Reflections - TWD

75. The Kingdom.

The next morning, everyone gathered in Gregory's office. Rick wanted to know if he would let the Hilltop people fight the Saviors.

"No! No way in hell. That was not the deal. You people swore you could take the Saviors out, and you failed. So any arrangement we had is now done, null and void, alright?" Gregory paced back and forth behind his desk. "We aren't trade partners, we aren't friends, and we never met. Hm? We don't know eachother," he sat back down in his chair and looked at Rick. "I owe you nothing. In fact, you owe me for taking in the refugees at great personal risk."

"You owe us everything," Freddie stepped forward, this was the first time he'd spoken up in front of a lot of people. "You know why all this happened? Because we went in that outpost to defend your people, four people are dead, Aaron can't even walk on his own the Saviors beat him that bad, Isabella almost got assaulted and is missing half of her ear!"

Isabella looked down and felt her face turn red. Only Rosita and Freddie knew about that day in her room.

Maggie stepped forward. "How many people can we spare? How many people here can fight?"

"We?" Gregory scoffed. "I don't even know how many people we have, Margaret. And does it even matter? I mean...w-w-what are you gonna do? Start a platoon of sorghum farmers? 'Cause that's what we got. They grow things. They're not gonna want to fight."

"I think you need to grow something," Isabella snapped.

"You're wrong," Tara shrugged at Gregory. "When people have the chance to do the right thing, they usually step up. I mean, people just-"

"Let me stop you before you break into song, okay?" Gregory held out a hand to Tara. "And, by the way, who would train all this cannon fodder?"

"I will," Sasha piped up.

"Give me a week," Rosita spoke at the same time as the other woman.

Gregory put on a sing song voice with wide eyes. "Rhe-torricalll, okay? I don't wanna know. I never want to hear another word about any of it, ever."

Rick rubbed his forehead exhaustedly and held out a hand to Gregory without even looking at him. "Would we be better off without the Saviors, yes or no?"

"Yeah. Sure. Okay," Gregory sighed.

"So, what will you do to fix the problem?" Michonne stepped forward, tapping her finger on one of the chairs.

"I didn't say we had a problem. You did. And what happened outside of my purview is outside of my purview," Gregory shook his head.

"What the hell, man?" Daryl leaned forward. "You're either with us or you ain't. You're sittin' over there talkin' outta both sides of your mouth."

Gregory stood up and started to roll his sleeves up. "Well, I-I think I've made my position very clear. And I want to thank all of you for not being here today, but for listening," he gave Isabella weird look and then rubbed his left ear. "Go out the back."

Isabella gritted her teeth together and then walked out inbetween Sasha and Rosita, all three of them mumbling different things.

"Dickhead."

"Walking ballsack."

"Wanna knock that idiot's teeth out."

"Yeah, well, we don't need him anyway," Daryl grumbled as he left the room.

"Yeah, that's right," Rick nodded. "'Cause we have Maggie and Sasha and Jesus here."

"And Enid," Maggie pointed out before the door opened. Funnily enough, it was Enid.