Joe was led into a sitting room that felt like another world compared to the dirt, sweat, and blood outside the walls.
The air was still, almost too clean.
The walls were painted a warm beige, free of grime or claw marks. Bookshelves lined with neatly stacked volumes stood in the corners.
An elegant glass vase of flowers rested on a small table, and the faint smell of polish clung to the furniture.
Joe's eyes moved slowly around the room, not with admiration but calculation.
Clean walls meant safety. Decorations meant comfort. Neither existed in the world he'd walked through to get here.
His scarred hand brushed briefly along the back of a chair as though testing its reality.
A voice broke his inspection.
Deanna greeted, "Hello."
He turned. Deanna stood in the doorway, neat blouse, calm expression, though her eyes lingered on him just a fraction too long.
He was taller than she expected, broad-shouldered, his beard unkempt, scars tracing faint lines across his face and forearms.
His presence filled the room, and even with her years in politics, Deanna felt the weight of it in her chest.
Intimidation tried to creep in, but she forced it down, straightening her back.
Deanna extended a hand with practiced ease "I'm Deanna Monroe. I oversee this community. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Joe."
Joe studied her hand before taking it, his grip firm, not crushing, but enough to test her steadiness.
His eyes were dark, watchful, always measuring.
Joe said simply, "Your people want me to talk. I'll talk."
Deanna smiles politely, masking the flicker of nerves, "Good. That's all this is. Just a conversation. I want to understand who you are, Joe. Who you were. And what role you see for yourself here."
Joe's gaze flicked once more around the room before settling on her.
Joe said quietly, but heavy with meaning "I've seen what happens when people pretend the world's still normal. Flowers in a vase don't keep the dead outside."
For a brief moment, silence hung between them. Deanna's lips pressed together, but then she nodded firmly, reclaiming control.
Deanna bodded, "No. They don't. But order does. Structure does. And people like you... if we can find common ground."
Joe tilted his head slightly, a grunt of acknowledgment escaping him.
Deanna gestured to the chair across from where she would sit, a small tape recorder on the table waiting.
Deanna asked, "Shall we begin?"
Joe lowered himself into the chair, posture straight, eyes never leaving hers. The tidy room seemed smaller with him in it.
[TAPE RECORDER CLICKS ON]
Deanna said, "Please state your name for the record."
Joe leans forward slightly "Joseph Black."
Deanna asked, "How long have you been out there?"
Joe said, "Since the beginning."
Deanna asked, "How did your group find each other? Or did you know each other..."
Joe interrupted, "We didn't know each other. We just found ourselves in each other's path. Fate, you could say."
Deanna nodded, then said, "I was a congresswoman in Ohio. Fifteenth district. You?"
Joe said, "I dont think it matters. Not now."
Deanna said firmly, "It does. Who we were before matters."
Joe shrugged, "What is this place?"
Deanna said, "This was a planned community. With its own solar grid, eco based sewage filtration. Starting in the low eight hundred thousands."
She laughed, "If you can believe such a thing."
Joe asked, "How did you wind up here?"
Deanna said, "My family and I were trying to make our way back to Ohio after a conference. The army blocked us on a backroad and told us to come here. We waited, but they never came. But there were supplies here and we made the best of it."
Joe nodded, "You put up the wall?"
Deanna answered, "Yes. There was a huge mall being built nearby, we took the material and put them to use. My husband is an engineer, he designed and built the walls. Who he was before... it mattered."
Deanna took a breath, "More people showed up as we were building the wall. We had more help. We became a community."
Joe asked, "You've been inside the walls this whole time?"
Deanna nodded, "That's why we need people who have lived out there. Your group is the first we've considered."
Joe said firmly, "You should keep your gates closed."
Deanna asked, "Why?"
Joe explained, "Because it's all about survival now. At any cost. People play at angles, trying to gain leverage. They'll use any perceived weakness..."
Deanna nodded.
He continued, "They measure you by what they can take from you. By how they can use you to live. So bringing people into a place like this..."
Deanna asked, "Are you telling me I'm making a mistake by letting you and your people in? Are you already targeting this place."
Joe didn't answer.
She sighed, "Aaron said I could trust you."
He said, "Aaron doesn't know me. I've killed people. Multiple."
Deanna shrunk back slightly.
Joe looked her in the eyes, "I know why they're dead. They tried to take what they shouldn't have. To hurt who they shouldn't have. My family is alive because of it. I feel no guilt about it."
She said softly, "Sounds like I'd wanna be part of your family."
There was a few seconds of silence, Joe and Deanna staring at each other.
Deanna broke eye contact first, "Joe, The north of Virginia was effectively evacuated. Millions of people gone overnight. For a long time there's been a lack of people around here, living or dead. Even then, we've lost people and uh... I've done things."
He asked skeptically, "What have you done?"
Deanna answered slowly, "I exiled three men that didn't work out. You know that's as good as killing them."
Joe sighed, standing up and walking to the window. He looked down at his people, "What do you want from us? Deanna."
She said, "These families should be able to raise their kids in a safe environment. You have kids?"
Joe nodded, "Three."
This shocked her but she kept a straight face, "So you understand. Kids deserve to have a place to grow up. What I want is for you to help us survive. I know you can help us do that."
Joe asked, "How?"
Ahead smirked, "I am exceptionally good at reading people. If I didn't win the reelection I was going to be a professional poker player."
Joe chuckled, she continued, "I'm not joking. It's three thirty seven. It time for you to decide."
Joe looked down at his watch, adjusting it to the correct time. "I was a soldier. I saw combat in more places than I care to count. War never left me. Guess it trained me for this."
Diana nodded, "I had a feeling. And now? What do you see as your role in Alexandria?"
Joe said, his voice steady, deliberate, "I protect people. That's who I am. I've kept my group alive when the world wanted them dead. I'll do the same here, if you'll have me. I don't hesitate, I don't flinch."
Diana: studying him carefully "This is a community. Life here isn't the same as it is outside. Can you live by different rules?"
Joe let out a short laugh, but it was humorless "Rules out there are simple. Kill or be killed. I know how to live by that. In here… it's different. Softer. I can respect that. But if something comes to tear this place down, don't expect me to be soft. That's not who I am."
Diana: "Can you follow others? Trust leadership that isn't your own?"
Joe sat back, his expression unreadable "I follow people who've earned it. I don't need to lead, but I won't follow anyone blind. Trust is given, not demanded. You want loyalty, you'll get it. You want obedience without thought, you'll have to look elsewhere."
Diana: "And the people you arrived with? What do they mean to you?"
His voice softened, but was still edged with steel "They're my family now. Blood or not. I already lost my real family… and I won't lose anyone else if I can help it. Anyone who tries to take them from me, won't live long enough to regret it."
[TAPE RECORDER CLICKS OFF]
...
Diana's Private Notes
Joseph Black: ex-soldier. Strong protector, tactical mind.
Highly dangerous if turned against us.
Carries heavy grief, drives him to protect his group obsessively. Useful for defense, but requires careful balance.
His moral code may clash with ours. Ghosts in his eyes. Trustworthy, but only to his own.
...
[TAPE RECORDER CLICKS ON]
Deanna said, "State your name for the record."
Rick's voice was steady, with a slight edge of suspicion "Rick Grimes."
Deanna asked, "And before all this?"
Rick answered, "Sheriff's deputy. King County, Georgia. My job was to protect people… keep order. That didn't change when the world ended. Just got harder."
Deanna: nods, studying him "And now? What do you see yourself doing here, in Alexandria?"
Rick leaned forward, jaw tight "Keeping my people safe. That's what I do. It's all I do. If this place really is what you say it is, then maybe… maybe it can be home. But I don't take chances. Not anymore."
Deanna: "Can you live under someone else's rules? In a community with law, order, and structure?"
There was a beat of silence, Rick's eyes narrowing "I've seen what happens when rules don't work. When the wrong people make them. Out there, hesitation gets you killed. If the rules here keep people alive, I'll follow them. But if they don't… I'll do what I have to."
Deanna wrote something down quickly, "And leadership? Are you willing to step back, or do you see yourself leading again?"
Rick shook his head slightly, voice low but firm "I don't care about leading. I care about surviving. If someone else can do the job and keep people safe, fine. If not… I'll do what I've always done. Whatever it takes."
Deanna: "And your group? What do they mean to you?"
Rick's tone softened, but carried weight, "They're my family. I've lost enough already. Nobody in here and nobody out there, is gonna take them from me. Not ever again."
[TAPE RECORDER CLICKS OFF]
...
Deanna's Private Notes
Rick Grimes: Former sheriff's deputy. Natural leader, respected without question within the group. Carries authority like a second skin.
Strengths: decisive, tactical, survivor's instinct. Will protect their group at all costs. They would follow him anywhere.
Concerns: trauma runs deep. Ruthless when provoked. Strong moral compass, but adaptable to brutality if needed. Danger lies in the fact he doesn't separate the two anymore.
Role: Security, leadership. Best when paired with Michonne. Essential, but must be watched. Could either stabilize Alexandria or destroy it from within.
Believes the old world is gone, but still fights for the essence of it. Family. Justice. Order. He is both lawman and warlord.
...
[TAPE RECORDER CLICKS ON]
Deanna: "State your name for the record."
Michonne answered, calm and composed "Michonne. That's all you need."
Deanna raised an eyebrow, but smiled slightly "And before this?"
Michonne paused, eyes distant "I was… someone else. A mother. A partner. I had a career. But that life is gone. I don't dwell on it."
Deanna asked, "And now? What's your role in the group?"
Michonne said firmly, without hesitation "I fight. I protect. I make sure the people I care about make it through another day. That's who I am now."
Deanna inquired, "Do you see yourself fitting into a community? Living by its rules, rather than only surviving outside?"
Michonne nodded slowly, "Yes. That's why we're here. I want this place to work. I've seen enough death. Enough emptiness. If this is real, then I'll do what I can to protect it. Because we need it."
Deanna questioned, "And what about leadership? Do you see yourself in that role?"
Michonne considered it for a moment "I don't need the title. But when things get bad, people look to me. I'll step up if I have to. I won't hesitate. I've been alone long enough to know I don't want to be anymore."
Deanna: "And Joseph Black? What do you think of him as a leader?"
Michonne gave a small smile, quiet but steady "He's strong. He's carried all of us farther than we thought we could go. He's not perfect… but none of us are. I trust him with my life. I trust him with more than that."
[TAPE RECORDER CLICKS OFF]
...
Deanna's Private Notes
Michonne: A survivor. Quiet strength. Speaks little, but everything is deliberate. The group clearly looks to her in moments of crisis.
Strengths: disciplined, pragmatic, deeply loyal. Exceptional fighter, but not reckless. Brings balance where Rick can lean toward extremes.
Concerns: carries grief that she doesn't show easily. Has hardened herself to survive. Could risk isolating emotionally if not grounded. But unlike Rick or Joseph, she chooses connection over isolation.
Role in Alexandria: stabilizer. Voice of reason. Ideal as an advisor, community protector, and liaison between Joe's group and our people.
She wants this place to succeed. More than that... she needs it to. If Rick is the blade, Michonne is the hand that guides it."
...
[TAPE RECORDER CLICKS ON]
Deanna said, "State your name for the record."
Lee's voice was calm but guarded, "Lee Everett."
Deanna: "And before all of this?"
Lee Everett: pauses, then answers evenly "University professor. History. I… also spent some time in prison, before the outbreak. Mistakes I can't take back. But I've been trying to do right ever since."
Deanna jotted something down, but keeps her tone neutral "And now? What's your role in the group?"
Lee Everett: "I look out for people. Especially the kids. Clementine... she's my responsibility. She's still alive because I made sure of it. I don't know what kind of world we're building anymore, but I'm not gonna let her face it alone."
Deanna: "And Alexandria, what do you see your place here as?"
Lee said slowly "I can teach. Build. Help keep the peace. I'll fight if I have to, but if this place is what you say it is… I'd rather put my hands to work making life livable again. Don't mistake that for softness, though. I'll protect the people I care about without hesitation."
Deanna: "And leadership? Is that something you see yourself stepping into again?"
Lee sighef, rubbing his beard, "I never asked for it. But when people needed me, I couldn't walk away. I'll step up if I have to, but I'm fine standing beside someone like Joe or Rick. I've seen what happens when people lose themselves to power. I won't be that man."
Deanna: "And your past… do you believe it defines you? Or the man you are now?"
Lee's voice quieted, answering firmly, "It doesn't define me. What I do now, that's what matters. Clementine knows who I am. That's enough for me."
[TAPE RECORDER CLICKS OFF]
...
Deanna's Private Notes
Lee Everett: Former professor, convicted felon. Intelligent, thoughtful, reflective. Past could cause division if revealed, but his present character overrides it.
Strengths: protector, teacher, empathetic. Patient with children, pragmatic with adults. Survival skills solid but not reckless. Leadership ability present, though understated.
Concerns: Guilt over past weighs heavily, could be used against him. Driven to protect Clementine above all else, he may put her before the community at times. Potentially dangerous if threatened through her.
Role in Alexandria: Ideal as a mentor, educator, and secondary leader. Voice of calm reason in contrast to Joe and Rick. Would provide moral grounding for the group.
A man defined not by his past sins, but by his choices now. He carries shame, but uses it as fuel to protect others.
If Rick is the law, and Joseph the warlord, Lee Everett is the conscience.