(Chapter 1 - Part 2 My intro chapter is long hence the part 2. This is the 'longer' of the two. Enjoy!)
Before she said anything to them, she gave Negan the one minute finger and got some alcohol wipes from her bag, cleaned her face, Negan's (gently) and wiped down her blade before pressing the lever that pulled it back into its sheath. Now all cleaned up she looked to him.
"Holy fucking shit! Who the hell are you and where the hell did you come from just in the nick of time to save our lives and steal my bleeding fucking heart?" he asked with a wide grin as he lifted his bat over his shoulder again.
As he was talking, Lilabet got distracted by his friends swollen knee and moved to kneel in front of him. She reached into her bag and got something out that was still in the package then rolled up the mans pant leg.
"I'm Simon," Simon said wincing in pain.
"Your kneecap is dislocated. I can put it back into place but its gonna hurt like 8 bitches in a bitch-boat," she explained to him.
"8 bitches in a-Simon, remember that for me. I want to use it, that's fuckin good," Negan said clapping his friend on the shoulder.
Simon nodded to Negan then looked to Lilabet, "Do it," he told her.
"Yeah you tough sumabitch!" Negan smirked.
Lilabet nodded then put her hands on either side of the cap. "On the count of three. One...TWO!" she shouted and shifted it back into place on the count of two.
"AH FUCK!" Simon yelled then blinked, "Shit that was quick. Sore as fuck tho."
"Yeah, here," she said wrapping the knee brace around it and pulled his pant leg down. "Try and take it easy for two weeks, take Motrin if you have it," she said as they both stood up.
"Ah, don't worry, I'll look after him...be his own nurse and shit," Negan chuckled then put on a face of mock surprise. "I am sorry I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Negan," he said then motioned to his bat, "And this is Lucille. Mind telling us your name and the name of the lil furry asskicker there at your feet and staring at me?" Negan asked with a smirk.
Lilabet snorted out a small laugh, "I'm Lilabet and this is Max, Maxwell," she introduced them both.
"Lilabet? I ain't no genius or nothin but I remember history class. You tellin' us that your parents named you the same thing that Queen Elizabeth the Second parents called her as a nickname?" Simon asked curiously.
Lilabet looked to Simon, "My parents were ex-pats and natural Anglophiles. I'll let you look up the two most complicated words in that sentence before I laugh at you," she snarked.
Negan rolled his eyes and put a firm hand on his friends shoulder which made Simon take a step back as he took a step forward. Lilabet noticed it was almost like a show a dominance. "Don't mind the man who's named after an old surgery game," he smirked and took Lilibet's hand, "Nice to meet you Lilly," he said and kissed the front of her hand before letting it go.
"Huh, weird, you're the first person ever to call me Lilly. I mostly get Lila or Beth," Lilly noticed with a chuckle as she picked up her bag and slung it back over her shoulder. She made a motion to Max and he stood up, ready leave. "So, you both know how to get to your homes? You both good to go? I gotta get going myself, need to see if I can a town or a settlement before nightfall," she told them, itching to not waste anymore time.
Negan smiled big and raised his arms, "Perfect! You need a place to stay and we both need to repay you for saving our lives. About 15 minutes right down this path and over a hill is my home, Sanctuary and I am cordially inviting you to a multiple night stay," he told her.
Every time he spoke, Lilly was taking mental notes. Negan was a very boisterous man, almost having a flair for the dramatic. It made for interesting conversations that's for sure.
Lilly gave him a half smile, "I really appreciate it but I don't stick around settlements and cities. I go in..I get out...all within a day," she told him in a firm voice and started to step away with Max at her side.
Negan smirked to himself then gave Simon a playful smack on the chest with the back of his hand to get his attention. "I -Love- it when they play hard to get. They always want to be chased," he said loving her attitude.
"They sure do but be careful with that one, she seems the type to pop that blade out and cut your tongue out if you say something she don't like" Simon remarked.
"All in good fun," Negan mused and did a little jog to catch up with her. Once he did he put a friendly arm around her shoulders.
"And you're touching me why?" she asked, still walking.
He pulled his arm away and moved in front of her then held his arms out in front of him in a 'stop right there' motion. Lilly sighed annoyed, stopped and put her hands on her hips.
"Now hang on a minute. I can see you're the type of gal who's been to alot of settlements. A block of homes ran by some weird inbred freak who runs their 'town' like a damned cross of medieval England and Deliverance. Food shortages all the time, dirty water if any at all, women-especially pretty ones like you-in fear all the time of being raped or beaten, men fighting each other like animals all while a horde of fucking walkers are closing in? Ring a bell?" Negan took a step closer to her and leaned his head in for dramatic effect, "Ohhhh I know it does for you Lilly because it sure as hell does for me," he told her and pulled back. Negan put his bat behind his neck with his arms resting over it...he knew that bat like his right hand and knew right where to place anything on it.
He walked towards her with a bit of a swagger and that very nice grin of his. "Hell Lilly, we ain't perfect but we're the opposite of what I just described. Everyone gets their 3 meals a day we even have a menu that changes up. Access to showers with -hot- water, beds...real beds with sheets and mattresses..." he said then looked to Max who was sitting quietly next to her, his tail swishing softly. Negan smiled again and looked back to her, "we have a giant fence around my Sanctuary, one that protected us without an incident for years now, you know what that means Lilly?" he asked her, stopping just as he was about face-to-face with her. He smiled to her, "that means lil Max here will have a place to run around...without Mama having to worry if some Walker thinks he's dinner," he said in the deeper baritone he uses when he's physically close to someone.
Lilly blinked and her face changed in a small way, but a way Negan noticed. She had gone from a hard -no- to a maybe leaning towards a yes. Negan also noticed the dog could be used as a bargaining chip.
Lilly cleared her throat, "You're giving me a big sell just for wanting to repay me with a 'few' days of food-shower-and sleep," she noticed, keeping her guard up 100%.
Negan chuckled and pointed at her, "You...are good. Real good. I admit, I did something naughty," he said then covered his mouth with his finger tips and his eyes wide...trying to look cute.
Lilly couldn't help but chuckle as she dropped her head to shake it for a moment. This was ridiculous to her, but...entertaining.
"What did you do?" she asked.
"While you were fixing my friend I took a peak and a small rummage thru your bag," he admitted.
Lilly immediately got a cross look on her face but Negan quickly defused it by putting a hand up.
"I know I know but I was not peaking for anything 'exciting' tho..." he grinned and waggled his eyebrows, "you do have exciting things in there." His face went to normal with his usual grin, "I noticed two things. You have alot of water...and a lot of salt and sugar packets. You know what the means Simon?" he called out to him.
"No boss, I don't" Simon yelled back.
"See? Proves my point. You, my dear, have some GOTdamn common sense. Hell, not just common sense, some damned smarts...real smarts. You were making your own flavorless Gatorade for when food was low. Smart girl!" he said approvingly.
"What else did you 'notice'?" she asked.
"Not only are you street smart, common sense smart and real smart...you're a fuckin genius!" he said lifting Lucille above his head. "I saw your Masters Diploma in Psychology...you little nerd! You kickass little nerd!" he laughed merrily.
Frowning and feeling like she was being mocked, Lilly let out a whistle to Max and they walked past Negan.
"Ah shit. I am too dramatic for my own good," he grumbled to himself and caught up with her, putting an arm around her shoulder to stop her. It was a friendly arm...nothing holding her back just...pausing her as they faced away from Simon.
"Hey, Lilly...I know. I'm loud, I'm dramatic, I'm an asshole. But I meant what I said. You are smart, very smart. We don't get many PHD-types in the area anymore...besides the one doctor and the one engineer we have..." he started to explain but was interrupted by her.
"I only have my masters, I was two years away from my PHD," she explained.
"In my eyes...you've earned that 'Dr' in front of your name," he told her importantly. Her pulled his arm back and turned towards her so they faced each other. "Short and sweet okay? Mental health was ignored in the world before...and I sure as hell ain't gonna ignore in this new better world I'm trying to help create," he told her. "We've managed to scavenge a fuck-ton of medications for depression and shit and our Doctor doesn't feel right about giving scripts for illnesses he doesn't know that much about. I want my people to have healthy minds alright? So could you come back with Simon and I, check the Sanctuary out, get the rest-meals-showers we owe you...then stick around and be our resident Shrink," he asked her in a way without sounding vulnerable.
Lilly paid close attention to his final and seemingly earnest little spiel. She could smell a bit of bullshit but the offer of those things she needed and -maybe- a possible home and -mostly- somewhere safe for Max...was so so tempting.
Lilly nodded to him, "Okay, lets do this trial run thing," she said giving him a smile.
"Ha! Well fucking done Lilly! Now lets get the fuck outta here" he said joyously, gloating and strutting a bit as he walked back towards Simon with Lilly behind him and Max faithfully at her side.
Negan grinned to his friend, "see? No one can say no to me," he gloated to his friend.
Lilly narrowed her eyes and turned on her heels easily, Max doing so too.
Simon snorted and pointed it out to Negan.
"Godamnit," Negan grunted and quickly grabbed her hand, (gently) pulling her back to face him. His thumb rubbed over her hand and he gave her what she would say was a very charming smile. "You gotta let me gloat every once in awhile or I'll burst" he told her.
Lilly...laughed aloud and let him pull her to rejoin them and the 4 headed on their way.