This chapter takes place right after the previous one.

Chapter 2: Who Are These People?

****Hilltop****

Glen still could not believe what had happened back there with Negan, but he knew that he would probably be dead if this group of weirdos with literal magic powers had not shown up. "Thank you!" Glen said, hugging Willow as the RV pulled away.

"You are very welcome," she said.

"How did you know what was happening?" Michonne asked.

"Would you mind introducing everyone?" Willow asked.

"You don't know?" Rick asked.

"I don't read minds," Willow said. "I can throw my thoughts into a person's mind and receive back sometimes—mostly just your surface thoughts. I did that with you, but I can't read your every thought. I thought it was important that he think I was connected to your group."

"I'm Sasha," Sasha said. "Thank you. I don't know if your friend Buffy was right, but Abraham is my guy. I would've been heartbroken if Negan had killed him."

"Buffy gets visions from the Powers That Be of people who need help," Willow explained. "Her visions are never wrong. We've spent the past year and a half following her visions and saving people. Sometimes, we just kill people who need killing like that group of cannibals we ran across."

Rick and Michonne looked shocked. "You went to Terminus?" Rick asked.

Willow nodded. "You know that place?"

"We do," Michonne said. "They nearly got us all. We lost people to them."

"Well, they are all gone now. Buffy and Faith took care of them. Then we took care of all the signs telling people to go there," Willow said.

"Thank God," Glen said. "I'm Glen. That's my wife, Maggie. Eugene is driving. That's Rosita. Carl is Rick's son."

"I'm Aaron," Aaron said. "We are very grateful."

"But suspicious," Michonne said.

Willow smiled. "Of course," she said. "You have to be. I hope you will give us a chance, though, to prove that we can be trusted. Before the world fell apart, there were demons and vampires in this world. We were monster slayers professionally. We grew up in Sunnydale, California."

"That town that got destroyed?" Abraham asked. "I was in the military and stationed in San Diego. We went there to help with the evacuation. There were very few bodies to recover."

"Most people got out," Willow said. "My friends and I were on the last bus. We literally saw the town get swallowed up."

"Sunnydale was a bad town," Rosita said, crossing herself.

"Yes, it was," Willow said. "It was on a hellmouth. When we closed it, the town was destroyed."

"You destroyed an entire town?" Michonne said with a glare.

"We saved the world multiple times, including that time. The First Evil was going to allow the world to be overrun with things much worse than walkers," Willow said. "We had no choice. Of course, we did not know closing the hellmouth would destroy the town."

"I hate to think what something worse than walkers looks like," Glen said with a shudder.

"I can't believe monsters are real," Carl said, looking at his dad.

"I'm sure they're not any around now," Rick said.

"No, they mostly abandoned this world," Willow said. "They went to other dimensions. We've not seen any since the outbreak. It's like the world cannot handle the burden anymore."

"Thank God," Glen said. "Walkers are bad enough."

"So Buffy and Faith are like super soldiers of some kind?" Abraham asked.

"Something like that," Willow said. "Technically, they were vampire slayers. Superstrength, can use any weapon, extremely fast healing, get dreams of bad things happening. We didn't know about the virus, though. It was man made, not supernatural. We were caught off guard." They had already seen them in action, and Willow didn't see a point in lying to the people. She wanted them to find a home, and she wanted them to trust her and her friends.

"Is there more like them around?" Glen asked.

Willow nodded. "I used that weapon of Buffy's to activate every potential slayer in the world when we closed the Sunnydale hellmouth," she explained. "There are hundreds of slayers. Thirty of them left this world and went to Pylea, another dimension."

"There's another dimension?" Glen asked excitedly.

"Well, there's lots. But Pylea is a hell dimension," Willow explained. "Our demon friend Lorne—he's a good demon, not all demons are evil—is from there. He suggested we go there since there are humans there. We know humans can live there. So some of our friends, our mentor Giles, went there. We have another friend that can open portals."

"You speak of insane things," Michonne said, glaring at her. "You expect us to believe this?"

Willow shrugged. "I don't expect you to believe anything you don't want to believe," she said. "I am just answering Glen's questions. You saw Dawn open a portal, and your friend went through it with Buffy and my other friends. Dawn doesn't open portals to other dimensions. Just other places on Earth. Saves gas."

"Portals, as depicted in science fiction, are hypothetical shortcuts through space-time that could potentially connect two distant locations," Eugene said from the driver's seat. "One theoretical concept is the idea of gravitational portals, which could be created by manipulating the gravitational field around a massive object. According to general relativity, massive objects warp the fabric of spacetime, creating gravitational fields. If we could create a device that could manipulate these fields, we might be able to create a portal that connects two points in spacetime."

"Eugene is our brainiac," Glen said, smiling as he tried to explain him.

"Well, sometimes, people can create portals through magic," Willow explained. "Illyria, a friend of ours, is not exactly human. She can do it through magic as can Dawn. Illyria is ancient, so she is more powerful."

"I do not understand how such a thing is possible, but I did see it with my own eyes," Eugene said. "Therefore, I must admit that it is true. She has clearly evolved to a level of human development that normal humans have not. So have you and your slayer friends. Calling it magic is just hogwash."

Willow smiled, liking the guy. "That works for me," she said, knowing there was no point in arguing about it. He was accepting them, and that was all that really mattered. "How far is Hilltop?"

"Not much further," Rick said. "Now explain again, how you knew we needed help."

"Buffy got a vision of Negan killing an Asian guy and a redheaded bearded guy," Willow said, looking at the two men.

"Thank you for coming," Maggie said weakly.

"Seriously," Glen said. "That guy was a major psychopath."

"Not entirely," Willow said. "True psychopaths don't care who they hurt. He doesn't hurt women or children. That means he has a moral code of some kind. He also can be reasoned with. That means he is not really evil."

"He seemed pretty evil to me," Glen said.

"Did you burn a bunch of his guys alive?" Willow asked.

"That was me," Abraham said.

"I was there, too," Sasha said.

"We were trying to go down the road, and they tried to stop us, take our stuff," Abraham said. "It's kill or be killed out here."

"I know," Willow said. "No judgement here. I'm just saying that Negan is not a psychopath. He's the alpha of a pack of wolves. Guys like that can be dealt with. I grew up on a hellmouth, and I'm very familiar with true evil. He isn't it."

"We're here," Eugene said.

Willow looked with interest as they pulled into an open field. She saw the huge fields, and people working them. The large fence. There were people thriving here, and she smiled to see the prospering community.

When they jumped out of the RV, Jesus greeted them. "What brings you here?" he asked.

"Jesus, we need to see the doctor," Aaron told him. "Maggie."

"Okay," he said.

Gregory, however, was not happy. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Bringing Maggie to a doctor. We ran into the Saviors, but Negan let us go," Rick said.

"Are you sure? I don't want any trouble with him," Gregory said.

Willow didn't bother introducing herself to the rude man and followed Glen and Maggie. "Who was that?" she asked.

"That's Gregory. Our leader," Jesus said. "I'm Jesus. I haven't seen you before."

"I'm Willow," she said. "My friends and I are new to Alexandria."

"They saved us from Negan," Glen said.

"Really? That's great," Jesus said. "We can always use good fighters."

"Or good scavengers like me and Jesus," Glen said, grinning.

"My friend Dawn loves to scavenge," Willow said.

They made it to the medical area, and Willow was introduced to Dr. Carlson, who seemed competent enough. He was able to help Maggie, so Willow did not have to intervene, which was good. They didn't need to depend on her for healing as there was always a limit to what she could do.

She spent time observing and learning all she could about Hilltop. It was a good community, but it suffered from a poor leader. Luckily, it had the very cute Jesus as its second leader.

"Is Jesus your real name?" Willow asked him.

"Of course not," he said, smiling. "But I have the look, and people need something to smile about."

"You don't think it's blasphemous?" she asked.

"Do you?" he asked.

"I'm a Jewish Wiccan, so no," Willow said, smiling.

"I also go out to find people to bring to our community," he said.

"Oh, it makes sense," Willow said, smiling. He was very likeable and could see how he would be good at that. How could you distrust a man who looked like THE Jesus and was named it?

Rick and Michonne could not agree about Willow and her friends, naturally, as Michonne was not very trusting. To her, they seemed too good to be true. Rick was not trusting either—not anymore. However, they did save him and his people. He owed them, so he would give her and her friends the benefit of the doubt. For now.

*****Elsewhere****

Daryl did not know what to expect when he followed the beautiful blonde named Buffy into the doorway that was somehow opened from thin air. It turned out they were on a stretch of highway that he recognized. "What the hell?" he asked, looking around.

"It's okay," Buffy said. "Dawn opened up a portal to where we parked our car." It was currently a large SUV with their luggage strapped to the top.

Daryl didn't know what he expected, but it was so ordinary that it caught him off guard. He looked at them with suspicion.

"Relax. It's okay," Buffy assured him. "Now, do you know where we are?"

Daryl nodded. "Yeah," he said.

"Good. You can take us to Willow and your friends," Buffy told him.

"I can, but Gregory, the leader of Hilltop is an ass," Daryl warned. "He won't welcome so many strangers in."

"We don't have to go in," Dawn said. "We can wait outside for Willow."

"And we don't have to join your people in Alexandria," Faith told him. "But that guy Negan is going to be a problem. We can help you with that."

"We can help with a lot of things," Xander said. "I really am Mr. Fix-it."

"Skilled workers are always important in a community," Daryl agreed.

They got into the car, and Faith drove. The driving was so going slow due to the cars on the highway. Daryl watched in shock the first time Buffy and Faith got out to move them from the road.

"How strong are they?" he asked Xander and Dawn.

Dawn shrugged. "I don't really know," she said. "We've never tested them."

"I wouldn't challenge them to an arm-wrestling contest," Xander said, meeting Daryl's eyes in the rearview mirror. He was sitting up front in the passenger seat.

"Buffy is stronger than Faith as she was called before Buffy," Dawn said. "She has about three years' experience on her. The vision thing isn't part of the slayer package. I mean they do get dreams from the Powers warning them of things to come, but those are vague. Our friend Angel, who went to Pylea, passed on his psychic visions of who needs help to Buffy from the Powers that are more immediate and like a clear snapshot of who, when, and where to her right after the virus broke out. They also happen while she's awake."

"And you guys just go around helping people?" Daryl asked, having trouble believing anyone was that good anymore.

"It's what we've always done since we were fifteen," Xander answered. "Buffy came into our school—Willow and I have been best friends since kindergarten—our sophomore year second semester. She saved our lives that first week from vampires, and we've been helping her ever since. Once you know what's out there, you can't pretend anymore."

"Once you have your friends killed and turned into vampires, and you have to slay them, you can't ever be normal again," Dawn shared.

"That happened to you?" Daryl asked.

"No, to me," Xander said. "Willow and I had another best friend, Jesse. Buffy wasn't able to save him. He was the first vampire I ever killed. It's like seeing someone you knew and loved as a walker. It's an abomination."

Daryl nodded, understanding that comparison.

Buffy and Faith got back into the car, not even breathing hard.

"This is going to take forever if you keep stopping to clear the road," Daryl said. "It's why I drive a motorcycle."

"Clearing the roads is our public service," Buffy said, smiling. "Who else is going to do it? If it takes us a day to get there, that's fine. They'll probably stay the night anyway, right?"

"Probably," he agreed.

"Gives you time to know and love us," Faith said, giving him a wink. Then she turned back around and started the car up.

Daryl wasn't so sure as Faith played some heavy metal bands that he did not enjoy at all. Then Xander had enough of the noise and put in some music that he liked—much to Daryl's relief. "You like the Stones?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, my uncle got me into them. I have some Aerosmith, too," he said.

"I like them," Buffy said. "Bon Jovi, though, is better."

Daryl smiled, surprised. "I figured you were a Swifty," he said.

"That'd be Dawn," Buffy said, wrinkling her noise a bit.

"I cry at night thinking of Taylor being turned into one of these ugly monsters," Dawn said. "I'm hoping she has a million-dollar bunker in Nashville with her parents and her cat. She's safe. Along with Reba. Mom loved Reba."

"Well, yeah. Everybody does," Daryl said, smiling.

"That's the good thing about TV being gone and the internet being gone, we can pretend," Dawn said. "We don't have to watch our idols get turned. They can live on in our imaginations as beautiful and perfect as they were. This ugliness never has to touch them."

"That's beautiful, babe," Xander told her, looking back at her and smiling.

Okay, so Daryl could see that Xander and Dawn were a couple. Faith had been claimed by the witch Willow. That meant Buffy was single. For some reason, Daryl felt really uncomfortable all of a sudden. He had very little experience with women, especially women who looked like her. Of course, there weren't women who moved the way she did, like a predator. Except, of course, for Faith.

"How do you guys look so clean?" Daryl asked. It finally occurred to him what made them so different from everyone else.

"Well, every few weeks, we get sick of traveling and make Xander find us a place with water. We stay for a week or so and clean up," Buffy said. "Xander can pretty much get water going in just about anywhere."

"That's a rare talent," Daryl said.

"Necessary when traveling with all women," Xander said. "I like peace."

Daryl smiled. He couldn't help but like the guy.

"Willow has some spell that keeps our clothes clean, and my hair gorgeous!" Buffy added.

"So she's really a witch?" Daryl asked, uncomfortable.

"Yes," Buffy said. "But don't be scared. I know back in the Old World, witches were either considered fake or evil. She's neither. I promise. Her magic heals, defends, and helps in incredible ways."

"I've never known no witches," Daryl said.

"You'll like Willow," Dawn said.

"She's been my best friend pretty much my entire life. I'd be lost without her," Xander told him.

As they drove Xander regaled Daryl with stories of their travels, and things he cobbled together. How Dawn was afraid of spiders.

"It's so nice to have another guy to talk to," Xander said. "You can't know!"

"I don't talk much," Daryl said.

"That's okay," Xander said. "Willow's one and only boyfriend, Oz, was like that. I still miss that guy."

"Xander will talk enough for both of you," Faith said, snickering.

"I hope Oz is alive somewhere," Buffy said.

"He was in Budapest," Dawn said. "Hopefully, he was in the mountains and not the city area."

"Yeah," Buffy said, looking sad.

"So how did you lose your eye?" Daryl asked, deciding to change the subject.

"It got poked out by a serial killer when I tried to defend my girls," Xander said.

"My hero," Buffy said, squeezing his shoulder.

"He always is braver than he is smart," Faith said with a bark of laughter.

"No shit? Poked out?" Daryl asked, looking horrified. "That story you told Negan was true?"

"Yeah, I was always called the Man Who Sees," Xander said. "He said I wouldn't be able to see so much anymore. He was right. My depth perception is shit."

"Damn, that's messed up," Daryl said. "Rick's son Carl got his shot out. He was lucky that it didn't kill him."

"For real," Xander agreed. "I think wearing a patch makes me look tough. What do you think?"

"It does," Daryl said.

"Until you open your mouth and start talking," Faith said, laughing. "Then they can tell right away what a pussy cat you are!"

Daryl had a feeling there was probably some truth to that. A man who traveled with women and whose best friend since kindergarten was a girl was probably not so tough. Then again, if half the things they said were true, he was actually probably one tough son-of-a-bitch.

The question Daryl had, though, could he trust him with his family in Alexandria?

By the time they made it to Hilltop, it was the next morning.

Willow came out to greet them, smiling.

"What took you so long?" Willow asked.

"You know, performing our public service of road clearing," Buffy said, grinning.

"How's things here?" Faith asked her girlfriend after kissing her.

"Good. This is a great community. They have a doctor. He's a great guy, who was able to help Maggie," Willow said.

"She's good?" Daryl asked.

"Yes," Willow said.

"We'll stay here, Daryl, while you go to talk to Rick," Buffy said.

"Okay," he said. He went into the gate.

"He's kind of cute in a really rough way," Willow remarked.

"Yes, he was sweet," Buffy said. "Kind of shy, though."

The guy in question was greeted by Jesus and Aaron. "God, I'm glad you are okay," Aaron said, reaching out and taking his hand.

"I'm fine," Daryl said.

"What took so long?" Aaron asked.

"I'm not sure you'd believe me," Daryl said, smiling.

"Why wouldn't I?" Aaron asked, looking puzzled.

"Because if I didn't see it, I wouldn't have," Daryl admitted. "Those two girls who came in and fought all those guys of Negan's are incredibly strong. They consider it a public service duty to clear the roads as they go down them in their car."

"Seriously?" Aaron asked, looking surprised.

Daryl nodded. "That's what took so long," he said.

"You better come up with a better story than that 'cause Michonne is not going to believe that," Aaron said with a snort.

He was right. Michonne said, "Bullshit!" when he repeated the tale to her.

"I am serious," Daryl said. "It's why I am late getting here. The girls spent the entire day moving cars, and Xander was so excited to have another guy around that he talked my ear off. He talks more than Eugene."

"Hey!" Eugene protested.

"That's not possible," Rosita said.

"It's true," Daryl said, smiling. "Xander never shuts up."

"So what did you learn about them?" Rick asked.

"They go around helping people with the visions that Buffy gets while she's awake," Daryl said. "She didn't used to have those visions. When the world went to shit, her friend Angel, who left this world for another dimension named Pylea, passed them to her. That was what he did in Los Angeles. Ran a detective agency to help people. He was Buffy's ex. They have another friend named Illyria, who isn't exactly human. They didn't tell me what she was, but said she was stronger than Dawn and can open portals to other worlds. Many of their friends left this world for another place where there is no disease."

"I wonder if she'd let us go to that world," Carl asked.

"She said they left when the outbreak first happened," Daryl said. "The virus hadn't yet mutated, so if anyone went there now, we would spread the new mutation. Everyone here is infected. It wasn't the case at first."

"Damn, that's true," Rick said.

"That's probably bullshit anyway," Michonne said.

"Here's what we know," Eugene said. "The girls are incredibly strong. They are amazing fighters. They have an ability to practically mesmerize Negan. The girl Dawn can open portals. They claim Willow is a witch, and Xander is able to build things. We would be utterly stupid to not let them into our community."

"I agree," Rosita said.

"Me, too," Aaron added.

"Agreed," Abraham said.

"Yes," Sasha said.

"Definitely," Carl said.

Glen was with Maggie in the medical area.

Rick nodded. "I think so, too," he said, looking at his lover.

"A group that strong can take over our entire community," Michonne pointed out.

"They won't," Daryl said, finally speaking.

"How do you know that?" she asked him.

"They're not like that," he said. How could he convince his non-trusting friends of something that he felt deep in his bones?

"You spent one day with them. You can't know that," she insisted.

"They're going to be a huge asset," Daryl said. "Our community will be much safer. I really believe it."

"That's what matters," Rick stated.

"I suppose so," Michonne reluctantly agreed.

She figured that if things went bad with them, she would find a way to kill them.

*****Chapter End*****