Just Keep Walking

Eighty six

Mary and Carl's sweet moment was broken apart by a firm knock on the door, and an awkward silence, Negan not sure if he should let them in or not.
"Come in." Negan called reluctantly, and Fat Joey walked in, holding Lucille. Mary flinched away from the bat automatically; it was danger. It killed her Glenn.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, sir, but, uh, you left Lucille out by the truck." Fat Joey explained shakily.
"Seriously? I never do that. I guess a kid firing a machine gun is a little bit of a distraction," Negan joked, then he turned to Carl, who was angled away from Fat Joey's eye line "All jokes aside, you look rad as hell."
Mary glared at Negan, as Carl's face carried on to twitch in self consciousness, the boy vulnerable and seeming younger than ever. Mary noticed his twitching, and stroked his cheek lovingly.
"It's okay. It's still beautiful." Mary soothed.
"I wouldn't cover that shit up. It may not be a hit with the ladies, but I swear to you, no one is gonna screw with you looking like that. No sir." Negan commented gently, then when neither Carl nor Mary replied, he turned to Fat Joey. "Fat Joseph, did you carry her all the way up here for me?"
"Yes sir."
Negan beckoned Fat Joey over, then took Lucille. "Were you gentle? Were you kind?" Negan asked in a grin, as Fat Joey looked at him awkwardly. "Did you treat her like a lady?"
"Erm... Yes? Yes, sir."
"Did you pet her little pussy like a lady?" Negan chuckled, as Carl held Mary closer to his chest; she thought he needed another, closer hug, but he didn't want her to hear any swear words. "I'm just screwing around, man. A baseball bat doesn't have a pussy!" The man chuckled, ten his face fell and his voice went harsh "Get the hell out."
Fat Joey nodded and left, and Mary looked over to Negan. "What's a pussy?" She asked innocently.
"It's a rude word. Don't repeat it." Carl answered quickly, and Negan chuckled, then turned to Carl.
"Now, you saw that, Carly Boy?" Negan smiled proudly, "That's what I'm talking about. Men breaking each others balls. This is the shit your dad's supposed to be teaching you."
"Daddy teaches us real things, like..."
"Mary, I'm talking to Carl. What do you like to do for fun? You like music?" Negan asked, earning himself a long silence, until he spoke up with a smile. "I want you to sing me a song."
"What?" Carl scoffed.
"Yeah. You mowed down two of my men with a machine gun. I want something in return for that. Sing me a song." Negan ordered.
"I... I, I can't think of any." Carl stuttered.
"Bullshit!" Negan shouted angrily, making Carl shrink, "What'd your mom used to sing you? What'd your dad play in the car? Start singing."
Carl looked up, and saw Lucille pointed at his head, too close to himself, too close to Mary. "Okay, okay. Okay. Uh..." Carl whispered shakily, his voice hesitant, humiliated, and scared. "You are my sunshine..." Carl began off key, and Mary instantly relaxed, the song a breath of fresh air, saving her from her nightmare of a week with Negan.
"Go on." Negan prompted Carl.
Carl sang shakily as Negan swung Lucille around in the background, a little more relaxed knowing that his singing was helping Mary. "My only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey."
Negan suddenly pretended to smash a skull, the motion all to familiar, reminding Mary and Carl of how he murdered Abraham and Glenn. Carl began to shake even more, his breathing erratic, and he let out a whimper.
"Keep singing." Mary cried softly, and Negan nodded.
"Do not let me distract you, young man."
"You'll never know dear how much I love you. So..." Carl sang, pausing at that line, cowering a little, crying softly, shaking uncontrollably, "please don't take my sunshine away."
Negan sat back down as Carl cried, and Mary nuzzled into his chest. "That's pretty good. Lucille loves being sung to. It's about the only thing she loves more than bashing in brains. Weird, huh?"
The man moved over and always on the small coffee table, closer to Carl, more intimidating. "Did your mother sing that to you? Where is she now?" Negan asked softly.
Mary whimpered, one hand clinging to a mixture of Carl's shirt and his hair, the other clenching her bunny. Carl shook his head and sniffled, looking down at Mary's hair.
"Damn. Dead huh? You see it happen?"
Carl sniffled again, and spoke up in a whisper, holding Mary even closer. "I shot her... Before it could..."
Negan looked away from Carl and Mary, seeing how painful it was for them to talk about, getting the (correct) impression that they rarely spoke about her.
"Damn, no wonder you're a little serial killer in the making." Negan smiled fondly, looking back at Carl, "That was an example of breaking balls, by the way. Come on, kid. Get up. It should be ready."
Negan stood up, and Carl whispered up at him. "What should be ready?"
"The iron." Negan answered simply.
"What..."
"Mary, you're not watching. Carl, don't argue. You don't want her to watch." Negan ordered, and Mary began to cry softly. "Come on. You're going somewhere else. Don't know where yet. You can see him in a few minutes."
Mary cried even more, and kissed just below his scarred eye. "See you later. Love you." She whimpered.
"Hey, don't cry," Carl soothed, "I'll see you in a second. I'll be fine. See you soon."
"See you soon." Mary mumbled, before Negan took her out of the room. They walked for a few minutes, then Mary spoke up.
"It wasn't mommy who sung us that song," Mary whispered suddenly, "it's daddy that sings it."
"Yeah?" Negan asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah. Mommy didn't like singing. Daddy doesn't like it that much, but he still sings to us, because he's the bestest daddy ever. He always sings me the sunshine song, because I like it. It makes me happy and helps me sleep. He's a good daddy."
"He's not a good man."
"Maybe he's a bad man. He is a bad man. But he's a good daddy." Mary answered firmly, and Negan didn't argue. He couldn't find it in his heart to argue that.