A few months later. On the streets.

Alexandria has been the new community's little bitch and i don't like it at all. Aaron's taken commando over there so that's why i moved to Hilltop. Not to forget that Daryl went behind my back to get Judith and RJ into the new community.

We were on the streets killing some walkers.

Suddenly i saw Daryl killing one.

The new community was here.

Daryl helped me up "you kay"

I nodded.

A woman walked to Maggie " You must be Maggie. "

I looked at Maggie.

---

Daryl walked over to me with some food.

I looked at it "i already ate"

Aaron walked over to us

Daryl sighed "Ken-"

Me " Why do you trust these people? "

Daryl " Who says we do? When do I ever? "

I raised an eyebrow.

Daryl " It's good to see Alexandria getting cleaned up, though. Least their word meant something. "

Aaron "Yeah, there's like 50 000 , people living there. At least 49 900. seem like decent enough folks. And it's not forever. You sure you don't want to come with us? You don't have to do this alone. "

I raised an eyebrow.

Lance "Hey, sorry to interrupt. The forward unit picked up a swarm. We have some extra rifles with us. So while they're handling that, Governor Milton proposed that we all go hunting, if you're up for that?"

--

We walked through the woods.

The woman "We'll scare all the food away stomping around like this. I'll go with Maggie, and you boys pair off. Don't need a minder this time, General. We'll be fine. "

At Hilltop.

The troopers had showed up and were starting to fix the walls and bring in some food.

Maggie came back.

Dianne "Hey. They meant everything they said. All the Troopers that came back with us, they're working on re-enforcing the water tower right now. "

Lydia "You went hunting with them? "

Maggie nodded "Yeah. It's not much, but it's... "

Elijah "More than we've had in weeks. "

Dianne nodded "Yeah, we'll get dinner started. "

They walked away.

Maggie " Is everyone okay?"

I nodded " Yeah, yeah. Everyone seems relieved. Hoping this means we can actually get some sleep tonight. "

Daryl showed up in a car.

Lydia hugged him "hey"

Daryl looked at me and i looked at him.

Night.

I walked over to Daryl who was packing his stuff.

Daryl handed me a a jar of Candy "Here. I got something for ya. It's from Judith. She said in case you're missing her "

I scoffed, shaking my head.

Daryl "why don't you come with me, Ken. It's safe with them"

I shook my head.

Daryl "Judith misses you"

Me "Then why did you take her from me?"

Daryl "you know damn good in hell that it was the right choice. "

Me "you took her, Daryl. You just decided to take her without talking to me first"

Daryl "because you wouldn't have let her leave, Ken"

Me "Because it's not safe for her. or for RJ"

Daryl "and you know that how?"

I scoffed, shaking my head.

Daryl "i am keeping her and RJ safe, Ken."

Me "you don't really think they are safe, are you?"

Daryl "safer then here"

I scoffed, shaking my head"

Daryl "you know i would give my life for them, Ken"

I looked at him "if anything happens to Judith or to RJ i swear to god you better leave the god damned Country, Daryl"

Daryl looked down.

I looked at him.

He started to nod before looking at me "i don't know if you still believe me or not, Ken, but believe this. I will not let anything happen to Judith or RJ. I will not let you lose another family member. I promise you that"

I looked at him in tears before looking away.

----

I walked over to Maggie who looked sad.

Me "what's wrong?"

Maggie "Dianne left with some other people "

My jaw dropped "what?"

Maggie nodded.

Next day. Morning.

I walked Lydia to the gate "Take care, okay?"

Lydia nodded and hugged me "bye, Ken"

I nodded "bye, Lyds"

Then she walked out of the gate.

--

In the meeting room.

Lydia and Elijah had found a half dead guy outside.

He died but he was able to say something to them.

Maggie shook her head "We're not going. "

Lydia "Maggie, he died begging for our help. "

Maggie "I understand it. But we're barely holding on as it is. "

Elijah "Someone we know must've sent him. Could be from the Commonwealth, or Georgie... "

Me "Or it could be a trap. We go to help and leave the Hilltop open to attack."

Lydia shook her head " I don't think it's a trick. He was scared. He wasn't lying. "

Maggie "Even if he wasn't, we can't go up against another group without the people to fight them. We don't have that. "

Elijah "What happened to taking in whoever was in need? Being outnumbered has never stopped you before. "

Maggie "Maybe it should have. "

Lydia " We're barely holding on. It sounds like these people are, too. That's exactly who my mother would've targeted, and I helped. I'm not letting it happen to someone else."

I looked at her "So you're not leaving. "

Lydia nodded "I am. I'm just... I have to help these people first. "

They walked out.

I looked at Maggie who looked at me.

I sighed "Let's go"

Outside. at the car.

Maggie walked over to Lydia "I am driving"

Lydia smiled at us.

On the road.

We were driving down the road.

Lydia and Elijah were in the backseat.

Lydia "Why don't you want their help? The Commonwealth's. "

Maggie "Because we can get by without it. "

Lydia "Why do we have to just "get by"? "

Maggie "It's only temporary. What's easier isn't always better. You know, before the Fall, I lived on a farm with my family and my dad. One day, these corporate farm developers started knocking on our door, trying to buy us out. My dad kept saying no. Then, one day, this bad drought hit. The developers started knocking again, except this time, they offered three times what the farm was worth. They knew we were in debt and desperate. But they also knew the drought would end and the farm would become profitable again, and all they had to do was outlast us. They start dropping off crates of food to "help" with the livestock. And he would just let it sit there on the porch and rot so they'd see it when the next shipment came. He said that we were being tested. And guess what happened. The drought ended. We got back on our feet. And those developers never bothered us again. "

Lydia "Why'd your dad let the food rot?"

Maggie " If they'd seen us take it, they would've known we needed them and never left us alone. "

Elijah "But the cattle were hungry. "

Maggie "We didn't lose any. We stuck together, and we made it through. "

Lydia nodded "Yeah, you "got by." It's just... "Getting by" is what I've been forced to do my whole life. I was told that it makes you stronger and wiser. But it doesn't. It hurts. "

Maggie "What would you have done? "

Lydia " Asked everyone what they wanted instead of deciding for them."

Maggie " Is that what I'm doing? You think The Commonwealth knows better? "

Lydia "Is that crazy to think? "

I nodded "Yes. Those people have not been tested for years. Do you wanna be there when they are? "

Lydia " I just... want things to be the same every day."

Maggie looked at Elijah "Do you agree? "

Elijah nodded " With most of it, yeah. #2

Suddenly three troopers were in the road.

Maggie hit the breaks.

Me "Walkers"

We got out of the car and killed them.

Maggie took a helmet off "knife slashed right through the neck guard. shot between the armor gaps. "

Suddenly we heard someone yell "Hey. Kendall!"

Aaron was running our way.

I asked confused "Aaron "

--

Aaron had told us about what happened "He was a wolf, just like their leader said."

Maggie " Think he was lying about the stolen shipments? "

Aaron "I don't know. "

Me "What would the Commonwealth want with all those g*n? "

Maggie handed him a map "This the best way in? "

He nodded. "Yeah, but... where'd you get that? "

Maggie "You gave it to the guy who rode into Hilltop"

Aron shook his head " No, I didn't. "

I asked confused "Then who did? "

--

Inside the community post.

We snuck in through the walls and were hiding in a building.

This is not gonna be easy.