Deanna and Reg left after a short while. Joe and his wives stayed at Jess's house for the night.
Her brother had taken the night watch at the front gate, so there was no need to worry about drama.
…
Joe woke the next morning with Beth in his arms. She was close to giving birth herself.
He decided then that he would stay in Alexandria until she gave birth. He would focus on defenses. On teaching these people to be strong.
Careful not to wake her, Joe slipped downstairs.
Jess was in the kitchen, wearing only a towel. It clung loosely, slipping a little at the chest as she moved.
Joe's eyes lingered for a moment before he spoke. "Morning." He poured himself some coffee.
Jess turned, smiling. "Good morning, Joe. How's everything?"
"All good," he said quietly. "Miracle's sleeping sound."
Jess let out a soft breath. "I'm glad."
Joe nodded. "Thanks for your help yesterday."
Jess stepped closer, her hand brushing over his. She looked up at him, her voice gentle. "It was nothing. Honestly… I was glad I could be there for you... I mean, Maggie."
Joe's gaze held hers, steady but unreadable. "If there's anything you need." he said, his tone low, "Don't hesitate to ask."
A faint blush crept across her cheeks. "I'll remember that."
Joe's hand slid across her shoulder, warm against her skin. The towel shifted slightly. "I'm heading to the wall crew. Tell them for me, would you?"
Jess nodded quickly, almost too quickly. "Of course. Have a good day."
Joe gave her a faint smile before heading for the door.
He stepped outside just as her brother, Lewis, came up the stairs.
Lewis froze, eyes narrowing. "Stay away from my sister."
Joe didn't break stride. He walked past calmly, silent, leaving Lewis seething in his wake.
At the gate, the builders were already gathering. They'd finished the south wall yesterday; today, the plan was the west side and hopefully some of the north.
The crew settled into rhythm. Joe kept sharp watch on their surroundings, the memory of the men Rick and Lee had killed still heavy in his thoughts.
He sent Daryl out to scout for any trace of the new group. Aaron joined him, as it wouldn't keep him from searching for new survivors.
...
Daryl and Aaron drove back to the supermarket and stashed the car. Daryl took point, scanning the ground for signs of movement.
He spotted a single set of footprints leading away from the market into the woods. Without a word, he followed.
Aaron caught up. "You think it's one of those W people?"
Daryl shrugged. "Don't think so."
"Why not?"
"Groups like that are cults," Daryl muttered. "Cults don't move alone. They stick tight. Keeps the leader in control."
Aaron frowned. "How though?"
"Just does."
Aaron let it drop, falling into step behind him.
The trail wound into a clearing where two men moved through the brush. Aaron raised binoculars. "You're right. No W's carved on them."
Daryl gave a short nod. "We'll follow."
Aaron asked, "Why not just go up and introduce ourselves?"
Daryl stayed silent, pressing forward. Aaron sighed, trailing behind.
The men's tracks led them to a canned food warehouse. A few trucks still sat in the loading bay.
Aaron's eyes lit up. "This is perfect. We can try to bring them in, then check the warehouse. If Joe wants to expand the community, we're gonna need more food."
Daryl nodded but froze as he spotted the walkers on the fence. Every one of them bore a carved W.
His gut twisted. He held Aaron back. "I got a bad feeling about this place. Let's hang back and watch for now."
Aaron hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. Gives us a chance to see how they fight."
They crouched as the two men reached the trucks. Suddenly...
Snap! Slam!
The back doors blew open, other trucks triggered, the warehouse bay doors screeching up.
Walkers poured out in waves.
The older man fought with a staff, striking and stabbing with practiced precision. The younger swung a bat, rough but effective.
But the numbers swelled too fast.
Daryl and Aaron acted. Suppressed shots cracked, walkers closest to the pair dropping in silence.
The two men glanced around in shock, then bolted for the exit. They slammed the gate shut behind them and latched it tight.
Both breathing heavily as they looked back at the walkers pressed on the fence.
From up close, Daryl and Aaron could see them clearly now, father and son. The boy barely older than Carl.
The older man straightened. "Who are you?"
Aaron stepped forward. "Aaron. This is Daryl. We're part of a group."
The man nodded. "Morgan. My son, Duane. Why'd you help us?"
Aaron smiled. "We're looking for people. Wondered if you'd want to join us."
Morgan shook his head. "We've got somewhere we need to be."
Duane spoke up, holding out a map. "We're actually lost. Could you point us in the right direction?"
Aaron took it, but before he could speak, Daryl leaned in. Scrawled on the corner was a message from Joe and Rick.
Daryl looked up sharply. "You looking for Joe and Rick?"
Morgan's eyes widened. Duane grinned. "You know them?"
Aaron said, "Joe's the one who sent us out looking for survivors."
Father and son exchanged a look. Morgan's voice softened. "Then… Yes. We'd be interested in joining you."
Aaron beamed. "Great. Let's head back."
Daryl coughed. "The food."
Aaron smacked the back of his own head. "Right. Almost forgot."
Daryl glanced at Morgan. "Feel up for a little more work?"
Morgan met Duane's eyes, then nodded. "Sure."
They lined the fence, spearing walkers through the chain links. Duane frowned. "All of them marked with W's."
Aaron said grimly, "We think it's a cult. That trap you sprung? It's probably theirs."
Morgan asked, "Then should we even stick around?"
Daryl replied, "So far, we've handled worse."
Aaron added, "And we've got plenty of bullets."
Morgan exhaled. "Alright. But let's finish this quickly."
They cleared the fence, then picked off the stragglers. Near the trucks, they spotted the trip wire stretched thin. The trigger for the trap.
A few walkers were still stuck inside, chained to the wall of the cargo bay. Daryl put them down and shoved them out onto the concrete.
Aaron swept the beam of his flashlight into the warehouse.
Stacks of wooden crates.
A walker lunged at Duane, but Daryl's bolt dropped it instantly. Morgan gave him a quick nod of respect.
They pried open one of the crates.
There were cans, stacked high. Soup, vegetables, meat. A treasure trove.
Daryl and Morgan hauled crates to the trucks while Aaron and Duane kwpt a lookout.
One by one, the loading bays filled until three trucks sat heavy with food.
There were more crates, but no room. And exhaustion was setting in.
They split into the vehicles. Aaron took the lead, the convoy rolling out, truck tires squelching over corpses, grinding them into the pavement.
...
Not even ten minutes after the trucks pulled away, a group of men appeared at the warehouse.
Each one bore a crude W carved into his forehead, some fresh, others long-healed.
Their boots crunched over the walker's mangled flesh. They stopped dead, stunned at the carnage.
Dozens of corpses littered the ground, jaws slack, eyes clouded.
Then fury replaced shock.
"Son of a bitch!" one spat, kicking a severed walker head across the pavement.
Another crouched, running a finger over the fresh blood spattered on the concrete. He looked up at the others, eyes wild. "They're close."
The leader, taller than the rest, clenched his jaw. "Somebody stole from us. Took what was ours. And we don't let that go."
They spread out, scanning the yard.
It didn't take long to find a dark smear of blood leading away from the gate, tire tracks of walker blood and bile, lining the road beyond.
One of the men let out a low whistle. "They took the trucks."
The leader's lips curled into a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "Good. Easier to follow."
He turned to the group. "Get the dogs. We'll run 'em down before they think they're safe."
A murmur of excitement rippled through the men, their knives glinting in the fading light.
As they moved out, one lingered by the gate, staring at the headless corpses stacked against the fence.
He dragged a blade across the nearest one's chest, carving another W into ruined flesh.
"Remind 'em who they're dealing with," he muttered, before jogging to catch up with the others.
The Wolves followed the trail down the road, their laughter carrying into the night.
...
The workers had finished the west side and started on the north by lunchtime.
Tired but satisfied, they headed back toward Alexandria's gate.
Andrea and a few other women were waiting at a table. Laid out were sandwiches, snacks, and cold drinks. A few beers as well.
The men rushed over gratefully, Joe among them.
He went straight to Andrea's side and kissed her. She leaned into it, holding on a little longer than necessary.
A few people glanced over, awkward at the open display.
Andrea finally pulled back, patting his chest. "Thanks for payment, Scarface."
Some of the men chuckled. "Scarface!"
Joe turned his head, fixing them with a look. The laughter died instantly.
One of them muttered, "Wife only. Got it." A few others nodded quickly.
Joe grabbed a sandwich and walked Andrea to a bench. They sat together.
"How are you today, my love?" Joe asked.
Andrea smiled. "Great. I heard some of the workers' wives talking about making lunch, so I joined in."
"That's good," Joe said, taking a bite. "Might as well get involved. Soon it won't be them and us."
Andrea leaned on him. "It'll just be us."
Joe nodded. "How's Maggie doing?"
"She's great," Andrea said happily. "Lewis helped move her back over to our house."
"Good," Joe said. "We don't want to overstep with Jess."
Andrea smirked. "I don't think you could overstep with her."
Joe raised a brow. "How's that?"
Andrea gave him a sly look. "She's got a crush on you."
"I know," Joe said, calm as ever. "But I'm sure if I pushed too hard, she'd push back."
Andrea smirked. "Pretty sure she'd be happy if you pushed her."
Joe chuckled. "Alright, that's enough. You could just say you like her."
Andrea scoffed. "I don't."
"Yes, dear," Joe said dryly.
Andrea swatted his arm, then settled against him again. "How's the defense work coming?"
"We'll finish the last of the spikes today," Joe said. "Tomorrow we start mounting the barbed wire."
Andrea nodded. "Good. I'll go check on Maggie and Miracle."
Joe kissed her softly before she walked off. He finished his sandwich, chugged some water, then headed back toward the workers.
They were still laughing and eating with the women, so Joe went looking for Reg and Noah.
Sure enough, he found them at the gazebo, deep in discussion.
They were sketching rough diagrams and muttering back and forth, too caught up to notice him.
Joe leaned against a post, listening for a few minutes before clearing his throat.
Both men jumped.
"Jesus, Joe," Noah blurted. "Give us some warning before you sneak up like that."
Reg clutched his chest. "Damn near had a heart attack."
Joe smirked. "Been standing here five minutes. You two were zoned in."
They glanced at each other, embarrassed.
"Guess that's a good sign?" Joe asked.
Reg nodded eagerly. "We found the best way to attach the barbed wire along the top."
Noah chimed in. "We're pitching it at a sixty-degree angle, overhanging the outside of the wall."
"Stops anyone from climbing or using ropes to get over," Reg added.
"Smart." Joe said. "What about designs for the new watchtowers?"
Noah coughed. "Uh… we focused on the barbed wire today."
"That's fine." Joe said. "I was just curious."
Reg scratched his chin. "We're still working it out. We don't want to copy the current one, it's got a flaw."
Joe tilted his head. "Which is?"
Reg explained, "The base isn't cemented. If something hit it hard enough at the bottom, it could come down."
Joe frowned. "Yeah, can't have that. Once we finish the new towers, we'll reinforce the main one."
Both men nodded.
Reg asked, "How's training coming along?"
Joe shrugged. "Rick and Kenny are running it. Lee and a few others will help when they're back from scavenging."
Reg nodded. "Good."
Just then, Rosita came over. "Any of you seen Abraham?"
Joe shook his head. Reg said, "He went out with Tobin and a crew to pull heavy equipment from a dig site a couple miles out. Should be back soon."
Rosita nodded. "Alright, thanks." She started to walk off, then turned. "If you see him, tell him to find me."
All three men nodded. "Will do."