stardustly | Yes, and they will run you down, down 'til you fall.

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Yes, and they will run you down, down 'til you fall.

who: team family!
what: right after the season 7 finale aftermath.
where: Alexandria.

[ Unease rolled through Rick, setting all his nerves on edge and heightened his need to do something. Anything. But for the moment, he knew they needed to heal and regroup, taking it easy to plan the next course of action. They were gearing up for war and Rick knew better than to ever underestimate an enemy ever again or a possible alliance. The sting from Jadis only added to the fire burning in his veins and the resolute determination to bring all the saviors down to their knees. Those he left alive anyway because he wanted Negan's head and everyone else close to his base of daily operations. They all needed to burn and pay for their crimes.

Pushing the troubling ponderings aside for the time being, Rick moved into the room where Michonne and the other injured were. He just finished rallying the troops with Maggie and left her to finish inspiring them and starting a training schedule. They needed more weapons and there were just too many unknown variables.

Running a hand over his face, Rick sat down on the chair next to Michonne's bed, reaching for her hand to messily press his lips against her palm, nearly willing her with all he had to wake up. Rationally, he knew she would be okay but his mind had become a chaotic uprising of tumbling emotions and thoughts. He needed her to make sense of it all again. To soothe the inner storms into a calmer peace. ]

I thought - I tried to fool myself into believin' we could make it without each other. We could keep goin', doin' what needed to be done. But I can't. I need you, Michonne. Everybody needs ya. I know you gotta rest but if you could just open your eyes a little bit and talk to me a couple minutes, I'd appreciate it.

[ He hadn't even gotten his hip looked at yet. Far too concerned with everyone else. ]

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[ The dreams Michonne's having are vivid, good and bad peppered throughout. She dreams about her son, but he's not really Andre. Just some grown up could be version that never made it. She dreams about Rick and Carl and Judith, the four of them happy behind these walls and growing together. She dreams about that and more, and sometimes that it gets taken away, too. Her mantra through all of it never changes, maybe it never will now. It's even on her lips as she mumbles, hearing his last few words. ]

We're the...the ones that get to live.

[ She couldn't get it out before, but she's determined now to make him hear it. ]

Us.

[ Her one eye opens to look at him, the other too swollen shut. ]

Edited (omg sorry for the multiple edits lol) 2017-04-10 17:23 (UTC)

[ The sound of her voice broke something in Rick and repaired everything all at the same time. With a quiet sob, Rick carefully pressed his lips all over her hand and the side of her not as damaged face. The lump in his throat felt like his heartbeat and the relief washed over him so thickly it almost exhausted him. But that could have also been the aftermath catching up to him. ]

Yeah, we do. We are. We will. Together.

[ Rick promised the words fiercely, protectively in every possible way. He decided to give up the words from before knowing they didn't amount to much, especially not now after everything. ] They won't get away with this. We're already - I'll tell you later. You got to get better and rest. Got to confess, it took everything I've got to stay in this chair here.

[ He offered her a small grin, running his free hand tenderly over her hair. ]

[ Michonne's thumb lightly moves over the back of his wrist. ]

You need to go. Be out there. I'm not goin' anywhere.

[ Indeed she's not, not for a couple more days. Everything hurts to move. ]

But I want you to keep telling me. Tell me what happened.

[ All she knows is that these garbage people absolutely betrayed them, and she's not sure how Alexandria is still standing after that. She'd been aware of gunfire when she dragged herself into the house and collapsed, but there was never any way to know which side it was leaning until Rick and Carl found her. And now she wants to know how. ]

[ The comforting gesture relaxed him slightly but not as much as he probably should have. He felt too wound up and anxious at the moment to relax for long and he knew he needed to get back to doing things. But for now, he wanted to keep an eye on Michonne and make sure she healed up properly. Almost losing her terrified him right to his core and he needed to keep her in his sights. ]

Maggie and Hilltop arrived with Carol and the Kingdom at the right moment. That tiger of theirs took out a few guys. [ He paused for a couple of seconds, wondering if he should tell her about Sasha yet. The horror of what happened to her still hadn't become real to him and he knew later he would mourn over it. But for now, he needed to remain strong. ]

Before that, things weren't lookin' good. Negan meant to use Sasha against us but she - she was turned and that shock gave us the in we needed to turn things round. Got a jump on 'em. Took out Saviors and Scavengers. Don't know what they're gonna do now but they ain't with us.

[ His eyes jerked down, the weight of things slamming back over him. He couldn't save Sasha either and it hurt. It hurt so badly to lose someone else they cared so much about. ] She saved us, Michonne. Without her - don't think any of us would be here right now. Not sure how it happened but - wish it coulda turned out different.

Eugene is still with him. He didn't - [ He shook his head again, still looking down. ] We still don't have the numbers.

[ Michonne takes that in, closes her eye again and shifts uncomfortably, wincing as her hand tightens in Rick's. Jadis betrayed them; she knew it, but now she knows it. They'll take her out, too. Whatever they have to do.

And then.

Then, he tells her about Sasha and Michonne looks up at the ceiling, stares at nothing as her bottom lip quivers just a little but she doesn't cry because it hurts to. Sasha's gone now, and it's just another instance of not knowing the last time she saw someone, it'd be the last time. ]

If she saved us, gave us the start we needed? She would have wanted it that way.

[ It hurts to say that entire sentence, to get it out in one breath. ]

We'll get them. Dwight...

[ Not that she believes in him at all, but if he's really defecting, they have the numbers. With or without Eugene doing what makes him feel like he's important. ]

We'll get the numbers.

[ Releasing the hold on Michonne's hand, he tilted his head to the side as he regarded her. He still couldn't move past how he nearly lost her and what they had. Without a shadow of a doubt, he knew he couldn't make it without her and such fierce loyalties were dangerous in their world because things ended all the time. Not being able to make it without someone also signed your own death sentence. But even knowing such a thing couldn't stop his feelings.

Michonne, Carl and Judith were his entire world and nothing would stop it. He'd make sure of it. ]

Think that's why she did it. Knew she wasn't gettin' out of her situation without bein' a pawn. She decided to go by her own terms and not endanger us. Wish I knew what she was thinkin' doin' what she did. [ Why did she go to the compound in the first place and alone? Such reckless behavior would end all of them and they needed everyone more than ever at the moment. Negan had three times the amount of people they had unless they could win over Oceanside or the Scavengers again.

Perhaps find other groups. ]

Not sure 'bout Dwight but if he's an inside man, it might give us what we need. If he can start deflectin' Negan's own people that'll wreck him. That man needs people to rule over and if they start leavin' him, it'll shake 'im.

That many people....can't be happy. Can't be happy livin' under...under his thumb.

[ Michonne tries to shift to sit up a little, but that sends pain radiating down her side and she grunts in pain, falling back again. Even that slight movement makes her break out into a sweat, and she closes her good eye again, wetting her lips. ]

Can I get some water?

[ Something, maybe with a pain pill to knock her back out if they can spare it. ]

[ The moment she tried to move, Rick climbed quickly to his feet to try and stop her. He gave her a 'stern' look to stay put, the very same Carl often saw and Judith sometimes. The others in varying degrees depending on the situation and what it called for. ]

You need to only worry about restin' and nothin' else. I just wanted to tell ya what was goin' on or I'd have an earful later. [ Nodding, he moved over to grab for some water and another pill for the pain because the wince left him feeling colder. ]

Once you take this, you'll be out for awhile longer. Givin' ya time to rest. I'll see to fixin' this place up and then we'll work on alliances and other things. We've still got Hilltop and the Kingdom. They might know of other places. I don't want you to worry 'bout it.

[ He helped her with the water and the pill, again with the stern look. ] Shouldn't take too long to kick in, I reckon.

[ No, it's not going to take long, not by a long shot. ]

Stay. With me until I fall asleep.

[ She isn't planning on staying in this bed on her back long, but she can't fight it right. Still, Michonne needs him, and her hand reaches for his again, tugging it over her chest, over her heartbeat. She can feel the warmth of him, and he can feel the life still in her. ]

Always. [ The simple word filled with plenty of conviction and emotion, Rick meaning every single letter of it. In fact, if the bed had been big enough, Rick would likely be right beside her. ]

[ His heart clenched at the tenderness, the feel of her heartbeat calming him a little. They were still alive -- they were the ones who survived. Through all the odds they continued to fight on together. Letting out a soft breath, he kept his eyes on her. ] I love you.

[ There's an unmistakable smile on her lips at that, and she just barely manages to mumble the words back to him, that she loves him, before the drugs pull her under.

The next time she wakes, she knows she isn't alone, she can feel it, but for now she can't get her good eye to cooperate with wanting to open, so she makes a soft sound in the back of her throat, trying to get the attention of someone, anyone before speaking with what feels like a mouth full of sand. ]

....'s there water?

[The destruction at Alexandria isn't the worst she's seen it. It isn't good, but it could be worse. Will be worse. The thought comes unbidden, and yet she feels the truth of it down to the hollows of her bones. It's the way things are now. The way the world works. And hearing about what Negan and the saviors (and isn't that title about as ironic as it gets?) had done to Abraham, to Glenn -- her choice has been made.

She's tried staying out of all of it. Isolating herself. Because at the core, she is poison and it's something she has struggled to come to terms with over the last few weeks at the Kingdom. She's not sure she ever will. Ever can.

It doesn't matter.

Carol's felt helpless, hopeless for so long now despite her own capabilities, that she's not sure she's going to get past it, and that doesn't matter either. What matters is how she responds, and hiding from it isn't going to make it all go away. She's back, in it for the long haul. Because it's what she has to do.

She spends some time checking on a few of the people from both Alexandria and the Kingdom, but she doesn't spot any of the individuals she most needs to see. She asks around, discovers that Michonne had been pretty badly injured, and follows Tara's direction to where the woman is recovering. She finds Rick there beside her bed, holding her hand, and she pauses in the doorway, silent. Still.]

[ Battered. Slipping down. But not at all broken and without the drive to continue on and to win. They didn't really have any other options but to move forward and try for the best possible outcomes. Because never again would they crash onto their knees and allow for that madman to have dominance over how they did things. Rick cannot believe it ever arrived at that point to begin with but the strain over all the losses and all the pressures were getting to them all.

They were all so tired and something needed to give.

The law of averages. The luck after all the misfortune. Things had to turn their way now they were at the bottom, scrapping around in the muck and dirt.

Feeling eyes on him, Rick twisted around in his seat to take in Carol standing there. He didn't have enough words to show his appreciation for her saving them once again. The guilt still roamed through him every time he saw her, given the past at the prison. ]

Can't thank ya enough for comin' through for us, Carol. I know things don't look good now but things will change. They got to. We all have to make sure they do. We started somethin', ain't no goin' back now.

[ He shook his head, standing up to give Michonne time to rest. ] We have to start plannin'. The saviors aren't gonna rest long before they attack again.

[When he turns and notices her presence, she meets his eyes and gives a short nod. She thinks she sees guilt there and she suppresses the urge to sigh. She doesn't want him to feel guilty for the past. Not only is it water under the bridge in her mind, but his instincts about her had been right. He'd seen it long before anyone else had. Long before she'd been willing to admit it.

And when push comes to shove, he doesn't even know all of it.

She tries and fails to smile at the thanks, but shakes her head. She'd been trying to reconcile her mind to this since Daryl's appearance on her doorstep at the Kingdom. She hadn't been quite ready at that moment, but she'd known he'd lied to her. To protect her, the way he does. But Morgan's confirmation that things had gone down much differently from what Daryl had told her had solidified things in her mind. Negan and the Saviors have to be stopped.]

We will, Rick. [And she knows he's right about that -- Negan and his people don't seem the type to spend long regrouping before striking again.]

For what it's worth, Ezekial and the Kingdom are in this for the long haul. [There's a beat.]

And so am I.

[ Letting out a slow breath, Rick's eyes lingered on Michonne for a moment before he gave Carol more of his attention. He felt exhausted but knew none of them would rest anytime soon. They needed to plan their next course of attack and figure out how to balance the odds stacked against them. Negan still had the numbers, worse with the Scavengers having betrayed them. How did he not see the signs of it happening from Jadis? The type of woman no one should ever trust. She really made his skin crawl. ]

Yeah, that's real good to hear but we got to figure out how to balance this out. We still don't have the numbers and those we got - not all of them are fighters. Not all of them know what it's like goin' up against people like this.

[ He scrubbed a hand over his face, eyes drifting towards Michonne again but she kept sleeping on. ] Think we should set up some trainin' for them while the Saviors are regrouping?

[Her own gaze drops to Michonne's resting form and she draws in a breath, reluctantly stepping farther into the room. There will be time for planning after the more important things at hand are out of the way, so she ignores the question for the time being.]

How's she doing? [Her voice is hushed, and she wonders who's taken over as doctor since Denise was killed. Her conversation with Tara had been brief, but long enough to learn that much, and she folds her arms across her chest, more for something to do with them than her defensive posture might suggest.

She chews her lower lip and looks at the blood stain on Rick's shirt.]

How are you doing for that matter? [She can't tell if he's been shot or stabbed, but either way, it's not good.]

[ Letting out a shaky breath, Rick's eyes moved back over Michonne's sleeping form and he had to blink a few times to try and stop his eyes from stinging again. Things felt too overwhelming and the fact he nearly lost Michonne and Carl in short a time frame didn't exactly help matters or his current state of mind.

He just felt so tired but knew none of them would sleep anytime soon with so many preparations to set up. They also needed to do repairs to the wall to keep them all safe in the meantime. He really needed to get back out there to oversee things. ]

She's as good as can be expected. She was lucky. [ His eyes moved downwards when Carol hinted at the wound. Yeah, he forgot about it completely in his worry and grief. ]

Yeah, got shot. [ He said it so nonchalant like it didn't matter. Nearly as if she asked him a remark about the weather. ] Jadis shot me when I wouldn't kneel. It's fine. Can't even feel it anymore. [ Looking back over at her, he motioned for her to take a seat. ] Really wish Denise was still here.

[She sees it. The struggle he's having dealing with Michonne being hurt. She gets it. She wishes she didn't. Still. Carol watches him intently, letting her gaze slide to his injury when he admits he'd been shot.

She doesn't know who Jadis is, but she assumes she's one of the people from the other group he'd found.]

That's not necessarily a good thing.

[She moves over to sit down beside him. There's a lot of blood on his shirt and pants. Obviously she hadn't hit anything vital or life-threatening, but that doesn't mean it's not to be taken seriously. Of course, Rick won't. Not with Michonne hurt as she is, and not with all of the problems that lie ahead of them.]

You should let me take a look at it. [She isn't a doctor, but she might have the most medical knowledge of the group now. Scary thought, she thinks idly.]

[ While he wanted to argue about there being more important things to worry about, he knew the effort would be for nothing. Carol would keep insisting and they would waste more time debating about it than just getting it over with. Sighing deeply, he lifted up his shirt, wincing a little from the movements. Focusing on it made the pain surge up slightly but not to the point he couldn't handle it. Thanks to all his injuries over the past few years, he had built up a tolerance for enduring.

He shifted the chair around quietly to not disturb Michonne and give Carol a little more room to look. ]

Just needs to be removed and will be alright. [ Rick held up his shirt again, fingers becoming sticky with the blood stained there. ] Haven't had time yet but was plannin' on doin' it. [ Most likely once everyone else had been taken care of and the walls were back in place. He knew Negan wouldn't be resting and a minor injury couldn't slow him down. ]

[She knows there are more important things, and while it's not a life-threatening injury, it could easily garner an infection that could cause life-threatening issues not too far down the road. And right now that's not something any of them can afford.

She peers at the injury for a long moment, wrinkle forming between her eyebrows as she studies it, then nods, moving to get some of the medical tools that were available. She sterilizes the forceps with alcohol and carries the bottle over toward where he's sitting, pressing her lips together and looking up at him.]

This is going to sting a bit.

[Which is an understatement.]

[ Focusing on the injury caused the pain to flair up a little more but nothing showed on Rick's face. Even before the world ended, he knew how to take an injury and keep going. The shot landing him in the coma being a rare example of something temporarily taking him out. Since waking up, Rick had his fair share of injuries and managed to pull through each and every one.

He couldn't afford otherwise.

Watching her gather things up, he nodded his head with a thin smile pulling at his lips. ]

Not my first time with a gunshot wound. I can take it. [ His fingers wrapped tightly around the arm of the chair to brace himself, giving a slight nod when he settled to give her the go ahead. ]

[She presses her lips together at his statement, knowing he's right. This is hardly the worst injury he's ever had. Hardly the worst injury any of them have ever had. Hell at this point she's pretty sure most of them have taken at least one bullet if not more. Pushing all her thoughts away -- because she certainly doesn't need to be getting lost in her head right now -- she sets to work. She retrieves the bullet, stitches him up, and bandages the injury with steady hands.]

All done.

[She glances up at him before rising to her feet and moving to get rid of the blood-soaked bandages, disposing of them in the garbage can and then washing her hands thoroughly. She's silent for a moment, considering carefully what she wants to say.]

Most of the Kingdom isn't ready for war. [It's why so few of them had come. She knows that the Hilltop isn't much better off.] Some of them are better prepared for it than others. [She turns to look at him.] I'll get them ready.

[ Bracing himself, Rick remained mostly silent while she worked, eyes rolling up to look at the ceiling tiles. His mind drifted then playing over the most recent events, slowly moving backwards further and further until he reached the moment he first woke up and felt the familiar sting of a bullet wound.

Her voice shook him from the remembrance, his eyes now following her movements as he waited for her to say her peace. He could tell she had something on her mind and it bothered her. The way she held her shoulders and the look in her eyes being only the first clue ins. They all had tells and Rick had been trained long enough to pick up on them.

Someone in law enforcement always needed to pick up on a lie or something being withheld. ]

You won't have to do it alone. I know we don't got much time and we're all in this now. Ain't no turnin' back. [ He wished they had another way but Negan and the Saviors wouldn't listen to reason and sure wouldn't want to be apart of an actual community setting. They only wanted power and intimidation, two things Rick couldn't stand for. ]

We can set up training stations and try to get 'em ready. We got to be prepared for everythin'. We need to talk to King Ezekiel and Gregory. [ The latter he felt less thrilled about. ]

[It wasn't over. Daryl had been to the Sanctuary, he'd walked through the halls, and he knew the sheer numbers. If Hilltop and The Kingdom hadn't shown when they did Carl would be dead and so would the rest of them. He'd probably be back in that hole in the wall, Negan didn't just do overkill.

Sasha was just another causality and judging by the look on Negan's face when she came out of the coffin, one he had a mind to barter with. The chance that it was on her terms didn't make it any better. Not to him. Daryl's been dealing with this hell longer than he could remember, but seeing someone you cared about become a skank never got any easier. Not with Sophia, Merle, not with anybody. That was kinda thing that turned your stomach- there wasn't a threshold for it.

It's all the same. Yesterday The Governor, today The Saviors. Tomorrow someone else, maybe the double-cross would give them some answers. If they were lucky they could keep some of the injured long enough to get the truth.

Daryl's got the gun he used to pursue The Saviors still in his lap, and he's placed himself out of the way, squat in the corner of the infirmary to keep an eye on everybody in the middle of recovery. The carving he nabbed off the gate feels like it weighs a ton in his pocket. Truth or not, Dwight had things he had to answer for, and Daryl wasn't really the "enemy of my enemy" type.

Eugene was on the inside, but there wasn't any reaching him. The collateral Alexandria took from the fight needed to be reinforced, and some of the field team from both places were already working on it. The gunfire attracted more walkers than any of them really liked seeing at the gates. Making a move with Dwight seemed like a damn death wish at this point, even with resentment put aside.

Their make-shift medical wing is too quiet than he's comfortable with, especially with his adrenaline spiked. Daryl can almost hear his skin crawling, blood rushing, and the murmur of delicate conversations was drowned out by the thumping of that in his head. He didn't like being involved in that anyway, too vulnerable, and way too uncomfortable. That sort of thing was handled better by the professionals, he's only parked in the corner on the off chance he's needed or protective detail is necessary. The first patrol he went on didn't show anything but aftermath and wreckage.]

Edited 2017-04-12 18:44 (UTC)

[ Panic slid through his veins, churning up his mostly empty stomach but he tried to keep it all to himself; the very same situation as his whole 'not sleeping' thing. The regret and the nightmares made it too difficult and now there were too many other skeletons hanging in his closet, accusing him of all the misfortune he caused. He took it upon his shoulders as the leader and swallowed down all the blame, all the guilt to tear him apart from the inside out.

There were so many things he should have done differently and how much more blood could stain his hands before he never felt clean again? How much longer could all of them go before they shattered and finally gave up? They had been through so much and peace never seemed to last very long. Foolishly, he really believed things would be different in Alexandria and they could build a whole new life together, winning against the walkers. Building a society again of the living but the shadows had come to collect and they gathered around like wavering tombstones ready to push each one of them in.

Head tilting, he gazed over at Daryl, noticing the same haunted expression and rising desperation. He had endured too much and the guilt he felt towards him nearly overwhelmed all his senses.

Negan took him and did who knew what to him while in captivity, something Rick couldn't even save him from.

What could he do? Could he even lead anymore?

He had to. ]

You alright? [ Rick asked softly, getting up from his chair to squat down in front of Daryl, ignoring the pain it ignited with his hip. He wanted to reach out but knew better than to attempt it, especially now. Daryl had never been a touchy feely person and he couldn't imagine anything changed in the past few weeks. ] We'll figure this out. There's got to be other communities and we've got - we'll find a way. We always do. You believe that, right? [ He didn't know who he meant to convince - himself or Daryl here. ]

[Internalizing was one of many skill sets Daryl had perfected long before skin eating corpse control was necessary. There were a few things he did well, but none of them really connected to having a healthy handle on emotions. Even if he did, there'd be no point in discussing them. Head shrinks weren't charging 200 dollars anymore, the whole world was too fucked up. Best to get on or get gone.

Rick's exactly the kind of guy that needs the reassurance, but there was no way that their plan would've been an ace in the hole. Casualties were a fact of life, and despite the dumpster double-cross Daryl knew there would be a death toll. There always was.]

I ain't the one you gotta convince.

[Daryl knew they had a shot, but now it was all politics, and making sure they were ten steps ahead of the Saviors, that meant D was fucking necessary and he wasn't sure yet whether or not that pissed him off.

Yeah, it all went down, it happened and that was shit but Daryl didn't just play possum and if anyone was gonna make this work it was them. They'd seen through some worse shit. Rick doesn't have to worry about where Daryl stands in all of this,
never did, and the look on his face just reaffirms it when he manages to pull out what Dwight left behind and with a casual look he passes it over to Rick.]

Eugene might be his bitch, and for all we know D is pulling a con- but having somebody on the inside's better than having horse shit.

[Numbers, insight, war games. It'd all be a lot easier if their collaborative efforts could go unnoticed.]

How's the kid?

[Carl had been through more than any kid his age should ever have to and he handled it like a champion. Maybe he's not the one that needs the guidance, but Rick got them this far- not trusting him wasn't an option anymore. If he needs to get some of this off his chest, better to do it now and leave it here than have it like a homing beacon in the heat of battle.]

[ There were still countless variables to account for and go over, making things even more dire than before because one false move would topple everything. They fought for their own sense of freedoms but also for the other communities as well. Coming together did pull things into their favors but they needed more than just the drive for it. They needed the numbers and the weapons to fight because there would be a lot of death. There would be so much death and Rick wished they had another way to make all this happen but Rick knew men like Negan and they never listened to reason. He saw men and women like the man all the time before the world ended and he wore the badge with pride.

He knew how they worked and he also knew how they fell. Bullies always failed in the end with their inflated egos and overreaching prides. ]

Ain't about convincing, it's about planning. We have to take the steps now and keep moving. We've got to know where we want to go and figure out how to get there.

[ Did he ever wish they still had Abe and Sasha; both were so good at the tactical approaches and where to take things forward.

Taking what Daryl held out, Rick looked down at it to study for a moment. Did it mean Dwight still had other plans in mind? ]

Don't think Eugene is fully on their side. He's just scared and doin' what he can to survive. Might be betrayed now but we can get him back. He's braver than he thinks he is. [ He didn't want to give up on anyone, especially with how precarious things were at the moment. ] If Dwight can get us numbers from the inside, cripple Negan that way, it might do somethin'.

[ He handed Daryl the piece back. ] You're alright with includin' him?

[ The talk of Carl pulled a deep sigh and then a wince from him. ] He's still alive. It was - really close this time. Thought I was gonna lose Carl and lost Michonne all at the same time. [ He let out another sigh, running his hands along his jeans. ] We have to get to the outposts. Might need you to run a team.

[For a guy that almost watched his kid die, he's got a good head on his shoulders. Daryl doesn't even want to consider what might have happened if Ezekiel hadn't made it down when he did. Seeing all this renewed vigor in the guy is enough to slap a smile on his face, it ain't much, and it only lasts for a second but it's there all the same. People were gonna have to believe in him if they were gonna pull this off.]

I know that much, but you've got a lot of people who've got more fear for Negan than drive for retribution. Not everybody's like... us.

[Most people weren't built for the fight like their group. The lucky folk who haven't lost people to other people or managed to make it out of Terminus or walk away from The Governor. Most people hadn't wound up parked at the goddamn CDC. They'd lived enough for everyone involved.]

'Course I wanna take the mother fucker out, but Eugene being on their side- scared or not, makes him their first hostage in a crisis situation.

[Living life day to day on dog food and torture, witnessing things from the fence line, Negan didn't play. Everyone got a similar deal but when the chips were down all bets were off. Negan only cared about himself long-term. That they could damn well count on.]

I ain't alright and I sure as shit don't trust him, but I think he's stepped away from the crusade.

[His old lady, probably dead now, but losing someone that close to you- the only person you really had, it did things to a man. They'd all seen it, lived it, first hand. Dwight wasn't a threat anymore because when push came to shove Daryl honestly didn't think he had much will to live. That didn't mean that he wouldn't kick his fucking teeth in for what he was responsible for. Some shit you just didn't come back from. It'd take a lot more than carvings and compromises for him to really be on his side.]

That kid's tougher than you, me, and Carol put together. He's gonna outlive all of us.

[No guarantee on that, but Daryl could dream. Apocalypse or not, the children were still the future. If any of them wanted to survive long term they'd do well to remember that.]

You already know I'm on board. [Daryl casts an investigative look at Carol and Michonne. Rick was old school, chivalrous, and the little things mattered to him. More integrity than any man he'd ever met.] They're not gonna want bit parts.

[ While Rick still felt rattled to his bone, he refused to allow for it to show, his training for the force allowing for him to appear calmer and more in charge. Things he needed to be for others to fall in line and believe in the cause they were setting forth. So many groups were disgruntled but they needed to give them the will to fight, which meant having a strong, tough as nails leader. Rick felt less tough as nails than in the past but he knew how to impose an image. He knew how to appear what others needed to see and take in. All marks of a very skilled Sheriff's Deputy. ]

We just got to show him he's one man. If we get some of his Savior's against 'im, it'll really help. They fear more his image and what he's put out there but once that starts crumblin'. Once they start seein' him as just a man. [ Rick shook his head, reminded briefly of the past. ] Same thing happened with the Governor. Men like that always fail. They don't have real connections with anybody. [ The ones Negan surrounded himself with would turn on him the second they smelled blood in the water. ]

We got to find a way to get him out of there. We're gonna need him for what's comin'. He can make bullets Rosita said. He's one of us. We aren't gonna leave him with those people. [ The amount of people he felt responsible for and attached to would only lead to more heartache. But he couldn't move past it or stop it all the same. ]

[ He nodded, reaching out to squeeze Daryl's shoulder. ] We'll talk more 'bout it later, alright? After all this is over, you can do whatever you want with him. For now, we need 'im. He might be able to get us numbers.

Wish he didn't have to be. [ His heart clenched in his chest at the mere thought of Carl but he had the means to survive in their new world. Carl knew what needed to be done and Rick didn't worry about him being able to keep moving forward but the mental state concerned him far more. ] But after all this fightin' things will be better.

[ Following Daryl's gaze, Rick nodded his head, resolute. ] I know. I've got other things in mind for them. We've got to work fast and efficiently. We are lackin' numbers and weapons. We've got to find a way to make up for it. [ He let out a slow breath. ] We've got to do whatever it takes. Even if it's not what we like.

[Rick's not wrong, Negan is just a man, and the only thing that makes him a threat is the numbers underneath him. Infect one person with a conscience and the rest were sure to follow. He might not trust Dwight, but right now he was the best asset they had. It doesn't keep him from casting a long look in Rick's direction, because no matter what they were bound to lose people, and not everyone was willing to put their life on the line. Eugene wasn't exactly easy to reach right now and Rosita was still running around with a death wish.]

I don't think you'll have a problem with The Kingdom. [It's Hilltop he's worried about, and their down on his knees bitch of a leader, Jesus might be on their side but most of their people weren't what anyone'd consider fighters. Kingdom had all the right resources, but by comparison, Hilltop was impoverished, and they still didn't have a doctor.]

Someone should canvas down by that ocean tribe. We lost Heath, probably- but I have a feelin' The Saviors know where they're hiding. Now they're not armed, but they're still able bodies.

[Daryl played at an every man for himself attitude, but old habits died hard. He wasn't about to leave a bunch of women like sitting ducks. Especially when they're responsible for not having a way to defend themselves.]

I know it ain't exactly a priority, but somethin' to think about. We still have to put the dead to rest. [They lost some people, just to the fighting between the Saviors and the rest on Alexandria grounds.] and Sasha. [Who wasn't dead so much as gone to him. She made her choice, but she was still family.]

Edited 2017-04-25 19:39 (UTC)

[ More than anything else, they needed to ruin the mystery surrounding Negan and wreck the belief he could make anything come to pass. He had far more numbers than Rick would have liked but he knew a majority of them were probably sour over their lot. From what Carl had said, people looked miserable and the first chance they had they would revolt. They just needed to know they could and someone else would take them in and treat them better.

Being a tyrant sure gave power but it also allowed room for uprisings and take overs. They needed to count on it. ]

The Kingdom has been training people for awhile. Morgan said most of 'em can handle their own even the younger ones. It's Hilltop I'm more concerned 'bout. We might have to deal with Gregory. He's too much of a loose canon for what we need goin' forward.

[ He didn't like the train of thought but some things were a necessary evil and he knew he often had to be the one to carry out such things.

Oceanside made a fresh wave of guilt pour over him, fittingly enough. He nodded his head, knowing they needed to do some quick thinking and moving there. ]

We can look for Heath and offer the residents of Oceanside to come to one of the three zones - The Kingdom, Alexandria or Hilltop. [ He didn't really want to make Hilltop an option at the moment until they secured it more but he didn't want to risk alienating them either. ]

Trainin' those from Hilltop needs to happen. We don't want them to be the first casualties just because they don't know how to handle a weapon.

[ Sasha. He would never stop seeing her eyes anytime he closed his at night, adding her to mingle in with the rest of the horrors playing throughout his night time hours. Sometimes during the day given how things were going and how tired he felt. He couldn't even remember the last time he slept. ] We'll handle burying the dead first then fix up the walls and the rest of the town. We'll need to go on runs and stock up before the Saviors block our ways from gettin' round to try and make us desperate to go back under their thumb.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yes, and they will run you down, down 'til you fall.

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I'm so sorry for my slow D:

it's totally okay!!

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ota? i think? lol, anyone can go for it!

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i hope this is ok :'(

super perfect!!

/ shows up l8 with starbucks

it's completely okay!!

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