Don't Fear The Reaper (R. Grimes & D. Dixon)

41

They rounded the street corner to see a crowd already forming to watch the screaming match between kit and Pete, Jessie crouching in the doorway with a black eye. It felt like rick couldn't get there fast enough, his vision turning red as he watched Pete try to slap kit, only for her to jump back into the siding. She raised her leg, kicking him with enough force to push him over the porch railing. Pete didn't even have time to get up before rick was on top of him, the two rolling around brawling. Kit herself didn't feel the need to step in till rick started actually to try and kill him, and the boys were shoved back trying to pull him off. "rick, stop!" she yelled. Rick looked up at her from the chokehold he currently had Pete in, blood running down his face.

"you ever try to lay a hand on her again, and I'll kill you," Rick growled in Pete's ear.

"damn it rick! stop!" Deanna yelled

"or what? he asked, pulling out a gun; kits eyes widened "you gonna kick me out?"

"put that gun down, rick."

"you still don't get it. None of you do-" rick yelled, panting and looking around, "- we know what needs to be done, and we do it. We're the ones who live. You just sit and hesitate. You pretend like you know when you don't. Your way of doing things is done. Things don't get better because you want them to. Starting right now, we have to live in the real world. we have to control who lives here."

"that's never been clearer to me than it is right now," Deanna said condescendingly. kit and merle looked at each other sharing a brief conversation

"me? me? you-" rick started to laugh, "- you mean me? your way is gonna destroy this place; it has already gotten people killed. and I'm not gonna stand by and just let it happen. if you don't fight, you die. I'm not-" merle whacked him over the head, rick fell to the ground unconscious.

~time skip~

rick groaned, sitting up, bandages on his face and right hand. Kit sat in a chair across from him; he chuckled, seeing her highly annoyed look " you here the whole time?" he asked,

"no, we have kids. I relieved T a couple of hours ago. He stayed the night here. want to explain to me what the hell that was?"

"Pete-"

"no, not Pete. He deserved a taste of his own medicine; he could have left out trying to blatantly murder him in front of a group of people that are afraid of their own shadow, though. he's been moved to a different house, by the way."

"the gun?" he asked

"yeah, rick, the gun. We swore we were going to try, remember? How long have you ever had it? did Daryl know?"

"he didn't take one," kit huffed, rubbing her temples 

the door squeaked open as Glenn, Merle, and Abe walked in; kit scoffed, "guess I don't have to ask where you got the gun then." she eyed merle, who looked anywhere but her.

"Deanna's planning to have a meeting tonight. for anyone who wants to" Glenn hesitated

"to kick rick out?" Abe asked

"to try," kit muttered

"We don't know that. Maggie and Michonne are with Deanna right now. they're going to find out what it is." Glenn deflected, and kit started laughing.

"The hells so funny?" merle asked, eyeing the woman who was still sitting

"this is like Shane-"

"I'm not like Shane." rick scoffed

"except you are-" kit glared, "- it only took you two years. the only difference here is he was shamed, and he was a hell of a lot better at hiding shit from me." kit scoffed, getting up and leaving. She spent most of the day in the infirmary with Tara. Since Pete was "locked up," she could work/read in peace. Jessie walked into the room hesitantly, not sure what to even say.