The Rest of your Life

Chapter 24

The way back to the prison was a bit of a struggle. Including the lack of sleep and food Rory had consumed the past few days made it a little harder to walk the distance on foot. She also smelt like the dead. The woman, Michonne, insisted she be covered in walker guts. I mean, it worked.

They made it to the prison, finally, but there was a handful of walkers at the gates. Rory clutched the basket tighter as Michonne walked up to the gate. Rory then spotted Rick. The man's head tilting before his eyes widened.

Rory fired her gun at a walker that descended on Michonne, as the woman killed one with her sword. Carl began firing from behind the fence, as Rick pulled open the gate. Rory gasped as she shot again, Michonne collapsed from behind her. Rick ran over and picked up the woman, bringing her inside the gate before laying her down and checking her over, Hershel shutting the gate. "Is she bit?"

"Gunshot." Rory rasped, the three people looking to the girl.

•••

"Carl, get a blanket. Beth, water and a towel." Rick ordered as he lugged the woman inside. Rory dropped the basket on the floor before peeling off her blood stained jacket and throwing it on the ground.

Rick woke up the woman and began speaking to her before kicking away her sword. Daryl came over to Rory and looked at the child as tears gathered in her eyes. She rested her forehead on Daryl's chest as he placed a hand comfortingly on her back. "Rick... who the hell is this?"

"Wanna tell us your name?" Rick asked. The woman stayed silent, so he asked again, only to get no response again.

"Her name is Michonne." Rory said quietly, Rick nodding up at the child.

"Y'all come on in here." Daryl said, directing Rory to where he wanted to go.

"Everything alright?" Rick asked.

"You're gonna wanna see this."

•••

Carol was alive. It felt like some weight had been taken off of Rory's shoulders for a second, that was until Rick began questioning her and she became hesitant again.

"Rory, we need you to tell us what happened." Rick asked the girl softly. The girl bowed her head before speaking quietly.

"They took them. Glenn and Maggie."

"Who is they?" The man asked.

Rory's eyes flicked to Daryl for a second before speaking. "A guy... just a guy. I was round the back of the car when they took them, Michonne grabbed me, hid me from him."

"Do you know where they are? Who took them?" Rick questioned Michonne.

"They were taken by the same son of a bitch that shot me." She snarled.

"Hey, these are our people." Rick stressed. "You tell us what happened now!" He then proceeded to grab the woman's leg, she let out a yelp at the pain of her wound.

"Don't you ever touch me again!" Michonne snarled, standing up. Daryl aimed his crossbow at her head.

"You better start talking. Or you're gonna have a much bigger problem than a gunshot wound." Daryl threatened. Rory spaced out, staring into nothing. She wanted Glenn and Maggie to be safe.

Michonne went on to tell the group about the town where she thought Glenn and Maggie were taken. Rory perked up. She wanted to go there, to get her friends back.

•••

"Wasn't this place overrun?" Michonne asked Rory as they walked side by side over to the car.