When the sunlight hit me, the amount of blood covering me became apparent. My pants and shirt were soaked. There were splatters in my hair and on my face. I tried wiping my hands off on a cleaner section of my jeans, but I ended up just smearing it around.

The rest of the group gathered in front of me. They were watching the dust clouds created by the governor and his men fleeing.

I started stepping forward but hesitated. I was a mess. I know there would be questions. Ones I wasn't ready to answer. I swallowed hard before joining everyone. Eyes widened when they noticed me. I looked away, trying to avoid the concerned expressions awaiting me.

"What happened to you?" Glenn asked, the first to break the silence.

I glanced up at him. "I..."

Rick stepped forward. "We were ambushed," he said for me, a gruffness in his voice. "It got bad. Jolene did what she had to."

That answer seemed to satisfy the group. It surprised me that Rick did that for me. He didn't necessarily lie, but he wasn't telling the whole truth either.

Rick nodded at me. Within that gesture he was telling me not to worry about what he did for me. That he had my back. To say I was confused was an understatement but I didn't have time to question him.

I followed everyone to the gate that led to field.

"We did it. We drove them out," stated Rick.

"We should go after them," Michonne suggested.

"We should finish it," Daryl agreed.

Maggie became frustrated. "It is finished. Didn't you see them hightail it out of here?"

"They could regroup," Michonne shot back.

"We can't take the chance. They're not going to stop," Glenn said angrily.

"They're right. We can't keep living like this," said Carol, out of breath from the previous events.

"So we take the fight back to Woodbury?" Maggie questioned. There was fear in her face. "We barely made it back last time."

"We got them on edge and took out some of their people," I said. "This might be our only chance."'

"Yeah," Rick breathed. There was a hint of hesitance in the short response but not enough to to turn him away from the fight. "Let's check on the others."

-

I had changed my clothes. I had peel them off because the blood was ready drying. I also cleaned off most of it from my skin, but not all of it. If the other man that attacked me was still alive, I wanted him to see his friend's blood on me. I wanted him to know what I did before I did it to him too.

I went outside to see Rick kneeling down in front of Carl. It was a serious conversation and both parties were not happy. The kid stood and rushed past me.

"Carl!" I shouted.

He turned quickly. He was clearly annoyed that I was talking to him. But when I tossed him a brush his anger quickly changed to confusion.

"Brush Poe for me while we're gone," I told him. "When I get back I'll teach you how to ride him as payment."

Even though he was trying to remain upset, I saw a small light form in Carl's blue eyes. I knew he wanted to ride the horse even if he didn't tell me. He had spent a lot of time with the animal. I imagine it was a nice break from the horrors of this life to be with something so innocent.

The kid left without saying anything but I knew he'd do it.

"Thanks," Rick said. "He needs that."

We walked over to Daryl, Michonne, Maggie, and Glenn who were standing next to the silver pickup we were taking to Woodbury.

"Rick, we're staying," Glenn informed him. "We don't know where the governor is. If he comes back, we'll hold him off."

"Just the four of us?" Daryl stated more than asked. "All right." He slung the strap of his gun around his shoulders.

Rick furrowed his eyebrows. "I appreciate you staying."

"Sure," Maggie responded quietly.

I opened the passenger door. Michonne was already in the back. Daryl on his motorcycle.

Maggie grabbed my arm, stopping me from getting in the seat. "Hey. Be careful."

I stepped forward and hugged her. We had grown pretty close since I've been here. Our trauma bonded us from the start. She was my closest friend even if we didn't know much about each other yet.

"I'll get him for you, if I can. I'll make him suffer," I whispered.

"I know."

We shared one last look before I hopped in the vehicle. A rifle already sat on the floorboard, leaning up against the seat for me.

Carol, Beth, Maggie, and Glenn opened the gate for us. We rode in silence, a sense of impending doom filled the air.

After a little while, I spotted a truck in the middle of the road.

"Is that them?" I asked, pointing ahead.

Rick squinted. "Yeah."

As we got closer, Michonne leaned forward between us. "Looks abandoned."

Daryl slowed down in front of us and we parked a few yards away. We got out of the pick up and approached the mess. There were corpses feeding on bodies. Fresh bodies.

"Are these the governor's men?" I questioned.

"Definitely," Daryl said.

Michonne sliced off the heads of a few of the corpses while Daryl shot an arrow through one of their heads.

There was one corpse biting into a body in a jeep. That was him. The other man. Rick began going for him, but I stopped him with my arm. He understood my signal and stepped back.

I took out my switchblade and flipped out the knife. The man, formally a man, turned to me and growled. Blood spilled out of his mouth. I swung my arm down and stabbed him violently through the skull. I jumped back and let him fall to the ground. My foot launched forward and I kicked him in the head before spitting on him.

Even though he got the easy way out, I was glad he was dead. And I still got the satisfaction of fully putting him down. A weight was lifted off my shoulders in that moment. I didn't have to live in fear that they'd find me again and finish the job.

Suddenly, a woman banged up against the window of the truck. Her face had blood on it and she looked terrified.

Rick pulled out his gun, pointed it at her, and turned off the safety. I backed up as Daryl opened the door, forcing her out. Rick lowered his weapon.

The black-haired woman kept her hands up. "Hey, hey. I surrender, okay?

"What happened here?" Rick asked her.

"The governor. He killed everyone," she said with a shaky voice. "He's gone crazy."

"He was already crazy," Michonne sneered. "How'd you get away, anyway?"

"I hid below someone he'd already killed. He didn't see me. Thank God. But I got trapped in the truck when everyone started coming back."

"Do you know where he went? The governor?" Rick continued.

"I'm not sure. I couldn't see much," she said. "I have to warn everyone. There's kids there."

"You're coming with us, then."

"Wait," the woman said. "Is Andrea with you?"

Rick shook his head. "No. We haven't seen her."

"She hopped the wall to meet you guys."

The four of us looked at one another. "Then we really have to get going," I said. "Who knows what they did to her. Especially if she was trying to help us."

We ran back to the vehicles and started our journey to Woodbury.

___

With the help of the woman, Karen, we were able to get into Woodbury. She told Tyrese and Sasha, siblings my group had met previously, what the governor had done. They both followed us to the holding cells where we thought Andrea could be. Seeing the rooms made my stomach churn for Maggie and Glenn. I can't imagine being held here terrified for my life. Being violated by an insane dictator.

We made it all the way down the hall to a locked metal door. We all stood still, afraid of what we might whiteness.

"Will you open it?" Michonne said pointedly to Rick.

Rick held up his Colt Python with one hand and unlocked the door with the other. The rest of held us our weapons.

"One... two..." Rick whispered before swinging open the barrier.

On the floor was a corpse that had been taken down. He laid in front of chair that someone had been strapped too.

"Andrea!" Michonne called out as she rushed in the room.

I entered the room. Andrea sat on the floor, exhausted. She was beaten. Tortured.

"I tried to stop them," said Andrea. She could hardly speak.

Michonne felt her forehead. "You're burning up."

Andrea sighed and revealed a bite on her shoulder. My hand shot to my mouth. She had fought this hard just to have a horrible ending.

Rick squatted down to her level.

"Judith, Carl, the rest of them..." Andrea strained.

"Us," corrected Rick. "The rest of us."

"Are they alive?"

"Yeah, they're alive."

Andrea smiled, tears forming in her eyes. My own tears couldn't help but form at the sight.

She looked up lovingly at Michonne. "It's good you found them."

Michonne started crying, only nodding in response.

"No one can make it alone now."

"I never could," Daryl told her.

"I just didn't want anyone to die," Andrea explained.

Although her relationship had been strained with this group, I don't think they cared now. She was their family.

"I can do it myself," she insisted.

"No," Michonne stammered.

"No, I have to. While I still can." She looked to Rick. "Please? I know how the safety works," she said with a slight smile.

Rick placed his gun gently in her hands.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere," Michonne concluded.

Andrea observed her friends' faces. "I tried."

"Yeah. You did. You did," Rick said, defeated.

The rest of us left the room to let her do what needed to be done. I leaned up against the wall, my heart pounding in my chest. I jumped when the gun was shot. It was done. I couldn't help but feel like this was my fault.

___

Karen had told the rest of Woodbury what had happened. Rick and her convinced everyone to join us at the prison. We loaded them up in a bus and went back home.

Rick and I stood next to each other as we watched everyone file inside. I glanced over to him and saw him looking up at the catwalk like he was expecting someone. When he didn't see what he wanted to, his eyes blue eyes found my green ones. The sun shone just right on his face to show every detail.

"I think it's time you move in, officially," he said.

I was shocked but I didn't show it. I didn't feel like he would ever fully trust me.

"Are you sure? Even after what you saw during the attack?" I asked.

Rick bobbed his head up and down repeatedly. "Yeah. He's the one that hurt you, wasn't he? And that walker on the road?"

I looked at the ground, avoiding eye contact.

"I thought so." Rick cleared his throat. "When Lori died... when she died I wasn't myself. I understand what you did. I won't hold it against you."

"Rick, I have to be honest," I began. "I feel like keeping me around is not a good idea."

"Why's that?"

"I feel like death follows me around. Like I'm cursed to live when everyone I care about dies," I admitted. "I know I sound crazy, but I've believed this ever since I was a little girl. I have this pit in my stomach. Like if I stay it'll happen again."

Rick bit his lip. "I don't think you're crazy. But I don't believe in curses, either. You're welcome here. You're with us. Pick whatever cell you want. I'd stay away from Daryl, though. He snores."

He patted my back and went to lead the new additions to the prison.