Captive | The Walking Dead |

32

It'd been some time since Merle had freaked out; luckily he had calmed down and paced the cell while Isabella kept her eyes on him from the platform in the cellblock.

Carl was still outside, ready to open the gates for whenever Rick and the others would return.

Isabella tried not to worry about them, she knew they could handle themselves, but she couldn't help it.

She worried if Hershel would get hurt and he wouldn't be able to make it back.

She worried if Daryl would get trapped and become overwhelmed by walkers and not make it out.

But mostly, she worried about Rick.

She worried if something happened to him, and wondered what would happen if something did.

Who would lead them? After all, Rick was the only reason they were still alive and had secured the prison in the first place.

Not to mention, who knows what would happen to Carl; sure Isabella would take care of him but she knew he wouldn't be the same without his dad.

She heard the faint sounds of the doors closing and rushed outside, sighing in relief when she saw that all three men were okay.

"What happened?" Isabella whispered to Daryl shortly after seeing their faces.

He simply motioned inside and the group huddled in the cell block cafeteria.

Rick then informed them what Isabella had been anticipating; that the Governor wanted them dead.

The group knew they were going to war, which Isabella dreaded.

She'd seen the mini-wars the vatos would get into the back at the nursing home; and sure, they always came out winning, but some would still lose their lives.

Isabella wouldn't be able to handle seeing any of the members get hurt, she knew if any of them got hurt or died, she wouldn't be able to hold herself together after.

It was hard enough when the group lost T-Dog or even Lori, as bitchy as she was at times.

A small part of her screamed to just leave the group now so that she could just walk away and imagine that the rest of the group would get a happily ever after; even if she knew that was a lie. 

And a small part of her did want to do that.... but she knew she could never leave them.

The group dismissed and while everyone headed off their own ways, she noticed Rick's face, and how during the meeting, he kept looking at Michonne.

She followed Rick into his cell where he was rocking Judith, smiling at the baby and she saw him relax for the first time in a few days.

"Hey," Isabella said softly as she walked into the cell.

"Hi Isabella," Rick smiled as he turned to look at her, feeling his heart slightly flutter at the sight of her.

"What uh, happened out there?" she gently said, smiling at Judith.

"Nothing," Rick shook his head as he turned away from Isabella, not wanting her to see his face.

"Rick please," she begged. "I saw the way you kept looking at Michonne, what happened?"

"Fine," Rick sighed as he put Judith down in her crib.

Isabella raised her eyes as she awaited him to speak since he paused a moment.

"The governor wants Michonne," he said. "He says he'll back off if we hand her over."

"We both know that's a lie," Isabella shook her head. "Rick, we are not doing that." She locked eyes with him.