The Sanctuary

[R A B i D P i X i E S]

 

[R A B i D P i X i E S]

Grace glared at Simon and the others with him, but when she felt a zip tie being placed around her wrists she couldn’t help but hiss. They put it just a little too tight and certainly didn’t care about being careful around her newly exposed flesh from the road rash. Either way, she just kept her mouth shut, giving Dwight an apologetic look because he had been the one to let her go to save her a**. But it backfired on him big time, and with what Simon said to him she was sure that maybe the scarring in his face wasn’t something he’d gotten before the outbreak. Soon enough she was loaded into the back of a truck with the others that had been searching for her and they were off. She wasn’t sure what direction they went or how far they went but when they came to a stop she heard the same man that was speaking to her and Daryl—the long haired one. And she certainly didn’t miss the woman’s voice either. Her accent wasn’t easy to miss.

Jared watched Charlotte storm toward Daryl with a s**t eating grin on his face. He even gave a belly laugh at her new nickname for the redneck. “Joe dirt? I like that s**t!! Why didn’t I ******** think of that?” He had hoped to watch her pummel the hell out of Daryl, and when she was pulled away he stepped forward while stuffing his gun into the back of his jeans. “Whoa, whoa! Cmon. Let her get a few good licks in. I bet he knows too well what it’s like to be beaten down by a woman.” He smirked at Daryl and wrapped his arm around Charlotte’s midsection, spinning her around to face him. “Told ya we were gonna get them.” He leaned in to kiss her, but the truck pulling up caught his attention and when he saw who was in the back, he laughed out loud. “We got all of em! It’s gonna be a damn good night. When Negan’s happy everyone’s happy.” He smacked Charlotte’s a** to get her to move forward and followed her into the cab of the truck—finally heading home.

When Charlotte came at him, her punches were what knocked his lights out. That and the blood loss and pain from getting stabbed too. What woke him up was when the knife was pulled out of his shoulder. He, Grace, and Remy were outside and surrounded by Saviors. First he looked at Grace and pressed his lips together, because she was hurt AND she was caught so that meant that there wasn’t any chance of her getting back to the school yet. Then he looked to Remy. She looked even worse for wear, covered in mud and s**t. Finally he looked around at the Saviors, hand clutching at his bleeding shoulder. “The ******** you want with us, huh?! We ain’t done s**t. You came after us!” They had. All he and Grace had tried to do was get away.

Grace looked around at the others and frowned, blowing some hair from her eyes. They even moved to get Remy and Daryl’s hands zip ties behind their back too, ignoring the blood that seemed to pour from his shoulder. In her fall her radio smashed to pieces so it wasn’t even like she could call back to the school and let them know what happened. They were stuck. “Look, we don’t want trouble. This isn’t our problem, we...were not involved.” There might not even be a point in trying to reason with these people.

“Aww, look at little red trying to make amends? Listen honey—your s**t out of luck. There’s no getting away from the big bad wolf this time.” He grinned and pulled Charlotte even closer to him, wrapping his arms around her shoulders to hold her against him, with his nose pressed into her hair.

 

[yoshidoom]

-



Negan stepped out of his truck with a wide as grin. "Now that?! That was kinda fun! Gave me some ideas for the Most Dangerous Game, if you know what I ******** mean." He chuckled to himself as he stepped in front of the trio. The gears in his mind turning as he looked from person to person. The redhead looked terrified. The redneck still had fire in his eyes. Remy was passed out. Which wouldn't make killing her any fun. "You two," he looked back between Daryl and Grace. "You two don't have a ******** clue who I am but... You're gonna. You're gonna learn real goddamn quick that I am not an a*****e you assholes wanna mess with." His dark gaze landed on Daryl and his grin grew. "I like you. You've got some serious balls. Just like our girl here. People are a resource and maybe the whole lot of you are worth saving. For now, anyway." Negan stood tall, confidence radiating off of him.

Negan turned to look at his saviors before waving Dwight to step forward. "Dwighty boy here knows a s**t ton about wanting redemption! Sure as s**t, he knows all about how being here is better than being out there. Maybe he'd be best to show Dumb and Dumber here the way." He waved Lucille between the hunter and the unconscious Cajun. "D, meet your new prisoners. If they survive the night without one of them turning and killing the other, they're all your's." Remy looked bad. Really bad. Negan wasn't sure she'd make it. But that would be part of the excitement. Daryl was bleeding like a mother ******** too. Maybe they'd both turn before morning. Maybe one would and attack the other. Maybe the other would find a way to survive. Or not. It was like a test by Negan. If one or both survived, Negan assumed they were fighters. They were worth saving and turning into saviors. Because he didn't take pussies on his side. He wanted fighters. Survivors. "Put them in a cell together and we'll have us a little experiment. Dwight gets whatever is ******** left in the morning."

This was Dwight's way to redeem himself. Whatever was waiting for him in that cell the next day, he had to do what he could with it. And Negan was, admittedly, excited to see just what happened next. "D, get your prisoners out of here before I change my mind and keep all this fun s**t for myself!" Negan's attention then turned to Grace and his smile grew a little more as she moved to stand in front of the small woman. "And then there was one." She had sparked his curiosity. His tongue poking out to run across his bottom lip. "You look scared, sweetheart. Don't be. I'm not gonna hurt you unless you ask for it. s**t, so far I've even spared Remy and she definitely asked for it. But I see potential. For her and your friend. They'll see and so will you. C'mon, don't look at me like that! You're breakin' my heart!" He placed his hand over his chest in a mock pain. "Look, those two... They fought back. All you did was run and I can't really blame you for that. I did come on a little bit strong. What do ya say I have Simon, here, take you to the clinic. Get those ******** checked out then we can talk. You can tell me a little about yourself. Maybe give me a reason not to kill you and your friend if you can find one." Negan chuckled as he looked over his shoulder at Simon and nodded his head. "Think about it doll, I'll be waiting. And I'm not a patient man." He wanted Grace scared. But he also wanted her to see that he was a man who could get her taken care of. It had to be the perfect cocktail of fear and respect.

 

[R A B i D P i X i E S]

Grace looked to Daryl and Remy and frowned. But when Negan turned his attention to her she just shook her head. “I’m not scared. I’m just...sad.” She kept her voice even. “You can’t be scared of death anymore. I’m ready for it if that’s what’s coming to me.” She held his gaze too, looking over his expresssion. “I’m looking forward to it.” To speaking with him. Connecting with people was something she could relate too. But there was one thing that made her especially sad. Her daughter back home. It wasn’t a child conceived out of love—but that didn’t mean she loved the child any less. No, she came from something that happened early on in the outbreak—only at 2 years old and now? Now she was probably wondering where her mama was and that broke her heart even more.

When Simon led her to the clinic, Carson gave her one look and frowned at the man. “The zip ties aren’t necessary. Please remove them.” He needed to look over her injuries and clean them and that wouldn’t make it any easier. So once he did that, she sat on the bed and allowed the man to work on her. But when he grabbed the rubbing alcohol she shook her head. “Hydrogen peroxide or betidine would work better...” Carson looked at her with confusion and listened to her, switching it up as he went on to clean her wounds. Once that was all said and done and he wrapped her up, she was sent on her way. Following Simon as he led her to Negan.

Green eyes looked the man over and she breathed out a sigh. “I’m not trying to hurt anyone, you know. I just—I gotta get back to my baby.” That was all she could get out before he took her to a door and knocked three times, announcing who was there before letting her inside. Which of course she was nervous. But still yet she wasn’t scared. Not of them and not of death. “You wanted to speak to me?” Her voice was soft, but her tone indicated that she was holding onto something else. So instead of sitting she just stood there, looking around his room. Instead of letting him speak first, she decided to speak up and initiate the conversation.

“My names Grace in case you were wondering. I...I don’t know what else you want to know. I was a nurse before this. I have a community I need to get back to—desperately. I...” She wasn’t sure if she needed to bring up little Ella or not but she sure as hell felt the need to do so. “I have a daughter back there waiting on me. I’m all she’s got. She...Her biological father is out there somewhere. But he....he’s a bad man with a bad group. She might have been a child of rape but she is still mine and she’s all I’ve got, Negan.” Maybe trying to give him the information he wanted would help her case. She wasn’t sure but just hoped so. “She wasnt born before the outbreak. I wasn’t married and I didn’t have a family before this. But some bad things happened with a bad man and she was the result. But—But Negan I love her. I need her and she needs me.” Her expression dropped further. She frowned deeply and had to look at the ground. There was no telling what would happen because she had been seeing signs. Signs that those people were watching. They were close. And if they knew she and Daryl hadn’t returned it broke her heart to think about what might happen.

So much so that she couldn’t help but start to cry, as pathetic as it looked. “I’ll give you anything you want. Food and veggies, we’ve got it. Water source. I just—I gotta make sure she’s alright. Please.” Now that her hands were free she brought them up to wipe at her eyes, the bruises from the zip ties were there. Dark as night.

 

[wewerewalkers]

Dwight was still slightly ashamed that Simon caught him trying to do the right thing. It was true. Grace had merely ran. He didn’t see her as being able to make it with the Saviors, still. He silently grit his teeth as Jared told her that she wasn’t going to get away. Dwight silently vowed that he would help her. Especially now that he knew she had a group, as evidenced by a map Simon found in the truck when he searched it prior to bringing them back.

Negan, of course, made an example out of him, telling of his tale of seeking redemption through the Saviors. For deserting them the first time. And showing off his hell of a scar from the iron he took for doing so. Negan didn’t go easy when it came to punishments.

Hearing that he had not one, but two prisoners that he could watch over, his heart lightened just a little. This was it! His one shot. Had Simon talked him up just a little already?

“I-I won’t let you down, Negan.” Dwight could hardly look the man in the eye. And sure as s**t, he escorted both Remy and Daryl to their cell. He cut their ties, with help from another Savior, and shoved them inside. He threw in an opened can of dog food and four pieces of bread on a plate, followed by a half-gallon jug of water.

“You two get along, ya hear?” He smirked at them. “You two make it, we’re gonna have fun.”

“Hey, D-Bag!” Charlotte greeted loudly, hands reaching behind her to pull Jared with her by the buckle of his belt. “We just wanted to say congrats. Y’know- for not ******** up and making Negan notice ya. Maybe ya can be a good little Savior again.” She cackled and then turned to face Jared with the biggest grin she could bring forward. “I mean, we’re gonna help him make somethin’ of himself, right, baby? Like our own little charity case? We are good people, after all.”

Dwight couldn’t help but roll his eyes in irritation. If anything, Jared and Charlotte would only make his job harder. But at the same time, if they tried to screw things up and he could work past it, things would be better. “I think I got it. Thanks.” He muttered.

Charlotte giggled and ran her hand through her hair and then looked over at the prisoners in the cell. “Man, you’s guys are in a real ******** up situation. Rem, you especially.” She said. “We aren’t bad people- you just gotta do bad things to stay alive. You know I’m not a bad person, Remy.” She gave a slightly menacing grin, and then turned to Daryl, pointing from her eyes to him. “But, you, Bubba Bumpkin? I’mma make ya life hell. Bruised my beautiful man’s face up and all. He was just tryin’ ta help and that’s the thanks he gets?”

She turned towards Jared then, pulling him forward by his belt loops to plant a kiss on his lips. Her fingers lingered just inside the waistband of his pants and then slipped inside. “I don’t know about you, Jare, but seein’ ya in this nice and caring kinda mood gets me real ********’ turned on. See? If they could be as nice as us, they could have s**t like this.”  

[yoshidoom]

-



Negan was already waiting for the redhead to be brought to him. The map Simon had given Negan already laid out on the table in front of him. Oh, he was prepared. Or, he thought he was. When the woman introduced herself then went on to explain that she had a daughter, Negan was stunned. Grace was even willing to give up her community's resources to get back to her child. Usually it took a little torture to see this level of broken but Grace was already there. But, he stayed calm. Smiling as Grace spoke before he leaned forward in his chair and pointed at the marked spot on the map. "I'm going to assume this is where your little community is?" He already knew the answer. And it made him feel powerful to already know such things. "See, I already know you've got a home. And I'm pretty sure I know where it is since some dumbass left this little map in that truck you and that redneck had." He chuckled as he leaned back, bringing his hands together in front of his body and crossing one leg over the other.

"I'll take you back home but just you. I already said, I like... Oh, what's his ******** name again? The dirty hick? Yeah. He's going to make me a damn good soldier one day." Negan promised, his eyes darkening a little. "You said you were a nurse before. That could be real ******** useful to me. So, here's my deal." He motioned toward one of the chairs along the table as he spoke. "I'm going to give you two choices, Gracie. One, you get to go to your people. I'll even leave your a** there but I'm taking half your s**t back here with me. Half. In a week? I'm going to come back for another half. Every week, you're going to give me half of whatever it is you got." He looked right at her, making sure his words sunk in. "Or... I'll take you home. You talk to your people then... You come back here with me. You can even bring your brat back here with you but you work for me. Without protest. Without that crying s**t." Which affected Negan more than he was willing to admit so he was powering through the sight of her tears. "You do that and... I'll go easier on your people with the pickups. What do ya say?"

---

Remy was out until the cold damp floor in the cell jarred her awake. She groaned a little as the sound of voices filled her ears. Voices she wasn't too fond of. And another with a Boston accent. Remy smirked as she turned her head to look back at the figures standing outside of her cell. She wasn't exactly sure what she had missed but the little power nap had definitely brought back a little of the fight in her. "Ya can keep that s**t. I wouldn't touch it with a nine foot pole, shaa." Remy shot back at Charlotte with a roll of her eyes. Jared disgusted her. To make it worse, seeing Charlotte hanging onto a slim weasel like that made the whole thing that much more revolting to the Cajun woman.

She used her arms, still shaky as they were, to push herself up into a sitting position and foolishly used the strength she got gotten to shoot her own cocky grin to the three people standing there looking in at them. "I ain't no damn headshrink but I bet 'Jare-bear' just feelin' a bit insecure. What's the matter, Jay? Lots screamin' out my name still?" She raised a brow at him before looking to Charlotte. "Lottie just lookin' for her next high. However she can get it aaaand Dwight..." Her icy gaze moved to the burned man next. "My guess for you gotta be that Big D is tryin' to make up for lil D. Simple as that." She leaned back against the wall with a heavy sigh. "Gotta say, first time I ever heard a sheep in wolves' clothin'. Act big and bad but none a ya are s**t." She lightly kicked one of the cans of dog food with the toe of her boot. "An' for the record, Remy Lebeau don't eat no damn dog food."

 

[R A B i D P i X i E S]

Daryl looked to Dwight with a deep scowl. He didn’t care that he was going to be locked up. But he did care about being locked up with Remy. He hardly knew the woman but here she was. Having walked into his life when he least expected it, and so far it’s been shitty. When Charlotte spoke to him about giving him a hard time he just scoffed. He was trying to be tough still yet, through all the pain. “Ya can ******** try, whore. Gimme yer best.” He figures that getting the woman riled up again might make this a little easier for him to get out. Use her as a hostage. But even more maybe he could get her back for coming to punch him. “Look at that. Ya need a damn woman to defend ya. That ain’t a man, that’s what a p***y a** b***h does.” He added, grinning to Jared to tease him right back.

Jared, while he didn’t like that Daryl was mouth off to him, couldn’t really find the means to focus on anything other than Charlotte. Her hand down his pants immediately had the blood rushing south, and even pulled a growl from his chest. “Let’s go take care of that s**t, baby.” His hand moved up to tangle his fingers in her dark locks, pulling her face toward him as he kissed her. And boy, did he go all out. His tongue danced with her own, his free hand slipping down to grab her a** and give it a firm squeeze. He was so damned happy and content. “Maybe D bag will let us take over a little shift over. Give these pricks something fun to do.” He turned to Dwight now with a questioning look, but then looked back to Charlotte. “But I’ve got some damn hot, sexy a** to go take care of. But don’t worry—I like to make sure everyone can hear it.” He winked at them now and pulled her up close, leading the woman all the way back to his room so they could get out all that pent up lust and sexual aggression.

But not too long after they finished was there a knock at the door. They hadn’t been finished but for about five minutes before Jared opened the door to see Gavin there. Of course seeing Jared shirtless and Charlotte behind him had the man rolling his eyes. “Get your s**t together and get out to the trucks in five. We gotta head to the kingdom for our pickup.” His eyes glanced to his watch, then looked back to them. “Just because we’ve got new prisoners doesn’t mean s**t. You still have responsibilities. Get the ******** ready and get out there.” With that, the quiet man made his leave and left Jared there with Charlotte.

Jared turned to Charlotte and grinned. “The kingdom is our favorite little dream town to visit. Those pricks must have their dicks tucked between their legs cause they’re the biggest pussies I’ve ever seen. Let’s get this out of the way so I can get me some more of that sweet a**.” He winked at her and then proceeded to get dressed, waiting for Charlotte before he hooked an arm around her and led the way out to the trucks.

Arriving there they already had the trucks loaded and ready....basically just waiting for Charlotte and Jared to arrive before they were going to take their leave. After two minutes they were loaded up and finally on their way to the kingdom.

Grace couldn’t help the tears that came from her, because it was her child. Her flesh and blood and the little life she had brought into this world and had learned to grow to love so damn much. Just the thought of anything bad happening to her made the woman was to collapse. So Negan’s terms didn’t bother her the least. She would agree to anything if it kept Ella safe. This whole deal just meant that she was going to need to work even harder to provide for the people of the school—but she’d do it. “I’ll do it. I’ll give you whatever the hell you want but please let me go home to her. She’s all I’ve got left in this world.” Even if she wasn’t a child that had been conceived out of love.

She didn’t want to bring Ella back here. She needed to be there to help lead the community and make sure they could have the items that Negan and his people needed. “I’m going to stay at my home. I’ll give you half of everything every week. Whatever you want. I just....there’s these people. The ones that—The man that fathered her. He’s out there and I had proof he had been watching. I just have to go back. I have to make sure that she’s alright. That everyone is alright. Please.” She didn’t mind begging. She’d do anything to keep that innocent little life safe. She had never done anything to anyone except get conceived by a horrible man. But that wasn’t the child’s fault.

“These people are animals. When he raped me...they...they carve people’s sins into their skin. Everyone. All of them are covered in it. And if you create another sin it goes there too. No matter how many times it’s already been carved on you...” She wiped at her face and then lifted her shirt high enough to show him where they word ‘Adultery’ had been carved into her. It was older so it was healed and scarred over already. But it was there. “He did his because he raped me. He will—they’re crazy and ruthless and so dangerous.” Her eyes moved to the window, already taking note that the sun was going down. Just seeing how much time had passed just made her get even more worried. More scared for Ella and the others.

After putting her shirt back down she waited until Negan decided it was time to go, and she didn’t hesitate a bit to follow him. All the way outside and to a truck. She never planned on hurting the man or anyone else. It wasn’t the kind of person she was. Not even after what had happened with the Seeds. For the entire ride there she was silent. Alternating between shifting in her seat and biting her nails. But when they got closer and closer she could see smoke. “No. Oh my god...” Her hand moved to the door, and right as the truck stopped she bolted right out of it. What was left at the school was a sight that was meant for horror movies. Bodies hanging from trees. Bodies placed like Jesus on the cross nailed up on different parts of the building. Decapitated heads everywhere. But she didn’t see Ella. That meant that there had to be a chance. There had to be hope she was alright.

Her legs carried the small woman into the school as fast as she could, dodging bodies and body parts as she made her way to Ella’s nursery, stepping through the open door with her heart in her throat. But right across the room the small toddler was crouched down next to toys. It almost looked like she was playing. “Thank god. Ella, baby. Mama’s here honey.” She moved forward an closer to the toddler, but when she stood and turned around her skin was pale. Eyes clouded over and dark marks around her throat from where she had been strangled.

That sight alone had Grace sucking in a gasp, followed by a deep, sorrow filled sob. “No—No please.” The toddler snarled and reached for her, arms outstretched and jaws snapping, but Grace didn’t move. Her hands cupped the toddlers face, and right across her forehead b*****d CHILD had been carved into her skin. Grace fell back into her butt, still holding Ella’s face in her hands as she sobbed. She cried so hard that she thought she was going to break. Out of the silence of the entire school, her cries echoed through the halls. Filled the room and just seemed to bounce around them. “My baby...oh god she’s gone. I’m so sorry, baby girl. I’m so sorry I couldn’t keep you safe. I’m so sorry I failed you, sweetie. I love you, Ella. I love you so much.” She leaned forward and kissed her forehead while her free hand wrapped around a piece of broken glass, grabbing it so damn tightly that her own hand sliced open. Then with a swift movement she pushed it through the toddlers skull, catching the small body when it fell limp.

But that didn’t help. She curled herself around the small body and held her close, sobbing into the bright red hair that Ella had on the top of her head, as her body rocked back and forth. It took her about two minutes to finally calm her cries down enough to pull herself from the ground, still carrying the little corpse in her arms. “I don’t—I don’t know what is left. I don’t know what they took. But whatever is left you can have it. Take it all.” She had to get outside, she had to make sure that no one got to Ella’s body. So from there she walked right back outside and to one of the trees that DIDNT have people hanging from them and gently laid her down, before moving to grab a shovel. And she started to dig. And dig. And dig.

Left in Ella’s nursery was a little box marked with ‘pictures and videos’ and it was filled with polaroids of Grace for every month she had been pregnant. And even then tons of polaroids of Ella as an infant and even ones of Ella and Grace together. Hundreds of them, documenting the little girls life so far.

Daryl looked to Remy and Jared and Charlotte, glaring at the both of them. But he didn’t have the strength to stand. He didn’t even really have the strength to fight back to them. But damn was he impressed with Remy. Her heart. Her spunk. She was a ball of fire and that was refreshing. He could see why he had somewhat been pulled toward the woman. That was something that they had in common, how hard headed they were. “Yer gonna ******** pay for this s**t. I’m gonna kill ya. All of ya.” He murmured, and even though his voice was weakened it was thick with threat. He was spewing venom and ready to take these people out and make them pay.

However once the door closed and they were gone, he pressed his head back against the wall and peeled off his vest and shirt, setting the beside him on the ground so he could look at his wounds. But those weren’t the only ones. Other scars decorated his skin. Cigarette burns. Lashes. Everything. It was plain to see that the man had been through some s**t. “Ya did this to us ya know. Stealin our s**t.” He grunted and clenched his teeth as a sharp pain shot through him. “Grace woulda given ya her gun and food if ya just asked. She’d have taken ya back home with us to give ya a place to stay. Food to eat. Ya wouldn’t have had to stay but ya woulda been able to collect your strength.” She did this to them, and even now he had no idea what Grace was doing. What his friends were doing. How his community was doing.

After another moment he took a deep breath. “Sorry bout yer kid. We got a kid back at the school. Gracie’s little girl. Cute as a damn button...” He wouldn’t go into detail about the father or anything, but felt like she might understand them a little more. "If she don’t get back home to her little girl it might kill her. She loves that thing kore than her own life. Even if she came from...a bad situation.” He looked down at the ground and his wounds, frowning and grimacing at the same time. “Mind helpin’ me get these tied off? Don’t wanna die in here and try an’ eat ya.” That last part was an attempt to lighten the mood—even if it might not have worked well. “Yer boy. How olds he?”

Jesus and the others were already waiting for the Saviors arrival. And when the truck rolled up he found himself groaning internally at the sight of Jared and Charlotte. But he’d never be rude to them. No, he pitied then. People like that. Hateful souls. They had something inside them that made them that way. “Jared..Gavin...Charlotte.” He greeted them all with a stoic look and then looked to the truck. “Everything is there. You can get it and go.” He didn’t want to linger there with them any longer than he had to.

Jared had other ideas though, and he walked to the truck and pretended to grab a box of melons, leaving one to purposefully fall and smash on the ground. Since he didn’t get his gore from before he was going to get it now. “Actually, it’s NOT all here. And if you don’t have a replacement you know what that means.”

Jesus stepped forward and held a hand up. “No—you did that. It’s not on us. You can’t do that!” He was done with these people. So fed up. So angry.

Jared took his gun out and cocked it, clicking his tongue. “I’m going to take that as a no, then.” And with a flash he fired his gun right into Benjamin’s chest, without even blinking an eye. “I just enforce the rules.” He sneered and put his gun back, slipping an arm right around Charlotte. “Ain’t That right, doll?”  

[yoshidoom]

Remy scoffed and looked away when Daryl spoke to her. She brought her knees up to her chest as she sat in the dark with a man she barely knew. "Ain't my fault ya dumbass tried chasin' me." She shot back as she looked away from him, eyes glued to the dirty wall. "I didn't wanna make no damn friends or go back to no damn community. I didn't need ya help, I just needed what ya had." She defended. Remy wasn't about to go up to a couple of strangers and ask them for s**t like a neighbor asking to borrow some sugar. That was just ridiculous in this world.

Then he spoke of a child and Remy lifted her head to look at him. Her gaze softening just slightly. But she tried to keep her expression hard. She meant it when she said she wasn't looking for friends. They just stabbed you in the back. "Don't matter what ya friend does. This world ain't meant for the innocent no more. Mark my words, that kid wont live to see 'er teen years." If Remy couldn't successfully raise a kid in this world, no one could. Right? "Don't matter if ya lay your life or anyone else's down for 'em... This world always wins. I gotta get out to go off an' find my own kid, ain't gotta sit here an' listen to yer damn girlfriend's sob story about her's."

She rolled her eyes when he asked for help. But he did have a point. If he died in here, she would have a lot bigger problems. So she crawled over on her knees toward him. Her eyes looking over both the old and new wounds. "s**t. He gotta be seventeen by now. Now, shuddup. 'Less ya want me to ******** this s**t up. No whinin' neither." She snapped again as she went to work cleaning and taking care of his wounds. She even tore a little off the bottom of her own shirt so she had more fabric to soak up the blood with. A few moments passed before Remy felt comfortable, and bored, enough to speak again. Her eyes flickering over to his face. "What's your name, anyhow? If we gonna be stuck in here, guess I should at least know what to call ya."

 

[R A B i D P i X i E S]

Daryl was damned sure getting sick and tired of all of these assholes assuming that he and Grace were together. Furthermore, he really didn't care about the way she had spoken about Ella. Only because she was a child--just a toddler, not even two years old yet. "Yer only sayin' that s**t cause you couldn't take care a yer own kid." That might have been a low blow, but if she was going to be an evil b***h, then he could be just as big of an a*****e, too. "She ain't my ********' girlfriend, I done said that. She's just a friend--and I care bout em." He could have said so many more things about her and how she wanted to find her kid too but he didn't. No--he bit his tongue and kept his mouth shut. The last thing he needed was to try and fight this crazy a** woman while he was injured.

When the silence filled the small cell, Daryl was happy for it. This woman was as hard headed as they came, and the fact that she was just as heartless and careless as these people made it that much easier to believe that she had been there in the first place. It was like she belonged there too. "Daryl." He wasn't even going to ask her her name because he had heard Negan say it. Remy. He assumed she was from somewhere in the south because she announced her last name to Jared and Charlotte--and it just sounded like something southern. Not to mention her thick a** accent just added to it. He couldn't place his finger on where she might be from, but it was the south for damned sure.

The silence didn't last a whole lot longer either, so he decided to clear his throat and look toward the door instead of at the woman that was helping him. "Ya said ya been here before. Why the hell did ya leave? This place that bad?" He could understand her wanting to leave because of the people....but he had to admit that they looked as healthy as someone could look in the end of the world. Like everyone got regular food, baths, and basically anything that they might want. Not to mention the amount of security it had. He had scouted it out when they had been sitting outside--and there was even a goddamned wall with walkers all lined up on it. It was a good idea, and he was going to keep it in mind for when he got back to the school and his people. Having a defense system like that would keep the walkers away and make sure that people stayed away too. Especially those religious freaks that had attacked then a little over two years prior.

 

[yoshidoom]

She hated the fact she actually smirked at him. "Ya just sound like ya care so damn much... I figured there was somethin' goin' on between the two a ya." She mumbled in response. "Ain't no one around no more that acts like that 'less it's blood or there's screwin' involved." At least in her experience. People only cared about the people they were related to or the ones they were ******** around here. Remy could only hope no one had the same person in both categories. With a small grunt, she finished up and leaned back against the wall behind her. It wasn't like there was much room anyway and he didn't seem interested in attacking so she didn't move too far. Besides, she was tired. "Well, I ain't no damn doctor but ya might just survive anyhow, Daryl." She teased a little with a small shrug.

Remy had just closed her eyes when she thought of an answer to his question. "De’pouille." She stated at first then open one eye to smirk at him. Assuming he wouldn't have a clue what she was saying but finding it fun to catch them off guard anyway. "My ma used it to describe my room from time to time. A real ********' mess." She opened both eyes now and looked down at her hands, picking at the dried blood under her fingernails. "Ain't so bad if ya can get passed the killin' and stealin' bits. Bossman always playin' them mind games. I couldn't do it no more. Not when I had the boy to think about. Wanted to get 'im outta here 'fore somethin' happened to me and he got pushed into the same spot I was in. That a damn crime?!" She snapped at the end a little. Lottie's words echoing in her own mind and bringing up all the guilt she had been trying to push down.

"s**t... Maybe it was a ********' mistake tryin' to run off like that. I just... I had to try." She reached back to place her hands on the wall and push herself up. "Just like I gotta try now. My boy ain't dead. He ain't stupid enough to get himself killed. I just... Lost 'im is all. That's why I gotta get outta here and find 'im." She moved over to the door then turned to lift up the water Dwight had left to take a small drink before reaching over to offer it to Daryl. "And you gonna help me. Way you were chasin' through them woods after me? I'm gonna bet you got some experience trackin', no? Sides, it's the least ya could do after makin' me lose my meal back there." She was only slightly joking by placing the blame on her stolen lunch being lost due to his chasing her.

 

[R A B i D P i X i E S]

Ya just sound like ya care so damn much... I figured there was somethin' goin' on between the two a ya.....

Ain't no one around no more that acts like that 'less it's blood or there's screwin' involved.

Those words had Daryl looking toward Remy curiously. He wasn't sure what kind of life she had before this, but before he had met the people he met he had thought the same exact thing. He was stunned, because a lot of what she said was true, but he had grown in so many ways that he knew it to be untrue now--for him. "That ain't true. Lot's a people out there like that, just gotta find the right ones....and I cared 'bout em. They are family." It might sound cheesy as hell, but it was true. Rick, Grace, Ella, Carl, all of them were like family to him. The closest thing he had to a family...EVER. "They they only thing that I ever had like a family. Better than my own brother." That was about as personal as he planned on getting with the woman, because she just seemed like she didn't care about anyone but herself. Cocky. Independent. Stubborn. Mean as a damn snake. But Daryl could handle mean people, because people had been mean to him his whole life--starting with his own parents...which was eventually followed by his brother too.

Then she said something in a language he didn't understand, and his blue eyes moved to her--looking at the woman like she was crazy while he adjusted where he was sitting against the wall to better face her. Though, when she explained it he couldn't help but breathe out a curt chuckle, nodding his head. "I figure that's a good way to describe the situation we're in too." They were stuck for the moment, but he was working on something. He wanted to try and figure out a way out of here, and not just for himself. Before he could say anything else, Remy spoke about her and Connor and the s**t that they had to go through here, with Negan and the Saviors. He would have done the same thing she did if he had been in her position. He had killed people before, but this group seemed to be the worst of the worst.

He remained seated on the floor when Remy stood, just watching and listening until she passed him the water--which he took a few big gulps of before giving her the rest to keep for herself. "Shoulda run faster." He teased, giving her a small smirk and look from beneath his dark hair. He could tell that she missed her son, and even though he didn't have children of his own he could only imagine the pain she felt just not knowing what had happened to him. "If he's anythin' like you, then he's gonna be a'right." She was a strong woman, and the courage and confidence that radiated from her was so damn appealing--though he wasn't someone who'd ever say something like that out loud.

But then she said that he was going to help her, and he scoffed and turned away to face the dark wall. "I ain't helpin' ya with s**t. Ya brought us into yer goddamn mess. I helped ya cuz that's what good people do. I couldn't leave ya back there to let that wanna be Babe Ruth bash yer head in." If there was one thing that seemed to rub off of Grace and onto others, it was her compassion and humanity that still remained in that tiny a** body of hers. He wasn't sure how she held onto it after everything, but she did--and so many people loved her for it. "Wasn't yer meal." He added again, and shifted, grunting loudly from the pain.

 

[yoshidoom]

Remy was a bit jealous of what Daryl seemed to have with his people. Truth be told, she wasn't even sure she believed it. Even before this, she didn't know anyone like that. She thought she had something once, with Charlotte, but it didn't work. And that still had a lot of screwing anyway which more proved her point. At least he seemed to get a kick out of her Cajun slang she had thrown at him then he even offered what she assumed was a compliment about Connor being alright if he was anything like her. "s**t. He might be smarter than me. He ain't the one locked up." Remy teased back a little. But the next words out of Daryl's mouth had Remy spiraling in anger again. Like the flip of a switch. She rolled her eyes at Daryl. "I already got outta this place once. I can do it again. Don't want in on that? Fine. Rot here. I don't give a s**t." She shot back before letting her eyes travel over the door. Looking for anything that might get them out. Well, her out. If Daryl managed to benefit from anything she did now it was pure coincidence.

Nothing. There was nothing she could do. Trapped in here with this a*****e. And she hated feeling trapped. Especially in this god awful place. "Never needed a man before... Remy sure as s**t don't need one now." Remy mumbled, almost trying to convince herself. "Hell, maybe ya even fit in here with these other -" Remy stepped back only to charge the door. Throwing her body against it again and again with each new insult. "DICKLESS! IDIOT! TURD SNIFFIN'! MOTHERLESS! PRICKS!" After the fifth time, she was out of breath. And her shoulder absolutely ached now which was an added bonus to her misery.

She stumbled back and looked around as she ran her fingers through her hair to push it back. "Got another one for ya, Daryl." She taunted as she made her way over to the wall next to his, sitting down in the opposite corner. "Ma's favorite nickname for pa- Couillon." She rested her elbows on her knees and gestured lazily toward her cellmate. "Means 'fool'."

 

[R A B i D P i X i E S]

Daryl didn't say anything when Remy spoke about her son, and instead he looked down at his side, checking the makeshift bandages to make sure that they were stopping the bleeding, which they were. So that was something he had going for him. If he managed to rest and relax a little more, then he might be able to get enough strength saved up to actually try and get out of there, with Grace too. Hell--he was even contemplating inviting Remy along to go back to the school with them. He'd offer to help her look for Connor and she would have a safe place to stay. But then she snapped back to being a b***h again, and he just groaned and rolled his head on his shoulders. This is why he had never been married, because it seemed like the only thing that women were good at is nagging. "A'course ya don't give a s**t." No one ever cared about him--at least not anyone other than Grace, Rick, and a few select others. He was used to it--and even after laying his life on the line to try and help her this woman was so damned ungrateful.

He closed his eyes for a second, wanting a little peace until Remy started trying to go Hulk on the door to the cell. Her taunts and name calling were the best part, and it brought a wide grin to his face. Especially her calling them turds. He could have come up with so many other things, but turd was never one of them. "That did real well for ya." This was why he was still sitting there. He had accepted that they were locked inside, and there wouldn't be a chance at escape until they were let out and he could get a good look at everything that happened. Then she sat down and spoke again about her mother, and before he could make a comment about the names his mother called his father, the door opened and three men stood there. They were all dressed in biker attire, which made Daryl want to roll his eyes. Men that had to show that they were bikers or trying to be a part of a biker gang just made him wanna throat punch them.

"We are here to answer your prayers, sweetheart. Miss me, Rem?" Tim held his arms open at his sides, and nodded to the men to grab the pair, roughly pulling them from the floor to throw them outside onto the hard ground. "The big man was out and about the last I heard, and some of us want a little justice of our own..." Tim started with literally pulling Daryl's vest from him, and draping it over his arm. "Who are you, huh?"

Daryl didn't understand why the hell they cared, but he said it nonetheless. "Yer worst ******** nightmare." But that wasn't the answer they wanted, so one of the men kicked him right where his wound was, sending the backwoods man to the floor with a deep grunt of pain, gritting his teeth together.

"Now Rem, wanna give him a little lesson?

 

[yoshidoom]

-



Negan kept his mouth shut as Grace yelled at him. His jaw tightened and his gaze stayed on the road. She really knew how to get under his skin. He was doing this for her own goddamn good but she couldn't see it. Just like a woman to be so damn stubborn when all she had to do was trust him. "Don't be a ******** idiot and get yourself killed." Was all he allowed himself to growl. He did, however, make a mental note to keep an eye on her. "You saw first hand what happens when people run from me." He reminded her, thinking back on Remy and Dwight. One Grace had been there for when he had almost bashed Remy's brains in. If Grace did take off, he wasn't sure she'd ever come back. At least he still had Daryl to hold over her head, he thought to himself. His grip tightened even more on the steering wheel when she accused him of not knowing how she felt. Of coarse, Grace didn't know that Negan had watched his own wife wither and die right in front of him. And he had to remind himself that she didn't know before he blew up all over again. Which he almost did but, by some grace of God, managed to barely keep a hold of himself. He was grateful for the silence that followed because he felt like he was really being put to the test with this one. When they arrived, Negan knew he had to get out of there. He had to get far away from that witch woman who was making him feel things he wasn't comfortable feeling. "Make damn sure she gets to a room. Not any damn cell either. A real ******** room." He snapped at Dwight before pushing passed him to head into the main building himself.

---

"Shut up, couillon." Remy hissed at Daryl when he made his little comment about how well hitting the door and yelling had worked. Her glare settled on the door when it was pulled open though she wasn't sure who to expect. Having three saviors on the other side was still a surprise. "Damn. I was wonderin' where the welcome party was." She knew this wasn't going to be a very warm welcome but she was riled up. Her mouth just didn't know when to stop, even when her bones and muscles were screaming at her to just shut up. Remy landed on the floor outside of the cell with a grunt but pulled herself back up as Tim questioned Daryl. Now, the backwoods man wasn't Remy's favorite person in that moment but she still had to admire his answer. Even though she knew right away it wasn't going to end well for him. It was damn ballsy to say, she had to respect that.

Next, the attention was on her and slowly Remy stood up for it. "Oh. Remy give ya a lesson. Hold on, boys, 'cos class is in session!" Remy sprang forward and threw her fist against Tim's jaw as hard as she could. In that brief second, she felt victorious because she managed to get one good hit in on one of those assholes. She even smiled widely as she looked to Daryl on the floor. "Hear that, Daryl? Imma goddamn poet!" She just managed to get out before she, too, was beaten down but she fought the whole way. "Seriously, Timmy-boy, ya mama not love ya enough or what?!" Remy forced a smirk as she wiped some of the blood off her lip. Even chuckling a little. "Oh. Or maybe it was a bit too much lovin'?" Well. That earned her another swift to the gut and Remy found herself face down on the cold cement groaning in pain.

 

[R A B i D P i X i E S]

Grace managed to get settled into her room--not that there was much to do to get settled. She stared at the box of pictures for the most part, sitting on the ground to look through each and every photo. She had never been able to find a photo album or anything, so they all stayed in a shoebox. There were also little VHS home movies she had made with a camera she found--and she watched through one of them before it became too much to even bear. She had been made aware of where Daryl was, and even though she knew she couldn't help him--she felt like he needed to know what had happened. He needed to know because she couldn't let him think that they had a home to return to. There was nothing left.

So she tied her hair up into a messy bun on her head, pacing around the room for a few moments before looking down at the floor to relax. She was all cried out--because during the movies the tears just stopped producing. She'd used all the tears she could use, she figured. Now she just had to walk around with such a heavy feeling in her heart and on her mind.

Timmy and his men didn't play nice, either. It like almost like Remy and Daryl conspired against one another to make them mad--and it worked. But even better they made sure to give the both of them the beating of their lives, even going as far as stomping on Remy's hand over, and over, and over again with his steel toe boot. But then a message came over the radio that had them stopping--and with an effortless few seconds of tossing Remy and Daryl back into the cell, they were gone. Leaving the backwoods man and Cajun woman all alone.

Daryl was breathing hard from his beating, and he was in some immense pain, but his eyes looked toward where Remy was sitting and he chuckled, then spit out a mouthful of blood. "Ya sure do got a mouth on ya." She kind of reminded him of Merle. He had no filter. He didn't care who he pissed off or what he said, because he spoke what was on his mind and nothing less. "Heard somethin' about them wanting dinner or some s**t." They had been given dog food, but Daryl wasn't that desperate. He wasn't hungry, and certainly didn't feel like moving away from his corner to try and get it either.

When Grace found the cell, she paused outside and then cleared her throat softly before looking both ways down the hell--then she dropped to her knees right in front of the door--giving if a soft knock. "Daryl?" This was the cell she had been told that he was in, and hoped that they had been telling the truth.

"Are you alright? Awake? I need to tell you some things..." She wasn't going to like this, but he needed to know. Her heat was still aching immensely--and she just wasn't sure it would ever get better. It sure as hell didn't feel like it.

[colordarkred]"Grace? Yeah--I'm 'ere..." He would have moved to the door, but again, he was injured. So Grace just placed her hand against the cold surface of the door and then her forehead.

"I went to the school. But--those people. The Seeds...they destryed the whole place. Everyone we know is dead. Everything we had was taken away..." She fell silent for a second and sucked in a breath to try and make sure she didn't break down--but it didn't help. "Ella--she's gone too Daryl. I lost her. They killed her...and I wasn't there. I...I buried her there. I had no other choice..." She wanted to go into detail about the argument with Negan, but it wasn't like telling him would help any.

When Daryl heard about their home, he was angry. But when he heard about Ella--the innocent little toddler, he felt his own heart break in his chest. He normally wasn't someone who cried, but damn, a few tears fell from his eyes to quickly be wiped up. "I'll find em' Grace. I'll make 'em pay for what they did, I swear to ya. Maybe not tomorrow, or in a week--but them assholes gonna get what's comin'." His voice fell into a whisper again, and he turned his face away from Remy, trying to get his emotions under control.

"I miss her, Daryl. I miss her so much I feel like I'm just...it just hurts. She didn't deserve that." Her hands wiped at her face and she stood from where she was kneeling in front of the door. "I'll try and come talk to you a little more tomorrow, okay? I don't want to get caught down here and get in trouble...so--just try and survive." With that she hurried back the way she came, keeping her eyes cast down to the floor.