Here We'll Remain>>C.G

Part 9

Thea's PoV

      The next day Carl and I were together. We sat on the dock, or we took long walks together. We were actually currently on a walk now. We were strolling past Ron's house when we heard yelling coming from inside. 

    I pulled Carl to stop and tried to listen in to see who was yelling at who. Well, I didn't have to wonder long. Two bodies came crashing through the large front window. Carl and I had to jump in different directions to avoid getting hit by them and the glass. 

    I stood up slowly to find Rick on top of Pete, beating him to a pulp. Both of them were getting good hits in, but Rick was clearly winning. With their loud yelling and the commotion of the window breaking, a large crowd had started to gather. They all formed a circle around the fighting men. Pete rolled Rick over and began punching him. Jessie stepped forward and tried to grab her husband. Pete didn't hesitate to throw back his arm and punch her in the face. 

     People all around gasped. Jessie stood with tears in her eyes as Rick gained control again. I looked around and saw Carl approach his dad, trying to pull him off of Pete. Rick wasn't having it and harshly pushed him away.

    I ran forward and pulled Carl back. I didn't want him caught in the crossfire while trying to control this situation.  Rick pulled Pete into a choke hold and looked around at all of us as he slowly suffocated him. 

"Stop. Stop it, right now," Deanna demanded, out of breath as she finally showed up. 

"Talk to me again, and I'll kill you," Rick threatened the defeated Pete.

"Damn it, Rick! I said stop," Deanna warned. 

"Or what?" he started and pulled out a gun on the approaching Tobin, Nicholas, and Glenn. "You going to kick me out?" he asked, waving the gun around. 

"Put the gun down, Rick," Deanna pleaded cautiously. Rick shook his head, taking in deep breaths. I grabbed Carl's hand, looking at Rick's blood covered face and his actions were frightening. 

"You still don't get it. None of you do! We know what needs to be done, and we do it. We're the ones that live. You! You just sit, and plan, and hesitate. You pretend like you know, but you don't. We wish things weren't what they are. We want to live. You want this place to stay standing? Your way of doing thing is done! Things don't get better because you want them to. Starting right now, we have to live in the real world. We have to control who lives here," Rick ranted.

    Even in his current state, he was right. Someone was finally saying what needed to be said. Although, he could have said it under better circumstances. Not while kneeling over the body of an unconscious man that he just beat up. 

"That's never been more clear to me than it is right now," Deanna said in a monotone voice, staring directly at Rick.  He looked dumbfounded.

"Me? Me? You..." he pointed to himself with both hands and let out a small chuckle. "You mean me? Your ways are going to destroy this place. It's going to get people killed. It's already gotten people killed. I'm not going to stand by and just let it happen. If you don't fight, you die. I'm not going to stand by and..." he was cut off by Michonne coming out of nowhere and knocking him out cold. 

     I stood there with wide eyes. Michonne stood over him, breathing heavily and scanning the crowd. Almost as if she was waiting for someone to say something. When no one did, a group of people came forward to take Pete to the infirmary and Rick to a vacant house. Where he was going to stay until Deanna talked to him or just plain kicked him out.