Sweet and Salty ~ Carl Grimes

Ball's Rolling - 109

For the trigger warnings summary, go to the bottom of the chapter!!

It must have only been five in the morning. The sun was barely over the horizon, creating a beautiful orange and pink mix in the sky. Birds were beginning to chirp, flowers were beginning to wake up, the crisp air gently flew through Brooks' cracked open window. The braids in Brooks' hair were freshly done from the night before, one of the workers was a very talented older black woman who used to be a hairdresser before she retired... Three months before the end of the world. I'm almost certain this wasn't what she had in mind for her retirement.

For another night, Brooks hadn't slept. She just downed three mugs of coffee and called it a day. She didn't even like coffee, but it got her through the long days, and the even longer nights. The thought of Sasha all alone in that cell, it was killing her, she had to go and speak to her. So, slipping on her black boots, and grabbing her key, she headed downstairs towards the cells.

Sasha had been moved from cell twenty three, Negan wanting to get her far away from that trauma. So, she was all the way down in cell one... Daryl's old cell. Brooks pushed that to the back of her mind, knowing he was safe and sound in Alexandria. Unlocking the door, the light from the hallway flooded into the pitch black cell. Brooks had brought Sasha a ham sandwich, and a bottle of water, so she gently put the plate and the bottle on the floor, before sliding them across to the scowling woman.

The woman's hands quickly grabbed the water, downing about half of it, before she began on the sandwich, not even taking a second to look up at Brooks once she realised who was there to visit her. "You really thought you could sneak in 'ere and kill Negan?"

Wiping her mouth, swallowing down the remaining food, Sasha responded. "I was kind of hoping to take you out as well."

Brooks hummed, and nodded, but remained silent until Sasha finished eating her food, and downed the rest of her drink. "I can get you more."

"No." Sasha shook her head. "It's best my stomach is as empty as possible for tonight."

"Tonight?"

"They haven't told you the plan yet?" When Brooks remained silent to Sasha's question, the woman continued. "At nightfall, the saviours are moving out. Cole told me that Negan's going to use me as a trade. He knows we have guns, and lots of them, we hit a bank of them a week ago. He's going to tell Rick that if he wants me back alive and unharmed, he's going to have to hand over his gun, and then once he has them all on their knees again... He'll kill half the able bodied men, and take the other half for prisoners."

Brooks inhaled shortly, realising Daryl and Merle were no doubt going to be on the kill list. "It's a good plan."

"We can't let it happen." Sasha responded.

Forcing a scoff, Brooks raised an eyebrow. "We?"

Clenching her jaw, Sasha continued. "If you ever cared about Merle, or Daryl, or any of us... You won't let this happen. Abraham will probably be one of the ones killed, I can't.... I can't lose him." Her voice cracked as she fought off tears. "I lost my entire family. I lost my group. I lost Bob... And- and then I lost Tyreese. Abraham is the one and only person I have left. I cannot exchange his life for mine. Please. You cannot let me be the reason that Abraham, Rick, Daryl, Merle and all the others die. Please, Brooks, if you ever had any heart or soul or care for any of us, you won't let this trade happen."

"I- I don't know what you want me to do, Sash." Brooks shrugged, wrapping her arms around her stomach, trying to speed-up her plan. The self-sabotage bullets in the Saviours' guns would still work, but there's no guarantee any shots would be fired once Rick waved the white flag. He had too much of a heart, he would happily give up his leadership if it meant Sasha came home safe and sound.