Better Days
Chapter 342
Author's Note: I swear the writers went oh let's mess with the fan fic writers out there, and make this first half of the season within a 24 hour period and let's just jump all over the place. I'm determined to think the writers of season 6 decided just to mess with us all. Well this fan fiction writer sticks out her tongue at them and says we'll see about that. OK enough of my over dramatic grumbling. Please review, it motivates and makes me actually think this is good!
Daryl, Mitch and Sasha's POV:
Daryl took the wrench from Mitch's hand as they worked on the motorcycle outside. "You don't have to be out here this early, you know," Daryl told Mitch.
"I know, but it's alright. With everything that's happened, there's no school today, so I'd rather be out here helping you," Mitch said.
"You sound so disappointed that there's no school," Daryl told him as he worked on the motorcycle. "Can't blame you though, hated school myself," he said with a grin.
"Besides finding Morgan and Jenny, anything happen out there? Did you run into trouble?" Mitch asked.
Daryl looked at him. "Yeah, ran into some trouble." he answered honestly.
"Walker's with W's on there heads? So the wolves are close," Mitch responded as he held up another tool.
"We'll handle it, we always do," Daryl told him.
"But it's just not us anymore," Mitch told him.
"No, it's not," Daryl responded.
"You know most of them are worthless right? That kid Sam? He's scared of his own shadow, doesn't even want to pick up a bat to learn how to hit something. Even Mika was willing to learn, he's not. So what happens when these Wolves' come into those gates, or walkers', or something else? Dad, these people are going to be reckless, and that's going to put us, our family in danger. So how do we make sure that doesn't happen? How do we make sure we survive?" Mitch asked.
Daryl sat down on the ground next to him. "You remember after your brothers' died? How you wouldn't talk? I knew you wanted to give up, and I wasn't going to let that happen. People didn't think you'd make it, that you would be able to stand toe to toe with Abraham and not bat an eye, but here you are. You learned because it meant death if you didn't. That's what it means for these people, they learn," he said.
"Or they die," Mitch finished. "Aaron would make it, he's one of us. He's scared, but he's got what it takes to make it," he told Daryl.
"Yeah," Daryl answered as he saw Sasha walking down the street. "Hey Mitch go inside, I need to talk to Sasha," he said as he stood up. "Sash, hold up."
Sasha turned and looked at him. "What's up Daryl?"
"You seen Lex this morning?" Daryl questioned.
"No, figured she was hanging out with Carl. Why?" Sasha answered.
"She was waiting for you on the porch last night. The Anderson kid, the older one, joined her, kissed her as she was pushed against a wall. He wasn't leaving," Daryl told her.
Sasha tensed. "What happened?"
"Nothing, had her spend the night over at our place. I was going to tell Rick and Jewel, have them talk to Jessie. But, figured you may want to do it," Daryl told her.
"Is she OK? I know I haven't been a good sister lately," Sasha started.
"You've been pretty shitty, was getting into Merle shitty territory if I was being honest," Daryl interrupted her.
"Alright, I give you that," Sasha responded. "I'm going to do better, I have to."
"You needed time, after Bob, after Ty, but taking that time, letting all that anger eat up at you, it hurt Lexi. I know there's been days that I've wanted nothing better than to walk away from it all, take time to myself, but people depend on me, depend on us. If I can make these damn walls work, so can you. But as one older sibling to another one, you need to suck it up and be a damn sister," Daryl told her.
Sasha arched an eyebrow. "Look at you Dixon, being all soft," she told him.
"Shut up," Daryl said as he bumped her shoulder.
Jewel, Rick, Jes and Carol's POV:
Rick balanced Judith on his hip and looked at the three women. "We need some kind of plan for today."
"Damage control," Carol told them.
"To late for that, Reg is dead, Pete killed him, walker got in the gate. We build off those three things right there, we take advantage of it," Jes told them. "We work on there fears, we get them ready, we convince Deanna we need guns."
"Deanna is in no position to make any kind of decision right now. She lost her husband and son within days of each other," Jewel told them.
"That's life now, we don't get to mourn our dead anymore," Carol told her.
"Maybe that's exactly what she needs to do, to see it our way," Jewel responded.
Rick looked at her. "What are you thinking?"
"What was it that we all had in common when this first started? When we first started dealing with death? The first attack at the quarry, Shane wanted to blame you Rick for going back to Atlanta to save Merle, he wanted to pen those deaths on you. Aiden died, Deanna wanted someone to blame, so she blamed the outsiders', now Reg is dead, but the person responsible you killed," Jewel reasoned.
"You use that to our advantage," Jes answered.
"Keep close to Deanna, get her ear," Carol told them.
"I hate to use her grief like that," Jewel stated.
"But it may be the only way," Rick responded. "They aren't ready yet, not even after last night."
"I can still play the role, get a read on people," Carol told them.
"I'll enlist more people to help with the guard shifts, that means more people are going to need to learn to shoot," Jes said. "What about this new guy Morgan? And the girl?"
"I'm about ready to go talk to Morgan," Rick stated.
"Mar took Mika over to get Jenny, to bring her to breakfast," Carol told them.
"Is Morgan going to be on our side? I mean the man had no weapons, except some kind of long stick. How the hell he survived out there with no guns or anything is a miracle. How long did he think he could keep the kid safe with nothing but a stick?" Jes questioned.
"Didn't the two of you say he had a stock pile of weapons when you went back to Kings County?" Carol questioned.
"Something must have made him change," Jewel said as she took Judith from Rick.
"Change from a guy who stockpiles weapons to a stick carrying ninja who won't take a life? That must be some kind of big life change," Jes responded with a scoff. "Exactly what we need, someone who can't handle themselves."
"Morgan can handle himself, we've seen it," Jewel defended the man. "He saved Rick's life."
"The man who walked into those gates last night looked absolutely appalled at what happened, about what you did," Carol told him.
"If I was on the other side of the gate and walked in on what Morgan walked in on, I'd be appalled. Hell, I'm appalled the whole situation went that far, that Deanna let it go that far, and I was here. From someone who was coming in from the outside, it must have looked far worse then it really was," Jewel told her.
Rick nodded. "We aren't the same people that we were, we can't expect Morgan to be either."
"Of course not, Rick, but I don't know how a man can go from the man you, Michonne, and Jewel saw a little less than a year ago, to this," Carol told them.
"We won't find out until we talk to him," Jewel told her. "Sitting around here wondering isn't going to get us anywhere," she said as she stood. "I am going to go put Judy down for her morning nap, get Hope and go with you to talk to Morgan, Rick. I'll be back," she said as she kissed him.
Ronnie and Maggie's POV:
Maggie came into Deanna's house and saw Ronnie making coffee. "How is she?"
"I just got her to go lay down about an hour ago. I don't think she's sleeping though," Ronnie answered.
"Have you seen Spenser? How is he doing?" Maggie questioned as she sat down.
"He went upstairs last night, with Eric's sister. I think she spent the night, I'm not sure really. I was to focused on Deanna to notice if she left or not," Ronnie said as she sat down. "Quinn?"
"Beth is making some breakfast for her family," Maggie stated.
"Do you believe what Glenn said last night about the ricochet bullet?" Ronnie questioned the other woman.
"Nicholas shot him," Maggie answered.
Ronnie nodded. "I figured it was something like that. Why is Glenn protecting him?"
"There's been to much upheaval the past couple days. Nicholas won't go outside the gates again, Glenn will make sure of it," Maggie responded.
"If he wants to go outside the gates, he's going to go outside the gates. He'll do it just to spite Glenn, and you know it," Ronnie told her.
"Glenn didn't want to kill him, he wants to try to give him a second chance," Maggie explained.
"My count, this is more than a second chance, Maggie. This is like a third or fourth. I'm all for trying to preserve life and do no harm, but he's got to help himself. You all were right at the prison, when Ridge and I came in. We had coddled them, protected them, didn't really make sure they knew how to survive, and they didn't. I see it now, as I look around this town, these people. I swear I'm about ready to give Mrs. Neudermeyer a shot of something just to knock her out conscious to get her to stop talking about that damn pasta maker," Ronnie said as she shook her head.
"You did what you could do, you kept them alive that long. Not all of them were that hopeless," Maggie reminded her.
Ronnie nodded. "How are you feeling?"
Maggie nodded. "Good. I wish all this didn't have to happen. I wish that this would have been the safe haven we needed."
"It still can, Maggie, don't give up on it just yet. There's a few bumps to be worked out, a few people who need to be moved around. We can make this a home, just like the prison. We know how to keep ourselves alive," Ronnie assured her.
"Don't be surprised if Joey comes sees you today, with a black lip or an arrow in his side. Summer spent the night with him last night," Maggie said as she ate.
"Not surprising that him and Summer took that next step, surprising that it took this long. But he's a brave man, very brave man," Ronnie said with a laugh. "God, if Rick or Daryl had been my father and uncle, Ridge would have never stuck around."
"Daddy didn't like Glenn at first. But, Rick knows Joey, so it should be alright. He's family," Maggie said.