A/N: This is a short one and a filler. Still shaking my head at myself for taking this to a dark place lol I'm so sad Deanna on the show had to die, but my villainous Deanna here has been so interesting to write and I have to say it's been fun! She's a power hungry snake! Hehehe This chapter clears a few things up. Enjoy!

Warning: scenes of domestic violence and violence against women

It felt as if everything was moving in slow motion as Michonne was led through the streets of Alexandria; people whom she had grown to know stared at her as if she were a stranger or an outsider. The community was shaken by news of the murder of Pete Anderson. Things like that never happened in their community before or after the world fell apart, so they were shocked to hear of his demise. While he was not anyone's favorite person, he was the doctor of the community and had saved many people's lives.

Deanna walked ahead of Michonne and said nothing as the younger woman was escorted to one of the display homes that they used as a makeshift lock-up. There was a room set aside for interviewing those who had broken the Safe-Zone laws; this was the first time Michonne had actually stepped foot inside of the building. The interior of the house was plain and looked as if a few renovations had not been completed. Still, it was nicer than anywhere Michonne had been after the Turn.

There was a desk and two chairs opposite one another and Michonne was told to take a seat at one, while Deanna sat at the other. The women stared each other down a moment before Deanna went to speak.

"What do you know about what happened to Pete Anderson last night?" she asked, placing both elbows on the table.

Michonne leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.

"I don't know anything about that," she answered evenly.

"Well, you certainly had a problem with him," Deanna offered.

Michonne shrugged.

"Sure I'm not the only one," she said.

"Did you kill Pete Anderson?" Deanna asked bluntly.

"No," replied Michonne. "I probably should have, but I didn't."

Deanna stood up and then walked over to the door and opened it.

"Can I go now?" asked Michonne as she got up from her seat.

"No, I'm sorry but you can't go anywhere until we get this cleared up," said Deanna as she peered out of the door and gestured for someone to step forward.

"You can't do this," said Michonne as she moved towards Deanna.

Suddenly, two men armed with guns stepped into the room.

"She is not to leave this room," said Deanna as she walked away.

xXxXx

The previous evening…

The smell of alcohol filled the darkened room as Jessie stepped cautiously inside and looked around; her husband sat in his seat and drank from the bottle of Scotch. He knew she was there, but said nothing. Jessie took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Wanna tell me what you were doin' over at that house today?" he asked, turning slightly.

She stopped in her tracks.

"Which house?" she asked, as she had visited with a number of residents that day.

"Rick Grimes' house," he spat.

Jessie felt her stomach drop; she thought Pete would not have found out, but he somehow had.

"I…"

"Don't fuckin' lie to me!" he yelled, standing from his seat.

Jessie jumped backwards and instinctively held her hands up as her gaze fell to the floor.

"I was there, but…"

"Why were you there?" Pete asked as he stepped in front of Jessie.

"I was dropping off supplies, is all. They have a baby. They need different types of rations then the rest of us," she offered shakily, not wanting to tell Pete that she was there checking on Rick after their altercation.

"You lying piece of shit!" he spat while grabbing her upper arms and shaking her.

"Let me go!" said Jessie as she fought to pry herself loose of his grip. "You went and made an ass out of yourself in front of those people, Pete! I was trying to offer them an apology."

Jessie tried to back away but Pete held her tighter.

"What did you say?" he yelled in her face as he pushed her hard against the wall.

"You're an ass. You're an embarrassment! A drunken dick!" Jessie retorted, causing Pete to see red.

He balled his fist and swung, landing a hard blow to the side of her face. He did not hear her pleas as he continued to strike his wife; he hit her with such frequency that by the time he let her go so that she slid down the wall to the floor, Jessie was covered in her own blood and tears. Pete looked at his wife with disdain before he picked up his bottle, finished off the contents and went on his way; their small son Sam cried behind his locked door.

Not much later, Jessie and Pete's oldest son Ron returned home from spending time with his friends. He found his mother unconscious on the floor of their living room; he called out to her, fearing she was dead. Sam hesitantly made his way down the stairs.

"Stay there," said Ron through his tears. "Just stay where you are."

"Is mom okay?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, she's fine," answered Ron as he found a pulse. "Hand me a cushion"

The teenager placed it gently under his mother's head and fixed her hair; he wiped the blood away with his sleeve and she began to stir. It was not the first time he had come home to a scene like this; his anger was bubbling under the surface, just waiting to explode and make his father pay.

"It was dad," said Sam. "They were fighting and he left."

"I know," Ron answered, drying his eyes. "I'm gonna find him. Stay here with mom."

…..

When Ron Anderson returned to his family's home, he crept through the back door; he was still shaken from rage and his hands were covered with his father's blood. He cleaned himself up in the laundry before making his way upstairs to check on his mother and little brother. Jessie was tending to her wounds in her bathroom while Sam was curled up in her bed. Ron stood at the door watching them.

"I…I'm okay," said Jessie when she noticed Ron standing there. "Was an accident."

Ron sighed.

"I know what happened, mom," he said as he walked into the room.

Jessie looked at her son questioningly.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I know dad did this to you, so don't make excuses for him anymore," said Ron.

Jessie was speechless.

"Don't worry," the teen said as he sat down next to his brother. "He won't be hurting you anymore."

Presently…

Deanna sat at her desk and idly scanned the town planning maps; she was still shocked by Pete's murder, though not entirely surprised. She knew he definitely had it coming, she just had not anticipated it would be so soon.

A knocking at her door caused her a sudden start as she bid the visitor to enter. She did not greet them but went on to question them.

"So I take it you saw what happened last night?" she asked as the person took a seat.

She was met with a nod of confirmation.

"You know who killed him?" Deanna asked to clarify.

"I do," the man answered.

"I guess it's safe to say it wasn't Michonne, or Rick Grimes for that matter?" said Deanna as she leaned back in her chair and tossed her pen onto the desktop. "Tell me, who was it?"

"It was his son, Ron. Hit him from behind; he never saw it coming," he offered.

Deanna shook her head in slight disbelief.

"Go talk to Jessie, I'm sure she knows by now. Reassure her that we'll protect her son," the woman said.

"So you want me to keep quiet about it?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Deanna. "There's someone else who I want to take the fall for it."

"Why?" he asked.

"Let's just say I see them and their alliances as a threat and it'll be much easier to get rid of them if we make the people believe they're responsible for the good doctor's death," she said coldly.

The man nodded and then stood; he excused himself and walked to the door wearing an unreadable expression. Part of him knew the whole situation did not feel right, but he was not one to question authority.

"Don't feel guilty, Father Gabriel," said Deanna as she stood too. "After all, you're the one who told me Michonne was dangerous and unpredictable. These events, though somewhat unfortunate, are going to help me get rid of her for good."

A/N: So, that scene with Jessie and that arse wipe Pete was horrible to write. Sorry about the graphic nature of it.

Next instalment:

Will Michonne take the fall for what happened to Pete?

Why does Gabriel have to be such a gutless fuckin' wonder all the time?

Finally, Rick is going to be asking some questions!

Thanks!