At Virtue's End
By tiaras-and-pterodactyls
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Every villain is a hero in their own mind.
If we had followed Negan from the beginning we'd all be rooting for him.
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Author's Note:

First and foremost, thank you so much for even giving this fic a shot. I've read a lot, a LOT, of amazing Negan x OC fanfic and I know that there is a ton out there to choose from so from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

My intent with this story is to write a completely AU Negan origin fic with some canon thrown in there for good measure. We're starting this story out right before the outbreak and my intent is to follow Negan's story all the way through to where we currently are in the TV series. Most stories I've read have started well in to the apocalypse with The Saviors & Sanctuary already established, I want to write about what happened to get us there.

The first few chapters are a lot of world building, introduction to characters... things like that. Bear with me, we'll get in to things pretty quickly but I also don't want to go too fast and have the story seem rushed. I am in this for the long haul and hopefully, if I can do what I've got in my mind any justice whatsoever, you all will be too.

Happy reading!

Chapter One: Before the Fall

The night was dark and all was quiet. The stars were shining bright in the sky above the old farm house and the crickets were busily playing their songs out in the woods somewhere. The brook babbled away out behind the house and an owl gave a startled hoot as the silver car navigated the twists and turns of the long loose gravel driveway.

Outside of the car everything was calm, peaceful even... but the girl inside of the vehicle was anything but serene.

She pulled her car to a stop in its normal spot near the end of the driveway. The headlights died as the key was removed from the ignition and Samantha's hands quickly found the rear view mirror. She turned its reflective surface towards her face and sighed. She was a mess. Her bright blue eyes were stained red around the edges and the tears she refused to let fall were just as fresh now as they had been when she had started her drive. Her dark brown hair was a tangled mess from the wind that had been running through it and her makeup had turned in to a blotchy mess of stains upon her face. She couldn't go inside looking like this. Her grandmother would know that something was wrong right off the bat and the last thing that she wanted to do right now was worry her... in fact, all she really wanted to do was take a hot bath and crawl in to the familiar bed of her childhood home.

She wiped delicately at the smeared makeup under her eyes and pulled her hair in to a ponytail before grabbing the overnight bag from her passenger seat and climbing out of her car. She threw the door shut with a resounding thud but stalled for a moment when she heard the unmistakable sound of his truck making its way down the driveway. She knew he would follow her, she would have been stupid to expect anything less, but that didn't change the way that her heart fell to the pit of her stomach as she heard his steady approach.

"God, help me." She whispered to herself with a shake of her head. Another confrontation was the last thing she needed but she could already feel her body gearing up for the argument that was sure to come.

She was briefly illuminated by the harsh white of his headlights as he pulled his truck to a stop closely behind her own vehicle. She forced herself not to look his way as she lifted her chin, straightened her back, and began the short walk that stood between her and the temporary sanctuary that awaited her inside the house.

"Samantha!" The truck's door slammed shut as he exited its cab. She could hear the crunch of the loose gravel beneath his heavy boots as moved quickly to catch up to her. "Come on, Sam! Just fucking talk to me!"

"No, Negan." Her voice was steady and strong in its response. She was done for the night, the time for this conversation was over.

"Come on, babe!" He chuckled lightly and the sound of it rose her hackles in an instant. "It's really not a big deal!"

"Not a big deal?" She turned on her heel to face him. "You're seriously trying to tell me that what happened tonight was not a big deal?"

"It was a fucking bar fight, Sam!"

"This isn't about the bar fight, Negan!" She was near yelling now, her voice matching his in both volume and tone. "It's about you still seeing your ex-mistress!"

"I am not seeing-"

"You have been lying to me for weeks now and you have the audacity to stand here and tell me that it's not a big deal!"

"I didn't lie to you Sam! I just..." Fuck. "I just didn't tell you."

"Oh," her voice was laced with sarcasm as the tears reformed within her eyes, "well that makes everything better!"

"Sam, I swear-"

She shook her head and let out a rough, painful sounding scoff. "I can't even look at you right now."

She turned on her heel and moved swiftly towards the front door but she could immediately hear his rapid footfalls as he steadily gained on her from behind. She made her way up the front porch steps quickly but he was within arm's reach of her before her hand had even found the doorknob. She tried to pull the door open but before it was more than a few inches ajar his hand shot out from over her shoulder and firmly forced it shut. She turned on her heel, fully prepared to book it back to her car or to do anything she had to just to get herself out of there and away from him but his hands moved to either side of her body and his strong arms instantly formed an effective cage around her before her first step. She was trapped, pinned to the front door, and she had no other choice but to meet his eyes as he spoke.

"I am not still fucking seeing her, Samantha." His voice was low and gruff, nearly a growl as he stared down at her. The tiny green flecks within his dark brown eyes all but sparkled as they caught the porch light and set a certain type of fire to his gaze. "She got her job back at the dealership. I work in the shop. Sometimes our paths fucking cross. It's not often but sometimes. Neither one of us fucking likes it and when we do have to speak it's short, sweet and to the damn point. That's it. What the fuck am I supposed to do?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Samantha's voice was strong and her eyes were just as hardened as his.

"You're fucking serious?" Her eyebrow rose ever so slightly and her challenge was obvious. "This." His right hand moved to gesture between them. "This beautiful shit show of a situation we've gotten ourselves in to right fucking here is why I didn't tell you."

"You never lie to me, Negan." She gave his chest one solid push, forcing him to step back and give her some semblance of space. "Why would you now unless there was something to hide?"

"You're really fucking accusing me of..." he trailed off as his fist collided solidly with the wooden doorframe to her right. "I am not fucking cheating on you, Sam."

"What the hell am I supposed to think, Negan?"

He scoffed as he lowered his head, shaking it in frustration before lifting his gaze and staring her directly in the eyes once more. "You really think that after all the bullshit I've been through-"

"Don't!" Samantha said fiercely, her finger rising to point at his face. "You did this, not me. Do not turn this around and act like I'm the one with the problem here."

"I can't fucking believe this shit."

"Yeah?" Samantha asked. "I'm sure Diana couldn't believe it when you were stepping out on her either."

And in that moment, everything changed.

Negan didn't speak. His eyes remained locked with hers for what felt like an eternity and his expression changed from one of anger to shock and then back again. His hands turned to fists at her sides as his jaw clenched in frustration and barely contained anger.

"Once a cheater, always a cheater, that it doll?" His voice was low and quiet as he pushed himself away from the door and took two slow, deliberate steps backwards.

"Negan-"

"Low blow, kid."

"That's not-"

"Low. Fucking. Blow." He annunciated each word before turning from her and making his way down the porch steps.

Samantha wasn't sure what kept her there. She felt glued to the spot as he stalked towards his truck and she knew that she would be damned before she ran after him. He had made this mess, not her, and despite the peculiar numbness that washed over her body as she watched him go she would not give him the satisfaction of her groveling.

"Maybe you should stay here for the night, Samantha." He said as he turned back to look her way from just outside his truck. "Figure out what the fuck it is that you want from me because this shit," he gestured between the two of them, "this is not what I fucking want."

His eyes left hers as he pulled the driver's side door open harshly. He climbed inside and slammed the door shut behind him. The engine roared to life and she did nothing but watch as he roughly threw the gear shift in to reverse. His foot found the gas and he made quick work of the turn it took to point him in the right direction before taking off in to the night faster than what was normal on the small, winding road.

Her entire being worked on autopilot as she lowered herself to sit gently on the old wooden steps of the porch beneath her. She leaned against the pillar to her right and let her head fall to her hands.

How the hell had this even happened?

It had started out just like any other Wednesday night at The Red Oak Tavern. She had arrived at 2:45 and was out on the floor, ready for her shift promptly by three. The local watering hole had proven to be a decent place to work and the locals were always good to her as far as tips went. She had known most of her coworkers since grade school and the owner, Russell O'Brien, was a fair boss who everyone knew by name... hell, everyone knew everybody in the small historic town of Widow's Ridge.

The first two hours of her shift had been slow, a normal thing for an early afternoon, but by half past five business had picked up with the usual crowd of post workday nine to fivers. A couple of teachers from the high school sat in a booth towards the back and the guys from the construction crew working on Mrs. Leary's back porch took the two booths behind them. Dr. Adkins was sitting with his wife at a high top next to the jukebox and more than a few twenty-somethings from the local college filled the tables around them. James McCallister had taken his normal seat front and center at the bar and a few of the other salesman at the car dealership he worked for flanked him on either side. Another ring of the bell above the tavern's heavy oak door announced the arrival of the guys from the auto shop, right on time, and most of them headed towards a booth by the pool tables.

Negan, on the other hand, bee-lined it straight towards her.

He was tall, tall and built with a set of espresso eyes that even after all this time could still make her blush when he worked them the right way. His dark hair and salt and pepper beard added to his manly persona almost as much as the black leather jacket he was rarely caught without did. His dark wash jeans and heavy black boots brought his entire appearance together and wrapped it up in a very bad-ass bow.

Without a second thought, Samantha pushed through the swinging gate that separated the back of the bar from the rest of the tavern and approached him with a smile on her face.

"And there she is!" He said as he reached her and she could already tell he was in a particularly good mood today. His arm reflexively wrapped around her waist and his hand found the small of her back as he pulled her in close and lowered his lips to hers for a quick kiss.

"How was your day?" She asked.

He shrugged as his typical flirtatious smirk began to pull at his lips. "Better now."

"Ughhhhh, get a room!" Both heads turned to their right and their gazes immediately landed on the petite blonde at the other end of the bar. She gave the couple a quick, friendly wink before returning her attention to filling her table's drink order.

"That friend of yours," Negan said as he turned back towards his girl, "she is something else."

Samantha laughed as she turned and began walking back towards the bar. Negan followed easily in tow and leaned on his forearms against the counter as she had made her way behind it.

"You closing tonight?" He asked.

She nodded. "Unfortunately."

"That's alright," Negan said as his grin grew just a little wider, the gleam in his eyes unmistakable as he whispered across the tabletop, "gives me a little more time to find that room your friend suggested."

It was Samantha's turn to give him a little smirk of her own. "Something wrong with the one at our place?"

"Not at all, baby doll. Not at all." He pulled back just enough for his proximity to her to be seen as casual to anybody looking their way. "For now, I'll just have my usual."

"You got it."

Negan gave her a quick wink before straightening himself up and heading to join the rest of his crew around the pool table. The gait of his walk oozed confidence as he approached the other guys and Samantha couldn't help the small smile that refused to be hidden from her face as she watched him go. When she caught the judgmental scowls coming from the group of ladies at the booth across the room, however, she quickly turned her face away. She could already feel the blush rising to her cheeks as she straightened her back and turned on her heel in an attempt to flee their prying eyes but the solid smash of a body coming in to contact with hers had her stopping in her tracks.

"Woah!" The same blonde from before yelled as Samantha collided with her and her tray full of drinks.

"Jesus! Sorry, Candice!" Samantha exclaimed, her hands darting out on their own volition to catch the two glasses closest to her before they could fall to the ground.

"What the hell was that about!?" Candice asked as she lowered her tray to the bar's surface and looked her friend in the eye.

"Table twelve." Samantha tilted her head in the direction of the women still openly staring their way.

Candice glanced towards the booth and Samantha saw her brow furrow the moment she realized the situation. The table in question consisted of Karla Johnston, Elizabeth Warren, Nancy Parker, and Meredith Dickens. Each was a house wife and stay at home mother on their own but together they formed they most productive rumor mill disguised as a book club that Widow's Ridge had ever seen. If there was a juicy piece of gossip in that town those women knew it first and they did everything within their power to spread it far and wide. Negan and Samantha had been their favorite item to talk about for months and by the way they were already whispering amongst themselves that fact wasn't likely to change anytime soon.

"Seriously? They're still pulling this crap?" Candice asked with a shake of her head and a gentle scoff. " It's been a year, ladies! It's time to move on!"

Samantha glanced over her shoulder and took in the new expressions of shock and horror adorning the ladies' faces. She could hear the whispers of 'I never' and similar statements of disbelief from clear across the room but she turned back to Candice with a smile. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Candice said before throwing her tray back on to her shoulder, giving Samantha's hand a quick and reassuring squeeze, and heading off towards her waiting table.

Widow's Ridge was a quintessential small town. It was quiet, not much happened there outside of local sporting events and annual festivals celebrating this, that, or the other thing. Everyone knew everyone's business and when something as scandalous as an affair was thrown out in to the open the rumors tended to travel fast. News of Negan's long-term extra-marital relationship with Elena Lewis had seemingly come out of nowhere and it had piqued everyone's interest. The people in town had wasted no time in choosing a side and no one was above talking about it. Diana, Negan's now ex-wife, had taken to her newfound role of the innocent victim quickly and with ease before hotfooting it out of town and moving to a pretty cottage in the woods somewhere in Ohio with her new beau. Elena, the sinful seductress, had made amends with her husband and the rest of the town seemed to forgive her once he had taken her back. Negan, on the other and opposite hand, still seemed to struggle with the mud his name had been raked through on a daily basis.

The men of the town as a collective whole were over the ordeal rather quickly for the most part; Negan had coached most of their sons in one sport or another throughout the years and he had really done them no real wrong. The women on the other hand, the mothers and wives and friends that Diana had spent her life around, were a completely different story. They seemed determined to hold on to that grudge until their dying day and were doing a pretty good job of it so far.

The moment he had gotten involved with Samantha, the typical and sweet girl next door who happened to be a whole ten years younger than him, the story had gotten even juicer. The book club had descended upon them like a pack of wolves and gobbled the story up whole. By this point Samantha was all but used to the sideways glances that she would get from his ex-wife's former friends and after putting up with it for all this time the whispered words about their relationship had almost stopped bothering her... almost.

Samantha chanced one quick look in Negan's direction. Her glance in and of itself was enough to prove that he had seen the entire thing. His eyes narrowed at her in an obvious question and all she could do was give him a quick, albeit shaky smile and a slight nod of her head before forcing herself to get back to work. He wasn't stupid, furthermore he wasn't deaf or blind, he was just as aware of the things that were said about them as she was. The difference between the two was that while Samantha could let most things go and turn the other cheek, Negan was fiercely protective. In his mind, they could say whatever they wanted about him but the moment Samantha's name was mentioned it turned in to a whole other ball game.

She sighed.

In hindsight, her first clue that the night was going to turn ugly should have been the way Karla Johnston had jumped up from the booth after Candice's confrontation and ran straight towards James McCallister. James was Diana's brother and the only person left in town who could honestly say that they hated Negan as much as she did. To his credit, James had kept his cool for almost the entire rest of the night. It wasn't until close to the end of her shift that the situation had started to hit the fan.

Negan had decided to hang around until closing time, a somewhat regular occurrence that saved Samantha the solo fifteen-minute walk back to their shared townhouse just off of Main Street. It had been a busy night and when Samantha had finally gotten the chance to take a break she had thought nothing of grabbing the open seat at the bar next to Negan. She had ordered her usual Chicken Caesar wrap from the kitchen for dinner and everything was fine... Well, everything had been fine up until the moment that Negan had absentmindedly placed his hand against the small of her back as he talked to one of the other men at the bar.

It was such a small gesture, something that had happened in front of God, James, and everyone else in the bar a thousand times over, but for some reason tonight had been the night that the small display of affection had caused James to scoff in disgust. Samantha had felt the aura of the room shift immediately and she sent up a silent prayer to whoever was listening that Negan would simply ignore it... no such luck would be coming her way this evening.

"You got a fucking problem, McCallister?" Negan had asked, his smile never faltering as he turned his entire body towards the other man.

"Yeah, yeah I do," James had responded as he turned towards Negan in a similar fashion, "me and half the other people in this town."

"Negan," Samantha had whispered as her hand came to rest on the strong muscles of his forearm, "don't. Just let it go."

Her only response from him was his free hand coming to rest on top of hers for the briefest of moments before he stood from his bar stool and took a step towards James. "Scoffing at a lady, that's just fucking rude. Says a lot about your upbringing."

"My upbringing?" James said as he stood as well. "You cheated on your wife, you piece of shit. If anyone's upbringing should be brought in to question its yours."

"Really guys?" Samantha said as she rose to her feet and stood between them. Her hands rose to either side of her in an attempt to keep the men as far apart as possible. "We're bringing each other's upbringing in to this? What's next, insulting each other's mothers?"

She could see Russell taking notice from across the room and he quickly moved towards the situation.

"You don't like me?" Negan continued as if he hadn't heard her. "That's fine. I don't fucking like you either. Your issues are with me, not with her. You've got a fucking problem? You bring it up with me. We can step outside and handle this like men."

"You want me to bring it up with you? Fine." James turned his eyes away from Negan and looked directly at Samantha. "Does she know you're seeing Elena again?"

That was the moment that everything went to shit.

Before Samantha could even turn to look at him, Negan had moved past her and slammed his fist in to the side of James' face. She wasn't sure who's hands had grabbed her around the waist and pulled her away from the brawl but the next thing she knew she was a good ten feet away while Russell had jumped right in the middle of it along with the three other men that had still been hanging around the bar jumping in to assist him. She heard the sound of breaking glass and then there was blood on the floor. By the time the two men were torn apart James' nose was definitely broken and Negan's left eye was already beginning to bruise. There was heavy breathing all around as the two men were pulled to opposite sides of the room and Russell had no choice but to have Candice call the local sheriff.

When the flurry of motion had finally stopped all Samantha could do was look at him. Negan was hurt, but not badly. Her first instinct of making sure that he was okay quickly fled and made way for the fight or flight type of response that had taken control of her for the remainder of the night. She was somewhat aware of the fact that he had called out to her but she hadn't listened to a single word he'd said. She had merely grabbed her jacket and bag from behind the bar and left as quickly as she could. She had barely even thought about what she was doing but the next thing she knew she was in their bedroom packing a bag and then she was out the door and heading in the direction of her grandmother's house.

Her cell phone buzzed from within her jacket pocket and effectively brought her out of her reverie. She saw Candice's name flash upon the screen in bright white letters and Samantha unlocked her phone to read the text that she had been sent.

Candice:

I hope you're okay. Call me if you need anything. 3

Samantha typed a quick reply before shoving her phone back in to her pocket. It was getting later by the second and she knew that she at least had to let her grandmother know that she was here before she could get herself to that bath that was so desperately calling her name.