CONSTELLATION || GLENN RHEE [TWD]

[27]: GASOLINE

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN;
[ GASOLINE ]
[CONSTELLATION || GLENN RHEE]

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[Present Time:]

Things were becoming more complicated with each passing second, the past sheriff had to admit.

Rick wanted to trade Michonne in for Athena, but no matter how much he cared for the woman, trading in one of their own for another was not them. He had kept the secret of the trade to himself, but now, knowing what he had to do, he had to tell the group. And fast.

He walked outside, gaze meeting the sight of the entire prison group sitting or standing in one area. Their faces were stricken with curiosity—curiosity to find out what the purpose was for calling such a meeting on a short amount of time. He cleared his throat, nodding at Hershel, before he began.

"When I met with the Governor," Rick started, hands fidgeting with a loose string on his pants, avoiding the gazes of the other's piercing stares, "He offered me a deal. He said—he said he would leave us alone if I gave him Michonne. And I was gonna do that, to keep us safe."

"But I changed my mind—but now Merle took Michonne to fulfill the deal and Daryl went to stop him, and I don't know if it's too late. I was wrong not to tell you, and I'm sorry for that." Rick paused, taking in a deep breath. "I made a foolish decision, to trade in one of our own. I did it selfishly, I did it because—"

"Because the Governor has Athena."

Glenn's eyes snapped to Rick's, "What? He has Athena?" His voice cracked, laced with pure shock and disbelief. "She's been over there this entire time?"

Beth pressed her fingers to her temple as Maggie shot the man an awe stricken look, "And you didn't tell us?" The woman was practically fuming, "You didn't tell us he had her? Rick—"

"I know," the man shot back, "It was wrong of me. She was part of the deal. We give him Michonne, we get her in return and guaranteed safety."

Rick took a deep breath.

"What I said last year, that night, after the farm. It can't be like that. It can't. What we do, what we're willing to do, who we are, it's not my call. It can't be. I couldn't sacrifice one of us for the greater good and another one of our own because—because we are the greater good. Not me. This is life and death. How you live and how you die isn't up to me. I'm not your Governor. We choose to go, we choose to stay. We stick together. We vote. We can fight for our home and to get Athena back, or we can go and trade Michonne for her. It's your call."