Growing up in Malaya's home meant waking up early, everyday, without fail. Her father Calvin worked at an oil rig, and was needed there was early as 5am, leaving the whole home alert in the early hours

Now, after moving to Woodbury, and the world going to shit, May had become quite fond of not being woken up at anytime, the girl usually deciding to roll out of bed around noon and sit around and do nothing until bed time

Not in the prison however. It was around six when she was woken up by wailing from below her, uncoincidentally where Judith and Carl slept. Malaya groaned, rolling over and stuffing her face into the pillow, desperate to block out the noise, but to no avail

After what felt like hours of the newborn screaming, the prison fell silent once again, Malaya opting to get up, having nothing better to do. She pulled Kat's stripped top over her head, frowning at the drops of blood littered across the left side, but she had nothing better to wear — Well, that's until she noticed the blue flannel she'd taken from Carl's mother things

She swapped her clothes around, tossing the dirt top into the corner, which May decided would be her wash corner, and buttoning the flannel over her vest. She still had to wear the same jeans however, as nobody else in the prison wore her size

She walked down the stairs, suprised to find Tyreese and his group sat with Hershel and Beth, helping themselves to noodles. Malaya stood behind one of the boys, Ben as she remembered, to get her own serving after her stomach had rumbled at the smell of chicken

As she fished some out of the cooking pot, May failed to notice Carl's eyes on her, wide with adoration at the sight of wearing his mother's clothes

'She looks...pretty,' he thought to himself, turning his head quickly when she approached the table

"This seat taken?" Malaya joked, placing her bowl onto the table and sitting down after Carl had nodded. Before she started eating, she leant over, tickling under Judith's chin, earning a joyful laugh from the newborn

"She really likes you," Carl said, finishing off his own breakfast, bouncing his sister in his arms

Malaya tried to hide her smile by stuffing her mouth with noodles, but Carl could see through it, "I really like her too," the girl said after finishing her bowl, "So what are they doing out?" she cleared her throat, gesturing to Tyreese and his group

"Hershel wanted to check up on the injuries, I think," Carl answered, Beth leaning down and taking Judith out of the boy's hands

The two teens watched the newcomers, specifically Sasha, gush over baby Judith. It made Carl smile, "Who's the mother?" Sasha asked a bit too loudly, scanning the room for any other women that werent teenagers

Carl's head dipped, and Sasha caught sight  of it, apologizing quickly and returning to stand by her brother. Malaya looked over to the Grimes boy, squeezing his hand that rested on the table, "I'm sorry," she muttered softly, Carl staying silent

Beth walked out of the room, rocking the baby, Carl murmuring a 'bye' before following

Malaya stayed sat at the table, fidgeting with her knife as she watched a conversation go down between Hershel and the newcomers

She learned that they had around 25 survivors in a camp, but it was eventually overrun. Malaya felt bad for them, losing those they loved, especially Donna, who lay on the ground, covered by an old sheet

Hershel explained that while he was happy to help, the final decision wasnt up to him, and it was true. Rick was the ringleader of the group, nothing being approved without his consent, even Malaya's acceptance — She was glad he was kind enough to let her stay

Hershel limped out of the room, and May caught sight of Carl at the door with the keys in hand, the girl taking it as a sight to leave, the cowboy locking the door behind her, "Listen Tyreese," Malaya called, leaning on the bars, "I trust that you're good people. And Rick, the leader, he's understanding. I know it first hand."

"You're new here too?" Sasha inquired, brows raised

"Yeah, I am. These people saved me. I was on my own, looking for sanctuary, and I found it," she recalled her first day in the prison, thanks to Kat who caught her in a trap like a rabbit, "Rick saw the good in me, and I'm sure he'll see it in you too."

None of the newcomers responded, the girl waving goodbye and heading back to her cell to await the others return

The group returned the early hours of the next morning, all huddled together as they came inside, covered head to toe in blood, both their own and others

Malaya knew what could of happened, and she made a note to ask Michonne if she'd seen her mother, alive or dead

What caught of her off guard however, was Kat, who immediately slumped against the ground, groaning in pain and holding her side. Maggie had rushed off to find her father, greeting Malaya as she passed her, the Blake girl moving to stand at Kat's side,"You're not bit, are you?" Over the past 48 hours, Malaya had been taught all that was to know about Walkers, which is what the group called the undead

'If you were bit, you are as good as dead' is what Hershel had told her, and she respected him for that. He didnt sugarcoat it because she was a kid. There was no room for that in the new world. He told it plain and simple

Kat looked up to Malaya at her dreaded question. The redhead had no energy to respond, resorting to lifting her stained red tank top to reveal a pulsing gash, wincing as she did so, "Oh shit! What-Are you okay?"

Once again, a dumb question to ask, and Kat was a lot more vocal at it than everyone else, "Yup! All good!" she hissed in a distressed tone, teeth grated as she threw her head back against the wall

"Who did this?" May asked, partly for Kat's benefit but also her own. Her stomach began to stir at the thought of her uncle hurting someone like this. She knew he was bad, always had been a slight degenerate, but she couldnt fathom him being so wicked — To Malaya, Philip was still the cool uncle, the one who brought the ice cream when her father refused, or took her and her brother to the movies

"The creepy, old fucker. The one who calls himself 'The Governor'," Michonne answered for Kat, the girl too overcome in agony to respond. She had an old rag wrapped around the tip of her katana, wiping away the fresh blood

Malaya gulped as her brain registered what Michonne had said, the woman fully aware of her change in stance, particularly her hand raising to her mouth, biting the nails on her left hand, "Fucking psycho," she mumbled, hearing the click of Hershel's crutches as he hobbled into the room, Maggie close behind with the few medical supplies he had left

Malaya and Michonne backed away, offering Kat a comforting look as Hershel moved to her side, prepping to help her. The Blake was about to leave the recreation room, to leave space for those in need, before Hershel stopped her, "Come here. I might need help with the stitches," the man ordered, May doing as she was told immediately

She didnt really know why Hershel had asked for her help specifically, as she was a teenager with no medical experience whatsover apart from putting band-aids on blisters, "We'll talk later," Michonne said, taking a cloth to clean herself up

Hershel handed her an already thread needle, replacing the bloodstained fabric for a clean one, smothered in alcohol, "Isn't that gonna sting?" Malaya said, free hand being enclosed in Kat's, holding it tightly to prepare for the pain

Hershel didnt reply, pressing the cloth to the open wound, Kat's back arching as she let out a cry of pain. From across the prison, another cry was heard, Judith being awoken from her nap due to the commotion around her

"Is this really necessary?" Kat seethed, clutching Malaya's hand so hard, she was sure she was breaking knuckles

"I'm afraid so. If not, you may attract infection. Worst case, death," Hershel responsed, holding the cloth to the wound for a while longer before replacing it with a needle, preparing to stitch her up, "And you know what death means."

Kat didnt say anything in return, eyes screwed shut as Hershel finished up the stitching. Turns out he didnt need Malaya's help with the stitches, but she was glad she stayed for moral support, "Okay, you know the drill. No working and especially no going on runs, got it?" Kat nodded as Malaya helped her stand, "Keep it dry for 24 hours, and then I'll come clean it."

Both Kat and Malaya thanked the man as he got up, leaving the room to help with other injuries, "Do you want some help getting to your cell?" the girl asked, Katrine shaking her head, "Alright, well. If you need anything, you know where I am."

"Actually, Malaya, I think you can help me," Malaya froze, running her tongue over her teeth, "What was your little huddle with Michonne about?"

She decided to play dumb, "When?"

"You know when. Before we left, yesterday afternoon," she said bitterly. Malaya didnt understand how she was still so intimidating while not being able to move as usual

Once again, she wanted to play dumb, but Michonne's words came back to mind

'I wont tell them. But you're going to when we get back.'

If she was going to tell anyone, it would be Kat. May admired her, looked up to her, and trusted her more than anyone else in the group — Even so, she dreaded to think what would happen if she knew the truth. That her family were bad people. That they tried to kill them. And that Malaya might be the same way

"Just- Telling her to be safe is all," Malaya lied, trying to make eye contact to seem authentic. Kat tutted, not impressed with her answer

"Is that so?" Malaya stayed silent, "Well, the Governor, what was his name?"

The Blake girl knew Kat was getting closer to the truth. That's if she didnt already know, "Kat, I dont understand."

Then, the redhead snapped, dropping an ivory picture frame onto the table, Malaya going as white as a ghost. At that moment, she understood that Kat knew everything — The picture was the one that sat upon the fireplace in the Blake home, Malaya, her mother and uncle Philip photographed in front of the town gates. The girl had always hated it, turning it around everytime she was in its present, certain it was cursed. And now, it had come back to haunt her

"You're telling me this isnt you? Next to the Governor?" she interrogated, pointing to Malaya in the picture, "What do you want from us?"

"Listen Kat, I can explain-"

"I know you can, and you will. Either to me or Rick and Hershel," Kat said through gritted teeth, "What do you want?"

"A home," Kat rolled her eyes at her answer, unimpressed at the guilt-tripping, even if it was the truth, "I'm not lying! You went there, you saw what Woodbury was like! Hell, look what my uncle did to you!"

Before Kat could reply to May, Michonne came into the recreation room, three satchels in hand, sword still strapped to her waist. She dropped the bags against the wall, starting a small pile, ready to collect more before she noticed the tension between the two, "What's going on here?"

"You! You knew about it," Kat spat, finger pointed at Michonne, whos hand moved to rest on her weapon just in case

Michonne's eyes moved to Malaya, taken aback that she had actually told Kat, "I did, okay? But we dont mean any harm, and we certainly dont work for that Philip Blake!"

"Yeah, you're just related to him! That's so much better!" Kat marvelled sarcastically, "Hell, what about your mother? Your father? You, too! You all as deranged as him?"

"Listen Kat, I dont mean harm, okay? Why do you think I escaped?" Kat's glare didnt falter as Malaya practically begged her to believe her, "I dont want anything from you, any of you!"

"You need to tell Rick," was all she said, hobbling out of the room, leaving Michonne stunned and Malaya filled with dread

"How'd she find out?" Michonne piped up after a moment of awkward silence, placing her sword with the bags of supplies. The woman wanted to believe that Malaya had told to truth and listened to her advice, but something was telling her that wasnt the truth

The Blake girl gestured to the picture frame on the desk, Michonne taking it in her hand and realising what she meant, "She found it. In the Governor's house, I think," Michonne brought her lip between her teeth, watching as the girl's green eyes glossed over

"And now she knows how dysfunctional the Blakes' really are," Malaya lip curled, scoffing at the woman's harsh tone

"Hey, you don't know fuck about my family!" May cried, unconsciously raising her voice. Neither her nor Michonne understood why she was so adamant on defending her family name, but she did nonetheless

The teen bit her tongue, noting to keep her voice down as she knew firsthand how well sound carried in the prison. Almost immediately after she said it, Michonne felt guilty, especially seeing the state Malaya was falling into, "If I knew she was in there-"

"It's not your fault Michonne. None of it is," Malaya reassured, rubbing her eyes in frustration before taking the frame from the woman's palm and placing it face down on the table, not wanting the reminder of who her family truly were. Quickly, she changed the subject, "Other than Kat almost losing an organ, did anything else interesting happen?"

"Promise not to bite my head off?" Michonne smirked, and while Malaya didnt appreciate the joke, she nodded anyway, "Well, I payed your uncle a visit. Found his dead daughter, chained to the wall!"

First, Malaya's jaw dropped in surprise, finally understanding what the noises from the basement were, before her face scrunced in disgust, "Wait, what? Penny was dead? And she became a reaper?"

"Sure did. Dont worry, I put her out her misery," the samurai confessed, wondering how the Blake girl would react her to killing her cousin. Luckily, she didnt seem too fazed, and by the stories Malaya had told her, she wasnt too close with her father's side of the family

"Holy fuck! What a sick bastard!" May exclaimed, earning a chuckle from Michonne. It was only then that the teen noticed the swelling under the woman's right eye, "He got you good," she admitted, feeling the bruise but pulling away when Michonne flinched

"Wait till you see him," Michonne said jokingly, but both knew she wasn't kidding, "Took his out."

"No effing way! You took his eye out?" Michonne tipped her head down with a proud look on her face, "Props to you. Maybe he'll see the world through a new eye."

The two laughed to themselves for a while before the samurai cleared her throat, "Kat was right. You need to tell Rick."

Malaya didnt want to. At all. But one way or another, he would find out, most definitely now him and her uncle were in a full-blown war, "I will. When the time is right, I will. Swear."

Michonne believed her. But before she could put it into words, Rick entered the room, the rest of the group, including Tyreese and Sasha's team, behind them, "Speak of the devil," she muttered

Rick moved over to the new group as Tyreese introduced himself and the others. However, the leader brushed it off, jumping right to the point, "How'd you get in?"

Carl looked over to Malaya with worried eyes, and she knew what he meant immediately — There was no way in hell Rick was going to let them stay, "Fire damage, to the administrative part of the prison. Wall's down."

"That side's overrun with walkers. How'd you get this far?" Rick quickly responded

"We didn't. We lost our friend Donna," Tyreese spoke with a sullen face

"They were lost in the gyms," Carl said from beside the Blake girl, watching as Rick turned back quickly, almost disappointed in his son

"You brought them here?"

They were overrun with walkers, Rick. We had to help them," Malaya piped in to defend the Grimes boy, but with a stern look over the shoulder from Rick and a shake of the head from Hershel, the girl quickly shut up

"He had no choice," Hershel responded. The man on crutches had a way of talking to Rick, one that made him listen. This was further proved when Rick merely nodded and quickly got back to his interrogation

"I'm sorry about your friend. We know what it's like," The leader spoke sincerely

"Hershel said you could use some extra hands," Malaya overheard Hershel talking to them about payment for a safe place — If Malaya had to earn her keep, so did they, "We're no strangers to hard work. We can fend for ourselves, stay out of your hair. You got a problem with another group, we can help with that, too. Anything to contribute."

Malaya knew that Tyreese meant well, and his group would certainly be a big help, as did everyone else in the room. But, they all watched Rick ponder for a moment before giving his answer, "No."

"Please! It's like '10 Little Indians' out there. It's just us now," Sasha begged, speaking up for the first time

"No," Rick reiterated

"Let's talk about this. We can't just keep-"

Rick cut Hershel off, "We've been through this. With Tomas, Andrew. Look what happened."

"Axel and Oscar weren't like them," Carol defended

"And where's Oscar now?" Rick spun to face the rest of the group, gesturing to Malaya without looking her way, "We're just lucky nothing's gone wrong with her."

Malaya gulped. This talk just confirmed her fears. If Rick found out about her family connections, she'd be out of here before she could plead not guilty. The Blake girl couldnt help but look over at the table, family photograph still face down. She just hoped nobody would look at it

"I can't be responsible," Rick continued, face-to-face with Tyreese and Sasha once again

"You throw us out, you are responsible."

Hershel called for Rick, the leader walking to his side as they began to speak under their breath

Rick sighed after a moment of hushed words, repeating 'no' over and over as he rubbed his eyes, looking between the ground and the second floor

However, whilst everyone was expecting his new answer, Rick pushed through the group, voice raised at the upper floor, "Why are you here? What do you want from me?" Carl called out for his father, as did Maggie and Glenn, but with no response from Rick

Instead, he kicked an empty barrel, attention back on Tyreese and Sasha, "I can't help you! Get out!" Tyreese tried to calm Rick, who'd grown erratic quickly, but there was no getting through to him

Reluctantly, the newcomers left after Rick's voice grew hoarse, now waving his gun around like a mad man

Carl had cowered beside Maggie, who held him close. Rick would never intentionally hurt his son, or anyone in his group, but his attitude was enough to give anyone a fright — Not Malaya however. The Blake girl stood firm in place, the only thing on her mind was her pretty little lie

Kat was at Malaya's cell the next morning once again, less tense than the day before and didnt even mention the Blake family affair apart from eyeing the picture frame on the sink, facing the wall. All she had said was that Rick wanted her help on a supply run

The Blake girl had asked if the man was feeling better than the previous night, but Kat, who'd retreated to bed early in order to soothe her injury, didn't know anything about the incident

Malaya had agreed to join the supply run, knowing that if she wanted to stay with them despite telling the truth, she needed to build trust, one way or another

Rick had said they were heading into the next town over, the one Maggie and Glenn had been taken from, to make sure nothing had been missed

So after breakfast, which was noodles once again, Malaya and the Grimes boys' were off

The drive there was a bit awkward for the girl, who had been ushered into the back seat of the vehicle, the boys in front. After a while, she had started singing something from her mother's record collection, Carl asking what she was doing and Rick wondering how she knew such timeless music

The trio finally arrived, an old sign covered in fungus reading 'Statenville' on the road into the town, and so far, no walkers were to be seen. For the first time since Wisconsin, Malaya was in possession of a gun, more specifically a Ruger LC9, which was strapped to her jeans with a holster borrowed from Maggie — Secretly, May was hoping to encounter some walkers, just to try out her aim. Of course, she still had Beatrix tucked up her sleeve

"Okay," Rick stood on a grey van, ushering the teens out of the car after doing a check for walkers, "First things first. I'll check out the police station," he gestured to the yellow brick building down the street, "You two check these stores. Meet here in ten. Got it?"

"Can't I go with you?" Carl asked, looking up at his dad on the van

Malaya scoffed, both turning to her, "I'm right here!"

"You almost got me killed like two days ago!" Carl groaned

The girl's eyes went wide as Rick looked in her direction, this being the first he'd heard of it, "You did what?"

"God, you're such a hypocrite Carl! I saved your and the newcomers asses because you were too busy making fun of my knife!" she spat, the boy flushing as he began to remember the truth

"Oh, right."

"It's settled. Cover each other, don't let your guards down," Rick ordered, jumping down off the van, "And dont die."

The teens nodded, heading for the Pharmacy first. They were both looking for formula, and any kinds of antibiotics per Hershel's request, but by the empty bottles littered on the ground and smashed glass at every turn, it was abundantly clear they werent gonna have any luck

Malaya was tempted to bring up the previous evening, but she could tell Carl had been rattled by his father's behaviour. Instead, she resorted to small talk

"Wanna play a game?" Malaya suggested, crouching down to rummage through a pile of bottles. Carl frowned, looking back at his partner

"Really? A game? What are we, kids?" he huffed, groaning when the third crate he found was empty

"Yes?" Malaya rolled her eyes, looking back at the cowboy, "We're literally thirteen."

"Not in a world like this," the boy trailed off, cheering to himself when he opened a first aid box to find various surgery supplies

"God, do you always have to be so morbid?" May snarled as she sauntered to the back office of the pharmacy. Unfortunately, it was looked, and by the 'no unauthorised entry' sign painted in red on the door, Malaya assumed that the only people with the key werent going to be any help, "Okay, so-"

"Can we stop with the small talk?" the Grimes boy interrupted, exasperated by the girl's constant need for conversation, "We have an important job to do, and I dont want to mess it up, yeah?"

May pondered for a second as she pushed her blade into the keyhole, twisting it around inside, hoping for the door to spring open, "When's your birthday, cowboy?" she asked, disregarding Carl's previous rant

"What did I just say?" Carl scolded her like a mother to child, but he knew she wasnt one to back down — Not answering wouldn't silence her, "June. June 27th."

"So what, like three weeks ago?" Carl nodded, barely paying attention as he put the medical supplies in his bag, "Cool, mine's September 30th. You're older than me!"

Malaya knew the Grimes boy wasn't interested in talking to her, not at that very moment anyway. However, there was no need, as the door clicked and slowly opened itself, "Jackpot!" she applauded herself, even Carl getting up and following her inside, "Told ya! Nothing Beatrix cant do."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he brushed her off, filling his pack to the brim before pushing it onto his back. He left little to no supplies for Malaya, her bag almost empty

"You're joking right? It looks like I've done jack shit!" Carl smirked, shaking his head playfully and walking out the pharmacy, "What a wrench," the Blake girl muttered, pushing her knife into another locked door, hoping for another miracle

No. Not another miracle.

A snarl rumbled out of the darkness, reaper almost running towards her, knocking her down and snapping at her neck. May kicked at it, thrashing around underneath it, but alas, it wouldn't budge — She had no other option

"Carl! Help!" she beseeched, raising her elbow to push the walker away from her face. Malaya heard Carl come running, his gun clicking and then a gunshot rang, the girl's senses blurring as Carl hauled the walker off her

The next seconds were obscure, the Grimes boy calling for his dad so loud he probably woke a whole herd of walkers, as he tried to shake Malaya awake

Eventually, she returned to consciousness, rubbing her eyes as Rick pulled her from the ground, hand on her shoulder, "You alright Malaya? You hurt?" she shook her head, Rick raising his brow, "Bit?"

The girl checked down her body for any marks, but thank god, she was clean, "I'm all good," she told the Grimes', taking her knife from Carl's outstretched hand, "Thanks for saving my ass, cowboy," she thanked him, Carl nodding as he tried to stop the smile that itched at his lips

"Find anything?" Rick asked the teens after checking around the pharmacy for anymore trouble

"I found medical supplies. Malaya didnt have as much luck," Carl told his father with a serious face, Rick retaliating with a proud smile. Only after he looked away did Carl turn back to the Blake girl, winking playfully at her while she raised her middle finger at him

After another hour or so of rummaging the town of Statenville, the trio had retreated to the car, quite pleased with the supplies they'd gathered — Alas, still no formula had been found

They arrived back at the prison right before sundown, the evening sun casting long shadows across the green inside the gates. Maggie was stationed by the gates along with her sister, who gladly let the three in. Whilst Malaya and Maggie unloaded the small amount of supplies, Rick took himself outside the gates once again, surverying the nearby area

Malaya reached Beth and Carl, who were talking about any possible formula found. However, before she could join the conversation, a gunshot rung through the air, blood shooting out of Axel's eye as he fell limp onto the ground

It all happened so quickly. Everyone dropped to the ground, guns raised or reloading as the situation finally became clear — On the field beyond the fence stood a now single-eyed Philip Blake, face full of fury

Carl kicked May's Ruger towards her as it'd fallen from her hand due to shock. The girl
silently thanked him with a nod, pulling the three bullets from her pocket and reloading the gun

Although at first it appeared like a stupid attack on the Governor's front, what seemed like a million more shots emitted from behind the trees, all aimed at Rick. Hershel cowered into the grass, hoping the nature would cover his helplessness, and Carol rolled under Axel's lifeless body for some kind of protection

Beth took Carl's hand, racing to safety, whilst Malaya jumped to her feet, running in the opposite direction despite Beth's advice

She spotted Michonne sheltered by the white van in the field, firing a couple shots at the Governor before he retaliated. Crouching against the bleachers, Malaya raised her pistol to aim at her uncle's side, not wanting to kill him but hurt him enough that he'd back off

Despite her perfect aim, the bullet barely grazed him, most likely due to her short-ranged weapon — But, the Governor didn't miss the attack, eye widening after spotting his niece on the opposing side

As he was distracted, it gave other members of the group, such as Carl and Michonne, a chance to fire at him, while Rick took out two of his allies

Carl rushed forward, back pushed up against the watchtower's wall, hand grasping the Blake girl's wrist and pulling her to safety, causing her to nearly miss a fatal shot to the neck, "Carol's still out there!" Malaya called, voice barely coherent over the shots. Beth nodded, even though she was incapable at the current moment

After a few minutes more of attacks, none that hurt any of the group, her uncle's face twisted into a sinister grin, shooting three or so victory shots into the air

"Beth!" Maggie's voice was clear in the silence, re-emerging from the prison and rushing over with three guns in hand, passing one to her sister. Then, the gunfire resumed

As the Greene sisters fired at the man atop the opposite cellblock, Malaya called for Carol, passing her the third and final gun. The five of them spread across their part of the courtyard, covering the area as Rick and Michonne, who were much closer to the attackers, fired at the Governor

Once again, it fell silent, an engine roaring in the distant. Philip stepped out from the cover of the car, an orange and white van speeding up the dirt path and straight through multiple layers of fencing, almost taking out Michonne as it did so

Malaya could hear her uncle's manical laughter from her station, and she immediately knew this was his own doing, "Sick fuck!" she sneered, gun aimed at the van doors despite being on her final two bullets

The engine continued to rumble on the grass before the back door swung open, a couple dozen walkers hobbling out, along with a duo of armored fighters, who instantly shot at Michonne, "Dad's out there!" Beth cried at Maggie, the older sister now more frustrated, if that was
possible

For the third time, the attack went on, Malaya staying hidden due to low ammunition, not wanting to be put in a difficult position, "Go Hershel! Get the hell outta there!" Rick shouted over the noise

Malaya watched as the walkers drew closer to the farmer, the Blake girl swallowing her fears and raising her gun, "Cover me!" she ordered, rushing out of cover and onto the battefield before any conformation

A dozen shots flew past her, a couple grazing her skin, but eventually, she reached Hershel. Malaya crept up behind a walker who was straying from the group, foot driving into the back of his knee, Beatrix diving into its neck then head

Within moments, she downed four more, clearing enough space to easily help Hershel to his feet, covering him as he drew his gun from his waistband

The Governor finished out his ambush with emptying his ammunition towards Rick, before retreating into the car. Hershel had more ammo than Malaya, six walkers falling to the ground with bullets planted into their skulls

The Governor sped out, maneuvering around the silver car that halted in the road. Whilst Carl, Beth and the others made their way onto the grass, Rick and Michonne emerged from their cover, both screaming in synce, helping out Malaya and Hershel with the walkers

The silver car sped up, making its way onto the tarmac, whilst Malaya reluctantly left Hershel, knife raised as she rushed towards Rick. The leader was backed up against the fence, a pair of reapers snapping at his neck — But before Malaya could reach him, a single arrow pierced through both of their heads

The Blake girl spun on her heels, Daryl and Merle appearing from the woods. The archer nodded to Rick. Merle ran towards Malaya with a cry, the girl's eyes squeezing shut as she thought it was over for her. But, after a silent second, she reopened them, a walker head lay at her feet

It took May a minute to piece together why Merle was suddenly on their side, and working with Daryl as well — Then, she referred back to Kat's monologue on all people living in the prison, and remembered thinking Daryl and Merle had eerily similar last names, if not the same

Suddenly, it all clicked. They were brothers. Merle knew Malaya's secret despite not knowing it was a secret. He'd likely tell Daryl. All in all, Malaya was screwed

The girl didn't have time to dwell on it currently, Beatrix taking out another dozen walkers as Michonne took her hand, pulling her towards the grey car, shoving her into the backseat before climbing in herself. Behind the wheel sat Glenn, who appeared shaken up due to the sudden attack

The car roared back into action, driving through the grass up to the main prison. They all climbed out of the vehicle, Hershel with the help of Maggie and Beth, whilst Malaya was offered a hand by Carl, "Oh my god! Are you okay?" he asked urgently, eyes scanning her arms and legs for injuries or bites

She nodded with a thankful smile, "All good, you?"

"Yeah," he responded, moving back against the face, gaze not leaving his father as Rick, Merle and Daryl finished off the walkers on the outside of the upstanding fence

Despite all their efforts, their home was no longer safe, all thanks to Malaya's family