THE MOOD IN Alexandria was a bit somber after the events that transpired. Deanna was in mourning along with the Anderson children. They had just found out that their father murdered Reg and was in turn killed by Rick.

It was a lot to process.

Their new arrival, Morgan Jones, was sequestered in the same isolated room Rick was placed in earlier that day. The former sheriff didn't want to take any chances despite knowing him. Still, Morgan understood.

Y/N went to where Morgan was. He came inside holding a plate of food that Rick had him take. Upon entering, he saw the man swinging his staff around, going through a routine.

The young man stood there and watched for a bit. Morgan already knew he was there but kept going until he finally spoke.

"What do you bring there?" He asked as he kept his eyes forward.

"Some food," Y/N replied. "Sorry, I was just a bit mesmerized by...that."

Morgan did one more swing and stood at attention as he held his stick to his chest.

"I...uh, I used a stick when all this began." Y/N added.

Morgan glanced at him. "You did?"

"Yeah. It was my weapon of choice. Easy to move around. Effective."

"And what changed?"

"I lost the damn thing."

That brought a chuckle out of Morgan. Y/N smirked.

"Where did you learn that?" He asked the older man and placed the food on the nearby table.

"A friend. A little while after you and Rick found me in King County."

Y/N nodded. He recalled that trip when they were trying to get guns for the battle against Woodbury.

"You still got my bow?" Morgan added.

The young man looked down and rubbed his head. "Uh..."

"You lost that too?" Morgan asked.

"It's a long story."

Morgan nodded and then went back to swinging his staff. Y/N kept watching him, and the older man spoke again.

"This interests you?"

"I guess I find it cool. Wasn't really able to move it so effortlessly like that. Just jabbed it into a walker's face, and that's it."

Morgan stopped what he was doing and turned to him. He looked Y/N up and down.

"You willing to learn?" He asked.

"Uh..." Y/N began. "If only you're down. I got time."

Morgan kept looking at him as if he was studying the young man. After a moment, the older man replied as he looked at the staff he was holding.

"There's one thing with Aikido, one thing my friend emphasized when he taught me...and that's peace. Non-violence. Only for the dead and not to lethally harm the living. What he showed me...pulled me from the state I was in. It cleared my head. And it could help you, too."

Y/N arched a brow. "Help me? What do you mean?"

"I can see it in your eyes. Your demeanor. Like Rick. You've gone through things that have changed you."

Y/N wasn't sure how to respond, but Morgan was correct. He found it astounding how the wise man could pick up on it.

"I teach you...I want to know if you'll try to do the same. What I did. Clear your head. Center yourself." He added. "You're young...you can still come back."

He didn't want to commit right away to such change. Deep within, Y/N believed that, if necessary, violence was the answer. It had to be if that was what it took to protect the people he cared about.

"I'll think about it," Y/N replied. "Still not even sure if Rick's gonna let you stay."

Morgan nodded. Y/N reciprocated and began to make his way to the door.

"What's your name, son?" Morgan called out.

Y/N looked back. "Y/N."

There was a beat before the man spoke again.

"You were the one who ate my protein bar, weren't you?"

Y/N was at home. He sat on the sofa in the living area alone while everyone was pretty much asleep already. He simply sat there and looked at the inactive fireplace ahead.

He suddenly heard some light footsteps nearby and turned to his left, seeing Mika in the hall. The young man raised a brow.

"What's going on, Mika?"

She rubbed her arm. "Can't sleep."

"Me neither." He replied and motioned her over.

The girl walked up and sat down beside him. He put an arm around her, and Mika immediately snuggled against Y/N.

"What's on your mind?" Y/N asked.

"Just...things."

"Care to tell me what things?"

She shrugged. There was a beat before she decided to tell away.

"I heard the shot. Then, I overheard Abraham talking about what happened at the meeting. Did...Rick really kill Doctor Anderson?"

Y/N let out a quick sigh. "Yeah."

"Why?" She asked.

"He...he was a bad person, Mika. He was very mean to his wife and his sons. He—" Y/N was about to mention Kate but decided not to. "He was just bad. And then...he came angry to the meeting and killed Reg. Pete had to be punished."

Mika took in the explanation, still snuggled up against him. Although she was adamant that people could change, no matter how bad they could be, she wasn't sure what to think with Pete.

"I liked Reg." She remarked.

"You did?"

"He came by the school yesterday. Talked about buildings and such. He had some funny jokes."

Y/N nodded as he rubbed her shoulder.

"He was a kind man. It's...unfortunate that he's gone."

"I...I didn't think any more people would die now that we're here. But then Noah died...Reg died...Pete..." She paused. "It just never stops. I'm scared more of us will."

Hearing that hit a string in the man's heart. Y/N kept holding the girl reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Mika. We'll make sure we all stay safe. Rick, Michonne, me...we'll make sure this place is strong. The people here...we'll make sure they're strong, too. You'll be strong."

She looked up. "Me?"

"Back at the prison, Carol taught you how to use knives. Shoot a bit. I taught you some things, too. But now...we'll have to dive back into it."

"Do we have to?" She asked.

"Yes, we do. I want you to be able to protect yourself. Protect AJ."

Mika stayed quiet, but she understood. Y/N continued.

"And...I know about your thoughts on...harming people."

"You know I don't want to." She interjected.

"I know. And...I want to try, too."

Mika looked back at him, surprised by his words. Y/N had been thinking about what Morgan told him about peace and clearing his head.

"That guy who showed up, Rick's friend, Morgan, I talked with him, and he brought up Aikido. It's a...peaceful fighting style with a staff. I used to have a staff, and I asked him if he could train me. I was thinking about it the last couple of hours and figured if I try it...would you like to as well?"

The girl found the request a bit strange but also intriguing. She arched a brow.

"So, like...fighting with a stick?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"Like a ninja?"

"Like the turtle, Raphael."

Mika chuckled. Y/N gave her a quizzical look.

"What?" He asked.

"The one with the stick is Donatello."

"Really? Damn, it's been a long time since I saw that cartoon."

The two lightly laughed. Mika hugged him and nestled against him again.

"It won't hurt to try." Mika said, agreeing to the Aikido training.

Y/N nodded. "And I'll be right there with you."

The two continued sitting there. Unbeknownst to them, Rosita had walked into the hall to get something but had stopped upon seeing them. As she always did, she smiled softly at the sight.

• • •

THE NEXT DAY, Y/N had brought Mika with him when visiting Morgan. He was surprised that Y/N agreed, but more so that he brought the girl with him and that she wanted to train as well.

Morgan saw something in her that was long gone from Y/N and even himself: Innocence. Serenity. Equilibrium. They were traits Eastman, his friend and mentor, had bore. So, the man agreed to train Y/N and Mika.

They did for about an hour before Rick called him over, and they had a conversation. The two men were then tasked to bury Pete's body far away from Alexandria, and during their trip...they found an entire herd stuck within a quarry.

Rick needed to discuss the looming threat with the community.

Important members of the community, along with others, were in Deanna's living room. Heath, a runner who had just come back from a two-week trip, spoke about the walkers in the quarry.

"My team...we saw it early on, back when we were on one of those first scouts, finding out what was around here. There was a camp at the bottom. The people must have blocked the exits with one of those trucks back when everything started to go bad. They didn't make it. They were all roamers. Maybe a dozen of them."

"No one's been back since?" Maggie asked him from the couch.

"DC, every town worth scavenging are all in the other direction. And I never really felt like having a picnic next to the camp that ate itself."

Michonne spoke. "So all the while the walkers have been drawn by the sound and they're making more sound and they're drawing more in."

"And here we are." Rick added, then spoke to everyone.

"Now, what I'm proposing, I know it sounds risky, but walkers are already slipping through the exits. One of the trucks keeping the walkers in could go off the edge any day now. Maybe after one more hard rain. That exit sends them east. All of them. Right at us. This isn't about if it gives, it's when. It's gonna happen. That's why we have to do this soon."

"This is—I don't even have another word for it." Carol said. "This is terrifying. All of it. But it doesn't sound like there's any other way."

"Maybe there is." Carter, a resident at Alexandria, cut in. "I mean, couldn't we just build up the weak spots? I could draw up plans. I worked on the wall with Reg. Construction crew—we can try and make it safe."

"Even if we could, the sound of those walkers is drawing more and more every day." Y/N butted, supporting Rick's plan. "Building up the exits won't change that."

"We're gonna do what Rick says, the plan he's laid out." Deanna spoke up, still looking out of the window.

"I told you all, we're gonna have Daryl leading them away." Rick added.

"Me, too," Sasha said. "I'll take a car, ride next to him. Can't just be him. I'll keep 'em coming, Daryl keeps 'em from getting sloppy."

"I'll go with her." Abraham interjected. "It's a long way to white-knuckle it solo."

Rick nodded.

"We'll have two teams. One on each side of the forest helping manage this thing. We're gonna have a few people on watch from now on. Rosita, Y/N, Spencer, and Holly. So they're out."

Y/N trusted and agreed with Rick's plan and his assignment to help keep an eye on Alexandria while they were gone. Rick continued and looked at the rest.

"So who's in?"

"Me." Michonne said.

Glenn began to whisper to Maggie as she eyed Deanna. "You should keep an eye on her. Keep going with the plans you talked about."

"I know, but this is important." She butted.

"She's important. People are scared. They need to see her come back."

"That's not the only reason."

Glenn took a beat. There was in fact, another big reason why Glenn wanted Maggie to stay.

"Yeah, it isn't." He replied.

Maggie sighed and relented. "Okay."

"I'm in." Glenn informed Rick shortly after playing.

"I'd like to help as well." Father Gabriel spoke up.

"No." Rick immediately shot him down. "Who else? We need more."

"There's got to be another play." Carter still hated Rick's plan. "We can't just control that many."

"I said it before, walkers herd up. They'll follow a path if something's drawing them. That's how we can get 'em all at once."

"So, what? We're supposed to just take your word for it? We're all supposed to just fall in line behind you after..."

Carter trailed off, and a hefty silence filled the room. Rick kept his hands at his belt and stared at the man.

"After what?"

"After you wave a gun around screaming, pointing it at people. After you shoot a man in the face. After you—"

"Enough!" Deanna exclaimed.

Carter stopped. Sometime later, Ramon was whispering to Beth a bit before speaking up.

"I'll go."

Javier also raised his hand. "Me too."

This was the first time Rick had properly seen and heard from the former baseball player.

"You sure?" He asked, to which he nodded. "Got a name?"

"Javier. Or Javi. Whatever is fine."

Rick gave a nod. "I appreciate it."

Soon after, Heath volunteered along with a couple of other people.

"Now, who else?" Deanna asked.

Nicholas raised his hand. "I'll go."

He noticed Glenn's reaction. The man tried to explain why he wanted to.

"We have to do this. I need to help."

"You sure you can handle it?" Rick asked him.

"You need people."

Rick stood there a moment before nodding. He spoke to the rest.

"We'll make this work. We'll keep this place safe. Keep our families safe. We will."

"The plan. Go through it again." Carter said.

"Man, he just said it." Daryl shot back.

"Every part again." He emphasized. "The exact plan."

• • •

FOR THE NEXT three days, they went along with the construction of the wall on Redding and Marshall Road. As that went on, Y/N also got more training from Morgan. Mika also had some time too.

Rick had gone with a sizable group on a dry run to the quarry before they enacted their plan later. Just like Rick said days before, Y/N was a part of the few that was on watch and kept an eye on the community while they were all gone.

Y/N walked around and ran into Carl, who was strolling with Judith in her stroller. He greeted the teenager with a smile.

"Hey, Carl."

"What's up?"

Y/N walked beside him. He even leaned in and got a look at Judith.

"Hey, cutie."

Judith just cooed as she looked at Y/N, and he smiled back.

"Where's AJ?" He asked.

"With Erica at home," Y/N replied. "And Mika's in class."

"They still doing that? We kinda stopped going to school after..."

Y/N nodded. "Yeah. Guess Ms. Brooks still wants them to."

As they were walking, Carl glanced over at Enid by the pond. She was sitting with Ron. Y/N noticed where his gaze was and questioned it.

"You know her?"

"What?"

Y/N smirked. "I get that look."

Carl snickered. Ultimately, he gave it up.

"Yeah. She's cool. And, uh..."

"Uh, what?"

He shrugged. "We kissed."

"No way." Y/N reacted.

"Just don't tell my dad. He already got a lot of things to worry about and I want to save myself from whatever lecture he got saved."

Y/N patted him on the back.

"I got you, man. Just...think smart, or else you won't be walking around with just Judith."

It took a moment until Carl got what he meant. He playfully shoved him.

"Get out of here, dude."

Y/N chuckled and started walking away, but not before telling him something else.

"By the way, Erica got something she has to do with Olivia later. Mind if she drops AJ off at your place for a bit?"

He nodded. "That's all right. Carol's there too."

Y/N nodded and gave him a thumbs up. Carl reciprocated, and they soon parted ways.

The young man ended up stopping by the Garcia household. To his knowledge, only Kate and Gabe were likely home since Mariana was at the school and Javier was with Rick on the dry run.

He knocked on the door, and Kate answered it.

"Y/N." She greeted with a smile.

"Kate."

"Uh, come in."

Y/n nodded and was let inside. Since the meeting, Y/N and Kate have spoken a few times here and there. He thought things would be very awkward after their kiss that day, but things seemed all right.

"Gabe around?" He asked.

"He's out with a couple of friends of his. You know teens."

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Well, Mika ain't there yet, so..."

Kate chuckled. "Right."

"I'm kinda spooked about those later years. Puberty...all that stuff." He sighed. "I'll have to ask Carol or Rosita about that."

Kate crossed her arms and shrugged. "Hey, I'm here too."

The young man was taken aback by her offer. He smiled back.

"That's good to know."

There was a moment of silence as they stood between the living room and the kitchen. The woman spoke again.

"What are you doing here, Y/N?"

Y/N stood quiet for a second. He let out a breath through his nose and tilted his head.

"Just wanted to see you. That's all."

Kate looked to the side and touched her hand. Y/N glanced down and expected to see her wedding ring, but it wasn't there. Kate caught where his gaze was.

"Thought you'd see the ring?" She asked.

Y/N stammered. "Uh—I—I'm not..."

"I understand."

Kate moved to the kitchen, and Y/N followed. Kate stopped touching her hand and leaned against the island.

"The last few days, I was thinking. About myself...about David. It's been so long since I've seen him, and I often think that one day, Javi or Aaron will find him out there. That the kids will finally see their dad again."

Y/N stood by the sink and listened. He let her continue.

"But I realized it's probably not going to happen. David was already too far when things went down and when Javi got us out. He probably died while in the city or...something. So, I figured it was best to move on."

Y/N kept quiet. Kate turned around and slowly went up to him.

"That reality hit me...right after that day when you first came over." She said. "I always thought I was alone and that it was best to wait for him...but now I don't have to."

Kate got closer and stopped in front of the man. She looked up at him.

"Because I got you."

Y/N kept his gaze on her. He recalled how he told her that she deserved someone who cared about her and that he was the one who did. And just like he did...Kate moved on from the ties she had before and sought comfort again in another person.

Moments later, Y/N leaned in and kissed her. Kate reciprocated and melted into the embrace, where Y/N slowly brought his hands to her hips. Kate put her hands behind his neck and deepened the kiss.

Suddenly, their embrace was halted when a thumping was at the door. They looked toward the hall in confusion, and Y/N slowly went over.

He extended his arm toward Kate in the kitchen as he eased toward the door, telling her to stay back. As Y/N neared it...the door suddenly was broken in, and a dirty-clothed man came running.

Kate shrieked as the man went at Y/N and tackled him. He had a hammer in hand and was about to bring it down on Y/N, but he moved his head out of the way in time.

"Rah!" The man bellowed.

Y/N grabbed him by the collar and brought him down to headbutt him. He was able to knock the man off and get up. He shouted out to Kate.

"Run!"

The man was able to get up quickly and grabbed Y/N again, pinning him against the wall. He began to choke him, but Y/N countered by punching him in the gut and then kneeing him in the groin. The man groaned.

"Argh!"

Y/N bellowed as he pushed the man off and sent him to the floor. He ran at him, but the dirtied assailant extended his leg and kicked his knee, knocking him down.

"Y/N!" Kate exclaimed from the hallway.

The man heard her and looked up. He let out a laugh as he started getting up.

"Come here!"

Kate ran off, and the man followed her through the hall. She made a sharp left turn but ended up slipping. The man stopped and towered over her, grinning. He took some blood from his mouth and traced the ooze over the W scar on his forehead.

Before he can attack her, Y/N came running and tackled him into the next room. He brought him to the floor and pinned him down, where he started to wail hits on him.

WHACK!

WHOMP!

POW!

BRAM!

The man was bruised and bloodied, but Y/N wasn't going to stop there. Y/N stood up and pulled the nearby television off the table, letting it fall onto the man's head.

"Aah!"

CRUNCH!

He was silenced as the screen shattered and crushed his head. Y/N panted as he looked down at the body before walking out of the room to check on Kate.

"Kate." He called out and helped her up. "You all right?"

"Y-Yeah." She stuttered. "Who the hell was that?"

It was then that they could hear the screams coming from outside. They went back to the kitchen and looked out the window, seeing the same dirtied-clothed invaders, both men and women, running around and attacking Alexandrians.

"Christ..." Y/N muttered.

Kate reacted. "Oh, my God!"

Y/N could see the markings on their heads and remembered the one on man he just killed. They must've been part of a cult or ravenous group. He feared for the safety of those in the town...especially his children.

"Kate, listen to me," Y/N spoke to her. "I'm going to need you to stay in here."

"What—?"

"Stay here." He emphasized, then took out the M1911 he had on his person. He handed it to her. "Anyone you don't know comes in...you shoot them. Okay?"

"I—"

"Don't hesitate. You hesitate, you die. You get that, Kate?"

She looked into his eyes and ultimately nodded. Y/N put his hand on her shoulders.

"I'm going out and stopping these people. I'm going to the school to get Mika and Mariana. I'll try to find Gabe on the way there."

He started making his way to the door. Kate called out.

"D—Don't you need your gun?" She asked as he looked at the sidearm he gave her.

He looked back at her momentarily, then unsheathed his knife on his belt.

"I don't need it."

The Wolves invaded Alexandria, the same group that killed Noah's family and destroyed Shirewilt Estates. They were equipped with various melee weapons, and some had Molotov cocktails.

Carol and Carl were in their home when things went down. The teenager came downstairs holding an assault rifle.

"I saw from upstairs." He said. "They're coming in from all over."

"You have to stay here and keep Judith and AJ safe." Carol told him and immediately ran out of the house.

Carl stayed in the house, keeping the rifle close to him and watching all the windows and doors. He slowly paced through the house with the firearm until he heard the doorknob rattling. He took cover behind a wall and waited for them to come in.

He aimed a rifle at the entrant but saw that it was Enid. She arched a brow upon seeing him.

"Hi."

Carl went over to shut the door. "Why didn't you just knock?"

"I have these." She showed the keys. "Didn't want them to have them. And I wanted to say goodbye."

He ignored her.

"Okay, watch the back door. Tell me if you see them coming."

"I'm not staying."

"You're not going anywhere." He retorted. "Sit down. You're helping me protect Judith and AJ. They're not getting inside this house."

Carl sat down in the middle of the living room. Edith soon joined him, and they were sitting back to back.

"We're not gonna let them." He muttered. "Did you see them?"

"They're just people." She replied. "This place is too big to protect. There are too many blind spots. That's how we were able to—"

"They got in the walls, but they're gonna die." He interjected. "All of them."

Enid stayed quiet. They sat there for a moment before the teenager spoke again.

"Don't tell me goodbye."

"Okay." She mumbled. "I won't."

A Wolf chased after an Alexandrian and slashed his back. The man fell to the floor and screamed as his attack brought the machete down onto his chest and killed him.

SCRENCH!

He got some blood and traced it on his W, laughing. But that was soon quelled when a knife entered the back of his neck.

SULK!

Y/N let the man's body fall, and he panted. He looked down at the body of the dead Alexandrian in sorrow but couldn't stay there long and kept moving.

The young man traversed the bushes and stayed low. He looked on and saw the Wolves continuing to ensue chaos. One Wolf was hacking away at the body of a woman with his fire axe. Y/N gripped his knife in anger.

"Lambs to the slaughter..."

That didn't come from him...but from a voice by his ear. He didn't even need to turn to know who it was.

"That's all those monsters see." His father said. "And do you know what we do with monsters?"

Y/N just seethed his teeth and kept looking out.

"We exterminate them."

Y/N kept moving and snuck up on one Wolf walking out of a nearby house. Y/N got behind him and immediately sliced his throat.

SVISH!

The man gurgled, and Y/N dropped him to the ground. He continued moving and crouch ran toward another Wolf that was stabbing a body. Y/N gave her the same medicine and shanked her in the back.

SULK!

The woman groaned, but she was quelled with another stab to the neck. He shoved her body aside and looked at the Wolf with the fire axe. He stopped hacking away and saw the young man.

"Farmer boy. Fast or slow?"

Y/N stood up and held his knife. The Wolf snickered at the sight and gripped his axe.

"Don't matter. Too small."

He bellowed and swung his axe at Y/N, who weaved away and barely avoided the slash to his stomach. The Wolf brought the axe over his head and brought it down.

"Aaah!"

Y/N dodged as the axe slammed onto the asphalt. The young man jabbed the knife into his shoulder.

SULK!

The Wolf groaned but used the same shoulder to shove him away. Y/N fell to the ground, and the Wolf was ready to bring the axe down again. He bellowed as he did.

Again, Y/N avoided it and rolled out of the way. While on the ground, he quickly used his knife to slash the man's Achilles tendon.

SVASH!

"Argh!"

The man wobbled and went on a knee. Y/N immediately got up and stabbed the man in the side, then took it out and stabbed him in the back.

SHANK!

SULK!

The Wolf let out a shuddered breath as Y/N spoke into his ear.

"Who's slow now, motherfucker?"

Y/N ended his life with a stab to his neck.

SULK!

He took the knife out and let his body plop to the ground. Y/N panted as he got up, staying there a moment as he watched the blood spill onto the ground.

"Y/N!"

He snapped out of his trance and looked at who was calling him. It was Rosita, who had her pistol drawn as he ran to him.

"You okay?" She called out.

"Mika with you?" He asked.

"No, the kids are on lockdown at the school."

"I'm going over there!" Y/N said as he started running. "Find Holly! Back her up!"

Before she could rebut, Y/N sprinted down the road. She did as told and ran the other way to find her colleague.

Beth ended up staying in the house with the children. She had a pistol with her and stood by the door of their room. Samantha had gone out to offer help and told the blonde to protect the kids.

Suddenly, there was thumping at the door. Beth gripped her handgun and aimed it the door. The knob kept rattling, and the door kept being rumbled.

Then...it stopped.

Beth kept her eyes on the door, and the gun trained at it. It was very silent, and all she could hear was the screaming that was going on outside. The young woman took a breath.

Seconds later, the door was kicked open. Beth immediately fired three shots and killed the first Wolf that barged in. Another followed, and Beth brought him down with another shot.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

BANG!

Unfortunately, the third and last Wolf was able to reach her and knocked her down. The gun slid across the floor far away from her, and the Wolf towered over her as she held her bloody machete.

"Keep your eyes open, sweetheart." The woman taunted.

She raised the blade over her head but was immediately shot twice in the back.

BANG! BANG!

The Wolf fell to the floor. Beth looked ahead and saw who had saved her...a thirteen-year-old boy with a beanie.

Gabe Garcia held the gun he picked up from the floor and panted. He had come over to see if his sister was okay. Beth stood up and went up to him.

"I got it..." Beth eased and took the gun from him. "You okay?"

He nodded and swallowed. Gabe hadn't killed anyone before but knew his way around a gun, thanks to his father, David. Still, having to fire one at a person was jarring.

Moments later, Y/N came in and looked around, seeing Beth with Gabe and the dead Wolves on the floor.

"Where are the kids?" He asked.

Beth titled her head. "In there."

Y/N took out his knife and went over to the bodies, stabbing them in the head to make sure they didn't turn. He wiped the sweat off his brow and got back up.

"You two stay in here. Their numbers are dwindling. I'll come back and get you when it's clear."

Gabe spoke up. "Is—Is Kate okay?"

Y/N looked at the boy and nodded. "She's fine. Safe. Don't worry."

With that, Y/N ran out of the house. Beth then took Gabe to the room, where he reunited with his little sister.

"Gabe!"

They embraced. Mika, who sat with the others, looked on. Although the situation scared her, she was happy to see her friend back with her brother.

The invaders ended up crashing a truck into the walls of Alexandria, and its horn continuously blared. Not only did they now have to deal with the remaining Wolves, but they had to worry about the undead that would be drawn to the area.

Morgan showed up and shut off the horn. He had run into Carol, who was disguised as one of the Wolves, to get close and eliminate them. He kept moving, holding his staff as he ran.

One Wolf saw Morgan and immediately went at him. Morgan dodged and hit him in the face with his stick. The man was disoriented for a bit but ran at Morgan again.

SULK!

Suddenly, Y/N appeared and stabbed him in the back. He dropped to his knees, where Y/N finished him off with a stab to the temple.

SCRESH!

His body dropped, and Morgan looked down as Y/N rummaged through the corpse, looking for anything valuable to use.

"I could've stopped him."

Y/N ignored his remark. "Where are the others?"

"Still back there. The herd is already on the move."

"You guys already started?"

"We had to."

Y/N picked up the machete the Wolf had.

"Soon, these people are gonna go for the armory. We can't let them."

"I could have stopped him." Morgan said.

"We have to get there before—"

"You don't have to kill people."

"We do."

"Y/N!" Morgan interjected, causing the young man to look at him finally. "You're battling yourself. There's turmoil in you. I can see it. You don't like this."

Y/N just stared at him. After a moment, the young man stood up with the machete in his hand.

"We have to get to the armory. Either help me or get out of my way and find some other way to help."

Morgan still had a glare as he eyed Y/N. Ultimately, the older man relented and followed Y/N.

Morgan ended up breaking off from Y/N to help Father Gabriel, who he saw being attacked by a Wolf. Y/N kept going toward the armory and went into the room.

Surprisingly, Carol, Olivia, and Erica were there. The older woman heard someone come in and aimed her gun but relaxed after seeing the young man.

"Carol." Y/N breathed out.

Erica saw him. "Y/N!"

"You two okay?" He asked Erica and Olivia.

The other girl nodded.

"AJ okay?" Erica asked. "Mika?"

"Carl's at home with the babies." Carol decided to answer as she gathered some firearms. "He's armed."

"Mika's safe at the school," Y/N added. "I was just there."

Carol finished putting guns into her bag and handed one to Y/N. The young man checked the chamber and cocked it.

"You barricade that door behind me once we leave," Carol told the women, then turned to Olivia. "Do you know how to shoot a gun?"

She shook her head. Erica took the gun from Carol.

"I got it."

"One of them comes through that door, you kill them."

With that, Carol and Y/N left the armory and shut the door behind them, leaving the women inside.

Later, Morgan ended up running into a few of the Wolves. He spun his staff around, and one of them spoke.

"You. You live here?"

"Leave." Morgan demanded as they circled him.

A woman laughed and ran at him, but a hit to her arm stopped her. Another man went at Morgan and but a couple more hits pushed him back.

WHACK!

WHAM! WHOP!

"My people have guns. Yours don't. They may be aiming rifles at you right now."

Two more came at him, but he swiftly knocked them down with precise hits with his staff.

WHAM!

WHACK!

"Eyes at the scopes. Fingers on the trigger. Boom. It's gonna happen any second now unless you get the hell out of here and you don't ever come back."

The Wolf in front of Morgan didn't say a word, but the man could tell he was scared. Morgan continued.

"You keep choosing this life, you will die."

The Wolf shook his head. "We didn't choose."

With a click of his tongue, he signaled the group near him to follow him as he ran off. They went through the gates, and Morgan followed, closing it.

Finally, the last of the Wolves were gone...and Morgan was able to do so with his words and without blood being shed.

There weren't any screams anymore. All he could hear was the rustling of the leaves and the gust of wind that came by.

Y/N sat on the porch of his home; his hands bloodied and crimson stains also on his face. He had his handgun and knife laid out on the step near him and kept looking ahead at nothing.

"Come on, sport."

His father appeared behind him and leaned on the railing. Y/N didn't even turn around to look at him and kept his eyes forward.

"Lighten up. You got shit done. You took care of business. That girl and your boy are safe. That garden lady you wanna fuck...she's all right too."

"Why...are you here?" He asked. "Why are you still here?"

The apparition chuckled. "I'm always here, boy. I'm a part of you. Always will be."

Y/N sat there a moment before picking up his things and walking away. His father called out, but Y/N still didn't turn around.

"Can't get rid of me that easily."

Everyone was trying to come to terms with what happened. Survivors moved the bodies of the dead away, making sure to separate the Alexandrians from the Wolves.

Michonne, Heath, an linjured Javier, and a man named Scott were the only ones to return from the trip. Abraham, Sasha, Ramon, and Daryl were still trying to move their half of the herd away from the community. Glenn and Nicholas were missing.

Rick had returned too...but had one-half of the herd on his tail. He came in safely, but hundreds of undead were now outside their community trying to get in. They had to all make sure their walls could withstand them.

A crowd was by the walls, hearing the growling of the walkers on the other side. Rick walked up to all of them and spoke.

"You can hear it. Some of you saw it. They got back here, half of them. Still enough to surround us 20 deep. Look, I know you're scared. You haven't seen anything like this. You haven't been through anything like this. But we're safe for now. The panel the truck hit seems intact. We reinforced it just in case. Either way, the wall's gonna hold together."

He paced around but stopped and looked at all of them. "Can you?"

Rick continued. "The others, they're gonna be back."

"They're gonna be back," Rosita added, having hope as well.

"Daryl, Abraham, Ramon, Sasha, they have vehicles," Rick said. "They're gonna lead 'em away, just like the others. And Glenn and Nicholas are gonna walk back through the front gate after. They know what they're doing, and we know what we need to do. We keep noise to a minimum. Pull our blinds at night. Even better, keep the lights out. We'll try to make this place as quiet as a graveyard, see if they move on."

"This place is a graveyard." One woman spoke.

The banging and growling continued as silence befell them. Aaron decided to speak up, wanting to support Rick.

"The quarry broke open and those walkers were heading this way. All of them. The plan that Rick put into place stopped that from happening. He got half of them away. I was out there recruiting with Daryl. I wanted to try to get into a cannery and scavenge, and Daryl wanted to keep looking for people. We did what I wanted...and we wound up in a trap set by those people. And I lost my pack."

There was a collective murmur. He continued.

"They must've followed our tracks. Those people who attacked us...they found their way back here because of me."

Aaron looked down in shame. Deanna was unresponsive as she walked away, drone-like. The citizens all watched as their community's leader walked away. Rick took a breath and spoke.

"There'll be more to talk about."

Mika was once again with her journal. She sat outside in the seat on the porch, watching some of the Alexandrians writing the names of the fallen on the wall. She let out a breath and started writing.

March 18 2012

It was scary today. A lot of us were scared. Bad people came inside and tried to hurt us. They killed a lot of us. I'm just happy AJ is okay. The people I was with are. Hopefully it stays that way.

I saw Y/N earlier. He seemed fine but was really bloody. He didn't feel like talking but I understand. Today was a lot. For all of us.

I just hope he's okay.

Denise, with the help of Tara, was able to stabilize Javier, and he was going to be okay. Y/N ended up going over and visiting him at the infirmary.

"Hey, man." Y/N greeted.

Javier, still a bit groggy, looked over and smirked.

"'Sup."

Y/N stood by the bed and stuffed his hands in his pocket. He asked him what happened.

"Got shot in the leg. Sturgess was panicking before he..." the man paused. "Anyways, dude got me good. Thankfully, Heath, Scott, and your sword lady friend helped me."

Y/N patted him on the shoulder.

"Glad you're all right, brother. Unfortunately, base running isn't in the cards for you anymore."

"Yeah, yeah." Javier chuckled. "Asshole."

Y/N laughed as well. Javier's smile soon fell, and he became a bit serious.

"Heard about the shit that happened here. Are—Are the kids okay? Kate?"

"They're fine," Y/N replied. "I'll let them know you're here. Just rest, man."

Javier nodded and held up a hand. Y/N looked at it and clasped it tightly. The man soon chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm feeling it. The drugs." Javier said. "Haven't been this high since that night after our championship."

Y/N snickered and recalled the day. It felt like so long ago, like decades, but it was only a couple of years.

"Like I said, just rest."

It was late in the evening. Y/N was walking down the street toward his house when he stumbled upon the Garcia home. Kate was on the porch leaning against the balustrade, and they locked eyes.

"Nightly stroll?" She asked.

Y/N shrugged. "I tend to enjoy them."

"Make sure to bring me along next time." Kate said with a chuckle.

Y/N put his hands in his pockets and went up to the house. He got on the porch and leaned against the beam by the steps.

"Everything all right?" He asked sincerely.

Kate sighed and glanced at the entrance to the house.

"Door's busted. Gonna have to fix that. No television either since..."

Y/N recalled having to use it to kill the Wolf that invaded her home. He clicked this tongue.

"Sorry about that."

Kate simply snickered. Y/N grinned, and they stood there in silence for a moment.

"And the kids?" He asked.

She nodded. "They're okay. Um...Gabe told me about...what happened at the school. And what happened to Samantha."

Y/N knew too. Gabe had shot a Wolf dead, saving Beth and the children. For Ms. Brooks, she was unfortunately one of the lives lost, leaving Beth as the sole teacher at Alexandria.

Kate continued. "It's just a lot, you know? For him. Doing that."

"I get it. But...he saved Beth. His sister. Those kids." Y/N said. "He's a hero, and he should know that."

Kate bit her fingernail and nodded. She looked down at her hand and sighed.

"I remember David telling me he would always show Gabe how to shoot before we got married. He wanted to teach Mariana, too, when she got older. I guess...those hard-ass lessons paid off."

This was the first time Y/N got the notion that David Garcia was a hard-ass. A strict man like his own father. Y/N looked to the side.

"Sometimes they do. Especially in a world like this."

"Yeah, I understand now," Kate replied as he also looked to the side. "When I was traveling with Javi, I never really was the one with the gun. Never thought about using one..."

Y/N turned to her and listened. Kate kept her gaze on the street ahead until she finally looked back at him.

"Mind teaching me?" She asked.

The young man was immediate in his answer.

"Of course. I'm there. And, it might be hard to fathom, but...Mariana's gotta learn, too."

Kate stayed quiet as she thought about it. Y/N continued.

"She needs to be able to protect herself. I'm teaching Mika that, too. They have to be ready."

After a moment, Kate agreed. Y/N nodded and smirked.

"All right, then. We start tomorrow. I gotta help Rosita teach some other folks how to use knives and such, but afterward, I'll come train you. That okay?"

"Yes." She replied with a smile.

He replied lowly. "Okay."

Moments later, Kate leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Y/N reciprocated and kissed the woman back. They parted after a few more seconds, and Kate chuckled.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing." She shook her head but decided to spill. "It—It just feels like I'm back in college."

Y/N snickered. "Really? Am I that good of a kisser?"

"Anyone ever tell you that?"

"Not really. But good to know I still have the youthful vigor."

Kate chuckled and playfully shoved him away.

"All right. Goodnight."

Y/N smirked. He bid farewell, making his way down the steps and continuing down the street.

• • •

IN THE MORNING, Y/N patrolled the walls. He could hear the thumping and growls from the dead on the other side.

He passed by Morgan, who was practicing his Aikido. They only shared a glance and a quick nod before the young man kept walking.

Ahead, he saw Rick come down from the post Maggie was on. He started walking in his direction.

"Morning." Y/N greeted.

Rick nodded as he got closer. "We haven't talked, but we should. A little later, all right?"

Y/N simply nodded, and they passed each other. The young man made his way to the guard post by the front gate, going up the ladder and making it to Maggie.

They haven't spoken since yesterday, and Y/N wanted to know if she was okay. He knew she was worried about Glenn.

"You don't have to be up here so much. I can take watch. Go...eat some breakfast or something."

"I won't be here long." She replied although he knew she wasn't truthful.

"Or maybe I can bring it to you. On a tray. Or in a bag. Your wish is my command."

Maggie smirked a bit, but it soon faded. She kept her gaze on the road ahead. Y/N spoke a bit more sincerely.

"They'll be back. Glenn, Daryl, Abraham, Sasha, Ramon. We'll find a way to clear all this, and they'll waltz right in. Safely. I know it."

Maggie finally turned to him. Her expression turned soft.

"I saw AJ the other day." She spoke. "He's starting to...look a lot like you."

A smile grew on Y/N's face. He appreciated the comment. It also let him know that Maggie wholeheartedly believed AJ was his and not the Governor's. He thought so, too.

"It made me happy." Maggie added.

Y/N nodded and looked back at the road. "Me, too."

There was a moment of silence between them. Finally, Maggie let out a quiet sigh and spoke.

"I'm pregnant."

Y/N took in what she said and turned to her. He was a bit surprised at the news.

"Found out a week ago." She added. "I told Aaron. Now I'm telling you."

"Does Glenn know?"

Maggie nodded. Y/N nodded, and his shocked expression soon turned to one of delight.

"That's great, Maggie. I'm happy. For the both of you." He said. "And...I guess I'm honored to be one of the first to know about it."

Maggie smiled. There was a beat before she replied.

"You mean a lot, Y/N. To me and Glenn. We've been through a lot together. At this point, we're family."

Y/N appreciated her words, and she was right. They have been there for each other through thick and thin. From the events in Woodbury to the trials at the prison to being on the road post-Terminus.

They were a family.

"And I want you to be a part of their life, too." She added.

It barely hit Y/N what she meant. He lightly chuckled as he turned to her.

"You mean...?"

"They're gonna need an uncle. Maybe one to teach them baseball. Put those skills of yours to use finally."

The young man was rather emotional at the thought. He nodded as he looked down and rested his hands on his waist.

"Yeah, of course. Of course."

Maggie saw how touched he was and went in for a hug. Y/N was grateful and hugged the pregnant woman back.

Later that day, Y/N was with Rosita, teaching some of the Alexandrians how to use weapons properly. Among them was the clearly inexperienced Eugene. 

They were demonstrating how to use a machete. Rosita had one in hand and paced around.

"Now, when the blade connects, don't jerk it right back. You'll get stuck."

"Stuck?" A man asked.

Y/N chimed in. "Ever tried cutting into a tree with an axe? Just like that."

"What pretty boy said." Rosita agreed. "It's easier to get a blade into bone than out."

Y/N chuckled. He remembered Abraham giving him that name. "Pretty boy?"

All Rosita did was smirk. Another man was still questioning how to use the weapon.

"So what should we do?"

"You should slide the machete down through the wound. On fluid motion." She held up a finger and then demonstrated. "You ease it through the bone, like this."

She swung the blade down toward the grass, and everyone else followed suit. Y/N went up to a young man who was struggling in his motion and decided to help him. Meanwhile, Eugene was standing still and staring blankly ahead at the wall.

Rosita noticed him and scoffed. She picked up another machete from the bin and slammed the two together, startling him with the sharp clang.

"Hey!" He reacted. "I'm a weapons novice holding a significant blade here and there are people in my proximity with open-toed shoes."

Rosita stood in front of him, her stern gaze unwavering.

"That's right. So get a grip."

Eugene didn't respond and kept looking toward the wall. The distant growls of the walkers could be heard.

"What are you so scared of?" She asked.

"That would be dying." He replied.

"Dying is simple. It all just stops. You're dead. The people around you dying...that's the hard part. Okay? 'Cause you keep living knowing that they're gone and you're still here."

Everyone around had stopped doing what they were doing and listened to the Latina scolding Eugene. Y/N placed his hands on his hips and looked on as well. He was impressed by her no-nonsense nature and stern words toward the man.

"What you should be scared of is living...knowing that you didn't do everything you could to keep them here. Too upset to keep going? Are the noises scaring you or can I get back to my lesson?"

Eugene was still unresponsive, and like a sad child, he simply walked away without a word. Rosita watched him leave and shook her head. She soon resumed her lesson with Y/N.

"Let's try this again."

Later, Y/N was walking with Mika. He wanted to spend some time with her before he got started with Kate's training.

The girl had her journal in hand. Y/N often saw her with it but had never asked about it. He decided to do so now.

"You writing things down?"

She nodded.

"Like what?" He asked.

"Just things. About my day. When I grow up, I want to be able to look back at it, you know?"

He found that very intriguing. Y/N nodded and grinned.

"That's cool. Really. It's like...a time capsule. Maybe you can even show your kids when you have them."

"That's exactly what I thought," Mika replied. "But I mostly thought of AJ. I want him to know what happened when he was small."

Y/N rubbed the girl's back. "And I appreciate that you're thinking of him."

The two made their way down the street, and they saw Rick, Deanna, Tara, Eugene, Rosita, and a few others who were working by the wall.

Suddenly, a group of green balloons flew across the sky. It caught everyone's attention. It was then that Maggie ran over from her post and spoke to the people.

"That's Glenn." She panted. "That's Glenn."

They couldn't even respond to her before the loud sound of wood cracking erupted.

Everyone looked over at the guard tower, the one that was damaged and burned from the Wolves' attack the day before. It soon started to lean and began to topple toward their side of the wall.

Rick, with eyes wide, immediately shouted at everyone in the area.

"Back! Go back!"

Everybody ran away.

The guard tower ultimately collapsed, taking the wall down with it and creating a way in for the horde outside.