AS THE WORLD FALLS DOWN I RICK GRIMES

What We Are

What We Are

A storm was coming, Rick reading the sky like the pages of a book, forcing the group to retreat to a rickety barn a mile or so out, Alexis unwillingly included in the caravan, the rain striking her skin like bullets. After securing the building, Rick had then ushered his people inside, before dragging Alexis in by the arm, almost but not quite hurting her, his cold gaze lingering on her bruised face. She knew he was trying to work out the contradiction she presented. If she really was a honey-trap, her black eye would only serve to arouse suspicion. Even if Rick did eventually listen to her, she suspected she would still have to explain her injury, knowing he would brook no bullshit.

"Some people just can't give up... like us," Carol said in an undertone to Maggie, making Alexis glance over at them. She was starting to put names to faces, assessing who held standing, and who didn't. Carol caught her eye, her brow furrowing slightly, then she turned away from Alexis, effectively ignoring her. After a few moments of murmured conversation with Maggie, she then went away, leaving Maggie on her own, Rick then coming over, his attention as always on Alexis. No matter what he was doing, he always kept her in his eye-line, just in case.

Alexis tossed her blonde hair back, blue eyes blazing, meeting his stare straight on. But despite her apparent defiance, she was shaking inside. She didn't know what Rick was capable of, whether his people were capable of stopping him once he started. There was a mutinous undercurrent within the group, but it was largely repressed, everyone reluctantly falling into line behind Rick. If he unleashed his rage on her, would they intervene? And what happened if that rage broke its boundaries, becoming something else? Would they stand by and let it happen for the sake of their own survival?

As Rick stalked over to her, Alexis involuntarily took a step back, making him spring forwards. "What the hell are you playin' at?" he hissed, taking his tension out on her. "You haven't got anywhere to go, Goldilocks, not unless you want to become Walker bait."

Alexis just stared at him, trying to stand her ground, her lower lip trembling despite herself.

Rick stared at her in return, before suddenly raising his hand, making her flinch. Her reaction made him freeze, striking his raw conscience like whiplash. "I'm not goin' to hit you," he then said from between gritted teeth, "I just want to take a look at you." He meant her black eye, but his words held a whole other meaning for Alexis.

Before he could react, she turned tail, sprinting for the barn doors, Daryl rugby-tackling her to the ground before she could reach it. Then both men were on top of her, trying to restrain her, Alexis twisting and turning, her tangled blonde hair blinding her, legs lashing out, her screams choked off by the gag. The others hung back, shocked, Maggie at the forefront, eyes blank, like she was in a trance, seeing not Alexis, but Beth, Beth being taken, screaming, struggling -

"Get away from her!" Maggie screamed, startling everyone. "Get away from her!" Before Glenn could grab her, she'd turned her gun on Rick and Daryl, the former slowly getting to his feet, the latter backing away, calloused hands raised, understanding when nobody else could. Maggie advanced on Rick, her shaking hands making him unwillingly follow Daryl's example, and hold up his own. "Get away from her," she repeated, enunciating every word.

"She ain't Beth, Maggie," Daryl said softly, "it ain't her."

Maggie stood there, her chin trembling. For a moment, the world hung in the balance, and then she finally lowered the gun, Glenn quickly taking it from her. Rick stared at Maggie, suddenly seeing a stranger, the knowledge making him turn away from her, anger threatening to overwhelm him. But he fought it, knowing he couldn't judge, having done the same himself, pulling a gun out on everyone back at the prison. The others remained rooted to the spot, secretly wondering who would turn on who next.