"Hey, buddy." Negan beamed as he watched Rick approach the gate. Gregory buckled not long after The Saviours had threatened The Hilltop with their agreement, making Negans life easier but denying him the sick pleasure of grinding him down slowly. But he hadn't expected Rick to be so fucking breakable. Again, he couldn't complain for it made his domination smooth and almost effortless. But couldn't underestimate Rick, fuck no. Rick was not stupid.

"We're still waiting for people to come back, we were expecting you tomorrow." He babbled as he pushed open the gate.

Negan smiled. "Then its a good fucking job that this is the only appointment I have pencilled in today, huh." He sang. "And to be honest, you've got a lot of shit I'm just itching to get my hands on… I brought an extra truck." He smirked, soaking up the look of distaste on Ricks face. Negan knew that Ricks love for his people was the only thing stopping him from punching him square in the face right now. "Show me around, Rick."

They began to walk as vans were driven in and parked and the Safe Zone made secure again. Except for the invasion of hostile Saviours.

"Do you usually have people just sitting around like that?" Negan glared, motioning his to a pair of women sat on a porch.

Rick bit his tongue. "She's sick," He informed him. "There isn't enough medicine to give her full doses-"

"-So she's weighing you down?" He asked, turning to face Rick.

"No- no she's-"

"A drain on your resources!" Negan boomed. "My resources."

The girl was being helped inside now. It was obvious that they had gotten the gist of what was going on between Rick on the foreign invader. Olivia was making helping the girl look difficult. I mean, she barely had anything to her; a pair of faded blue jeans that he figured were probably once skintight hid a pair of long legs, but her shirt didn't disguise how minuscule she looked next to her fellow resident. Negan began up the steps to the porch and snaked his arms around the girl. "Jesus, they not feeding you, darlin'?" He smirked as he helped her to the door.

"I'm fine," The girl snapped as she whipped off her hat. Suddenly a rush of blood flooded his brain. He'd heard that voice before. And he'd seen those copper tresses fall down like that before too. Fuck. "Thank you." She continued, unwrapping the long scarf that hung around her neck and turning to him.

"… Ella." He said hazily through thick furrowed brows. His eyes drank her in; her big eyes were brimming with confusion and her soft lips were agape, almost unable to produce any words.

"Negan."

Before the silence became awkward and uncomfortable, Negan barked at Olivia to get out. If Ella had been less bemused by the man in her house, she would have been upset at the way he had snapped at Olivia.

He'd been sat on her couch for at least five minutes by the time she forced herself to be less than five metres away from him. He just stared at her. She didn't look any different from the last time he saw her. Well, she wasn't this skinny, but there was no shortage of food last time he saw her.

"Max is here." She finally piped up. He couldn't help but notice how pale she was now too. God he wanted to touch her. To make sure she was real. Before, he could have just reached out and touched her face, just because he wanted to. He hadn't even realised what she said until a few moments later.

"Oh yeah?" To say he was disappointed would be an understatement.

"Yeah.

'I'm surprised he ain't babysittin' you. What happened?"

"Got jumped on a run. I was out cold until Tuesday." She told him, almost boasting.

He imagined one of his men hitting her on the back of the head with the butt of a gun. Ella watched him cringe at his thoughts. "Not got much meat on you." He deflected.

Ella tried to stop herself from laughing at the statement. He had taken their food. "No, well. Slim pickings."

"Who beat you up?" He couldn't shake the thoughts that ran through his mind. Fuck, she shouldn't have been in a situation like that… Ella shrugged. A popular method of communication before, too. "Seen a doctor?"

"No." Her eyes drifted over to the bat that was propped up against her couch and then back to him. "I heard them talking about The Saviours… About Negan." God she looked so desperate. "They've not told me but I've put two and two together… a few of them didn't come back. Rick wont tell me-"

"We've got a good doctor at The Sanctuary."

He could see the cogs in her head as he pretty much confirmed her theory. She knew. She knew the reason why her people hadn't been coming back is because his people had been killing them. Because he had been killing them. "Part of me knew it would be you."

"I'm not leaving you here-" He said.

She shook her head and wiped away the tears that she fought so hard to keep back.

"I cant leave you." He said plainly, almost absent of any emotion, staring blankly at the wall.

"Do you want me to list all the reasons why that will never happen?"

"You said you'd never have married him if I'd have left her-"

"Before!" She hollered. "Before all of this. Before you went crazy, Negan…"

"Crazy?"

"You know what I'm talking about-"

"I'll have some meds brought over." He jumped up. "When you're good to go, you'll come back with me." And without even a glance back at her, he left her home and loaded up his supplied and left.

Rick made his way to Ella's house as soon as he personally closed the gates behind The Saviours. He sat across from her at the table he found her at and rubbed his eyes as he wondered how he could use this to his advantage. Negan had already left more and taken much less food than Rick had expected. "Did you know him?" He asked her, not needing an answer.

"Yeah, I was friends with his wife…" A look of disappointment flooded Ricks face. He knew from her hesitation that there was more to it. She knew Negan just like Lori knew Shane.

"You had an affair with him?"

A pair of eyes had never hit the floor so quickly. She was still ashamed of herself. "Yeah." She admitted.

"Does he still… Are there still feelings?"

"I think so."

"Look, a lots happened around here… Things have changed."

She scoffed, not being told a word of anything from him. "Yeah, I figured."

"We all work for him now." She could see that the words tasted foul to him.

Her eyes began to water. "He said he's going to bring a doctor and then take me back there." Rick shook his head and racked it for an answer. "Things ended… badly, with him. I've heard people talking, me just saying no wont be enough."

"Ella-"

She closed her eyes and the memories rushed back; he anxiety, the threats to tell her husband… "I'm scared." She smiled sadly.

"I wont be able to stop him."

"I know."

AN

I'm poorly and high on pain meds so I'm overhauling this entire thing, it'll be basically the same but hopefully better? Fingers crossed, eh.