A feeling of falling woke me up as my body was being shifted by someone else. Rick moved one of his arms over my shoulder, leaning my head against his chest to keep me upright as my eyes threatened to close again. He whispered something about going back to sleep as I twisted my body to lean further against him.

If I knew I was going to sleep, I would have done it in the truck. Most of the seats were taken up by Michonne and Carl in the back, and Isaac who was awkwardly laying across the front. I offered to stay up with the others and keep watch, sitting against the car with Rick to give him some company.

Even when I was awake I laid against him. His hands were shaking, maybe from what he'd done—I didn't care; I'd seen Rick kill countless times. (Sure, this time was more brutal, but it was more than deserved). I also wanted the company too, because I couldn't get the fear out of my chest despite everything being safe.

I'd been startled awake a few times through the night when Martinez and Daryl killed a walker, but it was more than expected with all the guns we'd fired. It wasn't a good sleep, on the ground amongst the gravel and fallen leaves, but it was enough to get me through the day. Before even getting the chance to rest, Rick put some stitches in my cheek to patch up the cut, which sat uncomfortably with me.

My eyes refused to close again when it started getting lighter, and I lifted my head, wincing at the pain in my neck. Rick pulled his arm back, giving me the room to stretch out. My back clicked in several places as I straightened up, breathing out a long sigh and I let my legs fall flat against the ground as I sat back against the truck.

"My face hurts," I mumbled absently, my nose and eyes aching and my cheek stung.

"I don't think anyone has any pills," Rick said apologetically.

"We did," I said, and continued, "I took them all for my stupid arm."

Rick nodded. "Does it still hurt?"

"Not so much anymore, I don't think it hit anything important," I said. "Martinez said it was just a flesh wound. I can move my shoulder a little bit and it doesn't hurt so bad. It's my leg that's the worst right now."

Rick gave a nod. "Check it before we leave, but you could probably take the sling off today, even if it's just for the appearance at Terminus. We don't know what those people are like yet. We'll check it in a day or two and cut the stitches out, it should be good by then."

I nodded, "Okay."

It was understandable that he wanted to put up a strong front for Terminus. We were a strong group, but I'm sure they'd be less scared of us meeting a teenage girl who was just regaining the ability to move her shoulder again.

We sat in silence for a little while longer when I heard footsteps coming our way. Daryl stopped in front of us with a plastic water bottle in one hand. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a rag before pouring the liquid over it.

Rick raised a hand to stop him. "We should save it to drink."

"You can't see yourself, he can," Daryl handed him the damp rag for him to start cleaning the blood from his face.

At this point, it was dried on to the point where Rick looked like he would never get the blood out of his beard. He wiped it around his nose and down over his mouth where the most blood was, missing some areas on both sides of his face.

Daryl took a seat on the other side of Rick and was silent as he looked down at his hands. "I didn't know what they were," he said finally.

Rick nodded. "How'd you wind up with them?"

"I was with Beth, we got out together. I was with her for a while."

Silence. Both me and Rick dreaded to ask the question because Beth did not arrive here with Daryl. It could only mean a few things, but the look on Daryl's face, the sadness and downturned expression didn't fill me with hope.

"Is she dead?" Rick asked in a voice low that cracked.

I clenched my teeth and stared ahead to not cry. Over the past few days, I've had to worry about so many people that I couldn't specifically choose one until they were brought up. Maybe I was just avoiding thinking about them, burying the thought that maybe they were dead. Beth was one of those people.

"She's just gone," Daryl shook his head. "After that, that's when they found me. I mean, I knew they were bad, but they had a code. It was simple. Stupid, but it was something. It was enough," he went quiet for a moment. "I dunno how the hell I'm gonna 'pologise to Isaac."

"You were alone," Rick said. "He'll understand."

I wondered whether Isaac would understand. He never liked Daryl from the very beginning, and I don't know if his feelings changed, but I didn't see a reason that they would have. Maybe Isaac would forgive him knowing that Daryl tried to help us. It would have to be something that Daryl spoke to him about.

"They said they were looking for some guy," Daryl began again. "Last night they said they spotted him. I was hanging back, I was gonna leave. But I stayed. That's when I saw it was you guys, right when you saw me. I didn't know what they could do."

"It's not on you, Daryl," Rick said, but I could see that Daryl didn't believe it. "Hey, it's not on you. You being back with us here, now, that's everything."

Daryl stared ahead, his eyes glassy as he refused to look at either of us. I could see how guilty he was feeling, and it made me feel so bad that he was feeling that way about himself. He shouldn't be mad at himself for staying with them, because he needed someone around just like I did. Martinez was here now for that one reason.

"You're my brother," Rick told him, and Daryl finally met his eyes.

Rick was looking at him, making sure Daryl understood what he meant to him. I turned away to give them their moment when Rick's arm came up over my shoulder again and he pulled me against him. I sighed, leaning my head against his shoulder as he and Daryl sat in silence.

"Hey, what you did last night," Daryl started, turning back to look at Rick. "Anybody would have done that."

"No, not that," Rick shook his head.

Maybe I wouldn't have bitten someone's throat out, but I was seconds away from killing the man who hurt Carl if Rick hadn't done it. I wanted to kill every single person in that group for what they did last night.

"Something happened," Daryl said. "That ain't you."

"Daryl, you saw what I did to Tyreese." Rick bounced his shoulder to get my attention, and I turned my head to look at him. "You both did. It ain't all of it, but that's me. That's why I'm here now, that's why Carl is. I want to keep him safe, that's all that matters."

Carl was lucky to have him, to have someone who would do something like that to keep him alive. Maybe he didn't see it yet, but he would. I hadn't asked about Judith but I think I know what happened, and losing her was probably one of the things that made Rick do the things he was doing now.

And then I felt sad, remembering Judith. I closed my eyes and breathed in and out to clear my mind and stop thinking about her. It wasn't fair losing anyone, but a baby. She hadn't done anything, and now she was gone because of some lunatic.

"Were the five of you together this whole time?" Daryl asked.

Rick shook his head, "I was with Carl, then Michonne was with us after. Ace and Isaac found us yesterday."

I thought Rick might go into more detail, more of what happened to him, but he didn't. We all knew he killed a Claimer, but I guarantee it was because he had no other choice. Rick didn't kill unless he had to, despite what he thought of himself now; he didn't need to try and convince us.

"Did you and Isaac get out together?" Daryl asked, glancing at me now.

"I got shot on the way out and separated from Isaac. Some guy caught up to me and . . . after that I was on my own," I explained. "I thought I was going to die when Martinez found me."

"He wasn't with the Governor that day," Rick confirmed for Daryl. "They left him after the war and the Governor found him again. They had a disagreement and he got away. The Governor used his group to attack us."

Daryl gave a nod, understanding.

"I tried leaving him but I could barely walk . . . he looked out for me. He said he'd stay with me until we found my group, or I could actually travel," me being able to travel was something that only happened in the past few days. "After that, Isaac found us."

I think Martinez stayed with me for this long because he was alone. It was probably one of the reasons he didn't leave me behind when Isaac found us because it was part of our deal that he was free to leave when I had someone else. Maybe he just didn't trust Isaac. I wouldn't say that to Rick or Daryl, but honestly, they could probably work it out for themselves.

"Isaac said he found the bus and everyone on it had turned," I added. "Then we met the Claimers and we found out what they did in Lone Oak. They offered a place for Martinez to join them, but he said no."

"I met him 'fore," Daryl said. "He was at the peace meeting, seemed like a good guy in a bad place."

"It's not like he could just up and leave," I said. "The Governor killed anyone who left."

"I said he can come to Terminus with us," Rick said. "Whether he stays or not is up to him, there should be enough room there for all of us. But he's strong, if something happens around there he can help."

I nodded. "He will."

I took the sling off and put the riot gear on before we left; carrying it around, hanging from my bag was getting annoying, but I didn't want to leave it behind only for something to happen in Terminus. It saved my life once before, I wasn't risking not having it again.

Rick put all of the Claimer's weapons into a blue bag which we carried to Terminus, with the intent of keeping them with us the whole time. If anyone needed any spares, we had them. Rick and Michonne took the lead, quietly talking as they led us to Terminus.

I walked alongside Isaac. He hadn't said anything to anyone all morning, which wasn't unusual for him. He was typically a quiet person. It was something that made him so difficult to read. After what happened the night before, that was probably normal too.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I just really want this place to work out," Isaac said.

It took me by surprise because he'd been rather quiet on the topic. He agreed with the plan to go there, but that was only to see if we could find any more of our people. Even now that we'd come across them, he'd still been silent on the topic. Isaac wasn't someone to talk about what they wanted. Not that it mattered, I'm just glad he seemed okay after what happened with the cleaners.

"What's the plan if something goes wrong?"

"I'm not sure there is a plan," I answered honestly. "We just have to see what happens."

"That's the worst part," Isaac said.

As we walked, we came across a sign that had fallen face-first on the ground. The same corrugated base as the others we'd seen, the same Terminus signs that were leading us the right way. If we followed the tracks, we would be at the front gate.

"We're getting close," Daryl called back. "Be there before sundown."

"Now we head through the woods," Rick said. "We don't know who they are."

"Alright."

In the next twenty minutes, we reached the fence, and I could see the red-brick buildings. I looked over them, looking for people, but I didn't really see any. Rick looked through the fence beside me, but he realised the same thing, being that there were all those hidden spots we couldn't see.

"We all spread out, watch for a while, see what we see, and get ready, we all stay close," Rick said, and some of the others scattered, choosing a direction. Rick turned to Carl. "You want to stick with me?"

"It's all right," Carl said and followed after Michonne.

"I'm gonna head this way," Daryl said and glanced back at Isaac. "Ya comin'?"

Isaac glanced up, a little confused, but agreed. "Yeah, sure."

"I'm gonna go further around the perimeter," Martinez said. "See what there is to see."

When everyone left, I looked at Rick. "Just me and you."

"Yeah," he agreed with a chuckle.

I sat down on the wooden crate outside the fence and looked inside, blocked by the ivy and shrubs that had grown up between the wires. Martinez disappeared around the fence. As I watched, I heard some strange noise and looked to see Rick using a little shovel to dig a hole in the ground near the fence.

"I'm going to leave weapons out here," Rick explained. "Let the others decide what they want to take when they get back. We don't know what's going to happen, we may need them."

"Makes sense," I agreed and turned back to the buildings.

After dropping the bag in the hole, Rick stood in front of me, his eyes on Terminus. It was eerily big, like the night we first saw Woodbury. It seemed like every time we came across such big groups, there were always so few of us.

I hoped this was different, that they were good.

"Ace?"

"Yeah."

I turned to look back at him when there was a beat, and he walked over to stand in front of me. "I need you in there, to be ready."

"I know," I said. "You said."

"No," Rick shook his head. "Michonne, Carl, Isaac. They know to keep their guard up, but they want this to work out. They're so hopeful that they might not notice if something is wrong."

I raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"I keep thinking about Woodbury, how he had people there that didn't know what was going on. They could have an act like that," he explained. "I need you in there, listen to them, look at them, whatever. Anything that tells us they're lying, and you know what to do."

I nodded. "I do."

"I don't want to keep putting this on you," he said. "I hate that I have to."

"I'm always here; whatever you need, whenever you need," I said. "I know what I'm doing. That's who I am."

Rick placed a hand on my shoulder and gave a nod. "I know."

We waited for everyone to return, both of us watching for anyone who walked in or out of the buildings. Neither of us saw anyone, but I looked around for any aspect that would tell us that something was wrong, like Rick wanted from me. I needed to spot inconsistencies, anything bad.

When the others came back, Rick told them that we were leaving things out here. When everyone put their spare side arms in, some other weapons that would be useful to leave behind. I kept my handgun away with the knife, keeping my axe, the M4.

I looked to Martinez, who stood back as Rick zipped up the bag and started hiding it in the dirt. When Rick stood up, I frowned and asked: "You aren't leaving anything?"

"No," he shook his head. "I think I'm gonna go."

I frowned, looking at him. Martinez had been scared by the night before, the trusting look in his eyes that had been there yesterday was gone. Seeing what Rick did, someone he used to be against, someone who still didn't trust him. Martinez wasn't taking any chances, I could see in his face.

"You're not coming?" Michonne asked.

"Nah," he shook his head. "I should go."

"You should stay," I told him with a frown.

He let out a breathy chuckle, shaking his head. "I'll see you around, kid."

"I'd say if this works out you should come back, but we have no way of telling you that," Rick said.

"If anything goes wrong in there for you now, I'll probably hear it," Martinez said. "Maybe I'll stop in."

Rick gave a nod, quiet for a moment. "Good luck out there."

"Good luck in there," Martinez gave a nod. "See you around."

We waited and watched as Martinez left without another word, and I felt sad all over again. He was a dick, but he didn't deserve to be alone. Not anymore, anyway. He'd done so much for us over the past few days.

When Martinez was gone, our plan shot into action. Rick climbed up and over the chain link fence, and I heard the thud as he jumped down the other side. Daryl sent a nod my way for me to follow after him, so I climbed up and jumped down, grunting as I landed on my bad leg.

"You okay?" Rick questioned.

I gave a nod, pulling the M4 around to the front. "Yeah."

We waited with our guns out as Daryl, Isaac, Carl and Michonne followed us, and when they were ready, we walked over some tracks and made our way towards the group of buildings. I was in the back, wincing as I ran on my leg but tried to keep up with the others as they started to slow down.

They stopped at the first door and found a grey metal one that creaked as Rick pulled it back and aimed his gun inside the room. Daryl walked in first with the crossbow up when I heard talking from inside. We followed Daryl to another open doorway where the voice grew louder.

"Follow the tracks to the point where all lines intersect, there are maps at the crossings to help guide you on your journey," the woman said. "Sanctuary for all, community for all. Those who arrive survive."

The woman with platinum blonde hair continued talking as we entered the room, not seeing us as she was too focused on speaking into a microphone that was hooked up to a radio. In fact, no one seemed to notice us.

Hearing the woman now, it all seemed to make sense. The voices I heard when I fixed my radio, the random signal that came in when we were driving to the university. These people were trying to send out a message that we couldn't pick up.

"Hello," Rick said, which was the thing to get everyone's attention. "Hello."

Everyone stopped working and looked up at us, but nobody seemed surprised by our presence. They all just looked over, quietly staring us down from their positions. I walked to the side of Rick, my gun aimed at the ground as I kept my eyes on everyone.

"Well, I bet Albert is on perimeter watch," a man with short brown hair said, who finally turned our way and started walking around the table to come and speak to us. "You here to rob us?"

"No," Rick said. "We wanted to see you before you saw us."

"Makes sense. Usually, we do this where the tracks meet," he walked our way and held out his arms. "Welcome to Terminus. I'm Gareth."

My eyes wandered to the other people who either returned to work or were watching us from afar. It seemed like maybe they were making more of the signs we'd seen, which made sense. I doubt train tracks had signs signalling survival before the world ended.

"Looks like you've been on the road for a good bit," Gareth acknowledged, giving us a nod.

"We have," Rick said. "Rick, that's Carl, Daryl, Michonne. Ace and Isaac."

Gareth gave a nod, looking at each of us as Rick said our names. When no one else made a move to say anything, Gareth nodded and came closer, "You're nervous, I get it. We were all the same way," he gestured back to the others. "We came here for sanctuary, is that why you're here?"

"Yes," Rick answered simply.

"You found it. Hey, Alex!" Gareth looked back over his shoulder and waved for one of his friends who started coming our way. "This isn't as pretty as the front. We got nothing to hide, but the welcome wagon is a whole lot nicer. Alex will take you, ask you a few questions. Uh, but first, we need to see everyone's weapons. If you could just lay them down in front of you."

All eyes went to Rick, basically asking whether we should. I assumed that if we denied, then we would be denied access to the community. Not something I was too bothered about if Rick didn't think we should lay down our weapons, in which case we could probably just leave.

Rick was quiet for a moment but eventually kneeled to put his gun on the floor. "Alright."

I followed suit, wincing as I squatted to lower the M4. I pulled my axe. Isaac glanced my way as I pushed myself to my feet.

"I'm sure you understand," Gareth said.

"Yes I do," Rick said and stood up.

Gareth held out his arms, his way of telling us to do the same so they could check us for any weapons. Isaac cringed as Gareth checked him first, which he inevitably asked about. "Germaphobe?"

"OCD."

I flinched as Gareth started patting up and down my arms, wincing as his hands reached my shoulder. This he did seem to notice, muttering a quick sorry before moving down to check around my ankles. Then he did the same coming around in front of me.

"You've been through a rough time," he acknowledged, nodding to the cut on my face.

"Rough isn't the word I'd use to describe it," I muttered.

He stopped, a little taken aback. "Wow, I'm not sure I've heard a British accent in person before."

"I'm shocked," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, I guess you get that a lot," he nodded and he moved on to Rick.

"I'd hate to see the other guy," I heard Alex say further down the line as he patted down Daryl, noticing the bruises on his face.

"You would," Rick said.

"Did they deserve it," Alex said as he got to Carl.

"Yes," Carl answered simply.

"Just so you know," Gareth took a step back, "we aren't those people, but we aren't stupid either. And you shouldn't be stupid enough to try anything stupid. As long as everyone's clear on that, we shouldn't have any problems. Just solutions."

There was a slight nod from Rick, but no one answered.

Gareth just nodded. "Okay."

Alex went down the line picking up everyone's weapons to hand to us, but I just knelt to get my things before he could even get to us. Isaac did the same, and I could see him wiping off any dirt with his sleeve.

"Follow me," Alex said.

We walked out through a different door, following Alex outside

"What do you think?" Isaac asked.

I shook my head, following Rick. "I don't know yet."

"They seem nice enough," he whispered to me.

"Just keep your guard up," Rick told him quietly, slowing down to speak to us. "We still don't know these people yet."

Isaac gave a nod but walked ahead with Michonne and Carl. Rick glanced my way, communicating that I should follow his direction, and keep my guard up. Nothing felt inherently wrong yet, but you never knew when shit would go sideways, and I knew he wanted me to be ready in case something bad happened. With the look he was giving me, he'd seen something that was wrong and didn't know how to address it yet.

"So, how long has this place been here?" Daryl asked Alex.

"Since almost the start," Alex said, leading us between tall, brick buildings that formed a lane, with plant pots along either wall. "When all the camps got overrun, people started finding this place. I think it was instinct, you know? Follow a path. Some folks were heading to the coast, others out west or up north, but they all wound up here."

Alex led us into a big open area, surrounded by the same red, brick buildings. There were some tables with parasols set up, more planters and people standing around and talking with each other. I couldn't focus on any of them for a moment, my vision blurred by the fact that Rick thought something might be wrong. I was waiting in anticipation for something to happen.

Over a BBQ a woman with long brown hair was cooking some meat, I couldn't tell what it was. She gave a nod and a smile when she saw us, turning some of the rashers over as the grill sizzled. I stuck in the back behind Rick.

"Hi, Heard you came in the back door," she said, and my brain immediately started running a hundred miles an hour. How? How did she hear? No one from the room left before us, and for someone to tell her they must have seen us. "Smart. You'll fit right in here."

"Doesn't make sense," I whispered to Rick. "They must've seen us for her to know."

"Something wrong, hon?" The woman asked, seeing me talking.

I shook my head, playing it off as nothing to get her off my back. It was like getting told off by a school teacher and I was starting to get a really bad feeling. When she turned back to her food, I met Rick's eyes and he gave me a nod. He agreed with me, I was understanding.

"Hey, Mary, would you fix each of these new folks a plate for me?" Alex asked.

"Why do you do it?" Michonne asked. "Why do you let people in?"

Instead of listening for an answer, I turned my attention to the other people around the courtyard. Across the yard I saw a man, he was wearing black riot gear much like the one I had on when I ran away from the prison. The same as the one I was wearing right now.

Then I saw a woman in a poncho that looked the same as the one that Daryl found over Winter. It kept piling up the more I looked around: the orange camping bag that Rick brought back when he met Morgan again.

Our people were here.

It was only then I started to hear what Alex was saying. "The more people become a part of us, we get stronger. That's why we put up the signs. Invite people in. It's how we survive."

"Rick," I whispered.

"His pocket," was Rick's response.

My eyes turned to Alex as he handed out plates, and I saw the glint that led down into his pocket. A silver chain that attached to the belt loop. A watch chain. Glenn's watch that was given to him by Hershel, a family heirloom.

Not theirs.

"Ready?" Rick whispered to me.

I gave a nod, lifting the butt of the M4 to my shoulder.

Rick marched towards Alex who held out a plate of meat his way, Rick slapped it out of his hand, grabbed the watch and wrapped the same arm around his neck, holding a gun to his head. My M4 was up and facing the people at the tables. Everyone else was fast with their weapons, even Isaac, who had a gun up as he stood beside Carl. He gave me a look, confused, but my eyes were on the others, making sure none of them moved.

"Where the hell did you get this watch?" Rick asked him.

Alex remained silent.

"Ace, roof," Rick told me.

I lifted the gun, aiming at a head I hadn't noticed before, a sniper that must have been up there waiting for this to go wrong. They expected this. They knew we'd broken in here and they were waiting for this to happen.

"Where the hell did you get the watch?!" Rick repeated.

"You want answers, you want anything else, you get 'em when you put down the gun," Alex said.

"I see your man on the roof with a sniper rifle. How good's his aim" Rick spun him around and leaned him back to look. "Where'd you get the watch? Where'd you get the watch?!"

"Don't do anything!" Alex yelled to the sniper. "I have this! You just put it down. You put it down!"

I could see where he was aiming, and it should've been at me. My crosshairs were right over his head, and I was waiting. For some reason, he was looking at Rick, who had most of his body blocked by Alex. Why would the sniper aim at a hidden target?

"You want to listen to me," Alex said, but he was still scared. "There's a lot of us."

"Where did you get the watch?" Rick asked again.

"I got it off of a dead one," Alex got out finally. "I didn't think he'd need it."

"What about the riot gear? The poncho?"

"Found the poncho on a clothesline," Gareth's voice answered, and I looked over my shoulder to see him walking over to us. I pulled my gun away from the sniper and turned it on Gareth, which made him stop walking closer. "Got the riot gear off a dead cop. I assumed your girl did the same?"

"Do you think we're fucking stupid?" I snapped. "It's the same fucking gear, how thick can you be?"

Now that I thought about it, this was probably the reason that the sniper was ready on the roof before we even got our guns out. They very clearly saw us coming, saw me wearing gear that they had taken from people before and knew that we would notice. They knew that we would get mad and pull our guns out.

The only thing I couldn't tell was if our people were alive if Glenn was alive. They were playing those cards close to their chest and it was taking everything in me not to shoot them all now. Rick had leverage, and I had to let him use it.

"Gareth, we can wait," Alex

"Shut up, Alex," Gareth stopped him.

"You talk to me," Rick said.

"What's there left to say?" Gareth asked. "You don't trust us anymore."

"Gareth . . ."

"Shut up."

"Gareth, please!"

"It's okay. It's okay," Gareth nodded, a more sincere voice now. He had his hand up as if he wanted us to calm down, but it was strange, stiff. I didn't understand his movements. "Rick, what do you want?"

"Where are our people?" Rick asked.

"You didn't answer the question."

Gareth made a fist with his hand. A signal. Rick let out a grunt as he spun around, shielding himself from a shot with Alex's body. Gareth didn't have a gun on us, but the people behind us did, so I had to turn around and start shooting their way.

They started running away from us as I fired back, my shots clanging as they hit the corrugated metal and pipework around the walls. When I turned back around, Gareth was gone. More shots were being sent off and my brain was going so fast that I couldn't even work out where from.

"Carl!" Rick yelled and rushed past his son, sending shots off to the men in his direction. "Get back, now!"

Carl ran back for the lane we came down, following his dad's orders. The rest of us followed after him, knowing that the walls would shield us from any bullets from around the courtyard. Rick ran ahead, when bullets landed down on the ground in front of us, stopping us from running any further. I spun around and turned back into the courtyard, running down to the next clear path I could see.

"Come on!" Daryl yelled and waved us after him.

As we turned down the path again, more bullets hit the ground made Rick pull his arms up over his head and fire back at the sniper on the roof as the rest of us looked for another way out. With the bullets blocking almost every direction, and more snipers firing down at us, we could only really go back into a warehouse-looking building.

The moment I stepped foot into that room, the rolling shutter at the other end began to close and we couldn't make it there before it hit the ground and echoed around the room. I spun, shaking my head as I tried to think of something, work out what they wanted.

"Here!" Daryl pulled on a cage door that wouldn't open.

Instead, behind me he saw another one and ran past me to a black door with more bars that had a label A painted on the frame next to it. I followed after them, through the door and into another lane where I heard almost static radio-like orders.

"Stay on your shot!"

We sprinted past boxes and wooden crates that had been dumped around, pat a blue car riddled with bullet holes from before we'd even arrived. No, everything had bullet holes. Whatever this was, they'd done it before.

"Come on!" Daryl called. "This way!"

"Get them off B!" One of them yelled from the roof before more bullets hit the ground in front of us.

We turned down a different lane, past chain link fences that formed almost a cage, and inside the cage resting on blue tarps was a pile of bones, skulls, and dismantled skeletons which I could only hope belonged to walkers.

"Oh, what the fuck?!" I heard Isaac say, but he kept running.

Next, I saw big shipping containers and heard cries from inside of them. "Help! Help us!"

"Help!"

It was a man and a woman.

"What the hell?" Daryl called.

"Keep going!" Rick shouted, and we ran through shutters into another building with another painted label that had the letter A.

Michonne pushed open a door that revealed a room filled with candles. There were big bold words painted on the walls: NEVER AGAIN, NEVER TRUST. WE FIRST, ALWAYS. Something happened here. Something bad happened that turned them bad, that made them lock people up.

"What the hell is this place?" Daryl asked.

"I don't know, but someone needs to go back to school," I said, looking at the grammar.

I needed to find a way to communicate what I was thinking, but I didn't understand what the hell happened to tell anyone. There was half a story forming in my head, and I didn't know what was going on.

"These people, I don't think they're trying to kill us," Michonne said.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Isaac panted. "Did you miss the guns?"

"No," Rick said. "They were aiming at our feet."

"They knew, they saw us coming here, they planned this" I said, trying to work out what they were doing if they didn't want us dead. I had to try and guess their next moves blind. "They're leading us somewhere. Something happened here, I don't know what . . ."

"Ace," Rick got my attention, and I turned to him.

He held out his hand, with the silver watch in his palm and nodded for me to take it. It took everything for me to not burst into tears there and then. I clenched my teeth and grabbed it, shoving it in the pocket of my jeans.

I'd have to keep it, for Glenn.

I gave him a nod, and then I was ready.

"There," Rick said and pointed to a door that was closed on us.

"Here," Daryl was next.

"Go!" Rick yelled, and we ran towards another door.

With another sign: A.

Wherever they were leading us, it had something to do with the letter A that was painted everywhere I couldn't stop anyone before they ran out of the door, which meant that I had to follow after them to whatever doom we were being led to.

Daryl jumped off a platform and down onto some rusted rails, but across the courtyard, I could see a fence. We could get out, that was our way out. Bullets landed on the ground behind me as I ran after my group, but I kept up with them.

I almost ran into Daryl as he slowed to a stop, and saw what the problem was. Outside the fences were a group of people aiming guns at us. Around us on the roofs were even more snipers, more people all keeping us standing in one group in the middle of a clearing.

Wherever they were leading us, we were here.

Isaac turned to look at me, but I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to breathe in a stuttered breath. I moved closer to Carl, my body more between him and the snipers. He looked at me next and I could see the fear in his eyes.

"Drop your weapons!" Gareth's voice came again. "Now!"

None of us moved for the longest time, trading looks that said whether we thought we could fight our way out of this, and the consensus was, no.

"NOW!"

I did as told, lowering to the ground to put my gun down with my axe, followed by the bag on my back. I heard the others doing the same around me, but I had turned to look at Gareth who was standing on one of the lower metal roofs.

"Ringleader, go to your left. The train car, go," Gareth ordered.

I looked at the train car where he was sending Rick, and that was when I saw the big white painted sign with the letter A. That was our destination, that was where they were bringing us. Every time we ran through one of those doors we brought ourselves here.

Rick was looking between Gareth and Carl, and I could feel his hesitancy. He was not going in there and leaving Carl out here. I didn't blame him, because there was nothing in this world that could make me do the same thing.

"You do what we say, the boy goes with you," Gareth said. "Anything else, he dies and you end up in there anyway."

This made Rick walk, but for some reason, I didn't trust it. It seemed like he was just sending us one at a time for no reason. Either it was for no reason, or the real plan was to split us up in some way, which was not sitting well with me. My stomach churned, and I watched Rick as he walked away.

"Now the archer," he said, and Daryl followed. "Now the Samurai," and Michonne went after them. "Howard Hughes."

Isaac gave me a look but followed them. If they were separating us it was better he went with them. They would be able to protect him. I clenched my teeth and looked back to Carl, who didn't stop making eye contact with me. He was thinking the same thing that I was, that they were going to leave him behind.

Send Carl, I thought desperately. Don't separate him from his dad.

"Croft," Gareth said, and I knew he meant me. "You next."

"I can stay here," I begged. "You can send him."

"I don't think so."

"Please," I cried.

"Go, Croft."

I clenched my teeth and looked back at Carl. "It's going to be okay, you're coming with us. We're going to get out of this."

"NOW!"

I met eyes with Gareth when he yelled, I clenched my teeth as I reluctantly turned for the train car. I started walking, limping over to the others, glancing back at Carl who looked so little and alone in the big open clearing. My eyes remained ahead, and I was unable to look at Rick as I had abandoned his son.

"Stand in order, outside the train car!"

"My son!" Rick yelled when I was standing behind Isaac in line.

There was a pause, and I watched Carl, praying that they didn't send him somewhere else. I was relieved when Gareth finally said, "Go, kid."

Carl turned and started walking our way, with the distance so far that it seemed like he was never going to make it to us. He didn't dare run, though, walking was the safer option. We didn't know what they'd do if they thought we were doing something wrong.

"Ringleader, open the door and go in!"

"I'll go in with him!" Rick shouted back.

"Don't make us kill him now," Gareth called.

I could see Rick was livid.

He hesitated, but he turned to the train car and pulled the large metal latch to get the door to roll open. Then he stepped inside, followed by Daryl, Michonne and Isaac. As they stepped in one by one, Carl was close enough for me to touch, and he grabbed the back of my gear and followed me inside the train car.

Rick grabbed Carl when we made it inside, pulling his son in for a hug as someone outside closed the door behind us. Rick turned and put a hand on my shoulder then, giving me a nod through the darkness. I could see Isaac as he came around to stand at my side, a hand on my other arm as he stood close to me.

"Rick?" A voice called from the darkness.

I recognised that voice. Looking over my shoulder at the group of people behind me, I called out. "Glenn?"

He stepped forward, with Maggie behind him. As my eyes adjusted, I could just barely see Sasha and Bob, with more shadows behind them. I couldn't see if there were more people from the prison, but because of their lack of interest in seeing us, I doubted it.

"You're here," Rick said like he wasn't too sure, but then he nodded. "You're here."

As I watched them, more of the figures took a step forward. Three people I didn't recognise, a tall muscly man with red hair, a girl with long brown hair and a scared-looking man with a mullet. There was also another girl that I'd never met before, but I knew who she was. Short brown hair, a girl who was down on the field when the Governor attacked. Martinez was telling Rick about her, Tara.

"They're our friends," Maggie said. "They helped save us."

"Yeah," Daryl said. "Now they're friends of ours."

"For however long that'll be," the red-headed man said as he turned away.

"No," Rick shook his head beside me and walked to the door to look peek out of the crack. "They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out."

"What?" The red-headed man asked.

Rick was quiet for a moment before he turned to look at us.

"They're fucking with the wrong people."

I'm not going to lie, I am deep in my lab work for my dissertation and it is far more tiring than I expected. Anyway, here is the chapter and I will try to remain on schedule.

Hope you enjoyed and let me know what you thought :)