The Rest of your Life

Chapter 28

"Carl, come here." Glenn spoke, the boy doing as he was told. Rory continued in loading up the guns with ammo, glancing to Merle as he rested his arm in the doorway. "You stash these at the loading dock. All right?"

Glenn handed the boy some boxes of ammo, Carl going to store them. "Beth, put more up on the catwalk. If anyone gets pinned down, we need to make sure that they have plenty of ammo. I'll go work on the cage outside." Glenn then lugged up some tools from the table.

"What we should be doing is loading some of this firepower in a truck and paying a visit to the governor." Merles voice echoed as he walked closer to the table that they were standing at. "We know where he is right now."

"Are you suggesting that we just go in and kill him?" Glenn asked rhetorically.

"Yeah, I am." Merle confirmed.

"We told Rick and Daryl that we'd stay put." Michonne commented, Rory frowning at the mention of Rick and Daryl meeting up with the enemy. She didn't think it was safe at all.

"I've changed my mind, sweetheart." Merle spoke. "Being in the sideline with my brother out there ain't sitting right with me."

"The three of them are right in the middle of it. No idea we're coming." Glenn said, Rory wincing as she pinched her finger in a gun, looking up to Maggie, the woman smiled at her, Rory smiling back. "They could get taken hostage or killed. A thousand things could go wrong."

Rory filled up the last gun on the table before reloading her own and checking her knives were sharp. After nodding, satisfied, she went to stand with Maggie, the woman squeezing her shoulder for a moment.

"And they will." Merle agreed, Carl stopping and turning around.

"My dad can take care of himself." Carl then glared at Merle before walking away.

"Sorry, son, but your dads head could be on a pike real soon." Rory frowned heavily and spoke up to the man.

"Don't say that to him." Rory defended her friend, Merle putting up his hand in surrender. It was quiet for a moment before Glenn spoke up again.

"It's not the right move." He concluded. "Not now. Can't take the risk of putting them in the crossfire. That's my decision. It's final."

•••

Merle approached Michonne as she was preparing things in the cell block. "You know I'm right. The folks here, they're strong, good fighters. But they ain't killers."

Michonne placed her bag down before approaching the man. "Rick is." She stated. "Maggie is. Rory killed two men, her and Carl put down their own mother."

"Mercy killing. That don't make them assassins." Merle reasoned.

Michonne hummed, looking Merle in the eyes. "But you are."

"When I have to be." Merle chuckled.

"Then how do you explain letting me get away?" Michonne countered.

"I must have been... seduced by your sterling personality." Merle spoke slowly, Michonne getting more annoyed by the second. "You coming with me or not? Me and my brother, we have a few calls we use when we hunt. I'll give him a heads up. He'll warn the others. You shogun the Governor's ass, I'll take care of the rest. We'll be home before you know it."

"And what about Andrea?" Michonne asked.

"Bullets fly, she's gonna have to make her choice real quick." Merle shrugged.

"You're on your own." Michonne said lowly. "You get people killed, it's on you."

•••

Rory felt relief flow out of her chest when the others got back. She greeted Rick and Hershel with hugs, Daryl with one too, although the man was more reluctant to return it.

"Let's get inside."

•••

"So, I met this Governor." Rick begun, the whole group looking to the man. "Sat with him for quite a while."

"Just the two of you?" Merle asked. Rick nodded in confirmation. "Should have gone when we had the chance, bro." Merle then made his way to the back of the cell block.

"He wants the prison." Rick continued. "He wants us gone. Dead. He wants us dead. For what we did to Woodbury... we're going to war."

•••

Rory walked through the prison, trying to find Hershel. He had told her to come and get her head checked, most of it had healed, but he wanted to be sure.

She walked by the door that lead to the catwalk, hearing Hershel's voice. She began walking to the door when she heard Ricks voice. The girl paused, listening in.

"He gave me a choice." Rick started. "A way out."

"What does he want?" Hershel asked. Rory knew she probably shouldn't be listening, but it was an interesting conversation, okay?

"Michonne." Rick revealed as Rory paled. Surely Rick wouldn't?

"He'll kill her." Hershel stated, not entirely convinced of the idea.

"And then kill us anyway." Rick commented. Rory felt her heart in her throat. "But what if he dosent? What if this is the answer?"

"Why didn't you tell them?" Hershel asked slowly. Rory would like to know the answer to that question too. She leaned a little closer without making a noise. Ninja.

"They need... to be scared." Rory frowned again, it made no sense.

"They are." Hershel agreed.

"Good." Rick rasped. Rory wasn't so sure if she wanted to listen in any more. "'Cause that's the only way they'll accept it." The girl gently itched the gauze on her head as she listened.

"She saved my life." Hershel recounted. "And Carls. She got Ivory back to us safely. Helped us save Glenn, Maggie... if she hadn't come here... we never would have known they were taken, from the sounds of it, Ivory would have been taken too. She's earned her place." Rory smiled at Hershel's words.

"Yeah..." Rick trailed off. "Yeah, she has.... Are you willing to sacrifice your daughters lives for her?" Hershel stayed quiet for a moment.

"Why are you telling me?"

"Because... I'm hoping you can talk me out of it." Rick spoke quietly. Rory guessed the conversation was over, she didn't want to listen to more anyway. She sighed deeply as she made her way back to the cell block. Why couldn't anything be easy?

•••
mmmmmm I hate this chapter

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