A week had passed since they had set foot in Negan's compound. Everything had seemed to laspe into silence, raids weren't attacked and the Saviors seemed to fall into a horrible memory. But even though the Survivors felt they were safe, a feeling of impending doom seemed to hover over the settlement.
They knew that they haden't killed them all. Somewhere, anywhere, Negan was alive. He was waiting, patiently, for them to slip up.
"It's not over," She said, burying her face into his neck. She sighed, a feeling of comfort warming her heart. He wrapped an arm around her, his thumb gently brushing over her freckled shoulders.
"I know."
She couldn't deny that the last week had been a welcomed silence, but she was afraid that she would lose more people every second. She had to protect them, and she wasn't sure that she could. She felt like their leads had run dry, and perhaps her haste to attack was a bad move on her part. She was in the dark and Negan could be planning something against her.
"I don't want to think about it anymore," She sighed, "I just have to trust that we can pull together and make it through."
"Let's leave today," He suggested, squeezing her a little tighter against him, "We can search for supplies and just take a breather from this whole situation. You need to get out of here, so do I."
"As long as we're back for dinner," She chuckled, "Vegetable soup is on today."
"Sure," He rolled his eyes and she smiled softly.
Greenview had managed to fall back into a sense of security, the fear dying out as silence held. Lives continued as normal, everyone doing the work they were set out to do. The hotel looked more lived in, the once dusty tables now covered in supplies and tools. The chairs supported people who chatted amongst themselves, people who could finally start to live.
Lauren usually spent her days making sure any problems had resolutions and making decisions with Rick and Sam as her advisors. She had sent out two groups the day before in search of medical supplies, both coming back empty handed. They had little left in that department. Broken bones were easier to fix, but wounds that become infected, less so.
They weren't low on water, they had their own well. Food, they had pleanty. She had spoken to Doc on many occasions and she had given her a list of needed supplies each time, the list only growing by the week.
Georgina had seemed to settle in, although she was still weary of most people. She had taken refuge in Lauren, someone she believed shared her pain and anger. She spent her days hunting, bringing back whatever she found in return for first pick of the candy that was taken back to the hotel.
The remainder of her group had all taken to what they enjoyed most. Daryl had hunted, disappeared on his motorcycle, returning with bits and pieces that caught his eye. Carol had taken to baking, although Lauren felt she was probably perfecting a poison pie to feed her enemies. Michonne, Sasha and Rick took to guarding and the overall security, like Greenview's own police force. Maggie had returned to her roots, farming with Glenn to help her.
Abraham had integrated himself into the raid group, along with Chloe and her boyfriend Josh. Despite missing an arm, Chloe had continued fighting, harder than she ever had before. Lauren felt like her safe place had finallt become a home, and she would defend it and its people until her last breath.
"We're going out today," Carl nodded over to Sam who smiled in reply, before turning back to her work. They exited the large building, the gentle morning sun warming their skin.
"Quad?" She asked, a smile of child-like excitement on her face.
"Of course we'll take your new toy," Carl chuckled, rolling his eyes. She took off into a sprint to where she had left her quad the last time she took it out, which had been every day since she had found it in the basement.
"You can drive today," She said, feeling like taking in the scenery. She threw her leg over the machine and he did the same. She wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek on his back. The engine chugged to life and they catapulted forward and out the gates.
The wind whipped through her hair, gently tugging her backwards.
"Where are we going?" He yelled over the sound of rushing air.
"Anywhere," She replied, "Just drive."
~•~
She felt it much easier to breathe, to think now that she had a chance to free herself outside of Greenview. She loved the place, but she had always lived in the dirt and decay for years, and she learned how to function outside of comfort.
They had stopped to refuel at midday, spending the time sitting on a gas-station roof while the dead stumbled aimlessly beneath them.
"Should we head back?" He asked and Lauren shrugged.
"We have a few hours before evening," She smiled, "We don't have to go back just yet."
She let him take her through the back roads of the American countryside, searching cars and houses as they passed.
"Slow down," She said suddenly, squinting her eyes into the distance. "There's bodies."
She hopped off the quad and took into a half-sprint towards the abandoned van and bodies that lay around it. They were parked outside a small country shop. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and stabbed the undead that feasted on a freshly killed man. She wiped her machete on the clothes of the dead man and seached his body, pulling a few clips of ammo.
"These aren't Negan's men," She said, scanning the rest of the bodies. She hopped into the back of the truck, shaking her head, "Nothing useful. They were cleaned out."
She turned her focus to the shop they were likely raiding before they were killed. She kept her eyes on the window as she spoke.
"Do you think it's another group?" She asked and Carl shrugged.
"It seems likely," He said, "They had a van, and weapons. They didn't look like they lived it rough."
She turned and looked towards the small shop, the curtain moving slightly as her eyes scanned the building.
"Maybe someone survived."
She jogged towards the door, pushing it open with her machete in hand. She squinted through the darkened room. She could hear slight movements, maybe someone injured.
"We aren't here to hurt you," Lauren said slowly, "We can take you back to where you came from.."
After a few moments of silence, a tired voice spoke up. It sounded as though it belonged to a middle aged woman.
"In here," She said.
Lauren stepped past shelves and into a back room, pulling back the curtain so the light could flow freely. A woman sat in the corner, her hand pressed against her arm which was stained in deep red blood.
"Carl get me some alcohol or antiseptic," She frowned, crouching infront of the woman. Carl handed her a bottle of whatever he could find, which was a bottle of TCP antiseptic and she fished some bandages from the bottom of her back.
"Were you shot?" Lauren asked and she shook her head indecisively.
"It skimmed me, but quite deep," She answered, her worry-lines more visible up close. Her auburn hair was half falling from a bun and she looked pale and tired.
"We'll take you back to where you came from, just let me help this first," Lauren said, "It's better to get it cleaned now. Blood poisoning isn't fun, trust me."
She pulled her hoodie off her shoulder to show the scarred skin, just below her shoulder and collar bone. The woman nodded, and Lauren cut the shirt from her arm. She poured water over the wound and cleaned away the dried blood.
"This might hurt a little," She mumbelled as she dipped a clean cloth in the small bottle of antiseptic. She cleaned away the rest of the blood and the woman hissed in pain. She wrapped a bandage around her arm and nodded.
"You'll be alright."
"Thanks," She smiled softly, "My names Alexis."
"I'm Lauren," She replied, "And this is Carl."
"Where are you from?" She asked and Lauren hesitated.
"We'll talk about that later just tell me what happened here."
"We were jumped by some people we owe supplies to and they weren't happy," She grimaced, "They killed everyone and took what we had."
"Let me guess," Lauren sighed, "Saviors?"
"Yes," She furrowed her eyebrows, "They got you too?"
"Not yet," Carl said, "They killed a few of our.. friends. So we did the same. Except we killed a lot more."
"We took a compound not too far from here," Lauren explained, "Some kind of satalite station."
"Was their any people held there?" She asked and Lauren shook her head. She cursed, "God damn them. They took a few of our people so we'd keep to our word about supplies. They kept making excuses for keeping them. I should have known better than to think they'd keep them alive."
"Friends of yours?" Lauren asked and Alexis shook her head.
"Thankfully no," She said, "Family of others but not mine."
"How many people do you have?" Lauren asked.
"It's about thirty now," She sighed, "We're from a small farm north of here called Finch."
"We'll take you back there," Carl said and Alexis smiled.
"I didn't think there was anyone worthwhile left."
"There's a lot of us," Lauren smiled, looking up to Carl, "Just under sixty."
"Where are you from?" She asked.
"Greenview," Carl answered, "The hotel-apartment building about twenty miles from here."
"I know it," Alexis nodded, "I assumed it was overrun. I got married in there. It was real fancy once."
"You could see it again some day," Lauren offered a tight-lipped smile and Alexis nodded.
"I'd love to," She said, "First I need to get back. Dean will want to talk to you both."
~•~
It's a meh chap.. MEHHHH.. and so filler ew
Well I can assure y'all that the excitment is to come 😈
Do you think this Finch place help them with the Saviors?
Vote and Comment! :)