My Damaged Protector

Chapter Fifty-eight ~ Rock in the Road

We entered the massive house that sat on the highest point in Hilltop to talk with Gregory. Our entire group piled into the house again, taking up spots around the beautiful office that Gregory used for his meetings. Rick, Michonne, Maggie and Jesus were all stood closest to the large desk that Gregory was stood behind. Daryl, Jasper, and I were stood near the back bookcases, Daryl's arm draped tightly around my waist and his other hand gently resting on Jasper's shoulder.

"No, no way in hell." Gregory paced behind his desk. "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. We don't know each other." He sat down behind the ridiculous desk and looked over to Rick. "I owe you nothing. In fact, you owe me for taking in refugees, at great personal risk." He waved to Maggie, Enid, and Sasha who had yet to be back to Alexandria since we met Negan weeks ago.

"Oh, you were very brave staying in here while Maggie and Sasha saved this place. Your courage was inspiring." Jesus defended us, rolling his eyes with his sarcastic remark.

"Hey! Don't you work for me? Aren't we friends?"

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

"You started it." He snapped back.

"We did, and we're gonna win." Rick told him. Something in Rick changed today when we lost Olivia and finally got Daryl back. You could see the hope and strength return to his eyes.

"They are killers!"

"Is that how you wanna live? Under their thumb, killing your people?" Rick looked around to our group, knowing we didn't wanna lose any more of our people.

"Sometimes we don't get to choose what our life looks like." My eyes were wide at Gregory's words. He didn't care what his life looked like, but what about his group? Their lives? "Sometimes, Ricky, you have to count the blessings you have.

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

"We?" Gregory scoffs, making me roll my eyes. "I don't even know how many people we have, Margaret." He was purposefully calling Maggie by the wrong name to get a reaction from her. "I mean, 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."

I was sick of hearing Gregory talk so little of his people. "You're wrong." I spoke up, looking around at my group. "When people have the chance to do the right thing, they usually step up. I mean..."

I was cut off by Gregory raising his hand. "Let me stop you right there before you break into song." Daryl stood straighter and I squeezed at his fingers, telling him to leave it be. "And, by the way, who would train all this cannon fodder?"

"I will." Tara said the same time Rosita said, "Give me a week."

"Rhetorical, ok?" Gregory sang out in a dumb voice. "I don't wanna know."

"Now who's breaking into song?" I mumbled, making Tara and Daryl chuckle softly.

"I never wanna hear another word about any of it, ever."

Rick had a hand to his head, shaking it. "Would we be better off without the Saviors, yes, or no?"

"Yeah, sure, ok." Gregory shrugged.

"So, what will you do to fix the problem?" Michonne was obviously irritated with Gregory's stubbornness.

"I didn't say we had a problem; you did. And what happens outside of my purview is outside of my purview."