King ☞ r. grimes

10

"What about Shane?" Katie asked.

"I know what he did to you," Rick said.

"I-uh-uh it's really not a big deal--" Katie started.

"You're right. It's a huge deal," Rick interrupted.

"Rick--" Katie started.

"Are you okay?" He cut her off.

"I'm fine. Just rattled I guess. As long as I stay out of his way, nothing else will happen. You really don't need to worry about me," Katie said.

"Too late," Rick said, walking out of the room.

Katie leaned her head against the doorframe.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose and hoped that this whole mess would just go away.

"Everything okay?" Glenn asked, walking into the house.

"I'm fine. But you, my friend, are not. What's going on with you and Maggie?" Katie asked.

"I love her," Glenn shrugged.

"And how is that a problem?" Katie asked sarcastically.

"I love her so much that it makes me selfish out there," Glenn said, looking at the ground.

"Oh, Glenn," Katie said sadly.

"You know what? Screw everyone else. That's your girl. You love the crap out of her and she loves the crap out of you. You two need to be together. You need each other. Needing to stay alive for her isn't selfish. It's an act of selflessness. You are making the tough calls and taking yourself out of the line of fire in order to get home and take care of your family. That's not selfish. You found love. I wish I could be like you. I'm proud of you Pizza King," Katie said.

She walked out of the room.

She wanted Glenn to think about what she just said.

Rick and Shane called a meeting around the campfire.

"What are we gonna do with him?" Katie asked.

"We'll find out soon enough," Rick said.

Katie motioned to Rick that Daryl was coming up behind the group by nodding her head in his direction.

"Well?" Rick asked.

"He's got a gang. 30 men. They roll through, our boys are dead. And our women will wish they were," Daryl said gruffly.

Katie winced slightly.

She couldn't believe that she was that close to a person that dangerous. A person who had done horrible things to women. A person like Randall.

Rick decided that the best course of action was to kill Randall.

Katie agreed with Rick.

Dale was horrified.

He suggested that the group hold a vote.

Rick reluctantly agreed.

Later on that day, Katie went on a walk around the grounds.

She did that from time to time.

It helped her clear her head.

She saw Carl by Sophia's grave.

She walked slower as to give him his privacy.

Carol walked by him.

Katie heard Carl yell something at Carol, but she couldn't hear what he said.

She walked quickly towards Carol, who was speaking to Rick and Lori.

As she caught up to them, she heard Carol say "I lost my daughter, I didn't lose my mind."

"Damn right, Carol!" Katie shouted from a yard away.

Lori's eyes widened.

"Let's go Katie." Carol said, linking arms with Katie.

The pair walked back towards the house.

Katie had a special place for Carl in her heart, but she thought there was a special place in hell for Lori.

She liked 2/3 of the Grimes family.

"Thank you for what you did back there. Everyone talks down to me. No one listens to me. I have some good ideas now and again but no one seems to care. You're the only one who hears me these days," Carol said.

"You are my equal. You can't talk down to an equal. I respect you too much to patronize you. I understand what you're going through. They don't. Don't listen to them. You can do whatever you want to do. You can be whoever you want to be. Now is the time to become the version of yourself that you have always wanted to become. It's time to rebuild yourself," Katie said.

"I guess you're right," Carol said.

"Damn right," Katie laughed.

When they got back into the house, it was time to vote. The group argued back and forth.

"Katie! You were a lawyer. You know the law like the back of your hand. What's most lawful way to handle this?" Dale pleaded.

"The law died the minute the world ended, Dale," Katie said.

"Katie," Dale pleaded.

Katie looked at the ground.

"We do what needs to be done. Killing him is the best way. If we leave him out there he will die anyway. If we let him go, he'll bring his men back here. It's our lives or his," Katie said.

Only Andrea stood with Dale.

Dale was heartbroken.

The killing would occur that night.

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