Sweet and Salty ~ Carl Grimes

Lights, Camera, Action - 074

As Brooks got out of the red, rusty, creaky old car, she walked towards Carl who was grabbing Judith from her booster seat. "Here, I'll take 'er." Brooks said, holding out her arms.

"Sure." Carl said, handing the toddler to Brooks. Judith cold walk, but in circumstances like this, it was best to carry her - because the last time Judith tried running (from Sophia the tickle monster) she fell on her face and cried so loudly she brought a herd down on them.

"Auntie Books." Judith smiled, settling into Brooks' arms.

Brooks smiled at the toddler, eyeing the way the doors opened, before she looked to Carl. "Go along with what I do, alrigh'?" Brooks handed over Hershel's gun, and Marliya's knife for him to take. He was confused, but he didn't question Brooks. He knew that girl always had something up her sleeve.

As the gates began opening, they watched as Daryl used his crossbow to kill a possum that had run past. He grabbed the dead creature by the tail, and lifted it for the stranger who stood on the other side of the gates, while Aaron helped Eric walk past. "We brought dinner." Daryl said, holding the creature up for display.

A woman ran up towards Eric, and eyed his ankle. "The fuck happened to you?"

"Car fell on it." Eric admitted, grinning. "I'm basically a War hero."

"You mind helping him, Rhea?" Aaron asked, handing over his husband.

Rhea nodded. "Yea, I'll take him to Pete right now. As soon as I track down Enid, I'll get her to help, too."

Eric laughed. "Considering she's your sister, she hates people."

"Oh, I hate people generally, I just love my people." The woman responded, helping Eric wrap his arm around her shoulders. Rhea's eyes lingered on Rick as she looked him up and down, before her eyes trailed around the rest of the group. "You found people, then?"

"I'll tell you on the way." Eric laughed. Rhea nodded at Rick, already being able to tell that he was the group's leader, before she turned and helped take Eric away.

As the two walked away, gossiping like school kids, Aaron turned to the group. "Come on in, guys. It's okay." Rick and the group walked into the walls, and the gate shut behind them. Brooks eyed it, but controlled her body language. She kept a nervous expression on her face, and stood slightly behind Carl. The boy eyed her, Brooks has been known for pushing him behind her, never standing behind him in fear. He wondered what on Earth she was doing, but didn't let the strangers see his confusion. 

"Before we take this any further, I need you all to turn over your weapons." The strange man who had been manning the gate said, looking around the group. "You stay? You hand them over."

"We don't know if we want to stay." Rick said, stepping forward.

Aaron nodded to his friend. "It's- it's fine, Nicholas."

Rick looked around in agreement. "If we were gonna use them, we would've started already."

"Let them talk to Deanna first." Aaron stated.

Abraham was quick to ask. "Who's Deanna?"

"She knows everything you'd wanna know about this place." Aaron responded, looking to Abraham, but letting his eyes travel amongst the group. "Rick, why don't you start?"

/----------\

After a little display of Sasha getting a walker's head shot, first try, from about twenty feet away... The group wandered further into this community. Alexandria. They all took a seat outside of a house that was their leader Deanna's house. Brooks sat with Judith on her lap, as she sat between Carl and Sophia, waiting for Rick to come out. People who passed gave nervous looks, and avoided the new group like the plague.