FOUND LANDS.

chapter twenty-five, strangers.
[ season six, episode ten ]

TWO MONTHS HAVE PASSED since they saved Alexandria. They've cleared out all the walker bodies. They burned them. Rain has washed all of the blood from the streets.

They buried what was left of the Anderson's. And they hunted for Deanna's reanimated corpse. But they never found her. Kathleen still goes out and searches for her. So does Spencer. But they don't tell anyone and they don't tell each other.

Spencer has lost his entire family since Rick's group arrived. Kathleen can tell he hates them. She doesn't really blame him. She was angry, too. But she isn't anymore.

Michonne still lives with the Grimes. Theo does too. Daryl does. Carol's moved into the empty house beside them.

Tara lives with Denise now. They're together. They're happy. Odessa isn't jealous. She's happy for them. She just wishes she and Beth got to live happily ever after. But they never will get the chance because Beth Greene is buried under a weeping willow tree outside Atlanta.

Glenn and Maggie live by themselves now. Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene all still live together in the house beside Rick's family. Sasha lives alone in a house not far from the infirmary.

Everyone is still within shouting distance of each other. They are never too far apart.

Carl's alive. He survived a gunshot straight to the eye. He did lose the eye. It's been hard for him to come to terms with it. It still is. He's had his family right there with him through the whole thing though. They haven't given up on him. Nothing in the home has changed. Carl is thankful for it.

Odessa's wound has healed all the way. It left a nasty scar but what's new? She already has many, many scars. What's one more?

Cole and Kathleen made it official as well. He lives with her now. Theo called him crazy for moving in with her so fast but Odessa popped him on the top of the hand for that comment. She told him to let Cole live his life because you never know when it will end.

Theo rolled his eyes when she told him that. Theo doesn't like Kathleen. Sure, they had to get along during the fight against the walkers. He just doesn't like her. She gives him the creeps. Not in a she's a creep sense, but a gut feeling. He doesn't trust her.

Odessa's started spending time with Enid. She likes the girl. She sees a lot of her past self in Enid. Enid runs off, she disappears. She likes to be invisible.

Enid doesn't complain whenever she and  Odessa spend time together though. She likes the older girl. It's nice to have a female friend. All she's had since the beginning was her parents and then Ron. But they're all dead now.

Odessa found a camera on a run as well. She takes new pictures of her people. There is pictures of her, Carl, and Judith. Theo and Cole stand back to back with their arms crossed and each wearing a very serious face in a picture. Abraham and Rosita have a place in Odessa's phot album, Eugene stands awkwardly in the back of their photo. The next picture is of Tara and Eugene; Tara smiled widely, sticking up bunny fingers behind Eugene's fabulous mullet.

There's more, of course. Rick, Odessa, Carl, and Judith. Michonne and Theo. Sasha and Cole smile at the camera in one photo. A new photo Glenn and Maggie. Aaron and Odessa grin widely in a picture together. Gabriel stands awkwardly in a picture with Theo. Carol stands in the kitchen, making a batch of cookies. There's a sneaky picture she took of Daryl.

There are people missing. Noah, Tyreese, Bob, Hershel, Lori, T-Dog, Andrea, Dale, Sophia, Beth. But thanks to Cole and his magical drawing skills. He drew all of them for Odessa. Their drawings remains in the photo album as well.

The news of Maggie's pregnancy also rocked the community. When Glenn told Odessa with a big smile, she just stared at him.

He asked her to be the godmother of their child. She said yes without even thinking. But then she asked, "on purpose?"

Glenn was taken aback by her words. He nodded and said, "we want to build something."

"So build a wall! Or something else! A baby has no place in this world, Glenn!" She laughed despite her anger. Glenn stared at her. Then he walked away.

─────────

No matter how many times a gun has been pointed at her head she can't seem to get used to it. She stands with her hands raised, eyes wide. Her companion stands beside her doing the same, though he is much calmer.

"Back up! Now!" The dirty man with the vest shouts at them.

"Keep 'em up!" The other man hisses.

Both people have their faces covered. The only parts of their faces that are revealed are their eyes. The girl has a black bandana tied around her face.

The two strangers can see her red hair and striking blue eyes.

"Woah, easy, guys. We were just running from the dead." Her friend tells the two unknown men.

"How many?" The man with the vest asks.

"Ten, maybe more? We weren't risking it. Once it gets in the double digits, we start running." Her friend explains.

"Where?" The vest man questions.

"About a half a mile back," she tells him. "They're headin' this way. You probably have about eleven minutes. Give or take. If I were y'all, I wouldn't wanna stick around to find out."

"Okay, thanks for letting us know." The one with the curly has holsters his weapon. He eyes the girl carefully. Her accent is Southern, not like the people in Alexandria. It's a very thick Georgian accent.

"Yeah. There's more of them then us, right? Gotta stick together." Her friend says. He looks to the man with the gun still pointed at them. "Right?"

He lowers his gun. The girl and her friend drop their arms. "Y'all got a camp?" The girl asks.

"No." The greasy one says.

"Do you?" The reasonable man says.

"No. Sorry for running into you. We're gonna go now. If this is the next world, I hope it's good to you guys." Her friends. "Let's go, CeeCee."

"I'm Rick," the reasonable one starts. Both the girl and her friend stop. "This is Daryl. What's your names?"

They turn and look at the two men. They pull down their face coverings. "Paul Rovia. But my friends used to call me Jesus. You pick."

"Corraine Ackler. But Cori works, too." The girl says with a smirk.

"You said you didn't have a camp? Y'all on your own?" Rick asks.

"Yeah. But, still, best not to try anything." Jesus says.

"Best not to make threats you can't keep either." Daryl says.

Cori grins. "Exactly, Grease Ball."

Daryl grunts at the nickname she's created for him in such a short span of time.

"How many walkers—" Rick starts but Daryl cuts him off. Rick ignores him. "How many walkers have you killed?"

"Sorry, gotta run. You should too. Think you've got about seven minutes." Jesus says. The two run around the corner of the gas station.

Jesus rushes around the back of the store and and Cori tosses the keys Jesus swiped off of Rick. "Dumb son of a bitch." She laughs quietly. Jesus runs back around a second later.

"Let's go!" He grins. She hands him the keys. The race to the truck. She opens the door and hauls herself in the passenger seat. Jesus starts the truck.

Rick and Daryl run back around the store just in time for Jesus and Cori to haul off in the truck they stole. "Sorry!" Cori calls out the window. She waves at them.

The two men stop in the middle of the road.

As they travel, Cori looks at Jesus. "You know they're probably tracking us, right?"

Jesus glances at her. "Oh, for sure." He nods and looks back at the road.

Not long later, the truck stops. Cori groans. "Seriously?"

Jesus shrugs. "Happens." He gets out to fix it.

It's not long later, one of the men from before rip her door open. She yelps as he yanks her out. He keeps hold on her arm as he drags her to the other side of the truck.

Daryl, the greasy one, has his gun pointed at Jesus. This sets Cori off. No one points a gun at her big brother. She brings her other elbow into Rick's wrist. He cries out when her foot unexpectedly connects with his jaw.

When she recovers from the tornado kick, Rick's fist meets her nose. She hits the ground and holds her hands up to her nose. Rick and Daryl each have a gun pointed at the two thieves.

Jesus looks at Cori and sighs heavily. They are going to have to work on her tornado kick recovery time.

"Do you even have any ammo?" Jesus asks them. Daryl and Rick both moved their guns to an approaching walker and fire at the same time.

There is, in fact, ammo in both guns.

"Okay. You gonna shoot us over a truck?" Jesus asks.

"There's a lot of food in that truck. The key, now." Rick growls.

"I think you know we're not bad people." Jesus says to the two.

"Yeah? What do you know about us?" Rick raises his eyebrows. "Give me the keys." He cocks his gun. "This is the last time I'm asking."

Jesus hands Rick the keys. Then they tie both of them up. Jesus and Cori are back to back.

"You're really gonna leave us here like this?" Cori asks, blood trying on her face from where Rick hit her. "Such inconsiderate assholes. Fuck y'all."

"Eh, the knots aren't that tight." Rick looks at her. "You should be able to get free... after we're long gone."

"Maybe we should talk now." Jesus tries.

"Nah. Here." Daryl throws them a can of soda. "In case y'all get thirsty."

As soon as both men are in the truck, it takes Cori and Jesus fifteen seconds tops to get loose. They both climb onto the top of the truck. When it starts to move, Cori gasps. Jesus grabs her arm.

"Don't fall, dumbass." He tells her.

"Well, I've never rode on top of moving vehicle." She growls.

"Really?" Jesus asks, totally shocked. She gives him a sideways look. "Wow."

When they pull into a field, they hit bumps. This causes Jesus and Cori to jerk on top of the truck. Both wince when loud thudding occurs from their weight.

"Oh, shit." Jesus whispers.

Then Rick slams on brakes.

Cori screams as she and Jesus fall straight off the top of the truck. She lands on top of him. He groans and shoves her off.

"Sorry, sorry," she nutters as she stands. She brushes herself off. Jesus stands next. They look in the truck at the two men. Then they take off.

Rick races after them in the truck. Daryl chases them on foot.

"Shit!" Cori shouts. Daryl chases mostly Jesus. After Rick kills four walkers, he goes after Cori.

"I think you broke my nose, asshole!" She shouts to him as he runs after her. "Next time, I'm gonna break your jaw!"

She yells as she trips over a rock. Clumsy as ever. She groans as Rick comes to stand over her. "Sorry, dude." She rolls over to look at him. "But we really do need that truck more than you do."

"Why?" Rick tilts his head to the side.

"Because this is the next world, douchebag."

With that, Rick knocks her out cold.

When they return to Alexandria later that night, Rick and Daryl take the two unconscious assholes to the infirmary where Denise quickly makes sure they're both okay and patches them up.

Then they take them to the brownstone. They leave them tied up just for safety measures.

Jesus comes to first. He's confused, disoriented. When he sees Cori, he quickly shoves at her with his tied hands.

"Cori! Cori, wake up!" He hisses. She groans and blinks several times.

"Where are we?" She grumbles.

"I guess, Rick's community." He told up the note Rick left for them. It reads: you were both hurt. We brought you here. You're safe. Talk soon.

So Rick did have a community. Cori grimaces. If Rick and his people get involved with Jesus and Cori and their community, well... they better prey the other communities don't get wind of it.

They untie themselves and sneak out. They look around the community. It's nothing like where they're from. It's a genuine town. They find the armory first.

"Holy hell." Cori mutters as she looks around the armory.

"They're well-equipped." Jesus nods to himself. Cori spots the freezer in the hall. She makes her way to and opens it as quietly as she can. She gasps loudly when she sees the bag. "What?" Jesus rushes over to her.

Right beneath them is a bag labeled CHOCOLATE. Both assholes take a bar.

After this, they make their way to Rick's home. They sneakily break in, and make their way up the steps.

They find Rick's room. When they creep in, Rick is laying in bed with a woman with dreads.

"Rick," Cori whispers. "Rick, wake up."

Rick and his lady shoot out of bed, each with their weapons pointed at the duo. Neither Cori or Jesus pay attention to the very much nakedness of Rick and his lady.

"We should talk."

______________________________

word count: 2,269

MY BABY IS HERE!!!!! WELCOME TO THE WASTELANDS SERIES, CORRAINE ACKLER!!!!

ugh, i'm so happy to finally bring cori into this series. she's going to become y'all's favorite ginger lesbian. i love her so much. she is the definition of chaos.

also, jesus and cori are the chaotic found siblings we didn't know we needed in this series. they're relationship is so important. i love them more than myself ngl. they are officially the asshole duo of the wastelands series.

her and rick are already at each other's throats and i love it. they come so far in the next book. ugh, future besties.

odessa and her pictures break my heart. and cole drew the people they've lost so odessa has a piece of them all 🥹. heart break city right here folks. odessa still grieves every single one of them.