Just Keep Walking

Seventy one

"I started the fight, because he was being mean to me," Mary explained once she was calmed down, sat on the couch with Rick, eating frozen blueberries, "he called me stupid because I couldn't say Mishy's name right, and he said I was a bad person because I killed people. But I had to kill those people. Right?"
"Right. But when people say mean things, you don't hit them. You tell them that what they said was unkind, and you walk away and tell me. Don't hit them. Look how it left you. You're gonna have a black eye, and have a split lip. It's stupid for you. And is Alex gonna want to be your friend now you've hurt him?"
"I don't want him as my friend!"
"I don't care, you still have to be nice to him. I didn't like a lot of people, but I was still nice to them, and they became family. I didn't like Daryl."
"Or me." Michonne joked.
"Yep. Didn't like Mishy, and look at us now. You didn't like Tommy, and you became best friends."
"I don't want to be his friend!"
"Right. That's it. You're in trouble. No more guns, no more knives, no more fighting, no more any of that. Understand?"
"Yes."
"Yes what?" Rick asked firmly.
"Yes, I understand."
"Good girl. Let's go get some ice on that face. Are you okay? Do you need a cuddle?"
"Yeah." Mary nodded shakily. She went into his arms, and let him hold her and carry her inside as she cried softly.
"Can you talk to me? What exactly did he say? Because I think me and Alex's daddy need to have a little chat." Rick asked softly, and Mary nodded, holding a bag of frozen peas to her face.
"He said that I'm stupid, and that I'm not cool, and I'm a bad person because I killed people." Mary replied tearfully.
"Well that's not true. You're clever and cool and you're a very good person. You killed those people to survive. You had to. That's what you tell yourself. That's what's true. So don't you believe what he said."
"I won't." Mary whispered.
"Good girl. Good girl. Stay here, okay? I'm going for a talk with Alex's daddy."
"No. I don't want you in trouble."
"I'm not. Be good for Mishy." Rick ordered, kissing the top of her head before leaving.

The next day Mary's eye was bruised and swollen shut, and her lip was still puffy. She didn't seem to care, nor seem to show much remorse, but she knew she was in trouble for it, and Rick knew she wouldn't be doing it again.
"They're five and six," Rick sighed to Michonne as they washed lunch pots together, "how the hell can they do that much damage?"
"Because that's what they've learnt to do. She's not had a normal childhood. Her lessons have been on fighting and on survival. His too. Mary's gonna be a machine when she's older. From being a tiny kid, she's known how to kill."
"I remember telling her when she was only just four... If someone ever grabs you, and you don't know them, then you hit them in the tummy, then the back of their knees, then kick them in the ribs as the hit the ground, and run. That's... Did I make her like this?"
"No. The world did. You made her like that." Michonne assured, motioning towards Mary, dancing in the living room with Bertie.
"She's such a weird kid." Rick chuckled.
"I know. She gets it from you." Michonne smiled, before leaving.
"Daddy? Daddy, Rosita says it's machete lessons, and she says I can go. It's after lunch. Can I go?" Mary asked with a smile, running up to him, Bertie on her heels.
"No. I told you, no weapons for a week."
"But..."
"No. That's my answer. You can play, and you can go and watch, but no joining in. Okay?"
"Daddy." Mary whined, her eyes turning to Michonne.
"Hey, don't you go asking Michonne. Her answer will be the same as mine. Don't do that, it's cheeky." Rick warned, and Mary sighed, then blew a raspberry at him. Rick retorted by doing the same, making her laugh.
"Children." Michonne mumbled, making Mary giggle.
"I am a children!" She giggled.
"You're a child. Children is plural." Rick laughed with a roll of his eyes.
"I'm a kid." Mary corrected with a laugh, and Rick rolled his eyes yet again.
"Okay, put some real clothes on and shoes, you can go listen to Rosita's class." Rick ordered. Mary got up, and got dressed out of her pyjamas, pulling on a cotton dress and a tutu, then some coyboy boots that Daryl had found her a few days earlier.
"Ready!"
"Lemmie sort this hair." Rick laughed, grabbing her hairbrush and combing though the long mess of waves. He effortlessly twisted it into a bun, securing it with a few bands, and tapped her shoulder. "Okay, you're done. Come on, let's go."
"Can we take Bertie?"
"No. Come on, say bye bye to Mishy and Carl."
"Bye bye Carl!" Mary shouted up the stairs, then she ran to Michonne, and hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek. "See you later. Love you."
"Yeah, see you later babe. Love you too." Michonne smiled softly, kissing the top of her head.
"C'mon. Gonna swing by Jo's too. She's wanting to get the school set back up. We've got the two little ones, Moo and Alex, then Teddy and Izzy, but they can all go together. Carl and Enid are a bit too old, then there's Hannah, and she's too old for the little ones, and too young for Carl and Enid. Gotta sort it out."
"Why don't they have her teaching an hour of school stuff per day, then you and Daryl can do an hour of practical stuff, and Denise can teach them some medical." Michonne suggested.
"Yeah. Yeah, that actually sounds like a plan. I'll talk to her."
"Yeah. Okay, go on. Look at her." Michonne laughed, looking at Mary's impatient, pouty face.
"I'm coming, Moo." Rick chuckled. They left, and walked over to the grass where Rosita did her class, Mary holding Rick's hand tightly.
"Hey, Mary. You joining in?" Rosita asked with a smile, then her face dropped, but before she could ask about Mary's face, Rick answered.
"She got into a fight with little Alex. So she's not allowed to join in, but can she watch?"
"Yeah, yeah, that's fine." Rosita nodded.
"Okay, Mary, I'll pick you up in an hour, or Rosita will walk you home, okay?"
"Okay. Bye." Mary whispered, hating it when he left her.
"Bye bye. Love you."
"Love you too." Mary mumbled, hugging him tightly.
"Alright, come on, let daddy go," Rosita said softly, "and you can boss all of these guys around."
Mary raised her arms, and Rosita carried her on her hip with a sigh, Rick leaving. Once he was out of earshot, the woman turned to Mary with a smile. "Okay, but who won the fight?"
"Me." Mary smiled softly.
"That's my girl." Rosita chuckled, giving her a high five. "All that matters is that you win."

"Miss Maria! Bed!" Rick sighed irritably.
"No." Mary sang, doing cartwheels around the living room. Rick sighed, looking at the clock, at how it was nine at night. Michonne laughed up at him, leant into his side, the pair of them slouched on the couch.
"Hey. Mary, bed, and I'll take you up and read you a story." Michonne offered.
"Can you make one up? From your head?" Mary asked, taking the situation seriously.
"Yep, if you give me something."
"What?" Mary asked with a smile, sitting next to her on the couch.
"An apple."
Mary nodded, and ran to the kitchen, tossing Michonne an apple a few seconds later. "Thank you." Michonne laughed, biting into it. "Okay, go put your pyjamas on, I'll be up in a second."
"Okay. Night night." Mary smiled, kissing Rick's cheek.
"Night night. I'll check on you later, yeah?"
"Yeah." Mary nodded nonchalantly, before running up the stairs.
"Why does she do stuff for you?" Rick sighed, chuckling softly at Michonne.
"It's the novelty of someone who isn't you. She's more fun because she has less authority." Carl pointed out, looking up from his comic.
"Hmm? Hmm, what was that? Who has less authority?" Michonne teased, grabbing his comic and hitting him around his head teasingly, making him laugh and cover his head with his hands, scrunched up into a ball. "Yeah, I didn't think so." Michonne laughed, knocking his hat off. "Okay. I'm gonna go read to Mary."
"Tell her to sleep in her own bed." Carl mumbled, and Michonne laughed and nodded, walking up the stairs to Mary and Carl's room.
"Okay. What's the story gonna be on?" Michonne asked Mary with a smile, seeing the child nestled under her blankets in her own bed.
"A princess." Mary smiled, moving over so Michonne could sit next to her.
"Okay," Michonne began, "once upon a time, there was a princess called Mary. But she wasn't just any old princess, she was a badass soldier..."