Bloodlines.

Chapter 4: Aaron Takes Alyssa in.

The ride back to Alexandria was undeniably awkward. The tension among the group was palpable, especially after the confrontation and Alyssa's actions at the trade site. Abraham had flat-out refused to share a car with Rosita, her earlier comment about Alyssa pushing him over the edge on top of their recent breakup.

Rosita ended up riding with Aaron, Jesus, Maggie, and Glenn in one car, leaving Rick to drive the truck with Michonne, Daryl, Carol, Alyssa, and Abraham.

Alyssa sat wedged next to the window on the far side of the back seat, staring out at the passing scenery. Abraham was next to her, with Carol on his right. Michonne sat up front beside Rick, her quiet presence offering some stability.

Daryl sat on Carol's other side, his jaw tight as he glanced occasionally toward Alyssa. He was clearly a little peeved she wasn't sitting with him. While he respected her close bond with Abraham, having the two of them side by side sometimes wasn't the best idea—they were both bold and headstrong, which often led to combustible moments.

Abraham nudged Alyssa with his elbow, breaking the silence in the back. "You did good back there, Firecracker," he said, his tone warm but gruff.

Alyssa nodded without looking at him, her focus still on the window. "Thanks."

Abraham studied her for a moment before speaking again. "You know, if all this shit hadn't gone down, you'd have made a damn fine candidate for the military."

Alyssa shrugged, her gaze still distant. "This world brought it out of me," she said quietly. "I wasn't like this before."

Abraham nodded solemnly, understanding the weight of her words. "None of us were," he replied.

Daryl glanced at Alyssa out of the corner of his eye, He wanted to say something, but the quiet tension in the truck kept him silent. Carol reached out and briefly touched Alyssa's knee, a silent gesture of support.

Rick's voice broke the tense silence from the front seat, firm and laced with frustration. "You acted recklessly," he said, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror to catch a glimpse of Alyssa. "You just charged off toward the building. What if Maggie and Carol hadn't killed those Saviors? What if there were more of them? What if they had that whole place surrounded and you just... took off?"

Alyssa, wedged against the window in the back seat, let out an annoyed sigh and shrugged, not bothering to meet his gaze. "But it didn't go down like that, did it?" she snapped. "No. It went fine, and we're all alive."

Rick's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "That's not the point, Alyssa," he said sharply. "You can't just act on impulse. We don't survive by getting lucky every time."

Alyssa's jaw tightened, her annoyance clear. "We don't survive by sitting around waiting either," she shot back. "I did what needed to be done. You can lecture me all you want, but we both know you wouldn't have done anything differently."

Rick's knuckles whitened as he gripped the wheel harder, clearly trying to keep his temper in check. From the passenger seat, Michonne glanced at him, her silent presence urging him to back off before things escalated further.

Abraham nudged Alyssa slightly, leaning in. "Take it easy, Firecracker," he murmured under his breath.

Rick's hands tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, his voice growing sharper as he spoke. "You're becoming too reckless and ruthless, Alyssa. You'll get yourself killed—or worse, get some of us killed in the process."

From the back seat, Alyssa actually laughed, a dark, bitter sound that cut through the tense silence. "And that's coming from you?" she said, her voice dripping with venom. She leaned forward slightly, her anger bubbling to the surface.