𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝘤. 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴¹

𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐬

~+~

xiv

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 was being torn apart; Ma, Pops, Zak, Rick, Lori, Glenn, Daryl, Carol, T-Dog, Letty, Kiki, Alex, Sam, Maggie, Beth, Hershel... Carl. They reanimate into walkers. All of them. I couldn't do it. I couldn't shoot them. If you can't beat them... join them.

~+~

I wake up being shaken and sweaty. "Jade!" it was Rick. "Are you okay?" I shake my head, on the verge of tears. "What happened?" he probes. "A- a nightmare." I explain. "All o- of you w- were being- being a- apart, a- and when it c- came to s- shooting you all... I- I couldn't d- do it. So... I- I let you all k- kill me."

Rick sighs. "Jade, none of that is gonna happen, okay? Not anytime soon." "What if it is?" I murmur. "There's no way you can be ready for it." he answers. "Like Dale, that walker came out of nowhere." I didn't have the guts to tell him it was mine and Carl's fault. "But, you and your family, you're all strong, you all have a bond that nobody can break."

"Thanks, Rick." I smile. "For what?" he frowns. "For helping us all out of that shop when we were trapped and just overall caring for us all, you are a true leader." He smiles, which is something that I haven't seen since the quarry. "You and me, we make a great team." "We sure as hell do." I giggle and nod. 

"Get dressed, we got Dale's burial soon." he says and exits. I sigh and get up to change my attire.

I join the rest of the group surrounding Dale's grave as Rick begins speaking. "Dale could- could get under your skin. He sure got under mine, because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought, how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare and brave. Whenever I'd make a decision, I'd look at Dale. He'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us."