𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝗼𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧

𝟏𝟒

rory

"we're not leaving." rick says. i roll my eyes and pat ellie on the back. we've had this argument like 10 times now.

"we can't stay here! what if there's another sniper? a wood pallet wouldn't stop one of those rounds." hershel says.

"we can't even go outside!" beth exclaims, cradling judith in her arms.

"not in the daylight." carol says.

"rick says we're not running, we're not running." i speak up.

"no, better to live like rats." we all turn around to where the voice came from. rick refused to let him come into the cell block, so merle was talking through the door.

"you gotta a better idea?" i ask with a eye roll.

"yeah, we should have slid out of here last night. and lived to fight another day. but we lost that window didn't we? i'm sure he's got scouts on every road out of this place by now." he says.

"we ain't scared of that prick." maggie says. uh.... i am.

"you should be. that truck through the fence thing, that's just him ringing the doorbell. we might have some thick walls to hide behind, but he's got the guns and numbers. and if he takes the high ground around this place. shoot, he could starve us out if he wanted to."

"let's put him in the other cell block." maggie said throwing her hands to her side.

"no, he's got a point." daryl says.

"this is all you." glenn says to merle. "you started this."

"what difference whose fault it is? what do we do?" carol asks, rocking evie back and forth.

"i said we should leave. now axel's dead. we can't just sit here." hershel says. rick shakes his head and starts to walk off. "get back here!" i jump a little at hershels tone and volume. i don't think i've ever heard him yell like that. rick stops but doesn't turn around.

"you're slipping rick. we've all seen it. we understand why. but now is not the time. you once said this wasn't a democracy. now you have to own up to that. i put my family's life in your hands. so get your head clear and do something." he starts to walk to his cell. i watch as rick walks off.

taking in a deep breath and close my eyes. opening them i put on a fake smile. i'm pretty sure everyone could tell, but they didn't say anything.

"the twins need to be put down for a nap." i tell carol. she nods and motions for me to lead the way. we quickly walk up to my cell, i softly place ellie down and take evie from carol.

"i never apologized for lashing out at you the other day carol." i place a evie next to ellie, placing a blanket over the two of them. "it wasn't your fault and i'm sorry."

"oh, rory. i'm not mad, i understand." she pulls me into a hug, which i return.

"just don't want you to be mad at me." i tell her.

"i forgave you the second after it happened. i think of you like a daughter, i could never stay mad at you."

"i love you."

"love you too, now let's go back down." i nod and pull away from carol, we walk out of the cell and i close the door behind me.

"are you gonna talk to him?"

"who?" i ask. she gives a 'don't play stupid' look. "i don't know. i want too, i really do. but i don't know yet."

"what about your relationship?"

"right now there is none, he left. he has to deal with the consequences." i say simply. "maybe sometime in the future we can have a relationship, but i feel it moved to fast. i'm still learning, he's still learning." i let my hand glide over the hand rail as we walk downstairs.

"understandable, but you gotta talk to him sometime soon. can't ignore him forever."

"no, but i can try." i shrug and send her a smile. it quickly fades when i see daryl step in front of us.

"can we- uh, talk?" well fuck me.

"she would love to do that." carol interjects. i throw her a glare before looking back to daryl.

"uhhhhh, sure." i rub the back of my neck nervously. i follow him to a cell, flipping carol off over my shoulder. i stand against the door and he sits on the bed.

"so..." i cross my arms over my chest.

"m'sorry. i shouldn't have left. i was an ass when i did, you didn't deserve that." he said, biting the side of his thumb.

"mhm." my lips form a tight line and i nod slightly. "thank you for apologizing." i whisper.

"what does this mean for us?" i could see the worry in his eyes.

"i don't know yet, time will tell." i say.

"yeah, i— uh, i understand."

"ok." it went silent so after a couple of seconds i walked from the cell.

"what'd he say?" carol asks as i approach the table.

"he apologized, i forgave him." i sat down next to her.

"that's great!"

"i guess." i shrug a little.

"what's wrong?"

"i don't know. the day he left, the conversation we had keeps running through my mind."

you don't need me, you want me.

"he told me i didn't need him, i wanted him. but i really did need him then carol. the events that happened in woodbury will forever be there, i will never forget that. but i think daryl leaving hurt more. i trusted him to always be there for me, he said he would always be their for me, and when i really needed him, he walked away." carol frowns and stays silent.

"i'm gonna go talk to rick real quick, ok?" i walk away from her, going to find my brother. walking outside, i see him and carl patrolling the fence that was covered with wooden palettes.

"what's up?" he turns to me when i stand next to him.

"i overheard you saying something to glenn about going on a run tomorrow. a run to home."

"yeah i was thinking about it." he nodded his head a little.

"i'm going with."

"no—"

"c'mon rick. you really expect me to sit here and let you go home, without me? that's bull and you know it."

"i don't know, the last time you went on a run. i mean look what happened."

"that only happened because merle." i scoff. "i want to see home. i want to see dejas." i look down. the day we left it all happened so quickly, i never got a chance to stop and see deja. i don't know if she's alive or not, but hopefully seeing her house will give me some closure.

"m'kay. you can go."

"really!" i slap a hand over my mouth as i speak to loudly. the walkers gurgle and slam against the fence. but after a couple of minutes of silence they stop and go away.

"sorry, but thank you. you're the best." i pull him into a tight hug.

guess who's coming into the story soon!

the reason rory hasn't said much about missing deja and jaden is because she's like me and don't like talking about her feelings much- so...🤠👍🏻

i was thinking about having them be with the governor, then i decided against it. because i didn't want them to be tied up with him.