Disclaimer: I own nothing of The Walking Dead. The only payment I receive is of my enjoyment of creating this story. **Language may be offensive to some**

Chapter 7: Angel Face

I walked away from the clinic, drained from everything that happened today. Walking slowly down the road, I thought of heading straight to Carol's. I wanted to just go there, and hide out in my room. As if I were a 5 year old hiding from their parents when caught doing something bad. Instead, I headed in the opposite direction. The direction of Rick's house. As I neared his house, I could feel something similar to dread wash over me. I knew there was going to be questions….questions that I understood them asking, but not wanting to relive where they would take me.

Turning into his driveway and up to his front porch, I stepped lightly. He was already out on his porch as I walked up the steps. He turned and I could see his face; completely unreadable and lips set in a straight line. "Hey" I said as I stepped to the porch railing and leaned against it with one hip.

"Alexa" he greeted me. He shifted so he was leaning against the rail, looking square at me.

"Rick, I'm sorry. Everything went so crazy out there today, and...I don't know. It was all just crazy." I said awkwardly, not quite sure how to even start the conversation.

Rick was silent for a minute; almost as if he was waiting to see if I was going to add anything else. Finally he cleared his throat and spoke," Daryl filled me in on what happened. Doesn't sound like you have anything to apologize for. Eugene was lucky you were there to help him."

I picked at the wood railing a bit and shrugged my shoulders at what he was saying. "I didn't have any weapons that could help with fighting back...I stood there like an idiot. I feel bad for that." I paused and then went on, " And I know Daryl told you that they knew me. That I knew them." I finished up saying and looked up at him waiting for a reaction.

"Yeah, he mentioned that to me.", Rick acknowledged my words. "So, you wanna fill me in on that little bit there?"

My mouth felt so dry; swallowing, I started my story, "Back near the beginning of of the turn. Of when we were all still adjusting to what we are living in now, we, my husband and I, were traveling from New York. We were just trying to get back home, and helping people as we could along the way. We were doing fine for awhile, travelling with a few other people and surviving best we could. One of the people in our group was scouting ahead and came back with about ten other people. One of those people was Dwight, the guy from today. Anyways, he offered for us to come to their camp. He said they had food and we could rest. We were so naive, we all went along. We came to a camp ground, probably around 50 people around. Men and women. Once we were there, everyone was nice. Said we were welcome to our share of what they had. It all seemed too good to be true. And it was."

I took a breath, knowing what was coming up next. Rick hadn't really moved during my talking. He hadn't said a word either. Just stood there silently taking it all in.

"We had been there a couple of days, Dean, my husband, was ready to leave. We started noticing little things. People bringing in large amounts of supplies, but not really being gone long enough to explain how they brought back so many things at once. Then we saw some women come in, not looking happy, and being sort of led around by Dwight and his crew. So Dean went up to Dwight, said his thanks but it was time for at least the two of us to leave. The rest of our group wanted to stay behind. Dwight said that before we go, we had to meet his boss. Their leader. The way he said it, we knew we weren't being asked to stay and wait. We felt like we had no choice but to wait. That evening, a few trucks and cars all came in together. We didn't go over to greet them like the regulars there. Then he approached us. Negan. He came over to us and said "I'm Negan. I run this fucking place and all the fuckity fuckers that stay here report to me. And one of those fuckers said you two are asking to leave. And this was after we fed and let you stay here. No questions asked. I don't think that is really all that fair to me now. And I also had a little birdie tell me that you two are in the helping people business, or used to be before we landed in the shitstorm we're in now. I'm thinking we need the two of you around. Doctors are in short supply nowadays."

I shifted so I wasn't looking at Rick anymore and was looking straight off the porch. I could feel my throat tightening, I couldn't swallow anymore.

"After Negan made his suggestion for us to stay, Dean was furious. I could tell he was trying to control his anger. We went back to our tent, and Dean made plans for us to sneak off in the middle of the night. Escape so to speak. Later that night, we did that. We walked until almost dawn, quiet out, until we walked right into them. ABout 20 of them all lined up waiting for us. They must have been following us from the start. Negan came up to us, said he had to teach us a lesson. He said he doesn't kill women, plus I was an actual doctor, so I wasn't to be touched. Then he made Dean sit on his knees, with me right next to him… and he killed him. It was horrible, a horrible way for anyone to die. And it was my husband. And Negan just killed him." I couldn't speak anymore. My throat refused to swallow and I felt like I was transported back to that night.

My eyes were filled with tears, that I knew with one blink would fall down my face. The next thing I knew, Rick softly pulled my right shoulder so I was facing him again and folded me into a hug.

"I'm sorry. So sorry that happened to you and your husband." Rick said softly in my ear as I stood against his chest.

I nodded and leaned back looking into his face, "He is an evil man. And all of his followers are just as bad. Negan took a special interest in me, after he killed Dean. I never was allowed to be alone, someone was always with me. The things I saw, and couldn't stop, I will never get over. He would send me in to clean up afterwards, clean up the people that were left alive. He would call me "Angel" since I would help them. And the ones that didn't make it, he made sure I was the "Angel Face" they saw right before he killed them. I would just stand there and watch. I wanted to run, or scream, or try to kill him, but I never could. I even thought about ending it all, and I was never alone to even do that. I just can't go back to that, I can't be here if they come. I can't see anymore!" I said as I finally blinked and the tears rolled. I shook my head slightly, not wanting to believe this was even real. It was awful living it, but saying it aloud made it real.

"We won't, I won't, let anything happen to you Alexa." Rick said, rubbing his hands lightly up and down my upper arms.

I gave Rick a small smile, knowing that he would be outnumbered if they ever ran into each other. And Rick seemed good and wanted to protect people where Negan was cold, calculating, and people were a service to him. "I don't think the good guys win in this world though." I whispered.

Rick took me into another hug, and I allowed him to comfort me. I was scared for the future. For the people that lived here and their way of life. "Let's go inside for a bit?" Rick asked me and started headed in the direction of the door.

I really didn't want to be alone, rethinking everything that was just said, so I nodded my head in agreement and started following. Rick stopped at the doorway and opened it, guiding me inside by placing his hand on my lower back. I walked in a few steps and waited for him to join me. "I'm going to make some coffee. You want some?" he asked.

"That sounds great. Thanks Rick."

"Okay, be right back."

I sat down on the couch and leaned back into the cushions as far as I could. I could hear Rick closing cupboard doors and moving around in the kitchen. I closed my eyes, they were burning from trying not to cry and not succeeding, and just sat for a moment.

I never heard Rick come back in with the cups of coffee, or felt him lay a blanket over me before he sat down on the end of the couch. I fell into an exhausted sleep filled with Dean's face and then Rick's comforting hugs. I felt safe.