A/N: WARNING - Mostly my OC's this chapter until the end.

When they started off they didn't have any particular destination in mind. He'd driven them to Bridgewater, at Rand's suggestion, and they started hiking. It wasn't any different from his SAS days, except for the walkers.

There weren't that many, Adrian wasn't surprised to note. It was why he'd followed Seth's suggestion for mountains. Walkers weren't coordinated and the Trail had some traffic, but they'd figured when this started only die hard through hikers would keep going. Or other smart people such as themselves.

They'd stopped for the night in Burketown, cleaning out a small home, taking the food with them. There wasn't anything there aside from walker infested houses, a small diner, a gas station and streets. If they hadn't found the castle it could be an easily defended place, once walls had been installed. Rand hid the coffee she'd found at the local coffee shop, intending to come back later and pick it up. Smart woman. After she'd done that they'd searched all the homes and businesses, looking for coffee, sugar and creamer, stashing it in a truck in the parking lot of the farmer's market, keeping them for another night.

Three days after leaving the castle they'd made it to another small town, Mount Sidney, where they'd stayed another night. It was basically the same as Burketown. They'd searched, took the coffee and stashed it in a few cars on the community college campus.

He and Seth took the lead as they neared Fort Defiance. It was the same size as the other two towns, if not smaller. They didn't have to search the house they were standing in. "Someone's been here," he remarked as they stood in the kitchen. It had been stripped of food, sheets, cleaning supplies, clothes and guns. In fact, the home had been torn apart. Knick knacks had been knocked off the shelves, beds turned over and all the doors were open.

"Yeah," Seth agreed. "There might be people here. We should check the school."

"It makes sense. Schools are usually large, sturdy buildings," Rand seconded. "We were lucky those people locked themselves in the gym," she shuddered.

Adrian agreed. They'd found the gym at the community college and could hear the moans and groans meters before they reached it. Waya took a quick look in the window, after he hotwired a car and drove it closer, standing on the roof to get a look inside. He didn't need to tell them what he'd seen. The look on his face was enough.

"If a group is here it wouldn't be like the college. I know from my years as a reservation cop, when disasters happened schools were usually chosen because they were sturdy," he nodded in Rand's direction. "That seemed more ad hoc."

"It could have been the dicks," Rand frowned.

"Too much trouble for all of this. They would have taken from the businesses," Seth disagreed. "Like Bridgewater. They hit those first."

"They wouldn't have taken the cleaning supplies," he pointed out. He'd, they'd, stripped enough homes in Bridgewater he noticed there weren't any here. "Those dicks weren't real interested in being clean, Rand."

"Let's start with the nearest school."

Seth couldn't decide if he was excited or leery someone else made it. He liked the coffee they kept finding, even if it was stale. He understood why Rand wanted trading partners or friends. Strength in numbers. "If we strike out at the schools we should see if there's a gated community," he suggested.

"Why?" Waya asked.

"The cleaning supplies. My mom," he let out a breath. "She had a routine. She cleaned on the weekends. Maybe a trailer park."

Adrian nodded. "My mother, too."

"I say we try in the morning. It's getting dark out," Waya pointed to the living room window. He could see it was late afternoon. "We should barricade this place."

"Alright. I'll take first watch," Rand volunteered. She moved around the home, putting the cushions back on the sofa, Waya disappeared up the stairs while he and Adrian moved the bookcase in front of the door and then moved the refrigerator in front of the back door.

"I put one of the beds together. The toilet paper's gone," Waya told them when he came back down.

"Great. All we need is some cards," Seth smiled at them.

"Strip poker?" Adrian laughed.

They played spades, after giving Adrian a lesson. When it was dark he, Adrian and Waya went upstairs to sleep. Seth pulled another mattress in the room they would be using, keeping them all together. When it was his turn for watch he'd gone downstairs and laid on the sofa. Waya said he'd seen a few walkers, so he was being safe. He looked at the ceiling, wondering if they'd make it out of this. They had enough guns and food. People. They needed people. Twenty-one people, five of them children, wasn't enough. Maybe they should do a run to Charlottesville for people. Steve said they were the only ones that made it out of their dorm. They didn't know about the city.

He was surprised Rand didn't think of it. She probably did, but when Bradford and his group showed up she'd gotten claustrophobic. He could understand. It had been just the seven of them for months. He liked them, personally. He'd shot Graciela down nicely. It wasn't smart to shit where you ate and it could have gotten nasty. Rand was enough for him. Right now.

Rand tilted her head to the side when they finally found a school. It was the middle school and it was walker clear. She looked over her shoulder at the others, who were also staring. "Stay here," she requested as she walked toward it. She pulled her sword and knocked on the nearest door. When she didn't hear anything she did it again before opening it. She walked as quietly as she could through the halls. When she neared what she thought was the office she paused when she heard it.

Looking at the boarded up door on her left she stared at the barricaded classroom, before she walked over and knocked on it. Then she heard them pounding on it. The next classroom elicited the same moans, growls and groans. Peeking through the boards into the window she took a quick step back.

"Move," Waya shoved her out of his way.

"I thought I."

"Shh," Seth cut her off.

"Impressive. It's filled," he told Seth.

"This one as well," Adrian whispered loudly from the next classroom door.

"They're not here. They were here," Seth raised his eyebrows.

"If we find the cafeteria I bet all the food is gone," Waya said.

"Let's check. You idiots," she hissed and walked down the hall. When they reached the cafeteria they headed for the kitchen and were not surprised to see it empty. "Teacher's lounge."

"Why?"

"Coffee. They wouldn't have had it in the cafeteria," she muttered.

"You and your coffee," Adrian sighed.

"Or tea," she grinned. She'd noticed Adrian had taken the tea bags from the homes, cursing the entire time about the quality.

"It'll be gone," Seth turned and walked outside.

"Smart the way they penned those walkers," Waya complimented the unseen group. "It definitely wasn't the dicks."

The elementary school was the same. When they got close to the high school shots rang out.

"Stay where you are," a woman's voice shouted at them and they stopped. "Drop your weapons," the voice demanded. Waya bristled. "Drop them or we drop you," she threatened. After they looked at each other Rand took her sword off and made a point of dropping. She did the same with her gun.

"I'm keeping the knife. I won't be unarmed," she shouted back.

"Keep it where we can see it," the woman yelled after a few minutes.

Waya, Seth and Adrian did the same.

"What do you want?"

"To speak with whomever is in charge," Rand responded loudly.

They all ducked when they heard the shot.

She turned to see a walker laid out on the ground.

A tall, thin black man with short black hair stepped from inside the school and approached the fence. "We had company," he stated when he got close. "I'm in charge. Who the hell are you and why should I care?"

"I think we're neighbors," Rand drawled.

Waya leaned against the fence that surrounded the high school and listened as Rand spoke with Robert, the leader of this group. He looked behind the man and his lieutenant, a Hispanic woman named Pauline, at the residents he saw. They must have had thirty people, all adults, standing behind them, staring.

He almost rolled his eyes. The movies and television shows wouldn't have shown this many people of color in an apocalypse. He saw seven white people and the rest were Hispanic or black. No Natives. The man was smart. It was smart keeping the kids inside.

"…intelligence?" Waya paid attention.

"It's not mandatory."

"Shit, lady, we don't do what we don't want to do," Robert sneered.

"Understandable."

Robert looked them all over. "Trade and sharing intelligence. Alright. I'll discuss it with my group. I bet you'd like all intelligence to filter through you?"

Rand shrugged. "Ideally, yes."

Robert laughed harshly. "Ideally. Were you in the army?"

"No. My dad was a Marine."

He nodded. "The football coach was a Marine. He was a good man." Pauline cleared her throat and he sighed.

"I'll start. I killed six men that were using the Trail to rape, steal and kill," Rand offered.

Pauline lowered her brows. "When?" she barked.

"I don't know. Six or so months ago."

"Huh. We had a visit from some assholes around that time," Pauline admitted.

"If they're the same ones they're dead now."

"You killed them?" Pauline challenged.

"I did. They tried attacking my people when we were doing a run. I don't take kindly to dicks threatening my people."

Robert nodded. "Dicks, huh? We call them assholes."

"Good word. Dicks. Assholes. It all means the same," Rand snorted.

"It does." Robert looked them over again. "Alright, Rand, I'll talk to my people about your offer for trade."

"Great. I'll send someone by."

"In a few months. We've got crops to bring in," Robert raised his eyebrows and Rand smiled.

"In a few months. They'll have on blue armbands. So you know they're from me."

"Where are you?"

Waya coughed. "What? You can know where we are but we can't know where you are?" Pauline scoffed.

"We're near Bridgewater."

"Are you in the castle place?" Robert shouted.

"We are."

"Son of a bitch. I read about it in the papers. It sounded fake. Like Disneyland."

"It's a real place," Rand frowned.

"I don't doubt it's a real place. Is it a real castle?" he raised his eyebrows.

"It's a real place," she reiterated.

Pauline narrowed her eyes.

"Fair enough," Robert conceded.

"Would you be interested in other communities knowing where you are?" Rand asked.

"Ambitious, aren't you?" Robert smiled a little. "Let's start with trade and go from there."

"Fair enough," Rand echoed.

Robert and Pauline took a step back, signaling the end of the conversation. "Send your people in a few months. If we happen to have any more asshole attacks we'll send someone your way with a red armband."

"Same with us."

"That seemed productive," Adrian said as they walked away. He'd felt naked without his sword and gun. Understandable they had to drop them before they could talk to anyone. It's what they would have done. He huffed.

"What?" Seth asked.

"I felt naked without my sword," he muttered.

Seth laughed. "Me, too, man. Me, too."

"It took us long enough to use them effectively. Bullets will run out," Waya opined.

"Someone's making gun powder. All kinds of people made it," Rand rebutted.

"Are we going to?" Adrian asked.

"Yes we are. It's not on the list. I haven't told Tom yet. I wanted to get the other shit done first," Rand replied.

"They have more people," Seth speculated.

"They do. They were in the school. Kids, probably," Waya suggested.

"Smart, really. He'll make a nice trading partner," Adrian declared.

"He will," Rand agreed. "I'm done sightseeing. Let's go home."

"Let's go home. I like the phrase," he smiled at Rand.

"We're taking a car, right?"

"Yes, Seth. We're taking a car. Or a few. We need to get the coffee and tea."

"What else is on your list?" Waya inquired.

"A helicopter or fighter jet. I'm instrument rated," Rand sighed.

"A woman of many talents, Rand," Adrian drawled. "Have you ever flown a fighter jet?"

"Nope. Small planes only. I figured I'd figure it out when I had to."

Waya shook his head as they walked down the street.

"At the very least I could kamikaze their asses," she continued.

"I don't much like that option, Rand," he said. He didn't like that option, at all. Aside from being a stimulating bed partner, he liked her. She was smart, funny and a good leader.

"We need more people," Seth told Rand as he drove one of the trucks back home. Back home. The castle was his home now. They'd been gone for seven days and he missed it.

"I know," she huffed. "I."

"Feel uncomfortable. We get it. You need to get over that shit, Rand," he cut her off.

"I know that, too, Seth. It's just. I feel twitchy. I don't think I should be in charge."

He laughed harshly. "You're shitting me, Rand. You should lead the place. You told Michonne it wouldn't be easy. You weren't lying. I've led people before."

"Soldiers," she whined.

"Easier than civilians, I know. This? We need people. You know we need people. You'll lose people and it's hard. You'll have to hold their hands. Draw them a fucking map," he threw her words back at her. "It'll never be easy. If you want to make it?" he mocked her, "you need to put on your big girl panties and step the fuck up. Or step the fuck down. Let someone else do it."

"Maybe Adrian should."

"Right," Seth snorted. "He doesn't want it. You know it. Waya? He's not interested either. You? You're a good leader because you're smart and you don't want to do it. But if you continue to doubt yourself? Put shit off because it makes you uncomfortable? We're dead. I mean that in the nicest possible way, Rand." He reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. "You can do this."

"Thomas, Janet, Jamal and Mark. I've thought of asking them to go to back to Charlottesville," she admitted quietly.

"Good choices. They'd know the city."

She stared out the passenger window of the truck they'd taken in Fort Defiance. They'd had to stop a few times for gas and ended up staying another night in the first house they'd stayed in. They were lucky some cars still had some. Especially the community college. It's what scared her the most. Her luck would run out and she'd lose. Lose people now that she was in charge. Her dad said it wasn't easy. It's why she didn't want to do it.

She wasn't lying when she told Michonne when they first met you couldn't do this alone. She'd done a damn good job in the beginning. It had been easier to hide from walkers and dicks then. Now it was harder.

She didn't like feeling responsible for people's lives. It's why she'd wanted to find a place by herself. Or find someone like Daryl and Michonne. She could give suggestions, they'd consider or take them, she'd get it done, but ultimately not responsible. She didn't have a problem doing hard things. Except this. Leading people.

Now she had Seth, Waya, Tsula and Adrian. Michonne and Daryl. Tom and Mark. Jenny. Bradford, Helen and Jake. Graciela, Lupe, Ray, Demarcus, Steve, Janet, Jamal and Thomas. She was responsible for keeping them safe. Alive. Living to see another day in this fucked up world. If she moved one way someone could die. If she didn't do something someone could die. Easier to take the bullet.

She did feel excited the closer they got to Bridgewater. She was going home. Home to a castle. With food. Good people. Relatively sheltered. She wasn't so excited when she saw empty cars with bullet holes along their road. She didn't need to tell Seth to slow down. He pulled off to the side and they got out of the truck.

Rand heard Waya and Adrian come up behind them. She wasn't shocked to see they had their guns out. She pulled her sword and led the way. Easier to take the bullet.

When they finally made it to the castle Rand saw shells of burnt out cars, holes in the ground, walkers and parts of the fence were down. "Son of a bitch," she yelled as she cut off walker heads along with Waya, Seth and Adrian.

She looked up when she heard Tsula yell "Waya."

"What in the hell happened?" Rand yelled at Daryl and Michonne when they came to a stop near them, standing on part of their recently constructed fence that was now on the ground.

"Dicks."

She turned and whacked off the arms of the last walker she could see before cutting its head off and stabbing it. Then Michonne and Daryl started talking. Rand almost wanted to clap when Michonne told her about Tom voluntarily taking a gun and using it on the dicks. She wanted to rage when Daryl told her about Graciela, Thomas and Steve.

"…they were in the battlements. Don't know how the hell they were hit. Graciela, either."

"Jamal and Janet dug the graves while we killed the walkers," Michonne continued, "so we could bury them. We made a watch schedule, made sure the animals and the farm were taken care of. Lupe's staying with Janet right now. We put boards and some of the fencing over the moat to keep it walker free."

"Tom did an inventory of the guns and shit. Ray did the same in the clinic. Michonne updated the spreadsheet," Daryl added.

She nodded and stomped over to the graves, ignoring the chatter of Waya, Seth and Adrian as they headed into the castle. Rand trusted Michonne and Daryl but she needed to see how bad she'd fucked up. Not like Graciela would magically come back to life, normal. She wouldn't come back at all thanks to Helen.

Putting down a friend or loved one wasn't something she'd ever done before. She'd probably lose her shit. It was a good thing she didn't have friends or loved ones.

Michonne told Daryl to head inside and make sure Jenny didn't come out, she'd bring Rand in in a little while. He grimaced and followed the others. She silently wished him luck before she trailed Rand.

"Where's Rand?" Jenny nailed him with the question the minute he walked in the door. "Waya, Seth and Adrian came inside. Where's Rand?"

"She's goin' to see Graciela, Thomas and Steve. 'Chonne'll bring her in." Jenny frowned and started to walk around him. "Stay here, Jenny. She ain't goin' nowhere. She's pissed. Needs to cool off a little."

Daryl didn't know what the little girl was lookin' for but she stared at him a minute before heading for his bench. She sat and stared at the door. He sat and lit a cigarette.