8x06; 8x08
The King, the Widow and Rick; How It's Gonna Be
"Fucking hell," Liz tossed away the note breathing heavily. He wasn't around, so the best thing she could do to express her feelings was to grab his pillow and throw it at the wall. "I'll be back," she repeated what she'd just read.
Daryl wouldn't have to get back if he hadn't left in the first place.
Michonne had left with Rosita yesterday afternoon, so she knew he hadn't left with them. Other than them, the twins were other people that had a strong reason to fight the Saviours, or Negan more precisely, straight away, but they weren't like that. They liked to plan first.
"Tara," she uttered the name when she reached the conclusion that she was the other person thirsting for revenge and ran out of her room straight to the infirmary, which was Tara's place, the place that used to be Denise's as well.
She rang the doorbell and knocked on the door as if expecting a miracle. But even if Tara did show up, nothing would change the fact that Daryl's crossbow was gone. She hadn't seen him after coming back early morning from her shift, but she'd naively thought he was probably taking some air. She'd been too exhausted to think differently.
She'd woken up to a mere note that was probably written before yesterday went dark.
"Is something wrong?"
Liz turned around seeing Grace that was walking up the stairs of the porch. If her mind wasn't haywire from Daryl being missing, then she'd probably be wondering what she was doing so early at Tara's place.
"Are you here for Tara?"
"Uh... yeah?"
"She isn't here."
A panic similar to the one Liz had felt in the morning ran through Grace's face. "What?" She walked up to Liz ringing the bell and calling Tara's name only to be replied with silence.
"When was the last time you saw her?"
Grace's eyes darted sideways, her head down. "After she came back from the Hilltop. Six-ish, maybe? Why?"
"I think she went out with Daryl...it makes sense."
"Because of Dwight."
"And Negan."
Liz clenched her jaw as she thought about asking whoever was on shift before her, maybe they'd seen something. But she knew it would mean nothing. It would confirm what she already knew. And it wouldn't change the fact that she couldn't go to get him, she needed to stay here, follow the plan.
She wouldn't be able to be there if something happened to him.
─────✦─────
Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.
All of her feelings stemmed from worrying about her husband getting hurt, but it was much simpler to cover it up with annoyance.
She stormed into her kitchen startling the person inside. "Sorry," she told her brother.
"Where were you?"
"I was talking to Pete." He told us you knew, he'd said when asked about Daryl leaving. "Is Judith upstairs?"
"She's with Theo."
Carl watched his sister go to the fridge and take out a bottle of water. She was taking a couple of sips when she saw his expression and she sighed removing the plastic from her lips.
Liz put the bottle on the counter before pressing her hands on it as well. "What did you do?"
Carl moved his head back slightly in surprise. "Why do you think I did something?"
She stared at him as if he was dumb. "Your face can be very expressive." She lifted her chin quickly. "What is it?"
He'd already been debating whether or not to tell her, leaning toward a positive answer. Might as well do it now. "You remember that man? The one I found with dad."
"Yeah, the one he shot at..." Her eyes widened when she realised what her brother's sheepish face meant.
"I brought him here," he confirmed.
She opened her mouth inaudibly before sighing as she touched her brow with her thumb. "Carl..." She closed her eyes briefly. "We're practically in the middle of a war, is it really safe for him to be here? Or for us to take him?"
"Here's still safer than out there," he told her putting weight on one leg.
Liz sighed. "Did you leave him at the empty house on this street or the other one?"
He took a little while to answer. "Neither...he's in the sewer."
"In the—" She breathed in deeply before deciding it wasn't the worst option. "It's probably for the best. If someone finds him in a house..." Everyone, even if they didn't show it, was on edge from the fight, finding a stranger could trigger something worse because of fear. "Did you give him a blanket or something? Food?"
"I took one of the stretchers we had. We're not using most of them anyway. I was going to take him some food."
"By yourself?" she raised her brows.
"I've done it so far."
"No."
"What?"
"I'm going with you."
"Izzie, it's fine."
She opened the cabinets seeing what could last several days. "Carl, I'm not letting you be alone with a stranger, okay?"
"He's had plenty of chances to do something, Izzie."
"Well, I'm not giving him another one," she said taking out food. "You're not gonna be alone with anyone until I know we can trust them, okay?" She stared at Carl intently giving him no choice to argue.
"Fine."
When he was within arm's length, she hit his hat which fell down to his nose. "Good." She stared at him as he lifted it up again. "Is that all?" she asked sensing there was something else she wasn't telling her.
"Yeah."
She narrowed her eyes briefly but decided to let it go.
For the meantime.
─────✦─────
Liz gagged silently when she wasn't able to push away the smell. She stepped on the floor gently, hiding her disgust, letting go of the stairs. "The things I do for this kid," she muttered as she followed Carl through the cylindrical space.
She saw a dishevelled and dirty man at the end of the sewer sitting on the stretcher Carl had mentioned. He perked up when he saw Carl, but looked slightly worried when he saw he'd brought someone else.
"It's okay," the boy reassured. "This is my sister. Izzie."
She nodded with a set expression observing the man that looked like he had been out there for a very long time. "Liz."
The man nodded more kindly. "Siddiq. It's nice to meet you." He meant it. At least this Grimes hadn't shot at him. Yet.
Liz nodded again before speaking again. "How many walkers have you killed?"
"I already asked him the questions," Carl chimed in. She looked at him with surprise and pride that were not shown. She had a chill calm expression.
"Well then, he won't be surprised about them. His answers shouldn't change much." At all. She stared back at Siddiq waiting for him to answer.
"Two hundred and forty-one."
Liz blinked. "That was very specific." She'd stopped counting a long time ago how many walkers she'd killed. Was it similar to him? Was it more?
"You asked."
Liz tilted her head, her lips about to do something other than talk, so she did that. Carl smiled to himself knowing that Siddiq was getting on her good graces. "How many walkers have you killed?"
"One."
"Why?"
"The dead didn't kill him...so I had to."
It was silent for a while, but Liz ended up nodding. "We brought you some food," she said taking off her backpack. As she set it on the ground, the one that wasn't wet but just moist, she continued, "I don't know what Carl has told you about us, but we have problems with another group. We plan on finishing it soon, but we don't really know how long we still have. Our people might not be so inviting to a stranger for now, so we don't know how long you'll have to be here."
"I understand. I'm just thankful that you can give me food, a roof...even if it's this," Siddiq replied glancing at the moss in the ceiling.
Liz flashed him a half-smile. "I put a book here... if that's what you're into," she said awkwardly. "Some card games and things you might do by yourself..."
"Thank you."
Liz nodded and glanced at Carl. He sat down looking up at her expectantly. "We could play a game," he suggested.
Liz's shoulders moved uncomfortable not used to being around people who weren't family. Siddiq seemed fine with the new company, but she wasn't sure. It was Carl's bright and calm face that broke part of the protective wall she put up with people.
"Fine. If it's alright with you," she mentioned to the man who nodded.
"Of course."
─────✦─────
The door to her room opened and she briefly glanced at it before going back to her drawing. After closing the door, Daryl remained standing at the side of the bed but his wife kept her eyes solely on her paper, drawing lines and spreading the coal with her fingers expertly.
"Iz." She didn't remove her eyes from her focus. "It worked."
She assumed she was talking about attacking the Sanctuary, let the walkers in.
She glanced at him briefly and kept drawing. "And you're alive. Good for you."
"Iz, c'mon."
The stick of coal broke in her hand. "What?" She turned her head to stare at him. "Why don't you write whatever it is you're gonna say?" she suggested with irony written all over her face. With a strained voice, she said, "You should've stayed here."
"We can't take any chances."
"You just did," she replied. She was aware that out of everyone that had left, only he and Tara continued with the original plan. Rosita had arrived hours ago, Michonne slightly earlier than him. "There's a plan, it's working," she said. "We shouldn't risk our lives when we don't need to," she added gripping the edges of the paper before putting it aside. "It's not worth it... How do you think I felt when I didn't find you anywhere?"
She shook her head with an expression that made him unable to answer before she stood up from the bed and started walking out.
He grabbed her arm stopping her from leaving. "It's the only way of making sure the Saviours surrender."
"No it isn't," she told him.
Feeling not only that she wasn't supporting him but understanding him either, he began getting agitated. "I thought you said we were supposed to fight," he spoke directly into her eyes, neither looking away.
"We are fighting."
"Not together, we ain't."
At his words, she tugged away her arm from his hand. "I'm not the one that left."
"Nah, you're the one stepping out."
Liz narrowed her eyes at him breathing hard. "I'm the one trying to follow the plan that will keep us alive," she gritted out. "Risking your life to do something you don't even know it's gonna work it's not worth it," she raised her voice slightly.
"I'm not letting the Saviours win," he said matching her volume.
"Neither am I! You think that's what I'm doing?! What the rest of us are doing?!"
"Sure seems like it. After what they did to us, to Abraham...to Glenn! To me, everyone...Why can't you see that I'm—"
"Don't talk to me like I don't know what they've done," she responded hurt but with a fiery tone. "I was there! You think I don't wanna make it right for them?! For you?!—"
"Why are you so mad then?!"
He yelled while she was finishing her sentence, "I'm just making sure we don't die trying!"
"Well I don't care if I die! Im'ma make them pay for what they did."
"That's the fucking problem, Daryl!" she clenched her fists trying to contain her anger even though both of them were filling the big house with noise. "You don't care! It's not about justice for you, it's about revenge! And you don't care if it gets you killed as long as you get it!"
"Yeah. Damn right I don't!"
"You selfish asshole!" Liz widened her eyes realising she'd gotten too far with the insult. But she had meant it. Her voice lowered slightly, no longer shouting but still loud. "You think you're alone in this but you're not! You go and do stupid shit that can get yourself killed, but if you do die... well, good for you 'cause it'll be it for you. But what about the rest of us, huh?!"
"It's the rest of the people that love you that's gonna be in pain, not you. So what about the rest of us, Daryl? What about me?" The anger in her had morphed into pain as she stared at him pointedly. "What do I do if you die, huh? 'Cause you don't get to walk into my life and make me care just to be careless about your life! It's me the one that'll be left broken, not you. You won't feel anything 'cause you'll be dead."
Fighting for a better future would be pointless. He was her future. If he died, she'd pretty much feel like the world was gone. What would be the point then?
Finally realising what she was upset about, an epiphany that involved their whole time together and the feelings she'd grown to feel for him, the blood in his veins cooled, and he was left staring at her embarrassed.
More for not realising that he meant that much to her than anything else, because he never thought someone could care that much.
"I'm sorry."
A single sad laugh escaped her. "Are you?" she asked. "Because I'm sure that you would still do the same thing all over again."
She didn't leave him a chance to speak as she walked out of her room, this time she wasn't stopped.
She closed the door and leaned on it, closing her eyes to no avail since it didn't stop her from crying. She pressed her hands against her face and wiped the silent tears.
Liz blinked before fully opening her eyes when she saw there was someone in the hall. From his doorway, Carl was watching her carefully. "How much did you hear?"
He hesitated before answering, settling for a simple, "Enough."
She closed her eyes sighing, the awareness of being watched making it easier for her to stop crying. "Sorry," she said.
He shrugged smiling kindly. "It's alright. Should I bring my gun?"
She smiled once, her expression turning downcast quickly which she tried to conceal. "I don't think you'd be capable of doing anything with it." Daryl was family to him after all.
"I could try," he said smiling but it didn't alter her mood.
He walked over to her and gave her a hug. Liz was paralysed for a second but soon responded. The embrace only seemed to make her cry more, but she held it in with a lot of effort, enjoying the hug nonetheless.
"I was coming to see if you could join Judith and I...I wanted to spend some time with her, I wanted you there too."
Liz pulled away and stared at him. "Why the sudden idea?"
"I just want us to spend some time together before the next fight."
─────✦─────
Despite her fight with Daryl, the first real one they'd ever had—as a couple that is, spending time with her siblings helped.
They'd spent their time playing silly games with Judith which took both of the baby's older siblings' minds off their worries. They'd had a panting session, in which Carl desperately embarrassed himself. In the end, he'd proposed to use just their hands to paint, everyone would be equal then.
He also had the idea of putting their handprints on the porch's floor. To leave our mark, he'd said. He and Liz had helped Judith press her hand to the ground, and he followed leaving a bigger mark next to her tiny hand.
He had turned expectantly to his older sister when she hadn't followed.
You want me to do it as well?
It's supposed to be the three of us.
You know kids are the ones that do this stuff, right?
C'mon, he'd nudged her.
She'd rolled her eyes but ended up putting her hand on the blue paint and pressing it above the prints her siblings had made.
Yay, Carl had said looking at Judith who grinned at him. She'd high-fived her older brother's hand and then followed him after he did the same with her older sister.
"Do you think we need to kill Negan to win this?" Carl asked holding Judith as the three of them sat on the porch. Now, they had their hands clean.
Liz turned to him shocked and curious. "You don't?"
"I think we need to win...we might not have to do that to win."
He seemed to be reflecting a lot lately.
"I don't Carl. He won't give us a choice. And this won't end unless we kill him and the idea of him."
"Don't you think he can't change?"
She narrowed her eyes wondering why her brother apparently had faith in the man. Or at least wasn't keen on killing him anymore, not like he had been before. All the anger he had for the Saviours had seemed to vanish leaving only contemplation.
"No," she told him. "Not when he has so many people treating him like a god. Especially not in the time we need him. We don't have years to try to make him change. Not sure it'd be worth it anyway. What's up with you? I get why not wanting to kill people, all the Saviours... but him?"
All she could see was his smirk as he bashed her friends' heads, hear his jokes, Daryl being dragged away per his request...
"He can't possibly truly want this...maybe he can change...if we give him a chance."
"I don't think anyone's willing to try," she said not wanting to agree to the thought of leaving Negan alive.
Neither of them continued their conversation, too deep in their thoughts about what was right and wrong. But each had something else on their minds, for Carl it was how he was gonna face what was coming, worrying about the reaction of his family. For Liz, it was the new thoughts that Carl was proposing which had taken over the ones that examined his recent behaviour.
It didn't matter that she wasn't thinking about the latter. She'd soon discover the reason for it anyway.
─────✦─────
"Little girl."
Nora froze staring at the newly-built pen which now held captive Saviours. She'd heard Jesus had been the one with the idea of keeping the saviours alive but hostage, something that Maggie hadn't been happy with. Still, in the afternoon, she had agreed to keep the hostages inside the walls.
There were spiked wires and a considerable distance separating Nora from the man that had spoken to her, but the look he was giving her made it impossible to soothe her. So she chose what she thought was the best option, and walked away.
But it was never that easy.
"Little girl...Hey! I'm talking to you!"
Nora flinched and moved her hand to her knife. For what? She wasn't sure. She could kill walkers, and she could throw knives at trees, but now that there was a chance that she would have to use it against a living person, she wasn't sure she would be able to do it.
"Leave the girl alone." Another man, much taller and buffer than the slim one that had been talking to her, said firmly from his spot leaning on one of the wooden beams.
The man with long hair and a wicked smile didn't listen, not removing his eyes from her. It was harder for her to move now. "Listen, where I'm from, it looks a lot better than this." The girl took a step back at his predatory eyes.
"Man, just listen to him," said Alden, one of the saviours that had been playing nice and trying to keep the rest alive. "Stop."
"If you get us out of here... I can make sure you—"
The black man dragged away the long-haired one away from the gate easily. He threw him to the centre giving Nora a small nod. "Sorry." He turned to his fellow Saviour. "It seems he forgot his decency with everything that's going on," he said pointedly implying that he was talking to the other man rather than her this time.
It was ironic considering he was one of the Saviours who every so often joined the group that raided Hilltop. She'd heard Jesus had recognised him, even if he had only been to the Hilltop a handful of times. He'd been at the Sanctuary when he was there too.
"These people are animals."
Fear was already starting to leave Nora, but when Gregory spoke with his insincere tone, she felt as if she was fully back. An unamused expression set on her face as she stared at him walking to the spot the other man was previously in.
"It's Emma, right? You poor thing. See...I know first-hand what these people are capable of, they...deserve to be here." Alden and the other man turned away shaking their heads and sitting back down. At least they didn't pretend to be something they were not. "Me, on the other hand, I would never..." his words stopped as he saw the kid looking at him with distrust. "Please, I don't belong here...get me out of here, I promise I won't tell—"
Nora straightened letting go of her knife. She was regretting practising her knife throwing until dark, but she needed to practise. If Enid was there, she would've told her to go back to sleep already but she'd left with Aaron just before sundown.
Nora didn't want these men making her feel bad about her decisions. She would make sure it didn't happen.
"Sure," she grinned. Gregory's eyes filled with hope and pride not realising the sarcasm on her lips. "I'll talk to Maggie," she felt satisfied seeing the change in his expression upon hearing the woman's name, "tell her that you tried to convince me to get you out and—"
"Oh, that's not necessary. Why bother such a busy woman?"
"That's true...I won't then." Nora smiled tightly and started walking away again. "Hey, Emma? Kid! Don't leave—"
"You're embarrassing yourself," a firm male voice said with boredom. The man that spoke hadn't removed his eyes from the thin man that had spoken to the girl first.
"What do you know?"
─────✦─────
Even from her spot in her room, Liz could hear the banging from the gate.
"You may be wondering why the hell your lookouts didn't sound the alarm." Hearing Negan's voice, she jumped out of her bed and ran straight to Judith's room. "See, we are polite. I mean, I don't know when they're gonna wake up from that kinda shit, but they should wake up." The megaphone was loud enough for her to know that everyone from the community could hear it.
"Hey Jude," she said softly trying not to alarm the baby lifting her from her crib.
"So let's just cut through the cow shit—you lose. It's over. So you're gonna line up in front of your little houses, and you're gonna work up some apologies, and then the person with the lamest one is gonna get killed."
Liz walked quickly trying to be as smooth as possible. She needed to leave her sister with someone who wouldn't be fighting quickly. Then she had to find the others to form a plan.
"Then I kill Rick in front of everybody, and we move on. You have three—count 'em, three minutes to open this gate, or we start bombing the shit out of you!"
Three minutes would have to do to form a plan of attack, or defence, or escape...it would just have to.
━━━━━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━━━━━
I've been writing this the whole day omg. I'm supposed to be on vacation but I just got home after being away for a while and I've been very busy😅🥲
Things should be back to normal now.
I was very excited to write these scenes, particularly the ones with Carl and that fight with Daryl. It hurt to make them fight though🥺
I'm not ready for what's coming😭😭 Prepare yourselves👀
Have a nice weekend!
Dedicated to simp4lunalovegood