SPINNIN | TWD

FORTY-EIGHT

      RICK HAD CALLED A MEETING THE NEXT DAY, SO EVERYONE gathered in the courtyard. Josie sat with Parker and Carl, while she held Judith in her arms as Rick stood in front of them.

      "When I met with the Governor, he offered me a deal," Rick began. "He said... he said he would leave us alone if I gave him Michonne. And I was gonna do that, to keep us safe. And I changed my mind, but now Merle took Michonne to fulfill the deal, and Daryl went to stop him and I don't know if it's too late. I was wrong not to tell you, and I'm sorry. What I said last year, that first night after the farm, it can't be like that. It can't. What we do, what we're willing to do. Who we are, it's not my call. It can't be. I couldn't sacrifice one of us for the greater good because we are the greater good. We're the reason we're still here, not me. This is life and death. How you live, how you die, it isn't up to me. I'm not your Governor. We choose to go. We choose to stay. We stick together, we vote. We can stay and we can fight or we can go."

      After his speech, Rick didn't linger, deciding to give the group the chance to process his words. It was silent for a moment and Josie looked at the others before looking up at the watchtower, seeing Rick standing up there alone. She got to her feet, handing Judith over to Parker and following after Rick.

      The sound of the door opening to the watchtower made Rick turn as Josie walked out, giving him a small smile before leaning against the railing. "That was a good speech."

      "You think?" Rick asked.

      "Yeah, it's good you're letting them choose," Josie replied.

      "I don't want to be the one to make decisions for them anymore," Rick told her.

      "That's good," Josie nodded before she smiled. "I guess you're finally gotten over your Ricktatorship."

      "Ricktatorship?" Rick repeated.

      Josie laughed. "Yeah, that's what Carl and Parker have been calling it."

      Rick smiled and laughed, shaking his head as he looked away from the brunette.

      "I'm glad you're better," Josie said. "I was worried about you. Glenn was enraged, he would make the worst decisions. Don't tell him I said that."

      Rick and Josie stood there in comfortable silence for a moment. Then suddenly, they saw movement in the treeline, so Rick lifted the scope of his rifle up to his eye.

      "What is it?" Josie asked.

      "Michonne," Rick replied.

      "Is Daryl with her?" Josie asked.

      Rick shook his head. "No."

      The two headed for the stairs, climbing down the watchtower to meet up with Michonne at the gates.

      Daryl had returned about an hour after Michonne and Josie immediately noticed something was wrong.

      The brunette approached him. "What's wrong?"

      Daryl looked at her, tears brimming his eyes. "Merle, he's..."

      Josie's heart broke for him. "Oh, Daryl, I'm sorry."

      Josie pulled Daryl in for a hug and he hugged her back, wrapping his arms around her waist. The brunette let him break down in her arms, he wasn't used to someone being there for him, but Josie made it known she was.

      And Josie may have not liked Merle, but she knew how it felt to lose a sibling, so she knew how Daryl was feeling.