Wilted

t w e n t y s i x

I wound up leaving mom and Carl in the house. Instead I wound up walking the streets of Alexandria once more, watching as Negan and the saviors ransacked our things. It was a sight I hated, but I couldn't convince myself to look away. Looking down the street, I watched as Negan spoke to Gabriel. Rick stood silently behind him, and my father not too far behind him staring at the floor.

Once more, the sight broke my heart. Here were two of the strongest men I've ever known being broken down by an evil man who got a good laugh out of the entire thing. I hated it. I hated him. 

Shaking my head, I turned around and began walking back to where I had came from. Watching as Carl began to follow a group of saviors into the infirmary. His hand was behind his back, and his shirt was slightly lifting revealing the gun he had in his waistband. 

"Oh no." I muttered before beginning to jog his direction. Before I could actually get into the infirmary a gunshot went off, encouraging me to run faster.

"Put some back, or the next one goes in you." Carl says, doing his best to sound intimidating. He cocks his gun and points it at a savior holding a crate of our medicine. 

The savior just laughs, a chilling grin making it's way to his face and a shudder runs down my spine. "Kid, what do you think happens next."

"You die." Carl grits out as his father and Negan enter the room. 

"Carl," Rick says slowly.  "Carl, put it down."

Carl doesn't listen. "No he's taking all our medicine." He seethes. "They said only half our stuff." 

I place my hand on the barrel of the gun slowly and push the gun down. "Carl, put the gun down." I whisper. 

"Of course." Negan says with a chuckle stepping in front of Rick. "Oh-ho, really kid?"

"And you should go." Carl says to Negan. He's risking everyone here. "Before you find out how dangerous we all are." 

"Well, pardon me young man." Negan says leaning back a little. "Excuse the shit out of my goddamn French, but did you just threaten me? Look, I get threatening Davey here, but I can't have it. Not him, not me."

"Carl, just put it down." Rick says as I lower the gun in Carl's hand and slowly remove it from his grip. 

"Don't be rude, Rick." Negan scolds. "We are having a conversation here. Now boy, where were we? Oh yeah! Your giant, man-sized balls."

Well, not that that is a good thing. I think to myself. He's not necessarily wrong.

"No threatening us. Listen, I like you. Actually I like both of you." He says gesturing between the two of us. "Growing up these days is harsh, so  I don't want to go hard proving a point here. You don't want that. I said half your shit, and half is what I say it is. I'm serious. Do you want me to prove how serious? Again?"

"No." I grit out shoving the gun into Negan's hands. "I think we understand just fine." 

Taking a small step in front of Carl, I hear him sigh and see as his shoulders visibly relax. Negan then turns to Rick who is visibly shaking. I can see the fear in his red rimmed eyes. 

"You know Rick, this whole thing reminds me that you have a lot of guns." Negan states. "There's all the guns you took from my outpost, when you wasted my people with a shit ton of your own guns, and I'm betting there's even more. Which adds up to an absolute ass-load of guns and as this little emotional outburst just made crystal clear... I can't allow that."

Rick gives his son a look. I do the same. Carl wasn't thinking, he put everyone here in danger because of it. 

"They're all mine now." Negan states with a sadistic smile. "So tell me Rick, where are my guns."