It was clear the others were a little nervous, but the family seemed fine. At least the girl from before didn't seem like a bad person. So Rick took the lead and placed his gun on the coffee table in front of him.
The girl pulled up a chair, eyed the weapons the three men had laid down, and couldn't help sighing with exhaustion.
"Did you bring every weapon in the city?"
Morgan looked a little embarrassed and let out a helpless sigh.
"It doesn't matter if we're carrying ten knives. Weapons don't mean much if you don't feel safe around us, right?"
The girl leaned the chair forward and sat astride it, resting her arms across the backrest. She looked at Rick and the other two.
"Introduce yourselves. My name's Elen, this is my sister Noa, the little girl you saw in the window is Katia, and the man on the sofa is Gerry."
"Rick Grimes."
"I'm Morgan…"
"Guillermo—that's what you can call me!"
Elen flashed a sweet smile, holding out her small fist toward the three of them expectantly.
They glanced at each other for a few seconds before Guillermo was the first to react, reaching out to greet her. Morgan, reminded of a girl named Tara back in Alexandria, followed suit. Finally, Rick shook her hand as well.
Elen clapped her hands with a cheerful grin, then asked:
"So, why are you here?"
Rick cut in gently.
"I know you have a lot of questions, but… can I ask you a few first?"
After scanning the room, he began:
"How many walkers have you killed?"
Elen's expression turned thoughtful. She answered with some uncertainty:
"A dozen of the regular ones. As for the ones that run like rabid dogs—I've only managed to kill one."
"How many people have you killed?"
"We've never killed the living."
The group in the room all shook their heads, afraid Rick and the others might misunderstand. Elen almost raised her hand to swear it, but then Rick asked the last question:
"Why?"
Rick's eyes turned to Gerry on the sofa. He noticed the man seemed to have problems with his legs, struggling to move. Morgan addressed him directly.
"Mr. Gerry, may I ask you something? Have you always lived here?"
Gerry was actually a talkative man, but because of his leg condition, he hadn't planned on speaking at first. Still, seeing Elen being unusually friendly, he didn't want these strangers to get the wrong impression.
And now that Rick was pressing with those questions, Gerry couldn't stay silent. He feigned indifference and replied:
"Yes, we've been living here the whole time."
Rick gave a small nod, his eyes drifting toward the back of the sofa. He pointed to Katia, sitting beside Gerry.
"Is this your granddaughter? She's a beautiful girl."
He pulled a piece of chocolate from his pocket and held it out.
"Katia, right? Would you like some chocolate?"
The little head that had been hiding behind the sofa peeked out at the sight of the treat. She clearly wanted it but hesitated, shrinking back again.
Gerry glanced at Katia with a pained expression and explained:
"She's been through a lot since all this hell began. She hasn't spoken in a long time."
Rick was stunned and stayed quiet for a moment. After handing Katia the piece of chocolate, he turned to Elen.
"Katia's situation… I think I understand. What I'm about to say is very important. I hope you'll all think it through carefully."
Seeing Elen nod, Rick gathered his words and spoke calmly.
"I imagine you're curious about who we are. Let me explain. I really am a cop. Since the world ended, I've slowly gathered with a large group of people. Morgan and Guillermo are friends I met early on. Together, we built a settlement. We organize daily supply runs, each time pushing farther from our refuge. This time, we passed through this town and saw Katia in the window. That's why we came—to check on you."
Rick first explained their reason for being there, then shared information about the base.
When he finished, Elen stared at the three of them in shock. She hadn't expected the strangers to be so organized—and to discover that the man before her was the leader of such a group.
Her eyes widened in amazement.
"Oh my God! You mean you have hundreds of people under your command? All survivors like us? You still have a hospital? You've farmed land? Raised livestock? God, it's like society before all this happened!"
Rick and the others smiled at her reaction. The girl who had tried so hard to be tough at first now seemed almost like a friend.
"They're not my subordinates. Everyone there is my family. And I'm not the leader of the base. The real leader—the one who organizes everything—has other important things to handle. He's away right now, so until he returns, I'm leading." Rick corrected gently.
Elen nodded silently. Noa, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up. She looked at Morgan and asked:
"I've been listening to Officer Rick talk, but… Mr. Morgan, could you tell us about your life in that place he mentioned?"
Morgan wasn't surprised to be addressed. He gave her a warm smile and said slowly:
"I also have a son about Katia's age. He and my wife are back at the base. That's the only reason I dare leave them—to make sure they can live in safety."
"From a personal perspective, I just want my family to be fed, clothed, and able to live with some sense of normalcy in this world. During my time at the settlement, everyone there has been kind. I'm very grateful for all the people who work together with compassion."
"I never imagined they could build a settlement that big in just one year, and make it grow so much." Gerry suddenly spoke, holding Katia in his arms, stroking her soft hair. A trace of reluctance flickered in his eyes.
Guillermo chimed in, speaking quickly and firmly:
"Our captain is a very determined man. If you meet him, you'll be surprised. A true leader—someone who always thinks of the future."
Morgan nodded deeply in agreement.
"If it weren't for him and his people, my family wouldn't have survived this long."
"Mine too. My entire family owes so much to Jason—our leader. He makes the hard choices that keep us going," Rick added with a smile.
Morgan said with quiet conviction:
"Don't worry. The people at our base are soldiers, cops, and experienced folks. They'll be fine. And no, we're not hundreds anymore—we're thousands. We are the future of humanity."