The Rest of your Life

Chapter 10

Ivory woke up relatively early. She went into the kitchen and made herself some breakfast before Carol walked in to make herself a drink.

"You okay?" Carol smiled.

"Yeah, let Lori know there's some food for her when she wakes up?" Rory asked Carol, pointing to the fridge where she had made Lori food. Carol sent the girl a confused look. "She just.. she just needs it." Rory nodded to herself before walking away.

•••

Rory went to visit Carl again, this time, he was awake. The two laughed and joked for what felt like hours, at some point, Rick came in too, laughing at the two children.

•••

Rory trailed after Maggie through the house, both carrying more chairs into the dining room for dinner later that day. They both set their chairs down before Hershel walked in, looking at the two girls.

"What's this?" He questioned, gesturing to the lady's in the kitchen, preparing the food.

"Lori and Carol are cooking dinner for us all tonight." Maggie answered, ruffling Rory's curly hair.

"That's the first I've heard of it." Hershel commented.

"We'll I didn't think it was that big a deal." Maggie said softly to her father, Rory shifting awkwardly where she stood. "They want to thank us for helping them."

"We need to be setting clear boundaries with these people." Hershel pointed, briefly looking to Rory, who visibly recoiled at his words, offended. "They're getting a little too comfortable."

"It's just dinner." Rory stated to the older man. She honestly didn't see a problem with her group making Hershel and his family food. "If anything, you should be thanking us."

•••

"What's with the Annie Oakley routine?" Rory looked up from her book on her seat on the grass as Dale approached the RV.

"I don't wanna wash clothes anymore, Dale." Andrea boasted, causing Rory to roll her eyes and fold over her page on her book. "I wanna help keep the camp safe." Ivory stood up and followed Dale into the RV, sitting opposite Glenn at the table. Dale fumbled around for a little before placing a cup of juice in-front of Rory, who began sipping on the drink as she read her book.

"Sorry." Glenn apologised. "I was just returning your book."

"Oh no, I'm sorry." Dale deflected while putting Glenn's book away. "If I'd known the world was ending, I'd have brought better books."

"This book is plenty good, Dale." Rory reassured the man.

"I'm surprised you like it honestly." Dale stated while ruffling the girls hair.

"Uh, Dale?" Glenn questioned. "Do you think Andreas on her period?" Rory choked on her juice. "I'm only asking because it's like all the women are acting really weird. And I read somewhere that when women spend a lot of time together, their cycles line up, and they all get super crazy hormonal at the same time."

Dale put up his hand to put a halt to Glenn's rambling, both of them turning to the child close by. "Uh, Rory?" Glenn winced.

"Yup?" Rory replied with a shrug.

"Uh, would you mind stepping outside for a minute?"

"Sure." Rory huffed as both men gave her a small smile. She shut her book and placed it on the table. She trusted that Dale would put it away safely for her.

She wasn't outside for two minutes when Andrea announced, quite loudly, that there was a walker near the camp.

"Just the one?" Rick asked, walking up to the RV.

"I bet I can nail it from here." Andrea declared confidently.

"No, no." Rick urged. "Andrea, put the gun down." Rory walked to the front of the RV as most of the men of camp ran past her with weapons.

"You best let us handle this." Shane told Andrea.

"Shane, hold up." Rick ordered. "Hershel wants to deal with walkers."

"What for, man. We got it covered." Shane responded, running past Rick.

Rory watched as they raced through the field, running at the lone walker. She looked up to Andrea and gestured to the binoculars. "Pass?" The older woman tossed the binoculars to Rory, who then looked through them carefully, squinting her eyes at the approaching figure.

"Andrea, Don't." Dale warned.

"Back off, Dale." Andrea muttered as she got her rifle into position. Rory watched through the lenses as the men stopped near the walker. Only then did she realise who it was.

"Wait, Andrea-" Rory panicked, not able to get her warning out before a shot rang across the farm, followed by Ricks frantic yelling. Rory was stuck for a moment. Andrea had just shot Daryl. The girl barely registered Andrea and Dale running past her as she wondered if Daryl was dead.

"Rick? What the hell is going on out here?"

Rory turned to see the rest of the group flowing out of the house at the sound. Lori ran towards Rory and checked her over before asking what happened.

"She shot him. Andrea shot Daryl."

•••

Rory walked past Rick in the hallway as she went looking for her dad. She made it around the corner, only to stop dead at the sound of voices. Her dads and Loris to be exact.

"You know I'm right." Shane muttered, Rory shuffling away a little as she heard steps come a little closer to the corner.

"I may not agree with all of his choices." Lori started. "But I respect him. I know yours and mine and your way isn't harder." Rory was confused, what were they talking about?

"It's the easiest thing in the world to cut our losses and to not help." Oh. They were talking about Sophia. "You keep telling yourself you're making the tough calls, you're really just trying to justify-"

"No." Shane cut off the woman. "The only thing I care about now in this world is you, Rory and Carl. So I apologise if I appear to be insensitive to the needs of others, but you see I'll do whatever it takes to keep the three of you safe."

"Even abandoning a lost child?" Lori whispered so quietly, Rory barely caught it. Her dad didn't give a response, but the silence was enough. Rory turned and walked away while she could.

•••

Rory had never eaten dinner when it was so quiet. But you know what they say, there's a first time for everything. She was sat between Glenn and Beth at the table deemed for the children, which she wasn't mad about. She just told them that it was the fun peoples table.

"Does anybody know how to play guitar?" Glenn asked with a smile, Rory paused pushing her food around her plate. She knew she should be grateful for the food, but she just didn't feel like eating. "Dale found a cool one." After a moment of silence, Glenn chuckled a little. "Somebody's gotta know how to play."

"Otis did." Patricia voiced, creating an uncomfortable tension in the room. Rory paused, wincing at Glenn.

"Yes. And he was very good too." Hershel added. Rory looked back at her plate and pretended to ignore Maggie and Glenn obviously passing notes under the table. She sighed as she took another bite, she couldn't wait to go to sleep.

•••
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