When a beaten and lost, near-dead girl walks up upon the gates of Jackson unannounced, people are bound to be suspicious of why she's shown up. But, when she reveals that she knows something about an organization in Seattle planning to come to Jacks...
"I know my love should be celebrated, but you tolerate it."
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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO The People
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Robin looked around Jackson County, almost astonished at how much everything looked like it had been taken from the old world. Kids ran out on the roads, tugging their parent's sleeves tightly. Old men shared stories over beer and the ladies enjoyed brunches at the pub. It looked beautiful. Like nothing had changed over the many, many years of infection that killed the land. Tommy led her through the town, brushing over each of the building's histories.
She looked at him, almost finding Ollie's face from his thick, orange beard. "-this is the board of assignments." He turned to her, a serious look on his face. "Now, I know you ain't gonna stay here for a while, but if you want to join someone on a patrol, feel free to."
The girl gazed over each of the names on the board, spotting the name 'Ellie' and 'Willow' under 'M.I.A., Seattle'. Her breath caught in her throat; those were the girls. Nobody else was missing in action, or in Seattle, for that matter. Tommy seemed to notice this, but he didn't act on it. He stayed silent, opting to continue talking about the patrols people went on. "I'll get you to Maria, she kinda runs this whole ordeal." He explained. "She'll put you on an assignment to pass the time."
Robin nodded softly. "Sounds good to me." She smiled, looking down at the ground. She needed to perfect her alibi; nobody could be suspicious. "Anything's better than being on the run again." She sighed deeply, as if she were lost in her thoughts.
Tommy placed a hand on her shoulder, comforting her. "You don't have to stay here, but it'll be good to keep your mind off your old group." He spoke. "Let's get you something to eat, you can chat with Maria there."
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Robin had never seen anything quite like the pub she sat in. People were bustling with laughter and conversation at the bar and the tables, pendant lights hung low from the ceiling, and the wooden walls were a deep brown, emitting a homey vibe into the building. As much as she tried not to, Robin loved the beauty of it. She missed being in a small town before the outbreak, and Jackson was the closest she had gotten to it for a while.
Tommy led her to the bar, letting her sit down in front of the bartender. He was busy chatting up another girl, so he didn't notice the two sitting down. Robin crossed her legs, turning her body sideways slightly to be polite to Tommy. He had shown her only hospitality, she almost felt bad that she was going to turn on the whole town. But she kept her priorities in check. These people were caring for the two girls that killed the only people she loved. It was either them, or her life.
An older woman approached them after a few minutes, sitting down in the seat beside Robin. She shrunk down on herself, still trying to give the 'lost and lonely' appearance that she needed. The woman gave her a smile of pity. Robin almost wanted to punch the woman for giving her such an unneeded stare, but she only nodded softly. Her internal monologue would get her punched if she were to say it aloud.
"I'm Maria." She began. "I'll get you set up with a patrol and an overnight place for tomorrow, so you can get back out on the road well-rested and good." Maria introduced herself, her smile of pity dropping to a soft frown. "When do you plan on leaving?" She asked.
Robin folded her hands in on each other. How long would the girls- Ellie and Willow- take to return to Jackson? "A week at the most. I just need to get some proper food and water in me." She smiled, trying to keep up her façade to the best of her abilities. She tried to ignore the burning stare of Tommy from behind her, pretending to ignore him completely as she talked with Maria. She was nice, but she was too nice to Robin. Too nice for comfort.
"Sounds good to me." The older woman shrugged. "I'll get you on patrol with Joel, he'll take you around the ropes." Robin nodded. "You can stay with Dina and Jesse, if you want. It might be nice to stay with people around your age."
"Alright." Robin replied, nearly hesitating. She had no clue who these people were, yet she was still staying overnight with them. Plus, who the hell was Joel, and why was she being forced to go with him on patrols? It was the least of her worries, she still needed to figure out what she was going to do before Willow and Ellie got back to Jackson. Maybe she'd take Tommy's advice and busy herself with assignments and helping around the town.
Maria nodded towards the girl, slipping out of her chair. "I'll chat with Joel. I'm sure he'll be happy to have a patrol partner that isn't Tommy." She spoke to the older man. They both seemed like they knew something that she didn't in that moment. Tommy ushered her out of the pub, and from that moment on, all she could think about was the people she would meet around Jackson. For a moment, her mind was cleared of the revenge she needed to fulfill against Willow and Ellie.
