The Beginning of the End

Part 5-Welcome to New Haven

As Dean and Summer entered the community, Winnie put her hands up in a showing motion and she said, "Welcome to New Haven." Summer saw a bunch of people all smiling and happy walking around the courtyard that was between the big hotel in the center with a small hospital on one side and a few little shops on the other. There was a big wall around all of it with guards in the towers with all sorts of different weapons from AKs to bows and arrows.

"Hey Winnie!" A few young girls said as they passed by the three people standing there.

"Is there enough food and supplies for all these people?" Dean asked concerned when he saw the number of people in this compound.

"Yes and much more. We have scavenged every part of Chicago and now we have everything you can think of in this place." Winnie explained. "The hotel houses everyone except for the sick. They stay in the hospital over there." Winnie pointed at the smaller building. "We got lucky that that is right next to the hotel. And after we got our footing back, we started to put up these walls and then all the people showed up so we got more help and we finished a week back or so. So you got here just in time." She continued to explain.

They started to walk to a little shed by the gate where Winnie opened the door and let Summer and Dean in first. "This is just a precaution."

"Give me your weapons." said a lady behind a counter in a harsh voice. Summer glared at Winnie for a second before handing over her pistol and knife while Dean handed over his as well.

"Okay follow me." Winnie said once Dean and Summer were defenseless.

***

Back in the car garage, Jaron saw Jesse and the others coming up so he ran over to his father before he saw someone he didn't recognize. "Who's he?"

"A member of the community we are going to." said Ella. Jeff and Gracelyn came down and stood next to Jaron and Jesse.

"Do we trust him." Jeff said, but it was more of a question.

"No, but Dean and Summer are checking out the community to see if it truly is as safe as he says it is." Jesse replied. Diego smirked a bit before he put his dual swords away.

"You can trust me and my community, they saved me when I was lost in myself after the loss of my mother, the only person I had." Diego said to the group as he walked up with them to the campsite. "Now we wait for your friend's signal so I can get back to my community so I can go to sleep, I'm tired." Diego said as he sat down on the ground and closed his eyes.

***

Summer and Dean were left in the courtyard because Winnie had to go to a meeting on an expansion.

"I think this place is safe, and I think our group will be happy for once. Starting a new life sounds great, and I know we can do that here." Summer told Dean who was glancing around the courtyard looking at all the people laughing and smiling with their families and friends.

"You're right, Summer. I'm contacting them now." Dean pulled out his walkie talkie and said, "You are clear to come here. It looks good."

***

When the gate opened revealing the rest of the group, Summer smiled at Dean. "We made it, they will be okay, we will be okay." She muttered.

Ella and Stella ran over to Summer hugging her and smiling. Danny looked over at Trey who was handing over his gun to an older man and woman who were taking all of the weapons for safe keeping.

Then he looked at the guy standing behind Trey. It was Diego staring at Danny. He smirked before walking off to the main office to the meeting.

"Hi everyone, I'm Maya, I am a warrior here in New Haven and I will take you all to your rooms that I have assigned you." The girl with short hair said to the whole group.

"What's a warrior? I mean I know what a warrior is, but..." Logan asked for the group because he was confused along with others.

"A warrior is the most prized position in this community, we are the helpers and guards of this place. We are the right hands of the Lord of Chicago, he's the one who started all this with Winnie." explained Maya as she lead the new people into the hotel.

"The Lord...what does that even mean?" whispered Ella leaning over to Danny who just shrugged his shoulders.

***
Later on the same day

After Maya showed the Missouri group around the community to all the most important areas, she left them to explore on their own. She told them to experience this place on their own, it is more fun that way.

Danny and Logan were walking to the hospital where Logan was going to be checked by the doctor of the community.

"Gracelyn, what are you doing here?" Danny asked the lady who was walking down the hallway with another lady in scrubs.

"I told them I was a nurse so they are letting me help out today to see if I am a good fit. Remember Maya said we all need some sorta job and I think this one is perfect for me." Gracelyn told the two boys as she walked off with the other lady.

While Logan was getting checked, Danny looked out the window of the hospital. They were on the highest level so he could see the whole courtyard.

"It's a lot to take in, I know." said a voice behind Danny. He turned to face Diego.

"Yea, it is. I never thought I would see this much civilization again. It's like nothing ever happened out there." Danny mumbled.

"That's how I was at first, but then I got used to it. I gotta go, see ya around Danny." Diego strutted off down the hall. Danny managed to form a weak smile on his face as he watched Diego.

***

Summer was in the shower getting all the dirt and blood that was on her off when she heard the door to her hotel room open. She was sharing with Ella and Stella who were both out at the moment so she grabbed the towel from the rack and turned the water off stepping out of the shower and opening the bathroom door to see someone who she thought was dead.

"Tony!" She yelled as she ran to hug him. "I thought I lost you." She kissed the guy standing there while she was naked with only a towel around herself.

"I know, baby, I know. I missed you." Tony replied picking up Summer while still kissing her taking her over to the bed. Summer helped Tony take off his shirt revealing a strong muscular body. Tony went back to kissing Summer.

***

Jaron, Stella, and Maggie were in the courtyard hanging with some other kids around their age.

"So like you are all new. Did you see any roamers out there?" said one blonde girl with a huge grin on her face.

"She means the walkers, we call them roamers here." added a brown haired boy.

"Umm...yes," Stella replied for the three of them.

"So cool." The blonde girl shouted.

"No, it isn't. They are not cool, they kill people and I lost my family to the walkers." Stella said glaring at the blonde.

"No one cares what you have to say, newbie." the blonde shouted back at Stella. Stella went up to her and stared right in her eyes. They were only inches away from each other.

Jaron looked at Maggie to see what to do, but she didn't know either. "Stella, let's just go." Jaron finally said.

"No tubby, she wants to hang with us, don't you?" said the blonde girl.

"I would never want to be part of your group, you aren't going to survive very long if this is your attitude." Stella told the girl as she turned around and started to walk off with Maggie and Jaron by her side.

The blonde charged at Stella pushing her to the ground, but Stella has been learning self defense from Summer so she tripped the girl quickly getting on top of her. She held her fist up ready to hit the blonde when Ella and Bree came running over pulling Stella off. Ella grabbed her fist and Bree pulled her small body away.

"We need to go! Calm down Stella!" Bree said as Stella struggled to get out of their grips.

"This isn't the best way to show that we are good people," Ella told Bree as all five of them walked away from the teen hang out.