GA - Woodbury - Main Street

[DarkSideCookie]

From one moment to the next, Merle's shouts broke off as suddenly someone was grabbing him from behind. His reflexes had always been outstanding, but there was at least one other person whose had been as well.

"Dar..." Merle was going to give his little brother a mocking grin, yet didn't go very far with it.

"Got a problem, brother? You can take it up with me,"

Although pinned to the wood of the door, the filthy grin on Merle's face didn't die down completely. "You forgot where ya belong, little brother," he said, placing his only hand on Daryl's arm, or, at least, the part of it that he could reach out from his pinned up position. "C'mon, Daryl. I ain't the bad guy. Just lemme do my job, will ya?"

[Ariel]

"C'mon, Daryl. I ain't the bad guy. Just lemme do my job, will ya?"

Daryl was one of the ones that understood Merle. He knew that his brother had his reasons for serving no one except for himself. Being left on a rooftop to die would probably make Daryl question trusting anyone ever again, and he still felt absolutely terrible that it had happened to Merle. He shoved Merle away as he took a few quick steps away from his brother. 

"It doesn't have to be like this, Merle. Your Governor? He doesn't care 'bout you or nobody. He's rotten, and he's about to burn this place to the ground," Daryl angrily pointed in the direction to which the Governor's apartment resided as he tried to reason with Merle, "Come with us. We can have a fresh start. It doesn't have to be like this," Daryl spoke in desperation. He had little faith that his brother would agree to anything that he had to offer at this point, but it was his brother. If there's one thing that Daryl loved more than anything was family, and his heart wasn't letting him give up on Merle quite yet.

[DarkSideCookie]

At first, it wasn't clear what it was that started to form on Merle's features, yet as soon as Daryl had stopped talking, it just burst out of him like pent-up water out of a geyser. Laughter. Mocking, amused, sarcastic, and even kind of sad, all at the same time, mixed into one big cocktail of a bitter taste, with two words as an answer left on its bottom. No chance.

"For fuck's sake, Daryl. We shoulda both left Rick's lil group of sissies before they made ya go so namby-pamby," he eventually said with one loud throaty chuckle and a gesture like he was doing a dance of ridicule to that. "Y'know what's the real virus out there? Men loosin' their balls and allowin' nature to grow 'em a snatch there instead. I ain't afraid burnin' with this place or goin' down like this stinking rat race all around us. But what I'm still afraid of... Yah, believe it or not: It's loosin' my lil brother. You're servin' some pickle smoker just like Rick and this nigger shitface that had me left to die, and ya makin' me wonder who I've fallen in with? You fuckin' serious?" Merle started laughing again while, at the same time, he wanted to just cry over the god damn irony of this. "We're Dixons, Daryl. We ain't wander around, forget, and have a fresh start. People either take us as we are, or they go to hell. It's not this place or the Governor that's between us." Although Merle's intention originally had been to save his little brother from a wrong view of things and to be reunited with him, his own words were starting to manifest a bitter truth in himself. They still might be brothers in the blood, but they had stopped being a family long ago. And then, as if to press for this last sparkle of hope that was still there, he added more seriously: "You just gotta wake up finally."

[Ariel]

"You just gotta wake up finally."

As Merle spoke, anger boiled up inside Daryl. He wasn't just angry with Merle, he was angry with the world. For how things played out. His heart wrenched to have his brother back, and there were times where Daryl just wanted to forget about the virus and what they had gone through just for a tinge of normalcy. Merle was Daryl's normalcy and sole connection to his life before the world went to shit. Yet, he knew deep down that Merle and his way of life was not good for Daryl, not anymore.

"I did, brother. I woke the hell up and changed for the better. You're the one who's stuck and needs to wake up. But you never will change, I see that now." Daryl looked for a way to get past Merle, yet he knew that his blood brother wouldn't budge, "Leave the girl alone, Merle. This is your last chance. I don't wanna hurt you."

[DarkSideCookie]

"I did, brother. I woke the hell up and changed for the better. You're the one who's stuck and needs to wake up. But you never will change, I see that now."

Merle couldn't help but shake his head in utter disbelief about Daryl's view of things. Why was he too blind to see that everything Merle ever wanted was to protect his little brother? He wanted things to be as they had used to be once. Two brothers that went out there and pointing their middle finger towards the rest of the world. Merle really wondered what had happened to his partner in crime.

"Leave the girl alone, Merle. This is your last chance. I don't wanna hurt you."

"Ya don't wanna hurt me?" Merle repeated in a sarcastic tone while, at the same time, getting a grip on his brother's shoulder to pin him to the wooden door behind just as he had done before. "Look, I got a place where I belong and a job to do. You ain't on my side, fine. But that girl's none of your business. Besides, you got no fuckin' idea where she comes from and with which kind of psycho dudes she kept company. She's not who you guys think her to be."

[Ariel]

"Look, I got a place where I belong and a job to do. You ain't on my side, fine. But that girl's none of your business. Besides, you got no fuckin' idea where she comes from and with which kind of psycho dudes she kept company. She's not who you guys think her to be."

Daryl shook his head, "Oh yeah? Where is he then? This 'psycho' you be talkin' about," He raised his hands in question at his sides as his gaze rashly panned around them as if he was looking for someone before returning his angry complexion back onto his blood brother, "Because the only people I seen Ingrid with for weeks is us. So she has a past, so what? Who doesn't?" Daryl jerked his head to the side in an attempt to remove the strands of his bangs away from his face as he pointed a single finger furiously in Merle's direction, "You don't get to stand there and call the kettle black, brother, you don't get to judge others," Spouting heatedly at his brother, a chord had struck within Daryl once more as he gave Merle's shoulders a shove, "Not after all the things you've done. The things you're still doing."

[DarkSideCookie]

"Oh yeah? Where is he then? This 'psycho' you be talkin' about,""Because the only people I seen Ingrid with for weeks is us. So she has a past, so what? Who doesn't?"

Merle rolled his eyes in annoyance. Now, this would be his last try of helping his little brother to come to his senses. "Ya still not gettin' it, do ya? I personally ain't give a fuckin' shit if they're comin' or not. I'll be ready for what or whoever is comin'. Until then, I'm stayin' where I see my best chance. And so should you. Turn ya back on these people, Daryl. They're but a set of fuckin' hypocrites."

"You don't get to stand there and call the kettle black, brother, you don't get to judge others,""Not after all the things you've done. The things you're still doing."

"Oh yeah, and what's it I'm doin', huh?" Merle asked with raised hands in question for his turn, by now nothing but being pissed about his brother's accusations. "I'm just makin' my last days on this fuckin' planet a party. Might be that not till the end, but one thing ya may bet on ya goddamn ass, Daryl." He made a short pause in which he, once again, raised his hands, yet this time not in question but in a self-pleased way like someone who seriously didn't see any wrong in his actions. "The world's gonna remember me. Me, the fucking bastard who actually did somethin' and didn't cave in like you guys, runnin' round like a bunch of self-proclaimed heroes, decidin' about who's worth livin' and who's not. Man, Rick and his bunch of fuckheads really had brainwashed ya. I refused to accept that, Daryl, yet it seems I got no other choice. Ya just like them. A fuckin' hypocrite."

[Ariel]

The rest of the crew's work on creating a rather explosive distraction made Hazel, Javier and Enid's work easier as they weaseled their way through the crevasses of Woodbury. For Hazel, being back home felt like a bad case of deja vu. It wasn't too long ago that she was trying to get away from this picture perfect town with a rotting core. And now it felt as if she was in reverse mode as the three of them jogged down the now empty street. They had encountered a few of Woodbury's protective members as expected, though they were no match for Javier's elbows and were left sprawled out with bloody noses for days. Hazel lead the other two as they jogged only a foot behind. She had no idea where they were going, only for whom they were looking for. Hazel had given Enid and Javier the low down on Merle Dixon, the Governor's out of control lieutenant. The kinds of things he had done and that Negan wanted him alive and on his knees by the time they all reunited. 

Suddenly, two men fighting loudly on the front porch of a house caught Hazel's eye. Low and behold, it was the dirty dog in the flesh. Hazel's heart began to thud loudly in her ears as she began to run faster. 

"That must be him, then? One of them?" Javier addressed Hazel as he also caught sight of the quarreling men and noticed Hazel quickening her pace.

Hazel didn't say a single word. She just fumed with angry disgust as she charged faster towards Merle. She wouldn't let him slip out of her grasp, not if she could help it. Hazel was about to make things right, once and for all. Merle's back continued to be turned as he appeared to be into his argument knees deep which made what Hazel was about to do much easier.

Hazel slowed down to a stop so close behind Merle, that she could practically breathe down his neck.

"Hey asshole," Was all Hazel uttered to make herself known before kicking her foot straight into the spot on Merle's leg where she had once shot him, sending him straight down onto the ground in agonizing pain.

Javier and Enid finally caught up to Hazel as they stood by her side, watching the bad man roll around on the ground in pain. Without thinking, Hazel reached over to grab Javier's gun from his belt and pointed it directly at the sprawled out coward. She took a few angry steps closer and shoved the front of the barrel close to his face.

Realizing that Hazel was too deep into the heat of the moment, Javier stepped in between Hazel and the man on the ground, "Hey, easy now," Javier placed his hands gently onto Hazel's shoulders to try and soothe her back to a more rational state, "Negan wants him alive, remember what you said?"

Still pointing the gun around Javier directly at Merle, Hazel's chest rose up and down rapidly as her breath grew labored with the stress she was putting herself through. She wanted the bastard dead, for all the bad things he had done and was still capable of doing. But she knew that this wasn't her life to take. Hazel's gaze finally fell to the ground in surrender as she lowered the gun down to her side. Javier removed the gun swiftly from Hazel's hands before she could cause any sort of damage she might regret. Enid moved up to join them when she felt that it was safe to do so, and the three of them looked down at Merle momentarily before Javier grabbed him from behind and bonded his hands behind his back so that he wouldn't be going anywhere.

[Ariel]

A lot seemed to have happened within one minute or less. One moment Merle was spitting in his direction, the next his brother had been sent down to the ground by a young brunette woman who pointed a gun in his face. Daryl knew a lot of people were angry with Merle, both before the apocalypse and surely after. Whatever came Merle's way, Daryl knew it was well deserved, so he allowed the situation to unfold without interference. 

"Negan wants him alive, remember what you said?"

There was that name again. Daryl hadn't seen these people before, so he could only assume they had just arrived. Perhaps with Negan?

"Who's this Negan everybody keeps talkin' about?" Daryl asked to the three newcomers as the only man of the group began to tie his brother up, "And who the hell are you three?"

[Ariel]

Sitting on the floor of the entryway, Ingrid had her hands and ear pressed up against the front door as she listened to the unfolding commotion. There was a lot she could not make sense of, and with the sudden yelping and cry of pain she was afraid to look through the window to see what was happening and who was hurt. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to calm herself down as she drew a deep inhale, wishing she were elsewhere. Back home, in the Sanctuary. With the ones she loved. The ones she missed, and would probably never see again. Merle would probably be busting down the door any minute to take her to her final destination. And if it meant saving everyone else in this place, then she would oblige. 

"Who's this Negan everybody keeps talkin' about?" "And who the hell are you three?"

Daryl. It was Daryl's voice that was slightly muffled through the wooden door, yet sounding in tact and not doubled over in pain. Wait...did he say Negan? And what three?!

Ingrid never bolted to the top of her feet so fast in her life to peer out the window. Standing before Daryl was three people that weren't from here. And she wasn't sure how long it took her body to climb out of shock before she realized who was with them. And she still couldn't believe her eyes...

...Enid?

Tears streaming down her face, Ingrid stood at the window still, completely frozen. She wasn't sure if her sight deceived her, if she was only seeing what she wanted to see. Ingrid continued to watch out the window, for she feared none of this was real. She would wake up from this dream at any moment.

Any moment now...

[DarkSideCookie]

He had only just finished his little asshole speech when suddenly loud noises like explosions were coming from the direction of the wall, making both of them turn around. Actually, Merle had been left no time to do so to make sense of the situation because, only a moment later, someone was drawing his attention with not only words but also a hard kick straight into the spot that still hurt from his last encounter with that bitch who had escaped with Ingrid on her first stay in Woodbury.

Merle wasn't even able to curse or utter words in general since the sudden pain running through his leg left him almost breathless. On the inward though, he gave her all the swear words he'd ever heard of - and that were quite a lot for sure. At this very moment, Merle wasn't even wondering about why that bitch was here in the first place, and also not about what the upcoming tumult around them was supposed to mean. All had come down to shit from here anyway, starting with Daryl playing a hero who was fighting on the wrong side.

Still rolling around on the ground in pain, Merle eventually felt the cold barrel of a gun on his face. He might die on this day, but not by the hand of this woman. She wouldn't shoot. It was just a feeling he had but enough to cause his misplaced self-complacency to overthrow the pain in his limb.

"Come.. on, bitch... shoot me," Merle whispered to her under hard breathing, so quiet that only she would be able to hear it. He felt her tension and her anger rising, giving him satisfaction that was, due to his situation, pretty much misplaced as well. Before she could have done anything, though, a man he'd never seen before stepped in between them. Merle let out a mocking huff as if he wouldn't give Hazel the credit for finishing him off. It was not even that he actually didn't, but more like a feeling of his time to die not have come yet.

"Hey, easy now,""Negan wants him alive, remember what you said?"

Then, as soon as Merle heard that name, he burst out into a laughter that had nothing to do with joy but only with amusement about the fact that none of them was in control of the situation now, not even Philip Blake. Merle's laughter, however, eventually faded into no more than hoarse chuckles while he still lay on the ground and held his leg. He wasn't even trying to make a move and get back to his feet by this point, but then that other man did that for him, harshly grabbing him from the ground and bonding his hands behind his back.

"Who's this Negan everybody keeps talkin' about?""And who the hell are you three?"

Pain flashed over Merle's features for the moment of his leg forcefully got moved back into an upright posture, yet the chuckling, even though now toneless, would last there as well. He also made no move to resist in any way but instead addressed his brother, deciding to include himself in this unfolding conversation. "Who the fuck cares? They probably just gonna tell ya that they're Negan anyway." Merle chuckled again as he nodded his head in this misplaced amusement of his.

[Ariel]

"Who the fuck cares? They probably just gonna tell ya that they're Negan anyway."

"Look at that, Watchdog remembered his homework," Distaste expelled from Hazel's tone, remembering the upper hand that Merle may have had on information about Negan and the Saviors. She was there the night that those hillbillies rolled in with Ingrid as their captive. It wasn't necessarily a big advantage in this circumstance, but at this point Hazel was just straight up annoyed that she hadn't shot Merle in the leg again when she had the chance, "But there's one piece from your puzzle missing...you know what it means to be Negan?" Scowling, Hazel felt her back arch like a defensive cat ready to pounce as she circled in front of Merle who was now tied up on the ground...

..."Means an act of violence on one of us, is an act of violence against Negan himself," Javier finished Hazel's sentence with just as much wrath in his voice, forcefully shoving the bounded man to his feet, "From what I hear, you put his sister-in-law through some unspeakable Hell. You better be getting ready to pay your dues." Javier's grip on Merle's bounded wrists tightened like a boa constrictor squeezing the life force out of it's prey. Javier turned to the side to speak to Hazel, "You best be the one to deal with the public relations portion of this mission. We'll get this guy someplace where he can't cause more of a scene than he already has." At that, Javier whipped his head over to Enid and letting out a whistle to grab her attention, he motioned his head for her to follow him as he dragged Merle down the road to the town's main square.

Javier and Enid left with Merle, leaving Hazel and Daryl standing alone just below the front porch. "What's your name?" Hazel didn't waste any time as she took a few steps inward towards Daryl.

"Name's Daryl," Daryl grunted through his thick, southern accent.

"Daryl," Hazel spoke in a matter of fact tone as she simply wanted to cut to the chase, "The reason why we're here is because a family lost a piece of them that cannot be replaced. Someone valuable more than both you and I probably know...that sister-in-law Javier was talking about, her name is Ingrid. The Governor had her held captive here...do you know if she's still here? If she's...still alive?" Pure desperation dripped from Hazel's vocal chords as she pleaded and hoped that this man had some information that would help them find the girl.

Suddenly, the porch door behind Daryl opened and to Hazel's relief, the girl who walked out of the house just answered all of her burning questions.

[Ariel]

Diverting her gaze from the window, Ingrid had pressed her ear up against the door once more in attempt to listen to the conversation outside. Suddenly, the voices got quieter, and Ingrid wondered what was going on. She mustered up the courage once more to face reality and look out the window to see if she could see Enid again. Yet, she was gone. Just like that. The only thing she could bring into view was the back of Daryl's biker vest. Ingrid's heart sank in sync with her back sliding down to the floor as she became stunned with the hurt she felt in her chest. Laying on the floor with her knees squeezing hard into her chest, Ingrid couldn't believe the mirage her imagination had created. The sounds of names that she had only dreamed to hear. What a cruel joke her mind had played on her. 

Grabbing ahold of hear bearings, Ingrid used the wall to climb to her feet. Batting the tears away with her fingers in her raw, vulnerable state, she let out an exhale as to dispel all of the pain and hurt she had been feeling. Placing a temporary band aid onto her heart, Ingrid put her feelings to the side and opened the front door to make sure Daryl wasn't hurt. As the door cracked open wider, Ingrid's reddened eyes squinted as the bright sunshine poured over her face. She could hear Maggie, her sister, Carl descend down the stairs behind her, yet she did not pay any attention to them. Ingrid felt numb, yet managed to get her legs to work as she walked across the porch to Daryl.

As Ingrid began to approach Daryl from behind, he turned his body halfway to face her. Ingrid suddenly froze mid way as soon as she realized that Daryl hadn't been alone outside after all. Standing before him was a young girl with brunette hair, and Ingrid's jaw dropped as wide as her eyes had grown in shock as this girl looked somewhat familiar to her.

[Kristi Lynne]

Nora and Dwight had proceeded with caution through the unfamiliar territory. A difficult task in any circumstance, but made more difficult by panicked citizens and incoming walkers. When she finally caught sight of a familiar brunette on the sidewalk, she made a beeline for Hazel. "Hey, tour guide," Nora called as she approached. "We gotta' hurry this up. Party crashers are comin' hard and fast."

She was vaguely aware of other people in the vicinity but they were background noise, until any of them decided to raise a weapon in her direction. Maybe they were old friends that Hazel had managed to reconnect with. There was a scraggly-looking guy in a biker jacket, three women -- one carrying a baby, and a boy. But wait, did one of those women look familiar? That wasn't possible.

"Ingrid?" Nora exhaled in astonishment. She holstered her gun and stepped closer, tentatively placing her hands on the woman's shoulders to make sure she was real. "Are you okay? Just...just tell me you're okay," she pleaded, her voice breaking with emotion.

[Ariel]

"Ingrid?" 

"Nora?" Ingrid's voice shuddered as it uttered the name of the beloved friend before her, as her eyes instantly welled up with tears of disbelief. Not a day had gone by where Ingrid hadn't thought of Nora, and Negan and The Sanctuary. How everything went down and how things had been left between them. All of them. She had fought for her life every single day since then, in hopes that she would make her way back to them. When her logic had convinced her otherwise, Ingrid always knew deep down that they would find her. Even if it didn't seem like they were looking, Ingrid now knew they had to have been this entire time. And that meant more to Ingrid than anyone could know.

"Are you okay? Just...just tell me you're okay,"

Ingrid felt Nora's gentle hands fall onto her shoulders, scanning for any sign of well being. Nora's question rang through her head as she tried to come up with an answer of honest truth in their teary eyed reunion. Ingrid knew she had gone through circumstances that should have drowned her. At times, she felt as if she had cheated death by a thread. Yet, she was still alive and breathing. To exist and receive proof that her fighting had paid off was all she simply needed in this moment, "I'm okay. I'm okay," Ingrid nodded her head up and down before fixating her gaze back on Nora. She looked like she had just gone through hell and back, yet it was really her, "This is real...you're really here," Ingrid's voice broke off as she still questioned the perception of her own reality. Yet, she slowly began to let go of the denial she was punishing herself with and the fact that Nora was truly standing in front of her hit like a ton of bricks. Smiling with joy and relief, Ingrid threw herself into Nora's direction and wrapped her arms around her tightly, not giving a care in the world who was still sticking around to watch.

[Ariel]

The scene had unfolded so fast, yet Hazel couldn't be any more relieved that they had made it all this way and Ingrid happened to still be here - alive and 'okay'. Hazel gave the two women some space as she moved out of the way and beside Daryl. They didn't have words, only watched the beautiful reunion. Hazel didn't know Ingrid and didn't bother trying to get along with Nora. Yet, these people meant a great deal to one another and Hazel only wished for a connection this beautiful with someone. Hazel knew this was only the beginning of what would go down in this place and that trouble was about to surface, yet she would allow the women to break the reunion before they all decided on the next move.

[Ariel]

Daryl stood on the sidelines with Hazel as Ingrid and her friend reunited. Unexpected, yet Daryl couldn't help but to feel happy that Ingrid was finally reconnecting with her people. He understood what family meant, and that this was an important moment for both of the women involved. 

"Ya mentioned 'party crashers'? Which way they comin' from?" Daryl asked Nora once they had broken apart from their reunion embrace, gripping tightly onto his bow.

[Kristi Lynne]

"I'm okay. I'm okay. This is real...you're really here."

"I'm really here, kid," Nora confirmed, as she continued to tightly embrace her long-lost sister. "You ready to go home?" It might have been a loaded question at one point but right now, she was too happy just to have Ingrid back and safe. Whatever issues she had with Negan, and that they both had with what was happening at the Sanctuary, could all be worked out later. And her declaration to Negan that she was leaving...that could be looked at later, too, now that she had someone back in her corner and didn't feel so isolated.

"Ya mentioned 'party crashers'? Which way they comin' from?"

Once Nora had separated from Ingrid and brusquely wiped the relieved tears from her eyes, she looked around at the others gathered there. "Well, we knocked pretty loudly on the front door. Whatever defenses this place has, they're gonna' have their hands full fighting the fire and the walkers," Nora explained, then turned to Ingrid as she continued. "Dwight and I split off from Negan once we got inside. My guess is he's going after whoever runs this place, and it's not for a friendly chat."

[Ariel]

"Well, we knocked pretty loudly on the front door. Whatever defenses this place has, they're gonna' have their hands full fighting the fire and the walkers," "Dwight and I split off from Negan once we got inside. My guess is he's going after whoever runs this place, and it's not for a friendly chat."

Once Ingrid had parted from her celebratory reunited embrace with Nora, her brain didn't have much time to transition from one big moment to the next. Only half hearing about the walkers intruding into Woodbury, everything was still sinking in as she picked up bits and pieces of Nora's conversation with Daryl. Negan, Ingrid thought to herself, the fact that he was actually here hitting her like a ton of bricks... and Dwight...Dwight! Ingrid had been so wrapped up in her moment with Nora that she had only just realized that Dwight was standing by her side. Whipping her alarmed gaze over to Dwight, her eyes connected with his and he acknowledged the moment of realization that overwhelmed her with a warm grin. Ingrid didn't want to interrupt the important conversation at hand, so she returned the gesture with a thankful nod. 

"This is yours, ain't it?" Suddenly, a bow and quiver of arrows appeared right before Ingrid in the hands of Daryl, as well as a mound of other weapons he had retrieved so that they would be ready to face whatever came their way.

"The one and only," Ingrid thanked Daryl as he passed the bow into her hands. Holding the bow in one hand, she threw the quiver of arrows over her shoulder. Looking over at Nora and Dwight who appeared to be readying their weapons, it felt like only yesterday they were in The Sanctuary fighting for their home, their family. The family was back together, though things felt a little different and Ingrid couldn't quite place a finger on why. She wondered what the hell they all went through to get to this point, but she was sure there would be time for talking later, "Finding ourselves in peril against the dead, one of us needing to be saved, just like old times I guess." Ingrid chuckled inwardly, drawing an arrow over her shoulder from the quiver on her back.

[Ariel]

As the conversation unfolded at hand, Hazel watched as Daryl made sure everyone present was armed with a weapon. The blonde sister took care of the baby while the older sister and the boy inspected their loaded weapons. Hazel glanced over at Ingrid who was now side by side with Nora and Dwight, knowing well that whatever came their way that surely they would pull through. Realizing that they were going to need all the help they can get, Hazel turned to Daryl.

"We're gonna need more man power than just our little ensemble to blow the walkers out of town. The people here know me - I can convince them to help us fight. I'll round up as many folks as I can and meet you at the front gate." Hazel explained to Daryl, yet she wasn't looking for approval. Confident that Daryl hadn't completely cleaned out the armory, Hazel was going to take initiative to save what she could of the town and it's people - whatever it takes.

*** Hazel exits ***

[Kristi Lynne]

"This is yours, ain't it?"


"The one and only. Finding ourselves in peril against the dead, one of us needing to be saved, just like old times I guess."

"Yeah, I'm not sure Negan's much on being the damsel in distress," Nora replied, pleased to see Ingrid similarly reunited with her bow. "To be honest, this Governor guy will be the one in need of saving if Negan finds him."  

"We're gonna need more man power than just our little ensemble to blow the walkers out of town. The people here know me - I can convince them to help us fight. I'll round up as many folks as I can and meet you at the front gate."

Nora shook her head as Hazel ran off to round up some nonexistent cavalry. "Look, no offense," she told Daryl, "but my circle of caring begins and ends here." Her outstretched hands indicated Ingrid and Dwight. "I'm not lookin' to sacrifice anything else for this place." 

[Ariel]

"Look, no offense," "but my circle of caring begins and ends here." "I'm not lookin' to sacrifice anything else for this place."

Ingrid stood by Nora and Dwight on this stance on the matter. If Ingrid had been in this situation ages ago, she would have dropped everything to help everyone she could in this town. Though, there were some hard lessons Ingrid had learned along the way. Ones that might have even hardened her heart a little. She knew that no matter how hard efforts were made over this place, that they wouldn't be able to save everyone. It was unfortunate when innocents were dragged into these kinds of situations. But that was the world they lived in now, and Ingrid made that bed a long time ago. Woodbury was never her problem in the first place, and wouldn't be made her problem now.

Nora and Daryl shared a few words before Ingrid went up beside Nora and tugged on her arm, "Nora, we should go find Negan." Ingrid addressed Nora with her concern. If Ingrid was honest, there was a twinge of dread leading up to her facing Negan again. She had said some really shitty things to him the last time they spoke, and Ingrid wasn't so sure if he would forgive her or if their relationship would ever be the same again. But she knew she wanted to see him. She had to try. Ingrid turned to Daryl, "Come with us. Please. I don't want to lose any of you either." Ingrid pleaded. As Nora, Dwight and Negan were her family - so was Rick and his group. She didn't want anyone else she cared about to die. 

[Ariel]

(DARYL - TEMP-PLAYED BY ARIEL)

"Look, no offense," "but my circle of caring begins and ends here." "I'm not lookin' to sacrifice anything else for this place."

"Your call," Daryl mumbled, rather unpleased with Nora's response. The way Rick and the group had run things, they always tried to save as many innocent lives as they could. Daryl figured none of these civilians in this town deserved to die. And he knew deep down that barely any of them had spent enough time in their new world to know how to fight these walkers off. Daryl knew that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't do at least something.

"Come with us. Please. I don't want to lose any of you either."

Daryl had softened a bit when it came to Ingrid. He had grown fond of her and had always been impressed with how she could take walkers down with one swipe of her bow. "Sorry, Ingrid. I gotta do somethin', otherwise these folks don't stand a chance," Daryl admitted before peering over at his shoulder at Carl who had relieved Beth of her duties and was now holding the baby, "If you can take Carl and the baby with ya, we hopefully won't be much far behind." Daryl asked Ingrid before she nodded and turned to Nora, "They'll be my responsibility, I promise."

[Kristi Lynne]

"Come with us. Please. I don't want to lose any of you either."



"Sorry, Ingrid. I gotta do somethin', otherwise these folks don't stand a chance. If you can take Carl and the baby with ya, we hopefully won't be much far behind."

Of course, Nora wasn't completely heartless so she nodded in silent agreement. She was happy to take on the task of escorting the young boy and the baby to safety. But the rest of them would have to fend for themselves. The way they were armed and they carried themselves, she assumed they were up to the task. 

"Remind me to tell you about the road trip from hell," Nora told Ingrid, promising amusing anecdotes whenever they finally found a place of calm. "We also need to find Javier. We brought along him and a hitchhiker you're gonna' want to meet." She didn't want to reveal Enid's presence with them, at least not yet. Ingrid was already dealing with enough emotions as it is, and she needed her head in the game for whatever danger was waiting around the next corner.

[Ariel]

"Remind me to tell you about the road trip from hell,"

Once Daryl departed from the conversation and Carl came bouncing along anxiously with his baby sister in his arms, Ingrid held her arm out to beckon them safely under her wing. Nora spoke directly to Ingrid again, and as the remark hit hear ears Ingrid's gaze perked upwards to her friend with slightly amused side smirk, "Boy have I missed the usual antics," Ingrid commented with lighthearted sarcasm. Though, she definitely wasn't complaining. Ingrid knew that no matter how hard she tried to guess or imagine what happened on the way here, she would never be close enough. With Negan, the truth was always stranger than fiction.

"We also need to find Javier. We brought along him and a hitchhiker you're gonna' want to meet." 

Tickled with curiosity, Ingrid was intrigued by Nora's words regarding this new man and a hitchhiker. Though, she wasn't given much time to ponder as to why she would want to meet them. Holding Carl securely close to her side, Ingrid's eyes shifted from Nora to Dwight as she spoke, "Who's Javier? Please tell me he's Simon's replacement. I hate that slime ball," Ingrid chuckled before spanning her gaze around, "If I was a Javier, I probably would have ventured into the heart of this place. That's usually where the action happens," Ingrid suggested as she extended her free arm to point a finger into the town.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's finish this thing," Dwight commented, a loading sound echoed between them as he fired up his weapon before they all headed into the direction of the governor's apartment.

*** Ingrid, Nora, Dwight, Carl and Judith exit to outside the governor's apartment. Daryl exits to the front entrance to hold off walkers. ***

[Kristi Lynne]

---

Two hours have passed.

Hazel and her people begin the clean-up and rebuilding of the community.

Negan and his people gather supplies, restock and refuel their vehicles for the trip back home to the Sanctuary.

---

[Kristi Lynne]

Nora groaned as she lifted another box of ammo and placed it in the truck bed. To their pleasant surprise, Woodbury turned out to be well-provisioned with food, water, weapons, ammo, vehicles, and the fuel they needed. With Hazel's blessing, Nora, Dwight, and Javier had busied themselves with acquiring a couple vehicles in addition to their own and loading them with supplies.

Ingrid and Enid were understandably busy catching up with one another, and Rick and his group were still doing their best to cope with what they'd been through. She hadn't seen Negan since that little display outside the town hall, so she wasn't sure where he was or what he was doing. 

[Ariel]

They were heading home.
Every one of them.
Ingrid held her head high as she spoke with Enid, more or less a subconscious effort of her own. Everything she had wanted was right in front of her - her long lost sister once again in her presence, and her family all safe and secure ready for takeoff. Well, almost everyone. She knew that Rick and their co felt more like prisoners than anything. But Ingrid knew that once they stepped foot into the Sanctuary, that would change. She would make sure of it. Looking up from her conversation with her sister, she spotted Nora helping load up the vehicle. It had been a hot moment since they had shared words, and Ingrid was itching to speak with her adoptive older sister. There was still so much unspoken between one other, and even if it was a word in her direction, Ingrid would be so inclined to make it happen as soon as she saw the former cop doing her duty to her people. She mentioned to Enid that she would only be a mere minute before tearing herself away from the conversation at hand and approached Nora after she had taken a breath after resting a box into the loading area.

"Working hard or hardly working?" Ingrid said as a pursed, playful grin crept along her chin, gently jabbing Nora with an easy elbow to the ribs as the work eased off. They walked a few steps away as if privately looking for a space to chat, "So what's up? Thing's just seem a little...off. Are you and Negan okay?" Ingrid inquired her intuition being always right for the most part.

[Kristi Lynne]

"Working hard or hardly working? … So what's up? Thing's just seem a little...off. Are you and Negan okay?"

" 'Okay' is a relative term when it comes to me and Negan, you know that," Nora stated. She tried to decide how much of the story Ingrid needed to hear. After all, she'd been gone for so long. But it seemed like they had some time to kill before departure. 

"That girl, Hazel – she was part of a group that attacked one of our outposts," Nora began. "She and a man named Adam were the only ones left. Adam tried to get cute and negotiate with Negan. Then he had the bright idea of trying to kill me."

She pulled the scarf away from her neck to show where the scar still ran across her throat. "Negan introduced him to Lucille. And then he brought Hazel back to the Sanctuary and made her his newest wife."

[Ariel]

"Negan introduced him to Lucille. And then he brought Hazel back to the Sanctuary and made her his newest wife."

Ingrid nodded, listening intently to Nora as she caught her up on all of what had happened while she was gone. She was slightly envious, fearing she missed out on months of life back at home. If only she were there, Ingrid felt as if things may have gone differently. But what if they hadn't? She bit the inside of her cheek as she bore a rather solemn look on her face, knowing that the cards were laid out on the table whether she liked it or not. Life was playing it's hand, but she knew that there was still a chance. A glimmer of hope that the bond between Nora and Negan could be repaired, "Negan collecting wives isn't something foreign to us, not anymore. What happened between then and now?" Ingrid pried. She knew something pivotal must have happened for Nora and Negan to have so much tension built up between them in this moment of time.