Disclaimer- I do not own the walking dead
Hey guys, OldLonBird, shadowoftheblackdeat and alwaysand. So sorry for not replying to any of your reviews. I usually get an email saying you've reviewed but for the last few chapters I didn't get anything. It wasn't until I went onto the app that I realised you had all left awesome reviews. I've read them and I really love how invested you guys are getting, and for all the little ideas you put in, they are very much appreciated. This chapter is a combination of some of the things you guys mentioned so thank you. Credit to you.
WOW two chapters in one day.
Enjoy.
Danny's POV
"Who is he? One of you must know him, he couldn't have done this by himself, one of you must have at least been a look out for him. Helped him plan his escape."
Most of them look genuinely shocked as Merle questions them. I believe they didn't know he'd gone but that doesn't mean they didn't know him. A few of them look terrified as they defend themselves, saying they didn't know him well until they left Woodbury. But Trevor and Sarah share a glance at each other before Trevor nods.
"He's not a bad person." She starts, "He met someone back at Woodbury, Rachel. She's still there. He wanted to find a safe place for her before going back for her. That's all he's doing. He thinks this place can be safe enough to bring her here".
Merle scoffs, "You want me to believe that? Then why the fuck didn't he speak to us instead he decided sneak out, he stole a weapon".
Sarah waves her hands slightly, "I get it, he did it wrong but he really is just going back for her. We don't want to jeopardise this place."
Tyreese takes a hesitant step forward, he half places himself in front of her. "I believe her. He went about it the wrong way but he really wants to stay here. He did nothing but praise you all for letting us in."
"How can we trust you?" Carol asks them, her arms folded tightly in front of her.
Sasha lays her hand on her brother's arm. "You can't. We know that, but we'll do anything to prove it to you".
Merle looks at me, okay, he wants me to decide what to do. I take in a breath, hold it for a second while I think before letting it out again. "You can't be left alone, we let you wander around this place but that privilege is gone. You have to have an escort from now on".
Tyreese nods, "We can deal with that".
"GUYS!" All of us snap our attention to Maggie as she shouts at us from the front gate.
"What the fuck is Officer fuckwit doin' back". Merle grumbles. I look out through the fence to see him and Carl walking towards the gate. "Stay here with them Oscar". Merle then takes off at a run, with the rest of us hot on his heels.
The first thing I notice when we get to the gate is the Sheriff's hands covered in blood, fresh blood.
"What are you doin' here, you ain't welcome". Merle grits out.
The Sheriff ignores him and looks right at Maggie, "Why did you let Danny kick us out?"
Maggie looks at me a little exasperated. "Why did you come back?" She asks him.
"We've been together for nearly a year and you just let us walk out, you didn't even attempt to help us. You betrayed us".
Anger flashes through me.
"No Rick", Maggie says sternly. That's the harshest I've ever heard her sound before. "You betrayed us when you pulled a gun on Danny. She didn't kick you out, you threatened her. You made your own bed. We kept giving you the benefit of a doubt but you've lost all of our trust. We aren't safe with you any more."
Any doubt I had about letting him leave is gone. They agree with me, they weren't just too scared to say anything they agreed.
Herschel lays his hand on his daughter's shoulder, "Rick, I think it's best you leave, get your children somewhere safe".
Carl is holding Judith in his arms, seeing her looking at us through the gate so innocently makes me feel so bad for her. She has no idea what's going on. I would love to have her in here with us but there's no way they'll give her up.
"NO", the Sheriff shouts. "I protected you…. I'm still protecting you against a threat that your so-called leader let in".
Interest 100% peaked. "What?"
He finally looks at me, if looks could kill comes to mind.
"One of your newcomers, the ones you so easily trusted, was sneaking out the front of the prison. He was running back to Woodbury putting all of you in danger, I killed him for you. To show you that I know what's best".
My heart feels like it's sitting in my stomach. That blood is Josh's.
"Rick, No!" Herschel rushes forwards until he's stood right in front of the gate. "Please tell me you didn't?"
"He would have gone back to Woodbury with the layout of the prison and he'd have brought his people back. I saved you".
The anger keeps building inside me. "No you didn't. You killed an innocent man, all he wanted to do was rescue his girlfriend. Why can't you just leave, all you're doing is destroying people's lives. I now have to clean up your mess again, I have to tell them". I point behind me towards the group that's still up at the prison. "He's dead but who's going to tell his girlfriend. She's going to think he's left her, that he broke the promise he made her."
"That's not my problem…"
"Of course it's not, it's mine." I take a step forward, "You know maybe you're right. Maybe I shouldn't have let them in because the last time I did, one of them turned out to be a murderer. Biggest regret of my life. Now get the fuck out of here".
"You…." He tries to talk but I just talk over him.
"You're lucky to be alive after your last stunt, being here is really pushing the boundaries, if you stay any longer I won't be held responsible for what happens to you".
Three safeties click and I know who each one belongs to. Merle, Michonne and Sophia.
Carl pulls Judith closer to his chest. "Dad, let's go".
The Sheriff looks like he wants to argue but when he looks down at Carl he finally nods. "Okay, let's go".
I watch them walk away in silence, neither of them turn their heads to look back at us, but Judith's eyes watch us over her brother's shoulder until I can't make it out any more.
I turn around with a horrible shriek and slam my bat full force into the barrier the guys have put up. The vibration's shoot up my arm and make my shoulder jar, causing another noise to come out of me, this one less ear piercing. I bring my arm back to throw the bat away from me but before I can let it go Michonne's fingers wrap around it, stopping the movement. She tugs on it until I let it go and then Sophia is yanking me by my arm and pulling me close to her. She wraps her arms around my middle and pulls me in for a hug. With how quickly she's growing her head now just fits under my chin. After a beat she pulls back but doesn't completely remove her arms.
"I'll help you. You don't have to be the one to tell them, I'll do it".
I smooth her hair away from her face, "No, it should be me".
"No it shouldn't." Herschel says, "You're angry so you need time to calm down, if you don't I'm worried about what you might do".
"I'm not gonna do…"
"He's right Squirt. It'll make ya worse and I don't want ya to do somethin' stupid".
I stare at Merle, my mind spinning. He thinks I'll chase after the Sheriff and kill him. I want to say I won't but I can't. "Plus", He says, "I heard ya shoulder pop. Ya need to let Herschel look at it". Finally I agree, Sophia lets me go as she, Merle and Carol start the walk back.
Herschel comes over to me, "Let me take a look". I pull up the sleeve of my dress, he presses into my shoulder with his fingers which, I won't lie, does actually hurt. "Roll your shoulder for me". I do and this time it hurts enough to make me wince. "I don't think you've done anything that won't feel better in a couple of days. Just take some painkillers and rest it for a bit." He pulls my sleeve back down, "So no swinging the bat at things". His attempt at a little light heartedness doesn't really ease me, but I do offer him a smile, albeit strained, to show him I appreciate his efforts. "Maybe stay down here for a bit. Let them sort through their emotions before going back up there. I'll bring you some water and medicine in a bit". He looks at Maggie. "Stay with her please".
He doesn't trust me to stay by myself, hurts a little but maybe he's not wrong to think so. I know if I was to go up there and see how they react to the news of Josh it will make the anger so much worse, and that isn't what they need.
Michonne holds up my bat, "you get this back later". She doesn't wait for me to say anything back to her, she just walks past me. She doesn't head back up to the prison, in fact she doesn't go very far at all. She stands by the gate and stares out of it.
"Daryl said you were worried about what we thought of Rick leaving. I hope this gives you some sort of ease over it". Maggie's words shock me, Daryl told her!
"He said that?"
She smiles, "Sort of. Don't worry he didn't just come over to us and say that. We were talking about it all and Glenn figured out what wasn't being said." She wipes her hand across her forehead to wipe away some of the sweat she has on it. "Eight months apart and he still knows you so well. You know"... She pauses to look around her, she then sits on the very edge of the wooden barrier. "He was so happy when Daryl appeared. Glenn didn't even let Daryl get a word out, he just bombarded him with questions about you. When the farm fell he insisted on leaving that note for you. He knew you'd come back, even if it was just a pass through. He fought so hard to get us to follow the direction you went but when the herds started cornering us we thought there was no chance of ever finding you. You were long gone but that didn't stop him from searching for signs of you being there, but we never found anything concrete. He was the first out of all of us to see that Rick was cracking. I think the rest of us just held out some hope that it would pass but Glenn talked to all of us, sort of made us finally accept it".
"When we turned up at the quarry, he was one of the first people to talk to me, the Dixons and I were black and blue and I can't blame anyone for being cautious of us. But Glenn, it didn't bother him. He didn't let Daryl and Merle scare him away from being my friend. He was my hardest goodbye at the farm and I wish I'd tried harder to find you all afterwards. You know if he hadn't met you I would have dragged him kicking and screaming into our truck and kidnapped him. Forced him to come with us but he really liked you and I couldn't take him away from you. I would also like to thank you. You've been good for him, he's always been brave but this huge back bone is new. I love it".
She chuckles, "I do too. You know, you're just like he always said you were. We never really got to know each other but with how much he talked about you I felt like I knew everything about you. The others thought you were some timid, weak person who felt obliged to be with the Dixons because they saved you right back at the start. They said you had a temper but it only ever showed if one of you was threatened but Glenn never agreed with them."
I let out a breathy chuckle, my cheeks burning with a little embarrassment. I know what she is trying to do, and I have to hand it to her, it's working. She's calmed me down.
