Negan sits on the Sanctuary steps, rubbing at his temples.
"Everything okay?" Simon asks, sitting down beside him.
"Fuck knows," Negan frowns, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm not sure i wanna go out there."
"Alexandria?" Simon asks.
"Alexandria, the other side of the street, fucking anywhere," Negan says.
"You don't wanna leave her," Simon nods with a smile.
Negan shakes his head. "No, i don't. But i'm not sure i can keep her here much longer, she doesn't want to be here."
"You made a deal though, right?"
"Yeah, but what's the fucking point if she hates my guts? And..," Negan shakes his head.
"What is it?" Simon presses.
"I.. i can't stand to see her unhappy. This is such bullshit, Simon. I've gone out of my way for her, saved her life, sat with her, i even fucking read to her, can you believe that?"
"You love her?"
"Woah, i'm not saying that," Negan looks down at Lucille in his hands. "But i care about her, a whole shitload in fact. But it doesn't matter, because she doesn't love me, she loves him."
"So you're gonna let her go to him?"
"Fuck, i don't know. I don't know which is stronger, my need to see her happy, or my need to make sure that red neck fuck can't have her. I mean, why the fuck should he get to be happy? What the fuck did he ever do for her?" Negan gets up from the steps. "Will you check in on her later, make sure she's okay?"
Simon stands up, hands on hips. "Sure thing. You sure about this? Going to Alexandria?"
"No, i'm fucking not. But what the fuck else am i supposed to do?" Negan smiles, swinging Lucille over his shoulder.
Negan sits behind the wheel, placing Lucille on the back seat. "Come on, Dwight, you can get in with me," he says.
Dwight gets in the passenger seat, playing with his hands nervously, adrenaline coursing through his veins.
Negan looks back at the Sanctuary, Kirsty on his mind. But then wasn't she always? "You good to fucking go?"
"Yeah," Dwight nods.
Negan turns on the engine and heads out the gate, a couple of his trucks behind him.
Kirsty runs through the town, panic setting in as she worries that the truck might be gone. Maybe someone had taken it? Shut up! She frowns, struggling to catch her breath as she races down an alley. Her face lights up, Kirsty breathing a sigh of relief as she sees the truck in the distance.
She opens the door, jumping in the truck and switching on the engine. Kirsty inhales sharply, feeling pressure on her calf, snarls filling her ears. Shit! She mouths, pulling her leg upwards and out of the walker's grasp. Kirsty brings her foot down on it's head, the feel of it's skull breaking sending shockwaves through her leg.
She steps out of the truck, cursing herself for not being more careful. Kirsty drags the walker from under the truck with ease, the dead thing having no bottom half. She sits back in the driver's seat, trying to catch her breath. Kirsty looks down at her leg. She leans over, rolling her jeans up. Kirsty falls back in the seat, a smile crossing her face briefly. Shit that was close! She thinks.
Kirsty closes the door, stepping on the gas.
Gareth groans against the mattress, his eyes slowly flickering open. He rubs at the back of his head, a wave of relief washing over him when his hand comes back clean and not covered in blood.
"The hell?" He frowns, pushing himself up off the bed. He looks over at a table in the corner, miniature figurines made out of wood laid out upon it. Gareth gets up, turning the door knob in his hand. It's locked. "Shit! Hey!" He shouts, banging on the door. "Lemme out!" He takes a step back as the knob begins to turn.
The door opens, a woman he doesn't recognise pointing a gun at him. "Don't move!" Gareth holds up his hands, shakily. "Step out, slowly," she orders, taking a step back.
Gareth steps out into the hall, his throat dry. "What's going on?"
"I'm from Hilltop, don't do anything stupid, and you won't get hurt, understand?"
Gareth nods. "Yeah."
"Good. Come on, i'll take you to the others."
Negan drives down the road, Dwight sitting beside him. He stares out at the road with a frown. Something doesn't feel right, and he can't quite put his finger on it.
"This feel right to you?" Negan asks.
Dwight turns to him. "I don't know. He said he wants to talk, so we should talk. We're running low on supplies, we need the Hilltop at the very least."
Negan nods. "Yeah, i know that. I just can't shake the feeling that something's off. You feel that?"
Dwight shrugs his shoulders. "We've got more men, armed to the teeth. What can go wrong?"
"A lot of shit could go wrong," Negan turns his head, something catching his eye in the woods. "Shit, was that a herd?" He frowns.
Dwight turns his head. "I didn't see nothing."
"Maybe we should pull over? Make sure," Negan says, his foot stepping slowly off the gas.
"Maybe it was just a couple?" Dwight says. "John's out there, if he sees anything he'll holler on the radio."
Negan looks down at the radio in his lap, contemplating getting through to John himself. "Fuck it," Negan slows the truck to a stop. "Rick the prick can wait. I'm not fucking risking it," he says, picking up the radio.
Dwight glances at him nervously, knowing full well that John won't be answering the radio.
"John, this is Negan, you there?" Negan says, holding the radio. "John? Get off your fucking ass and answer this damn radio."
Kirsty speeds down the road, Negan's convoy nowhere in sight. Come on, come on, she mouths, rocking backwards and forwards in her seat, willing the truck to go faster.
The warning light flashes on the dash, telling her the tank is low. Fuck! She snarls, a series of coughs taking her over, no doubt from her silent screaming session earlier.
"John, this is Negan, you there?"
Kirsty slams on the brakes, the belt digging into her slightly as her body rocks forward. She unclips her belt, leaning over and grabbing her rucksack.
"John? Get off your fucking ass and answer this damn radio."
Kirsty holds the radio in her hands, staring at it uselessly. She presses the button down, tapping her hand against the steering wheel, not knowing what good it will do.
Negan frowns, holding the radio out in front of him. "What the fuck?" Negan pushes the button on his radio. "Who the fuck is this?" As he takes his finger off the button, all he hears is a series of taps. Negan steps out of the car, staring out the way they'd just come. "Fuck! See that, Dwight. I was fucking right!" He yells, pointing at a herd coming out of the woods.
The radio continues to make a racket in his hand, an engine revs, then nothing but silence.
"We should move," Dwight says, tugging at Negan's arm. "That herd is just gonna keep coming."
Negan shakes Dwight's hand from him, his eyes not leaving the road. He squints. "Who the fuck is that?" He points at a truck speeding down the road, heading straight for the herd. Negan recognises the truck, it's one they kept near the Sanctuary for emergencies. "Wait," Negan frowns, looking down at the radio. It dawns on him that maybe there was a reason the person over the radio was silent. "Kirsty," he whispers.
His Saviors all stand beside their trucks, watching the herd nervously.
Negan hears the truck brake, then he watches it attempt to swerve, veering wildly before it flips over, barrel rolling through the sea of dead and settling on it's roof.
"Noo!" Negan screams, running towards the truck that had landed roughly 100ft from the approaching herd.
He kneels down, his eyes searching inside the truck, but he finds it empty. Negan's eyes widen as he sees her rucksack resting against the smashed windshield, he grabs it, making sure it's definitely hers before throwing it over his shoulder. "Kirsty?" Negan stands up, looking all around for any sign of her. "Kirsty!" He shouts, drawing the attention of the dead.
His men look on in the distance, unsure of what to do.
"We've gotta get the hell outta here! That herd's coming straight for us!" One of his men yells, heading for his truck.
Dwight nods, his jaw clenched as he gets back in the car.
Negan scans the area frantically, the dead closing in on him. He spots a couple of walkers veering off to the side of the road. His eyes widen. "I don't fucking think so motherfuckers!" He spits, drawing his knife from his belt. Negan runs to the side of the road, quickly taking out the two walkers. He kneels down, his mouth wide and his eyes watering as he looks at Kirsty lying in the ditch. He can't tell what's walker blood and what's her own, as he presses his fingers against her neck, checking for a pulse.
He picks her up, not knowing what else to do with the dead approaching, and turns towards the trucks. "Fuck!" Negan stares at the empty road, his stomach rolling. He heads for the woods.
Negan runs, glancing down at Kirsty every few seconds, willing her to open her eyes. He can hear the dead behind him, still hungry for his scent.
Kirsty's arms flop lifelessly with every step he takes, her clothes saturated with a mix of sweat and blood.
"Come on!" Negan panics, as he runs through the woods. He sees buildings through the trees, picking up the pace as he races towards a run down bar.
Negan kicks at the door, holding it open with his shoulder as he carries her through. He places her down on a dusty pool table, checking her pulse once again. Negan checks her over for bites, his eyes moving frantically over her body. He rummages in her rucksack, grabbing a bottle of water. Negan takes off his scarf, pouring water over it before he wipes at her face. Apart from a couple of nasty grazes, her face looks fine. Negan places his fingers against her chin, pushing her head gently to the side. There's blood in her hair, but it's hard to tell if it's hers.
"Come on, baby," he says, softly, running his hands through Kirsty's hair. "Wake up."
Negan jumps as the doors swing open. He grabs a pool cue and races towards them, kicking at a walker before he slams the doors shut. Sliding the pool cue between the handles, he goes back to Kirsty, his lip trembling as he strokes her face. "Please, baby. We gotta go," he says, tears falling down his cheeks. Kirsty moves her head, her lips parting slightly. "Kirsty," he smiles. "That's it, baby, wake up."
She opens her eyes, her head pounding. What.., Kirsty looks around, her eyes adjusting to the dingy bar.
"It's okay, baby," Negan assures her, stroking her hair. "Tell me where you're hurting?" She looks from left to right, her eyes struggling to focus. Negan places his hands either side of her face. "Baby, tell me where you're hurting?" He says, his voice soft yet firm.
I.. my head, she mouths, squinting her eyes.
"I can't see any cuts, let's try sitting you up," he says, placing his hand under her back.
Kirsty winces as he sits her up. My entire body is aching.
"Well i should think it is, you just got thrown from a truck you little, badass," he laughs weakly. "Other than your head, does anywhere else hurt bad?"
Kirsty looks down at herself, trying to feel anything other than the throbbing in her head. My ribs hurt, and my ankle.
He nods. "I'm not a doctor, but i think you bruised them. Just let me check your ankle," Negan says, kneeling down in front of her. He turns briefly to the double doors as he hears a crack. Fuck! Negan panics, knowing the pool cue won't hold much longer. He lifts her pants leg, taking off her right boot. Kirsty winces. Shit! He frowns, looking at her badly bruised and swollen ankle. He's not sure if it's broken, but if he had to guess, then he'd say it was. Negan puts her boot back on. "We gotta-," the doors burst open.
Negan tucks his arm under her legs and presses her firmly against his chest as he lifts her, running to the back of the bar. He kicks the door open, running out of the back of the building. Negan goes to run to his right, but the dead come round the corner, blocking his way. He turns left, shuffling Kirsty in his arms.
Kirsty holds onto him tightly, her arms round his neck. She wants to tell him that maybe she can walk, but she knows there's no chance he'll take any notice. Kirsty can feel his heart pounding against her through his leather jacket, sweat pouring down his face as he tries to find a way that isn't blocked by the dead.
Negan spins on his heels at the sound of a car. He squints his eyes.
Dwight sticks his head out of the driver's window. "Come on!" He yells.
Negan races towards the car, opening the back door and helping Kirsty inside. His eyes settle on Lucille, a smile crossing his face. He slams the door shut, the dead closing in on them once again. "Fuck!" Negan growls. "There's no way out!" He shouts, leaning in the passenger side.
Dwight looks out at the herd, his heart pounding against his chest. He shakes his head, unsure of what to say.
Negan stands tall, his eyes flitting from one dead fuck to the next. Then he looks through the back window at Kirsty, her face pained as she holds her ankle. Even now, covered in sweat, blood and god knows what else, his heart aches for her.
He leans in through the window, grabbing Lucille. "Get her to safety," he says, turning to Dwight.
Negan? Kirsty mouths in confusion.
He turns to her, a weak smile on his face. "I guess i do love you after all."
Negan runs away from the car. "Come on you fucks!" He screams, holding up Lucille.
Negan! Kirsty mouths, banging on the car window.
The dead swerve the car, heading for the fresh meat waving his bat and screaming loudly.
"Come on assholes!" Negan spits, baring his teeth as the dead follow him.
Kirsty watches in horror as he leads them away, walking backwards down an alley, dead coming at him from all directions. Negan.. she mouths, her eyes wide, tears on the brink. The car begins to move, and she turns to Dwight, pulling herself up by the headrest. Stop! Stop the car! But he can't hear her. She grabs his shoulder, pulling at his shirt.
"Hey! Cut that shit out! I'm trying to get us outta here!" He shouts, slapping at her hand. Dwight speeds up, most of the dead following Negan down the alley.
Kirsty looks back at the herd, dead stumbling down the alley, and more dead heading towards the only way out. Negan! She turns to Dwight again. Stop the car! Stop! "Stop!" She croaks out, her eyes wide.
Dwight jumps, the car swerving as he pulls to a stop. He turns to her. "Holy shit, did you just?"
Kirsty covers her mouth with her hand, not quite believing that sound just came from her. She nods. "G.. go, back," she stutters, her voice broken and husky.
Dwight shakes his head, his eyes wide. "Are you insane? He's gone. You wanna go back there so we can get ripped to pieces? I don't think so."
Kirsty takes the gun from her belt and aims it at Dwight. "Go, back," she says, her voice not much more than a whisper.
"Put that down," Dwight says. "You knew how this was gonna go down, he was gonna die anyway."
Kirsty presses the gun against his head, cocking the hammer with her thumb. He swallows deeply, his throat suddenly dry as he looks at the gun in her hand. "Get, out," she croaks.
Dwight holds up his hands. "Don't do anything stupid."
Kirsty lowers the gun and shoots him in the shoulder, blood splattering over her face.
"Shit!" Dwight screams, baring his teeth. "What the hell?" He yells, grabbing the top of his arm as blood pours through his fingers. The sound of the gun cocking once again silences him.
"Out," she rasps, her finger hovering over the trigger.
"You're fucking crazy! You know that?" Dwight winces. Kirsty stares at him coldly, her eyes red from crying. He's seen that look before. It's the same look she gave to Joe right before she smashed his skull to a pulp. He flinches as she raises the gun to his head. "Alright, i'll go," he says, lowering a hand to grab at the door handle.
She watches as he gets out of the car. He stands there for a moment, holding his arm, then he runs, heading for the woods. Kirsty shuffles her way between the gap, trying to get to the front seat. "Ahh," she cries out, though it's more air than sound. This was supposed to be a good thing, yet regaining her voice felt hollow considering the circumstances. "Negan," she sobs, her lip trembling as a fresh set of tears roll down her cheeks.
She'd seen him head down that alley, and she'd seen the walkers ready to cut him off at the exit. He'd gone out there knowing he would most likely die, and he'd done it for her, she knew that. Kirsty throws her head back against the seat, her hands white as she claws at the steering wheel. He runs through her mind, every memory of him like a punch to the face, everything he'd done for her. She shakes her head, her brows furrowed as she sobs, her hoarse cries filling the car. Kirsty screams, a real primal scream, or at least it would be if it hadn't come out as not much more than a squeak.
"Come on you fucks!" Negan screams, as he tries to draw the deads attention away from the car. "Come on assholes!" He slowly steps backwards, his eyes lit with fury as he nears the alley. Once he sees the car move, he picks up the pace, swinging Lucille as they close in on him. "Fucking fuckers! You want a piece of this ass you're gonna have to fucking work for it!" He snarls. Negan turns, getting ready to run when he spots more dead stumbling down from the other end of the alley. "Shit!"
He stands still, almost frozen on the spot, not seeing a way out. Fuck! Then he spots a boarded up window to his left. Negan runs, swinging Lucille against the wood. He pulls Lucille back, her barbed wire coated in splinters, and swings her again, the board coming away with her. Negan grabs the piece of board with one hand, pulling at it. He doesn't feel the pieces of wood biting into his palm, too preoccupied with not dying. Negan swings Lucille against the board at the bottom, splitting it with a crack before he hurls himself through the window, dead fingers grabbing at his boots.
He lands on the dirty floor, his breath heavy as he turns to look out at the dead. He smirks, the window too high for them to get through.
Negan kisses Lucille's handle. "Jesus, baby. That was fucking close," he says, breathlessly, wiping at his brow. He makes his way to the front of the building. The doors are boarded up, and as he peeks through a gap, he sees the dead still making their way towards the alley. He wonders how long it'll take for them to clear? "We could be here a while, baby," he sits down, leaning against the doors. "Might as well get fucking comfortable."
Kirsty's eyes flicker open, her ankle throbbing and her head aching. But nothing hurts more than the pain in her chest, and she curses herself for falling asleep. How could she possibly sleep when he was gone? Her nose sniffles and her lip trembles, as her heart aches something fierce.
She should've made a move by now, she knows that. But the thought of going back to Alexandria, being around those who would be more than happy to learn of Negan's death, pains her. Kirsty looks at the road ahead, yet she doesn't see any way forward. She closes her eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks.
Kirsty jumps, drawing her knife at a bang on the car door. Her eyes widen, her mouth agape at the leather clad figure in front of her. It's a trick. He's not really there.
But then he opens the door, kneeling down in front of her. "What the fuck are you still doing here?" Negan frowns. Kirsty shakes her head, an almost lunatic smile crossing her face as she stares down at him in disbelief. "Hey," he says, softly, his face falling. Negan leans into the car, and Kirsty throws her arms around his shoulders, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "It's okay, baby," he soothes her, rubbing at her back. He frowns, knowing something isn't right, but not quite putting his finger on it.
"Negan," she whispers, her voice husky.
His eyes widen as he realises what it is. She's crying, and he can hear it. Negan cups her cheeks, gazing at her. "Holy fuck, did you just?"
Kirsty nods, her hands not leaving his neck for even a moment, afraid that if she lets him go he'll vanish forever, as if him being there is just a cruel trick. "I, love, you," she sobs, her voice not much more than a whisper, but Negan hears her just fine.
He brushes his nose against hers. "I fucking love you, baby," he whispers against her mouth, before kissing her fiercely, his hands running through Kirsty's hair. Negan pulls away from her with a smile. "We need to get you back to the Sanctuary."
Kirsty shakes her head. "We-," she coughs again. Shit! Kirsty grabs her pad, not wanting to strain her newly regained vocals. We can't. Dwight double crossed you, Rick has taken the Sanctuary, she writes.
"Fuck!" Negan frowns "That two faced mother fucker! I'll fucking kill him! I'll kill them all!"
Kirsty tilts his head up to hers. "Don't.. l.. let's go," she coughs into her hand, writing on her pad once again. If you go back there, they'll kill you. Let's just go, just us, we can start afresh.
Negan reads it with wide eyes. He gazes up at her, his head tilting as he contemplates walking away, walking away from who he is and everything he's fought so hard to build. "You okay to move over, baby?" Kirsty nods, shuffling over to the passenger seat. Negan gets in, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. He starts the engine, and turns the car, heading away from the Sanctuary, from Alexandria, from everything.
Negan walks through the door, a smile on his face. "Baby, you wanna see what i got," he shouts from the hall. Negan makes his way to the kitchen, watching her wash the dishes. "Hey, do that shit later, i wanna show you something."
"Are you for real? How about you do them?" Kirsty frowns, her voice husky and perhaps an octave lower than what she used to be before, but she'd gotten used to it.
Negan smiles. "Will you just just come the fuck here?" Kirsty throws a cloth at him, Negan dodging it with a smirk. He makes his way over to her, running his hand through her hair as he kisses her sweetly.
"Hmm, i hate when you do that."
"Do what?" He whispers against her lips.
"Kiss me like that when i'm mad at you."
"You're not mad at me," he smirks, brushing his lip against hers.
Kirsty pulls away from him, crossing her arms. "Who says i'm not?"
Negan chuckles, pulling down the zip on his jacket. "Check this little beauty out."
Kirsty's face softens as the head of a pup peeks out of his jacket, a beautiful chocolate brown colour. "Oh my god!" She squeaks. "Where did you find him?" Kirsty smiles, stroking her fingers over his tiny head.
"Just as we were getting back from the drop off, there was a whole litter of them, their Mother.. well, i'd rather not say," Negan frowns.
Kirsty tilts her head, her face falling. "He's beautiful."
"He is, soon as i saw him i knew you'd love him," Negan smiles.
"How did the drop off go?" She asks.
"As well as can be expected. I mean, Rick didn't fucking kill me, so that's a positive," Negan chuckles.
"That's not funny," Kirsty frowns.
Negan strokes her shoulder. "Don't worry, baby. Rick isn't gonna do anything. He needs the trade from this place, and the people here like me, surprisingly."
"Hey, there's nothing surprising about it. You've changed since we got here, since you're not in charge any more," her face falls for a moment.
"What is it, baby?" Negan asks, softly.
"Do.. do you ever miss it? Being in charge?"
Negan smiles. "Fuck no, you don't need to worry about that, i like things the way they are. Fuck if i'd wanna be in charge again. I'm not gonna lie though, Rick's face was a fucking picture when he first found out i was here."
"I'll bet," Kirsty says. "I'm just.. i'm glad Daryl moved on, and don't look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you used to look back in the day every time i mentioned his name. I'm happy for him and Rosita, it makes me feel better knowing he has someone, and that they're gonna have a family soon," Negan looks down at his feet, a hurt look on his face. Kirsty places her hand under his chin. "Hey, what's with the face?"
"I just, i wish that would happen for us," Negan says.
Kirsty smiles. "I know, and if we're meant to have children, it'll happen. But if it doesn't, then we still have each other."
Negan nods with a smile, he takes out the pup, holding it in his hands. "We need a name for this little guy."
Kirsty watches him kiss the pup, and her heart melts. "Max?"
"Max? Why Max?" Negan frowns.
"I had a dog called Max, and he looks like a Max, don't you think?"
"Hmm, Max it is then," Negan smiles, wrapping an arm around her as he holds Max between them. He chuckles as Kirsty makes cooing noises, stroking Max gently. "I love you, baby."
"I love you too," she smiles.
"I tell you what, how about you take this little guy, and go put your feet up. I'll make us something to eat," Negan smiles.
"You don't have to ask me twice," she smiles, taking Max and heading for the lounge. Kirsty sits on the sofa, Max nuzzling his nose against her arm. She breathes deeply, watching Negan with a content smile.