Unbreakable threads

Chapter One hundred and Seven: Actions have Consequences.

Rick and Alyssa slowly came to, the world around them coming into focus. Alyssa winced as she touched her face, feeling the bandages that covered her cuts, her hands wrapped up, the dull ache from the blow to her head.

Rick was in much the same state, groggy and disoriented. As they blinked at each other, the fog lifted just enough for Alyssa to realize they were in one of the empty houses.

The sound of a laugh broke the silence. Michonne's figure emerged from the shadows, leaning against the doorframe. The laugh wasn't light, but it wasn't entirely filled with anger either. It had a certain weight to it, as if she knew what had happened but was trying to make light of it.

"What are you two doing?" she asked, her voice steady, but there was an edge to it. "We had to put Pete in another house... "

Alyssa's head pounded, the ache threatening to cloud her focus, but the fire inside her refused to die down.

"We did what needed to be done. We did what we had to do," she said through gritted teeth, her lip swollen and bloodied from the blow.

Michonne opened her mouth to respond, but the arrival of Carol, Glenn, and Abraham cut her off. They walked in, their expressions a mix of concern and unreadable judgment. Carol's eyes softened when she saw Alyssa, a look of sympathy crossing her face. She had seen this side of Alyssa before—knew the fierceness that burned in her, the relentless drive that sometimes led her too far.

Abraham was less concerned with the emotional side of things. His gaze shifted to Alyssa, and with a smirk, he gave her a slight nod. "You got balls almost as big as mine, kid," he said, his tone rough but oddly approving.

Glenn's voice cut through the heavy silence, drawing everyone's attention. "Deanna is holding a meeting tonight. Maggie is with Deanna right now. She's gonna find out what it's about," he said, his tone matter-of-fact.

Carol's gaze shifted to Rick and Alyssa, her expression stern but tinged with something softer. She didn't wait for them to speak before laying out the plan.

"At this meeting, you say you were worried about someone being abused, and no one was doing anything about it. You say you took a gun just to be sure Jessie was safe from a man who ended up attacking you both. You say you'll do whatever you want them to. Just tell them a story they want to hear," she said calmly, almost resigned. "It's what I've been doing since I got here."

Abraham looked between Alyssa and Rick, his face serious as he turned to Carol. "What happens after all the nice words and they still try to kick Alyssa and Rick out?" he asked.

Glenn, standing nearby, nodded grimly. "They are even guarding the armoury now," he added, his voice tinged with frustration.

Rick stepped forward, his face set with determination. "Tonight at the meeting, if it looks like it's going bad, I whistle. Carol grabs Deanna. I grab Spencer. Alyssa grabs Reg. Abraham and Glenn cover us, watch the crowd," he said firmly.

Michonne's voice cut through the plan, "We can talk to them!" she said, her tone filled with the belief that diplomacy could still win out.

Rick shook his head, his eyes narrowing with resolve. "Yeah, we will. But If we can't get through, we take the three of them and threaten them. They give us the armoury, it's over," he said, his voice hard as steel.

Alyssa rubbed her head, the weight of everything pressing down on her. But despite the pounding in her skull, her words were clear. "He's right. It's the only way."

Glenn looked at Alyssa and Rick, his expression a mixture of concern and disbelief. "Is this what you two wanted?" he asked, shaking his head

Rick, his hand resting on Alyssa's shoulder, looked at Glenn with a tired, knowing expression. "No. We hit our limit. We screwed up. And here we are,".