Wings

More Loss(1/2)

"The darker the night, the brighter the stars,
The deeper the grief, the closer is God!"
—Fyodor Dostoevsky
(Crime and Punishment)
____________________________

REMY

Tara didn't wake in the night. When the sun returned, so did Rosita. They would all mourn Noah today. They planted a wooden cross in the cemetery for him, though they had no body to bury.

Daryl wasn't there, so when it came time to say something about Noah, Carol spoke up. She talked about his bravery. How he pushed past the abuse he suffered at Grady to help them get Beth out. Maggie remarked on his selflessness. He could have left her sister there. Instead, he fought to free her too. It was Remy's turn to say something.

"He was just...a good, smart, sensitive kid. He didn't let the Fall, or the abuse, or losing everything harden him. He was still so optimistic. He just adapted. It can't have been easy. He was selfless. He volunteered for the supply runs, knowing what was out there. When Dawn told him he would have to come back, he never hesitated. And he didn't compromised his morals. No matter how dire the situation, he stayed good. I think we can learn a lot from him. Noah, I know I won't forget you. I know that none of us will." Remy wished she had taken more time to get to know Noah. There just hadn't been much time between Atlanta and Alexandria. "He was special."

"Now he's gone," Glenn said through clenched teeth.

Sasha never showed, but Remy figured that no matter where, she'd want her space. She went back to Rick's. Carol had made a casserole. Almost no one touched it. Finally, Remy asked "where's Sasha?" to no one in particular.

"Probably up in the tower. That's where she always is," said Michonne.

"I know she has to deal with things, but she shouldn't be alone, should she?"

"Give her time," Carol told her.

—-

Noah's empty grave haunted Remy. There were some silk flowers in a vase in her room. She thought to take them there. Dax followed her out. He was sensitive, and picking up on the sadness that hung heavily in both houses.

When she got back to the small cemetery, she heard voices. She figured they were mourners, and didn't want to disturb them, but the voices grew louder. She stopped and waited behind a privacy fence for them to leave. But then, she recognized one of the voices. It was Rick's.

"You knew?" Rick's voice rose at the end of the word. Silence. Rick spoke again. "It hasn't gotten better. It won't."

"Pete's a surgeon. He's saved lives. He might be saving Tara's life." That was Deanna's voice.

"He's beating his wife. We have to stop it." Remy was absolutely stunned by what she heard. Is that why Jessie has acted...off? Remy had felt uneasy around Pete when she met with him and now, it was clear to her the reason.

"How?" Deanna sounded as though it wasn't even an option.

"We separate them. We tell him that's how it'll be from now on."

"What happens when he doesn't wanna do that?" Remy figured he wouldn't. She had dated someone Before. It was before she met Thomas. He never hit her, but he kept her under his thumb. Did other things. When she finally got away from him, she had had to change her number and move from her college town. She finished her degree online.