The party was at full swing, laughs could be heard from down the street, the music was turned up to the highest it could go, and beer bottles littered the front porch. As Negan approached, some intoxicated survivors rubbed their eyes in disbelief, others ran away towards their own houses. One individual dived inside and slammed the door. Frantic, drunken yells could be heard inside. Negan's sturdy black boots climbed the porch steps and kicked some beer bottles aside. Using Lucille, he delivered three loud knocks on the front door. The music immediately stopped, and silence gripped Alexandria again. A few seconds passed, and Rick opened the door. His face clouded with a clashing mixture of anger, and fear. Negan grinned.
'Can I come in and play?' Negan pushed the door open and let himself in. He paced around the room, taking in the faces of everyone around him. 'Oh, please, don't let me interrupt your fuckin' merriments.'
Rick stepped forward, 'Negan, we're-'
'Mind telling me what the fuck this is?' Negan brushed his tongue over his teeth, 'Havin' fuckin' parties, and shit when you're supposed to be providing for me!'
Audrey heard Negan shouting from where she was stood. Fear bubbled up in her chest again, but she'd seen a softer side of Negan, perhaps she could prevent anyone else getting hurt. I have to at least try, she thought. Clenching her fists, she walked over.
'Listen, we can explain-' Rick raised his hands.
'Explain, shit!'
'No-one has to get hurt tonight.' He pleaded, looking back at Michonne and Carl.
Negan came closer to Rick and tapped him on the shoulder with Lucille. 'See that? Lucille's jealous of you pricks, she wants a drink too.'
A drunken survivor shakily tries to hand Negan a bottle of beer. Negan gives a humoured grunt, then swings Lucille at the survivor's hand, smashing the bottle into pieces and cutting his hand to ribbons. Blood sprayed from his hand and the pain didn't register immediately, but the shock of seeing the blood made him scream. Michonne came rushing to his aid. Quickly, Negan held Lucille in between them.
'Touch his fucking hand and I'll cut both yours the fuck off, understood? And I'll use your fucking scary-ass swords to do it.'
At this moment, Audrey entered the room. Negan saw her from the corner of his eye, but didn't acknowledge her.
'Rick!' Negan pointed Lucille at him. 'How shall we settle this shit?'
Rick was silent, he just glared at Negan.
'How about we quench Lucille's fucking thirst, hm?' Negan turned to his goons, 'Aim at Rick. He moves, fill his chest with lead.' Negan stepped forwards and looked down at Michonne who was still crouching near the bloody, screaming survivor. 'I suggest you fucking move, I don't kill women, and I don't want to have to make any fucking exceptions!'
Michonne crawled away, scowling at Negan as she went.
'You!' Negan barked.
'Who? Me?' Eugene quivered.
'Yes, you! The life of the fucking party, get on your knees.'
'P-please, I beg you.'
'Knees!'
Eugene began to cry, but he did as he was told. Negan came and stepped behind him, waving Lucille nonchalantly. 'Now, Rick. We settle this, or you're gonna have a fun fuckin' time trying to get brains outta this here carpet!'
'I don't know what you want me to say. Please don't do this.' Rick pleaded.
'Don't make me ask again!' Negan lifted Lucille high above his head.
'Stop!' Audrey screamed, stepping over blood and glass to face Negan. Eugene was hugging the floor at this point. 'Hit me instead.' She repeated, looking Negan straight in the eye. She had her arms out wide and her chest was shaking from taking nervous breaths.
'I don't hit women.' Negan chuckled, 'Get out the way.'
'Fucking, make me.'
Negan's eyes grew wide, he didn't know whether to laugh or kill Eugene there and then. He wondered where her balls came from to stand up to him. Negan lowered Lucille, and Audrey suddenly tried to grab her. She gripped the end of the bat.
'Shit!' Negan pulled Lucille away and the barbed wire cut into Audrey's palm, causing her to fall onto the floor littered with shards of broken glass.
'No-one touches Lucille!' Negan barked, but as he saw blood gushing from Audrey's hands, and knees, the rage drained from his face. 'Where's your fucking infirmary?'
'The infirmary?' Rick asked.
'The place you keep your fucking bandages and shit?'
'All our first aid is in the house across the way.'
Negan turned to his goons. 'Take her there, get her cleaned up.'
'What about the other guy?' The goon pointed his thumb at the guy with the mangled hand.
Negan shot his goon a dark look, which made him ask no more questions and lift Audrey up from the floor.
'Clean this shit up.' Negan demanded, as he followed his goons out the house.
Audrey hadn't needed to visit the hospital in years, so sitting on a wooden chair having a bandage applied to her hand by one of Negan's men, was very disconcerting. The man was fumbling with the bandage, he didn't have a very steady hand. The glass had already been picked clean from the wound, and washed under a tap, the best they could do.
Negan entered the room and lay Lucille against the wall. Impatient, he pushed his goon out of the way, 'Let me fuckin' do it.' Negan grabbed a chair and sat opposite Audrey.
She was perched in her seat, her hands up, palms facing outwards. As Negan shuffled closer, her hands began to shake.
'Stay still.' He mumbled, holding the roll of bandage between his teeth as he inspected her hands and knees. 'At least ripped jeans are trendy.'
Audrey didn't know where to put her eyes, so she decided to look up at the ceiling. Negan was seriously concentrating on wrapping the bandage around her palms. His tongue was slightly sticking out his mouth as he tried to focus.
'There.' He grinned, admiring his amateur medical work. 'Fuckin' perfect.'
Audrey didn't say anything, she just looked at her wrapped hands, unable to clench them into a fist due to the pain. There was a sadness in her eyes.
'I'm sorry...about the whole fuckin' Lucille thing. She normally doesn't bite.'
The dark humour made the side of Audrey's lip curl up, she dropped her head so he couldn't see. Negan picked up a couple of square gauzes and placed them in his lap. He carefully adjusted Audrey's leg, then applied the gauze, sticking the edges down firmly, then wrapping bandage around her knee. He did the same for the second leg.
'See, I coulda' been a goddamn doctor!'
'Thanks.' Audrey couldn't help smiling when she saw Negan beaming at her.
With a wave of his hand, his goons left the room. Negan sighed and scratched his head.
'See...that thing between us before, I just wanna clear the air.'
A lump appeared in Audrey's throat as she nodded.
'I think you're great, but…' Negan shifted in his seat, '...it doesn't change anything, you're still one of Rick's.'
Audrey set her sore hands down in her lap, her eyes were looking at the floor. She extended a hand and placed her fingers on Negan's knee.
'Then take me with you.'
Negan gave a nervous chuckle, 'I can't do that, Audrey. You fuckin' know that.' Negan looked through the window towards the house which was full of life 30 minutes ago, 'The fuckers over there will think I've taken you hostage or some shit. They'll be bugging me at the Sanctuary every five fucking minutes.'
'I'll deal with them when they come, I'll tell them I came on my own free will.'
'Like they'll believe that shit.'
'I'll handle it.'
Negan grinned and shook his head, 'You're one stubborn motherfucker, aren't you? You wanna join the Saviours or something?'
'If I have to. There's nothing here for me anymore.'
Negan slapped his thighs and rose out of his chair, 'Well, you got more fuckin' balls than Rick, I'll give you that.' He fell silent as he thought about her decision. 'What are you gonna contribute? Can't just do fucking nothing.'
'I'm good with a gun.'
'Darlin' my mother's good with a gun'
'I never miss a goddamn shot. Trust me. I can be in your watchtowers, or something. Get me your best marksman, I'll put him to shame.'
'So…' Negan pulled out a handgun from his waistband and placed it in Audrey's hands, '...shoot that light over there.' Negan pointed to a lantern hanging from a porch, it was quite a distance away. He lifted up the window, and motioned for her to approach the window. 'I know your hands are injured, and I won't expect you to get it first time, but show me what shit you got.'
Audrey got up and rested her elbows on the window ledge, holding the gun in both hands. Negan stood beside her, watching intently.
With one smooth movement, Audrey lowered the gun, fired and the light shattered in the distance.
Negan couldn't help smirking, 'That is some sexy shit right there!' He carefully took the gun from her bandaged hands and stuffed it back into his waistband. He leant in close to Audrey and smiled, 'You're fucking hired.' his voice was gravelly and sent a pleasant chill down her spine.
Audrey felt a little bad wanting to leave Alexandria, but she meant every word when she said there was nothing here for her anymore. All of her family were dead, Alexandria was on its knees, and Negan could provide so much more for her, so much more. He actually was interested in her using her shooting skills, whereas Rick never let her.
Audrey climbed into the back of Negan's black truck, taking one last look at Alexandria before closing the doors.
