rag doll | TWD

[10] better angels

tw: heavy mentions of SA*

edge of seventeen --- stevie nicks

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[POV]

The group stood under the same tree they held Sophia's, Annette's, Shawn's and Otis' funeral underneath. They were tiring of the amount of funerals they had already had to have. Especially the ones who'd been a part of the group since they left Atlanta- ones who knew Dale the longest.

"Dale could get under your skin. He sure got under mine, because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought, how he felt." Rick spoke solemnly. "That kind of honesty is rare and brave. Whenever I'd make a decision, I'd look at Dale, he'd be lookin' back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could always read us."

JJ noticed the tears rolling down Carl's cheek, and put her arm around his shoulder, pulling him into a side hug. 

"He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us, the truth, who we really are. In the end, he was talking about losing our humanity. He said this group was broken." Rick looked down to the freshest pile of dirt, "The best way to honor him is to unbreak it, set aside our differences and pull together, stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives, our safety, our future. We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on, we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale."

After the funeral, the Greene family and the group conversed, talked of moving everyone into the house. 

"Gonna be tight, 14 people in one house." Rick stated. 

"Don't worry about that." Hershel told him, "with the swamp hardening, the creek drying up..."

Maggie interrupted, "with 50 head of cattle on the property, we might as well be ringing a damn dinner bell."

"She's right," Hershel nodded. "We should've moved you in a while ago."

"Alright, let's move the vehicles near each of the doors facing out toward the road. We'll build a lookout in the windmill, another in the barn loft. That should give us sightlines both sides of the property. T-Dog, you take the perimeter around the house, keep track of everyone coming and going."

"What about standing guard?" He asked Rick.

"I need you and Daryl on double-duty."

Hershel carried a box of supplies around the truck, "I'll stock the basement with food and water, enough that we can all survive there a few days if need be."

Andrea joined in, "what about patrols?"

"Let's get this area locked down first. After that, Shane'll assign shifts while Daryl and I take Randall offsite and cut him loose."

JJ paused, a box weighing in her hands, and listened more intently to the conversation.

"We're back to that now?" Shane asked. 

"It was the right plan first time around. Poor execution."

"That's a slight understatement." Shane smarted, leaning against the truck.

Rick took a step toward him, "you don't agree, but this is what's happening. Swallow it. Move on."

"You know, Dale's death and the prisoner- that's two separate things, right? You wanna take Daryl as your wingman, be my guest."

"Thank you." Rick marched off. 

As she walked back to the house with the others, JJ thought about what Daryl had said- if she just fessed up to Rick, all of this could be over. The decision would be made.