I have taken a bit of inspiration from season 5 of The Walking Dead towards the end of this chapter. You know the episode... where Rick goes a bit crazy...
Also, some dialogue was taken from the comics. All towards the end.
I bet you're asking yourselves what the hell is happening towards the end, right? Well, let's find out.
There are crickets chirping in the tall grass around the house. The cold air comes in a gentle breeze every now and then, making Negan take another long puff of his cigarette. He leans against a tree, observing the morons around the campfire. Maddie is among them.
He will never understand how they can arrange these stupid events in a world like this… knowing full well that the only thing keeping walkers out of their backyard are a few holes.
He takes another drag from the cigarette, remembering the time when he thought this place was protected. It seemed like it was, in the daytime.
But when the night comes, the fog separates around his eyes. The hole might stop walkers but they will never stop people.
And this fucking girl/boy scout campfire bullshit they have going on could only attract them. The flames are not too tall, but the chatter is loud.
He watches as Noah tries to feed Maddie a marshmallow from a stick. She opens her mouth and tilts back on the log, missing the target completely and ending up with the white sticky substance across her cheek.
He smirks from his spot by the tree, hearing them both laugh.
This is the kind of life she has been after, but Negan refuses to believe that they can let their guard down for a second. He thinks back to the Sanctuary and the security he provided for his people. It was without a doubt the best thing he has ever done.
"Not hungry?" Kate grins, walking up to him in the shadows.
Negan watches the wind blow the hair out of her face. She is wearing pyjama bottoms and a tank top. Must be freezing.
"Can I?" she reaches for the pack of cigarettes in his hand and he lets her pull one out. She places it between her lips, waiting as Negan lights a match for her.
What she doesn't know is that he took the pack from a cupboard downstairs. Nobody noticed yet.
"Did Madison take her pills?" she asks, obviously irritated that he isn't speaking.
"Yes, she did," he takes another drag, "Not long ago."
"Good," Kate nods, turning to watch the girl. Negan grins as she spots him in the shadows and waves. He waves back. And so does Kate.
The conversation finds its dead end and Negan does not find the energy to re-start it. Neither does he find the energy to care about the awkward silence that follows.
He drops his cigarette and stomps it out, watching a cloud of smoke emerge from his mouth.
Kate chews on the end of hers, glancing up at the man, "Are you planning on staying here forever?"
Negan looks at her, sliding his hands into the pockets of his trousers, "I don't know, doll. Still figuring it out."
"Madison seems to be adamant on staying," she points out, smoking in small puffs, "I know you've not been convinced about the stability of this place."
"How did you figure that one out?" he smirks.
Kate smiles, shaking her head, "I'm just saying… I'm glad she made you see the light."
"No," he says, stepping forward, "I haven't changed my fucking opinion."
"Which is?" she challenges, "That this place sucks?"
Negan chuckles quietly, running a hand across his jawline, "I have my doubts."
"It's safe," she confirms, but he does not believe her. They both glance at Maddie before Kate sighs, "We have talented people here. They're all working together for a better future. I want you to know that these people do not turn on each other. I mean, sure… everybody has their disagreements but in the end, survival is important."
"Why do you say that?" Negan asks.
"I've been in groups that fell apart before this one," she takes another drag, "I'm not naive. I know what people are like… but these people… them, you can trust."
"I only trust Maddie," he states, watching the woman's eyes dilate.
"I think you need to start trusting more people."
"I think you need to get inside, darlin'," he smirks, "You'll freeze."
After she leaves, Maddie waves him over from her spot by the campfire. He looks at some of the people watching and then saunters over. Noah has disappeared inside where the front door is left open. Negan guesses they just ran out of snacks.
Barely anyone notices him stop behind Maddie. Most are occupied watching Trevor feed the flames with alcohol.
"Don't waste the vodka, son!" Mike shouts over the laughter.
Maddie looks up at Negan, stretching out her arm. He grabs her hand and squeezes her fingers, feeling her freezing skin.
"Jesus, you want to catch a cold, doll?"
"I'm not cold," she says, probably wanting nothing more than to stay out here for longer.
"Bullshit," he groans, shrugging off his leather jacket. She smiles up at him, the warm jacket hugging her shoulders, "Put your arms through it."
She follows his orders and then zips up the jacket, knowing that will be his next request. He leans down to kiss the top of head, keeping his hands on her shoulders.
"Do you need anything?"
"No, I'm good," Maddie pats one of his hands, crossing her legs on the log.
He grins before walking over to an outdoor table that has been set out specially to hold the drinks and snacks for the evening. He swats a few flies away from a plastic cup of water before taking a sip. It's not nearly as strong as what he normally drinks.
"You like what you see?" a man stands beside him, piling cut up pickles onto his plate. Negan steps back to take a better look at the bastard.
Martin. They met briefly before.
"It's a whole new world now," he grins, nodding towards Maddie, "Anything goes."
He bites the inside of his cheek, trying to understand exactly what the fuck he is saying to him. He looks at Maddie, who is re-joined by Noah. They laugh at an inside joke, to which she nearly tips backwards on the log.
"What the fuck are you saying exactly?" Negan puts his cup down, the cold air blowing against his bare arms.
Martin releases a chuckle, obviously a little startled at his sudden change in tone, "You know, man," he glances at Maddie again, "If you don't try to get some of that young pussy, let someone else have a chance."
Negan clenches his jaw, baffled.
"You know what I mean?" he chuckles, scratching an area on his chest.
The cold air cannot cool him down now. He feels his blood boil past the point of no return and shoot straight up to his face.
His only instinct is to squash the bug before it lays eggs all around the property.
Negan finds no weapon on the table, not one that could do serious damage.
He clenches his fist instead, and targets it right at Martin's face.
The sound of a jaw dislocating has never been so satisfying in Negan's ears. The man's yells seem to spur him on, so he punches him again, this time sending Martin to the floor.
The chatter around him stops, replaced with a united gasp.
"Get this lunatic off me!" Martin shouts, spitting blood like a fountain. Negan punches him again, hoping that at least one of his teeth cracks and falls down his throat so that he can choke on it.
His fists have turned into bloodied weapons, but in the moment, he does not notice any blood; Only Martin's face, and how he has insinuated that if Negan does not rape Maddie, he will make a move.
"What the hell is going on?!" Mike calls from across the fire.
After multiple punches, his anger seems to subside and all the voices around him come as clear as day.
"Negan!" Maddie pushes him, getting in front of the blubbering mess of a man on the floor, "Negan, stop!"
He grabs her arms for support, focusing on her piercing blue eyes.
She winces as his fingers dig into her skin through the leather jacket, but she endures it because if she moves, he will kill him.
"Please, stop!"
"Do you fucking know what he just said to me?!" Negan fights back, trying to shove her out of the way.
She presses herself against his chest, pushing him further away from his target.
Somebody kneels to help Martin. Kate has emerged from the house, looking at the events from the porch. They try to lift Martin up, aiming for the house. That's when Negan remembers that Kate is a doctor and they are going to fix him up. It makes him angrier.
"Enough!" Mike stands dangerously close to him, "Everybody, get inside. Negan. Madison," he looks at them, "My office."
The adrenaline courses through Negan like there's no tomorrow and if he is not punching anyone, he needs to get rid of it another way.
"Is this a fucking joke?"
"Negan!" the girl scolds him, trying to get him to look at her, "Calm down, you are going to ruin this."
He ignores her, "You, boss man, need to control what kind of people live here."
Maddie watches him in horror, and he realises that nobody knows what has caused him to explode. Explaining himself is the last thing on his mind right now.
"That has never been more clear to me than it is right now," Mike says, folding his arms. He sees Trevor and Harvey take position behind him, hands reaching towards the back of their holsters.
Negan shocks everyone by releasing his rage through laughter. He squeezes his eyes shut and stomps his foot into the ground before nudging Maddie away from him. She stands where she has been before, in the line of fire. Just in case things go south.
"Me? You mean… fucking me?"
Maddie shakes her head, praying that for once he will shut his mouth.
Martin has been taken inside to be treated. The only person left on the porch is Nikki. He sees Louis rolling away from the window in his wheelchair on the second floor.
He sees Noah extending his arm for Maddie, but she does not take the bait. The gesture pisses him off so much that he grabs her hand and pulls her towards him again, "Hey, kid, she's fine."
Mike takes a deep breath, "I'd like to continue this chat in my office. Now."
Thank you again for all your feedback. It helps a lot.