succumb - glenn rhee

[THIRTY-ONE] the 'execution'

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE // THE 'EXECUTION'
"I SAY HANG HIS ASS."

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ
TW : MENTIONS OF S.A. AND R*PE. PLEASE BE ADVISED.
"Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Jade! Where the hell are you?" Nick yelled as he walked around the camp, searching for his sister.

The girl rushed out of Glenn's tent, having been returning a jacket she used while on patrol early that morning, she had a gun wielded, her finger on the safety as her eyes frantically searched for her brother. "What?! What, what's wrong?" Jade questioned in a panic. "Is someone hurt?"

"Oh, no, no. Nothing like that." Nick answered innocently, acting as though it was the craziest thought in the world.

"Jesus, Nick. You scared the shit out of me." She spoke with a scoff as she tucked her gun back in her jeans, not before reassuring herself that the safety was off.

"Hershel, he gave me an heirloom. That pocket-watch he always has with him." Nick explained, reaching it out of his front left pocket. "He told me this story of his family, and how he trusts me with her. He gave me his, like, actual blessing to be with Maggie."

Jade's mouth dropped open as her gaze repeatedly shifted between the pocket-watch and Nick's happy smile. "Holy shit!" Jade exclaimed loudly, reaching forward to give her brother a hug. "Oh, that's awesome!"

"I know right! Like, oh my God." Nick said with a sigh as he carefully put the watch back in his pocket. "I've never felt like this before. Not even when Theodora's mom was still around. She told me she loves me. And I might say it back. I'm just worried about what Theodora might think about it."

"Teddy Bear loves Maggie, dude. They're literally playing checkers on the porch right now." She pointed out, both of them glancing over to where Maggie and Theodora were very intensely playing the game.

"Oh."

x

The group had gathered in the living area of the farmhouse, ready to have a final discussion over things regarding Randall. Jade and Glenn both sat on the bench in front of the piano. The Horvath currently ignoring the holes that were boring into the back of her head from the stares of her father.

"So, how do we do this?" Glenn questioned, his gaze set on his shoes.

"We could take a vote?" Jade offered. "Would we do unanimous or majority rules?"

"How about.. um, let's just see where everybody stands first, and then we can talk through options." Rick put out, watching as most of the others nodded their heads.

"Well, where I sit, there's only one way to move forward." Shane spoke with a nod.

"Killing him," Dale answered. "Right? I mean why bother to even take a vote? It's clear which way the wind's blowing."

"Dad, seriously? If others feel the same way as you, we all need to know and discuss this." Jade argued.

"Well, I obviously know you don't." Dale replied.

"Dad-"

"It's a small group. Maybe just me and Glenn." The older Horvath man explained, watching as Glenn's face grew a frown.

"Look, I-- I think you're pretty right above about almost everything, but this-" Glenn started.

"They've got you scared." Dale interupted.

"If he doesn't want him around he can say it." Shane spat.

"How about you? Do you agree with this?" Dale questioned, pointing over at Maggie and Hershel.

"Couldn't we just continue keepin' him prisoner?" Maggie reasoned.

"That's just another mouth to feed." Daryl rebutted.

"Why don't we just give him a chance to prove himself?" Dale begged.

"What is a guy just gonna follow him around to make sure he doesn't fuckin' assault one of us?" Jade agreed, mostly motioning to herself and the other girls.

"Who would even volunteer for that duty?" Shane asked in confusion.

"I will." Dale offered.

"No one should be walking around with this guy." Rick interupted.

"He's right." Lori agreed, smiling over to her husband. "I wouldn't feel safe unless he was tied up."

"Me neither. We already have too much to worry about, we don't need a rapist walking around." Jade replied with her jaw clenched.

"Well, we can't exactly put chains around his ankles, and sentence him to hard labor." Andrea explained.

"Yeah, that's literal slavery." Nick mumbled in disbelief.

"Okay, look, say we let him join us, right? Maybe he's helpful, maybe he's nice. We let our guard down and maybe he runs off, brings back his 30 men." The Walsh explained, saying what everyone else was thinking.

"So the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime that he may never even attempt?" Dale questioned angrily.

"What you're saying, and tell me if I'm wrong here, Dad." Jade started as she stood up, becoming fed up with his behavior. " Is that you would rather let him walk around where your daughter, granddaughter, son, and friends are, that he will most likely hurt. 'Cause I'm not willing to take that chance."

"That is not what I am saying, and you know it. If we do this, we're saying there is no hope. Rule of law is dead. There is no civilization." Dale spat, waving his hands around.

"Could you drive him further out?" Hershel questioned with a short sigh. "Just leave him like you planned?"

"You barely came back this time. There are walkers. You could break down. You could get lost." Lori answered for her husband.

"We could take Jade with us, keep the car in shape?" Shane offered.

"No, keep me out of that. I say hang his ass." Jade spat with a loud scoff before walking out the house, slamming the screen door behind her to try and cool off her steam.