Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
***
PRE-APOCALYPSE
Red. Green. Blue.
Grace lost herself in the neon lights of the dimly lit bar lounge, sitting as her legs dangled off the stage. Their gig started in a few hours and they had the empty bar to themselves for prep and soundcheck. She was listening intently to the radio broadcasting on the boombox next to her– stories of the dead coming back to life, eating the flesh of the living.
Toni was tuning his guitar, a cigarette hanging from the side of his mouth. He looked over at her and mumbled. "What's got you so glum, chum?"
She stood up and smoothed out her black lace mini dress. "We're singing stupid love songs while the world is fucking collapsing. Do you not see how fucked up that is?"
"No, I don't." He placed two fingers around the cigarette and inhaled, the smoke curling around his face. "I see how beautiful it is, though."
Grace rolled her eyes. "You always do that."
"Do what?"
"Try to find beauty in everything. Meaning in everything." She said as she watched Toni walk to the side of the stage, bending over to grab some beers.
"You forget that you taught me how to do that." He pointed out, making his way back to her. She smiled softly. Toni cracked open a can, handed it to her, and stuck his chin towards the radio. "Turn that shit off. News just makes everyone miserable."
She crouched down to shut it off, then straightened back up again with a sigh. Grace eyed her beer can, her cherry red nails wrapped around it, then took a few gulps. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, not caring that she definitely just smudged her lipstick. Toni noticed and laughed. His thumb swiped over the side of her mouth.
"It's just all so scary." She said.
"Who do you thinks turning into one of those freaks first, you or me?" Toni teased.
She nudged him and giggled. "Shut up."
He pinched her cheek. She couldn't help but smile. Toni had this incredible knack for fixing her mood, every time, without fail. He was her rock. It felt like she could do anything as long as he was with her.
"Grace, be cool, baby." Toni said assuringly.
She nodded, biting down on her bottom lip.
Grace made her way over to the mic-stand, adjusting it to her height. She looked over at Toni. "What are we playing first?"
"Chelsea Hotel."
She wrapped a hand around the mic and leaned into it, eyes still locked on her best friend.
"We're fucked but we have the music," Grace jokingly sang in the tune of Chelsea Hotel 2, earning a laugh from Toni.
NOW
It took a day, but Grace regained her composure, realizing what was at stake. She couldn't put Daryl at risk. Not again. She decided she's gonna play by the rules. She's going to behave. She's going to listen. And then she's going to figure out a way to escape.
Grace was beyond disappointed in herself. Embarrassed, to say the least. She hadn't spoken to Negan since, only exchanging a few glances in the marketplace that morning. He was still visibly as smug as ever, but he hadn't approached her. And she was beyond thankful for that.
It ate her up inside, wondering why it wasn't her that had to suffer, why she gets to be safe. The world never really did make sense, but this world was that much more unfair.
Crying helped her fall asleep last night. Her face was swollen and eyes puffy. Breathing in the fresh air that morning helped clear her head a little and she hoped it'd bring some life back to her face. Grace was determined to earn her points, helping Alden fix a few of the Savior's motorcycles. She'd done this with Daryl a few times before. She searched the toolbox to find what Alden was asking for.
"Favorite movie?" Alden asked, looking up at her, his hand covering the sun from getting in his eyes.
She smiled and handed him the torque wrench, "True Romance."
"Really?" He pouted. "Alright."
"What's wrong with True Romance?" Her eyes squinted.
"Nothing, just an interesting pick." Alden said as he used the wrench to fasten a bolt.
"What's yours? Lemme guess. Scarface. No wait, Fight Club." She teased, listing off the typical male-adorned films. She gets a little defensive over True Romance. "Oh, it's The Godfather, isn't it?"
"On the Waterfront. But Godfather is a close second."
"Big Brando fan."
"What's wrong with Brando?"
She mocked him with wide eyes and a teasing tone. "Nothing."
Alden laughed as he finished working on the bike. He stood up, placing the wrench back in the tool box before speaking, matter-of-factly. "Marlon Brando is the coolest guy to ever walk this earth."
"My friend Toni used to say that. He shed a tear watching A Streetcar Named Desire when we were both drunk as hell." She laughed, reminiscing. "But Toni was such a badass. He played guitar and had the sickest neck tattoo and there he was crying over Marlon fuckin' Brando. It was incredible."
"Wait." Alden's eyes narrowed. "Toni... Toni Delon?"
Grace felt her heart skip. "Yeah." She cocked her head. "What? How do you–"
"Yeah, I met him here at The Sanctuary." Alden explained. "He was a Savior. He talked about a girl named Grace. That'd be you."
"He's here?" Grace shook her head, mouth agape. So many questions raced through her brain. After all these years...Toni was here. He survived. He was a Savior.
Alden broke her gaze. There was a pregnant pause. Grace was desperate for answers.
"Grace, he, uh." Alden itched his forehead with his thumb. "He was at the outpost."
