The old farmers market sat at the edge of town, its wide awning sagging and the painted signs faded by weather.
Maggie and Beth picked their way through the stands, their bags half-filled already with jars of preserves and sacks of dry beans that had somehow survived.
Beth glanced over at her sister, hesitating before speaking. "Maggie… about Joe..."
Maggie stiffened, looking up from the crate she was digging through.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Beth…"
Before the words could turn sharp, a sudden groan echoed from behind the produce stand.
A walker, thin and gray-skinned, lurched forward from the shadows. Beth let out a startled cry as it lunged.
Maggie reacted instantly, shoving her sister back.
She drew her knife and stabbed hard into the walker's temple, the body collapsing with a wet thud.
Her chest heaved as she turned to Beth.
"Damn it, Beth! You gotta stay alert!" Maggie's voice cracked with more fear than anger.
Beth's eyes filled with tears, her body trembling. "I...I didn't even hear it. If you hadn't been here…"
Maggie dropped her blade to her side, her voice softening as the realization hit her. "I could've lost you."
For a long moment, the sisters just looked at each other, the air heavy with what wasn't said.
Finally, Maggie pulled Beth into a fierce hug, her own tears threatening.
"I love you," Maggie whispered, her voice breaking. "Unconditionally. Joe… he's a part of both our lives now, I get that. But you're my sister, Beth. Nothin' comes before that. Nothin'."
Beth clung to her, relief flooding through her. "I love you too. I don't wanna fight anymore."
Maggie pulled back just enough to cup Beth's face, brushing away a tear with her thumb. She managed a small smile. "Then we don't. We'll figure it out together. Sharing him... hell, Amy and Andrea do it."
Beth gave a watery laugh, nodding. "Together."
With the tension broken, they returned to looting, this time moving side by side.
When Maggie found a crate of canned fruit, she passed half to Beth without a word.
Beth smiled, understanding the unspoken promise, they'd share more than just supplies now.
As they stepped out of the market with their bags full, the sisters walked close.
Their bond renewed and stronger for having almost been broken.
...
The suburban street was quiet as they crept forward.
April led the way, gripping a crowbar in sweaty hands. Behind her, Hannah and three other women carried backpacks and knives, each of them tense but determined.
They were armed, equipped, and for once, hopeful. They could do something to repay the group. More specifically Joe for saving them.
The first house yielded a few cans of beans and some bottled water.
Spirits lifted. "See?" one of the women whispered, smiling shakily. "We can do this."
But when they pushed into the second house, everything went wrong.
A door creaked upstairs. A moment later, two walkers stumbled down the steps, snarling. Another burst from the kitchen, jaws snapping.
"Hold the line!" April shouted, trying to sound braver than she felt.
The group fumbled with their weapons.
Hannah managed to shove one back with a fireplace poker, but the other women weren't ready.
One screamed as a walker latched onto her arm, dragging her down.
Another tried to help, only to be swarmed from behind. The sound of tearing flesh and agonized cries filled the house.
"Run!" April's voice cracked as she grabbed Hannah's wrist. The two bolted, dropping their bags in their desperate flight.
Behind them, their friends' screams rose, then broke into sickening silence.
They didn't stop running until they burst back onto the street, chests heaving, eyes wide with horror.
The backpacks were gone, lost inside with the dead.
Hannah bent over, trembling, tears streaking her face. "They're… they're all gone."
April pressed a shaking hand to her mouth, fighting back a sob. "We weren't ready. God, we weren't ready."
For a long moment, the two just stood there, the weight of failure crushing down on them.
Finally, April grabbed Hannah's shoulders, forcing her to meet her eyes.
"No more runs. Not without Joe. Or Rick. Or Daryl. Someone who actually knows what they're doing."
Hannah nodded through her tears. "Never again. Not just us."
April's hands fell away, her voice hoarse. "We'll stick to camp. Help however we can. But out here?"
She glanced back toward the house, where faint groans still echoed. "We're not cut out for this. Not yet."
Together, broken and empty-handed, they turned back toward the museum.
Two survivors carrying the weight of three lost friends, and a vow they intended to keep.
...
The museum buzzed with life.
Daryl and Carol had just returned with news of the untouched Crook's Food Market, their discovery promising enough food to last a month.
Hershel and T-Dog followed soon after, pushing carts overflowing with medicine and six weary, hopeful new faces.
Maggie and Beth came back together too, their bond visibly stronger, Maggie resting her hand protectively on Beth's shoulder.
Glenn and Mary arrived, Mary practically glowing with newfound confidence, a hatchet strapped to her side.
Rick and Michonne entered last, dusty but alive, Elize's brow quirking at how naturally close the two seemed.
For the first time in days, the group was in a good mood.
Plans bounced around quickly. How to use the moving truck and the water truck to haul everything from Crook's.
How to ration everything efficiently.
Laughter rose here and there, a brief reminder of what community felt like.
Then the door burst open.
April and Hannah stumbled inside, pale and shaking, sobs breaking through their ragged breathing.
The room went silent. Rick was the first to move, crossing to them quickly. "Where's the rest of your group?"
The women couldn't speak. They only shook their heads, eyes red, hands trembling.
The weight of the room shifted. The chatter died. Even the new arrivals lowered their eyes, uncertain if they should comfort strangers in their grief.
Joe sighed, rising from his chair. His broad frame and hard expression drew every gaze, especially the newcomers, who sat straighter under his imposing presence.
"Everyone knew the risks of scavenging," Joe said, his voice low but cutting. His eyes fixed on April and Hannah.
"You need to be sure of yourself before stepping out there. If you're not, people die."
Many of the rescued women nodded as they knew they weren't ready to be out alone or even in a group if it wasn't with someone capable leading.
April and Hannah lowered their heads, nodding miserably.
Joe turned to Rick. "I'll go put down our companions. Rick, take a group and bring back the food from Crook's."
As the group began to move again, the new arrivals settled among the others.
The eldest woman, Mera, approached Joe. "Thank you for allowing us to join," she said softly.
Joe gave a small nod. "No problem. Just do what you can to help out."
Mera managed a faint smile and returned to her people.
Joe headed toward the door, only to be stopped by April and Hannah. April's voice was shaky but determined. "We… we want to be there."
Joe studied their faces. Determination burned behind the fear. He nodded once. "Let's go."
---
The house was as they'd left it, silence broken only by faint groans within.
Joe stepped in first, katana drawn. With casual precision, he cut down the wandering dead in smooth, effortless arcs, clearing the way.
April and Hannah froze, shocked by how easily he wielded the blade, almost like an extension of himself.
Then they saw them, three of their former companions. Pale and staggering towards them, eyes clouded, hands reaching out.
Joe leaned back against a car outside, lowering himself to sit on the hood.
"End them or die," he said flatly. "I won't save you."
The women spun toward him, shocked. "What?" April's voice cracked.
Joe's gaze didn't waver. "Your friends deserve rest. And you owe it to them. So… do it."
The walkers shuffled closer. April's breath came fast. She glanced at Hannah, then stepped forward.
With a shaky cry, she swung her fire poker, catching one square in the skull. It dropped instantly.
Hannah moved next, gripping her hatchet with white knuckles. She swung... missed the walkers head entirely and hit the its shoulder instead.
It snarled and grabbed at her, Hannah panicked, letting go of the weapon. She stumbled back, terrified.
April surged forward, driving her poker through the walker's head. Her weapon was stuck, wedged in bone.
She yanked hard grunting, another walker reached from behind and grabbed her arm.
She screamed, thrashing fiercely. Hannah, desperate to save her friend, grabbed the walker's hair and yanked it back.
April tore free, ripping her weapon loose at last and driving it through the walker's skull.
The last body crumpled. The women stood there, chests heaving, their hands shaking violently.
A slow clap broke the silence.
"Bravo," Joe said, smirking faintly. "Good job."
Their faces twisted, a mix of anger and exhaustion. "Why didn't you help?" April demanded, her voice cracking.
Joe chuckled. "Had to see if you had that dog in you. Turns out... you do."
Hannah's voice trembled. "And… what if we didn't?"
Joe's smile widened, though his eyes stayed hard. "Guess we'll never know."
The women stared at him, dumbfounded.
Then they froze... one last walker stumbled from behind the car, reaching toward Joe's back.
Before they could shout a warning, Joe casually drove his katana backward without even looking.
The blade slid clean through the walker's skull. He pulled it free and smirked.
"Let's go," he said simply.
The women followed, silent and shaken. They understood now, Joe's test had been cruel, but it was a punishment too.
Punishment for running when their friends had fallen, for leaving them behind.
And a lesson.
If they wanted to survive, hesitation wasn't an option.