Safe haven | Rick Grimes

047. WELCOME BACK HOME, SCARLETT

Chapter forty seven

"Welcome back home, Scarlett."

They all walked up to the gate just as it began to open. Aaron stepped aside, letting Eric go in first. As Scarlett walked forward with Judith in her arms, a sudden rattling sound cut through the air. Everyone whipped around toward the noise. Daryl fired a single, swift shot.

The gate swung fully open, revealing a man standing on the other side. Daryl held up a dead possum by its tail. "We brought dinner," he muttered.

"It's okay. Come on in, guys," Aaron called out, gesturing to the group.

Glenn and Daryl crossed the threshold first, and the others followed close behind. The heavy gate rolled shut behind them. As the latch clicked into place, a sudden wave of anxiety washed over Scarlett. She felt trapped all over again. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she tightened her protective hold on Judith.

"Before we take this any further, I need you all to turn over your weapons," the man at the gate announced. "You stay, you hand 'em over."

"We don't know if we wanna stay," Rick replied coldly.

"It's fine, Nicholas," Aaron interceded, trying to ease the tension.

Rick looked squarely at Nicholas. "If we were gonna use them, we would have started already."

"Let them talk to Deanna first," Aaron told Nicholas, deflecting.

"Who's Deanna?" Abraham demanded.

"She knows everything you'd want to know about this place," Aaron explained. He turned to the group's leader. "Rick, why don't you start?"

Rick looked back at the group, his eyes catching movement just outside the perimeter. A walker was stumbling toward the fence. "Sasha," he called out flatly.

Sasha spun around, raising her rifle in one fluid motion, and shot the walker dead. As the outer security gate finally locked into place, Rick looked at the fallen threat.

"It's a good thing we're here," Rick said, before walking off to his interview.

When Rick returned from his meeting with Deanna, it was Scarlett's turn to go. Carl stepped toward her, reaching out his arms. "I can take Judith."

"She can bring her in," Aaron intervened gently.

Scarlett adjusted her grip on the baby and nodded, walking away from the group and heading into the main building. She stepped into a warm, sunlit room. In the center sat a comfortable couch facing an armchair, with a low coffee table between them holding a video camera. Bookshelves lined the walls, and a television was mounted above a fireplace.

"Hello," a woman's voice greeted her.

Scarlett turned to face her.

"I'm Deanna Monroe," the woman introduced herself with a welcoming smile.

Scarlett held the baby a little closer. "I'm Scarlett Grimes. And this is Judith."

"Do you mind if I film this?" Deanna asked, gesturing toward the video camera.

Scarlett eyed the lens warily. "Do you need to?"

"Like I told your husband, we're all about transparency here," Deanna said warmly. She walked over and sat on the couch, smoothing her skirt.

Scarlett moved to the armchair across from her. She sat down carefully, keeping Judith secure and close against her chest.

Deanna leaned back, studying her with a thoughtful look. "I actually recall your name. Our doctor here, Pete Anderson, mentioned you. He said you two met in college and got married your senior year. You even did your residency program together. But he said that right around the time of your board exams, you just... disappeared."