Dean's Dixon

It doesn't define you

June and Bobby were physically healing quickly but the emotional healing for Alexandria was going to take a lot longer. Olivia was still shaken up from nearly losing her life over Spencer's stupidity, Michonne was LIVID over the mattresses being burned, and Dean was still convinced John was possessed.

Leaving Dean's home untouched had been a ploy on Negan's part, hoping it would piss off the rest of the community and push them closer to joining him. What he hadn't been counting on was for them to offer up their mattresses to those that needed them. He'd assumed that since the apocalypse had changed most people, brought out the selfishness in them, that the same applied to his boys but helping people was still a huge part of their nature. So all he managed to do was bring them closer together, rather than tear the community apart.

Tara returning home was a welcome sight but having to tell her, not only about Denise but everything else on top of it, had been a nearly impossibly conversation to get through. She'd held on to June just like Maggie had the night they lost Glenn and the two friends cried together and slowly healed together. Just like with June, Charlie had taken an immediate shine to Tara and she was there for her whenever she needed to talk about things. June tried to be available for anyone that needed a sympathetic shoulder to cry on but she was hurting right along with them, so her family came together to take that weight off her shoulders.

Carl was still of the mind that Negan needed to die and that he was the person to do it. June had spoken to him about this plan, trying to be understanding but making it incredibly clear that she didn't want him to do anything stupid.

"Carl..."

"Hey June, how are you feeling? Need anything? Any help?"

"I need to talk ta you sugar."

"About?"

"You know what... Sam told me."

"Told you what?"

"Come on Carl, you know what." He got quiet and she took the opportunity to voice her concerns. "Out of everyone, I ain't about ta tell ya it's wrong. He does need ta die."

"What about him being Sam and Dean's dad?"

"Just cause they share DNA don't make him their dad. That honor goes ta Bobby, understand me?"

"Yes"

"Good..."

"So if you're not here to tell me I'm wrong-"

"You're not being patient enough sugar. If you run in there with a half baked plan, it will end badly. Maybe not for you but for someone. We all know he likes ta punish people by hurtin the one's they love... he's already done that too many fuckin times."

"I have a plan."

"And he has Daryl." Her tone was even but there was very real fear behind it. "I've heard the plan Carl and it ain't enough. That place is huge, not like the small outpost we hit. He's basically got a whole damn factory at his disposal and that's on top of the amount of people he's got. No way in hell will you take the place with three people and good intentions."

"OK then what do we do?"

"We talk ta Hilltop, try ta find other communities ta help us. There's gotta be more out there, more places with a vendetta against the saviors. The amount of shit they've got, it came from somewhere. No way did the Hilltop supply all that stuff... promise me you'll wait."

"June"

"I fuckin mean it Carl! Just cause we're not blood, don't mean we're not family! Please little brother, please wait."