Down by the water • TWD

Just Me.

Avery walked up to the gate with Ranger at her side, one hand resting on the strap of the knife at her hip. Spencer was standing in front of the gate with a rifle slung over his shoulder, looking bored out of his mind until he spotted her.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Out." Avery crossed her arms.

He let out a short laugh like she had just told a joke. "Yeah, no."

Ranger stood close against her leg, ears perked. She tilted her head up toward Spencer. "You don't get to tell me no."

"I definitely do when it involves opening the gate."

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Please," she said. "I've been outside more than you probably ever have."

"You don't know that." Spencer said, clearly offended by that.

Avery raised an eyebrow. "Have you ever even killed a walker before?" She asked.

Spencer's mouth opened, then shut again. "Wow," he muttered.

"Open the gate."

"No," he stood his ground.

"Spencer."

"No," he repeated.

She stared at him for a second before throwing her hands up. "Fine. Then I'll just climb over the wall."

"You are not climbing over the wall."

"Watch me." She grinned, turning toward the side ladder, and Spencer sighed loudly.

"Jesus, okay, stop." He shook his head. "If anyone asks, I'm saying you threatened me."

"I did threaten you."

Spencer pulled the gate open just enough for her and Ranger to slip through.

"You better not die," he said.

Avery smirked as she stepped backward away from the gate. "Aw, Spencer. You're talking like you care."

"No, I care about not getting blamed." He pointed at her.

The gate shut behind her with a heavy clang, and for the first time in a few days, Avery could breathe. Outside the walls, everything felt different. It was quieter. She hadn't been outside since they arrived at Alexandria.

The air smelled like dirt and wet leaves instead of clean laundry and cooked food. Ranger trotted a few feet ahead of her, tail wagging slightly as he sniffed around.

"You like it out here better too, huh?" Avery asked.

Ranger looked back at her for half a second before continuing on. She walked down the road slowly, hands swaying at her side.

"You know, Daryl would probably kill me if he knew Spencer let me out here alone." She scratched the back of her neck. "Actually, Daryl would kill Spencer." She smiled to herself a little at the thought.

A few walkers wandered near the tree line up ahead. Ranger noticed them before she did. His whole body stiffened, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

"I see them," Avery said quietly.

One of the walkers stumbled toward them, arms outstretched. Before she could even move, Ranger lunged forward. He slammed into the walker hard enough to knock it off balance, growling and snapping until it hit the ground. With one large bite to the head from him, the walker went limp against the dirt.

"Well, you've never done that before."

Another walker came from behind a car on the side of the road, and Avery stepped forward and took care of it herself before exhaling.