Future Ghosts • TWD

91. Not a Word.

Rosie was in the corner of her cell, like a weak little ball that would get dizzy every time it uncurled itself. Because that's what she was. Coach Smith- no, Negan- had gotten sick of her game. She was waiting for him to show up at her cell and ask what he could do to get her to eat, and then she could tell him that she'd eat with Daryl. But that only worked a few times before Negan decided he wasn't going to put up with it anymore. So now Rosie really was starving.

There was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the plate in front of her, and she was going to eat it. She didn't want to, but she had to. Because Negan wasn't letting her see Daryl, and if she went on like this, she really would starve. She didn't want to die, and Negan was beginning to realize that. Maybe he wouldn't let her die, but she wouldn't let herself die, either. So now it was a waiting game to see who would fold first. Rosie was pretty sure it was going to be her. That sandwich was right there, just waiting to be eaten.

Footsteps sounded from outside the door, and Rosie wished that it was Glenn. She wished that Glenn would open up the door, and find her, and hug her, and ask if she was ok, and then hold her hand in the way that only he did, and then he'd lead her back to their family- just like when he found her trapped behind that door in the prison. But Glenn was dead, and Rosie knew that the footsteps belonged to Negan. She could tell, because the only other people who came to her cell were women, and their footsteps were quieter and lighter. Negan's footsteps were heavy and powerful. He stopped outside the door.

The lock clicked and the door swung open the same way it always did when Negan came to visit Rosie. He stood in the doorway, eyeing the uneaten sandwich with disdain. He wished that he would've found Rosie before she'd gotten so close to these people. He wished that her people would just cooperate, so things didn't have to be like this. He wished that when he found her, she would've come running up to hug him, and told him that she was ok and that she was happy to see him. But he'd ruined the possibility of that happening himself. Somewhere deep in his subconscious, he knew that, but he didn't want to admit it to himself.

Now, he was making an attempt to make her understand that this was her home now, and that she was staying here. So then, maybe, he could let her have a real room and let her roam around freely, rather than having to keep her in this cell just to make sure that she wouldn't try to escape, hurt someone, or hurt herself. The problem was that this part of him that wanted Rosie to be happy here was buried deep down inside of him, because that part of him was Coach Smith. The part of him that almost entirely controlled his actions and decisions was Negan, and Negan only wanted to make Rick and his people compliant and afraid.

"What d'ya want?" Rosie asked, her voice tense, although quiet. She looked tired and sad, and Coach Smith was slipping through the cracks of Negan. He cleared his throat, sealing those cracks.

"We're going to Alexandria today. Anything you want me to bring back for you?" Negan asked, leaning against the doorway. There were a lot of things that Rosie wanted to have from Alexandria. First of all, of course, she wanted her family. Second of all, she wanted her velociraptor toy. And third of all, she wanted everything else from her room, including the glow-in-the-dark stars. But she didn't want those things here, because she wasn't going to stay here. She wanted them to stay in Alexandria, for when she and Daryl eventually got out and were able to go home.

"I wanna go with you," Rosie said. She didn't know if this was going to work, but it was worth a shot. She was stubborn and she was determined.

"No," Negan said. Rosie saw that coming a mile away. He said no even more than Daryl said no.

"Please. Please. I don't even gotta talk to 'em. I just-" she began. I just want to see that they're alive. "I just wanna see my room. Please. I'll- I'll stay with you. Please." Rosie remembered her trick that sometimes worked on Coach Smith, but she wasn't sure if it would work on Negan. Either way, it was better than not trying anything. So, she made her eyes extra wide.