Chapter 12:
"Say Daddy? Da-dee?"
"Da!"
Rick smiled at his daughter as he hugged her, "Close enough, Judy"
"Give her time, she'll nail it", Carol encouraged as she joined him on his front porch. The day was another sunny one, without a cloud in sight, and the sky was almost glowing.
Rick watched the grey haired woman, "How are you?"
She glanced up from Judith, "Good. Tired, but good"
He nodded, "Good to hear"
"I heard you have a new resident?"
"Yeah…", Rick's eyes found the street in front of his home, "Michonne"
Carol sat back in her seat, her eyes darting around in a way that annoyed Rick, "You trust her?"
An eyebrow shot up on his face, "Yeah. Why?"
The woman shrugged, "I have to play devil's advocate… that balancing on the fencing thing never works out"
He eyed the side of the her face before turning back to the street, deciding he was officially done with the topic, "You staying a while?"
"I will… I missed it here, believe it or not"
"We missed having you…"
She exhaled as she took Judith from his arms, "Don't you ever get tired of all this?"
"What?"
"This world? This life? Having to kill just to survive… it's just, it's just draining"
Rick remained quiet, giving her room to continue if she wished.
"I miss just having to worry about making it to work on time… not, 'Is this guy going to kill me? Or someone I love?'...", She shook her head, "We may be safe from the Savior's now but… it's as if the longer we survive, the worst people get… and I'm sick of it"
He slowly nodded, understanding her point, "If you want the ones we love to make it… then we have to keep going… it's not easy, it takes its toll, but we're working towards somethan' here"
She didn't say anything else, but he knew Carol enough to know that she was mulling over his words, and if she did disagree with his point, she would have swiftly made him aware of that.
Rick spent the rest of the morning in his home, enjoying the opportunity to do such a thing. He played with his daughter and bathed her, letting his son get up to his own devices. He forgot about everything and everyone outside his home and acted as if the world was right again.
By mid-day however, he was reminded that he was a leader.
"We wanna go check out that mall again, get some more materials. I don't like how those panels are starting to curve in", Abraham explained, pointing at the section of the wall in question.
Rick's eyes searched the metal, looking for any other similar panels that matched his friends concern, "Those too"
"Yeah", Abraham nodded as he followed Rick's line of sight.
"Alright. Set that up, do what you have to do", Rick gave him a single nod as he began to back up, "If you are anythan' else out there that could help-"
"Bring it back. Got it".
He turned and began walking down the street, immediately noticing Daryl making his way towards him with Tara in tow.
"What's going on?", He asked, his eyes scanning over them.
"Heading out, gonna go check out some centre that they saw a while back", Daryl informed, adjusting his backpack.
"We wanted to go in but there were Savior's driving around the area so we left it. We figured we could check it out now", Tara shelled her eyes from the sun as she spoke.
"Sounds good, how far?"
"Twenty miles out. Shouldn't take long".
"Alright. You know the drill, be careful… and uh, if you stumble across anythan'... for kids-"
Daryl seemed to understand his request, "I'll bring back somethan' for lil ass kicker"
"I appreciate it"
Rick gave Tara a nod and Daryl a pat on the back before they went their separate ways. It always made him so uncomfortable to have his people leave, even though they were well equipped to survive alone, and the threat of the Savior's was no more.
He headed to the front gate, where Sasha stood watch, and Rosita leaned on the gate. He climbed up the ladder and squinted into the distance as her joined the woman.
"Quiet?"
She nodded, "Nothing. A few walkers but otherwise, we're good… we need a chair up here or something though"
He smirked, "I think we do"
"What's up with Jessie?", She turned to him, an annoyed expression growing on her face, "She's been volunteering for any and everything lately?"
Rick groaned, shaking his head, "She's trying to prove herself, I guess?"
Sasha's face pinched, "Well, just don't put her on watch with me"
He bit back a chuckle, "Might make it more interesting up here?"
Sasha sent him an unimpressed look.
He couldn't help but sniggered, knowing his friends was never fond of the woman, "Guess not"
"It's great that she's interested in helping out now but she's just been getting in the way. You know she wanted to come with us to the Sanctuary?"
Rick raised his eyebrows at Sasha.
"Yeah. As if she forgot she nearly took my arm off with the machete when Rosita was training them"
He cringed at the memory, "I think we all remember that"
"Rick?"
They both turned and looked over the wooden rail, where Michonne was holding a duffel bag, looking up at them. Rick hadn't seen her since her arrival, and hadn't idea what she was doing with the bag, but he still proceeded to climb down the ladder to greet her.
"What's going on?"
"I wanted to take some clothes for Negan… has he been allowed to shower?", She asked, tilting her head at him.
Rick was almost embarrassed to admit that he hadn't cared to let the man do anything, besides eat, "Not that I'm aware"
Her face fell, as did her shoulders, "He's been in there for almost two weeks-"
"How do you propose we do this then?", He offered quickly, hoping to stop her from possibly scolding him and reaching a quick resolution.
"Let him in the house?"
His expression seemed to tell her what he thought of that idea.
"Take the door off. Have two people armed and with him the whole time. And me"
He thought long and hard about the idea, his eyes trailing the scenery behind her, "Fine"
"And he needs his bandage changed."
"Alright, you do all that, but make sure that there are others with you"
"Deal. Key?", She held her hand out to him.
He withheld a sigh as he reached in his pocket, pulling the key off its ring, and dropped it in her hand.
She spun on her heel, marching away, "I'll give it back as soon as he's done"
Rick watched her for a few moments, then tore his eyes away from her back. He looked back up to where Sasha was, and the woman was leaning on the rail, her raised an eyebrow at him, leading him to frown at her. She smirked, turning back to the wall, leaving him dumbfounded.
While he trusted Michonne to handle Negan, he still made sure to stay close to the area while they dealt with him. He figured the only way the two of them would get along was if he left her to be in charge of her friend, and while he struggled when it came relinquishing power so easily, it would be for the greater good of his sanity.
"Hey Rick"
He looked away from the grass area, where Eugene was looking over the solar panels, with Noah on hand, and he saw Jessie stepping towards him, "Hey"
"What's going on?", She asked, her eyes darting to the two other residents who stood in the street a few meters apart, with rifles in hand.
"Just keeping an eye on thangs", He responded vaguely, his weapon hanging loosely in his hand.
She looked back at him, "Oh… okay… well, I was actually wondering if I could talk you about starting up a school again?"
Rick blinked at her.
"I think it would be a good idea, somewhere for the kids to go in the day?"
"And who would be running that?", He didn't mean to sound so sceptical, but he was curious.
"Father Gabriel? Penny? I wouldn't mind helping from time to time?"
"Yeah…", He glanced down the street towards the home where Negan was housed, not completely sold on Jessie's idea, "Can I get back to you on that?"
"Oh, yeah. Sure. That's fine", She nodded, her ponytail bouncing. She shifted her stance, her hands on her hip, "Well I'm going to make a stew for dinner so… I'll drop some over with Carl when I'm done"
"You don't have to do that-"
"No, honestly. I don't mind at all. I have a lot of free time… so yeah"
He felt a pang of guilt for the woman, having lost both her sons. He wasn't afraid to admit that he often forgot, and while he still had absolutely no trust in her, he didn't wish to be completely cold, "Alright, thanks"
"No problem", She smiled warmly, then continued on with her walk.
He glanced back down the street, just as Michonne appeared at the top of the stairs, leading to the basement. Rick leaned back, tucking his python away before he stood, making his presence known. She began to stroll in his direction, adjusting the bag on her shoulder.
"How'd it go?", He probed when she was close enough, descending the steps he had sat on.
She held out the key to him, "No problems at all"
He took from her, "Good".
"Was that necessary?", She used her thumb to point behind her, at the two residents who were now leaving their assigned spots.
Rick shrugged, "You can never be too careful-"
"I was there".
"And that's great", the phrase left his mouth in an unintentionally mocking tone, and he soon amended it, "It just precaution. That's all".
She pursed her lips in annoyance, looking over at the solar panels, while his eyes fell to the gold necklace she wore.
He wondered whose name the pendant stood for, but he knew better than to ask, "Which house did you pick?"
Her gaze was back on him, "One of the two bedrooms?"
He nodded, feeling silly for thinking otherwise, "Did they set you up with everythan'?"
"They did"
Rick couldn't understand what was happening, but he found himself going through a rolodex in his mind, trying to think of things to say to her before they went their separate ways. It was a strange, virtually out of character moment for him, but it was as if he couldn't help himself.
"There was something I noticed, I wasn't sure if you were aware…"
"Yeah? What?", He tilted his head at her.
"The trees by the wall by my… new home. They look like they'd be easy to climb… and you haven't got a watch point close enough to see. Someone could easily get in here if they wanted to"
He stared at her for a moment, registering the concern, "Show me"
She nodded, leading the way to her new home. He was impressed with her initiative, as it wasn't something that had been brought to his attention before. He imagined it wouldn't be the last time that she pointed out possible weak spots either, and if it made their home safer, he was willing to listen.
They arrived at her house after walking in silence, and Rick was confused, to see the least, as she went up the front porch and into the home. He assumed it would be an issue they would be able to see from outside the property, but he still quietly followed her, as he was sure she remembered that he was there. She dropped the duffle bag to the floor, and started climbing the stairs, and Rick, once again hesitated, before continuing behind her. She opened the second door on the landing and strolled in, walking to the window that was adjacent to the door. He hovered outside the door for a few seconds, hesitating a second time, before forcing himself in the room.
It was quite obviously her bedroom they were in, and Rick was uncomfortable to say the least, despite the fact that the room was barely lived in. Her bags were still in a pile by the bed and her dressing table and dresser top were bare, but that didn't stop Rick from feeling as if he was intruding.
"You see?", She crossed her arms as she looked out the window.
Rick squinted, his eyes darting in every direction as he considered the possibility, "It would be quite a drop though"
"Not enough to do serious damage. And even still, all they need a rope ladder or something and… they're in"
He scratched his brow with his thumb, slowly nodding, "Alright. We'll sort that out"
She stepped away from the window first, and he was right behind her, "If you have any tools around, I can work on getting that door off the bathroom about his cell"
"I already told Scott about it, he'll handle it", He explained as they trudged down the stairs.
She rested her hands on her hips when they reached the bottom floor, looking around the house aimlessly, "Alright"
Rick was flicking through his mental rolodex, and once again, he struggled to understand why, but he picked the most pathetic excuse to speak again, "Did Glenn explain how the pantry works?"
Her gaze took a moment to find him, "I don't think so?"
"Well you have to write down what you take, but somethings we have to ration out so you're only allowed a certain amount until we restock it…If you go down there then Olivia will let you know… what that is..."
"Okay…"
The conversation was barely salvageable, and Rick should have taken that as his cue to leave, but her eyes hadn't left him, and his didn't leave hers, so they stood in the foyer of her home, gazing at each other.
She sulked air between her teeth as she resurfaced first, "I have books. Comic books. I saw your son earlier, he had one-"
"My son", Rick choked out, clearing his throat, "Yeah, he's into stuff like that. And another girl here-"
"Well, you can send him- them around and they can go through them-"
"I'll do that. I'll tell him-"
"Okay"
He nodded, heading to the door with a quickened pace, skipping down the porch steps and power walking down the street. It was if his feet couldn't carry him fast enough; he felt embarrassed for hanging around her like a lost puppy, almost bursting a vein trying to think of something to say. He was confused and annoyed with himself, struggling to understand his behaviour since the woman had barged her way into his life.
"Hey dad?"
Carl's voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he slowed in the street when he saw him, "Hey, what's wrong? What happened?"
Carl began to frown at him, "Nothing? Judith's with Carol… I was going over to see what Noah was doing with Eugene?"
Rick nodded, his eyes darting from his son to everything else, "Alright, that's fine…"
"Did something happen?"
"What? No, no nothing, I'm just... tired, I guess"
Carl's eyes narrowed at his father, hardly buying his excuse, "Dad?"
He focused on his son, shifting his stance and placing both hands on his waist, "You're still into comic books right?"
Carl scoffed, "That's the only thing I can be into"
He gave a pitiful chuckle, "Yeah well, you know Michonne? She said she had some if you're interested. You and Enid"
Carl's eyes lit up, "Really? That's cool"
"Yeah… she said you can go over there, but don't go kicking her door in yet, she just got here. We'll give her some space for now"
The teen nodded, looking down the street for a moment, then back at his father, "Do you think this whole… Negan being locked up thing is working?"
He sighed, rolling his shoulders, "As long as he behaves himself, I think it will"
"...I thought you would have killed him by now"
Rick smirked, "To be honest with you son, the temptation was there but, who knows, I've seen a lot of men like him change after being retrained for a long time"
Carl frowned beneath his hair, "Do you think he'll change?"
He thought about it, peering past his son, "I don't know, we'll just have to wait and see".
Truth be told, he doubted it. Rick could probably guess the kind of man Negan was in his past life. He was as charismatic as he was brutish, but all in all, he thought the man was a psychopath.
The next day he decided to take Sasha's shift at the watch point. It wasn't a job he usually took, as his name was first on everyone's tongue, so he'd spent a lot of time working around the community, but he needed a task that could allow him to deliberate, as he felt his mind was growing cloudy. He slowly paced, his eyes surveying the area beyond the walls, though he hardly focused on anything in particular.
It was when he was well and truly lost in his thoughts that he heard the roar of a car engine approaching, which quickly snapped him back to reality. His brow furrowed as he recognised the vehicle, and the person driving, almost recklessly.
"Who is it?", Bruce called up to him from the gate.
"It's Dwight, open up", Rick instructed, making his way towards the ladder.
Bruce pulled open the gate, allowing the Savior's new leader in. Rick immediately sensed there was a problem, and he swung his rifle to his back and retrieved his python, mainly just for show, but a small part of him knew that wasn't always the case.
Dwight brought the car to a screeching halt and climbed out, slamming the door behind him. He held Negan's bat in one hand and a small pistol in the other, wearing a crazed expression, "Where is he?! Where the fuck is Negan?!"