Better Days

Chapter 314

Author's Note: Battle lines are being drawn in Alexandria and not only between our family and the Alexandria's. Yes my characters are making me do it. Please review. It motivates.

Monroe family POV:

Quinn walked in to the candle light house, carrying a casserole, while Aiden's mix tape was playing. "Carol made a casserole, to express how sorry everyone is," she said. "Bri, Chloe take this into the kitchen," she told them.

Reg stood up and hugged her. "Are you alright?" he asked as he kissed the top of her head.

"No, I'm far from it," Quinn answered as she handed Deanna the note from Carol. "Nicholas made his statement yet?"

Deanna didn't answer as she took the note and read it, she put it the candle and let it burn.

"Mom what are you doing?" Quinn asked as she looked at Gus.

"I'll keep the girls in the kitchen, get them some of the casserole, while it's still hot," Gus said as he stood up.

"Leave it, we don't need there sympathy. If I hadn't brought them in, then this wouldn't have happened and Aiden would still be alive," Deanna told them.

Quinn looked at her. "Not eating a casserole isn't going bring Aiden back, or Noah. This isn't there fault, mom. I'm not going to say another word until we go to your office and we record this. All about transparency right?" she challenged.

"Sweetheart, maybe you should wait until you've calm down. Today was a big shock to you," Reg told her.

Quinn sighed. "Calm down? Dad, this isn't something I'm going to get over in a day or two. All those people that came in with Rick? They survived the horror of being out there, even the kids. I had one day out there and I'm never going to be the same. Mom? Your office," she said as she walked away.

Spenser looked at Gus and Reg. "This isn't going to go well."

"It's going to go the way it has to go," Gus responded as he went into the kitchen.

Quinn and Deanna's POV:

Quinn flipped on the video camera as she passed and sat down in the chair and watched as her mother sat down across from her.

"Do you want to know what Nicholas told me?" Deanna asked.

"He told you a bunch of lies, he asked me to lie for him, to blame Glenn for this. If it wasn't for Glenn, you would have lost two children today," she simply said.

"Let's start with Aiden, what happened?" Deanna asked her.

"He was shooting at a walker with a grenade on it, and both Glenn and I yelled at him to stop when we saw it. But he didn't, and it blew up. And, knocked down Tara. I ran to him, and he was still alive. Nicholas ran, didn't even check on him. I tried….Aiden wanted to try to make amends…I told him he was going to make it, I told him to shut up and that he would make it home," Quinn said as she wiped away the tears. "He had three stakes in his body….and I yelled for help telling them he was alive. Nicholas said that he had checked him. He never came close, he ran, he was just going to leave him. Glenn and Nicholas came over…Glenn took charge. The dead were getting closer, Noah was keeping them off. Nicholas was freaking out, saying we weren't going to make it. Aiden begged him to stay, the next thing I know he ran. Glenn and I were yelling at him to stay but he left us. Glenn and I were determined to get Aiden out of there, Noah yelled that they were getting close. Aiden grabbed Glenn, told him that the others' didn't get scared, that him and Nicholas were the ones that got scared and ran off, leaving the others to die. He told us to get out of there. I wasn't going to leave, I still believed we could get him out," she told her mother. "He told me to tell you that Glenn did everything he could to save him, then he told Glenn to get me out of there," she said as she relived the memory. "His screams…" she said as she wiped her eyes again. "His screams were enough for me to know that I wouldn't have been able to lose as many people as Glenn had and still be able to function," she told her mother.

"We don't have to do anymore tonight Quinn," Deanna told her softly.

"No, we're going to finish this," Quinn answered defiantly. "I was going to freak out, but Glenn, he somehow got through to me, told me to focus all the anger toward getting home, that you needed to hear the truth and that you wouldn't believe them, but you would believe me," she responded.

"I'll believe the truth," Deanna told her daughter.

"I wish I could believe that, Mom, but you burned a letter of condolence, you said it was all they're fault and not to eat a casserole, and that Aiden would still be alive if you hadn't brought them in. I'd be dead, and Aiden would have been telling you the same lie Nicholas told you. I can see it in your eyes, you want someone to blame, and that blame is going to be Glenn. But, I'm not going to let that happen. I am going to make you listen to the truth, I am going to make you see that if you had listened to me after the supply run that killed the others, that Aiden would still be alive, that Noah would be. You don't get to believe Nicholas and his lies, without hearing the whole truth," she told her mother as she tried to keep from getting angrier. "We got to the front rotating doors, Noah, Glenn and I were in one, and Nicholas was in the other, with the dead pushing the other one. Nicholas was freaking out, he kept pushing the doors, I told him to stop but he didn't. I thought I was going to die, right there, that we all were going to die in those damn doors. But then Eugene started beeping the horn of the van, leading the dead that was from the outside away. We still had the ones inside to deal with. Glenn immediately went into leader mode, if he was scared he didn't show it. He knows what has to be done to bring people back alive. He told us that he needed us all to work together, but Nicholas wasn't paying any attention, and Glenn banged on the window to get his attention. Glenn instructed us in what needed to be done, and asked if we understood but Nicholas didn't respond. I told him he had to acknowledge it in voice form, he said he did. Nicholas and Noah were supposed to hold the doors, Glenn and I were to break the glass with our weapons. It was working, it was, but Nicholas started freaking out, yelling that the glass wasn't going to break. I told him to look at me, I told him if we didn't do this Glenn's way, we weren't going to make it back to our children, that Mikey didn't have anyone else. I thought I had gotten through to him, that he understood," she informed her mother as she closed her eyes momentarily to calm herself down. She looked straight at her mother before she continued. "He saw an opening between the glass and street, he started to push his way through. We were all yelling at him to stop, I tried to hold the doors with Noah and I was holding on to Glenn…Nicholas got out and the doors and the dead were starting to get through. They grabbed Noah, I tried to help Glenn, by pulling on him so he had more leverage, but it didn't work, they got Noah. I had to turn…around…I couldn't watch, but his screams, and then Glenn lost it. Nothing like Nicholas but he watched a member of his family being eaten right in front of him, and I don't' blame him. I gave him a few seconds, we couldn't afford minutes, and then bent down beside him. I told him that we had to get back here, that I couldn't do it alone, that I wasn't brave, that I needed him to get us back. I told him that you wouldn't believe him, that Aiden and Noah's death were going to be in vain if we let Nicholas survive and tell his lies. Glenn took charge again, and we ran to the van. Nicholas was there, he was trying to take the van, he was threatening Eugene. Glenn hit him, and at that moment, I wanted to leave him on the ground to be devoured by the dead. For what he did to Will and the others, for allowing Summer to get hurt, for Aiden and Noah. I'm pretty sure that Glenn had the same thoughts, but neither one of voiced it and Glenn told Eugene to help him get him into the van. If it was one of us, Nicholas would have left us, I know that, I truly believe that," Quinn told her mother.

"Your story and Nicholas hardly matches at all," Deanna told her oldest child.

Quinn leaned forward in her chair. "You once told me that a liar will never be able to tell a whole story and keep eye contact with the person they are telling the story too. You told me they can't control it, that it's like a tell. You also said that even if they could look you in the eye for 98% of the time, they would be fidgety. You used to catch Aiden, Spenser and me all the time if we tried to lie. I want you to watch both of our videos back to back, I want you to take a notepad, and I want you to look at how many times Nicholas fidgets, how many times he can't look into your eyes, then I want you to do the same to me. I didn't fidget, I only closed my eyes once to calm myself down. I can guarantee that Nicholas wasn't able to look at you more then a few seconds at a time. Don't take my word for what's the truth, let your instincts tell you what's the truth," Quinn told her. "I'll never be able to forget today, if you ask me in ten years, if we're lucky enough to survive, I'll be able to tell you the same truth, the same words," she said as she stood. "I'm going to go home now. I love you mom," she informed her as she kissed the top of her head before walking out.

Rick and Beth's POV:

Rick went over to Beth who was standing by herself on the porch. "Hey, you alright?" he questioned. "I know, stupid question right?"

Beth gave a small smile. "It wasn't supposed to happen anymore, any of us dying. We were supposed to be safe," she told him.

Rick pulled her into a hug. "I know Bethy, I know."

"I wouldn't be here back with all of you if it wasn't for Riley and Noah. I wouldn't have been alive," Beth told him.

"You would have, you're strong," Rick told her.

"I was going to kill Dawn…Riley found the scissors I was going to use. She knew what I was going to do, she was ready to give up her life for me and Noah, so we could go. And that's exactly what she did. Now, Noah. I just thought maybe we were done losing people. It just seems we can't win, and I didn't get to say goodbye to Bob. I used to say at the prison, that I didn't cry anymore, that I didn't say goodbye to people anymore. But then I woke up in Grady, and thought of all of you, how I might never see Daryl or Axel again, and that I didn't say goodbye. I saw daddy die and I never said goodbye. And I knew that if I was ever reunited with any of you, I'd make sure to say I love you all, and not to leave things unsaid. But, I still don't want to say goodbye, because that means maybe you won't come back. So I didn't say it to Noah, and he didn't come back and I didn't get to tell him goodbye," Beth told him.

Rick kissed the top of her head. "I think we all do the same thing Bethy. I always tell them to be careful. Everyone knows there's that chance that we won't come back. We all handle it differently. Noah knew you cared, we all do. And you are strong, Bethy. Hershel would be proud of you, he was proud of you," he told her. "Go get some rest, you need it," he told her.

Author's Note: Two updates in less than 24 hours? Please review!