<3rd Person Pov>
Morning came slowly over the prison. Inside one of the cells, Itachi stirred first. The weight of someone's arm rested across his chest. Amy's head was tucked against his shoulder, their legs tangled beneath the blanket. For a moment, he stayed still, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light before quietly breathing out through his nose.
Amy shifted, blinking herself awake. Her voice came out half muffled against his shirt.
"Morning already?"
"Yeah. Sun's up," he said, pushing himself upright and sitting on the edge of the bed.
She made a soft sound and rolled onto her back. "Five more minutes won't kill anyone."
"Yeah, but we should grab breakfast before everyone gathers and we have to head out," he said, reaching for his shirt on the chair.
Amy groaned and rolled onto her side to face him. "Fine…" she muttered.
They got dressed without saying much else and stepped out of the cell, heading straight towards the common area.
Once there, they gathered what they needed and prepared a simple breakfast. They sat down, eating slowly and talking quietly. For a while, it was just the two of them and the comfort of each other's company.
Rick walked in a few minutes later, giving them a short nod. "Morning."
"Morning," Amy said, smiling faintly.
Itachi gave a small nod. "Rick."
Rick walked closer, stopping by the table where a few cans of food sat. "Did you fill her in?" he asked, glancing toward Itachi.
He nodded. "Yes."
Amy straightened a little. "While you, Daryl, and Itachi clear the cell blocks, the rest of us will handle the yard."
Rick gave a small approving nod. "That's the plan. We'll try to keep it organized. I want everyone who's got little to no experience to participate."
Amy nodded. "Got it."
Rick gave her a short smile before sitting down across from them.
The sound of footsteps echoed from the corridor. Glenn appeared first, rubbing at his eyes and stifling a yawn. "Morning," he mumbled, voice still heavy with sleep.
"Morning," Amy replied, amused.
Behind him came Maggie, more awake than he was but still looking tired. "Morning, everyone."
Rick looked up. "Grab something to eat. We'll go over everything once the others get here."
Glenn muttered as he made his way towards the food, "I have a bad feeling about this…"
Maggie shot him a look. "You always say that."
"And was I ever wrong?" he muttered back. "Every time they plan something, I end up covered in guts, feathers, or getting lowered into a damn well to pull a walker out."
Maggie smiled but didn't bother replying. She shook her head, picked up a can from the table, and walked toward the others. Glenn grabbed one too and followed her, the two of them sitting down near the rest of the group as they started to eat.
While the five of them ate, the rest of the group began waking up and gathering around the tables.
Rick looked around, waiting until everyone had gathered before standing to get their attention. "Alright," he began, his tone firm. "We've got a lot to do today. Daryl, Itachi, and I will handle clearing the cell block. The rest of you will focus on the other yard."
He paused, letting his gaze move across the room. "I want everyone to take part, especially those with little to no experience. The only exceptions are Lori, Hershel, and the kids."
After a short breath, he added, "And the prisoners will be joining you."
Shane's head lifted almost immediately. "You sure about that part?"
Rick met his eyes. "I am." His tone left no room for argument.
He looked back to the rest of the group. "I want everyone to use knives, bats, no guns unless it's absolutely necessary. And we found some extra riot gear in the storage room, so we'll use that for protection. Shane, Glenn, and T-Dog will watch over the teams, armed, just in case."
There were no arguments, just quiet looks passed between them, uneasy, but understanding. Everyone knew it had to be done.
One by one, people started moving. Chairs scraped back, conversation picked up again. Some went to prepare, others to finish breakfast.
Itachi and Amy stood up, gathering their things before heading outside to get some fresh air.
Rick stayed behind for a moment, scanning the room as the last few broke off into smaller groups. His eyes landed on Lori, who was heading back towards her cell. He hesitated before following her.
She'd just stepped into her cell when he appeared in the doorway. Lori turned, eyebrow lifting. "Something wrong?"
Rick shook his head slowly. "No. I just… need to talk to you."
The tone in his voice made her straighten. "About what?"
He paused, searching for the right words. "I want Carl to join us today."
Her expression changed instantly. "What?"
Rick didn't flinch. "Just to observe. Maybe fire a shot if it's safe."
Her voice rose. "Are you out of your mind?" She took a step towards him. "He's a child, Rick!"
He lifted a hand, trying to calm her down. "Lori, listen to me—"
"No!" she snapped, cutting him off.
Rick tried to reason with her. "He'll be safe, Lori. Everyone will be there, and Shane can keep an eye on him. He doesn't even have to step into the yard, he can stay behind the fence."
Lori opened her mouth, but the words caught in her throat. For a moment, all she could do was stare at him, anger and fear tangled together in her chest. She shook her head, her voice unsteady when it finally came out. "He's still a kid, Rick. He's not supposed to be out there."
Rick didn't answer right away. "I know you don't want this for him. Neither do I. But it's not about what we want anymore." He paused, meeting her eyes. "If there's ever a moment where he's alone with one of them, just him and a walker, and he freezes in fear, that's it. He won't get a second chance."
He turned towards the door, stopping to glance her way. "I want you to think about it before we head out."
Lori didn't respond, just stood there staring at him as he walked out of the cell.
Rick moved down the corridor, the echo of voices from the common area growing clearer. He rounded the corner and nearly bumped into Hershel.
"Everything alright?" Hershel asked.
Rick gave a short nod. "Yeah. Just talking things through."
Hershel studied him for a moment. "Talking or arguing?"
Rick gave a tired half-smile. "Little of both."
Hershel nodded slowly. "You should talk to her again before you head out," he said quietly. "The world's tearing enough apart as it is, don't let it do the same to your family."
Rick didn't respond right away, just gave a small nod. "Yeah."
Hershel placed a hand on his shoulder before moving past him down the hall. "Don't wait too long, son. Sometimes the chance to fix things doesn't come back."
Rick watched him go, the words lingering longer than he wanted them to. He stood there a moment..
Hershel's advice made sense, but it hit something he didn't want to touch. He still cared for her, probably always will, but there was a part of him that couldn't forgive her, no matter how much he wanted to.
He drew in a slow breath, straightening as he pushed the thought aside. There was work to do. Turning down the corridor, he headed towards Block D to inform the prisoners and give them time to prepare.
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🧪 Author's Note:
Sorry for the delay, I took a small road trip to Germany with a couple of friends. Four idiots, one car, and absolutely no plan. :D
Daily uploads will probably stop from here on out. I just don't have enough time to keep that pace going right now.
And yeah, this chapter's a bit shorter. I didn't want to start the clearing and leave it hanging halfway through.
If you've got any questions about the story or the characters, drop them below — I'll do my best to answer every one.
🖤 Thanks again for reading!