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all of us were gathered around the illuminated fire that brought us light outside, and when i mean us i mean most of our former group members, and most of the alexandrian residents. everyone around me were chatting and murmuring their opinions to each other, while i sat in between carol and eugene, clenching my fists in my pockets. this whole thing was making me anxious, especially of how the outcome may be, i'm just glad the kids aren't here. "we're going to start!"
"can we wait!" maggie protested instantly, a look of concern spread across her face, "we still have people comin'. glenn? rick?"
deanna shared quick eye contact with maggie before looking out to the rest of the quiet crowd, "we're going to start! it's already dark." she continued, "we're gonna talk about what happened, not the fight, not what precipitated it, we're dealing with that. we're gonna talk about one of our constables—rick grimes."
"—we're gonna talk about how he had a pistol he stole from the armory, about how he pointed it at people, and we're gonna talk about what he said. i was hoping he'd be here-"
"she said he's coming." i interrupted curtly, furrowing my brows and glaring at deanna. "i'm sure he'll be here, and i'm sure we can work this all out." carol adds, grabbing onto my hand and squeezing it for support.
deanna then asked a few of ricks group members to speak their peace first, michonne went first, then carol, and thirdly i was next. the feeling of all eyes on me had me uneasy, and nervous, because i didn't know what the right thing was to say to these people, so i just spoke as i went on.
i take in a deep breath, "i've known rick since before the virus hit, then we were just friends, but now he's my husband." i speak, looking out into the crowd, all of them listened intently, "he has saved me, in every way a person can be saved. mentally, physically, all of it. the rick you saw yesterday, was the rick who cares, who's protective and insistent on safety. because if you were out there with us this whole time, you'd be on his side."
"—everything that he's done since the beginning, was to protect his group. hiding behind these walls, and acting like it was before, isn't gonna keep you alive. i watched my ex husband bleed to death, i saw my best friend die of blood loss, i watched my sister who raised me die, whom i was forced to leave there. i've watched more than ten of my friends die as well. all of what we've been through out there, has made us into this today, and soon that's gonna be you."
i pause to take another breath, looking out among the crowd. their faces expressed shock, sorrow, pity, fear, and confusion. "he just wants to help us—that's his purpose, protect and serve, it always has been and always will be. trust me, you're gonna be scared, and you're overwhelmed—but it's just our world now and we've learned to live with it, so will you."
