BLOODLINES [twd]

{17}

"Move!" Negan shouted to the Saviors shielding Bailey.

Bailey is wrapped in their arms and sandwiched between three men without a moment's hesitation.

Carl's gun shot off a few rounds. Bailey screamed in alarm when George's body trembled and shook against hers as bullets lodged into his back.

The gunfire stopped when Saviors charged at Carl. Once Dwight has Carl at point on the ground, things slow down.

Bailey tried to hold onto George as he slipped down her body, but the deadweight was too heavy. His lifeless body crumbled to the gravel in front of her and her hands trembled with fear. She gasps in roughly, feeling blood streaks on her skin from Geroge being killed in her arms. 

Negan walked over to Bailey first and grabbed her chin. "Bug, are you okay?"

Bailey sharply exhaled and tried to breathe in. It was hard to get a breath. Before she knew it, she was hyperventilating.

"Take Bailey to Doctor Carson, now," Negan ordered a couple of the Saviors.

"Yes, sir," they relented.

They hold Bailey's arms, standing on either side of her. She didn't even notice they were walking. Her hands touch the blood on her chest as a dry sob escaped her lips.

--

Bailey felt like she'd cried everything out of her system. 

"Oh, my God, I just heard," Sherry said as she entered Carson's room. "Bailey, are you okay?"

Bailey hadn't heard a word from Sherry.

"She's in a bit of shock," Doctor Carson explained. "It's nothing bad.. she's just shaken up."

Sherry stepped in front of Bailey and touched the girl's cheek softly. Bailey doesn't wince or anything.

"Bails," Sherry called. "Honey, can you hear me?"

Bailey's eyes looked up to meet Sherry's. Sherry combed Bailey's hair back and frowned.

"He's just a kid.." Bailey whispered.

"What?" Sherry wondered.

Two men were killed by Carl Grimes. They were both in their thirties, far from being a kid.

"The one in the hat," Bailey said, even quieter than before. "He's just a kid.. He looked so angry.. So sad.."

Sherry's body felt weak. Carl almost killed Bailey- he was trying to. And yet, she felt sorry for him. She saw past Negan's lies and dictatorship and saw a broken child that was hurt by the things Negan did.

"He wanted Dad," Bailey continued. "Because of those men Dad killed.."

"That's not your fault," Sherry defended at once.

Bailey shook her head. "It's like Dwight said. I'm just as much of a prisoner as the rest of you. The only reason Dad can't kill me or let me go is because he sees my mother in me."

Sherry glanced to Doctor Carson. "Could we have a moment?"

"Of course," Carson agreed and left the women alone.

"I saw him talking to her," Bailey pushed. "To Mom. He was cleaning blood off of that bat.."

Bailey's hands trembled as she reached to her pocket. She retrieved the photo Dwight gave her and looked at it.

"How did you get that?" Sherry asked, grimacing at the gore.

"This is who he is," Bailey said, ignoring Sherry's question. "He keeps me a prisoner because he's afraid of himself, Sherry."

Sherry's thumb wiped the tears out from under Bailey's eyes as they fell.

"That kid knows Daryl. They saw their friends die in front of them.. Horribly.." Bailey figured. "If there's more of them-"

"Then, he'll put a stop to it. He'll make sure you're safe."

"Don't you see?" Bailey sobbed. "That's what I'm afraid of!"

"What?"

"He's killing human beings because he can and wants the power. He's disguising it under keeping us- me- safe. I may as well be killing those people myself."

"That's not true."

"He's doing it for me," Bailey argued. "So, it's because of me."

"Bails," Sherry scolded, though tired and sad now.

"I need your help," Bailey said and sniffled. "I can't sit back and just let that Daryl man be killed. He's being tortured right now. It's not right."

"You want to set Daryl free?"

"I need to," Bailey said and patted her chest. "I need to. Because I can't keep living like this."

Sherry leaned in and kissed Bailey's forehead. She sighed and held the younger girl there for a bit, just soaking in their reality.

"I promised you that I'd do anything to help you," Sherry whispered. "Just tell me what I need to do."

--

Negan walked into Bailey's bedroom without knocking again. Carl stayed in the hallway like Negan told him to.

"Bug?" Negan asked. "Are you all right?"

Bailey was looking in the mirror- her back turned to Negan.

"Bug-"

Bailey turned around and looked at her father with a grin.

"Well, look at you," he praised. "Looking more like your old man, huh?"

Bailey shrugged and sauntered closer to Negan. She had on the tightest jeans she could find and a bulky belt. A tank top that was mostly covered by a cropped leather jacket. Her hair in a high ponytail with just the right amount of strands falling in her face.

The biggest change was that she had on makeup. Negan knew that to keep things kind of normal that some people might want makeup. Bailey had even took some and played around with it over the years. But, this look.. it was daring. Edgy. Black eyeliner that drew out from her eye and into a three-pronged spike. A dark red lip that screamed danger.

"I could've died today," she spoke, careful and calm.

Negan looked like a kicked puppy again.

"But, that's because I'm weak," Bailey continued. "So, show me how to not be weak."

Negan instantly lit up again.

"It's time for me to grow up and see the world for what it is. And I can do that as long as you show me how," Bailey urged.

Negan walked closer and patted her on the head like a toddler.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked.

Bailey looked up at her father. She pushed aside the growing rage that was directed at him and smiled wider.

"I'm ready for anything," she promised.

𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

bailey and negan both being terrified of carl is my fav trope