FIFTY EIGHT. lead me home
[ SEASON FIVE OF THE WALKING DEAD.]

ADELINE walked in between the railroad tracks, her eyes void of emotions. The Grove had been left behind to decay in their memories, truths unfolding between Carol and Tyreese after what happened. The widow couldn't rid her actions from her memories, and the dried blood that was tucked soundly underneath her fingernails helped constantly remind her of what she had done. And who she had done it to. She realized how easy it was to forget how sinister the world could be when you weren't looking.

She walked next to Tyreese, occasionally looking over at him to make sure that he was okay. Carol had finally told him the truth about Karen and David, and unexpectedly, he accepted it and forgave her. Adeline respected him for it - seeing as it nearly took her a year to fully forgive her brother for something that was out of his control.

Things went the way they were supposed to and how they were always going to. But, it didn't mean that she wasn't hurt by seeing the man she loved get killed right in front of her. And by her own brother. The person she trusted more than anyone. It hurt her to see her husband betray her too, and it was too much for her to process. It caused her mind to go on lockdown - shutting herself off from everyone for months and depriving herself of grieving.

Carol spaced herself from the two, holding Judith in her arms as she trailed behind them. Their group of six had became four in the blink of an eye - and the mother had once again lost a child, but this time it was two instead of one. Carol was grateful and thankful to Adeline for choosing to be the one to carry the burden by doing what she did. She knew now that no one should ever have to.

The decision was surrounded by inescapable traps. And no matter who was chosen to commit the act, all of them would fall into one. They bonds they had before were tightened - bringing them closer together than they ever had been. Even Carol and Tyreese. Their last night in the Grove was filled with a type of silence that was almost impossible to experience more than once. And it was something that no one ever wanted to go through again.

Adeline had become focused on one goal. Getting to Terminus and finding the rest of her family. Now, more than ever, she needed to be with the people she loved. She knew Tyreese needed to be with his sister, and Carol, even though she didn't admit it, needed to see Daryl. The older woman had spoke to Adeline before leaving the Grove about how she wanted to go off on her own, she felt that she was meant to be alone. And she had convinced herself that she wasn't worth of being back with the group.

The widow couldn't convince her otherwise. She tried, but all of the words she spoke was coated by the guilt that clung onto her actions. Killing Lizzie and burying her alongside her sister. It was something that haunted her. She became afraid that it would never leave her mind. Adeline wondered what the world wanted from her, and why it continued to push her to the edge.

The urge to shut down again crossed her thoughts, she was afraid of that, too. It terrified her. All of it did.

"We're close." Carol broke the heavy silence with her voice, her hand resting against the back of Judith. "I'm gonna get you three there. Make sure you're safe." She informed, the two in front glancing back at her. "But I'm not gonna stay." Carol added, the silence returning.

A sudden snap of twig was heard within the forest, Adelines eyes pulling away from the woman behind her and towards the sound. A lone stalker stumbled out of the tree line, a pair of handcuffs hanging from its hand. The widow allowed her hands to fall to the throwing knives on her thigh, pulling one out of the sheath and placing the small handle between her thumb and index finger.

Curling her hand back, Carol stepped out of the way as Adeline released the knife. The blade whizzed through the air, spinning in a full rotation before it landed right above the ear of the walker - the blade embedding itself into the rotted skin and through the brain. Without a second thought, the widow stepped towards the fallen body of the walker and bent down to tug the knife from its skull.

Wiping the blade against her jeans, Adeline straightened her back and looked into the tree line. Her eyes caught sight of a large group of walkers amidst the forest, her heartbeat fastening slightly at the amount of them. Hastily sliding her knife back into the sheath, she turned to the two behind her - "We gotta move. Now."

The three quickly and quietly ushered to the tree line on the opposite side of the tracks, hiding behind a small hill of dirt just as the walkers emerged from the other side. Adeline felt Tyreese place his arm against her back, carefully tugging her out of the eyesight of the stalkers - keeping her safely against his side. She stayed quiet, her hands pressed into the cold dirt of the hill as she watched the walkers as they started to cross the railroad tracks.

Just as Adeline shifted to move, the distant sound of repetitive gunfire broke through the infected air. Furrowing her brows, they stayed behind the dirt hill as the stalkers turned their heads towards the sound and began stumbling in the direction. She remembered the maps they had been following, and her mind came up with one answer: the gunfire was coming from Terminus.

They watched as the walkers began to grow farther away from them, waiting until they all passed before they moved from their hiding spot and back to the railroad tracks. "That gunfire," Tyreese spoke, hoisting Judith slightly as he stepped over a railroad track. "It could have been from Terminus." He speculated, his voice low.

"Someone was attacking them." Carol answered, looking around the tree line for any walkers as she spoke.

"Maybe they were attacking someone." Adeline added, looking over at the one of the signs planted by the tracks that they had been following. Walking over to it, she traced the words painted in black with her finger - the blood underneath her fingers catching her eye as she quickly brought her hand back to her side and looked back to the two. "We need to be careful." She spoke.

"Do we even want to find out?" Tyreese questioned, his hand resting against the back of Judith as the other was perched underneath her legs to keep her steady. Carol turned to him at his words, nodding slightly- "Yeah." She answered, "There's another track due east. It'll get us there." She informed, looking at the sign next to Adeline.

Carol looked at the two, her eyes settling on the figure of Judith before she pulled them away. "We're gonna get answers." She added, glancing at Adeline with a look of promise. The widow nodded in confirmation, "We will." She assured, but it became impossible for her to ignore the deep pit of worry that settled within her stomach.

Together, they trekked through the forest until they came upon a small cabin. A single car sat outside of it, a voice heard from the other side of it. Adeline was the first to hear it, crouching down next to the car as she listened in on his conversation. Carol and Tyreese stayed next to her, the older woman stuffed in the middle while the man was in the back with Judith in his arms. The widow felt her heart quicken, hand quietly unsheathing Daryl's knife.

"10 minute count. You screw up, you're on your own, Martin." A voice emitted from the radio he held in his grasp, knees pressed to the ground as he sat a firework against the dirt. The man, Martin, shook his head in disagreement- "You don't have to tell me. I wipe my own ass." He informed, Adelines eyebrows furrowing.

He moved from the firework, the three behind the car moving slightly as he walked over to a duffle bag on the ground. "Alex didn't get it. See, I knew the chick with the sword was bad news. Bitch looked like a weapon with a weapon. I told Albert I want the kid's hat after they bleed him out." He stated, a sudden realization blooming onto the hidden figures - a woman with a sword and a kid with hat.

Adeline moved from the back of the car, the hunting knife clasped gently in her gasp as she approached the kneeled figure of Martin. Anger was the first emotion that roared through her, worry following quickly behind it as she wasted no second in pressing the sharp blade against his neck, feeling his body tense up underneath her grasp. "You're gonna want to put that down right about now." She instructed, tightening her sweaty grasp on the handle.

He slowly raised his hands, the radio falling to the dirt next to him. "Listen, y'all don't have to do this. Whatever you want, we got a place where everyone's welcome." He assured, the lies evident in his voice as Tyreese stepped to stand next to Adeline with a sleeping Judith in his grasp.

"Shut up, man."

"Okay." Martin quickly spoke, lowering his head slightly as Carol cocked her gun and and aimed it at his head.

"The chick with the sword is our friend." Adeline spoke, pressing the blade tighter against his throat as she leaned down slightly to reach his left ear - "And the kid with the hat is my nephew." She informed with a serpents tongue wavering in the back of her mind at the idea of her family being hurt.

Martin shook his head in denial, "They attacked us. We're just holding them." He lied as they led him into the small cabin. Attentive eyes were quick to catch sight of a pair of zip ties laying against the surface of a wooden table, Adelines hands grabbing them as she pushed the man to the floor. "Sit." She instructed, crouching down to him.

"Yes ma'am." Martin smirked, watching as she rolled her eyes and curled the plastic restraints around his wrists. Meeting his eyes, the widow gave him a sarcastic smile before tightening them enough to cause him to flinch in pain. "My bad, was that too tight for you?" She inquired, a look of anger glowering in her eyes as she squinted.

Carol grabbed the bag of fireworks from outside, bringing them into the cabin and sitting it across the table. "Who else do you have? Do you know their names?" Tyreese questioned, entering the cabin as Judith slowly began to wake on his shoulder. He stood by the door, shifting side to side to keep the baby in his grasp preoccupied.

"We just have the boy and the samurai, that's it." Martin informed, pulling his eyes away from Adeline as she stood to her feet and walked over to the table next to Carol. "We were just protecting ourselves." He added, glancing over at the women. The oldest one of the two brought her focus to him, "I don't believe you." She spoke, opening the bag to peer inside of it.

"There's a bunch of us out there in six different directions. There was a lot of gunfire back home-"

"A lot of gunfire?" Adeline cut him off, shifting on her feet as she turned to look down at him. "For just two people that "attacked" you?" She questioned, furrowing her eyebrows together as he clamped his mouth shut and looked to her with sharp eyes. "Listen lady, I don't know what you're trying to insinuate here but-"

"But nothing." She was quick to speak, "You're a lying piece of shit." Adeline informed, turning back to Carol with her arms crossed over her chest. "That herd we saw, it's heading to them. We need to make sure it stays that way. Use it to our advantage." She advised, her eyes glancing over to the bag full of fireworks.

"It's a compound." Martin spoke up from behind them, "They'll see you coming." He added, watching as Carol slung the bag over her shoulder and turned towards the doorway. "If you even make it that far with all the cold bodies heading over." He continued, watching as Adeline sighed deeply leaned against the wooden walls.

"Carol." Tyreese spoke, grabbing her arm. "How are you gonna do this?" He questioned, bringing his hand back to Judiths back. Carol looked to him, a silent pause wavering in the air before she broke it - "I'm gonna kill people." She stated, turning to look at Adeline. "It's my turn."

The widow nodded reluctantly, walking towards the woman and squeezing her arm assuringly. "Come back in one piece, alright?" Adeline smiled softly, the emotion failing to reach her eyes as the woman shook her head in confirmation before walking out of the cabin - the door quietly closing behind her by the hands of Tyreese.

THEO.

The train car was filled with the sounds of the group preparing for a fight. Theo was crouched down next to Rick as he sawed off a sharp piece of wood with the zipper of his jacket he had torn off. The ones with lost family members received the only answers that had been found, yet no one had spoken about the missing presence of Adeline. Everyone that she would be with was in the train car, yet she was no where to be found.

Rick stayed quiet the entire time, a look of focus drowning his face. Theo remained the same, questions running at an inhumane speed around her mind. There was a part of her that was scared, worried for the woman that acted as her mother. Daryl kept looking around the space, hoping that maybe he just didn't catch sight of her but he realized that was almost impossible for him to do.

Carl was in the corner of the cart, using the chain of the necklace his aunt had given him to carve a piece of wood from the side of the walls just like his father. He kept his grip tight on the piece of jewelry, and checked on it every five seconds to make sure it wasn't about to break. He was scared too, but he refused to let anyone around see it.

Peeking through the crack of the door, the light from outside casted shadows against Daryl Dixon's skin. The chatter of voices outside caused the group to slow their movements, coming to a silence to be able to catch a grasp on what was happening. "Alright, got four of them pricks coming our way." The redneck informed, his voice giving the group the go to get ready for a right.

Theo stood to her feet, the pencil she had slipped up her sleeve held tightly in her grasp. For the last twenty five minutes, she had been sharpening it against a piece of metal - the end suddenly becoming deadly to anyone that engaged with it. The eleven year old stood by the door behind Rick as she raised her hands in a defensive position.

But, the sound of footsteps above stopped them.

A hidden door above the train car rolled open, a bright light flooding into the once dark space. Theo looked up, flinching slightly at the sudden change of light as a can was thrown into the area. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, but the loud shout from Abraham that yelled for them to move was followed by an arm wrapping around her body, pulling her to the ground as the smoke bomb exploded.

High pitched ringing pierced her ears, wincing in pain as her palms slapped against the wooden floors of the cart. The repetitive sound of coughs escaped the barrens of her throat, attempting to move to her knees - arms forming a barricade around her eyes to block out the bright light that came from the now open door. Everything was muffled, becoming oblivious to all of the things happening.

It wasn't until she felt a pair of hands curl around her arms and pull her out of the cart when she things started to pull to a realization. "Why her?" One of the voices questioned as she was dragged down the stairs, thrashing slightly in the man's grasp as he tugged her arms behind her back. The sharpened end of the pencil made contact with her wrist, causing her to flinch from the feeling.

"Gareth said so," Another muffled voice spoke, her eyes pulling to a focus at the four bodies that were laid against the pavement in front of the cart. Rick, Glenn, Daryl, and Bob. They were all getting restraints attached to their wrists, which made Theo come to the sudden realization of zip ties being tied tightly around her own.

The brunette stopped thrashing around at the fear of what would happen, allowing herself to be led into one of the many buildings. She breathed heavily, squeezing her eyes shut before opening them - her feet moving on their own. The loud sound of a saw buzzing echoed around her mind, blurry eyes opening just in time to see two men standing over a body of some sort; cutting it up.

As she furrowed her brows, Theo blinked rapidly to allow her sight to focus - the feeling of regret sinking into her stomach at the events unfolding in front of her. The men were standing over a table, the body of another person laid across the metal surface as they cut into him. Her stomach dropped in both disgust and fear, body being pulled away from the sight and forced to kneel.

Theo felt her knees press against the concrete below her, a long metal bin in front of her. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, heart beating rapidly in her chest as she looked to the four unknown figures kneeled across the other side. They looked to her with scared eyes, fear held deep within their expression as they breathed heavily. A figure behind her wrapped a piece of cloth around her mouth, tying it behind her head, tangled with her hair.

The girl felt her body tremble, hands shaking behind her back as four familiar faces were kneeled on the opposite side of the bin. Glenn was across from her, eyes widening slightly at the sight of Theo alone. Daryl was placed next to him, followed by Rick and Bob who all looked worried at the idea of the kid being by herself. They all wore gags around their mouths, same as the girl.

Theo shifted on her knees, an aching pain settling in the side of her stomach as the fabric around her mouth became hot by her trembling breaths. Two men walked behind the ones on the opposite side of her, both wearing plastic aprons covered in blood. One had a pair of goggles sitting atop his head, marked slightly with crimson as they approached the unknown man at the end of the line.

His bleached blonde hair was matted down to his head by sweat, trails of tears crawling down his face. Theo took notice of the metal bat one of the men held, standing behind the restrained man and readying it to strike. In one swift swing, it made contact with the back of the guys skull - Theo's eyes widening in fear as the second man grabbed him by the shirt and slid a knife across his neck.

Flinching at the sudden spray of blood that emitted from the gaping wound in his skin - his body fell limp against the metal bin. Crimson danced across the bin, sliding its way down the surface and into a drain that situated itself in the middle. Theo felt the fear pound in her heart, eyes frozen to the unmoving body of the once alive man. The others next to him screamed into their gags, the sounds muffled by the fabric wrapped around their mouths.

Grunts came from Glenn who kneeled in front of her, the two men moving on to the next defenseless stranger as Theo pulled her eyes away from the body and towards her friend. He shook his head rapidly at the girl, taking notice of the tears that welled in her eyes from the events that had just unfolded in front of her. They broke free from their cell, trailing down her face and into the fabric around her mouth as she slowly nodded her head.

He was telling her not to look.

Theo lowered her head to the bin, blood crawling its way towards her on the bottom of the surface. The sound of the bat making contact with another head caused her to flinch, tears falling from her eyes - the sound of the knife slicing leading to the salty water mixing with the blood below. Then it happened again. Then again.

"Hey guys," The familiar voice of Gareth broke the trance Theo was locked onto with the blood - walking into the room behind her with a journal held in his hands. "What were your shot counts?" He questioned, the teen raising her eyes away from the blood and back to the face of Glenn as the guy with the bat moved to stand behind him. "38." He answered, fixing his grip.

Theo felt frozen, trails of tears marking her pale skin as the guy readied himself to swing the metal bat into the back of Glenn's head. Her body trembled, watching as her friend clenched his teeth against the gag in fear of his own death. But before the bat could come down to his skull, a loud yell was heard behind her, causing her to flinch.

"Hey!" Gareth yelled, stopping the bat mid swing. His voice caused the guy with the knife to look up from where he stood, "Crap, man, I'm sorry. It was my first roundup." He apologized - an embarrassed look on his features.

Gareth sighed, "After you're done here, go back to your point and count the shells. Kaylee won't be gathering them until tomorrow." He informed - writing something down into the journal he carried.

Bob shifted on his knees, "Hey!" he yelled, voice muffled by the gag as Theo turned her eyes to him. "Hey, let me talk to you." He begged, watching as Gareth blew a gust of air out of his mouth and inspected the lineup. "Hey, let me talk to you for a minute! Let me talk to you for a minute." Bob pleaded, finally getting the man to look.

Gareth reluctantly walked over, pulling the gag from the man's mouth and allowing him to speak. "What?"

"Don't do this." Bob breathed, "We can fix this."

"No, you can't." Gareth informed, going to pull the gag back up but was interrupted by a loud shout. "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." Bob spoke, confusion breaking through Theo's veins as she listened to him.

"We can put the world back to how it was." He added, a desperate sound to his voice. Gareth only shook his head and finished pulling the gag back over his mouth, "Can't go back, Bob." He advised, the muffled shouts of Bob fading into the air as Theo's breath trembled in the gag.

Gareth closed the book he held and bent down next to Theo, squeezing her shoulder as he turned his eyes to Rick - using his other hand to pull the gag from the man's mouth. "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. What was in it?" He questioned, tightening his hold on the girl as she flinched.

Rick stayed silent. His eyes locked on to the man in front of him, anger boiling through his veins as Gareth sighed. "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." He informed, pulling out a sharp knife from his side. Scooting Theo closer to him, she whimpered at the sudden feeling of the blade being pressed to her neck.

Daryl grunted underneath the gag, shifting closer to the girl as a fire of anger boiled within his stomach. The four men kneeled across from her all held a look of protection in their eyes, worried for the girl as Rick shook his head in dismay. "What was in it?" Gareth repeated, his arm wrapped around Theo's shoulder - tucking her into his side. "I'm curious. And it was a big bag." He added.

With no answer from Rick, he rolled his eyes and pressed the blade further into her skin. A small amount of blood pricked at the feeling, a muffled cry coming from her mouth. "You really gonna let me do this?" Gareth inquired while digging his eyes into the esteemed leader.

"Well, let me take you out there. I'll show you." Rick assured, his eyes full of hate as he spoke. Gareth chuckled before shaking his head, "Not gonna happen." He spoke, "But this might." He continued - moving to press the blade deeper into the girls neck before the man spoke.

"There's guns in it." Rick was quick to say, a tinge of worry wavering in his stomach. "AK-47. Beretta M9, .44 Magnum. Automatic weapons. Nightscope. There's a compound bow and.... a machete with a red handle." He informed, a sharpened look in his eyes as he leaned closer to Gareth. "That's what I'm gonna use to kill you."

Finding it humorous, Gareth pulled the knife away from Theo's neck and slid it back into its sheath before fixing Ricks gag back over his mouth. "Thanks." He smiled, standing to his feet and looking towards the two men behind the prisoners. "You have two hours to get them on the driers. I'm gonna go back to public face. Now's the time we can get messy, but we need to dial it all in by sundown." He informed the two workers.

"Got it."

"Yes, sir."

Just as he began to walk towards the door, multiple gunshots sounded from outside. Gareth furrowed his brows, clipping the radio off of his belt and raising it to his mouth. "Hey, Chuck?" He spoke into the device, several more echoed sounds of gunfire echoing outside.

But before anyone could make the next move, a rough explosion rocked the entire building.

ADELINE.

STANDING next to the window, Adeline's eyes widened at the sight of an explosion in the distance. Tyreese rushed over to where she stood, the two of them watching as black smoke curled up into the sky. "Looks like she made it." The widow spoke, looking to the man next to her with a satisfied expression. "That's a win."

"Yeah..." He nodded, a reluctant look on his face as he turned to her, "Probably.". Adeline knew he felt conflicted about the way things were going, and she understood him. He had held onto the pain of losing Karen, and when he finally started to accept it - they lost Lizzie and Mika. She curled her hand around his arm, squeezing softly.

"Was that Terminus?" Martin asked from where he sat against the wall, his restrained hands resting in his lap. Adeline glanced over at him and nodded - "Seems that way." She informed, her hand trailing down Tyreese's arm as she moved away from him to look at Judith who rested soundly inside of a styrofoam box they had found.

Martin watched her, "Maybe you're gonna win this." he spoke - tilting his head slightly. "Maybe your friend just got capped." He mocked, Adelines sharp eyes turning to his figure. "Or maybe I'm gonna be the one who gets capped if I don't shut up." He added quickly.

"Nobody's gotta die today." Tyreese informed from where he stood by the window. Martin scoffed at his words, his eyes pulling away from Adeline who had turned to her friend. "Man, if you believe that... then it's definitely gonna be you two and the kid. Even if that place is burning to the ground." He added, the widow turning to face him just as the sound of walkers became evident.

Pushing away the urge to slam her boot into the guys face, Adeline pulled away from him and towards the opposite window of the one Tyreese stood at. Her attentive eyes landed upon six walkers stumbling from the tree line, her stomach dropping slightly at the thought of them getting into the cabin. But threat was closer than she thought, the sound of rushed footsteps causing her to turn around just as Martin rushed over to where Judith laid.

Adelines eyes widened in fear, the sound of a loud cry breaking from lips of the baby she was supposed to protect. Tyreese turned around, furrowing his brows as he watched the widow step closer to the sight that had made her feel a new kind of fear and anger. "Back off!" Martin yelled, causing the woman to stop in her steps.

Judith cried from inside the box, making the widows face falter as she felt the anger grow deep. "Just don't hurt her..." She begged, holding her hands out in desperation for the baby to be okay. "Just leave her alone, okay? Please." Adeline pleaded, a newfound wrath tearing through her body.

"Back off!" Martin screamed, scooting the styrofoam box farther back as Tyreese softly curled his hand around the woman's arm to hold her back. A walker slammed against the door of the cabin, now acknowledged of their presence- but the thought seemed to be the last one on Adelines mind. "Put your weapons on the ground. Kick them over right now." He instructed, "Right now!"

Without a second thought, the widow pulled the pistol and hunting knife from their spots on her side. Carefully laying them down on the wooden floorboards, she raised her hands to show they were empty as Tyreese copied her actions. "Don't hurt her." He begged the man, Adelines eyes falling to the baby - Judiths face red from crying, tears marking her face. Seeing it made her heart twist in pain, her hands shaking.

"Go outside." Martin ordered, his eyes on the woman who stood frozen in fear. "Just one twist, lady." He added, a rage tearing through Tyreese from the words. "Don't!" He roared, the loud sound of his voice causing Adeline to flinch at the sudden sound. Weakness. She always tried to hide it, she always thought she could. But when it came to the baby she promise to keep safe, all of her rules broke.

"Don't make me!" Martin screamed back at the man, snapping Adeline out of her state of fear as she nodded hastily. "Okay, okay..." She whispered, backing up towards the door and wrapping her arm around the handle. With one quick swing, the body of a walker fell on top of her as she pushed it out - Tyreese quickly following behind her.

Stumbling off of the small porch, Adeline pushed the walker to the ground and searched the outside for something to use. Tyreese hurriedly ran over, slamming his boot into the brain as he hastily helped the woman to her feet. "You have to kill him." She whispered, grabbing the side of his arm as he looked to her.

"I'll give you some time," Adeline added, heart pounding harshly in her chest as she grabbed the handle of a hammer that laid against a wooden box outside. The five walkers growing closer as the widow pushed Tyresse closer to the door of the cabin. Letting out a loud scream, her voice cracked from the fear and worry she had bottled up in the last few days - the walkers turning to her.

Watching as Tyreese busted the door to the cabin open, relief doused her under its waves as she took off running into the tree line next to the cabin. The growls and snarls of walkers followed behind her, their slowed steps giving away their location as she pushed past trees and under the low hanging branches of the forest.

Her heart pounded heavily in her chest, breaths growing uneven as she whipped her head back in the direction of the walkers. Five. There were five of them trailing behind her, arms reaching out for her body that was far ahead of them. She hid out of view behind a tree, tucking the handle of the hammer into her jeans as she allowed her fingers to fall down to the throwing knives.

Adeline waited until they grew closer, holding two knives in each hand as she snuck around the tree, letting them get ahead of her. She held her breath, the trails of tears down her face drying - her back resting against the rough bark of the tree as she leaned her head against the surface. She breathed deeply, eyes opening as she prepared herself to fight for her survival. It was a funny thing, surviving.

Moving from the protection of the tree, Adelines eyes caught sight of the five stalkers that moved their way through the forest in search of her. Whistling loudly, she watched as simultaneously their heads turned - misty covered eyes locking onto her figure. In the blink of an eye, she raised both hands that had her knives encased within her grasp - blades whizzing through the air.

Two bodies fell limp, her right hand falling down to the hammer tucked in her jeans. Hastily pulling it out, she gripped the wooden handle with both hands - roaring her arms back as she sent the weapon flying in the direction of the closest walker. It embedded itself into its rotted skin, dark blood splattering against the rough bark of a tree as it fell to the ground.

Adeline took a step back, the last two walkers stumbling towards her with their arms stretched out. She acted fast, grabbing one more knife from her sheath and throwing it in the direction of the closest walker - the small blade piercing its eye and sending it falling to the ground. Without wasting a second, she grabbed a large rock from the forests floor and rushed over to the last walker.

Slamming it to the ground, Adeline raised the heavy stone above her head before falling to her knees, cracking the skull of the walker open with the impact. Dark blood splattered against her arms, a few specks reaching her face as she raised the rock once more, a cracked yell leaving her chapped lips as she roared it down onto the already caved in skull - killing the final walker.

A sudden relief wafted over her, body rolling off of the stalker and onto the forests floor next to it. Adeline moved her eyes to the sky above, the tall trees almost making it look like a spiders web as she breathed heavily. A chuckle broke from her lips, sweat marking her skin. "Holy shit." She panted, slowly sitting up and standing to her feet.

Feeling exhaustion pour over her, Adeline made her way over to the walkers that she had killed with her knives. She tiredly tugged the weapons from their skulls, wiping the dark blood onto her jeans before sliding them back into their sheath. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she sighed deeply and craned her chin to the sky once more.

Adeline hadn't realized how much she had ran until the adrenaline had worn off, her feet growing sore as she made her way through the forest. Her eyes were heavy, but the only thing that kept her from falling asleep on the closest log was the need to know that Judith and Tyreese were okay and safe. It was what kept her going.

Fifteen minutes later, she finally broke through the tree line - her footfall almost completely silent. And so was she. Adeline stopped in her tracks, a feeling of complete and utter shock washed over her. It was as if her body had been dipped in ice cold water, tears welling in her eyes at the figures that stood in front of the cabin.

Her home.

Shock welcomed the feeling of relief, her attention pulled to the sight of her brother that stood next to his son. He had put Judith in Carl's arms, a feeling of loss curling up against his body as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He shifted against the gravel, tears welling in his eyes as he looked across the group of people - there was no Addy.

Daryl stood off to the side, resting against the stone structure of a large rock with his head in his hands. It was like a sudden realization had bloomed onto them - one they never wanted to experience . The loss of someone so important to them that they didn't know how painful life would be without her. Theo sat next to him with her knees pressed to her chest, head resting defeatedly upon the surface of them. They thought that she was gone.

Until they heard her voice.

"Rick?" Adeline whispered, her voice just loud enough to reach him as he turned around to the sound he thought he would never hear again. Tears marked his face, his hand shaking against his stomach as he looked to his sister.

Rick stepped forward slightly, the family they had formed finding comfort in the sound of her voice. The brother felt tears fall from his eyes, a trembling hand running down his face. They say when you lose someone, you would do anything to see them again. Or just to hear their voice. He feared that this was his mind tricking him, making him see things that he needed to be real.

But the moment Adeline rushed forward, he knew it wasn't a mind game. It was real. She was. Rick copied her actions - bodies clashing together as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He melted into her hold, head tucked between the crevice of her neck as he held onto her like she was going to disappear at any given moment. And he now knew that he couldn't lose her.

It was like the end of paralysis - the forgiveness curling around the siblings and making everything right again.

Adeline pulled away from her brother, tears staining her cheeks and mending the broken pieces. "I thought you died." She spoke, the fear of Rick being gone washing away upon the sight of his bruised and bloodied face. "I forgive you, Rick." The sister whispered, knowing she wouldn't be able to rest again if he didn't know.

Relief covered his features, the slightest hint of disbelief ranging between them as he searched her eyes. She meant it. "Thank you, Addy. Thank you." Rick breathed, his hand pressed against the side of her face as he brushed back her tangled hair. She smiled softly, taking a step back just in time for her tear filled eyes to catch the figure of Daryl Dixon.

He stood behind her brother, shifting slightly on his feet. His crossbow hung from his hand, a sense of vulnerability coating his face. His lip quivered as tears welled in his already swollen eyes - taking a small fragile step forward as Adelines hand trailed down Rick's arm, feeling him squeeze hers assuringly before she pulled away.

The approach to Daryl was one she treated with complete delicacy, gravel crunching underneath her boots as she stepped closer to him. No words were spoken between the two, only her hand raising to curl around his neck - her fingers intertwining with his dark hair as he trembled under her touch. She pulled him close, his head resting between the space of her neck and shoulder.

Silent cries broke from his throat, Adelines face softening as she felt his arms wrap around her. A shaky breath left her lips, tears sliding down her face while she curled into his hold. Resting against his shoulder, her eyes closed tiredly - feeling like she had finally returned home.

━━━━━━━━━━ AUTHORS NOTE.
word count 6778

yep! yep! first chapter of season five is
a majorly emotional one but what else
do you expect from me...

i hope i fed you well dadeline shippers....