A few days had passed since Rayle's chat with Rick, and Glen had improved greatly. Maggie had cleaned the blood off of him, and Rayle herself was feeling better too. She was able to leave the place where she was being isolated and step out into the world.
As she stepped outside, she saw Daryl and Rick waiting for her, and she ran to Daryl, who was one of the first people she had become close to in the Apocalypse. Daryl smiled when he saw her, and Rayle hugged him tightly.
"I haven't seen you in so long," Rayle said, her voice filled with happiness.
Daryl shrugged, his expression still serious but with a hint of a smile. "I talked to you yesterday," he reminded her.
Rayle laughed, her happiness palpable. "Exactly," she said, enjoying their playful banter. Daryl grunted but smiled a little bit at her,
"I have something for you," Rayle said, and put her hand in her pocket. She pulled out the last friendship necklace, which still had the four other pieces attached to it. Rayle had given away the other pieces to Carl, Beth, and the one she was going to give to Daryl. She held it out to him, hoping he would take it.
"I ain't gonna wear that," Daryl said, looking down.
Rick was trying not to smile, but Rayle could see it in his eyes. "Come on, Daryl," Rick said.
"No," Daryl replied, his voice firm.
Rayle could see that he was still processing everything that had happened, and she didn't want to push him. She dropped the necklace back into her pocket, hoping that he would come around eventually.
“Whatever ima find Michonne maybe she'll take it” rayle said sasily flipping her hair
Rick chuckled
Rayle walked outside the prison to find Michonne rayle saw Michonne was with hershel rayle Ran to them
Suddenly rayle was knocked out tayle had a bag over her head she was on her knees rayle felt scared
Rayle felt a sense of dread wash over her as she heard the familiar voice of the Governor, Philip. Her heart was racing as she realized that he was the one who had kidnapped her.
The bag was taken off of her head, and she looked around, trying to take in everything. She saw Michonne and Hershel, still on their knees with their hands tied up, and then she saw the tank and all the people with the Governor. She also saw Daryl, Rick, and everyone else inside the prison gates, looking worried and tense.
She took a deep breath and tried to stay calm, knowing that she needed to think clearly in this situation.
Rayle felt a mix of confusion and worry as she watched the exchange between Rick and the Governor.
"Rick! Come down here!" the Governor called up, and Rayle could see his frustration growing.
"It's not up to me!" Rick replied, "There's a council now, they run this place!"
"Is Hershel on the council?" the Governor yelled, and Rayle saw his anger building.
"What about Michonne, is she on the council too?" he called up again, his voice growing louder.
"I don't make decisions anymore!" Rick shouted back, and Rayle could see the tension growing on his face.
"You're making decisions today, Rick," the Governor responded, and Rayle saw that he was getting ready for a fight.
Rayle found herself looking at Daryl, who was still inside the prison gates, a look of concern on his face. She wondered what was going to happen next, and if there was any way out of this dangerous situation.
Rayle's heart sank as she realized that Michonne and Hershel were in danger, and she felt scared for them. She watched as the people with guns surrounded them, and she couldn't help but feel helpless.
She knew that the Governor wouldn't hesitate to hurt them if he didn't get what he wanted, and she was terrified of what might happen. She tried to come up with a plan, but it was hard to think clearly with all the chaos going on around her.
She glanced over at Daryl, who was still inside the prison gates, watching everything go down with a look of concern on his face. She wondered if there was anything they could do to help, or if it was already too late.
Rayle felt her heart pounding in her chest as she watched the scene unfolding before her. Her fingers tapped nervously against her leg, and she could feel the sweat on her palms.
As she looked around, she saw that Carl also looked worried, and she felt a sense of solidarity with him. They were both just children in a dangerous and unpredictable world, and they were both feeling scared and helpless.
She watched as Rick started walking towards the Governor, and she held her breath, hoping that everything would be okay. She felt a sense of relief as she saw Rick stop at the gate that separated their group from the Governor's group, but she also knew that the situation was far from over.
She tried to stay calm and focus on what was happening, but it was hard to keep herself together in such a tense and dangerous situation.
Rick speaking calmly, even though he sounded out of breath or just worried. She knew that Rick was trying his best to deescalate the situation,
"Let them go right now," Rick said, his voice firm. "I'll stay down here. I'll talk as long as you want, but you don't need hostages."
"I do," the Governor said. "This is just to show you I'm serious."
“Not to blast a hole in out new home to and your people you have till sundown to get out of here or they die” Governor said
Rayle shouted, "You're not getting the prison!" but before she could finish her sentence, Philip shouted back, "Quiet," and someone kicked her, causing her head to hit the ground. She was unable to get up because her hands were tied, and she could feel the pain shooting through her body. Daryl looked like he was about to do something, but Sasha grabbed his arm, trying to keep him from making the situation worse.
Rayle felt a mix of emotions, fear and anger, as she lay on the ground, watching as the Governor and his people held Michonne and Hershel hostage. She wanted to do something, but she didn't know what she could do. She just hoped that Rick would be able to diffuse the situation before things got worse.
Rick continued to try to negotiate with the Governor, saying, "It doesn't have to go down this way." He shook his head, trying to make the Governor see reason.
But the Governor was determined, saying, "I have more people, more firepower. We need this prison. It's not about the past right now; it's about right now." Rayle could see the frustration and anger in the Governor's eyes, and she knew that he wasn't going to back down easily.
Rick pleaded, "There are children here, some of them are sick, they won't survive." There was a moment of silence, as if everyone was trying to process what was being said.
But the Governor wasn't swayed. He said, "I have a tank, and I'm letting you walk away from here. What else is there to talk about?"
The Governor wasn't bluffing, and he said, "I could shoot you all, and you'd shoot back. I know that, but we'd win, and you'd all be dead." It was a brutal reminder of the stakes.
The Governor said, "It doesn't have to be like that. Like I said, it's your choice." Some walkers snarled nearby, and the Governor shot them. Rayle flinched at the noise, and the Governor's voice echoed in her ears.
"Noise will only draw more of them over the longer you wait," the Governor said. "The harder it will be for you to get out of here." It was a chilling reminder of how dangerous the situation was.
Rayle's mind began to drift as she watched Daryl and Carl pointing guns at the Governor. The next thing she knew, a sword was against Hershel's neck and a gun was pointed at her head. Rayle was taken by surprise, and before she could react, the Governor swung the sword and cut Hershel's head off. In shock, Rayle kicked the man who had been holding
Rayle managed to break the rope that had been tied around her hands and ran towards the prison. She tried to avoid the gunshots, ducking behind a tree, but her arm was shot. She screamed in pain and peeked out, calling for Daryl. But she didn't know if anyone would help her. She heard the talk rolling in and the gates fell. "Daryl!" Rayle screamed, but someone else grabbed her arm. It was Lizzie and Mica
"Let's go!" Lizzy yelled, pulling Rayle into the woods away from the shooting. Rayle followed Mica, and they were pulled towards Tyreese, who was carrying Judith.
"Carl...Wheres Carl?!" Rayle yelled. She tried to pull away, but Lizzy had a tight grip on her.
"No, no, we need to go!" Mica yelled.
Rayle's eyes filled with tears, and she felt a mix of emotions as the group ran deeper into the woods, escaping the chaos at the prison.
Tyreese who was holding baby Judith, Lizzy, Mica, and Rayle walked through the woods. It seemed as though days had passed since they had been at the prison.
"Do you think they're dead?" Rayle asked Lizzy.
"I don't know...maybe," Lizzy said, looking down at the ground. Lizzy was the same age as Rayle, twelve, and Mica was Lizzy's younger sister.
They just kept walking, and Rayle missed Daryl, Beth, Carl, Glenn, Maggie, carol and Rick. She didn't know if they were alive, but she hoped they were. She couldn't get the events at the prison out of her head, and the thought of her friends being hurt or worse was too much to bear. She kept walking, hoping that they would find somewhere safe and that she would see her friends again soon.
Mica pushed the bushes out of the way, and everyone followed behind Lizzy. Mica was crying, and Lizzy said, "Don't cry."
"I want Carol," Mica said.
"I do too," Rayle quietly said, looking down.
"Well, she's not here," Lizzy said, walking next to Mica. Lizzy grabbed something from her bag and gave it to Mica.
"Here, put this in your belt," Lizzy said, handing Mica a knife.
Lizzy asked Tyreese, who was in front of everyone, "It's going to get dark soon. Where are we going?"
Tyreese stopped and turned around. He said, "Further. Come on."
Mica kept walking, but Lizzy didn't. Rayle looked at Lizzy and said, "Is everybody dead?"
Tyreese didn't answer but kept walking. Rayle said, "I hope not," smiling. "Carol's strong...she'll find us...," Rayle said, looking at Mica. Mica looked up at Rayle and smiled.
When it got dark, Tyreese stopped, and everyone stopped to rest after a long day of walking. Rayle was sitting next to a tree, and Judith was crying.
"Can you hold her for a second?" Tyreese asked.
"I don't like babies," Rayle thought for a moment, but said, "Fine," and held her arms out. Tyreese placed Judith in Rayle's arms.
"Hi," Rayle said awkwardly to Judith, trying to comfort her, but not feeling particularly confident in her ability to do so.
Rayle whispered to Judith, "Please stop crying. Please, please," trying not to attract any walkers. Judith stopped crying as she heard Rayle's voice and began to laugh.
"Here," Lizzy said, handing Rayle a bottle. "They will hear her if she keeps making noise," Lizzy said.
"Thanks," Rayle said, taking the bottle and feeding Judith.
"Walkers!" Mica whispered loudly, and Tyrese got up and looked back.
"Come on, let's go," Tyrese said.
Rayle nodded and stood up, still carrying Judith. She gave the bottle back to Lizzy, and Tyrese said, "Do you want me to take her?"
"No, it's alright...I got her," Rayle said, smiling at Judith. Tyrese smiled for a second, and Lizzy and Mica grabbed their stuff.
They continued walking till morning, trying to avoid the walkers as best they could. Every so often, they would stop to rest and then continue on. Rayle carried Judith throughout the night, and it was thanks to her soothing voice that Judith didn't cry or attract attention from the walkers. All in all, it was a long and tiring night, but they made it through.
Suddenly, Mica noticed some berries on a bush and asked, "Look...grapes. Can we eat them?"
"Yeah, they're good," Tyrese said.
Mica picked some grapes and turned to Lizzy. "Here, Lizzy, have some," she said, holding the grapes out to her sister.
"You too," Mica said, picking more and handing some to Rayle. "Thanks," Rayle said, and she gave Judith to Tyrese, who patted Judith on the back, trying to calm her down.
Rayle joined Mica and Lizzy in picking grapes. "If Rick and Carl are alive, do you think...or know if Judith is...?" Rayle asked Tyrese.
Mica laughed a little. "What?" Rayle asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Carl," Mica said, shaking her shoulders. "We see how you look at him." Lizzy giggled.
"What is that supposed to mean?!" Rayle said.
"It means you like him," Mica said, smirking.
"Eww, I do not!" Rayle said, scrunching her face.
"Do too!" Mica responded.
"I don't," Rayle said, with a serious voice, but she couldn't help but smile and flick a grape at Mica.
Judith started crying, and Tyrese said, "Lizzy, hand me a diaper." Lizzy nodded and rummaged in her bag, pulling out a blanket to put on the ground to change her.
"Bear with me, Judith," Tyrese said as he tried to change her, but Judith just cried louder. Mica said, "They're going to hear her."
Judith cried even louder, and Tyrese said, "You're alright." Lizzy threw the dirty diaper into the bushes, and Rayle said, "Ew.”
"It's all alright," Tyrese said, trying to get Judith to stop crying so she doesn't attract walkers. "What do you want? What do you want?" Tyrese said.
Mica pinched Tyrese. "They're coming!" Mica said as she heard rustling in the bushes.
"That hurt, Mica!" Tyrese exclaimed
"Don't yell at her, she doesn't understand the walkers," Lizzy said, yelling at Mica.
"You're the one who doesn't understand them," Mica yelled back.
"Shut up," Rayle growled.
Tyreese set Judith on the ground and said, "Watch the baby." Judith continued crying as Tyreese walked around, trying to find the walkers. The birds flew out of a bush and scared Mica, so she ran off.
"Where are you going?!" Rayle yelled.
"Mica!" Lizzy yelled. Tyreese ran after Mica, trying to catch up.
Lizzy and Rayle followed, and Tyreese eventually caught up with Mica. He asked, "Are you ok?"
"I got scared," Mica said.
"That's okay," Tyrese said, trying to comfort her. "We all get scared. You did the right thing by running. Rayle rocked Judith like Beth did in the prison, . "What?" Lizzy asked.
"She did you hear or see a walker? You run. But when you're in a group, you got to try to stay close to them. Okay?" Tyrese said to Mica, reminding her of the group's safety rules.
Mica nodded and said, "You're bleeding. Did I hurt your arm bad?"
Tyrese said, "It was a lot worse at the prison. No big deal."
"I'm sorry," Mica said. "I know I'm not like Lizzy."
Rayle smiled at Judith, and Tyrese said, "Don't be sorry. You each do things your own way, but you both get it done."
"Like you and Sasha?" Mica asked.
Lizzy said, "You're not like Sasha."
Rayle raised an eyebrow, and Mica asked, "Why not?"
"Because you're still here, and Sasha isn't," Lizzy said, causing Rayle to whisper, "Lizzy, you can't say that."
Lizzy argued, "Why? She's not."
"Shut up," Rayle said sternly.
The women's scream echoed in the distance, and Tyrese grabbed Lizzy, Mica, and Rayle, pushing them together.
"I'm making sure you can see all directions. You stay like this and keep watch," Tyrese said, placing them in a triangle formation.
"You're leaving?!?" Mica asked, concern etched on her face.
The woman screamed again, and Tyrese said, "They may be from the prison. I need to help them."
"We need you," Mica said, her voice shaking.
"It's alright. Lizzy and I are here. We've got your back," Rayle said, smiling at Mica. Tyrese sighed, then turned to leave. Mica and Rayle watched him go with a feeling of unease,
Rayle held onto Judith like her life depended on it, but the baby started crying.
"Shh, shh," Rayle said, trying to calm her down.
"Give her to me," Lizzy said, taking Judith out of Rayle's arms. Rayle grabbed her knife as Lizzy said, "Come on, Judith. Be quiet."
"She's not stopping," Mica said. "Please, Lizzy, do something. They're gonna hear us!"
Suddenly, the crying was muffled. Rayle let out a sigh of relief, looked back,
Lizzy's hand was pressed over Judith's face, so that she couldn't breathe or cry.
"What are you doing?!" Rayle whispered loudly, trying to get Lizzy to stop. "Lizzy, stop! You're hurting her! Lizzy!"
Lizzy didn't respond, but pressed harder, as if in a trance.
"Lizzy! Lizzy, please, please stop!" Rayle begged, shaking Lizzy as if she were trying to wake her from a trance. She was terrified of what was happening.Suddenly, Lizzy let go of Judith, and Rayle took her out of Lizzy's hands. Judith was still crying, and Rayle held her close, trying to calm her down.
"Shh, shh. Don't cry, you're okay," Rayle said softly, rocking Judith back and forth. Judith's crying slowly subsided, but Rayle's heart continued to race.
Suddenly, Mica yelled, "Rayle, walkers!"
Rayle turned around, and her heart sank as she saw walkers getting closer. Lizzy seemed to be in a trance, so Rayle pushed Mica behind her. With her knife in hand, she grabbed Lizzy's hand and ran as fast as she could, but the walkers followed, gaining on them with every step.
Lizzy yelled, "Hey!" Rayle and Mica stopped, and she saw Carol, who had just killed the walkers.
"Carol..." Rayle said, her eyes welling up with tears. Rayle stepped forward and hugged Carol, who hugged her back. Carol then took Judith out of Rayle's arms.
"It's good to see you too," Carol said, smiling softly. Rayle felt a wave of relief wash over her.
Carol led Lizzy, Mica, and Rayle to Tyreese, and he turned around, surprised to see her.
"Tyreese!" Carol yelled.
Tyreese whispered to himself, "How... how?" Before running into her arms and hugging her tightly.
"How'd you find us? Where were you?" Tyreese asked. He then noticed a man sobbing from behind
"Stay here, girls," Carol said before walking over to the man Tyrese following
The man wiped the tears from his eyes and told them, "Stay on the tracks."
"My mistake," the man said, looking down at the ground.
"But the woods have more cover," Carol argued.
"No, you don't understand," the man said, his voice pleading. "There's a place up the tracks. It's safe. You can take the children there. Trust me. Please follow the tracks."
Carol and Tyreese turned back to Lizzy, Mica, and Rayle, who had watched the whole thing. The man's sobs grew louder.
Rayle followed Carol and Tyreese, Carol carrying Judith as they walked.
"Tyrese, I didn't run. I didn't leave Lizzy," Mica said proudly.
"See that tough little lady," Tyrese said, smiling at Mica.
Rayle put her hands in her pockets as she walked, feeling relieved that they had finally caught up with the others.
Rayle looked down at the ground as they walked, frustration spreading across her face.
"Crap," she blurted out, her voice tinged with disappointment.
Carol noticed and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I dropped something back at the prison," Rayle said, her expression turning into a grimace.
"Oh, well, it's gone now. Sorry," Carol said, sounding genuinely sympathetic.
Rayle was frustrated. She had dropped so many things on the way one thing she had dropped was a necklace she had tried to give to Daryl. She also dropped many other things—but the most important was a bracelet Carl and she made together. Carl had made her a bracelet at the CDC that was black, blue, and green. The one Rayle dropped was purple and blue and had a unicorn charm.
She had kept the one Carl made with her, but the one she had made herself had been lost along the way. It had all been too much for her, and she couldn't help but feel disappointed and frustrated. She wished she had been able to hold on to it, but it was gone now, and she couldn't go back to get it.
"Hey, there's some water and food here," Carol said, . Tyreese took Carol's backpack off and set it down before grabbing the food and water.
"Here you go," he whispered, passing a cup of water to Rayle. "I didn't see you get it, I thought you -," he started to say before getting cut off by Carol.
"I wasn't there," Carol said with a small smile. "I hadn't gotten back yet. Rick and I found a car, and he took what we had back to the prison while I kept looking."
Rayle knew Carol was lying, but she didn't say anything. She knew the lie was to protect her feelings and she appreciated it. Carol was doing the best she could, and that was all Rayle could ask for.
"Did you see it?" Tyreese asked.
"I saw the end, and then I saw you running into the woods. You were far away, and I lost you, but -," Carol started to say, but Mica cut in.
"You found us," Mica said, her tone of voice expressing her gratitude.
"Glad you did," Rayle added, looking over at Mica and Tyreese. "We wouldn't have made it this far without your help.”
Everyone continued to walk
“What we going to do if we find everyone” rayle asked Lizzy
“I don't know” Lizzy said
“What you gonna do when you find carl” mica said smileing
Rayle didn't respond
“I swear-” rayle started
“Look” Lizzy said
And started walking faster
“What?” Rayle said looking over lizzys shoulder
“Sanctuary for all community for all those who arrive survive” mica read on a sign with a map
Rayle smiled another chance
After while of walking there small group stopped Tyrese rayle Judith and mica fell asleep on the ground while Carol and Lizzy stayed up for awhile longer when everyone woke they continued walking
Mica looked up at Carol with a small smile.
"Did Tom Sawyer have a happy ending?" Mica asked. "We never got to finish it."
Carol took a deep breath and began to answer, "Well, Tom and Huck, they stopped Injun Joe and his partner and wind up getting all his gold."
Mica's eyes widened with excitement at the prospect. "So they wind up rich," she asked.
Carol smiled warmly at Mica's question. "Mhm, and the Widow Douglas adopts Huck."
Mica looked up at Carol with a big smile. "Like how you adopted us?"
Carol nodded. "Yeah, just like the Widow Douglas."
Mica started to grin broadly. "And I'm Huck Finn," she said.
"Can I be adopted too?" Rayle asked, her voice raised in mock earnestness.
"I thought you were Grimes' kid," Carol joked, a grin spreading across her face.
"No, no," Mica said, shaking her head.
"What? Why not?" Carol asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because Rayle and Carl -" Mica started to say before Rayle interrupted her.
"Will you stop with that!" Rayle yelled, smacking Mica on the back of the head softly and making her giggle.
"Oh, I see," Carol joked, chuckling along with the others.
"Don't..." Rayle said, rolling her eyes with a smile.
"Okay, okay, well, if you're not Rick's kid, then you must be Daryl's!" Carol said, lifting her head and grinning sheepishly.
"Daryl? Why him?" Rayle asked, a confused look on her face.
"Well, you are always around him," Carol replied, shrugging her shoulders.
"Then why wouldn't I be your kid? You're always flirting with him!" Rayle asked with a teasing smile.
"...Or are you just best friends?" Rayle continued, her voice rising as she questioned Carol.
"We're the best of friends," Carol said, smiling warmly at Rayle.
Rayle laughed as Lizzy and Mica sped up.
"Do you smell that?" Carol asked Tyreese.
"Yeah, there's a fire somewhere," Tyreese said, his brow furrowing.
"Must be a big one," Carol said, "It isn't anywhere around here. We should stop here. We've been looking for water."
"I can do it," Tyreese said, but Carol shook her head.
"No, you need rest. Rest your arm. Mica will help me," she said, nodding at Mica.
Tyreese nodded gratefully and leaned against a nearby tree. Rayle, Mica, and Carol split up to search for water.
Lizzy and Tyreese sat down together and began to chat. Rayle lay down on the grass to rest her legs and closed her eyes. A while later, Carol and Mica led Rayle and Tyreese to a house.
"What are these?" Mica asked, pointing at something.
"Pecans," Carol replied, a smile spreading across her face.
"Oh, I love pecans," Mica exclaimed.
"You know, maybe we could catch our breath here for a while," Carol said, her voice full of hope.
"Where are we still going? Terminus, right?" Lizzy asked, her voice full of hope.
"Well, we'll just stay here for a day or two. There's a well stocked with water and we saw a deer. They eat pecans. We should be able to kill one to eat," Carol said, moving a fence out of the way.
"Yum! I love deer!" Rayle exclaimed, her face lighting up with excitement.
Lizzy's voice cut through the conversation and Carol's eyes followed where she was pointing. "Look, there's smoke in the sky!" Lizzy said, her voice tinged with fear.
Carol pointed to the smoke in the sky. "Bet that's what we were smelling. Looks far enough away," she said.
Rayle raised an eyebrow at the news, her heart racing with fear. "What happened?" she asked.
Carol shook her head. "Don't know," she said.
She knocked on a door and checked to see if there were any walkers. "You three stay here," she ordered Tyrese, her voice low and serious. "If there's one in there, it's not moving much. Let's just stay close, go slow room to room," she said.
Rayle, Mica, and Lizzy nodded knowingly. "Rayle's got Judith, Lizzy's got her gun, and Mica, get out your gun. You're going to need to stand watch," Carol said, giving out instructions.
Carol and Tyrese headed inside, closing the door behind them. Lizzy, Mica, and Rayle took their positions outside, ready to spring into action should they be needed. Lizzy sat on a bench, looking worried. "They're going to be okay," Mica said, trying to reassure her.
"It's not that," Lizzy muttered, her voice low.
Rayle looked up from where she was sitting on the ground, holding Judith in her arms. "What is it, then?" she asked.
"They're going to find one in there and just-" Lizzy started to say before Mica interrupted her. "Stop it! They aren't people," Mica said, her voice full of frustration.
"But you're wrong. All of you," Lizzy said, her voice raising.
Rayle looked up from where she was sitting on the ground, holding Judith in her arms, and saw something behind them. "Guys, look!" she yelled, her voice full of worry.
She saw a walker. Mica gasped and jumped up, Rayle leaping up and moving to protect Judith.
The walker fell to the ground, and Judith started crying, causing Rayle to shush her and comfort her. Mica aimed her gun at the walker's head, but needed help with her aim. "No, shoot its head! Its head!" Rayle yelled, and finally, Mica aimed and shot the walker in the head, ending the threat.
Carol ran out of the house, and helped Lizzy to her feet. "Mica, Mica, lower the gun. You did it. You saved them," Carol said, a smile spreading across her face.
Carol turned to Lizzy, who was still visibly shaken. "Why are you upset, Lizzy? Are you scared?" she asked, concern lining her voice.
Lizzy was clearly still upset, so Carol asked her again, this time with a more direct tone. "Why are you crying, Lizzy?" she said.
Lizzy looked down at her feet and muttered, "I don't want to say." She turned and ran to sit down, her older sister Mica trying to comfort her.
"Lizzy, I'm sorry I yelled at you. Just look at the flowers, like you're supposed to. One, two, three. Come on," Mica said, trying her best to calm her sister down.
"Come on, let's count together. Look at the pink ones over there. See them?" Mica said, pointing at the flowers and trying her best to calm her older sister. As she spoke, Rayle rocked Judith in her arms, trying to soothe the baby's cries by humming a soft tune.
Later, everyone went inside and Rayle sat on the couch with Judith asleep in her arms. Carol sat at the kitchen table, cracking some kind of nut with a tool in her hands.
"You still upset, Lizzy?" Carol asked, tilting her head to the side.
Lizzy sighed deeply and said, "Sometimes, I don't understand, but I'm trying, ma'am."
Mica burst into the room with a doll in her hands. "Look what I found! I'm going to name her Griselda Gunderson!" Mica beamed, running over to Rayle and sitting on the floor beside her.
Rayle quietly shushed Mica to prevent Judith from waking up. As Mica played with her doll, Rayle looked at it and asked, "That's a nice doll. But why 'Griselda Gunderson'?"
Mica smiled. "Just because," she said, shrugging her shoulders.
Tyreese walked in, a confident stride in his step. "Well, we got plenty of water now, all we have to do is bag one of those deer, and we're all set," he said, a hint of excitement in his voice.
Carol smiled and nodded. "Yup, we'll get one."
Tyreese looked a bit uncomfortable, his face creasing into a frown
Mica looked up, a worried expression on her face. "What's wrong?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
Rayle raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer.
"I'm not used to this," Tyreese said, his voice low and strained.
"Used to what?" Lizzy asked, her brow furrowing with confusion.
“Tyrese walked in, looking a bit uncomfortable. "We're in a living room in a house," he stated.
Rayle frowned, clearly not understanding what he meant. "Yes, so we're safe. It is weird," she said, letting out a nervous laugh. "I'm so used to being in a cell."
Tyrese smiled, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, same," he replied.
He proceeded to sit down and remove his beanie, clearly trying to compose himself.
After a bit of awkward silence, Mica finally spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper. "We should live here," she said,
As the night wore on, no one spoke. Eventually, Rayle fell asleep, Judith cradled in her arms. tyreese smiled at Rayle as she slept. Mica eventually drifted off, lying down on the floor next to Lizzy.
The next morning, Rayle was playing with Judith inside, covering her eyes and saying, "Peek-a-boo!" Judith laughed, a sweet and delightful sound, and Rayle smiled, feeling happy
Rayle's warm, loving voice filled the room as she sang the familiar children's song "Peekaboo!" covering Judith's face with her hands, then revealing her with a quick movement. Judith's laughter was the most beautiful sound in the world, and Rayle couldn't help but smile.
Carol was in the kitchen, boiling water for tea. "I thought you didn't like babies," she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well... I changed my mind," Rayle said with a small laugh.
Carol was standing at the window, her gaze drifting out into the distance. Suddenly, she bolted outside, leaving Rayle alone in the room. Rayle didn't bother to get up until she heard Carol's shouts.
She jerked her head up, opening the door as she heard Lizzy's voice cry out in fear.
"No, no, no!" Lizzy shouted at carol trying to protect the walker.
"Right now, Lizzy!" Carol said, her tone stern and serious.
"NO, NO, NO!" Lizzy kept shouting, unable to move away from the walker.
Carol ran over to Lizzy, pushing her out of the way before bringing her hand down on the walker's head with a deafening crack.
Lizzy stood there, her face twisting into an anguished grimace. "She was playing with me! She wanted a friend!"
"She wanted to kill you!" Carol exclaimed.
"I was gonna lead her away!" Lizzy shouted back, her face contorting in frustration.
"You could have died!" Carol screamed.
Lizzy fell into a fit of sobs, her voice rising as she shouted, "It's the same thing! You killed her! What if I killed you? What if I killed you?!”
Rayle couldn't believe what she had just seen. Lizzy was always a bit strange, but this was on a whole new level. She knew she had to keep Judith away from Lizzy, just in case. Rayle walked back inside the house, feeling a sense of trepidation. She liked Mica, she was normal, unlike her sister.
She looked over at Tyreese, who was standing by the window, his gaze fixed on the outside world.
"What's wrong with her?" Rayle asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Tyreese hesitated for a moment, clearly trying to gather his thoughts. "I... I don't know," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper as well.
Rayle sat at the table, Judith held closely in her arms, as everyone else left. As the day wound to a close, she finally drifted off to sleep, still holding Judith in her arms.
At some point, she was awakened by Carol's soft voice whispering, "Goodnight, Rayle." She opened her eyes to see Carol standing in front of her, taking Judith gently from her arms.
Rayle woke early the next day, the sun's rays casting a warm glow on the room. As she stretched her arms, she smiled at Carol, who was already making breakfast.
"Morning, Carol," she said brightly, taking a seat at the table.
Carol smiled back as she placed a plate of food in front of her. "Morning, Rayle."
She paused for a moment, enjoying the sound of Judith's happy murmurs "Good morning, Judith," she said in a soft, baby-like voice.
After a moment of silence, Rayle spoke up, "Any plans?" she asked quietly,
"Yes, Tyreese and I were about to leave," Carol said, her eyes drifting toward the door.
"You four stay put," she added, her voice firm and serious. "Don't leave."
Rayle smiled as Carol left the room, a sense of relief washing over her. She stood up and walked over to Judith's crib, her heart racing as she approached her sleeping baby girl. Judith's gurgling sounds made her heart ache, and she slowly reached into the crib and picked her up, cuddling her close to her chest.
“Good morning Judith”
“Or afternoon” rayle said
After a few moments, she stood up again, gently lifting Judith from the crib.
"I'll be right back," she said, a soft smile on her face.
Mica looked up and nodded, clearly understanding what was happening. Rayle walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Judith's criedas Rayle changed her diaper. Rayle heard Mica scream. The noise caught her off guard, and her heart was racing.
"What was that?" she whispered to herself, she quickly finished changing Judith's diaper.
She gently set Judith back down on her changing table and quickly opened the door to see what had happened. When she stepped out into the living room,
As Rayle entered the living room, she felt a sudden chill run down her spine. Something wasn't right. The room was empty, and the silence was deafening. She looked around nervously, her mind racing with thoughts of what could have happened.
Suddenly, Lizzy burst through the front door, a knife clutched tightly in her hand. she saw the blood that covered Lizzy's clothes and hands. She had a scary smile on her face, and Rayle couldn't help but feel a sense of disgust rise within her.
"Lizzy, are you alright?" Rayle asked, her voice shaking slightly. "What happened? Did you kill a walker?”
“Lizzy stop!” Rayle screamed
Rayle looked over lizzys shoulder mica was laying outside on a blanket she looked dead
"What is wrong with you?" She yelled at Lizzy. "Where is Mica?"
Rayle's heart raced as Lizzy swung the knife at her. She quickly raised her hands to protect herself, the blade barely missing her skin. She stepped back, narrowly avoiding death.
Lizzy didn't reply, she just stood there, her eyes fixed on Rayle, the knife still raised in her hand.
"Please stop Lizzy! Please stop!" Rayle screamed, dodging Lizzy's attacks.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Rayle managed to dodge Lizzy's swipes, but one of them caught her in the arm, drawing blood. She screamed in pain, still trying to escape Lizzy
"You'll see!" Lizzy exclaimed, her voice growing louder with each word. "You'll come back just like her!"
“Lizzy please stop” rayle yelled
Lizzy took advantage of Rayle's momentary vulnerability, rushing at her with her knife. Rayle did her best to defend herself, trying to push Lizzy away, but it was no use. Lizzy was too strong, and too determined.
Rayle's vision blurred as she gazed at the gruesome sight of Mica lying on a towel, dead. Her own wounds ached from the cuts all over her body. But through her pain, she forced herself to remain awake. She had to do something to save Judith, her baby girl. But she lacked the strength to move, her limbs were heavy and unresponsive. "Judith..." she whispered,
Rayle saw as Lizzy brought out Judith and set her on the towel next to her rale couldn't do anything
Rayle struggled to lift her head, her body heavy from exhaustion and blood loss. Suddenly, she heard Carol's voice. She couldn't see her, but she could hear her talking to Lizzy. The voices were muffled and distant, but she could sense the urgency in Carol's words. She tried to call for help, but her voice was weak.
"Carol..." she mumbled, hoping Carol would hear her and come to her rescue.
Rayle's vision faded to black as she slipped into unconsciousness. Her arm stretched out to Judith, who had been her sole source of comfort and strength throughout the ordeal. Her last thought was of Judith's tiny, innocent face, and the hope that she would be safe.
When Rayle awoke, she was relieved to see that Judith was safe and uninjured. She looked around the room and noticed that Tyreese was holding Judith
"Are you feeling okay?" he asked gently, looking up at her with a small smile.
Rayle felt a sense of relief wash over her, and she was grateful that she had survived. She got up from the bed and walked to the front door, but before she could open it, Tyreese called out to her.
"Don't go out there," he said, his voice heavy with concern. Rayle paused for a moment, but she knew she had to see what had happened. She gave him a smile and stepped outside, hoping to find Carol and Lizzy.
Rayle saw Carol walking towards her, leading Lizzy by the hand. Lizzy had a look of joy on her face, as if she hadn't just committed the unspeakable act of killing her own sister. But Rayle knew the truth, and seeing Lizzy's expression made her stomach turn.
Suddenly, Carol raised her gun and pointed it at Lizzy. Rayle screamed, begging Carol to stop, but it was too late. Carol fired one shot that hit Lizzy straight in the heart. Lizzy fell to the ground,
Rayle couldn't believe what she was witnessing. She staggered backwards, covering her mouth with her hands as tears streamed down her face.
"It was the right thing to do..." Carol said, her voice low and sad. "She couldn't be around you girls."
Rayle was too devastated to respond. She just sat there, crying uncontrollably,
Rayle bolted into the forest, running as fast as she could, with Carol's words still ringing in her ears. She didn't know where she was going, but she just kept running, her feet paining with each step. After what felt like hours, she collapsed under a tree, unable to go any farther.
Sitting there in the dark, Rayle lifted her hood over her head. "shit" she mumbled. She covered her face with her hands and began to cry. The weight of everything that had happened was too much for her to bear. She kicked a rock, her frustration and anger boiling over.
Rayle's heart raced as she heard the commotion nearby. With her knife in hand, she carefully made her way towards the noise, hiding behind a tree as she listened in. When she peeked out, she saw the Claimers, fighting with Rick, Carl, and Michonne.
The fat man had Carl with a knife pressed to his neck. Michonne held her gun up at him, but the man was undaunted.
"I'll do it! I'll kill him! I'll do it!" the fat man yelled, his grip tightening on the knife pressed against Carl's throat. Michonne's expression turned to one of resolve, and she held the gun even tighter. "Let the boy go!" she demanded. She was prepared to protect Carl at any cost, and she wasn't backing down. The situation was tense, and Rayle's heart raced as she watched from behind the tree, ready to move at a moment's notice.
Rayle took action, running towards the fat man. She was right behind him, and as he held the knife to Carl's throat, Rayle struck. With one swift motion, she stabbed the man in the head, using her foot to push his head off the edge of the knife. The man dropped, and Carl crawled back, staring at Rayle in shock.
Rick and Michonne quickly went over to Carl, and Daryl walked up next to Rick, looking at Rayle in disbelief. Rayle stood there, her hood still covering her face, with the knife held loosely in her hand. She couldn't believe what she'd just done, and her hands were shaking.
Rayle hesitated for a moment before holding her hand out to Carl, helping him up. She didn't want to startle the group, especially Daryl, who was looking at her suspiciously.
"Who the hell are you?" Daryl asked, looking Rayle up and down. Michonne kept her gun raised, careful not to let her guard down.
Rayle's hood falls off her head, revealing her face. Carl looks up in surprise, recognizing her immediately. He opens his mouth to say something, but the words choke in his throat as he sees the knife, still in Rayle's hand.
Daryl steps forward, not knowing what to make of this stranger who saved their lives, but as soon as he recognizes her, he runs over and hugs her tightly. "You're alive," he says with relief in his voice.
Carl and Rayle stood there awkwardly for a moment, and then Rayle finally closed the distance between them, pulling Carl into a tight hug.
Finally, Carl broke the silence. "Where were you?" he asked quietly. Rayle took a deep breath and started to explain,
Rayle didn't answer Carl's question, and instead pushed past him, going over to Rick who was standing nearby, watching everything unfold. Rick's face lit up when he saw her, and he rushed towards her, wrapping her in a tight hug.
"Thank you...thank You so much," he said, his voice shaking. Rayle could feel the tears in his eyes, and she hugged him back, feeling like everything had finally come full circle.
As Rayle was trying to fall asleep in the car, she couldn't help but overhear the conversation between Rick and Carl. Carl's tone was quiet, and Rayle could sense the worry in his voice.
"What's wrong?" Rick asked.
"I'm just... worried," Carl replied. "There's nothing to be worried about," Rick started, but Carl interrupted him.
"No, it's not me," Carl said, his voice even quieter. "Back at the prison, Rayle couldn't sleep one night. I asked her why, and she told me that when she was lost in the woods, these two men... they... did things to her, and I think it was the Claimers.'
Rick was silent, lost in thought as Rayle listened intently to every word. She couldn't believe she had never told anyone about what had happened to her except carl. But hearing Carl and Rick talk, she realized she wasn't alone .
As Rayle lay in the car, she rolled over and saw that Carl had joined her. He'd fallen asleep, his head resting on Michonne's lap as she leaned back in her seat, watching over him. Rayle couldn't help but wish for a mother of her own, someone to comfort and protect her the way Michonne did for Carl. She closed her eyes, feeling the exhaustion of the day catch up to her, and soon she too was in a deep sleep. All the while, Michonne kept her watch, ready to defend them at a moment's notice.
As she looked around, she saw one of the rayle droped bracelets on Daryl's wrist, and she couldn't help but smile.
"You're wearing it?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Daryl frowned, "I thought you died. You can have it back." He began to take it off.
"Nah, keep it," Rayle said with a smirk.
Daryl sighed and looked away. rayle laughed at daryl
"You're a asshole," Daryl said, but Rayle could tell he didn't really mean it.