Joe eased to the classroom door and scanned the hallway. No one had noticed the bodies yet.
With effort, he dragged the burly guard inside, shutting the door behind him.
He started toward the next cluster of noise.
"What are you doing?" Michonne's voice was low but tense.
Joe half-turned. "Wiping them out." His tone was cold, final.
Michonne hesitated only a moment before following.
The next room was larger. Men were sprawled across the floor, sleeping. They had no idea death was walking among them.
Joe moved without hesitation. Knife in, knife out.
Throat after throat.
No wasted motion, no expression.
Michonne watched, unsettled, as he walked past each target like the Reaper himself.
When it was done, he glanced at her once. That was enough to make her freeze for a moment.
He brushed past her into the hallway and she followed silently.
From the next room came muffled cries and guttural grunts. Joe went in fast, slitting the first man's throat before he could stand.
Michonne didn't hesitate. She joined the assault, her katana flashing. The slaughter was silent but absolute.
The women inside were coated in blood. They were frozen in shock. They stared at the bodies.
Joe stepped forward, but stopped whe he saw the women trembling in fear.
Michonne stepped ahead of him and spoke gently. "Please, don't make noise. We'll get you out of here"
They looked into her soft eyes, noticing her borrowed jacket, and understood.
Their fear shifted not away from men entirely, but away from this man.
Room after room was the same. Five women captive, five men. Now corpses.
They worked their way through four more classrooms before someone shouted. Alerting the rest of their group.
But it was too late. Most of their manpower was gone.
That didn't stop them from fighting back.
...
Gunfire tore through the hallway. Michonne ducked into cover. Retreating to the captive women.
Joe charged forward, M4 spitting fire. Anyone who stepped out died in seconds.
Ten minutes later, it was over. Seven more bodies on the floor. Joe double-tapped each with his knife, stripping weapons as he went.
He rejoined Michonne just as she was checking on the rescued women. They were huddled in a corner, trembling.
"We have to move," he said. "Walkers will hear the shots."
They gathered all the women, still nude, shaken, but alive. Leading them down the hall and to the other rooms to fetch the other women.
At the last room, a man lunged from the side, tackling Joe. The blade sank deep into his chest.
"Die, bastard!" the man screamed.
Joe reversed their positions, pinning him down.
Rage took over. His elbows crashed into the man's face until it was nothing but pulp.
Only stoping when he felt Michonne's grip on his arm.
He turned, his glare froze her in place before his eyes softened again. Pulled back to reality.
The women had gone still with fear, some trembling so hard they soiled themselves.
Joe rose slowly, looking at the knife still in his shoulder.
One of the women, April Rushed forward, she was a nurse, "Leave it in."
Joe nodded slowly. "Let's get out of here."
They followed April's directions to several hidden vehicles. Walkers starting to approach. A small herd forming.
Some of the women screamed in fear. Being dragged forward by others. Joe shot any walkers that got too close.
Seeing this the women relaxed.
There were three vans parked in an alley, they packed tightly into them.
...
As Joe drove, he counted in his head. Twenty-five women. Twenty-six with Michonne. Thirty-six plus men dead.
Michonne's hand on his arm broke the thought. "Thank you."
Joe glanced over. "I told you... I owed you one."
She leaned in and kissed him lightly. "Thank you," she said again.
Joe nodded, "You're welcome."
---
At the farm, Rick and some others has rifles trained on the vans. Joe flashed his headlight once, then climbed out, Michonne at his side.
"I need clothes," he said. "Twenty-five sets."
Rick's eyes went to the blade sticking from Joe's chest. He sent Glenn inside without a word.
"What the hell happened?" Rick asked.
Michonne answered, "I was out scouting the area when I saw a plume of black smoke. I watched from the treeline as a group attacked another. Slaughtering all the men and capturing the women."
"They brought me and some other women to the school. They strapped me to a desk to interrogate me, but really the leader just wanted to rape me."
At the last second, Joe burst through the door and saved me. Then saved the others.
Rick nodded slowly, everyone was at a loss of words.
Joe added, "Clean slate for everyone. No one says a word about it."
Rick nodded. Daryl agreed.
Glenn returned with laundry baskets in each arm.
Joe and Michonne made their way to the vans and handed out clothes. Shielding the women as they dressed.
Once everyone was dressed, Joe said, "We'll get you all settled for the night. If you want to leave in the morning... feel free to. We won't stop you."
Some women sighed in relief, their bodies finally relaxing.
T lhe relief was visible, some women even smiling as Beth, Carol, and other women came to help them settle in.
---
When that was handled, Joe headed toward the house with Michonne supporting him.
Hershel looked up from his tea and saw the knife sticking out of his chest. His eyes widened, spitting out his tea. He was on his feet in an instant. Dragging Joe to another room.
He shouted, "Patricia! Get my bag!"
Patricia came running with supplies, but fainted at the sight of the knife plunged into Joe's chest.
Michonne caught her and set her gently in a chair,. Then handed Hershel the medical bag.
Hershel paused when he gripped the blade, hesitating to pull it out.
Joe grunted as he pulled the knife free himself. Grunting slightly at the pain.
Hershel checked the wound, relief washing over him. "You got lucky! Missed anything vital."
Joe smirked. "Figured, since I made it back."
Hershel patched him quickly, wrapping the bandage snug around his chest and shoulder.
His hands shook as he muttered, "Almost lost my son-in-law."
Joe chuckling softly, Hershel couldn't bring himself to join him. "Stop that... You'll aggravate the wound."
Maggie appeared, eyes wide. She slapped Joe hard, then kissed him harder.
Only stopping when Hershel coughed awkwardly. Maggie didn't stop hugging him though.
Joe calmed her by smoothing her hair. Once she was calm, he sent her upstairs to rest.Emma waiting for her at the top of the stairs.
---
Later, in his tent, Amy and Andrea slept curled together. Joe slid in beside them without a sound. Setting the jars of cherries at their side.
Michonne lingered at the entrance for a moment, then stepped inside.
She let the jacket slip off her shoulders and lay next to him, head on his chest.
Joe's arm went around her, hand tracing slow lines across the smooth skin of her back.
No words. Just the steady rhythm of breathing in the dark.
...
Joe woke to a gentle shake. Amy knelt beside him, completely nude, worry etched into her face.
Her eyes were glassy. Joe raised a hand and cupped her cheek, feeling the tremble in her body.
He sat up and kissed her deeply, letting the moment calm her.
When they finally parted, he glanced around. Michonne was gone. Andrea was still curled up, snoring softly.
Amy drew his attention back. "What happened, honey?"
Joe kept his voice soft. "Ran into a little trouble last night. Saved some people."
Amy's sigh was shaky. "I was worried. Are you okay?"
He pulled her into his arms, kissed her gently. "I'm fine." He tapped his bandaged shoulder. "Just a flesh wound."
Her hand moved to her stomach as her tone turned serious. "I don't want to lose you."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"You can't know that," she said quietly.
Joe smirked. "You should see the other guy."
A faint smile tugged at her lips. "If he looks anything like Ed did…"
"Worse," Joe said, and she broke into laughter. "Good."
She leaned into him, skin warm against his. His arm wrapped around her snugly.
"Did your boobs get bigger?" he asked with a teasing grin.
Her cheeks flushed. "Yeah. I think it's the baby weight. You don't like it?"
"I didn't say that," he chuckled.
They stayed there for a while, wrapped up in each other, until Andrea stirred awake.
She blinked at him, concern flashing in her eyes, then pressed herself against him along with her sister.
Something clicked in Joe's mind. He nudged the blanket with his foot, revealing two jars of maraschino cherries.
The sisters pounced on them instantly, each kissing him on the cheek before twisting the lids open.
They each ate one, sighing with satisfaction, then leaned back against him to savor a few more before tucking the jars away.
Joe smiled at their content expressions. Sitting silently with them for a short while longer.
"Alright, ladies, I think we should get some real food."
They agreed, pulling on panties while Joe watched for a moment before grabbing jeans and a white tank top.
When they stepped out of the tent, both women froze. The yard was full of unfamiliar faces... the rescued women from last night.
Andrea's eyes narrowed. "Who are these people?"
Amy's voice was incredulous. "You call this a few people?"
Joe chuckled as multiple women noticed him, a few offering greetings.
April, the nurse, was among them, throwing glances his way that he ignored.
Amy chatted easily with the newcomers while Andrea kept her distance.
Joe let them mingle while scanning the crowd for Michonne. No sign of her.
He shrugged and waited for the sisters to finish before leading them inside.
At the table, Carol set down plates of fruit and oatmeal. "Enjoy!"
They thanked her quickly and dug in.
...
After breakfast, Joe stepped out onto the porch.
The yard was busy, some more tents being set up. Ladies moving supplies to make more space.
His eyes swept past all of it until he spotted her.
Michonne was off near the tree line, sitting cross-legged in the grass, the katana laid across her knees.
A whetstone slid along the blade in slow, precise strokes.
Joe walked over without calling out. She didn't look up until he was sitting next to her.
"You vanished this morning," he said.
Her gaze flicked to him, then back to the blade. "Needed some space."
Another stroke on the whetstone. "Needed this back in working order."
Joe studied her for a moment. "You alright?"
Michonne's lips pressed into a thin line. "I've been worse." The words were calm, but there was an edge to them.
Not defensive, just honest.
Joe crouched beside her. "Last night…"
"You already did enough," she cut in, finally meeting his eyes. "You don't have to say anything."
They held each other's gaze for a beat.
Then Michonne went back to the blade, but her voice was softer. "You didn't just save me. You gave me a chance to take something back from them. That matters."
Joe nodded once. "Anytime."
The whetstone paused again. "Hope you don't make a habit of showing up at the last second though."
Joe smirked. "Can't make any promises."
Michonne shook her head, the corner of her mouth twitching before she masked it again.
She went back to sharpening, and Joe sat with her in companionable silence, the steady scrape of steel and stone filling the air.
...
Michonne finished a slow, precise stroke along the katana, then set the whetstone aside.
Without looking at him, she shrugged off the black jacket and folded it in her lap. When she finally met his eyes, she held it out.
"Here."
Joe didn't move to take it. "Keep it."
Her brow knit slightly. "It's not mine."
He smirked faintly. "It looks good on you."
The words landed heavier than she expected.
Michonne hesitated, searching his face for sarcasm, but there was none. Just that steady, unreadable look he always had.
Her grip on the jacket tightened for a second before she slid it back on. "Okay," she said quietly.
Joe stood, brushing grass from his jeans. "Well... I should see what Rick's got planned for the day."
She remained seated, adjusting the katana.
But as Joe walked toward the others, she found herself tugging the jacket a little tighter around her shoulders.
The faintest smile on her face.