For my sister | Negan |

42 - Blind spot

'Wanna go for a walk?' Ella asks me after dinner.

'Sure.'

The weather's nice enough today. Not as excruciatingly hot as it's been the past few weeks. So a couple minutes later, we stroll around the grounds of the Sanctuary. I realize I haven't been outside very much lately and it's a relief to feel the fresh air on my face.

'I'm sorry we didn't get to spend much time together these past few days, El', I tell her as we walk side by side.

'It's okay', she answers. 'I know it's not your fault.'

A pang of guilt shoots through my gut thinking about how I very much chose to spend the night with Negan yesterday. I'm glad I turned him down for tonight to be with Ella. Though I'm sure it would have been fun...

'Well, everybody's doing better now', I say, throwing my arm around her. 'So you've got all my attention again.'

'Okay, there's no need to smother me', she says jokingly, trying to shrug my arm off. She doesn't succeed because I hold her tightly, causing her to struggle.

'Fuck off', she laughs.

'Excuse me?' I ask semi-offended.

'You heard me', she grins, finally escaping from my grasp.

'If I had said something like that at your age, mum and dad would have grounded me for a week.'

'Poor you', she says sarcastically. 'Your teenage years must have been a nightmare.'

She twirls around to indicate the walkers on the fence and the armed guards wandering around to make it clear that I've got no right to complain. I suppose she has a point.

'At least you've never had to suffer through an advanced economics class in your life', I joke.

'True', she admits. She smiles at me before she turns around and continues walking. She seems more cheerful than she's been lately. Lighter, somehow.

'Where are we going anyway?' I ask her as she makes us walk all the way to the back of the factory.

'I need to show you something', she says excitedly.

'Okay', I reply warily, picking up pace to keep up with her.

Eventually, we reach a bit of a deserted corner where the fence meets the back of the factory. Ella looks around for a moment, then grabs an old trashcan, discarded in the corner, and places it against the wall.

'Come on, we gotta be quick', she whispers while she climbs on top of the trashcan.

'What are you doing, El?' I ask uncomfortably, looking around myself as well. 'I don't think we're supposed to be doing this.'

'That's why we gotta hurry', she hisses.

There's a broken window that Ella can reach now that she's on top of the trash can. I watch open-mouthed as she grabs the window sill and starts to pull herself up.

'Ella, stop it!' I try again. But she's already gone through. I watch her disappear, only for her face to appear in front of the window again seconds later.

'Come on, Chris', she urges me.

'Jesus Christ', I mumble. Reluctantly, I get on top of the trashcan as well and pull myself up to climb through the window. Ella helps me out a bit by dragging me through by my arm. Despite the help, I land ungraciously on the other side.

'Oof', I exclaim, brushing myself off as I get up again.

'You're getting old, sis', Ella jokes.

'Oh, shut up. What the hell is this place?'