For several long seconds, neither man spoke. The wind drifted through the prison yard, carrying the faint scent of smoke from Merle's cigarette, and around them the guards remained alert, hands never straying far from their weapons. Daryl leaned silently against the truck while Merle watched the two men with open amusement, neither of them seeming eager to interrupt.
Shane was the first to break the silence, a faint, humorless smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. "...Didn't think I'd be seeing you again." His voice was calmer than Glenn remembered — calmer than anyone expected.
Michael studied him without answering. Months ago, Shane would've met his gaze with the same quiet arrogance that had always defined him, the kind that dared anyone to question him. Tonight he simply held Michael's gaze, not backing down, not provoking him either. He waited, patiently, as though he'd learned the value of letting silence do the work.
Finally Michael spoke. "I can't say the feeling's mutual."
Shane gave a slow nod. "I figured."
The answer caught Glenn off guard. He'd expected Shane to say something more — an excuse, at least — but instead the man accepted the remark without protest. Beside him, Andrea quietly studied Michael, unable to understand why he seemed so cautious. To her, Shane was just another survivor who'd chosen the wrong side, a man who not only abandoned them but returned with an army to attack the prison. Nothing more. Yet Michael studied him like he was searching for something that wasn't there.
A few steps away, one of the guards subtly adjusted his grip on his rifle. He didn't recognize Shane, but judging by how Michael, Glenn, and Andrea were treating the man, there had to be a reason for their caution. I wonder what happened between them?
Merle broke the silence with a quiet snort. "...Hell." He flicked the ash from his cigarette. "I was expectin' somebody to throw the first punch by now."
Nobody acknowledged him. He shrugged and took another drag. Even Daryl stayed quiet, having spent most of the drive back watching Shane, who hadn't said much the entire trip except to argue with his brother.
"We weren't really expecting to see you again." Michael's expression remained unreadable. "Especially tonight." A brief silence followed. "And certainly not after everything you've done." He let the words linger. "So before I lose interest — start talking."
The prison yard fell silent once more, every pair of eyes settling on Shane, waiting. He didn't answer right away, his gaze drifting instead around the yard — the watchtowers, the new wall, the new faces. When it returned to Michael, there was something resembling approval in it.
"You've really done one hell of a job with this place."
Nobody answered. Merle rolled his eyes and muttered to himself, "Still full of shit, ain't ya?"
Michael's expression never changed. "You didn't come all this way and disturb everyone's sleep just to compliment the place, did you?"
"No." Shane shook his head once. "I didn't."
Silence settled over them again before he finally exhaled. "I came because I need to talk to Rick."
The words landed exactly as expected. Andrea's shoulders tensed, Glenn quietly sighed, even one of the guards shifted his stance. Only Michael remained unmoved.
"I figured." His voice stayed level. "But Rick isn't coming out here."
Shane frowned slightly. "I wasn't asking your permission."
"No." Michael met his eyes without hesitation. "You were."
Nobody spoke. The air somehow felt heavier than before. For the first time since the conversation began, Shane looked away — not because he'd lost his nerve, but because he understood the situation. This wasn't the quarry anymore. This wasn't Hershel's farm. This wasn't a lonely stretch of a highway. This was Michael's prison.
Michael broke the silence. "Stop wasting our time. Everyone here is tired. You tell me why you're here, and then we'll decide whether Rick needs to hear it." The words weren't hostile. They were matter-of-fact — simply the reality of who was in control.
Shane stared at him for several seconds. Then, unexpectedly, he nodded. "...Fair enough."
He lowered his head a moment, letting out a slow breath. "I've replayed this conversation in my head more times than I can count."
A faint, humorless smile crossed his face. "There wasn't a single version where any of you welcomed me, and I was right. In your eyes, it might have looked like Daryl invited me here, but that was only because I saved them today. That bastard made sure I wasn't welcomed even before we got here."
Nobody laughed. He hadn't expected them to. His gaze lifted toward Michael again. "I know what I did. I'm not asking any of you to understand it." The words were simple, but everyone present understood their weight — no excuses, just a quiet acknowledgment of what he did.
Michael remained silent, his expression giving nothing away. After several moments he finally spoke. "Good."
The single word caught Shane off guard.
"It's good that you know what you did," Michael continued evenly, "then you should also know that nobody here is interested in hearing an apology from you."
Another silence settled between them. Shane gave a small nod. "I know."
"No." Michael folded his arms across his chest. "You think you do, but if you actually understood what you did, you wouldn't still be standing here hiding behind Rick's name. I need you to be honest and tell us why you're really here, because everyone is tired and we don't want to hear any more of your nonsense."
Shane stared at him a moment, letting out a quiet breath. Michael waited. Shane still said nothing, the silence dragging on for several more seconds before he finally spoke. "I told you." He met Michael's gaze. "I came here because I need to talk to Rick."
Michael didn't react, his expression as unreadable as ever. "...That's not the truth."
Shane's jaw tightened. "It is."
"No." Michael shook his head once. "That's the reason you're giving me. It isn't the real one."
The prison yard fell silent. Shane held his gaze. Neither man blinked. Then—
"...My goodness." Merle tossed his cigarette to the ground and crushed it beneath his boot. "Michael is right. Everyone here is tired, and I've had enough listenin' to this bullshit."
Everyone turned toward him. Even Shane frowned. Merle jabbed a finger in his direction. "Why do you keep blabbering so much nonsense? Just tell 'em what you really came for!"
"Merle—"
"No." Merle cut him off without hesitation. "You've been dancin' around it from the moment you decided to stick with us today." He looked toward Michael. "This idiot didn't come here because of Rick." The words settled over the prison yard, nobody spoke, and Merle snorted.
"He came here 'cause he wants to see Lori." A beat passed. "And the baby she's carryin'."
Someone gulped. Andrea's eyes widened, Glenn slowly looked toward Shane, and even Daryl's expression tightened before he let out a sigh.
Shane closed his eyes for the briefest moment. "...I was gonna tell them."
Merle barked out a dry laugh. "Yeah? When? After another hour of this?" He smiled like he was going insane. "F*ck! The worst they'll do is kick your ass outta here for telling the truth! So why the hell've you been lyin' for the last five damn minutes? It's almost midnight! I oughta kill your dumb ass myself!"
He yelled in frustration and started pointing at him.