Just Keep Walking

Sixty seven

Rick didn't say anything about Ethan's murder until they were in the house, alone, just their group. He didn't want to have the conversation with Mary, with half of the Hilltop listening in, judging them.
"Mary," he asked gently, sitting her on his lap so they were facing each other, her eyes innocent and wide, "why did you shoot that man?"
"He was gonna kill you." Mary whispered.
"You shot him because you was scared he was gonna kill me?" Rick asked, confirming what she'd said.
"Yeah. I don't want you to die. Ever. He nearly killed you."
"I wouldn't.  I don't want you to do things like that, okay? I can handle myself, and if I don't, then someone else helps me.  Okay? I don't want you to kill someone for me."
"Why?"
"Because you're only little. I don't want you doing things like that. I need to protect you.  Killing people can make you very sad inside. I don't want that to happen to you."
"You do it." Mary pointed out.
"I'd sooner me be sad than you." Rick shrugged honestly, and Mary laid into his chest.
"I don't want you to be sad." She whispered.
"I won't. Don't worry, I won't."
"Okay. Good."
"Where's your bunny?"
"I lost it." Mary realised suddenly, panicking.
"I'll go find it." Glenn assured Rick and Mary, leaving the room immediately.
"Come here." Michonne said gently to Mary, and Mary went straight to her.
"What?"
"Your hair's a mess. C'mon. First impressions count. Second. Whatever impressions they are." Michonne answered, undoing Mary's plaits. She redid them quickly, and by the time she'd finished, Glenn and Jesus walked through the door, Glenn holding Mary's bunny.
"Here. You okay?" Glenn asked soothingly, stroking the back of her head as he gave her the bunny. Mary nodded, and snuggled into Michonne's chest, the bunny covering her face.
"Doctor Carson was able to patch Gregory up. He's in pain, but he'll live." Jesus explained.
"So what happens now?" Michonne asked, holding Mary even tighter.
"Things like that don't usually happen here, but, uh, it's settled."
"We heard the name Negan. A while back Daryl and Abraham had a run in with his men. Who is he?"
"Megan." Mary insisted.
"Negan." Rick corrected firmly, and Mary sighed, but went quiet.
"Negan's the head of a group of people he calls the Saviours. As soon as the walls were built, the Saviours showed up. They met with Gregory on behalf of their boss. They made a lot of demands, even more threats. And he killed one of us - Rory. He was sixteen years old. They beat him to death right in front of us. Said we needed to understand, right off the bat. Gregory's not exactly good at confrontation. He's not the leader I would've chosen, but he helped make this place what it is and the people like him."
"He made the deal." Maggie nodded.
"Half of everything. Our supplies, our crops, our livestock, it goes to the Saviours."
"And what do you get in return?" Glenn questioned, as confused as everyone else.
"They don't attack this place. They don't kill us." Jesus sighed.
"Why not just kill them?" Daryl scoffed.
"I'd kill them." Mary mumbled, and Michonne shushed her, holding her closer.
"Most of the people here don't even know how to fight, even if we had ammo."
"Well how many people does Negan have?"
Jesus sighed again. "We don't know. We've seen groups as big as twenty."
"Now hold up," Daryl questioned harshly, "so, they show up, they kill a kid, and you give them half of everything? These ducks just got a good story. The bogeyman, he ain't shit."
"Well, how do you know?"
"A month ago we took his guys out, PDQ. Left 'em in pieces and puddles." Abraham explained.
"You know we'll do it," Daryl offered suddenly, "if we go get your man back, kill Negan, take out his boys, will you hook us up? We want food, medicine,
and one of them cows."
"And my chicken." Mary piped up.
Rick shrugged nonchalantly. "Confrontation's never been something we've had trouble with."
"I'll take it to Gregory." Jesus nodded, then he left.
"Hey, I want you to take a nap, or you'll be tired and groggy and grumpy all day. You barely slept last night." Rick ordered Mary.
"I won't." Mary insisted.
"I know you will. Come on, have a rest."
Mary sighed, but closed her eyes, still laid on Michonne's chest, and after a few minutes, she finally fell asleep.
When she woke up, she was still laid on Michonne's chest, her bunny covering her face.
"Mishy?" Mary mumbled, tugging her dreadlocks softly.
"Hey, baby. You okay?"
"Yeah," Mary nodded, moving her bunny and looking around the room in confusions, "where's daddy? Where is everyone?"
"We got a good deal with Gregory. They're getting food, but I didn't want to wake you. Shall we go help?"
"Yeah. Chickens now?" Mary asked, her voice still groggy with sleep.
"Yeah." Michonne smiled, walking out of the house with Mary in her hip. They got outside, and immediately went to see the chickens, watching them intently for a few minutes.
"I want that one," Mary decided, pointing to a tiny chicken, "it's the cutest."
"Okay. I think we're gonna come back for it though, because we've gotta stop off somewhere on the way home."
"Okay." Mary sighed, letting Michonne walk away with her. "Where's daddy?"
"Just here. See?"
"Yeah." Mary grinned, getting down and running to Rick, limping slightly.
"Hey, gorgeous." Rick smiled, spinning her around as he picked her up.
"Mishy says we got a good deal."
"We did."
"You did. Even Negan didn't get this much up front." Jesus added.
"Megan." Mary mumbled, too quiet for anyone to hear her apart from Rick, who just rolled his eyes.
Suddenly, Abraham and Daryl walked over with the man who tried to choke Abraham earlier; Mary now knew him name was Andy. "What?" He spat to Rick.
"Jesus said you've been taking supplies to Negan since the beginning. We're gonna get Craig back."
"The only way to get Craig back is to bring them Gregory's head."
"We're gonna get Craig back." Rick repeated firmly.
"Daddy never lies. He's always right." Mary commented.
"How?" Andy questioned.
"We need to know what you know about Negans compound. We need your help, we need you to come."
"Yeah. Okay." Andy nodded slowly, before walking away with Abraham and Daryl.
"You got room for one more, right? I mean, we're talking about righting the world here. Plus, you still have my knives." Jesus asked with a half smile, making Mary smile; she like Jesus now. Rick gave him a nod, and Jesus got into the RV, sliding the last basket of food into the vehicle.
He stayed outside, and turned to Michonne, putting his arm around her lovingly. "Hey, you up for this?"
"It's gonna be a fight." The woman pointed out, making Mary nuzzle further into her bunny.
"We'll win. We have to."
"We'll win." Michonne repeated confidently, before going inside.
"Okay, I'm gonna take you to Doctor Carson now, so you can have that cut stitched up before we go."
"Will it hurt?"
"Just a little, but you're super brave." Rick assured, walking to the medical trailer. They got there, and Mary banged on the door, knowing Maggie and Glenn were inside.
"Is Grape okay?!" She asked loudly, still amazed that they could see inside Maggie, into the baby.
"Yeah." Glenn chuckled, opening the door; they'd finished. "You can see the picture once you've had your big girl stitches."
"Okay." Mary sighed. Maggie ruffled her hair, and they left, leaving Mary and Rick with Carson.
"Alright, Mary, shall we sit you on daddy's lap and do them from there? That's better than laid on the bed by yourself, isn't it?" Carson asked kindly, his voice loud and optimistic. Mary nodded, and Rick sat in an armchair, Mary on his lap.
"I'm just gonna take all this off, and clean it, okay?" Carson asked, and Mary nodded. He took off her makeshift dressing, and cleaned away any blood, then, without warning her, quickly injected a syringe into her cut to numb the area.
"Ouch!" Mary squealed, moving away from the doctor angrily, and Rick held her tightly, shushing her.
"Hey, hey, it's gotta be done. He's got to do it, and now it won't hurt."
"Promise?"
"I promise." Rick assured, and Mary sat back down properly. "You can't even feel a thing. See?" He smiled teasingly, the same youthful smile that Carl possessed, then flicked Marys forehead.
"Woah. I barely felt it!" Mary giggled.
"I know, it's cool, right?" Carson chuckled, and Mary nodded. "Alrighty, you've gotta stay nice and still, and I'm gonna fix you up. Why don't you shut your eyes? It'll be less scary. Can you do that? And I've got some candy for you once you're done."
"Yeah." Mary nodded, closing her eyes as instructed. Rick held her hand, holding her to his chest tightly as Carson stitched up Mary's face; her eyebrow, the edge of her eyelids, her cheekbone. He made quick work of it, but he was no plastic surgeon; she'd have a harsh, visible scar for the rest of her life.
"There. All done."
"It hurt a bit." Mary mumbled, her eyes glassy with tears.
"You've been so so so brave. I'm super proud." Rick praised, kissing the top of Mary's head.
"I'm a badass." Mary nodded, and Rick chuckled.
"Okay, keep it covered up for a few more days, and it should heal nicely. Got someone who can take the stitches out in a week?"
"Yeah. I know how to, and Michonne does, plus a dozen others. We're covered. Thank you. Truly."
"I'm just sorry she'll have a scar." Carson admitted.
"We like scars!" Mary announced happily.
"Yeah, we do," Rick chuckled, then turned to Carson to explain, "we talked about how scars show you where you've been, and how strong you are. She likes the bloody things."
"Kids. They're weird." Carson laughed.
"You have any?" Rick asked as Carson covered Mary's wound.
"Kids? I had a niece, in a... In a... In another life. Zara." Carson whispered, then he finally spoke up properly. "I never had any, me and my wife never had any of our own. I would have. But we didn't. Not the way it went."
"For a long time it was just me and my wife and our oldest, Carl. I never realised how life could be with another kid. Then we had Mary. She's probably the best thing that happened to me. I'd be a very different person if I'd gone through this with just Carl. She saved me. Then in the middle of this, we had Judith. Neither of the girls were planned, but it turned out perfect, you know?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I get what you mean." Carson nodded, "You're with Michonne, right? You two ever gonna have one?"
"Yeah, we've, erm, not thought that far ahead yet." Rick answered awkwardly.
"Are we going yet?" Mary whined loudly, jarring Rick back to reality.
"Yeah, we're going. Thank you."
"No worries. Here, Mary. For being good while I did your stitches." Carson smiled, passing Mary a handful of lollipops.
"Thank you." Mary grinned, waving to him as they left.
"Okay, come on. We really need to get going now."
"Yep!"
"I bet Uncle Daryl would have cried," Rick teased, "and you didn't."
Mary glowed at that comment, and once they got to the car, Rick sat Mary with Michonne, as she told the woman proudly about how brave she was when she got her stitches.
"Hey, Uncle Daryl, daddy says you would've cried. And I didn't!" Mary tainted with a smile.
"Yer much more brave then me." Daryl nodded.
"Hey, Moo, d'you wanna see Grape?" Glenn smiled, and Mary nodded, leaping out of her seat to see the picture.
"That's not a baby!" Mary pouted as soon as she saw the scan.
"It is, it's just a really little one." Maggie explained.
"It's ugly. It's an alien."
"Alien Grape." Glenn nodded, finding her hilarious.
"Don't call the baby that," Maggie hissed, "she doesn't know better. You're a grown man. Don't call it an Alien Grape."
"Alien Grape is making Maggie extra grumpy right now." Glenn stage whispered to Mary, and the pair giggled amongst themselves.
"Have one of these." Mary nodded, passing Maggie and Glenn a lollipop, then Michonne, then Daryl - then ignored the rest of the group, and ran to Rick, shoving an unwrapped lollipop into his mouth.
"Thanks." Rick laughed with rolled eyes.
"That's what it's all about." Andy nodded when Mary left.
"Look at this she made me the other day." Rick smiled proudly, showing Andy a loosely braided cotton bracket with a love heart bead threaded onto it. "It's never coming off."
"Sign of a dad of daughters." Andy nodded in approval, holding out his own wrist and showing Rick an elastic bracelet, threaded with several beads.
"You have a little girl?" Rick smiled, looking at him with a genuine interest.
"Stella. She's in Florida. She's still out there. I know it."
Rick didn't comment; he knew Andy knew his daughter wouldn't be around anymore, barely any kids were.
"I know what you're thinking. But she's alive. I can feel it. She lived with her mom. I just wish it had been my weekend when everything happened. I only got that once every other month."
"How old is she?"
"She was three when it started. So five now."
"Same as Mary."
"Well, hopefully one day they meet." Andy smiled, and Rick nodded, turning back and looking at Mary.
"I can't imagine not having her."
"It's the worst thing in the world." Andy whispered, plucking at the bracelet on his wrist. And Rick didn't doubt it.