Li'l Sparky // [Daryl Dixon]

The King and His Tiger

Season: Seven

Episode(s): Rock in the Road - New Best Friends

*Ryan's POV* 

A/N: Please read the author's note at the end! :)

"No!" Gregory exclaimed. "No way in hell. That was not the deal. You people swore you could take the Saviors out, and you failed. So any arrangement we had is now done-- null and void. We aren't trade partners, we aren't friends, and we never met. Hmm? We don't know each other. I owe you nothing. In fact, you owe me for taking in the refugees, at great personal risk."

"Oh, you were very brave staying in here while Maggie and Sasha saved this place," Jesus rolled his eyes. "Your courage was inspiring."

"Hey, don't you work for me?" Gregory raised an eyebrow. "Aren't we friends?" 

"Gregory, we already started this," Rick stepped up. 

"You started it," Gregory said. 

"We did," Rick emphasized. "And we're gonna win."

"These are killers!" Gregory said.

"Can we please all agree that we are all killers?" I asked. "That doesn't make a difference." 

"Is this how you wanna live?" Rick asked. "Under their thumb, killing your people?"

"S-sometimes we don't get to choose what our life looks like," Gregory shrugged. "Sometimes, Ricky, you have to count the blessings you have."

"Seriously?" I snarled. "The only blessin' you have is that I have so much self-control that I'm not gonna stab you in the face." Daryl squeezed my ass secretly as a "well done, you little badass". 

"How many people can we spare?" Maggie asked. "How many people here can fight?"

"'We'?" Gregory scoffed. "I don't even know how many people we have, Margaret." 

"My self-control is diminishin', ya great big bag of dicks," I hissed. 

"And does it even matter?" Gregory ignored me. "I mean... w-w-what are you gonna do? Start a platoon of sorghum farmers? 'Cause that's what we got. They grow things. They're not gonna want to fight."

"You're wrong," Tara stepped up. "When people have the chance to do the right thing, they usually step up. I mean, people just--" 

"Let me stop you before you break into song, okay?" Gregory interrupted here. "And, by the way, who would train all this cannon fodder?" 

"I will," Sasha said.

"Give me a week," Rosita added.

"I'll have them kickin' ass by the end of the day," I smirked. 

"Rhetorical, okay?" Gregory exclaimed in a sing-song voice. "I don't wanna know. I never want to hear another word about any of it, ever."

"Would we be better off without the Saviors, yes or no?" Rick asked. 

"Yeah. Sure. Okay," Gregory shrugged. 

"So, what will you do to fix the problem?" Michonne asked. 

"I didn't say we had a problem," Gregory said. "You did. And what happens outside of my purview is outside of my purview."

"What the hell, man?" Daryl finally lost it. "You're either with us or ya ain't. You're sittin' over there talkin' outta both sides of your mouth."

"I-- I think I've made my position very clear," Gregory avoided Daryl's killer gaze. "And I wanna thank all of you for not being here today and not having this meeting with me or-- or being seen on your way out. In other words, go out the back."