UNDERNEATH OUR BAD BLOOD

Under The Windmill

Author's Note: Underneath Our Bad Blood is a direct sequel to my main story Goodnight Love and continues as a mixture of the comic books and TV series, but can be read purely as a stand-alone. It follows the basic premise of Dead City but with various changes. Videos for characters canon and original, can be found on my YouTube channel via the link on my profile.

CONTEXT:

My OC, Imogen Alford, was Negan's mistress before the world ended and they had a daughter, Tess. Imogen has an older brother called Kit whom she and Tess lived with at this time. They were close friends and neighbors of Carol Peletier, only to end up becoming separated during the evacuation. Later, they found Carol again, becoming part of her group led by Rick Grimes, whom Imogen eventually married and they had a daughter, Daisy. After Rick's 'death', Imogen gave birth to their second daughter, Cassidy, and raised Tess, Judith, Daisy and Cassidy with the help of her family.

Rick Grimes's canon disappearance has been changed so that his personal effects were found in the aftermath of Pamela Milton's arrest, confirming a link between the Commonwealth and the CRM, leading to Imogen setting out to find him.

Carl Grimes and Sophie Peletier are still alive and they are married with two children. He is currently spearheading the rebuilding of the Kingdom and leads the small growing settlement there. Ezekiel, Carol and Mercer have assumed control of the Commonwealth, with help from Eugene and the others. Michonne is married to Imogen's brother, Kit, and they have three children whilst leading Alexandria, chairing the Council. Imogen and her family live in Alexandria, alongside them and Daryl Dixon. Maggie and her son, Hershel, relocated to the Hilltop near Manhattan, where they now stay, along with Beth and Alden, Elijah and Lydia and the rest of their growing community. Negan lives with Annie and their son, Joshua, just outside New Babylon.

~*~

'I have this dream that I am hitting my dad with a baseball bat

And he is screaming and crying for help

And maybe halfway through it has more to do with me killing him

Than it ever did protecting myself.'

Brian Sella

~*~

'All daughters turn into bloodthirsty hounds – after years of licking their wounds and biting their tongues.'

S.R.M

~*~

Under The Windmill

Before

Tess Smith stood under the creaking sails of the old windmill, shading her eyes with the back of her hand as she watched Lydia deliver an array of letters and packages to her little sisters. She couldn't help but note how the other girl still gave her a wide berth even after all this time. Not that Tess was so anxious for Lydia's company either. Lydia had been many things during the time Tess had known her, but it was mostly as Tess's rival which rankled the most. Despite differences in temperament, they were otherwise superficially alike in appearance, both being tall and slim, although Tess still possessed an awkward coltishness she'd never outgrown that Lydia lacked; the two girls sharing the same dark hair, tanned complexions and nervous air that punctuated their presences.

As a young teen, Tess had been severely bullied for being Negan's daughter until Lydia had arrived and was attacked instead for being Alpha's, Tess taking advantage of it in order to escape her tormentors' attentions. Even as she'd felt guilty for throwing Lydia to the wolves, she had still done it regardless. What was Lydia to her anyways but the enemy, a Whisperer who'd brought war to her mother's doorstep. But then Negan had taken Lydia under his wing, treating her like she was his daughter, like she was Tess. And so it had continued, Lydia worming her way into the affections of those Tess held dear, edging Tess out of theirs. Or so it had felt at the time, with Tess having no idea Lydia was just as envious as Tess was jealous.