Rick walks in the room his boots echoing off the walls he looks around before stopping in the middle "daryl hershel can we talk." He quickly says nodding his head towards the door. I stand up catching his attention "Not you I need you here" rick says firmly. My arms cross in front of my chest as I take a step forward "Why" I ask simply not breaking eye contact. Ricks thumbs hook onto his belt while cocking his head to the side "Because I think this is something you don't need to be involved in yet" he explains.
"Yes sir" I say softly a small smirk playing on his lips, taking a step back I sit down and continue eating while the three men leave the building. The rest of the group go outside to help with keeping the governor at bay. "What was that about" looking up at carol with a smile on her face she looks around the now empty room. Clearing my throat I bite the inside of my cheek to keep the grin from forming "Just talking" I murmur my eyes focusing on my hands.
"Me and you are just talking you and him were flirting" she says before walking away to a crying judith. The door opens and my head snaps to rick walking in. "You seen merle" he asks and I look around before pointing to the cells "Might be in there still" I say eyeing rick suspiciously. He nods beginning to walk I hurriedly stand up and move infront of him "Why your not kicking him out are you" I ask worriedly. Not breaking eye contact rick bites his lip "No just gotta talk to him" he says his voice cracking slightly, clearing his throat he walks past me leaving me in my anxiety.
***************RICKS POV*********** Walking into the cell block my brows draw together in confusion as I look at white and green mattress pieces lay strewn out on the floor. Looking in the cells I sigh when there's torn up mattresses scattered in the small spaces. Seeing a piece of mattress land on the floor I continue walking foward towards the steps. Slowly walking up the steps the sound of cloth ripping and metal hitting concrete gets louder.
Looking at the cells I see merle leaning over ripping a mattress with his knife. Stopping on the stairs I catch his attention his chest rising and falling quickly "looking for a little vacation best dope I ever has was in a mattress" he explains breathlessly tearing off another piece. "Nothin" he huffs before sitting down and leaning against the wall "This place must have been no fun at all" "We need your help" I cut him off making him laugh.
Continuing up the steps I walk quickly, getting to the doorway leaning against it "Do you even know why you do the things you do" I ask biting the inside of my lip. "The choices you make" I add looking at the silent man on the floor. Moving away from the doorway I look at the bright large windows thinking of what I want to say. Taking a breath I turn around putting my arm on the metal door frame "If we give the governor michonne, woodbury stands down" I ensure. Merle stands up "I don't like it but it's what needs to be done, we need to make it quiet we need your help with that" I explain.
"You ain't told any of the others huh ain't told malice" he says looking at me before looking down. "Just hershel daryl and you, malice doesn't need to know" I state making him chuckle "The inner circle I'm honored" he huffs. Putting my hand on my belt I shift my weight "You know when we'd go out on runs he'd bash someones skull, slash somebody's throat and say never waste the bullets and I always thought it was just an excuse." Merle stops talking and looks up "You go on give him that girl he ain't gonna kill her you know, he's just gonna do things to her. Probably take out one of her eyes both of them most likely you'd let that happen for a shot" He says sharply and I sigh taking a step back.
He huffs again "Your cold as ice officer friendly. Your gonna need wire not rope wire nothin she could chew through. Wanna know somethin your right I don't know why I do the things I do never did I'm a damn mystery to me." Clearing his throat he shifts his feet "Malice always could though, could always figure out what kind of person they are before they did. But she can't figure you out rick I can see it when she looks at you, your a mystery to her."He moves closer his face eluminated by the sun "But I know you rick yea I thought a lot about you, you ain't got the spine for it and you don't what malice to know because she'll object to the idea. Love is a dangerous game rick don't let it hurt my daughter" merle snarls and I step back from his words "We need to get her to the governor by noon" I growl before walking off.
************MALICES POV***********
Sitting next to Carol I watch her change Judiths diaper "Do you think I'll have a child some day" I ask my eyes traveling to the floor "Maybe." She simply replies putting Judiths pants back on "I mean someplace has to be safe right like there has to be more survivors that aren't crazy." I say hopeful I'll be able to raise a family in a safe area "Malice we live in a dangerous world where one noise draws thousands of dangers and like you said no place is safe forever." Carol objects picking up the baby and walking out of the cell.
Following her into the dining area I hear my dads voice "There ain't no way" I look up at the man standing by the window in a wife beater "What" carol asks putting judith in her play pen. "Nothin" merle grumbles, looking around I lean against the table "What happened dad" I question looking at the man still standing by the window. "Do we got any whiskey" he inquires making me roll my eyes 'Probably looking for drugs' "Hell I'd even drink vodka" walking away from the table I walk towards the pack and play "Go to hell merle" carol mumbles.
My dad chuckles before walking down the steps "Are you with us" carol asks making him stop halfway down the steps. Looking between carol and merle I sit down and fill a magazine. "Sure" came my dads short raspy response "I'm not talking about occupying the same space. Are you with us" carol asks again "I'm here for my daughter and my brother" I look up at him a small smile on my face. "Well they're here for us" I look over to Carol with her already looking at me. Nodding my head a little bit I continue filling the empty magazines.
"It's not time to do shots it's time to pick a damn side" she snaps looking up at my dad for a split second. Merle smirks "Your not like you was back in the camp, little mouse runnin around scared of her own shadow" my actions stop when he finishes the sentence "It wasn't my shadow it was my husbands." Carol mumbles closing the box of bullets and putting them in the bag "Well you don't seem scared of nothin anymore" merle comments and I stand up helping with the bullets "I'm not" she says "Your a late bloomer" walking towards judith I pick her up "Maybe you are to" carol says before we walk out of the room.
Walking up to my cell I sit down before laying down, Judiths soft snores the only sound coming from the room. Laying my head back I close my eyes for a second "You haven't been sleeping." Pulling my eyes open I roll my head to the side seeing beth standing in the doorway. Softly chuckling I swallow the dryness in my throat "How would you know" my voice slightly cracking. Beth doesn't say anything "Have you been stalking me" I joke making her rapidly shake her head "N-no I was just worried so I've been kee-" she rambles.
"It's okay" I cut her off with a short giggle while sitting up holding judith to my chest. Putting my feet on the floor "Dad's going to read do you want to join" looking over to her I stand up with a small groan. "Is it from the Bible" she nods her head and I think about it from a second "I'll go down there but I don't really want to join." I tell her while walking over to her "Yea that's okay" Beth says enthusiastically before turning around and running down the stairs. Sighing I slowly walk out of the cell and over to the steps, hearing hershels voice in the quiet building.
Standing in the doorway I watch my family sit around the small table listen to their dad read with a small smile on my face. My smile is cut off by the door opening "Rick" hershel calls out making him stop. The girls get up and I turn to follow them "What your about to do" I stop and turn around looking at rick suspicious of what he's keeping from me "I can't, I won't." He walks away and I walk up to hershel.
"What was he going to do" hershel turns around at my question "It's not my place to say" he replies before walking off. "Hershel" I softly call out to hershels retreating form trying not to wake up the baby in my arms "Damnit" I hiss looking around. Sitting down I bounce my leg the anxiety pooling in my gut. Judith starts to stir small whines leaving her mouth "It's okay babe" I coo while standing up and start to walk around bouncing slightly. I turn around softly when glenn walks through the door a soft smile instantly forming "Hey glenn when this is over I think me and you need to catch up." He doesn't stop "Sure" he responds continuing to walk.
Looking down at judith with a small frown on my face "Do you think he's okay" I ask the babbling baby playing with a small piece of string from my jacket. "Malice" I look up at the sound of ricks voice "We're having a meeting" he says not looking at me "What's wrong" I question walking closer. He takes a step back shocking me "Be in the yard in a couple minutes" he says before walking away. Turning around I grab a blanket from the play pen wrapping it around her "I bet daddies just worried about the governor" I murmur kissing the top of Judiths head.
Walking towards the door I step out into the chilled air my breath coming out in small puffs. Sitting down on the cold bench I lean closer to carl while looking over to rick walking towards us with glenn and Maggie following. Looking around confusion etches it's way on my face 'Wheres dad daryl, and michonne' rick stands in front of us silence filling the cool air "When I met with the governor he offered me a deal, he said he said he'll leave us alone if I gave him michonne." 'What' Looking away from rick I push judith closer to my chest disappointment and uneasyness floating in my chest.
"And I was gonna do that, to keep us safe. But I changed my mind now merle took michonne to fulfill the deal and daryl went to stop him and I don't know if it's to late."My body heats up in anger as betrayal makes it self known "I was wrong not to tell you, and I'm sorry what I said last year that first night after the farm, it can't be like that it can't what we do what we're willing to do who we are it's not my call it can't be. I couldn't sacrafice one of us for the greater good because we are the greater good we're the reason we're still here not me. This is life and dead how you live how you die it isn't up to me I'm not your governor we choose to go we choose to stay. We stick together we vote we can stay and we can fight or we can go."
Rick walks away my eyes following his back till he goes into one of the towers out of my sight. Standing up I walk over to Carol "Can you take her" she nods her head taking the baby from my arms. Turning around I quickly walk inside and up to my room laying down on the cold mattress closing my eyes to make the time go by faster. A knock on the wall forces my eyes open and I turn around to see michonne leaning against the frame "Michonne" I hurriedly stand up and hug her before quickly pulling away "My dad daryl are they here" I ask hopeful.
She shakes her head and I sigh running my hand through my hair before forcing a smile "I'm glad your back."Rick walks out from behind her making my smile drop "I'll be downstairs" michonne adds before walking away leaving me with him. "I should have told you" he says stepping in my room making me take a step back the anger resurfacing "Don't just go away." I hiss holding my hand out "No I need to say this It was wrong to keep this from you, from the group and I should have told you about daryl and merle sooner" Rick steps closer and I put my hand on his chest.
"Stop rick apologizing it isn't gonna bring my family back sooner, why did you keep this from us, from me" My voice cracks at the end as the tears express all my jumbled emotions. Taking a step back I turn around balling my hands up in my hair "Lucille" rick puts his hand on my shoulder. Turning around I push rick with as much force as I can making him stumble into the wall "You should have told me, you should have told me that my dad and uncle are out there you should have told me what you were planning and now I don't know if they're coming back" I snap repeatedly hitting him in the chest.
Stepping back I stare at rick still against the wall before turning around wiping the tears from my face. "Malice" glenn yells from downstairs and I quickly run out of the room and down the steps stopping when I see daryl walk through the door without my dad. Taking slow steps forward I choke on my words before I'm able to say one "Dad" I ask the tears getting stuck in my throat. Daryl takes a step forward shaking his head his eyes a light shade of red.
My throat constricts as my sobs fill the silent room daryl wraps me in a hug before my legs have a chance to give out. "Daddy" I whimper into his chest my eyes beginning to burn from the tears. Pushing away from daryl I turn around and walk past rick before running up to my room and curl up in a ball on my bed letting the sobs echo in the small room.
🍭NOT GONNA LIE I KIND OF CRIED ON THIS EPISODE, ANYWAY TWO MORE CHAPTERS AND THIS BOOK IS DONE THANK YOU FOR READING AND HAVE A NICE DAY/NIGHT🍭