A/N: Thanks to everyone who followed/favorited since last chapter! Sorry this is late, but with Thanksgiving it through off my week and I couldn't remember what day was what! It was a much shorter wait this time though.
-Guest 1: Another chapter, pretty quickly in comparison!
-snowflake2410: Thank you, glad you liked it! It will be interesting times with Crazy Rick indeed! :)
-galwidanatitud: Glad you think so! Things are about to start going down, as I'm sure you know!
-Guest 2: Yay power reading! Glad you are enjoying g it so far! I can completely understand your comment about the crying and I think it comes from two things. Number one, I've read a lot of stories where the main character is like instantly badass and handles everything in stride and that never made any sense to me because the world literally ended, as we know it. I wanted to make Anna more realistic in that regard. Second, I am a natural cryer, literally anything can set me off. Sad commercial, sad song, book, movie, anything, so when I think about a person's reaction to stressful situations to me tearing up is a natural reaction. Since Anna is growing as a person in this new world I have been trying to strengthen her, but at a reasonable pace she has been through some seriously trying things. Granted last chapter she cried when they found Carol, but her mother turned out to be alive and she had never really faced the fact that her mother was dead before that. It might be a little bit slow, but in my mind she has reached the watery eyes, lump in her throat but can handle it stage; especially with this chapter. In my mind, Anna has been crying a reasonable amount for what she has been through, but I don't expect everyone to agree with that. I can understand her being seen as weepy, but hopefully you'll see that coming to an end starting right now! Hope you enjoyed my rambling and be sure to give me a follow up later on!
I left Carl in charge of watching the strangers and I went to check on Judith. When I got to the perch she was laying quietly, but awake and glancing around. I smiled and lifted her up laying her against my shoulder while I grabbed one of her blankets, draping it over her back. I held her and leaned against the wall, lost in thought. Daryl and the others had been gone a long time now and I couldn't help but worry. I let my thoughts drifting trying to keep any of the worst case scenarios out of my head. I'm not sure how long I sat there when Judith started squirming against me.
I braced myself on the wall with one hand and stood up. I walked down from the perch and laid Judith down in my arms, knowing she was hungry again. It probably couldn't hurt to talk to the other group either. Carl turned and opened the door for me and I saw the strangers all stare at me. Well more accurately Judith. I tried to ignore their stares and walked over to the counter for one of her bottles.
"How old is the baby?" I heard the woman behind me, but I let Hershel answer, focusing on filling Judith's bottle.
"Barely a week."
"To be honest, we never thought we'd see another baby." I heard the woman walking while she spoke. I looked over my shoulder at her while she looked down at Judith. "Beautiful." I looked down at the little girl in my arms and smiled a bit.
"Thanks." She crossed her arms before speaking again.
"How are you feeling?" I looked back at her startled before I realized that she would have no way of knowing.
"She's not mine." She looked back at Hershel.
"Where's the mother?" Hershel turned in his seat and I grabbed the bottle, while the room remained quiet. "I'm sorry." She turned away and walked back to one of the tables. I quickly walked out of the room while I heard the man speak.
"Man, you people have been through the mill." I lifted Judith up to my shoulder and quickened my pace back to perch. I wasn't feeling very social after all. I climbed up the stairs, but instead of going inside the small room I sat at the top of the stairs instead.
"No him. No me, that's all I can say." Daryl opened the trunk and pulled out his backpack, glancing at Rick. "Take care of yerself. Take Care of Lil' Ass-kicker. Carl." Rick stared at him while he packed up his belongings. Daryl turned and looked at him straight on. "He's one tough kid."
"Wait Daryl. Daryl!" Rick chased after him as he walked towards the woods. "Wait a minute, let's just…" Daryl turned around glaring at Rick.
"No more waitin'. There's nothing ya can say. I ain't gonna leave him here." Daryl turned back around and started again.
"What about Anna!" Daryl stopped and his body tensed. Rick smiled a briefly. "Are you just gonna leave her?"
I heard the echo of the outside door opening and I smiled standing up with Judith, leaving the bottle on the top step. I jogged down the stairs and stopped at the base as everyone filed in. Maggie and Glenn walked in and my smile widened. Glenn looked pretty rough, but they were both here and alive. Rick walked in and I readjusted Judith against my shoulder. I laughed a bit and then shut my mouth as everyone stared at me. I felt my face fall and I shifted a bit before I looked around at the faces. My lip trembled as I realized what was wrong.
"Where's Daryl?" I could feel my voice crack and Rick rushed forward as I started to sob.
"Merle was there, with the others and Daryl went with him." I stared down at the ground while Rick he held my shoulders.
"He wouldn't leave me." I didn't know if Rick could even understand me, but he pulled me closer to him anyway.
"He said that he would come back for you." I looked up at him through the tears in my eyes. "He said that he had to find somewhere safe first."
I breathed heavily and rested my head against his shoulder. The baby cooed in between us and I pulled back a bit and helped switch her over to Rick's arms. I stepped back a bit and rubbed my palms against my legs. Rick stared at me a bit and I shook my head at him.
"I'm ok." I stepped around him and walked towards the door. I watched as the other people around me moved closer. "I'm ok."
I kept repeating myself as I walked to the door. I put my hands up against the bars of the door and tried to pull it open. I wouldn't move and I just stood there. I turned when I felt a hand on my arm.
"Anna?" I stared at Maggie and gripped her arm tightly.
"I'm ok." She nodded at me, eyes wide.
"Ok, why don't we go get some air?" She looked back and I felt someone move in front of me as I griped Maggie's arm tightly. The door opened and Maggie slowly pushed me out of the block and guided me outside and we walked out to one of the grassy areas. We stood for a bit before I slowly sunk down to the ground, Maggie followed me and I leaned back against her chest.
"You know, Daryl's gonna come back."
"I know, I'm ok." I gripped her arm and took a deep breath. "If he says he'll come back, he will."
"Yeah." She rubbed my arm and laid her head on top of mine. I moved my head and sighed before narrowing my eyes and sitting up a bit.
"Why aren't you wearing a bra?" She tightened her arms around me and she turned her head. I sat up quickly when I realized she was crying. "Maggie?" She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me. I held her against my chest as she sobbed, until she quieted some.
"He didn't rape me not really, but I was so scared." She spoke quietly and I didn't say anything, but I tightened my arms around her. "And Glenn is just making it worse. I know he doesn't mean to, but he just doesn't get it. I'll be ok. I know I will, but I just…please don't make me talk about it." She shook her head and I reached down pulling her arm, so that I could hold her hand. We sat there as she laid against me and I held her hand tightly while she calmed down. I looked down and smiled a bit at the blood coating her arms.
"You're filthy."
She turned her head looking at our arms and laughed a bit. I joined her before we both clumsily stood up holding onto each other. I walked Maggie into her cell leaving her with a bowl of water and a wet cloth. Before running upstairs to check on Judith. I found Beth standing outside the perch with the mail box on the table and Judith resting inside. She smiled at me pointing at the box and I laughed. She had decorated the outside with Li'l Ass-kicker written in large letters. I reached in and pulled Judith out laying her in my arms while we both walked down the stairs.
"So, what now?" I looked over at Beth as she walked quickly over to Rick. "Do you think the governor will retaliate?"
"Yes." Maggie's voice was quiet behind us.
"Let him try." Glenn leaned against the door of a cell.
"Sounds like he's got a whole town. We're outnumbered and outgunned." I looked at my mom and readjusted Judith in my arms.
"We could use some reinforcements." Rick looked at Hershel as he spoke before he turned to the common area and walked towards it quickly. We walked as a group into our makeshift kitchen as Rick stood in front of the other group. Tyrese tried to introduce himself before Hershel took over.
"How'd you get in?"
"Fire damage near the administrative part of the prison. Wall's are down."
"That area's overrun with walkers, how'd you make it this far?" Tyrese shook his head at Rick.
"We didn't. We lost our friend Donna."
"They were lost in the gyms." Carl spoke up from beside me.
"You brought them here?" Rick raised his voice looking back at his son.
"He didn't have a choice." I stepped in front of Carl slightly while I spoke. Rick nodded a bit and turned back to the others.
"I'm sorry about your friend. We know what that's like."
"Hershel said you could use some extra hands." Tyrese gestured back at his people. "We're no stranger to hard work. We'll go out and get our own food, stay out of your hair. You got a problem with another group, we'll help with that too. Anything to contribute." Rick looked at him before looking down.
"No." I felt my heart sink and I watched the other group grow desperate.
"Please. It's like '10 Little Indians' out there. It's just us now." Rick shook his head again.
"No."
"Let's talk about this…" Hershel started, but Rick interrupted him.
"We've been through this with Tomas and Andrew. Look how that went."
"Axel and Oscar weren't like them." I watched Rick as my mom spoke.
"And where's Oscar now?" The silence hung heavy in the air at Rick's words.
"He risked his life for us. He didn't have to go with you guys, but earned his place with us. Why can't they?" My voice cracked halfway through the question.
"I can't be responsible." Rick shook his head at me.
"You turn us out, you are responsible." Tyrese stared straight at Rick while he spoke.
"Rick." At the tone in Hershel's voice he turned and walked over to speak with him. They spoke quietly so that we couldn't hear them. Rick looked out over the other group before he turned his gaze to us. Suddenly he smiled and patted Hershel's shoulder, but then his face dropped as his gaze went over our heads. He looked down before shakily pinching his nose and mumbling to himself.
"Why are you here? What do you want from me?" He walked over towards us staring up at the catwalk intently.
"Dad?" Carl took a step forward as Rick walked past.
"Why are you...no." Rick paced a bit. "I can't help you, get out!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa."
"Get...get out!" Rick started pacing widely shouting while Tyrese tried to talk to him.
"Rick there's no need to…" Maggie walked up to him before quickly stepping back as Rick pulled his gun pointing it up at the catwalk. I shoved Judith into Beth's arm and went over to the other group ushering them out with Glenn. When they went up the stairs and out through the corridor, I glanced back at the group before jogging after the leaving group.
"Hey!" They turned back looking back at me. "I'm sorry, Rick is going through some big stuff right now. Bigger than the rest of us."
"We don't want any trouble. If our staying is going to be that big a deal, we'll take our chances." Tyrese looked at me before holding out his hand. I reached out and shook his hand quickly.
"You guys should watch out. The other group out there, they're dangerous."
"What do you mean?" Tyrese stared at me and I shook my head.
"I'm not quite sure, just…" I locked eyes with Sasha. "Be careful." Her eyes widened and she looked like she was about to say something. Before she could I turned around and nodded at them before turning around and heading back into the prison.