• 14 •

F O U R T E E N

5 days later

A L E X A

I had just got back to the sanctuary with my dad, where I needed to be.

I was still limping a little, but I could get around. Dad was pissed about them taking me, but he was just glad I was back.

I was still extremely angry with him. I hadn't discussed what he had done yet, but I was getting ready to.

I was sat in my bed, reading a book. Twilight, pretty weird, but I liked it and it was the only 'huge' book we had.

My eyes skimmed across the paper, reading. It was getting me on edge.

Every time I read, it made me feel like everything was normal, especially since my room was decorated just like a normal teenage girls room would be decorated.

Picture frames, my name on the wall, little lights. At least that was normal.

I heard a knock on my door and I turned my head towards it, ripping my attention away from my book.

"Hey." Dad stood in the frame."Hey." I folded the page I was on and set my book beside me.

"Can I come in?" He noticed I was reading."Yeah." I moved my legs and patted the bed.

Dad walked in and sat down with a groan."I'm not very happy with you." I didn't make eye contact with him, I stared down at my hands, picking at my nails.

"I know. I saw how upset you were. I thought you had just run away since you were angry." Dad said.

"Why would you do that? After I begged you not to... you know how much I care about that boy." I looked up, finally making eye contact.

"I needed to show them if they start again, I start again. They killed Jared, Andy, Oscar, and Fisher. You know I don't play." He named off the dead.

"I know.. but Carl. You know that I-" I stopped myself before I said anything that he didn't want to hear.

"You could've picked someone else. I asked you over and over not to. What the hell is wrong with you?" I made up my sentence, making a lame excuse.

"I could have, but you didn't come home and you were with him. You were the one who cut ties with them. I warned you. I have to be careful. That boy can put words into your head and make you turn on your old man."

"That wouldn't happen, Dad. You saw how upset and how much distress I was in and you didn't stop. You thought killing him would really solve your problem?" My voice got a bit louder, my brows furrowing.

"He could've been manipulating you. Using you. Lying to you. Distracting you." Dad pointed out."He wasn't." I hissed.

"And how do you know that?" Dad didn't believe me."You can't beat me at my own game. That's what I'm best at, you know it."

"Alexa, I was being careful.""Fuck careful, okay?" Dads eyes widened at this.

"If the kingdom and hilltop didn't come and save your ass... if you went through with it, I would've raised hell. I love you and I wouldn't be able to live without you, but if you would've done that... all out war, negan. Not with Alexandria, but with me. I wouldn't kill you but your world would be one you wish you didn't live in." I was giving him a warning. If he ever tried to do it again he knows what he's in for. He knew I was capable of it.

"I would've shut it down-"

"You wouldn't because you wouldn't know how to. You know what I'm capable of and you know how dangerous I can be." I clenched my teeth a little.

"You don't understand, Dad. I- I love that boy." I finally said it in front of Dad. It's a sign of weakness.

Weakness isn't tolerated. Not by me. Not by dad."You think so?" He asked."I know so." I came back quickly.

"I knew that already.. but I'm doing whatever is needed to keep us alive. You just got shot and a concussion, Alexa. Who knows how that could've turned out." He placed a hand on my calf.

"I got shot and that concussion because you tried to kill my boyfriend but yeah." I giggled. I could never really stay mad at Dad. No matter how hard I tried.

"I guess that's true." Dad admitted.

We laughed for a few seconds and then Dad spoke again. "You shot at me." He remembered."I shot over you. It was a warning... you knew that." I mumbled.

"You still shot at me." Dad giggled. This turned into silence.

"I shot over."

My smile faded in this time of silence. It was quiet for a few minutes.

"He tried to get me to stay at Alexandria... he's scared of losing me." I glanced out of my window, looking at all of the trees.

"I told him that I would never not be a savior. He was scared that if I came back here that you were going to talk me into hating him and wanting him dead." I trailed off, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"He tried to make you be an alexandrian?" He questioned. I nodded.

"I told him no matter how angry I am at you, there would never be a day I would change sides." As I was saying that, I noticed something moving in the woods.

My brows furrowed and I moved closer to my window to get a better look."What is it?"

It wasn't a walker pattern... people.

"People." I got up quickly, going into my closet and grabbing my assault rifle.

Dad opened my window and climbed out to the little ledge and towards a balcony. I followed his steps.

"Stop right there!" I yelled loudly, pointing my gun. "Everyone get your guns ready! Surround and secure!" Dad echoed into the Walkie talkie.

The movement stopped, the people coming into clear view. There were lots of them. My eyes squinted, pointing my gun at a man.

"You're on dangerous territory! Walk away, now or you all will die!" I shouted. They were heavily armed.

"Our apologies, we were just trying to pass through! No harm!" Something about that man didn't seem convincing.

"Leave now or you will face the consequences!" Our speakers went off. "Okay! Okay! We see we are not wanted here! We will be moving on our way!" I could see from here the evil smirk on his face.

"Get this place on lockdown." Dad told me. I nodded, grabbing dads walkie.

"Lockdown! No one gets in or out!" I instructed.

"You've got 30 seconds to get away from our territory or you're walker bait!" Dad howled.

"Alright then! We will be in our way!" I didn't like the tone in his voice.

I watched intently as they ran off into the other side of the woods.

"We've got trouble." My lips moved, my voice audible, but quiet.

"Yeah, we're back in it, Alexa." Dad nudged me.

I smiled, I liked the sound of that.

"We're back. Negan and Alexa." My grin got wider.

H O U R S L A T E R

I was half way through my book, it had gotten pretty intense.

I read intently, this book keeping me on the edge of my seat.

"Alexa, you will not believe this shit!" I heard my dad from outside of my room."Come in!" I groaned, setting my book down.

My door slammed open and there stood my dad... and Rick.

"Rick? What the hell?" I stood up. Dad pushed him in my room.

"He came by himself. Turns out he's run into these people, too." Dad laughed.

Rick didn't seem to be hurt or scared."What's going on?" I crossed my arms.

"Go ahead, tell her, you asshole. Aw you're gonna get a kick out of this!"

"They're powerful. I've seen their entire group. They outnumber you and the kingdom combined. Here's my proposition... they've got firepower stocked up, a whole shitload of it... I can't believe I'm saying this right now." Rick took a deep breath in.

"How would you feel about the saviors teaming up with us? Alexandria, hilltop and the kingdom?"

WOAH