Maisie's mouth dropped open.

"I'm so happy for you!"

Glenn beamed at her before running off, letting out an excited shout.

"When they were pourin' the bisquick, do you think they were tryin' to make pancakes?" Abraham asked, stepping up beside her.

Maisie snorted, shook her head and walked away.

"What, was it something I said?" Abraham called after her, chuckling to himself.

"Maisie!"

Maisie stopped walking and turned around, her arms crossed as she watched a man run to catch up to her.

Spencer. Deanna's oldest son.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked casually, rocking back on her heels.

"Hey, I was, uh, hoping you'd like to join me for dinner later?"

"Like a date?"

"I don't... I don't know. Maybe. I was thinking of making my beef jerky stroganoff. I know it's not a porterhouse, but it's better than it sounds," he added after Maisie cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm sure it is, but no thanks."

Spencer was a player, she could tell, and she knew he just wanted to sleep with her. Maybe before the apocalypse, when they were both careless high schoolers, she would've agreed. But for now, sex wasn't on her mind.

Giving him a small nod, she turned on her heel and strode away.

When she stepped into her house, a tingle slithered down her spine. The house was too quiet. Usually, when she left Jackson at the house he made a whole lot of noise when she returned. Walking carefully, she made her way to the staircase, drawing her gun when she saw him standing on the landing, looking at a painting on the wall.

"What the fuck are you doing in my house?" Maisie demanded, her gun pointed at his heart. "Where's my dog?"

"Put him down in your room."

Maisie faltered, a small whimper escaping her lips.

"Relax, it's like a pressure point for humans. He's asleep on your bed," Jesus informed her.

The whimper was replaced by a growl. They both looked back as the front door crashed open and Daryl ran across the floor, his crossbow raised.

"I swear I just wanna talk," Jesus said calmly, turning away from the painting.

"To who?"

"Whoever is in charge."

Climbing the last few steps that separated her and Jesus, she grabbed the back of his long leather jacket and dragged him back down the stairs.

"Whoa, whoa, I can walk myself!"

"Yeah, but you're starting to piss me off," Maisie snapped, dragging him out of her house and down the streets of Alexandria.

"Rick! Rick!"

When Rick ran out and slowed to a stop in front of her, she released the back of Jesus's jacket, shoving him forward.

"He wants to talk to you."

〄

"Look, we got off to a bad start," Jesus began, his eyes flicking over to Maisie, who stood by the window with her arms crossed. She didn't respond when Glenn threw her a look and lightly nudged her shoulder.

"But, we're on the same side - the living side. You and Maisie had every right to leave me out there, but you didn't. I'm from a place that's a lot like this one."

As he said that, looks were exchanged throughout the room.

"Part of my job is searching out for other settlements to trade with. I took your truck because my community needs things, and you two looked like trouble. I was wrong, I'll admit that. You're good people. And this is a good place. I think our communities might be in position to help each other."

"Do you have food?" Glenn asked, scratching his chin.

"We've started to raise livestock. We scavenge, we grow. Everything from tomatoes to sorghum."

"Tell us, why should we believe you?" Rick asked skeptically.

"I'll show you. If we take the car, I can take you back home in a day and you can all see for yourselves who we are and what we have to offer."

"Wait, you're looking for 'more' settlements. You mean you're already trading with other groups?" Maggie inquired, her eyebrows furrowed.

Jesus smiled knowingly and leaned back in his chair under the watchful stares of Glenn, Maggie, Rick, Maisie, and Daryl. "Your world's about to get a whole lot bigger."

〄

"Let's chew up some asphalt!" Abraham declared the next afternoon, standing next to the RV.

"The 'stache is growing in nicely," Maisie remarked as she approached him, a machine gun held diagonally across her body like a soldier.

"Always has, blondie," Abraham replied with a smirk as she hopped into the RV.

"Don't forget your dog," he told her, lifting the small dog into the vehicle with her.

"How come you're bringing Jackson?" Glenn asked, letting himself in and spotting Jackson in her lap.

"If Jesus' community is uneasy with us, dogs provide comfort. Plus, who could resist his face!" Maisie exclaimed, bending down and kissing the dog's nose.

"Bite me," she sassed after Glenn scoffed.

"I'll leave that to the walkers," Glenn retorted, grinning when she swatted his arm.

"Let's move out!" Abraham called, seating himself behind the wheel.

〄

"Do you guys have prenatal vitamins?" Glenn asked, interrupting Jesus as he explained what his community had.

Jesus looked between him and Maggie. "Are you...?"

Maggie's smile was a good enough answer for him.

"We might. Don't quote me on it."

"Son of an ugly whore. We're stuck," Abraham said suddenly.

"Doesn't matter. We're here," Jesus told the group, looking through the front window and hopping out the door, followed by the rest of them.

Up the road they saw a large wooden fence.

"Hand over your guns!" Men at the top of the wall shouted as the group approached, brandishing spears.

Everyone immediately drew their guns. They never knew who was trustworthy and who wasn't.

"Wait! They keep their guns. Let us in," Jesus told the men, stepping forward.

As the heavy gates slowly swung open, Jesus turned to address Rick.

"Don't you see what just happened? I'm letting you keep your guns. Look, we ran out of ammo months ago. I like you people, I trust you. Trust us."

With that said, Jesus lead the group through the community's gates.

"Welcome to the Hilltop," he declared, spreading his arms. "There was a materials yard for a power company near by, that's how we put up the walls," Jesus explained, leading them towards the mansion-like house on top of the hill.

The foyer of the house was spacious and expensive looking. It was also very, very clean. Maisie turned away from the painting she was studying as a door creaked open, revealing an average sized man with a balding head. She wrinkled her nose at the man's grey suit.

"Ah, Jesus, you're back already! And who are these people?"

"These are the people from Alexandria, another community. This is Gregory, our leader."

The man's eyes traveled over every new face, and Maisie resisted the urge to shudder when his gaze stayed on her for too long.

"I'm the boss," Gregory said simply, opening his arms.

〄

After hours of talking and negotiating, the Alexandrian group traipsed back into the RV and set off for their own community.

Stroking Jackson's back, Maisie looked over and smiled at Glenn, who had his arm around Maggie as she dozed on his shoulder.

"Hey, how're you doing about your family?" he whispered to her.

"It still hurts, but I'll be over it soon."

"Ah, the pain never really goes away, we just make room for it," Glenn said wisely, draping his free arm across Maisie's shoulders.

"Glenn's getting all the ladies tonight," Abraham remarked quietly, sitting across from them. Michonne and Rick had taken up the front seats. Maisie responded to Abraham's comment with one raised finger.

〄

Darkness was beginning to fall as they neared the community. As they got closer, they saw the gates were already open. The RV drove through, but nobody bothered to close them.

Well, that's not right.

They all got out and faced uncertainty. Screams filled the air, mixed with a strong metallic scent. Blood. And lots of it. The streets were filled with blood and bodies.

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