Love the Other Half

The King and His Kingdom

          Rick's face was showing nothing but confusion. I looked to my right and saw Carl point his gun at me. That just made me tighten my grip on my gun. "You stay the hell back. I'm not afraid to pull the trigger." I say to Rick with a growl. I  could see everyone from the side of my eye freaking out.

          "Jasmine... put the gun down. He isn't going to hurt ya." I hear Daryl say to me. I kept my eyes on Rick. Rick's eyes never left mine. I let Daryl's words sink in and I let out a chuckle. "Not going to hurt me? Are you fucking serious right now?" I ask Daryl with venom in my voice. "You and your people look at me like I'm a traitor. Like I wanted everything to happen. Do you know how that makes someone feel? I can promise you, it makes them feel like shit." I say to Rick, inching closer to his face with my gun.

          Rick's eyes softened and never left mine. "I know what I did... or more like didn't do... I regret it and I-" I didn't even bother letting Rick finish. I didn't want his bullshit apologizes. "I don't give a rats ass." I said to him.

          "I'm taking Rick and the group to meet King Ezekiel." I hear Jesus say. I look over at him with squinted eyes. "King?" I ask him. A small smile is brought to his face. "Listen... before anyone meets King Ezekiel, I need everyone's guns." someone from this new groups says. I look at my gun and then to Rick. I slowly backed away from him and walked over to the new man.

          "Do you think your King would be willing to let me borrow some stuff. I'll repay everything I take, I just need some things for the road." I say to the new man. He nodes his head at me and holds out his hand. "Richard." he says to me. I look down at his hand and shake it. "Jasmine." I say back. I watch as Carl and Rick give Richard their guns.

           Everyone was walking to The Kingdom as Jesus said it was called. I was behind everyone. I kept my head down. Feeling like a complete and utter outsider. I wanted to go back to the house and wait for Dwight to show up. "Did you think I was gonna hit you?" I hear someone ask from beside me. I guess I had been lost in thought, because I didn't hear anyone slow down to walk beside me. I turn to my left and see Rick.

          I started walking a bit faster to get away from him. I could hear his boots hitting the pavement coming after me. I feel him grab my shoulder and turn me around. "Jasmine." Rick starts to say before I interrupt him. "Rick... you and this group... were my family. My only family I've had in a long time. You think I wanted Abraham or Glenn to die? You think I wanted Daryl to be taken prisoner by Negan? You think I wanted to marry Negan? Or sleep with him? I had to sleep with that horrible man, just so that he didn't kill Daryl." I say to Rick. He had tears in his eyes and tried to wipe them away.

          "I would have rather I died in that clearing. I would have rather I was taken prisoner by myself. I wish Abraham and Glenn were here. I wish Sasha and Maggie hadn't lost the love of their lives. I wish Daryl hadn't been beaten. I wish a lot of things Rick... and no matter how much I wish or pray... things aren't going to change what has happened. I can never go back home with you. I can never go back to Alexandria or Hilltop. Because in your eyes and everyone in those places... I'm a traitor. I'm someone who got two people she loved killed. I'm someone who married and slept with the enemy." I can never and will never call Alexandria or Hilltop home again... and I'll never call you or this group family again." I say to Rick.

          He kept his eyes on me, but I didn't have anything else to say, so I just walked away. It was about a minute, before I heard Rick's boots hitting the pavement. He walked past me and caught up with Michonne and Carl.

          We had been walking for another minute or so when we came upon The Kingdom. I looked up and was impressed with what I saw. "Welcome to The Kingdom." Richard says to us all. The gates up and we all walk in. "Let me go tell the King you're all here." Richard says and walks away. Leaving us all standing in a unfamiliar place.