Ellie Dixon

Sanctuary

I was sitting on my dad's lap. He had his arms around me very tightly. I finally stopped crying. The drive felt like days, but realistically was maybe about four hours. "What are we gonna do?" I whimpered.

"Nothing's going to happen to you, princess. I'm right here. I've got you." Dad ran a hand through my hair.

"He killed them... He really killed them." My voice cracked.

"I am so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry." Dad said, his lips against my right temple before he planted a kiss on my skin to try and comfort me. It didn't really work. "He said something... About when you were seven..."

"You'd already left. I wouldn't have seen you for another six months. For the first time I was going to be well and truly on my own with Isabella. I had no more escape. Emily was the only person who was always there, who could make me smile... So, yea, I tried something stupid. I was seven, I didn't even go deep enough for there to be scars on my wrists. I've never tried it since, and I'll never do it again." I explained as best I could, but my voice was rough and hoarse.

"I am so sorry I left you alone." His voice went higher a couple octaves and I felt his lips trembling. He was trying not to cry which broke my heart.

"Don't leave me again. Please don't go." I tried.

"I won't, babe. I'm not going anywhere." Dad tightened his grip around me.

The van pulled to a stop and the two van doors opened. "Get out." Dwight ordered.

Dad wrapped my legs around his waist so he'd be carrying me when he stepped out of the van. "It's alright." He whispered to me. I kept my arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders as I buried my face into neck. He had one hand under my to hold me up while the other was scrunched tightly in my shirt.

"Ah, my new toys are here." Negan's voice said and I heard him clasp his hands together. "Hell's his name again?"

"Daryl." I heard Simon answer.

Negan chuckled. "Right... Well, Daryl, you mind putting the kid down?" Dad tightened his grip on me, so Negan continued. "You can't hold onto her forever, you know that, right?"

"Watch me." Dad seethed.

"You want us to take her away from him?" Dwight offered.

"No, let him hold onto her for now. He's not going to be able too for a long while." I could practically hear his smirk. "Right, then. Let's get started, shall we?" Negan said, before dad started walking. I was assuming that my dad was following Negan, because behind him was Simon and Dwight. They smirked evilly at me so I simply flipped them off.

"Bitch." I heard Dwight say. I just grinned.

We'd been walking for a couple minutes when Negan stopped. "Here we are. Now, this is one of my favourite placed in our whole Sanctuary. There's something about crushing the spirits of men that just warms my small, shrivelled heart." I heard Negan sigh happily. "Daryl, you may wanna put Ellie down now." Negan said. Dad obviously didn't. "Okay, well this is about to get real awkward." Negan spoke causing Simon and Dwight to laugh. "Daryl, I'm gonna need you to take off all your clothes. Now, I don't usually do this myself, I mean me and Simon run this place, Dwight is one of my top dogs... But, I had to be here for my old friend Ellie. So, unfortunately for me, I have to be here while you take them off." Dad tightened his grip on me, not moving. "Take them off or I'll bash your daughter's skull in, right in front of you."

"Dad." I whispered.

"It's alright, darling." Dad tried to assure me. He took his arm from under me and gently put it on one of my legs as he lowered me to the floor. "It's gonna be alright." He whispered to me, before looking to Negan. "You can do whatever you want to me. I don't care. But, you don't touch her."