Ellie Dixon

Applesauce is a Bitch

Mum, Maggie and dad searched the man again before beginning to tie his hands up. I was standing close to Michonne so I heard her conversation with Rick. "So, we're clear. That look wasn't a "let's attack that man" look it was a "he seems like an okay guy" look." Michonne told Rick, they must've exchanged glances before Rick punched him across the face.

"We gotta secure him. Dump his pack. Let's see what this guy really is." Rick said to Carl, completley ignoring Michonne.

"Rick-" Michonne started.

"Everybody else, we need eyes in every direction. They're coming for us. We might not know how or when, but they are." Rick announced.

"Me and Sasha, we didn't see him. If he had wanted to hurt us, he could've." Maggie told us.

Rick ignored Maggie. "Anybody see anything?"

"Just a lot of places to hide." Sophia responded, looking out a window.

"All right, keep looking." Rick continued.

Aaron began to come back to consciousness. "That's a hell of a right cross there, Rick."

"Sit him up." Rick ordered.

"I think it's better if-" Maggie started.

"It's okay." Aaron interrupted.

"He's fine. Sit him up." Rick indicated to a beam he could lean against.

Aaron nodded. "You're being cautious. I completely understand."

"How many of your people are out there?" Rick asked. "You have a flare gun, you have it to signal your people. How many of them are there?" Rick showed the orange flare gun that Carl must've found in the bag.

"Does it matter?" Aaron questioned.

"Yes." Rick answered, instantly. "Yes, it does."

"I mean... Of course, it matters how many people are actually out there, but does it matter how many people I tell you are out there? Because I'm pretty sure no matter what number I say... Eight, thirty two, four hundred and forty four, zero... No matter what I say, you're not going to trust me." Aaron explained.

"It's hard to trust anyone who smiles after getting punched in the face." Rick reasoned with him.

"How about a guy who leaves bottles of water for you in the middle of the road?" Aaron asked.

"How long you people been following us?" Dad questioned.

"Long enough to see that you practically ignore a pack of roamers on your tail. Long enough to see that despite a lack of food and water, when one of you fainted you came together to help her, you never turned on each other... Even when the little one-"

"Only I can call her little one, so watch your mouth." Abraham crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sorry... Even when she held a gun to the one with the mullet. It wasn't loaded." Aaron informed us.

"You weren't meant to tell them it wasn't loaded." I rolled my eyes.

"You didn't hold a loaded gun at me?" Eugene questioned.

"I was never gonna shoot you, not Eugenius. I still don't like you but ain't gonna murder you." I told him.

"You're survivors." Aaron continued. "And you're people. Like I said, and I hope you won't punch me again for saying it again, that is the most important resource in the world."

Rick stepped forward. "How many others are out there?"

"One." Aaron answered. No thinking about it, no avoiding eye contact, no tell tale sign of lying. "I knew you wouldn't believe me. If it's not words, if it's not pictures, what would it take to convince you that this is for real?... What if I drove you to the community? All of you? We leave now, we'll get there by lunch."