Too Far Gone // D. Dixon

chapter twenty-three

Deanna had called a meeting later that same night, to discuss what had happened with Rick the day before. Everyone was gathered around a small campfire.

"We're going to talk about what happened," Deanna started, "Not the fight. Not what precipitated it. We're dealing with that. We're going to talk about one of our constables, Rick Grimes."

Maren gulped from her spot beside Daryl, fearing what would follow. Would they kick them all out? Maren couldn't let that happen. Now that she was somewhere safe, being out on the road wasn't an option anymore. That life had been hard enough on her before, she didn't want to go through any of that again.

"We're going to talk about how he had a pistol he stole from the armory, about how he pointed it at people and we're going to talk about what he said. I was hoping he'd be here." Deanna spoke.

"He's coming," Maren said, her voice agitated, "He said he'd be here and he will. That's the type of man he is."

"You need to understand something," Michonne spoke to the group, "After being out there and then not being how you were out there...it can drive you crazy. Rick just wants his family to live. He wants all of you to live. Who he is, is who you're going to be...if you're lucky."

"Rick Grimes saved my life over and over," Carol stated, looking at everyone, "There's terrifying people out there...and he rescued me from them. People like me, people like us need people like him. I know what happened last night was scary, and I'm sure he's sorry for that. But maybe we should listen to what he was saying."

"Simply put...there is a vast ocean of shit that you people don't know shit about. Rick knows every fine grain of said shit and then some." Abraham spoke, as serious as can be.

Maggie stepped forward, "My father respected Rick Grimes. Rick is a father, too. He's a man with a good heart who feels the things he does, the things he has to do. And all of us who were together before this place, no matter when we found each other, we're family now. Rick started that and you won't stop it. You can't and you don't want to. This community, you people, that family...you want to be a part of it too."

Maren knew she had to speak, if not for herself then for the family that she'd been brought into, "Rick has always fought to protect his family, blood related or not. It didn't matter who it was, what it was about, where we were, or how it all came to be...he found a way to keep us all alive. You all have no fucking idea what it is to be out there alone. This world, it's not the way it was before. The bad people, they're the ones who survived, they're the ones you should be scared of. But Rick? He's one of the good ones. He saved me, took me in...he sure as shit didn't have to, but he did. Sure, he might have made some bad decisions somewhere along the way but who can always make the perfect choices every time shit goes sideways? Especially when the shit doesn't stop coming. My point is, kicking Rick out won't save any of you. Getting rid of him will only put you in more danger...If Rick goes, we all go."

"Before we hear from anyone else, I would like to share something in the spirit of transparency," Deanna crossed her arms, "Father Gabriel came to see me day before yesterday and he said our new arivals can't be trusted...that they were dangerous, that they would put themselves before this community. And not one day later, Rick seemed to demonstrate all the things Father Gabriel said."

"I don't see him here, Deanna..." Jessie said, looking around searching for the man of faith, "So you're just saying what someone said. Did you tape him?"

"He's not here." Maggie said, backing up Jessie.

"Neither is Rick." Deanna retorted, looking between the two women.

"Really?" Maren laughed, pointing over Deanna's shoulder, "I think you should look behind you."

Turning around revealed a very bloodied Rick, carrying a walker over his shoulder. He grunted as he placed the deceased walker on the ground in front of everyone.

"There wasn't a guard on the gate, it was open." Rick stated, looking around at everyone as he was frustratingly angry. That walker could have killed his family. Maren panicked, wondering if there had been a more extensive breach. If there was one, there could be more.

"I asked Gabriel to close it..." Spencer said to Deanna, watching as she looked at him furiously. She ordered him to go, sending him away from all of the chaos.

"I didn't bring it in, it got inside on its own. They always will..." Rick talked to everyone, "The dead and the living, because we're in here. And the ones out there...they'll hunt us, they'll find us, they'll try to use us and try to kill us. But we'll kill them. We'll survive, I'll show you how. I was thinking...how many do I have to kill to save your life? But I'm not gonna do that. You're gonna change."

There was a moment of silence after that, before Rick spoke directly to Deanna, "I'm not sorry for what I said last night. I'm sorry for not saying it sooner. You're not ready, but you have to be. Right now, you have to be. Luck runs out."

Footsteps sound near the group, making them all turn to Pete, "You're not one of us...you're not one of us!" He had a machete in his hand, Rick noticed that first thing.

"Pete, you don't want to do this-" Reg, Deanna's husband warns him.

"Get the hell away from me, Reg." Pete argues, pushing the man away.

"Pete, just stop-" Pete pushes himself and his sword into Reg's neck, effectively slicing it open. Blood started pooling out, as Deanna caught her husband falling. The group screamed, shocked that Pete had actually killed him. Deanna sobbed, as Reg struggled to breathe his last few breaths. Everyone watched, fear-stricken.

Deanna looked at Rick, still crying, "Rick...do it."

Without any second of hesitation, Rick pulls his gun and shoots Pete.