled. "You're not a complete stranger."
"I guess not," Jesus said. A short silence ensued until he looked at her again. She was staring off into the distance, but she could sense his eyes on her. "Were you here since the beginning?"
"No," Mia sighed. "I was away at school when everything went down and it took almost two years to get here."
"You have family here?" Jesus asked.
"I did," Mia said. "I mean, I still have my brother, Spencer, and the Alexandrians but my parents and my brother, Aiden, died after I got here."
"How?"
"My brother, Aiden, was attacked by walkers, my dad was murdered by another man that used to live here, and my mom was bitten just a couple months ago," Mia revealed. She sighed heavily and laid a hand on her gun. "I don't know why I'm telling you this."
"I'm told I have a trustworthy face," Jesus said, causing Mia to let out a breathless laugh. "I was on my own too before I made it to my community."
"I want to trust you, Jesus," Mia said. "I want to believe that there are still good people out there."
"Let me show you that there are," Jesus suggested. "My community will prove it."
"I hope it does," Mia sighed.
"I'm sorry for your losses," Jesus said after a couple seconds of silence passed between them. "I've heard it does get easier."
"Yeah, I've heard that too," Mia said. "I hope it's true."
"The RV's ready to go," Abraham announced as he peeked his head back inside the house. Mia nodded and he disappeared again.
Jesus stood up and offered a hand to Mia. She took it after tucking her gun into her belt and he pulled her up from the couch. "Don't lose hope yet."
Mia looked down to see Jesus still holding onto her hand. "I'm trying not to."
He let go of her hand and motioned towards the door. "Ladies first."
Mia smiled softly and walked out of the house with Jesus on her heels. She slowed when she reached the porch steps and gave Jesus a sidelong glance. "What's your community called?"
"Hilltop," Jesus told her.
"Sounds nice," Mia said quietly.
"It is," Jesus said.
They walked down the stairs side-by-side and went to the RV. Jesus let Mia get into the vehicle first and followed after her. She knew Rick was driving so she took the passenger side seat. Mia glanced over her shoulder to see Jesus already staring at her.
"What?" Mia asked with a curious smile.
"Nothing," Jesus said quickly. He shook his head lightly and gestured towards her. "It's just—your scars."
"What about them?"
"You must be pretty brave," Jesus said.
"They hurt when I got them," Mia admitted as she glanced down at her arms.
"You've been through a lot and you've survived. You're a survivor," Jesus told her.
"You have no idea," Mia said with a sigh and she faced forward, putting her feet up on the dash.
"You ready to go?" Rick asked as he took his seat beside her.
"Yep," Mia said.
Rick started the RV and drove out of the community. They stuck to the main roads as per Jesus' instructions and didn't slow until they came upon a car crash on the side of the road.
"Yo, Rick. What's going on?" Daryl asked from his seat.
"We got a crash ahead," Rick answered. "Looks like it just happened."
"It's one of ours," Jesus said as they pulled into the parking lot. Rick shared a look with Mia as they parked the RV. They piled out of the vehicle and walked over to the crash site hand-in-hand.
Rick waited until Jesus was done inspecting the car to pull his gun on him. Mia retrieved her gun from her belt, but kept it at her side.
"If this is a trick it won't end well for you," Rick told him.
"My people are in trouble," Jesus said. "They don't—we don't have a lot of fighters. I know how it looks, but I'll play it out. Can I borrow a gun?"
"No," Daryl said before gesturing from Rick to the ground. "We got tracks right here."
They followed the tracks to the door of the nearest building and Rick banged on the door a couple times.
"They gotta be in there," Jesus said.
"We moving in or what?" Abraham asked.
"How do we know this ain't firecrackers in a trash can?" Daryl asked.
"We don't," Mia said at the same time Jesus said, "You don't."
"If we go in and it's a trap, someone should be out here to take out Jesus," Dean suggested. He had volunteered to go on the trip to Hilltop with them, and no one could find a good reason to say no. Mia kept her distance since he was still openly pursuing her.
"We'll get your people," Rick decided. "But Dean's right. You stay out here with one of us."
"That's the deal," Michonne added when Jesus looked at her.
"Will you stay?" Glenn asked Maggie.
"Yeah," she answered. "Y'all go. Just be careful."
"Yeah," Rick said as he handcuffed Jesus. "We'll be careful."
"Just hurry," Jesus told them.
"You hear me whistle, shoot him," Rick instructed Maggie. Jesus spared a glance in Mia's direction and she offered him a weak shrug. They couldn't be too careful.
"I will," Maggie answered.
Daryl held open the door as they all filed into the building with their weapons ready. Michonne, Rick, and Mia went one way while the others split off in different directions. They took down three walkers in a dark hallway before walking into a large office. There were two people hiding in the corner.
"Come on out," Mia instructed. "We're not going to hurt you."
"We're friends of Jesus," Michonne explained as she checked them for weapons. "We're here to get you out."
"There more of you?" Rick asked with his gun still raised.
"Two more," the woman said. "They ran ahead."
They led the way through the building and eventually met up with the others and the rest of Jesus' people. They made their way back to the RV once Mia took off Jesus' handcuffs. They continued on their way towards Hilltop, only stopping when the RV got stuck in the road.
"Damn it," Rick said. "A storm must've passed through. We're stuck."
Jesus stood up and peered out the front window. "No worries. We're here."
They filed out of the car and followed Jesus towards the walled community. Mia's jaw dropped slightly as she stared at the outside of the community. It was protected just like Alexandria.
"That's us. That's the Hilltop," Jesus told them.
They had to walk the rest of the way on foot, but it was only a short distance from the RV to the front gate. They came to a stop on the dirt path that led to the gate.
"Stop right there," a man shouted.
"Whoa!" Jesus said as everyone raised their guns towards the top of the gate.
"You gonna make us?" Daryl asked.
"Jesus, what the hell is this?" one of the men standing at the top of the gate asked. Both of the men up there were carrying spears.
"Open the gate, Cal. Freddie's hurt," Jesus explained. He turned towards Rick's group. "Look, sorry about these guys. They get antsy standing up there all day doing nothing."
"They give up their weapons. Then we open the gates," one of the men on guard said.
"Why don't you come down here and get 'em?" Daryl asked daringly.
"Gentlemen, look, we vouch for these people, all right?" Dr. Carson told them. "They saved us out there."
"Lower the spears," Jesus instructed.
"Look, I'm not taking any chances," Rick told Jesus. "Tell your guy Gregory to come out here."
"No. Don't you see what just happened? I'm letting you keep your guns. Look, we ran out of ammo months ago. I like you people," Jesus said as he glanced between Rick and Mia. "I trust you. Trust us."
Rick gestured for his group to lower their weapons and Jesus turned towards the gates. "Open the gates, Cal."
Once they were inside Hilltop, Jesus explained everything about the community. The walls had been built with materials from a materials yard for a power company nearby. People and trailers came from a FEMA camp. The huge mansion in the center of the community was called the Barrington house. It gave them perfect security. The group followed Jesus into the house and took a moment to look around.
"Good gracious, Ignatius," Abraham said as he entered the house. He was busy staring at the large foyer.
"Most of the rooms have been converted to living spaces," Jesus explained. "Even the ones that weren't bedrooms."
"People live here and the trailers?" Rick asked.
"We plan to build," Jesus said. "There's babies being born."
Mia turned around when she heard doors open behind her. There was an older man standing in the doorway to the study.
"Jesus," the man said. "You're back. With guests."
"Everyone, this is Gregory. He keeps the trains running on time around here," Jesus said.
"I'm the boss," Gregory said as he gestured around him.
"Well, I'm Rick," Rick said. "We have a community—"
"Why don't y'all go get cleaned up, hmm?" Gregory asked, cutting off Rick.
"We're fine," Mia told him.
"Jesus will show you where you can get washed up. Then come back down here when you're ready," Gregory said as he walked towards Rick. "It's hard to keep this place clean."
"Yeah, sure," Rick said.
"Follow me," Jesus told them and started up the stairs.
"You clean up first," Rick said to Maggie as they walked up the stairs. "You talk to him."
"Why?" Maggie asked.
"I shouldn't," Rick answered, causing Mia to smile to herself. "And you should start doing these things."
"You okay?"
Mia looked up to see Jesus standing over her. He wasn't wearing his hat or jackets anymore and seemed even cleaner than before. She forced a smile before turning her attention back to the bracelet she was wearing—Aiden's bracelet.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Mia answered. "I'm just waiting for Rick."
"Nice bracelet," Jesus said as he sat down beside her.
"It was my brother's," Mia explained. "He gave it to me right before he died."
"I'm sorry," Jesus said.
"It's something to remember him by," Mia said with a shrug. "I don't take it off."
"That's a given," Jesus responded.
"I wanted to ask you about Gregory," Mia said. "Is he always that—"
"Uptight?" Jesus finished.
"Amongst other things," Mia answered.
"He is," Jesus said. "He thinks it helps keep him in control."
"And does it?"
"Sometimes," Jesus said, shrugging weakly.
"I'm just glad Maggie was okay with talking to him," Mia said.
"You wouldn't have volunteered?" Jesus said with a short laugh.
"I probably would have ended up punching him in the face," Mia answered truthfully.
"Yeah," Jesus said. "I felt that way when I first met him, too."
"And you got over it?"
"Something like that," Jesus said. They allowed a short silence pass between them before Jesus spoke again. "Mia."
"Yeah?" She turned her head to look at him.
"You've been through a lot, haven't you?"
"More than some I would assume," Mia said. "Why?"
"Because Hilltop could use more people like you," Jesus explained. "And there's always room for more."
"Are you inviting me to come live here?" Mia asked with a weak smile.
"It's a proposition," Jesus said, nodding.
"I'm flattered, really, but Alexandria is my home, and the people there are my family," Mia told him. "I couldn't leave them."
"Right," Jesus said. "It was just an idea."
"My dad was the one who built the walls there and my mom ran things until she died," Mia said. "Spencer, my brother, is the only blood-relative I have left and he lives there."
"You don't have to explain," Jesus said as he placed a hand on top of hers. "I understand."
"Thanks," Mia said.
"What's going on out here?"
Mia looked up to see Rick standing over them. He didn't seem angry, but his gaze was lingering on their hands. She pulled her hand out from under Jesus' and ran it through her hair.
"Jesus was just telling me that Gregory was always this way," Mia said.
"That must be kind of exhausting," Rick said. He offered a hand to Mia and pulled her to her feet when she took it.
"You have no idea," Jesus said as he stood up.
Jesus led the way downstairs where the others were already waiting. Maggie came out a while later and told them that Gregory rejected her proposal to trade.
"We want to generate trade," Jesus explained. "Gregory does, but ammo isn't something we urgently need."
"Well, how's that?" Rick asked.
"The walls hold," Jesus answered. "We just brought in more medicine. Gregory wants the best deal possible."
"Yeah, well, we want things, too," Daryl said.
"We need food," Rick said. "We came all this way, we're gonna get it."
Jesus and Rick held each other's gaze for a few seconds before Jesus spoke. "I will talk to him and we will work this out. Circumstances change. We're doing well now, and you will next. I will make him understand that. Can you give me a few days?"
"We can," Mia answered before Rick could get a word in.
"Yeah," Rick said after sharing a look with Mia.
They all turned towards the front door when they heard footsteps coming up the porch. The door opened and a man walked into the foyer as Gregory appeared from the study.
"What's wrong?" Gregory asked.
"They're back," the man answered.
They followed Gregory out of the house and out to the yard. Three people came to meet them, two men and one woman.
"Ethan, what happened to everybody else?" Gregory asked. "Where's Tim and Marsha?"
"They're dead," Ethan answered.
"Negan?" Gregory asked.
"Yeah."
"We had a deal," Gregory responded.
"He said it wasn't enough," the other man said. "Was the drop light?"
"No," Gregory answered.
"They still have Craig," the woman said.
"They said they'd keep him alive, return him to us, if I delivered a message to you," Ethan explained.
"So, tell me," Gregory said. The taller man put a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," he said before plunging a knife into Gregory's stomach.
Mia rushed forward alongside Jesus and caught Gregory before he fell to the floor. They lowered him down as Rick and Michonne tried to take down Ethan. The man pushed Michonne aside, but Rick manage to put him on his back, punching him a few times before the other man from the group pushed him off. Abraham tackled the second man and Rick got back on top of Ethan.
"Keep pressure on that," Mia said. She scrambled to her feet as the second man began to choke Abraham.
"I got this," Daryl told her before going to break the man's arm.
Mia turned her attention to Rick and Ethan. Rick was on the floor with Ethan on top of him, pressing a knife to his neck. Mia pulled her gun and pointed it at him.
"Stay back! Anybody who tries to stop me is killing my brother!"
"Drop it," Michonne ordered, distracting Ethan long enough for Rick to stab him in the neck.
Rick pushed the dead man off him and staggered to his feet. Mia lowered her gun once she was sure he was okay.
"What?" Rick asked when he saw everyone staring at him.
"Ethan!" The second man shouted. "You killed him!"
"He tried to kill Gregory then me," Rick retorted.
Mia stepped forward when the woman who had been part of Ethan's group ran forward and punched Rick across the face. She was quick to push the woman to the floor.
"Stay down," Mia told her.
"Drop it now!" A man shouted as he came running up with a spear in his hands.
"I don't think I will," Rick said and stepped towards them with his gun raised.
"Everyone, this is over!" Jesus shouted as he stepped between Rick and the two men with spears, holding up his hands to stop them from moving forward. "It's over. Ethan was our friend, but let's not pretend he was anything more than a coward who attacked us. He did this, and these people stopped him."
"What can I do?" Rick asked.
"Put the gun away. You've done enough," Jesus told him. Rick lowered his guns and Jesus lowered his arms. He turned towards Rick. "You need to know that things aren't as simple as they might seem. Just give me some time."
Jesus walked past Rick and Mia and over to Gregory who was still lying on the floor. Mia joined him and Dr. Carson and helped take Gregory into the house. She offered to stay and help Dr. Carson, but he told her he had it covered. She returned downstairs and waited with the others until Jesus joined them in the study.
"Dr. Carson was able to patch Gregory up," Jesus explained. "He's in pain, but he'll live."
"So, what happens now?" Michonne asked.
"Things like that don't usually happen here, but, uh, it's settled," Jesus said.
"We heard the name Negan," Rick said. "A while back, Daryl and Abraham had a run-in with his men. Who is he?"
"Negan's the head of a group of people he calls the Saviors. As soon as the walls were built, the Saviors showed up. They met with Gregory on behalf of their boss. They made a lot of demands, even more threats. And he killed one of us—Rory," Jesus revealed. "He was 16 years old. They beat him to death right in front of us. Said we needed to understand, right off the bat. Gregory's not exactly good at confrontation. He's not the leader I would've chosen, but he helped make this place what it is, and the people like him."
"He made the deal," Mia concluded.
Jesus looked at her and nodded. "Half of everything. Our supplies, our crops, our livestock, it goes to the Saviors."
"And what do you get in return?" Glenn asked.
"They don't attack this place," Jesus answered. "They don't kill us."
"Why not just kill them?" Daryl questioned.
"Most of the people here don't even know how to fight, even if we had ammo," Jesus said.
"Well, how many people does Negan have?" Rick asked.
"We don't know. We've seen groups as big as 20," Jesus answered.
"Now, hold up. So, they show up, they kill a kid, and you give them half of everything?" Daryl asked. "These dicks just got a good story. The boogeyman, he ain't shit."
"Well, how do you know?" Jesus asked.
"A month ago, we took his guys out PDQ," Abraham explained. "Left them in pieces and puddles."
"Yeah, we'll do it," Daryl said. "If we go get your man back, kill Negan, take out his boys, will you hook us up? We want food, medicine, and one of them cows."
Jesus looked to Rick. "Confrontation's never been something we've had trouble with."
"I'll take it to Gregory," Jesus said.
"They have food, we don't. We don't have enough of anything. Except us. What we can do. This is the trade," Rick said as the group waited on the terrace.
"It's gonna cost us something," Maggie said.
"Maggie's right," Mia agreed. "We won't get through this without losing something or someone."
"So, you don't think we should do it?" Rick asked her.
"I think we should take this slow," Mia said. "We shouldn't go in guns blazing without every piece of information we can scrounge up."
"We'll do our research," Daryl said.
They turned towards the door when it opened. Jesus stepped out onto the patio.
"Gregory's up. He wants to talk," Jesus said. He put up a hand when Rick started towards the door. "To Maggie. He wants to talk to Maggie."
"You got this," Glenn told his wife.
"Deanna was right about you," Rick told her.
"I'm sorry in advance," Jesus said. "Gregory can be a real prick."
"I know," Maggie said before they disappeared into the house.
Mia ran a hand through her hair, pushing it out of her face as she leaned against the railing. She knew it would be a mistake to go up against the Saviors.