Author's Note: Takes place after season 8 episode 6.
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Ever since Gregory had been locked with the Saviors, Paul had an added reason to just want this whole thing solved quickly. He could deal with sneers or insults easily, but Gregory was a special kind of complicated.
"Jesus, have you talked with Maggie yet?" he said first thing each time. Paul couldn't even try to reply before he'd continue: "Jesus, please, I can't stay here with these people, these monsters. Please, you have to get me out of here!"
One of the Saviors scoffed, a cocky grin on his face.
"We sure as fuck can't be with this little shit either. I mean, this is torture right here. You can hang us already."
Paul continued distributing the day's meal. The younger Savior that had talked with him earlier, Alden, was eyeing the the cocky Savior attentively, while the long haired man was clearly having his fun with Gregory's repeated words.
"Jesus, you're a good man. You've always been, right from that first time, you've been my right hand man this whole time since the very beginning..."
"Gregory..."
"Please, Jesus," his voice dropped to pleading immediately, hands grabbing at the post and barely missing the barbed wire. "You know me, and you barely know that woman. Who's had your back this whole time? You barely know her! I mean, Maggie means well, but she's wrong and you know it. You-"
"No, Gregory, she's not."
"I know I have my flaws," he admited on the verge of tears, "but I try. I try to be better and to do the best for all of us, Jesus, for all of us! I didn't want to go to these animals, these killers, but I had to go, I had to be a leader! I had to get us a chance..."
"For fuck's sake man," another Savior groaned, even if he was smilling considerably. The long haired Savior joined with him like two teenagers picking on a younger one.
"You're gonna hang with the rest of us, Gregory," he mocked, cackling at his own pun. "Get it? Hang around until you hang too."
Gregory started to cry, waving his head helplessly and repeating the same pleas like a prayer.
"No one's hanging anyone," Paul repeated soundly, hoping it'd set the subject for good, but he knew those handful of Saviors wouldn't let it go for as long as they could mess with Gregory.
"They don't have the backbone to do it," another one said; Dean, the one that had put a gun to Paul's head. He was smiling widely as Paul turned his eyes to him. "Don't worry about it, Gregory. Your pretty boy didn't kill me, he's never gonna kill you."
"He is pretty. He's prettier than me, motherfucker has better hair."
"He really has."
"What, you grabbed him by the hair?"
"No, I just rubbed my face all over it, got to really take in his scent, you know? Wonderful smell that was, huh?"
"You're fucking sick, Dean."
"Right, Jesus? Next time I grab you it won't be like this one. I can't wait."
"I'm the one that's gonna kill him. But I may kill you first, Gregory."
"Will you two stop that already?" Alden yelled. The two Saviors just scoffed loudly.
"You see the kind of people you're forcing me to be locked up with?" Gregory cried while the Saviors continued their fun in the back. "Paul, for the love of God, please, take me out of here, make Maggie take me out of here! You're good at making people do things."
"You and I both know what you did, and most of all, why," Paul replied. "You-"
"I didn't threaten you, Jesus!" Gregory interrupted, twisting his words to what he wanted. "What I said, in the Hilltop, it was just a joke!"
"Gregory, don't."
"You can't be mad at me for that! I didn't threaten you, you got it all wrong! You can't be mad for-"
"I'm not," Paul replied, and it really was true. He had learned not to expect much from Gregory when it came to consideration for him. "You're not here because of what you said to me."
"With Negan, it was all-"
Paul handed the last portion and turned around.
"Negan made me do it, Jesus! You know me, you know me!" Gregory still cried. "I'd never say any of that! You can't leave me here! Please, Paul, you know me!"
"I do." he replied. "Now try to prove me wrong, Gregory."
Paul continued walking, leaving behind the fading whimpers and cries. He breathed in and out, rubbing his face to try to clear some of the frustration away. He couldn't wait for this war to be over, for this whole thing to end, for Maggie to have peace and for Gregory to start to actually change.
Otherwise, he wouldn't know what to do.
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to be continued
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