The group tore through the woods, lungs burning, shadows rushing past.
Rick pushed them hard, leading straight to where he'd buried his stash of weapons.
They reached the tree hollow, pulled the duffels out, and tore them open.
Cold steel gleamed in the moonlight... assault rifles, pistols, knives, magazines.
Rick and Joe tossed them out, arming half the group in seconds.
"Load up," Joe barked, already sprinting ahead. "No time to waste."
The others followed close, hearts hammering.
Joe's urgency was contagious... driving them forward.
Through the thick brush, down the trail, until the house came into view.
And Joe's stomach dropped.
The car he had shoved against the door was gone. Its shape sat skewed on the lawn.
The ground outside was littered with corpses. Walkers with their skulls caved in, their bodies collapsed in heaps.
"No…" Joe whispered, breaking into a dead sprint.
Gunfire cracked from the house. A shot whizzed past his head, close enough to kiss his cheek.
He dove, rolled, came up with his Glock raised... then froze.
Through the doorway, he saw them.
Amy. Andrea. Grace. Julian. And they weren't alone.
Carol. Tyreese. Judith. Emma. Esther.
For a moment the world stopped.
Behind him Rick and the others stormed in.
Rick caught sight of Judith and the sound that ripped out of him was half sob, half shout.
Carl barreled forward, scooping her up, tears streaking his face as he pressed his sister against his chest.
Joe reached Emma, pulling her into him, kissing her with desperation.
He crouched, brushing a hand through Esther's hair, pressing his forehead against hers for a second. Then he moved to Andrea's side.
Andrea lay propped up on the couch, her color better, her wound dressed tight. Joe dropped to his knees beside her, eyes wide. "Andrea..."
Carol stepped in, voice steady but soft. "She's going to make it. I extracted the bullet. Sewed her up. Bleeding's stopped."
Joe grabbed Carol in a crushing hug, his voice rough. "Thank you. For everything."
Carol stiffened at first, then gave a tired smile and patted his back.
She looked haggard, shadows under her eyes, weight heavy in her expression. When pressed, she told them about Lizzie.
How she'd been forced to end her after she tried to kill Emma.
The words hit the room like a stone. No one judged her. No one could.
Joe kissed Andrea's forehead, then Amy's, then Grace's.
But the peace shattered when he noticed Beth wasn't there.
He turned, voice low, sharp. "Beth?"
The silence was heavy.
Daryl stepped forward, his face tight, eyes hollow. "She was taken. By another group. Last I saw… they stuffed her into the trunk of a police cruiser."
Joe's body tensed. His hand shot out, grabbing Daryl by the vest, lifting him clean off the floor with terrifying strength.
His voice was ice cold. "You didn't chase them?"
Daryl choked, hands grabbing at Joe's wrists. "I... couldn't..."
Rick stepped forward fast, eyes locked on Joe, trying to calm him. But Joe's rage burned hot, his grip like iron.
Then Sophia's voice cut through, sharp, desperate. "It's not his fault! We were held back by a walker horde!"
The words cracked through his fury. Joe's eyes narrowed, then finally he exhaled, setting Daryl back on his feet.
He looked down, regret in his voice. "…I'm sorry."
Daryl caught his breath, gave a weak pat on Joe's shoulder. "It's alright, brother."
The tension broke. But not the danger.
Joe bent, scooping Andrea into his arms, holding her close but secure.
His voice was firm again, barking orders. "We can't stay. Terminus isn't finished. Not yet. We move on."
The group poured into the night, every face grim, every body weary but moving. They pushed hard, deeper into the town.
They didn't stop until the house was long behind them and the sounds of chaos had faded into memory.
...
The group collapsed into a small house on the other side of the town.
The walls creaked as everyone filed inside.
People dropped wherever they could... on couches, floors, against walls.
Their breathing hard, finally out of immediate danger.
Joe set Andrea gently on a bed, checking her bandages again, ensuring Carol's work held.
Then he stood, eyes scanning the room, already thinking ahead.
"We can't stay long. Terminus isn't done... They'll come for us. We need to move at first light."
A low, sharp laugh cut through the air. Abraham, sitting against the wall cleaning his rifle.
He stared hard at Joe. "You ever stop, soldier boy? Or is it just kill, kill, kill with you?"
Joe turned slowly. His eyes locked on Abraham's, cold but calm.
"Stopping gets people killed. You want to rest while they regroup? Be my guest."
Abraham pushed himself up, bristling. "I've got a mission. Eugene needs to get to Washington. That's bigger than you playing hero with your little family. If we get caught up in your war, that's on you."
The room tensed. Glenn, Daryl, and Rick straightened, ready to intervene.
Joe didn't raise his voice. He just stepped closer, eyes like steel. "Then leave. You're free to go your own way. Right now. No one's holding you back."
Abraham blinked, caught off guard.
Joe continued, low and steady. "But if you stay with me, you move when I move. You fight when I fight. And you survive. Or you walk out that door and take your chances with the world as it is."
For a moment, only the wind outside filled the silence. Then Abraham exhaled, looking away. "Fine. We'll see how long that lasts."
Joe turned to the group, "That goes for the rest of you as well. You don't want to follow me, feel free to leave."
Everyone looked at him, then they started a hushed discussion with the people closest to them.
Joe finished, satisfied that no one decided to leave, "Get some rest. We leave at dawn."
Amy's tired eyes followed him as he returned to Andrea's side, sitting close, one hand resting lightly on hers.
He didn't show it, but she could see it. The storm was still raging inside him.
Beth was still out there. Terminus still lived. And Joe wasn't done. Not even close.
...
Clementine darted across the room, her little shoes tapping against the floorboards.
She nearly stumbled in her rush, throwing herself against Andrea's side.
Andrea winced but quickly pulled the girl into a warm hug, pressing her face into her hair.
Lee followed behind, slower, shoulders stiff with hesitation.
His dark eyes scanned the room, wary, before they locked onto Joe. He stepped forward, extending his hand.
"Thank you," Lee said, voice deep, steady. "For looking after Clem. I don't know if I'd ever… If she'd…" He shook his head, unable to finish.
Joe clasped his hand firmly, his own eyes searching Lee's. "She your daughter?"
Lee didn't flinch. "Not by blood. By choice."
Joe studied him for a long beat, then nodded once. "Nice to meet you. But you'll have to excuse me. Gotta get all this blood off me."
Lee gave a curt nod of respect as Joe grabbed his bag and stepped into the next room.
The silence in the small house followed him, broken only by muffled voices and the coos of children.
He set his bag down, peeled off his shirt.
He turned at the sound of a gasp.
Maggie and Emma stood in the doorway.
Their eyes widened as they saw the jagged wound carved across Joe's back, the scab torn open, blood oozing freely from the chaos at Terminus.
When he turned toward them, their hands flew to their mouths, tears springing hot and fast.
"What happened to you?" Emma whispered, her voice breaking.
Joe smiled softly, almost sheepishly. "Nothing much."
They both scoffed, shaking their heads, but neither pressed. Instead they stepped forward, wrapping him in their arms.
Holding him as if just touching him could pull him back from whatever place he'd gone.
Maggie's head tilted against his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart. She leaned toward Emma, whispering something low.
Emma froze, her eyes flicking between them. Then she leaned in, kissed Joe gently, and left the room without a word.
Joe looked down into Maggie's light green eyes. His gaze was different from before.
No rage, no bloodlust, just a quiet vulnerability. "Something wrong?"
Maggie smiled, tears slipping down her cheeks. "No. The opposite."
She took his hand and placed it gently against her stomach.
Joe's eyes widened, breath catching in his throat. "Really?"
Her smile trembled but held. "Yep. Our baby."
He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight, resting his cheek against her hair.
Maggie listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat, steady and strong, and for a moment the whole world outside disappeared.
The spell broke when Sophia peeked in shyly. "Dinner's ready."
Joe nodded, kissing Maggie's forehead before pulling on a clean white shirt and jeans. Together they stepped into the main room.
Eyes followed him as he crossed to Andrea, Amy, and Emma, the children gathered in a warm cluster around them.
Joe sat on the floor, the infants squealing with joy, little arms reaching for him.
Grace rolled over first, crawling into his lap. Julian and Esther followed, climbing clumsily onto him, giggling as he tickled their bellies.
The newcomers stared.
To them, Joe had been a demon in human skin, the man who painted Terminus in blood.
But here, surrounded by children's laughter, he looked like any young father in another lifetime. Soft smiles, warm hands, eyes glowing with love.
Sophia carried over a plate of canned chili, offering it to Joe. All eyes waited... expecting him to eat first.
But Joe passed it straight to Andrea. She smiled, weak but grateful, taking a few bites before handing it to Amy.
Emma followed, then the plate came back with only a few spoonfuls left. Joe ate the remainder without complaint.
Whispers rippled among the new faces. Whatever they thought of him before, they saw now.
This wasn't greed or control. His family loved him, and he gave that love back in kind.
One by one, the group claimed spots on the floor, exhaustion pulling them under. Joe remained seated, Esther sleeping peacefully against his chest.
His eyes never closed. He didn't trust the new ones. Not yet. And he could feel Abraham's eyes still burning into him from across the room.
Across the shadows, Daryl's gaze caught his. Joe rose quietly, stepping over the others, and crouched down beside him.
"Can you tell me what happened?" Joe asked softly.
Daryl nodded, jaw tight. "We were holed up in a country club. Things went bad. We slipped out the back, walkers everywhere..."
Daryl said regretfully, "We got separated. I saw Beth... running up the road. A car pulled in front of her. Cops. Shoved her into the trunk."
His voice cracked. "I tried to fight my way to her. But I couldn't. I had to keep Sophia safe." His eyes glistened, a tear slipping free.
Joe clasped his shoulder firmly. "Thank you, brother. She'll be okay. I'll find her."
Daryl's voice steadied, rough but resolute. "We'll find her."
Joe gave a small smile, a rare one, then turned back. He looked down at Esther curled in his arms, tiny breaths warming his chest.
'I won't let anyone separate us again', he thought, his jaw hardening. 'I'll kill anyone who tries.'
...
The next morning, Joe felt a gentle pat against his side.
"Joe, wake up."
His eyes snapped open. He pulled Andrea into his arms, holding her close before pressing a soft kiss to her lips.
"How are you feeling? Any pain?"
Andrea smiled faintly. "I'm okay. It's not too bad."
Relieved, Joe nodded and rose to his feet.
Around them, the group was stirring.
Their voices low, a few figures already moving about, tending to morning routines.