Wilted

t w e l v e

___

It's been about an entire day since the whole incident with Rick and Pete happened. Michonne had put Rick inside of a prison cell in order to ease the minds of Alexandria's people. Kind of ironic, the sheriff in a prison cell. 

Carl had visited Rick while he was unconscious but was home soon. Michonne ended up sending him home. He shouldn't see his father like that anyways.

We decided it would be best if we stayed in the house for the day. That the less confrontation with the Alexandrians the better. Most of our group went to discuss the next plan of action with Rick, leaving Carl and I alone with Judith once more. 

Deanna called for a meeting. We won't speak it but the main reason is to try and kick Rick out. We all know the outcome of that though. If they kick out one of us, we all go. I don't think they can afford it honestly. We're good for this community, whether they like it or not. 

If we leave, sooner or later they'll die. 

___

Rick came back to the house a couple hours later. His face was covered in cuts and tiny white bandages littered his face. His wrist was also bandaged.

When he did enter the house, Carl let out a sigh of relief. "Dad."

"Hey." Rick whispered as his son went to hug him. 

"You okay?" Carl asked him and Rick nodded placing a gentle hand on his son's shoulder. 

"Look I'm sorry." He says to the both of us as I come up behind Carl. 

"We heard about the meeting." I say. 

"You're staying home." Rick says. "Both of you."

"That's what it is now, right?" Carl asks. "Home?"

"Yeah." Rick says with a trace of doubt just reaching his eyes. 

"They need us." Carl says stating the obvious. "They'll die without us."

"I might have to threaten one of them." Rick says and I look down. I'm tired of the threats, of the violence, of the lies. When will we ever catch a break? "I could have to kill one of them."

"You won't." Carl tells his father shaking his head. 

"I might." Rick tells us. 

"You have to tell them." Carl reasons.

"I tried to tell them last night." Rick disagrees. 

"You have to tell them so they can hear you Rick." I say tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "These people, they're scared right now. They won't think rationally until they hear the reality of the world and realize how much they need you."

"I don't know if they can." He replies and I sigh frustrated. "Does that make you afraid?"

"Just for them." Carl says. "You have to tell them." 

It's quiet for a moment before Rick walks up the stairs and I reach for Carl's hand, bringing it into my own. I place a gentle kiss on his cheek and he closes his eyes. 

"We'll figure this out." I mutter into his ear. "We always do."

__

They were trapped. 

Daryl and Aaron were trapped inside of a car with about a hundred walkers wanting to claw their way in. As cheesy as it sounds, the one thing running through Daryl Dixon's mind was finding a way out and getting home to Cherokee. 

He rarely showed emotion. In fact he seemed somewhat calm in his current predicament, yet anyone who knew him would know that he was panicking.

"I came out here to not feel all closed up back there." Daryl speaks, breaking the silence with irony. "Even now, this still feels more like me than back in them houses.  That's pretty messed up, huh?"

"You were trying." Aaron tells him.

"I had to." Daryl says. "For my kid."

"No you didn't." Aaron says. "Listen, I saw you with your group out there on the road. Then you went off on your own by the barn. Storm hit, and you led your people to safety. That was it. I knew I had to bring you people back. You were right, we should've kept looking for that guy in the poncho. I shouldn't have given up. You didn't."

Daryl looks down for a minute. Then putting a cigarette in between his lips and fishing for his lighter in his shirt pocket. "I'll go. I'll lead them out, you make a break for the fence."

"No, no, no." Aaron says. "This was my fault, and you have a kid"

"It wasn't a question." Daryl said cutting him off. "And this ain't your decision. It ain't nobody's fault. Just let me finish my smoke first." 

Daryl sat there calmly. More so than a man about to go on a suicide mission should be. He fiddled with a bracelet made out of string that clung to his wrist. 

Cherokee had made it for him for fathers day at school. The bracelet had ranges of blues and grays. If he was about to give his life so Aaron could live, he'd spend his last moments thinking about his daughter.

"No." Aaron said speaking up. "You don't draw them away. We fight. We go for the fence, we do it together. All right? Whether we make it or not, we do it together. We have to." 

Daryl bit his lip nervously looking at the man, considering his plan. "Alright." He finally said with a nod. He finished his cigarette before getting ready to fight the way out of the car. "You ready?"

"Yeah." Aaron said and Daryl picked up his knife, placing his hand on the door. 

"We'll go on three." He told him. "One, two-" 

___

I shut the door behind me as I heard Michonne come up the stairs to talk to Rick. Carl laid on the bed, reading a comic. 

"Judith's asleep." I tell him laying down next to him, with my head on his shoulder and arm draped lazily over his stomach. 

"Okay." He says wrapping an arm around me while setting the comic book on the nightstand. He notices my gaze as I look out at the sun that's now setting on the horizon. "You worried about your dad?" 

"A little, I just feel like they should be back by now." I mumble. "What if we get kicked out and he comes back, and we're gone?" 

"Hey, Cheri." He says rolling over to look me in the eyes. "That's not gonna happen okay?"

"Okay." I say pressing my face into his chest and inhaling his scent. After so long, you'd think I'd get bored of it, but it's almost calming and it's a constant in this world. 

 I hear the front door shut, signaling that Michonne has left. Not to long after, Rick goes running out go the house following her actions.

The sun has set fully and I know that the meeting to decide everyone's fate has now began. 

____

Word Count: 1124

hope you enjoyed, feedback is appreciated!!