Hi guys! I hope you enjoy the update! 

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Jo

"HELP!!! I NEED HELP!!!!" It was Glenn's voice. "HELP ME!!!!!"

Rick bolted through the door without hesitation. My eyes went to Carol. 

"I've got Judith," she promised and I ran for the door on Rick's heels. The two of us raced down the street towards the van that was parked at an angle in front of the hospital house. 

"HELP ME!!!" Glenn was still screaming as he jerked the rear doors open. 

Maggie was suddenly there, running beside me. "Glenn!" she screamed. From here I could see Glenn was covered in blood but he was moving fine. He and Eugene were lifting an unconscious Tara out of the back of the van. 

I snagged Maggie's arm, spinning her towards me. "Get Pete," I said firmly. 

She froze for a moment, her eyes traveling to Glenn. 

"He's fine, he's moving. We need Pete for Tara," my voice was strong and calm in the face of the chaos around me. 

She nodded her eyes wide with fear. I ran to the van. The only one left in there was Nicholas. I reached in and grabbed his arm helping him out. 

"Are you hurt?" I asked, my voice business-like. He shook his head. "Come inside now, Pete will take a look at you." Nicholas's eyes were wide and I couldn't tell if it was because I was the one giving orders, or because of what happened. 

I jogged inside and Glenn and Eugene had laid Tara on the bed. Eugene backed away slowly, shaking his head over and over again. His face was white with shock. I glanced towards the door but there was no sign of Pete or Maggie yet. I opened the cabinet and grabbed out a handful of gauze to stop the blood that was flowing from Tara's head. 

"Eugene sit down before you fall down," I called over to him. 

There was so much blood. It was flowing freely, soaking the white sheets beneath Tara's body. Glenn's bloodied hands fisted in the sheets beside the bed. "Rick," I called. Rick appeared and took Glenn by the arm and led him away from the bed. 

The door opened then and Rosita and Abraham stepped in. Rosita ran over to the bed. She stepped up, gently taking over for me. I backed away, knowing Rosita was more experienced. I glanced at the survivors standing in the room. Glenn, Eugene and Nicholas were here. Aidan and Noah hadn't come back. 

There was movement by the door and I looked up to see Deanna standing in the doorway her eyes on me. She was frowning, as though she didn't understand what she was seeing. I realized I was standing there with blood covered hands crossed over my chest. Then she looked to the room beyond and I saw the second she realized her son wasn't among the survivors. 

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Jo

Later than night I was sitting at the kitchen island, my head in my hands. I was raw and exhausted. Carol was bustling about the kitchen and the quiet purposeful way she worked was equal parts soothing and grating on my nerves. Glenn and Rick were talking about the incident next door but it didn't change the fact that Noah was dead and gone. We had never been terribly close, but he was a good kid and he had been one of us. 

It bothered me that no one but Rick had come to talk to Glenn about what happened. Instead they had scooped Nicholas up and circled the wagons, as though we were somehow to blame for this. I couldn't help but feel as though everything was somehow sliding dangerously sideways. 

Since coming here it felt as though death was beyond us. I mean there was always a risk, going outside the walls, but we wouldn't lose anyone. We had won, we had found a safe place. We had a home again. It turned out this place was just as much of an illusion as Woodbury had been, and I was just in a different kind of cage. 

And there is was, the sum of it all. I was still as trapped. 

Only this time I had a McMansion instead of my cell to live in. As the thought went over me my breath started coming too fast. I glanced up at Carol who was just putting the finishing touches on her 'Sorry your kid died' Casserole. I had to get out of here. I pinched my eyes closed. I couldn't be in here, surrounded by these taupe walls and pretend like nothing in this new world had touched me. 

"I'm going for a walk," I said and nearly stumbled over my feet in my haste to get to the door. I couldn't be in here anymore. 

"Will you drop this off for me?" Carol asked holding the casserole dish out to me. 

The panic I was feeling must have shown on my face because she frowned at me. "Just set it on the porch. You don't have to talk to anyone," she assured me. 

I nodded and snatched up the still warm dish and all but sprinted down the stairs. Once I was out in the darkness I could breathe again. I stood in the darkest park of the street where I couldn't be seen and forced myself to suck in deep, measured breaths. This place, these people, are what killed Noah. The lie of it all killed Noah. 

I dropped the dish on the Monroe's front stoop and rapped on the door before I disappeared into the night. 

I only had one knife on me or I would have gone outside the walls. But I couldn't go back to the house, if I went back and armed myself there would be questions. Too many questions, questions I didn't want to answer and frankly questions I shouldn't have to answer. I was an adult damn it, I could make my own decisions. I glanced thoughtfully at the fence and touched the fold up knife tucked into the waistband of my leggings. I could do a lot with just one knife. 

Before I realized it the knife was open and in my hand. I was rolling it through my fingers when I remembered how pissed Daryl would be at me if I went out there unnecessarily. I tucked the knife back under my shirt and started walking. 

I didn't know how many laps I had made before I heard the silenced gunshots over head. I flinched, and swung around, trying to determine where the shots were coming from. Then I saw the barrel of a rifle sticking out of the clock tower and more shots came. It was Sasha, shooting at walkers beyond the wall. 

I closed my eyes, feeling bad for her. We hadn't spent much time together, and we had never really been friends even before she lost Bob and Tyreese. Since we had moved here I probably hadn't spoke five words to her. We lived in separate houses and our paths never crossed. But she was hurting and she was a member of our group. I only wished I knew how to help her. 

I turned away from the tower. I wasn't even sure how to help myself. I paced the fence until dawn. 

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Daryl

Aaron and me were moving across an open field. It was a dark night with no moon. The tall grass swayed in the wind, the stalks whispering against one another. It was oddly peaceful except for the lone walker between us. I fired my crossbow, catching it in the forehead. The walker dropped. I stalked over to it and jerked my bolt out. I reloaded the crossbow and glanced over my shoulder at the sound of Aaron's heavy footfalls. 

He wasn't bad, he actually moved pretty quiet, but he wasn't as quiet as she was. It would take a while to get used to having Aaron at my back instead of her. Part of me didn't want to get used to it. I wanted her back out here with me. But then I felt selfish, she was safe and happy behind those walls and I should be happy about that. 

"There's more of them around here than there used to be," Aaron said as I straightened and swung my crossbow over my shoulder. "Don't know if any people are-" he started to say

"Shh," I cut him off and pointed off towards the treeline where I could see a small fire. "Someone is."

Aaron tensed beside me, this was the first chance we had at bringing someone back. We were both tense. Him because he didn't want to make a wrong choice and me because I knew how people were out here now. There weren't too many good ones left and Aaron was trusting me to make the call. 

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Jo

I slipped back into the house just before sunrise. Everyone was still asleep. I went down to the basement and started training. I don't know how long I worked, but when Michonne startled me out of my concentration sweat was pouring down my face. 

"Hey," Michonne called from the bottom of the stairs. She was standing very still, a cautious look on her face. 

I turned to face her, wiping the sweat from my face with the back of my hand holding my kukri. "Hey," I replied.

She pressed her lips into a grim line and ran her eyes over me. She frowned and looked as though she were reconsidering coming down here. She half turned as though she were going to go back upstairs. "Michonne," I called after her. "What's going on?" 

She ran a hand over her mouth and exhaled. "I think Sasha might have spent the night in the tower."

I frowned. "Is she still up there now?"

She shook her head. "Abraham's on watch now, but she hadn't been back and nobody's seen her. I think she's outside the wall again."

I couldn't help the ripple of excitement that went through me. I needed to get out of this place for a little while. I glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was only nine, I had three hours before I had to be at the school. I put my kukri away and I snatched my jacket up out of Daryl's closet and shrugged it on. Michonne watched me closely as I zipped it up, concealing all my knives except for the single one at my waist and the one on the outside of my boot. I turned to head up the stairs when she reached out and stopped me. 

"What?" I asked. 

"Don't you think you look at little-" 

"A little what?" I asked, my gone. I wanted out of here, now, and this was a perfect excuse. 

Michonne gestured to me. "A little intense?" 

I made a noise of disgust in the back of my throat and marched into the bathroom. I rummaged through the drawers until I found the light green headband. I slapped it on my head. I stalked back out to the main room and looked at Michonne. "Better?" I bit out. "Can we go now." 

She chuckled under her breath and shook her head. "I don't know how we thought this was a good idea." 

I glanced back over my shoulder in annoyance and then set out for the gate. Michonne led the way out of the gates and as soon as it slammed behind us her entire demeanor changed. While she tensed and gripped her gun tightly in her hand, I breathed a sigh of relief. My mind felt clearer out here and like I could focus on the task at hand. I unzipped my jacket and the cool forest air soothed me even more. 

"It's up ahead," she said, leading the way through the forest.

"She tell you about it?" I asked not clear how Michonne knew where Sasha would go.

She shook her head. "I saw her going out one day with her rifle. I knew somebody was already in the tower. So I asked her."

I nodded again. There was movement behind us. I whirled around, drawing knives as I moved. Michonne had her gun up and was tense and ready. We turned a slow circle our backs together.

"This is the first time I've been out since we've been here," she confessed to me.

I nodded. Michonne seemed to have settle into Alexandria more than anyone and now that we had stepped beyond the walls she seemed unsettled. 

"It already feels different," She continued. "I can't decide if it's good or not."

I shrugged.

"Noah's dead," she said after a minute. "I just-I feel like I was asleep in there. Like what was out here couldn't touch us anymore. How come that didn't happen to you?" she asked suddenly curious as she turned to face me.

I looked back at her, frowning. "I suppose," I replied carefully. "I learned a long time ago that the monsters aren't only on the outside of the walls."

"I just don't wanna forget." She said. "But I also don't wanna...I don't know."

"You're trying," I said quietly, thinking on the very same conversation Daryl and I had before he left.

She scoffed. "I don't think it's enough."

I motioned to the gun in her hand. "You didn't bring your sword, that's not nothing."

We found the body of the first dead walker not far. "Got it in the back of the head..." Michonne said, toeing the body.

We continued up the trail to the next body. "Back of the head," she said again shaking her head in disbelief.

I cocked my head as I looked down at the body. "She's hunting them," I said quietly.

Michonne lifted her gun, adjusting her grip.

It didn't take long before we heard the sound of silenced gunshots ahead. I took a calming breath, knowing there was no telling what state we were going to find Sasha.

"Sasha," Michonne called.

"Go back," Sasha growled moving deeper into the forest.

"What are you doing?" Michonne asked.

"I'm sick of playing defense."

"So you're just going to take on all of them?" I asked, snorting in disbelief.

Michonne looked over at me, widening her eyes in warning. Clearly that was not the approach she thought Sasha needed.

"Yeah," Sasha muttered. We came into a clearing and a herd was moving through.

Sasha started firing.

"We gotta get out of here," Michonne growled urgently.

"You do," Sasha said, the smile evident in her voice. "I don't."

Beside me Michonne went dangerously still. I let out a weary sigh and drew another knife. I rolled my neck and shrugged my shoulders and let myself start to really see the herd.

Michonne suddenly lifted her gun and started firing.

"I don't need your help," Sasha snarled at her.

"This isn't for you," Michonne muttered back dangerously.

I had never felt more like a babysitter in my life. I turned my back to them to cover the rear and make sure they weren't flanked. The snarls at my back told me the herd was larger than it first appeared and I only hoped I hadn't let them lead me into a horrible mistake.

I struck out, slashing and spinning as the walkers came. I kicked and stabbed relishing the freedom. Sasha's gun clicked empty and she pulled her knife and she moved forward to engage. She wasn't me though. She was knocked down only moments later with a walker on top of her.

I flipped the grip on my knife and let it fly into the walkers head. The walker collapsed on top of her. Michonne ran over to her and helped roll the body aside. Sasha leapt to her feet, completely pissed. 

"I had it," she snarled, slapping Michonne's offered hand away. "I don't need your help."

She stood there, gasping for breath and glaring at us. "I told you to go," she growled. Then she spun on me, her face drawn up in disgust. "You," she said, pointing directly in my face. "You can't do anything. It worked out for you. It all worked out for you! Don't you see that?" her voice rose as tears started swimming in her eyes. "You can't help me...nobody," she said looking back and forth between the two of us. The tears started coming then. "Noah..." she said, her voice breaking. "I told him he wouldn't make it." she looked back and forth between us, waiting for one of us to attack her or condemn her. 

When we didn't she stalked off further into the woods without checking to see if we were following. Michonne trotted after her without hesitation. I sighed, jerked my knife out of the walkers head and followed at a more sedate pace. 

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Daryl

The next morning we broke camp and headed towards the strangers camp. I waved Aaron back and moved cautiously into the tree line. It was too quiet and too early for them to have broke camp. I crept through the underbrush, listening. There was no one here. I waved over my shoulder at Aaron telling him it was clear to follow me. When I stepped out into the clearing I froze, at my feet was a pile of human limbs. Arms and legs. They weren't the limbs of Walker's either. I brought my crossbow up and turned my attention to the woods around us. Aaron stepped up and nearly bumped into me as he stared at the pile of body parts. 

"Whoever did this, took whatever was left with them," I said, staring down at the blood trail at our feet. "This just happened," I said grimly. 

Aaron moved behind me, his gun in hand. We crossed the clearing towards the only intact body in sight. Aaron stepped in front and I watched our back, swinging my crossbow around. This could easily be a trap. As we approached the body Aaron slowed. I looked up. It was a woman, naked and tied to a tree.

"She's tied up," Aaron said in disgust. "They fed on her," he said, meaning walkers. "They tore her apart. This just happened?" he asked looking at me horror.

"Yeah," I replied, my lips pinched. Maybe if we had approached last night we could of saved these people. Course maybe not. Maybe we would have ended up just as dead.

"How the hell did this happen?" Aaron asked as he looked at her. She had been brutalized first, it was obvious by the blood. I looked away. They tortured this woman and then tied her to a tree, bleeding, for the walkers to find. I couldn't stop my mind from running back to when The Claimers had Jo. They had been animals like the people who did this to this poor woman. My hands gripped into fists with the desire for action. 

Aaron looked a little queasy. I reached out a lifted the woman's head. There was a W scratched into her forehead. I felt myself go cold. There had been more than a few Walkers I killed with a W on their foreheads. I glanced around uncomfortably. Whoever was responsible for these Walkers was dangerous. I wanted to get back to Alexandria as quickly as possible. Rick needed to know these people were out here, only a day away from our walls. The walker started to wake up as I held her. I reached down and pulled my knife, slamming it into her forehead, ending her suffering.

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Jo

Hours later I was showered and changed into something adorable and non-threatening. I was surprised to find how nervous I was to stand in front of the four teenagers I would be lecturing that day. It had been a long time since I had done this. I wiped my sweaty palms on my leggings. 

"Hi," I greeted, flashing a nervous smile. The kids shifted in the seats. "I'm Jo, I am new here," I said unnecessarily. "I ah, will be supplementing your lectures in biology. We'll start with an area of interest to me, which is Wildlife Biology. Now, in this region, for the most part-" Even from the inside of the garage were heard the crash and the sound of glass shattering. The kids all jumped up and Holly turned to me with wide, frightened eyes. There was screaming and yelling coming from outside. My eyes dropped to Carl and the two of us took off at a run. I heard Holly call something behind us but it didn't matter. I was faster than Carl and had soon outpaced him.  

"Deanna!" someone screamed. 

I turned the corner and slowed. In the middle of the cross street Pete had Rick on the ground. His hands were wrapped around Rick's neck, choking him. Jessie ran in and tried to pull Pete off but he backhanded her away. She cried out and fell to the pavement. 

Suddenly everything seemed to move slowly and was curiously far away. I ran to them. I moved forward to help but Spencer grabbed my arm pulling me back. I caught Carl's eye across the fight and he slowly shook his head at me. I ground my teeth in frustration. My not blowing my cover was not worth Rick getting his ass beat. Carl ran in to help, he grabbed a hold of his dads arm, but Rick shook him off.

"Stop!" Deanna yelled running towards them.

"You touch them again and I will kill you," Rick snarled, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Damnit Rick, I said stop it!" Deanna screamed.

Rick jumped up, pulling a gun from beneath his shirt.

"Shit," I muttered. Spencer looked down at me in confusion. His hand was still latched onto my upper arm and he moved as though he were going to place himself between me and the danger. 

"Or what?" Rick asked, swinging the gun around. Everyone from Alexandria raised their hands, scuttling back in fear. "You gonna kick me out?" he challenged.

"Put that gun down Rick," Deanna said, she was trying to appear calm, but the sight of the gun had put a slight tremble in her voice. 

Rick shook his head. I looked across the circle to see Glenn swing around so he was between Rick and Tobin. This had the potential to go very sideways and all I had was one knife. One stupid knife at my waist. I was even wearing those stupid ballet flats that would make it difficult to put much power into any kicks. I pulled gently away from Spencer trusting his instincts to let go of a woman if she wanted. He did it. Though he looked down at me in confusion. He still didn't understand what was going on here. Poor sap.

"You still don't get it," Rick said lowering his gun. "None of you do!" he yelled spinning in a slow circle. "We know what needs to be done and we do it. We're the ones who live. You- you just sit and plan and hesitate. You pretend like you know when you don't."

There were silenced gunshots coming from the tower above our heads. A lot of them. The confrontation had drawn the attention of walkers nearby, and all I had was one stupid knife. I moved my hand to rest on my waist, just so I was ready. 

The gunshots, combined with Rick's gun and the blood covering Rick's face and hands was raising the tension in the group by the second. "You wish things weren't what they are. Well, you want to live? You want this place to stay standing? Your way of doing things is done. Things don't get better because you want them to. Starting right now, we have to live in the real world. We have to control who lives here."

"That's never been more clear to me than it is right now," Deanna growled, anger covering her fear now.

"Me? Me? You, you mean me?" Rick laughed maniacally as he turned his full attention to Deanna. "Your way is gonna destroy this place. It's gonna get people killed. It's already gotten people killed. And I'm not going to just stand by and let it happen. If you don't fight, you die. I'm not going to stand by-"

Michonne ran in and knocked Rick across the back of the head with the butt of her gun. Rick slammed against the ground, out cold.

The people started to converge on him. I jumped forward and immediately swung around to put myself between them and Rick. Behind me I heard Michonne and Glenn do the same.

"Get Rosita," I called to Carl, as I crouched beside Rick. He was laying on his side bleeding on the asphalt covered in small nicks from going through the window glass.

"That son of a-" Pete snarled, coming forward. 

I jumped to my feet, putting myself protectively between Pete and Rick. I jutted my chin out aggressively, though my hands hung loosely at my sides. Pete's eyes ran over me as though he were taking the measure of me. Michonne was there then, putting herself between the two of us. I let the tension leak out of my shoulders and turned back to Rick. 

"Rick can't be out loose here, he needs to calm down before we decide what to do with him." Deanna commanded regally. 

"Pete needs to go somewhere else," Michonne said firmly. I nodded, and met her gaze. I moved towards Pete but she stopped me. "You should go back to the house and check on Judith," she said.

I looked up to see Deanna staring at me, her eyes narrowed in distrust.  

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Hey guys, I know, I miss Daryl/Jo too!!! But he will be back soon I promise! First it seems Jo is going to get herself into all kinds of trouble! Haha I hope you enjoyed this one. Please comment/vote, I seriously love hearing from you guys.