( chapter one )

❛ the meeting ❜

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A rock. she had been kicking this rock for so long that it started to become round. the edges were blunter that her knife and has been one of her only sources of entertainment. the other source would be her cat, lady, who reminded her of a grumpy old lady despite finding her as a kitten.

a chirp pulled juniper from her thoughts causing a groan to leave her. "i know, you're bored but we'll find a place soon"

juniper looked over her shoulder to see lady poking her head out from her backpack, where she stayed because she was to lazy to walk. another chirp left lady's mouth, reminding juniper of a child that constantly asked 'are we there, yet.'

juniper went to answer lady when she heard someone nearby scream making her stop in her place. lady's head had immediately went back into the bag at the sound knowing her owner would eventually tell her to. juniper stood for a moment before another scream caused her to run towards it. she came to a stop when she saw a man her age with rotters surrounding him, swinging a bat into whichever got close enough, but what made her help him was the baby strapped to his chest. she wouldn't let a baby die.

"hey" juniper yelled pulling an arrow from her quiver which was strapped around her thigh. when some of the rotters started coming towards her, she released the arrow only to quickly load one again and release it into the next one. the man was swinging the bat with what she assumed was nails in it. when all the rotters were finally dead, juniper went and pulled her arrows from the bodies.

"thank you" the man spoke from where he was leaned up against a tree. juniper looked at him as she wiped away the rotters goo from her arrows before putting them back. "it's okay. don't cry"

"no problem" junipers eyes moved to the baby on his chest that looked as if she wanted to cry. juniper knew that would attract more rotters so she put her stuff down. "hey, it's okay. look what i have"

juniper made eye contact with the baby as she pulled lady out of her bag. the baby looked interested in the cat and held out her hand as if she wanted to touch it. juniper looked up at the man who nodded his head. walking closer the baby started to touch the cat, juniper smiled when lady purred. lady may act like a mean cat but she was a softie at heart.

"how old is she" juniper glanced at the man briefly before turning her attention back to the baby, who was now laughing as lady licked her fingers.

"about six months, i think" the boy smiled as the baby laid against his chest contently as juniper put lady back in her bag. "i'm dylan, this is my sister, judith"

"juniper and that's lady" dylan glanced at the bag that now rested on junipers shoulder to see the cats head sticking out of the bag. "where you headed"

"uh" the young man seemed to be hesitant to tell her but she watched as he looked around before sighing gloomily. "i don't know. my group was staying at the prison not to far from here but than it was blown up" dylan shook his head as he saw the confused look on juniper's face. "long story, anyways, i don't know if anyone else is alive"

"well, i'm headed to a place called terminus" juniper shrugged her shoulders. "heard on the radio about a sanctuary called terminus when i had a car a few weeks back. i just have to find train tracks and follow them north" she saw the hesitant look on his face. "what if your people go there"

"okay" dylan nodded his head knowing he couldn't survive and protect judith in the woods by himself. there was also a chance his family might go to terminus as well. "let's go find some train tracks"

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      "Would you like me to carry her" juniper had watched dylan struggle carry judith for the past hour. he kept readjusting the harness every few seconds and it was starting to get on junipers nerve. they had found the train tracks shortly after meeting each other

"no, no, i'm okay" dylan shook his head as he continued to readjust judith as his shoulders started to become sore.

"oh my god" juniper groaned as she stopped and moved to the grass to put her bag down. she watched as dylan silently followed before she motioned towards the baby. "you can carry lady, i'll carry the baby. i can't listen to you fidgeting anymore"

dylan looked between the bag on the ground with lady's head sticking out, judith on his chest and the woman he just met a couple hours before. he really didn't want to put his sister in the hands of a stranger but he had been carrying judith for days and could feel the raw skin burning every time the harness moved.

"okay, but only for an hour" dylan gave the woman a pointed look who nodded in agreement. dylan laid down the flannel that was tied around his waist before setting judith on it.

as he took the harness off he couldn't help the hiss of pain that left his mouth as a small breeze of cool wind came in contact with the raw skin.

"let me see" juniper had taken the harness from his hands and put it on the ground next to judith, who was chewing on her fingers.

"i'm fine" dylan shrugged his shoulders when juniper went to move his shirt and once again hissed in pain.

"no, you're not" juniper said sternly as she pulled the collar of his shirt down to see the patch of raw skin and she knew the other shoulder would match it. "take off your shirt. i have to bandage it before it gets infected"

juniper leaned down and opened her bag all the way causing lady to jump out and walk towards the baby who rubbed against and cause a giggle to leave the girls mouth. looking up at dylan, juniper saw how that he had not moved and was staring at the cat-baby duo.

"dylan" said man jumped slightly before looking at her to see her staring pointedly him. "your shirt"

"oh, yeah" dylan stuttered out as he sat down next to her, but not before making sure there was no walkers around and took off his shirt.

"these probably won't heal until we find your family or get to terminus as you continue to carry judith but i can help keep it from getting infected. it will also scar" juniper rambled as she applied ointment to his skin causing him to let out a grunt. "sorry"

"thanks" dylan softly said as she applied bandages over the wounds. even though she was a stranger, she took care of him as he had always been a carer instead of the receiver.

"i like to think we're friends now even though we just met and friends take care of each other" juniper gave dylan a smile that seemed to make his heart stop for a few seconds and couldn't help but smile back. he watched as juniper put everything back in her bag, including the cat before turning to him. "alright, let's get back on the road or tracks"

dylan had helped juniper put on the harness correctly and placed judith inside. he watched as his baby sister seemed to immediately fall in love with girl as she placed her head on her chest and had a tight grip on the older woman's hair.

"she likes you" dylan commented as he grabbed the backpack and put it on. the bandages added some padding to the bag and it didn't hurt as bad to carry as it was with judith.

"i've always loved kids and connected to them easily" juniper started as the continued to follow the tracks. she could tell that dylan was hesitant with her simply because he didn't know her. so, she hoped telling him things helped. " i was in medical school when this started. i wanted to be a pediatric surgeon. help kids so they could live a long life. children are our future and they need to survive to help change it"

"i wanted to be a cop. just like my dad" dylan replied after a few minutes of silence. juniper glanced over to see him messing with a sheriffs badge before stuffing it back in his pocket. "put the people who hurt innocents away for good. he was my hero"

from the little time they had been together, dylan had told juniper that his group consisted of his dad, brother and multiple people he met during the apocalypse that became family.

"is" juniper stated firmly causing the young man to look over at her. "he's was alive the last time you saw him. right" recieving a nod the woman gave him a smile. "then he's still alive until you see his body"

"you're right" dylan nodded his head and let a small smile settle on his face. juniper had given him hope that his family could still be alive and he was determined to find him.

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a/n— was inspired to write today after reading a book where beth survived and was reunited years later with the group shortly after negan and being a leader of a group of her own. it is a daryl/beth pairing but i read it only for how someone would right beth curving all those years alone without her family. hopefully, ill write more chapters soon! til next time!

sign-off gif credit: coast_by_coast