Solitary: The Walking Dead

Chapter 102.

Work alongside him.

"Are you hurt?" Rick asks, looking down at Iris sitting on the infirmary bed, "Im fine" Iris says, her cheek now dried from tears as she looks around at the others, "what happened?" Rosita asks, biting her lip anxiously as she looks down at Iris. "they took me to their community" Iris says, looking down at her hands and nervously picking at the skin around her nails, Rick watches his friend closely, noticing there's more that she can't say in front of everyone.

"Can you guys give us a minute?" Rick asks, looking at the others, Carl looks at his dad watching him signal him to follow the others, the boy reluctantly follows the others out of the house. "What did he do?" Rick questions, pulling a chair and sitting in front of Iris, "Negan showed me things they have, their people, their supplies... he told me i could join him. Work alongside him" Iris explains, not lifting her eyes up to her friend, "why would he think you would do that?" Rick asks.

"I asked him why he won't kill me. He said that i'm special. He told me that if he killed me, someone he loves would never forgive him... Rick..." Iris says, finally finding the mans eyes, Rick waits nervously to hear what she is about to tell him, "he has my sister... Juniper is living with him" Iris says, too exhausted to cry anymore.

"What?" Rick asks, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion, "he said that i can live with her if i join him" Iris says, Rick just stares at her, unsure what to say, "he said that his men will be back soon to take me back to give him my answer" she adds, looking back down at her hands and picking at the skin again, "i dont know what to do. I need to protect Juniper. Maybe if i join him I can get him to let Daryl go. Maybe i can stop him from using you" Iris explains, slowly spiralling.

"Hey" Rick says softly, leaning forward and holding onto her hands, "we will get her out. We will get Daryl. Everything will be okay" he says, tears filling his eyes, "you can't say that" Iris says "i can. You know why? Cause we're gonna do it together" Rick says.

.......

After sitting together in silence, Rick leaves to check on everything, Iris gets up and walks outside, pulling out a stray cigarette from her back pocket, she pats down all of her pockets she realises her lighter is no longer in her pockets, "hey" Carl greets, "hey kid" Iris says, letting out a defeated sigh as she sits on the porch steps.

Carl sits down next to her holding his hand out in front of her, the lighter laying in his palm, "i found it when they took you" Carl explains, "keep it" Iris says, "really?" the boy asks, "yeah. I'll find a new one" Iris says, looking out at the stars, Carl watches Iris as her mind drifts off, her eyes glued to the stars. Rick slows down when he notices the two, Carl looks over to his dad, both of them understanding the other's concern.

"I'm gonna get some sleep, you should get to bed too kid" Iris says, standing and looking down at the boy, "i will" Carl says, watching as Iris walks to the house, not looking at Rick as she makes her way past him. Iris locks the door to her room behind her and throws her body on top of the bed, she stares up at the ceiling, the woman lays there numb and exhausted, with only one thing on her mind.

Maybe she should take Negan's offer. Maybe she can stop all of this by working with him.

Maybe she can get Negan to let Daryl go.

Maybe she can stop Negan from killing any more of her family.

Iris sits up and walks out of the house and sits on the porch steps, she sits there with her eyes glued to the floor as she thinks, Rick and Aaron walk past her on their way to the gates, Michonne walks past her not long after, and Iris still doesn't move or say anything. When Carl walks past her she's finally brought out of her thoughts, "where are you going?" she questions, the boy stops and looks at her, "i was just gonna walk around" Carl says, "you got your weapon?" Iris asks.

"Yeah" the boy says before walking away from her, Iris watches him walk away and gets up and follows him, staying back so he doesn't notice. She follows the boy as he drives, hiding in the bushes when he crashes into a walker to help Enid, she follows the teens through the night, staying hidden in the trees.

She watches as they change their shoes for roller skates, she looks at Carl's face as he skates with a wide smile on his face, she stops for a minute and watches the two enjoy themselves, it's the first time in a while she's seen a smile so bright on the boy's face. Looking around she notices the familiar surroundings that lead to Hilltop, they're going to see Maggie and Sasha.