Tomorrow Will Come

Nineteen

"I thought you said this isn't democracy anymore?" Mary whispered in confusion, looking up at her father in confusion.
"What do you mean, sweetie?" Rick asked, as confused as his daughter. He slumped down, sat against the prison wall, and Mary sat down beside him, the five year old snuggling into his chest.
"Before we found our new home - our prison - and just after the farm, I remember when you was angry. You was cross, and I was scared, because you threw my hat in the fire. Because Shane gave it me, and he turned out to be a bad man to you. You was mean to us that night."
"I'm really sorry."
"I know," Mary said quickly, cutting off her fathers apology, "I'm just confused. That night you said our group has no democracy. That it isn't a democracy anymore. Maggie said that's  where everyone gets a say in what happens. So why're we making a counselling so everyone gets a say."
"A council, baby, not a counselling. And I was wrong to say that. A bad leader. Everyone deserves a say in how the group's run, not just me. It wouldn't be a fair group if not."
"Daddy, what's a cult?" Mary asked suddenly, and Rick half laughed in shock yet again.
"Where'd you hear that word!?"
"Daryl." Mary shrugged, and Rick chuckled.
"Well, that explains it then. A cult is... A religion, I guess, but really really small, and sometimes extreme, I guess. And they usually follow one leader, who's really, like, they have a lot of charisma. Do you know what that means? No? Like, where they're really likeable. Where people are drawn to them. I don't know, a cult, it's, it's hard to explain, and I'm not even sure what the true definition is."
"Okay." Mary shrugged, deciding she no longer cared - the girl was much more interested in playing with Tommy in the prison garden. 
"Anyway. Having a council will help. It'll make us stronger. More united."
"But your still in charge?"
"Kinda. But I like being a farmer for now."
"Carl doesn't," Mary teased, "he likes having his gun, and being a grown up. Not growing things."
"Carl'll get over it." Rick laughed back, and Mary giggled, hugging Rick tightly, and kissing his cheek.
"Love you."
"I love you more, my Miss Maria Moo, my wildflower princess. I love you until the end of the earth."

"Daddy. Daddy, you need to listen. To me." Mary whispered, as Rick laid by Mary in the warehouse, desperately trying to get the girl to sleep. The man was on edge, filled with fear; that morning, the two new men, Aaron and Eric, would take them to Alexandria, and Rick was filled with fear. Fear that this community, this place, could ruin the group. Could be like Terminus. But the others had decided to trust the men, Glenn especially, which meant that Mary was adamant they were going, and they'd love the place.
"What, Moo?" Rick asked tiredly, looking at her with exhaustion in his eyes.
"I think we can definitely trust Aaron. I trust him. He seems good. Like a dad. Do you?"
"I wish we hadn't even taken this risk," Rick admitted, "if it was only me, if I was the only one out here, I'd never take the risk. I wish we hadn't. But it's a democracy."
"I remember that word. It means everyone gets a say. And it's not just you that makes the decisions." Mary said proudly, and Glenn chuckled from over where he was slumped, overhearing Mary's chatter as he looked over Maggie's sleeping body.
"That's my girl. Cleverest one around."
"Cleverer than Carl?"
Rick laughed softly, and looked over to where Carl was half asleep next to Noah, Judith in the younger boys arms. He threw Carl a wink as the boy dozed, and Carl gave him a sleepy smile. "Maybe."
"I'm glad it's a democracy. So we can be safe in Alexandria."
"Maybe, Mary. Don't get your hopes too up, my love. I don't want you disappointed."
"No," Mary argued, her voice soft her firm, "I know. I know it's gonna be safe. I've a good feeling. We're gonna grow up there, me and my Judy. We're gonna be safe. It's the safe place, daddy. Pinky promise."

"Do you hate it," Mary taunted, "not being the official leader anymore? Having a council?"
"I think I have enough on my plate. With you and Judy and RJ." Michonne replied, half scoffing at her.
Mary looked over at her baby brother, asleep in his car seat on the kitchen counter. He was only six months old, but he seemed older - he was growing up quicker than Michonne would have liked, and she was savouring every moment of RJ's childhood - he was her last piece of Rick, and a part of her wanted to keep him frozen in time forever.
"It's right," Michonne added finally, "for it to be a proper democracy. Your daddy was building the council, and he was doing a beautiful job. And it all got put on hold when he... He died. And that wasn't what he wanted. He wouldn't want me to dictate over everyone. He'd want the council to flourish."
"Even though you've still got the power over security matters." Mary commented, and Michonne rolled her eyes.
"You're silly."
"So are you. But you're right. He'd be proud of how you've developed the council. So would Carl."
"When did you turn into a grown up?" Mary asked fondly, and Mary laughed gently.
"Around about the time I grew up in an apocalypse."

"Mary? Mary? Come on, you need a drink." Magna begged, looking at the half conscious girl.
"I was dreaming." Mary answered groggily.
"You've been in and out of consciousness for almost another day. I've been worried."
"I had a dream." Mary repeated simply.
"About what?"
"You talking about democracy. Made me remember about my daddy. He always wanted to have democracy. He didn't for a bit. Because he was scared someone would kill us, and he wanted to keep us safe," Mary mumbled, her voice stumbling and drawling, "but you the end, he let us have our choice. Our choice as a group, to go to Alexandria. It was a good choice. A good choice, Mags."
Magna smiled softly, ignoring Mary's warblings, ignoring how little sense she made.
"He made a good choice," Mary said firmly, "a good choice to let us go. I'm sad this group don't get a choice in what happens."
"No," Magna snapped, "don't you think that. Because these people had a choice in joining the group. They might not have a choice in what happens day to day, but they chose to stay in the group, to join it, to be here. Don't feel sorry for them. Be angry. And knew we'll be okay soon. I promise. Back at your home. At Alexandria."
"I do feel sorry for them, though," Mary shrugged, "that girl? The leaders kid? She just grew up like I did, she's just a kid growing up in this world like me. Just with different parents with different ideas. She didn't chose this."
"Neither did you. Neither did you, Mary. You're just a kid growing up in this world too."

"Get up." The woman with a southern accent demanded later that day, making Mary jump out of her pain-induced doze. It was the first time she'd seen her since they were found in that cave a few days earlier.
"W-why?" Mary mumbled, sleepily swatting a fly from her shoulder, her body weaker by the hour.
"Gettin' my daughter back." The woman said simply.
"Mags. Mag, that's good," Mary smiled weakly, turning to the older woman, "means we're goin' home."
"No. It means, unless I get her back, yer gonna be dead within the hour."
"What's your name?" Magna asked suddenly, and the leader looked at her with disgust.
"Alpha. I'm the Alpha."
"What's your girls name?"
"We don't have names." The large man from before snapped, and Magna's stomach churned - it didn't seem right, and everything from this group seemed even stranger after the man, the second in command, said that.
With that, Magna mouthed a few, almost unintelligible words to Mary. "I'll come back for you. I don't trust this. She won't kill you."
Mary began to chew her lip, realising that Magna wanted to run, and she didn't like that idea. "Your little girl. She doesn't have a name?" Mary asked quietly, attempting to connect with the mother.
"She ain't little. Your age. Not little." The woman snapped, before binding Mary's hands, then Magna's, and cutting away their bonds to the tree. Immediately, as soon as she was free, Magna ran, but it was no use; she was caught within a second, and kicked to the floor.
"Never again." The woman hissed quietly, and Mary seemed almost confused at the her response - she thought it would have been much more severe, but any thought of lax punishment was banished from her mind as Alpha hit her right on her fresh wound with the butt of her knife.
"You run again," Alpha hissed, as Mary doubled over in pain, sobbing, "it won't be you that suffers, it's her. Think about that, because what I'm thinking? I'm thinking that that one can't take another hit."