𝗕𝗟𝗨𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 , the walking dead

[54] homecoming

HOMECOMING
———

INSIDE A ROOM that was clean and well kept, Elliott sat on the edge of the bed. Hands shaking and foot tapping rapidly as he tried to think about where he's ended up, he ran away from home only to run into his brother. What are the chances?

It's been a few days, Elliott being kept to this room. A woman named Tate Alvarez brings him food, very nice food. It's been odd, the room and the food aren't food given to prisoners—yet Elliott felts like he's trapped. Negan won't let him leave, but won't let him leave this room either.

All Elliott's been able to think about is what the hell happened out there? He knew that Negan was planning on attacking Alexandria. He has no idea if they made it, if anyone or none of them alive. Elliott might be the last one from Alexandria standing for all he knows.

Suddenly, Elliott hears a knock as the door slowly opens, and he see that familiar face he knows to be his brother. Negan steps into the room, closing the door behind him—he still has his bat, almost as if it was a precaution if Elliott tried something.

"Settling in okay, brother?" Negan asked, letting himself get comfortable in one of the armchairs across the bed. He leaned back, placing Lucille against the wall beside him.

Elliott ignored this question and got right to the burning thought in his mind, "What did you do to them?"

Negan let out a small sigh, he almost hoped that Elliott wouldn't have brought it up. It wasn't going to be a nice conversation to tell his brother that he had to kill a two of his people, and that he had three more locked up—but he didn't need to know that part.

"They gave me no choice. I did what a leader had to." Negan spoke calmly, but that only infuriated Elliott more, causing a reaction of out him as he moved quickly. Grabbing Negan by the collar of his shirt and pulling him up against the wall. Their faces inches apart as Elliott stared up at his older brother angrily. Negan didn't fight back, didn't even react, all he said was, "Do you really want to know?"

Elliott nods his head, confirming he needed to know.

"Most of them are alive." Negan told, and Elliott felt his heart skip a beat—some were dead. It could be anyone, the only one that came to mind was that it could be Rory. If Rory was dead—if Negan killed her, he'll have no choice but to burn this damn place down. Rory was the one person—the only one, that Elliott cared about at this point. Negan spoke again, "Do they even know that you're gone? Do they even care?"

Elliott swallows the lump in his throat, because they didn't care. He knew that, no one probably even notices that he's gone. But Elliott wasn't ready for Negan to know that, that's why he mumbles, "They're my family."

Negan quickly shoves his brother's wrist off of him, causing Elliott to take a step backwards. He wasn't looking for a fight, neither of them were. This was just the moment that needed to happen, a tough discussion that Elliott had been planning for days.

"Your family is right here." Negan tries to explain, tries to break through to him and get the idea inside his head that Negan is all Elliott has anymore.

Elliott shakes his head, "No, family doesn't abandon each other." Elliott turns his back to Negan, because he feared if he kept looking at him, he might punch him—he might start something that he can't finish or worse—he does finish.

"Like you abandoned them?" Negan asks, and the question lingers inside Elliott's head like a wrecking ball. He did abandon Alexandria, he did what his brother did to him. "Say you do go back, and they find out whose blood runs in your veins, will they even want you? Do you really think they'll stand by your side and call you family?"