Disclaimer: AMC owns the story and characters of The Walking Dead, they don't make much of an appearance, and this might hurt because it's from Negan's side of the field.
Author's note: This idea has been in my mind for about a year, and I'm finally able to bring it to life. This is not so much a sidestory as a story inside the story, so you need to be up to date with The Marks of Running Ink to actually get all the bits (I had to go back and read up from chapter 24 or so, and parts of chapter 16…). And yeah, I'm still writing chapter 72 of Marks, please bear with me.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Before
Charleston, VA
Martha Crayne had a normal day.
She'd gone to class, discussed some theoretical stuff with her favorite professor and she even got time to get herself a vanilla-green tea frappe in the little tea chop close to campus.
The weather was great for the end of the summer in Charleston, not too humid, or too hot, even under the sun.
For a whole day, Martha didn't even think about the marks on her ex-fiancé's palm, on the ring he told her to keep.
The hall of her dorm was fairly full when Martha arrived for a bit of studying.
It was weird too, that the news was on, usually, the televisions would be in some music video channel, or showing some inane reality show. Today, however, people were watching the news.
Martha ignored the cacophony of voices and speculation until she sat down, the news coverage showed a city going up in flames, maybe somewhere in the Middle East?
"…during the emergency session of Congress, when democrat congressman Harold Crouse of North Dakota bit the cheek of her colleague from Washington." The reporter was crying, on-site, but they weren't cutting the transmission. "There are reports of similar incidents all over the country."
The news anchors were watching the scene unfold in astonishment, as the footage of the congressional session ran over and over again. The deranged congressman not only bit -chewed- on the cheek of the congresswoman, he tore at the flesh of her face and then her neck, making blood spray all over as the woman screamed, begging for help.
"…in Newark, my aunt called to say we should leave the city. She saw them."
"My dad said those things were all over the neighborhood and then the phone failed."
"…in a hospital in California, said they started having problems in the morgues months ago."
A girl stood up over a table and lifted her arms, calling for attention.
"Shut up! Everyone shut up! Listen!"
The image on the screens had gone back to the crying reporter, who was gesticulating wildly.
"…'s not the flu! These are not African rabies! They are lying to us!" the reporter was saying, looking frayed in her smart suit. "These things come back from death! They come back from death and they eat flesh!" The scene cut to a video, taken with a cell phone camera, the shaky image showed slowly moving figures tackling people, the screams, the calls for help and the desperate cries of people were the background to the haunting images.
The silence was deafening, no one even dared move.
"Last year's crisis in the south of Asia? It was a scam! The deadly outbreak that killed the populations of certain islands in the Pacific? Lies!" the image of the reporter came back, as different videos showed in every corner of the screen, all of them as horrible as the first. "The dead are coming back from death and they are amongst us!"
Martha Crayne was having a good day, swearwords were not something she considered a proclivity, but nothing could stop the sigh that escaped her lungs in four letters.
"…fuck."
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Before and After
Columbus, OH
Lucas Fernández thought he could manage.
For months, he thought he could manage the load of school, a day job and a graveyard shift in another.
He tried not to think about the face his parents would make when he asked for money when his emergency cushion ran out in a couple weeks. But the stress had him on overdrive and he didn't want to die at twenty-eight because he ate one too many burgers.
In his line of job, however, he noticed immediately when people started disappearing, dropping out of everyday jobs.
Lucas never expected his boss at the legal firm to drop dead in the middle of a meeting and wake up to throw himself at his assistant and bite his face off.
He got out of there as soon as his feet would carry him.
Going over to his uncle's home had been one of the best decisions Lucas made, his Uncle Horacio had machetes and shovels and all sort of rudimentary…weapons imaginable. Of all things, however, what Lucas loved most was the information his uncle had, the whispers he had heard in his field job about dead homeless people walking and then being put down in the morgues, about the morgue workers being bitten and then being put down as well.
"They are calling them all sort of names, Lucas, walkers, dead ones, ghouls. I just know those are not natural, they are against nature and God."
Lucas and his Uncle Horacio had been searching the university campus for supplies when Horacio was bitten. The old man took himself off while Lucas cried and ran away.
Inside the dorms was a disaster, but Lucas scourged everything he could.
Again, he never expected finding a kid in the fucking dorms, who was just as clueless as Lucas had been a few weeks before.
"Place is about to be overrun, gotta run, pretty boy." The kid grabbed a bag pack and followed him. Lucas explained what he knew, how to end the biters, that he really didn't know what was really happening. The kid's face tugged at Lucas' memories, something sports related, he was sure.
Of course…The university's star quarterback, Chase Owens. Kid wasn't even a local and he was hit with fucking zombies.
It took Chase three days to ask for Luca's name.
"Lucas Emilio Fernández." He answered with a little smirk. "I don't need to ask yours, tho, champion boy." Chase laughed, he laughed and laughed and laughed, until tears started running down his face, it was difficult to get him to calm down, and it would be years before Lucas let him leave down for drinking his last bag of chamomile tea for a long while.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
After
Martha thought herself a good judge of character.
It was a rare occurrence that she guessed wrong about the motives and personality of the people she'd encountered. For a couple of years. she was right; but the end of the world had changed people.
Martha's father would be disappointed on her. Patrick Crayne had taught his daughter how to defend herself, how to shoot and hunt, and it had done her a world of good until she found Jake, Ted and Drake.
They had behaved for a while and then Martha refused to put out.
They didn't like that.
Well, Martha wasn't going to humor them, and she made it very much clear.
Regret was the last thing on her mind when they were put on their knees over the scratchy gravel in front of the repurposed factory. Martha's honey-brown eyes drank the scene in greedily. The building didn't look dilapidated, people were bustling around, carrying supplies and talking hurriedly, avoiding the group that had put them to their knees.
"So, what d'you skinny fucks have to offer to our humble abode?" a man with a deep voice and glinting eyes asked, spreading his arms a bit, overacting whatever he was trying to get across as he swung a bat adorned with barbed wire. "Who is the leader of you three?"
Martha scowled as she looked up to the man, she noticed he had a handsome face and was wearing an inconvenient leather jacket, so she glared at him for his daring.
"Oh, don't look at me that way, angel-face." The man ordered, smirking as he spoke. "So, I guess it's you."
Ted spoke, unbidden: "No, she is just a burden we picked up on the ride."
The friendly expression on the leader's face fell away and he leaned over to Martha and helped her up, holding her arm so gently she felt the unwelcome need to weep.
"These fucks threat you right, angel-face?" the man asked, his tone was coldly serious, even though his hands were warm to the touch. Martha shook her head without actually speaking, afraid that she would sob as soon as she separated her lips. The man nodded in acceptance and then asked her if she was with any of her…companions.
Martha shook her head again, balking at the notion of ever being with any of them. She hated the flinch the man definitely noticed when he reached out to touch her most recent bruising.
"Would you care if I…" his voice trailed off. Was he offering to kill them for her? Martha shook her head, no, she didn't mind at all.
The man smiled at her gesture and called for someone. "…take her to the showers."
Martha wasn't listening as the new man pushed her away from the courtyard gently, she didn't care about the food or the showers, not even the clothes. Martha needed to know what was going to happen. They were inside the building when Martha heard the hard thud crashing against bone, she turned around to see, just in time to catch the spray of blood that left Ted's head as the man with the bat rained hits on him, while Drake and Jake screamed and cried.
Later on, Negan would confess it was a bit weird to see her crying and laughing hysterically in Simon's arms when he'd gotten back inside the factory; and Martha would never confess, but every time she remembered Negan obliterating those men, she wanted to fuck him harder.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
After
The Sanctuary, VA.
Lucas had a proclivity to put himself in difficult circumstances, a fact that Vera was ought to remind him off every once in a while.
This time was no different.
"You can't have a crush on a wife, Luc." Vera said sternly. "You've seen what happens."
No one liked to talk about what happened to Cecelia's former boyfriend and how the man had succumbed to infection after Negan had burned out his face and denied him antibiotics. Cecelia didn't seem to care and everyone had let go.
"She would have to look at me to actually notice." Lucas countered. "I'm a fly on a wall to her, V."
Vera sighed and ran a hand through her hair, looking at Chase for help, but his friend shrugged.
"He's right, my love. Martha would have to look away from Negan for Lucas to actually have a chance, and that ain't happening."
Vera huffed indignantly and Ben laughed a little.
"Calm down, sis." Ben placated. "Lucas has as much chance of winning Martha as I have to become the president."
Vera rolled her eyes at her adopted soldier-come-brother; he was right, but she wanted Lucas to forget about his crush on the steadiest wife, anything else wouldn't do.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Now
The Sanctuary, VA.
Martha saw Elle leave in a hurry, carrying Abby in her arms as she stole one of the cars. The vantage point of the parlor window was spectacular. However, the wife wondered what could drive Elle to do this, it wasn't likely that she was betraying Negan, not after everything. Negan had confessed already that he was letting them all go and assimilate back into the population of the Sanctuary. Martha didn't feel sorry for her ability to extract almost any secret from her husband.
She wished to have had the foresight to use her ability on Elle -who seemed secretive or private enough anyway-, but it never happened.
Martha was left to gather the ruin of Negan once he had come back, empty handed, his t-shirt stained with blood, dirt and sweat, murmuring over and over again.
"She's gone. She's gone. She's gone."
It didn't take a genius to know who she was.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
The quest for vengeance was short and awful and Martha hated it.
"What did you do, Negan?"
He was covered in blood again, but there was no smile or satisfaction in his eyes, only emptiness. Murdering others wouldn't ever bring back Elle.
"I killed them." Negan muttered as he dropped his clothes mechanically, hardly moving.
Martha breathed deep.
"Who?"
"The Asian kid and the Red one." Negan said. "They had something I lost. Why would I let them keep that?"
What?
"Negan?"
"They were together. The Asian kid and the pregnant woman. She looked like shit, reminded me of Lucille when we lost the second baby." Negan kept muttering. Martha swallowed hard, trying to digest every little fact and taking in the recollection Negan was painting with his words. "I killed her husband because I wanted her to see him suffer. I wanted them to feel what I'm feeling." He growled.
Martha sighed as understanding dawned on her.
"Tell me everything."
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Now
Alexandria, VA.
Lucas was, for lack of a better word, smitten.
It felt a bit like betraying his feelings for Martha Crayne when he saw the nurse at Alexandria, all sass, sincerity and pretty eyes as they sacked the place.
He wanted to kick himself when he mentioned how great Alexandria was, and how cooperative she was being. Her grey eyes were difficult to read as was her expression, Lucas wanted to know more, immediately.
When she hissed in pain, Lucas wanted to give himself a double kick at the pressing stab of worry he felt in the face of her pain.
There was no such thing as love at first sight, of that, he was sure, but lust at first sight, hell yeah, that one existed just right.
"Soulmarks…" he guessed as soon as he saw her arm. "it's been a while since I've seen those." That was a lie, Vera and Chase were all over their marks and how cute it was when silly stuff appeared on their skin, as if it didn't hurt.
The cooperative nurse conceded with a sigh and a frown. "Nothing special."
"Yeah, nothing special." Lucas said, taking the box of medicine he'd been given as he left.
When he arrived back at the Sanctuary, Lucas knew he wouldn't be able to avoid Vera for long. One day later, his diminutive friend was onto him.
"What's her name?" Vera demanded. "She must be good because you haven't given Martha even a glance in the last twenty-four hours."
"I…well, I don't know her name."
Vera rolled her eyes. "Well, that doesn't help."
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Martha's resentment against Sherry mellowed considerably after the woman fled The Sanctuary. Freeing the Alexandrian with her. A tiny, little part of Martha was grateful to Sherry for doing that, even if it cost them their doctor; because it distracted Negan.
Eugene distracted Negan, Frankie, Tanya and even Amber -who was trying to drink herself into an early grave. The distraction wasn't enough for her fellow wives, this Martha knew. It was clear as day when Martha found the three of them huddled together, talking in hushed whispers.
"I find myself a tad busy at the present time, in what can I help you?" Martha blinked, surprised at how long a sentence could become in Eugene's power.
"I have something to tell you, about Frankie, Tanya and Amber." She told the Alexandrian. "Whatever they are planning and wanting you to do? It's not for them, it's against Negan."
Eugene's eyes widened, shining with understanding immediately.
"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, miss Martha." Eugene nodded.
"We never talked about this, okay?"
"Understood."
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Lucas' hand hurt like a motherfucker, even after the new doc had given him the painkillers after stitching his palm back together.
Making Tory feel guilty about it right before finding out he was going to become her roommate was a bit over the top. But she was so pretty when she blushed…
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Martha felt as if her world had fallen under her feet right in the moment she understood just how deep things were between Negan and Tory.
This time she couldn't fall back on anyone or anything.
When Elle had been the one, Martha could still count on Negan's friendship.
Her husband was as absorbed on Tory as he had been on Elle, but there was an inherent feeling of desperation in that absorption. Martha could see how desperate they both were, needing to make sense of what was happening to them.
Tyler's death complicated everything.
Martha could see Tory's breakdown coming from miles away, but she had a front row seat to watch. Only, instead of watching, she did the noble thing, and with that, Martha accepted that she would end up losing Negan.
This time it was a lot easier, because the change started with her.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Lucas sighed, trying not to think, to clear his mind. He was still a bit mad at Tory, even after everything had been explained to him. Lucas' mind couldn't reconcile the strangeness of it all, the rage of seeing Tory in a spiral descent of alcohol and depression, and Negan diving his attention between Alexandria's fight and her. Not everyone noticed, but Lucas was good at seeing things most people didn't, it was the reason he'd put behind becoming a lawyer.
Fleeing to the fire escape for a bit of fresh air was just the thing he needed after finding Negan and Tory eating each other's faces in the hallway.
Lucas almost jumped out of his own body when someone opened the door to the staircase with a loud bang and barreled into him.
After a few expletives and deep breathes, Lucas could finally look at the intruder.
"Martha?" he asked, recognizing the hair color and beautiful, dark honey eyes.
"You're Tory's ex, right? Lucas?" she asked, sounding a bit breathless herself.
"I prefer inconvenient friend and guard, but yes." Lucas answered flippantly, provoking Martha into a scowl. Damn, she looked amazing when she was irritated.
"Since this is the closest exit from the parlor, I assume you saw the same thing I did, didn't you?" Martha pushed his hands away gently and propped herself against the rail, holding it until her knuckles went white with the effort.
"Aye, I did." Lucas went to lean on the railing, using his elbows for support. "Those two are going to be the death of me, you know?"
The wife laughed, a bitter, empty sound that Lucas had never heard from her before.
"Don't I know it." She whispered in the end.
Martha stayed silent after that, and Lucas never mentioned it again, but he could see the shiny tears running down her face as the sun set.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
The fire escape became their place to meet.
At first, they would see each other once a day, talk a little bit, maybe share a drink if they felt like it and remembered to bring something.
On the bad days, Martha would wait in the staircase for hours, trying to calm herself, reminding that she helped bring this, that she wanted it.
Then Tory had her period and things went south.
Martha had been at the stairs as soon as Negan took over for her to help calm her younger, fellow wife.
Lucas hugged her and sat with her even when the cold made their teeth chatter and their hands go numb. Negan's divided attention -between Alexandria and Tory-, permitted Lucas and Martha to meet frequently. As they tried to distract each other, Lucas and Martha started to share stuff from their life before -a little about after too -, it was a bit cathartic, letting go of so many memories, accepting that the world could never go back to what it used to be.
"I didn't believe in soulmates." Martha said. "I thought it was all a bunch of legendary stuff."
Lucas chuckled. "Are you serious?" she nodded, her eyes told a tale of self-deprecation and acceptance. "My mom and dad are…were soulmates." As it was becoming common between them, they ignored the change of tenses and the momentary hesitation. It was no use, thinking about could have been. "They used to be really damn happy. I remember when I was little, Dad came in from work and Mom's whole face lit up like it was Christmas and for a few seconds it was just the two of them.
Martha smiled into her beer, thinking about what Lucas had revealed. "You loved them."
"Still do. We were a big family." He got a far-off look that she was all too familiar with. "I try not to wonder what happened."
Martha sighed, there was nothing she could say about that. Nothing that alleviated the pain.
"I talked to my Dad the day it all started. He and Mom had my brother at home, they said they would go north." Martha confessed. "After communications stopped, I tried to stop thinking about them. Sometimes, someone says a word, or I smell something familiar and the pain comes back in full."
Lucas took her hand and nodded, he started caressing her wrist with his thumb in soothing, little circles.
"I think I know. The worst thing is the not knowing." Lucas turned his eyes upwards, watching the night sky, it was cloudy, darker than the usual. Even the undead seemed quiet. "My parents used to say I would be the one to have a soulmate, you know, show the marks and all that." Lucas smiled sardonically. "I believed it, but maybe I'm one of those who just don't. And truth be told, I don't mind."
Martha narrowed her eyes a bit, closing the space between them and leaning on Lucas' side.
"Why?"
"Well, it either goes amazing, like it does for Vera and Chase." He explained, showing Martha the palm of his hand, open as if it were a scale plate; "Or, it's some way paved with shit, as it's with Tory and Negan." The comparison seemed to be extremes of a scale, as he now held both hands up.
"I think you're being a bit harsh on the other end." Martha said, intertwining her fingers with his. "Tory and Negan are progressing."
Lucas chuckled, it wasn't as bitter as it could have been, but it was still a bit cold.
"Yeah, progressing after a lot of people have died and lots of calamities have happened."
"You're being dramatic." Martha dismissed.
"No, I'm not." Lucas countered.
"Think about it this way, if you were still with Tory, we wouldn't be this close."
That made him pause.
"Vera told me to forget."
Martha frowned at his quiet words, wondering what the hell Lucas was going about.
"I had such a huge fucking crush on you. No matter what I did, no matter who I did, you were always present in my mind."
No way!
"Then Tory came barreling into our life right after the whole Doveport stuff and I just…she was shinny and new, and she liked me and damn, I liked her so damn much."
"You had a crush on me?" Martha whispered.
"Seems I still do." Lucas said sheepishly, even though the look in his eyes was steady and unwavering. "Maybe a bit more than a crush."
Martha was no amateur in human contact; she relished the warmth and companionship that usually derived from it. Touching had been one of her means of communication with Negan for a long time, it was something she and Lucas loved doing, if she wasn't wrong. All sorts of touching were safe territory, unless they stated otherwise.
And today, Martha threw caution to the wind.
Kissing Lucas was…great.
He was surprised but caught up with her immediately, accepting the soft caress of her lips, turning his head the way she wanted him to, without a need for words. They both tasted a bit bitter from the shared beer, but Lucas could feel the sweetness of her breath as Martha leaned further onto him, climbing on his lap and placing her hands on his cheeks, wanting to bring him as close to her as humanly possible.
Martha stopped suddenly, out of breath, with the ghost of a smile in her lips, her nose touching his, only barely.
"Please, say something before I die of embarrassment." She pleaded.
Lucas smiled, a full grin, almost beaming at her.
"You're a good damn kisser, Martha."
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Martha didn't have to be a genius to know where Negan took Tory.
That day, she asked herself if maybe Negan was trying to scare hi soulmate away, showing him the brutality he was capable of.
The wife knew she was toeing dangerous territory, but she couldn't care less, being alone for more than a few stolen minutes every day was a blessing that Martha and Lucas appreciated. However, sleeping together, making love, in the same bed and getting to actually be that close? That was a miracle.
Being discovered by Vera Owens, of all people, that was, perhaps, one of the most unexpected things that could happen.
Whatever her misgivings, Martha thanked her guarding angel for the foresight of sleeping with something on, instead of naked as she had wanted when Lucas had fallen asleep after the last round of intense sex they had enjoyed, during the very early hours of the morning.
Hard knocking on the door of Martha's room had woken her up, wondering who could it be at the ungodly hour of seven in the morning.
Martha was certain she'd become crimson when Vera caught sight of Lucas waking up on her bed. The three of them had exchanged little pleasantries -bare minimum-, before Lucas left with the look of a man condemned to the guillotine.
"Tea?" she asked Vera.
The future mother nodded and sat on one of the comfy couches Martha had snagged from some scavenging trip gone right.
Martha placed a fresh cup of tea in front of Vera without a word and proceeded to sit in front of the younger girl with as much dignity as she could muster under those scrutinizing brown eyes.
"I'm not going to ask about it." Vera clarified, letting Martha know her intentions were different. Martha sighed, releasing a long breath she didn't know she was holding. "What you and Lucas do behind closed doors is your thing. Just don't screw him over."
Martha nodded. "Okay, what is it you want to talk about."
Vera took a sip of the slightly stale lavender tea, the flavor wouldn't last forever, but she would have loved it fresh. After swallowing the sweet beverage, she finally spoke.
"You used to help Negan manage the records of the Sanctuary, right?"
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Lucas held her tight when they found out about Tory's baby.
Martha thought Tory had just been sick, maybe an infection or some severe cold, not a goddamned pregnancy.
Anger, incredulity and a bit of envy clouded Martha's judgement, but she understood the reasons Tory had given to keep it all quiet.
Vera had been sweet and understanding to some extent, more than could be said from herself, who didn't even know how to deal with all the mess that this would inevitably bring about.
Martha sighed as Lucas lit the cigarette that he had rolled himself.
"What did you want to talk about?" the wife started, trying to prompt the conversation.
After he blew out the smoke, Lucas looked at Martha and lowered his voice. "Tory came to my room earlier. She told me about the baby."
Of course, Lucas had been wonderful, letting Tory into his room when she asked for a place to think.
"So?"
"She's worried because Negan doesn't feel anything for her." Lucas chuckled darkly. "Tory's very intelligent, but sometimes she's just plain stupid."
Martha smiled. "So, you've noticed?"
"Aye."
They were quiet for a few minutes, the moaning and groaning of the dead ones at the fence was the only thing disturbing the silence.
"She cried herself to sleep. I didn't have the heart to make her get up." Lucas explained, looking at Martha with an apologetic smile.
In return, Martha gave him her best smile, the one that lit up her dark honey eyes.
"Negan thinks she's scared of him." Martha snorted indelicately. "I don't think Tory can be scared by him, for him, sure. But Negan doesn't scare her."
Lucas nodded, hugging her closer to him, caressing her exposed back with his hands as his knees worked to fit between Martha's thighs. Usually, that would prompt an adverse reaction from her, but it seemed the closeness was a mutual craving.
"I always wanted to have sex in the outdoors, didn't I mention it?" her voice was innocent, but her eyes were a promise of sin.
"Did you now?" Lucas asked, taking a long drag of his smoke.
"Yeah, I like the danger…a very interesting thrill." Martha glued herself to the front of his body and Lucas had to suppress a groan.
"Promises, promises…"
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Tory blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then, the grey eyed girl opened her mouth, but closed it again.
"Say something, please." Martha begged, racking her hair with both hands as the younger wife looked at her, still astonished.
"You mean it, don't you?" Tory asked, baffled and slightly shocked, from the tone of her voice.
Martha nodded.
"I think I love him, and it's a chance I don't want to let go."
Tory's eyes went to the door at their right -Negan's door-, and then back to Martha.
"You should go in then. I'm supposed to bring him something for diner, it should give you at least half an hour."
Smiling, Martha hugged Tory. "Thank you for understanding."
"Hey, I promise this is a no feelings thing for me, but Lucas is amazing."
• • • • • • • • • • • •
"So! What do you want to talk about, angel-face?" Negan said, sitting in front of her, resting his injured leg over the coffee table, at Tory's insistence without a doubt.
Martha sighed and then breathed deep.
"You know I love you like you're my family." She chuckled a bit. "Actually, you're my family, if we're strict about this."
Negan smiled with pride and leaned in, looking marginally more relaxed.
"Well, I…I want to stop." Martha said, her voice soft and low. "I don't want to be a wife anymore."
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •