Chapter Text
Maggie and I go to Deanna.
“What do you two need to talk to me about?” she asks, looking between us with a knowing glance.
“The meeting tonight,” Maggie starts.
“I’m going to talk to everyone about what happened, and what we need to do about it.”
“If it includes sending Rick away, it’s not going to work,” Maggie replies.
“Tell me what that means.”
“You let Rick in. You let all of us in. You talked to us. You decided. Now you want to put that decision on a group of frightened people who may not have the whole story. That’s not leadership.”
“It’s just a forum,” Deanna’s husband, Reg, says, his hands in his pockets. “It’s for people to say their piece.”
“I’ll make the decision as I’ve done since the beginning,” Deanna adds.
“He was frustrated,” Maggie continues, pleading Rick’s case. “The things he’s seen. The things he’s lost. The things we have all lost.”
“Things you’ve lost?”
“We’ve lost so much more.”
Deanna sighs. “He took a gun and pointed it at people.”
“He didn’t pull the trigger.”
I can’t help but scoff at this. Deanna looks at me. “Say what you’ve been silent on, Lilly.”
“This is just a bad situation all around. Rick felt he was being honorable.”
“And Michonne stopped him from going further,” Reg adds, looking over to Maggie and me in our defense.
Deanna sighs, looking away. “I’m going to do what I have to do.”
Maggie storms away, Reg following after her. I stay, staring down at Deanna.
“What?” she asks, uncomfortable with the silence.
“How long?”
“How long what?”
“Did you turn a blind eye to the abuse?”
“We can’t interfere with everyone’s marriage, Lilly.”
I shake my head, beginning to pace. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. Back during true civilization, domestic violence was a crime. Rick is used to nothing being punished unless he does it himself.”
She pauses, all words lost on her lips for a moment. She nods. “Have a nice day, Lilly.”
“You too, governor.”
***
Most of our group arrives at the meeting. That is, except for Rick and Glenn. Daryl is still not back with Aaron, either. Maggie pleads with Deanna to wait but she ignores her.
“We’re going to talk about one of our Constables, Rick Grimes. About how he had a pistol that he stole from the armory. That he pointed it at people. We’re going to talk about what he said. I was hoping that he’d be here.”
“Christ, me too,” I mutter, holding Cash. Milly puts her arms out and he goes to her, cooing happily. Jessie sends him a small smile, then me. I try to return it.
Michonne starts by pleading his case. “He just wants his family to live. He wants all of you to live. Who he is, is who you’re gonna be, if you’re lucky.”
Carol goes next. Then Abraham. “There is a vast ocean of shit that you don’t know shit about.”
“Poetry,” I mutter.
Maggie goes next. Then Deanna speaks.
“I’d like to share something in the spirit of transparency. Father Gabriel came to see me before yesterday. He said our new arrivals can’t be trusted, that they were dangerous, that they would put themselves before this community. Not one day later, Rick seemed to demonstrate all the things Father Gabriel said.”
“I don’t see Father Gabriel here, Deanna. So you’re just saying what someone said,” Jessie pipes up. “Did you tape him?”
“Maybe someone should’ve taped him letting his whole parish die,” I say quietly, loud enough for Deanna to hear.
“Father Gabriel isn’t here…and neither is Rick.”
Maggie and I look at each other, worried about the same conclusion. Rick wouldn’t kill him, too, right? “Excuse me,” Maggie says, taking off.
Deanna lets her group say their sides. I hear footsteps approaching, almost staggered, like a Walker. I slowly stand, pulling out my knife. Deanna looks over at me, her eyes wide. “Lilly.”
“Shush.” I hush her.
Rick comes through the archway, a body over his shoulder and himself covered in blood. He drops the body, a Walker, onto the ground in front of everyone.
“There wasn’t a guard on the gate. It was left open.”
One of Deanna’s crew speaks up. “I asked Gabriel to close it.”
Rick points at the still body. “I didn’t bring it in. It got inside on its own. They always will, the dead and the living, because we’re in here. The ones out there, they’ll hunt us; they’ll find us. They’ll try to use us. Try to kill us. We’ll kill them. We’ll survive. I’ll show you how.” He turns to their group. “I was thinking, how many of you do I have to kill to save your lives.”
“Okay, too far, buddy,” I say quietly, coming up beside him. I rest a hand on his shoulder. He nods at me.
“But I’m not going to do that. You’re going to change. I’m not sorry for what I said last night. I’m sorry for not saying it sooner.”
“Rick-”
“No, Lilly, I know a part of you agrees. It’s always agreed.” He turns to Deanna. “You aren’t ready, but you have to be. Luck runs out.”
“You’re not one of us!” Pete yells, a sword in his hand.
“Milly, get Cash out of here, now!”
She nods, jumping up without a word.
Reg gets in front of the advancing man, trying to stop him. He pushes him away, slicing his throat in the process.
“Rick, get Pete!” I yell, rushing to Reg’s side. I take my shirt off, pressing it to his throat in a last attempt to save the gentle man. Abraham takes him down first, Rick standing stoically in front of him. Deanna screams at my side.
“Deanna, he’s gone. I’m sorry,” I tell her, leaning back. She sobs for a minute, Pete screaming in the background before Abraham shoves his mouth to the ground.
“Rick, do it,” she says, her sobs subsiding.
He looks at me once before turning and putting a bullet into Pete’s head.
“I should’ve listened to you,” she says, grabbing at my arms distraught.
“Rick?”
We all look to the voice in the archway. I don’t recognize him, but he recognizes Rick. Daryl looks down at me then Reg with sadness in his eyes. I nod at him. Just a typical day for all of us.