MARCIE SLEPT IN HER PARENTS' BED THAT NIGHT, WORRIED THAT THEY'D BE GONE WHEN SHE WOKE UP.

But they weren't. They were still there. They were alive.

Now there was another problem. Michonne and Andrea were planning on leaving that day. But Marcie couldn't go. 

Her parents wouldn't make it out there. They were accustomed to the lifestyle inside the walls.

The young woman left the bed and went downstairs, finding her mother making breakfast while her father was looking down at a map at the kitchen table.

"Morning." Marcie grinned.

She didn't think she would ever see this again. All of them under one roof. 

"Morning, stellina." Her mother smiled from the stove top.

Marcie kissed her father on the cheek before staring down at the map, "Papa, can I use this?"

"Of course, cara." He continued looking down at it, "What do you need it for?"

"The group I was with before... I promised someone that I would find Merle and bring them back together. I don't know where he is, but I've gotta try." Marcie grabbed a pen and stared down at the map, trying to remember the highway they were on that led them to the farm, "I found my family." She circled the area, "I need him to find his."

If he was alive.

"This group of yours sounded good." Her mother stated,

Marcie nodded, "They were." She whispered,

After breakfast, her parents went off to do their jobs they were assigned. Her mother was helping set up the celebration the Woodbury community was throwing while her father helped keep the walls fortified.

Marcella went to find Merle, map in hand. He found him near the gates, keeping watch. She whistled, catching his attention and pulling him away from the group,

"I circled where you can find that farm I was staying at with Daryl and the group." Marcie stated, handing him the map,

He looked down at it, observing it's contents, "Ah, yeah, you were right off Route 9 right before it becomes Dahlonega Highway. And you're sayin' that the farm is only about a day's walk from there?"

She nodded, "Give or take." Marcie pointed slightly to the left of where she marked the map, "This is where we looked for Sophia, even made it up around here."

Merle stared at her, nodding and noting the flannel she wore around her waist, "That's my brother's, ain't it?"

"He give it to ya or did ya take it?"

"Daryl and I... it's complicated." She smiled gently at the thought of the younger Dixon, "But I care about him so much. He always believed you were out there, and I promised him I would help find you. So, just find him. Please."

Merle stared at her for a long moment, "Sure you don't want to come with me?"

Marcie shrugged, "I would love to. But I can't leave my parents just yet. I just found them."

With that, Marcie left to find Michonne and Andrea. She needed to tell them they she couldn't continue on with them. Though she's sure they already knew that, but it would be better to tell them in person.

She found Andrea walking the streets of Woodbury, bag on her shoulder, "Hey! I need to talk to you about something."

Andrea sent her a small smile, "You're not coming with us, are you?"

Marcie shook her head, "I hope you understand."

"I do. Completely. It's Michonne you have to make understand." Andrea sighed, "To be honest with you Marcie, I don't want to leave either."

"Then don't."

"I can't leave Michonne alone." Andrea replied, "She needs to be convinced to stay."

Marcie nodded and looked around the streets, not spotting the swordswoman, "Where is she, anyway?"

"I'm not sure. She wasn't in our room when I woke up this morning."

Marcie walked off, wanting to find the woman. She knew the woman would never want to stay, she never trusted Woodbury. And honestly, if it weren't for her parents, Marcie wouldn't want to stay either.

But the three of them had spent eight months together, surviving. She didn't want to let Michonne down, she needed to give her an explanation. She owed her that much at least.

Before she could find Michonne, the Governor had stood, gathering everyone's attention.

"First time we gathered, there was nine of us holed up in an apartment with spam and saltine crackers. Well, look at us now." He smiled, "We've built a place we can call home. May be held together with duct tape and string, but it works. It's ours. I'll take it. So today we celebrate how far we've come. We remember those we've lost. We raise a glass..." He raised his cup, "to us."

Everyone cheered and Marcie continued looking around for her friend, not finding the dark skinned woman.

"Mi stellina, there you are." Her mother smiled, handing her a drink,

Marcie's eyes widened, "Cold drinks?"

"A blessing." Her mother replied as her father came over with a cold beer,  "It wasn't always like this."

"We worked hard to make this into a real place to live. A home." Her father wrapped an arm around each of them, "We're so proud of you. Making it out there on your own."

"I wasn't." Marcie replied, "I was never on my own." 

For the first month of the outbreak she was. But after that, she found Rick, Morgan, and eventually the group in the quarry. She found a family in that group.

Marcie kept mingling for a bit, her parents introducing her to their friends they made. That was, until Merle came to get her and Andrea, sending them to the Governor's office,

"What's wrong?" Andrea asked when the man opened his door, "Merle said it was urgent."

"I need your help." The Governor stated, he walked further into his room, "It's Michonne."

"What about her?" Marcie questioned. Did she get hurt? Did she leave?

"She broke in, stole her weapon." He answered,

Marcie raised an eyebrow, "She can't steal something that's hers."

"Then she went into a private place and slaughtered half a dozen captive biters." The Governor continued,

Andrea and Marcie shared a look. Captive biters? That reminded her of the farm, and the walkers in the barn,

"Why would you have captive biters?" Andrea asked,

He paused and thought it over before moving to sit against his table, "There's a good reason I don't want to go into right now."

That wasn't suspicious at all.

"Point is, I tried to talk to her about it and she pulled her sword on me." He continued, "Held it to my throat."

Andrea and Marcie stayed silent. Michonne wasn't the most subtle in her techniques.

"Can't imagine that surprises you." The Governor added after they didn't respond,

"She wouldn't do that unless she felt threatened." Andrea stated,

"She makes people uncomfortable." He commented,  "Some people want her to leave and I don't want that. It's ugly out there and it's getting worse every day. But she put my back against the wall here."

Marcie crossed her arms over her chest, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying what works out there doesn't work in here. You know, we're not barbarians."

"We've been out there for months, you couldn't imagine the things we had to do to survive. You've been here, behind your walls, drinking iced water and using salt and pepper. She's paranoid, and sometimes you can't turn it off right away. She needs time." Marcie ranted,

"Just let us talk to her." Andrea urged,

With that, the two women went back to the room Andrea shared with Michonne, who was already there packing up their stuff,

"We got to talk." Andrea stated as they walked in,

"We got to go." 

"The Governor told us what happened." The blonde began, "Michonne, you can't do things like this.You're freaking people out. You're freaking me out."

Michonne ignored her, "The northeast wall is guarded by some girl. We can escape there after dark." she handed Andrea her bag,

Marcie began to feel bad. She still hadn't broken the news to the woman, telling her she wasn't planning on leaving any time soon.

"We are not prisoners here." Andrea replied, dropping the bag onto the ground,

"No one who comes here leaves." Michonne stated,

"What are you talking about, Michonne?" Marcie stepped forward, "Why would people want to leave? It's safe. There's food, there's shelter. There's people...."

"That's what they show you. But you can't leave unless they make you." 

Andrea stepped in, "You are not making any sense. Mich, maybe you need to sit for a minute."

"You need to trust me." Michonne hissed,

"And you need to give us more to go on. We got a good thing going here." Andrea replied,

"I thought this was temporary." The swords woman responded,

"And I think we need this." Andrea argued, "I want to give this place a real shot. So does Marcie."

Michonne's eyes turned to Marcie, silently asking if it was true.

"My parents are here, Michonne. I've been looking for them since the start. And they can't go out there, they don't know how to survive. I think we need to try."

"I did try."

"Breaking into houses?" Andrea scoffed, "That is not trying. That is sabotaging."

Michonne shook her head, "This place is not what they say it is."

Marcie trusted Michonne. And she believed her when she said this place isn't what they think. That it's not safe. But... her parents were here. And she needed to protect them.

She was stuck.