- N I N E -

The Walking Dead
(season 1-11)

'I never thought I would
ever love someone because
they were incapable to love me
and here i found you.'

by @everm0res
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- F A M I L Y  T I M E -

By the time five men and Izraella left, Maia was with Giselle, Luna and Rosalyn.

Maia stood with an annoyed look on here face as she helped Giselle hang some laundry on the make shift washing line.

"Maia, Anthony will be just fine." Giselle reassured the girl hanging up the laundry.

"I know." Maia muttered and looking at Rosalyn and Luna who were playing with sticks.

"You don't seem so sure." Giselle then put a hand on Maia's shoulder.

"I am, I am sure." Maia spoke trying to defend her reasoning however Giselle could see right through her.

"Look, I understand you're worried but he's done it before, and you trust him." Giselle gave the woman a reassuring pat on the shoulder which Maia shrugged off.

Don't get Maia wrong, she appreciated it but she never really enjoyed being given pity of any kind.

"It's just he's a fucking dumbass, that's why." Maia said loud enough for Luna and Rosalyn to hear and they started laughing.

"Maia." Giselle spoke in a stern motherly tone.

"Sorry, kids." Maia sighed and put a pair of shorts on the washing line.

Giselle sighed. She knew how stubborn Maia was, which is why she wasn't surprised nor did she question it.

"Hey guys!" Lara, Glenn's little sister came jogging with a small smile on her face.

"Hey Lara, what's up hun?" Giselle turned to the girl with a smile and the girls who were playing with sticks looked up.

"Uh, Carol wanted me to ask you guys if you could help with the laundry, it's a lot, if that's okay?" Lara asked awkwardly and glanced at Maia.

She noticed how Maia had a resting bitch face, it was intimidating for a 12 year old girl so no one could blame her.

"Oh yeah, of course, we'll be down at the Quarry in a minute." Giselle gave Maia a nudge as she was trying to signal something.

"What?" Maia asked confused at the nudge and she looked at Lara.

"Yeah, we'll be down there." Maia nodded and gave Lara a small smile with the girl nervously returned.

Lara motioned Luna and Rosalyn to follow her. The two girls got up then followed their friend.

"What was the nudge for?" Maia looked at the woman next to her and Giselle gave Maia a motherly look.

"You're intimidating the poor girl, quit with the face and smile, Anthony will be just fine." Giselle spoke to Maia and she just sighed in return.

"Fine. I'll be nice." Maia sighed and Giselle pat Maia on the shoulder.

———————

Maia and Giselle each took a basket down to the quarry where the others were.

Lori and Shane were talking in the distance all while the kids were running around.

Carl was chasing the girls around the Quarry with a bucket saying that there were frogs on the inside ready to jump on them.

The girls screaming as they were chased by Carl.

"They're gonna get you!" Carl ran after Rosalyn, Luna, Lara and Sophia.

The mothers smiled at the kids.

"What's going on with Lori and Pain in the ass?" Maia leaned to Giselle who looked over to where Maia's eyes were.

"I see you already have nicknames for everyone." Giselle chuckled softly and made her way with Maia closer to the quarry.

"Not everyone just the people I don't take a liking to." Maia shrugged and sat down next to Carol who gave her a smile.

"Maia, you don't take a liking to many people." Giselle sat next to her and handed Maia a few pairs on clothes.

"Exactly." Maia snickered and Giselle smiled at her giving her a small nudge with her shoulder.

"So Maia, you settling in?" Jacqui piped up from beside Amy.

"Well, yes however it would've been nicer if i didn't have to do laundry right now." Maia sighed and started washing some clothes.

Amy nodded and Jacqui smiled at the response.

Maia sighs and looks behind her for a split second, eyes burning into the back of her head.

Ed was leaning on the back of a car and staring at the women and Maia gave him a dirty look.

The women were talking about what they missed about the old.

"My computer...texting." Amy sighed and squeezed water out of a shirt.

"I miss my vibrator." Andrea says all of a sudden.

"Oh!" Jacqui cooed. "Oh my god." Amy laughed and the rest of the women started to chuckle.

Carol looked back at Ed for a second before piping up.

"Me too." Carol spoke and everyone's jaw dropped.

"Carol!" Giselle laughed and Maia covered her mouth. "Me too, Jesus Christ." Maia laughed softly and Giselle hit Maia on the shoulder.

The rest of the women laugh.

"Hey! what can I say? ROTC was tough." Maia laughed and the rest laughed as well.

"What's so funny?" Ed walked over with a blunt in his hand.

"Just swapping war stories, Ed." Andrea looked over to the man with the blunt in his hand.

He stayed quiet and watched the women silently.

Confusion filled Maia's head, she noticed how Carol didn't dare to speak to her husband.

It was clear as day to Maia, Ed was hurting Carol and even if Maia knew little to nothing about the two, she knew Carol didn't deserve it.

The kids had run back up the hill a long time ago, still being chased by Carl with a bucket, kids were gullible and they were just having fun.

"Problem, Ed?" Andrea piped up and Ed blew out smoke.

"Nothin' that concerns you." Ed started and looked to his working wife. "And you ought to focus on you work. This ain't no comedy club."

Maia bit down on her lip before turning to Ed.

"And you ought to shut your damn mouth." Maia smiled innocently as she gave the man an annoyed look.

"Excuse me?" Ed asked before walking closer.

Maia stood up before inhaling, Giselle's motherly instincts kicked in by now.

She tried to keep Maia seated.

"You're excused. You heard me, do you actually have a job? or is your job be an annoying piece of shit." Maia smiled sarcastically and stepped closer to Ed who glared at her.

"Ed, tell you what..." Andrea felt the need to pitch in.

"You don't like how your laundry is done, you are welcome to pitch in and do it yourself. Here." Andrea pushed past Maia slightly and gave Ed a wet shirt before throwing the shirt back at Andrea.

"Ain't my job, missy." Ed spoke and Maia stepped in front of Ed.

"What is your job? huh? because so far all i've seen is a horrible fat bastard who doesn't know how to smoke a blunt." Maia slapped the blunt out of his hand.

"Maia, por favor." Giselle stood up and Andrea started getting defensive as well.

"Well, it sure as hell ain't listening to some uppity smart-mouthed bitches. Tell you what...Come on let's go." He spoke to Maia and Andrea before motioning Carol to come over.

"She's not going anywhere." Maia smiled and put a hand out to stop Carol.

"I say it's none of your business. Come on now." Ed demanded and Maia tilted her head.

"No, screw you. If you're just gonna sit on your ass and smoke cigarettes all day while watching your hard working wife is here and you're criticising her and the women around her then you shouldn't be here and you should put whatever skills you have to proper use." Maia spoke and Andrea stood in front of Carol putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Andrea, please. It doesn't matter." Carols voice was soft and tears brimmed her eyes.

"Hey, don't think I won't knock you on your ass, just because you're a woman, and because she is some college-educated cooze, alright?" Ed spoke and Andreas jaw dropped in offence.

"Okay." Maia scoffed.

"Now you come on now or you gonna regret it later." Ed spoke to his wife and Maia stood in front of Carol.

"So she can show up with fresh bruises later, Ed?" Jacqui spoke up and Giselle stood next to Andrea.

"Yeah, we've seen them, you're a horrible person." Giselle spoke up.

"Stay out of this. Now come on!" Ed's voice echoed.

"You know what? This song none of y'all's business. You don't keep prodding the bull here, okay? Now I am done talking. Come on." Ed demanded, his voice being raised.

He took Carol by the arm and the first instinct was the get Carol out of his grip.

All the women started muttering something to Carol, saying that she didn't need to go with him.

"You don't tell me what! I'll tell you what!" Ed yelled before he smacked Carol across the face, yelps escaped from the woman.

"Back off!" Maia punched Ed in the face, he held his cheek and tried to touch Maia.

Shane was quick to pull him away from the women at the scene and Giselle held Maia back from doing anything.

"Get off me!" Ed yelled.

Shane took him away from the women and Carol mumbled Ed's name, she was crying.

"It's okay, it's okay." The women reassured her.

Shane punched Ed until his whole face was busted.

"Shane, stop!" Giselle yelled, the other women protesting as well.

"Shane, get off!" Andrea yelled, Maia stayed silent.

"Oh god!" Carol cried.

Shane got off of Ed and Andrea let go of Carol who ran to her husbands side.

Maia had a look of pure disgust on her face.

Carols apologies to her husband were heard by the rest.

Maia shook her head and looked around for the kids, none of them to be found.

"Maia." Giselle spoke up.

"No, Giselle." Maia replied before walking past Shane.

"Maia, please stop walking away, you seriously don't need to be so hostile." Giselle followed after the girl.

They both walked up the hill.

"No, this is bullshit. This happens all the time?" Maia spoke in disbelief.

"Yes but-." Giselle was cut off by Maia.

"There are kids around! That's bullshit, goddamn bullshit! He deserved what he got, no one deserves to be disrespected like that." Maia spoke from experience she held a strong hatred for men like Ed.

"Maia, I understand that you hold strong feelings for the topic but please, I beg of you don't go around punching people and hurting others every time they do something wrong." Giselle asked as they both walked up the hill.

"It seems to be the only people actually do anything here." Maia replied as she walked past the kids who had really confused looks.

"Don't go down there, any of you." Maia leaned down to the kids level. "Why?" Rosalyn asked.

"Just don't, okay?" Maia nodded and the others looked at her confused but nodded in return.

Giselle stood by the kids now and gave Maia a look.

"Don't give me that look, 'elle." Maia shook her head at Giselle.

It was a look of sympathy and sadness for the girl.

"Giselle, please." Maia asked nicely and Giselle nodded.

"Then don't act like this should be your ROTC training camp okay?" Giselle sighed and Maia nodded and gave a huff.

"What's wrong down there?" Lara asked the women.

"Don't worry, okay? They're just trying to figure some stuff out, if you hear crying or screaming don't worry, please." Maia tried reassuring all the kids, her focus was mainly on Luna who gave her a look.

The kids nodded in return.

Maia had an impact on these kids, she seemed so worried.

Maia nodded and stood up.

"Don't go down there, I mean it." Maia pointed her finger to the kids.

"We know." Luna replied softly and sighed.

"Good..." Maia spoke softly and Lara gave Maia a confused gaze which Maia shook her head at.

Giselle sighed at Maia's behaviour, she understood why but it felt irrational. But was it really?

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jada speaks!!
hello baes!
so basically this is chapter nine, not gonna lie this took me two days to actually finish and it kinda bad ik. I feel like this chapter sort of fills in a few gaps between how Maia acts. The topic of abuse is clearly a sensitive topic for Maia and it's good that we got to see it.
please interact, I love when people interact with my books it's really great.
hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for almost 3k reads.
tags: grimesscn l0vedbyjaja