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Chapter Text

Carl Grimes could still smell the ash of what once was his home on his skin. Every time he closed his eyes he could still see the fire and smoke engulf the Atlanta Prison. Being left on his own was one thing, but his mind continuously replaying the sounds of his family screaming for their lives was another. 

He wasn't too sure what transpired that fateful day he lost everything. It was mostly a blur, which wasn't uncommon for him. The first time this happened was when his father got shot. All he could remember was leaving school excited to show his mom the test he acced. Waving to her as he was completely oblivious to the amount of police cars in the parking lot. He couldn't even remember the words. Only how his mother went to her knees so they would be at eye level. Explaining how his father was in surgery. Blacking out and coming to when he sat at his father's bedside. 

Then the next was when the world came crashing down. One moment the twelve year-old was drawing a card to put in his father's hospital room, and the next he was sitting in bumper to bumper traffic trying to get into the Atlanta refugee centre. 

So it was truly no wonder why the latest incident occurred. One moment he had a shotgun in his hand as his father tried to talk to some potential raiders, and the next his home was up in flames. 

After what felt like hours, though it was probably only moments of searching, he had no choice other than to flee. Leaving behind the place his family worked so hard to create, with nothing but the clothes on his back and a glock with only a few bullets remaining. Only with the memories of his fallen family and his sheriffs hat to remember any of them even existed in the first place. 

Carl quietly placed his bag over his back as the sounds of movement occurred on the floor below. With head on the door he could faintly hear a few male voices followed by cabinets and doors being opened. 

The now fifteen year-old was kicking himself for deciding to make the large house his base for the night. He should've gone near the lower income side of town instead of the large townhouse he currently hid in. 

He spent weeks searching for his family, even going on a wild goose chase to some place called Terminus, hoping his dad and sister would be there. Only for it to be completely destroyed by the time he arrived. Which in all honesty shouldn't have surprised him considering the place was basically asking to be raided with all their advertising and signs telling people to go there. 

So being on his own the boy decided to try and survive. Carl's mother said he was going to beat this world so he would at least try for her. Though now he was mentally slapping himself for what he had just done. 

Even if the slums had more food, due to that being in the original owner's price range of canned goods, the richer houses had much comfier beds. After a good few days sleeping in cars he gave into his cravings and found refuge in a massive mansion a little ways off the highway. Though now Carl hoped that goose feather pillow was worth whatever was in store for him. 

Carl swallowed a large chunk of air as he debated on his next action. It had been weeks since he'd seen any people and well over a month since he'd seen any trustworthy ones. Creeping over towards the window the boy peeked out to see a group of at least eight. His body started to tingle in fright when he noticed the large Uhaul one person was leaning upon. 

The shaggy haired boy pressed his nails into his skin in order to stop himself from reacting when he saw the abundance of guns they carried. He may have been well acquainted with the weapons, but he wasn't stupid. He could tell when he was beat. 

So with shaking hands the teen moved away from the window and fixed his sheriff's hat as he tried to think of what to do next. Jumping out the window wasn't feasible anymore and just walking downstairs was plain stupid. For a number of reasons. 

You couldn't trust people. Everyone is in it for themselves and the ones who have people to fight for only care about them. Being alone in a world like this was a death sentence, but being a teen alone in a world like this... well you'd wish you were dead. 

Men only want one thing and without the laws keeping them from taking it... you get the idea. 

So Carl grabbed his almost empty gun and rolled under the bed as a means of protection. Even if he didn't believe in any religion he started to pray to his mother that the men wouldn't find anything worthy and just leave. 

"Check all the rooms. I wanna bring as many mattresses back home. Some of my wives are complaining about the quality of 'em," he heard one man call from downstairs. 

"Yes, Sir," Carl's eyes widened when the door to his hiding place was opened. Another reason Carl wasn't religious anymore. 

Throwing his free hand over his mouth, Carl muffled his breathing as footsteps could be heard. Watching the two sets of wet shoes stepped on the carpet. The raining exterior from outside was still sticking to their jeans as they came closer. 

It took all of Carl's energy not to react once the mattress was lifted up. Though silent swear words came out with what be heard the men say next, "Should we take the box spring as well?"

The other person shrugged, "Might as well."

Carl's heart started to beat in his throat as the men lifted up his hiding space, shit. "What the hell-?!" They didn't get to finish their sentence before the boy was already up and sprinting out of the room. 

People started to call out to one another as he went as fast as he could, "Was that a kid?"

"Grab him, what the fuck?!"

With tears in blurring her vision he ran across the second floor and straight into a person's chest. Jumping back the Grimes boy was met by a larger man probably over six feet, in a black leather jacket. Not so silently screaming at the sight of the bearded man's bloody bat covered in what looked to be barbed wire. Walker blood or human it didn't matter, he wasn't going to stay long enough to ask. 

So when the shocked man tried to reach out for him, Carl sidestepped around him and made it to the stairs. Sitting on the railing and sliding all the way down before booking it towards the door. 

A few steps from the door a man was able to grab the teen by the straps but that wasn't enough to keep Carl from a fate worse than death. Slipping his arms out of the straps he kept on running out into the rain, no jacket as the covers he was in kept him cosy. 

Another high pitched scream escaped the boy's lips once he noticed all the people outside. Five trucks in total surrounded the subdivision, which mustn't have been visible from his window. People, men and women carrying similar weapons all stared at him before shouting could be heard inside the mansion. 

Everyone gave similar expressions of shock at the sight of a child. He obviously knew that kids were hard to come by these days, he'd seen them die first hand. Speaking of hands when it came to kids his age back at the prison the boy could only count the amount on his hand. They were as rare as gold in a diamond mine. 

They didn't even take him as a threat, even as he held a gun in his hand many didn't bother to raise their own. Carl was no threat. A gazelle to a pride of lions. 

Being so focused on the lot of at least thirty to fifty people, a pair of hands suddenly gripped his shoulders. Carl screamed in fright, flailing around as the man told him to stop, "Alright now, kid. Calm down. We ain't gonna hurt-" he didn't get to finish as he wacked him with the side of his glock. 

That's when people started to raise their weapons. The leather jacket man held up a hand and demanded them to hold their fire as Carl ran to the back exit. Jumping the fence he went through the backyard, even with the many now chasing after him. 

The puddles seeped into his converse as he tried to get away. The poor fifteen-year-old practically had to jump over massive puddles in his attempt at living. If only the rich bastards that lived here before didn't have a pool that stretched the entire property. 

"Whoa!" Carl skidded to a sudden halt as the empty space where water should have been blocked his escape. 

The man behind him slightly chuckled, making him snap his head back. People followed the man with the bat inside the property, flanking Carl on each side as he stood there frozen. Watching as the people listened to the man's silent command, lowering their guns with only a wave of the hand. He was no doubt the leader of this large crowd. 

"Now I think you've been a little dramatic, young man. Aren't you cold?" He, along with his men, snickered. 

Carl raised his gun at the man and tried to act tough, "Stay back. I mean it," his words mimicked what his father used to sound like when he was alive. 

The group all cocked their own and raised them at the boy, but the leader didn't take any notice. Instead, the man with the bat only smirked at him as he watched the way Carl looked him in the eye. Keeping his gun firmly pointed at him. 

Looking the boy up and down he asked, "Have you ever held one of those before, kid?"

Carl's brows lowered as the man couldn't help but chuckle at him. Maybe if his father was around he would have been more calm during the situation, but as the man continued to taunt him he felt his rational side melting in the rain. 

"Oh, I'm sorry if I offended you, sweetheart, but... is it even loaded?" He tilted his head. 

That seemed to be the final straw as Carl pointed his gun in the air and pulled the trigger. The man took a step back in shock as Carl was suddenly charged at. Three men grabbed him and threw him to the pavement as another two pointed their weapons at his head. 

Carl let out a few noises as he tried to move, "Get the fuck off of me! Now!" He demanded as they forced his hands behind his back. 

The man only chuckled as he moved closer. Gently taking Carl's gun and looking it over, "Damn. This is nice... and well kept," he let out a small whistle. "You know how to clean a weapon?"

"I know how to do a lot of things, asshole!" Carl grunted as his face was pushed back against the wet pavement. 

The man waved his hand and made his men put their guns down as he moved closer. Crouching down to be at Carl's eye level, though once he grabbed his hat Carl started to fight back once more, "H-Hey... hey don't touch that! Give it back!"

The leader flipped it over a few times to properly inspect the hat before glancing back at the teenager, "Your daddy a sheriff?"

Carl only glared at him as he continued to hold onto the only piece he had left of his father. Remaining quiet as his captor sighed, "So is he around? Were you waiting for him?"

The boy tried to keep his glare proper, not give the man with a bat any advantage, but the moment his father was mentioned Carl lost it for a second. Even if it was only a second, a second was all he needed to see. 

With a small sigh he motioned to the men still holding Carl down, "Sit him up," which they quickly did. Carl gave a small grunt as the man started to dust him off. "Sorry about all, but you kinda just shot a gun in my presence. So," he placed Carl's hat back on his head. "You understand, eh?"

"What are you like a king or something?" The boy glared at the man. 

The King gave a chuckle, "Something like that, boy. Something like that."

Carl continued to glare at the leader, finaly getting a good look at him. He looked very different from the others he'd come across. The man had very prominent muscles underneath his white shirt, making his many tattoos curve. Physically strong. In his late forties or early fifties he couldn't tell. Clean. Not a spec of dirt present on him beside the blood from holding his bat.

A leader. A survivor. 

The longer he stared at the smirking man the more frightened Carl became. He had the sense of power radiating off of him, the sun to the solar system. People were hanging off of every word he said like gospel. Not knowing what was what was worse, the fact he was pointing a gun at the powerful man or that he seemed so normal. No scars, no missing limbs and no evil intentions. Nothing like the people his family had fought in the past, "Look just take the stuff in my pack and I'll leave. It'll be easy and no one will get hurt."

"Oh but someone was already hurt, kid," the leader smirked. "My pride was hurt. It was hurt unbelievably."

"I don't want any trouble," Carl told him. 

Though he only chuckled, "If that's the case you probably shouldn't have shot your gun in the first place."

Carl, with nothing to lose tilted his head, "Or I probably should've pointed it at you."

The man blinked a few times as the air went silent. As the teen glanced around he felt his stomach drop, though he didn't show it, as the many people holding weapons watched in fear. As if they were waiting for their leader to react badly. 

Which was probably why all their eyes widened in surprise when he started to chuckle. At first it was small, before becoming much more like a cackle than anything, "This. This is why I fucking love kids!" He pointed at Carl and continued to laugh. "You don't fucking care. It's amazing. God I'm surprised any of you still exist. You're like a goddamn serial killer in the making!"

"Fuck you," he responded coldly. 

Making the man put his finger up, "Don't get snippy with me, boy. My kindness only goes so far," Carl simply continued to glare at the man holding him hostage as he played with his barbed wire bat. "You know... even with that stink eye I'm feeling inclined to offer you a job."

"A job?" Carl couldn't help but ask. 

He nodded, "You see all these fine people? They work for me," the man gave the boy a glance. "There's a reason for that."

Carl just stayed still as the man smirked once more, "Say Sheriff, when's the last time you ate a hot meal?"

Carl just stared at the man as he tried to think, but in all honesty he couldn't really remember. With the weather still being a little damp he struggled to light a fire. Not that he felt comfortable doing so on his own, out of fear of both the living and dead. 

"What about a decent sleep? Some clean clothes? A shower even?" Carl didn't move as the man jokingly slapped his shoulder. 

Instead the teen glanced around the group and took a moment to study them. Most seemed to be rather well kept. None of them were covered in a layer of filth and the men all had well groomed faces. As well as their clothing seemed fresh. Not all of it looked new but none were carrying the massive amounts of holes his own was. 

God, he must've looked so feral towards the group. Being restrained as his grimey appearance sneered at the more civil scavenging team. 

Turning his attention towards the leader he simply asked, "How many walkers have you killed?"

A question that caught the man with the bat off guard, "Excuse me, sir?"

"Walkers. The dead ones," Carl repeated himself, "How many have you killed?"

The man gave a small chuckle, "Does it matter?"

"To me? Yes," he gave the man a look. "My dad taught me three simple questions could determine if a person was good or not. So how many?"

The leader gave a sigh as he played with his bat, "Fine. I'll humour you. I've killed a shit ton."

"How many people have you killed?" Carl didn't break eye contact. 

A few members of the leader's group suddenly chuckled at the question, though he simply shushed them, "Gentlemen, please, please. This young man asked a question," he turned back to Carl. "Of course I could lie and say that I haven't hurt a soul. But... What's one of our rules, men?"

The man smirked as the lot all spoke in unison, "We don't lie."

Carl's brow raised as the leader flashed his teeth, "We don't lie. No sir-rhee! And I have killed a lot of people. The number... depends on who you ask and I don't feel inclined to give one as I'm not too fucking sure myself," he shrugged. "And this third question?"

"Why?"

"Why?" He repeated him, "Well that's easy. They didn't play by my easy to follow rules, I needed to make an example or they simply were not worthy of breathing anymore. Is that good enough for you? Did I pass your daddy's three questions?"

The teenager never broke eye contact with the man as he pondered his options. As of right now they seemed rather slim but they still made him wonder, "No. Not yet."

He gave a rather mocking frown, "And what other thing can I say to make me a 'good person', huh?"

"One more question. What's the catch?"

"The catch?" He raised his brow. 

"The catch," Carl sneered. "Why would you want me to join your group? There has to be an ulterior motive of some kind."

That made him slightly chuckle, "Nothing gets past you, eh?" He clicked his tongue, "Okay I'll level with ya'. The catch is you come with me willingly."

Carl's face twisted like his arms did in the leader's men's grip, "The hell'd you say?"

He shrugged, "Look Kid, I'm all for free will and shit but I have limits. When I look at you, you know what I see? I see a man. A man who knows how to handle himself and survive out in this shit storm with a rather fucking well cleaned gun. I see a survivor."

Carl cringed as he poked his face, "But, I still have some of the old ways in me. You may be a man in my eyes but the civil side that I can't let go of sees a boy. My heart can't let a kid go off into that shit storm by himself."

He then got to his feet as he signalled the others to let go of Carl's arms, "So here's my proposal, young man. You stand up and come with me back to my main base and we get you some clean clothes and a plate of my piping hot spaghetti in that empty stomach. How does that sound?"

The teen stared up at the hand awaiting his one as he pondered what to do. Though as his stomach growled Carl ignored any signs of doubt and grabbed the man's hand, "That's it, kid," he helped Carl stand up before properly introducing himself. "The names Negan."

"Carl. Carl Grimes," he mumbled his name as the man, Negan chuckled. 

"Well Carl Grimes," he placed his arm around the boy. "Welcome to the Saviors. You're gonna love it."

Chapter Text

The young orphan squirmed to the best of her ability as the people she so easily trusted forced her along. Their nails dug into the teenager's skin, puncturing deep enough wounds to allow blood to seep out. 

She begged them to let her go. Cried crocodile tears as her old worn out sketchers dragged across the pavement. Though her captors didn't bother to care, leading the young girl closer towards her cage. 

Sadly Juliet Capulet had no one to blame for her situation other than herself. The girl was too trusting. Naïve. A trait not that lucky to have during the apocalypse. 

She could of course just blame it on her age. She was only fourteen years-old, so Juliet could easily blame it on her childlike nature that led her to this situation. That she was so blinded by the possibility of safety she just ignored the red flags. 

And how dark those flags were. They always say things are too good to be true usually are, and a place that repeatedly promising 'those who arrive survive' was the darkest shade of red. 

So blaming did nothing as the teen was forced towards a large metal shipping container with a large A painted on the front. Juliet whimpered once a gun was placed against the back of her head when the other let go. 

She sniffled as the cart door was quickly opened and was pushed inside. Yelping once she hit the hard wooden surface before the door was quickly shut, taking the light with it. 

Without thinking the girl got back up, scrambling towards where the door was. Even if it was too dark to see, the colour red was still very visible in Juliet's eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks like the river in her hometown of Detroit as she struggled to breathe. Filthy hands clenched into fists as she started to bang on the metal. 

Terminus. The sanctuary for all, community for all. "Those who arrive survive, my ass!" She screamed, slamming her fist into the metal before gasping. 

A sudden sensation of pain from her action trickled down her arm. Stepping back Juliet grunted and proceeded to kick the door in frustration, "I did not go through all of this just to be locked up!" She screamed. 

Weeks of travel, living in the woods, following the tracks,  running from monsters and her mother's sacrifice led her to this. This. The naïve promise of sanctuary leading to the young girl's downfall. 

Juliet's hands went to her scalp as she tried to make sense of the situation. All she did to get here. Her mother promised her Terminus would be her chance. Her chance at survival and yet Juliet had to hunch over just to control her breathing. 

All she could do was cry. Cry as the realization kicked in. Juliet's mother had official died for nothing and now Juliet would as well. 

"Fuck," she whispered. Her nails gripped her brown scalp as she fell to her knees. "Fuck."

She rested her back against the wall of her prison as she whimpered. This wasn't how she wanted to go. This wasn't right. How could God be so cruel to her? She had done nothing wrong. 

And as she sat there pitying herself in the very upsetting end to her short life, Juliet felt something ghost over her shoulder. 

Looking up, the messy haired girl shrieked at the sight before her. From the small cracks of sunlight seeping into her cage she could see a rather large group of individuals emerge from the shadows. There were a good number of them too. Eight to be exact. 

She scrambled back a little further as a man knelt down to her level, "Hey, hey, it's okay. It's okay."

Juliet's breathing quickened as she stared at the group, fearing the worst. Though the Asian man before her slowly lifted his hands in surrender, "Hey. Hey we aren't gonna hurt you," he said in a very gentle tone. 

"Are you okay?" Another person, a woman with a soft voice that just oozed in comfort, knelt next to him. "Did they hurt you in anyway?"

The girl just stared at the group as tears continue to stream down her face. She knew she probably looked like a complete wreck, not that she cared. Instead she just moved back further, not breathing eye contact with the group behind the pair before her. 

She didn't know how long these people had been here, or why. For all Juliet knew they could have been put in this cage for a reason and she was nothing but a sacrificial lamb for whatever they had in-store. 

The man before her noticed Juliet's gaze wasn't focused on him and sighed, "Don't worry, none of them are going to hurt you. They're with us."

The woman moved slightly closer, "You and your group followed the signs too, didn't you? We all did as well. We all are on the same side here," she explained in a rather thick Georgian accent. 

"Did they separate you from your group?" The man then asked. 

Juliet just stared at the man as her throat started to burn. The memories of her group's demise playing like a recording inside her mind with perfect volume. But as she saw no other option the final member of the Capulet family slowly shook her head. 

"Do you have a name?" They asked as she just sat there. Still not comfortable saying it. 

Something the pair picked up on as the man let out a small cough, "Well... my name's Glenn and this is my wife Maggie." 

The woman, Maggie, gave a kind smile, "Over there are our friends Tara, Sasha, Bob, Rosita, Abraham and Eugene."

She watched as a few members behind the couple gave a brief hello, while others just nodded or waved. 

Juliet's lips pressed against one another as she stared at the group before her. With the only thing going through her mind being, what was gonna happen now? 

°˖✧✿✧˖°

Juliet always feared death. Even before the dead came back to walk the earth. It's why she found it rather ironic that her mother named the girl after an omen of death. Named after the girl who embraced it to be forever with her lover. Something Juliet found sickening. 

She feared every part of the ending. She feared the pain, the suffering, the people who had to grieve and the unknown. Though she truly believed that the unknowing of what comes after death feared her the most. The thought of an afterlife was slightly comforting, yet as she realized how unlucky she was, the chances of it being real were slim. And as the grains of sand started to fall, Juliet feared if it would be over today. 

The group she was put with seemed okay, they were a little insane, but still okay. Even if she was still slightly wary of them, still not saying her name, they treated her with kindness. 

Over the last few days stuck within the train car they kept her company by telling stories of life before and their plan once they escaped. Involving them heading to DC because one of them supposedly had the cure. 

They weren't that happy when Juliet laughed in their faces saying he was lying, but how could she not? A cure? The only way to cure this is to kill yourself with a straight shot to the head. That's the cure. A cure she couldn't provide to the person Juliet loved most. 

"So how long have you been out there?" Maggie asked as they are the small portion of food the Terminus members gave them. 

The girl shrugged as she nibbled on the small bun she was given, "My mom and I were out there for a while. One night we heard a weak transmission about this safe place called Terminus," she sighed as she finished off the bread. "Lucky us..."

One of the members sitting with her, the large redhead Abraham, tried to hand her his portion, something they all tried but she quickly denied it. 

With a sigh, Maggie leaned back next to the girl, "We'll find a way out of here. We just have to be patient."

With a fine-line expression Juliet decided to simply humour the woman as she wasn't in the mood to argue, "Yeah. Sure."

Soon her husband moved a little closer, "How many walkers have you killed?" Glenn asked. 

Juliet look at him confused, "Walkers?"

"The dead ones," Sasha clarified. "It's what we call them. How many have you killed?" 

The teen shrugged, "I don't know. Five or so? I wasn't really the one to ever go out and actively try to kill those things."

In all honesty Juliet killed a couple in the past, helping her mother on the road but that was it. She luckily didn't come across many after she was alone and If I ever did, the teen would simply climb up a tree and wait it out. At the age of fourteen Juliet had still never touched a gun. The old camp refused to have child soldiers and as she looked back that could've been a reason for their downfall. 

"How many people have you killed?" Maggie then asked. 

Her green eyes widened at the question, "None?"

"Why not?" Glenn asked. 

"Why not?" Juliet asked very sarcastically. Of course she had a chance to kill people in the past, bad people, people who hurt her, people who deserve it. She understood the way the world worked. She was aware of the kill or be killed system. The train car she currently sat inside proved it. But she never did, because she had someone back then to do it for her. 

Letting out a long sigh Juliet finally spoke, "Because I couldn't-" the car literally shook as the sound of repeated gunfire went off. 

The group all shot to their feet as the firing continued. Juliet felt a sudden tug on her arm as they ran for a cover. Pushing the lot at the back of the car, farthest away from the sound. A rather faux sense of control over the situation. 

"Drop your weapons! Now!" Someone shouted once the shooting ceased, "Now!"

The clatter of weapons could be heard as the screaming continued, "Ringleader, go to your left. The train car, go. You do what we say, the samurai goes with you. Anything else, she dies and you end up in there anyway."

A sudden sound of someone's breathing hitching made Juliet glance up. Watching Glenn and Maggie stare at each other at the mention of a samurai. "Now the archer. Now the samurai. Stand at the door, ringleader, archer, samurai, in that order. Ringleader, open the door and go in."

The door opened as three scruffed up members walked in before the door was slammed behind them. 

It took a moment for the girl's eyes to adjust before she could see her new fellow captives. They seemed to be a standard trio. Two men and a woman. All looking as if they just went through hell and back. And judging from the gunfire, it's safe to assume they just did.

Juliet watched as the trio all sneered at the door in a similar fashion to her own. Pissed off and powerless to do anything. Just glancing at the bearded man in the middle's glare was enough to make Juliet squirm. 

Though it appeared as if Glenn wasn't frightened. Taking a moment before stepping out from the shadows, "Rick?"

The man, Rick, as well as the other two quickly turned around, allowing Juliet to get a better view of the trio. The woman of the group was rather beautiful, middle-aged, having dark skin and dreadlocks held back by a brown bandanna. Though she seemed younger than the two white men. Looking similar with one having black hair and the other with brown. 

The one Glenn called out to, Rick's, thick salt and pepper beard move up as he sighed in relief at the man, "You're here."

Maggie joined her husband's side while the others slowly walked over. Rick scanned the others behind over slowly, but before the man could say anything Maggie reassured the man they were on his side. 

Juliet didn't move. She wasn't a complete coward but she felt scared. All the people before her had this thick aura that made her squirm, as if she feared what they could do.  

"They're our friends. They helped save us."

"Yeah?" The black haired man next to Rick nodded, "Now they're friends of ours."

"For however long that'll be," Abraham muttered. 

"No," Rick quickly replied as he stalked towards the closed door. "They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out."

"Find out what?"

The man turned his attention toward the lot, "They're fucking with the wrong people," he moved away from the wall and towards the group. "This is the only exit?"

Sasha nodded, "Once a day they open it a smidge to feed us stale bread. If there's another way in they aren't using it."

Rick gave a nod as he took a moment to think. Scratching the back of his head before huffing, "If that's the case we need to be ready the next time they feed us."

"Ready for what?" The words came out of Juliet's mouth before she could even think. 

The result of her actions made her stomach fall, having the eleven adults trapped inside stared down at her. Even if she had so little food in her system she felt as if she would become sick on the spot. 

Rick giving the now terrified teen a glance before simply saying, "Before we kill them."

"With what weapons exactly?" Rosita crossed her arms. 

The man in the dried blood soaked jacket glanced around their cage. Juliet watching as he pulled out what looked to be an old pocket watch, "Whatever we can make," he muttered. "We tear this place apart. It's wooden floor so there should be nails. Pull them out. Use the wood. Take off your belts and break off the buckle. Anything that you have, make it sharp. The next time they open those doors we take them down," Rick commanded as he walked to one of the wooden pillars, using the chain to carve out a weapon. "Let's go!"

With the singular command of the stoic man, the group started to follow instructions. Tearing apart their jackets to use the zippers for makeshift gear, breaking apart their belts and pulling out the nails from the floorboards. 

The prison was eerily silent. Nothing but the low sounds of breathing as the inmates quickly worked. Juliet stared at the few rusty nails she managed to remove and placed them in her belt holes. Wrapping her makeshift weapon around her fist.

Turning to the side Juliet heard a small huff, noticing that Abraham was looking at her strangely. The teen bit her lip slightly in fright as she debated on speaking, "Is everything okay?" She whispered. 

Without words he grabbed the girl's hand and rearranged her fingers so Juliet's thumbs were resting on her knuckles instead of within the girl's clenched fists. 

Her head tilted as he gave the kid a nod and went back to working on his own weapon. Only both stopping once the other man who came in with Rick started to speak, "All right, got four of them pricks coming our way."

Those who were sitting quickly got to their feet as they formed a semi circle around the entrance, "Y'all know what to do. Go for their eyes first. Then their throats," Rick instructed as all prepared for the oncoming battle. 

Juliet slightly gulped, watching her hands shake once a voice from outside commanded the lot, "Put your backs to the walls on either side of the car now!" 

She tried to steady my breathing as the fear was pumping her blood. Feeling as if her heart was trying to force itself out of her body like one of those creatures in Alien. It was no longer a question whether or not Juliet had to kill someone today, it was a fact. 

If only the terrified teen wasn't so focused on the thought of killing, for maybe she would've heard those very people on the roof. 

Light burst into their prison before a small canister was dropped. No one said a word for a slip second until Aberham screamed, "Move!" But it was too late. 

The world went white with smoke as they all hit the floor. Juliet screamed before coughing violently once the smoke started to invade her young lungs. Her word spun around as her vision kept flickering between black and white. Making her barely react as a masked individual pried of her weapon and picked her up and threw her out of the train car and onto the pavement outside. 

The girl let out a massive groan as the side of her face scraped the coarse surface. Helplessly watching as a few others were taken out as well. Unable to react as the people of Terminus placed a gag in her mouth and tied her fragile hands behind her back. 

Of course she tried to squirm, crying and everything you'd expect a girl to do in a situation such as this. Though it didn't stop her captors from tying her ankles together and dragging her along with the others. 

The sounds of constant shouting was replaced by a single saw blade when they dragged her into an open room with a large metal tub in the centre. There was a massive variety of surgical tools scattered about on different portable metal tables. One being used to cut open something as they forced Juliet and the others to their knees over the clean tub. 

Now not being manhandled the girl had a better look around the area, noting three large bins in front of them. Each displaying a different word, Burn, Feed and Wash. 

Juliet's eyes then trailed over towards the men working with the electrical saw, and if she had more food in her stomach she would've been sick. Helplessly forced to watch the people cut open a naked person and placing the body parts into the three bins. 

She then fully understood the gravity of the situation, causing more tears to flow down. The place she was stuck in wasn't sanctuary, it was a slaughterhouse. Making her the unlucky cattle that wandered too close. 

Glancing to her left she watched Glenn and a few others she'd never seen before, while the man in leather, Rick and Bob were to her right. 

Soon the two Terminus members working on the body eventually stopped what they were doing and walked over. One picked up a metal bat while the other began sharpening a large butcher knife. 

Juliet continued to struggle within her zip-tied state as the two prepared to start. My teeth clasped around the gag as she tried to keep herself from full out balling. 

Juliet didn't want to die, but she was starting to understand that whatever she wanted didn't matter. 

So to keep herself from breaking down she watched the others around her, noticing how they all radiated these vastly different emotions. Some were full on crying while others, like the man Rick, were looking ahead with a fixed glare. 

Once the sound of knives sharpening stopped, her vision shifted to where the two Terminus members stood. Watching their plastic mocks smeared with blood crinkled as they hit the man at the end of the tub over the head. Once he went unconscious, the other pulled him up slightly and in one clean motion, as if he had done this before, slit his throat. 

Juliet Capulet's screams were muffled from her gag as the man's body slumped against the tub, allowing his internal fluids to pour into the confined area. As the others screamed louder Juliet forced her to look ahead as the sound of another throat being slit echoed across the room. Her own tears dripped into the tub, mixing with the other victims' blood going down the small drain. 

To keep herself calm in what appeared to be her ending she tried to think about the good that had to come out of this. There is always something good to come from the bad. Though all she could positively think was that the way she would die wasn't that bad. It could've been out a lot worse. Juliet could've been torn apart, starved, burned, eaten or abused. At least they had the decency to knock them out before killing them. As long as she didn't suffer it would be a good death. 

"Hey, guys," another figure entered the room, holding a notebook. "What were your shot counts?" He asked the two. 

"Thirty eight," the man with the bat replied as they slit the man next to Glenn's throat. 

Glenn's breathing became rapid as the impending doom washed over him. Gritting his teeth he waited as they wound up the bat, but they quickly stopped once, Gareth, the leader of the community, stopped them, "Hey! Your shot count?" He boredly asked the other man. 

He huffed, "Crap, man, I'm sorry. It was my first roundup."

"After you're done here, go back to your point and count the shells. Kaylee won't be gathering them until tomorrow," Gareth rolled his eyes, continuing to write in his logbook. 

"Hey!" Bob let out a muffled yell. "Hey, let me talk to you."

Though the man who led them all towards their doom ignored the man, "Five from A, four from D?" He casually stated while writing it down.   

"Yeah."

"Hey, let me talk to you for a minute. Let me talk to you for a minute. Let me talk to you for a minute!" Bob didn't stop screaming through his gag until Gareth finally gave him the time of day. 

He pulled his gag slightly down, "What?"

"Don't do this," Bob immediately started to beg. "We can fix this."

"No, you can't," he deadpanned. 

Bob shook his head and ran his mouth, "You don't have to do this. We told you there's a way out of all this. You just have to take a chance. We have a man who knows how to stop it. He has a cure. We just have to get him to Washington. You don't have to do this, man. We can put the world back to how it was."

Gareth gave him the fine line stare and placed the gag back on the pleading man, before turning his attention over towards the person next to him, "We saw you go into the woods with a bag and come out without it. Had to pull my spotters back before we could go look for it," Gareth knelt to Rick's eye level. 

He slowly took the gag off of the sweating man, "What was in it? You hid it, right? In case things went bad? Smart. Still, we'll find it. But it's too dangerous to go out there right now..."

Gareth leaned over and Juliet suddenly let out a small wail as he gripped the girl by the hair and yanked her face over the tub. He then pulled out a silver pointed blade from his side and placed it not even a full centimetres from Juliet's right eye, "What was in it? I'm curious. And it was a big bag."

Air was unable to stay inside the teen's lungs as she was forced to stare at the blade. Chewed her gag as she felt the weapon ghost over her pupil, "You really gonna let me do this?" Gareth asked Rick. 

Rick stopped huffing. His thick southern accent went eerily calm as he spoke, "Well, let me take you out there," he suggested. "I'll show you."

"Not gonna happen. This might," Juliet held in a breath as the blade came closer. 

"There's guns in it," Rick said, making the knife stop moving. "AK-47. .44 Magnum. Automatic weapons. Nightscope. There's a...compound bow and a machete with a red-red handle. That's what I'm gonna use to kill you," he proclaimed, making the other man chuckle. 

Gareth let go of Juliet's scalp and gently placed Rick's gag back on, "You have two hours to get them on the driers. I'm gonna go back to public face," he instructed the other two. "Now's the time we can get messy, but we need to dial it all in by sundown."

"Got it."

"Yes, sir-" the sounds of a few gunshots could be heard not too far in the distance, making Gareth freeze. 

The room went silent for a moment as he tried to get in contact with someone on his walkie-talkie. Only for a moment though, because a large bang went off causing the room to rumble, with all standing falling over. 

Gareth jumped back up to his feet as panic, voices scream through his device, "You stay here," he told the other two as they got themselves up. 

"Gareth, these guys aren't going anywhere-"

"Stay here until I know what's happening!" He screamed before running out of the room. 

The man with the knife scoffed, "So we just sit here?" 

The other shrugged, "Got a job to do."

He grunted and stomped over towards his work area and pulled out another device, "You there, Gareth?"

"He's busy."

"You smell the smoke? You hear the shots? He could be dead. The hell we doing here? The whole place could be going up," the man waved his knife around, throwing a tiny tantrum, causing the other to try and calm him down. 

"You went on one roundup and you blew protocol. We don't deal with security. That ain't our job. This is."

As the two continued to figure between one another, Juliet heard a faint snap of plastic. Her head shot towards the source and saw Rick with his hands now free and a piece of sharp wood in his grasp. While the two were distracted, having a little arguments still, Rick slid behind one and plunged the wood into his neck. The other Terminus member pleaded for his life as Rick stalked towards him, shoving the same plywood into his throat.

He rushed back and cut off the others' zip ties, "If they got problems, we got a chance."

Once Juliet was free she threw her gag aside and steadied herself on her feet, "What the hell was that?" She couldn't help but ask. 

"It sounded like a bomb," Glenn huffed. 

"Sounds like a damn war," the black haired man grumbled. 

"Right there," Rick pointed to the large set of doors in the distance. 

"What the hell are these people?" Bob asked as they started to walk. 

"They ain't people," the dark haired man went to put the Terminus member down but Rick stopped him. "Don't. Let him turn."

The group of five still standing went through one of the open doors leading them into what looked to be a makeshift meat locker. With human torsos and a variety of parts hung from the ceiling with care. 

Juliet's face went into a grimace as she glanced at all the different torsos strung up. That could've been her. That almost was her.

"Cross any of these people, you kill them. Don't hesitate," Rick commanded. "They won't."

Rick picked up a larger machete and walked towards the girl, "You ever use one of these before?"

Juliet looked down at the bloody blade and shook her head slightly, "No sir."

He nodded, placing it into her hands, "The skulls can be thicker sometimes. Strike downwards in order to finish the job," he instructed as Glenn located an exit. 

Glancing outside Juliet watched the destruction outside, seeing walkers everywhere and attacking anything. Making the girl assume whatever happens out there lead to a wall or something being breached. 

"If we run, we can get by them. They're distracted."

"We got to let those people out," Glenn told a concerned Rick. "That's still who we are. It's got to be."

Rick looked at his friend and let out a small sigh before opening the door. The five running out of the base, taking out the walkers on their way.

"Help me!" a boy shouted from inside the container, while Glenn struggled to open it. When it did, a man covered in tattoos, came out, screaming, "We're the same! We're them!" He grabbed onto Glenn before Rick shoved him away. 

The man continued to chant how they were all the same before a walker came up behind him and slammed him to the floor. Glenn ran forward and put the man and walker down before the black haired man pulled him by the shirt into the side of the container. 

Juliet was a little confused until she heard the familiar groaning and turned slightly, eyes widening at the sight of the massive herd of walkers breaking the fences. Followed by gunshots from some Terminus members trying to contain them. 

"We're going to have to double back," Bob looked over the side. 

"A is that way," Rick pointed in the direction of his group's confinement. "We go back, we don't know where we are."

"We don't really have a choice, do we?" The man asked as even more gunshots were fired. 

Her back went against the crate as her grip tightened around the large weapon, "Wait here," Rick gripped his long knife and ran towards the fire. 

He hid behind a car in the distance while the others called out for him. Watching the members of Terminus revealed themselves as they shot down the walkers invading their home. 

Even with their various weapons and who knows how much amo, it Juliet could tell it would be nothing but a loss cause. From where she stood Juliet could see hundreds of walkers dragging themselves into the cannibals camp. With one able to slip past the war zone and towards an oblivious Rick. 

It took a moment for me to react but once the girl realized what would happen she started running. With weapon raised Juliet plunged the machete down at a curve, allowing the blade to go fully into its skull and out its mouth. 

The curly haired man's eyes widened as he looked down at the dead walker next to him, "Stike downwards, right?" Juliet gave a small chuckle as he glanced up at the girl. 

The man gave a small nod before looking back at the problem in front of them. Waiting for the right moment Rick allowed the group of people to match forward allowing him to attack one of the stragglers in the back. After disarming him Rick stole the machine gun from the deadman's grasp and fired at the others legs, leaving them as nothing but walker food. 

He motioned his group to follow and ran back towards the way they came, making it to Train Car A. The cause of the explosion became clear as they saw a large gas tank in the distance, engulfed by flames.

Rick continued to shoot around the car, hitting every walker he could, while the others took down anything they could. Fighting her fears Juliet joined in the action and took out two walkers all by herself as Rick got the door open, allowing everyone to flood out, "Come on! fight to the fence!"

"Go, go, go!" The black haired man pushed Juliet forward while the others started to use their makeshift weapons as they ran to safety. 

Rosita grabbed an abandoned tarp on the ground and threw it onto the fence, covering the barbed wire, "Up and over."

"Let's go! Move!" Rick stayed back for a moment, making sure his people got over before joining. 

Juliet stayed slightly to the back as the others ran away from the nightmare they were imprisoned in. She watched the smoke cover the large letters written over the building, making a small frown form. Terminus, the place that promised her safety was nothing a lie. Her mother died for a fucking lie. 

Without thinking the teen raised her middle figure and shouted a silent 'fuck you!' Before running back to join the others. 

Once she got there the girl could see the group crowded around Rick and the dark haired man, "The hell are we still around here for?" Abraham asked 

"Guns, some supplies," Rick dug into the ground, pulling out a large duffle bag. "Go along the fences. Use the rifles. Take out the rest of 'em."

"What?" One gasped.

"They don't get to live," Rick simply said. 

"Rick, we got out. It's over," Glenn sighed. 

Rick shook his head, pulling out a silver pistol, "It's not over till they're all dead."

"The hell it isn't," Rosita turned up her nose. "That place is on fire. Full of walkers."

Abraham shook his head, "I'm not dicking around with this crap. We just made it out."

"The fences are down," Maggie added. "They'll run or die."

A snap brought them all to a halt, Rick snapped his head behind him, seeing an woman with very short grey hair standing behind him, holding a crossbow. 

Within seconds the darker haired man sprinted towards her and they embraced. The two shared a laugh as Rick, Maggie and Glenn all ran towards her as well. 

After they had their moment she said they had to follow her. The group all seemed to trust her immediately, making Juliet assume the woman must've been part of their group at one point. And judging from their reactions it had been a while since they'd seen her. 

She stayed near the end of the line as the woman led them towards an old cabin. Hearing Rick let out a choked sob once the door opened. Juliet watched with wide eyes as the man's entire demeanour flipped from tough and dangerous to excited and hopeful. Unsure as to why until she saw a larger man exiting the cabin with a baby. 

A few others gasped in astonishment at the child as Rick threw his things to the side and grabbed the baby. Watching the terrifying man sob as he planted a million tiny kisses over her head, "Is... is Carl... is- is he here too?" He struggled to speak. 

The woman's lips parted, "He wasn't with you?" She hesitated.

Rick's eyes scrunched together for a moment as he rubbed what Juliet assumed was his baby's back and held her even closer. 

The darker skinned woman who came in with Rick ran towards him as he collapsed. The two began to embracing as he sobbed into his child's head. 

Soon Glenn, Maggie, the dark haired man and the other women all joined in comforting the man. All holding onto the leader who seemed so powerful moments ago as he wailed.  

They stayed like that for a few minutes before Rick told them he was going to be okay and started holding his baby girl closer. Though Maggie didn't seem convinced as she continued to rub his back as the others gave him some space. 

As Juliet watched them she noticed how tightly knit of a family they seemed to be. She could only imagine what they had gone through together. 

Then she gave a glance at the other's faces. Even though she assuming they also had no clue over who this Carl boy Rick was crying over, they gave him a silent nod of condolences. Another tightly knit group. 

So with a sigh the lone girl Juliet Capulet turned her attention towards the sky. Thankfully the sun was still pretty high up, making her sigh in relief. She could make it pretty far from this place before sundown. 

Giving the people she escaped with one last look the girl silently thanked them before walking down the hill, "Hey kid, where are you going?" Only to be stopped once one called out to her. 

She halted. Freezing a moment before slowly turning around, seeing the full group's eyes all on her, "Um..." her chapped lips ran over one another. 

"You got a camp or something?" Rick asked, wiping the last of his tears away. 

"Well..." Juliet felt her face flush as all eyes were on her. Watching them looking at the girl with either confused or concerned expressions. "T-Thank you for helping me get out of there. You guys seem very nice but I can tell you're close. I-I don't want to be a burden..." she took another step back. 

It wasn't worth tagging along. They didn't know her and she definitely didn't know them. Juliet couldn't fight well and she knew that. It wasn't like she could run fast either. She really had no real value to add to the team, that's why she was looking for a community.

Rick and the others shared a look before Glenn whispered something she couldn't hear. The leader gave a small nod as he stared into the teen's soul, "How old are you?"

"Fourteen," she admitted. "I'll be fine. I've done it before and I can do it again."

The man holding a baby only stared at her before asking something she already heard that day, "How many walkers have you killed?" 

"Rick I already asked her," Glenn whispered but she still gave an answer so she could leave, "Ten."

"How many people have you killed?" 

"None."

"Why?"

"Because..." the girl trailed off with a sigh. "Because I couldn't do it to her," and she knew they could figure out who she was talking about. 

Rick gave a glance to what appeared to be his inner circle before using his head to motion towards Juliet. The man in leather gave a nod as he walked towards the girl. Making Juliet jump back as he tried to grab her, "W-What are you doing?"

The man didn't try to grab her again, but instead pushed her forward, "Come on. Let's go."

She quickly shook her head, "What? No, no, no. Keeping me around isn't a good idea. You've already saved my life, I don't want you guys to have to keep doing that. I'd just be another mouth to feed," she tried to say. 

"And you saved mine back there. It's what we do," Rick stated as the others started to walk. "Let's go. We're losing daylight."

The man continued to push the terrified girl along as Maggie gave a comforting smile, "Don't worry, you're one of us now."

Chapter Text

Juliet's filthy fingers squeeze the edges of her granola bar, making the wrapper create an all too familiar crinkling sound. As a form of entertainment the girl kept twisting it around and reread the flashy branding and ingredients list. For the eighth time. It wasn't much, but it was something. 

It had been a few days since the large group had escaped the trap of Terminus. Though some were not there by choice. Walking sun up till dusk seemingly with not much of a plan in mind. 

Of course there was talk of going to Washington, as one of them supposably had the cure. But as of right now their main focus seemed to be water and food. 

Today was no different as after a few hours of scavenging a few houses, their leader, who Juliet was calling her lead kidnapper, Rick Grimes, directed the lot to a spot by the road where they could make camp. 

As usual the group secured the location with a few safety measures made of string and cans, as well as a few traps for any game. Once that was done Juliet's captors started to settle in for the night. Gathering into their usual smaller sections before splitting their meals. 

One thing she rather was impressed by way the level of fairness. In a group as large of a size she quote-on-quote joined she expected more infighting. More drama. More... well more something. 

But they never did. Instead when they didn't have as much food left they found a way to split it evenly; or as evenly as they could. Juliet overheard Rick and his inner circle talking, spitting the rations, always agreeing to give her and the baby, Judith Grimes, more than a fair share. 

The girl huffed as she leaned against her tree. Thankfully, no one really bothered her. Too focused on their own storylines to say much to her other than, "Have you eaten?" Or "Would you like my portion?" 

She honestly wasn't sure why she was here. Both with them and alive in general. It just didn't make sense. 

Terminus should have killed her. Hell, many things should have killed her. She wasn't made for this world, she knew it. Her mother was the stronger one. Her sister was the smarter one. Why the hell was she still alive instead of them? 

As she continued to play with her food, Juliet started to inspect her captors. She probably shouldn't have called them that, but that's what they technically were. She didn't want to be with them in the first place but there wasn't a chance in hell they'd let her leave. And from what they had done at Terminus, now also having an array of weapons, she didn't want to find out what could happen if she did leave. 

Even though they've made it clear she was "one of them", she was still completely terrified. The rest of their walk after blowing up their prison no one really talked. Not that Juliet could truly blamed any of them for their silence. It wasn't like she wanted to talk after almost being slaughtered like cattle. 

So to pass time before they'd force her to move again, she looked around. Watching them rest with their closest companions. Even Rick, who had spent a great deal of time scanning the area, found a place to rest. 

Scared was probably the only thing Juliet could feel in the moment. She didn't know these people. Not a single thing about them or their pasts. She didn't know what would happen or what they would do to her. 

She gave a glance at the couple Glenn and Maggie. Watching from afar as the pair were locked in a deep conversation. Same with Abraham’s trio all discussing DC. 

Then there were the people Rick entered the train car with. Watching as the man and woman mumbled words she couldn't hear. Both radiated this 'don't fuck with me' energy, that Juliet definitely didn't have any energy to fuck with them. The same way she felt about the women who blew up Terminus. 

She seemed to not like the girl that much, giving her these strange almost haunted looks. Maybe she didn't like kids?

And then there was the grieving leader. Too enthralled with feeding his child. Judging from the scene he caused at the cabin this 'Carl' guy had been very important. And from the way he held his daughter so close Juliet had a good idea about who he was to him. 

"Wanna trade?" A smooth voice broke the teen from her own thoughts.

Looking up, Juliet accidentally made eye contact with one of the women in Rick's inner circle. Michonne. A rather pretty but terrifying woman with dark skin and thick and luscious dreads held back by a brown bandanna. 

Juliet couldn't find her breath as the woman smiled. Holding up her own granola bar and gently waved it for the teen to see, "I've got one with chocolate chips in it."

The girl didn't speak. Bitting down on her bottom lip to kee herself from crying in front of Michonne. It felt wrong, seeing her smile. No one in the group usually did. 

Still even with the flash of her teeth, Michonne's demeanour didn't change. She still had this rather threatening look to her. Even in that rather flattering white collared shirt. But seeing as she was expecting an answer Juliet forced herself to respond, "O...okay."

The woman wasted no time switching their granola bars. Snatching Juliet's almond one and handing her a s'more one by the same brand, "Thanks," she plopped down next to the teen. "I was a little jealous when I saw Glenn give you the last almond one."

"Oh, sorry," she quickly apologized, gripping her new bar a little tighter. 

"Nah," the woman waved it off. "I wasn't gonna complain, but seeing as you weren't eating yet I just had to come over with an offer. I almost threw in my bandanna," she gestured to her accessory. 

The teen's body continued to shake as the woman spoke to her. Should she respond? "Well... it is a cute bandanna," she mumbled. 

Michonne nodded before tearing open her meal and chomped down, "Too late. No trade backs," she proudly proclaimed with a few almond crumbs sticking to her face. 

She wasn't sure why sight of the scary woman with a face full of sticky granola was so amusing, but for some reason it made Juliet's frown start to disappear. Something the darker woman noticed. Smirking as she wiped off the granola, "I'm Michonne," she introduced herself. 

Juliet looked down at the hand reaching for her own, "Um... hi," she shook the woman's hand, feeling the sticky honey residue that kept her bar together. 

"You know this is usually where you introduce yourself, dear," the woman chuckled. 

The frightened girl gave a small nod but felt herself refusing to say her name. She didn't want to just yet. Not only was she uncomfortable beyond belief about this rather violent group, but she knew the consequences of a name. Names meant attachment, attachments meant she would have a harder time escaping. 

Michonne seemed to understand, or at least acted like she did, nodding as she folded up her granola wrapper, "Are you feeling okay? Get enough to eat?"

"I'm okay," she softly replied. 

Michonne could see right through her, "You don't like us, do you?"

Juliet's eyes widened in fright as she stared at the woman, "Um..." she hesitated. Knowing they'd want an answer, "N-no I do..."

"It's okay if you don't, you know?" She gave what appeared to be a comforting smile, "I know we appear to be a scary bunch, but in all actuality we're pretty lame."

Juliet obviously didn't believe that. Not one bit. This group? Lame? The bloodstains on Michonne's shirt was enough proof to disprove her claims and justify Juliet's fears. 

The child's body started to instinctively move closer together as she mumbled, "I kinda don't believe that ma'am..."

"Ma'am?" Her smile suddenly vanished. 

The girl's eyes widened as she watched Michonne's friendly face turn into a dreadful sneer. With not a drop of kindness remaining in her eyes. Poor Juliet felt herself shake as she practically begged for her life, "I... I didn't mean anything b-bad by it-"

For some reason, maybe it was the lack of water or even the fact this Michonne woman could be insane for all Juliet knew, the woman started to laugh. Loudly. 

Loud enough for a few other members of the group to pause their conversations to look over at the two girls. Juliet's face quickly turned red as she cringed. The dreams of escaping this group only growing with each breath Michonne gasped out.

"Honestly, I thought I was still too young to be a 'ma'am', but then again I guess with the new life expectancy I could be considered an elder," she hummed. "Hey Rick, am I of ma'am age yet?"

Juliet's head quickly turned as Michonne called out to the terrifying leader of the group. Looking half awake as he continued to feed his baby, "Michonne, please. I don't wanna get involved."

She rolled her eyes and playfully used her elbow to nudge Juliet, "If I'm an elder in this world he'd be ancient, right?" 

Though the chance of being funny only scared the teenager more. Biting her lip as she looked between the laughing woman and tired leader who still carried dried blood on his coat, "Uh... s-sorry. My mom taught me to always call adults by Ma'am or Sir."

"Smart mom."

Juliet just nodded as the woman continued to smirk, as if she had just gotten a bright idea, "Hey. Want some proof of how lame we are?" The woman chuckled as she pointed to a few of her friends, "That one there, Daryl, yeah he's terrified of horses," Michonne pointed to the gruff man in leather holding a crossbow. "We had some brought to our old camp and he screamed louder than Judith when they were being tamed."

She then pointed to another pair gripping their guns like lifelines, "Glenn and Maggie can't sleep well unless they're in each others arms, like some sick lovey-dovey couple," Michonne gagged. 

"Tyreese is a baby hog," she then smirked. "Any time Judy is around, he has to take a turn holding her. Though, I think he just wants to turn her into a mini-me."

Michonne then pointed to the short haired woman, "Carol-" she suddenly stopped off before moving on to another pair. "Bob and Sasha keep sneaking away to make-out... and the worst of all... The lame Rick Grimes." 

The man Juliet feared the most glanced up from his child as his friend started to tease him.

With a snicker Michonne pretended to whisper making sure Rick could hear, "This man is the lamest of us all," the man glanced up again with a bored expression as his friend teased him. 

His facial expression was less stoic. Almost disappointed, "Back in our old settlement we used to call him Farmer Rick. Spent a full dinner one day going on and on over some stupid tomatoes." 

Juliet watched the gruff man, drenched in others blood simply roll his eyes at the comment as Michonne continued to giggle, "Don't worry, love, we're not all as scary as we seem."

The still terrified girl glanced around the camp, seeing all the lame people carrying their rather large not lame weapons, "You're not gonna let me leave, are you?"

Michonne let out a sigh, "Dear... you'll get used to us. I promise. We aren't like those people that locked us up."

Juliet found herself going silent after that. It wasn't like she could fully blame Michonne or the others for keeping her here. Hell, if Juliet found a younger child wandering the streets she would probably do the same thing too. It wasn't cruel that they technically kidnapped her and wouldn't let her leave the group, it was human nature. Humans were made to nurture and imprint; And she should have been thankful that some humans still kept that trait as not many humans were left. 

She knew it was only a matter of time before she imprinted on one of them.

"Michonne?" the dark haired man, Daryl, called out to her. The two girls looked over to the man holding a crossbow as he gestured for the elder one to follow. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Michonne's smile flatlined as she scarfed down the reminisce of her almond bar. "Duty calls," she rolled her eyes as she stood up. "I'll be back in a bit, I'll give you some proper introductions to the lame people you don't know yet."

"Um... okay."

"And that s'mores bar better be eaten when I get back. I've been watching you stare at it since you got it," she pointed a finger at the girl. "Eat up," Michonne demanded as she walked away. 

Juliet gave a small nod as she stared back down at her dinner. Part of her wondered why she hadn't dug straight into her food yet, but then she remembered it was the first piece of proper food she held in days. Juliet was more enamoured by the fact that there was food then actually consuming it.

Taking a deep breath Juliet opened the wrapper allowing the crisp air to be released into the infected atmosphere. Pulling the shiny covering away she inspected the bar in full, feeling the marshmallow holding the granola in place stick to her fingers. 

Juliet's stomach growled. Unable to help herself and brought it up to her nose and gave it a good sniff. The sugary sent crept into her nostrils and infected her brain like a drug. Like the virus. It didn't take long for her to scarf down the s'mores bar, barely tasting it as it went down. 

Still unsatisfied, Juliet sucked on her fingers, obtaining the last reminisce of the marshmallow. Though she quickly threw them to her side when she noticed Rick's eyes on her. 

She threw her head in another direction acting as if nothing happened, making it even more awkward as her face flushed. 

Confused when she suddenly felt something thrown onto her lap, staring down a fresh granola bar. 

Her face contorted in confusion as she picked it up. Looking over at Rick Grimes, who was now putting his baby's bottle away. 

He must've noticed the young girl staring and said, "Eat up, we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

He stood up and Juliet quickly held it back up to him, "Sir, I can't take this. I heard Glenn say we were running low on food."

"All the more reason to get your energy up. We'll find more tomorrow." 

She shook her head, "No. Sir, I told you I don't want to be treated differently because I'm younger. You need to eat too," she desperately tried to give it back. 

He looked down at her. His stare made Juliet feel even smaller by the second, "When's the last time you ate?"

"Just now-" she stopped herself. His glare growing at the smart ass reply. "...three days ago."

"A rule you need to learn is if you are given food or water you take it no matter what."

He grabbed the bar from Juliet's hands and threw it back into her lap, "I ate last night. Eat it or I'll shove it down your throat," he threatened before walking over to Michonne. 

Juliet Capulet's mouth remained open as she processed his threat. Silently and slowly opened the wrapper and took a bite. And even from only the few conversations Juliet had with her new leader/captor, she knew deep down he wasn't joking about forcing it down her throat either. 

°˖✧✿✧˖°

The sound of a branch snapping made everything freeze. Everyone quickly aimed their weapons to where the sound was coming from. Juliet, who was still forced near the centre of the group raised up her machete and prepared for the walker to come out. 

Instead their main hunter, Daryl Dixon, coming out instead. He paused. Looking them all over before slowly raised his hands revealing a line of squirrels and his crossbow, "We surrender," he joked. 

It had now been a couple more days that Juliet had been part of the group, and was starting to understand these people's routine. Wake up at sunrise, walk, scavenge, rest at noon, walk till dusk, sleep, repeat. 

Much more efficient than her own. Walk, hide in tree, pray for a miracle, repeat. 

Rick whistled as they continued on their journey, "Keep close."

"Ready to get some concrete under your feet?" Abraham asked Rick. 

"I think it's time."

He hummed, "That is sweet music to my ears, Officer. Take the next road we come to, try to get back to going north till we find a vehicle. Good?"

"Good."

As they walked, Juliet had this strange feeling the group used to have another kid before her. It wasn't that they outright said so, she just an inkling. Especially as they all seemed to have this sort of unspoken agreement. Keeping the child in the centre of the line. Most protected if a walker came by. 

It felt a little strange being part of an actual group for Juliet. She wasn't wrong about them being a very tight knit group; they were more of a family to be honest. Something she never quite had. Even in the before.

Back in Detroit it was just Juliet, her little sister and mother. Just a simple family of three. Her father died years ago, she had no grandparents or extended family. It was just them. Just the three of them. It was safe. It was all she needed. 

And now she was here with all these strange people. People she still wasn't comfortable with. Yet Michonne still went out of her way to make her feel welcomed. Always sitting with the teen and giving her extra rations. Something Juliet found rather kind. Unexpected almost.

"Help!" They all froze when the repeated sounds of screams cried out. Rick threw his hand up to keep anyone from doing anything as they listened. "Help, anybody! Help!"

Rick remained silent as the sound of a man begging the gods for help continued. "Help! Help! Help!"

Everyone waited for a response from the bearded man before he huffed out a nod. Within seconds everyone pulled out their weapons and followed the noise. Juliet forced to follow as they made it to the crime scene. 

Passed the trees four rotted walkers could be seen trying to claw a dark toned man stuck on-top of a few large rocks. She could see him start to convulse when one of the monsters grabbed his shoe, trying to yank the man towards them. 

Tyreese took Judith from Rick, allowing the sheriff to shoot one of the walkers in the back of the head. While Michonne, Glenn and Carol all quickly and efficiently took out the other three with ease. Another then came from behind, though before anyone could even flitch, Daryl put it down. Finally shutting the screaming man up. 

"We're clear. Keep watch," Rick instructed the others before looking up to the man on the rocks. "Come on down."

The man, who looked to be wearing a priest uniform, looked to be on the verge of tears when he finally gained the courage to join the rest of them on solid ground. 

Rick tilted his head as he assessed the man they had just rescued. Looking him up and down before muttering, "You okay?"

He held a finger up before spilling his guts all over his shoes. Juliet's face contorted into a disgusted cringe. She tried and failed not to react as the stench hit her nostrils. Both the vomit and the dead mixed together as she did her best not to get sick as well. 

"Sorry," he wiped his mouth, sniffling. "Yes. Thank you. I'm Gabriel."

"Do you have any weapons on you?" Rick immediately asked. 

Gabriel started to chuckle, waiting for others to join in, but none of them would. He looked around at the thirteen and realized that they weren't joking, "Do I look like I would have any weapons?" He blanched. 

"We don't give two short and curlies what it looks like," Abraham tightened his grip on his shotgun. 

Gabriel shook his head, "I have no weapons of any kind," he paused. "The word of God is the only protection I need."

"Ha!" Juliet outwardly laughed before quickly slapping a hand over her mouth. "...sorry."

Juliet or her family had never been one for religion growing up. Of course they did celebrate things like Christmas and Easter, but they never went to church. Her mother used to go, but quickly stopped when she was old enough to make her own decisions. Telling Juliet she didn't like how the church in their area treated people. 

Her mother, Ophelia Capulet, did read the bible thought. Often keeping to herself unless asked by her children. Explaining how the book is supposed to be expressing love and acceptance but is used for the opposite. 

Juliet was all for believing what you want to believe in, that's your right, but forcing it onto others was something she couldn't stand. 

Luckily no one bothered to give the girl a second glance as Daryl turned his nose up at the new survivor, "Sure didn't look like it."

Gabriel began to smile with a sense of pride, "I called for help. Help came," he looked around at his group of very dirty, bloody, bruised and exhausted saviors. "Do you have... have any food? Whatever I-I had left, it just hit the ground."

"We've got some nuts," Bob handed him a few which he gladly took. 

"Thank you," Gabriel shoved a few into his mouth before he heard the sounds of cooing. His eyes locking on the small baby in Tyreese's arms, "That's a beautiful child," Rick's glare increased tenfolds as Gabriel looked at his daughter. 

The group kept their hands firmly around their weapons as the silence took over. Puffing out their chests to look more threatening as the Priest stood there. Awkwardly swaying back and forth. Juliet could tell he regretted mentioning the baby from how terrifying her group now looked. 

Babies were as rare as bullets. You knew they were out there somewhere, but it was still an unexpected thing to find. Juliet was shocked babies in general still existed. 

The first night in the camp she couldn't help but watch as Rick cared for the child. Watching her giggling and clapping as if nothing was wrong. As to Judith nothing was wrong. It was as if this was the little girl's world and the walkers didn't matter. 

She wouldn't be surprised if Judith was one of the last babies out there. Which was probably why everyone was on edge as Gabriel stood before them. He may seem weak, but as they learned in Terminus, appearances could be deceiving. 

"Do you have a camp?" Gabriel asked. 

"No," Rick stepped closer towards the priest. "Do you?”

He looked around the group before whispering, "I have a church."

"Hold your hands above your head," Rick instructed before patting the man down. "How many walkers have you killed?" 

"Not any, actually."

"Turn around," he practically threw the priest around himself. "How many people have you killed?"

Gabriel turned back with a look of disbelief mixed with disgust, "None."

Rick got in his face, "Why?"

"Because the Lord abhors violence," he stated. 

Rick's brows twitched as he tried to figure the man out, "What have you done?"

Gabriel hesitated. Sweat dripped down his hairless head, making it impossible not to notice that he was much more nervous now. 

"We've all done something," Rick added. Trying to coax an answer out of him. 

"I'm a sinner," he finally spoke. "I sin almost every day. But those sins, I confess them to God, not strangers."

"You said you had a church?" Michonne asked from her comfortable position on the rocks. 

"I can... I can take you all. I-If you'd like?" Gabriel turned back to the leader of the rather threatening family. Waiting as Rick nodded before taking them North of their direction. 

Walking, Juliet was pushed towards the middle of the lot. Standing next to Tyresse. Unlike before with their usual line formation, they created an oval shape, just in case the priests was leading them into a trap. 

"Hey, earlier, were you watching us?" Rick asked him. 

"I keep to myself," Gabriel shook his head. "Nowadays, people are just as dangerous as the dead, don't you think?"

"No."

"People are worse."

"Well, I wasn't watching you. I haven't been beyond the stream near my church more than a few times since it all started. That was the furthest I've gone before today... Or maybe I'm lying," he told them. ‘Joked’. 

Various weapons clicked as he chuckled, "Maybe I'm lying about everything and there's no church ahead at all. Maybe I'm leading you into a trap so I can steal all your squirrels," Gabriel wheezed as if he was the world's greatest comedian, but when he looked back all he got was a bunch of unamused stares, "Members of my flock had often told me that my sense of humour leaves much to be desired..."

"Yeah, it does," Daryl deadpanned. 

After a few more steps on the overgrown trail, they came to a clearing, showing a rundown white church. The roof tiles were almost nonexistent as the paint was chipping, but Juliet couldn't be picky. It was an actual roof over their heads for a change. 

A real roof as well. Not some train cart or broken down car. It had four walls and a proper door. 

"Hold up. Can we take a look around first?" Rick stopped Gabriel from entering the church. "We just want to hold on to our squirrels," Rick held his hand out for the key.

The Priest gawked at the man but his opinions were irrelevant when he was pushed aside. Rick, and a few of his closest members entering while another few checked the exterior. 

Gabriel tried to lighten the mood as he turned to the remaining members. He said a few jokes that went flat as no one really had the energy to smile. All just staying still and quiet to avoid the chances of walkers hearing them as they waited for their signal.  

Soon Rick and Glenn both walked out and gave a nod. Rick handed the priest his key and went straight to his daughter. Taking Judith out of Tyreese's arms and holding her tight, "I spent months here without stepping out the front door. If you found someone inside, well, it would have been surprising."

"Thanks for this," Bob smiled as Abraham walked out from behind the church.

"We found a short bus out back. It don't run, but I bet we could fix that in less than a day or two. Father here says he doesn't want it. Looks like we found ourselves some transport," Abraham explained to Rick, who was more focused on hugging his only child. "You understand what's at stake here, right?"

He nodded, proudly running his fingers through his daughter's small blond locks, "Yes, I do."

"Now that we can take a breath-"

"We take a breath, we slow down, shit inevitably goes down," Abraham cut Michonne off. 

She shook her head, "We need supplies no matter what we do next."

"That's right. Water, food, ammunition," Rick simply said. Heading inside the church, his people following like ducklings. 

Daryl was next to follow, "Short bus ain't going nowhere. Bring you back some baked beans."

"One way or another, we're doing what Rick does. We're not splitting up again," Glenn told the redhead before following his wife inside. 

"What he said," Tara followed close behind. 

Abraham watched the young girl walk and give a small defeated shrug, "I'm sorry, I fear him more than you," Juliet went up the steps. 

"We want to roll with you, but... what the little one said," Bob chuckled, joining the rest of them. 

Inside the church Juliet couldn't help but hum at the cleanliness of the place. Yes, it was covered in a layer dust, but there wasn't a speck of blood or any signs of walker scratches. The glass pane windows were relatively clean and it still had a distinct church smell of candles that made Juliet feel an urge of calmness. 

She immediately went to the front of the church and laid on one of the empty pews. Resting on something that wasn't dirt, while her leader continued to interrogate the priest, "How'd you survive here for so long? Where did your supplies come from?"

Gabriel smiled, "Luck. Our annual canned food drive. Things fell apart right after we finished it. It was just me. The food lasted a long time. And then I started scavenging. I've cleaned out every place nearby. Except for one."

"What kept you from it?"

"It's overrun."

"How many?"

Gabriel shrugged, "A dozen or so. Maybe more."

Rick looked around the room and nodded, "We can handle a dozen."

"Bob and I will go with you," Sasha joined Rick's side. "Tyreese should stay here, help keep Judith safe."

"That'll be okay?" Judith's father asked. 

Tyreese smiled, "Sure. You ever need me to watch her, need anything for her, I'm right here."

"I'm grateful for it. And everything else," Rick thanked him as his daughter cooed in his arm. 

"I'll draw you a map," Gabriel went to grab a pen and paper but was immediately stopped. "You don't need to. You're coming with us."

He froze, "I'm not gonna be of any help. You saw me. I'm no good around those things."

"You're coming with us," Rick told him once more, since it wasn't a question. 

Soon the heads of the group began to discuss the supply run, while the others went off to do their own things. Abraham and his trio went to fix up the short bus they found, Tyreese took a turn rocking a sleepy Judith, the Rhees were scoping out the area and Carol and Daryl went hunting, leaving Juliet to her own devices. 

Of course she asked if she could help anywhere, but Rick shooed her off. Michonne being a tad kinder and told the child to take a rest while she could. 

Which was something Juliet wouldn't complain about. So she rested. Her back on the carpeted floor as she entrained herself. She used her machete to do an art project. Carving random things into the wooded pews, and created a very messy stick family. Planning to do more until she then heard the wooden floorboards creak. 

Juliet quickly jumped into a seated position and had her blade tightly gripped as she stared at the visitor. 

Rick looked down at her and raised a brow, "Vandalizing God's property?" 

She shrugged, "He's already forsaken us. I think a little drawing on his pews is the least of his concerns."

He gave a small hum, "You might be right there." He held his hand out for me and helped her stand. 

"Is everything okay?" She asked. 

"Can we talk for a second?" 

"Um... I guess?" Juliet placed her weapon back into her holster Glenn gave her a few days ago before joining him on the pew.  

"Listen, I don't trust this guy," he told the teen. 

She nodded, "Okay."

"What do you think of him?" 

Juliet took a moment to come up with an answer, but the only thing she could do was shrug, "I don't know? It's kinda hard to trust anybody now," she said, sitting down on the pew. 

"Yeah... I get that," he sighed. "Well I don't trust this guy. And that's why I'm bringing him with me. But he could have friends. I know you don't really like us much, but I need you to understand. We look out for each other. I need you to stay alert... can I trust you to help Tyreese protect Judith?"

Juliet looked at the man. Her lips throbbed as she bit them. Rather frightened over Rick speaking to her, "Do you... trust me?"

He shrugged, "That depends. Do you trust me?"

"I know you won't kill me," she muttered. 

Rick sighed as he knelt before her, "I need you to hear what I'm about to say."

"Okay."

"You are not safe," he told her. "No matter how many people are around or how clear the area looks, no matter what anyone says, no matter what you think, you are not safe."

She gave a small, almost scared, nod as he raised a finger, "It only takes one second. One second and it's over. Never let your guard down. Ever. I want you to promise me."

"I... I promise," Juliet hesitated. 

"Okay, I trust you," he reached for his side and pulled out a small handgun and held it out for her. "I trust you with this."

Her eyes widened as he brought it closer, but Juliet just stared down at what her mother always referred to as the 'handheld death'.

"You ever use one of these?"

"No..." she continued to look down at it. 

"Here," he moved closer to her and showed the teen how to release the magazine before placing it back and showed the empty chamber. "See it?"

"Um... yes."

"When someone's in front of you and they have a gun you're gonna be scared. You will be," he promised. "Your body's gonna tense, you won't have time to think. You're just gonna wanna pull the trigger when it gets in front of you."

He stood up and pulled the girl up with him. Moving her and showing her how to shoot, "But you'll miss and you'll be dead."

Rick placed the gun in Juliet's hand and raised it to her eye level, "You have to get it up to your eye. You're gonna have to be strong enough to wait for your moment."

"Okay," she nodded and followed his instructions. 

He grabbed her hand and removed the finger from the trigger, "Your finger doesn't hit the trigger till you're ready to shoot."

She followed instructions and waited a moment before shooting the empty gun, making him nod, "That's good. That's good."

Rick took the gun once more and began to fill the magazine, "Now you need to remember this isn't a toy. This isn't something you can play with when you're bored or nothing. Guns are loud and they are dangerous. Using it at the wrong time could kill us all."

"Okay."

"Good," he handed Juliet back the gun and explained how the safety worked. "I trust you, okay? I'm giving you this because I trust you to hold your own. All I ask in return is you please keep any eye out for us. This guy, he's hiding something."

Juliet felt a little confused as the man who knew her for less than a week gave her a new lifeline, "I like Judith, Sir. I'll keep her safe," she whispered. 

"Good," He gave a small one and picked up his larger rifle, walking to the door. "And start calling me Rick. I don't need Michonne to have another thing to tease me about." And with that Rick had left. 

Even if Juliet still was terrified of the people she was with, it seemed as if they trusted her a lot more than she trusted them. 

°˖✧✿✧˖°

Having a gun felt so wrong for Juliet. Her mother hated guns. Absolutely despised them more like it. Even after the world ended she hated them. It was actually the reason her and her mother left their old community, St. Jones, a converted high school. 

Their leader was at war with this place called Woodbury or something; and wanted to use kids as soldiers to take down some Governor guy. Her mother was very pissed off since the only reason she choose that place was because they promised Juliet and her little sister would never have to wield one. 

So her mom took some food, a few knives and they left. 

Turned out she was right about leaving because when they eventually went back, the community was literally nothing but ashes. 

Juliet kept trying to fix her pants as the weapon felt uncomfortable on her person. She may have hated it but this was a necessity. Not only did her leader trust her with the weapon, but she also knew how the new world worked. Juliet needed to adapt. A gun was no longer a taboo thing to own, but a necessary tool for survival. Rick trusted her with it and she couldn't let the man who saved her down. 

The sun was much higher in the sky as and the ones who remained on the church grounds were all busying themselves.

To keep herself occupied Juliet walked around the church. She always found it fun looking around the abandoned and worn out buildings. When she was alone she had to make her own fun and she loved to make a story up in her head. There was always a story that she had to figure out within every place she went. 

And when she saw the strange scratches on the window ledge, she paused. Staring at them. They were deep, thick, much deeper than any walker could've possibly scratched. 

Juliet felt a pint of dread beginning to build as she followed the scratches. Taking her to the back of the building. Her feet eventually came to a halt when she noticed a very weird patch of peeling paint. She tilted her head, realizing that the peeling spelt out a few words. Her eyes widened when she properly read what was spelt out.  

"Oh... fuck," She realized it wasn't caused by any worn out wood. 

There in all capital letters was the phrase, YOU'LL BURN FOR THIS carved into the church.

Chapter Text

"What do you think?" Juliet's hands rested on the backs on her hips as her leader looked at the carving. Though Rick only responded with a huff, his thumb brushed against the carved words. 

After the group returned from their successful run Juliet hesitantly pulled Rick away from the others to show him what she had found. Rather afraid of how right he was. How untrustworthy Gabriel seemed to be. 

"I looked around the whole structure as well. There's many deep scratches by the window," she pointed to the other carvings around the church. 

"Could it've been walkers?" He asked. 

"I don't think so," she shook her head. "They all seem pretty narrow and deep, like knives. Walker scratches are wider."

The man let out a sigh and took his hand off of the wood, "You tell anyone else about this?"

Juliet's messy hair swished around as she shook her head again, "I thought you should be the first to know. I didn't want to cause any type of panic when you were out."

"Okay. I'll talk to them about it later," he brushed off the chipped paint that stuck to his fingers. "I don't know what happened, but whatever it is, we can handle it. Doesn't mean Gabriel is a bad guy for sure, but it means something."

"Okay."

"Come on," he motioned the young girl to move, "Hungry?"

She gave a small nod as he hummed, "Good, because we've got crates full."

Inside, the group Juliet was slowly starting to become comfortable with was sorting the the tubs, pulling out more food than she had seen in years, "Wow," her jaw fell at the sight. It was everywhere. On the pews. The floor. Even on an old table Gabriel pulled out from the back. 

The transition to only canned goods was surprisingly easy for Juliet. Unlike most people at her first and only camp, she never had a problem. As she grew up on canned food. 

Of course Juliet wasn't a fan of it back then. She sulked and begged for her mother to go out or pick something up instead. She never understood the real reason her mother did that for the small family of three, until she learned that it was all they could afford. 

So now as Juliet plucked one of the cans from the pile Maggie was sorting, she drooled. Actually drooled as she read the ingredients of the expired canned stew. 

Though before she could even ask to keep it, the can was plucked from Juliet's hands, "Thanks," Daryl stole it. 

It took a moment to process what he had done before she ran after him, "Hey!" 

He held the stew over her head and when Juliet tried to jump up to reach it, he held it higher, "That's mine!"

The crossbow maniac lifted the can even higher, "Sorry kid, first come first serve."

"First serve?!" She gawked, "You took it from my hands!"

The man shrugged, "Give us a name and it's yours."

She glared as the filthy man kept holding the contents over her head, lifting it even higher every time she tried to reach it. 

"Just let him have it, dear," Carol chuckled, as the others watched our little argument. "Conversing with him is like with a brick wall."

The teen's brows lowered as he showed a hint of a smirk. That little fucker. 

"Besides," Maggie threw a large tin, twice the size of Daryl's, in Juliet's hand. "Since he claimed that one you get the family sized one I already put aside for him."

"The hell?" Daryl dropped his arms. 

The women next to Juliet gave a shrug as the girl hugged the can of beef stew like a doll, "Sorry Daryl. First come first serve."

Before the man could reach for the new can, the church doors opened once more with Michonne stepping through, "Alright, fires going."

She clapped her hands together as she looked down at the large haul of food they scrounged. "Who's hungry?"

°˖✧✿✧˖°

When the sun fell, laughter inside the church drowned out the sounds of the dead outside. Instead of fear and hunger, the group was all smiles and giggles as they loaded their plates until there was no room left. 

Juliet tried to stick to her can of stew, which she ended up sharing with the others, but Michonne pushed the girl back towards the pews and made her grab more. Personally loading a plate for the teen. 

And the best part was even after they all took their enormous portions, they still enough cooked for seconds. Plus the much left over they hadn't opened. 

"Look what Father Gaberil found for us!" Glenn came from one of the back rooms, holding a few bottles of communion wine, grinning ear to ear.

People began to cheer as the man started to hand out the variety of strange cups and glasses to the egar adults. Even Rick, which surprised Juliet extremely, took a styrofoam cup. 

"You know... a good friend once told me that children in Italy have a little bit of wine with dinner," Glenn pointed the half empty bottle at the teen. 

Juliet raised her brow and took another bite of her mixed vegetables as Daryl snapped his fingers, "And France."

"And France," Glenn repeated as he poured a small amount into the styrofoam and held it out for Juliet to take. 

She couldn't help but be slightly curious about the taste. Her mother wasn't much of a drinker, but she had watched television. People were always downing wine in the movies. 

Juliet found herself reaching out to take the cup before suddenly stopping. Everyone confused as she glanced at their leader. Juliet heard he happened to be a cop before everything went down, so she wasn't sure on his opinion on underage drinking. And pissing off the man who just brought them all this food was not on her to do list. 

"Can I?" She asked Rick. 

The officer seemed more than surprised when she asked, "What?"

Juliet asked again, using her head to gester to the cup, "Can I have some wine?" 

Rick glanced around, realizing the attention was now directly on him instead of her. There was this strange ghost covering his expression, as if he somehow lived this before. Juliet was pretty sure if Judith didn't smush some of her food in his face he would've stayed frozen forever, "Uh, yeah," he finally responded. "I don't see what could hurt."

Juliet slightly smiled as she then grabbed the cup. The others all leaned forward as she took a sip. The young girl's eyes quickly widened as the gross and bitter liquid hit her tongue. Juliet's face contorted as she pulled away from the cup letting out a gag, "Ew!"

They started to laugh as she continued to rant about the drink, "How do you all like this stuff?" Juliet gaged, taking another sip. 

Tara gawked, being the first to notice what she just did, "You say as you take another sip?" She laughed. 

The teen kept herself from throwing up as she forced a large chunk down, "It's still a liquid," Juliet coughed. "Better than nothing, right?" She tried to swing the rest back but a hand stopped her. 

"Still you need to slow down," Michonne took the glass and replaced it with a water bottle. "We don't need you getting drunk on us."

Her head tilted, "You can get drunk off of one drink?"

The woman looked down at the naïve girl with a sigh, "Oh you innocent child."

Maggie let out a chuckle as she and Glenn sat next to their newest addition, "I remember the first time I got drunk. My daddy was so mad that he made me scrub the sables top to bottom," she explained as she took a sip of her own liquor. 

"You grew up on a farm?" Juliet fully faced her. 

"Yep," she nodded. "A big one too. Had been in our family for generations. Even after everything went down we had herds of cattle and other livestock. We lasted pretty long there."

"Dang," she responded instead of pushing her further for questions. Having a small idea about why she or the others were not at this farm anymore. 

"I'd like to propose a toast," Abraham called out to the group. "I look around this room... and I see survivors. Each and every one of you has earned that title. To the survivors," he raised his glass. 

The girl couldn't help but smile as they all raised their drinks into the air. A few let out a few cheers while others clapped. She took notice of the moment of joy surrounding the church. Unable to help but catch sight of her leader place his cup down. Rick Grimes not in the mood to celebrate his survival. 

"Is that all you want to be?" Abraham then asked. The room went quiet. "Wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rinse and repeat? 'Cause you can do that. I mean, you got the strength. You got the skill. Thing is, for you people, for what you can do, that's just surrender. Now, we get Eugene to Washington and he will make the dead die and the living will have this world again. And that is not a bad takeaway for a little road trip."

Judith began to coo in her father's hold, making him shush her. 

"Eugene, what's in DC?"

Every eye turned towards the mulleted man who sat on a loan pew. He let out a small cough to clear his throat before saying, "Infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even of this fubar magnitude. That means food, fuel, refuge. Restart."

Juliet knew never one to fully judge someone based solely on their appearance. It didn't really matter now anyways since looks were the last thing on anyone's mind. He just didn't look like someone who knew how to save the world.

In reality, the only sign of uncertainty was cleanliness. If you came across a soul with perfect hair and skin, it's a trap. 

The quiet teen couldn't help but feel a little guilty about laughing in the group's face a couple days ago. If this guy was legit, which it seemed as if the others were dead set on, maybe there was a chance at living. 

"However this plays out, however long it takes for the reset button to kick in, you can be safe there. Safer than you've been since this whole thing started," Abraham told them. "Come with us. Save the world for that little one."

Rick pulled Judith even closer and began to run his hand up and down her small back as she desperately tried to pull off his facial hairs. 

"Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there... who don't got nothing left to do except survive."

The room was quiet. Not a single person was ready to speak as we all processed what was told. 

A chance. That's what was on their mind. A chance.

Up until recently Juliet thought there was nothing. She didn't think she'd make it this long. She had a feeling her stupidity would be her downfall, but somehow she was the last one standing of the Capulet house. 

A loud sheerk came from the youngest of the group. The lot turned their attention to the small girl clapping her hands together. Judith's infectious giggle filled the tension as she pulled her father's beard hair. 

One thing Juliet had learned about the terrifying man was that he had only two facial expressions. The main one was very cold. His eyes were always lowered, always calculating everything out, never letting his guard down. But when he looked at Judith... "What was that?" He smiled. 

When he was looking down at his baby he was always smiling. It was kinda scary how normal and happy he seemed to be around her. And if you looked closely you could see the small dimples hiding behind his beard. 

He started to chuckle as the girl continued to babble, "I think she knows what I'm about to say," he turned to Tyresse as a few others chuckled at the baby's words. "She's in. If she's in, I'm in. We're in."

Michonne let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding as some started to clap, "Let's do it."

"Yeah!" The vibe in the room went back to its original excitement as the others began to chatter amongst each other once more. 

Sasha was quick to pluck Judith from her father's arms as he pulled Father Gabriel aside. After a while Juliet had finally finished her plate. Her eyes shut as she let the strange feeling of a full belly wash over herself. She never thought she'd ever be full again. She was glad she was wrong. 

Soon the conversation shifted to another topic. Michonne grabbed herself and Juliet a bit more to eat, which she gratefully accepted. 

Then soon Rick joined the others again. Stealing back his daughter from Sasha as Maggie began telling them a story as Judith continued to make small noises in the background. 

Juliet didn't mean to, but tuned the farmer's daughter out as she kept glancing at the small child. Judith's existence was the most impressive thing she had ever witnessed. For the longest time she thought kids like herself were extinct. At one point Juliet was sure that she was the last of her kind, but she was wrong. 

She was glad she was wrong. 

Juliet felt her dimples reveal themselves even more as the little one started to shove small bits of food in her father's mouth, which he happily accepted. Unable to stare in awe as the terrifying man rubbed his nice against the baby's own. 

Though Juliet wasn't subtle enough. That or Rick was just very cautious of his surroundings. Since he noticed the new girl watching him and his daughter. 

"Want to hold her?" The question came as a shock. 

Juliet blinked a few times. Her eyes shifted between him and the child, "...um-" Before she could finish, her leader had already leaned over and placed Judith in the girl's arms. "Oh..."

Juliet's body froze. Her arms extended outwards as she held the child an arms length away. She tried to be gentle as Judith squirmed. The baby obviously uncomfortable as Juliet tried to hold the anomaly without damaging any of her delicate organs. 

It seemed the feeling of confusion was mirrored onto the baby as she stared at Juliet with the same expression. Her drolly fingers played with her mouth as Juliet tried to not drop her. 

The woman next to the girls couldn't help but laugh, "What are you doing?"

Juliet could feel herself shaking as she kept her eyes locked on the baby in her shaking hands, "I don't want to break her."

"Break her?" Rick raised a bushy brow as Judith started to squirm in the older girl's hold, making Juliet cringe. 

"Have you ever held a baby before?" Maggie asked. 

Juliet's cringe turned into a deadpan, "Does it look like I've ever held a baby before?" She was much too young to remember holding her little sister. 

Judith started to fuss as she was most likely very uncomfortable from her position, making her father cringe, "You know what? Just... just- here."

Rick moved closer and grabbed Judith, placing her closer so the girl's head rested on Juliet's shoulder, "There," Then fixing the position of the teen's hands. "Better."

That made Juliet's breathing hitched as the little girl moved around to make herself comfortable. The moment Judith relaxed in her hold, Juliet felt herself do the same. The baby's head nuzzled into the pale girl's neck as her tiny fingers gripped Juliet's blue sweater. Able to hear her small breaths rattling in her ear. All while her thumb ran up and down Judith's tiny back. 

"Wow," is the only word Juliet could muster. 

"I know right?" Michonne smiled, "There's nothing more calming than holding a baby."

"Yeah," she breathed as the baby started to fall asleep. At first it surprised her how fast Judith was able to do so. For as long as Juliet could remember sleeping was more of an afterthought. 

Sleeping meant letting your guard down. It meant being unaware of your surroundings. Every time you close your eyes you have a chance to not wake up in the morning... or worse. 

The first night on her own was definitely the hardest. Juliet remembered being up in a tree. A sobbing mess as she wondering what would come for her first, sleep or a walker. 

Even now, sleeping was rather hard. It wasn't as if she didn't trust the group still, they literally saved her life and kidnapped her for safety or whatever, it's just too many risks. 

But Judith didn't have that problem. She didn't understand what was going on, she didn't know the risks, the terrors or the dangers of closing your eyes. She was innocent. So incredibly innocent that she could easily fall asleep on the shoulder of a girl she even didn't know. 

And as she snuggled closer into Juliet's side, she couldn't help but slightly frown. Innocents wasn't something possible in this world. Juliet lost her own a lot sooner than she would've liked to. But maybe she could help her keep Judith's as long as possible. 

It may seem a little impossible considering the things trying to kill them every time they breathed, but if a baby could survive this long anything could be. 

Juliet then let out a chuckle. Nuzzling her cheek against the baby's, "Hi Judith."

Juliet would protect her. 

The little girl let out a small hum as she started to lose her grip on the sweater, falling asleep at last. 

"I think she likes you," Rick ran the back of his pointer finger on Judith's cheek. 

Juliet was on the verge of tears. Unsure why as she refused to take her eyes off the absolute angel, "She's so cute."

"She takes after her mom."

"Obviously," the words left Juliet before she could think. Her calmness vanished as she snapped her head up and looked at Rick Grimes. Shaking in fear as they made eye contact. 

Rick's body stopped working for a moment as he glanced up at the girl. Though Michonne couldn't hold in her loud laugh as Rick's brows lowered, "Keep it up and I'll put you on diaper duty," he lightly pushed Juliet's head as Michonne was a drunk giggling mess. 

He rolled his eyes. Pushing his friend's arm and made her move so he could sit back properly. All while Juliet focused on the baby once more. Nuzzling her face into her fuzzy head, just barely showing any signs of hair, "She's sweet."

Maggie let out a hum and patted Juliet's knee, "She's always been so. You should've heard what we used to call her back then," she changed the conversation.

Glenn picked up on it as well, "Yeah," he smiled. "Daryl nicknamed her Lil Ass Kicker."

"Ass Kicker?" Juliet raised a brow. 

"Yep. Labelled on her crib Daryl created and everythin'," Maggie poured herself some more wine. "Even found some markers to make it look all nice and pretty."

"See? I told you," Michonne kicked Juliet's foot. "Daryl is lame."

Juliet found herself starting to let her guard down. Chuckling along with them. 

"He's nothing but a big softy, right Daryl?" Glenn leaned behind him to the next pew, "Daryl?" 

The pew he was sitting in was now empty, making the man tilt his head, "Where'd he go?"

"Probably went to take a piss. You know him," Maggie waved it off as she took another sip. 

Though Glenn didn't seem that convinced, "Yeah... but I don't see Carol either."

The others glanced around the room, seeing that neither of them were visible. That was a little strange. Usually when the two of them went hunting they'd inform the others. Strange. 

"Have any of you seen Bob?" Sasha walked over to the small group, "I can't find him anywhere."

Rick, going back to his usual cold expression, turned to look up at her, "Could he be in the washroom?"

She shook her head, "No, I just checked. The other didn't see him either."

Of course Juliet should've never let her guard down. It could never end good.  

°˖✧✿✧˖°

Juliet's right hand stayed firmly on the hilt of her machete as she kept making glances at the sleeping girl, who she kept slightly rocking side to side in her makeshift crib. 

After they triple checked the interior of the church most of the group went to explore the outside, looking for Bob, Daryl and Carol. Putting Juliet on babysitting duty. Not that she minded of course. It wasn't like Juliet wanted to go outside into the dark woods. 

She tensed when the doors opened. Her breath being held until she saw it was only Sasha, Tyreese and Rick. Though her tension came back when the darker women stomped right up to Gabriel, who was slightly pacing back and forth with a rosary in hand, "Stop. What are you doing?"

Juliet pulled myself and the basket holding Judith a little further away from the group as she knew an argument was about to break out. 

"What are you doing?" She asked again as the man refused to speak. "This is all connected. You show up, we're being watched, and now three of us are gone."

"I..." the priest began to avoid eye contact as his chest convulsed. "I don't... I don't have anything to do with this."

Sasha unsheathed her knife. "Wait!" He jumped back as Rosita told her to drop the blade. 

"Sasha, put it away," Tyreese demanded while Abraham pulled Rosita back.  

"Who's out there?" She stalked towards the man of god, who took two steps for every one she took. 

"I- I don't have anything to do with this-"

"Where are our people?"

"I don't have anything to-"

"Where are our people?!" 

"Please, I don't have anything to do with this. I-"

Rick finally got involved. He took the girl's arm and pulled her back. Once she was behind him he asked, "Why'd you bring us here?"

Gabriel, with hands raised out in surrender begged, "Please, I-"

"You working with someone?" 

"I'm alone," he promised them. "I'm alone. I was always alone."

"What about the woman in the food bank, Gabriel? What did you do to her?" Rick took a step forward making the man stumble into the wooden blockade, trapping him. 

"'You'll burn for this.' That was for you. Why? What are you gonna burn for, Gabriel?" He grabbed the priest by the collar and lifted him up, "What? What did you do? What did you do?!" 

Once he let go the shaking man started to pant. He looked around the room with tears already breaking through and admitted, "I lock the doors at night. I always lock the doors at night. I always lock the doors at night. I always..." he began to break down. "They started coming, my congregation. Atlanta was bombed the night before and they were scared. They were-" his breathing staggered between a mixture of tears and hiccups. "They were looking for a safe place, a place where they felt safe. And it was so early. It was so early. And the doors were still locked. You see... it was my choice."

Gabriel paused for a moment, "There were so many of them and they were trying to pry the shutters and banging on the sidings, screaming at me. And so the dead came for them. Women... children," Gabriel looked directly at the two young girls, Juliet and Judith, which pissed off their leader even more. 

Rick forced his eyes back onto him, making the sobbing man continue, "Entire families calling my name as they were torn apart, begging me for mercy. Begging me for mercy. Damning me to hell. I buried their bones. I buried it all," he cried. "The Lord sent you here to finally punish me."

Gabriel collapsed onto the wooden floor and started to heave as he admitted everything to them, "I'm damned. I was damned before. I always lock the doors. I always lock the doors."

Sasha scoffed at the man's breakdown as she put away her blade. Before she could say something to him a faint whistle that could be heard from outside. 

Juliet's head shifted, hearing the few notes being called out to them, making her eyes widen. There was something off. As when the group whistled to one another it was alway a single note. The one she head was three. 

Glenn peaked out from the windows and gasped, "There's something...? There's someone outside lying in the grass."

"Sasha," Rick tried to stop her but she was already out the door by the time he said her name. 

A few ran after her and the sounds of walkers could be heard as Sasha screamed Bob's name. Juliet jolted up immediately when gunshots went off, followed by Rick ordering them back inside. 

She pulled out her new gun as they brought in a very injured Bob, groaning as they laid him on the floor. Soon the rest of the group outside came in quickly and locked the doors behind them. 

They crowded around the man as Juliet finally left Judith's side to see what was going on. Unable to help herself at the sight and three her hand over her mouth to hold in a gasp as she saw the sight before her. Bob was now missing a leg. 

"Oh my god, oh my god," Sasha panted looking her boyfriend up and down, "What happened?!"

"I was in the graveyard. Somebody knocked me out. I woke up outside this place. It looked like a school. It was that guy, Gareth," Juliet's stomach dropped at the name Bob said. 

She suddenly felt sick. The skin around her right eye become itchy as the scene at Terminus played in my head again. Her hand slowly reached up to scratch the feeling away as the sight of the silver blade looming before her right pupil plagued Juliet's mind. How close she was to losing the eye. To death. A violent one at that. 

"And five other ones. They were eating my leg right in front of me. Like it was nothing. All proud like they had it all figured out," he explained. 

They looked down at his leg and Juliet noticed how neatly bandaged it was. Almost as if they were planning on taunting him. Eating him alive slowly. She regretted eating so much as her stomach began to do somersaults over the thoughts of what was going to happen. 

"Did they have Daryl and Carol?" Rick asked. 

Bob shook his head between pants, "Gareth said they drove off," he started to groan, but tried to repress it. 

Sasha grasped his hand. The pain in her eye visible, "He's in pain. Do we have anything?" She turned to Rosita. 

She nodded, "I think there are pill packets in the first aid kit."

"Yeah."

"Save 'em," Bob told her. 

"No."

"Really," he gritted his teeth, before shifting himself to face his girlfriend better. The man looked to be on the verge of tears once more as he slowly moved his shirt down, revealing a large bite on his shoulder, "It happened at the food bank."

The room went quiet as Sasha closed her eyes. She shook her head and suppressed her tears as she told her love, "It's okay," moments after she said those words the man's head collapsed into Tara's lap. "Bob?" 

He said it happened at the food bank, which was hours ago, and he never told anyone. Meaning he wanted anyone to know until it was absolutely necessary. 

He wanted the group to be happy before he died, "There's a sofa in my office. I know it's not much, but..." Gabriel trailed off. 

"Thank you," she said as Tyreese moved the man into the office. 

"Do you know the place Bob was talking about?" Rick asked Gabriel. 

"It's an elementary school. It's close."

"How close?" He got no response, making the man repeat himself. "How close, Gabriel?"

He sighed, "It's just a ten-minute walk through the woods from here, due south of the graveyard."

The sounds of smaller cries made Juliet turn towards the small basket. She glanced at Rick, silently asking permission to take care of her, making him nod. 

Walking over the girl picked her up from out of the blanketed interior and held her close, slowly calming her down. 

Maggie walked out from the office with a grim expression making Rick turn around, "Does he have a fever?"

"He's just warm."

"Jim lasted almost two days before we left him," Glenn added. 

"Time for a reality check," Abraham told us from the other side of the aisle. "We all need to leave for DC. Right now."

"Daryl and Carol are gonna be back. We're not going anywhere without them," Rick said as a matter of fact. 

"I respect that, but there's a clear threat here to Eugene. I need to extract his ass before things get any uglier. So if y'all won't come, good luck to you. We'll go our separate ways," he turned around and started to walk towards the exit. 

"You leaving on foot?"

"We fixed that damn bus ourselves," Abraham stopped. 

Rick began to stalk towards him and Rosita, "There are a lot more of us."

"You want to keep it that way? You should come."

"Carol saved your life. We saved your life-"

"Well, I am trying to save yours! Save everyone's!”

"We're not going anywhere without our people."

"Your people took off."

"They're coming back."

"To what, picked-over bones?!"

Juliet placed her hand over Judith's ears as the two got into a very heated argument that had to be broken up by Glenn, "Hey, hey, stop! Now! Do you really think that you're gonna be any safer leaving right now in the middle of the night?"

"Yeah," Abraham told them. "Yeah."

"What about tomorrow?" Glenn suggested, "We need each other for this. We need each other to get to DC. We can get through all of it together."

"I have an idea. If you stay just one more day and help, I'll go with you to DC no matter what. Okay?" Tara stepped forward. 

"Glenn and Maggie, too," Abraham demanded. 

"No."

"Good luck, then. I'm not interested in breaking up what you have here. Rosita, grab your gear."

"Abraham-"

"Now," he cut her off. "Eugene, let's go."

The scientist's eyes were almost as wet as his hair as he sat frozen on the pew, "Eugene. Move it."

"I don't want to," he told the man with the beautiful moustache. 

"Now."

"Okay."

"You're not taking the bus," Rick said as his voice went eerily calm. 

"Try to stop me."

The church came to pregnant silence as Rick started to walk towards the larger man. Even if Abraham was much more muscular, Juliet knew who would win the battle. So did Glenn as he ran between the once more, "You stay... you stay and help us, and we will go with you," he told Abraham, pissing off Rick, "No."

"It's not your call," Glenn said before turning back to the other man, "You stay, help us."

Abraham took his time to reply. He carefully thought the offer over and glanced towards his girlfriend and the scientist before finally saying, "Half a day. Come high noon, we're taillights. I'm not waiting for the other damn shoe to drop. And we will leave with you. Twelve hours. Then we go."

And then they began to plan an attack to this day Juliet still had nightmares about. 

°˖✧✿✧˖°

The small group of seven stayed behind as the others went to attack. Leaving the bait locked in the small office space at the very back of the church. The plan was very risky.

Even after they explained it to the others multiple times Juliet felt herself doubting the risk. As most of the group all stayed low to the floor, like one did during a school shooting drill, she stayed up with a hand resting on her gun.

Ironic isn't it? 

Once the sounds of the front doors being pried open could be heard, the girl who never shot a gun before pulled out her weapon and pointed it at the locked office door. 

She let herself take in a deep breath as multiple footsteps could be heard from outside, "Well, I guess you know we're here. And we know you're here," Gareth shouted from the other side of the building. 

To keep herself calm, Juliet followed the one of the teachings she had learned in her favourite novel, breathe through your nose and out your mouth.

"And we're armed. So there's really no point in hiding anymore," the sounds of wood creaking made Juliet involuntarily shake. "We've been watching you. We know who's here!"

Juliet gripped her gun a little tighter as the man who tried to kill her a few days ago started to eerily and accurately list everyone in the room, "There's Bob, unless you've put him out of his misery already. And Eugene. Rosita. Martin's good friend Tyreese. Juliet." He paused a good moment between every name he listed. "Judith."

Her eyes trailed to the baby momentarily, who started to stir. Juliet couldn't help but pray in the church that she would tune out Gareth's yells and fall right back to sleep.  

"Rick and the rest walked out with a lot of your guns," he taunted them. "Listen, we don't know where you all are, but this isn't a big place. So let's just stop this now before things get more painful than they need to be."

The door handle began to jiggle, making the small group tense. Rosita quickly moved herself against the same wall and raised her shotgun, ready to strike as well. No words were spoken as we prepared for the action to come.

"Look, you're behind one of these two doors and we have more than enough firepower to take down both. Can't imagine that's what you all want," the sounds of a gun cocking could be heard. "How about the priest?"

Gabriel gasped, covering his mouth with his rosary when Gareth called out to him, "Father, you help us wrap this up, we'll let you walk away from this. Just open the door and you can go. You can take the baby with you. What do you say?"

That's when Judith started to cry. Everyone's stomach went to their shoes as they turned to the crying child. Juliet quickly lowered her gun and ran to Judith's side, trying to calm her down. 

She placed her gun down and started to rock her basket while rubbing her head. She eventually grabbed the girl's finger with her hand and started to only let out small incoherent whimpers. 

As Juliet continued to try and calm her down more guns being cocked could be heard right on the other side of their door, "It's your last chance right now to tell us you're coming out."

"Are we done?" Another person asked. 

"We'll hit the hinges."

Juliet moved herself over the basket and prepared for the bullets to fly out, only once they did the door remained unscathed. Hearing the sound of two bodies hit the floor on the other side of the door. 

"Put your guns on the floor," Rick, sounding calm as ever, demanded. 

"Rick, we'll fire right into that office. So you lower your gun- Ah!" Gareth cried out in pain as his gun hit the floor. 

"Put your guns on the floor and kneel."

"Do what he says. Martin, there's no choice here," Gareth whimpered. 

"Yeah, there is."

"Want to bet?" Abraham grunted. 

Juliet could hear the rival group's leader, Gareth, gasping out in pain, "No point in begging, right? No. Still, you could have killed us when you came in. There had to be a reason for that."

"We didn't want to waste the bullets."

"We used to help people. We saved people. Things changed. They came in and-" Gareth groaned from his bullet wound. "After that... I know that you've been out there, but I can see it. You don't know what it is to be hungry. You don't have to do this. We could... we can help each other."

"Help each other?" Rick asked in a blank tone. 

"You said it yourself, you were looking for a boy. Your son. We haven't had a kid in ages, the first was that girl in there. He is probably out there somewhere right now. We can help each other."

There was no speaking for a good minute. It seemed as if Gareth knew whatever he suggested was going to bite him in the ass as he quickly backtracked, "Or we can walk away. And we will never cross paths again. I promise you.”

"But you'll cross someone's path. You'd do this to anyone, right?" Rick asked, "Besides, I already made you a promise."

The sounds of a blade could be unsheathed as Gareth cried out, "No!"

People began to cry out in agony as the rest of the group outside the office killed the remaining Terminus members. Juliet could hear bones cracking and organs squishing as the grunting became louder. With the loudest grunts coming from Rick and Michonne. 

Tyreese opened the door slightly to see the damage, and when Rosita tried to look as well he pushed her back and closed the door. Telling the others they did not want to see it. 

Eventually the beating stopped as Rick whispered, "It could have been us."

The door opened once more when Rick came in and told his family the threat was gone. Juliet looked him up and down and noticed he was not drenched in blood. He became the blood. Covered in so much it was as if he took a bath in it. 

There was so much that Juliet was sure even after seven baths in the stream not too far from here would get a single layer off his scarred skin. 

Once Juliet knew he was fine, she took a step around him. Ignoring Rick's protest and stepped out from the office. She walked into the main room and saw the remnants of the Terminus cannibals. It was brutal. 

The group's heads were all mush on the ground, perfectly blended into the carpet as it looked like it was pressed in place. Most of their stomachs were torn up, stabbed and shot at. 

But Gareth's was the worst. 

His body looked more like the reminisce of a walker attack. His stomach was completely outside his skeleton, he had more holes than a sponge and his head looked more like a blooming onion than anything. 

And Juliet felt nothing. 

She thought seeing them would bring a strange feeling or cause a reaction in some way, but she just felt nothing. 

These people have taken so much from this world. They lead people, like herself, including herself, into a mouse trap. They have probably killed more innocent people than walkers in their lifetime. 

If Juliet was a day earlier, who knows what could've happened to her. 

She was never a fan of the death penalty, but this was an exception. The world has changed. It's kill or be killed and they would not be killed by scum like them. 

Taking another step towards the man who tried to kill her, a long holster caught Juliet's attention.  

"Kid..." she ignored Rick as she leaned down and pulled the blade that Gareth once held against her out. 

She moved it around and got a better look at it. It was long and thick with a nice and sharp pointed head. Gareth must've had it polished, or he never used it, since Juliet could see her reflection gleaming off the silver material. 

Keeping a blank face she glanced back towards the body and pulled off his undamaged belt and strapped it around her cargo pants. She pulled out her gun from the back of her pants and placed it into the empty left holster before taking her new knife and placing it back in the right holster. 

Once Juliet stood back up and noticed the others staring at her with blood covered faces. She made eye contact with them as her hand stayed firmly gripped on the hilt of her new weapon. 

Juliet gave him a nod and the leader nodded back, motioning her to come back into the office. 

And passing Gabriel Juliet followed her leader into the clean room, "This is the Lord's house."

"No. It's just four walls and a roof," Maggie corrected him. 

Chapter Text

As the sun went up into the sky Bob was lowered into the ground. The fever took him quick; but still allowed him to say goodbye to Sasha. 

Outside the church the group all stood around the small plot. Watching as Sasha planted the cross above. No words were spoken as the grieving woman tightened the rope holding the sticks together. 

It didn't take long for members of the group to slowly break away. Heading back inside the church so they could remove the remains of the people they had murdered meer hours ago. 

Eventually leaving on Sasha, Tyresse and Juliet in the graveyard. 

Juliet didn't know Bob well. She didn't really know anyone well. But he was still an important person to the ones here. Making him important to her. 

She reached into her pocket and slowly rubbed the contents inside. A large part of her was embarrassed by the not-so handy-work she had constructed in the early morning, but being in the woods meant she had to make due with what she could find. 

She moved closer to the grave. Focusing on the grieving girlfriend who sat with her head leaning against the cross. Juliet stayed quiet. Not interrupting the moment and took Sasha's laxed hand. Taking the small bracelet constructed with grass and tied it around her wrist. 

She eventually looked over to see the braided grass blades woven around her wrist, "What...?"

"It's something my sister used to do," Juliet blushed. "Though she used actual string and not grass..." 

Seeing as Sasha was still a little mentally out of it Juliet quickly pointed to the design, "It has three blades. One represents the person you lost..." Bob. "Another is your loved ones, like Tyreese. And the third is you," she brought her fingers together to emphasize her point. "It's woven together to show that even though people will come and go the love you had will never disappear."

Sasha didn't say anything to the young girl. Her glossy eyes glued to the green grass a girl who refused to even say her name had spent all morning creating for her. 

It wasn't good. Ugly looking. Not even close to as beautiful as the ones Juliet's sister Portia could make. But Portia wasn't here. Juliet had to remind herself that. 

Juliet pressed her lips on one another as the silence filled the field. Her muddy shoes dug into the dirt as the awkwardness built brick by brick, "I'm sorry. I know it's stupid," the teenager cringed. "I'll just let you be." But as she tried to leave, a sudden strong set of arms wrapped around Juliet's waist and pulled her to the ground. 

No words were spoken as Sasha squeezed the girl tightly. Not that any were needed. 

When the sun rose higher in the sky, half of the remaining members of the group prepared to embark on their journey to DC. Leaving Juliet with Rick, Judith, Michonne, Gabriel, Sasha and Tyresse. Waiting for Daryl and Carol to return. 

But when the sun went down the reminisce of Juliet's new group silently sat around the pews. 

Judith made a few cute noises as Rick tended to her. Wiping the mushy peas off her face as he whispered praises to the little one. Juliet had found a new source of entertainment with the little one. With no television or radio she had to find fun where she could. Who would've thought babies could be so entertaining. 

Michonne had pulled out a few red solo cups that afternoon and the girl went ballistic. Judith acted as if the cups were the best toy to ever exist, throwing them around and chewing on the ends of them, making little dents with her tiny teeth. 

Juliet found herself smiling when she was allowed to sit with her while the others took turns on watch. Building cup castles and knocking them over to make Judith giggle. 

Then when Rick took his daughter away so she could get some sleep, Juliet was alone. Sitting on a bloodstained pew as she looked around. Figuring out what to do. 

Putting her empty plate to the side she found herself glancing over at the front door. Michonne went on watch a few hours before they ate and for some reason Juliet felt bad for her. 

So she took a clean styrofoam plate and dumped the remaining quarter full can of peas onto it. No one stopped the girl as she went outside to join the darker women on the porch.

Michonne didn't acknowledge her at first. Her vision off in the distance, awaiting for something to happen. Though she only glanced over when Juliet went between her arms that clutched onto a sword for dear life and placed the plate on Michonne's lap, "Thank you."

She smiled and sat next to her, "I didn't know if you had eaten. Gotta look out for each other... right?" 

She smiled, "I'm guessing that means you accepted your place in the group?" 

Juliet shrugged, "Maybe."

Michonne gave a quick laugh as she continued to look ahead. Her eyes thoroughly scanning the area, while she held a weapon that Juliet found rather interesting. A samurai sword. 

Her fingers were wrapped around the hilt as if Michonne feared to let go of it. The overall weapon was rather beautiful and very useful when Juliet thought about it more. A samurai sword was light but very sharp, allowing the woman the ability to easily take multiple targets out with a singular swipe. Plus, it most certainly looked badass to use. 

"Was that yours before?" 

Michonne's attention snapped away from the forest and back to the girl, "What?"

"Your sword. Was that yours before?" Juliet pointed to it, "I remember hearing Gareth yelling for you, Rick and Daryl to enter the train cart with us in order to let some samurai live. Were you the samurai?"

She looked back at the blade and loosened her grip ever so slightly, "Yeah. That was me."

"Wicked," Juliet moved a little closer so she could see the intricate designs running along the sword's covering. "Can I... can I hold it?"

Michonne turned her full attention towards the young girl. Watching as she started to come out of her shell, "Please, I'll be careful," Juliet asked again.   

The samurai glanced between the girl who wouldn't say her name and her prized weapon. Michonne waited a moment before handing it to her with a overly dramatic sigh, "Just don't drop it."

Juliet sat up properly as the katana was placed in her lap. Her eyes were wide. A faint smirk appeared as she trailed her hand down the white covering, feeling the multiple layers running along her calloused fingers, "You must've been excited to get this back... right?"

Michonne shrugged, "Not really. It wasn't mine in the first place."

"You kill someone for it?"

The older woman's jaw found itself against her throat as she looked down at the child, dumbfounded, "Is that what you see me as?"

Juliet shrugged, "Not completely but from what I've seen..."

She slapped Juliet's shoulder, not too hard but enough to feel it, "No. I didn't kill anyone for it. I found it, at the very beginning," she defended her honour. 

"Are you good with it?"

She shrugged, "Everybody believes so. It was just me and them out here during the beginning. Before Rick and the others saved me," she sighed. "All day, every day, a good long time and a lot to practice on."

Michonne leaned back and rested her back against the top step of the church, "I don't know what that was, but it wasn't a life... not like today," she grabbed her plate and took a spoonful of peas. "Resting in a church with a can of peas, that's living."

The girl couldn't help but chuckle along with her new friend as Michonne continued to eat. Juliet wasn't sure why laughing was starting to become easier. At one point she thought joy was an extinct animal rotting among the billion carnivores carcasses limping along the plains. Yet there she was. Smiling. 

Juliet started to realize how different life now was after she was kidnapped by the group. The way Abraham described the walkers was hysterical. Often commenting on their looks or about how badly they smelled. Making the monsters loose a bit of the fear factor in a way. Daryl was also unintentionally funny with his comments and Michonne was always there to push his and mostly Rick's buttons when the group was uncomfortably quiet. 

She wondered if this was what a family was like. 

Back in the before, it was just Juliet and her mom and sister. She had no family in Detroit so it was just the three of them. Juliet never minded it, since it was her version of normal. 

That way of living, on top of the month on her own, made being with so many people rather strange. Juliet liked it though. She liked the noise. 

Her Mom did say Terminus would be the start to the rest of her life.

"Juliet."

Michonne stopped eating, "I'm sorry?"

"Juliet," she repeated herself. "That's my name. Juliet."

The woman sat up properly with a smile. A type that she had seen only a few times with her mother back in the before. A proud one. A prideful one. Michonne's teeth were on full display as she looked at the younger girl, "You have a very beautiful name, Juliet."

The girl felt her smile grow. Showing off the dimples that had been hibernating for years, "Thank you." 

Michonne reached forward and placed her hand on Juliet's own. Giving the child a gentle squeeze as she continued to hold the katana. Noticing the drops of dried blood still present on the white handle. 

Blood didn't scare Juliet anymore, it was a part of life. Everyone had it. Everyone needed it. Walkers salivated over it. That was life. At one point she would've gaged at the sight of a splurge of blood on anything but now... nothing. 

"Um... Michonne? May I ask you something?" Her lips ran over her teeth as her eyes stayed locked on the blood. 

She nodded, squeezing her hand a little tighter for comfort, "Of course."

Juliet shifted as she finally handed Michonne back the sword, "Last night. When what happened, happened..." she sucked in a deep breath. Wanting to find the least insane way to say it. 

Though Michonne already beat her to it, "Juliet," she placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "What we did last night was not what you think. We had no choice. If we didn't take them out they would've done much worse to us."

She shook my head, "That's not what I meant," Juliet's hands ran over the siding of her new blade. "When it happened... when I saw what was left of them... I felt nothing. Is that bad?" She cringed, finally gaining the strength to look at Michonne. 

Though instead of the reaction Juliet was expecting, Michonne remained calm, "No. No, it's extremely normal."

"Really?"

She nodded, "The world isn't what it used to be. You have to fight to survive or you die. It's as simple as that.”

"I know," she frowned. "It just makes me feel like monster-"

"Hey," she made Juliet face her. "You are far from a monster. You are a survivor. You made it this far all on your own, you understand. You. Are. No. Monster."

"Yes Ma'am."

Her hand met Juliet's side with a slap, "I told you not to call me that."

Juliet chuckled once more as they both went back to watching the thick woods, "Yeah, I know."

It was a good thing they did, as moments later there was a loud snap of a twig off in the distance. The girls both froze before jumping up. Michonne unsheathed her blade as Juliet pulled out her gun, following close behind the woman as they ventured towards the noise. 

Though when the being finally revealed itself, they were not met with the face of a walker, but a very dirty Daryl Dixon. 

Michonne let out a loud sigh in relief but Juliet stayed a little on guard, he looked off if that was the right word. The amused glint in his eye she had grown accustomed to was not there. Still, she lowered her weapon as Michonne asked where Carol was. 

Daryl turned behind him and told another hidden figure to reveal themselves, "Come on out."

Instead of an older woman with short choppy hair a boy who looked to be a few years older than Juliet with baggy clothes and a very noticeable limp came out of the shadows, "Where's Rick? We've gotta problem," Daryl sighed. 

°˖✧✿✧˖°

Carol was taken. That's what Juliet was told. As well as another girl that had been important to the group. Beth her name was. Maggie's little sister. 

Juliet didn't question it that much, especially since when they brought Daryl and the boy, Noah, inside she was sent to bed so they could discuss a rescue mission. 

From what she was able to gather, Carol and Beth were being held in a hospital. Though the more Juliet overheard Noah say, it sounded much like a cult rather than a community. Beth apparently helped him escape but got caught; one thing led to another putting them in this situation. 

Once Juliet woke up in the morning, Rick instructed the remaining members to tear the inside of the church apart so they could fortifie the place until whenever the rescue was done. 

Juliet's fingers became bruised from pulling out the nails in the pews but she didn't complain. To their faces at least. Judith was a good listener. One who never repeated any of her statements as well. 

As Noah helped Juliet lift a chunk of wood over the window, so she could nail it down, she couldn't help but overhear Rick and Michonne's conversation, "He wants to go to Atlanta, but I can't have that," Rick told her. 

"Then you stay. I'll go."

He huffed, "I owe it to Carol."

"We all owe Carol."

Rick let out a rather staggered sigh, "I owe her more," he moved past his closest friend and started to walk back inside the church. 

"He won't be there, Rick," Michonne's words made him freeze. "You know that, right?"

"You don't know that," he said as if it were a matter of fact. "We don't know until I go there myself."

After the place was properly fortified, Sasha, Tyreese, Noah, Daryl and Rick all grabbed their belongings and prepared to embark on their journey. He gave Judith one last squeeze before handing her back to Michonne, "We'll be back soon," he kissed his daughter's forehead before joining the others. 

Though, the moment Juliet closed the doors Judith began to cry out for her father. Michonne did her best to shush her while the girl grabbed another plank of wood and placed it over the entrance.

Now all they had to do was wait for the others to return. 

"Hungry?" Michonne turned to Juliet. 

She nodded, "Always."

"Good, because I hid a can of peaches just for the two of us," she pulled the girl along. Trying to keep the energy inside the tense and broken church light.  

The morning was pretty mello after that. Seeing as how they were alone with Gabriel, Juliet tried to show him how to properly protect himself from walkers, considering he barely ever left this church, but that ended with him gagging when she explained how to use a machete. 

He left not long after to be alone in his private study while Judith and Juliet cozied up in another corner, swapping stories. 

"Ha-ga-RHOO!" 

She nodded, "And what did your dad say?"

"Ya-baba-dabada," she threw her arm down. 

Juliet's jaw dropped, "You did not?!"

She giggled, "Heki!"

"Wow," she moved her a little further from her lap. "I'm not gonna lie Judy... but you're kinda scaring me a little."

She laughed a little more as her hand found its way inside her mouth, muffling her babbles, "What's going on?" Michonne walked over with their lunch. 

"Judith is just telling me how she overtook the state of Georgia in a fortnight," Juliet hummed. 

"Is she now?" Michonne snickered and plopped herself next to the girl. 

She nodded, "Yep," Judith took her free hand and moved it up and down. "I took out the senator with only a jar of peas and two loaded diapers," she spoke in a high voice to imitate her.

Michonne whistled, "That's my girl. Taught her everything she knows. Don't tell Rick that though," she whispered the last part before plucking Judith from the younger girl's grasp, placing her in her own lap. "There's my little girl. You hungry?"

Judith squealed even more as Juliet opened the can of mushed food and handed the woman the spoon. Michonne scooped the contents out and began to feed the happy girl, whispering praise after praise. 

"Oh Beth is gonna be so excited when she sees you," Michonne cooed. 

The young girl could feel her dimples show as she watched the baby, "I'm guessing Beth and Judith were close?"

"Yep," Michonne continued to feed her. "Back at the prison Rick was always busy farming and Car- and I was out on runs so Beth took the lead watching her."

Juliet nodded, catching her little slip up, but pretended to not catch it, "So how did Beth go missing?" She changed the topic for Michonne's sake. "Did you lose her at the prison?"

Michonne shook her head, "No actually Beth was with us for a while."

"What happened?" Juliet handed her a napkin. 

Michonne let out a sigh as she cleaned the girl's face, "When the prison fell I ran into Rick crying over a car seat, Judith's," she explained. "He thought both his kids died and was ready to just let the dead take him as well. Both Daryl and Beth found me trying to get him to move before the three of us had to physically drag him away from our home," she sighed. "We just didn't know that Tyreese had already gotten her to safety."

"Then what happened?" 

"I don't even know. One moment we were in an abandoned house and the next we had a small herd of walkers at our door. We told Beth to run and she was gone. Some car took her and we lost her," Michonne pulled Judith a little closer. "Then we saw the maps to Terminus and Rick was convinced some of our people would be there, like her. Then the rest was history."

Juliet nodded, "Well I for one am excited to meet her. Another girl close to my age would be kinda fun."

Michonne smiled once more, "She's gonna be so-"

"Please! Let me in!" The sounds of Gabriel's screams put their conversation on hold. "Please! Let me in! They're close!"

They both turned towards the front doors as the priest continued to plead out for help. With the moans of walkers surrounding the outsider walls of the church. 

"Please don't leave me out here! Please! Michonne!" He banged on the door. "I had to see it! I know now! Let me live with it!

"How did he get outside?" The girl's jaw fell as they stood up and ran towards the door. 

Michonne placed Judith in her harness and put her on her back, "Wait!"

The girl went to try and pry the front doors open, but the nails were embedded too deep within the frame. Impossible for the teen to move on her own. Father Gabriel's pleas mixed in the walkers' snarls making my eyes ring. Still Juliet tried to help until Michonne pushed her aside, "Get back."

The woman held an axe in the air before chopping the wood away. Juliet quickly pulled out her gun and once the doors opened she pulled Michonne inside, the child using her weapon for the first time. The drawback spooked Juliet, making her miss the first time but by the second and third she was able to just hit one of the walkers. 

Michonne pushed Juliet and Gabriel back as she unsheathed her katana and began to chop down multiple walkers with single swipes. 

Though there were still to many for them to take on, "The rectory, come on," Gabriel pulled the girls into one of the spare rooms where a large hole in the floor, leading to the outside, could be seen. 

Gabriel slammed the door shut behind them, while Michonne unstrapped Judith in her harness and handed the baby to Juliet. 

She understood what was at stake and put the baby on her back. Juliet silently instructed to get Judith out of there. 

Juliet slid between the boards and made her way to safety with the other two not far behind. She pulled Gareth's blade out and snuck over towards the front entrance, putting down the walkers who were already impaled by the fences they placed that morning. While Michonne closed and locked the front door with her belt; and finally, for extra protection, Gabriel slammed a plank of wood between the doors. Locking them inside.  

The three survivors and a baby slowly stepped away, catching their breaths, watching the front doors jiggle with every slight push the walkers made from the inside. Judith began to stir, causing Juliet to shift slightly so she could rest more comfortably on her back as the walker's before us tried to open the church doors. 

"Now what?" Juliet eventually asked as the silence was getting to her. 

She just simply huffed as she cleaned the blood off her blade, "We wait for the others," she then turned to the priest. "Where did you go?"

Gabriel let out a very staggered sigh as his hands became one with the rotted wooden fencing, "The school. I had to see," he slowly turned to face her. "I had to know."

BANG! Another loud crack came from the church. The trio and the baby watched helplessly as the plank of wood fell to the ground. Michonne stepped in front of the children and prepared herself. Blade at the ready while the door protecting them started to break open, revealing the monster's faces. 

"M-Michonne?" Juliet stuttered while the other two started to back away as well. The three prepared for the small swarm to break free but the incoming sound of traffic had another idea in mind. 

A bloody fire truck whooshed through the trees and planted itself in front of the doors. Juliet jolted as a large thud rattled throughout the woods. She and the others didn't even have time to question the new potential threat before seeing Abraham and company come out of the beat up vehicle. 

Maggie ran into Michonne's arms while the younger girl received a couple head pats from Glenn, "You okay?"

Michonne squeezed her friend tighter, "Yeah."

"What happened?" Juliet asked as Rosita gave her a side hug, "Why did you guys come back?" 

Rosita let out an almost annoyed sigh as Glenn huffed, "Eugene lied," Michonne pulled herself away from Maggie and walked closer. "What?"

"He can't stop it. Washington isn't the end."

Juliet felt a strange feeling of disappointment when he told them that. Even though she was very sceptical about the whole thing, the girl still was hopeful he was telling the truth. Though sadly she was right. The only cure was a clean shot to the head. 

"Where is everybody?" Glenn looked around, changing the subject quickly. 

Michonne gave an excited smirk, "Beth's alive. She's in a hospital in Atlanta. Some people have her, but the others went to get her back."

Maggie sucked in a breath, "Do we know which one?"

"Grady Memorial."

The farmer's daughter let go of the samurais hands and let out a large sigh in relief, "Oh, my God!" She practically laughed as Glenn pulled her into an embrace. 

"Let's blow this joint, go save your sister."

Maggie practically pulled everyone back into the truck and started the vehicle herself before Abraham even had the chance to step inside. 

The entire way towards the hospital Maggie was going on about Beth. She sat next to Juliet, all giddily as she played with Judith in her lap. Juliet never seen the woman so happy before. 

When they eventually got there the younger girl was handed Judith and told to stay inside to keep an eye on the babe so they could retrieve Beth a little easier.

But once Juliet finally got the little one to settle down so her head could rest against her shoulder, the teen heard the most horrid wail possible. And in only the span of two days, Juliet had to already make another grass bracelet, and even if she had never met Beth this one hurt much more for some reason. 

Chapter Text

°˖✧✿✧˖°

Carl Grimes was in awe by the amount of security they had at Sanctuary. The massive fences, the living people on patrol and even the dead ones lining the exterior to mask the living's scent. 

He remembered how his friend used to do something similar when she was on her own. Said that if you cut off the arms and jaw of the monsters, they made for great camouflage. The smell of death overtook the scent of blood. He just never had seen it in practice before. 

Carl's gobsmacked expression must've been very noticeable as his new leader/technical captor had nudged him, "Impressive, eh?"

The boy tried to play it cool. Shrugging as he placed his hands in his pocket, "If you have a taste for walker chic," he replied. 

Even if it had only been a short while since he joined the Saviors, he wanted to impress them. Carl wasn't used to being treated differently. Back in the prison and way before that, he was always just seen as a kid. Rick's kid. More of an object that needed to be protected at all costs. 

Part of him thought that after his little sister was born, Carl would be given more leniency as there was now a baby to look after. But they didn't. They got worse. 

After the girl was born he was promoted to "Official Babysitter". Always having to hold and look after her while the adults handled all of the business. The most he could do was plant vegetables. 

But with Negan? He didn't treat him like a fragile object. He saw the boy as a person. As a man. Carl was never seen that way before. 

Negan chuckled. Pushing Carl's hat over his face, "Walker chic. Kid, you're something else."

The boy smiled. Fixing his hat as his friend motioned him to follow, "Come on. You're gonna wanna see the chic interior." 

Rather strange how Carl looked so much like a child when he ran to Negan's side. Following like an excited puppy. 

°˖✧✿✧˖°

The small convoy of cars parked outside of an abandoned community. Littered with enough townhouses to hopefully have something the group of survivors could use. 

It had been about a week or so since they had left the hospital after their failed rescue attempt for Maggie's little sister. With nowhere else to go and nothing to do, Rick decided they would carry out Beth Greene's last wish. 

Before Beth died she wanted to get her friend Noah back to his community. He said it was large and had more than enough room for the entire group. Noah was positive that getting him back meant they would be welcomed with open arms. 

A place to go. A place to rest. A place to survive. 

That gave Juliet a strange feeling inside. She was rather scared of the thought of a new community. After Terminus, Juliet didn't know if she could trust another place. She still barely trusted her group. The only person she told her name to was Michonne. A woman who wouldn't tell anyone else as she said it wasn't her place.

Of course the people weren't bad, per say. Glenn and Maggie were very nice to the teen. Always making sure Juliet ate, even though they were rather upset lately. Not that she could blame them. The two still wore their grass bracelets with pride even. Of course Judith, who Juliet became more acquainted with as her main holder on the road was also someone Juliet liked.

But out of all of the people she was with, Juliet was becoming scared of Rick the most. No matter how much they called him lame, she didn't see it. His dead stare and bushy beard... it just... it just freaked her out. 

It wasn't like he was mean to the girl or anything, he was rather kind at times. Making sure she ate, slept and wasn't bit, but his presence turned quite terrifying. Especially after he returned from the hospital with Beth's body. As if he was pissed off someone else wasn't there. 

Ever since Beth, Rick Grimes had been given Juliet strange looks. She wasn't sure why at the time, but she started to believe that he hated her. She didn't even know what she did to make him this angry. She didn't do anything wrong. Juliet was just breathing! 

But that was the thing. Juliet was the one breathing. 

Her. This random girl neither he nor anyone in his group, his family, knew. She was just there. Out of all the teens that the group knew, Juliet Capulet of Terminus was the only one to survive. 

That was why she couldn't trust Rick Grimes. Even though he was the leader of her group and she will obviously listen and do what he said, Juliet won't ever trust him. She can't. 

Who could trust a man who hated the fact that she was alive? 

The group was like a dandelion. She was one of the many fuzzy seeds on top of the flower. Growing attached to the others and wondering what would come next. Only for a gust of wind, an unexpected thing, to blow the others away. She just wondered how much longer this group would last before the wind came. 

It was going to come soon. Juliet could feel it. The group no longer had the welcoming atmosphere she had grown accustomed to in the church. After Maggie's little sister died, it felt as if the group lost the light it had. No one cracked jokes, no one tried to talk much and the conversations became about only supplies, resting or walkers. 

"Alright listen up," Rick had the large group surround him and Daryl. "The map says we should be going through nothing but forest for awhile after this. So this is probably the last food source 'till we get to the community."

He pointed to each and everyone. Giving them all different assignments, "Glenn and Maggie, I want you on that block over there. Tara and Noah take that one. Sasha you take Tyreese and Rosita and clear that last section. Daryl and Carol check the woods, see if there's any source of water. Michonne take..." he paused at Juliet. Still not knowing what to call her. "Take her and cover this block. Abraham and Eugene will find some more gas and I'll keep watch with Judith over there," Those words weren't a suggestion. 

"We meet back up here at sundown. We can clear a house and stay the night, than we're gone and not stopping," there was a silent nod in agreement before the group split up. 

Michonne casually grabbed Juliet's arm and led the girl toward the first house, "Dream Team at it again, huh?"

Almost everyone's light had died. Michonne was the only one to try and keep a smile on. Well... with Juliet and Judith at least, "Did you bribe him or something?" She asked the woman. 

Michonne tilted her head, "What makes you say that?"

Juliet shrugged, "I would've bet a candy bar Rick would've had me in the van watching Judith while he went with you."

"Thank god he didn't because if he did that means I wouldn't have been able to open this!" She reached inside her bag and pulled out a strange yellow compressed can, "Bam, Crazy Cheese. Found it still sealed and everything. Now I'll be nice and let you have the first pull."

She was not expecting the young girl to crinkle her nose in disgust. Juliet may have been hungry, oh god she could go for something that wasn't two years old right now, but even the child had some form of standards. 

"No, thanks," she said blandly. 

Michonne dropped her hand immediately, "What? Are you sure?"

"I'm good."

"You don't seem good," she quickly told the girl. "You never deny food."

The kid glanced down at her can of gross chemical cheese, "Yeah but that's not food... it's crap." 

Michonne quickly sped past Juliet and opened the can, filling her mouth with the faux cheese. The teenager couldn't help but look at her friend in utter disappointment as she watched Michonne imitated a Walker with the stringy chemicals which fell from her lips. 

Not knowing what to do, Juliet pretended nothing was going on and side stepped around her to head up to the porch, "Rick'll be mad if we don't clear these houses," she sighed before glancing inside the door's window and began to pound on it, drawing any walkers inside towards them. 

It wasn't Juliet's first time going house to house for supplies. 

"I'm sorry," Michonne swallowed the cheese that was able to stay inside her mouth. "I'm not very good at making girls your age laugh."

Juliet's eyes widened as she realized she must've hurt her feelings. She quickly turned around, "No-! Wait- I was laughing. But like... not with you... you know?"

Michonne hummed as she started to pound on the door, "Boys find me funny. Sometimes, but mostly toddlers find me funny. Two, three-year-olds," she continued to knock. 

"Boy toddlers?" Her head tilted. Juliet understood that Judith's age was up for debate but there was no way in hell that she was even close to three-years-old, let alone two. She also knew Judith wasn't a biological male considering the diapers she had to change. 

Michonne stopped knocking and began to fidget with the door, "I had a three-year-old son and he happened to find me extremely funny," she glanced at Juliet with a smirk before she pulled her sword out and opened the door. 

The teen's eyes bulged out at the sudden backstory reveal, but knowing the task at hand Juliet pulled out her long knife and followed the samurai inside, "Hey, wait up!"

By the time she got inside Michonne was already searching the cabinets, "We need food, batteries, water, in that order."

"Wait, you can't just drop that information and not expect me to ask more," Juliet shut the cabinet Michonne was searching. "Like what was his name? Did you have any others? Were you married?"

She glanced back at the teen before slipping towards the doors leading into the kitchen, "Okay," she put her finger up. "I'll answer one question at a time, one room at a time and only after we've cleared it."

Following after her, Juliet immediately asked her the first question that popped into her mind, "So, what was his name?"

She let her head fall in the teen's direction, "I said after."

Juliet glanced around the room before pointing to the doorless frame separating the kitchen from the living room, "There's supposed to be a door there, so...technically we cleared that room..."

"Andre. His name was Andre Anthon," Her smile slightly softened as she continued to walk. "Make sure there isn't a box of cookies hiding in there," she pointed to the bottom drawer. 

Quickly going to where she pointed Juliet pulled out the drawer finding nothing but peppermint candies. Her lips slightly puckered at the sight of the treats. Giving her flashbacks of how she and Portia would spend their Christmases seeing who could fit more in their mouth until their tongues change colours. 

"Was Andre your only kid or did you have... others," part of Juliet wanted to ask about the other boy's name she always overheard, but for some reason she felt like it was too soon to do so. 

"You are not good at following the rules, dear."

Juliet stuffed the candies in one of her pockets and asked again, "So? Did you?" 

The woman chuckled a scoff as she stared at all the art covering the walls, "You know, you could be a spy. Or a cop," she pushed Juliet's arm so she pushed Michonne back. 

"No," she finally answered. "One was enough for me. And Andre was a handful, like you," she poked the brunette's forehead, making her stumble back a bit. 

Still Juliet snickered and went to ask another, "How long- wait... does the hallway count as a room?" 

Michonne shrugged, "If you can find something we can use."

The teen took that as a challenge and quickly scanned the room, grabbing the first thing she saw, "How about this mirror? Could kill a few walkers with these sharp edges."

Michonne glanced down at the square mirror before plucking it from the girl's grasp, "Since you described it so thoroughly I'll allow it," she nodded at motioned her ward to ask. "So?"

She pressed her lips together, "Was it before or after the prison...?"

Michonne let out a staggered sigh. Juliet watched as her vision shifted far off into the distance, "It happened after- you know, after everything happened. A long time before the prison."

"Do the others know?"

"Never told them," she shrugged. "Never told anyone till just now."

Juliet's eyes widened once more. She understood not telling everyone about your past, but this group was close. Her and Rick were especially close. Juliet would've thought Michonne would have at least told Rick about it, considering the unspoken Carl Rick was searching for. 

And yet she told Juliet, a girl she'd only known for over a month. 

"Well your secret is safe with me," Juliet planted a gentle hand on her back.

Michonne let out a small, almost unnoticeable sniffle, "It's not really a secret."

The girl shrugged and stepped away, "It's still safe with me." She promised and stalked to the next room. 

After taking the safety off her gun, Juliet entered the empty bedroom. Using her weapon to triple check the surroundings before starting to scavenge. Finding a nice looking backpack. Which she dumped all the useless content of books and paper before taking it for herself. 

Juliet went on to raid the drawers. She tore apart the rather bland room, though before she could determine it as a lost cause, she took a step forward. Stepping on something rather squishy. 

The brunette's vision shot down. Slowly lifting her foot, Juliet was met with the sight of a rubber baby bottle. The girl gasped. Loudly. She went to her knees and followed the direction of the artifact she uncovered. Leading to her finding a mountain of treasure under her bed. 

A large stash of baby supplies including formula, diapers and bottles hidden from sight, "...jackpot!" Her smile grew as she pulled the stash out and ran to her friend, "Michonne! Michonne! You'll never guess what I found-" 

Her excitement suddenly paused when she watched Michonne her slam a door shut and threw her back against it. Keeping it from Juliet's sight. 

"You good?" Juliet tilted her head. 

She quickly positioned herself forward as if she were somehow trying to hide the entire door as a whole from the kid, "Yeah, it's fine," she squeaked. 

Juliet tried to step towards the samurai, leading to her almost tripping over a discarded toy. That's when the kid noticed how packed the room was of them. Toys ranging from babies to her age. All covering the floor leading directly to whatever was behind the door Michonne protected her from. 

“There's a kid in there... isn't there?" She frowned. Not seeing a reason to hide the truth. 

"It's a dog." 

They both knew it wasn't a dog. Yet, Juliet knew the battles to pick, this not being one of them. Especially as knowing the lucky the group seemed to have, it was probably a kid close to the age of Michonne's own son Andre in that room. 

Juliet knew that she wouldn't ever be able to understand what Michonne was truly going through. She had lost people just like her, but there was a big difference. It may be morbid but a kid was supposed to lose their parents one day. You were supposed to outlive them and gain the label of an orphan. A parent should never outlive their child. Michonne didn't have a title like Juliet did. She couldn't have one. For it was not something society should ever have to worry about. 

The orphan's chapped lips pinched one another as she looked down at her muddy shoes, "My mom was so cool."

Michonne tensed as Juliet started to sniffle. Just thinking about the woman brought tears to the child's eyes. What she did. What she didn't do. How she lost her not long before meeting them. 

"She always tried to find fun ways to spend our days when money was tight," Juliet smiled through her tears. "This one time when our heat was shut off she took my sister and I into the living room and said we were camping. She grabbed a space heater and pretended it was our campfire."

Her fingers ran over the side of her glock, "She never lost her smile. Not even after she... put Portia down. She always tried to keep me happy on the road."

Juliet struggled to explain her past. Not wanting to share but knew she should. Michonne had the right to hear her story since she told the girl her own, "Then she got bit. She told me to run and I just never looked back. I-I couldn't. I didn't want to," she finally looked up at the darker skinned woman. "Maybe... maybe she's out there somewhere with Andre, you know? Watching over him like you're watching over me."

Michonne's gaze softened as she walked over to the orphan from Terminus, placing an arm around her and pulling her into a tight squeeze. 

Juliet froze. Not used to any warmth. Still, for some reason, she wrapped her own arms around Michonne's waist as her head went into the teen's messy hair. The two of hugging for what felt like eternity before Michonne pulled away, "Okay. Come on," her smile returned, drying Juliet's tears. "We have a lot more houses to raid and don't want Mr. Old-Man-Grimes to scold us."

Juliet found the strength to laugh, "You gotta point there," the two took their haul and joined their group outside. 

Not even bothering to discuss how that was the first hug either of them had received since losing the person they loved most. 

°˖✧✿✧˖°

The scavenging was what you'd call a complete bust. Every small group Rick made had only able to find a bag or less of supplies worth taking. Daryl and Carol were able to fill their water stash, but it wasn't the best condition. In order to be safe to drink it would need to be boiled thrice over. The cars had already been drained, leaving them with only a few jugs of gas left. The best thing anyone was able to find was sadly the formula Juliet found. Something Rosita had been able to plan out how to ration for the babe. 

It seemed as if people had already raided the place, leaving the many survivors with barely anything. 

By the time they all met back up the sun was long gone, meaning Rick decided to save the risk of driving, having his people camp there for the night. Not that Juliet would complain about since the day's activities wore her out. She could barely keep her eyes open as they shared the only source of food anyone found, a pound of rice. 

After she took her small portion, Juliet happily retired to the van and joined Judith on the floor. Snuggling next to the baby's small makeshift crib Rick had made using a basket. Resting safe inside the vehicle prepared to allow the sounds of my group to lull me to sleep. 

"It was secure. It has a wall, homes, twenty people," from outside the she could hear Rick explaining the place they were heading to once more. "Beth wanted to go with him. She wanted to get him there. It's a long trip, but if it works out, it's the last long trip we have to make."

"And what if it isn't around anymore?" Glenn asked. 

"Then we keep going," Rick simply replied. 

"Then we find a new place," Michonne said before Juliet stopped listening. 

She closed her eyes and tried her best to get some rest while she could. 

If only she didn't hear the sound of a gun cocking. Maybe then she would've been asleep for what was about to happen to her group. Her eyes snapped open as a new voice suddenly spoke, "Well what do we have here?" 

The doors to the van snapped open. Juliet sat up in terror as she blinked a few times to see three men holding a variety of weapons at the door. Juliet reached for her gun but stopped once she saw the red snipper light on her chest.

The girl's hands slowly raised as she positioned herself so they wouldn't notice the Judith. Which they thankfully didn't pay attention towards. 

"Now it seems as if you unlucky fellows have decided to take up residence in our claimed land," Juliet could hear one of the men taunt her group. "But lucky enough for all of you the price of the toll isn't that expensive..."

One of the three watching Juliet then rushed forward. She fought back as they grabbed her wrist, yanking her towards them. Yet, the moment she was pulled forward she felt something pop. The teen's eyes widened in sheer volume before her mouth went wider, screaming out in agony as they pulled her out of the van. 

"NO!" Juliet could hear a few shouts, but that was only followed by the sound of more guns cocking. 

"Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't try any of that now." 

One of the large men let go of Juliet's wrist and proceeded to pick her up by the waist and bring the girl over towards the rest. She kicked and screamed to the best of her abilities as she cradled her throbbing wrist. Blinking through her tears. Finally getting a better view of my surroundings. 

The group were all on the ground, either a gun to their head or the fear of gaining one if they moved. There had to be at least fifteen men surrounding the lot. Three held both Abraham and Tyreese down while the others all blocked us in. 

"You let her go!" Rick demanded as he snarled up at the bearded man holding a gun to his forehead. 

"You see I would but that's part of the toll," the older man shrugged. "We are going to take all your food and weapons," he crouched down to the leader's level. "But don't worry, we'll let you keep the women. After we use them of course."

Rick's expression turn to one that Juliet could only described as fear, "If you touch a single person in my family you won't live to see the sunrise."

The man actually chuckled at the threat, "I think it might be the opposite there bud," he nodded to the others. And in a flash the sound of the fellow woman in the group all started to yelp or scream. 

Juliet watched helplessly as they were separated from the others and all forced to the group by the strangers around them. 

"Sasha!" People started shouting out for each other before Juliet herself was thrown to the ground, hard. 

She groaned in pain as she felt someone place themselves on top of her. Even if it was rather dark the burning embers of their fire allowed her to see the larger man on top of her's hollow green eyes, "Stop your squirming," she was told as she tried her hardest to get him off. 

The man grabbed Juliet's knife that rested on her belt and threw it to the side as he continued to try and steady her. She tried her hardest to reach out for it but that resulted in the giggling man grabbing the teen's tender wrist and giving it a hard squeeze. 

The girl started to sob as the pain only increased tenfold, "You leave them be," is the only coherent thing Juliet could hear, and it came from Rick. 

He demanded three times to let them go before throwing his head forward, causing the man holding him hostage to misfire his gun. 

Using the second of surprise from the other group's leader Rick jumped to his feet and gave him a good right hook. Resulting in him getting one right back that sent him to the concrete. Others went to help their leader but he told them he was fine as he looked down at the fallen Rick Grime. 

"Oh, it's gonna be so much worse now," he kicked Rick in the stomach. "Come on, get up! Let's see whatcha got!"

The girl was immediately given a front row seat to the terror of her group as the man holding her down pushed her head against the road. The women were all kicking and fighting back from their captors as the men were being held with guns to their heads. All while the leader kicked the crap out of Rick. 

And when Juliet head the man on top of her let out this sickening chuckle, she felt her stomach drop. She squirmed even more as she helplessly watched the group. Thinking this was the end. 

But as Rick slowly got off the road, he and Juliet made eye contact. His fear turned to one of rage as he saw the situation and tried to run towards the kid, "Get off of her before I-!"

But he was grabbed by the leader before he could rescue the sobbing girl. The only kid he knew to somehow survive everything up until now, "Huh? Right over here. What the hell are you gonna do now, sport?" The man asked. 

From her perspective, Juliet watched his blue eyes become black. As if his humanity was completely gone. Instead nothing but an animal remained as he opened his mouth as wide as he possibly could before bringing it down on the leader. Rick chomped down on the man's jugular and ripped it clean off.  Spitting it out as if it was a simple bad piece of meat and not a fellow human. 

But these people weren't humans. 

The screaming and squirming immediately halted as the strangers all watched their leader drop to the floor, gagging out his final breaths. Blood spewing everywhere. 

Abraham and Tyreese took the opportunity to push their captors off of them. Abraham quickly took care of the group holding the two of them while Tyreese ran towards his sister, pulling both men off Sasha and Rosita. 

Daryl stabbed Carol's assistant before allowing her to finish the job. 

Michonne turned the gun at her temple towards the man over her and shot him in the head while Glenn stabbed his wife's captor in the back, allowing Maggie the opportunity to grab his gun and shoot that man and the one holding Tara down. 

While the others all took care of their business Juliet felt herself being pulled off the concrete. With a yelp, the larger man placed a knife to her neck as the group all turned their attention towards them. 

It was like a pack of wolves almost. As the light from the fire dwindled the only thing you could see was the moonlight shining in their eyes. How it bounced off of the blood dripping down their skin. All ready for the kill. 

The man placed the knife even closer to Juliet's throat. He was shaking. She could feel it. He knew he was about to be killed by her family, "I'll kill her. I'll- I'll kill her!"

"Let the girl go," Michonne demanded as Abraham took a step forward, but stopped when Rick raised his hand. 

With a huff Rick Grimes pulled out his own blade and took a step forward, "He's mine," he claimed as blood dripped down his bushy red stained beard. 

The man started to hyperventilate as he pushed the sobbing child away. Michonne and Maggie to rushed forward to grab her. The three fell to the floor as Juliet was quickly cradled within Michonne's arms. 

All while the man began to beg, "Stay back," he pleaded. "Stay ba-" he didn't get another word in as Rick plunged the knife into his stomach and began to slice him upwards. 

Juliet stopped crying the moment the man started to wail in agony, watching Rick stab the man repeatedly until he was on the ground. Michonne tried to get her to look away but she still focused on the knife as Rick kept pulling in and out of the dead man's flesh. In and out. In and out. In and out. 

Just like the others all watching from the sidelines. 

It was at that moment Juliet realized something. With how Rick took his anger out she realized that maybe she could trust Rick more than she thought.