"No way, I'm not betting with you again!" Joey laughed as he led Jac down to lunch that day. "You picked out a whole story line last time, and then some!"

"I t-told ya th-that you could borrow them, or trade with me," Jac laughed back as she walked along side Joey. She was surprised that Negan had sent her ahead of him. The last two days had been tense. All the Saviors had been keeping an extra close eye on everyone. A couple of fights had broken out. Some people just left. None of the workers would really even look her. It was even more concerning then when they would stare at her.

Ruffling her hair Joey snorted a bit saying, "Yeah I'll just stop by the boss' room and we can play video games, read comics, and drink Mountain Dew."

"Ne-gan would love it," Jac snickered as Joey looked at her rather horrified. Though, Jac knew that if Joey showed up at Negan's door to play video games and swap comics he'd just fuck with Joey mercilessly. Jac wouldn't subject him to it. If they wanted to do that kind of thing she'd just wait for Negan to get busy and ask him to hang out with someone else. Joey didn't have as many responsibilities as Simon and Arat. Still Negan didn't mind Joey. "It's fine… Neg-Negan llikes that you're nice t-to me, but sscared of him." Jac couldn't help but lose control of her voice as she found Eli grinning at her from the lunch line.

"I think Negan tolerates me because of those things…" Joey trailed off as he found what Jac was looking at.

"I-I want N-Negan…" Jac insisted as she pulled at Joey's sleeve.

"Yeah, alright," Joey said as he quickly started following Jac. They were barely back to the door when the Saviors radios all screeched.

"Good luck using your walkies bastards!"

Jac looked back at Joey, only for a knife to slide out the front of his throat. The tip dripping blood down his shirt as his mouth worked wordlessly.

"Jac!"

She turned back around to find Arat running towards her. She ran to meet her as Joey slipped to the floor his hand leaving hers, but she'd just gotten Arat's outstretched hand when someone tried to drag her back by her shirt.

oOo

"Jac?! Hey Sugar, I got ya!" Negan insisted as he leaned over her in the SUV. His hands hovered over her, unsure where to start. She looked so small in his jacket. "Come on Jac, look at me. Simon! Where's that fucking first aid kit?!"

"Do I need to stop?!" Arat asked from the drivers' seat as she sped down the roads, taking any turns she came across. Wanting to get as far and if possible as lost as she could.

"Don't stop the fucking car!" Negan roared as Simon produced the first aid kit they'd stashed in the glove compartment when they figured out this might all go to shit. He used an alcohol wipe to clean off his hands as best as he could before he turned back to Jac. Arat went over a speedbump as he was trying to assess the cut on Jac's cheek, making him press too hard, and them to jostle around, but Jac's eyes opened. Her hands reached for him, her voice all caught up in her throat. "Hey, hey, I got you. You're going to be fine Sugar. I even got that mangy cat for you. You hear him yelling? Saying, "Let me the fuck outta this box!" I swear I'm gonna need fucking stitches he gouged me good."

"Yeah, we're going to have to look at that for you," Simon reminded him.

"I fucking know that," Negan snarled as he shoved around onto the floor of the SUV to see Jac better. It wasn't the most comfortable fit, but at least he could see her. He moved back to her cheek cleaning it off with another wipe. When a little pressure stopped the bleeding, he moved on. "Hey keep looking at me!" Her eyes struggled to focus on him, and he grabbed her hand shoving it against his cheek. He was relieved when her fingers played through his beard.

He unzipped his jacket from around her and had to keep himself together. The bruises that had been nearly healed were replaced with new dark ones blossoming up her side. Blood smeared across her belly from another cut along her ribs. What made him suck in a breath though, grabbing her hand against his cheek were the burn marks. That fucker had put that Cigar to her skin, three cigarette burns circled it right at the bottom of her sternum, right below her breasts.

"I tried Negan! I tried to stop them! They wanted her to scream, and she just wouldn't make a sound!" Arat tried desperately to explain. Negan and Simon showed up just in time to stop them from doing more than beating or burning her.

Negan's jaw clenched, but he could feel Jac prodding at his cheek then. He forced up a grin as he focused on her face, saying, "Cause you're too badass to scream, yeah?" He felt just the smallest amount of relief when her lips twitched up, just a little. He couldn't tell if she was all there with him, but she was reacting to him. She even reached up and tried to wipe away the blood dripping down from the cut above his eye. That was enough for now.

oOo

"She's fucking tough," Simon sighed as he walked back towards the front of the store with Negan. Negan put one of the spare outfits they'd packed on Jac, and they set her up in the back of the gas station they were hiding in. They'd bundled up some blankets, so she had something soft to sit back against, later they'd get changed themselves. Then they released Negan-Cat, sat out food for him, they even put a litterbox out on the other side of the store hoping the cat had been housetrained at one point. Jac wasn't talking, and she was obviously in pain, but Simon felt like she was still holding it together. She'd been happy to see the black and white beast.

"Yeah…" Negan breathed as he shrugged his jacket back on. He watched as she pet the cat she named after him, before they walked over to the checkout counter where Arat was busily crossing out things on their map. The Sanctuary, the outposts, the Hilltop, the Kingdom, and even a town they slaughtered before Jac came to them all bore a red x warning them away.

"I miss GPS so fucking bad. Internet. Mapquest!" Arat complained as she tried to follow the roads to find out where they were. "This is going to take forever. Maybe if we find a highway while we're driving…"

"We're not leaving for a while… two or three days," Negan muttered, Jac was the worst off, but they were all beat up to some degree, "maybe we can find the streets around here on the map, and figure it out without moving first. With any luck we can add to our supplies with the stores around here. We're far enough away that no one will find us right away. We'll move the car around and hide it in the carwash so no one can spot it from the road."

"Maybe we can find a house… somewhere with a bed for Sweetheart back there," Simon suggested as he let his fingers draw across the map. "I can't imagine sleeping on the floor is going to do her much good."

"We'll make her as comfortable as we can tonight, we can check out the area tomorrow," Negan insisted as he looked towards where they'd left her. Only to find the black and white cat sitting on top of one of the half shelves staring at what felt like just him. Maybe he was projecting his own feelings, but it looked like that cat thought he was shit. It didn't help when the cat let out a yell of a meow before jumping back down to the ground where Jac would be.

"I can't believe we're toting around a cat," Arat insisted as she rubbed at her face with an amused grin, until she grimaced when she touched her bruised cheek.

"I was catching it as a gift for her," Negan sighed as he looked back down at the map, "So she could keep it in our room, and she could grab it if we needed to bail. In my apparently idealistic plan we were going to an outpost. Then I'd gather my army and take back our motherfucking home. I already had it… and it makes her happy. Can't leave it behind now." The other two nodded at his explanation.

"Are you sure they really got some of the outposts?" Simon asked as he turned around and hopped up onto the counter to sit. "That take over seemed like kind of a shit-show where they just happened to grab the right girl to piss off the boss."

"We can't take the chance that he got even one, and then what if that's the one we show up at?" Arat said shaking her head. "The four of us can't take on a whole outpost that knows we're coming. Even if we snuck in I doubt they're going to just be chatting about what side their on in the halls."

Frowning Negan looked at the map hoping for something to stand out, but when nothing did he told the others, "Let's bring in the supplies we can't afford to lose, and stay in the backroom tonight." He just wanted to hold Jac. He wanted her to talk to him. "We'll figure it the fuck out tomorrow."

Simon frowned as he watched Negan for a moment, before he said, "Me and Arat got it, go sit with Sweetheart."

"Yeah, go on," Arat nodded as she started for the door.

Negan watched them walk out of the building before he walked around the side of the store to find Jac idly petting the cat when it would walk close enough to her. Trying not to worry over her further Negan said, "How about we call him NC for short? Weird calling a cat by my name." Jac smiled a bit and nodded, but all Negan wanted was to hear her. They'd given her something for the pain, but he couldn't be sure they were working for her if she wouldn't tell him anything. Walking over he dropped down next to her, sending the cat away from them with a hiss. "Probably remembers I'm the one who put him in the cat carrier… then a box."

Jac nodded again, trying not to laugh. She knew it'd hurt more. The pain pills were helping. It was manageable, but they weren't anything to boast about. She didn't know if that's because she was in a hell of a lot of pain, or if the pills just weren't that strong. She couldn't ask though. Looking at Negan she knew he was worrying. He wouldn't let her sleep in the car, and he'd made her promise not to sleep without him. It was just as well. She probably had a concussion. Her eyes followed his hand as it moved to lightly grip her thigh. Slowly she slid her hand over his.

"I'm sorry Jac." Negan breathed as he looked at their hands. He should have kept her with him…

She didn't know why, but that's what did it. She was crying. It hurt so much to cry, but she couldn't stop. The pain just made it worse. It hurt more, and so she cried more, and then Negan was moving her into his lap as carefully as he could.

"Shit, Baby Girl, I'm sorry," Negan insisted as he rubbed her back softly with one hand, and the other passed his fingers over her head, careful of the bump he knew was at the back, "Stop crying. It's okay. Fuck, you're okay."

Jac didn't care if it hurt more she moved so she could hide her face against him. She felt like it was all her fault. If she wasn't there maybe Negan would have been able to do something. Maybe he could have kept his home… Maybe if she'd just let him kill her father… Jac felt even more shameful knowing that Simon and Arat were probably waiting outside for them to have this moment.

"Talk to me," Negan huffed at her as he curled forward to press his forehead to hers. "Just say something. Anything." She took his face in her hands and kissed him quickly. A soft little peck. He could see it though. The heavy look in her teary eyes. She was sorry. "It's not your fault." Negan told her and kissed her back, just as short and soft. "None of this is your fault Jac. Just say something. Say my name."

Jack slumped against him, her body too exhausted to stay tense enough to sit up. She weakly rubbed at the moister clinging to her eyes and cheeks first. Then after a moment she breathed, "Negan..." He relaxed back into the wall at that, and she didn't understand how her talking could make him feel better. It did though, and she was thankful.

oOo

"You know if you would just fucking scream, we'd give you a break!" Eli snarled around a cigar as he jerked her around onto her back. "Go on! Scream for your owner!"

Jac glared up at him as he blew smoke in her face. Somewhere in the room Arat was yelling. Eli's frustration grew as she just stared at him. The men around them were goading him on, but Jac just glared. She could handle this… She didn't have to scream. Maybe Negan could get away.

Only then Eli started to tear at her shirt. When she started to fight back other hands started ripping it, and her bra away. Then he was in her face again, chuckling, "It's okay, I'll fuck you even when you're scared up." Her mouth opened but nothing came out.

The pain…

There was so much pain.

And all she could hear was laughter around the room.

"Hey you boys got some cigarettes? Pretty sure she almost screamed. Let's try again!" Eli snickered. Jac struggled more, trying to get away again. She didn't know if she could handle it. She couldn't scream.

Then there was a man holding down each of her arms.

"Hey, hey! Don't mess up her tits!"

This time she was prepared for the searing pain, but it didn't make it any easier to handle. She struggled and thrashed. The edges of her vision were fuzzy. She didn't know what to do. She just wanted Negan. She wanted Negan.

She wanted Negan!

"Shit! Fuck! Jac! Jac look at me!" Negan yelled as he tried to keep her from thrashing too much. She wasn't making any noise, but she was fighting like he was attacking her. "Jac you're going to hurt yourself!"

Jac dragged in a ragged breath as she tried to fight against the arms around her. Only then it felt like her breath was knocked from her lungs when a hand pressed against her sternum. Her eyes flew open and Negan was swimming in her vision. She didn't care how much it hurt she grabbed onto him trying to pull him to her.

"Fuck, fuck!" Negan muttered as he petted her hair, and her face, leaning over her at her urging. "I didn't mean it. I got you Sugar."

"Negan…?" Arat called out as she turned on one of the flashlights they had.

"I got it Arat," Negan insisted as Jac grabbed one of his hands as she nuzzled against it.

Jac tried to steady her breathing. Tried to calm down. Her whole body hurt, and ached, and that was on top of the burning pain in her chest. Negan let her hold his hand, his fingers sliding from her mouth to her neck. She didn't try to pry his fingers away, she just pressed her fingers over his as she started to calm down more

"Sweethearts having nightmares," Simon sighed from his spot a few feet away. "She'll be okay."

When she stopped shaking against him Negan helped her around, so she could lean back against his chest. He kissed her temple as he rested his hands on her forearms. Her breathing was shallow and after a moment Negan caught NC moving across her legs before Arat turned out the light. It was just when he thought she was asleep that she breathed, quiet as a whisper, "I-I-I d-on't rrremember what hap-pened after th-they burned me…"

Negan's heart seemed to clench and swell at the same time. She didn't remember. She didn't remember what he did, couldn't remember what she did. He didn't know if Simon or Arat was awake but he jumped on it before they could think of opening their mouths if they were. "You don't need to. You don't need to fucking think about it ever again," Negan insisted lowly. "I got you before they could do more than burn you."

"Ne…" Jac tried.

"No." Negan cut her off his lips to her ear. "I got you, and that's all that fucking matters."

It was at least an hour later, when Jac was asleep against his chest that Arat spoke. Her words soft, and prodding. "Are you scared she'll remember you losing your shit, or that she'll remember using Lucille on one of the guy who almost got the upper hand on you?"

"He doesn't want her to remember any of it," Simon cut in.

"Don't you fuckers ever sleep?" Negan griped as he brushed his fingers through Jac's hair.

"Which is it?" Arat asked as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Simon's right, but I could live with her remembering me doing bad shit. She knows I'm a bad person. She's seen it. She was so far gone… She doesn't need to remember what she did," Negan explained quietly. "Jac would just feel guilty."

"That guy burned her and laughed about it," Arat sneered, disgusted.

"It wouldn't matter," Simon offered for Negan. "Jac's just that way, she's too good of a person. It's better she doesn't remember. Maybe if one of us had gotten Eli… just so she'd know he was gone."

"Maybe if one of us had put down her dad," Negan added.

Arat was quiet a long time as she scrutinized her boss and the young girl he was protecting in his hold. Then she frowned up at the ceiling, and said, "You're right, both of you. Jac doesn't need to feel bad for that."

SO! This happened. It happened even though I wrote the chapter entirely different first, and then decided I didn't like it and then this happened... I've been waiting for this chapter because it starts a lot! I just... I hope it works for everyone!

REVIEW REPLIES:

Brookeworm3: Thank you! Also happy late Christmas and New Years. Your question was answered in the chapter! It's a bit of a rough start, and they have friends.

DivergingFangirl5: I'm super happy that you're enjoying this! I hope to keep up the good work!

Jokerlover13: I did set up the release of the last chapter pretty well! Negan is just... YES. Ehem... but yes I love me some Jac too. Thank you.

freayamichaelson: I know he's pretty awesome.

angelstuffing: Thank you! Both for liking my character, but also for reading!

chipiam: Thank you!

Guest (Dec. 24): Yup as you can see Simon's with them. I couldn't leave him behind.

Genevieve: Thank you! I hope you had a great Christmas too! And it's fine, even if you had answered in another language I would have found a way to translate it! Yup he gave them up just in time too!

Loving Villains: Thank you! I hope your holidays were awesome as well!

Guest (Dec. 25): Thank you! And I hope your Christmas was awesome!

Nightperidot: I'm so happy, like happy doesn't cover it, to hear that! It means a lot to me! Thank you for reading all that!