"We've been combing the woods for her, and she was here all along?!"

I held onto a shaking Beth who'd just nearly gotten bitten by her mother and then had to watch Andrea's scythe pierce her mother's body. Maggie stepped up next to me, taking her under her wings now. Rennie was sniffling quietly with Carl and Lori, and Glenn was walking by my side at my pace, constantly glancing over at me. I felt his hand suddenly slip into mine and he gave me a small squeeze. I squeezed back without looking up, feeling comfort in the aching I felt.

Shouting broke out and I saw Shane holding up Hershel and people scrambling to separate them. Glenn glanced at me and I gave him a nod and let go of his hand. He went on to help.

"Get off my land!" Hershel snarled after a bit of tussling. I shook my head, just disappointed in everything and everyone.

"You had us out in those woods looking for a little girl that every single one of us knew was dead! That's what you did. Rick, you're just as delusional as that guy," Shane sneered while shouting. I had had enough of this guy.

I felt something in me shift, I don't know what it was, but I felt so utterly calm. I made my way through the crowd and walked up to Shane, taking his attention away from Rick. I just stood there in front of him, stared at him straight in the eyes, and talked in an icy tone I'd never heard myself use before, not even when I was furious.

"Some had hope that she was alive, Shane. You got rid of that hope, you got rid of our safe area, and most of all, you got rid of any sense of unity and faith we had in each other. I hope you never handle a situation again since you're acting worse than my eight-year-old cousin. In fact, I won't be surprised if you wake up one day and find yourself in hell."

I stalked past him and went on toward the house, ignoring everyone and everything else. Glenn found me again shortly after, and he simply stood there with open arms for a moment. I smiled and took his offer, hugging him back.

"You okay?" Glenn whispered in my ear as I embraced the scent of him, although it wasn't all flowery.

I shook my head, enjoying the private moment in the room Rennie and I were given. "Every time I close my eyes I see Sophie dead, and every time I open my eyes I see her happily alive. And then there's this voice in my head that tells me it's my brother, and I see the last moment my brother and I had before he disappeared and never came back."

I looked up at him, admiring his soft face. "What if the voice is right? What if out there, someone comes across a situation similar to us, and he's the walker that just gets shot into pieces?"

Brown eyes met my black ones as I peered up at him from his arms. He suddenly drew away from me and I frowned a little, confused.

"I can't promise that he's alright out there," Glenn clasped his hands together before stuffing them in his pockets with a shrug. "I can, however, tell you that he would be proud of you, and so would Sophia."

I smiled softly but was still puzzled at the way he suddenly released me and left my side. "Glenn, is something wrong?"

"The first time Maggie and I went on a run, we nearly had sex," he blurted out. I blinked at him in shock as he turned more and more sorrowful. "I stopped it before she could undress, but I still feel as though I should tell you since I don't want you to think I'm a sleaze or, or-"

I cut his rambling off with a smile. "It's okay, you didn't start it and you didn't go further. Plus, I also have a confession to make."

He nodded awkwardly as I took a deep breath and gave him a bright smile. "Glenn, I love you."

It was true. I was undeniably horribly in love with this man standing in front of me. I loved the way he would smile at anything and everything, the way his presence lit up everything around us, the way he was so pure and willing to do anything for others and the way he was such a ray of sunshine. I'd thought love was a burden that slowed you down, that made you writhe in pain or get distracted, but with him, it wasn't a burden. Maybe it was but I couldn't sense it yet, but even if it was, I'd give it the bird and still tell Glenn I love him because I do. Glenn's eyes grew wide as he gaped for a moment, but Rick chose that timing to show up. "I'm gonna go look for Hershel at the bar in town, you guys wanna join or take a moment?"

"I'll go," Glenn immediately stepped out of the room, making me gape after him with a frown.

"If there's a bar in town, I wanna obviously check it," I responded with a shrug, grabbing the utility belt that I'd always carried around. Rick stared at me for a moment before asking a strange question he'd asked me long ago.

"What did you say your job was?" I froze from putting on my watch, quirking a brow.

"CIA," I answered after a moment of difficulty. "I'd just finished a mission when headquarters called me back to go settle something at my old Bureau."

"CIA?" Rick frowned, scratching his head. I sighed, feeling weird about telling someone about my highly classified job, but it's the end of the world. Might as well write a book about it in case the world starts working again.

"It's usually classified, but the world went to shit so…," I shrugged on my trademark flannel instead of my leather jacket, just because Georgia was too damn hot to be strolling around in leather all day. "Worked in the Behavioral Analysis Unit at the FBI, served as a Special Ops Agent after, yaddah yaddah. But, I'm more famously used as a professional artist."

I grabbed my gun and checked the ammo before holstering it. I turned to see Rick gaping at me in surprise.

"And you're how old?"

"I was a prodigy so I started everything early." I shrugged. Goodbye classified information, hello honesty. "I'm 23, my brother is 31, Rennie is 12. Now are we gonna roll or what?"

I patted Rick's shoulder before walking off down the stairs. I came face to face with Rennie who had been with Carl this whole time. "Noona, eodiga?" (Big sis, where you going?)

"Halahbuji jab-eul-eo," (To catch grandpa) I replied with a slight smirk. I ruffled my little brother's hair, grinning all the while. "Behave, okay? I'll be back soon."

He nodded and I smiled. "After slaughtering them?"

I grinned, poking his dimple. "Mhm."

"Cho style?"

I nodded, appreciating how he didn't forget what we always said to each other before we went separately. "Cho style. I'll be back soon, Scout."

He grinned and I rubbed his cheeks one last time before I trotted off towards my bike, opting to take that instead of getting in the awkward car with Glenn. I patted my neon motorcycle lovingly, sincerely having missed it.

"Looks like we're gonna go for a ride, Cub," I revved the engine and secured my helmet before racing off the driveway and passing by the other two. I waved at them before turning on the street and waiting for them to join me. They soon did, and I followed them, enjoying the wind going through my being, wrapping itself around me.

Glenn POV

"I love you. Glenn, I love you. I love you. I love y-"

Her voice kept running around in my head, the way she said it, the way her eyes showed so much adoration for me, and my heart clenched harder at the thought of having just left her without giving any information. Oh, what the hell was I thinking?

"Lynnie said she loves me," I blurted out to Rick, having noticed him glancing at me. I mean, I would've been glancing at me too, because I'm acting like a dazed madman. He smiled and kept his eyes on the road without a word. "She doesn't mean it. I mean she can't. I mean, well, she-she's upset or confused. She's probably feeling, like..."

"I think she's very smart, and you only need to be a little smart to know what you're feeling," Rick gave me an amused smile, glancing at the back mirror where the girl in question was riding behind us.

"No. No. No, you know what? She wants to be in love, so she's- she needs something to, like... to hold onto," I nodded, the explanation making sense. Yes, that was it. It's just because of that that she who never says I love you to anyone or shows affection to anyone other than her brother said I love you to me.

"Glenn, it's pretty obvious to everyone that Arlynn loves you, and not just because you're one of the last men standing," Rick snorted a little, shaking his head. "I mean, there's Ben who's confessed his undying love and is trying to win her over, but she chose you, not him. And I know that from the moment she got out of that Camaro back in Atlanta, your eyes were on her, and only her, not on Maggie or Beth or anyone else. Everyone knew you loved her the moment she got to camp with you in that red car. So what's the problem?"

I felt something in me grow softer at his words. He was right, after all. When she'd first thrown open her car door and marched up to us with an arrow aimed to kill us, I'd thought it was very badass of her and admired it. But when I saw her treat her little brother with so much love, gentleness, and care, the floor became nonexistent and I was falling in everything of her.

"I didn't say it back. I've never had a woman say that to me before except my mom, of course, and my sisters. But with Lynnie, it's different. We barely know each other. What- what does she really know about me? Nothing. We're practically strangers. But I... I didn't know what to do with it. I just stood there like a jerk." I groaned at the end, feeling like a jerk. I should've said it back, I should've said anything than just stand there like an idiot and watch her pouring out herself and being vulnerable to me. I'd hurt her.

"Hey. Hey, this is a good thing, something we don't get enough of these days. Enjoy it," Rick advised, glancing at me constantly. He had a soft smile on his face and I felt comforted and reassured. "And when we get back, return the favor. It's not like she's going anywhere."

"Rick?" I licked my suddenly dry lips, feeling nervous because of my uncountable confession. It's gotta be confession day today. "I know about Lori, her being pregnant. I got her those pills."

"I figured," was all Rick said as he drove quietly.

"Hey, I'm sorry I kept it from you," I spoke sincerely, meaning it from the bottom of my heart. It felt so much lighter now that the secrets I had to keep were out in the open.

"Don't be. You did what you thought was right. It just so happens it wasn't," Rick shrugged, sighing while still focusing on the road. A flash of green suddenly appeared on Rick's side and we both frowned as she revved the engine and leaned even more forward after staring at us for a bit. She shot forward like a bullet, an obvious challenge to us that Rick accepted. He grinned, pressing on the accelerator, and tried to catch up to her.

"Oh my god, oh my god-" I gasped as Rick laughed. He suddenly turned to me sternly.

"Look, I might not be her dad or anything, but she's like a little sister or kid to me, and so are you. The bad part is Daryl cares for her a lot even though he doesn't show it much. Don't hurt her, or I'll have to help bury you after Daryl and Arlynn kills you."

I nodded seriously before smiling. "I have a feeling Aren will kill me before they get to me."

"Don't underestimate her," Rick waggled a finger at me, a grin on his face. "He learned it from someone, remember?"

"Right," I nodded, taking a sharp shaky breath. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as he focused on the green motorcycle in front of us. "Don't piss her off or you piss everyone off. I can do that."