𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍
︶꒦꒷★꒷꒦︶

Claire watched with raised brows as Carl rushed down the field towards his father and Roman, Hershel and Beth also slowly making their way over to them. The woman outside the fence, who was—up until this moment—being ignored by the walkers around her, stumbled around. Claire figured that the woman was bitten, and the walkers had taken no interest in her.

The woman pulled out a sword, killing the walkers one by one before tumbling to the floor. Two gunshots rattled around the trees, Claire's eyes following Rick and Romans distant figures yank the gate open and rush out.

"What the hell are they doing?" Claire muttered, walking forward to see the men better and raising her head to her eyebrows to block the sun from her eyes. Rick lifted the woman over his shoulder and walked back within the gates, Roman close behind as Carl closed the gate.

The others watched in confusion as Rick walked back up the field and into the courtyard, Carl, Roman, Hershel and Beth holding the baby close behind. "Is she bit?" Claire stuttered, tailing behind Roman as Rick rushed the woman inside. "No, gunshot wound." Rick answered, Carl unlocking and opening gates for the group as everyone flooded inside the common area.

"Carl, get a blanket." Rick instructed, looking over at Beth as he dragged the woman down the stairs, "Beth, water and a towel." The girl nodded, passing the baby to Claire, who cradled her to her chest as Beth ran off.

Carl laid out the blanket beside the storage locker, Rick dropping the woman atop it. Claire watched nervously, glancing over at Marcus as he kept a distance from the woman. "She's not coming in the cell blocks—woah woah woah, steady now." He grabbed the water and towel from Beth, pouring some of the water on the woman's chest. "It's alright. It's alright. Hey, hey, look at me."

She opened her eyes, looking up at Rick, "Who are you?" He asked, the woman lunging for the sword the Rick had set on the ground. Rick kicked it away, holding the woman down, "No. We're not going to hurt you, unless you try something stupid first, okay?"

"Rick."

Claire looked back at the cell block gate, where Daryl stood, "Who the hell is this?" Rick looked back down at the woman, "You wanna tell us your name?" The woman stayed silent, sitting up on her elbows. "You wanna tell us your name?" Rick reiterated, but the woman remained silent.

"Y'all come on in here." Daryl jerked his head behind him, Claire looking wearily back down at the woman as Rick stood, "Everything alright?" Daryl tilted his head, "You're gonna wanna see this."

"Go ahead. Carl, get the back." Claire nodded, her and the others following Daryl into the cell block.

"We'll keep this safe and sound." Claire looked back at Rick, who held up the woman's sword, "The doors are all locked. You'll be safe here. And we can treat that."

Finally, the woman spoke through gritted teeth, "I didn't ask for your help." Rick shrugged, "Doesn't matter." He turned around and walked into the cell block, "Can't let you leave."

Claire looked up at Daryl, sharing a silent look before walking into the cell blocks, Daryl locking the gate behind him. Claire followed Daryl as he led them towards Loris old cell, her eyebrows furrowing as Rick paused in his place and smiled.

Claire stepped closer, peering into the cell with a smile. A dirty and bloody Carol was hugging Rick, the two whispering to each other before she pulled away to hug Hershel, "How?" Carol laughed, "Solitary.

"Poor thing fought her way into a cell. Must have passed out. Dehydrated." Daryl mumbled, Carols face falling as her eyes landed on Claire—specifically the newborn in the blondes arms. "Oh." Carol smiled, leaning in to look at the child and looking back at Rick.

The man nodded sadly, Carol turning back to the baby with teary eyes, covering her mouth and leaning in to grab Ricks cheek, "Im so sorry." Carol spun to face Claire, placing a hand on her cheek before moving it to the baby's head.

★

"How do we know you can trust her?" Oscar asked, leaning back against the wall. "This is Maggie, Kira and Glenn. Why are we even debating?" Beth scoffed, glaring at Rick as they discussed a game plan. The woman had told Rick, Hershel, Daryl and Roman that she had picked up the basket of baby formula when it was dropped by Glenn and Maggie, after they got kidnapped by the guy who shot her. Apparently, the guy came from a town led by a man named the Governor.

"We ain't." Daryl spoke up, "I'll go after them."

"Well this place sounds pretty secure." Roman shook his head, looking over at the man, "You can't go alone."

"I'll go." Beth piped up bravely, Claire raising a brow as Axel stepped forward, "Me, too." He looked up at Oscar, who nodded, "I'm in." Marcus shrugged, "I'll go too." Claire scoffed, "This is Kira. I'm going."

Rick nodded, pointing at Oscar, "You'll come with, you three—" He pointed at Axel, Marcus and Beth, "You're staying." Rick then turned to Daryl, Roman, and Claire, "Let's load up." Claire nodded, rushing off to gather her weapons.

"Hey, I think it's best you stay here." Claire looked over at Daryl curiously, tossing her bag in the trunk of the van, "What? Why?"

Daryl sighed, leaning a hand against the edge of the open trunk, and looking around to ensure no one could hear, "I don't want you panicking. After what happened at that daycare, I'm nervous you'll have another attack. I don't want you locking up and getting killed."

Claire sucked in a breath, looking down at her hands before back up at the man, "I'll be okay. I swear. I mean—Kira's my best friend." She muttered, biting her lower lip, "I gotta save her."

Daryl sucked in a deep breath, scanning the blondes face before nodding, placing a hand on her shoulder, "You feel one coming, you stand down and go back. No matter what."

She nodded, patting his arm and turning around to walk back into the prison to check for more supplies. "Hey," She spun her head towards Marcus, who was jogging to catch up with her, "Uh—" They paused, turning to look at each other, "Bring her back, 'kay? Y-You too. Be safe." Claire smiled at the boy and nodded, squeezing his bicep, "I will–"

"Claire." The two teens turned towards the black van, Roman gesturing with a raised brow towards the car, where they were all piling in. "Let's go. We're all loaded up." The blonde nodded, smiling at Marcus and placing a hand on Carols arm as she passed, looking down at the child in her arms.

She slid into the very back seat beside Roman, Daryl and Rick in the front seats with Oscar and the woman in the middle row.

★

"Pull over here." The woman directed, Rick pulling the van over to the side of the road. They each piled out, Claire pulling her gun from her waistband and loading it quickly. "They have patrols. We're better off on foot." The woman instructed, Rick looking around at the trees, as Claire rounded the van to the open trunk. She pulled her duffel bag out, yanking the black rifle out and loading the bullets into it, slipping the stairs into her backpack. "How far? Nights coming."

"It's a mile, maybe two." The woman mumbled, Claire rolling her eyes at the walker slowly approaching the car. The group silently descended into the woods, following after the woman.

"Do you trust her?" Roman whispered, keeping his pace equal with hers on the dirt path—despite his long legs begging him to move faster. Claire sighed, looking past Daryl and Rick at the woman leading the way, "She doesn't seem like she's lying. She looks too pissed off to be guiding us into a trap."

Roman tilted his head, nodding in agreement, "I'll blow her brains out if she had anything to do with taking Glenn—"

"Down." Rick whispered, the group dropping into crouching positions as several walkers—maybe a dozen—emerged from the trees. "Get in formation. No gunfire." Claire slipped her gun away, pulling out her machete and getting into the groups formation.

They each quietly killed as many walkers as they could, Claire slamming her machete into a walkers head and kicking it away from her. They backed away from the approaching walkers, Daryl shaking his head, "There's too many of 'em."

Roman pulled Claire to the other side of him, piercing his knife into a walkers head, the dead man scary close to where Claire was recently standing. "This way." Rick commanded, Claire following close behind the woman with Roman watching their backs.

They ran quickly, Claire's chest tightening with exhaustion as a cabin came into view. "In there! Come on!" Rick shouted, running up the steps and kicking the door in. "Get the door." Rick nodded at Roman as they filed inside, Claire inhaling a deep breath as she peered between the wood covering the windows. "Keep it down. Keep it down."

"That smell—" Daryl grimaced, covering his nose and moving further into the cabin, "It's loud."

"What the hell is that?" Oscar winced, Claire raising an eyebrow at the dead animal that was illuminated by Ricks flashlight. "Away from the window," Roman muttered, Claire nodding and stepping further into the cabin. She peered down at the animal, stomach dropping as she realized it was a dead dog. "Guess Lassie went home." Daryl quipped.

The door began rattling, dozens of walkers pounding against the unstable wood. Claire inhaled a nervous, shaky breath and turned away from the door.

Rick gestured his head at Roman and Daryl, both men raising their flashlights and holding up their knives as they approached Rick, who stood in front of a messy bed.

Claire swallowed thickly, taking a small step so she was half behind Oscar, protected by the man's large stature. She watched with nervous eyes as Rick pulled back the blanket, a Man in a beanie jumping from the bed and aiming a gun at them, "Who the hell are you?"

"We don't mean any harm." Rick whispered, the frantic man shaking his head, "Get out of my house!" She winced at his shout, gripping her knife tighter as Oscar moved away from her into position in case he attacked. "Okay, okay okay. We will, but we can't right now."

"Now!"

"Shut him up!" The woman hissed, looking back at the pounding door. "Get out right now!" Claire flinched, Rick shaking his head, "There are walkers outside!" The man looked frantically around at the group, "I'll call the cops!"

"I am a cop! Now I need you to lower the gun." Rick bent down to place his own gun on the floor, "Don't do anything rash." Rick stood back up slowly, "Everything's fine. Let's just—let's just take this nice and slow, okay?"

Claire stepped to the side, the paranoid man turning to look at her at the sound of the wood creaking under her shoes. Claire's breathing picked up, chest tightening as she looked around the room, eyes landing on Daryl a few feet away from her. The man shot his head over to her, face falling. Daryl shook his head softly, putting a hand out to her and slowly stepping a few steps to the side so he was in front of her.

"Hey–No, don't look at her. Look at me—" Rick spoke up, the stranger turning back to look at Rick, "Hey, hey," He cocked his gun, pointing it directly as Ricks head, "Show me your badge." Rick put his hands up and nodded, in the corner, Roman yanking his gun from his back pocket and pointing it at the paranoid recluse.

"Alright. It's in my pocket. It's in my pocket. Now, I'm just gonna reach down nice and slow." Rick lunged forward, pushing the shotgun out of his hand. The gun went off, Claire yelping as it blew a hole in the wall behind her. Rick wrapped his arm around the man's neck, Claire quickly moving away from the bullet hole in the wall. "I'll kill you! You—let go of me!" He screamed, Claire nervously looking back at the shaking door.

"Shut up! Shut up!" Rick groaned in pain as the man bit his hand, Rick releasing him on instinct as he ran towards the door. "Help! They found me!" He continued screaming, everyone shouting not to open the door as he grasped the handle. Claire's eyes went wide as—the still unnamed—woman slid her sword into the man's chest, the cabin falling silent as his body dropped to the floor.

Rick moved in, Daryl running over to the door to look out at the walkers, before turning to look at them, "Remember the Alamo?" Rick nodded, bending down to grab the dead man, "Here help me with the door." Claire winced, shaking her head at the visual, Oscar scoffing, "You've gotta be kidding."

"He's dead, man." Roman grumbled, helping Rick and Daryl lift the dead body, "Check the back door." Oscar went to check the back door as they lifted the body, the odd woman ready to open the door. "It's clear."

"Ready? One, two—three." She opened the door, the men throwing the body out and closing the door quickly. Claire regained her posture, quietly rushing out of the cabin through the back door with the others, passing the dozen walkers feeding on its new meal loudly.

Claire gagged at the sight, turning back towards the group and keeping low as they ran away.

★

Night had fallen fast, sky darkened as they crouched along the abandoned train, the town—Woodbury—around the corner.

They ducked behind a car, Claire's breathing shaky as she looked up at the armed men on watch, standing high above the wall.

Roman hovered over her shoulder, eyes scanning the dimly lit trees behind the wall. "Hey, hey!"

Claire looked back as the woman disappear into the bushes, Rick huffing, "Damn it!" He moved back, the rest of them crowding around him, "Alright, we need to downsize." He passed his rifle to Oscar, Daryl shaking his head, "Ain't no way we're gonna check in all them buildings, not with all them guards there."

Their heads whipped back at twigs snapping behind them, each of them aiming their weapons as the woman came into view, gesturing down the train, This way, she mouthed. Claire breathed in relief, dropping her gun to her side as they followed after her.

She led them to a building sticking out of the wall, pointing up to the boarded up window higher up. Rick nodded, the woman jumping and hoisting herself in first, then Rick, Daryl, and Oscar. Claire sucked in a deep breath, sticking her gun on her waistband, preparing to jump. "Gotcha." Roman whispered, nodding up to the window and putting his hands up. She rolled her eyes, playful smile tugging at her lips as he grabbed her waist.

Her breath stuttered at the action, shaking her thoughts as he lifted her to the window. She grabbed the rim, climbing inside quietly and pulling her gun back out. Roman followed behind her quickly, the 6 of them quietly walking through the dark room. "This is where you were held?" Rick questioned, scanning the room. "I was questioned."

Daryl took off down the room towards a curtain, illuminated by a flickering light. Rick looked back at the woman, Claire keeping her gun pointed at the ground as they tiptoed, "Any idea of where else they could be?"

"I thought you said there was a curfew?" Daryl grumbled, the woman shaking her head, "The street is packed during the day, those are stragglers."

Rick shook his head, peaking out the window, "If anyone comes in here, we're sitting ducks. We gotta move."

"They could be in his apartment."

Daryl scoffed, stepping towards her, "Yeah? What if they ain't?" She snarled at him, "Then we'll look somewhere else." Rick huffed, approaching her, Claire looking around at the shelves of food. "You said you could help us."

"I'm doing what I can."

"Then where the hell are they?" Oscar spoke up, griff voice cutting through the room. Rick jerked his head towards the other side of the room, all of them but the strange woman hudling around Rick. "If this goes south, we're cutting her loose."

"You think she's leading us into a trap?" Oscar titled his head, but Claire shook her head, "She's obviously peeved with this guy, she's not here to help us—she's here to kill him."

Daryl nodded at the blonde,  "Well right now it's the blind leading the blind. Let's split up."

Rick nodded, a knock echoing around the room. They paused, looking back at the door as keys jingled against the door. They each scattered, Claire dropping behind a bookshelf with Daryl, Oscar, Roman and Rick hiding behind a curtain.

"I know you're in here. I saw you moving from outside. Alright, now. You're not supposed to be in here and you know it." Claire sucked in a deep breath at the footsteps grew closer, "Who's in here?"

Roman and Rick jumped out, Daryl holding his crossbow to the man's head as Rick shoved him against the doorframe with his gun in his face, "Shut up. Get on your knees." Rick pulled him to the ground, "Hands behind your back. Zip tie him."

Claire aimed her gun at the man, Roman dropping to zip tie the man's wrists. "Where are our people?" The older man frantically shook his head, "I don't know. I don't know." Rick grabbed him by the shirt, "You are holding some of our people. Where the hell are they?"

"I-I don't know."

Rick huffed, grabbing a cloth from his pocket, "Open your mouth." He shoved it in his mouth, the man grunting with wide eyes as he attempted to shout for help through the fabric. Daryl brought the end of his crossbow to the back of his head, the man falling unconscious to the floor. Oscar and Roman dragged his body back to the corner of the room, behind a curtain.

★

They had quietly snuck through houses, finding their way into a cellar like building. They held their guns at ready, walking down the lit hallway in a line, Claire sandwiched between Daryl and Oscar, with Roman in the back and Rick leading, the woman behind Rick.

She paused as Rick moved back from the corner, before gesturing to continue. The walls were similar to those of storage containers, the girl crouching down in the corner as they listened in to the other room. If it weren't for the man's loud country accent coming from the room beside them, she would swear her heartbeat would deafen her with how loud it was in her ear.

"On your feet! Move, let's go."

"Shit." Rick whispered, him and Daryl reaching into the duffel bag and pulling out smoke grenades. Claire stood, Rick and Daryl pulling the pins and tossing them into the room as they took cover. The grenades boomed around the walls, Claire holding her gun up against her shoulder as smoke began filling the room.

Claire swallowed thickly, blinking quickly as they rushed into the room in formation. Daryl, Roman and Oscar took their places, aiming their guns into the smoke, while Claire, the woman, and Rick rushed into it.

She squinted through the smoke, face falling at the sight of a shirtless, bloody and beaten Glenn, as well as Maggie and Kira. Claire lurched forward, grabbing Kira while Rick ushered Glenn and Maggie off into the woman's arms.

Bullets began flying past them, the blonde clutching Kira as they all ran out, Roman tight on her tail and firing back at them. They ran out of the building, keeping their heads low as they rushed through the dark and empty street.

Rick held Glenn up, Maggie clinging to her boyfriend as they moved, no sounds spare the clinging metal of their weapons. Claire held Kira tightly as they approached another building, Rick gesturing to it, "Inside, quickly!"

They filed inside quietly, Roman keeping watch and backing inside, closing the door behind him. Glenn dropped to the floor with Maggie in exhaustion, Claire turning Kira towards her and drawing her in. The Korean girl clung to her best friend, blood on her cheeks smearing onto Claire's.

They found them, but how the hell were they going to get out?