++++++ With all TWD excitement I've just caught up to all the episode's including Fear the Walking Dead to which I may have a few ideas running rampart around my head. Seriously I think my muse is like a cat or something.

Enjoy the chapter.

I do not own ++++++

Seventy-Three

"Let's stop for a minute," I declared when I found a small cut off stream.

It would be perfect to clean off the stink of blood and guts on me.

Ebony clutched BJ tightly as she sat on a fallen tree to breastfeed him.

Jade stood there holding my sidearm with Spirit by her side.

The image had me wondering what had happened to Fluffy. Jade loved that dog.

After using the water left over in the stagnant little stream, I cleaned the dry walker blood off my face and out of my hair before throwing the poncho away. I'd been distracted when I came across John terrorising Ebony.

We'd fought, drawing some walkers in. I'd used that time to get away, hoping that what had happened wouldn't cause me to lose my baby. I left him to the walkers after drawing blood from severing his spinal cord. He was my brother and despite everything I still believed that blood should never betray blood.

But he did.

And even after all this time it was upsetting.

I slung my bow and rifle back over my shoulder and joined Jade in keeping guard over her mother and brother. Spirit yawned and whined, he was covered in blood and guts from taking out walkers on the way. He needed a bath just as much as I did.

In the distance I could see the smoke coming from Terminus and the sound of gunfire. There was still a fight going on but I could only hope that it was them and not ours.

"I'm done," Ebony announced. She fixed herself up and stood up to join us. "Where are we going?"

"Small cabin," I explained. "Those Terminus freaks were using it as a sort of base. Tyreese is there with Judith and Sophia. Carol was going to bring everyone back there."

Ebony sighed. "John tricked us. Led us right to Terminus…they were cannibals, PJ."

I shuddered. After my own encounter with cannibals I was much less trusting of strangers. "That was my fault. I was stupid to trust John-again."

Ebony shook her head. "I started it...he looked so happy when he saw the baby but then when he separated us from the others I got angry and opened my big mouth-again."

"Let's agree to forget," I suggested.

She nodded.

I sighed. "Man…this reminds me of old times."

Ebony grinned. "Sure does.

"I hate to admit it," I frowned, "but we'd all be dead by now if I hadn't allowed us to stay on the farm."

Ebony grinned. "Damn straight, PJ. But hey, at least you're grown up a lot. But still so childish."

"Can it mumma," I laughed.

Jade shushed us. "You'll bring in the walkers."

The two of us raised eyebrows at each other but giggled. She was so serious.

"Have you seen Lizzie and Mika?" Ebony asked me. "I didn't see them escape…"

I sighed and told her what Carol had told me about what Lizzie had done, killing Mika and then almost trying it out on Judith. Ebony was visibly upset and she cuddled BJ to her as the baby slept. We followed a well-worn path back to the cabin, hearing voices and crying ahead of us. Ebony tightened her grip on BJ and I loaded an arrow in my bow but Spirit barked once before running off on us.

I groaned and with my bow in hand, arrow still strung, we followed him.

"Spirit!" I heard a familiar voice shout.

I froze. "Rick."

That voice I felt like I hadn't heard in years.

"PJ!" Ebony gasped as I shoved the arrow back in my quiver and ran off.

I skidding to a stop as I came around to the front of the cabin. "Rick!" I shouted as he handed Judith over to a stunned looking Carl. I dropped the rifle and my bow before practically launching myself at my husband, wrapping my legs around his waist and kissing him like I'd never kissed anyone before. I couldn't help it as I burst into tears.

"Daryl!" Ebony shouted, seeing him in the gathered crowd.

"Daddy!" Jade screamed.

I growled softly into Rick's mouth as I kissed him. "God I want you so bad right now," I whispered. "Any which way you want."

That just made him kiss me harder.

Carl cleared his throat. "Come on you two."

I waved him away but eventually Rick had to put me down. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," he whispered. Rick gripped my hand tightly and squeezed it before he let go. I looked around, four new faces but everyone was here…everyone except Beth and Lucas. "Where's Beth and Lucas?" I asked.

Daryl shook his head as he held onto Ebony and BJ.

"Mattie!" I grinned, seeing my brother. I hugged him tightly before he went on over back to Carol to put his arm around her protectively. She mouthed her thanks to me as I welcomed to fact that we were ninety percent together again.

Joshua and Hayley were there holding a sleeping Hope, both looked tired.

"We need to go," Rick sighed, looking at the black smoke in the distance.

"But where?" Daryl asked.

"Somewhere far away from there," Rick replied.

I walked back into the cabin, looking around for some kind of cloth or something, finding some old material in an almost empty cupboard. It was a little stretchy but would do what was needed of it. Ebony looked at me as I approached her. "A sling," I replied to her odd look. "For BJ."

"We have to leave," Rick urged me as I helped Ebony attach the sling to her.

"I'll take point," I told him, whistling Spirit and Ollie to me.

Fluffy was nowhere in sight.

"Be careful," Rick warned me. He kissed me and stroked my stomach before letting me go. The two dogs followed me as I walked past three out of four of our new friends. I paused by the one dressed in combat gear. "Army?" I asked him.

He looked me over. "Yeah. What's it to you?"

"Marine," I replied. "Corporal PJ Lucas-well it's Grimes now."

"Abraham Ford," he answered, shaking my hand.

"Welcome," I grinned. "We'll talk later. I've got point."

As a group we made our way back towards the railroad tracks, luckily any walkers in the area were making their way towards Terminus.

We stopped sometime in the late afternoon, having already stopped several times already for Ebony to feed BJ. Before it got dark, the decision was made to make camp. What little scraps of food there was were given to me and Ebony by Sophia. I fell asleep afterward only to wake up during the middle of the night to a small fire and the Army guy, Abraham Ford have a private chat, a little away from our group.

I wriggled my way free and clear of Rick who was sound asleep and went to relieve myself before coming back another way. I could hear snippets of conversation involving Washington, cure and something else about the walkers. "I think it's about time we had that talk now, don't you?" I questioned, making them all jump.

Abraham frowned. "I didn't even hear you."

"I'm a ninja," I joked, sitting down. "Well a pregnant ninja but what's this about Washington and a cure?"