What Happens Next

The Struggle

     I walked down the hall with my dad, it was empty, cold, and long when I stopped, "is there a problem?" Negan asked looking at me, "dad, listen, I don't plan on staying here..?" I say softly looking up to him, "you trying to say, you came this long ass way, just to see if what you've been being told is true, and now that you know it is, youre just going to leave?" he asks in an angered tone, "dad.. I'm in a group.. and I promised my friend I'd meet him somewhere by sundown.." I say softly looking up at him, "come on." He says leading me to his room.

     We went inside and I looked around. it was nicely decorated and was clean.  He walked me to two couches with a glass coffee table in between.  He leaned his bat on a wall and motioned for me to sit on the couch closer to the door while he sat across from me.  "What's so important, that you have to go back to your camp?" He asks looking at me, "my brother is there, his wife, a close friend of mine."  I say softly, "but me, your father is here.  And I could take care of you, and give you anything you want." He says smiling, "I know you can, but I don't want all of that." I sighed. "I want to be with my family at my group, trust me dad, I'd love to be here with you, and I would ask my people to come be here, but they wouldn't be very happy about that, especially since they don't know you and don't know the way you work things here." I say as I look at him.

     Negan sighed and looked at me as he thought, "what happened?" he asks looking at my cuts and swollen face.  My heart skipped a beat as I looked at him and shrugged, too scared to tell him when I finally did, "a year and a half ago, I met a guy and his sister.  Me and the guy, Lucas, we fell for each other, when his sister died, he lost his mind, he used to be loving and caring, when he became abusive and controlling.." I say softly and see the anger building up inside him, "I eventually tried to kill him, and for the past year I thought I did, until he showed up the other day...  he continued to abuse me and that night, he raped me.." as I spoke, my voice tailed off and got quieter.

     I looked up at him and saw his anger in his face, "he's dead now? Right?" he said in utter anger, I nodded slowly, "my friend killed him." I said softly when there was a knock at the door, "come in." Negan said looking to the door.  I looked over and saw an over weight man walk in and looked at Negan, "uh, the iron is ready." he says, "shit.. I don't want to do that today anymore.." he says and looked to me, "I really don't want you to have to see this.." he sighed looking at me, "see what..?" I say softly.  "Fat Joey!  Meet me down stairs."  He says having the man leave and looked to me, "this choice is yours kiddo, do you want to see what the iron means? Or do you want to stay up here?" he asks, "what time is it?" I ask looking to him, "four o'clock." he says looking to me, "I should actually be getting going.." I say softly, "you're really going to leave?" he asks looking at me, "dad, I'll come and visit, but I have to keep my promise and meet Carl before sunset.." I sigh looking at him, "fine, fine." he sighed, "is the iron bad?" I ask looking to him, "yes, it sure as hell is, the most gruesome thing I have to do when one of my people fuck up.  As much as I hate doing it, I have to, or else my people wont learn." he says, "and since you're leaving, I wont have you watch, I don't want you leaving on a bad note and to be scared of me." he says as he got up and hugged me again, "love you kiddo." he says, "love you too dad. " I say hugging him back.

     When we pulled away, I looked to the bat, "what happened to Lucille?" I ask looking to Negan.  He looked back to me and shook his head, "that's the new and improved Lucille." He says pointing to the barb wired bat, "dad.. that's a bat with barb wire.." I say softly looking to him, "and she is one bad ass, fighting machine!" he laughed and walked over, picking her up smiling to me.  I smiled and raised my eye brows looking at him as I shook my head and laughed a bit, "I'll see you later dad. And also, where can I get my gun back at?" I ask looking him.  "Here." he went into a drawer and takes out a gun with Lucille carved on it.  I smiled to him as we hugged and I left.

     As I was walking out and left the fences, I heard loud screams coming from inside the factory.  I gasped and turned around and looked at the place and I got an idea what the iron was.  I sighed as I closed my eyes, shaking my head as I headed to The Hilltop to find Carl and head back to Alexandria in the morning since it was such a long drive.