crooked heart → the walking dead ⁵

[ 024 ] heaven knows we tried.

CROOKED HEART.

chapter twenty-four, heaven knows we tried.
[ season ten, episode four ]

ALPHA'S ELDEST WAS BORN with a gentle heart.

Mara has her father's heart, not her mother's. Anyone can tell that. One look at the girl and you can tell she doesn't take after Alpha. Alpha is a monster, a murderer. Mara is a girl who simply wants the best for her baby sister.

But there is still an anger in her bones, just like with everyone else in the world. Whenever she is she is reminded of where she and her sister come from, when someone tries to put the blame onto her sister for what happened. She sees red.

She did not cut off the heads of the Prince. She did not cut off the heads of the Hilltop's children or the Highwaymen or the mother. She did not cut of the heads of Tara Chamber and Enid Rhee. And she never would have touched a hair on Flynn Grimes's head.

It was their mother.

And yet. . .

She and Lydia walk side-by-side down one of Alexandria's streets. The youngest holds a basket of apples, her staff slung over her shoulder. Mara holds another basket of apples. But they both come to a stop when they reach the group of people Aaron teaches. Jax sits on a bale of hat, his eyes watching the group as they train.

"You're dead," Aaron says. "Your eyes were on the ground. Track from head to hands always. Lose focus and you will get killed."

Mara's eyes flicker to Gage, who's been sent to Alexandria instead of back home to the Hilltop. Odessa refused to let him back after she heard him make a comment about Flynn. She reminded him that his friends were on those pikes as well and told him to get the hell out of her gates or she would kill him, she doesn't care if he's only a dumb teenager. Gage nudges the man standing beside him.

"These people killed our friends. They took our land. They must be stopped. Again," Aaron continues.

"Hey, Alpha's kids!" Gage calls out. Mara, who's attention remains on the boy, grows tense. Lydia's eyes move to him. They both watch as he pulls a potato sack over his head. Three holes are cut out for the eyes and mouth. "You two think Mommy will take us in?"

"Oh, right. No. She kicked your asses out. Now you're both just freaks."

"Now get the hell outta here." Margo snarls.

Jax's eyes narrow. He slowly gets up from his seat. He rolls his neck, reaching for his staff. When he reaches them, he grabs the sack and rips it clean off Gage's face. He makes a sound of surprise at the suddenness.

"If you don't remember, we all lost someone that day. Even them." Jax mumbles to them lowly. "Now, get over yourself."

"Fuck you, man." Gage snarls.

Jax raises his eyebrows. "Okay."

Not a second later, Gage's legs are swept out from under him. He crashes to the ground, smooth on his back. He grunts at the pain. Jax glares down at him. "I don't play snarky that shit, kid."

"She'd kill you." Mara says blankly. "All three of you. Without so much as batting an eye."

Margo's eyes narrow, she takes a step forward. "Was that a threat?"