Michael found Rick and Hershel by the greenhouse two days after the events in Woodbury. The last of the wounded were finally stable, and the worst of the worry had passed.
"I want to talk about Florida," Michael said, no preamble.
Rick set down the length of pipe he'd been fitting and gave him a long look. "You're still on that. I told you before that those were just unverified information Shane got from the Governor. We're not sure if there's even a Florida National Guard out there."
"That's a small possibility we need to at least confirm with our eyes." Michael crossed his arms. "We've got a full winter coming, and once the snow sets in, there's not much any of us can do but sit here and wait it out. I'd rather spend that time doing something useful than watching the walls."
Hershel furrowed his brows. He turned to look at Rick and asked."Did you not say before that the whole state's underwater in walkers?"
"Not the state. The road into it." Rick replied.
"Yes the road is blocked, but that's not the only way to get into Florida. I found a small marina south of here a month ago where we encountered Lee and the others before. So instead of taking the road, we can travel through the water to bypass the blockade."
"Why even bother going through all that? Isn't it better to just mind our own business here?" Herschel is clearly against it.
Michael shook his head. "It's great that we at least managed to create a small safe haven here, but that's it. We have a higher chance of surviving if there's more of us. If the Florida National Guard is still standing, then all the more we need to confirm it. For our future."
"I still don't think it's a good idea. The army is good during peace time, but in an era of chaos such as this.." Hershel just shook his head and did not elaborate further.
Michael and Rick looked solemn as they contemplated his words.
Rick turned to Michael and studied him for a moment. "And you need people for this."
"Three. Not more." Michael had already worked the math a dozen times over in his head. "Small enough to move fast, but big enough to handle trouble if it finds us."
"Who do you have in mind?"
"Rosita, Jack and probably Michonne."
Rick raised an eyebrow at the last name — Michonne had barely said two dozen words to anyone since she'd arrived here, but he didn't argue it. He was just confused why he chose her when there are more qualified and trustworthy people to choose from. "And when do you leave?"
"During late winter." Michael's jaw tightened slightly. "I'm not running anybody out onto open water in the middle of winter just to prove a point."
Andrea heard about it before Michael even had the chance to tell her himself, which was, in its own way, exactly the problem.
"Three people," she said, arms crossed, standing in the doorway of the motorhome while Michael packed away the last of his gear from the Woodbury trip. "And I'm not one of them."
"Andrea—"
"I'm not asking why." Her voice was steady, which somehow made it worse than if she'd been shouting. "Besides, I doubt I can even come."
Michael set down what he was holding and turned to face her fully. "I know. You're too worried about Amy."
"Of course, but I really want to come." She let out a breath, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "But you know how she gets when I'm not around to keep an eye on her. She's the only family I've got left, Michael. If I'm gone that long and she does something stupid. I won't be able to forgive myself for not being here to stop it."
"I know, that's why you're not coming." Michael said with a slight chuckle.
She glared at him, and Michael added. "Besides, I think you should trust her more and the people around her. I don't think she'd willingly do something stupid anyway. She's an adult already, she knows the consequences."
Andrea did not say anything and just stared into space. Michael crossed the small space between them and pulled her into him, and she let him, her forehead resting against his shoulder.
"I don't like this," she said with a sigh, muffled against his jacket.
"I know."
She pulled back to look at him. "Just come back. However long it takes. I'm not asking you not to do this, because I know you're just going to do it anyway. Just be careful out there."
"I will."
"Hmm..scratch that. I think I should be more worried about the people you'd encounter there." Andrea chuckled when she remembered Michael is a different kind of human.
"Yeah. I think so too." Michael admitted. "But I'll be careful, alright?"
Andrea studied his face for a long moment, then nodded once, and stepped back. Whatever she'd needed to say seemed to finally calm her emotions.
"Take care of Rosita," she said finally, a ghost of dry humor creeping back into her voice. "And Michonne. And Jack. In that order, probably, knowing you."
Michael huffed something close to a laugh. "Noted."
Winter came hard that year, colder than anyone at Hope 101 had braced for, and for a while the whole camp narrowed down to the same small rituals of gathering around burn barrels, snuggling under the covers, and meals were reduced from three to two meal times.
Everywhere was covered in a white frost, the greenhouse was the only thing that stands as a small green miracle against this winter.
The former Woodbury residents on the other hand, had slowly settled into their new environment, They were wary at first and grieving in equal measure, but by the time the first hard frost broke, most of them had found some version of a place among the people who'd taken their home apart and then offered them a new one anyway.
Merle had eventually stopped drinking five days after Shane had left. Daryl and Mady slowly became closer and comfortable around each other. Maggie's belly grew round enough that Glenn started sleeping lighter, being worried for nothing. Rick and Lori found something like peace, not the same as before, but its own kind of steady.
And through all of it, Michael waited, constantly making plans in his head, running the math on fuel and distance and everything that could go wrong, counting down the days until the temperature became fit for travel..
As late winter came and with spring approaching, the snow finally showed signs of thawing with the slow increase in temperature.
Michael left with Rosita, Jack, and Michonne at dawn as they loaded into a truck bound for the coast, and Andrea watched them go from the same watchtower where Lori had stood the morning Shane was kicked out, a thick jacket wrapped around her against the cold. Amy stood quietly beside her this time, both of them watching the truck shrink into the tree line until there was nothing left to watch at all.