Just Another Dead Girl | TWD (season 1)

𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧

𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝗼𝐟𝐟
𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑛𝑒,
𝑇𝑤 - ᵛⁱᵒˡᵉⁿᶜᵉ,ᵍᵒʳᵉ ᵈᵉᵗᵃⁱˡˢ. ᵐᵃᵗᵘʳᵉ ˡᵃⁿᵍᵘᵃᵍᵉ.

(Yes I know I included some of Lori story from season 2 of how she found out Rick was shot to make the story more realistic don't come after me)

𝐼𝑆𝐴𝐵𝐸𝐿𝐿𝐸 𝑃𝑂𝑉:

Isabelle climbed high into the branches of an old tree, laughing as she moved.

Below, Carl was swinging back and forth, his sneakers kicking at the air, while Valerie clapped her hands, cheering her on.

"Wow, you're so high!" Carl said, grinning up at her.

"Do a trick!" Valerie encouraged, bouncing excitedly.

From her perch, Isabelle could see Lori standing at the edge of the park, deep in conversation with another woman.

The breeze carried their voices just enough for Isabelle to catch bits and pieces.

"I know that look," the woman said gently. "Then you get really quiet. So, are you gonna tell me?"

Lori shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting toward Carl before she answered.

"We had a fight this morning. It got ugly. Hurtful," she admitted, voice low.

The woman shook her head with sympathy. "I'm sorry, hon. Men can be jerks."

Lori looked down, guilt flashing across her face, then back at Carl and Valerie.

"The thing is," Lori whispered, "if we're being honest... he wasn't an asshole."

𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑆𝐸𝐴𝑆𝑂𝑁 𝑃𝑂𝑉:

The woman sighed.
"Ah, got ya."

Lori nodded, frustration etched on her face.
"He was trying so hard to be reasonable. It just pushed my buttons all the more. God, I sometimes wish he would just have it out with me — blow up, tell me I'm being a bitch, if that's what I'm being. Instead, he's just so..."

The woman replied gently,
"Don't beat yourself up."

Lori gave a sharp little laugh.
"No? You can't tell me that being pissed at your husband because he doesn't yell at you is even close to being rational."

From up in the tree, Isabelle — who had been hanging upside down by her knees — called out,
"It isn't. Hey, I'm just saying — Rick's a nice guy!"

Lori whipped around, panic flashing across her face.
"Get down from there! Iz, you're gonna hurt yourself! Now!"

Isabelle rolled her eyes but listened, carefully flipping down and dropping to the ground with a thud.

She didn't like Lori much most days... but if she was being honest, Lori was the closest thing she had ever had to a real woman figure in her life.

The woman chuckled and chimed in,
"That's one problem I don't have with Tom."

Lori glanced back at her.
"But you still love him," she said, almost like she needed to hear it.

The woman shrugged.
"Sure, I do. Might as well. We're lifers."

Lori smiled weakly.
"I admire your pragmatism."

The woman tilted her head.
"You still love Rick?"

Lori hesitated — a long beat — then dodged the question.
"I've been asking myself that a lot. And I think... the answer's yes. It's just..."

She trailed off, choosing her words carefully.
"I'm trying to remember how that works. Maybe the only real problem we have is that we got married so young. It's—"