Negan's Daughter | Carl Grimes X OC (COMPLETED ☑️)

Chapter 20: The Kingdom (part 2)

Elena

The familiar sound of my dad's voice pulls me back to reality. What once felt like an escape now feels like a nightmare, "I-I can explain" I jump up from the bed nervously. I can't believe he found us so quick.

"I don't want to hear your excuses. I gave you permission to be with Carl but you still went and did this! I'm so disappointed in you", he scolds me.

My head hangs in shame as he berates me but Carl won't just stand by and let it happen."It wasn't her fault. It was my idea" he pushes me aside.

I see the anger boiling deep inside my father's face, this is his last straw. Rick teams up with him to give us a piece of his mind, "Carl this isn't like you. Do you know how much danger you put yourself in? You need to start thinking about your actions".

Carl and I both look over to Ezekiel for help but he can't be bothered. He leaves us to deal with our parents alone. When we first arrived he was so supportive of us but I understand why he doesn't want to get involved.

The words from Rick and my father start to blend together. I don't want to listen to either of them but it's best to just let them vent. I and Carl stay quiet for the time being.

"So what do you have to say for yourself?" my dad asks me while Rick continues lecturing to his son.

"I'm sorry. It was a mistake" I plead for forgiveness but he's not convinced.

"This is more than a mistake. You put your life in jeopardy to be with a boy. That's completely unacceptable".

I don't feel good about making my dad upset but I don't regret anything I've done. As he yells at me, all my emotions build-up, "It felt like we didn't have a choice. Rick doesn't want us to be together" I rationalize my decision.

"Listen baby girl Alexandria and the Sanctuary are enemies. You should've known from the beginning that this wasn't going to be easy. So many people wouldn't be happy for you", he speaks nothing but the truth to me.

My eyes fill with tears and I turn away from him. There's always a constant reminder that we'll never be accepted. I feel like I'm crushing under the weight of other people's baggage.

My dad steps closer to me and pulls me into his arms, "Come here, it's alright" he kisses me on the forehead. We hold each other in an embrace, as we overhear the argument happening right beside us.

"She's harmless trust me on this. She would never do anything to hurt us" Carl yells in defense of me to his father.

"She's just...not the type of girl I think you should be with", Rick struggles to find the right words to say.

"How?", the teenage boy folds his arms.

Rick's aggravation reaches an all-time high, "She can turn on you at any moment, we already talked about this Carl." his eyes glance over to me.

"She came all the way here to start a new life with me. She didn't know anything about the Kingdom but she took the risk. That's loyalty."

The father and son duo scream and shout at each other until Rick finally gives in, "Fine. If this is what you want then, go right ahead. I can't stop you, you'll have to learn the lesson the hard way" he throws his hands into the air.

Carl smirks at me then back at his dad, "Then we're both staying here."

My dad isn't happy at all with this resolution. "Hell no, you one-eyed bastard. My daughters coming back home where she belongs." his hold on me gets tighter.

I wiggle away from him and rush to Carl's side, "This is the best way then no one will have to worry about either of us turning on each other. We can be separated from all the drama" I stand by my boyfriend's side. The looks on my dads face is one I'll never forget, "You're my little girl. You're too young to leave home, and won't you miss the people at the Sanctuary? They're basically helped raise you." his eyes show a sadness in them I've never seen before.

"Yes, I'm going to miss them but The Kingdom can be a fresh start at least for a little while. I won't stay here forever", I take Carl's hand into mines to feel secure in my decision. It's not easy to see my dad like this, he's the strongest man I know.

"Elena I don't know these people. I can't trust them to keep you safe", he desperately tries to find a reason to bring me home.

"Dad, have you seen this place? It's the definition of safe. There are children everywhere living their life without worry." I tell him with optimism but it doesn't help much.

"Elena, I-I can't make this type of decision on the spot. You know what happened last time I let you leave the Sanctuary. Maybe if I knew more about this place things would be different but for now, the answer is no" he shakes his head and sighs.

Just as I am about to respond Ezekiel appears again, "I can show you around. You'll see how great it is for yourself" he interjects suddenly.

My dad contemplates to himself then agrees to have a peek around, "I'll give it a chance but I'm not promising anything yet".
____________________________________
Ezekiel acts as a tour guide for me and my dad. Carl
And Rick decided to stay back, they had more to talk about in private.

"So, tell me, what do you think?" Ezekiel asks my dad after showing us around his community. The Kingdom is similar to Alexandria in many ways. People are free and happy, which is a stark contrast from what happens at the Sanctuary. Not to mention everything is well organized and secure. They are a high functioning community to say the least.

My dad can't help but to give accolades where they're due, "It's better than expected. Your people look well trained, I would want Elena to be somewhere that could defend themselves. To be honest I'm quite impressed". I can tell the tour had a positive effect on him.

Ezekiel accepts the praise without hesitation, "My people are living good Negan and so will your daughter. If it will make you happy, I will arrange for her to have extra protection", he generously offers.

"That would be appreciated. My little girl can be a wild child sometimes. She needs someone to keep her from doing anything stupid" he returns to his typical snarky self.

"So, can I stay?", I ask with an overwhelming amount of anticipation.

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before speaking, "Yes, sweetheart but just for a little while".

I can barely hold my excitement back, I leap into his arms, "I love you daddy" I squeeze him lovely.

"but I will be coming to check up on you", he warns although it doesn't bother me at all. I know I'll eventually be looking forward to his visits.

"Will you be staying for dinner?", the leader of the Kingdom politely interrupts our father and daughter bonding session.

"For sure, I came all this way I might as well have one last meal with my sweet pea", he accepts the invitation.