The day was uneventful, three different groups went out. Rick took out a group for food, Glenn and Maggie took Tara and Sophia into town to look for any missed weapons, while Daryl and Carol went on a hunt for water. Brooks pretty much slept the day away in the backroom, still tired and weak from her lack of blood, but it was coming back to her. 

When the sun fell below the horizon, Cam came to get her for dinner. So, she sat on the front pew, waiting for Carl to fill up his plate, as well as one for her. Brooks insisted that she could do it, but Carl wouldn't hear of it. So, when he came back with a pile of food for her, she couldn't help but smile at him.

"Thank you." She whispered.

He sat beside her with a smile. "Eat up, River. I heard Abraham practising his speech on Rosita."

"Goddamn." Brooks shook her head, but immediately started eating. The girl was starving.

As if on cue, Abraham spoke above everybody else's chatter. "I'd like to propose a toast."

"I look around this room, and I see survivors." Carl muttered, while Abraham was waiting for it to go quiet and everybody to sit down.

Abraham nodded, and spoke. "I look around this room... And I see survivors." The man spoke in a serious voice, but Brooks had to look down not to grin. She'd heard Carl's words, and it made her smile at Abraham's predictability. Carl stopped paying attention to Abraham, just to watch Brooks' smile. Abraham continued. "Each and every one of you, has earned that title..." He lifted his glass of wine. "To the survivors." 

Everyone else lifted their glasses of wine, Sophia, Cam, Brooks and Carl lifted their cups of water. "The survivors." Everyone said, more or less in sync while Judith looked around, trying to figure out how everyone managed to speak together.

So, while everyone drank their drink, Abraham got dramatic. "Is that all you wanna be?"

"Bit dark." Brooks mumbled, putting down her glass, causing Carl to smirk. He was still looking at her rather than Abraham, but Brooks wouldn't notice, she was staring at the man giving his speech.

"Wake up the morning." Abraham's eyes trailed around every single person as he spoke. "Fight the undead pricks, search for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, and rinse and repeat. Cause, you can do that... I mean, you've got the strength, you got the skill. Thing is? For you people, for what you can do? Well, that's just surrender. Now, we get Eugene to Washington, and he will make the dead die and the living will have this world again. And, that is not a bad takeaway for a little road trip."

Brooks' eyebrows had furrowed, because nobody had filled her in on Eugene and his plan. "Wait, what?"

Abraham nodded, remembering she didn't know. "Eugene, what's in D.C?"

Eugene cleared his throat a little. "Infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even of this fubar magnitude... That means food, fuel, refuge... Restart."

"However this plays out..." Abraham started again. "However long in takes for the reset button to kick in, you can be safe there. Safer than you've been since this whole thing started... Come with us. Save the world for these little ones... Save it for yourselves... Save it for the people out there who don't got nothing left to do except survive."

Brooks gawked a little, turning from Abraham to Eugene. "So, Project Worm was real? They actually made that shit?"

Eugene's head turned to the side a little. "You- you know about Project Worm?"

Brooks laughed. "Of course I do! Oh my god, this is amazin', I mean, I heard of it before, but- but I never once thought they'd actually go through with it."

"What's Project Worm?" Rick asked.

"You know when you cut a Worm in half, and the head can survive and grow a new tail?" Brooks pushed, everyone stared at her blankly. "Well, it's like that. Capital of America had to be prepared for some kind of event, our extinction event, because our Government believed America stood the best chance of building back up society. You heard the sayin': when America sneezes, the whole world catches a cold? Like The Wallstreet Crash? They made a large, underground bunker, like Eugene said- food, fuel, refuge. If they actually went through with it, then they still have laws, 'n' society, 'n' shit. Safety. I- I thought it was a myth, I thought I heard they scrapped the whole thing? Because people were sayin' that was there was of sayin' 'fuck you' to the lower tax brackets and just savin' the rich ass folk?"

"You're such a nerd." Sophia smiled, using the word as a compliment. Should it have been anyone else, Brooks would've yelled, but she knew Sophia. She knew the girl would never intentionally insult her; being a 'nerd' was a good thing, she was smart, and Sophia was proud of that... But when the word only fell from the mouth of bullies growing up, it was hard to see it that way.

Eugene wet his lips. "They- they only said they cancelled it to stop potential protests. They went through with it, it's up and runnin'."

Merle was quick to add in, hoping to speak to Brooks. Hoping that she'd look at him, for even just a second. "He can cure it. The dead. Make it stop, make it go away." With Merle's words, Brooks looked to him, and so he said anything he could to keep eye contact with her longer. "If he can stop people turnin' after they die? All we gotta do is wipe out the rest of the undead pricks... Then, society will be back. Everythin' will be back."

Brooks turned away from Merle, without a word or reaction. She looked to Eugene, who was looking back at her. He was sitting on a pew too, on the opposite row, dead across from her. A part of Eugene was hoping Brooks would call out his bluff, that he'd be exposed, because he never meant to con this many people... Con the children... But, she didn't. What happened, was a smile grew on her lips. "He ain't lyin'?" She asked the scientist she hadn't spoken to before.

Eugene swallowed thickly, and nodded. "He is in fact tellin' the crystal clear truth. I am a scientist, and I can stop this." The lie he told for the past three years slipped from his tongue, easily.

Brooks said nothing else as she practically threw her food aside and jumped up. She made it to him in seconds, and was sitting beside him before she tugged him into a bone crushing hug. Eugene's arms awkwardly went out, before they slowly enclosed around her. A couple 'awh's sounded through the group as they watched her hug the man. The saviour. The scientist. "Thank you." Was all Brooks managed to say to the man.

Rick smiled at Brooks hugging Eugene. He smiled, because she smiled. Her joy, her faith, her hope... He couldn't say no. He looked up to Abraham, who was already staring back at him. "Guess that means that we're in."

/----------\

Brooks was sitting with Sophia when they saw Bob leave. Not long later, Carol went out, and Daryl followed her. "Wonder where they're all off." Sophia yawned, covering her mouth.

"Yea." Brooks hummed. "Secret club, maybe?"

A small laugh escaped Sophia as she stretched out her arms. "God, I'm tired."

"Take the bed in the back." Brooks suggested.

Sophia sighed, shaking her head. "That's for you."

"I've been sleepin' all damn day, go on. I don't need it." Brooks responded.

Sophia smiled, and kissed Brooks' temple. "Thank you." She said, beginning to get up before she stopped herself. "I, uh... You should know something."

"What's that?" Brooks asked, smiling lightly.

Sophia smiled softly in return. "The cannibals didn't take a cheese greater to Merle's arm. When Eugene was cauterizing your wound, Merle put his wrist in your mouth to stop you from hurting yourself. It's how your lip got cut, you did it to yourself, before he stopped you."

Brooks swallowed thickly, and looked down to her lap. "Oh."

"Maybe it's time to let go of some of that anger, Brooks." Sophia suggested.

Shaking her head, Brooks responded. "I let go of that anger, and I got nothing left."

"Look around, Brooks. You let go of that anger? And, you've got everything." Sophia leaned forward, and kissed Brooks' forehead. "Goodnight, I'll see you in the morning." 

Brooks didn't respond to Sophia. How could she? She had no words. Brooks, frankly, had too much anger to let go of. She was angry at Merle for lying to her... Well, she wanted to be angry; she could feel the anger slipping away and she hated that. She was angry about what happened to her friends after the prison, about the fact she let Charlie go. Momentary weakness, he was with the people who killed Hershel, she should've killed him. But, most importantly, she was angry at herself.

Brooks drew her attention to Eugene who was sitting all alone. She took a deep breath, before she pushed herself up, and went to talk to him. Before she got there though, Sasha and Glenn didn't notice her approaching, so didn't stop their conversation. "I'm just saying, Glenn, that she went to kill Tara without any of the facts. If you hadn't been fast enough then that innocent woman would be dead."

Glenn sighed heavily. "Brooks is a good kid, she just- she- she..."

"She what? Glenn, she may be a kid, but she tried to kill Tara. There's no getting around that." Sasha answered.

Brooks leant down, putting her head into the conversation. "You forgotten 'bout my ma then?" Brooks asked, making Glenn and Sasha jump as they looked up to her who was slowly standing straight again. "Sasha, my mother saved your life on a mission, without her you wouldn't even be alive. So, you don't have any fuckin' right to be bitchin' 'bout how I reacted to findin' out we were adoptin' one of The Governor's people. Me 'n' Tara sorted it out, but if you wanna be next on my goddamn list then don't be a pussy and tell me to my fuckin' face."

Sasha licked her lips, once, twice over. "Brooks, come on, you have to realise that you overreact a lot? You see that don't you?"

"Maybe that's cause I spent my entire fuckin' life underreacting to bein' abused and made to feel like shit." Brooks reminded her. "I don't give a flyin' fuckin' rat's ass if you like me or not, Sasha, but you know... Watch your mouth."

Itching her head, and nodding, Sasha spoke through gritted teeth. "Gotcha."

Brooks didn't have to say another word as she walked away from Sasha, because she'd made her point clear. She made her way to Eugene without a care in the world, because like fuck would she be taking people's shit this time around.

"Mind if I sit?" Brooks asked. He looked up to her, and shook his head. "Thanks." Brooks politely said, before sitting beside him. "So, Washington, huh?" Eugene nodded, picking at his nails. "It's cool if you don't wanna talk 'bout it. I was like that once, didn't wanna talk to people, really. Hell, I still kinda am... The past week? I've... I've done some stuff, ya know? Bad stuff." With her words, Eugene looked up to her with curiosity. "I did what I had to so I could survive, but that cost an innocent man his life... It cost lots of people their lives. I need to do somethin' good. I know you don't know me, but I took people's shit for a long time, and I ain't doin' that again. I know I need to make amends with someone for what I did. Whether it's myself, or God, I don't know. I need to fix it... And, you're gonna help me do that. Because, if I help you save the world... Then, maybe I do have a shot at redemption."

Eugene swallowed thickly, and forced a smile. "I'm glad that I can help."

"If there's anythin' that you ever need? Ever. Just let me know, alrigh'? I'll give my life to get you to Washington if that's what it takes. This world needs you, Eugene. You'll do more good than everyone else in this room combined. We need it to go back to how it was." Brooks spoke genuienly and with compassion, offering up her life for anything Eugene needed.

He shook his head. "You're so young, you shouldn't be offerin' you're life like that."

"Well, I am." Brooks responded. "This world don't need me, no more. I've done my damage, I don't deserve... I don't deserve the good that you'll bring. So, I'll say it again. You ever need anythin'? Just let me know, Eugene."

The scientist smiled, and nodded. "I will, Brooks. Thank you... Actually, now that you mention it? There were some berries I saw on the way in here. Red, like raspberries, but more circular, but not quite spheres."

"How many you need?" Brooks asked.

"As many as you can carry- but, you aren't going to ask why?" Eugene pushed.

She shook her head. "I trust ya, Eugene. I'll be back, soon, alrigh'?"

"Be safe." Was all he offered, before Brooks stood up and slipped out of the church without anyone noticing. Merle had been tucking in Sophia, offering her a few kind words before she fell asleep, Cam was rocking little Judith to sleep, Carl was sucked into conversation with Maggie, Rick and Michonne were chatting away like old friends, and nobody else paid much mind to Brooks.

She left the church, and headed into the treeline with nothing but a torch she'd grabbed. Shining the light around in the darkness, she spotted a couple figures... They seemed to be dragging someone. Brooks froze in fear, before she noticed it was Bob they had in their arms. "Get away from 'im!" She ordered, pulling out her empty gun, and aiming it at him. "I mean it, now, I'll shoot!"

The two figures looked up, but so did the other five that she couldn't see in the dark. When they turned, she could see that Bob was missing a leg. She screamed out for him, to get his attention, or see if he was even alive, but Bob was still pretty out of it.

"No, you won't, Brooks." Gareth's voice came, causing her to glare at him in anger as he stepped into the light her torch provided. The old Brooks would've screamed in fear, but not this Brooks, no, she was wondering how scared he'd look while digging his own grave. "Because we wouldn't have let you keep that gun if it was loaded."

Brooks shoved the gun in Carl's jacket pocket, and went to grab Marliya's knife from her waistband instead, but something hard hit her on the top of the head, and her body hit the ground... Again!