Maisie left Jon's house the next morning with a bounce in her step. She had forgotten what it was like to have a room to herself, or even what a clean mattress felt like.

She had pulled her long blonde hair back into a tight ponytail, and she was glad she had; the sun was already high in the sky and tendrils of hair were clinging to her forehead and the back of her neck.

"Maisie."

Maisie turned and the air left her lungs for a moment before she cracked a wide smile as a clean shaven Rick Grimes strode towards her.

"Well, well, if it isn't Officer Friendly," she teased, rocking back on her heels.

Rick rolled his eyes and allowed a small smile to play on his lips. "You gonna go get your jeep?"

"That was the plan."

"Wanna make a supply run out of that trip?"

"I guess so."

"Daryl!" Rick called, his eyes traveling over Maisie's shoulder.

Maisie turned and saw the man walking by with his crossbow slung over his shoulder turn to his name. A shadow crossed his face when he saw Maisie and reluctantly made his way over.

"What?"

"You're gonna go with her back to that road," Rick told him, a set of car keys dangling from his fingers.

Maisie snatched them before Daryl could. "I'm driving!"

"Whatever," Daryl snapped, walking away with long strides. Maisie jogged to catch up to him and soon they were walking side by side.

"Glenn!" Maisie called as the Korean left his house.

He looked up, startled, his face softening when he saw it was just her.

"What's up, Mais?" he asked, jogging over to break the distance.

"Daryl and I are going on a supply run and to get my car, wanna come?"

"Yeah, why not?"

As they passed one of the houses, Carol made her way down the steps. Maisie bit back a snort and cocked a silent eyebrow; Carol was dressed in khaki slacks and a pale blue button up shirt under a flower patterned cardigan. In other words, a complete one-eighty from the day before. A Tupperware container was tucked under her left arm. She gave the trio a smile and opened it.

"Hey, kids," she said brightly. Maisie and Daryl exchanged puzzled looks.

"Want a cookie?" Carol asked, holding one out to Maisie.

The woman accepted it and turned it over in her hands. "It's... pink?" Maisie questioned, breaking it in half.

"Beets. It's what makes them sweet," Carol informed her, before giving them another smile and walking off.

"Who is she and what has she done with Carol," Maisie joked, handing Daryl half of the cookie.

〄

"Wait!"

Maisie slammed the brakes, her eyes wide. A figure appeared at her window and she turned to it to see none other than her smiling older brother.

"I'm coming with you."

"What?" Maisie demanded, her tone exasperated.

"I'm coming with you," Jonathan repeated, pulling open the back door and sliding in beside Glenn.

〄

"Don't do it," Daryl growled, watching Maisie's hand reach for the radio from the corner of his eye.

She grinned at him as she turned the knob and pop music blared from the speakers. "Oh, lighten up, Dixon. Christ, it's like no one's ever joked with you," she said, taking her hand off the wheel and poking him in the ribs.

"Cut it out."

"C'mon, Daryl, she's just playing with you," Glenn laughed from the backseat. Maisie flashed him a smile over her shoulder.

"Maisie, look out!"

She turned back and saw a man in a dirty grey, almost black coat standing in the middle of the road. She swerved, barely gaining enough control to stop the car.

"Where'd he go?" Maisie whispered, turning around in her seat to look for the man. He was gone. Against her better judgment she got out of the car, regretting it immediately when a gun cocked behind her.

"Son of a bitch," Daryl muttered as they watched the dirty man point a gun at Maisie's back through the windshield. He advanced on her until the barrel of the gun was pressing into her back.

"Why don't you get the rest of your pals out here, huh?" the man whispered in her ear.

She exhaled hard and looked at the car, nodding for them to get out. They got out slowly, staring at Maisie and the man with hostile eyes, their weapons raised and pointed at him. It didn't help much, the man had strategically placed himself behind Maisie. If they wanted to kill him, they had to kill her.

"Well, it's a party now!" the man exclaimed, waving the gun with his gestures.

"Some party," Glenn muttered, frowning with Jonathan elbowed him in the ribs.

"Why so glum, chums?"

This man is fucking crazy.

"Let me go back to them."

"Oh, but you're my safety shield."

"What do you want then?"

"What do you have?" the man asked, doubling his hold on her with a knife to her throat.

"G-get me the keys," she said, her gaze shifting over Daryl, Glenn, and Jonathan.

"But— Maisie—"

"Just do it!"

Keeping his hands up, Glenn walked backwards to the car. He reached in through her open door and pulled the keys from the ignition, cutting the engine. He threw it to her, and she caught it carefully, gasping when the man's knife nicked her throat. She felt the smallest amount of blood trickle down into the neckline of her shirt as she held the keys back to him with a shaking hand.

"A free escape. No one will shoot you, I promise."

"I'll take it. But don't worry, I'll be back," he said, taking the keys from her and bolting to the car.

Daryl, Glenn, and Jon jumped to get out of the way as the car was driven wildly away.

"Are you okay, Mais?" Jonathan asked, rushing over to her as Maisie swiped her hand across her neck.

"No. My crossbow was in that car," she said, frowning. Jonathan slugged her shoulder.

"Hey! What'd you do that for?!"

"He could've killed you and you're pouting cause you lost your crossbow!"

"How about we just be glad Maisie didn't get her throat cut anymore than it is, alright?" Glenn said, stepping between the siblings.

"Come on. We've got a couple miles of walking to do," Maisie spat, turning and striding away, leaving the three to catch up to her.

〄

"There it is!" Maisie exclaimed as she turned around the bend in the road. She summoned a burst of energy and ran the last fifty feet between her and the jeep. It was dusty but undamaged as she yanked open the door and sat behind the wheel.

She waited for the boys before she fished her keys from her pocket and started up the jeep.

"I saw some signs for a few gas stations and one for a convenience store," Glenn said, the breeze from the open window lifting his sweat drenched hair off his forehead.

"What's closer?"

"Convenience store."

〄

Maisie pulled into the parking lot of the convenience store; the doors had been chained and the windows were blocked. They couldn't tell if there was anything inside.

"Whoa, whoa, don't just open the door!" Maisie hissed, Jonathan's hand falling limply to his side.

"Gee, Mais, how else are we gonna get inside?" he questioned, his voice oozing with sarcasm.

Maisie rolled her eyes irritably, showing the whites of her eyes, before tapping her knuckles against the glass and waiting. Nothing happened.

"Now you may open the door."

They spread out inside the store, Maisie making her way towards the back.

"Hey, they got medication back here!" Maisie called, taking bottles off the shelf and stuffing them into her backpack. She looked up when Daryl hopped the counter and joined her.

"Quit takin' that," he scolded her, taking a few bottles from her hands.

"Why?"

"Cause the better shit is over here," he replied, walking away from her. She followed his voice until she found him a few shelves away.

"How do you know if it's better or worse?"

"Cause my brother used to be in this business."

"Pharmacist?"

"Nope, druggie."

"Oh," she said quietly.

Maisie gasped loudly when a decaying hand shot out from between the shelves and grabbed her; Daryl yanked her away with his arm hooked around her waist.

"I got it," he said, breaking away from her and disappearing behind the shelf.

Jon stumbled upon an unmarked door in the very back of the store. He debated getting the others, deciding finally to investigate it himself.

The walkers attacked him as soon as he opened the door.

The scream echoed through the store.

All three of them heard it and ran to the source of it. Maisie skidded to a stop, her eyes wide as Daryl and Glenn killed the three biters that were ripping into her older brother's stomach. She sank slowly to her knees and crawled to him, reaching out and smoothing back his wheat blonde hair.

"No," was all she was able to say as Jon choked on his blood, a gurgling sound coming from mouth. His baby blue eyes were wide with terror.

"Mais—"

"No."

Taking a deep breath, she took her gun from its holster. "Sorry, brother," she whispered, putting the muzzle to his forehead and pulling the trigger.

The noise was deafening even though she'd heard it a thousand times.

Maisie clamped her hand across her mouth, stood up, and ran from the store without a backwards glance.

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