revenant|c.g.|

xix

"What the hell were you thinking?"

Clary bit her cheek, the harsh footsteps moving towards the girl causing her to jump slightly. The reaction wasn't obvious enough for the man approaching to notice but enough to anger her.

"...Bringing a Savior here when they're breathing down our necks, God, Clary, did you even think—" It didn't take Clary another second to stand up from the table as Rick paced, pinching his eyebrows in frustration. "We need intel, Rick, and he's our best shot at getting  something." Her words forced Rick to shake his head, trying to quell the frustration he had with the girl. As intelligent and respectful as he had found her to be, she was also impulsive.

"And what happens when Negan sends a couple others to see where his last patrol went? You said he was with others—" Clary cut him off as she raised her hand slightly. "And I took care of it." Rick scoffed, looking to her. "You took care of it or the Angel of Death?" Clary clenched her jaw at the mention of her alias, watching as Rick's eyes bored into hers. "I covered our tracks. They lost a man on the way and I cleaned up the other body. There's nothing to tell that it was us or that Ashton's patrol was even there."

The man watched as she leaned closer, her eyes dark and menacing. "For all Negan knows, they were weak and died out there. Or they were traitors; after all, one of them has experience in the field." Rick let out a deep sigh, sitting at the table as he tried to calm himself. The man knew to trust her when dealing with Saviors, after all, she had been doing it long before he had. However, that reassurance didn't stop his fear.

With other present matters in mind, Rick looked up from his spot at the table and towards the girl, his eyes revealing nothing. "What information do you think he has?" Clary shrugged her shoulders, pulling away from the man to lean against the table. "I'm not sure, but he's gotta have something. Negan's gotta trust him a great deal if he let him go to his old home." She paused, looking for any sign of disagreement on Rick's face to see none. "If Negan didn't trust him, he wouldn't have been on that patrol. That trust gains intel, and we need whatever information we can get."

It was silent for a moment until Rick let out a sigh before shaking his head. "We're doing okay, Clary. We have our alliances to back us up—" Clary cut him off immediately. "And as strong as that may be, we need more. We need to be ready for any possible curveball thrown our way, and that includes anything from a backstabbing alliance to a surprise attack where we're vulnerable." Rick looked at the girl, knowing she was right, but he could sense the underlying tone in her voice that suggested questioning the boy wasn't the only thing she had in mind. "Carl told me who that boy is, how he was one of your people. That he's the one that hurt you."

Upon hearing that one of her largest secrets was out, she had never felt so betrayed. However, seeing her look, Rick shook his head. "He didn't go into detail, just enough to let me know that you are too close to him to question him." Clary scoffed, shaking her head at what the man was saying. "I'm the one person that might be able to get through to him! I know him better than you or anyone would—" Rick cut her off. "And for that same reason he knows you too well."

Clary was stunned, not wanting to hear his words but knowing he was right. The man sighed at his own harshness, his gaze meeting hers softly. "We can't have that kid getting into your head. We need all those strategies you got locked up in there, and you won't forgive yourself if you get distracted." Rick approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder as his eyes bore into hers. "We need you at your best. No doubt. No distractions."