Broken

To

Julia enjoys the horsie ride to the checkpoint for the fair. It starts later today. I spot wagons in the road. 

I see Tara and the others, Carl smiles when he sees me and Julia. "Daddy!" Julia squeals as I pull the horse to a stop.

"Where's Mika?" he asks as he takes Julia down from the horse. "She decided to stay," I tell him, "And mom?" he asks. "Pissed," I tell him as I get down, "What's going on up there?" I question. "There's a tree in the road," Tara yells to the group, "We need to clear it, Yumiko set up a perimeter," the woman commands. 

Everyone gets to work, "I can watch her if you want," Tammy says from the wagon. "That would be great," I say as I lift the girl into the front seat to sit with Earl. 

I kiss her red hair before I  walk toward the wagon near the front of the line. Kelly looks nervous, almost panicky. "Hey," I say to Kelly as she hops out of the wagon. She gives me a half smile, "I need something to do, I'm going crazy," she says. 

I grab her arm gently, "Connie is with Daryl she's in the best hands. Nothing is going to happen to her, Daryl won't let it," I tell her. Yumiko smiles, "it's the other way around, Daryl is in the best hands, she won't let anything happen to him either," she says. 

"They're gonna catch up with the kid and meet us at the fair," Magna says, "Actually they're probably already there, just waiting for us to catch up," I tell her. Tara gives Kelly a job and I follow Magna and Yumiko. 

"Is Daryl really that good of a tracker?" Yumiko asks, "He is. Protected my sister for a long time, then he found me. If Daryl hasn't gotten Henry and Connie to the fair by now I'd be surprised," I say. 

The woman smiles, "Connie, she likes him," Magna says, "I know, I could tell," I say as I look over at her, "Daryl hasn't realized that for himself yet, he's protective of who he thinks of as family," I say. "Connie needs someone that's gonna love her," Magna says, "Kelly too, they're all they have." 

"I know what that's like," I say. "I do too," Magna mutters as she glances up at Yumiko who is stopped in the road ahead. We all stop with her, "Is that-," Yumiko mutters as she stares off into the forest. 

"Sickos," Magna says, "Looks like a dozen but it's hard to tell," I say. "Come on let's warn them," Yumiko says as she grabs my arm. 

"Sickos!" Magna calls when we get closer to the wagons, the log is still laying across the road, "How many?" Tara asks as she runs this way. 

"About a dozen," I say, "It's hard to tell, they're coming from the trees," Yumiko says. 

"We can handle 'em," Kelly says. "It could be the skinheads so we have to be careful," I say. "Earl? can you hitch the horses?" Tara asks, "Cal, Oscar, Carl, and Greg are with me." 

She points to the men at the tree, "You four" Tara points to Kelly, Addy, Josh, and me, "Guard the wagons stay sharp."

There are walkers coming from the woods near us. I shoot walkers with arrows, "Josh!" I yell as he gets toppled over by a walker. I rush toward him, "Got it!" Addy calls as she stabs the thing in the head. 

"Good," I say as I smile at her, she smiles back before turning to where a few more walkers are coming. 

I hear Julia scream, "Earl behind you!" Tammy yells. I can't get my legs to work fast enough. When I get to the wagon at the end of the line I don't see Earl or Tammy or Julia. I can hear a baby crying inside the wagon. 

I hear the Earl yell. I rush toward the noise. Tammy bashes a walker in the head, then another. "Tammy just run!" he yells, "Shut up Earl!" she yells back. I get to work on the ones surrounding the wagon. 

They just keep coming. "Mommy!" Julia screams, I turn to see where she is. 

A walker is pulling her out from under the wagon. Another walker grabs me, my back hits the wagon and my quiver tips. Arrows clatter to the ground. "Jules," I mutter as I grab the walker by the back of the head. 

I bash it's face against the wagon. It's still moving, I do it again before dropping the thing to the ground. Blood sprays everywhere. 

I rush to the other side of the wagon, I grab Julia's arm before I pull my knife and stab the walker. Horses approach, then men with weapons of their own. Carl stabs walkers as he and the others run this way. 

I kneel down to grab my little girl, she cries against my chest, "Are you hurt? Did it bite you?" I ask, "Uh-uh," she mutters. 

Carl runs this way with Tara and the others. "Are you okay?" he asks as he skids to a stop, "Yeah, we're okay," I say. 

He kneels down with us. He pulls us both into his strong arms. "Fine Daddy," Julia says as she reaches for him, "I've got you baby," he whispers, pulling her up into his arms as he stands. "I won't let anything happen to you," Carl whispers. 

A man on a horse stops, "We are your escort to the fair," a man with a gravely voice says, it's almost raspier than Daryl's. "What?" Tara asks, "You're the leader of Hilltop?" the man asks, Tara nods. 

"We're the Highwaymen, the King and Queen sent us," he says. "Let's get to work!" Tara and him both yell. I laugh as Tara rolls her eyes.