IT HAD BEEN days of them trailing the tracks left by multiple people. Maisie could only assume it was Daryl and the others. The absence of any sign of Reaper gnawed at her, stirring a mix of worry and hope. She knew deep down he'd be okay. Reaper had a way of finding her, no matter what.

The night was thick with eerie shadows as the trio made their way down the train tracks toward Terminus. Maisie, her resolve hardening, decided to stop searching for them. If they were headed anywhere, it would be Terminus.

The moon hung low, its silvery glow bathing the deserted landscape in an otherworldly light. The trio moved with purpose, eyes sharp and vigilant, scanning the darkness for any lurking threats as they followed the train tracks.

Maisie led the way, every sense on high alert, her grip firm on her gun. Behind her, Jin and Felix walked in unison, their voices hushed as they exchanged murmured words, the tension palpable in the air.

"I still can't believe we're this close," Felix murmured, his eyes darting nervously to the shadows. "Do you think Terminus is gonna be safe?"

Jin shrugged, his face contemplative. "Man, I hope so. We've come too far to turn back now. We just gotta trust it's worth the risk."

Maisie glanced back at them, her eyes softening for a brief moment before refocusing on the path ahead. They had to keep moving, had to stay alert. The night was full of unknowns, and they couldn't afford to let their guard down.

As they walked further, Maisie's attention was abruptly pulled from Jin and Felix's conversation when she heard faint mumbles. She halted in her tracks, quietly motioning for the boys to keep it down as she turned to the left, where the noises seemed to be coming from.

"It's a lie!" a voice shouted, followed by a series of familiar grunts. Maisie tensed, straining her eyes to catch a glimpse of Daryl through the trees, but he was nowhere in sight.

"No!" Maisie heard Rick shout, and that's when it hit her.

She turned to the two boys, pressing her large gun into Jin's hands. The confusion on their faces was evident as she took her axe from Felix.

"Listen, I need you both to run there and don't stop, no matter what. When you get there, look around to make sure everything's clear and stash the big weapons in the trees, okay?" Maisie whispered urgently, gently nudging them towards Terminus.

"What if something seems off?" Felix whispered, eyes wide with fear.

"Get back here," Maisie replied, giving them a final push down the tracks before they sprinted away.

Maisie turned her head back to the noises, slipping silently into the woods. She moved cautiously, making sure to stay hidden in case she was wrong.

"Teach him, fellas. Teach him all the way," a man shouted, as more of Daryl's grunting echoed through the air.

Maisie spotted a blue truck as she hid behind a tree. Her breath caught when she saw a man opening the door and dragging Carl out of it.

Rick's yelling echoed through the air. Maisie spotted him and Michonne, but Daryl was nowhere in sight. She crept around a tree, her heart pounding, and saw Daryl being beaten by two men.

Her ears were ringing, the archer's grunts the only sound she could hear as the two men took turns hitting him. Her grip tightened on her axe, and it was as if something possessed her. In the blink of an eye, her axe was embedded in a man's head, and a gunshot rang out.

The gunshot snapped Maisie out of her trance, her eyes locking on the back of the man's head as blood streamed down. She watched as Daryl grabbed the other guy, throwing him to the ground and slamming his foot onto his head.

She turned her head at the sound of stabbing, seeing the guys who had pointed weapons at Rick and Michonne lying on the ground, lifeless. Rick was stabbing the one who had dragged Carl out of the truck.

Maisie turned her head to Daryl, needing to make sure she wasn't imagining things and that it was really him. Daryl felt her stare and glanced back at her, a small smirk creeping onto his face before he turned back to Rick, his smirk fading.

*

Maisie couldn't sleep. Her mind kept racing back to Carl. Something must've happened that she didn't see, something that changed the way he looked at everything. Last night, when Carl saw her, he just broke down. He hugged her so tight, and she could feel his tears soaking into her shirt. His grip was desperate, like he was holding on for dear life.

"I missed you," his voice was raw from all the screaming, his eyes vacant and haunted, his mind consumed by a single, relentless thought.

She was in the car with Michonne, Carl's body sprawled across their laps as he slept. Maisie leaned her head against the seat, eyes closed, desperately trying to catch a few moments of rest.

Michonne glanced over at Maisie, her voice barely a whisper. "You doing okay?"

Maisie sighed, her eyes fluttering open as she turned to look at Michonne. "I should be the one askin'. How're you feelin'?"

Michonne nodded, her gaze softening. "I'm getting by. It's tough, but we'll get through this together."

Maisie shrugged, her voice barely above a whisper as she stared out the window. "Everythin's fallin' apart. I can't stop thinkin' about Rick and Daryl, how close we came to losin' it all. I feel so helpless."

Michonne reached out, grabbing Maisie's hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You're not helpless. We fought back and did what we had to do to protect each other."

"It feels like we're losin' parts of ourselves with every fight. I don't know how much more we can take before there's nothin' left," Maisie murmured, her gaze dropping to Carl as he rested peacefully with his head in Michonne's lap.

Michonne's expression softened, a shared pain reflected in her eyes. "I get it. This world is cruel and takes so much from us. But we have to hold on to each other, to the love we have, or else it all feels pointless."

Maisie nodded slowly, her attention shifting as Daryl opened the door she was sitting beside. He caught her eye, giving a subtle nod towards the woods before silently walking away.

Maisie gently moved Carl's legs off her lap, slipping out of the truck and closing the door quietly behind her. She headed into the woods to catch up with Daryl, but before she fully disappeared into the trees, she spotted Rick. He was slumped against the car, bloodied and staring blankly ahead.

She jogged to catch up with Daryl, falling into step beside him as they ventured deeper into the woods. The silence between them was heavy, yet oddly comforting. Just being in his presence was enough for Maisie.

Deeper into the woods, they reached a clear river. Daryl pulled out a water bottle and began to fill it up, while Maisie watched him intently. She could sense the guilt weighing on him, so she furrowed her brows and stepped closer, wanting to offer some comfort.

"Beth," Daryl murmured, standing up once the water bottle was full. He faced Maisie, his eyes locked onto hers. "I was with 'er. We got split up. She's gone. Not dead, just... gone."

Maisie processed his words, her mind spinning with a storm of thoughts. She was at a loss for words, so she just stood there, staring at him, her eyes desperately searching his for any glimmer of hope.

Maisie couldn't lose another family member. Not now, not ever. Hershel was dead. Maggie was missing, and now Beth too. The idea of them being dead had never crossed Maisie's mind. They were strong, capable of taking care of themselves. But now? Everything was changing, and her whole perspective was shifting.

"Ya don't gotta say nothin'," he muttered, his voice low as he looked away from her, turning his gaze to the river. "Just wanted ta tell ya."

"We can find her," Maisie said, her eyes never leaving Daryl. She stared at the side of his face, as if searching for answers in his features.

"We can," he nods.

Silence fell again. Maisie finally tore her gaze from Daryl and looked back at the river, her eyes catching a squirrel climbing up a tree and leaping to another.

"Did ya get split up with anyone?" Maisie looked at Daryl when he spoke, locking eyes with him.

"No. I was alone," Maisie replied with a shrug, starting to walk back towards the others.

"Was?"

"I found these two boys. Sent them to that community we saw on the signs by the tracks when I found you," she explained, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she pictured the two boys safe in the community.

"Yeah?" Daryl looked at her with a small smirk, his hair falling just right to hide the cut he got from last night.

"Yeah," she said, pausing for a few moments as thoughts of Reaper filled her mind. Finally, she spoke again, "Did you see where Reaper went?"

"I saw 'im help Mika 'n Lizzie get the other kids to safety," Daryl murmured, his eyes scanning her face. "Me 'n Beth found the kids. They were dead, but we didn't see Reaper, Mika, or Lizzie."

Maisie let out a sigh of relief, though a pang of sadness shot through her chest at the reminder of the kids being gone. Shaking her head, she exited the forest and noticed Rick still in the same position as before.

Before Maisie could walk back to the truck, Daryl grabbed her hand, "Ya see my brother?"

"He was with Tyreese," Maisie shrugged, glancing down at her hand as Daryl let go, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

Daryl nodded, staring at her for a few seconds as he took out a rag and the water bottle. They both examined each other's faces in silence. Maisie wasn't sure if he was going to speak, so she smiled at him and began walking back to the truck.

"Glad yer okay," he murmurs.

Maisie turned her head to him, watching as he walked over to Rick while pouring water onto the rag. She bit back a smile, getting into the car with Carl, who was now awake, and Michonne, who was trying to listen to Daryl and Rick's conversation.

*

"Welcome to Terminus," the man said, spreading his arms wide. "I'm Gareth. Looks like you've been on the road for quite a while."

"We have," Rick replied with a nod. "Rick. That's Carl, Daryl, Maisie, Michonne."

Maisie eyed the man who introduced Terminus. He was staring at her weirdly before sending her a smile. She forced one back, then turned her head to a woman who was speaking on the radio.

The silence was uncomfortable and strange. Maisie glanced back at Gareth, watching as he let his arm fall after waving at everyone.

"You're nervous! I get it. We were all the same way," Gareth said with a bright smile, stepping closer to the group. "We came here for sanctuary. That what you're here for?"

"Yes."

"Good. You found it," Gareth nodded, his smile fading into a smaller one. "Hey, Alex, this isn't as pretty as the front. We got nothin' to hide, but the welcome wagon is a whole lot nicer."

Maisie wanted to speak, but she didn't want to mess up their chance of staying here. She stared at the man as he began to walk over to them, feeling his awkwardness even from where she stood.

"Alex will take you, ask you a few questions," Gareth continued as Alex waved with a small smile. "Uh, but first, we need to see everyone's weapons. If you could just lay them down in front of you."

The atmosphere turned serious, smiles disappearing into straight faces. Maisie glanced at Daryl, who was already watching her. She reached into her back pocket and tossed Daryl's old pocket knife onto the ground. It was their last weapon since they had buried the others.

Maisie was the only one who did that. Everyone else stayed silent, keeping their weapons in their holsters as they stared at each other. The uncomfortable silence was getting to Maisie, making her feel nervous.

"Alright," Rick said, pulling his gun from the holster. One by one, everyone else followed suit.

"I'm sure you understand," Gareth replies.

"Yes, I do," Rick murmured, bending down to place his weapons on the ground, his gaze locked on Gareth.

Maisie raised her hands when Gareth signaled, while Alex walked up to Daryl, ensuring he was unarmed, as Gareth did the same to Rick.

She blocked out everyone's words, scanning the area for anything amiss. When no one bothered to check her for weapons, Maisie let her arms drop to her sides, turning her attention back to Gareth as he spoke.

Maisie couldn't process his words; her mind was fixated on the tense atmosphere around her. Everyone's eyes were locked on Gareth and Rick. They weren't moving, just staring. They had stopped everything they were doing before, just to watch them.

Maisie glanced down as Alex approached Michonne, bending to hand her the katana from the floor. He offered a small, awkward smile before heading over to Maisie, bending down to retrieve her pocket knife.

Before he could, Daryl swiftly grabbed the pocket knife along with his crossbow, handing the knife to Maisie while glaring at Alex until he moved towards Carl.