Future Ghosts • TWD

147. The Bigger Person.

"Sounds like you got some good reasons for kicking his ass, then," Ian said.

"I think so. Don't let me kill him, though," Rosie murmured as they stepped off the stairs and onto the sidewalk.

She didn't want to kill Gage. She just wanted to hurt him as badly as he hurt Lydia. And maybe that was a bad thing. Maybe that was immature or overdramatic. But Rosie didn't care. She just wanted Gage to hurt.

Almost as soon as the two got outside, they spotted Gage across the way. He was talking with the guy he and Margo always hung around. Rosie was pretty sure the guy was named Alfred or something like that. Either way, it didn't matter. She set her sights on Gage and began walking towards him.

Last night, Rosie wanted to hit him, but she didn't because Lydia needed her to be calm in that moment. But now, Lydia was nowhere to be seen and Rosie's anger had only grown with Negan going missing. So there was nothing stopping her when she grabbed Gage's shoulder and spun him around to face her before sending a hard punch to his nose.

"Rosie, what the hell?!" Gage shouted, cupping his nose with his hand. Rosie punched him again, and Ian had to stop Alfred from stepping in. It only took that second hit to get Gage to fight back. "You bitch! I bet you let Negan out!" Gage shouted, punching Rosie hard across the face.

It had been a long time since Rosie was punched like that. Years, even. It's hard to get punched when you're living out in the woods and the only person you ever see is Daryl, who wouldn't hit you if his life depended on it.

The fight went on and some people began gathering around, shouting for the two to stop, but neither did. Rosie and Gage just kept fighting, punching each other until their faces were bloody. After a little while, Rosie could hear Ian shouting at her to stop because it was going too far, but all Rosie could think about was how Gage had attacked Lydia and how he somehow managed to put the blame on Lydia for it.

Bullshit. It was all bullshit. Gage was an asshole and he deserved this. He deserved this for the shit he called Rosie. He deserved it for forcing Rosie to try that cigarette. He deserved it for beating up Lydia. He deserved it for being an immature, brainless, cruel human being.

So Rosie kept fighting until she had the upper hand. And once she was knelt over Gage, she just kept hitting him and hitting him and hitting him and hitting him, bloodying her fists and bloodying his face.

"Rosie!"

"Shut up, Ian!"

"Rosie!"

It was Daryl this time, shouting her name. Rosie ignored him until his hands were around her biceps, pulling her off of Gage.

"Let go of me!" Rosie shouted, trying to rip her arms out of Daryl's grasp. She spit out a wad of bloody saliva. "Daryl, let go!" she yelled, her voice shaking. She didn't want to let on, but her face and hands hurt badly.

"Stop! Stop it!" Daryl scolded, tugging Rosie towards himself before forcibly turning her around and making her walk back towards the house. Rosie fought against him at first, but once they were a few feet away, she decided it was useless. "The hell you thinkin', doin' that?" Daryl asked quietly, but with an angered tone.

"He deserves worse," Rosie snapped.

"You're fuckin' up, Rosie. You need to calm the hell down," Daryl told her.

"I am calm," Rosie muttered back, finally ripping her arm from his grasp.

"I'm not talkin' 'bout now. I'm sayin' in general. Every damn day," Daryl elaborated, pushing Rosie through the front door. Rosie huffed out a sigh of annoyance. "Sayin' shit you don't mean. Freakin' the fuck out on people. Ain't you," Daryl said, leading her into the kitchen.