Amy looked over the burning town, a smile creeping across her face.
She liked the sll of burning things.
The heat was becoming uncomfortable, but she didn't move. She simply stood there, enjoying the view.
Every walker had been killed, and her people had already gathered all the supplies they could before the town was consud by flas.
"Madam, what should we do with those people?"
A middle-aged woman pointed toward a group of won and children huddled together in fear.
So of the children were crying quietly. Even many of the adults were in tears.
Their hos had been burned down. Their people had either been eaten alive or shot to death. So had suffered an even worse fate—they had burned alive.
Amy felt no pity for them.
If anything, their crying was beginning to annoy her.
'Their leader ran away. The only person they can bla is themselves. They should be grateful I haven't killed them yet.'
Now ca the troubleso part.
"Did you find Hope?"
The middle-aged woman shook her head.
Amy frowned.
Her commander wasn't going to like that.
Reporting the sa failure month after month was becoming tireso, but there was nothing she could do about it.
"Did you get any useful information from them?"
She waited patiently for the answer.
"I wrote down everything they told us. One interesting thing ca up. There's a prison nearby that they've been trading with. The population is estimated to be around thirty to forty people. There's also a coal mine within their territory."
Amy's eyes lit up.
Coal was an extrely valuable resource.
If she could secure it, her commander would be pleased.
And if her commander was pleased, she would be pleased.
The middle-aged woman noticed Amy's smile and instinctively took a step back.
Amy ignored it.
"Tell them they're all slaves from now on. The only way they'll earn their freedom is by working for Alexandria."
She delivered the order without hesitation.
"Yes, ma'am."
The woman bowed her head and hurried away.
A few monts later, Luna ca running toward Amy and stopped in front of her, breathing heavily.
"Madam Amy, I have news. The Saviors and the New Frontier have both been spotted nearby."
Amy's eyes narrowed.
'Are they fighting each other again?'
The thought brought a smile to her face.
If the two groups weakened each other, it would only benefit Alexandria.
Her commander had considered attacking both factions before, but the potential gains had been too small compared to the losses they would suffer. Because of that, they had postponed dealing with them until later.
"Keep an eye on both groups," Amy ordered. "And send people to investigate that prison ahead."
A greedy gleam flashed in her eyes.
Luna quickly nodded before hurrying off to relay the orders.
---
Clentine gently stroked her belly, smiling to herself.
I wonder what our baby will look like.
She tried to imagine it, but the first image that ca to mind was a bald baby with Max's face.
Imdiately, she reached over and slapped Molly on the shoulder.
"Ow! What the hell was that for, Clem?" Molly rubbed her shoulder and frowned. "And why are you looking at like that?"
Molly had no idea what she had done wrong, but Clentine ignored her and continued stroking her belly.
A mont later, she quickly leaned out the window and threw up.
After wiping her mouth, she let out a sigh of relief.
It had been three months since she beca pregnant, and her growing belly was starting to beco noticeable.
The nausea was terrible. She felt exhausted almost all the ti, and so of her cravings made absolutely no sense.
The strangest one was chalk.
Even she couldn't understand it.
When she was younger, she used to draw on sidewalks with chalk all the ti. She had even tasted it once out of curiosity.
It had tasted awful.
Now, however, she found herself craving it almost every day.
The entire pregnancy experience felt strange to her.
Strange...
But beautiful, too.
"Are you sick?"
The question ca from a girl around ten years old sitting beside Clentine. Looked at her with obvious concern, her eyes drifting down to Clentine's stomach.
"Does your stomach hurt?" she asked innocently.
Clentine chuckled at the worried expression on the girl's face.
"No, I'm not sick, Mariana," she replied with a smile.
"Mari, don't bother her. Leave her alone."
The voice ca from the back of the vehicle, carrying an annoyed tone.
Clentine looked over.
"But, Gabe, I'm just asking how she's doing. I'm not bothering her."
"You are. Can you just be quiet for a mont? My head already hurts from thinking about Kate, and your constant talking isn't helping."
He shot an irritated look at his sister.
Clentine was about to say sothing when soone else spoke first.
"Gabe, don't talk to Mari like that. Just like you, we're worried too. The way you're acting right now isn't helping anyone."
Gabe gritted his teeth.
"Uncle Javier, you don't care about Kate. If you did, you would've looked for her where we got separated. We wouldn't be stuck in this car worrying about whether she's alive or dead."
Clentine could clearly see how much those words hurt Javier.
But he didn't argue.
Gabe simply turned away and stared out the window.
"I'm sorry if my niece is bothering you," Javier said apologetically. "And thank you for helping us."
"Don't ntion it," Jane replied. "We'll be kicking you out soon enough. Besides, whose brilliant idea was it to cram this many people into one vehicle?"
As she spoke, Jane looked directly at Clentine.
Clentine imdiately looked away.
"Hey, family head, your ti is up. Let sit in the front now," Jane shouted toward Molly.
Molly was comfortably sitting in the front seat beside Michonne.
"You illiterate bitch, can you not read a clock? I still have a couple of minutes left."
"See? This is exactly why nobody likes you."
"Oh, shut up."
"Both of you, stop acting like children," Michonne interrupted before another argunt could start. "And watch your language."
"Michonne, are you seriously taking her side?" Jane demanded, pointing at Molly.
From the back seat, Clentine watched the two of them bicker over sothing completely aningless.
A smile crept onto her face.
Mariana, who seed upset, looked back at Clentine and spoke in a small voice.
"I'm sorry for bothering you."
Clentine laughed softly.
"No, don't be sorry. You didn't bother at all. And thank you for asking if I'm okay. But I'm perfectly fine. I'm not sick."
The little girl smiled back.
Relieved that Clentine wasn't upset, Mariana's curiosity imdiately returned.
"Then what's wrong with your stomach if you're not sick?"
"Nothing's wrong with it," Clentine replied proudly, resting a hand on her belly. "I'm pregnant."
"WHAT?!"
Both Javier and Gabe shouted in disbelief.
The outburst was so loud that even Jane and Molly stopped arguing.
Mariana blinked several tis.
"What does pregnant an?"
For a mont, the entire vehicle fell silent.
Then—
"AHAHAHAHA!"
Michonne burst out laughing.
Jane nearly choked trying to hold hers in.
Even Molly doubled over laughing.
anwhile, Mariana sat there completely confused, wondering what was so funny.
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