Hello everyone! New season starts this week! Who's excited?! 

Happy Reading! 

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Jo

Maggie had found me new clothes and I honesty felt better. Chances were good every piece of clothes I owned had gone up in flames the night before so I had chosen these ones carefully. The black skinny jeans were a little too long and had to be cuffed but they weren't as tight as the pair from The Sanctuary. I could actually maneuver in these. I had also selected a black long sleeve Henley that was fitted well enough to lay smoothly under my shoulder holster. I wasn't as likely to ruin the black as quickly either. I had washed my face and pulled my hair back into a ponytail and I felt like a new person. My ankle still throbbed inside my boot but the long sleeves covered my gauze wrapped wrists. It was like my visit to The Sanctuary never happened.

I was coming down the steps of the house when Daryl spotted me across the yard. He changed his course to walk towards me. His face was grim and there were lines of stress around his eyes. Something was bugging him. When our eyes locked something like relief crossed his face and he strode towards me purposefully. I glanced around and stepped off the porch into the shade of one of the large old trees to give us some privacy.

"What's wrong?" I asked without preamble.

He shook his head tightening his hand around the strap of his crossbow. "Nothing that can be fixed. I was look'in for ya, found Rick instead. He's spinning," he scrubbed his face with his free hand. The stress and pressure of taking care of everyone was getting to him. 

"You needed me?" I prompted, wondering why he was looking for me.

He dropped his hand and a teasing smile twisted his lips, though his eyes were serious. "Always darlin'."

I snorted and looked down. "Stop," I said as color heated my cheeks.

Daryl chuckled and his warm fingers caught my chin lifting it so I was looking straight into his sky blue eyes. He shook his hair out of his face and a small frown formed between his eyes. "You good?"

A small sad smile crossed my face. "Always," I promised him, but didn't look like he believed me.

"I told Jesus I'd be part of the look out relay," he told me grimly.

I nodded and reached down to touch my knives. "Okay," I said tiredly. "Let's do it." I still only had the four knives and the two handguns. I needed time to get out to scavenge some more. Only four knives was grossly underarmed especially considering one of them was a small pocket knife and the other was my kukri. Only two knives I could throw made me feel more uncomfortable than I wanted to admit, even if I was surrounded by allies. 

He shook his had, pressing his lips together. I could tell he was about to say something I wasn't going to like. He always got that look on his face when he thought he was going to make me mad. "Why don't you stay," he suggested.

When I didn't immediately argue his thumb gently caressed the line of my cheekbone. "You could get some rest," his voice was low and gruff. "We're taking a lot of people on the relay. Something goes south they could use you here," his other hand dropped to my waist and his fingers skimmed over the metal of my knives. "We need to find you some new hardware," he observed thoughtfully. He closed his hand loosely around my hip.

I wanted to argue with him and insist on going with, but his logic was sound. It didn't make sense for me to go along just to go along.

"Do you need-?" he started to ask and he stopped.

"I'm fine," I promised him but my traitorous body yawned before I could hide it.

He snorted and shook his head affectionately. He pulled me into his chest and pressed his lips against my hair. "Get some sleep darlin'."

I sighed and nodded, knowing I wasn't going to sleep, but Daryl would insist I rest. I could tell by the look on his face however, he needed to be doing something. He was standing still, but this close I could feel the tension in his body.

"You go ahead," I told him. "I'll stay and get some rest," I lied. I didn't often lie to Daryl. I didn't like to, but he needed to be reassured I was okay or he wouldn't be able to focus on what we needed to do. The group needed Daryl out there on watch, especially when Rick wasn't one hundred percent.

Daryl looked hesitant. "I'm okay," I lied again.

He still didn't look like he believed me. "Be safe out there, okay?" I said reaching up and brushing aside a strand of his overly long hair.

"It's just a relay look out, nothing to worry about," his words were light but we both knew how wrong things could go out there. He wound his fingers through mine and we walked together to the front gate. Jesus and Jerry were waiting by a black minivan.

I stopped and gave Daryl's hand a final squeeze. "Okay, just stick to the plan," I told him seriously. "No going off on your own."

Daryl snorted. "That's my line," and he kissed me sweetly. "I'll be back before you wake up," he promised. He walked around and climbed into the van.

I looked up at Jesus and Jerry letting just that tiny piece of myself peak out of my eyes. "Watch his back," it wasn't a question or a request. It was a warning.

"Course dude," Jerry said with a happy grin. He reached out and ruffled my hair like I was a little kid. He was completely unfazed by me as usual. It made me realize how much I valued Jerry's friendship.

I turned to Jesus. We had been friends, but we didn't always see eye to eye. Maggie had told me it was Jesus who had insisted they take The Saviors prisoner. It had been risky, and not something I necessarily agreed with, but he stood by his principles and he was a good fighter.

"I'll watch his back," Jesus promised his eyes burning with sincerity. I believed him.

"Let's haul ass," Daryl called from inside the van.

"Let's rock and roll!" Jerry agreed with a smile sliding open the backdoor and climbing in with a large ax.

Jesus held my gaze and then flicked his eyes up to the top of the fence near the gate. I followed his gaze and saw Maggie on look out. He turned back to me. "You'll stay with Maggie?" He asked worriedly.

I nodded. "I'll stay with her," I promised.

"Good," he said holding out his hand to me. I shook it and it felt significant. He climbed into the van and drove out through the gates.

My eyes were gritty and I was tired but I wouldn't sleep. Not while Daryl was out there. I climbed the ladder to the top of the fence and stood beside Maggie as they drove away. Something tightened in my chest. I hated being separated from him, things always seemed to go wrong when we were apart. I sucked in a deep breath and tried to control the ever tightening band that felt like it was constricting around my lungs.

Maggie glanced towards me. "You alright?" she asked me.

"Gotta be," I responded, but my voice sounded tight even to my own ears.

"And Daryl?" she asked.

I glanced towards her. "As good as can be expected," I said honestly. "He hasn't slept since it happened," I told her, saying out loud one of my fears of Daryl going out. When you were tired it was that much easier to make a mistake, and Daryl was exhausted.

"Have you?" Maggie asked rhetorically.

I grunted but didn't respond. We both knew the answer.

A few minutes later a tan SUV pulled up to the gate to leave. Rick was alone in the car. I glanced behind us and spotted Michonne sitting on the steps of the porch with Enid. It surprised me they weren't going out together.

Maggie watched Rick drive away before she glanced towards me. "You think Rick'll come back from this?"

I sighed, remembering how hard of a time Rick had back at the prison. I wasn't there when Laurie died, but I had seen him a month later and it wasn't pretty. "Have you?" I asked simply.

Maggie frowned thoughtfully.

"I just keep going," I told her emotionlessly. It was the truth. I wasn't sure what would happen if things ever actually settled down enough for me to stop. I was a little afraid to find out.

Maggie turned and looked behind her. "Yeah, they will too," she said jerking her chin towards where Michonne and Enid were talking on the steps of the house.

I glanced towards them. They both looked sad and I was betting they were still talking about Carl. "It'll be harder after we finish this. When it's quiet."

Maggie shook her head and looked back out across the fields. "Not if Negan's dead. Not for me at least."

I snorted and nodded. "Yeah," I agreed, knowing it would take a lot more than just Negan's death for me to settle into a quiet life. I wasn't sure I was capable of it anymore. Alexandria had shown me that.

I bit back a yawn, but Maggie noticed. "Why don't you go get some rest," she suggested gently.

I opened my mouth to respond and then pressed my lips together grimly. I was going to lie, had  planned on lying, but I was tired and when I was this tired sometimes the truth was just easier. "If I sleep I'll dream. If I dream...I'll have to face that nightmare...I'm not ready for that."

Maggie stared at me, sadness in her eyes. I hoped she didn't say anything. I didn't need or want her pity. Just her understanding.

She stared into my face for a long time before she nodded. "The things..." she started to say and she cleared her throat. "The things that have happened to us have shaped us, led us here, made us survivors. I can never be sorry for something that has kept one of my friends alive, but I wish you could sleep better," she spoke with such honesty I had to look away so she wouldn't see the emotions I couldn't control.

I gripped the fence in front of me so hard it made my knuckles white. She was still watching me, waiting for me to saying something. I swallowed thickly and licked my lips. I didn't know what to say to that. I sniffed and tightened my fingers, keeping my eyes on the horizon.

"I'll sleep when he's back," I regretted the words as soon as I spoke them. I meant to be honest because she was so honest and open and kind to me. Instead, it felt like I had inadvertently pointed out that Glenn would never come back. I hung my head and pinched my eyes shut. Why was I so bad at this? It seemed like it was getting worse, not better. I should be getting better.

Maggie however was completely unperturbed. She reached out and covered my hand with hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. I stiffened but didn't pull away. I wasn't sure I could let go of the fence in that moment if I tried.

"No matter what happens," Maggie's voice was firm. "No matter what happened to you," she added meaningfully. "You both will always have a home here."

I looked up at her through watery, tired eyes. She gave me a reassuring smile and I believed her. I loosened my fingers and squeezed her hand back. Maggie was truly kind. It was a characteristic often over looked, especially these days. It was what made her exactly the leader we would need for the future. She was a survivor, she was strong, but also somehow still kind. I envied her that. I truly did.

Maggie straightened and looked back out over the fence, lifting her binoculars to her face. I sniffled once and swiped at my eyes. I was exhausted. It was the only reason I was so emotional.

Maggie was scanning the surrounding fields when she stilled, focusing on one spot in particular. My instincts kicked in and my muscles coiled as I stepped towards her. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure," she said honestly and she held the binoculars out for me to take a look.

It took ten minutes of arguing for me to convince Maggie to stay behind the fence. She absolutely refused on the grounds that I shouldn't go out by myself. Finally, Rosita noticed our argument, patiently listened to both sides and volunteered to drive. Maggie's jaw was still set stubbornly but even she couldn't argue that Rosita and I were more than capable of investigating the packages.

Through the binoculars it looked like a pile of packages and a shiny silver flag meant to catch our attention. It was left a little over a mile outside the fence close to ample cover. Rosita parked the suburban twenty yards from the packages and we climbed out.

"Think it's a trap?" she asked, looking at the undergrowth warily. 

"Wont' know unless we check," I said shrugging. I pulled  my kukri and one of the smaller knives. I rolled my shoulders and all my injuries were forgotten as I focused. "Cover me," I called over my shoulder and she drew her handgun. I hesitated and glanced over my shoulder at her where she was following my progress looking down the barrel of her gun. "Do me a favor, and don't shoot me by accident," I called, hoping to ease some of her tension.

She snorted. "If I shoot you Jo, I promise it will be on purpose."

I grinned back at her and crept through the brush toward the packages. As I got closer I realized they were empty milk crates and the flag was a deflated mylar balloon. I frowned staring down at them. I paced a circle around the area but no trap was sprung.

"Anything?" Rosita called.

"Clear," I called back over my shoulder. I toed the empty crates but there was nothing connected to them. It had all the makings of a trap, but it didn't actually appear to be one. I moved the flag and frowned as I spotted a note.

"What the hell?" Rosita asked coming up behind me. She read over my shoulder. I glanced back at her and she was frowning.

"What do you think?" She asked.

I looked around us but there was nothing more to see. I wished Daryl was here to look for tracks, but I didn't know enough to be able to read anything from the trampled grass. Of course, had he been here he would have pitched a fit over me going out from behind the fence without more backup. 

"I think we should take it back to Maggie," I said picking up two of the empty crates. Rosita grunted in agreement and grabbed the other two.

Michonne and Enid were standing with Maggie when we pulled back through the gates. I didn't know how far out Daryl was on the relay but I hoped it was far enough he hadn't seen my little adventure with Rosita. He would be pissed when he got back.

Rosita climbed out of the drivers seat and I walked around the back, pulling open the doors. I stood back, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I don't know what the hell it is," Rosita told Maggie, handing her the note.

Maggie looked over the empty crates and the down to the note in her hand. "If you fill the crates with food or phonograph records I will gladly exchange them for a key to your future," she read aloud for the others.

"It lists coordinates for a meeting spot," Rosita said pointing to the bottom of the note. "It's pretty far outside our perimeter. Risky," she said resting her hand on her gun.

"How do we know it isn't the Saviors?" Enid asked uncertainly, wrapping her arms around herself.

I shook my head. "This isn't Negan," I told her with absolute certainty. "He'd blow through the gates and make a big show. He would want everyone to know he was here. There's no way he sneaks up and lays a trap."

"Even to get you back?" Rosita challenged. "I wouldn't put anything past him."

I pulled back frowning. I glanced quickly towards Michonne and Maggie but both of them looked confused. I turned back to Rosita, uncertain how she knew. Then I remembered her walking with Dwight last night.

"Dwight," I finally said shaking my head in disgust.

Rosita lifted her chin unapologetically. "He thought it was important someone else knew about Negan's obsession with you. Does Daryl know?"

"It's not-" I started to argue but Rosita interrupted me.

"That's not what Dwight said, and he was on the other side of the cell door," Rosita snapped back.

I locked down my body so I wouldn't flinch as her words brought back every vivid memory of my time there. Some of which I wasn't ready to face. I lifted a hand and rubbed at my tired, gritty eyes. I couldn't do this now. It was still too close, too raw. I just needed to keep moving forward.

Maggie cleared her throat and stepped forward, drawing the attention off of me and back to the issue at hand. "If it is a trap, it's kind of obvious," she pressed her lips together. "Which is exactly what could make it a trap," she allowed, arguing her own point. 

Michonne had been strangely quiet through all of this. "What if-" she started to say, her arms wrapped around herself. She dropped her arms and shook her head like she couldn't believe what she was about to say. "What if it's actually someone who wants to help?" she asked a little desperately. 

"If someone is trying to help us and we miss out, we just miss out," Maggie said firmly. "If someone's trying to kill us, we die." She looked over each of us and I saw what she saw. What would happen to the group if Maggie, Michonne, Rosita and I were all killed. What it would mean to those left behind.

I absolutely understood her caution. It was her job to keep everyone here safe. She couldn't afford to take risks. I didn't envy her the burden of leadership that had fallen on her shoulders. It just made me happy once more that I wasn't qualified to lead. I wouldn't ever have to make those tough calls that affect so many people.

"Not if we're careful," Michonne argued. She turned to look at me, as though she expected me to back her up. I kept my face perfectly neutral. 

"Careful is staying here," Inid argued. Her eyes were still red rimmed from the loss of Carl.

Michonne shrugged. "Then I'll go. See what's up." 

Everyone was still raw and exhausted from the last forty-eight hours. I sighed. "If you go, I go," I said and I didn't think I was as good at keeping the exhaustion from my voice as I could be. I couldn't let Michonne go out there by herself. 

Rosita stayed surprisingly silent as she stood beside me, waiting to see what Maggie had to say. 

Inid looked over us like we were crazy. "Rick wants us to stay here," she said as though that had some kind of influence on Michonne and I. Her voice rose with tension and she looked to Maggie for support.

"I know," Michonne agreed. "But the last time we took a chance like this it changed everything." And it had. Michonne had been absolutely right about Alexandria, and Rick hadn't been wiling to take the chance at the time. "Rick hadn't agreed with me then and he might not understand me now..." Michonne allowed with a shrug.

"He won't," Maggie replied with absolute certainty. 

"But eventually he will," Michonne continued. "He will," she repeated the words as though she needed to reassure herself.

I wasn't so sure Rick would. I wasn't sure he was capable of it right now. Who knew how long it would take or how Carl's death would affect him. 

Maggie stepped away, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked out over the people moving around Hilltop. "Jesus and the others have been scavenging but we're still starving. And it's only going to get worse...Maybe this person does have something that can help..." she allowed but she looked anything but certain. 

Inid stepped towards Maggie. "Then I'm coming with you."

Maggie nodded, "Okay," she agreed. "I'll grab records from the den in case this is real," she pulled her gun and ejected the clip. She grimaced when she saw it's contents. "You grab extra clips in case it isn't," she told Enid turning towards the house. "Jo," she called over her shoulder. "Come with me."

I frowned, but trailed behind Maggie. She led me towards the smithy. As we got closer the heat increased. "Hi Robbie," she greeted the large man standing over the forge. His face was bright red and sweat dripped from his hair as he worked over the coals. 

"I'm sorry I have to keep going," he said, flashing Maggie an apologetic smile. He was melting metal and pouring it into molds. I appeared as though he was making ax heads.

"Do you have what we talked about?" she asked.

Robbie nodded, but didn't stop working. He jerked his chin towards a crate half under a work bench.

Maggie smiled. "Thank you Robbie."

She moved towards it and bent down, pulling the crate out. I blinked. It was filled with handmade knives. "How many do you need?" Maggie asked looking back up at me.

I blinked in surprise and just stared down at them. I wondered if Daryl had said something to her. 

"I haven't had time to wrap the handles," Robby called. "But the blades are sharp.

I picked one up. They were molded steel. The blade was strong, the handle felt rough and only along the edge of the blade was it shiny where he had sharpened them.

"These are perfect," I said in a low voice.

Maggie nodded. "Daryl said you only had a couple knives."

I nodded, gliding my fingers down the edge of the blade.

"How many do you need?" she asked.

I put the knife back down with the others and it took some effort to let it go. "I don't have anything to trade," I said, glancing towards Robby. He was pouring the molds. His brow furrowed as he focused on his work and ignored us. 

Maggie stepped towards me. "Jo," she said seriously. "You have a lot to offer, but none of it does us any good if you aren't armed."

All I had to offer was violence. I tried not to let her see how that made me feel, but I nodded all the same and smiled at her gratefully.

"Take as many as you can carry," she said motioning to the crate of knives.

"I can carry a lot," I confessed wryly, flashing her a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. 

I took ten. I brought my knife count up to fourteen and I felt like I could breathe again.

"You can try them out over there if you want," Maggie said motioning towards the one target they had set up. Judging by the marks in it, most people had used it for axes and spears. "I'll be back as soon as I get the records."

The knives were a little heavier than the ones I had scavenged before but after throwing the first six it didn't matter anymore. I had thrown thirty times before Maggie returned. She had a stack of records under her arm.

"Ready?" she asked.

I paced back to the target and pulled my new knives out. Sliding them away. I turned back to face Maggie and nodded grimly. "Let's do it," I said and the two of us walked towards the gate. 

<><><><><>

Jo

Michonne drove. The coordinates led to an intersection a few miles from the settlement. I didn't like the idea of them waiting so close. Our lookouts should have seen them. They were far too focused on the saviors. But the saviors weren't the only threat out there.

There was a van parked in the middle of the intersection, it's nose pointing towards the easiest exit to the east. So they weren't very trusting either. I couldn't decide if that was good news or bad. The van was an older model that they had outfitted with heavy duty tires. They were travelers. I tightened my grip on the handle of my kukri. 

Two woman stood flanking the van. Their hands were at their sides, but they each had a gun strapped to their hip. I couldn't help the rising tension in my body. Inid was sitting beside me glanced at me warily, but I ignored her. We parked and the four of us climbed out. My hands rested on my knives and I paced around our side of the intersection, keeping my eyes on the trees. It didn't feel like a trap per say, but it would have certainly been a good part of the forest to set one up. The young growth of trees provided a lot of cover. Which was also good if things went south and we had to flee on foot. 

Maggie and Michonne stepped forward as one of the women slid open the side door of the van. A middle aged woman climbed out. She was well dressed in a worn, but clean matching pant suit and white button down shirt. I frowned. To stay that clean in this word she must be fastidious about her appearance. 

"Hello," she greeted, her hands clasped in front of her. "My name is Georgie," she bowed her head in a universal sign of respect. "And these are my friends Hilda and Midge." The woman herself was certainly not a fighter, so I kept my eyes on the two women flanking her. They were both dressed in surplus military gear, wearing hats and sunglasses as though there was a reason to hide their identity. Or perhaps they thought it made them look more intimidating. While they were easily taller than me, they were by no means built like fighters.

"And you are?" Georgie prompted when an uncomfortable amount of time passed. 

No one spoke.  

"Suspicious," Georgie said nodding as though she had expected it. "But," she said holding up a single finger. "Curious enough to see what I have to offer for food and music," as she spoke she took small steps closer towards us. "I do hope the records are music, I do not accept spoke word." 

She was an academic. I had not doubt. I had spent enough time in academia while pursuing my doctorate I recognized it easily. 

"If you're out here, you know you can take care of yourselves and I like that." She hadn't glanced at me and Enid once. Her eyes were entirely focused on Maggie and Michonne. She had decided they were the leaders here and her practiced speech was meant for the leaders. 

"I don't care to share this with the weak."

"Good," Maggie agreed and Rosita stepped out of the trees from the side, flanking them. Her gun was trained on the leader, which I didn't necessarily agree with. She wasn't the primary threat, but it made a point. Enid trained her gun on the woman on the right and I turned my entire focus on the woman to the left. 

"Enid," Maggie commanded. Enid stepped forward, tucking her gun away so they couldn't take it from her. She took the gun off the woman on the right while Rosita took the one on the left. Enid stepped up to Georgie to search her. 

"None from me," Georgie assured her, but Enid patted her down anyway. Georgie endured it, though she looked put out. 

"Give us what you have," Maggie ordered as Enid stepped away. 

Georgie smiled indulgently. "I'm afraid I can't do that." She bridged her fingers, not looking at all put out that her muscle had been disarmed. This wasn't a new trick, they had done this many times before. It was the only way someone like this woman became so unflappable with a gun pointed in her face. "I come bearing knowledge to trade- essential knowledge for the future," she reached up and touched her temple. "Primarily in my head," her eyes traveled to me. I stood loosely with my hands free. The tips of my fingers were inches from my knives but I wasn't holding a weapon. "And - ah," she started to say, clearly unnerved by me. "I prefer to keep that where it is." She turned her attention back to Maggie. 

"You're trading knowledge," Michonne clarified, and while her face was impassive I could see how disappointed she was. 

"That's what I have," Georgie replied with an apologetic shrug. "I've made the same offer before-fill the crates. Get the knowledge. Simple as that. It's not a trick, just a fair trade. I promise you." 

I believed her. 

The woman on the left crossed her arms over her chest. "It's an act of benevolence," she said and I knew in that moment without a doubt the two women would die for Georgie. They believed in what they were doing. 

Enid lowered her gun, looking over the women in confusion. Maggie continued to stare down the barrel of her gun, unmoved by Georgie's reassurances. It was one of the reasons I trusted her at my back. 

"And why would you do that?" Maggie challenged. 

Georgie looked confused. "What else should I do?" 

Maggie stared into the woman's eyes for a long time before she spoke again. "Rosita," she ordered. 

Rosita nodded and headed to their van, opening the doors. 

Georgie shook her head. "What's in there isn't part of the deal." 

"There is no deal," Maggie drawled dangerously. 

Rosita stepped back up, pointing her gun at Georgie. "How many communities have you found?" 

"Communities like your's?" Georgie asked and a sad look crossed her face. "Not many at all," she turned back to Maggie. "And not one for a very long time. What you have is special, unusual. The dead have brought out our best and our worst," her eyes flickered over to me and I tried not to take offense. She didn't know me, but I could see she was trying to figure me out. "And the worst has been outpacing the best lately, but that won't last forever."

"It won't," the woman on the right agreed. 

"If, perhaps people can believe in people again four crates of goods is worth far less than a sustainable future and perhaps an exercise in trust."

Maggie cocked her head to the side. She was listening to what the woman had to say, but I couldn't tell if she was buying into it or not. 

"I know," Georgie allowed, her eyes traveling over all of us. "Trust probably sounds like a made up word now, like flibberschticky." 

"Or klompf," the woman on the left said. 

"Or moisture," the woman on the right added and Georgie turned to glare at her. I had the feeling the three of them had been together a long time. 

"Stop," Enid growled. "This isn't real. No way anyone survives going around doing what you say you are doing."

Georgie turned back to Enid, her face solemn. "But we do," she nodded. "And we will. Because I can divine that you are a fine group, manners not withstanding," she added as though she couldn't help it. 

Michonne walked up to Maggie, keeping her voice low enough that Georgie and her people wouldn't hear them speaking. Rosita and I stayed focused on our potential enemies. 

"No," Maggie responded to whatever Michonne had said. "These people and their van are coming with us back to Hilltop." 

Michonne's face pinched in frustration but she wasn't willing to argue with Maggie in front of potential enemies. 

<><><><><>

Jo

When we got back to the Hilltop Jerry was waiting for us on the steps of the house. Fear tightened my throat. Jerry had been with Jesus and Daryl. We all climbed out of the vehicles. 

"Rosita, Enid," Maggie ordered motioning towards a bench at the base of the stairs for them to keep our new guests. I trotted up the stairs behind Maggie as she motioned for Jerry to follow her inside. I wasn't waiting for an invitation. I needed to know what was going on outside the fence. I was desperate to hear what had brought Jerry back, and looking around I didn't see anyone else from the relay. So many things could have gone wrong. 

As soon as we were in the study Jerry started speaking. "The handoff horn started up but no confirmation hits. Savior's could have slowed their roll," he allowed. He snorted and shrugged. "Let 'em. We'll slow them down more," he said confidently. Somehow even in the face of an upcoming fight Jerry managed to stay chipper. 

"That's good," Maggie said smiling. "Be dark soon, bring everyone back in. Get people ready. You know what to do." 

I exhaled when I realized Jerry was just here for an update. Nothing had started yet, but they were on their way. A fight was coming. I glanced towards the window. Maggie was right, sunset was just a few hours off. If they had slowed their approach I was betting they were planning on waiting until dark. The fight would come tonight. 

Jerry grinned and nodded. As he headed out the door he passed Michonne. 

"We should make the deal and let them go before the saviors get here," Michonne said severely stalking towards Maggie. 

I chewed on my lip. I was inclined to agree with Michonne. "They aren't fighters," I said simply. "If we keep them here, they are just more people we have to protect." There were already so many people we had to protect. 

Maggie shook her head in disbelief as she looked back and forth between the two of us. "I can't let her go. Not with what they have. I got too many mouths to feed," she crossed her asrms over her chest and her jaw set stubbornly. "They have crates filled with food in that van. People here could be starving soon," her voice was tight with tension and her hands were gripped into fists at her side. It didn't sound like something Maggie would say and I was sure this decision was hard on her. 

Enid came in, her voice breathless with barely contained anger she directed towards Michonne. "Maggie's right," she snapped. "We take their stuff. Otherwise someone else will. Someone else will kill them. It's a miracle they're still alive, anyways." Enid strode up to look straight into Michonne's face. 

I didn't like how erratic she was acting and every instinct I had warned me she was right on the edge. Grief and fear were a dangerous combination. I stepped closer, ready to intervene.  

"The saviors are on their way," Enid said desperately. "We're gonna fight and some of us will die, so why should we give a shit about people who don't give a shit about themselves? I mean out there living like that?" Enid's voice rose but it was rough with emotion. 

"It's called altruism," I said in a low voice. Maggie's lips were pursed and her arms were crossed over her chest. None of us knew what the right answer was, but ultimately it was Maggie's decision. 

Enid snorted in disbelief. "We take their stuff and we use it. We stop pretending that things just work out. They don't," she snarled with barely contained rage. This wasn't just about the food or Georgie. This was about Carl and we all kew it. 

Sympathy crossed Michonne's face and she took another step towards the raging teenager. "Carl rescued Siddiq," Michonne said and Enid flinched at the mention of his name. "And now we have a doctor, and we have a friend." 

Every instinct I had told me Michoone was pushing Enid too hard. She was shaking with barely contained emotions. Her muscles coiled and I immediately stepped up behind her. I kept my hands gentle as I took the gun from her trembling hands. 

"Carl was brave," I said in a low voice behind her. 

Enid jumped. She hadn't heard me and I scared her. It made her even more mad, pushing her past the edge. I tucked the gun in the back of my pants so my hands would be free. I didn't want to be holding a weapon.  

She whirled on me, her eyes flashing. "And now he's dead," she snarled with tears streaming down her cheeks. 

I glazed up at her letting her see a tiny bit in my eyes what it was she was pushing up against. "Step back," I warned her in a low tone. 

"Jo," Maggie's voice was a gentle warning, but I ignored it. 

Enid flinched and looked around as though surprised to find herself standing toe to toe with me. Fear flickered in her eyes for a second before she whirled and stormed from the room. She slammed the front door behind her and Michonne hung her head as tears filled her eyes. 

"Things don't just work out," Maggie said resolutely from behind her. 

Michonne turned to face her with tears in her eyes. "No, no they don't. But I think he knew that. He didn't give up on who Rick wanted him to be," her voice broke. " And we can't on who he wanted us to be," she turned back to me. "We can't," she said a little desperately. Then she shook her head as a single tear slid down her cheek. She turned away and left the room, leaving the door open behind her.

In the hall I could see Judith and Baby Gracie playing on the large rug. Sarah from The Kingdom was sitting with them. Judith walked towards Gracie on shaky legs holding a small ball that she offered to the baby. She waited patiently while Gracie took it between her palms. Gracie squeezed it too tightly, launching the ball into the air. Gracie squealed with delight and Judith giggled happily, trotting off after the ball as it rolled away. Utterly content to repeat the game.   

I turned back to Maggie to see she was watching them too. 

"We have more at stake and more to protect than just their home. If it was just about keeping them safe we could have made a deal with Negan," I said simply. "This is about a way of life..." I sniffled once and turned back to the little girls. When they grew up all they would have was each other and Maggie and Glenn's baby. Each other and what we taught them. "When you fight the monsters you have to be careful you don't become a monster yourself," I said, giving voice to another of my deepest darkest.  

Maggie frowned as she looked at me. She pressed her lips together and opened her mouth, then paused. "You aren't a monster Jo," she finally told me. 

I turned back to her with a sad smile. "No, I'm not. But I have one in my head," I told her seriously. "And most days I barely have a handle on it," my voice had a slight tremble to it and I tightened my jaw so I sounded confident when I spoke my next words. "It's been useful. But when this is all over you have to decide if you want that here," I said motioning to the room around us. 

Maggie met my eyes. She held my gaze for a long time. "Jo-" she started to say. 

I shook my head, cutting her off before she filled the silence with empty words. "I've scared you before Maggie, you know I have. You've looked at me like I was some kind of monster. Don't try to deny it," I said. "But you aren't the only one. There's very few people who haven't. I can probably count them on one hand. Carl was one of those people. He recognized who the real monsters were in this world. And our group...we're the good guys," I told her. "I have to believe that. And I will not defeat the saviors just to become them." I jerked my chin towards the little girls over my shoulder. "I will do everything in my power to make it so they don't have to make the kinds of choices we do."   

Maggie held my gaze for a long time before she finally nodded. She walked out into the hall and picked up the ball Judith was chasing, holding it out to the little girl. 

"Auntie Jo," Judith called happily. 

"Hey kiddo," I said smiling sweetly down at the little girl. 

"Get a crate," Maggie said. 

Maggie opened the door and we walked out together. I carried the crate filled with records. 

Georgie smiled triumphantly as I set the crate at her feet. "No spoken word?" she clarified meeting my eyes and lifting her eyebrows. I simply held her gaze and said nothing. 

"I'm agreeing to your deal," Maggie said from behind me. Georgie's eyes lifted to look at Maggie. "We'll fill your four crates and then you can go," Maggie clarified. 

I straightened and stood beside Maggie. "You're gonna want to leave sooner rather than later," I warned glancing towards the sun. Only a couple more hours now. 

Georgie's eyes flickered around the community and I saw what she did. A community preparing for war. "I accept," Georgie said. "But I'm changing the terms."

Maggie stiffened but there was something in Georgie's face that made me think it was going to be for the better. 

"This one," she said motioning to the crate at her feet. "No more. In addition, you can have a sizable portion of my food stores," she gestured to Midge and Hilda and the two of them went to the van to begin unloading the food. "From the looks of things around here you need it far more than we do." 

"You're giving us food?" Maggie asked suspiciously. Her eyes flickered to my face, as though checking to see if I thought it was a trap of some kind. 

Georgie nodded smiling like a proud teacher. 

"In exchange for what?" Maggie challenged. 

"Records," Georgie said as though Maggie were slow and not keeping up. "And good faith," she added pressing her hands together. "To be clear this isn't a gift, it's barter. I'll be back. Maybe not for a while, but I will and by then, I expect great things," she said gesturing to the community around us.  

Maggie looked like she was about to cry and Georgie walked over to the back of the van. "You already have a blacksmith, just splendid!" she said like a kid at christmas. Her eyes dropped to my knives again. "Are some of those handmade?" she asked.

I drew one of Robbie's knives and held it out to her. She inspected it carefully nodding along, very pleased. "You'll perfect it with time," she said and she handed back the knife before reaching into the van. "Here is the aforementioned key to the future. Inside you will find handwritten plans for windmills, watermills, silos, hand-drawn schematics. Guides to refining grain, creating lumber, aqueducts. A book of medieval human achievement so we might have a future from our past," she handed over the two inch thick binding of paper. 

Maggie frowned down at it in wonder. 

"Yes I know," Georgie said with a smile. "The originals are in my head but I made photocopies. Still, it's been an evolving document since the copy shop."

Maggie stared at the woman standing in front of her in wonder. "Thank you," she said, hugging the book to her chest. 

Georgie smiled. "Build this place up. I want those other crates filled when I come back. Cheeses for Hilda, pickles for Midge."

Maggie nodded. "We'll see what we can do." 

"You will," Georgie said with absolute certainty. She gripped Maggie's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. 

Maggie smiled gratefully and stepped back as they climbed into their van and left. I hoped they had it out past the Savior's roadblocks.  

Maggie and Michonne picked up crates of food and carried them towards the mess tent. Enid and I stood together, watching the van drive away. After a few long moments Enid spoke. "I killed Natania," she confessed. It took me a second to realize she was talking about someone from Oceanside. "She was out there trying to kill anyone she came across, and we came across her," her voice broke with emotion. "So I killed her and I'm alive. Carl saved someone and he's dead," she shook her head in disbelief as tears flowed freely down her face. "How the hell are we supposed to do this? How the hell does this make any sense? Are we supposed to just stop fighting?" 

I sighed because Enid was asking the wrong person. I didn't know how to stop fighting. I pulled her gun out of the back of my belt and handed it back to her. "I don't think Carl wanted us to stop fighting for our future. But I think that he was trying to tell us that to get to our future it's going to take more than just fighting."

Enid gestured out towards the horizon. "The saviors are coming right now." 

I smirked. "And we're gonna fight them, but I think Carl wanted there to be something after for all of us." 

Enid looked confused "How?" she asked, her voice breaking. "How do we just stop?" 

I felt tears prick the backs of my eyes. "I don't know," I told her honestly. "But we don't get to stop yet. They're coming." 

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So...what did you guys think? Thank you as always for the tremendous support. You guys are the most amazing readers ever! I just love reading your comments! New episodes start this weekend! I'm excited to see the direction they take the new season!

So...I'm looking for a little bit of input from you guys. I have every intention of continuing Jo's story as long as the walking dead continues. Wattpad however, has a limit on the number of chapters a story can have, and we are closing in on that number more quickly than I realized. I'm wondering if it would be better to continue to keep the story all together (which is something I've tried very hard to do since the beginning) by going back and editing chapters into longer ones. My latest chapter tend to be quite lengthy but a lot of the earlier ones were pretty short. Or, do you think I should create a sequel? I would normally just go back and make the edits but I'm afraid I will lose all your awesome comments and votes. By breaking it up I worry people won't be able to find the second part quite as easily. 

Thoughts?