CHAPTER ONE －
NO ONE MOURNS THE WICKED

Kate Rhee remembered the day she met the Governor quite clearly.

She remembered sitting in a stuffy room as someone checked over her for injuries, the rough hand on her shoulder that belonged to her fiancé as he demanded the nurse to tell them exactly where they were. No one would tell either of them anything, just that they needed to wait a little longer.

Phillip, said Governor, strut in minutes after, chuckling at the sight of Jared Faucett's furrowed brows and the steam silently coming out of his ears. A blonde man, near balding as he reached his late forties. His hands, on his hips as he leaned against the wall so casually.

The two had been discovered after falling asleep in Jared's truck, brought in as they posed no threat against twenty other men. Kate had wondered what would've happened if it was just her there; if she had been the one naively dozing off in that truck, without Jared holding onto her.

It had seemed so simple－ just a casual health inspection, quick conversation, qnd weapons taken away. And they were citizens, if they wanted. Free to leave and never return, if they wanted.

She hadn't seen Jared that happy in months, his eyes sparkling as he took in those new surroundings. Kate hadn't even seen them that happy before the dead roamed the Earth, when he worked his dream job of being an insurance salesman at a big company.

Then again, beats living in a truck, where you had no one to protect you from what lay outside, especially so close to winter. In Woodbury, every luving soul was protected by heavily guarded walls, with almost only men being the only ones with access to guns. Didn't matter if she hated it, anyways. Kate only knew how to shoot Jared's pistol.

"We should start planning," Karen looked up at Kate with a smile, squinting through the sun. Her dark hair was just as messy in her face, falling against her tan skin. "Your wedding. I think things have finally become normal enough for you guys to hold a small ceremony."

"I don't think things will ever calm down," Kate told her. "And it'd get turned into some sort of spectacle.

"Yeah, because everyone would love to celebrate something other than a birthday for once. You guys have been engaged for how long?"

She paused, thinking for a moment. "It'd be about three years, I think."

Karen hummed, turning and grabbing a pot of fertilizer. "Maybe the Governor can officiate."

"I'd rather get bitten."

Scoffing, the shorter of the women placed her hands on her hips. "Kate, it'd not like we have a priest laying around. He's the closest thing. Would you rather have Milton do it?"

Kate furrowed ber eyebrows.

"Yeah, I didn't think so."

Kate sighed, standing up straight from the small garden before her. "Jared wants to wait a bit longer, and I agreed. I don't have a dress, and all the planning we had done went out the window when people started eating each other."

The sun began to beat on both of their backs, the cool air warming up as they grew farther away from the winter and closer towards summer. Jackets were only worn in the morning and evenings, and hot water and soup was traded out for meat and old soda. Kids were playing outside again, something Kate hadn't heard at all on the road. She'd assumed most kids were dead－ she was probably right.

"I know, but..." Karen sighed. "That shouldn't stop us from trying to live too. You two deserve a chance to make your love permanent. Lot of people didn't get that chance－ won't get that chance. You deserve to be happy."

Kate was silent for a long moment, long enough for another voice to call out to her; her fiancé, speak of the devil, with his hand resting the gun holster on his hip, carrying the very same pistol he taught her to shoot while on the road. It was almost possessive, as though it'd be ripped off him at a moment's notice.

"Kat! Come here! Gov's tryna' hold a meeting. Come on."

Raising an eyebrow, Kate shrugged off her gardening gloves, setting them back down into a crate before walking over with him－ though, she ignored the way he tugged her into his side.

Phillip stood on top of one of a military truck, looking down at the crowd beginning to form beneath him. His thumbs were hooked into his slacks, lower stomach pressing forwards. It almost seemed silly, but it was always when he stood in such a manner that she knew it was serious.

"We brought in three new people yesterday," He began. "One was a helicopter pilot with a National Guard outfit."

Kate knew the pilot very well, as she worked beneath Doctor Stevens as her assistant, assigned to her by the Governor once Jared told him she'd worked in a hospital before. He thought it was the same as being a nurse; it wasn't. The pilot was weak, but stable.

"Even though he's clinging to life, he told us about his convoy on the highway. His men." The Governor then tilted his head down, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. "I promises I'd bring them back here alive, but they didn't have our walls, or our fences. Biters got there before we did."

From besides her, Jared kneeled his head down. As one of Phillip's most trusted mem, he had gone with, telling his fiancée that he'd be safe and pecking her on the cheek before he'd gone that morning. At his leader's speech, he tugged Kate closer, hand on her shoulder.

"Now, the men had trucks－ the trucks had weapons, food, medicine, things we need. Now, we didn't know them, but we'll honor their sacrifice by not taking what we have here for granted." The Governor spoke. "Won't be long before dark, so go on home. Be thankful for what you have. Watch out for each other."

Phillip hopped off of the truck signaling the end of his speech, and the crowd dispursed.

Kate sighed, looking up at Jared. "You okay?"

He nodded, his face clear and blank, like he was alright once again. "I'm alive, and you're alive. That's what matters. You heard the man, go on home."

"I'll probably check on the pilot first," She hummed, pulling back down her sleeves. "I'd feel better going to bed, if I knew he was doing alright. I think I should be the one to tell him, when he wakes up. You know, about his friends."

Jared's nose scrunched, and he paused.

"What?"

"He didn't make it." He confessed. "That pilot. Wells, I think his name was. Doctor couldn't revive him. Merle put a bullet in his brain."

Kate's eyes widened. "He was stable this morning. We thought he'd wake up－"

"He did, just long enough to tell the Governor where his convoy was. He died a few minutes after." Jared rubbed her back gently, making the hair on her neck stand up as she tensed. "I know you wanted him to live, honey. I'm sorry."

"Are we going to hold a funeral at least? Like we do for the other people here when they die?"

"Gov had him cremated. Kept it quiet. Thought it'd be better since he was a stranger, and didn't want to upset anyone more than they already are." Jared explained. "I told the Doc that I should be the one to tell you."

She sighed, nodding. "Guess I'll head home then."

"Guess so."

The next day, to celebrate the sacrifices made by the National Guard convoy, Woodbury was going o be throwing a small festival. It was meant to be a treat, a way to enjoy the heat before it grew unbearable and humid by next month. The generators were being used to help store cool drinks and treats, most of which being old soda cans and alcohol poured into actual glasses and cups.

To this day, even after eight months of living here, Kate felt the strongest sense of deja vu whenever she saw how calm things were inside of Woodbury, how it resembled the sort of small towns you'd see in sitcoms, where everyone knew each other so well that they knew each other's deepest secrets. It wasn't like the community was big to begin with, not compared to an actual town in reality. Seventy five people lived here, including Kate Rhee, soon to be Kate Faucett. And every single one of them probably knew how much she hated the heat.

Funny, how a girl from Michigan thought moving to Georgia three years before the apocalypse was the right call when she hated anything over seventy five degrees fahrenheit.

"Alright!" Yelled the Governor through a laugh, probably slightly tipsy as he stood in front of one of the buildings, glass in hand. "Hey. Uh...first time we gathered, there was nine of us holed up in an apartment with spam amd saltiness crackers. Well, look at us now! We built a place we can call home. May be held together with duct tape and string, but it works. It's ours, so I'll take it."

The crowd gave a holler of whoops amd cheers, raising their glasses with grins. Kate stood, white wine in hand, as she watched from the back of the crowd. Jared stood towards the side, laughing as he and a few other guys goofed off and shoved one another, definitely drunk on something.

"So, today, we celebrate how far we've come. We remember those we've lost. We raise a glass....to us!"

As applause erupted, Kate glanced off to her left, spotting a figure in grey jeans and a purple tank top slowly stepping into one of the apartment buildings, just out of view from the crowd. She recognized it as the one that directly led up to where the Governor lived, the woman being one of the two women who'd arrived at the same time as the soldier, though not with him.

Taking a step back, eyes darting from Jared and Phillip's distracted forms, Kate silently turned, walking into the building after her.

"What are you doing?"

The stranger turned immediately, hands gripping the katana that hung in the glass cabinet in Phillip's home. She had a bandana on as well, Kate noticed, the keep the long and well kept dreads out of her eyes and face, exposing her sharp cheekbones and striking dark eyes.

"I'm taking what's mine." The woman answered, wrapping the katana over her shoulders. "What are you doing?"

"Party's lame. It's just meant to distract everyone." Kate shrugged, crossing her arms. "I take it you're not adjusting as well as your friend is?"

"Andrea. Her name is Andrea. And no, I'm not." The stranger, clearly seeing that Kate wasn't much of a threat, glancing at Phillip's desk, the old photos of a strange blonde woman and child, a world globe, ad a thick journal.

As she began to dig through it, Kate sighed. "He'll kill us if he finds out we were in here. I've only ever been up here twice."

The woman paused, staring blankly at her.

"I don't mean that literally," the Korean woman interjected., coming to stand besides her as she continued flipping the pages. "But I can't name anyone who's ever been up here alone, without him. He's super protective of his stuff."

The stranger paused, staring at a page in the book for a moment; a list of first names that stretched all the way down until the last one, underlined in black pen; PENNY.

"What do these names mean?" Asked the stranger, pointing at it.

"I don't know. I'm not exactly a snoop." She sighed, eyes trailing down the page herself. "And for the record, my name is Kate."

"Michonne." The stranger replied without looking at her, beginning to flip the pages. Every page after it was scribbled, tiny lines filling up page after page.

THUMP.

Both of their heads snapped to their right as a head footstep came from down the hall, making their way up to the room. Michonne, lifting a finger up to her plump lips, stepped over to the apartment door, listening for a moment before quickly trying to grab the book.

"What are you doing?" Kate loudly whispered. "We need to go－ he'll notice the book's gone."

With a sigh, the other woman odder, quickly turning to go pick the lock of a wardrobe cabinet, but there was no time. The footsteps had turned into two, then three, and voices could be heard growing closer with every step.

"...suggesting we delay a couple days."

Eyes widening at the familiar voice, Michonne grabbed Kate by the forearm, tugging her behind a wall in the room, where a clothes rack stood by an open window. If someone turned the corner, they'd be instantly seen. But it was better than being out in the open office space.

"We can't wait. Everything's ready." The Governor replied to Milton, opening up the door as the two men stepped inside, followed by one of his most trusted men, Merle.

Though, if you asked Kate, Milton was a pushover who clung to whoever would offer him the most power. Every time she spoke to him, an invisible hand rested on his hip, warning him of what to say and who to say it to. Merle, however, didn't even try to hide his inner thoughts. He thought you were ugly, then he's probably told you within the first five minutes of meeting you. If he hated your cooking, chances are that he spat it out and made a scene.

"I love a party as much as the next fella." Milton responded. "Trust me, I love a party, but we're using a lot of resources. For instance, the generators."

"Yeah? I thought you love a party."

Kate turned her head slightly, peeking out from behind the wall to see the Governor picking up a few boxes, likely drinks, and hand it to the pair. With a small tug, she turned back, spotting Michonne gesturing to the window. Peeking outside, the first thing she saw was a fire escape ladder, leading down to a concrete space that, last Kate knew, she wasn't allowed to be in at all. That was the biggest rule Jared had told her once he moved up the ranks into becoming one of the important members in Woodbury. Don't go where you don't belong.

With a hesitant shake of her head, Kate stepped back, mouthing for Michonne to go ahead. The woman, in returned, eyed her for a moment, as if guessing if she were sure, then silently nodded, disappearing downth3 fire escape.

"Oh, come on, Milty. Lighten up, for Christ's sake." Merle groaned in his raspy voice, a squeak coming from an old wooden chair as he sat down. "Let your hair down, man. Have some fun for once."

"Hey! I like fun!"

"Then there's no problem," Came the deep voice belonging to the Governor, along with more movement. More boxes.

"If I might," Milton snapped, setting down his box. "You know, I've been working on an experiment all week. It's been a challenge getting the level of power I need, and with everything going on tonight－"

"What are you asing?"

"Postpone tonight."

"No way!" Merle cut in.

"Hang on, let's hear him out. How long do you need?" Asked the Governor.

Milton sighed. "I don't need long."

"How long?"

"Ten days."

Kate furrowed her eyebrows, glancing out the window again while remaining utterly still, as the room grew more quiet. One wrong move, a creak in the floor, and they'd catch her. The Governor deciding that today wasn't so hot after all and he needed a jacket? She'd be a goner.

"No." The Governor scoffed with a laugh.

"Six?"

"No."

"How about－"

"How about you enjoy yourself tonight and then begin the experiment over in the morning, huh?" A small clink could be heard as the leader shoved the box into Milton's arms with a warning smile.

The doctor, however, sighed dejectedly, beginning to turn back to the apartment door "Uh, yeah. That could...work."

Footsteps again. Then a creak as the door shut. Then silence.

Kate didn't know how long she stood, frozen against the wall in that office. Five minutes? Ten? All she knew, was that by the time she crept out again, she was alone, with more questions she had than she did that morning.