In Another World (Kathryl One-Shots)

A World In Which She Will Survive

Maggie made a face at her phone as it lit up with Kathryn's name across the top. It was rare she call. Maggie's heart fluttered as she thought perhaps something terrible had happened. Maggie answered and didn't have a chance to say hello before Kathryn's cool voice greeted her with, "I need to get drunk."

A few hours later Maggie sat at a table in a bar a few towns over with a pissed off Kathryn to her left and a concerned Michonne to her right. "And you're sure you don't want to talk about it?" Maggie questioned.

"Yes," Kathryn snarled before getting up to get the next round.

Michonne shrugged and turned to Maggie. "You know, there's an easy solution to this problem."

"What's that?" Maggie asked.

"Let's get her smashed, and eventually the truth will come out in a drunken slip."

Maggie pondered the ethics of the situation and decided that Kathryn had wanted to come out to get drunk, so she'd get exactly what she asked for. As Kathryn returned with a round of shots, Michonne and Maggie shared a look before raising their glasses and began the first of many rounds that would fill their night.

Kathryn was by no means a lightweight which perhaps made her level of drunkenness that much more impressive. "He's so fucking stupid," Kathryn snapped, slamming back the last of her whiskey. "We're best friends for our whole lives. Like—" Kathryn paused as she tried to remember how old she was. When the answer didn't come to her, she continued, "a lot of years guys."

Maggie and Michonne nodded in sync, not daring to speak and possibly throwing Kathryn's drunken mind off track.

"But then Rick and I hang out once without him and then he's all—" Kathryn dropped her voice, into a mocking tone. "—you can't hang out with him. Why? Well because I said." Kathryn scoffed. "Like he has any control over what I do. Who does he think he is? Then it's my fault for causing a fight?"

Michonne touched Kathryn's wrist. "I love Daryl, but sometimes..." She trailed off and shook her head.

Maggie prompted, "Kathryn, don't you think there's more to this than just you hanging out with another guy?"

"No," Kathryn said straightening in her chair. "No, he's just being weird. And stupid."

Maggie restrained the urge to grab Kathryn by the shoulders and shout at the top of her lungs that Daryl was in love with Kathryn—the same way Kathryn was in love with him. Everyone in their friend group saw it, and as the years progressed, it became more and more obvious that it would take something big to finally make the two wipe away the years of denial and just get on with it already. Maggie listened intently as Kathryn recalled her and Daryl's screaming match. It always got ugly when they fought. Mostly because...well, simply, they weren't very good with emotions unless they were loud.

The time and the drinks ticked by until the time for karaoke started. It was still early enough that the people were actually decent so the women weren't paying much attention. That is, until the DJ came up to their table and asked if any of them would like to be put on the list. They were running low on victims.

The sliver of sober that remained in Kathryn's head laughed. She wouldn't be caught dead up on a stage with strangers staring at her. However, there was another voice in Kathryn's head that night. One that was much much stronger than her rational self.

"Tell you what," Kathryn said, "you bump me to the top of the list, and you got a deal."

"What? Kathryn—" Maggie began, but she was silenced by Michonne's boot lodging itself into the side of her leg. "Ow!" she exclaimed, turning away from Kathryn. "Why would you do that?"