Sweet and Salty ~ Carl Grimes

Turning Point - 095

Both Daryl and Brooks had lost track of the time, how could they not? The only light in their cells was that coming from the under-door crack which allowed in the yellow light of the hallway. There was a vent on their connecting wall, one which Brooks could hear Daryl crying through. She hadn't made him aware of this vent, she knew that he didn't know she could hear him, but she also didn't know what to say. She wanted to comfort him, but how? She was stuck on the other side of a wall, and couldn't even see him. Brooks wanted to tell Daryl that everything would be okay, but would it? Really?

Suddenly, the door to Brooks' cell opened, when she looked up, she spotted Cole and Negan. Barely though, she had to cover her eyes temporarily from the intrusive, bright light. "Morning, sunshine." Negan grinned, as she began adjusting her eyes to the light. "Get her up."

Cole walked forward without further instruction, and grabbed her left arm, pulling her up and to her feet. She pulled her arm from his grip, and stood strong on her own two feet. "I can walk myself, you fuckin' traitor." 

Negan chuckled. "I like your fire." He complimented, putting Lucille on his shoulder. "But, was he ever really a traitor if he wasn't with you? I don't think so."

Brooks rolled her shoulders back, and lifted her chin slightly, trying to make herself seem tough. "What'd you want with me, then? I got dinner plans, so better make this quick, aye?"

"Well, the grand tour, of course! And, don't worry about your dinner, we've got you sorted."

/----------\

Negan led her through the twisting hallways, and Brooks tried to keep track of every man that she saw. She knew there were about two hundred at the line up, but she wanted to figure out if that was all they had, because if so? Her people had a fighting chance. There was Negan, Cole, Simon, Dwight - they were the names she knew. Other than that she was just counting the nameless faces that they passed in the hallway, so far, she was up to sixteen just from one stroll.

Cole pushed open a door, and inside was a long, large table. And, on this table? Was just plates upon plates of food. Cooked chicken, still steam coming off of it, green beans, carrots, broccoli, pasta, chocolate, popcorn - every food she'd imagined for nearly five years was on that table in front of her. Brooks' mouth started to water, starving from the two days she'd been without food, and although that used to be normal for her, her body got used to the regular meals from Alexandria.

She hadn't realised her jaw was dropped until Negan's finger was underneath her chin, and pushing her mouth closed. She smacked away his hand, and stepped further into the room. "Where did y'all get all this?"

Negan and Cole grinned at each other, before Negan responded. "Doesn't matter where it came from, matters where it's going. Why don't you have a little chicken, kid?"

Brooks turned to him with raised eyebrows. "I'm allowed to eat this?"

"Of course!" Negan chuckled. "Hell, this?" He indicated to the table with his bat. "This is all for you. Now, I don't expect you to finish it, but you can eat till your little heart's content."

She didn't say anything else as she walked towards the table, and grabbed the whole cooked chicken with her hands. Brooks didn't bother with the cutlery laid out as she brought the chicken to her mouth and bit into it, smiling happily at the taste of warm chicken in her mouth. She didn't even get that at Alexandria. "This is beautiful." She said around a mouthful of the delicious meat, going in for another bite, then another. After three large bites of the chicken, she put it back, her chin dripping with the chicken juices, still. Barely swallowing her final bite, she was shoving chocolate into her mouth, and then pasta, popcorn, back to the chicken. She grazed the vegetables, but they had them back in Alexandria, so she wasn't that bothered.