"I've done things," Charlie said, looking up into his eyes full of disappointment. "Things that I am not proud of. But everything I've done, I've done to survive...And I did. I survived."
"And are you happy?" Daryl asked, using all his power to stop...
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"Carl, get a blanket," Rick commanded. "Beth, water and a towel."
"We gonna leave her here?" Charlie asked as she looked at the woman.
"She's not coming in the cell blocks," he said looking at her, but immediately came back to the stranger as she moved. "Woah, steady now. Hey, it's all right. Look at me. Who...are you?"
Charlie saw where her eyes were going, so in one smooth but fast movement she kicked the sword away. "We're not going to hurt you."
"Unless you try something stupid first," Rick said. "All right?"
Then from behind her back she heard heavy steps and rough voice. "Who the hell is this?"
"You wanna tell us your name?" Rick asked, when everyone focused on a stranger again.
"Y'all come on in here," said Daryl as the woman was quiet and got impatient.
"Everything all right?" Charlie furrowed her eyebrows, going in his direction.
"You're gonna wanna see this."
In the cell, on the bed sat a person that was considered dead for some time now. She looked like death, but apparently was still living and breathing person. She was weak, skinny, and her cheeks became hollow.
"Oh my God, Carol," she gasped and hugged the woman.
"Oh, God," she whispered and wrapped her arms around her.
"How?"
"Solitary," she answered, moving away to hug everyone else.
"Poor thing fought her way into a cell. Must have passed out. Dehydrated."
Carol bursted into tears when she saw the little girl. She touched her cheek and smiled through the tears until the realization hit her like a truck. A gasp left her lips and she turned to Rick, touching his arm. "Who..." but before she finished her question his eyes wandered towards Charlie. Carol turned around and she hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, sweet thing. Oh, God."
After a good crying session and some relieved hugs, Charlie with Rick, Daryl, and Hershel, entered the cell with the woman. She stood up as fast as she could, and observed them carefully. Rick didn't push her or tried to scare her. He left the safe distance as a true cop ready to negotiate.
Charlie respected his methods- he probably already did things like that in the past, but times were different now. The woman was alone, wounded, and as brave as she tried to be, she must have been terrified. On the other hand, she showed a compassion - they all did, and all they got in return was betrayal. So she just stood behind Rick and waited for the situation to evolve.
"We can tend to that wound for you, give you a little food and water and then send you on your way," said Rick, entering the cell. Showing his peaceful intentions, yet she still was uneasy. "But you're gonna have to tell us how you found us, and why you were carrying formula."
She crossed eyes with Charlie as if she was looking for a confirmation in her eyes. Reed was the only woman the stranger saw and probably the only person who she could potentially trust. Charlie nodded her head in confirmation that she will be free once she tells them everything. "The supplies were dropped by a young Asian guy with a pretty girl."
Charlie's heart stopped and she stepped forward. "What happened?"
"Were they attacked?" asked Rick, placing his hand on Charlie's arm.
"They were taken," answered the woman.
"Taken? By who?" Grimes furrowed his eyebrows.
"By the same son of a bitch who shot me," she clenched her teeth gesturing down to her leg.
"Hey, these are our people," Daryl snapped at her, annoyed that the stranger was so unresponsive and didn't tell them everything. Patience wasn't his strongest virtue and the woman tested it like no one before. "You tell us what happened now!"
"Rick!" Charlie yelled when Daryl raised his crossbow and placed it almost right in the stranger's face.
"Don't you ever touch me again!" the woman said.
"You better start talking," Daryl demanded. "You're gonna have a much bigger problem than a gunshot wound."
"Find'em yourself," she narrowed her eyes in pure hate. The possibility of not finding her best friends almost pushed her over the edge.
"Stop it! All of you! Take a breath!" she yelled. "And put this thing down!" she commanded, pushing Daryl's weapon away from the woman's face. She looked into his eyes with annoyance. "If you have anger issues go for a walk," she spat in his face, scared that the location of Glenn and Maggie will be a mystery. Charlie turned to the stranger. "Don't be scared. We won't hurt you, we're not like that. I promise that nothing bad will happen to you." Charlie said, searching for her eyes. "But...please tell us where they are.You came here for a reason. Please."
The woman stayed silent and Charlie almost lost her hope, but stranger broke the silence. "There's a town. Woodbury. About 75 survivors. I think they were taken there. "
"A whole town?" Rick asked.
"It's run by this guy who calls himself the Governor," she answered. "Pretty boy, charming, Jim Jones type."
"He got muscle?" Daryl asked.
"Paramilitary wannabes," she nodded. "They have armed sentries on every wall."
"You know a way in?"
"The place is secure from Walkers, but we could slip our way through."
"How'd you know how to get here?"
"They mentioned a prison," she shrugged. "Said which direction it was in, that it was a straight shot."
"This is Hershel," Charlie nodded towards the old man. "Father of the girl who was taken. He'll take care of that," she added, pointing with het chin at the woman's leg.
"Thank you," she said. Charlie shook her head in answer.
"Would you like to tell me your name?" she asked. "I'm Charlie."
"Michonne."
With crossed arms she stood by the entrance to the prison, while others were preparing to storm on the Woodbury. Charlie was determined to move the earth and the sky to find her friends, she would set the whole world in fire...But Rick said no.
"Wasn't this place overrun?" Michonne asked, approaching her and looking around. She had a cynical smile on her lips.
"It was."
"And you cleared it out all by yourselves? Just the few of you?"
"There were others," Charlie answered throwing her a glance before walking away to check if her friends have everything.
"Don't look at me like that," Daryl said as soon as she approached him.
Charlie leaned over the car that they would take. She crossed her arms and sighed. "You didn't back me up back there."
Daryl looked at her. "Rick is right."
Rick is right.
Two days ago he wouldn't even notice there's a stranger in the prison. Now, he was right.
"Carol's to weak," Daryl said. "She shouldn't stay here alone with Hershel, Beth, and Carl."
Charlie rolled her eyes because once again she was put in a role of a nanny."Just be safe," she said. "Bring them back, but comeback yourself."
"Hey," he said and squeezed her arm. "This isn't a goodbye. I'll be back before you know."
