Chapter Text
"Please let me in," you say as you lean against the door. It's faint, but you can hear that she's crying. "Maggie, it's just me out here. Let me in."
She comes to the door and opens it for you, wiping away her tears with the sleeve of her flannel. Her face is red and her eyes are puffy. She sits back down at her desk while you close the door and lock it behind you. You know just as well as she does that nobody needs to see her cry, not now and not ever. You decide to stand at her side and rub her back as she continues to sob. You figure that it would be best to comfort now and ask questions later, and your assumption proves to be correct as Maggie leans into you. You wrap your arms around her in a gentle hug.
"You're going to be okay, Miss Maggie," you assure her. "I don't really know what's going on, but everything will be okay."
"It's over," she states. "Both of them are gone."
"What do you mean both of them, ma'am?"
She takes a deep breath and pushes her hair out of her face before looking you in the eye. "Negan's gone, but so is Rick."
"How?"
"The bridge."
You take a moment to collect your thoughts before realizing that in saying "the bridge," she means someone sacrificed it, and as you had put forth effort to help repair it, a tinge of anger briefly comes over you. "Can you tell me what happened, or?"
"Rick led part of the herd to the bridge and destroyed it to save the town." Another tear falls down Maggie's cheek, and you have to stop yourself from wiping it for her. "And Negan? I took care of him."
"About time he paid." You reach for Maggie's hand, and she lets you take it. "But I'm so sorry about Rick, Miss Maggie. I know you were close to him."
She shakes her head. "I don't know what to say about it. Michonne is a wreck and I can't help but cry because I know exactly how she feels. She's lost everything but Judith. I need to find a way to make things easier for her."
"I'll do whatever I can to help you, you know that." You squeeze her hand, and she squeezes in return. "Whatever you need me to do, you tell me, boss. I can handle it."
Maggie takes another deep breath. "I need you to go take care of the horse that was brought in. It looks like Rick was riding it when he was leading the walkers. Make sure she's okay enough to go riding on."
You offer a salute, and a slight smile creeps briefly across her face. "Yes ma'am, Miss Maggie."
"Come here before you go." You always follow Maggie's orders like a puppy to its master, so you approach her, and you're met with a tender kiss. She breaks away and tucks a key into your pocket. "That's a copy of my master key. Don't lose it."
You nod and head for the door.