Chapter 12: Wildfires Pt2

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Rick and Shane dig graves near the campsite on the hill where Amy, Andrea, and Delilah have finished the headstones. The girls are sitting next to the entrance of the hill with Rick and Shane are in the middle of it digging. Rick suddenly pauses and says "Say it."

Delilah glances at them from the corner of her eye being the only one aside from the two men to hear the conversation "Okay. I'm thinking if you'd of stayed here, if you'd have looked after your own... Instead you went off. You took half our manpower with you. I'm thinking maybe our losses wouldn't have been so bad" Shane stops and glared at Rick "If we hadn't gone off and brought those guns back when we did, I think our losses would have been a lot worse. Maybe the entire camp" Rick defends himself.

The truck approaches and Daryl gets out of it "I still think it's a mistake not burning these bodies. It's what we said we'd do, right? Burn 'em all, wasn't that the idea?" Daryl comments, avoiding Delilah's gaze knowing he'll cave for her umber eyes "At first" Shane admits Daryl snarks "The Chinaman gets all emotional, says it's not the thing to do, we just follow him along? These people need to know who the hell's in charge here, what the rules are!" Delilah stands up and slides her hands into her back pockets "There are no rules" she says and Lori appears and snarks "Well, that's a problem, isn't it?"

Delilah glared at her and says "We haven't had one minute to hold onto anything of our old selves. We need time to mourn and we need to bury our dead. It's what people do" Lori glared right back and already knowing the tension between the two females as Delilah had told them about it, considering they already knew about the affair, both blondes stand up and Andrea says while placing a hand on Delilah's shoulder "Delilah's right. We need to experience this grief, if we don't we'll go insane."

Rick and Amy nod in agreement. Shane goes back to digging. Daryl looks at Delilah and groans before agreeing, and starting to remove the bodies from the truck. Lori scowls and storms off making Rick frown as he knows that she hasn't warmed up to Delilah. Delilah sighs before looking back and squeezing Andrea's hand that's on her shoulder "Thanks for having my back" Andrea smiles and says "Of course" then the three of them start helping Daryl unload the bodies. Daryl's side eyes Delilah the whole time.

On the hill the survivors stage a funeral. Delilah and Amy had placed the crosses at the head of their graves. Their name and a personal item marked each grave.

Back at camp, "Burying other people is bad enough, but the thought of one of us..." Rick mutters and Delilah stops him by grabbing his hand and shushing him "Are we safe now, dad? Now that we're all together?" Carl asks worriedly "I won't leave again. I promise you that. Not for anything. Now give me a chance to discuss some things with your mom, okay?" Rick says and Carl nods before saying "Yeah, I need to talk to Delilah too" Rick and Delilah smile and nod. Rick walks away and Delilah says "What's up little man?" Carl holds up Delilah's locket and she smiles before taking it back and putting it around her neck. She leans over and pecks his cheek "Thank you, Carl" Carl smiles and says "No problem!"

Rick approaches Lori and says "All right. All right, Shane blames me for not being here. Do you? We got guns now. We're stronger" "And we have fewer people. That makes us weaker. You want me to say I think you were right? I understand that. All I can say is that neither one of you is entirely wrong. It's the best I can do right now" Lori says irritably "What about the C.D.C.?" Rick asks wanting his wife's opinion "Rick..." Lori sighs "We're at the ragged edge here. We need relief and we got a sick man who needs help. I don't know why people can't see that."

"Well, look at their faces. Look at mine. We're all terrified. If one of us suggested, based on a hunch, that we head toward that city, you'd have no part of it. Tell me something with certainty" Lori demands "I love you. That's all I got" Rick admits, Lori hesitates and bites her lower lip before saying "I love you too."

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