After the Storm [1]

13 • Dale

If Maevys could have gone back and done things differently, she would have. She could've listened longer, of spoken up for his side. She wanted to thank him for being the voice of reason in their messy world. For caring about her. She wanted to praise him for his values, to pick on him for his quirks. There was a million more conversations that they'd never get to have. She was too late.

...

The group convened around the RV that morning, waiting for Rick to announce his decision on Randall. Maevys spotted Lori making some suggestive faces at her from across the group, the woman's eyes lookimg pointedly at Daryl and back to Maevys to pick on her silently. Maevys widened her eyes and made a "cut it out" gesture at her, fighting the smile on her face.

"So I've had some time to think on it after Daryl's interrogation yesterday," Rick says, everyone's eyes shifting to the man at Maevys's side.

"Group of 30 men, packing heavy artillery. They roll through here, our boys dead and our women, they're gonna wish they were," Daryl tells them, Maevys shuddering at his words. She'd run into guys like this before, when she was alone on the road. Without the structure of society the animalistic side of people was brought to the light. Shane was a prime example.

"What did you do?" Carol asks, eyeing the marks on Daryl's knuckles.

Daryl looked down at his hand and back to Carol, "had a little chat."

"Rick," Lori says, fear clear on her face. "What are you gonna do?"

"We have no choice. He's a threat. We have to eliminate the threat," Rick says, casting his eyes to the ground in shame. Maeve knew her brother would never have made this decision if he felt there was any other way. But they were all scared, he had to make people feel safe again.

"You're just gonna kill him?!" Dale exclaims, eyes wide with shock.

"It's settled," Rick says. "I'll do it today."

With that her brother turned around and stalked off, a hard expression on his face. Dale immediately chased after him, determined to change his mind. Maevys herself was having a hard time deciding how she felt about Randall's fate. On one hand, there wasn't a reality where she wanted his group to find them. But on the other, killing a person out of fear... is that what they'd been reduced to? Man slaughter because of a "what if?".

Lori found her as the crowed dispersed, walking with Maevys toward the pond while Carl wandered off after Shane.

"I saw you and Daryl leaving the same tent this morning," Lori wiggles her eye brows, a shit-eating grin on her face.

"You snoop, how can you even see that far?" Maeve laughs surprised, her face hot.

"Okay yeah, I was snooping. But I want details! Are you guys..." Lori made a goofy face, making Maevys blush harder.