Ruins

38

I walked around the next day, still feeling Daryl all over me. He spent most of the day listening to Lydia, and Henry talk.

"Come on baby." I beckoned, picking Noah up from the medical trailer and swinging him out, onto the ground, earning a big giggle. I held onto his hand and looked around. I spotted Daryl and sent him a smile.

"Hey! Daryl!" Tara yelled. One of the residents that had the children scrambled up to get them inside.

"Git' inside!" Daryl pointed at me. "Now!"

I looked between him and the kids.

"Noah go play with the kids okay?" I asked. He noticed the urgency in my voice and whined.

"Daddy said you need to go too." He tugged me.

"Hey, Mommy will be fine. I'll be with Daddy, okay? Go, now." I pushed him toward the kids and watched him run after them. After they were safely inside I approached the walls, peering through. I could see walkers, or what looked like walkers.

I looked up where Magna' group, Daryl and Tara were. Tara and Daryl were talking to the leader... Alpha.

"Shit." I breathed, seeing more walkers pour from the woods. "Daryl!" I warned.

He sent me hold off sign.

Connie was still out there, in the cornfield.

Alpha told us we crossed into their land, and that she wanted her daughter.

I watched Daryl climb down and Henry and Enid pester him.

"She's done talkin' I'm not-"

"Daryl!" I warned. "Don't be-" He walked out. I shook my head. "Stupid..." I spoke to myself. I looked around and sighed. "Y'all go get weapons... Just in case." I ordered. "Enid... Stay up here with me." I spoke quietly. "They probably have Alden and Luke."

"You think they have them?" She questioned.

"They wouldn't be stupid enough to show up without some kind of leverage."

As I spoke I heard a familiar sound, and peaked though the walls.

"They have a baby out there!" I growled. I watched as the fake walker sat the baby on the ground. "Wait..." I watched the of the fake walkers unmask two other, revealing our people. "Bingo." I nodded.

I waited a moment and watched Daryl coming inside.

"He's making a trade." I nodded. The gates opened and Daryl nodded. "You got this?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

I patted Enid's shoulder and left her to find Noah inside.

"Goose!" I heard a child's voice upstairs and then laughter. I peaked in the room that the noise was flooding from. The kids sat in a circle and two kids ran around them, making me smile. I moved down the hall, peering out of the window. I could see Daryl walking out empty handed. I knew something was wrong by the way he was scrambling, but decided to stay up here with the kids. He had this.

Nearly half an hour later I could see things dying down and when I could see the walkers moving away I told Marie, the woman with the kids that it was clear.

"We're good." I nodded, sending Noah a smile, but leaving him with the rest of the kids. I moved downstairs and outside, I could see Daryl shoving Henry around.

"Hey." I jogged over to where Enid was escorting Alden in and Magna and Yumiko got their man, Luke. "You guys okay?" I asked, lifting Alden's chin to peer up at his face.