"I can break you… I know about little Carl and the others. Now this "I'm by myself!" is bullshit, kid. Where are the they and where is my wife?!" Ed growled, slowly losing it. He had been torturing Harper for the past day and it hadn't yielded anything but sarcastic remarks and snarkiness from her.
And now there was that tiny shred of regret for keeping her captive… Harper clearly wasn't gonna break anytime soon.
"I ain't telling you any lies you'll-" Harper started to say, grunting as Ed slammed the bat right into her ribcage. "Are you torturing me or is this just fucked up foreplay?" She asks tauntingly after looking up at Ed… but it pissed him off worse.
"Where are they?!" Ed demanded.
"Carol and Sophia? They're better off away from you, you son of a bitch… all you've done is terrorize them-" Harper responded, Ed backhanding her.
"Where are they?! You ain't had enough yet from me?! Maybe you've grown to like it after Patrick turned against you! You're just a punching bag anyway, Harper!" Ed said through gritted teeth.
Harper kicked her right foot up between Ed's legs and forced him to fall before she pinned him down and grabbed the machete Rick gave her, stabbing Ed repeatedly as her rage and his pain filled screams echoed through the warehouse.
Ed was barely able to shove Harper off of him and pull himself up, charging at her… but that was as Harper had grabbed the bat and a sickening crack echoed as she smashed it against his skull.
"You… are a fucking bitch!" Ed yelled, Harper looking at him.
"Maybe I am a bitch… or maybe..." Harper says, picking up a silver and red axe. "Maybe you're out of options, Ed." She says, driving the axe into Ed's spine repeatedly.
When Daryl and Rick finally found the room, they were shocked at what was there… Ed laid on the ground with blood all around him and Harper gripped onto the axe, looking down at him… it was as Harper raised the axe one more time to sever Ed's head that Daryl and Rick stopped her.
"Check him." Daryl said, Rick crouching down and not finding a pulse.
"Is it over?" Harper asked numbly as Rick stood up.
"You got him, Harper Rose… it's over." Rick whispered before the three left, Rick holding Harper close to him…
"Harper… Harper, wake up, baby girl!" Rick said, lightly shaking the young teenager.
Harper's blue eyes snapped open as she sat up, her reddish brown collarbone length hair messy from sleep and her and Rick hugging. She had been adopted by Rick and Lori nearly a year ago but already, it was like she had lived her whole life with them and Carl.
Harper looked up at Rick, who brushed her tears away.
"The family down the block… Carol and Sophia, are they holding up okay? It's not easy breaking off all contact with…" Harper tried to say, Rick knowing that she was worried that Ed would be acquitted of the domestic abuse charges against him.
"Ed is gonna get what he deserves, Harper. He won't be able to hurt Carol, Sophia or anyone else, I promise." Rick answered, carefully cradling Harper's face as her right eye and mouth were still sore from Ed punching her.
The two hugged again and Rick kissed Harper on the side of her forehead before going to check on Lori and Carl. Harper reached over and grabbed her red and black handheld mirror, opening it and looking at herself.
She remembered it clear as day… it was something she'd never forget.
Three days earlier…
Harper was on her way back from school, enjoying the crisp autumn air and smiling as she stopped and bent down to pet the neighbor's pug.
"Hi, Molly." Harper said, Molly barking in response and nuzzling the 14 year old's right hand.
But the bark slowly turned into a growl as Molly and Harper both heard screaming and Harper's eyes widened in shock as she saw Ed punch Carol. Molly ran through the puppy door of her home to alert her humans and Harper ran over and jumped on Ed, slamming her right knee into his back and putting him in a chokehold like Rick had taught her to.
Ed's attention was no longer on his wife, him focusing on the small but surprisingly strong girl as Ed was down to one knee.
Carol had ran in and locked the door, telling Sophia to go upstairs and do the same before Carol dialed 911 and relayed to the dispatcher that Ed had attacked her and was currently attacking Harper from what Carol saw transpire.
Ed flipped Harper onto the concrete and punched her in the face, his second punch missing as Harper moved her head and Ed's fist hit the concrete.
"Carol, you bitch! Get off that fucking-" Ed shouted after turning back to Carol, screaming as Harper smashed a brick against his head and knocked him down before she kept him down and put every bit of rage into her punches as she screamed at Ed that he was a sick bastard.
Harper paid no attention to the sirens or any of her surroundings until she was physically pulled off of Ed and felt Rick's hands on her shoulders as Shane pulled Ed up after handcuffing him and shoved him into the squad car after reading Ed his rights.
"Harper…" Rick said, Harper taking ragged breaths to fill her lungs as her face was red with anger as well as bruised and bleeding from Ed punching her and her punching him repeatedly.
"It had to stop… someone had to stop him because he wasn't gonna stop on his own, Dad…" Harper managed to say, Rick wrapping his arms around her and holding her to him.
"I know, baby girl… they never do stop on their own…" Rick whispered as Harper wrapped her arms around him, returning the hug.
Harper buried her face into Rick's shoulder as Carol and Sophia cautiously approached them, Carol resting her hand on Harper's back and her looking at them.
"Is Daddy going away for a long time? He's hurt Mommy before." Sophia said, her tiny left hand gripping onto Harper's right one.
"You two won't have to worry anymore…" Harper responded, her voice still rough before Rick and Carol helped her up.
"Carol-" Rick started to say.
"I'll be more than happy to file charges against him… but your little girl needs to be fixed up, Rick." Carol replied, her and Rick helping the kids to the squad car.
Harper felt Sophia wrap her arms around her and immediately embraced her, stroking Sophia's hair.
Sophia felt the weight of the world being lifted off her shoulders… and so did Harper and Carol.