elodie

“you’re home, baby, you’re safe now,” michonne told her quickly, her arms wrapped tightly around the younger girl, unwilling or unable to let her go yet. or maybe ever. “you won’t have to fight to survive anymore, i’m going to look after you now. i promise you.”

Nick wasn’t exactly the ideal welcoming party, but he’d happily help the girl adjust to the kingdom if everyone else was busy. “I can show you around if you want, introduce you to the leaders, see if we can get you somewhere to stay and… are you hungry? I can show you to the cafeteria.” He realized that he was probably overwhelming her, she seemed uncomfortable as it was. “Or I can just… leave you alone. Whatever you want.”

tight arms wrapped around a small frame. michonne was only small herself, but she found herself in a bone crushing hug. how could she ever let go of this girl. of her girl. “how are you here? how did you survive?” she whispered.

carl’s brows furrowed together as she mentioned her name was elodie. “did you ever know someone named michonne?” he asked, biting down on his lip. he didn’t think that was a common name. michonne had assumed her kids were all dead, but could this be her oldest? he wasn’t sure. “how many walkers have you killed?”

When the cup left his hand, he smiled gently at her. She seemed kind, even if she’d only been there for mere moments and had hardly said anything at all. She seemed like the kind of person they needed around, to balance out the harshness of the Saviors. “You’re welcome.” he nodded in response to the thanks, putting a hand out to get her attetion as she started to fill the cup. “Just be careful about drinking so fast. Don’t make yourself sick, I promise the water isn’t going to go anywhere.” The ‘not going anywhere’ part was lighthearted, and paired with a bright, toothy smile. But, he was very serious about her wellbeing. “It’s nice to meet you. Did some of the recruits bring you in?”

elodie saw his hand in the corner of her eye, as she tried filling up her cup.. big dark eyes peered up at him, watching him as he gave her the advice to not drink too fast or too much so that she didn’t make herself sick and how they had plenty of water so she didn’t have to worry about it going anywhere before smiling down at her.. elodie’s eyes moved down to look at the cup she had between her fingers, holding onto it tight as she stood up, swallowing hard. a slight smile tucking at the corners of her lips, while a butterfly or two started moving around her empty stomach.. “nice meeting you too.. and uhm yeah, they told me where to go so-- here i am..”

michonne’s arms were around her daughter before she knew it. carl had only mentioned elodie a day or so before the girl had turned up, like clockwork. elodie was the only one michonne hadn’t known the fate of. the only one she’d still held up hope she’d find. every time she’d found rick or carl again after losing them, there was that same reminder. she hadn’t been able to find her own daughter. but now here she was, in michonne’s arms, and there was nothing but guilt suffocating her. “i’m real, baby, i’m real.”

the girl wasn’t able to stop herself at that point as her feet kinda just gave in,  taking her mom with her the moment the other confirmed that she was real, that she wasn’t imagining this again.. after all those years alone, scared, being so certain that she wouldn’t make it and that there was no one left in the world that she’d known from before  but here she was, the person who’d been the most important to her, on the ground, arms wrapped tightly around her. while elodie herself slowly just crumbled into a crying mess. 

michonne turned when she heard the voice. she had been being called mom for a while now by carl and judith. but this voice was a different one. this one was a familiar one, but a distant familiarity. “… elodie?” her eyes welled when she saw her. she was far older, of course. she looked very different. but she was michonne’s daughter nonetheless. the features were there. the same features she remembered rocking to sleep when she was a baby. “w-where did you come from?” she whispered, “i’ve been looking for you for years…”

she’d heard her, the figure that she’d thought to belong to her mom turned to look at her, saying her name back the moment she did. and before she’d gotten around to process anything else her eyes started welling up herself, dropping everything she had in her hands and scrambled trying to get back up on her feet, and over to her, letting her arms wrap around the woman’s waist, pulling herself close against her, her fist clenched tight shut as they got a hold of some of her shirt, scared that if she let go she’d disappear into nothing.. she wasn’t even sure how to answer anything she asked her, or anything that she said.. it all just felt so surreal and the fear that it wasn’t real still weighed heavy on her shoulders. all she knew to do was bury her face into the other, “please just be real---” she whispered, holding her tight

breathing in free air made michonne feel like smiling, something she hadn’t felt like in quite some time. they were always at war, always in some fight to survive. she was used to that. but being sick, it was too hard to accomplish. she was relieved now just to be outside again. funny how things could you remind you that you wanted to be alive. that was, until the smoke. then, michonne was running around. with so many out doing jobs and her partner still injured, michonne found herself taking over for alexandria’s leader’s jobs wherever the could, not wanting to put extra on others. “have we heard anything from our recruiters?”

elodie hadn’t been in the settlement for more than an hour, maybe more, maybe less she wasn’t sure really.. all she’d gotten to do at least was get some water and an apple and she didn’t think she could’ve been any happier.. having found herself a place to sit, she’d pushed some strands of her thick curly hair behind her ear as she slowly ate away at every bit of her fruit, savoring every moment with it.. but just like that she heard a voice, a voice she’d only been hearing in her head all those years, so she thought she had to have been hallucinating, or having her mind play tricks on her.. no way would it be her, no way could they end up in the same place.. but she couldn’t help but turn her head and barely peek over her shoulder, just enough for her to see a familiar face which only made her think even more about how she was just seeing things.. it wasn’t real.. no way.. but she couldn’t stop herself, the need to know for sure that it wasn’t real was almost to strong, and if anything it would just end with her looking stupid for talking to herself... “mom...” her voice came out so small, almost certain it wouldn’t be able to be heard by anyone.. but she wasn’t going to repeat it, knowing that if she did, that she’d end up in tears.

having seen someone, carl’s brows furrowed together. he looked back out the hole, his piercing blue eye landing on the brunette. seconds later, he’s pulling away and climbing up the guard post, leaning over the fence to look down at her. “who are you?” is his first question, his head tilted to the side slightly. “what are you doing here? are you looking for a community?”

as elodie fell back, her butt landing on the ground beneath her, she was just about to get back up on her feet and run away, but before she’d even gotten to act on her thoughts, she heard a voice talk down for her, so from the ground, elodie looked up at the boy standing on top of the wall. “i-i’m elodie.. a-and i just saw the wall and i don’t know.. maybe?”

“i can’t just invite you to join us. i don’t have the… the authority to do that. but my mom is one of our leaders,” enid said slowly, “i could talk to her about… about letting you in. letting you come inside. in here, we’ve got four different groups of people that’ve come together. things aren’t… exactly safe. but… seems like they’re a helluva lot better than dying on the outside.”

elodie looked at her as she spoke, mentioning inviting her inside the walls but not being able to decide that herself. the girl looked down at her boots, swallowing hard before nodding, “-- i don’t want to cause any trouble.. she said while her hues rested on enid’s.. “i’ll be fine.. iv got a tent on top of a tree platform back in the forest, i’ll be okay for now...”

“why?” enid asked the question in a flat voice. in truth, she liked this girl a lot. she didn’t have the power just to invite her in, but she did have the power to go to maggie, rick or ezekiel about it. likely maggie. or rick, since she was so often stuck with him now. 

Nick had been there. He knew what it felt like to be so desperate for a drink that it’s all you can focus on. He smiled as he approached and leaned against the wall behind the trough. “We have cups, you know.” he joked with the stranger lightly, holding a cup out for her, one he had intended to use for himself but was willing to sacrifice for her. “I’m assuming you’re new here.” With such desperation, she had to be. If she was with them, she would’ve had a canteen with her while outside the walls. “My name’s Nick, welcome to the Kingdom.”

“how many people have you killed?” the question ran on from the first easily. she’d heard the others say it, she knew the reasons that they said it. and, she didn’t know what made her pity this girl, except that she felt like she knew her. she remembered turning up at alexandria, desperate and alone. she remembered how hard it was. 

a minute later, enid returned with a bottle of water, holding it up to the girl. when she returned, she looked her up and down, as if sizing her up, thinking it over. “how many walkers have you killed?” she asked.

enid’s green eyes locked on the dark eyes of the stranger through the fence. “okay,” she finally said, looking at the other girl, who looked about her age, give or take. “i’m going to get you water and i’m going to come out and give it to you. don’t move.” she said quickly, sternly. “don’t move.”