𝑩𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒔 | ᵀᵂᴰ

29: In Her Eyes

We pulled up to our scheduled meeting with the governor. Hershel and I stayed behind as lookouts. He stayed in the car, and I stayed on Daryl's bike.

Rick and Daryl went to go find the governor. The quiet was nice but seemed suspicious. It felt comforting to have my arrows and bow on my back.

Hershel whistled and motioned for me to follow him. I started up Daryl's bike and went down the road with Hershel. We sat Daryl and stopped.

"He's already in there." Daryl said. "Sat down with Rick." We took a look around.

"I don't see any cars." Hershel said. "It don't feel right." Daryl said. "Keep it runnin'." A car approached. "Heads up." Daryl said, smacking the hood of the car. I grabbed my bow and an arrow as I climbed off the bike.

Two men and Andrea climbed out of the car. "What the hell? Why's yer boy already in there?" Daryl asked, aiming his crossbow at the driver's head.

"He's here?" Andrea asked. "Yup." Daryl responded. She sighed and walked inside to Rick and the Governor. We stood outside in silence. "Maybe I should go inside." Hershel said.

"The Governor thought it best if he and Rick spoke privately." The man in glasses said.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked. "Milton Mamet." He answered. "Ay, qué chévere. Brought his butler." Oh, how cool. The driver chuckled. "I'm his advisor."

"What kind of advice?" Daryl asked. "Planning. Biters. Uh, you know, I'm sorry. I don't feel like I need to explain myself to the henchmen." "Ya better watch yer mouth, sunshine." Daryl said.

"Look, if you and I are gonna be out here pointing guns at each other all day. Do me a favor, shut your mouth." The driver said. Daryl walked over to him and got in his face.

"We don't need this. If all goes south in there, we'll be at each other's throats soon enough." Hershel said. Daryl backed up.

Andrea came out a few minutes later. She seemed frustrated as she sat down. The driver walked to the door and closed it.

➳

I rested my back against the car and looked up at the roof of the building. "There's no reason not to use this time we have together to explore the issues ourselves." Milton said.

"Boss said to sit tight and shut up." The driver said. "Don't ya mean the Governor?" Daryl asked. "It's a good thing they're sitting down, especially after what happened." Milton said. "They're gonna work it out. Nobody wants another battle."

"I wouldn't exactly call it a battle." I said. "I would call it a battle, and I did." He held up a small cardboard looking notebook. "I recorded it." "For what?" "Somebody's got to keep a record for what we've gone through. It'll be a part of our history."

"That makes sense." Hershel said. "I've got dozens of interviews-" Milton walked over to Hershel, extending the notebook when the sound of walkers filled the distance.

Daryl, Andrea, and the driver followed the noise. Only Andrea came back, and I got worried. "Are they..." Milton trailed off, and Andrea shook her head. Milton nodded, and I sighed of relief.

Hershel went to sit down, and Milton followed him with the notebook. Andrea sat down and leaned back against the building.

I laughed quietly to myself. "What is it?" Andrea asked. "You both share the same look in your eyes when you're annoyed. You and Amy." I said. Andrea smiled and lowered her head.

"She saw you for who you really were, Isabela. She never bought that quiet, mean persona you'd put on." Andrea said, looking up at me. I smiled, letting another quiet laugh leave my lips.

"She always thought you were kind and daring-" Andrea paused with a small smile falling across her lips. "And cute." My smile slowly faded, and I pushed myself off the car and paced back and forth for a moment.

I punched the metal column. Pain shot through my hand from my wrist. I shook it off as the blood bubbled up and trickled down my hand.

"Why you gotta tell me something like that, Andrea?" I asked, fighting back tears as I kept my back turned to her. "You liked her too?" Andrea asked. "I didn't like her..." I said, turning around and walking back to the car. "I loved her."

I pushed my lips together as I looked away from Andrea. I walked down the road, but not too far.

I mainly paced back and forth, letting the blood from my hand make a trail on the ground and stain the side of my pants.

➳

Daryl and the driver came back, and I walked back over after collecting myself.

The door opened, and out walked the governor. Rick followed shortly after. They got into their car as Rick and Hershel got into theirs. Daryl got onto his bike, and I got onto the back of it. We rode back to the prison.

"Let's get inside." Rick said after he got out of the car.

As we all filed into the cellblock quietly, Rick walked over to his cell and grabbed his gun. "So, I met this, Governor. Sat with him for quite a while."

"Just the two of ya?" Merle asked. "Yeah." Rick replied. Merle muttered something to Glenn. "He wants the prison. He wants us gone. Dead. He wants us dead for what we did to Woodbury." Rick said. "We're going to war." Rick stood there for a moment before walking out of the cellblock.