rag doll | TWD

[61] hearts still beating

play the game tonight --- kansas

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[POV]

Watching Negan play house was torture for JJ and Carl. It was sickening watching him act like he was some friend to Judith. He'd even reverted to an apron in the kitchen making dinner for the 'family'. 

"Damn, that smells good." Negan tested the sauce, bringing the spoon over to Carl, who was rolling the dough. "Wanna taste?"

As Negan was preoccupied with his cooking, JJ took over handling Judith. She watched carefully as Carl set the table in front of Negan. 

"We're gonna need another setting." He told Carl. 

JJ brought the lemonade that Olivia had brought to the table for Negan, who insisted that even with a sleeping child in her arms, she pour him a glass. And she did. JJ figured that if they just went along with what Negan wanted, things would be over quicker. 

She was sat next to Negan and across from Carl with Olivia on the other side of her. There was an empty place setting next to Carl, which Negan had intended for Rick. 

He sighed loudly, "I'm not waiting for your dad anymore. I don't know where the hell he is, but Lucille..." Negan moved the bat to the empty place setting, "is hungry. Carl, pass the rolls... please."

As JJ cleaned up the table, Negan ventured outside, preoccupied by Spencer, ass-kissing to the best of his ability. She had no idea what was happening back at the sanctuary. 

Sherry had gone through with what JJ had insisted a few nights before. That if the opportunity presented itself, she was to make sure Daryl got out. Sherry saw the moment while Negan was away and took it, slipping a key underneath the cell door to Daryl. 

He felt guilty as he changed out of the dirty sweatshirt that they had forced him to wear in the grueling sun. The wave of guilt caught him as he flipped Dwight's small nightstand. Daryl thought about how he would be leaving JJ to come back to this. He prayed that they wouldn't think that she had anything to do with it. 

By the time he had made it outside and brutally took down Fat Joey, Jesus had found him, anxious to help him back to Hilltop. 

"JJ," Carl nodded towards the window where there was a clear view of Spencer and Negan's men moving the pool table into the middle of the street. 

Soon, Alexandrians were gathering around out of curiosity, and probably some fear, to see what was going on. JJ had instructed Carl to stay inside with Olivia and Judith as she went and checked things out. 

"The hell's going on out here?" She glared at Spencer, crossing her arms as she carefully stepped down to the pool table. 

"Well, my new friend Spencer and I were just about to play a nice game of pool." Negan told her, "I could never do this with Rick. He would just be standing there scowling, giving me that annoying side-eye he gives me."

"That's actually what I came to see you about." Spencer smirked as he finished racking at the opposite end of Negan. JJ's interest was even more piqued. She wondered what game Spencer was trying to play...other than pool. "I wanted to talk to you about Rick."

"All right. Talk to me, Spencer. Talk to me about Rick." Negan took the first shot, breaking up the billiard balls. He was solids. 

"I get what you're trying to do here, what you're trying to build." Spencer started. "I'm not saying I agree with your methods, but I get it. You're building a network, you're making people contribute for the greater good. It makes sense. But you should know that Rick Grimes has a history of not working well with others."