Several hours had passed since Negan found a scared and starving little girl left alone in a world going to hell. In that time he learned alot about her, from her favorite color, to her pet gold fish; he even learned of the horrors she experianced hiding in her tree house every night. Surviving wasn't easy for most adults in this new world, but somehow this small child was here. How she stayed alive he'll never know, but she was his now. After all he's lost, all he's seen, Negan (with the help of Lucille, as he so lovingly named his bat) would protect this girl. Why he cared so much even he didn't know. There was just something about this girl. If one believes in fate, some might say it was fate that led him to her. Of course, that was all bullshit.
Clementine walked quietly by Negan's side, too scared to wonder off on her own. But at the same time, she was scared of the man beside her. Something about him was intimidating. The facial hair, the baseball bat, the look in his eyes, the tone to his voice, the way he held himself, the way he talked. But, despite that, the two made an interesting duo. Negan had his baseball bat whom he named after his wife; Clementine had her baseball cap which was given to her by her dad. Most of their journey was quiet and awkward, so Negan decided to break the ice.
"So, do you play any sports? Baseball?" Negan playfully tapped the brim of her cap.
"No, not baseball." Clem shook her head and readjusted her cap. "I used to play Soccer."
"Soccer, huh? Kick ass."
"I didn't like it."
Negan stopped walking and looked down at his young companion. Clementine instantly frozen wondering if she did something wrong. He sqatted in front of her, Lucille over his shoulder, sucking his teeth as he studied her face. After a few terrifying moments of silance, Negan spoke slowly and calmly. "How could you fucking not like mother fucking soccer? It's the baddest fucking sport there is. I used to fucking coach soccer when I was a Gym Teacher before the world turned to shit."
"Swear..." Clementine carefully scolded. "I-I didn't know you were a gym teacher... I'm sorry if I um if I upset you... I didn't mean to..."
Negan stared at her, holding his poker face and frightening the child that much more. She wanted to run. She wanted her parents back. Chills ran up her spine and she slowly backed away from him. Negan scared her. Really really scared her. As she backed away, a twig snapped behind her. Without warning Negan reached out and grabbed her arm. Clementine screamed as he threw her behind him. As she landed hard on the ground, she turned to wittness Negan bashing the skull in of an undead man. After he was done, he turned around and hoisted Clementine to her feet.
"Y-you saved me..." She said in a tone of disbelief. Negan looked at her like she was stupid. "Well, yeah," He said. "Twice, in fact. What? Did you expect me to let that fucking fuckface eat you after I went through the trouble of saving your dumb ass?"
"I... you're not very nice... and..." She swallowed. "You're kinda scary, sort of..."
"Yeah?" She nodded, he smirked. "Good."
It was nightfall and the air had grown cold. Clementine was visibly shivering as Negan led her to Lord knows where. He didn't seem to notice the girl's plight as he kept moving, the drop in temprature seemingly not phasing him. A tiny whimper found his ear, but he kept moving. It wasn't safe to stay in one place. Least of all without shelter. They'd need to stop for food and sleep eventually, but here wasn't the place. They had to keep moving down the road until they found some place worth spending the night.
"Negan?" A tiny voice said in the dark.
"Yeah?" Negan turned toward the tiny shivering form behind him. "Are you cold, kiddo?"
"Uh-huh..." She nodded. Negan clicked his tongue lightly and looked around cussing under his breath. There wasn't any safe areas near by, and from the looks of Clementine she was going to freeze to death. The weather was late summer, early-mid autumn, and it was surprisingly cold at night. He knew he had to get that girl someplace safe and warm if he were to keep her alive. He took her hand and kept moving forward searching for a place to stop for the night. He spotted a path leading to Marigold Stables, which was now abandoned but still in decent condition.
Bending down, Negan easily scooped Clementine into his arms. She gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck, looking nervous. "Relax. I'm not going to hurt you. I don't fucking hurt kids." He headed toward the Marigold Stables. "Unless they give me a fucking good reason."
Clementine in the short time she knew this man has heard so many colorful words she gave up on scolding him, although it still made her uncomfortable. "How far is Savannah?"
"Pretty fucking far."
"Oh."
"Why? Do you plan on taking a road trip?" He asked sarcastically, sitting her down on the other side of the fence and climbing over after her.
"I just thought... that maybe... if we could get to Savannah, somehow... we could find me parents..."
"Clem..."
"...they never came home, so they must still be in Savannah, right?"
"Clementine..."
"They might be trapped, or need help..."
"Clementine."
"Maybe they're scared or hurt or..."
"Clementine!" Negan spoke more firmlly this time causing the girl to jump with a yelp. Once he had her attention, he said as sternly and plainly as possible, "Your parents are dead. They're fucking dead."
"No no no! Stop saying that!" Clementine closed her eyes and covered her ears.
"It's true, kid. I don't know what kind of pampered life you lived before..." Negan forced her hands off her ears, and looked her in the eyes. "But it's time you face the fucking truth."
"But it's not true!" She protested with tears in her eyes. "You don't know! You can't know!"
"Look at me, kid. I'm not saying this to fucking hurt you. I'm an asshole but I'd never fucking stoop that low. I'm trying to fucking protect you!"
"By telling me my parents are dead?! Do... do you want them to be dead?"
Negan released her arms, eyes widen taken by surprise at that question. "What? No! Fuck no! Why would you even fucking think that?!"
Clementine sniffled and wiped her eyes of tears, looking up at him through blurred vision. "Because... you keep saying it..."
Negan sighed and knelt down in front of her, leaning Lucille against the fence. "Listen, honey, I'm only doing what's best for you. You have to be prepared. This new world fucking sucks but this is how things are now. Even if we find your parents, they might not be who you remember. They might not recognize you."
"Did you lose someone...?"
"I..." He looked at the baseball bat and sighed. "Yeah, my wife. Lucille."
"Was it a monster...?"
"No. It was before this shit. She had fucking cancer. She died right as hell broke loose."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"Don't fucking apologize. Sorry never fucking fixed anything. Sorry never fucking undone what was already fucking done." Negan sighed and looked at Clementine. "Look, don't tell anyone anything I told you. I don't need my badass image ruined."
Clementine silantly nodded. Today had been a strange day for her. She nearly died and then was rescued by this stranger. And she still wasn't sure why he felt the need to protect her. He was so tough and scary. She was scared of him but at the same time she felt safe. After all, he promised he'd take care of her. He saved her twice, so maybe she could trust him. Maybe.
That night they slept in the safety of the Marigold Stables. It wasn't comfortable, but it was warm and secure. It also smelled of horse shit. They had also discovered one horse trapped in a stall. Negan decided she'd be good transportation in the morning. Clementine forgot about being scared and was excited to pet a real horse. It took some coaxing to get the girl calm enough to fall asleep, but after walking close to 50 miles non-stop they were both exhausted. Clementine fell asleep beside Negan, Lucille resting close by and in arms reach.
It was around 2 - 4 AM when Clementine woke up to a strange noise. It sounded like footsteps and voices. Maybe her parents came home and were out looking for her! Slipping away from Negan, Clementine tiptoed through the stables toward the noise, and was astonished to find three teens trying to steal the horse. The teens were just as surprised to see her as they thought the place was empty. They were all young males 16 to 18 years old. They turned toward the little girl and the leader smiled.
"Well, hello, babe." He said smiling warmly. Clementine, trusting his kindness, rushed toward them.
"Hi! I'm Clementine!"
"Nice to meet you."
"Man I haven't seen a girl in weeks."
"She's really cute."
"Hey, honey, wanna come with us?"
"Where are we going?"
"Someplace fun."
"Like a park?"
"Yeah." He grinned. "Man, this is too easy. I'm going to get laid for sure."
The three boys took hold of Clementine and led her into an empty stall. Two boys shut and guarded the door, while the leader go Clem all to himself. Clementine was now confused. "What's going on...?"
"I want your pussy." He grabbed her and quickly started to pull her dress up. She screamed and tried to fight him off kicking frantically. He had her on the ground, sliding his hand down her panties. She was so tiny. He spread her legs and rubbed her delicate lips. She squealed and squirmed begging him to stop. His hard-on grew the more she struggled. "Oh, yeah... this is so fucking hot!"
"N-Negan! Negan! Help me! NEGAN!"
There's suddenly two thumps outside of the stall. The teen suddenly stops and turns toward the door. "What the fuck?" Outside he sees a tall shadow with a baseball bat.
Negan woke up to discover his little pet was missing. The girl he took with him was no where to be found. Why would she just run off on her own?
"Clementine? Where the fuck are you?"
"N-Negan! Negan! Help me! NEGAN!"
"Fuck! Fuck fuck fuckity fuck!" Negan grabbed Lucille and ran toward Clem's cries for help. He eventually found a stall with two teens guarding it. The cries came from inside. His first instinct was to rush those kids and beat them to death. He easily took them down with several well aimed swings. He heard Clem inside as well as a male voice. He opened the stall door and stepped in with his bloody bat at his side.
"What the flying fuck in all the fucks is this fucking shit?" Negan looked at the teen boy, whom was holding the child down, hand inside her panties. "What the fuck?! Are you seriously about to fucking rape a motherfucking child?!"
"Whoa, man, chill! I ain't doing nothing wrong!"
"You fucking asswipe. Your fucking hand is in her fucking panties!" Negan growls. "I'm gonna fucking kill you, you little prick!"
"No! I-I went with him..." Clem whispered shakily. "Please d-don't kill him..." Negan glared at her, giving her a silent 'I'll deal with you later' look. He then turned his attention back to the teen. "You have to the count of five to get out of here. One... Two..." He paused and looked at Clem. She was terrified, trembling on the floor.
"Five."
Negan beat the living shit out of the kid until he was unidentifiable as a human. Lucille was drenched in his blood as Clementine screamed and covered her ears, shaking. Once he was finished, Negan approached Clementine and reached out for her. She recoiled away from him clearly traumatized. "Relax, you're safe."
"Don't touch me!"
"Calm down." Negan reached out to her again, she screamed.
"Don't!"
"I'm not going to fucking hurt you. You already fucking know that!"
Heart racing as she had a panic attack, Clementine looked at Negan as if she wasn't sure anymore. She looked at the dead teens. Negan reached for her hand. Without warning the child clung onto Negan, hands clutching his shirt as she cried into his abdomen. He wasn't sure what to say nor do, so he slowly wrapped one arm around her and patted her back. In his other hand was Lucille. His facial expression showing darkness and void of emotion.
The next day the duo raided a long abandoned WalMart to restock their supplies. Negan hadn't spoke to Clementine since they left the stable. They had rode quietly most of the morning on horse back. Clementine sat quietly in front of Negan, his arms blocking her on both sides as he guided the mare. He glanced down at the top of her head as they traveled down the empty road. No sign of anyone, dead or alive. Without warning, Negan stopped the animal, who let out a snort of disapproval to the sudden halt.
Negan dismounted and lifted Clementine from the horse, placing her on the ground. He glared at her causing the girl to wimper and step back nervously. Lucille was once more in his hand and resting over his shoulder. Clementine was too frightened to speak, and eventually Negan broke the long and cruel silance. "What the fuck were you thinking?"
"I... I just... I heard a noise and..."
"And you decided it'd be fucking smart to fucking check it out on your own?"
"N-no! I mean... I just..."
"I told you to never leave my damn side! You stupid little girl! You could've gotten yourself killed, for fuck's sake!"
Clementine began to sob, her tiny shoulders trembling with each shaky breath. Negan softened at the sight of her, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. Once calm, he spoke again more carefully. "I'm sorry, darling. In this fucked up world I keep forgetting you're just a kid. But look, Clem. You won't last long if you can't defend yourself. Here." Negan hands her his gun, which she nervously accepts.
"It's heavy..."
"You'll grow into it. Now we need a target." "Negan pulled a few cans out of the saddlebags. They ate the contents, sharing with the horse. Negan then sat up the cans as targets. He stood behind Clem, squatting to her level. He adjusted her grip, stance, and positon. He then told her how to pull the trigger, and where to aim. As the gun fired, Clementine yelped and stumbled into Negan's chest. He caught her and asked what was wrong.
"It hurts. I don't like it."
"It don't matter what you fucking like, kid. It's this or death. Do you fucking understand?"
"Y-yes."
"Good. Now keep shooting."
"Do I have to...?"
Negan gave her a look that spoke volumes. He wasn't in the mood to be questiooned. He had her shoot at the cans until she was hitting more than she was missing. It continued like this until they heard a small herd coming their way.
"Shit. They must have been drawn by the damn noise." Negan cursed, picking up Clem and putting her on the horse. He then jumped on behind her and they took off full gallop down the highway.
They stopped in the town of Macon, their horse tired and thirsty and all three of them hungry. They dismounted and shuffled through their supplies for food. Setting up a fire with plants, stones, and a lighter, Negan cooked some soup and a rabbit he had hunted. The two ate their fill, feeeding some spare veggies from a can to their horse. Now they just needed to find a drinkable water source. Not easy since everything shut down weeks ago.
"Negan, I think Princess is thirsty."
"Princess?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. That's the horse's name." Clem stood up and proceeded to pet the horse on her muzzle. Negan could only chuckle in amusement. She was a cute kid. So innocent, sweet, kind, gentle. His smile faded; that shit only succeeded in getting you killed. As much as he adored her innocence, this world would sooner or later take that away from her. He knew that, even if she was still too young to quite grasp the situation.
"Do you have any kids?"
"Huh? What?" Negan was pulled from his thoughts by the random question.
"Are... were you a daddy?"
"No. No kids."
"Oh. Did you want any?"
"I dunno. Never really thought about it." Negan worked with kids, it was his job. But to have his own? This was the first time the idea came up since... since Lucille. "My wife wanted some."
"Oh..." Clementine went quiet after that. The two headed off in search of water. They came across a Motor Inn. It was pretty run down, but maybe it had something useful inside. There was an RV parked in the parking lot. Maybe with any luck it still ran. Not that Negan knew shit about vehicles to fix it up himself. They searched the Motor Inn, weapons ready. They found bottled water, which Clementine, Negan, and Princess all drank. But Negan knew things couldn't go this smooth forever. Sooner or later their luck would run out, or supplies would...
"Well look what we have here." Negan announces as they explore the Motor Inn farther. Clementine hides behind his leg as they spot another group of surviviors already taking residence at the Motor Inn. The five strangers all stand up, grabbing for weapons; to which Negan responds by presenting Lucille. Clementine shakily and awkwardly draws her gun as well. They five look at the young girl, then at the man protecting her.
"Who the hell are you?"A large older male built like a mountain demanded. He appeared to be the leader, or at least he talked like he was big shit. Behind him stood two women with brown hair, as well as a redneck with his wife and son. The boy looked to be slightly older than Clementine. Negan got an idea and slowly smirked. A larger group would mean better survival, however it wasn't worth the effort if they were all going to die.
"Fuck the introductions, old man." Negan strapped Lucille to his back. "No one has to die today. Me and my girl are joining your fucking party. If you people can last a week without getting yourselves fucking killed, then I might care to learn names."