THE TWENTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD stood in the upstairs room of the house. It was very well-maintained and clean, a far cry from places Y/N had been in since the onset of the outbreak. He walked over to the window and peeked out of it, seeing the streets below and the wall of Alexandria ahead.

"Hello."

Y/N turned around and saw a short, older woman. She crossed her arms as she slightly grinned at the man.

"I'm Deanna Monroe."

"Aaron mentioned you when we first got in." He replied. "You lead this place?"

"You can say that."

He nodded and introduced himself. "Y/N L/N."

"Do you mind if I film this?" She asked as she gestured toward the camera behind the sofa.

"Hm?"

"Are you okay if I film our talk?"

"That's fine." He paced around the room as he looked around. "Why film this?"

A beep emitted from the camera as she turned it on and pointed it at the seat ahead.

"Rick asked the same thing." She chuckled. "We're about transparency here. Please."

She gestured toward the chair. Y/N glanced at it momentarily before deciding to take a seat. He hunched over and looked down at his hands.

"How long have you been out there?" She asked him after sitting down on the couch in front of him, the camera rolling right above her shoulder.

"Since the very start." Y/N answered.

"How did you all find each other? Rick said you didn't even know each other before the fall."

"No, we didn't know each other before." He corroborated.

Deanna nodded and kept looking at the young man.

"I was a congressperson. Ohio, 15th district. How about you?"

Y/N scoffed. "Does that even matter anymore?"

"Oh, believe me, it does."

He glanced at her for a moment. Y/N scratched his beard and sat back against the seat.

"I was a baseball player."

Deanna chuckled. "You looked familiar. You make an impact?"

"Rookie of the year. Two-time All-Star. World Series MVP in '09." He responded although it felt weird recalling all of it. "I guess you can say that."

"You look very young, and you did all that. To me...that shows dedication, the want to progress...a warrior mentality."

Y/N didn't respond to that and decided to question her.

"What is this place anyway?"

"The start of sustainability. Well...that's what the brochures we found say. This was a planned community with its own solar grid, cisterns, eco-based sewage filtration. Starting in the low 800,000s..." She laughed. "If there is such a thing. And they sold them all."

"How did you end up here?"

"Well, my family and I were trying to get back to Ohio so I could help my district manage the crisis. And...the army stopped us on a back road and directed us here. They were supposed to come later. They didn't."

Y/N simply nodded. Deanna continued.

"But there were supplies here and we made the best of it."

"And the wall? You put that up?" Y/N asked.

"Well, there was this huge shopping mall being built nearby. My husband Reg is a professor of architecture. And who he was mattered quite a bit." She said, emphasizing the man he was before the fall. "He got the first plates up with our sons. And after a few weeks, more people arrived, and we had help. We had a community."

"You're telling me you've been behind these walls this entire time?"

"We need people who have lived out there. Your group is the first we've even considered taking in for a very long time."

Y/N scoffed as he looked over his shoulder toward the window.

"What?" Deanna asked. "Let me guess? You're thinking it's stupid of me that I'm even opening those gates?"

That was exactly what Y/N was thinking. He felt it was naive of her to be so trustworthy toward people on the outside. He snickered.

"You're just like Rick." She added. "Tell me, why should I keep them closed?"

Y/N took a beat as he stared back at Deanna. He finally answered.

"For how the world is now...survival is most important. No matter the cost. The folks out there are always looking for an angle. They are itching to play on your weakness. They read you by what they can take from you. They try and find a way to use you to save their own lives."

"So, you're telling me to not bring your people in?" She asked. "Or are you already looking after this place?"

Y/N didn't respond. Maybe it was a part of him that was already giving her tips on how people were and how to better secure the community. The place needed to be as safe as possible for his friends and family.

"Aaron says I can trust you." Deanna added.

"Aaron doesn't know me." Y/N butted.

"He said you saved Eric."

"And I've also killed people. Nineteen of them. Yes...I—I kept count. But there's a reason why they're dead."

Deanna kept quiet and allowed him to explain. Y/N looked back down at his hands and picked at his fingernails.

"They're dead because they threatened the people I care about. My friends...my family...that nine-year-old out there, so all of them can be alive. So I could be alive for them."

"And it's what you had to do. You're very close-knit. I would've loved to be a part of that."

Y/N sat there and said nothing in response. Deanna spoke again.

"You mentioned that little girl. She your daughter?"

The young man kept looking down. He shook his head as he fiddled with his hands.

"But you care for her," Deanna added. "As if she is."

"I've known her a while now. My...my girlfriend was very fond of her. When—when she died...I basically promised I'd look after her."

Deanna sympathized with the young man. She gave him a solemn look.

"I'm sorry to hear that...about your girlfriend." She replied. "What you're doing is fascinating. It shows the kind of man you are. The kind of person we'd love to have here."

"What do you want from us?" Y/N abruptly asked.

"These families should be able to raise their children in a safe environment. Rick's son and daughter, the little girl you care for, should have a place to grow up." Deanna answered sincerely. "What do I want? I want you to help us survive. I know you can help us do that."

Y/N once again sat back against the seat. "How?"

"I am very good at reading people. I keep telling people that if I didn't win re-election, I was gonna be a professional poker player."

Y/N scoffed. Deanna smirked.

"You think I'm kidding...but I'm not."

The young simply nodded and smirked back. The older woman continued.

"I see that you're skeptical."

"I have every right to be."

Deanna chuckled. "You and Rick are cut from the same cloth."

"He took me in when he didn't have to. For the last several months, I've learned from him. He's had my back for the longest, and I appreciate everything he's done."

Deanna nodded. She lounged her leg over the other and crossed her arms.

"You know, he said a similar thing when mentioning you."

Y/N arched a brow at the revelation. The community leader began to explain.

"How you've gotten him out of few binds. How you've had his back. There are times that, without you, he probably wouldn't even be here today."

Those words came as a surprise to Y/N. He and Rick have never really had a heart-to-heart conversation since the aftermath of the Claimers' attack. To hear that Rick respected and had an appreciation for him the same way he did for him was something,

"We've been through a lot," Y/N replied after a pause. "We both have a duty to protect the people out there...the people we love. And we care about each other, too. We're brothers."

Deanna smiled, content with the stories of how close the group was.

"He said he'd take the next couple of days to think about whether or not to stay permanently. That'd he'd also get input from the people closest to him. What do you think?"

Y/N took a moment. Once again, he looked out the window from his seat. Immediately, he pictured Mika out on the street, in peace and without worrying about any dangers like walkers or raiders. She could just live.

"Those children need a roof over their heads. They've had enough of the life out there. So...if it was up to me...I'd say yes."

Deanna grinned. Y/N looked back to her and slightly did as well. There was a beat before she spoke again.

"Just a quick question...you went to college, right?"

Y/N chuckled. "What? This part of the application process?"

"Just curious, is all. What'd you study?"

The young man remembered his few years in university before entering the league. It felt like so long ago, but he remembered the field he was in while enrolled. He stifled a chuckle and smirked.

The group had given their weapons, albeit reluctantly, to one of the inventory managers at Alexandria named Olivia. They told them the guns were still theirs, and they could check them out whenever going outside the walls.

Afterward, Y/N and Mika joined Rick, Carl, and Aaron, where the Alexandrian was going to show them the place they were going to stay. He brought them to the corner of a street by the East side of the wall and unveiled the two large houses.

"Both of 'em?" Rick asked in disbelief.

"At your disposal," Aaron replied. "I'd call dibs on that one. It's got more curb appeal."

Mika spoke as he pointed at the light-yellow house to the right. "I like that one. Reminds me of my old house."

"Guess we'll take the blue one." Carl cut in.

Rick didn't remark on the children's statements. Aaron turned to him and could tell he was still hesitant.

"Listen, I know you're still feeling us out, but I'm glad you came." He said. "Anyway, Deanna's asked everyone to give you your space so they aren't all coming at you at once. Take your time. Explore. You guys need anything, you call me."

Y/N arched a brow. Aaron immediately caught himself.

"I don't—we don't have phones. I—I meant..." He pointed down the road. "I'm four houses down."

"Thank you." Carl replied.

Aaron nodded and walked away. The two men looked on at the houses before them.

"I'll take a look at the one on the right." He told Rick, then looked at Mika. "Come on."

Mika immediately followed Y/N as they approached the house while Rick and Carl went to the other.

Y/N opened the door rather slowly and peeked in. He looked around and was immediately taken aback by what he saw. Mika wanted the young man to hurry up.

"Come on!"

"Hold your horses." Y/N replied with a chuckle.

They both finally went in. Mika got a good look at the living area and was taken aback.

"Wow..."

Y/N peeked into the next room and. He was astounded by the furnishings. Everything made it feel clean, modern, and livable.

Unlike Mika, Y/N had no audible reaction. He ran his hand along the walls and touched a nearby self with empty frames stacked over each other. He assumed they were for them in case they had any photos to put them in.

Then, he immediately remembered the one he had on his person. Y/N reached for his pocket and took out the picture he had kept close to him and held dearly: the one of Liliana and AJ.

Y/N reached over and looked through the frames, trying to find one that was the right size. He found one that was as close as possible and began to place the Polaroid into it. Mika entered the room and saw what he was doing.

He placed the picture frame up on the shelf, where he then stepped back a bit and looked at it. He let out a quiet breath.

"It's perfect." Mika said.

Y/N nodded and glanced at the little girl. He pat her back and smiled, not saying a word as they looked back at the picture.

Y/N was finally able to freshen up for the first time in weeks. He had a proper hot shower for the first time since the outbreak began. Standing under the showerhead in the sleek and modern bathroom made him feel, just for a second, that he was back in his old life.

Afterward, he shaved his beard using the clippers left there for them. He even gave himself a trim with the scissors and washed his face. Y/N looked at himself in the foggy mirror and was surprised. He felt like a completely different man was looking back at him.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door. He didn't even bother putting on his shirt and simply went downstairs in his jeans. He looked toward the door and a woman on the other side through the window. He walked up and opened it.

"Hi. I work in the garden nearby. I came by to bring this over for you guys."

Y/N looked at the crate by her feet and saw it contained various fruits. He peeked out the door and pointed.

"Um...I think the rest are over there."

"Oh! Sorry. I'll go take this to them then."

Before she could pick it up and go, he stopped her.

"Uh, that's okay. I'll take it to them." He bent down and lifted the crate. "Maybe even get first pick."

The young woman laughed. Y/N just stood there with a grin as he held the crate...not even phased by the fact he was shirtless in front of her. Still, she introduced herself.

"I'm Katherine. Well...people call me Kate."

Portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen

"Y/N." He replied with a nod. It was then he looked down and noticed he was practically half naked. "Sorry, uh...I was just cleaning up."

"No problem." She chuckled. "You settling in well so far?"

"It's been fine. Mika likes it." He replied, then noticed her confusion. "Oh, uh...she's a nine-year-old. I think she's back at the first house."

"Okay. She your daughter?"

He let out a sigh. "I guess you can say that."

Kate took in his words and understood that she wasn't, but by the way he spoke about her, he surely treated her as such.

"I—I have two kids. Well...step-kids. So I feel you."

Y/N simply nodded with a smile. The silence between them started becoming awkward.

"So, yeah. Enjoy those." She pointed at the fruit and chuckled. "I'll get going."

"Right. Thank you." He replied sincerely. "Really. You didn't need to give all this to people you don't know."

She smirked.

"Hey, we all made it this far. We're behind the same walls. We take care of our own...or at least I like to."

The young woman was genuine, and Y/N appreciated the gesture. Again, he smiled.

"It was nice meeting you." Kate bid farewell and walked off the patio.

Y/N watched as the woman left and strolled down the street. He looked back at the crate of fruits briefly before returning inside and closing the door.

Y/N decided to rejoin the group at the first house. Between the houses, he met up with Rick, Daryl, and Carol, and the sight of the newly groomed leader caught the young man by surprise.

"God damn. Hey, stranger, where is Rick and what have you done with him?"

Rick snickered. "Yeah, yeah."

Carol got straight to business. "These houses, they're right next to each other, but—"

"They took our weapons, and now they're splitting us up." Rick interjected.

"Yeah." Daryl agreed.

Y/N nodded. "Yeah."

"We'll all be staying in the same house tonight." Rick said.

"Fine by me." Y/N replied and took a bite of the apple he had.

They looked at him weirdly. He chewed his food and turned to them.

"Oh, right. They gave us a crate of fruit...if you guys want any."

Later that evening, the whole group held up in the first house.

Mika sat beside Carol, who was on the sofa writing in a notebook, while Glenn, Maggie, and Beth set up some of the cushions on the floor. Sasha, Abraham, and Daryl sat near the windows and kept watch. Tara was on the floor reading a book while Rosita sat near the fireplace with Eugene. Rick held Judith while Carl sat at the table with Noah and Ramon. Y/N was pacing around, looking at the shelves.

Michonne came out of the hallway holding her toothbrush. She sighed continently.

"How long was I in there for?" She asked.

"20 minutes." Rick replied after putting his daughter in the bassinet.

"God, I could not stop brushing."

Y/N chimed in. "Thank God you did. It was starting to become unbearable."

"You're one to talk, Bambino." She butted. "Always had to hide my tears talking to you."

He chuckled after their sibling-like banter. Michonne turned to Rick and finally got a look at him. She was taken by surprise.

"Huh. I've never—" She smiled. "I've never seen your face like that."

He snickered and rubbed his chin. "That's what I felt before and after."

Rick walked up to her, and Michonne began to speak to him in a whisper.

"Look...I get why we're playing it safe. We should. I just...I have a good feeling about this place."

"Well, I hope you're right." He replied.

"Yeah, me, too."

There was a sudden knock at the door. Y/N instinctively went for his holster but quickly realized his pistol had been seized earlier. Rick walked up to the door and opened it.

"Rick, I—" Deanna came in and stopped upon seeing the man. "Wow."

Rick groaned in embarrassment. Everyone he ran into had to comment on his new look.

"I didn't know what was under there." She added, then spoke to everyone. "Listen, I don't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to stop by and see how you were all settling."

Deanna looked at everyone. She saw what she expected: a tight-knit group that still stuck with one another.

"Oh, my. Staying together. Smart."

"No one said we couldn't." Rick told her.

"You said you're a family. That's what you said. Absolutely amazing to me how people with completely different backgrounds and nothing in common can become that. Don't you think?"

"Everybody said you gave them jobs." Rick interjected, wanting to move on.

"Mm-hmm. Yeah. Part of this place." She replied, then laughed. "Looks like the communists won after all."

Rick leaned against the door. "Well, you didn't give me one."

"I have. I just haven't told you yet. Same with Michonne. I'm closing in on something for Sasha. I'm about 99% sure of what I want Y/N to do..."

Y/N overheard but didn't have anything to say. Deanna continued.

"And I'm just trying to figure Mr. Dixon out, but I will."

Daryl acted as if he didn't hear her and kept looking out the window. Deanna turned to Rick before leaving.

"You look good."

The lady left the house, and Rick slowly closed the door.

• • •

IN THE MORNING, everyone left the house and started their day. Rick stood on the porch with Y/N, and the two watched as the rest of the group walked down the street.

"They said explore. Let's explore." Rick said.

"Nah, I'll stay." Daryl replied, sitting against the balustrade.

"All right."

Rick looked on, seeing a woman walk her dog. It was a semblance of how life used to be.

"Lori and me, we used to drive through neighborhoods like this. Thinking, One day..."

Daryl nodded. "Well, here we are."

Y/N put his hands on his waist and looked out onto the neighborhood.

"My mom thought the same. But my dad, well...he always said he'd rather die on his farmland than move in with all the uptight and spoiled folk. He said...it'd make us weak."

Rick glanced at him. He honestly felt the same with where they were now. He didn't want the group to soften and let their guard down.

"I'll see you guys later." Y/N bid farewell and walked off the patio.

Mika went with Beth to a woman's home, which was a few blocks down from their place. There, kids in the community had school, and Beth was given the opportunity to be a teacher and caretaker.

They went to the door and were greeted by Samantha, another one of the teachers there. She beamed at the two blonde girls.

"Hey! Beth, right?"

"Yes." She replied with a smile.

Samantha looked at the little girl. "Oh! And you must be...?"

"Mika." She introduced herself.

"What a beautiful name." Samantha let them in. "I'm so glad you made it."

Inside were a few of the kids, ranging from eight years old to about eleven. Samantha urged Mika to go and meet them but could tell she was a bit shy.

"Go on, Mika," Beth said. "I know they'll love you."

The girl smiled and mustered up the courage to do so. Beth stayed with Samantha and spoke with her as Mika approached the kids in the living room. Immediately, two kids were pretty upbeat at the sight of another child their age.

"Hi! I'm Eli!" A boy greeted.

The girl just smiled back, still a bit nervous. Another boy introduced himself.

"Jude."

A Hispanic girl, the same age as Mika, didn't notice her at first since she had her headphones on and was listening to music on her Walkman. She finally looked up and saw the blonde girl.

"Oh...hi." She took off her headphones. "You're new!"

"Yeah..."

The girl smiled at her. "I'm Mariana."

The blonde grinned back and finally introduced herself.

"I'm Mika."

Carl got to meet Ron Anderson, the eldest son of Jessie Anderson, a woman who worked at the pantry and friend of Kate. Ron brought Carl to his house, and they went upstairs.

"We're almost always here after school, so you can come by any time." Ron told Carl.

"You go to school?" He asked.

"It's in a garage. Little kids go in the morning and then it's us in the afternoon. Probably you, too, right?"

"Probably."

Carl was led into a room where two other teenagers were. The girl was on the bed reading a comic while the beanie-wearing boy was by the television playing a video game.

"Guys, this is Carl." Ron introduced him. "Carl, this is Gabe and Enid."

The boy, Gabriel, got up and smiled. "Hey."

"Hi." Enid greeted without even looking at him.

"Enid's from outside, too," Ron told him. "She just came eight months ago."

Carl reached for his back pocket and took out a folded comic. "Oh, um... is this yours?"

Ron realized that it was a book he had left in the attic of Carl's new home.

"Sorry. We didn't know you guys got that house." He apologized.

"We mostly just hang out there and listen to music," Gabe added. "That's Enid's."

The girl immediately took the book from Carl's hands and tossed it aside. Carl didn't say a word.

"Want to play some video games?" Ron asked him. "Or Gabe's house has a pool table, but I'm not sure what his uncle's gonna say about it."

"It's okay. He's at work."

"Um..." Carl pondered.

He couldn't say anything for a moment, taking in the sudden entrance into what could possibly have been another world. It was like the horrors of the outside weren't even a thought. Ron noticed his reaction.

"Sorry, I guess we come on kind of strong." He said. "We can just hang out."

"You don't even have to talk if you don't wanna." Gabe cut in.

"Yeah, took Enid three weeks to say something." Ron added.

Enid chimed in. "Pull it together, sport."

Carl glanced at her and then looked back down. Finally, he was able to respond.

"Let's, um—let's play some video games."

After speaking a bit with Deanna, Y/N made it to the garden area. He decided to stop by since that was where he'd be working for the foreseeable future if they were to stay permanently. Deanna gave him the job since it connected with Y/N's history on a farm and his major in college which was agriculture.

There, he saw a couple of people already tending to the plants they had there. He walked around until he spotted a familiar-looking woman, and she noticed him, too, upon glancing up.

"Oh! Uh...Y/N. Hi!" Kate greeted and stood up.

He nodded. "Kate."

"It's a surprise seeing you here."

"Well...I'm just looking around. Getting to know the land."

She quirked a brow and gestured toward the plants.

"This all interests you?"

Y/N looked back at the greenery and chuckled.

"Grew up on a farm. Studied agriculture in college too. I honestly have liked that type of thing ever since I was a boy."

"Really?" Kate reacted. "Sorry, that's just...very interesting since Deanna told me you used to be a popular athlete."

Y/N snickered. "I was. But, the humble life always stuck with me, you know? And...it was something I wanted to study for my mom."

Kate nodded. "That's very cool."

"Very cool?" Y/N smirked.

"Well, yeah. That's awesome."

Y/N nodded, and there was a pause before he spoke again.

"And there's a very high chance you'll see me here every day from now on."

It took a moment for the woman to realize what he meant. She raised a brow.

"Deanna assigned you here?"

"Pretty much." Y/N replied.

"Well..." Kate held out her hand. "If all goes to plan...welcome to Garcia's Garden."

Y/N chuckled and shook her hand. "Garcia's Garden?"

"Hey, I'm pretty much in charge of this here...had to make it unique. It's...mine and my brother-in-law's last name."

"Oh." Y/N replied with a nod.

"Kate!"

The woman turned around upon hearing her name and saw a man in the distance. He was jogging down the street and over to the garden.

"Speaking of brother-in-law...there he is." She remarked.

The man entered the garden and walked over to them. Y/N looked at him, and upon his nearing...he arched a brow once he started to get a good look. Even the man had a quizzical expression when he saw Y/N.

"Uh, this is Y/N." Kate introduced him. "Y/N. This is Javi."

The two men stared at each other for a couple of seconds until Y/N let out a breathy chuckle.

"Javier Garcia."

The fellow Yankee, teammate, and mentor of the young man also let out a chuckle. He couldn't believe the sight before him.

Portrayed by Rick Gonzales

"Y/N...what the hell?"

Y/N reached out and clasped his hand, where Javier brought him in for a hug. He pat his back.

"You motherfucker..." Javier spoke. "How the hell did you survive all this?"

"Been through worse, man."

They parted, and Javier patted his shoulder. Kate was taken aback at the sudden reunion.

"Okay...I'm missing something here." She remarked.

Javier began to explain.

"He was my teammate on the Yankees. We won together in my last year before I got booted for...that whole betting bullshit."

"I always said you should've bet on me instead." Y/N jested.

"Whatever."

Kate laughed. "Well, I'll let you two catch up then while I get back to work."

They were okay with that. Before they left, Javier let her know why he was calling her.

"They wanted me to tell you that the Fosters have some peach seeds."

"Really? They found some?" Kate asked.

"Their nephew did on that run." He replied. "Finally, we can make pastel de durazno. You know how much my girlfriend's been wanting to do that."

"Her or you?"

Javier waved her off and walked away with Y/N. The young man made sure to bid farewell to Kate before leaving, and the woman waved right back with a smile.

As they walked, Javier and Y/N conversed. The older man briefly explained that once the outbreak started, he was with his sister-in-law and his niece and nephew. They ventured out of Baltimore and tried to find his older brother, who was also Kate's husband, but it was a fruitless endeavor. They kept traveling for several months until they found Alexandria.

Y/N didn't get into much detail about what he went through, only saying that he found a group and had been with them ever since. He mentioned that he'd lost people and is trying to make the best of what he has now.

"That's pretty much what we're all doing, right?" Javier replied.

Y/N nodded. "Yeah."

Javier sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets and looking ahead.

"I think about my brother. I know he's out there somewhere. Son of a bitch was in the army...he'd find a way to survive all this."

Y/N simply nodded. He thought about his own brother and wondered the same. Javier continued.

"I always gotta tell the kids to believe that he is alive. My girlfriend says the same thing too. She got separated from her people a little while ago. She always preaches to have hope. To believe they're still out there."

Y/N took in his words. There was a point to be made about believing in that. Believing in hope. Having that might just keep you sane. Keep you alive.

• • •

THE NEXT DAY, Glenn, Tara, Ramon, and Noah returned from a dry-run with Deanna's son, Aiden, and his friend, Nicholas. They stormed into the town, and tension built between them after their run went awry.

"You four need new gigs," Aiden exclaimed. "You're not ready for runs yet."

"Yeah, pretty sure you got that backwards." Glenn shot back as he kept walking.

"Hey. Hey." Aiden went up to Glenn and pulled him back. "Look, we got a way of doing things around here."

"You tied up walkers." Ramon blurted.

"It killed our friend!" Aiden shouted, garnering the attention of townspeople nearby. "Look, I'm not having this conversation. You obey my orders out there."

"Then we're just as screwed as your last run crew." Glenn said.

He got in his face. "Say that again."

"No, back off, Aiden." Tara warned.

"Come on." Aiden taunted and pushed Glenn.

Noah tried getting in between them. "Come on, man. Just take a step back."

Aiden wasn't backing down and shoved Glenn again. "Come on, tough guy."

Glenn kept calm and stared right at Aiden.

"No one's impressed, man. Walk away."

"Aiden!" Deanna called out as she started walking up to them. "What is going on?"

"This guy's got a problem with the way we do things." He turned to her. "Why did you let these people in?"

"Because we actually know what we're doing out there." Glenn said.

Immediately, Aiden swung at Glenn, but the Korean ducked under the attack and countered with a punch to his face. It knocked Aiden to the floor.

"Aiden, no!" Deanna shouted. "That's enough!"

Nicholas was about to attack Glenn, but Daryl came out of nowhere and tackled him. Deanna kept yelling.

"I said that is enough!"

Y/N ran to the scene, joining Maggie and Michonne. Rick and Carl barely arrived, and the former ran over to quell the fight.

"Whoa, whoa! Hey, hey, hey!" Rick grabbed Daryl, who was on top of Nicholas. "Let's not do this now."

Aiden got up and was about to go at either Daryl or Glenn, but Michonne stepped up to him.

"You want to end up on your ass again?" She asked.

Aiden simply glared at her. Before he could take a step forward, Y/N got in his face.

"You move another inch, and I'll make sure you aren't able to go on runs for the next two weeks." He threatened. "Drop the tough guy act."

He backed off. "Cool, all right?"

Everyone got separated. Deanna began to speak to everyone in the area and to the townspeople who were watching.

"I want everyone to hear me, okay? Rick and his people are part of this community now in all ways as equals. Understood?"

She glared at her son upon asking the question. Aiden took in a breath and bit his lip.

"Understood." He grumbled.

Deanna ordered everyone to turn in their weapons and also sent Aiden and Nicholas away so she could talk to them in private. They all walked off, leaving Rick, Michonne, Daryl, Maggie, Glenn, and Y/N. Deanna spoke to Rick.

"I told you I had a job for you. I'd like you to be our constable. That's what you were. That's what you are." She turned to Michonne. "And you, too."

Michonne was taken aback at the offer and glanced at Rick. She continued.

"Will you accept?"

Rick took a moment before accepting. "Okay."

Michonne also agreed. "Yeah, I'm in."

Daryl scoffed and walked off, not liking how quickly everyone was willing to settle in. Deanna watched him leave and then looked at Glenn.

"Thank you."

"For what?" He asked.

"For knocking him on his ass."

Glenn simply nodded and walked off. Y/N decided to follow and was beside him.

"I saw that hit from afar." Y/N said. "Like something out of Rush Hour. Jackie Chan shit."

Glenn stayed quiet before letting out a chuckle at his friend's remark. He shook his head.

"You don't know how racist that sounds."

Later that night, everyone was back at the house and preparing to clock in for the night. Y/N was outside on the patio with Daryl, where the young man leaned against the railing and looked out into the dimly lit streets.

Rick came outside, and Carol joined seconds after. They all took notice of Rick's new constable uniform. Daryl was the first to remark.

"You a cop again?"

He sighed. "I'm trying it on for size."

There was a moment of quiet. Carol spoke.

"So we're staying?"

"I think we can start sleeping in our own homes," Rick replied. "Settle in."

Y/N nodded, stepping away from the railing and crossing his arms. He'd likely stay with Mika in the other house and whoever joined them.

"If we get comfortable here, we let our guard down—this place is gonna make us weak." Carol told Rick.

"Carl said that. But it's not gonna happen." He walked up to the railing. "We won't get weak. That's not in us anymore. We'll make it work."

There was a beat. Rick kept his hands in his uniform's pockets and looked back at Carol, Y/N, and Daryl, the three people he trusted the most when the circumstances became dire. He continued.

"And if they can't make it...then we'll just take this place."

• • •

Y/N SPENT HIS first night in the other house. He and Mika shared the home with Rosita, Eugene, Abraham, Tara, and Noah. Everyone else, including Ramon and Beth, stayed in the first house.

The young man came downstairs sporting a blue plaid flannel shirt and some jeans. Noah, Mika, Tara, and Rosita were in the living room and got a look at his attire. It was very different than what he'd usually wear and took them by surprise.

"Whoa." Tara was the first to react.

Y/N arched a brow as he fixed a button on his shirt. "What?"

"I barely recognize you." Noah said.

"What do you mean?"

"You look straight outta Smallville." Rosita cut in.

Y/N snickered. He looked down at his shirt and pants and saw a similarity to a young Clark Kent.

"I kinda see it." He replied.

"You look great!" Mika blurted. "Like a cool farmer."

Y/N smirked. He started making his way to the door and called out to her.

"Let me take you to Beth so you can go to school." Y/N looked at the rest. "You guys got work?"

"After that whole thing with Aidan yesterday, I'm not even sure." Noah answered.

Rosita replied. "Yeah, I gotta talk with Pete later."

Y/N nodded. He knew Rosita was training to be a nurse and had Pete Anderson, who was a surgeon, as a sort of mentor.

"Come on." Y/N called out to Mika.

The girl soon joined the young man, and they started to make their way out of the house. Tara gave one last remark.

"Let me know if you run into your Kryptonian pod."

After dropping off Mika and working a bit in the garden, Y/N excused himself and ended up meeting with Carol, Rick, and Daryl outside of the walls.

They were at a spot a safe distance away from the community. The four spoke about somehow getting into the armory and taking some guns for themselves. Rick wanted the security of being armed in case things went wrong.

"So what do you think?" Rick asked.

"We can go in when it's empty." Carol answered.

"How is that? It's locked up at night."

"The window. There's just a latch. I can leave it open."

"A latch?"

"Yeah."

Y/N cut in. "What if someone locks it?"

"Wait a couple of days, leave it open again." Carol replied.

They heard a walker snarling and saw it in the distance.

"It's getting closer." Daryl said.

"We need to do it sooner than later," Rick said. "Right now, they're not watching us. Not worrying about meetings like this. We may need the guns, we may not."

"We will whatever way it goes." Carol replied.

"They're the luckiest damn people I ever met. And they just keep getting luckier."

"How's that?" Daryl asked.

"We're here now."

Rick had a point. The group's arrival gave the Alexandrians much more security and manpower. They seemed weak, and they weren't going to keep it that way.

"They've got a couple of footlockers just full of 9 millimeter autos, Rugers, Kel-Tecs," Carol explained. "Just tossed in there. They don't use them. They're never gonna know they're gone."

"Someone's got one now, right?" Daryl asked, mentioning the pistol Rick hid amidst the junk pile nearby that was now gone.

Rick hummed. "Listen, the others, we want them to try."

"You, too," Carol told Daryl, who had been stubborn as of late.

"So we keep it quiet. Just us." Rick added. He motioned at the incoming walker. "Here it comes."

"I got him." Y/N said as he took out his knife.

Carol stopped him. "Hey, wait."

He looked back. Carol took out her silenced pistol and fired at the walker several times in the torso.

PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!

PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!

PFFT!

She finished it off with a single shot to the head. Carol looked back at the confused men.

"We said we were taking me out shooting. I couldn't go back with a full mag."

Y/N understood that Carol was still trying to keep up her appearance and seem like a feeble older woman, which was a far cry from the warrior she really was.

"Lucky he came by," Daryl remarked, then turned to Y/N. "What's your excuse?"

He shrugged. "I'm just an eager farmer coming out to find some seeds."

"We should get back," Rick said, and they started walking. "You'll pull the latch, we'll pick our moment. Us, we don't need to be lucky."

They passed by the walker Carol killed, and Daryl looked down at it. He noticed something.

"What the hell's that?"

Y/N also looked at it. He saw a letter carved into its forehead, and it looked familiar...as if he'd seen it before.

"Is that a W?"

Y/N was back at work. He crouched down and continued taking out dirt with his handheld shovel. He wiped the sweat off his brow.

"You're doing great," Kate said as she walked over with a small potted plant.

Y/N simply nodded. She crouched down and started planting it in the hole he made. He noticed what kind of plant it was.

"Anemones?"

She nodded. "It's nice to liven up the place a little bit. Add more color. And I just love them."

Y/N smiled softly.

"Uh...there were my mom's favorite. Always called it a compassionate flower. Made people feel better. Made her feel better."

Kate's gaze became soft as she looked at him. "And you? Was she right?"

There was a beat as the young man looked down at the anemones. His expression became more warm, and he turned to her.

"I'd say so."

It was quiet as the two looked at each other. Kate looked into his eyes, and after some time, she looked away and tucked some hair behind her ear. She chuckled.

"I mean...I—I could see why," She gestured toward the plants. "Just look at how colorful they are."

Y/N chuckled and stood up. In a gentleman-like manner, he offered to help her up, and she took his hand. Kate got to her feet.

"Um...you hear about Deanna's party later?" She asked.

"News to me." He replied.

"Yeah. I guess, like...a sort of welcome to you and your friends. Me, the kids, Javi, we're all going to be there. Well, everyone is."

Y/N rubbed the back of his neck. It came as a surprise that there was going to be a party with all those people.

"I—I mean..."

"Come on. It'll be fun." Kate said. "Besides, since the kids are probably going to be with their friends and Javi's with his girlfriend...I'd prefer not to be the odd one out."

Y/N smirked upon hearing her remark. He took it as an offer to basically accompany the young woman to the event. There was yet again another beat before he finally responded.

"Uh...sure. Why not? You could also meet the others and Mika. If they're willing, of course."

Kate nodded. "Cool."

Suddenly, the woman's radio sounded. She got a call from one of her colleagues and needed to leave.

"I gotta take this. So...I'll see you there?"

Y/N simply nodded. Kate smiled and walked off, leaving the young man to continue his work.

Music played within the Monroe household. The people within chatted and laughed among one another as they reveled in the festivities.

The well-dressed Y/N arrived with Rick, Judith, Carl, Carol, and Mika and were among the first in their group to do so. Deanna saw them come and greeted them.

"Oh, my. Welcome!"

Carol beamed. "Hi."

"Oh, it's so good to see you." She told her, and Y/N then turned to Carl. "Hi, Carl. Thank you for coming."

She saw Rick holding Judith. Deanna smiled.

"You know, I didn't get a chance to interview this one. I envy her."

"Why?" He asked.

"She'll get to see what this place will become." She answered. "Come. Come on in."

They went into the living area. Moments later, Abraham arrived with Rosita, the two also wearing nice clothes. The ginger looked around the room and was somewhat taken aback.

"I don't know about this." He remarked.

Rosita crossed her arms and looked over at the refreshments. "They have beer."

Abraham saw what she saw. Immediately, his demeanor changed.

"I'm gonna try."

Later, Ramon, Beth, Maggie, and Glenn also arrived. Noah, Tara, Michonne, and Eugene also showed up. Daryl and Sasha were still M.I.A.

Y/N spent some time with Ramon, enjoying drinks as they conversed. The Latino spoke about his job as a runner but said that Deanna was looking into putting his studies in animal sciences to use somehow.

As they talked, Ramon looked at Beth, who was talking with Samantha. Y/N noticed his smile.

"How are things with Beth?" He asked.

Ramon stifled a chuckle as he held his glass.

"Great, amigo. And with where we are now...it couldn't be better."

Y/N nodded and took a sip of his glass. Ramon turned to him and nudged him in the arm.

"And you?"

"What about me?" Y/N asked.

"When I was walking around, I saw you talking with that guera (white girl) that works at the garden. You got a thing for them, huh?"

Y/N scoffed. Ramon snickered and continued.

"Hey, I get it." He placed a hand at his heart. "I'm guilty, too."

Y/N laughed with him. The color of their skin was never a draw to him. It was just a coincidence that both Kate and Liliana were white.

"She's cool." He replied, mentioning Kate. "But that's just it."

Ramon understood that he was probably holding off on getting into another relationship so soon after losing Liliana. The Latino nodded.

"We'll see what the future holds."

Suddenly, the front door of the apartment opened. Kate, along with her stepchildren, Mariana and Gabe, came in. Javier was right behind them, holding the door for his girlfriend, who was holding a baby.

Deanna greeted them, but as Y/N looked at Javier's girlfriend and the child...everything started to get quiet. Every sound around him was muffled, and it was like he had tunnel vision. Seconds later...he ended up dropping his glass, and the shatter caught people's attention.

The woman looked over as well and eyed both Y/N and Ramon. She was as surprised as them. Finally, she spoke.

"Díos mío..."

It was Erica...who had AJ in her arms.

Y/N slowly walked forward as Ramon stood back, still in shock. He went up to the Latina and the baby and struggled to get any words out.

Ultimately, Erica embraced her friend with the baby still in her other arm. Y/N reciprocated that act before parting.

"That's...that's—" He stammered as he looked at AJ.

Erica nodded with tears in her eyes as he began to hand the child to the young man.

"Yes...yes...it's him."

Y/N slowly but surely took AJ and held him. The Alexandrians looked on in confusion at what was going on, but Y/N's friends who were there were all shocked yet relieved to see Erica and AJ alive and well.

As Y/N had AJ in his hands, the baby looked back at him and babbled with a smile. He didn't cry or fuss as if a stranger was holding him but was content...as if somehow knew that he was his father.

He kissed the baby on the cheek and hugged him. Y/N immediately began to sob, not caring about the scene he was making at the party.

AJ, his son, was alive and well. The missing piece of his heart returned, and with the child back...a part of Liliana was still with him.