Irresistible Danger

An Enlightening Conversation

You were completely unsure what to think about your finding with Operation Dwight. After realizing that he was with Trixie, you had quickly scrambled out of the shower room before either of them could notice that they weren't alone. Your brain seemed to black out during the entire trip back across the compound; when you finally came back to your senses, you were standing in shock in the middle of your bedroom with Ricardo still clenched tightly in your hand.

There were so many thoughts racing around your head as you set Ricardo up against the wall, kicked off your shoes and socks, and climbed into bed. Why was Trixie sleeping with Dwight? Wasn't she trying to get in Negan's pants instead? Did she actually like Dwight or was this some sort of attempt to gain more power in the compound? And most importantly, how old was Trixie???

She appeared to be above 18, but you weren't totally certain. Even though you knew some rules were a little more grey and fuzzy since the apocalypse, you still hoped that Trixie was a legal adult, because that was one moralistic rule that you weren't willing to budge on.

Then another thought hit you. What the fuck were you gonna tell Negan?!

Should you tell him the truth about Dwight and Trixie? Would he be pissed? Or perhaps he would be relieved that Dwight wasn't staging a coup and was instead sneaking around just for sex.

After hours of tossing from side to side and causing the grey sheet to twist around your legs so tight that movement was almost impossible, you finally gave up trying to sleep. Sighing, you kicked off the sheet and put shoes back on. You planned to go outside for a walk around the compound in hopes that some fresh air would relax your thoughts. A glance at the clock in the hallway showed it was almost 3am, which meant that no one should be stirring for at least another two hours. There were sure to be a couple men outside on duty watching the perimeter, but you knew that they wouldn't bother you so long as you stayed within the fences. Belatedly, you wondered if Dwight was supposed to be one of the men currently patrolling, or if he had waited until after his shift was over to sneak off with Trixie.

Stepping outside, you sighed in relief as the cool air brushed your face. There were no manmade lights so as not to draw walkers or other potential enemies, but thankfully it was a cloudless night. The moon and stars created just enough of a glow for you to make out where you were going. Instead of being eerie, the sharp edges and dark shadows of the compound appeared comforting, as if you were in a bubble where time was suspended. The chirping and buzzing from bugs in the woods outside the fence created a soothing background noise as you walked across the asphalt towards the picnic table that you assumed would be empty at this time of night.

Of course, luck wasn't to be on your side. As you drew near to the picnic table mostly shrouded in shadow, you realized too late that someone was already sitting at it. About to turn right back around and walk away, you heard a familiar voice call your name in greeting.

"Maria?" you asked, finally walking close enough to recognize the woman sitting at the table. While part of you was beyond surprised to see her sitting out here in the middle of the night, another part of you thought, oh, of course. This would be my luck.

Deciding it would be rude to leave, you walked up and sat down at the table across from her. Perhaps this is karma's way of not letting you avoid a conversation with her any longer.

You had to admit, if karma was trying to distract you from Dwight and Trixie, it had picked a fantastic way to do so.

Maria's face was mostly shrouded in shadow, although her eyes twinkled even in the dim moonlight. Perhaps this was actually a good setting for a conversation since your own face was probably mostly in shadows as well. Lying and not giving away any unwanted nonverbals will be so much easier in this lighting.