Reflections - TWD

96. Wake up.

Isabella and Freddie were sitting in the meeting tent the next morning. Daryl and Carol were giving them a long and boring lecture while Rick, Gabriel and Rosita stood at the sides to watch. Maggie was nowhere to be found, she was supposed to be at the camp by now but she wasn't.

"Ya stupid or somethin'?" Daryl yelled, swinging his arm. He was just swinging it out of frustration like he always did, he wasn't aiming to hurt either of the kids, he'd never even consider it. Yet, Isabella and Freddie still pulled their heads back a little.

"You can't go out there in the middle of the night," Carol shook her head and then turned her voice to a hushed whisper. "What if they found out it was you, Isabella?"

"They'd kill me," Isabella shrugged and then narrowed her eyes at Daryl. "I'd rather be dead than listening to you two drone on."

"Stop sayin' shit like that," Daryl sighed.

"You don't mean that, Isabella," Carol told her.

It was silent for a few moments, Freddie and Isabella looked at each other as if to say, this is so boring. But they would probably end up laughing about it later, they always did.

Rosita looked like she was holding back a laugh from the side of the tent. Seeing Daryl giving a lecture was definitely something she never thought she'd see.

"I don't mean to interrupt," Gabriel piped up, making everyone turn around and look at him while he cleared his throat. One of his eyes was completely white now, he'd gone blind in it because he hadn't gotten the right treatment when he was with the Saviors. "But, when I was on watch at Alexandria...I saw a head of blonde hair sneaking in."

Everyone turned back and looked at Isabella and Freddie, raising their eyebrows. Carol was staring at Isabella, while Daryl stared at Freddie. Both of them not believing that their kid would go all the way to Alexandria without them.

Carol looked back at Gabriel. "You're gonna have to elaborate. They're both blonde."

Gabriel laughed and nodded. "Oh, right. Isabella."

"Rat!" Isabella stood up from her chair, pointing right at Gabriel. Gabriel took a step back and held his hands up, stuttering.

"The hell did ya go there for?" Daryl asked through his teeth, trying to sound calm.

Isabella looked up at the tent ceiling and sat back down. "I just felt like visiting," she shrugged, trying to play it cool.

"Ooh, you're in trouble," Freddie taunted her in a sing-song voice.

"Shut up."

Daryl looked back at Gabriel. It was obvious Isabella was lying, she couldn't even look at him and her voice took on a higher pitch.

Gabriel cleared his throat and looked down at his shoes. "Um, I saw her...coming up the steps from Negan's cell."

Rosita's eyes went wide and she covered her mouth. Daryl spun around to Isabella again before she had a chance to shout at Gabriel.

"Are ya kiddin' me? How many times do I gotta tell ya that man ain't your friend, Bells. There ain't nothin' good left in him," Daryl spat.

"There is! He helped me!" Isabella stood up again, yelling back at him.

"Helped ya? With what?" Daryl shook his head in disbelief.

Isabella shrugged. "He told me what to do about Justin. I didn't listen. But I did what he said you'd do."

"Oh, my god," Rick rubbed his face, mumbling. Of course, Isabella would've never just killed Justin because she was mad. She did it because Negan told her that's what Daryl would do, and she wanted to be just like Daryl.

Negan knew what he was doing. He knew exactly what Isabella would do if he told her that.

Thankfully, Jerry came into the tent. "Maggie's running down to Alexandria."

"Shit," Rick mumbled and walked out of the tent. Daryl looked back and forth between Isabella and Rick for a moment before following Rick out of the tent.

Isabella just watched him with sad blue eyes. He was disappointed in her. That was always the worst feeling. He was mad and disappointed and confused. Isabella went to Negan and told no one, not her dad, not her best friend. Nobody. She kept on suffering alone, she kept on shutting people out. Daryl loved her. He loved her more than anything else on the planet and he couldn't bear her being in pain, but how he just wanted her to talk to him and she wouldn't, that hurt him.

It was silence in the tent, and then Isabella heard Daryl's bike revving. He was leaving without saying goodbye? This took her back to when he left with Merle and didn't even spare her a glance. She thought about that day a lot for some reason, back when Daryl didn't really want her to be his kid, he just had her and she had him. At that time, Isabella just felt out of place.

•

Rick had left with Daryl. They'd had a fight in a ditch, but in the end, they were brothers. They were always going to help each other no matter what. Rick was leading a horde of walkers, trying to get them away from the camp but he couldn't destroy a bridge.

He kept on slipping in and out of illusions.

"Rick?"

No, he had to stay awake.

"Rick..."

Stop. These hallucinations needed to stop.

"Rick!"

Ricks hands were covered in blood and he was in a field. A field that he remembered all too much about. The way the grass turned red, the way it changed him forever.

The way he saved Isabella Stone.

"Isabella..." Rick turned around, seeing the girl stood there. She wasn't her seven year old self like she was the first time, she was her nine year old self. She was taller, her ear was gone, and she looked a whole lot happier. "I'm sorry," he croaked, looking down at his hands that were covered in her father's blood.

"You don't need to be," Isabella shook her head. She loved Rick, just like she loved Carl and Michonne and Judith. "You helped me."

Rick kneeled down in front of Isabella. But, for once, Isabella had to talk to Rick. She had to help Rick. Nobody ever helped Rick, they thought he was strong enough to do it by himself.

"You always tell me I'm one of the strongest people you know. And I think I know that now. But you're the strongest person I know...by a long shot. You've saved me and everyone else so many times, and you need to save yourself. Please, Rick. We need you."

"Isabella," Rick croaked again. He could barely get the words out.

"You have to get home to Judith and Michonne. They need you the most," Isabella continued talking. Rick wasn't even looking at Isabella and was instead focusing on his bloody hands, so she called his name to get his attention. "Rick?"

Rick looked up at her, tears running down his face. "What?" He asked softly.

"Wake up."

——————————————————

the realization that Isabella is only gonna be little for a couple more chapters...THE REALIZATION THAT RICK ISNT GOING TO BE IN THE BOOK AFTER THIS???

please leave a vote and a comment of what you thought of this chapter! it gives me motivation and I always appreciate it! thank you! <3

THANK YOU ALL SM FOR 64K READS!!! <3