Maisie's head smacked against the window when the car swerved, and she held it, groaning when the vehicle came to a stop. As they looked through the windshield, bodies tumbled over the hood, splattering the window with blood and brain matter. They'd driven into a herd. Maisie looked around, her eyes wide. Their faces had been lit in a surreal red light from the headlight covers shining through dark, viscous blood.

They sat stunned as the walkers turned to the headlights. Michonne took her sword from its sheath and got out before the walkers could swarm.

"I-I need to get out of here," Aaron said suddenly, visibly panicking.

"No," Rick growled.

With his shoulder, Aaron shoved Maisie hard into the car door. It swung open and she fell back onto the still damp road. She somersaulted backwards, getting shakily to her feet as Aaron ran past her into the surrounding woods.

"Are you okay?" Glenn asked, getting out of the car.

An unseen walker reached out and clamped a gnarled hand on her shoulder, bringing it's infected mouth to her flesh. Springing forward with his knife out, he killed it before it could bite her, grazing her cheek with the blade in the process. Blood dripped like crimson paint against her skin.

"I-I'm sorry—"

"It's fine, people get hurt," Maisie said simply, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm gonna go find Aaron!" she called, running into the forest with the borrowed crossbow held infront of her.

With his hands still tied behind his back, he stood against a tree, repeatedly kicking the relentless walker back. His heart plummeted into his stomach when he heard the crashing in the bushes. He wouldn't be able to hold off another one.

To his surprise, the newcomer in Rick's group appeared from between the tree trunks, panting slightly. The walker turned to her and she ended it quickly, its body slumping to the ground.

"You can still go if you want, I don't care, but I need to find the rest of the group," she said, stepping forward and slicing through his binds.

"Alexandria needs more people."

"There's too many!" Michonne shouted over the moaning of the walkers.

"That way!" Rick roared, taking off in the same direction Maisie had gone, Glenn and Michonne on his heels, and the herd slowly catching up.

Up ahead, they saw the platinum blonde hair, but behind them they heard the thick moaning. Maisie turned and pointed a gun at them.

"What're you doing?" Glenn shouted, his eyes wide.

She pulled the trigger and a bright red flame erupted from the barrel and shot into a bald walkers skull, illuminating every crack and vein. It also happened to be a handy distraction for the walkers, who swarmed the flared walker, allowing them to slip away.

〄

They turned down a dark alley, where Rick let out a short, distinct whistle. It was immediately returned from somewhere inside the alley. It turned out to be Daryl. He ushered them into a shop he'd broken into, which housed the rest of the group and unfamiliar man with a bandage around his ankle. Eric.

Aaron ran in and immediately went to Eric's side, embracing him in a kiss. The room went silent. He had forgotten to mention that they were more than friends. The silence was broken by Daryl taking his crossbow roughly from Maisie's hands.

"Quit being such an asshole, I grabbed it by accident," Maisie snapped, her eyes landing on the bruising around his nose.

"Its one thing ta try an' break my nose, but it's another to take my shit," Daryl growled, drawing himself up to his full height.

If Maisie was any other woman, she would've cowered.

"You're just pissed you got your ass handed to you," she shot back, her arms crossed. Maisie was stubborn as a mule, and didn't know how to back away from a cat fight.

Things could've gotten bad if Rick hadn't intervened.

"Enough," he snapped, pushing the two apart. Even from a distance, sparks flew from them. Whether they were good or bad, no one knew yet.

〄

As dawn broke out, they piled into Eric's RV, Aaron in the driver's seat and Rick in the passenger seat.

Daryl sat behind Aaron with a gun pressed against the back of his seat. He was really trying his hardest to let them know they weren't to be fucked with. Maisie didn't see the point. One glance at Rick, with his blood spattered clothes and grizzled beard, was enough to make anyone run in the opposite direction. He looked unstable. He probably was at this point. Who wouldn't be?

Deep in thought, Maisie lost track of time. Jackson nosed at her hand, looking for attention. She scratched his ears absently.

"Shit!" she erupted suddenly, facepalming. Everyone turned to her, their faces a mixture of confused and startled.

"What?" Rick asked, turning in his seat to look at her.

"I left my jeep at the barn! God fucking damnit!"

"Once we decide Alexandria isn't a trap like Terminus, you can go get it tomorrow," Rick assured her, turning back in his seat.

"Terminus?"

"Don't ask," Glenn said with a shudder. Maisie nodded and continued to stare out the window, time flying by her like the RV passing biters on the road.

As soon as the sun was high in the sky, the inside of the RV became stiffling hot.

"Welcome to Alexandria," Aaron said, stopping the RV.

Maisie got up and leaned between the front seats, staring out the windshield; the walls were over twenty feet tall at least, and the gate was covered in burlap to hide the inside from the biters. Maisie saw a head peeking over the top of the wall as the gate slid open and the RV rumbled forward.

A crowd gathered, waiting for the doors to open. An unfamiliar man sat in the front seat. The side door opened and a burly man with a crossbow was the first one out, followed by a small blonde baring the same weapon. It didn't take long for the rest of the group to step foot on the pavement. As a teenaged boy with a baby stepped out, a small black dog leaped out and stood at the blonde's feet.

Rick scanned the new faces as a short, red haired woman made her way to him.

"My name is Deanna. Before I can allow you all into my safe zone, I would like to record an interview with each individual, alright? And, you will all drop off your weapons at the armory."

"No," Maisie said, protectively holding her crossbow close to her chest.

"Did you just volunteer for the first interview?" Deanna asked pointedly, crossing her arms.

Maisie exchanged a look with Rick.

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