Maya and the others arrived back at their camp shortly after discovering the sunken boat at the other end of the river. Maya kept to herself what Violet told her the previous night from the others, that it was Clementine and her group that was the cause of that destruction. Maya watches as Arvo was cutting up a rabbit as he glared at her. Maya ignored his stare as she kept her distance from him.

Bonnie looks up from the little girl she was occupying as she sees the approaching group. Bonnie sighs relief and told the young African American child to go play by her tent. Maya didn't want to face Bonnie but she knows she has to. Both sisters waited near the entrance to the camp while the two older men approach their leader by the campfire at a picnic table.

"Thank Goodness, you found her. I was getting worried, you been out all morning." Bonnie exclaimed.

"Well if it wasn't for that rebel brat scrounging up some herbs for her hocus pocus medicine we wouldn't have to go on a rescue mission." Alberto sneered.

Robert backed Maya up on her finding medicine and making her own remedies, "Hey those herbs help me tend to the sick and injured. I tend to rely on Maya's medicine when we can't find the pharmaceutical stuff."

"Don't encourage her Robert," Alberto growls at his group mate, and Robert looks away. "And then had to run into some kids, who were looking for a fight."

"They were not going to fight," Robert spoke up. "I saw it from back where I was, and they would of if you hadn't come in there hotheaded and looking for one."

Bonnie picked up the two men's conversation, "Kids? What kids?"

Robert turns to look at Bonnie, "A blonde girl with hazel green eyes, a boy that looked to be Indian or Muslim decedent, and a girl with black or brown curly hair with amber eyes, and a prosthetic foot. I didn't get their names."

When Robert describes the kids' one particular kid stood out to her, "You said a girl with amber eyes, with black and curly hair?"

"Yeah. She was hostile at first, but listen to what Maya said and backed off. She didn't want to fight as much as…" Robert casts a sideways glance at Alberto for a moment then returns his gaze to Bonnie, "we didn't, and things went peacefully."

"Did she voice her name to you?" Bonnie asks.

"No." Robert shook her head, "Not to any of us, but.."

Bonnie took her gaze off Robert then her eyes fixated on Maya, "I see. Bring Maya over here." Robert had a worried glance and sighs.

Alberto looks at Bonnie, "What about this girl's punishment? She broke protocol, Bonnie. She needs to be reprimanded for her actions. You can't brush it off this time. Not after what she did. I know you view her as a daughter, but you need to stop coddling her and treat her like everyone else here."

Bonnie glares at the Hispanic man and growls at him, "What my plans are to lead this group is up to me and how I deal with punishing those who define my orders is my decision. I don't need advice from a brute like you."

Alberto challenges back, "Then start being a leader, Bonnie, and stop showing weakness. Perhaps maybe Arvo has a point."

Bonnie now squints at him, "What's that supposed to mean." Alberto smiles a cocking smile, then brushes it off. Bonnie knew what he meant and she didn't like it. "Go get Maya, and bring her to me or is that showing weakness." Robert felt the tension between the two of them and he didn't like it. Alberto grunts and mumbles an insult to Bonnie something in Spanish.

Maya and Aniya waited by the watchtower near the gate they built as the adults all talked. Maya paces back and forth to await her punishment. Aniya picked up on her sister's anxiety, "Will you stop pacing? You are making me crazy."

Maya ignored her sister's comment as she looks at the adults talking and mumbles to herself, "They are talking about my punishment are they."

"Well if you hadn't been screwing around with that girl-" Aniya started in and Maya was getting tired of her sister referring to Violet as that girl.

"Violet." Maya interrupted out of anger a bit. "Her name is Violet. You don't have to keep saying that girl when you talk about her."

Aniya was stunned by her sister's sudden change of mood. "Maya…"

"I wasn't screwing around okay…I was. Getting to know her, and becoming friends or something….I don't know. I was teaching her how to use the earth for medicine the same way grandma taught me back out in Jackson." Maya admitted. She looked at the ground and her eyebrows knitted together. "I was hoping there could have been something more between her and me."

Aniya picked up what her sister is trying to voice out, "You mean, you almost kissed her? Maya…"

Maya slowly raised her eyes from the ground to look at her sister, there were no words to be spoken, and Maya wanted to say something more, but she already spoke too much. Just then, Alberto comes up between the two sisters, "Aniya go to your tent for some rest. You did well today, but I need you out hunting tonight for dinner."

Aniya nods as she looks at her older sister, "What about my sister?"

"None of your concern at the moment. Go on." Alberto nudges her along.

Aniya casts a look at her sister and then makes her way to their tent. Maya watches her sister go then she glares at the old Latino man, "Just lay out my punishment Alberto. No hunting for a month? Camp bound?"

"Watch that tone with me young lady. You are on very thin ice with the group here with your attitude and behavior." Alberto warns the teenager. Maya crosses her arms over her chest to be resistant to his threat. Alberto nods over to where Bonnie is waiting, "Bonnie would like to have a word with you, and if it was up to me for your punishment for acting so recklessly and irresponsible, I would've had you camp bound or supervised until further notice, but it is not up to me for your punishment, it is up to Bonnie." Maya rolls her eyes at the man as she makes her way to the picnic table Bonnie is setting at and waiting.

Robert looks to his leader once Alberto left to carry out Bonnie's order, "You ok.."

Bonnie bows her head out of frustration, then she groans, "I'm just tired of all this alpha male dominance horseshit going on around here."

Robert nods, "I hear you."

Bonnie looks to the one person she doesn't have an issue with, "At least you are not trying to push your dominance and questioning my leadership. I thank you for that, Robert."

"You're welcome. Being an alpha male is not really my style." Robert said. "Maybe in surgery, but …those days are long gone now." He briefly pauses, "Anything I can do for you?"

Bonnie shook her head as she attends to the fire, "No. Besides I need to have a talk with the troubled teen."

Robert nods, "Word of advice madam. Don't be too hard on her. You will do more harm than good with that approach."

Bonnie picked up the subtle in Robert's tone, "You had any kids?"

Robert nods, "A son. And I didn't do the best parenting skills with the whole tough love act with him. I still….regret my poor decision-making when giving my own punishment to him in the past." Robert looks ahead and sees Maya slowly approaching, "I will leave you to it."

Maya watches as she approaches Bonnie of Robert walking off to his tent and crashing for the afternoon. She will talk with him later on about the vision she saw at the sunken boat ruins. Once Maya arrives she looks at her leader. "You wanted to see me."

Bonnie stared at the campfire as she pokes a stick in the embers. She was silent for a moment then she lets out a sigh, "Maya…I know you mean well with going on your own and getting herbs and making medicine for the group and I appreciate the extra supply." Bonnie looks up from the fire and looks directly at Maya. "But I can't have you disappear on me and have me worry. Keeping everyone together is hard enough, and after last night's events with the horde, and the rain, it was hard to fortify these wooden walls."

Maya looks away feeling ashamed, "I thought I could make it back in time. The herd snuck up on me, and I couldn't come back here, so I had to think fast, and stayed in a big oak tree all night. I know walkers can't climb trees."

"Robert told me you were not alone. You were with a girl." Bonnie grilled Maya. "Maya?"

Maya wanted to lie but knows if she does Bonnie will catch her, "I was with someone yes."

Bonnie nods, "The girl with amber eyes?"

Maya looks up from the ground and knows what Bonnie was trying to do, "No. Another girl, the blonde." Maya thought up of a white lie somewhat to keep what she actually been doing with her time, "I found her injured in the rapids, and used some of the medicine I made to help her. She couldn't walk so I helped her in the tree when the walkers flooded my mischief camp I made when making my medicines" Maya looks at Bonnie, "I didn't meet the girl you are referring to, Clementine until this morning when she tracked one of her group members with me."

Bonnie looks at her, "How much have you talked with Clementine."

"Not much, if I am being honest. She wasn't exactly thrilled to see me." Maya looks at her, "Probably because of the history she has with you and Arvo, and she knows I am in your group."

Bonnie had a surprised glance, "How does she know I am in your group or yo—"

"My first encounter with the kids in the woods probably told her," Maya stated the obvious.

Bonnie nods, "Right…sorry dumb question to ask."

Maya crosses her arms over her chest, "Why are you so interested in Clementine?"

Now it was Bonnie's turn to glance away, "To try and make amends for what I did to her." Maya sighs and thought to herself, what is it with these adults in my group trying to right the wrongs they did to younger kids in their past? Bonnie looks up at Maya, "Pretty stupid huh."

Maya uncrossed her arms and moves to sit beside her leader, "No, not really. I am still waiting for the adults that wronged me in the past to apologize to me for their own fuck ups." Bonnie looked at the older teen and a little smile came on her face. Maya looks at the fading fire, "So how much trouble I am in?"

Bonnie looks at the fire, and she pokes a stick in it to spark up the flames, "Well, for leaving and not telling anybody where you were broke protocol, you should receive some punishment for that stunt and having me send out a search party to find you. And some people would be furious at me if I let you off scot-free." Bonnie closes her eyes, as she didn't want to do this but to be a fair leader she has to. She reopens them again and looks at Maya, "You are to remain on watch duty in the camp until I see fit you learn your lesson, and if I need you for hunting you will be paired with me or Alberto. No more sneaking out to who knows where, for your little medicine-scavenging adventure. At least for the time being of your punishment. Okay?" Maya looks away and nods in silence.

Bonnie lets out a sigh, "I hate doing this to you kid, but.."

"I know," Maya spoke out still not maintaining eye contact with her leader.

Bonnie maintains her distance, but she wanted to embrace the teen. "I know I shouldn't be telling you this, but…I have grown very fond of you Maya."

That got Maya's attention as she looks up at Bonnie. She looks so worn and tired of carrying everyone in this group. Maya was not expecting that to come from Bonnie. She is still out of making her judgment call on Bonnie. But the voice Bonnie spoke out to Maya was actually sincere. Maya sighs and responded to her comment, "I have grown to respect you as a leader Bonnie, but forgive me if I…"

Bonnie dips her head respectfully, "I understand if you do not let another adult figure in your heart that is a parent or guardian. And I am not looking to replace your father or mother. I just wanted to let you know I deeply care about you." Bonnie saw Maya dipping her head letting Bonnie know she appreciates Bonnie respecting her boundaries. Bonnie then tilts her head over at Aniya and Maya's tent. "You may now go to your tent, and get some rest. Dinner will be ready at dusk, and your first shift of watch will be after dinner, okay."

"Okay." Maya soon leaves Bonnie's side and makes her way to her tent. Before she faces her sister she stops by a sycamore tree and slumps down at the base of it. Maya for the first time feels torn between two worlds. One with her sister and this group she calls home, and her new love with Violet in another group.

Maya pulls out her totem necklace and looks at the hawk figure that is in her palm. Maya softly mumbles to herself, "I'm so confused. I wish you could tell me what to do Nannie. My heart is torn in two between two places." Maya looked at the necklace her grandmother gave her and rested her head on her knees as she brought the necklace close to her heart to feel her grandmother's spirit.

…..

Violet kicks at the wall of the bell tower, as she feels heartbroken. She knows Clementine is trying to be a good leader and be protective, but her heart makes her act out of emotions. Violet slumps down on the ground in front of her favorite spot and sobs into her knees.

She doesn't know why she is feeling this way. Why her heart wanted something more? She then replies in her mind what could've happened between Maya and her this morning, and she craved it so badly.

Maya's soft tender touch on Violet's hand. She was linking her copper brown figures to Violet's pale white fingers and how her brown eyes gleamed into Violet's. The sound of her soothing voice, made Violet feels helpless at times. The look in Maya's eyes and the moment she was going for. Violet wanted it too, as she was feeling a strong emotion in her heart that spoke to Maya.

If Clementine and Aasim hadn't come at that moment, Violet would've had her first kiss with Maya. The unlikely friend she thought she never let anyone close to her heart again after Minnie. Let alone fall for another girl and someone entirely opposite to Violet's personality and nature.

Violet looks up at the sky and wonders if, somewhere in another part of these woods, Maya will be reprimanded by her own group for her little outing. Someone approaching the gate interrupted Violet's thoughts. She pulls her gaze from looking up at the sky to see who it is. Out of all people, it was Aasim.

Violet glares at him and growls, "what do you want."

Aasim nervously eyes her, "I just want to talk, Vi."

Violet eyes him sharply for a moment and then scuffs and looks away not wanting to be with his company, "I don't want to talk to anyone, just leave me alone for a bit."

"Vi.." Aasim tries to carry on.

"I mean it, Aasim, just leave me the fuck alone!" Violet screams at him. She can tell he is sensing her pain.

He is seeing Violet heartbroken for the first time since Brody told her about Minnie and Sophie. "You fell in love with her, didn't you."

Violet wipes the tears from her eyes, not confirming to Aasim that she did, nor does she denies it. Violet buries her head in her lap, "I don't know what I am feeling, to be honest."

"But you do like her." Aasim lowers his voice, so it is soft and calming.

Violet looks up at Aasim, "Did Clementine send you to talk to me."

"No. I am doing this on my own for answers I have for myself about what happened this morning. I saw something in your eyes as you and…Maya, parted ways." Aasim said being real with Violet. "Something I saw in Louis's eyes too when he tried to go off on his own to find Clementine and AJ several weeks back. I won't judge or tell anyone okay, I just want you to know I am a safe space you can come to, to talk."

"Thanks, but I don't need a shrink for advice. I know you have that vibe going on with you." Violet spoke, calming the rage she felt.

"Fair enough. I just want you to know if you feel like talking or if you don't that is fine too, I don't have any hard feelings." Aasim said. He then reaches into his hoodie and pulls out an empty notebook and a pencil. "Maybe you are not the talking type and more of a silent writer who uses writing as an outlet to express what you feel. I know it helped me in the past when I got here to communicate the emotions you are feeling and can't quite put into words how you feel. I thought it will help you." Aasim extends his arm with the notebook and pencil attached to it.

Violet looked at him with suspicious eyes, then took the item that he was offering. "You sure you want to part from one of your empty journals? I know you keep some sort of history book/diary thing."

"I'm sure. You need it more than I do with how you are feeling." Aasim turns to the left, but Violet's voice stops him.

"Aasim…" Violet calls out when he turns and makes his way to the gate to go back to the school. "Thank you."

Aasim gave a kind smile back to Violet, "You're welcome." He pauses in his step, "And I also would tell you, you have evening watch tonight. I take over your shift at dawn."

Violet nods in silence and holds the notebook close to her. Aasim knows she wants to be left alone until dinner, so he makes his way back into camp leaving Violet alone to sort out her feelings. Violet sat for a little while longer before she slowly got up from the base of the bell tower, and headed back into camp. She still wanted to be left alone, so she made her way through the courtyard and to the dorms and was alone in her room for a bit.

…

Clementine comes down the stairs as she hears sweet music being played by her sweetheart. Clementine paused at the base of the steps, resting her back on the banister of the staircase taking in the music and letting it soak into her soul. She took a moment to gather herself and wipe the tears she was crying a moment ago from her fight with Violet.

She composes herself to look presentable to go out and prepare for dinner, but her heart made her walk to Louis's music room to be comforted by the sweet melody he was playing and be warmed by his touch. Clementine makes her way to the doorway of the music room and sees Louis playing away. Clementine pushes the door ajar a bit, softly, so Louis will not suspect she will be in there, but she probably already guessed he would figure soon or later she will come to him. She hates sometimes that Louis knows her heart at times and knows when she will need his comfort.

Clementine pushes the door shut, this time with her back up against it, looking at Louis and admiring the sweet sounds coming from the piano as he plays. She breathes softly and then moves toward him, not saying anything.

Louis shifted his eyes slowly to look at her and gave a comforting little smile, and moved slightly so she could sit by him as he played soft notes. Clementine took the hint and moved in to sit beside him. Her amber gaze trails up to Louis's face as he is concentrating on playing, but she can tell he has a giddy look at having her near him. Clementine moves her gaze to be at his hands as they glide over the keys. She scooches closer to him in that moment as she feels the music in her heart be soothed. Clementine rests her head on his shoulder as she feels his arm muscles move when he continues to play. When Louis stopped to look down at her, she softly mumbled, "Don't stop playing….I….I need it to be comforted me right now."

Louis looks down at his beloved, "You okay, Clem?"

Clementine shook her head as tears slid down her cheeks, and she wiped them away. "No." Was all she could say to him in reply back.

Louis closes his eyes, and his face knitted together out of concern for the love of his and one of his best friends having corral tension. Shit. He was afraid to ask what happened up there in his former best friend's office. He decided to ask anyways, even though he already knew the answer to his own question, "How did it go?"

Clementine didn't meet him with her gaze. All she said with her cheek on his shoulder and her hands gripping Louis's forearm, "Just….keep playing Lou…." Her voice shook as she said it. Louis lets out a sigh and tenderly leans down to kiss her forehead. He felt Clementine gripping his forearm tighter and knew with that clutch she was sobbing now. Louis did the next best thing as he turned his body to face her and pulled her into his chest, and let her sob and cry into his strong chest as he held her in her moment of falling apart.

…

Maya took a moment by herself by a tree. She closed her eyes and felt a soft little hand touching her forearm. Maya raised her head up from her knees to look at the little brown eyes staring back at her, "Are you okay, Maya? Feeling sick?" the girl's voice spoke. "I can fix you up with this?" She holds out a cup of hot water with leaves in it.

Maya took the cup the little girl offered, "Thanks Alicia, that is sweet of you." Maya took a sip of the drink as the girl sat next to her. "I am not sick to answer your previous question."

"Then why are you so down?" Alicia asks once more.

Maya closed her eyes and lets out a heavy sigh, "Because my heart for the first time is broken., kiddo."

"What's that mean? You have something broken in your heart?" Alicia points at Maya's chest. "Maybe Robert could fix it like he tried to fix...fix...Mike."

Maya shook her head, "This is something that can't be fixed medically, Alicia."

Alicia cocks her head to one side out of confusion, "You mean you can't fix a broken heart."

Maya looks to her, "In most cases no if someone you loved died or something."

Alicia looks up into Maya's brown eyes, "Who caused your broken heart?"

Maya sighs once more, and her face knitted together this time. She spoke the words out loud without knowing it, "Violet." Maya curses under her breath, "Goddamn it, why did I let my guard down and fell in love."

Alicia normally would call out people swearing but she can tell Maya is upset at something. She puts her small little black hand on Maya's and softly spoke, "You should be with that person instead of being miserable."

Maya smiles at her slight innocence, "It is not that simple sweetie, but thanks for the tea and pep talk." Maya looks at Alberto and Bonnie discussing something and then looks at Alicia, "You should go by the fire or your tent and draw me something cool so I can hang it up in my tent, looks kind of bare."

Alicia smiles, "Okay. It might take up until dinner, but I will draw you something special.

Maya watches her scamper off to her tent. She loves that little scamp sometimes. Maya sighs and gets up and makes her way to her tent. She suddenly stops in her tracks when Arvo was by the trunk of the tree listening in on her talk with Alicia, "So looks like you have feelings for a girl and girl in a group that is dangerous. Makes me wonder if I should even trust your loyalty here."

Maya casts her gaze aside and as she spoke to Arvo, "What do you want asshole because I am really in no mood to deal with your bullshit today."

Arvo sneers at her, "Is that why you are always sneaking away to meet with the blonde chick to fuck around and trading Intel like the traitor you are."

Maya now getting really annoyed with him, clinches her teeth, as she rears up at him giving him her angry glare, "Listen here you little shit, I don't like you and don't really care to fix that, but I am no traitor to my group or to my family. Which is more than I can say about you. You shot at Clementine and ambushed her and her group when she was fucking eleven years old."

Arvo moves off the tree and advances on her until his face was near hers. Maya was not afraid as she stares back at his challenge. "You have no idea what you are saying. And you don't know me."

"I know enough. I have seen what you have done five years ago. You lied to Mike and Bonnie just to save your own skin, and then shot at a defenseless little girl, and left an innocent baby to die." Maya eyes him.

Arvo's nose flared as he growls at her with furry, "How could you possibly know that! You were not even there!"

"I've seen a vision of when I met Clementine in the woods of what happened. What too scared to tell the truth, or are you good at making up shit to save your ass?" Maya glares back. "Next time you want to play victim, come up with a better story or tell the goddamn truth for once, you fucking coward.."

Arvo looks at Maya, "Watch what you say dyke, one day that mouth of yours will get you killed." Arvo spits in front of Maya then storm off.

Maya gave him the bird and mumbled, "Whatever fucker."

Maya makes her way to go into her tent to face her sister. Aniya looks over from her cot which is a bed. Aniya clears her throat once her sister settles on her side of the tent. "So...how much trouble are you in?"

Maya lets out a sigh, "Camp bound for a while, and have to have a babysitter when going on hunting duties. Which means no more outings of collecting herbs for extra medicine at least for a while." Maya had a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Aniya shrugs, "Well that isn't all that bad. Could be worse." She noticed Maya didn't share her enthusiasm on this one. And she looks down at the ground for a moment, before she gets up and moves to her sister's bed. She sits on the end of it and sees her older sister heartbroken. Aniya lets out a sigh, "You want to talk about it?"

Maya looks up from the ground to her, "Promise you won't be judgmental here or tell people here about what I am going to share with you?"

Aniya extends her hand and places it on Maya's, "I swear on Nannie's grave."

Maya gave a little smile at her sister's comment. Maya lets out a heavy sigh to tell her sister the truth, "I think I may have fallen in love, Aniya."

Aniya looks into her sister's brown depths, "With the blonde chick Violet from the kid commute that is somewhere in these woods." She sees Maya nods to her question. Aniya then curiously asks, "How and when?"

Maya moves off of her bed and started to pace back and forth, "I don't know...maybe when I found her in the rapids when I was making my medicines and know she need help so I jumped in and saved her. We started to bond a bit after that. To be honest, I thought it was a crush, believed it was for the longest time, then those innocent feelings grew into something I can't explain, and now I can't get her off my heart or mind. I feel I am going crazy without her with me." Maya looks over at her sister still sitting on her bed. "I know this doesn't make any sense."

Aniya eyes her sister, "But how?"

Maya leans up against the wooden post of their tent, "I just don't know, Aniya. When your heart chooses someone to love it just happens, and I never thought in my life that I will be..."

"Gay?" Aniya finished her sentence.

Maya looks down at her feet, "Yeah...if that is the right term they call it." Maya lets out a sarcastic scuff, "Mom would've been so proud of me. Having a daughter who is a lesbian and falling for someone of the same gender as me, instead of the opposite sex. I really bring honor to our family and honor the Lakota traditions. Falling for not only a girl but someone who is white and not indigenous. The elders would love to hear about this."

Aniya stood up just then and looks at her older sister as she was trying to hide her emotions of crying. Aniya walks up to her and did something that Maya didn't expect to come from her little sister. Aniya puts her arms around her older sister's body and pulls her close to her and held her for a good long moment. Once Maya realizes what her sister is doing she lets her tears go, as her sister was showing Maya compassion and love instead of making her feel ashamed for having these feelings. Aniya felt her sister hold her tighter as she sobs a little on her sister's shoulder. Aniya softly whispers to Maya, "You bring me honor everyday sis, by keeping me alive and making sure I am safe and protected. You are all I have left of our family."

Maya smiles a warm smile at her little sister on her acceptance of her being in love with a girl. Aniya steps back to gaze upon her older sister, "Besides, fuck the Lakota old tradition and the rules with it. I am sure our ancestors and the elders of our tribe never accounted to have the dead walking and eating people as part of the Lakota way of life. We are living in a new world that has changed now, and need to have a new set of rules. I say your love for this girl, Violet, is just as valid as mom and dad's love for each other." Aniya pauses as she places her hand on her sister's arm, "And for the record, Maya, you always challenged the elder's authority even back out in Jackson. So why do you care about their rules and traditions now, when you always defied them."

Maya hugs her sister once more, "Thank you, sis, for everything. You don't know how happy you make me feel right now. I very much appreciate your support."

"You are all I have left in this world. I don't want to lose you over something so petty and stupid where it is easier to stand and defend your decision than to fight it." Aniya said. "Just can you promise to do one thing to me?"

Maya pulls back to look at her sister, "What is that?"

"Can you promise to be more open to me and stop with all the secrecy? I miss my sister and felt you were distancing yourself from me." Aniya said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

Maya took her sister's hand, "I am sorry for that. I didn't know how you would respond to me...liking a girl, and I was scared myself of telling the truth to you. From now on I will be more open to you. And you're right about me being distant. You are all I have left, and I promised both mom and dad that I will take of you for as long as I live."

Aniya reaches up and puts her hand on her sister's cheek to reassure her of her apology. Aniya looks at the sun and huffs out, "Shit...I got to go out hunting with Alberto and Arvo."

When Aniya mentions the word Arvo Maya gets worried. "Aniya, just...watch your back with Arvo."

Aniya looks at her with curious eyes, "Why?"

Maya casts her brown eyes to the floor for a moment, then back at her sister, "I just...he has a vibe I don't like, and it is off to me. Like he is planning something sinister, and I just don't like it, Alberto too. I never had when we met these people after what happened to mom and dad, and he is in the group. Just. Don't ignore your intuition and what it is trying to communicate. I know that your gift, like mine, is insight and clairvoyance.."

Aniya knows her sister is being real and nods in agreement. She pulls out her animal totem necklace, a lynx, and holds it close to her heart, "I will, I promise."

The two sisters embrace each other once more before Aniya leaves to go hunting. It pained Maya to let her go to the two people she has the most distrust, but she can't let the others know. Maya's eyes squinted into an angry fury when she saw Arvo at the gate waiting for Aniya to join him and Alberto. You try anything, ANYTHING, to put my baby sister's life in jeopardy, you motherfucker. I will personally see fit. You will be harmed threefold by what you did to my baby sister. Just try it, buster. Maya thought to herself as she watched her sister disappear outside the walls of their small fortress.

…..

Violet makes her way to the watch tower after dinner. She kept herself distant from Clementine as hostility was between the two of them again. She knows Clementine is looking out for her, but Violet can't help but feel resentment that Clementine is keeping Violet away from Maya. Violet ate with Omar and Willy even though she isn't exactly the best buds with them, but the alternative is eating alone, and she didn't want to be that obvious.

Violet senses Clementine eyeing her but Violet ignores it as she is still hurt and pissed. Violet felt the air freer up here and away from the group a bit. She looks up at the evening sky as the stars begin to show through the night sky. Violet leaned her back up against the railing of the watchtower, looking at the stars, and Maya's voice rang through her head.

"You love looking at the stars?" Maya asks.

"Yeah. I don't know why it calls to me, and I feel at peace when I am at my favorite spot in my camp." Violet spoke, placing her hand on Maya's hand.

Maya smiles a tender smile this time, "I have the same feeling actually. Sometimes at night, I will lay awake and gaze out at the stars. Reminds me of my homeland in Jackson and my tribe."

Violet then links her fingers to Maya's, "What was Jackson, your homeland, like."

Maya felt Violet's fingers and Maya blushes a bit and felt off guard by that touch as she nervously chuckles, "Oh….um…scenic, has beautiful mountains like the old west, beautiful meadows and springs, and rivers you can swim into take the edge off on hot summer days. But my favorite is sitting around the fire listening to stories of my people and using the stars to map out our stories from previous generations. That and song and dance. Each constellation in the sky by my people has a unique story behind them."

Violet loves to listen to Maya talk. "I would love to hear about it. The stories I mean of the stars." Violet glances away out of nervousness.

Maya smiles a genuine smile at her, "Well….maybe one of these nights when it is not raining, I would show you sometime, if you want, and try to share the stories behind them."

Violet sheds tears and then breaks down and cries. She lets out a curse to herself, "Damn it. Why did I let my guard down? I hate this…." Violet looks up at the stars and imagines Maya gazing at the same sky.

…..

Maya climbs the steps of her small watchtower. Maya caught the eyes of Alberto as he watched her like a hawk, if she was going to try anything. Maya ignores him and complied with what Bonnie says to her. Once Maya is on the platform, she sighs as she releases the air she held in. She took in the scene before her as wildlife hummed in the dusk, along with the moans and groans of walkers.

Maya shifts her gaze to look upward at the stars in the night sky and think about Violet. Damn it, stop thinking about her; you are just going to torture your heart. Count the walkers. Maya counted at least five walkers wandering out in the woods. But her mind circles back to Violet. She took one look up at the sky, and envisioned Violet looking up at the same stars as she was. Maya lets out a sigh, "Why didn't I kiss her when I had the chance? At least I will let her know I like her if I make that gesture." Maya looks up at the sky once more and into the stars. Then a familiar tune is sung in her head as she sings a little to the song since she is alone up here, and no one will hear her sing. Maya begins to sing a little to one of her favorite animated films thinking about Violet and her beautiful spring meadow eyes.

Somewhere out there.
Beneath the pale moonlight.
Someone's thinking of me.
And loving me tonight.

Somewhere out there.
Someone's say-

A voice behind her made Maya jump, "Am I interrupting something?"

Maya jolted against the steel bar, "Wah!"

Robert held up his hands, "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

Maya gave a sarcastic comment in reply, "Oh no, you didn't startle me, not at all. Come on up unannounced."

Robert chuckles at her comment, "You have a surprisingly good voice. I haven't heard that song in a long time. My son would've been slightly jealous that you can sing and he can't."

"Repeat this to anyone Robert," Maya warned as she points her finger at him.

"You will kill me. I know. Your secret is safe with me." Robert assures her.

"I'm surprised you know that song." Maya looked at him, and a curious smile grows on her face.

"Call me surprised. I should be asking you the same question since that film came out before your time." Robert looks at her as he leans forward on the railing.

"I was born in 1991 and watched it when I was a little kid. The story impacted me greatly: the cute little immigrant family of mice trying to find each other." Maya smiles at the memory of remembering the film.

Robert returns her smile, "So…who do you miss?"

Maya looks over the horizon, debates whether she should tell him she is gay. "Violet," Maya whispers out loud to him. Her brown eyes look up at Robert and hope he will be compassionate towards her.

Robert nods slowly, then his right eye squints, "I am bad at remembering people. Who is Violet?"

"The blonde hair chick with eyes that shine like a spring meadow, who we met up with the girl with a prosthetic foot," Maya confesses.

Robert paid attention to her voice as she described Violet to him, "Sounds like to me you are falling for her."

Maya looked up at him, and then her gaze fall,s not wanting to admit that he was right on the nose with that observation. Maya leans against the railing with her head bowed. Robert can sense she is trying to hide it from him, and he wanted to let her know he is cool with it, "Maya, I am all right with it. You are falling for someone you really like. It is rare these days."

Maya looks out on the horizon, "Even if I fall for a girl from another community Arvo has a corral with."

"Fuck Arvo and what he thinks. The important thing right now does she make you happy." Robert looks at her and is being honest with her.

Maya tilts her head to one side, "Well….she does make me smile like I haven't done in a long time. For most of my life, I was so hyper-focus on protecting my little sister and me being in survivor mode for the both us that I forgot how to live. Live life like falling in love, have laughter and fun, and just be a normal nineteen-year-old." Maya sighs, "I mean, for fuck's sake, I am supposed to be thinking about college and what I want to do with my life right now. Not…this." Maya gestured out toward the walkers roaming the woods.

Robert gave her a sympatric look as he empathized with her. "I know. We all had to leave the world behind and adapt to what is bestowed upon us. You know it was hard for me to leave my work and waste my time and effort to get into med school just to be slaughtering down the dead. I was a surgeon, damn it. I saved lives, not end them." Robert looks over at Maya, "You may not be able to live out like a normal teen your age, but you still have time to do other things, like falling in love. Like what you are doing it right now there, kid." Robert chuckles at seeing the young teen blush when he points out the obvious. Maya rolls her eyes at Robert and gives him a playful nudge in response.

Robert looks up at the night sky and at the stars as his face is lost in thought. He gently spoke to Maya, "You know, nights like this make me miss my boy. I remember him and I would lie in the grass at my dad's estate and just look at the stars. Louis will make up stories of us getting into a rocket ship to go explore the galaxies together as father and son and taking out aliens and blasting at comets. And pretending we were jumping on the moon with no bounds to our endless fun." Robert smiles at the faint fond memory of his son before their relationship got strained.

Robert took his gaze off of the stars and turned to look at Maya, "I know you are in your punishment right now, but I got to know what you saw when we came across the boat ruines, and what did you mean by my son is involved with the teenage girl we met in the woods today. You know, the girl with the prosthetic foot and sharp amber eyes."

Maya turns her gaze to look at Robert to give him some clues that his son is alive, "her name is Clementine, the girl with amber eyes with the prosthetic foot. And what I meant by your son is involved with her is she is your son's girlfriend. As in lovers."

Robert looks at her in puzzlement and then back at Maya, "You sure they are lovers."

"Well, unless there is a different meaning of two people passionately kissing that doesn't express they are not lovers, I love to hear it," Maya said.

"You saw them kiss in your vision like things you get?" Robert waved his hands, still unsure of Maya's gift of clairvoyance and psychiatric abilities.

"Yeah, quite clearly," Maya comments back with a bob of her head. "Anything else you want to know." When Robert didn't respond, she grew soft with her tone of voice, "Rob?"

"No…just…can't quite believe my boy has found himself a girl. Even after everything he did." Robert leans forward.

"People change over time. I know I have. I am not the same girl I was when I got sent away after being rebellious against the cops for taking my people's land." Maya replies.

"What do you mean, you still are rebellious." Robert jokes back.

"Oh, I was more so back out in Jackson at age seven. What you see in me now, child's play compared to back then." Maya laughs a little.

"Hmm…hell raiser, huh. You would've fit right in with the school I sent my son to." Robert smiles at his own comment, then his smile fades as he eyes the night sky. "I wish I could tell him I am sorry for being a horrible father to him and that I still love him."

Maya put her hand on his and gives a comforting squeeze of the hand, "You will. If you say you know where Ericson's school is, I am sure your son is there alive. You will find him again. I know you will."

Robert smiles at the young teen and returns her squeeze right back. Just then, Alberto's voice rang out, breaking their weird father-daughter moment. "Hey Robert, stop distracting Maya in her punishment."

Robert looks back at him, "Relax. I was just offering her a blanket for tonight. It is going to get cold out." Robert flashes Maya a wink in his eyes as Robert then pulls something up from the ground behind him and places it over Maya's shoulders. He whispers to Maya, "I knew he was going to ask about that, so I came prepared." Maya returns a kind smile back to him and nods a little to that cover-up. Robert looked back and started to head down the stairs of the watchtower. He calls out from behind him, "Thanks for the information Maya, it will help ease my mind at night as I take dawn watch."

Maya responds back, "Anytime, Robert." Maya watches him go and feels an odd kinship with him. Out of all the adults in her group, Robert is the one who grew in her heart the most. If anyone deserves to have a redemption moment with the person they wronged in the past, it would be Robert. She needs to find Louis so she can give this man his one desire in the world and be reconciled with his son again. Maya casts her gaze up at the sky once more and notices something about the moon. The moon has a ring around it as a sign trouble is not far behind.