Negan got the directions to the town from his men. It really wasn't so far. It was in the direction of The Kingdom. Thinking about it he decided to ask for more varieties of fruit from them. Some of anything they happened to have. A sampler. See what his sweet little girl liked. Ezekiel seemed like the kind to drink tea. He'd see if she liked that.

He'd given her an hour's head start. Drove slow, and when it got dark he didn't bother with the lights. There didn't seem to be too many walkers about and he wanted to keep it that way, no reason to go flashing his high beams. He passed a dead-dead one in the road. Stopped and pointed a flashlight at it; saw the knife wound to the head. She'd probably taken care of it. When he didn't see her after a mile or so he decided she survived intact.

Roamers probably weren't enough to scare her back to the safety of the Sanctuary. She'd been on the move she said. Lots of dead people all over. She was probably desensitized to them already.

When he got to the little town he parked the car and got out. His guys said she was in a bookstore when they nabbed her. A couple buildings in. They'd be out here after he came back, to properly loot the surrounding buildings. People would spend points on all kinds of little baubles to keep their mind off the world. Sometimes he sent his scavengers out for things like books, some of the wives were well read, but also for books on gardening, building, things that people could learn to better the Sanctuary…

He grabbed Lucille from the passenger seat and hopped out. He had a knife on him, the bag that Simon packed him, and last the flashlight he'd used to see the dead walker got clipped to his beltloop. Now to see if she was still around. She shouldn't have beaten him here by much even if she ran some of the way.

He took in the surrounding area, there were a few walkers up ahead, but he'd barely shut the door so they hadn't noticed him yet. Then he took in the buildings. Charming's Books. There. He hurried over to the side of the building, peeking in the storefront window. It was still surprisingly intact. So was the door. Must have been unlocked, no reason to break it in. He frowned as he saw some light between the bookshelves. He didn't wait when he heard shouting. It was a man's voice. Negan checked the door moving inside.

Then he could make out what the man was yelling, "You little bitch! Your daddy said to stay out of your cunt, so I'm gonna shove my dick up your ass!"

He moved further in, finding Jac trying to scramble away from a man kneeling over her, tearing at her clothes. The flashlight was on the ground next to them, and he could see her knife further in front of her. When the man produced his own knife, slicing open the side of Jac's shorts Negan strode right over and swung Lucille home against the man's temple.

Jac shot forward after the loud impact noise sounded. She grabbed her knife sliding around on to her butt, and held it out in front of her ready to fend off the next person too. Only she found Negan bringing Lucille down on Hunter's head again. When he turned to look at her Jac dropped the knife, and she could tell she was going to cry, but she tried to put it off.

Negan watched her drop the knife and moved closer to her. The bottom half of her shirt was holding on by maybe an inch of fabric, the side of her shorts and underwear were gaping open, and blood was seeping from a fine line of red on her skin. Her lip was busted now too. Her shoulders were shaking, her head was down, and he was positive she was holding her breath so she wouldn't sob. He propped Lucille up against the nearest bookshelf and kneeled down in front of her, just out of what would be her bubble. "Hey Little Girl," Negan called out to her.

Jac looked up at him as she took the smallest breaths possible. When he just stayed there Jac felt like her chest was going to pop, and she held her arms out to him. She didn't know what else to do. She didn't even know why she was doing this in the first place. She was still surprised when he crawled forward more and pulled her against him. Somehow even if she wanted this, she had doubted that he'd hold her. For once she got what she wanted, and Jac couldn't help but cry.

Negan pulled her up into his lap, one of her legs on either side of his. He let her cry into his shoulder as he checked her hip. As soon as she stood up these shorts were a goner, but the cut on her hip was shallow, not too long. She whimpered a little as he crooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face so he could get a look at her lip. Only she sucked her lower lip into her mouth to try and stop from crying.

"Uh-huh, open that sweet little mouth of yours," Negan huffed giving her chin a little shake.

Jac took a deep breath through her nose and wiped at her eyes with the palms of her hands. Then she opened her mouth a bit for him. She watched his face as he looked at her lip trying to find anything to stop her from crying at him. Her breathing was still shaky but she tried to hold it together. He was really close to her face. His eyes were brown. He was kind of scruffy, but… he was handsome.

Was she allowed to think someone was handsome right now?

After what almost happened?

His eyes moved up to hers, and Jac quickly closed her mouth and looked away.

Negan grinned a bit, but decided that teasing her could wait. "Come on I'm taking you back to The Sanctuary." He got his feet back under him and picked her up at the same time.

Jac shook her head, squirming a bit as she tried to get down. She couldn't go with him. She couldn't stay there. Not when she knew why Hunter was told not to rape her, even if he was going to try anyway. Jac needed to be as far from this place as she could. She couldn't take the chance… Besides wasn't this like taking candy from strangers, or going to someone's car because they said they had a puppy she could pet?

"I just beat the fucking brains in of someone who threatened to rape your ass," Negan said as he hiked her higher up his body to make sure she couldn't get down. He looked up at her to see her still shaking her head. "Yes, that really just fucking happened." She glared at him, but he continued anyway, "Now compare that to fresh as fuck strawberries. Are you still telling me you're not coming back?"

Jac didn't move. She didn't consent, but she didn't keep shaking her head. He had saved her, given her food, and he let her go… As far as taking candy from strangers this was probably the best she was going to get in a land full of strangers offering goodies. Maybe she could tell him what she knew… Maybe she wouldn't have to if it didn't happen… He was right, no one was getting in there that he didn't let in. They weren't trying to get in to hurt anyone. With the possible exception of her. If she had to she'd find a way out. "I nn-need my bag…" Jac hiccupped as she tried to calm down further. "Get ch-changed…" She wasn't walking back in there torn up and bleeding. Everyone would peg her for prey right there. She'd never make it like that. She had a chance as the silent one who held her own against three men and got food from Negan.

Negan put her down, but watched her like a hawk as she gripped her shorts to keep them up. Once she was situated he snatched up Lucille and the flashlight before following after her. She led him to the back of the store where there was a small sitting area. He moved over and dropped into an overstuffed armchair while she pulled her bag from behind the one in the corner. She sat down, digging through the bag. She brought out clothes, but then she looked up at him with a frown. "Well excuse me," Negan chuckled as he stood back up, leaving the flashlight in the chair leaned up against the armrest. He moved back around the chair and turned on his own flashlight after unhooking it from his belt. He used it to look around. It seemed to just be a lot of shelves with a lot of books. There were some knickknacks on tables here and there.

Jac watched him for a moment to see if he'd look back at her, but when he didn't she quickly pulled her ruined shorts and underwear off, discarding the knifes sheath onto the chair for the moment. That hurt, but she still pulled the next pair of underwear on. Then she pulled her ruined tank top off and used the inside to clean off some of the blood. She didn't have any first aid supplies so she'd just have to leave it and hope for the best.

Negan frowned as he checked over his shoulder. "Hey, aren't you gonna clean that?"

"Hey!" Jac squeaked before she could stop herself. She curled in on herself a bit.

"Oh it's nothing I haven't seen before," Negan huffed as he pulled off his backpack, going back around the chair. "You gotta clean that up, or it might get infected. Fuck knows that knife wasn't clean."

She would have told him that she didn't have anything, but he came up with one of those travel first aid kits. "I c-can…" Jac started when he sat down, and obviously intended to clean her up himself.

"So can I," Negan huffed, waving her closer to him. He put a flashlight on either side of him to light up the space they were in. "Come 'ere. Haven't you ever worn a bikini?"

Jac shook her head, and grumbled, "No."

"That better have been the answer to my question," Negan insisted. "I've been itching to take you right over my knee."

Jac whined in the back of her throat, even if she carefully shuffled closer to him. It felt like her whole torso spasmed when his warm hands grabbed her sides to bring her closer, and face her to the side so he could get to her hip.

"Hey, some people think it's hot," Negan said as he winked up at her.

Jac looked down at him skeptically as she crossed her arms over her chest and belly. When he just shrugged off her look she looked off in front of herself, trying not to imagine what he was thinking about her. Trying not to worry about what she looked like to him. Trying not to be too hopeful.

Negan hummed a bit as he pushed her black underwear further up her hip and started cleaning the cut. He couldn't believe she wasn't going to clean this. He took the time to look at her too. Her skin looked smooth, even if it seemed like she could use a bath. They got the water working at the Sanctuary she could take one later. The bruises on her side went from her hip up to just under were her bra sat. It made him angry to look at the bruises though so he inspected the rest of her. The bra was black and rather simple as well. Practical as opposed to frilly things he gave his wives. When he glanced back down he noticed how she clenched her thighs together next, and looked up at her face.

He was rubbing his thumb against her hip, under her panties. It felt so different to have someone touching her like this. The pads of Negan's fingers were rough, but he was being really gentle. She couldn't look at him. If she looked at him it'd just be worse. She bit at her lip even though it was already busted. Only then he swatted the back of her upper thigh and she gasped. She jerked away from him as she looked at him. She was embarrassed.

"You cut that shit out," Negan growled as he stood up and grabbed her chin. He turned back grabbing a gauze pad, ripping that open to clean her chin and mouth. He didn't want to get alcohol in her mouth. At least not this kind. "It couldn't have hurt that bad. I was just cleaning it."

Jac's eyes widened. "Y-you weren't hur…" Jac trailed off as she ducked her head. That hadn't been why she was biting her lip.

"Oh," Negan hummed. "Other way around huh?" When she nodded, he grinned. Well fuck him sideways. She couldn't go hurting herself though. He leaned down to put his lips at her ear, his hand on her shoulder as he told her softly, "You're allowed to like it when I touch you." When she didn't move he asked, "You fucking know that right?"

Jac just shrugged.

Negan frowned as he discarded the gauze on the floor with the wipe. "Get dressed, get your knife, and let's get you out of here."

oOo

Jac curled up in the seat next to Negan, keeping her eyes out the window. She knew she was making him frustrated, but she didn't know how to talk about this without sounding like an idiot. He had let it go for a little while, but now he started up again. Probably now that the high of taking down the two walkers that had been outside the door had worn off he felt the need to readdress the conversation.

"Feeling good is a normal thing," Negan said as he looked over at her. She'd put shorts on again, but now she was wearing a tight little black t-shirt that made him want to skim his fingers down her sides. Pain was what most people found unnatural, but taking in the cuts and bruises he could see he figured pain wasn't a stranger to her. Unfortunately, pleasure wasn't something you could just force-feed.

"I… I guess…" Jac sighed, wishing he hadn't stashed her bag in the trunk. She wanted something to hold onto bigger than a water bottle. After a few sips though she had to put the bottle down because she kept crushing it. She'd almost spilled it all over the place.

"Not I guess Little Girl. I am fucking right," Negan insisted as he took a quick look at her, only she curled even further in on herself. He could tell just by looking at her that she was trying to rationalize feeling otherwise. "You deserve to feel good."

"I don't feel that way!" Jac shouted at him before she could really think about it. She certainly couldn't take it back. Not when he stopped the car in the middle of the road. Still she glared at him.

"You wanna run that by me again?" Negan asked as he glared right back at her. She backed down, looking at her lap.

Jac shook her head as she pushed herself closer to the door. Her gaze planting itself right on her knees. She knew it'd just get her in trouble to say it again. No one ever wanted to hear something they didn't want to hear twice.

They were silent for a moment…

"That why you cried when I held you?" Negan asked as he reached across and pushed his fingers through her hair. She tried so hard to be still, to not give anything away, that she shook. "You're allowed to feel good." Negan insisted again.

"I'm… I'm f-fucked up…" Jac whispered capturing the hand in her hair with both of hers. She expected him to pull away, maybe stubbornly push his fingers back into her hair, but instead he let her keep his hand resting just above her knee. She held his in both of hers, watching carefully as his fingers twined with hers, which was good because she didn't want to let him go. He was saying all this weird stuff, and he was making her feel weird. She liked it though, and if he was going to let her she was going to keep him a little longer. She let the fingers of the hand not interlocked with his trace his knuckles hesitantly.

"Who isn't fucked up anymore?" Negan shrugged himself this time. After a while he spotted some movement in the woods around them and took his hand back just long enough to turn the car back on, then he held his hand out for her to take again if she wanted. She pulled his hand back to her knee, holding him there. He glanced at her before giving a toothy smirk as he put his foot on the gas. "Alright Sweetheart, we'll start you out slow. Holding hands is a good first step."

He let her keep his hand after that. Negan couldn't help but grin about it too. He held onto one of her hands, but the other kept ghosting over his knuckles, down the back of his hand to his wrist, and over his fingers where they were linked with hers. A glance told him she was watching their hands with interest. When he flexed his fingers she frowned, trying to contain them as they played with hers. She slid his hand further up her leg as she tried to gain control, but he glanced at her right as she looked at him and it obviously embarrassed her that he caught her playing. She tried to retreat, but he held onto her hand, and she gripped his hand again with both of hers.

Negan chuckled as he returned his eyes to the road.

Jac smiled just slightly. She'd never held hands with someone like this. She'd never just held someone's hand to hold their hand. Negan's was so much bigger than hers. While she wasn't exactly baby soft the pads of his fingers were so rough. Her eyes moved back over to him as he drove and Jac wondered why he let her go at all. He'd obviously been out there looking for her. She wondered if he would have left her be for a while if she hadn't been attacked. Jac gripped his hand a little harder, and tried not to think about it after that.

I flip-flopped on how to do this chapter, but I think this is the best way. I think I'm going to look over the next chapter and make sure it's good before posting it today too. Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter, and well like the next one two when I post it.

REVIEW REPLIES:

tearox09: Thank you! Yeah Negan is having a hell of a time trying to get her to talk. Now she does talk and she's trying to tell him he's wrong when he definitely knows he's right. All the fun things. In any case, yes I'm definitely going to continue, no worries!