mr. grimes?

: Mr grimes?

Glenn had been watching the barn all morning, the image of the Walkers trapped inside had kept him up all night. Why would Hershel's Pack be keeping Walkers in the barn?

"

Could you be any more obvious?" Maggie drops a basket of fruits by Glenn's feet. "Here enjoy."

"Going to buy my silence with fruit, really?"

"Oh, course not." The female Alpha pulls out a Ziploc bag of meat from her waistband, "There's also jerky."

Glenn laughs and opens the bag, pulling out the smallest piece and splitting it in two, handing half to Maggie and eating the other. She smiles and takes it, enjoying the shade of the tree and the smell of wet dough and pineapple coming from the male in front of her.

"Why do you smell like that? Dough and pineapple?"

"I delivered pizzas downtown before all this and there was this old couple that ordered a Hawaiian once a week; they always gave me a slice along with a $10 tip. More often than not the slice ended up on my lap than in my mouth while I drove back. I had the job since I was in high school, so after so many years doing the same thing the smell just kind of stuck." Glenn shrugged. Maggie gets closer and takes a stronger whiff, freezing Glenn in his place. When she moves back with a hum Glenn clears his throat.

"Why does your dad have a barn full of Walkers?"

"You can't say anything ok? Daddy thinks they're still people; that they're just sick." Maggie looks at the barn and swallows, "I used to but after the Well, I don't know. The others in my Pack still think so though, and we know how your's deal with the infected. You can't say anything to them, please."

"I'll try. I can't lie though, I suck at it. They'll see right through me, especially Shane." Glenn looks at the other Alphas, who were getting the guns together for the first shooting class.

"Promise me, you'll try."

"Of course. Your land, your secret. Just don't hate me if I can't." The Asian Alpha watches the other walk back to her home, before he grabs the peaches and goes to give them to Dale and the ones staying behind. He passes Andrea on her way to the tents and hands her two, asking her to give one to Daryl, which earns him a small smile and an eye roll.

The female Beta finds the hunter in his tent, poking holes in the screen with one of his arrows. She steps inside with a soft "hey." Sitting down she hands him a book she had gotten from Dale's RV and the peaches.

"The peaches are from Glenn, though he got them from Maggie; and the book is Dale's. It's not that great but.... It's something to do ya know?"

Daryl flips through the book and smirks at her, "What, no pictures?"

"I'm so sorry, I feel like shit."

"Yeah, you and me both." He taps the book and nods, a silent thanks, and puts it next to his cot.

"I don't expect you to forgive me but if there is anything I can do...."

"You were protecting the Packs." Daryl cuts her off, "You don't ever have to apologize for that. We're good."

"Thanks." Andrea shifts in her seat.

"That bruise," Daryl points to the purple fingers on her throat, "Shane's punishment?"

"Yeah. For shooting you after he told me to put the rifle down and let them handle it. Hershel yelled at him and Rick about the guns again." Andrea gets up opens the tent up.

"He ever crosses that line, of being an Alpha and being an asshole, let me know. I got ya." Daryl smiles, "And the next time you shoot me, you best pray I'm dead."

....

Daryl was up walking around listening to the others talking around the map. He grabs a third peach from Glenn as he passes and flicks his baseball cap down, lightly scenting the Alpha. Watching Beth and Patricia talk Rick and Shane into letting them come to practice, Daryl notices Carl up and next to the RV. Daryl makes his way over to the youngest member of his Pack and sees something bulk out of the boy's shirt. He was hiding something.

"Hey pup. Nice hat." He flicks the sheriff's hat his dad gave him and sat against the back of the RV. "What's going on?"

"I heard you got shot too. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. It grazed me." Carl puts the hat on Daryl's head and grins. "What that for?"

"You're a part of the 'I Got Shot and Survived' club. Me and dad are members too. We share the hat." Carl puffs out his chest and gestures for Daryl to put the hat on. The Omega man places it back on the pup's head and rubs it in, ruffling the boy's hair underneath.

"Alright let's see it. Whatever it is bulging your shirt right there." Daryl points at the front of his pants. Carl looks at the other adults and lifts the corner up, showing a pistol tucked in his pants.

"Come 're." The pup whines but approaches nonetheless. Daryl holds out his hand and watches as Carl hands it to him; barrel facing the ground and not pointing at either of them or the camp, checking the safety, and fingers away from the trigger. The kid knew gun safety at least a little. Daryl opens the chamber and the bullet falls out, four out of six.

"Alright, this what we're gonna do. The gun wasn't loaded but ya had the bullets on ya too. That right there might save ya an ass woopin' cause yes we're telling your dad." Daryl looks at the pup.

"Please don't tell him Daryl, he'll be really mad. Mom too."

"Your mom ain't got a say in yer raising anymore, so don't worry about her. Rick is our Alpha, and your dad. We have to tell him even if we don't want to. But I'll help ya out as long as you behave and follow my lead." Carl nods.

"Good, now why do you have this?"

"I want to learn how to shoot, to look for Sophia and protect camp."

"Where'd you get it? RV?"

"I told Dale that dad sent me to get a walkie."

"I'll come up with something to get you in as little trouble as possible, but this is it. You fuck up again and it's on you." Carl nods and Daryl pockets the gun and bullets, "Sit here. Be right back."

Daryl goes over to Rick and Shane and bumps his Alpha's shoulder for his attention. "Rick, we need to talk."

"Hang on. What's up Daryl?" Daryl pulls out the gun and hands it to Rick.

"Daryl we can only have a few guns out at a time. What wrong with it?"

"I ain't the one that got it out."

"Who did?"

"That's why we need to talk, but ya can't just go yellin' at him. You do that and he's gonna hide a lot more than a gun."

"Carl." Rick sighs looking over at his pup. "Come on."

They make their way over, Shane following them. When they get to the pup, Rick pulls the gun out and kneels. They talk about the gun and how he got it. Daryl decides to not mention the bullets, and Carl doesn't either. Shane offers to teach him and leaves it up to Rick. As the Alpha starts setting down rules for both Shane and Carl to follow, Lori shows up.

"What is going on? Why are you all over here with a gun in front of Carl?"

"Because Shane is going to teach him how to shoot." Rick clinches his jaw, preparing for the fight.

"Excuse me?! He was just shot." Lori points at the pup, "He is just now getting back on his feet and now he wants a gun?"

"It's better than him being afraid of them." Rick crosses his arms over his chest, "We have guns in camp for a reason, it's better he learns how to use them now, safely, while it's calm and we have a place to do it."

"I don't want my kid walking around with a gun." Lori growls at Rick.

"Who's kid?" Carl stands up, "You renounced your claim to me; which, in Beta world, means you signed away your rights and dad has full custody now. You don't get a say in this anymore."

"Hey!" Daryl smacks the back of Carl's head, just enough to snap him back to attention, "Watch your mouth. Renounced claim or not, she gave birth to you and raised you. Don't bad mouth in front of her and yer dad."

"I'm sorry." Carl turns to Rick, "Can I learn to shoot?"

At Rick's consent, Daryl steers the pup away from the others, calling over his shoulder with a little bite, "Come on. I'll show you how to skin rabbits until your gun lessons. They're needed skills nowadays."

.....

After Rick gets Hershel's permission to teach his Pack how to shoot, those that were going left in the cars closest to the road. They set up cans on the fence post and line everyone up to one. Carol kept an eye on Carl while they took turns and Rick and Shane walked around. Shane stays with Andrea when everyone goes back, and they work on moving targets, a log tied to a tree and swung side to side.

The ones back at camp were talking about how well they did and congratulating Carl. Dale and Glenn were weighing the pros and cons of telling everyone, after Hershel's comment concerning Shane and maybe Andrea doing something drastic. Lori goes down to talk to the older Alpha while he was fixing the fences and learns that the Greene's Pack was expecting them to leave after Carl fully heals. Pissed she goes back to the camp to confront Rick, because of course it would be his fault none of them knew they weren't welcomed anymore.

"Hershel expects us to leave?" She asks after she gets close enough to the Alpha. When he doesn't respond she huffs, "Does anyone else know?"

"Glenn, T-Dog, Daryl, and Shane."

"Were you going to tell the rest of us?"

"The only one I can tell is Carl, and I was waiting until we found Sophia to do that. The rest of you are Shane's Pack and by Traditional Law, he has to tell his Pack news like that."

Lori leaves and passes Dale handing out some food. Covering her mouth at the smell of cooking meat, Dale follows the Beta to clean air. After sharing stories of his own pregnant wife and some advice concerning Lori's baby, Dale went back to cooking and Lori walks back to her tent to write out a list of stuff they would need. She had made her decision. She finds Glenn chopping wood and ask him to make a run into town, handing over the list before she could change her mind.

...

"You didn't have to come, you could have just hated me from a distance." Maggie urges her horse faster and pulls ahead of the other Alpha, "Please say something."

They make it all the way to town before Glenn tries again, "Maggie I-"

"I asked for your trust and you betrayed it." The Alpha female snaps, "Now my dad's pissed at me. Your turn."

"Why does your dad think they're sick?" Glenn ask as they pull up to the pharmacy. They tie the horses to the poles outside, "If you had seen Atlanta you would not have a barn full of Walkers."

"I wish you'd stop calling them that."

"I'm sorry. What do you call them?"

"Mom, Shawn, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, Lacey, Duncan." Maggie walks into the building and leaves the other Alpha outside. She passes Glenn at the feminine hygiene section and scoffs, "What does she want now?"

"I can't say."

"So, one of them ask you to keep your mouth shut-" Glenn hands over the paper with the item on it, a whine leaves him when she reads it. To think what Lori was asking them to get, what she was going to do with them...

"You've got to be kidding me." Maggie storms off in a huff behind the counter, troubled as well. While she was grabbing the pill bottles, Glenn starts scanning shelves for anything else the group might need. Picking up one of the bottles and reading the label, a hand grabs Maggie's wrist. Growling, the Walker could almost be heard over the female Alpha's screams of fright. The Walker pulls Maggie's arm closer to her and she screams, "GLENN!"

Glenn reacts quickly, grabbing a shelf off one of the stands and jumping the counter, swinging it at the Walker's head. It falls to the ground, releasing the sobbing Alpha. Glenn rushes over to Maggie, crooning.

"Are you bit? Did it get you?" When Maggie shakes her head, Glenn gathers her in his arms and presses her face into his glands, still crooning.

"Glenn!" The Walker was up again, and Glenn swings the board into its head, knocking it back down. Keeping himself between Maggie and the Walker, The Alpha grabs his knife and makes sure it goes all the way through to the brain. Dropping the dead body, Glenn stabs it a few more time, just to make sure the threat was gone. Pulling Maggie into the corner of the room, he sits her down with his knife and checks everywhere for another Walker. Finding none he goes back to Maggie and croons, keeping her against the wall, away from everything until she could calm down.

(Glenn didn't realize just how Alpha he had acted until later when he tells the story to Rick, who rubs their glands together and purrs in joy at how far the Alpha had come.)

The ride back to the farm was at a full run, pushing the horses to get them there quick. Maggie jumps off and runs towards Lori the second she sees her. "HEY! We got your stuff!"

"Maggie hang on, please."

"Well come on in here." Lori tries to usher them into the tent before the Alpha caused a scene.

"Why?! You ain't got nothing to hide!" Maggie starts throwing things on the ground as she pulls them out of the bag, "We got your lotion, your conditioner, your soap opera digest. Next time you want something, go get it yourself..... And here's your abortion pills."

Maggie takes off towards her house and Glenn sighs, following her.

Rick was grabbing the last of Carl's things from Lori's tent when he found them, the morning after pills. Four were missing, one pill a day would match up with when Maggie and Glenn had gone before. Or she got them on today's run and overdosed on them. Rick was going to go to her and see how she was doing. Instead he grabs his son's things and leaves; her and Shane's baby, their decision.

Daryl was still past out when stiles returned to see him so he left...

.....

Stiles had been out in the woods all day looking around for Sophia with T-Dog. They had stopped by the farmhouse right after shooting practice that morning and left another note and more clothes. The two Packmates had spent a few hours sealing up the windows and doors so the smell wouldn't leak out when the pup hit full Heat. Sophia hadn't made it back the previous night which was worrying because Stiles could smell signs of other Betas and Alphas hanging around. Someone's group was getting to close to the pup's Nest and that was unsettling. They comb the woods looking for any sign of her, following her tracks back to the creek.

"Maybe we should check the highway?" T-Dog suggest. They get back to the camp and check in with Dale before making the walk up. Not expecting to find anything, they were pleasantly surprised to see the food and drinks gone. They check the car with the sign and the surrounding cars too. They're disappointed to realize that the supplies had been nabbed when another group came through, the car tracks, more Walker bodies, and missing six pack Stiles had found and ignore in one of the trucks pointed to a group instead of Sophia.

Stiles was checking to see if there was anything useful left and found a kit; a Heat kit. Pocketing that for the next time one of them went into Heat, Stiles noticed a white board on the ground. Picking it up he could see bit of his own message to Sophia on the outlines, but someone had wiped the middle clean to draw a house and write Mr. Grimes on it. Sophia.

"Hey man. I'm dead on my feet, we have to go back." The sound of a car pulling up, demanded their attention. Seeing it was Rick and Carl, the two men go over to the passenger side and Stiles opens the door, helping T-Dog in then leans over Carl's open window to talk to Rick.

"He's done for the day, take him back and get him in the shade with some meds. I found another clue for Sophia and I think she's only staying at the farm house during the night. Thinking I'll stay there tonight and hopefully can bring her back by tomorrow."

"Really?!" Carl jumps up and down in his seat, "She'll be home by morning?!"

"Maybe pup. But she's going into Heat." Carl calms down with a look of understanding, "I might not be able to move her until night fall or the day after."

"Can you make it back to the farm house from here?" Rick asks.

"I'll catch a ride with you all and head back from camp, pick up a few more things for overnight." Once they get back to camp, Stiles grabs another shirt from Carol with a remark of getting her some new clothes since he was stealing all of her, earning him a laugh and a kiss on the cheek. He grabs one of Rick's and Carl's too, as well as her doll and more food. Getting back to her Nest, Stiles sets everything up in her little closet then goes and catches himself dinner.

He leaves a portion of the rabbit for Sophia and goes up stairs, dragging a mattress down into the living room. Falling asleep wasn't part of the plan, and it was after dark when he finally wakes up. Hearing a growl in the other room Stiles notices two Walkers in the kitchen, one by the sink and the other pushing at the closet door. Sophia's Nest, which was locked up tight. Stiles stabbed one with his knife and takes the other out. Moving the bodies outside the Omega was going back to the bed he'd claimed when he heard it.... A chirp.

No.

It couldn't be.

Please be her, please be her.

Stiles lets out a loud chuff and was rewarded with a happier chirp.

"Sophia?"

A heartbeat.... then two.... then....

"Mr. Grimes?"