Chapter 29
Camille woke up with a snort upon hearing a jeep driving back in thru the gates. A hopeful smile graced her mouth as she quickly got up and looked at the jeep.
The only people in the jeep were Simon and 3 other officers. Simon got out with a battered and torn, bloodied shirt in his hands.
Camille frowned, her eyes went wide.
Negan walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "What's the news?" he asked.
Simon walked up to them, "We found him. It...it wasn't pretty," he said blatantly then looked at Camille and thrust the shirt at her. "This was the only thing on him intact. I'm sorry Camille," he said backing away once she took the shirt.
"Cammy, I'm sorry..." Negan started only to be stopped when she turned around, his hand dropping from her shoulder.
"Oh no, you don't get to say that. You're the reason he's dead!" she shouted in anger and grief.
"No, I'm not. He couldn't hang and I made it easy for him," Negan reminded her calmly.
"Bullshit!" she screeched, "You couldn't stand it could you? You couldn't take that someone else was happy."
"Everything I fuckin' do is to make you happy!" Negan said getting loud himself.
"I never would have done what you did. If I was running this place and you managed to find a Lucille again...I would never have risked her safety. You're an evil soulless bastard!" she shouted, their spat drawing a small crowd.
"Hey! Watch your fuckin mouth!" he growled, his hand tightening around his bat.
"Get angry you piece of shit because you and I are settling this right the fuck now," she growled back and took her machete from its holder that was always on her.
Negan laughed and lifted Lucille to point at her, "You really think you can fight me, Camille? Come on now, take a few deep breaths."
Flipping the weapon in her hand, she then threw it handle first right at his head. The bottom of the handle was reinforced with rubber for easy breaking of windows and such...and it bounced right off his head.
"Ow! Fucking Godamnit Camille!" he yelled, dropping Lucille and held his head.
Camille dove at him, getting his large frame to the ground using her quickness and the element of surprise. She started to throw punch after punch until Negan was able to push her off and pin her to the ground, holding her fists against the dirt. She did manage to kick him a few times in the chest before he got up and started dragging her inside. Cammy fought the whole way but she was soon tossed into her apartment and onto the couch.
Negan held her down with the business end of Lucille.
"You fucking stop his bullshit before I put an end to it," he growled, his face bloodied and bruised.
"Do it! Do it now then! Because if you don't I'm gonna keep coming at you until one of us are dead," she growled between her teeth.
Taking a breath, Negan laid Lucille on Camille's coffee table and kneeled in front of where she was sitting. He reached up to hold the sides of her face, she fought him of course but he kept his hands firm until she gave up.
"Cammy..fucking stop it. Stop," he said calmly looking right into her eyes. "I'm sorry he failed. I am. But if he failed a test that I made easy for him...he wouldn't have lasted. He may not have died today or tomorrow...but it was gonna end up happening. You feel me you little shit?" he asked in a softer voice.
Camille sat there, quiet and fuming for the longest time until her breathing finally calmed. But it was only for a moment because she started to sob. Not just a cry, but a heart-wrenching, soul-aching sob of grief for the man she lost. She let out a wail and her head dropped, tears fell off her face.
"W-Why did you have you to test him? I wouldn't have done that to you. You don't test your wives, why did you test my fiance?" she whimpered so so sad that Negan had to look away from her for a moment. "You sent him knowing he could very well die...it wasn't necessary," she cried.
Negan shook his head, his hands still holding her wet face.
"Camille. I send most people here into danger. I don't like it, I don't like losing anyone...but certain things have to be done to make this place better. I sent you into a harder initiation because I rather have lost you due to my own volition than some...fucked up reason," he tried to explain to her. "You have no damned idea how much this hurts me because not only did I lose someone who could have done great things here...but I hurt the one fucking person I loved as much as Lucille," he admitted.
Her hands moved to her eyes and she started to cry again.
"Make it right Negan. I know you can do anything. Make it right, please!" she begged him, her grief-filled mind thinking he could raise the dead. "Plllleeasssee," she whined, "I don't ask for much, I never bug you, I do everything you say...just bring Peter back to me."
He let out a sigh and gently pulled her hands away from her eyes. Leaning forward he rested his forehead against hers.
"Cammy..." he said then took a breath, "I would move the fucking heavens and earth to bring Peter back to you. I would give up my own life to bring him back knowing it would make you happy. But I can't, I hate that I can't," he told her in a soft voice.
Hearing him say those things, Camille just crumbled and her face ended up nuzzled into his neck as she started to cry again.
Negan moved, keeping her close and sat on the couch. His arms wrapped around her tightly as he held her body against his. As she cried he just held her and kissed the top of her head.
"You cry Camille, cry all you want. I gotcha ya little shit," he mused softly and rested his chin ontop her head.
"You're all I got now," she whimpered.
Negan got quiet...but that was due to him smiling. He got his way, things were going to be back to normal. He planned to console Camille the best he could. He figured this bit of pain she was experiencing would pass and everything would be just fine. Status Quo and the most important person in his life would no longer be poisioned by an idiot. Everything was right in the world.
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