Chapter Text
Brittany sat on the couch beside her father in the RV, her gun on the table and her hand holding up her head as Abraham drove on. They were still trying to get Maggie to the Hilltop, but the Saviors just kept blocking their path.
The seventeen-year-old's eyes were on the map, but they were out of focus. She was tired of being cut off from Hilltop and wanted the Saviors gone. She blinked several times to refocus her vision and frowned, looking at the routes. She ended up resting her arms on the table, one hand toying with the brown beaded bracelet she'd made a few months ago. It was too big on her.
They came to a stop in a tiny clearing and the group, excluding Maggie, gathered around the table Sasha, Eugene, and Brittany were sitting at.
"So, what's the play?" Abraham asked, unsure of what to do next as he leaned up against the wall.
"Please, she needs a doctor. Now," Rick said tiredly.
"There's two more routes leading up north, but they already know we're going there, so they'll be waiting." Brittany explained, looking hopeless.
"So they're ahead of us. Probably behind us. But they're not waiting on us per se; they're waiting on this rust bucket." Eugene said, his expression a bit worried as he spoke slowly and softly. "Now they don't know the moment to moment occupancy of said rust bucket. And the sun sets soon."
"A-Are you saying one of us stays back and continues the route, drawing their attention while the rest of us go to Hilltop on foot?" Brittany asked for clarification.
"You just hit the nail on the head, kiddo," he nodded. Rick took some thought to it before agreeing. They only had about forty-five minutes of light left.
"Who's hanging back?" Abe asked after a moment, looking around at his friends.
Without hesitating, Eugene raised his hand. "I will. I came up with the idea so I should be the one to follow through with it." Without saying another word, they all just gestured an okay and went to prepare themselves by making a stretcher for Maggie.
Brittany didn't know what to say. She just pulled her legs up on the bench and wrapped her arms around her dad, hiding her face. Eugene closed his eyes and rhythmically rubbed her back, trying to take deep breaths. "I have to," he whispered.
"I know... That's why I'm worried," Brittany said, her voice muffled. They'd promised each other they'd stick together, but she knew this was where they were to go their own ways. "There's so many of them and only one of you..."
"I know, sweetie, I know... I'm scared too, but it's for the best. If I have a chance when they're distracted, I'll run. I'll try my damnedest to get back to you." Eugene gave her shoulder a little squeeze.
Aaron glanced back at the two, practically feeling his heart splitting at the sight. They all knew that Eugene had a near 0% chance of making it out alive; that wasn't a secret.
Brittany swallowed back her tears for the moment and pulled away from him. She glanced down at her wrist, blue eyes glinting as she saw the bracelet that was too big.
She easily slid it off her wrist and held it out to her father. "Here... It's so you'll always have a part of me with you." Eugene sadly smiled and took the bracelet. He put it on his wrist and it fit perfectly. Brittany let out a forced little laugh at that, "I guess it was always meant for you."
Eugene sat up tall and took off his tan jacket, the fabric clenched in one hand as he gazed down at it. He then looked up at his daughter with a little smile, knowing she didn't have a jacket because most of the ones back home had holes or were so covered in blood that there was no washing it all out.
"And this is for you... So I can keep you warm even when I'm not here anymore."
Brittany took the jacket, the tears hot behind her eyelids. "Thank you..." she whispered, putting it on. Immediately she was warmer and more comfortable, and the sweater paws were nice.
She took in a deep breath and smiled a little. The jacket smelled like home. Eugene looked at his daughter lovingly, "C'mon, go beat Aaron in another round of uno. I've gotta get some stuff prepared..." Brittany nodded and left his side, going to the front seat beside the man who already had the game set up.
Brittany knew she had to keep it together for now and took the cards Aaron dealt her. "So, we meet again."
"I'm gonna crush you this time."
"Ooh, I beg to differ," Brittany smirked and the game began.
Half an hour later, Eugene was outside of the RV and Rick had just finished gassing up the vehicle. "Rick. I'll have them thinking we're playing their game. I'll go route after route, level by level, and keep them busy. I assure you, I will." He paused a moment, one hand reaching into his pocket, "Oh," I have some things for you. This is a recipe, and it's not gazpacho." Eugene pulled out a paper of handwritten directions. "How to build bullets 101. Abraham can show you the building just in case..." He hesitated a moment, holding out another, but folded up, piece of paper. "And Rick... If I don't see the light of day after tonight, I want you to give this to Brittany once you lot arrive home safely... Keep her safe for me."
Rick took the papers and looked them over, sadness growing within him. "Thank you for this... For all of this. We're lucky you're here doing this for us." He held up the folded note, "and let's hope Brittany will never have to see this." Eugene nodded and Rick patted him on the back in goodbye.
Abe was next and the two shared some words and a parting hug. The goodbye was hard for both of them.
Now, everyone was out of the vehicle, all carrying Maggie on the stretcher. "Thank you," the sick woman managed to say to him. She wouldn't have a chance if it weren't for him sacrificing himself for the group.
Before Maggie could be moved any further, Carl took Brittany's weight and she ran to her dad, jumping up into his arms. She clung on to him desperately, her hands balled up in his shirt as he held her close. She was an absolute wreck. She was sobbing now as it finally set in she was losing him. "I love you," she choked out, never wanting to let go. Her worst nightmare was finally becoming a reality.
"I love you too, kiddo," Eugene said, tears now coming down his face.
"D-Don't let them get to you. Just run away if they come after you... P-Please don't leave me like mom..." By now Eugene's shoulder was soaked with tears and the other members of the group were also tearing up, thinking of when they'd lost someone they had loved. "I love you so much, dad."
Eugene nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I'll try to come back to you, I promise... I'll do everything I can... Abraham and Rick will protect you." Eugene finally let out a sob, his hand holding the back of her head. "I love you. I love you so much." After holding on for a few more minutes, he gently set her down and placed a kiss on her forehead as she looked up at him sadly, the tears leaving tracks on her face.
He gave her a final nod and hand squeeze goodbye before he reluctantly got inside the RV and closed the door. He went to sit in the front seat, watching them from the window.
Abraham walked over to Brittany and put an arm around her, pulling her into his side as they walked away from the RV. He had possibly just lost his best friend and she might have lost her dad, the most important person in their lives. Her crying came to a slow as Abe calmed her down and they were moving quietly through the woods, miles away from their destination.
They stopped for a few seconds to make sure they were going the right way, and Brittany hugged Abraham, comforting him in return. She pulled away after a moment and tilted her head upwards to look at him. Abraham gently smiled down at her and put a hand on her shoulder, staying close to her as they continued on.
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Negan went around, squatting down and taunting the survivors one by one. So far he'd been to Maggie, Rick, Carl, Abraham, and Glenn. He stopped in front of Brittany, chuckling to himself as he saw her holding Eugene's hand. He squatted down in front of her, his hand resting on his bat. "Another fucking kid, huh?"
She looked up to him nervously, squeezing her dad's hand as she was on her knees helplessly. She felt as if she couldn't breathe.
"Is this your dad?" No reply, he knew he was right. "Tell me, how'd you two sorry fucks end up here?" No words. Brittany felt a tear slip down her face and she bit her lower lip, making him smile. Negan just laughed and stood up, "You're fucking useless..."
Now he paced back and forth as he said the little rhyme to decide who to kill. Brittany's tears ran down her face as she looked up at him in pure fear, trembling. He went at random, assigning a couple words to each person. He grinned, as if it were a game, and in that moment Brittany was certain one of them wouldn't make it out of this mess.
He went to Eugene, pointing the bat to his beaten and bloodied face. Brittany looked to her dad, her heart thumping loudly as her terror grew. Negan smirked, continuing his games. "Best."
He walked away and Eugene started to cry then as he clutched on to his daughter's hand. Negan continued around. "And... You... Are..." Brittany's heart stopped. She was the only one he hadn't pointed the bat to.
Negan went straight to her and held out Lucille. Eugene felt his breath catch in his throat and he couldn't speak. Brittany let go of her dad's hand and just stared up at Negan, unable to move. Her happiest and most memorable moments flashed before her eyes as she kneeled there on the cold, hard earth.
Her mom and dad smiling at her when she was four and visited Disney for the first time. Her first walker kill. Eugene giving her his jacket. Then came the best ones. Playing with Judith. Her and Enid out on a run and learning how to drive. Her and Mikey chasing each other around the basement with their pool sticks. Playing cards with Aaron. She missed it all.
Nothing happened. Brittany blinked and looked up, her vision blurry from crying, but she still saw the barbed wire inches from her face. Her tears came stronger, but she remained silent, trying to accept her fate
Another couple seconds passed. Negan puled the bat away from her and went to Rick, doing the same thing. Negan got around to everyone and did just that, making them even more nervous. While Negan was passing by the middle of the lineup, Abraham sat up taller and puffed his chest out, presenting himself as a potential threat. Negan went straight to him. "It." Abraham glanced to Eugene and Brittany, and held up a peace sigh for Sasha. This was it.
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Dawn had broken and the Saviors were all gone, just leaving what was left of Rick's group on the ground and the RV. Everyone was silent or crying softly from their place on the ground. No one had moved.
Brittany looked over to where Abraham's mutilated body lay, tears threatening to spill once more. Her dad was beside her, covering his face with his hands as he sobbed for his dead friends. The girl couldn't take this anymore. She couldn't handle just sitting there staring at the bodies anymore.
Brittany got up and stormed off into the forest. Eugene choked out her name, but she kept going. After a couple minutes of running, her foot got snagged on a tree root and she fell to the ground. She lay there in the fallen leaves, her fingers digging into the dirt as she sobbed uncontrollably. She let herself go as everything that had happened kicked in.
Brittany cried, her throat becoming raw as it got harder for her to breathe. She just relived their deaths again and it had set in what the group had lost. She'd lost her best friend... Rosita was right, people dying around you was the hard part. Thinking of that made her mind go straight to when she lost her mom and she rolled on to her back, staring blankly at the canopy above as the tears continued to flow down her cheeks.
She was broken.
A good half hour passed by and she still lay there in the pile of decaying leaves, hands resting on her chest. She was all cried out, but the emptiness in her eyes remained there. Dark clouds were quickly rolling in overhead with the promise of rain. Brittany sat up after a while and pulled her legs up to her chest, shivering a little bit as the wind picked up.
She buried her face in her knees and exhaustion took over, pulling her under. Brittany slept there for a half hour or so, only awaking when the rain began. Cold drops hit her back and her neck, startling her awake. She shot up and took in her surroundings, knowing she had to go back to everyone else. She had no clue how long she'd been out.
The girl hauled herself to her feet and started walking back to the clearing, her head ducked down to avoid the rain. She was about halfway there when a branch snapped in front of her. Brittany stopped dead, staring at the source of the noise. "D-Dad?" She called out softly.
She was answered by a familiar eerie whistle and a savior stepped out from behind the trees, a gun pointed at her.
Brittany gasped and stumbled backwards, her blood running cold. She spun around and sprinted in the opposite direction, completely controlled by her fear. She had to get away. She had to escape.
She didn't dare look back, she just kept running as fast and as far as she could. She made it about a mile and a half away from where she saw the savior and was gasping for breath, struggling to maintain a quick pace. A gunshot went off and she ducked instinctively, but kept going, forcing one foot in front of the other. Rain was pouring down on them and she felt herself soaking through.
Strong arms wrapped around her and Brittany screamed, struggling to break free. "Let me go! Please!" She cried, thrashing around in the man's arms.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Her captor exclaimed as he spun her around to safety behind the tree, "You're safe, we're not them."
Brittany ended up falling to the ground after breaking free and spotted the dead savior on the ground, a gaping hole in his forehead where the bullet had made contact. She turned around to face who had grabbed her, squinting to keep the rain out of her eyes.
A long haired blonde boy who looked to be around her age stood there, a large stick on the ground and his hands up in surrender. He was wearing riot gear over a black shirt and pants, a machete on his hip. "I'm from a place called the Kingdom. I won't hurt you, I promise," he vowed, not stepping closer to her.
Confusion clouded the girl's mind. She heard movement behind her and turned around, spotting a familiar face. "Morgan?" She cocked her head at him and he nodded.
"He's not lying. You're safe now, Brittany." Morgan responded.
Brittany caught her breath and looked back up to the boy, who offered her a hand. She took it and he helped her up to her feet, where she wobbled a little as she stood.
"Are you alright?" The boy asked her, a hand on her back to steady her. Brittany just shook her head. She was still in shock and didn't know what to do.
Morgan stepped forward. "We'll take you back to the Kingdom and you can rest there, okay?"
"O-Okay," Brittany nodded, just wanting a break from everything for once.
"We should hurry. If we stay out here much longer you'll catch a cold... Morgan, can you go get the horses?" Morgan nodded and rushed off to follow the order.
"I'm Ben," The boy introduced himself to the soaking wet girl, holding out a hand in greeting.
"I'm Brittany," she replied softly, keeping her arms crossed over her chest. "How far is your home?"
"About ten miles... The horses will get us there in under half an hour." He looked her up and down, concerned to see that she didn't have any weapons on her. "Not even a blade?"
"It's a long story..." she murmured in reply, trying to shrink away and hide in her dad's jacket as the frigid wind swept through the trees.
Ben only nodded, understanding that she didn't want to talk about it. "I get it." He slipped his backpack off his shoulder, reaching inside and pulling out a water bottle, handing it to her. Brittany thanked him softly and took a few sips before returning it to him.
She was shivering in the cold, practically soaked to the bone. The adrenaline and pumping blood had kept her warm, but it was quickly wearing off and reality was kicking in once more. Ben noticed and pulled a raincoat out of his bag, giving it to her. "Here, you're freezing." Brittany traded coats with him with a little nod. Although she was already wet, the dry material would reflect her body heat back on to her.
She put the jacket on and tried to warm up some. She spotted the containers of food in the bag too. "Were you two on a run?"
Ben zipped up the bag and shook his head, water droplets falling from his wet curls. "No, just training. I carry this in case I find anyone out here, like you... it's a good thing I packed a jacket." He paused a moment, glancing back to where Morgan had gone. He knew she was too shaken up to have a conversation with. "C'mon, you won't last much longer out here if we don't get you somewhere dry and warm." He held out an arm and she nodded, walking with him back to the road while he kept a hand on her back to escort her.
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They were back at the Kingdom and Ben led Brittany to an empty bedroom in a house. She was shivering still and he quickly got some clothes that would fit her, a towel, and an extra blanket. He turned away politely as she changed her clothes. When she gave the all clear, he turned around to see her bundled up on the edge of the bed facing him. The clothes were folded up on the plastic storage bin by the bed.
"I have some tomato soup if you want some," Ben offered her. "And Nico will hang your clothes to dry, you'll have them back by tonight."
Brittany's stomach flipped at the thought and shook her head no. "I'm not hungry," she whispered. She looked exhausted and sickly, but was too nauseous to eat anything.
"Okay. Just come to me if you change your mind..." Ben got up after a moment and crossed the room, rummaging through a dresser drawer for a moment, Brittany watching him curiously. He took out a smaller towel and handed it to her.
Brittany smiled at him and wrapped her wet hair up in it, trying to warm herself up faster.
Ben sat on the edge of the chair against the wall and played with his hands a little. "Hey, Brittany... I know this will sound weird, but I need to ask you a few questions. It's community policy."
"Go ahead," she nodded, used to it. She hesitated after a second, coming up with a better idea. "How about I tell you about myself and you ask me anything I miss?"
"That'll work," he replied, listening closely.
Brittany took a deep breath before speaking, recalling the questions Deanna had asked her when she first got to Alexandria. "I'm Brittany Porter and I'm seventeen years old. My father, Eugene, is still alive, but that's as far as it goes when it comes to my family. I've been on the road and traveling here from Houston since the start until I ran into a community a few months ago called Alexandria. Stayed there with my group until last night... I've killed too many walkers to count and a few people along the way... It was either me or them... I can use a gun and a knife and I'm willing to pull my weight and help out."
Ben nodded, mentally taking notes. "Do you have any specific skills?"
She fiddled with her hands while answering, "I can make a lot of things from scraps; my dad was a science teacher and taught me how to make stuff. I can start a fire with a gum wrapper and a battery, make a water filter in a couple minutes, rewire things to get them work, and other things like that. If I don't know it already, I can probably figure it out."
"That's cool." Ben genuinely smiled. "My talents include reading every book here... twice."
"You guys have books here?" Brittany asked, eyebrow cocked in interest.
"Yeah, a good house full or so... it's an unofficial library of sorts. I got so bored that I read one about air conditioners and repairing them."
"There's an old house down the road a few miles with tons of books... I'll have to show you it." She offered. Ben's face lit up at that and he just beamed at her. "Well, is there anything else you need to know about me?"
He thought for a moment. "What were you doing out in the woods when we found you? Why was that man chasing you?"
Her face dropped and her happiness was swept away in an instant. A cold, blank look took over her gaze and her heart rate picked up just at the thought of what happened. Her hands started to tremble slightly too as she relived the worst moment of her life.
"Brittany? C'mon, you can tell me." She shook her head, tears coming to her eyes as she avoided his stare. "Britt?"
Several seconds passed before she whispered a single word, fear evident in her voice. "Negan."
Ben's blood ran cold, chills ghosting down his spine. "Wait, you ran into Negan?"
"My people and I did... H-He killed Abe and Glenn in front of us... Glenn's wife was there, pregnant with their kid... I-I ran off in the morning and I dunno if the saviors got the rest of them... I-I didn't..."
She was crying at this point, so Ben sat beside her and pulled her in for a hug, rubbing her back comfortingly. "I'm so sorry... No one should have to ever see that..." He rested his chin on top of her head, remembering the stories he'd been told about when the Kingdom first came into contact with Negan. "You'll be safe here, I swear."
Brittany just clung onto him like a lifeline, her hands gripping on to his shirt as she cried and he just comforted her. She still hugged him after she stopped crying, enjoying his warmth. "Thank you," she whispered, voice barely audible.
"You're welcome." He waited for her to let go first, making sure that she was okay. They were both silent for a few moments before Ben decided to speak. "Well, I guess you should know who I am now."
"I guess so," she replied with a forced laugh, wiping her eyes with the heel of her hand.
"I'm Benjamin and I'm 18, but you can just call me Ben. I have an eleven-year-old brother named Henry and we've been living here pretty much since the start... My mom died when I was young and my dad died while clearing a building full of roamers. Morgan's been training me how to fight since he got here and I go on runs with Ezekiel whenever he asks... and I know how to fix AC units," he finished, looking to the girl beside him.
"I'm sorry about your parents," Brittany said softly, trying to imagine what it would be like to raise a little brother on your own.
"It's alright, don't worry. I'm used to them being gone now... Henry is a handful, but King Ezekiel, the leader here, has been helping me out with him." He explained.
"I'll help take care of him too," she offered, "it'll lighten the load a little."
"Thank you, I really appreciate it," he smiled at her. "The king will want to speak to you soon. Morgan told him about you already and Ezekiel... well, he's very friendly and in light terms, he's odd too."
Brittany shrugged a little, "I've seen my share of odd things."
"Oh no," Ben chuckled a little. "This place is a whole new level of crazy, but I think you'll like it."
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The next morning after breakfast, Ben walked alongside Brittany in the village. She was still in awe at how happy, relaxed, and organized this little place was. It was as if she was in a dream.
"I uh, I forgot to tell you something about Ezekiel yesterday," Ben began as he led her to his place. He hadn't forgotten, he just didn't want to scare her off the night before.
"What is it?" Brittany didn't look at him, she was too busy taking in the beauty around her.
"Well, he's going to want to speak with you in private after his greeting... and, shit, there's only one way I can say this.... he has a pet tiger."
Brittany stopped dead in her tracks. "What?! I-is he insane?!"
"Shh," Ben quieted her down. "He was a zookeeper and made friends with her. She won't hurt you, I promise... she's pretty tame. She's got a leash and everything."
Brittany shook her head with her eyebrows raised, "Wow... this place is fucking insane. Cool, but insane." She chuckled while continuing to walk.
Within a minute, they'd entered the theater, Ezekiel and the tiger up on stage with a man standing off to the side. Brittany was in shock at the sight of the growling tiger, but her feet kept moving due to her fascination, Ben at her side.
"Enough, Shiva," Ezekiel ordered, putting his hand on the creature's back. The tiger was loosely chained to the throne he sat upon. Ezekiel's white dreads flowed around his face and he had a staff leaning against his thigh. "This fair maiden has been through a series of trials. She is our guest. I understand your concern, Shiva. You haven't met Brittany, nor have I. But she is a friend of Benjamin, so we shall consider her a friend of the realm, until otherwise."
Brittany looked to Ben skeptically, confused by the man's act. Ben just shrugged a shoulder and looked to their leader. "She's a good person, Ezekiel. You won't have to worry about her turning against us."
The king nodded and diverted his attention to the girl. "I am King Ezekiel. Welcome to the Kingdom."
"Thank you for allowing me to stay here... This place is magnificent." Brittany gave him a smile.
"Of course. We allow any visitors to enjoy the fruits of our land so long as they contribute. Drink from the well, replenish the well..." the king nodded off to the man standing at the end of the stage. "Jerry, give her the fruit. All of these apples, nectarines, and pomegranates are grown within the kingdom, m'lady."
The man got off stage and approached the girl with a large bowl of fruit. She thanked him and took an apple from the bowl.
"Now, if you don't mind Brittany, I would like to have a word with you one on one... If you would follow me." Ezekiel stood and went backstage, Brittany carefully following him while keeping one eye on the tiger. He led her to two chairs and motioned for her to sit across from him. "Ben has told me about your encounter with the one called Negan."
"I take it that you know him," Brittany replied, searching his eyes for an answer.
"Ah, yes. Him and I have a deal. I give him half of our monthly supply and he protects us."
"You mean he doesn't kill your people," Brittany tilted her head at him, wanting him to drop the act. She wasn't a little kid anymore, and she had seen more than her fair share of fucked up things.
"I guess you could say it that way... Our people are not aware of the deal, or Negan. Only our warriors know. The ones who can fight the best."
"And how many warriors do you have?"
"'Tis but a handful. Nine, including me."
Brittany let out a surprised laugh. "You're telling me that you have eight people who can fight out of everyone in this community and only they know about the true danger outside these walls. If he comes here and attacks you, you'll all die."
"I assure you we take the needed precautions to ensure that will not happen. The Kingdom has a strategic code and I monitor that my people follow it."
"Bullshit," Brittany argued, toeing the line. The king was taken aback by her reply. "My friends, my family tried to get somewhere safe and he came and attacked. All twelve of us could fight. We lost two, and I don't know how many more after that. We have over sixty people in our community and every person knows about him. They all know how to fight back. I haven't been back there since Negan attacked on the road, but I know we're still struggling to make it through with him there. He's dangerous and you need to get that through your thick skull, your majesty. You can't live your life having people worship you and your fantasy of being a king."
"I... I will take that into consideration..." he murmured, processing her words.
"I've only survived this far because I️ don't pretend everything is going to be a perfect white picket fence life. I've tried to live it, and it didn't last. I've seen more than my fair share of death and destruction. You need to prepare your people for whatever is possibly going to happen, or you'll be just another dead man walking. Your walls won't hold up forever, I know that. Sooner or later, everyone will have to learn how to protect themselves, whether they want to or not."
Ezekiel just stared at her, jaw clenched. Brittany swallowed nervously, but just kept eye contact, knowing she was right. She was fully aware that she could get kicked out for what she said, but she had to get that off her chest.
Ezekiel took a deep breath and dropped his fake voice and the act. "People want someone to follow. Someone to make them feel safe. They see a guy show up with a tiger? Shit, they treat you like royalty. I took up the spot to lead and protect them... I faked it till I made it."
"Protecting them from the truth isn't always the best... if they don't know everything, they don't know how to react. They can't stand up for themselves, not truly. I'm not saying you need to make these people dangerous, you just need to make them strong. I don't give a damn if you keep up your king act, just don't try to bullshit me because I know what's real."
Ezekiel smiled a little. "You're the second person I've met who's been able to stand up for what they believe in... I want you to help this place... become a warrior, teach these people, and help me stay real. Keep everything in check."
"So... you want me to become a henchman?" Brittany raised an eyebrow at him, but liked the deal.
"Not exactly. I want you to be a leader... it appears to me that you had a good one and learned a thing or two from them. These people need someone to look up to. Someone like them." He explained to her.
Brittany grinned, glad she had a purpose there. "I'm in."
Ezekiel gave her a genuine smile. "I'm glad. You can start as soon as you'd like. Our community already has a few activities they participate in that you could teach. A large number goes for runs multiple times a day, several children enjoy shooting arrows in their free time, and we have a couple carvers who are good with knives in multiple ways... We have a storage for our weapons and several of each, so you can have hands on classes."
Brittany nodded, already going over several ideas of how to train the people in the Kingdom. "That's amazing... If you could give me a list of people you'd want me to start with, that would be very helpful. I'll talk to Ben about possible things to go over and let you know when I have a plan... Thank you, Ezekiel." She smiled up at him, excited to finally have a big purpose somewhere. She wanted to help people and she now had the opportunity to follow through with that goal.
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ALEXANDRIA
Eugene sat on the bench on the porch, an unfolded Polaroid in his hands. He gazed down at the photo, a tiny smile on his lips as his heart ached. The photo was of him and Brittany sleeping in the backseat of the firetruck after he had confessed.
He missed her. He missed Brittany more than anything. Him and Carl had combed the woods for a good hour around where the incident had happened and didn't find her. He had written a goodbye letter, but now he was the one who made it back home. He just hoped she was okay.
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A cream pulled Brittany from her dreamless sleep, and she shot up in bed. She threw her covers back and hopped out of bed, scrambling to find the source of the noise. The cold floor bit at her bare feet and made her toes feel frozen. Brittany came to a halt at Ben's younger brother's door, hearing whimpering behind it. She knocked on it and waited for a reply.
A few sniffles followed and a soft 'come in' was uttered. She opened the door and walked in cautiously. "Hey Henry..." He wiped at his eyes and looked terrified. "Did you have a nightmare?" He nodded. "Aww, it's okay. I have them too. I bet Ben does too." Brittany sat on the edge of the boy's bed. "It's just a dream, none of it is real. You're safe here. We'll protect you."
Henry just reached out and hugged Brittany. "I'm still scared though," he murmured.
"I know, kid... The secret is, we all are. Just focus on the good things and the bad stuff will go away, I promise." She rubbed his back comfortingly. "If you ever get scared, just remember it's all in here," she tapped his head twice. "You have the power to make it go away. And if you can't do it on your own, your brother and I are always here to talk about it."
Henry looked up at her, his eyes big. "Brittany?" She met his gaze. "Can you stay here tonight? I'm scared."
"Of course I can. Scoot over."
Henry moved so there was room for her too and she let him lay down on her lap. The boy was asleep in mere seconds and Brittany just sat in the dark combing his hair away from his face to help him relax.
A few minutes later, Ben ran into the room, looking panicked. He saw Brittany comforting his brother and looked a bit confused.
"He was having a nightmare, but he's alright now. Don't worry," She explained softly, careful to not wake him up.
Ben smiled at her gratefully and walked over to her. "You know you didn't have to do that. You could've just slept."
"I know... but I don't want you two to go through what I've gone through." A somber look came over her face, but she forced it away quickly.
Ben placed his hand on her shoulder and leaned down, kissing her forehead. Brittany smiled to herself and ducked her head to hide the red creeping up her cheeks. "Go to bed, Britt. I'll take care of him tonight... you need some rest."
"Thank you, Ben," Brittany carefully and slowly moved Henry off of her lap and stood up. She gave Ben a hug and went back to bed, a warmth in her heart that she had been missing for a while.
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Brittany eyed the saviors in front of them, her hand close to her gun in case something went wrong. Ben was a couple feet away from her, looking a little nervous. Someone else got out of a truck, his heavy steel toed combat boots making the gravel crunch beneath them. Then, a leather jacket and a baseball bat covered in barbed wire were seen. Brittany's blood ran cold and she nearly gasped.
She stood her ground though, trying to seem tough. "Nice to finally meet you, Ezekiel. I'm Negan." He greeted with a sly smirk, his eyes wandering over to the pigs and fruit they had to give to them. "I thought I said half your food."
"This is more than half, sir. Most of us just eat pig for our meals and we caught many plump ones just for you, ready for your men to gut and cook."
"I appreciate that." Negan nodded, accepting the offer and deeming it good. He was turning back to get in the truck when his eyes caught sight of a familiar face. "Well, shit. What do we have here?" He chuckled, walking over with Lucille in his hand.
Brittany gulped and looked up at him in fear. "I'm surprised you're still kickin', girl. Now what are you doing here?" He asked, right in front of her. Brittany was too scared to speak.
"There was a horde and she got separated from her group and ran into us. She decided to stay." Ben answered for her.
Negan huffed at that. "Why didn't you run back home to your daddy?"
"The Kingdom's more secure than Alexandria... Ezekiel follows your rules and has a system."
Negan smirked a little. "At least one of you dumbasses has a brain... Well, we did have the occasion to see Glenn and ol' Abraham's too, but theirs didn't work as well as yours."
Brittany turned her gaze downwards and jammed her trembling hands into her pockets to hide them from Negan's eyes. She swallowed nervously and Negan cocked his head at her.
He reached out and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up. "You will look at me when I speak to you. It's only polite."
"Y-Yes, sir." She replied softly, scared.
"I'm sorry. What did you say? Stop mumbling."
Ben moved to step closer and protect her, but Negan only raised Lucille his way. "Tut, tut, tut... I wasn't talking to you."
Brittany cleared her throat. "Yes, sir." She kept her eyes on the man, although she wanted to look towards Ben for help.
"'Atta girl." Negan smiled and lowered the bat, glancing back to the truck with a knowing smirk on his lips. He let go of her face. "Now, you wouldn't want to go mess up the sweet little agreement we have, now do you?"
"No, sir." She answered, maintaining eye contact.
"Good. I like you a lot more than that one-eyed kid. Keep it that way." Negan turned around as if to go back to the truck. His step faltered, "I'm looking forward to all this bacon, Ezekiel." The man chuckled to himself before going into the truck. The girl let out the breath she was holding. Slowly, one by one, the Saviors clambered into their trucks and pulled away.
Ben approached the girl, one hand reaching out and his fingertips brushing against her arm. His brows were furrowed in worry, "Hey, are you alright?"
Brittany nodded gruffly, closing her eyes for a few seconds. "Yeah, I'll be fine... Let's just hope this plan works."
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A few days later, Brittany looked up from sewing the button back on Henry's shirt as she heard Ben's voice. "Hey. There's some newcomers... More than usual." Brittany set the project on the table. "Richard must've found them while on watch." Brittany finally turned around, spotting the rather large group. Her heart skipped a beat and she shot up, nearly knocking over the bench she had been sitting on.
She ran over to them. "Rosita!"
The woman turned around and spotted the familiar face, smiling and holding her arms out. Brittany hugged her tight, tears of happiness in her eyes. "Oh my god... I missed you so much," she whispered.
Rosita pulled away a little, taking in the sight of her. "You're safe... Have you been here the whole time?"
Brittany nodded. "I--What happened to your face?" She noticed the line of stitches that went down Rosita's right cheek and grew concerned.
"Oh, it's just a scratch... I'm fine."
Brittany was distracted by the others and hugged them all, more than excited to see them all again, alive and well. She broke apart from Carl when Rick spoke. "What happened after you ran off?"
Brittany looked to him, running a hand through her hair. "After what happened... I just couldn't do it. I ran away and tried to convince myself it wasn't real. I passed out and tried to get back to you guys, but there was a savior in the way and he chased me and tried to shoot me." She glanced behind her and waved Ben over. "Ben and Morgan saved me and I've been here ever since."
Michonne smiled a little, "We're glad you're safe..." The woman exchanged looks with Rick, knowing she could help them get Ezekiel on their side.
"I'm happy you are all alright too..." her eyes skimmed over the crowd. "Where's my dad?" Silence. Brittany's stomach dropped.
A moment of uncomfortable silence lingered before Rosita finally stepped up, "Four days ago, Negan came to the community and killed Spencer and Olivia. I-I shot Lucille with a bullet Eugene made me and they took him away... It's my fault Negan took him... I'm so sorry."
Brittany couldn't believe it. Tears filled her eyes and she put her hands on her head, trying to take deep breaths to calm herself down. "Fuck..." Ben stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her, in which she held on to him and tried to fight back her tears. Rosita felt awful and Tara exchanged a look with Sasha, worried about her.
"H-He was there," Brittany choked out as she connected the dots rather quickly. "He was in the truck T-That's why Negan was at the meetup." Ben's face fell and he stroked her hair to comfort her. Brittany just breathed in his scent, which contained a mixture of soap and hickory, and tried to bring herself back to earth.
She let go of Ben after a few moments and wiped her eyes, staying strong for herself and her friends. "It's not your fault, Rosita... They were bound to find out he could make bullets sometime. We just need to get him back." She offered the woman a little smile.
Rosita seemed relieved, but still felt guilty.
Jesus stepped forward and decided to change the subject. "Brittany, Richard has told me that you're now the trainer of this place. Is that true?"
She nodded proudly. "Yeah, Ezekiel has me teaching everyone how to fight and leading runs. It's a good change of pace... Now, what brings you here?"