[ She considers his words, thinking back to some of the ways she's seen Jacqueline interact with the kids. But then Michonne shakes her head and looks ahead at the building, then back at Amos. ]
She's got kids from thirteen to three. She talks to them all the same, like they're all old enough to understand.
[ That's her interpretation of it, at least. ]
Because they have to. Because if they don't, and something happens to her? Then what?
[ There's a pause before she adds on another thought. With a hand over her large belly, Michonne has multiple reasons for what she says next. ]
Think I'm asking her to stay a while.
[ It isn't that she doesn't think Amos could help her have the baby when the time comes, but she'd rather (and she assumes he'd rather) have Jacqueline to help, if she'll stay. ]
[ Trust comes in different ways; for some, it's earned in a moment of gratitude, especially in a world like this. You save someone, you stick your neck out for them, they'll be with you to the ends of the earth, or what's left of it. For others, it comes from watching, from knowing, seeing that someone is worth following.
For kids this young, with nothing left, they'll gravitate to anyone above them who can move through this world with confidence, who won't take any shit, who will keep them safe. They would have no reason to doubt someone like that, no reason to question anything that could be amiss.
If anything's amiss.
Amos trusts few, but his instincts are solid. They have to be. But here's the difference between him and others: he doesn't give a shit about Michonne agreeing or disagreeing with him. He has no ego about this. He's wrong or he's right, and if he's right and things go south, they'll handle it together. She trusts her friend because they're friends, and he gets it on some level. She can't see what he sees, and in return, he can't see what she does. They don't match up on this, but it won't change the outcome, which is that his loyalty is to Judith, Michonne, and that baby of hers yet to come.
The only thing this really changes is that he'll watch them closer, more carefully.
His eyes flicker to her belly, back to her face. Sure, okay, he gets that, too. Maybe he's not the one she wants around when that kid comes. He'll sure as hell be the first to say he doesn't know anything about bringing babies into the world.
Dryly, though: ]
Just make sure she doesn't take my beef jerky and we don't have a problem.
[ He will share with the kids and no one else.
And he can more than convey that to Jacqueline himself, but it's — a truce of sorts. It's, I'll follow your lead. ]
[ There are some people that say things like that, that give assurance that X will happen if Y happens, but then they don't follow through. Maybe they lied to begin with, or maybe they were wrestling with something down deep they didn't even know, and they couldn't make it happen when it mattered, when they were in the shit and there was nothing left but a promise made in a different time.
Amos isn't like that, though. His word is his word. People don't always like his word, don't always know how to take it, but he stays true. And he can count on one hand now the people around him who give it back, whose word is solid. ]
Things go south, she's gone. You said it, I believe it, and that's all I need.
[ Michonne nods and that's it. She's never lied to him before, never kept anything from him. It took her a while, but she opened up, eventually. Judith very obviously couldn't have been hers, but he never asked, he let her tell him, and it went a long way.
They're done and Michonne reaches out to clap him on the shoulder. ]
Judith said it was your turn to tell her a story tonight, I'm gonna find Jackie and talk to her before turning in. See you in the morning.
[ She isn't going far, just to the back of the store into a stock room where Jackie's set up. The kids are all there, sitting quietly and staring up at her when she walks in. Michonne smiles at first, but when they don't smile back, it becomes unnerving and she frowns at them, questioning aloud. ]
Where's Jackie?
[ They don't respond, but as she looks at their faces, one pair of eyes looks to the right. Just as Michonne turns to see Jackie, she's hit hard right between the eyes and everything goes black. For a few seconds she struggles to hold onto lucidity, hearing Jackie prop the backdoor open, instructing the oldest to lead the youngest out. As her hands are being tied, she loses consciousness completely, the pain in her head overwhelming.
The next time she wakes, it's because of searing pain in her lower back competing with her head. She's strapped to a table; to her left, medical instruments that don't look like anything she'd want cutting into her. Her movement causes Jackie to appear, staring down at her.
I heard you and Amos. You wanted to keep my kids? You don't deserve the one you have, you sure as hell don't deserve another.
It becomes clear in that moment what Jackie's going to do, and Michonne begins to struggle, trying to get loose, only to agitate whatever wound on her back is fresh. It's agony and she screams behind a gag before going still, sweating.
Don't worry, we'll go back for Judith and I'll raise her right.
Jackie walks out of the small room, and Michonne tries to scream after her. At the very least, she knows Amos won't let Jackie get anywhere close to Judith, so she can focus on herself and getting free. But she can't figure out a way to do it, the pain she's in almost causes her to black out again, and her hands and feet are still strapped down.
She refuses to die this way, and all she can do is try to bargain.
Outside of the old warehouse Jackie has taken Michonne and the kids to, the oldest children act as guards with guns, instructed to shoot to kill. The younger kids have knives waiting and hiding inside, while Jackie prepares to forcefully take Michonne's baby in the deepest interior room. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
She's got kids from thirteen to three. She talks to them all the same, like they're all old enough to understand.
[ That's her interpretation of it, at least. ]
Because they have to. Because if they don't, and something happens to her? Then what?
[ There's a pause before she adds on another thought. With a hand over her large belly, Michonne has multiple reasons for what she says next. ]
Think I'm asking her to stay a while.
[ It isn't that she doesn't think Amos could help her have the baby when the time comes, but she'd rather (and she assumes he'd rather) have Jacqueline to help, if she'll stay. ]
no subject
For kids this young, with nothing left, they'll gravitate to anyone above them who can move through this world with confidence, who won't take any shit, who will keep them safe. They would have no reason to doubt someone like that, no reason to question anything that could be amiss.
If anything's amiss.
Amos trusts few, but his instincts are solid. They have to be. But here's the difference between him and others: he doesn't give a shit about Michonne agreeing or disagreeing with him. He has no ego about this. He's wrong or he's right, and if he's right and things go south, they'll handle it together. She trusts her friend because they're friends, and he gets it on some level. She can't see what he sees, and in return, he can't see what she does. They don't match up on this, but it won't change the outcome, which is that his loyalty is to Judith, Michonne, and that baby of hers yet to come.
The only thing this really changes is that he'll watch them closer, more carefully.
His eyes flicker to her belly, back to her face. Sure, okay, he gets that, too. Maybe he's not the one she wants around when that kid comes. He'll sure as hell be the first to say he doesn't know anything about bringing babies into the world.
Dryly, though: ]
Just make sure she doesn't take my beef jerky and we don't have a problem.
[ He will share with the kids and no one else.
And he can more than convey that to Jacqueline himself, but it's — a truce of sorts. It's, I'll follow your lead. ]
no subject
Don't worry, she won't touch anything that's yours.
[ Then, a bit more seriously, because she isn't completely gone on the idea, just because she's managed to get back a piece of her old life. ]
If she does something out of line, she goes. Try to get the kids to stay, at least the young ones. We could handle that.
no subject
Amos isn't like that, though. His word is his word. People don't always like his word, don't always know how to take it, but he stays true. And he can count on one hand now the people around him who give it back, whose word is solid. ]
Things go south, she's gone. You said it, I believe it, and that's all I need.
no subject
They're done and Michonne reaches out to clap him on the shoulder. ]
Judith said it was your turn to tell her a story tonight, I'm gonna find Jackie and talk to her before turning in. See you in the morning.
[ She isn't going far, just to the back of the store into a stock room where Jackie's set up. The kids are all there, sitting quietly and staring up at her when she walks in. Michonne smiles at first, but when they don't smile back, it becomes unnerving and she frowns at them, questioning aloud. ]
Where's Jackie?
[ They don't respond, but as she looks at their faces, one pair of eyes looks to the right. Just as Michonne turns to see Jackie, she's hit hard right between the eyes and everything goes black. For a few seconds she struggles to hold onto lucidity, hearing Jackie prop the backdoor open, instructing the oldest to lead the youngest out. As her hands are being tied, she loses consciousness completely, the pain in her head overwhelming.
The next time she wakes, it's because of searing pain in her lower back competing with her head. She's strapped to a table; to her left, medical instruments that don't look like anything she'd want cutting into her. Her movement causes Jackie to appear, staring down at her.
I heard you and Amos. You wanted to keep my kids? You don't deserve the one you have, you sure as hell don't deserve another.
It becomes clear in that moment what Jackie's going to do, and Michonne begins to struggle, trying to get loose, only to agitate whatever wound on her back is fresh. It's agony and she screams behind a gag before going still, sweating.
Don't worry, we'll go back for Judith and I'll raise her right.
Jackie walks out of the small room, and Michonne tries to scream after her. At the very least, she knows Amos won't let Jackie get anywhere close to Judith, so she can focus on herself and getting free. But she can't figure out a way to do it, the pain she's in almost causes her to black out again, and her hands and feet are still strapped down.
She refuses to die this way, and all she can do is try to bargain.
Outside of the old warehouse Jackie has taken Michonne and the kids to, the oldest children act as guards with guns, instructed to shoot to kill. The younger kids have knives waiting and hiding inside, while Jackie prepares to forcefully take Michonne's baby in the deepest interior room. ]