ACT TWO
(the ghost and the stranger)

MERLE TURNED his body around in his seat, making his head fully face Veroníca as he spoke. "You got a name, sweetheart?"

The woman was silent, shrugging her shoulders with a smirk on her face. Her smirk only seemed to anger the man more, so she wasn't shocked when he placed his hand-knife to her cheek. "What's your name?

Veroníca was silent again, wincing only when he pressed the blade deeper into her skin. "Veroníca. It's Veroníca." Glenn finally butt in, an angry frown on his face as he stared at the road ahead of them.

"Veronica." Merle smiled, removing his knife from her cheek as he trailed it down her neck.

"You're a pig." Veroníca finally said, her frown remaining on her face until he completely removed his weapon.

"Woah, woah, woah. Musta hit a nerve." Merle chuckled, turning his attention back to Glenn. "I don't like your girlfriend, Glenn."

"Yeah? I don't think she likes you either."

At Glenn's remark, Merle placed his knife onto the man's neck. "Watch it, son." He threatened as he kept his knife in the same spot. The knife stayed on Glenn for a few more minutes until Merle removed it as he spoke again. "Turn left."

-

  Aiden and Michonne stood at the gate of the prison, Rick staring at the two. He seemed to be staring at Aiden for a longer amount of time.

While Aiden wanted to scream about how he knew him, he knew the walkers beside him would realize he was alive. So he chose not to. Instead he stayed silent, standing beside his friend as he tightened his grip on the basket in his hand.

Unfortunately the walkers began to figure out on their own, turning to Michonne and Aiden with expecting eyes.

As soon as they began walking closer to the duo, Aiden pulled out his machete while Michonne took a step back.

Aiden then sliced down the middle of a walker's head, only attracting more walkers as he did so.

Michonne also stabbed through one, falling onto the ground immediately after she did so. "Carl!" Rick screamed, making Carl toss him the keys to the gate.

As soon as he got the keys he shot the walkers closest to the duo. He then rushed Aiden as he handed the basket to Rick and picked Michonne up. "She's shot, not bit."

Rick nodded at this, pushing Aiden into the gate as he glanced behind him. "Close the gate!"

Carl complied, shutting the gate after he shot one of the walkers that had come too close to the opening.

    The group rushed into the cell, Aiden still carrying Michonne on his shoulder while Rick yelled. "Carl, get a blanket! Beth, water and a towel."

"Here?" Carl asked, only receiving a nod from Rick.

"Neither of you are coming in the cellblocks." Rick spoke to Aiden as he watched the man softly place down Michonne.

"What?"

"We can talk about it later, Beth, water?"

Beth handed the man a water, watching as he poured it onto her chest. "Hey, hey.. Who are you?" Rick asked as soon as Michonne fully woke up. "It's alright."

Michonne glanced at Aiden beside her before reaching for her sword. Rick immediately pushed her sword away at the action, making Aiden scoff. "Let her have her sword."

"No. No. We're not gonna hurt her, unless she tries something stupid first." Rick explained making Aiden shake his head in anger.

"Aiden?" Daryl asked from the entrance to the room, Aiden immediately looked up at the voice a smile on his face.

"Long time, hermano." Daryl just nodded at his friend's words, now looking at Michonne. "Who the hell did you bring?"

Aiden opted with shrugging, knowing it wasn't his place to tell the group his friend's name.

"Wanna tell us your name?" Rick asked, only earning a glare in response.

He smiled at her stubbornness while Daryl changed the topic. "Y'all come on in here.. You're gonna wanna see this."

"Go ahead. Carl, get the bag." Rick told the rest of the group before turning to his old friend. "You wait here."

"Is Rory here?"

Rick nodded at the man's words, making a smile break out onto his face. "He's asleep. Sleeps alot now. I'll send him out when he wakes up. The doors are all locked. You'll be safe here. We can treat that."

"Didn't ask for your help."

"Doesn't matter. You know Aiden so you know us.. We can't let you leave." Rick finished, walking away from the duo that sat on the floor.

As soon as the rest of the group was out of earshot, Michonne turned to Aiden. "Thought you said i'd like them."

"I thought they'd be nicer.." Aiden trailed as he handed Michonne a water bottle. She reluctantly took it, shaking her head a bit.

Aiden sat on the cafeteria table, Michonne sitting on the seat beside him as the group reentered the area. "We can tend to that wound for you, give you a little food and water, then send you on your way. Aiden you can stay."

"I'm not staying without her."

Rick shook his head silently, looking at the ground before continuing. "You need to tell us how you found us and why you were carrying formula."

Aiden was about to answer when Michonne spoke up. "Supplies were dropped by a young asian guy, and his sister." Michonne said, gesturing towards Aiden as he spoke.

"Were they attacked?" Hershel asked nervously.

"They were taken." Michonne answered just as Aiden's attention was pulled away.

A smile covered his face as a very tired Rory entered the room. At the sight, Aiden immediately stood up.

He waited for Rory to notice him before he went over.

As soon as Rory did, his mouth dropped open. Aiden didn't wait another second. Immediately rushing to pull his nephew into a hug.

As he picked up the young boy, he placed a kiss to the side of his head. "I've missed you, Ro." Rory didn't reply, instead he hugged the man tighter not wanting to let go for a second.

As the pair kept hugging, Rick continued listening to Michonne. "Taken by the same son of a bitch who shot me."

"These are our people. You tell us what happened now!" Rick yelled as he grabbed the woman's gunshot wound.

"Don't you ever touch me again!" Michonne screamed, hopping up from her spot.

"You'd better start talkin'. Gonna have a much bigger problem than a gunshot wound." Daryl butt in, making Aiden's attention finally turn back to the scene at hand.

At the sight of Daryl pointing his crossbow at Michonne, Aiden lightly put Rory back onto the ground before running in between the two.

"Don't do this." He mumbled to Daryl as they shared a short moment of eye contact, ending in Daryl lowering his weapon with a huff.

When a brief silence filled the air, Aiden began explaining. "There's a town, the dick who took 'em.. He was the right hand man. He took them there."

"A whole town?"

Michonne now answered, making everyone's head turn to her. "Run by this guy, calls himself the governor—pretty boy, charming, Jim Jones type."

"He got muscle?"

"Not much."

"You two know a way in?" Rick questioned, tilting his head when Aiden nodded. Michonne answered for the two. "Place is secure from walkers, we could slip our way through."

Rick nodded, glancing between the two as Aiden reluctantly gestured Rory towards him. "This is Hershel. He'll take care of that. Aiden, be ready."

Aiden didn't bother asking the man to elaborate, instead he nodded as he sat back down. Pulling Rory to sit in his lap.

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