THE GROUP STOOD OUTSIDE THE ALEXANDRIA GATES, WAITING FOR SOMEONE to open the gates of the community.
Anastasia looks over to Rick and the two share a smile and nod. They all walk towards the community of Alexandria, Carl turns to see a girl but she disappears. He looks over at Mel who looks to be in a serious talk with her twin sister, as she holds Luca's hand. Maddy smiles looking at Ethan, she knew the boy needed something good in hide life after losing his father and sister.
Judith babbles as they hear a rattle everyone aims their guns and weapons at it and Daryl shoots it, animal squeals. The gates open and the man looks at them.
Daryl picks up a possum and says, "We brought dinner."
"It's okay. Come on in, guys." Aaron says, the group walks all walk inside the community.
"Before we take this any further, I need you all to turn over your weapons. Stay, you hand them over." The man that opened the gate says. The group looks at Aaron and the man, they weren't ready to hand over their weapons.
Rick speaks up, "We don't know if we want to stay."
Aaron says, "It's fine, Nicholas."
Rick tells him, "If we were gonna use them, we would have started already."
Aaron says, "Let them talk to Deanna first."
Abraham asks, "Who's Deanna?"
Aaron says, "She knows everything you'd want to know about this place. Rick, why don't you start?"
They hear a walker snarling, and Rick says, "Sasha." Sasha shoots it, "It's a good thing we're here."
ANASTASIA SAT ON THE CHAIR, WITH A SLEEPING MEREDITH IN HER ARMS. DEANNA sat on the black couch in front of her. "Hello. I'm Deanna Monroe."
"Anastasia Watson." She says, "This is Meredith Watson."
"How long have you've been out there?" Deanna asks.
"Since the beginning. We used to have a camp, a prison. It worked out." Anastasia says honestly.
Deanna asks, "How did you all find each other? Did you know each other before or—?"
"Some of us."Anastasia says.
"Some of us?" Deanna asks wanting to know more.
"Rick, Ash, Joaquin, and I knew each other before, we grew up together, in the same town. We've spent holidays together." Anastasia says, "We met the rest of our family along the way." Deanna nods smiling
Deanna says, "I was a congressperson. Ohio, 15th district. You?"
"I was a general surgeon, in Seattle." She says. "At one of the best hospitals in America." Anastasia looks around the living room, "What is this place?"
Deanna explains looking at her, "This is the start of sustainability. That's what the brochures we found say. This was a planned community with its own solar grid, cisterns, eco-based sewage filtration. Starting in the low 800,000s..." She laughs, ".. if there is such a thing. And they sold them all." Deanna notices the uncertainty look in Anastasia's eyes. "You're skeptical." She says.
"Who put up the walls?" She asks her.
Deanna explains, "Well, there was this huge shopping mall being built nearby. And my husband Reg is a professor of architecture. And who he was mattered quite a bit. He got the first plates up with our sons. And after a few weeks, more people arrived and we had help. We had a community. Since the start."
"You've been behind these walls this entire time? Without any trouble?" Anastasia asks.
Deanna says, "We need people who have lived out there. No trouble. Your group is the first we've even considered taking in for a long time."
"Why?" Anastasia asks. "Why haven't you brought more people in?"
"There wasn't many people to find, the last one was four months ago." Deanna says.
"Can I ask you a question?" Anastasia asks her.
"Yeah." Deanna nods.
"Where does Mason Hendrix live?" Anastasia asks and Deanna looks at her, "Oh uh sorry, he's my brother." She clarifies.
"A family reunion." Deanna smiles.
"Sorta, yeah." Anastasia nods and Meredith begins to cry, Anastasia rocks her back and forth. "I'm sorry it's-, I need to feed her." she says and Deanna nods.
OUTSIDE, THE GROUP IS GATHERED BY THE PANTRY AND GUNS STORAGE ROOM. THEY had to check their weapons in. The Watson kids did so reluctantly, they weren't used to not having them on them.
Deanna explains, "They're still your guns. You can check them out whenever you go beyond the wall. But inside here, we store them for safety." Carol is handing over her weapons, and Anastasia notices her behavior change.
Olivia says, "Should have brought another bin." She was in charge of the pantry and guns. She pushes the cart away to take them into inventory.
OUTSIDE IN THE ALEXANDRIA COMMUNITY, RICK, CARL AND MEL STAND ON the sidewalk. Aaron shows them the three houses.
"All three of them of 'em?" Rick asks.
"At your disposal. I'd call dibs on that one. It's got more curb appeal. Listen, I know you're still feeling us out, but I'm glad you came. Anyway, Deanna's asked everyone to give you your space so they aren't all coming at you at once. Take your time. Explore. You need anything, you call me. I don't-- we don't have phones. I-- I meant... I'm four houses down. When you see Anastasia tell her to find me, someones looking for her." Aaron says rambling, Rick looks at him. "her brothers are."
Carl says, "Thank you." Mel smiles at Aaron giving him a nod, she'd let her mother know.
Aaron says as he begins to walk away, "So..."
"I'm going to find my mom." Mel says. "Rick?" Mel asks and he looks at the red head. "Do you think it's a good idea? My mom meeting her half brothers?"
"It's not up to me, that's up to your mom." Rick says. Mel nods before walking off to find her mother.
INSIDE ONE OF THE THREE HOUSE OFFERED TO THE GROUP, JESSIE IS GIVING RICK a hair cut, having mid conversation.
"Rick, can you?" Mel says walking in with Meredith in her arms crying. "Ooh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."
"What's wrong?" Rick asks her.
"She won't stop crying and moms in the shower, she needs a break. And I can't get her to stop crying, no one can, Joaquin and Ash are not available" She says. Jessie finishes cutting Rick's hair and he gets up to take Meredith, the baby finding comfort and her crying stops. "Are you kidding me Meredith?" Mel asks her sister.
"You were gettin anxious, tell your mom, I got her. Tell her to take a break, and breathe." Rick says, Mel looks at him, "It's okay Mel, go, I've taken care of her and Judith." He says.
Mel looks at Jessie and says, "Sorry hi, I'm Melanie but everyone calls me Mel, one of Anastasia's kids."
"I'm Jessie, I can cut your hair if you want." Jessie says.
"Uh no thank, uh my mom is the one who cuts my hair. Okay I'm going, thanks Rick. I'll tell mom to come for her afterwards." Mel says walking towards the door, she just barged in from.
Rick smiles at Meredith and looks at Jessie, "It's just me. No, that'd be—that'd be great. We have five kids the same age, they need new friends."
Jessie says, "I'm sorry." She looks down at Meredith. "She's cute."
"Electricity, showers, haircuts—I never thought I'd see those again." He says and he looks down at Meredith. "Yeah she is."
Jessie says, "Come on. Haircuts were never going away. It's okay if you're not okay with this yet. That's better." She hands him a mirror.
Rick looks at himself in the mirror and turns to look at Meredith, "What do you think?" He asks her and she smiles at him.
MADDY SAT LOOKING AT DEANNA THE WOMAN WAS PERSUASIVE SHE'D GIVE HER THAT. She told her about the community and Maddy answered the questions she was asked.
"What did your parents work in before this? What did you do? What were you interested in?" Deanna asks.
"My mom is-was a general surgeon, at one of the best known hospitals in Seattle. My dad is-was a Federal Agent." Maddy answers. "I went to school, and I painted a lot, I took art classes and danced ballet."
"Your mother said you're the oldest correct?" Deanna asks.
"Yes, Mel and I are twins but I'm older. Then it's Val, Frank and Meredith. My cousin Bella, she's the same age as Mel and I, she's a couple months younger than us." Maddy says. Deanna nods. "Are they a lot of kids here?" She asks looking at Deanna.
"Yeah, and now we have more." Deanna says and Maddy nods. "Will you interview Luca? He's only nine." She asks.
"I'll just ask him a few questions about what he's interested in." Deanna answers.
"Can I sit with him, while you ask him? He's shy. Or Bella, anyone one of us. He doesn't like speaking to strangers. It scares him." Maddy says.
"Yeah, one of you can sit with him." Deanna says and Maddy smiles.
OUTSIDE ON THE PORCH, RICK HAS JUDITH IN HIS ARMS, DARYL SITS ON THE PORCH steps cleaning the possum. Anastasia walks out with Meredith taking a seat on one of the chairs. Mel and Carl seem to be eyeing the houses next door.
"You can look. Just be quick." Rick tells Carl. Mel turns to look at her mom who nods.
"Okay." Carl and Mel head towards the house next door, Carol joins them.
INSIDE ONE OF THE OTHER HOUSES, TEH THREE OF THEM LOOK AROUND THE FIRST floor. The one right next door the house they all planned on staying in together.
Carl says, "These are like mansions."'
Carol comments, "Mm-hmm. And they're just giving them away."
Carol asks the two heading to the door, "You coming?"'
Carl says, "Yeah, in a sec."
"In a bit." Mel says looking outside the window.
"Not to sound tone death, but my parents home was bigger." Mel says making Carl laugh. "What was your favorite place in your home?" She asks him.
"My room." He says. "Yours?"
"The backyard, it was big, and for the first few years it was just grass and a small garden until a couple of years ago, my dad and uncles built a pool. We had our hand prints on the side of the pool." She says making him smile.
"Did your parents fight?" He asks remembering his parents fighting.
"They did, but never in front of us, at least they tried not to in front of us, we would know when if my dad messed up by him getting up earlier and making breakfast or going to buy moms favorite chocolates. My moms parents fought a lot, when she was younger, she remembers most of their fights so she made it a point not to fight in front of us." She says.
"My dad says she, Shane, and Ash had it hard growing up." He says.
"Yeah, but she's the best mom, anyone could have." She says. "Did yours?"
"Yeah." He nods, as the two hear thumping, and wood creaking and more thumping. Mel and Carl go upstairs to check it out, they pulls out their knifes, ready to attack, Carl opens the door and they find an empty attic filled with things and comic books. "Someone has been using this as their hang out spot."
INSIDE THE HOUSE, THE ONE ON THE CURB, EVERYONE IS SCATTERED AROUND THE living room getting ready for bed, and the entire first floor of the house.
Michonne sighs walking out, she asks, "How long was I in there for?"
Rick says, "20 minutes."
Michonne says, "God, I could not stop brushing." She sees Rick, "Huh. I've never—I've never seen your face like that."
"He looks normal." Anastasia pokes fun at Rick making Michonne laugh. Rick looks at her not amused.
Rick turns to look at Michonne, "That's what I felt before and after."
Michonne says, "Look... I get why we're playing it safe. We should. I just-- I have a good feeling about this place."
Rick says, "Well, I hope you're right."
Michonne says, "Yeah, me, too."
There's knocking on the door and Rick makes his way to open it revealing Deanna, who looks baffled by how Rick looks, she holds something white in her hands. "Rick, I—Wow." Rick groans, "I didn't know what was under there. Listen, I don't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to stop by and see how you were all settling. Oh, my. Staying together. Smart."
Rick says, "No one said we couldn't."
Deanna says looking around all at all of them, "You said you're a family. That's what you said. Absolutely amazing to me how people with completely different backgrounds and nothing in common can become that. Don't you think?"
Rick says, "Almost everybody said you gave them jobs."
Deanna says, "Mm-hmm. Yeah. Part of this place. Looks like the communists won after all."
Rick points out, "Well, you didn't give me one."
"I have. I just haven't told you yet. Same with Michonne, Anastasia and Ash. I'm closing in on something for Sasha. And I'm just trying to figure Mr. Dixon out, but I will." Deanna says Daryl looks at her, "You look good."
"Anastasia." Deanna says. Anastasia looks at her and walks to her. "You said you were a general surgeon, you'll be working with Dr. Pete Anderson. I'll introduce you two tomorrow, You won't start right away as you still need to get used it to it." Deanna says handing her a white coat. Anastasia smiles softly looking at the white coat. "This is what you asked me for." Deanna hands her a white paper.
"Thank you." Anastasia smiles. Deanna nods and leaves the house.
"What did you ask her for?" Carl asks her.
"My brothers address." She says the group looks at her worried. Ash specifically, she knew about how Anastasia had many questions.
IN DEANNA'S HOUSE, MEL SITS DOWN FOR HER INTERVIEW, SHE WAS NERVOUS TO say the least. Mel knew she couldn't mess it up, this meant a safe place for now, for her siblings and Meredith and Judith need this. Her mother's needs this.
"What do kids do here? For fun? Or to pass times?" She asks.
"They hang out together, like before." Deanna says.
"But it's not like before." Mel says.
"Do you like it here so far?" Deanna asks her.
"I don't know, but I know we need it, my siblings, specifically Mere and Judith. They should be able to cry and all us not to be worried about walkers coming at us. Or our lives being threatened because they are the youngest." Mel says. "I want this to work, we need this."
THE NEXT DAY, THE GROUP GOES OUTSIDE TO EXPLORE THE COMMUNITY. ANASTASIA pushed Meredith in the stroller given to her, Luca stuck by her side. She had talked to Aaron and he had told her where her brothers lived. She walks by it, but stops to look at it and sees two kids coming out and she walks away with Luca. She kept walking and finds Rick talking with two older people. When they saw she had a baby and Luca they wanted to see Meredith.
Anastasia takes Meredith out of the stroller and places her in Natalie's arms. Her and her husband Bob Miller both were very attentive of Judith and Meredith. Rick told her about Mel and Maddy joining Carl in making new friends with Jessie's kids, she was the woman who gave Rick a haircut.
CARL, MEL, MADDY, AND ETHAN WALK AROUND JESSIE'S HOUSE, RON WAS SHOWING them around. Mel, agreed to come feeling sorry for Carl's setup play date, by Rick. Maddy, and Ethan came for comedic purpose. And Rick told Anastasia and Maggie, the girls pushing the girls and Ethan to accompany Carl. Bella refused, Val and Frank stayed back with Judith and Meredith.
Ron says, "We're almost always here after school, so you can come by any time."
Carl asks, "You go to school?"
Ron says, "It's in a garage. Little kids go in the morning and then it's us in the afternoon. Probably you guy, too, right?"
"Probably." Mel speaks up. Ron leads them up to a room
Ron says, "Guys, this is Carl, Mel, Maddy and Ethan. Guys, this is Mikey, Enid, Elijah, and Jessie."
Mikey greets at he's playing a video game, "Hey."
Enid greets, "Hi." Mel, Maddy, Ethan and Carl look at the rest of the people in the bedroom and offer a smile.
Ron says, "Enid's from outside, too. She just came eight months ago. Elijah and Jessie came four months ago."
Mel asks holding a comic book, "Is this yours?"
Ron says, "Sorry. We didn't know you guys got that house."
Mikey says, "We mostly just hang out there and listen to music."
"That's Enid's." Jessie comments looking up from the comic book in her hand.
"What kinda music listen to?" Maddy asks.
Ron asks, "Want to play some video games? Or Mikey's house has a pool table, but his dad's kind of strict about it."
Mikey says, "It's okay. He's at work."
"AC/DC, Blake and Mason found an old box of CDs." Elijah says making Mel and Maddy's interest spark.
Carl says, "Um..."
Ron says, "Sorry, I guess we come on kind of strong. We can just hang out."'
Mikey says, "You don't even have to talk if you don't wanna."
Ron says, "Yeah, took Enid three weeks to say something. Jessie three months not to want to stab us."
"I still want to stab you sometimes." Jessie says.
Enid tells him, "Pull it together, sport."
Mel didn't like Enid's comment, the way she said it, Maddy gave her sister a look.
"Let's, um—let's play some video games." Ethan says saving Carl.
Ron says, "Cool, yeah."
"What are you reading?" Mel asks Elijah.
"He's reading Northanger Abby, it's his third time reading that book this month." Jessie answers for him.
"That's Maddy's favorite book." Mel says. Maddy nods.
"Elijah's too." Jessie says. Mel takes a seat next to Carl, watching him play. Maddy sat with Elijah as they talked about the book, their mutual dislike towards John Thorpe, and Catherine's brother, James Moreland, for scheming with the Thorpe's against his own sisters wishes.
_________
Words 3068
So they arrived at Alexandria, the interviews. Anastasia looking for her brothers. Don't forget to vote, comment and share. Check out my other stories and my tumblr account @ Wincherthottie who has exclusive stories to only that blog. I have new fics in posted on tumblr, that is 911, SWAT and Mayans related. So if you're into that check out my account. Wear a mask, get vaccinated! Stay safe! I think I might update my sebastian stan daughter one on tumblr! So check it out! Check out my other stories too!
Updated December 15, 2021