The Walking Dead: Danielle Grimes

90.*

Danielle's POV

Someone shakes me awake as the RV comes to a stop. I glance out the window seeing we're already back at Alexandria. I sit up and stretch hearing my back muscles crack. Daryl's hand pulls down my top as it rises.

Rick pulls the RV through the gate. Aaron and Sasha are there to greet us. Rick stops the motor home and turns off the engine so they could hear him.

"Get Olivia." Rick instructs. "She should inventory what we have. We'll meet her at the pantry."

Michonne, Maggie and Glenn all stand and get out. I stay behind to help unload our haul.

"You have food." Sasha says. The hope in her voice makes Abraham perk up and look out the window. I wonder how long he's been in love with her.

Michonne walks around to stand by Sasha. "Yeah, enough food for another month." She replies gruffly. Rick glances at her but doesn't respond to her tone. "I need everybody in the church in an hour."

"What is it?" Sasha asks suspiciously. Rick waves her off. "We'll talk about it." He promises. He restarts the RV and drives to the pantry.

Sasha and Rosita exchange a long look before going their separate ways to gather everyone. Carol steps up. "Rick, what's going on?"

Rick looks grim. "We're gonna have to fight." Now that the others are gone, Ricks voice was tight with emotion.

Olivia stands in shock as we begin to bring the food out. "How?" She croaks looking at Rick then to me.

Rick shrugs. "I'll explain everything in the meeting." He promises. "Just make sure you get an inventory and distribute the produce based on-" she cuts Rick off. "Shelf life? Don't worry boss. I've got this."

An hour later Rick stands at the front of the church. Jesus sits in a chair to his right and Andy to his left. Most citizens of Alexandria are sitting on the benches. "And we can work will Hilltop, Maggie hammered out a deal. We're getting food, eggs, butter, fresh vegetables." Rick begins.

People shifts, clearly pleased with the news. Our food supply has been scraping the bottom of barrel, literally, lately so this was at least some good news.

Rick waits for the murmurs to calm down before he continues. "But, they're not just giving it away. These Saviours, they almost killed Sasha, Daryl and Abraham on the road. Now, sooner or later, they would have found us, just like those Wolves did. Just like Jesus did. They woulda killed someone or some of us. And then they would try to own us. And we would try to stop them."

Daryl sits beside me, his arm stretched behind me, his hand on my shoulder as his thumb rubs back and forth against my neck. He looks calm but I can feel the tension radiating off of him. We both know a fight is coming.

Rick pushes on, getting the information out. "But by then, in that kind of fight, low on food, we could loose. This is the only way to be sure, as sure as we can get, that we win. And we have to win." He pauses looking over at everyone. "We do this for Hilltop, it's how we keep this place. It's how we feed this place.....but this needs to be a group decision. If anybody objects, here's your chance to say your piece."

Most people stay in silence, avoiding contact. Daryl turns around looking over everyone. I knew who they all thought this would land on.

I hear someone behind us clear their throat and stand. "You sure we can do it? You sure we can beat them?" Morgan asks.

"What this group has done, what we're learned, what we've become, all of us.....yes I'm sure." Rick tells him like he expected Morgan to speak up. Morgan nods at Rick. "Then all we have to do is just tell them that." I groan shaking my head.