the great war (r.g)

twenty-four

"meet me in the field nearby," the woman's voice came through again. no one from their group answered. instead, they were following their plan. the group crowded around the doors, michonne and daryl on one side, ready to open the door, and cora and rick standing there, ready to run inside. dan was behind them, pacing somewhat anxiously.

"what's wrong with you, calm down," rick turned to tell him.

dan stepped to rick and said "don't tell me to calm down."

"well you need to before you fuck this up for us," rick said one last time. dan stepped to rick again but before  he could say anything, the doors opened and maggie and carol came running out. they looked surprised to see cora, rick, and dan right away, but relieved.

dan looked at the two seemingly worried at the weapons in both of their hands. "i'm-uh-gonna make sure theres no one left in there. i'll meet you guys back  at alexandria." dan didn't give anyone a last look, just disappeared into the quiet building. cora looked in after him. she decided to follow him inside but before she could enter, rick grabbed her arm.

"let him do that alone. it seemed...important to him," rick told her. he was right but cora couldn't shake the feeling that dan was connected to this place somehow. she nodded at rick and the two joined where glenn and maggie were embracing each other.

***

"where's dan been?" izzy asked cora. it had been a day since they got back from the savior complex and the two were on their daily walk.

"he's just on a supply run," cora lied. the truth was that dan hadn't returned from the complex yesterday. cora didn't want izzy to worry how she currently was. the last time she saw dan he seemed worried, but for the wrong reasons. since being reunited with cora, dan hadn't opened up about his life out there for those three months. cora didn't want to pry for information but she was worried.

"mom," izzy said stopping in her tracks. "tell me the truth. please." seeing izzy there, looking at cora, with the same worried look that she was feeling, hurt cora's heart.

"yesterday," cora started, continuing the walk, "when we left the savior complex, dan stayed back. he went into the building to make sure the saviors were all gone. i haven't seen him since."

"so...dan could be dead and we are just waiting here?" izzy asked, throwing her hands up. she was right. what was cora doing? her fiancé could be out there on the verge of death and here she was, going for a care-free stroll.

"you're right," cora admitted.

"i am?" izzy asked. cora didn't answer, just ventured off their normal path towards the armory. "are we actually going out there?"

"no one else is doing anything. so we have to," cora went inside, grabbed a gun, and rejoined izzy on the street.

"mom, are you sure?" izzy asked. she seemed skeptical but also down for anything.

"yeah. we killed all the saviors we saw so our only real obstacle are the walkers," cora told her. this seemed to convince izzy as she stopped asking questions and blindly followed her mom out the front gate. no one tried to stop them, they all knew not to get in cora's way when she was on a mission.

it was a peaceful enough walk, until the two heard steps to their right. both turned, wielding their weapons, ready for a fight. as soon as someone breached the bushes, izzy shot. she was a shot first ask questions later kind of girl. the person, though, was not someone izzy should shoot. "carl what are you doing out here?" cora asked, sternly.

"i'm just out on a walk when i saw you guys," carl said with wide eyes, obviously a little shaken up from the gunshot. "i didn't expect izzy to shoot at me."

"i'm sorry, carl. maybe next time don't sound like a walker," izzy told him.

"maybe don't shoot first, ask questions later. i'd like to keep my other eye," carl told her.

"well-" izzy started saying before cora cut her off.

"enough of you two. my and izzy are going to the savior complex we went yesterday to look for dan. either join us or go back inside the walls," cora told carl with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

carl ended up joining them, and they were at the complex in no time. it looked just as deserted as it did last night when they left. izzy and cora both pulled out their guns, ready to shoot as cora made her way through the front door.

it was quiet. no sound of life or walkers. nothing. "dan!" cora called out. nothing. izzy and carl started looking inside the rooms while cora made her way all the way down the hall.

"mom," izzy called out. cora rushed to her. izzy didn't sound excited. she sounded worried or scared. cora thought the worst.

in the third room on the right, cora walked in to see dan with his head in his hands. "dan?" cora knelt by his side. when he lifted his head, dan almost looked like he'd been crying. laying next to him was a woman walker with a single bullet hole in her head and a young boy walker with a knife protruding from his skull. "come on let's go." cora helped dan up as he wiped his nose on his sleeve. she tried to ignore the fact that dan was hand in hand with the dead woman.