At Hilltop.

We walked in. everyone looked at us but their faces dropped when they saw Jesus' body. Siddiq rushed to us. Tara walked to the body and put a hand on Jesus' back, in tears. Daryl and Magna pulled the body from the horse.

--

Daryl and i were escorting the girl to the basement.

Tammy "Is this who did it? "

I shook my head "No. One of her people. "

Tammy "You lockin' her up? "

Tara "We're getting answers. "

Tammy " And then what? Tara, Jesus trusted you, so we're all lookin' to you now. But people are gonna want justice for this. And when that time comes, we're gonna look to you for that, too. "

Tara nodded "I know. "

We walked downstairs into the cellar. There was already someone here. Henry.

The hell was Henry doing here?

I walked over to the other cell and opened the cell door.

Daryl shoved the girl inside " Get inside. "

I shoved the woman in the extra room and onto a chair "No more bullshit!"

She looked at us scared.

---

The girl cried out " I already told you... "

Me "you didn't tell me shit! How many more of you are there? "

The girl pleaded "They're all dead. My family's dead. Please just stop. "

I shook my head "Not until you start answering our questions. Your name. Start with your name."

She sighed " I told you, I don't have one. None of us do. None of us did. That's not how it worked."

I crossed my arms over my chest " Then how did it work?"

Daryl " Why do you wear their skins? "

no answer.

Daryl snarled "Answer! "

She sobbed out "They were... They were good people. We were good. It's what we did to live. That's... That's all we wanted to do. Live."

Me " Oh, you're saying you had to do this? "

She shook her head "you wouldn't understand. "

Me "Then make us understand. What the hell were you doing? "

The girl "We... We were just trying to see if they were good people, too. But then you attacked us, and now they're dead. They're all dead. And I don't have anything. "

Me "What did your people know about us? Do they know about this place? "

She sobbed out "" I don't know. - I don't know. I don't know anything. They didn't tell me anything. Please stop asking me. Just leave me alone, please. Please just leave me alone. "

She was a crying mess.

Outside.

I shook my head "I don't trust a word coming out of her mouth. "

Daryl "We'll get it out of her. "

Michonne "We try again in the morning. But without me. Taking my people back first thing. Can't risk them not knowing about this back home."

I nodded " Okay. Thanks... for being here and for helping. "

Tara walked to us "That group you brought in, I'm gonna let them know they can stay. Guess it's my call now. That's what he would've done. "

Michonne "Thanks, Tara. "

Tara walked away.

Me "I'll get her to talk. She has to"

--

I walked to the girl's cell "Who are you? "

She rushed into the corner of her cell.

I opened the cell and walked in "Answer the question. You wanna die? Is that it? "

Henry "Ken, what's your problem?!

"I snapped at him "shut up "

Then I looked at the girl " Do you? People up there just buried a good man. And they are ready to string you up right now. All I got to do is drag your ass up them steps. How many in your group?"

The girl " I already told you... "

I grabbed her and held her against the bars " How many are out there?! ! ! "

She shrieked "10! There were 10 of us! I think. We wore skins to blend in. We didn't have names. I mean... I mean, we did, but we didn't use them. "

Me "How long you been out around here?"

She shook her head " I don't know. We moved around with the... with the dead. I mean, the skins made them leave us alone. They protected us, so we protected them."

Me "You got a camp? Walls? "

She scoffed "Walls don't keep you safe. Places like this don't make it. They never make it. That's how it is. My mom and me, we saw it happen over and over. I... I barely remember the world before all this. But my mom, she told me how it was changing, how we had to change with it, how we needed the dead and each other to keep safe. We're never alone. "

Me "Why'd your people kill our people? Tell me! "

The girl "We're always gonna kill you, okay?! It's just what people do now. Everybody still alive's a threat. It's us or them. "

Me „How many people in your group?"

The Girl " I already... "

I snapped „The truth! "

The girl "It is the truth!"

I shook my head „Don't lie to me! "

The girl „My mom! It's just my mom. She's a good person. Please don't go looking for her. Please. She's just one woman, out there alone. "

Me "You said your people were never alone."

The girl " She... She was at the cemetery. She got separated, but just her. "

I growled " Liar! "

She sobbed out "Please, I'm telling... No! No, I told you the truth! - "

I grabbed her hand and dragged her to the stairs "I told you what was gonna happen! "

Henry yelled "Kendall! "

I yelled back "Shut up! "

The girl pleaded "That was everything! - Please! Please! Let go of me! - "

Henry "Ken, stop!"

She pleaded " Please, Ken, please don't kill me, please. Please. Please. "

I let go of her. She rushed into the corner of her cell. I closed the cell door.

Then i walked over to Henry "I thought Daryl told you to stay quiet. "

Henry "She's just a girl. "

I nodded "so am I. Didn't stop people from hurting me. You wanna know what your place is here? It's right where you're at, for as long as it takes for you to figure out how to wise your ass up. "

Then i walked upstairs and walked to the little cell window and sat down on the ground.

girl „Thank you. "

Henry „What? "

girl "I said thank you. For saving me. "

Henry " had to. Couldn't let her do what she was gonna do to you. I'm Henry. "

The girl „I'm Lydia. "

Henry „Nice to meet you. "

I smirked.

Night.

I was still at the same spot as earlier. She was telling Henry everything and i loved it.

Lydia „Remember that look in his eye. Still see it. How cold it is. Was. "

Then she asked confused "Why am I even telling you this?"

Henry „Beats the quiet. Beats being alone. "

Lydia "Never been alone. My people traveled in groups with the dead. I miss the sounds... the smell... "

I grimaced and whispered "the smell of rotten flesh"

Then I nearly gagged at the though.

Henry "Not gonna lie... Walking around in dead people's skins is pretty messed up. "

now thinking back it is not the craziest shit we've encountered.

Okay, wearing Walker faces as masks is in the top 5.

Lydia "Thinking this place isn't gonna fall like every other place... that's messed up."

Henry „Agree to disagree."

Lydia „Your sister's an asshole like mine. All you did was sneak out. Is it even that hard? Are there a lot of guards posted here? "

Henry "Kendall's not my sister. She's Daryl's girlfriend"

I grimaced and muttered "ex"

Lydia "and that Daryl guy? Is he your father "

Henry "he is not my father. He doesn't even want to be here. Especially now that his girlfriend is here and he didn't see her for 5 years. He's only doing it as a favor for my mom. "

Lydia" I thought you said your mom died. "

Henry "My second mom, I mean. She's tough. Not somebody you want to mess with. Hey, what happened to your dad? "

Lydia "My dad was a stupid man. My mom, though, she kept me alive. Kept me safe. She's a lot like your mom. You don't mess with her, either. "

--

They were all talking nothing important.

Henry ".....Where I'm from."

Wait what? no no no no no.

Lydia " Is it far? W-What's it called? "

Henry "It's called the Kingdom. It's probably like a day's ride from here. "

I walked downstairs and over to Henry's cell "no no no no no, you better stop talking "

Henry looked at me confused " Hey. What's going on? "

I opened his cell door "Shut up. You're gettin' out. Come on. "

Then i grabbed him and shoved him out of the cellar " What the hell's wrong with you? Huh? "

I let go of him "Telling her about the Kingdom? Are you kidding me? What if there's more of her people out there? You got family at the Kingdom. "

Henry "I'm sorry. Okay? I didn't think that it would. "

He froze "Wait. You were listening?"

I nodded "Yeah, of course we were. Me, Enid, and a few of the others, we've been switching off, seeing what she'd say to you. "

Henry said hurt "- You were using me. "

I nodded "Yeah, and it was workin', too. "

Henry "She's a good person who got messed up out there. And she's right about you. You know that? You're a bitch. You want answers, get 'em yourself. "

Then he stormed off.

--

I walked downstairs. Luke and Alden have been missing.

Lydia sat up „You finally come to kill me? "

I showed her a bottle of meds "It's for your ear. You keep pullin' on it like it hurts. "

She ignored me.

I asked surprised „No? I personally don't give a shit. It's up to you. Two of ours went missing. We found their horses, though. Half skinned, half eaten. You know anything about that? "

Lydia asked irritated and annoyed "How could I? I've been here."

Me "you better lose that attitude. What would your mom do if she crossed some of our people? Would she kill them?"

Lydia nodded " She would if she had to. She killed my dad when I was little. He used to sing that to me when I was scared. Which was a lot back then. "

Me " How old were you? . "

Lydia shrugged "Who knows? "

Me "Your mom... Your mom did what she had to do. Doesn't have to be like that, though. "

I rolled the bottle of pills over to her.

She grabbed it.

Me "There's a lot of good people here. They'll help you if you help them. "

Lydia ignored what I said "Can I have some water? "

I grabbed a cup of water and held it to her.

Lydia walked to the bars „What, you think I'm gonna hit you with it or something? "

Suddenly she reached thought the bars and tried to grab me. I grabbed her wrist and twisted it. She cried out.I pulled her sleeve back to reveal her arm. It was bruised and red whip marks were on them. Lydia moved back and pulled her sleeves down .

I walked upstairs.

Night.

I walked over Daryl who was petting Dog.

He looked at me "what?"

I kneeled down to him and petted Dog.

Daryl eyed me.

I sighed "i-i don't know how to ask you. I mean, i'd never thought i'd ever ask you for that"

Daryl looked at me confused "just spit it out"

Me "i-i think Lydia and you have a common past"

Daryl looked at me even more confused.

Me "...with abusive parents"

Daryl tensed.

I sighed "i know your history, okay? i know the scars on your back and the few on your chest. She has them on her arms."

Daryl scratched his beard a little "you do realize that you have a past with abusive relationships, right?"

I glared at them "I had one abusive boyfriend, Daryl, okay? But I don't know anything about abusive parents"

Daryl "your mom slapped you in the face in front of me "

Me "because I called her a whore"

Daryl shot me a look.

I rolled my eyes annoyed "why the hell am I even discussing this with you? Daryl, i know how to get through to her but i can't do it without your help"

Daryl "you know what you're asking from me, right??"

I shook my head „i wouldn't be asking you for help if there was another way, trust me. "

Daryl "what makes ya think I'm helping you?"

I sighed, shaking my head " I don't expect you to help me.i know you stopped giving a shit about me years ago"

He looked down.

Me "but I am asking you to help me protect the people you care about, even when I am not one of them anymore"

Daryl nodded "i am doing it alone"

I looked at him confused "D-"

Daryl "Ken, I am doing it alone"

I nodded "okay. "

Then i turned around to leave but then i remembered something "Daryl?"

Daryl "mhm"

I turned back to him "why did you tell Henry that you and I are still together?"

Daryl shrugged "I didn't tell him that. I never told him we weren't together anymore because it was none of his business. It's nobody's shit what's going between us"

I nodded.

He walked away.

--

I was sitting on the porch, playing with Dog. I like him. He's great. Dog looked up and i heard someone walking closer to us.

Daryl walked to us.

Me "did she say anything?"

Daryl shook his head "nothing helpful"

I sighed "okay "

Daryl "so now you can go back fucking that DJ guy"

I raised my eyebrows "pardon? "

Then i stood up "the fuck did you just say to me?"

Daryl "Ken-"

I shook my head "no, what did you say?"

Daryl "you heard what I said "

Me "first of all , i am not screwing anyone okay? Second of all even if i were to fuck around with every normal guy on this planet... it would be none of your fucking business, Daryl, because you decided to fucking leave!"

Daryl shook his head "i didn't leave"

I nodded "you did! You just left me! Disappeared into the woods and never showed your face again"

Daryl "you didn't come looking for me either"

I shook my head "don't say that. Because I found your little camp near the bridge dad died. At first it thought you did that because it would help you finding dad's body. I guess, that was what I wanted to believe, but I was wrong, I was also wrong for believing you would come back once you had found dad's body or when you decided to give up. I visited you once in a while throughout the first year after dad died. But somehow you managed to not be there every single time"

Daryl "I was busy"

I shook my head "no you weren't. Because you knew damn well that I was there."

Daryl looked at me "I didn-"

I scoffed "Daryl, please. I know when I am being watched, okay? I know you were around, hiding behind god knows what and watching me. I also know you saw me nearly breaking down when I realized you weren't there"

Daryl didn't say anything.

I shook my head " i am not stupid, I know you cared about dad too, Daryl. i know you miss him too. And I know you needed to grieve and i was ready to give you the time of grieving you needed. But you weren't the only one who lost him. I lost my dad, Daryl. And i needed you. But six years? Six fucking years? We've been through so much shit together just for you leave me behind like that. How could you leave me like that? Did i really mean next to next nothing to you for you to just leaving me ?"

Daryl shook his head "you know that's not true"

I nodded "it is. Because when you love someone you don't decide to go away and never come back. You promised you would always come back, Daryl. "

Daryl nodded "and i did come back"

I scoffed "Only because Carol asked you to. Otherwise you wouldn't have shown your face for 6 more years"

Daryl looked down.

Me "i didn't even know if you were still alive, Daryl. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? You don't put someone you love through that kind of pain"

He didn't say anything.

I nodded and turned around to leave.

Daryl "you never showed up again though"

My voice cracked "Be-Because you never showed. And i felt stupid fighting for something that you clearly didn't want anymore. "

He didn't say anything.

Then i walked away.