Chapter Nine: Sweat and Fear

Sanctuary was hot. After a week spent inside the tall, converted factory that was really all Kelly knew about the place. The day after she had been brought here she had been put under for the surgery that would fix her arm.

The doctor was a man named Dr. Carson, Kelly thought it was funny that she had met two Dr. Carson's in the span of a few weeks, who was fairly tall and it seemed like he didn't really care about his job too much. But Kelly figured being the doctor at this place was probably more depressing than what it was worth. At least he wasn't as creepy as Dr. Edwards had been at the hospital in Atlanta.

She had seen the x-ray of her arm and knew if she had been able to stay at Alexandria they would have had to cut it off in the end no matter what they tried. The humerus was almost completely snapped in half. Dr. Carson had said that even with the operation she would most likely be dealing with pain for the rest of her life. Said he would be able to secure the bones but that it would not be as strong as it should be since his training wasn't in orthopedics and they didn't have all the medical equipment that was needed for the operation but he would do what he could and that the few breaks this sever he had set in the past had healed okay for those people.

The day of the surgery she had spent sleeping. The medical room was split in two with half of it being an office that seemed to have a steady stream of people coming in for various reasons while she laid on the other side of a wall that had to have been built after people moved into the building since it was a thin plaster that was uneven in several spots. The day after she had been awake but was in a lot of pain so she didn't do much except try and keep still and calm.

Day four is when she finally felt a bit better, her arm still felt like it was on fire, but the sling kept it pinned tight to her body helped when she took a few hesitant steps around the room before sitting down on the chair that was by a window that overlooked the back of the factory. There was a loading dock and everything seemed to be surrounded by a chain-link fence as well as what Kelly thought were walkers that were impaled adding another layer of protection. There were also people. A lot of people that guarded the fence and some in grey outfits that were always messing with the walkers themselves, taking some down and putting newer ones up. It was also pretty big, with a few outlying buildings and storage units that seemed to house a few people or maybe they were just full of supplies. Who knew how many communities Negan had under his thumb.

Kelly hadn't seen Negan in person but she had heard him a few times in the other room.

Day seven she was given actual clothes and was told that someone would be by to take her to her room.

Kelly didn't want a room here, but she also knew that arguing with a doctor who was just following orders wouldn't get her anywhere. Besides, until she knew why Negan wanted her here there wasn't much she could do. She seriously doubted it was out of the goodness of his heart that he stopped her from losing an arm. Kelly had nagging thoughts of that stupid hospital again that trapped people against their will and made them work off the debt they supposedly owed.

If that was how this place rolled Kelly owed a pretty large debt, medical attention, food, clothes, and probably the air she breathed.

It was a sunny day outside, it had to be a hot day too if the shimmers off the buildings were anything to go by. Kelly kept looking around the outside praying for a glimpse of Daryl. He had been the one to carry her from Alexandria's infirmary to the covered truck that took her to Sanctuary. Daryl had looked awful, sick almost and covered in bruises. He hadn't said a word and had hardly looked at her while he carried her. Mental abuse, which was why Negan had him do it. And once he put her in the truck he had been dragged away and she hadn't seen him since.

"Lookin' out that window isn't going to get you out of here anytime soon."

Kelly jumped at the sound of the voice from the doorway and turned and saw the moustache man from the night in the clearing. Since it wasn't dark and she wasn't scared out of her mind Kelly could actually make more of him out. Tall, like they all seemed to be here, he was older than he sounded, late 30's maybe, a receding hairline and big eyes that almost seemed to gleam even in the bland light of the room.

"Sorry," he says with a smile as he walks into the room. "Didn't mean to scare ya. But I've been standing here a few minutes watching and you were starting out that window like you wanted to jump out of it. Which I wouldn't recommend. Not high enough to kill you when you hit the ground. Come on, boss wants to see you." He motions with his hand as he turns on his heel and heads out of the room, Kelly follows slowly behind him, still feeling pain along her arm with each step she takes.

The halls are dark and narrow along various catwalks and some paths that had to have been built after people had moved in. A lot of work had gone into making this place livable. Kelly remembered how long it had taken to build the prison up and that was a smaller space than this place was. There were people all over the place too, carrying various items through the halls or walking in groups, no one really seemed to anywhere alone, at least not the people she was passing.

The man, who said his name was Simon as they walked out of medical, lead her to a large door that seemed to be located away from the others they had past and knocked on it, a gruff "enter" was said from the other side and Simon pulled the door open telling her to step in.

The room she stepped into reminded her of the fancy studio apartments she had seen online, painted walls, carpet, matching furniture, actual art on the wall, curtains. But it all seemed to match the personality of the man who was lounging on the dark leather couch, leg crossed over one knee like he didn't have a care in the world. Like he wasn't a monster who had her whole life in the palm of his hand.

Kelly stayed as close to the door as she could, not wanting to step further into this room than she had too, but Negan nodded his head and Simon stepped out, closing the door with him.

Negan stared at her for what seemed like hours, his eyes slowly working their way up and down as she forced herself to stand still, keeping her bad arm pressed tight to her chest and her good arm holding it as tight as she could, trying not to crumble under his gaze.

It reminded her of what Philip used to do when they were going to one of his functions for the law firm. Critiquing every single thing he saw to add to her list of wrong doings that would get her in trouble later.

"Well, you look a little less like shit than the last time I saw you. But calm the hell down before you shake the whole damn building down." He states as he pushes himself to his feet with a flourish and grabs a glass and some liquor from the cabinet behind him. "Sit, now doc says no drinking on the pain meds, so it's just water for you." He uses his knee to open and close the small refrigerator that sits on the floor, pulling out a bottle of water. He sets it all on the table as Kelly slowly lowers herself onto the chair that is across from the couch that Negan plops himself back into with a grunt.

"Now, I bet you want to know why you are here." He says as he pours the brownish liquid into the glass. Kelly nodded as she held the water in her hand, not really wanting to drink any of it in case he was keeping a tally of all she was using. "It's pretty freaking obvious from where I'm sitting. Leverage, an incentive if you will, for dear ol' Rick to keep his shit together. Nothing pisses a man off than his woman being taken away, same principle applies to little sisters. I've seen so many stupid fuckers start shit over family, and sisters seem to always be the main cause."

"Rick is in line." She mumbles, trying to make her voice stronger but failing.

"And you being here will keep him in line. I've done this shit enough times to know that the first few months are the hardest. Especially after the first visit. You all sit in your pick-over houses and get all riled up. And your group was mouthier than most, more short-sighted and stupid. Most communities always try to pull something the next time my trucks rollup. But with you here, and with a clipped wing no less, well I think that will keep you all in check more than anything else I've done."

"You have Daryl. You didn't need me for that." Kelly sets the bottle back on the table and curls her feet into the chair to rest her arm against her legs.

"I do have Daryl, but I took him for a different reason. He's going to make a fine soldier for me one day. Just have to get him there. And to be honest with you I had no plans to bring you with me. The opportunity just fell in my lap. A pretty thing like you, all injured and shit, willing to get your damn arm cut off to keep supplies up for me. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. Plus, you are fiery as hell. Not often I see a woman full on tackle a guy who tried to take a swing at me. Impressed the hell out of me."

"So, what happens now?" Kelly had been looking at the bottle of water or her arm during the whole conversation. But now, at her question she hears him chuckle, a dark chuckle, she pulls her eyes up and looks at the man. He had a huge grin on his face, his eyes dark and crinkled around the edges.

"You're not going back to Alexandria. That arm needs to be monitored for several weeks and I'm not letting all the supplies we've used on you go to waste with you being stupid. So, you're staying here, how you spend that time is all up to you."

"Okay?" Kelly asks, confusion written on her face.

"We work on a point system around here. Everything you eat, drink, wear, all the meds, everything is based on points. Everyone has a job that gets them points and they are free to use them however they wish. All saviors who are new get the shit jobs that no one really wants, laundry, cleaning, shit outside, life is rough. That is where you will start. Points are based on how much you get done. And with you only having one arm and it's gonna suck for you more than most."

"Doesn't sound like there is a choice there." Kelly says, thinking this place ran like the hospital in Atlanta, which meant she was going to be starting off in debt and she'd never crawl out of it. She also knew that her brother wouldn't show up and save her this time.

"That is just option one. Option two is much better for both of us." His grin made Kelly's stomach turn. "I have an opening in a special part of Sanctuary. No shit jobs, no points, just smooth sailing for you."

Kelly just blinks at him, even more confused. This made no sense. Option one was basically hard labor and option two seemed like a trick.

"There is a bit of a catch, an asterisk if you will, only my wives enjoy option two."

"Wives?" Kelly blinks, wives? Like more than one?

"Wives, six to be exact. And I'm offering you the chance to be lucky number seven."

Kelly felt like someone had ripped a rug from under her feet. Confusion and shock bouncing around in her head. Was he asking to marry her? Why? What did that gain him? How would that help her?

"I-I'm sorry, I-I'm not…" Kelly stuttered out, closing her eyes, and taking a breath. "I don't understand, why?"

He seems amused by her confusion, chuckling to himself and shaking his head at her.

"I get it, I just dropped a shit ton of information on you, can be a bit overwhelming. I'm asking you to be my wife. Live a life of luxury and never have to worry about anything at all. In fact, I'll even sweeten the deal for you. Walk with me." Negan stands up and offers her his hand. Kelly shakingly takes it and he pulls her up, picking up the bat that rested against the door and swings it over his shoulder.

Kelly follows him, with Simon following behind her, he was standing outside the door when they walked out. Kelly wonders if there is a map to this place since it all seems to be narrow metal pathways and various doors into large open spaces. But he leads them outside, Kelly blinking at the bright sun since this is the first time she has been outside in almost a week.

She was at the front of the factory, overlooking a gravel lot that probably was a parking lot before everything collapsed. Walkers on chains, hanging off metal by the fence, some in pits, all in various stages of rot. And then she saw the people in the grey suits she had watched from the medical window, and her gaze zoomed in on Daryl and her heart stopped.

"Daryl." She breathed out. He looked even worse than he had the day she had arrived here. He was moving stiffly and slower than normal, even when they had been working on the heavy construction of the prison Kelly didn't think she had seen him move so slow. And it was hot. She could see the damp stains on the shirt he wore and squeezed the railing tight when he dodged a walker that got too close.

"See, Daryl has a bit of an attitude problem, add that to some of the shit he tried to pull and him just simply being a pain in the ass this is what he gets to do. He keeps my front yard looking fucking scary." Negan steps closer to Kelly and leans against the yellow rail that she had clenched under her fingers. "But like I told you sweetheart, the jobs for the newbies fucking suck. I wouldn't be putting you out here, not with your one arm and all, I'm not that mean. But it still won't be a good job. Now that is just option one. Remember that there is a whole other option. I'll even sweeten the deal for you." Negan smirks and looks back at Daryl. "As you can see he is not doing so great out there. Hot as hell out here." Negan looks back at Kelly. "You pick option two, not only will I move him inside I will even increase his earnings."

He steps even closer, his chest bruising against Kelly's side and she can't help but take a small step back from him, her good hand releasing the bar and covering her injured arm. His smirk grows at her actions and his hand pushes back her hair that is flying in the wind around her face. "Think about it sweetheart." He's voice is softer than she's ever heard it, which just makes her shake even more. "Daryl is a little safer, treated better, and you won't have to worry about a damn thing. All you have to do is marry me. It's a pretty simple choice don't you think?"

Kelly can barely breath, frozen in a terror she hasn't felt since she was in her twenties and every aspect of her life was under Phillip's control. She had adapted to that fairly quickly, knew what to say. Kelly knew what Negan wanted her to say too. It would keep her safe and help Daryl. But Daryl would hate it, would hate her even. She knew Daryl would rather work himself into the ground and be the reason she would go with door number two.

"You still seem hesitant." Negan says pulling away and shaking his head. "Let's do this then, I have a truck coming up in just a few minutes. I'll let you stay here and help unload it. Gonna suck with that busted arm, but we always have some lighter boxes that need carried. So, let's just stay right here, enjoy the show that Daryl is putting on, and wait for the truck."

Negan's few minutes turned out to be closer to ten or fifteen as they were out there long enough for Kelly's hair to become damp with sweat and her arm in the sling to be uncomfortable and damp. She had spent the whole time they were just standing there watching Daryl, he hadn't looked up one time while they were out there. Just focusing on not getting bit or falling over. Kelly was closer to agreeing with each passing moment to simply get him out of there. It was manipulation at its most basic, Kelly knew this, but it was still hard not to give into it as the minuets passed.

The truck finally pulled up and several men came out of the building as it backed up to the ramp. "Let's go sweetheart." He says, grabbing Kelly's upper arm and leading her down the ramp as some more men got out the cab of the truck. They get down on the ground, Negan lets her go with a small shove at the back side of the truck. "Okay, boys, let's get this haul unloaded and inside. I want to get back in there and unload a little myself." He says looking over at Kelly.

"Negan, need to talk to you about redirect." A man who was in the cab of the truck says as he comes over to the taller man."

"What about the redirect?"

"It got screwed up. We're on it now, but it's a mess out there."

"And whose job was that?"

Negan's conversation is drowned out as they move away from the truck to talk and the rest move to start unloading the back, some complaining about the flaps not being tied down and one guy gets inside and a few seconds later something crashes and breaks inside, the men outside laughing all the while.

Kelly hits the ground, jolting her injured arm as gun fire blazes out of the truck, one guy falls dead on the floor while a few others run out of the back. A voice that Kelly wasn't expecting and did not want to hear at all sounds from the truck as her nephew jumps out with a large gun in his hands. "Stay back! Drop your weapons. I only want Negan. No one else needs to die."

Kelly stands up and just stares at Carl, whatever fear she had been feeling before intensified as Negan started whistling and walking over to the mess Carl had made, a huge smile on his face. "Damn. You are adorable." He reaches over and grabs Kelly again, keeping her between himself and Carl's gun. Kelly can see the hesitation at his actions. "Did you pick that gun 'cause it looks cool? You totally did, right? Kid, I ain't gonna lie you scare the shit outta me."

Before long Carl is on the ground, disarmed, Dwight standing over him. Negan lets Kelly go and she looks up and sees Daryl against the fence, just staring at her, then down at Carl, confusion and worry more prominent on his face then ever before. Kelly pulls her eyes away from him when Negan stands over Carl, offering his hand. "Is that any way to treat our new guest? Come on, kid. I will show you around." Carl doesn't take it, instead he looks to where Daryl is standing as the walkers growling grows louder and Kelly holds a breath as Daryl dodges another one trying to bite him.

"You know, you do the same damn stink-eye as your dad, except it's only half as good 'cause well, you know, you're missing an eye." Negan laughs to himself, hand still extended as Carl refuses to take it, just laying on the ground, glaring at the man who was standing over him. "Really? You're really not gonna take my hand? 'Cause you're lucky you even still have a hand."

"Rick, I want you to take your ax cut your son's left arm off, right on that line."

Carl continued to stare as Negan continued. "Same as your boy Daryl over here, now that I think about it. How's the job going, Daryl? Hot enough for you? Yeah, it'd be tough with one arm." Kelly swears Negan laughs more to himself than any other person she has met. Carl swallows his pride and takes Negan's hand and is pulled to his feet, earning some praise from the man. "Ah, smart kid. Now come with me." He looks at Dwight and then the rest of the group, giving them orders. They all turn to do as they are told and Negan motions towards Kelly with his hand. "Both of you follow me."

"What are you gonna do to me?" Carl asks, not sounding as afraid as Kelly was, but Carl had always been good at hiding his feelings when it came to things like this. It wasn't like this was the first time he had been this close to a possible life-threatening situation.

"Number one, do not shatter my image of you. You're a badass. You're not scared of shit. Don't be scared of me. It's a disappointment." Negan says in a way that made it seem like Carl had somehow offended him with his question. "Number two you really want me to ruin the surprise? Screw you, kid. Seriously. Screw you." He takes Carl by the shoulder and pushes him towards the ramp I had been led down when the truck came in. I followed without being told, I was going to stay as close to Carl as I could, not wanting my nephew alone in this place.

We walk through a different door that what I had been led out of, it overlooked what looked like a rec room, or maybe even a dorm area as there were beds, game tables, and a lot of people milling around, the air filled with their indistinct conversations. "Check this out." Negan whispers with another smirk on his face before he slowly walks towards the rail. Kelly stares in disbelief as every single person below dropped to their knees. Negan hadn't said a word, just stood there. Watching as they all stopped what they were doing and knelt on the ground. "The Saviors have gone out into the world and fought the dead and come back with some really good stuff. Some of that stuff can be yours if you work hard and play by the rules. Today, everybody gets fresh vegetables at dinner. No points needed."

The group on the ground applause and some high five each other as Negan turns around looking as arrogant as ever. "You see that? Respect. Cool, huh? They still on their knees?" They were, even with his back turned and clearly not intending to say anything else they did not move until his loud voice cut through the air, causing Kelly to jump. "As you were!" Before he walks off, motioning for Kelly and Carl to follow him.

Negan walks ahead of us as we go further into Sanctuary. Kelly had placed a hand on Carl's shoulder while his back was turned and just looked at him, trying some way to communicate with him to not do anything stupid, keep his anger in check, and just do what he needed to get back home. Back to a home she so desperately wanted to return to as well. After a longer walk than she had been on in this place they rounded a corner and there was a set of double dark wooded doors that Negan strolled right into. "Ladies." He says walking inside the room. Kelly stops at the door with Carl right in front of her and she stares inside.

It's like a sitting room of a palace or something. Nicer furniture than Kelly had ever seen littered the floor, fake green plants, statues, painting on the wall. It reminded Kelly of the main room of the Hilltop. All decorated up with no thought to the reality of the situation. Nothing in this world of walking corpses needed to look this outlandish. But it wasn't just the furnishings that had Kelly on edge, it was the women. The six women to be exact that were all dressed the same. And they all looked miserable.

They all looked up when Negan spoke, but none of them really acknowledge him, two kept playing their game on the far couch, the other kept reading, only the blonde on the couch that looked close to tears seemed to react to his appearance.

"Don't mind the kid." Negan says as he takes off his red scarf and lays it on the back of a chair before he gets close to Carl's ear, what he says making Kelly nauseous. "I know. Every woman where you're from dresses like they do the books at an auto shop. You're gonna want to look at their titties. It's cool. I won't mind. They won't mind. Knock yourself out."

Soon he is talking to one of the women by the bar. Kelly puts her hand on Carl's shoulder again, talking softly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, are you?"

"Carl what were you thinking? Do you realize how stupid this was? He's dangerous."

"I thought I could end it. Just be done with it. I didn't think-."

"Oh, it's obvious you didn't think. What is your dad going to think when he realizes you're gone?"

"I just wanted to help; he's been off since this happened."

"I know, I can only imagine, but don't you think this little stunt could make things worse? Think about what happened with Daryl that night. Sasha was killed because he did something stupid in the heat of the moment and didn't think it through." Kelly hissed, a bit louder than she meant to, causing some of the women to look her way before they went back to what they were doing. Kelly took a deep breath and looked over to where Negan was still standing, a beer in his hand, she was about to apologize to Carl for snapping at him when Negan stepped away from the bar and made Carl hold his beer.

Kelly feels tensions rise in the room when he sits in front of the crying blonde girl and leans closer to her, his voice in that creepy soft tone he used back in his room that morning. "Amber, baby. You know I don't want anyone here that doesn't want to be here, right?" Kelly felt a familiar fear settle in her belly. This whole conversation she was witnessing was like looking in a mirror of some of the conversations her and Phillip had had in the past. His larger form looming over her where she sat helpless against him. The calmness of his voice making things worse than it already was. His words not sounding threatening but the meaning was there all the same. "Hell, I'll put you all on the same job."

Watching the woman crumble under his tone was heartbreaking. Watching him kiss her as she shakingly said she loved him was too much like looking into her own reflection of her younger self, and in all reality, Amber was probably as old now as Kelly had been when she was in her relationship with Phillip.

Negan walked away and went back to the brunette that he had been talking to previously. "Will you get Carson for me?"

"Yeah."

"Did you see that? Wasn't hard on her, even though I am very hard in general." He sauntered in front of her, his smugness radiating stronger than the tension that seemed to lessen as soon as Negan stepped away from Amber.

"You're an asshole."

"I know. But the messed-up thing is, you like me anyway. You know the truth, just like me."

Kelly looked away when they stared to kiss, Negan had said he had six wives earlier, and it looked like he didn't care about any of them. They were all probably there for their own reasons, selfish or otherwise. Who would voluntarily agree to this?

Kelly almost had watching Daryl outside in the yard. She would have done anything to get him away from the danger.

Kelly looks up from the floor when footsteps get closer and suddenly she is standing closer to Daryl than she had since he had carried her across Alexandria a week ago. If she thought he looked rough from far away, up close made her want to cry. He locked eyes with her, they just looked at each other, Kelly blinks the tears away, just wanting to wrap her arms around him, have him make her feel safe again. When he looked away so did Kelly, looking back down at the floor and willing the dampness to leave her eyes as the kiss ended and the tension in the room seemed to spike again.

Negan chuckled to himself as he walked over to Daryl, grabbed a toothpick and stabbed an olive with a grin on his face. "Carl, will you grab this tray for me?" Carl does as he was told, and Daryl grows agitated and finally speaks the first words she had heard from him since he drove out of Alexandria weeks ago. He hadn't said anything the night in the clearing, nothing the short time they were around each other before she was brought here. But it hurt to hear him speak this way.

"Why do you got them here?"

"Whoa! What we talk about when you're not here is none of your business. Do not make me put this toothpick through the only eye the kid has. You go with Dwight. He'll get you a mop.

Dwighty boy fire up that furnace. I'll be down in a few. Time for a little Daija vu." Negan looks at me and grins. "You stay here sweetheart. You saw door number one, now you can see door number two." He turns towards the room, "one of you bring her down when it's time." He looks back at Carl and says, "Come on, kid." Before pushing his way between Daryl and Dwight, leading Carl away from me.

Something new fills the room when he is out of sight, Dwight looks at the brunette, Daryl looks at me, soon Dwight grabs Daryl and hauls him out of the room. Then all the woman minus the brunette, who goes to the bar and downs a drink, rush over to Amber and surround her as she starts to cry.

Kelly stands there, good arm cradling her bad one tight against her chest tucking herself into the corner trying to keep her breathing calm. She can't help but stare out the door where Carl and Daryl had both gone through, taking them away from her.

Kelly looks up at the sound of heels coming closer to her and she sees the brunette heading towards her with a sad smile. "Hi, I'm Sherry."

"Kelly."

"I'm sorry this is happening to you, we all are. Want to come with me to get the doc?"

"Sure." Kelly says softly, not wanting to stay in this room. Sherry gives her a small smile and motions towards the door.

They are quiet for a few moments as they walk before Sherry breaks the silence. "You're not from here are you? I mean I don't do much on the main floor anymore but I usually hear when a new group is brought in."

"No, I'm from Alexandria."

"The new community that was taken over. I heard about that. Negan doesn't talk much with us but he was ranting about you for weeks."

"Yeah."

"How did you end up here? He usually doesn't pick girls from outside. Only one that I know of and she died a few months before I got here."

"He just took me, sorta. I fell out of a tree stand, broke my arm. We didn't have the supplies to fix it, we were just going to cut it off. Negan said no and brought me here."

"And asked you to marry him."

"Yeah."

"Daryl is from Alexandria too, isn't he?" When Kelly says nothing and looks at the floor again Sherry continues. "That's what he's holding over your head isn't it? Daryl. If you marry him he'll treat him better. Give him a better job or more points or something like that."

"Yeah, how-?"

"That's what he does. Amber, the blonde, her mom was sick, old. She couldn't get enough points for the medication she needed, Negan said if she married him her mom wouldn't have to work for points. Negan sees where you are weakest and exploits that for his own gain."

"Is it worth it?"

"Sometimes. We each had our own reasons for saying yes. We each deal with it in our own way. But if you decide to do it you won't be alone. We help each other deal with it."

Kelly didn't say anything the rest of the way, just kept her arms close to her middle and tried to focus on where they were going. She had only been out of medical for a few hours and it felt like her world was spinning out of control. Her desire to try and make a run for it was quelled only by the thought of what he might do to Carl, Daryl, or anyone else back home kept her from trying it. Also knowing that as fast as she can run she couldn't outrun a bullet or fight too well with one arm. For now, she was stuck here.

Kelly stayed in the hall when Sherry talked to the doctor, taking the moment alone to lean her head against the wall and close her eyes.

The level Kelly had been led to after Sherry and her went back to the room and everyone left the room, all the other women hovering close to Amber even as we walked. Sherry had told me where we were going, that all I had to do was stand there and not to say a word. Just do as she did and keep quiet. That it would be over in about ten minutes. She said this with a coldness in her voice that I hadn't heard from her yet.

There was a man tied to a chair, sweat dripping off of him thick and fast as his tried to hold his sobs in. Daryl was standing not too far from the tied-up man clinging tightly to a mop that rested in a yellow janitor's bucket that, Dr. Carson was standing towards the back of the group with his medical bag held tight in his hand. I looked around and I didn't see Carl or Negan, but Sherry said that he would be alone shortly.

And with the clanging of something hard on his metal bars he came from a room on the walk above where we all gathered. After the first clang the group dropped to one knee, Sherry tugged at my hand as I stood there, unsure of if kneeling was something I wanted to do. But I did, glancing at Daryl and quickly looking down as I saw him on his knees as well. Negan comes into full view and hands the bat to Carl before strolling to the yellow bars, his voice taking on a calm, serious tone, it echoed in the space around us.

"You know the deal. What's about to happen is gonna be hard to watch. I don't want to do it. I wish I could just ignore the rules and let it slide, but I can't. Why?"

"The rules keep us alive." The group responds as one, even the women I had walked here with said it.

"That is right." He starts to make his way down the stairs before stopping on the first landing, Carl following a little behind him, looking unsure of what was going on. "We survive. We provide security to others. We bring civilization back to this world. We are the Saviors. But we can't do that without rules. Rules are what make it all work. I know it's not easy. But there's always work. There is always a cost." Suddenly his voice changes in tone, his yelling harsh and echoes more in the space around us. "Here, if you try to skirt it, if you try to cut that corner," suddenly he cuts himself off with another laugh, "then it is the iron for you."

Negan walks the rest of the way down and around the corner and he says, "On your feet." As he walks past the group, slapping the man in the chair on his way past. We all stand Kelly takes a step back, eyes wide as Negan approaches Dwight who takes an old-fashioned iron from the fire. One of the other women in the black dress with red hair gently takes ahold of my good arm and pulls me to her side as Sherry and the other girls hold tighter to Amber.

"It will be over soon." The redhead says softly to me. "Just keep quiet."

"Mark I'm sorry. But it is what it is." The man in the chair is shaking and whimpering, Negan slowly walks over to him, The redhead holds tighter to Kelly's arm as the red iron is pressed against the tied man's face.

Kelly jumps and covers her mouth with her hand, the woman holding her squeezing her tighter as Mark's screams echo louder than anything Kelly had ever heard in her life. There is a smell that fills the hot air around them as his flesh is burned from his face. Then his scream die down, but still Negan kept the iron pressed against the man's face, burning more and more off.

In what seems like slow motion Negan pulls the iron away from the man's skin, his laugh a dark contrast to the agony that was ringing across the room just seconds before. "Ah, that wasn't so bad, now, was it?" Negan says to the unconscious man before handing the iron back to Dwight. "Jesus. He pissed himself." Negan then walks behind Daryl and more tears fall from Kelly's eyes at how shaken Daryl looked now. It was the weakest she had ever seen him and it ripped her heart into a thousand pieces. "Clean that up."

Negan was breaking the strongest man she had ever met.

"Doc, I'm all done. Do your thing." Carson walked over to Mark as Daryl started mopping up the urine on the floor.

"Well," Negan addresses the group again, "the pussy passed out. But it's settled we're square.

Everything is cool. Let Mark's face be a daily reminder to him and to everyone else that the rules matter. I hope that we all learned something today, because I don't ever want to have to do that again." Kelly looks over as Negan approaches Carl, says something in his ear before wrapping his arm around Carl's shoulders and leading him away, he motions for Kelly to follow which she shaking does, flinching when Negan lays his hand on her shoulder as they walk up the stairs.

Chapter Nine!

So, a quick note here to alleviate some concerns some might have. This is a Daryl/OC story. Kelly loves Daryl, she will never love Negan, they are not going to be riding off into the sunset together at the end of this. Pre-time jump Negan is an abusive butthole who is not going to convince Kelly to love him.

But this is still butthole Negan who is seeing Kelly as a way to keep Rick in line and possibly get Daryl to go along with cooperating a bit more.

A big thank you to my new subscribers and everyone who has reached out in the comments or messenger.

I always enjoy comments, helpful criticism, and tolerance for all the typos in this.

Thank you all for reading!

Maxy