The Sheriff and The Archer

Chapter Ten: It's A Start

I think that from now on I'll name that chapter after a little dialogue, or from something in the chapter.

The three of us walk down the steps and join the others at the table. We take the three remaining seats at the table. The seating arrangement goes: Rick at the head, Maggie to his left, Glenn, Abe, Carl, Daryl, Sasha, Eugene at the end of the table, Michonne, Tara, Me, Bob, and lastly, Rosita.

Sheriff slumps in his chair, Michonne laughs at him, "We don't offer pity, Carl." The whole table either looks at Carl or Michonne for an explanation.

"Rick, your son is a snoop." I say it loud enough for the table to hear and for Carl's cheeks to go pink. Rick looks at Daryl who looks at Carl and whacks him over the head with his hand. Sheriff catches his hat before it can fall into his food and places it back on his head. He proceeds to rub the spot.

"I had good reason! They were talking about me!" The attention turns to Michonne and I.

"Don't be so vain, Carl," I tsked, "The whole conversation wasn't about you!" The whole table pops with giggles and snorts and all around laughter.

"Okay, Okay y'all," Daryl addressed, "We have to make a decision." Rick stood.

"We know what we're risking going back to Terminus, but what if they're there? What if they need our help? Can we take the chance?" Rick sighed and stood. "They're family, however, we can't do this alone." Everyone looked at me simultaneously.

"You all know that I'd rather cut off my fingers than go back to that the shit hole..." They all looked around at each other in fear of me not helping them. "But these people mean more than life to you guys, I can tell. And shit, maybe we're all gonna die, but I'd rather die knowing that I tried than knowing that we could have possibly saved people and I refused to help."

"So... you'll help us?" Sasha asked slowly.

"I'll be your Sacagawea!" Everyone jumped from their seats. They hugged and cheered and clanked cups together. Soon we were just a huge group of people hugging each other. I had sorta of stayed off to the side and let the group have their moment.

"Jade!" I turned to the right to see Carl coming at me full speed. Oh, God. A force hit me so hard I had to take a step back, but Carl's arms had wrapped around me and weren't letting me go. "Thank you," he whispered into my hair since I was about two inches shorter than him. I was going to respond, back quickly realized I couldn't.

"Sheriff!" I wheezed, "Can't! Breathe!"

Not a second later I was released and hands were on my shoulders, "Are you okay?" My brain registered Carl.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I put my hand over my heart to feel it beating rapidly. I'd be fine.

"You sure? You -"

"Carl. I'm. Fine," I reassured him. He let go of my shoulders and looked down and mumbled a sorry. "It's okay, you just got overly excited... like a dog," I smiled at him, he looked at me from beneath his hat and grinned.

He opened his mouth to say something and I could tell it was going to be sarcastic from the twinkle in his eyes, but of course our little "moment" was interrupted by the groups laughter. We looked to my right to see the whole group standing and staring at us while they laughed.

"Carl," Rick laughed, "She - she called you an excitable dog!" The adults cracked up once again and Carl blushed.

"Well Rick, you should have seen your face when I told y'all I'd be helping. To me it was like a cross between a four year old staring at cake and a grandmother seeing her grandchild for the first time." You could hear a mix of "Oooooooh"'s and "Do you need aloe for that burn, Rick?" He smiled at me.