The holding cell was dark and cold, Clary thought, as she sat on the bare concrete floor. The girl had yet to move from where she was seated, her back stiff against the stone wall. Everything about the situation should have told her to abandon all hope, yet she still held onto a sliver of it as she heard footsteps approaching through the half-opened window above her.
The owner of the footsteps was revealed as the door opened, revealing Daryl as he stopped by the door. "Can I come in?" Clary nodded softly, a laugh sounding. "Not like I have a choice." The man's face softened as he approached, standing opposite from her and leaning against the wall. As his eyes rested on her, the man sighed. "There's some bad shit going down, Jo." Clary clenched her jaw before nodding. "I know." Clary sighed, allowing the silence to fill the room for a moment before she saw his questioning gaze. "I never liked killing, I still don't. That's not why I did it." Daryl only stared at her as she continued. "The things I did, it started off as revenge— justice for what the Saviors had done to my sister and my people. And then it became about protecting people that weren't even my own. People that were too weak to protect themselves. Every Savior I killed became one less that could hurt anyone."
Daryl looked at the girl, knowing deeply that she did all that she did to protect her people. He knew in his heart that the kid did what she had to out of need, whether a need to protect her people or others. "I know, kid, I know." Clary watched as the man took a step forward. "I think Rick's wrong, putting you in here like some criminal. You ain't one. You went through some tough shit and had to do some bad shit, but you're also stronger and braver than anyone I've ever met. And I know that you'd do anything for the people you care about, like Glenn and Maggie. Like Enid and Carl." Clary shook her head. "Like you. Like Rick, even if he doesn't trust me right now. Like everyone in the group because, for some reason, you all took me in and watched out for me as if I had started with you. I'd do anything to protect you all."
Daryl moved away from the wall, Clary moving from her side as they stood before each other. She grew surprised as he reached out his hand and placed it on her shoulder comfortingly. "You ain't rotting down here, Jo. I ain't letting that happen. I'm fighting for you. Glenn and Maggie, Enid, Carl, we're all fighting for you. You even got Abraham questioning why you're down here because he knows you are a soldier, and he knows what war does to people, and he sees that you're a fighter. And Angel of Death or not, you're still one of us. Rick will see that, we'll make him." Clary allowed a small smile to fall upon her face. "That means a lot, Daryl—" his eyes looked at her in confusion as she pulled away, her eyes meeting his before she shook her head. "But I'm not letting you risk anything for me."
Clary took another step away from the man, taking a deep breath. "It's up to Rick if he decides to use me or not, or if he decides to kill me or send me away. Whatever it is, I'll accept—" Clary looked towards the door as it swung open, revealing Carl who held a surprising amount of anger in his eyes. "No, that's bullshit." Clary wondered how he had heard her until her eyes glanced to the small window in the cell, realizing he must have been there long enough to hear her and Daryl. "Carl—" the boy shook his head. "You're going to give up? Just like that?" Clary clenched her jaw, not allowing herself to meet his gaze in fear she'd break. Daryl looked between the two before he spoke. "Rick is gonna stop by soon. Make it quick kid." Clary didn't see how Carl responded as the door opened and shut, signifying Daryl's absence.
After a few moments, she found the strength to look at Carl, only to find his eye still locked on her. "You shouldn't be here, Carl. Your dad—" Carl shook his head. "Is being an idiot. He— he's being a hypocrite! He's acting out of fear and it— it got you here." Clary clenched her jaw. "Your father is right to be scared, Carl. I lied about who I was, what I've done—" Carl scoffed. "So? You've proven yourself more than enough times and you've never stopped trying to help people here. You protect people because thats who you are. That's why you did what you did."
Clary shut her eyes, her head falling as she remembered his confession of knowing who she was. "How did you find out?" Clary asked, her eyes meeting the boy's gaze to see his face soften. "When that guy caught us. You told me to go to the car but I— I stayed behind to make sure that you didn't get attacked again. That's when I heard him call you the Angel of Death." Clary clenched her jaw, bringing her hands around her body as if to hold herself together. "Why didn't you tell me that you knew?" Clary asked, watching as Carl placed his hands in his pockets. "I was scared that if I asked, you would try to leave again." Carl's gaze faltered as a slight reddish tint fell over his cheeks. "I just— I didn't want to lose you. I didn't need to know because you staying meant more than knowing."
Clary's face softened, realizing how much the boy cared for her. However, she watched the sadness on his face become more obvious. "Would you have told me?" Carl questioned, watching as the girl shook her head. "No, I— I wanted to save you from that part of me. Being with Maggie and Glenn, Enid, you? It made me forget what I used to be— who I used to be. And I was afraid that if you ever found out, I'd lose you."
Clary was ready to look away from Carl, not wanting to see the disappointment in his gaze. She had seen the anger in Glenn's eyes, the terror in Maggie's, but she didn't think she could bare seeing all of that in Carl's eye. However, she was surprised as he held out his hand, staying at a distance in case he had read her wrong and didn't want him the way he thought she did. She looked confusedly at him before placing her hand in his, allowing him to pull her closer. She looked at him carefully, seeing the softness in his gaze as they stood before each other. "I'm here, Clary, just as I always have been. Just as I always will be. I'm not leaving you. Not now, not ever."
As Clary looked to the boy, she wondered how he felt so strongly for her. She wasn't used to it, even from the boy that was supposed to love her, he'd never defend her to such an extent. "You'll be out of here in a few hours, because as much as I want you to just be safe, you're right. My dad needs you. You scare them, and that gives you leverage. So don't worry, okay? Because you're not getting kicked out, and you're not staying in this basement, you'll be out soon. I'll make sure of it." Clary nodded, smiling softly as Carl did the same.
After a few moments standing together in silence, Carl reluctantly pulled away before allowing her hand to fall from his. "I better go before my dad gets here. I'll let Enid know you're okay but... you just hang on, okay?" With a soft smile, the girl nodded. "I will."
With a nod, he walked out of the cell and Clary made her way back to her position on the floor. She stayed like that for another hour, her eyes glancing out the window to see the moonlight but, other than that, she was left with her own thoughts. Her own worried thoughts, racing a hundred miles a minute, she grew restless until the door opened once again. Her head shot up, averting towards the door to see Glenn and Maggie enter, followed by Rick. His eyes were emotionless and his jaw was clenched as he looked to the girl. "Make it quick."
Maggie rushed forward to the girl, wrapping her in her arms before Rick could give them privacy. He watched as Clary buried her face in the woman's neck, the girl surprised by how relieved she felt as she realized they hadn't left her. She knew very well that they could have, probably should have considering the danger she put them through. She paid no mind to Rick as he stood at the door, surprised to see how much care Maggie had gained for the young girl. The same could be said as Glenn made his way to the two, wrapping both of them in his arms. Rick clenched his jaw, knowing full well that Glenn had deprived everyone from the information of the young girls past. But Rick also knew how against killing Glenn was and that, if he had grown to care for the killer of a girl, there was a reason. With that in mind, he walked out of the doors, wondering if what he was doing was right, depriving parents from their child.
As Clary pulled away hearing the door shut, she looked at the two of them with disbelief in her eyes. "What are you doing here—" Clary began before Glenn looked at her with a kind smile. "You didn't think we'd leave you, did you?" he questioned, causing the girl to clench her jaw. "I— I don't know." Maggie led Clary to the small cot within the room, sitting besides her and wrapping an arm around her. The woman knew Clary was the last person to need comfort, but she couldn't resist the mothering instinct she had for the girl.
Glenn kneeled in front of them, his eyes looking towards the girl. "Hey, I meant it when I said you were family, Clary. That you are family. And that means Maggie and I will never stop fighting for you, ever." Clary smiled softly, nodding in understanding. "I'm sorry that I put you through this, but I had to tell Rick. I couldn't watch from the sidelines, not after everything. This— this could be the last time I ever have to be the Angel of Death to these people but I needed them to see my face. They needed to know that I had found them just as I had their friends. This was my mission. It still is... and I need to finish it." Glenn nodded softly, knowing full well the trials Clary had faced to become the Angel of Death and to become a force to be reckoned with. Her skill had become her most dangerous weapon, one people like the Saviors feared, and he knew it was for the better.
With that knowledge, the man let out a sigh. "I know, and you will be there with us. You will finish what you need to do because then? Then you get to live." Clary smiled softly, the words assuring her that Glenn, with his belief of no killing, didn't care about the past she held and the mission she needed to complete. He understood her, he understood why she needed to do what she needed to do. They both did.
Clary looked at the two of them, knowing full well she had never had two people care so much about her, much less act as parents towards her. She smiled softly. "Thank you," she said, causing the two look at her in confusion. "For what?" Maggie questioned, the girl looking to her quickly as she brushed back hair from her face. "For being here. Not a lot of people stick around when things get bad." Glenn placed his hand on her knee, a smile upon his face. He looked at her with a kind of love that she wondered if her father had ever looked at her with. "That day, bringing you in from the outside the gates, I made a promise to myself and to you that, no matter what, I'd be by your side. That I'd protect you and defend you. I don't know why, but whatever told me to, I'm glad for it because I don't want to imagine how my life would be had I not had you in it. And that promise? I'm sticking to it, cross my heart." He made the motion, crossing an X over his chest as he had done that day and she smiled, doing the same to let him know she understood. She was surprised as she felt the need to finally let free the words she had felt yet had been so afraid to say, although implying them she had yet to say them, so she did. "I love you, both of you."
Happiness seemed to fill the air as Maggie held her tighter, Glenn's eyes shining. Glenn and Maggie looked to each other, realizing that this was their family. Their little family, with Glenn, Maggie, their daughter and child on the way. This was the Rhee family.
Glenn stood up, kissing Clary on the crown of her head before holding the hand of his wife and cupping the cheek of the young girl. "And we love you, more than you will ever know," the woman declared, "And nothing is going to keep you from being by our side. Damn all those that think for a second we'll let you go," Glenn added, giving her an assuring look.
Looking between the two of them, her gratefulness was cut short as Rick entered. His jaw was set, his eyes seemingly softening as he saw the couple and girl close together. "Times up," he declared, chasing Glenn to stand. "Rick, please—" Clary placed her hand on Glenn's arm as he tried to protest, his eyes meeting hers and she smiled softly. "It's okay. I'll be okay." Clary and Maggie stood up, Maggie wrapping her arms around the girl before kissing the top of her head. She pulled away, cupping the cheek of the young girl. "You'll be out of here soon, and you'll be right by our side when we take down the Saviors once and for all, okay?" Clary nodded, surprised as emotion tugged at her heart. Maggie saw her hesitance and smiled softly. "I love you so much, hon." Clary nodded softly. "I love you, too."
Maggie pulled away for Glenn to go to the girl, his hand cradling the side of her head as he looked at her. "Don't get too used to it here, okay?" The girl laughed softly. "Course not, we have a fight to win." Maggie's heart clenched at her words, knowing that the girl was a warrior before she was her daughter. Glenn looked at her for a second more before the couple departed. Rick closed the cell door, leaving Clary behind the bars as he ushered them out. Their eyes stayed on her as long as they could until they were forced out.
Outside of where the girl was locked up, Rick looked to the two and saw how broken up they were over having Clary locked in the cell. Rick reached out, attempting to place his hand on Maggie. "I'm sorry, Maggie, but—" Maggie retreated from his touch, her eyes becoming a cold green as they met his own. He saw a pure anger in her eyes as she looked to him. "But what? There is no reason to lock my child in a cell!" Glenn placed his hand on the woman's back, trying to soothe his wife.
Rick was taken aback at the proclamation, knowing full well how much the two cared for the young girl but not knowing to the point it was where they had seemingly adopted her as their own. Rick clenched his jaw. "She's a killer, Maggie. You think it's safe having someone like that inside our—" Maggie scoffed. "She is not just a killer, Rick! She has done nothing but prove herself to all of us. What she did before Alexandria was what she had to do when she was leading a whole community, the same kinda shit you had to do to keep us alive before we got here." Seeing Rick's unchanging features, she shook her head. "We're all killers, and you don't get to decide when someone has to be held accountable for it. But if that's what you wanna do, you should be the first one in that cell." Maggie peeled away from her husband and walked away from Rick, anger in her eyes.
Rick looked to Glenn, who he could tell was angry but had his more under control. "Glenn—" he went silent as the man looked to him. "Please, Rick, she— she means a lot to not just me or Maggie or Enid— but to Daryl. To your son." Rick didn't move as Glenn shook his head, letting out a soft sigh. "I know what she's done, I've known since Nicholas tried to kill her. He didn't drop a letter, he dropped a wanted poster." The revealing of such information caused Rick's eyes to form into slits, yet he stayed silent as Glenn continued. "It was my choice to protect her, and it was my choice to bring her into my home, to become a part of us." Glenn took a step closer, seeing the hesitance in his friend's eyes. "And I stand by that choice, no matter what, because Maggie's right. She has proven herself more times than she had to. And— and like Maggie said, she's our kid, and we're not going to stop fighting for her. And the longer you keep her in that cell, the longer you'll to fight off not only us, or Daryl, but your son, because there is no way in hell we're letting her go. She means too much to all of us."
As Glenn walked away, Rick let out a sigh, knowing full well there was no way he could send out the girl. Not just because she meant so much to people in his group, or just because she had become the now adopted child of Glenn and Maggie, or not even because his son cared for her so much. No, it's because he knew that the things she had done in the past made her too important to the battle they would face.
Rick turned around, going down the steps of the holding cell to see her standing in the same spot she had been. Her eyes met his and Rick couldn't deny she held the eyes of a strong leader, her gaze holding wisdom beyond her tears. "Are they gone?" Rick nodded, surprised as he saw her confidence falter. It was then he realized she had been putting up a front so as to not worry the couple.
Seeing this, he let out a puff of air that seemed to be a disbelieving laugh. "You know, I've seen my group come together for years, but I can't say I thought you'd be cared for in the way you are." The girl looked to him, the same type of laugh coming from her her. "You're telling me. Coming here, I never thought I'd get the family I've gained here. I'd never thought I'd get anything close to what I found here because I didn't believe I would be deserving of a second chance— I still don't." She let out another laugh and even surprised Rick with the sound. She sat down on the cot, messing with her sleeves. "I haven't had a father in more than half my life, and never thought anyone would make the effort to try and be that for me, until Glenn came along. And Maggie? I never knew what a true mother was like because I lost my mother the same day I lost my father, with her becoming the shell of the woman I had known. Maggie proved to me that a mother was nothing if not loving." The girl sighed. "The both of them have proved to me that blood means nothing, that family isn't the one you were born into but the one you choose. They chose me, and I chose them. I choose all of you."
Rick brought forward the chair in the corner of the room, sitting down in it before facing the girl. "Tell me." The girl raised a questioning eyebrow. "Tell you what?" She clenched her jaw as Rick peered at her through slightly closed eyelids, as if he was studying her. "How a girl from a broken past becomes the Angel of Death." Clary allowed her eyes to meet Rick's, seeing he was sincere in knowing of her past through the studios gaze. So she nodded, knowing what she said might be her last chance to prove that she was on his side. And as she looked to him, she began the story he was so curious to hear.