IXX.
"Little pig, little pig—" the sonofabitch shouted, hitting the bars, "Let me in—"
Rick twisted to Carl, "Go find Dwight and Cherry, hide them in the detention cell—" The makeshift cell was still the one what Deanne had made up from one of the empty houses, they still hadn't done their proper prison.
Goodness, this was too soon—a way too soon. He shot a look at Daryl, as the hunter's whole day tensed—as worse as his… "Daryl—" Rick warned, "Keep cool. We need to keep cool."
His face cast off stone, Daryl gave him a brief, curt nod. Rick started walking to the gate. Spencer had already arrived, and ordered the guard posted at the guard, Ben, a barely teenager around Carl, to slide open the fenced canopy, but let the real barred doors closed.
"Who are you?" Spencer asked, giving him a look.
In front of the trucks that parked in front of their gate, Negan started laughing, his eyes finding Rick's over the younger man's shoulder, "Ah, here the man of the hour comes—" he shouted again, and turned his eyes to Spencer, "He'd make the introductions."
Rick stopped in front of the gate, and motioned at Ben to open it, "Come on, man, tell them who I am—it's bad manners not to."
Rick sent him a glare as the bastard stepped in, but complied… He had to play along. "He's Negan." He had to play along…he passed in his mind again, "We were waiting you the next week."
"Had to change the plans—" Negan shrugged back, and twisting his neck, gave Rick another sickly snicker, "Your wifey…she can be very persuasive."
His jaw clenched, throbbing with pain as he gritted his teeth, "Where is she?" Rick rasped out back, "Where are they?"
The bastard softly whistled, "Come down here, doll," he called out.
The beast inside started roaring again—wanting to rip him off—punch him at the face, broke his jaw, made him choke on his teeth… His eyes blackened, and he fisted his hands tightly—and heard Daryl's guttural grunts.
They broke his trance. He forced himself to relax… He had to do this…For them. For Amanda, for Beth. The psychopath wanted them to react. He was here to rub it at their face. They—they shouldn't fall into his trap again.
Then Rick heard it—a staccato rhythmic clinking on the asphalt—pronounced, unmistakable…heels… Rick listened to the sounds of heels as someone walked—then behind the trucks Amanda slowly emerged.
And Rick stared…
No… No… No! No!
Everything he'd feared for the last night—everything he'd dreaded would happen to her—This… His head started spinning as Rick looked at her as she walked toward them, her eyes finding his, too.
She—she looked beautiful, so beautiful, it hurt him. It hurt him like someone was tearing him apart, eating him alive, feeding on his heart… She was wearing a fitting black dress, her slight bulging stomach more apparent over the long black coat she wore over the dress, a cashmere black scarf wrapped her long, graceful neck, black sleek shoes with sharp heels echoing at the asphalt with each step she took toward him. Her face had make-up, too, her hair curled and redesigned, and she looked alluring, she looked gorgeous, she looked beautiful, and she shouldn't.
God, no…
Amanda was the most adaptable creature she'd ever seen all of his life, Rick remembered his thought, but could she—could she…do it? Could she become one of the bastard's wife over a night? No. The answer came to him such a clarity, Rick let out the breath he wasn't aware he was holding.
No. Amanda would never. She hated men like Negan. She'd never betray him like that in exchange of safety. That was never her, never.
The bastard must be forcing her hands—just to torture Rick further, rub it at his face… His eyes turned to Negan. The man titled his head again when Amanda stood beside him, holding her hands in front of her.
This time at least they weren't tied. "Bring our little nightingale, too," Negan ordered, and a few seconds later, Beth emerged behind the trucks too, wearing another black dress just like Amanda, her hair done, her face beautiful with make-up.
"They wanted to come—" Negan explained then when Beth stood at his other side, and the sick bastard threw his two arms over their shoulders—
Daryl made a move in answer, darting toward him, but Rick stopped the hunter, raising his hands, and stared at the man, "They wanted to show you how good they are—wanted to show you how good I'm taking care of them—" the sonofabitch laughed loudly, "Don't you, dolls?" he asked, titling his chin down to look at them, "Ain't I taking care of you good?" he snickered as his eyes darted between Rick's and Daryl's, "Some might even say better than sorry shits, eh?"
Rick's hand fisted along his hip as he glowered, as Negan laughed again, and started walking inside, "Let's see what you got for me, little pigs—"
Just as he started walking again, dragging Beth and Amanda too, a walker slipped by through the trucks and came at their sides. Even before Rick pulled out his gun, one of Negan's men pinned the walker down.
Negan laughed again, shaking his head, "Will you look at that!" he cried out, "We already started protecting you!" He dragged Amanda and Beth a step forward, "My, good thing that we're here, huh?"
Over his shoulder, Amanda's eyes flicked over him, looking at him pleadingly, and Rick remembered his oath… He was going to kill the bastard. The most horrible way possible.
# # #
Amanda was experiencing once again knowing something and living it was entirely two different things. She'd known how it was going to be once they were back at Alexandria, of course she did, but well, living the moment was worse than she had expected.
It hurt seeing Rick like this—looking at her like this, at first with disbelief and shock, then with—suspicion, thoughts running over his mind she could see it clearly in his clear blue eyes, then as if a veil lifting off his gaze, he realized what was happening—her smart man always had a quick wit. He'd understood her hands were being forced, and the bastards taunting words were just adding insult to jury, yet they had to learn to live with it.
They had to.
And by the way he had forced his fisted hands unclenching, Amanda knew Rick trying to swallow the bitter medicine.
Her eyes flickered at him as they passed him by over Negan's shoulders, begging silently to understand and didn't make a scene—and got a hold of Daryl.
With the corner of her eyes, Amanda could see Daryl was no better than him, but the roughish hunter had a temper even worse than Rick. They had to suck it up. They all did. "Wow—no wonder you wanted to come back, doll—This town's fucking awesome!" Negan exclaimed, tilting his head downward, his arm still over her shoulder, as the other was holding Beth's at the other side, "Which one of those is yours?"
Rick came to her side, and opened his mouth, but lowering his arm over her shoulder toward her waist, he grabbed her and pulled her closer to his side. "Nah—you can't talk to them… It's forbidden." He laughed, "You only…watch."
Rick's jaw throbbed again, and Amanda decided to cut the bullshit. She needed to talk to Rick. Now. She twisted her neck, "Five minutes—" she hissed at the bastard, "You promised me five minutes. I want it now." Rick's eyes grew sterner after her words, and she pulled back from his grip, and gritted through her teeth, though making sure her words would carry over both men, "And we're not to be touched by anyone, remember?"
Even though speculation darkened his blue eyes, the tension in Rick's squared jaw lessened a bit, she could see it even under his beard, a relief washing over his expression, and she wanted to throw herself at him, tell him no one could touch her, no one but him. She was his.
She had to tell him.
But she wasn't allowed to.
"Jesus Christ, cool down, woman!" Negan exclaimed again, pulling off his arms off both of them, shaking his head, and lifted his eyes at Rick, and there was laughter in his eyes, a sinister laughter, and Amanda knew whatever was that going to come out of his fucking mouth, she was going to fucking hate it.
"Boy, she's the most snappish woman I've ever met!" the bastard leaned over Rick, taking a few steps further, "You do her good, Rick?" the bastard asked then, "'Cause you see…the way she's, puff," he snickered with a huff, leaning even further, Rick was staring ahead, and Amanda let out a soft breath, turning her eyes away, "She always sounds like she needs someone to fuck her brains out."
Rick's eyes snapped so fast at him, her heart skipped a beat, and she feared this time Rick was going to do it—jumped on the fucking bloody bastard again. Negan laughed at him hard again, and twisted toward her, "So, doll, lead the way—your home."
Amanda didn't make him repeat the words a second time. She turned on her heels and started walking toward her home. God, this was going to suck. Negan scattered the rest of this entourage around the town with a wave of his hands, and his people wandered away to started sacking the town. The town she'd lost her baby—almost sacrificed her chances to have another baby—the town they'd fought and protected with their blood…her home.
Tears came to her eyes, seeing them entering into houses with rude laughter and snickers, and her hand went to her stomach… Alexandria. They needed Alexandria, a safe haven from the shitstorm out there—their refugee, where they got to live, all of them together. Her family.
And these sick bastards were taking it away from them.
She wondered if this was how Rick had felt losing the prison—losing his home, and the thought that Rick was living this shit once again almost buckle her knees and made her drop down. She—she must be beside him, held his hand, be there for him. Told him it was going to pass—like it had before, he was…he was going to find a way, like he'd done before, brought them back together, because it was what he did. Even Deanne had seen it.
But she couldn't. She wasn't even allowed to look at him openly, wasn't allowed to talk to him, touch to him… Negan had been quite clear on that. He'd told them on the way, told them if they disobeyed, someone was going to be punished. Severely.
Outside the porch, she stopped, her steps faltering—Judith and Carl… her little baby angel, with this maniac—her stomach twisted into knots again, imagining the sick bastard touching her baby angel, and Carl—Carl was an adolescent, was always quick to throw tantrums fittingly, he shouldn't be with him. The sonofabitch noticed her hesitation and stopped at the porch.
"What's it, doll?" he asked, his eyes heavily on hers, his bat going up over his shoulder again, and his lips pulled out, "Memories, eh?"
Then Judith in his arms, Carl walked out to the porch. As soon as he saw them, Negan understood, "Look at that!" he exclaimed, looking back at her, "You already got a baby!"
"Mommmieee—" Judith cried, seeing her, trying to reach at her over Carl, and her chest swelled with emotions so suddenly, her eyes watered, Negan motioned at her with his head, "Go on, doll, don't make her cry," he told her then.
Amanda rushed at Judith and took her in her embrace, pressing her baby at her chest, burying her head over her neck, breathing her scent into her nostrils until her head spun…
She held her tears forcefully—she couldn't cry—she couldn't cry in front of him… He opened the door and motioned at her and Rick again, "Go inside—" he ordered with another tilt of head, and turned to Arat, their two other bodyguards, "They stay here—" he ordered too, waving at Daryl and Beth, "He can stay—but no talk…" he stressed out with another snicker as Amanda stepped inside, "You can only look."
Inside she stood up, Judith in his arms, Carl and Rick standing a few feet from him. Negan turned to Carl, "You're his son?" he asked.
Wordlessly, Carl nodded. Negan walked toward them closer, his eyes on Carl's Sheriff hat. He shook his head, "Goodness! This's the most hideous fashion statement I've ever had the misfortunate to see, boy!" he exclaimed, tipping the hat with a finger, "Where did you find it?"
Rick's jaw throbbed again as Carl's eyes found Negan's under his hat, and glared… "It's dads'," Carl answered.
"Fuck me good!" Negan exclaimed and turned to Rick again, "You were Sheriff before?" he asked, and laughed hard, "I thought you were just a cop like her." He turned to her then, eyeing her with Judith curiously, "Why didn't you tell me you already had a daughter, doll?" He walked to her, and a curt edge entered into her voice, "Were you lying to me?" he asked, his eyes suddenly glinting with menace.
She shook her head, "No. I'm not her biological mother," she answered, "She's Rick's daughter."
Judith was their daughter, no matter what, but she wasn't going to tell them about Lori's infidelity. Better if the maniac knew Judith was Ricks'. But Negan gave out a snicker, shaking his head at her, "You really couldn't help yourself, could you?"
She grimaced as Rick frowned, not understanding what the words meant but understanding it meant something. "I want my five-minute," she told the maniac then. She had to talk to Rick. It couldn't go on like this.
With a sigh, he nodded. "Go on then, have it your ways." Like a bolt, Amanda rushed at Rick, as his brows clenched further and caught his hand before he could do anything else and started dragging him upstairs. "And no funny stuff… I'm warning you, doll," he yelled after her as she climbed the stairs.
Amanda didn't fucking care, she just wanted to go to her room and throw herself at Rick, hold him between in her arms, wanted him to hold her in his arms… wanted him to kiss her, hold her, caress her hair, bite the corner of her mouth—god, she wanted him. She wanted him so fucking much.
She walked into their room, the room—the scents—the furniture—the air—everything, everything she'd so much fucking missed over a night assaulting her—time was really relative. A night at Sanctuary with her family had passed like a lifetime. Rick closed the door, following her inside, "Amanda—" he started, but spinning around, she didn't let him.
She threw herself at him, hugging him fiercely, her arms clasping around his neck in a tight grip, her eyes watering. "Rick—" she breathed out, bringing him closer to her, "Rick…"
Wrapping his arms around her waist, Rick hoisted her up along his body, his lips finding hers— They started kissing hungrily. Her back hit at the door as he slipped off her coat over her shoulders, and she raised herself up on him further and wrapped her legs over his waist, the back of her stilettos digging under his ass.
Dresses…dresses and stay up stockings were the best fucking stuff that had ever invented by the mankind. His hand slipped over the sheer fabric and then went over her naked inner thigh…and found her G-string…
It stopped and he pulled back an inch, her body still held in his arms, "Amanda—he—he made you wear these?" he sputtered out, his electric blue eyes finding hers, and she swallowed, looking at him… "Amanda, what's happening?" His eyes narrowed, "What's this five-minute? What did you do?"
She unclasped her legs, and slid down off him, her moment of frenzied lust quenched. "I—I made a bargain," she forced out through her tight throat, "I'm—I—I'll work for him."
He took a step back, "What?!"
She shook her head, "I had no choice!" she exclaimed, started explaining quickly—they didn't have time for this. Only five minutes…only five, and there was so much stuff they should take. "He wanted to put us into cells," so she began, "Negan—He doesn't have the control over his people as much as he'd like. It wasn't safe. We needed to get out of there." Rick gave her a half nod in agreement, but his eyes were still having that alert wariness, keen and sharp eyes searching through her, "I messed up with him," Amanda continued, "told him I noticed Simon went behind his back and destructed Hilltop without his consent, and told him I'd work for him."
With the last words, he flinched, his jaw clenching, "Work for him how?" he rasped, "Wearing stockings and G-strings?"
"Goddammit! Yes!" she almost yelled back, her voice a seething hiss cattish. They were losing time, bickering at each other. "Look," she told him then, "We don't have much time. We shouldn't fight."
He turned around, and walked away in the middle of the room, "Excuse my temper, Amanda," he spat, waving an arm at her, "I've lost it seeing my wife coming at the arm of a sadistic maniac wearing dresses, stilettos, stockings and G-strings!"
"Rick—please—" She walked toward him back—he shook his head at her.
"How could you even accept this?!"
"Would you rather have me rot in a cell, waiting to be raped or tortured, or got raped or tortured or what!" she spat, "Your ego would've felt better in that way?!"
That got him shut the fuck up. Amanda breathed out a long drawl, shaking her head, "This's why he accepted it—make us fight like this," she muttered under her breath.
She always knew. She'd played on it, but now, facing Rick she was fucking hating it. Though, fair to be her, she also knew that it was going to suck, so she guessed she had to just suck it up. Learn to live with it. Just like she'd told the damn bastard before. Just like he had to do, too.
"Look, we made a bargain. He's putting me on view like a circus monkey, all pretty and like this—" She waved her around over her dress, "because I'm your wife, so get over it.!" She'd started rather well, but as she kept going on, her voice raised again despite her best effort. She quelled it down and went on, "In return, he's accepted to treat us as guests, and agreed to give his protection, and five minutes alone with you."
Rick's eyes grew suspicious, "And he accepted this just because you're my wife—"
"I can be very persuasive," she repeated Negan's words, staring at him. His eyes darkened, electric blue turning into a tempest after her words, "This's another submission, Rick. I'm your wife, your pregnant wife, lapping around on his word—" she sighed, "This's not a game. Look how it made you furious. It makes him stand stronger in front of others."
"Is this supposed to feel me better?" he bit off, giving her another look.
"It's what it's," she said quietly, shrugging her shoulders off almost in defeat, "I'm sorry." She fucking hated it, but she just had to suck it up.
But within a heartbeat, Rick was onto her, and his arms clutched her upper arms, "I'm gonna get you outta there—I-I—" Getting panicked, she shook her head agitatedly. That was exact reason why she'd had to come!
"No!" she exclaimed out, "No. It's suicide. You can't. We have to wait."
His fingers dug at her skin, "Not an option!" he hissed, "I'm not going to wait while he does this to you, Amanda."
Flickering her eyes, she checked his wrist and saw that the half of their time had already passed from his watch. They'd lost so much time fighting. "Rick, listen to me. We don't have much time left. They've got seven outposts and three hundred and fifty-four people in total. You can't win this way. Dwight and Cherry had no idea what they were into. I'm beginning to get an idea, fair and square," she summarized the situation for him, and added, "But I'm in. And Negan likes to talk. Likes to boast."
His eyes narrowed, "Amanda, tell me you're not thinking what I'm thinking what you're thinking!"
She stepped further in his embrace, breaking their contact, and touched his cheek, "Rick, babe, we have to play smart. I'm circled by his wives and his lieutenants. Just over a day, I managed to get out of him they got seven outposts out there. Imagine what I could dig out if I stay a bit while longer."
"No. Absolutely not!" He shook his head, breathing out loud, "Jesus Christ! You're not some Nikita, Amanda! You're pregnant."
"This is why I have to do it, Rick. For our family. I don't want us to live under his thumb."
He held her shoulders again, "No. You hear me, no. Never!" he hissed at her angrily, "I'm gonna get you out there!"
"And imagine you did, imagine you got me out there—what happens then?" she shot back, "What will we do?"
Her only answer was his silence. He also knew it wasn't that easy. He just didn't want to admit it. "As soon as we're gone, Negan comes back here—to get back us!" Amanda pressed further, "We can't win like that! He's got the numbers, but he's really got problems, too, with his lieutenant," she started talking faster.
God, she had to be quick, she had to make him see it! She had to! "That's the real reason why he agreed on my offer, Rick. He wants to keep them in line. What happened last night isn't only for us. We agreed on that I'll work for him, will find him his troublemakers. He understood I've got natural talent for politics. And this Simon…this Simon is worse than him, Rick. If we kill Negan, we might even make things worse for us. Think about it. If I can work on them, divide them further apart, drive a wedge between until they completely break apart, then they'll have to deal with themselves, two rats fighting for dominance. Just so as you can find time to forfeit our walls, build us an army, a real one. Find supplies, more people, train them. Remember the mob wars? How Families sometimes used to get divided and then all hell would broke loose?" she asked, "We didn't use to do any shit about it, just watch it while they take care of themselves," she continued, still not taking any breath, "then take out what remains at last."
"It's dangerous—" Rick shot back, "What remains usually is the most dangerous one."
She shook her head, "Is it more dangerous than coming back here, trying to deal with him while he got the numbers?" she cried over, "we can't win like that, Rick!"
His eyes found hers, "We leave—" he told her then all in serious, staring at her openly, "We take the kids and go away. Find another place, start over." He shook his head, "You can't do this."
"And go where!" she cried out, throwing her hands in the air… Where? There was no place, no place safe. And after all they had suffered, after all they had sacrificed and worked to keep this place up, would they let it go…try to make it at somewhere else…let down people who trusted them…leave them at Negan's mercy… She shook her head. No. Not an option. "These are our people. We can't leave them. We can't leave them to Negan!"
"We take Beth and Daryl—" Rick told her, but she cut him off. No.
"No, no—" she opposed breathless, "No…Alexandria is our home. We fought for her. We bled for her. I bled out there on her streets to keep her safe! Good people died for her. We earned her with blood and tears. For our children! I'm not giving it away. Judith and Carl are not going to live like we had to, like wild animals. My babies will not be born in the wilderness. They will not!"
Never. Alexandria was their hope—a better world… They could never give up on that. Never. "Amanda—" Rick softly called at her, walking on in her closer, "Please."
She gave a head of shake. No. No. They couldn't do it. "You told me you'll let me take charge in public—" she told him then, her eyes finding his, challenging, "If you really meant it, Rick, then you will listen to me!"
He was looking at him back, directly, openly, but silently. "You told me, Rick!" she whispered again fiercely, rising her hands to show him her chaffed wrist, "You told me you'll listen to me!"
He shook his head, "I told you're the leader, Amanda," he told her then, "but in the matters of security, I still have the full authority. No."
Her eyes glistened, hurting, "You promised me," she reminded him back, "You promised me a real life, Rick."
That got his resolves shaken. "Amanda…" he whispered, walking even closer, his fingers going through her done locks as he cupped her cheek, "Baby, I—I can't endanger you like that—" His eyes on her almost done her, though she didn't know what for, "I have to keep you safe."
Words turned in her mind, as he spun her head…his closeness, his warmth, his smell…his everything—he was her everything. Everything she'd ever wanted, ever needed. But…but they couldn't leave… They…could not… Steeling herself, she pulled an inch back from him. "You have to trust me. I can do it. I can make it."
"Amanda—"
Whatever he was going to stay was cut with a heavy thud at the door, and Amanda knew what it was. The blasted baseball bat.
She was going to burn that thing! When she was done, when she brought down their fucking home on their heads, she was going to burn that damn thing as well.
But first, they had to endure it.
She stepped out of his arms, and repeated for the last time, "You promised me."
She then turned on her heels, and walked on the door, and opened it.
Negan smiled at her. "Finished?" he asked, giving her a leery look, eyeing her ruffled hair and the coat over the ground.
She walked past by him, "Yeah, we are."
# # #
The scene was going to make the worst of his nightmares…watching her walking away from him—that sadistic bastard at her heels, knowing that she was willing to sacrifice so much for them again.
No…how could he let her? How could he let her do it? Play a spy game with a psychopath while she was pregnant with his babies. How?
They—they should leave—all of them… Find another home, start over. He should take her back and find another home themselves. They could do it. They'd already made it. It—it wasn't worth it. The home…home wasn't a place nowhere, but them. As long as they were together, it was what that mattered.
But—they—they had stayed out there too long, as well. He remembered the road, lost in the wilderness and misery… No. They couldn't do it, either. They also needed a place….
Alexandria. I bled on her streets out there… her words echoed in his souls… You promised me.
A real life, a better life… He—he put it back together, he had. It was—it wasn't fair. They—they'd earned this, earned Alexandria. Amanda was right. They'd earned it by their blood, tears, sweat, so many good people they had lost…and that fucking maniac was taking it away, even his wife, and Rick was watching it—
You promised me, her voice echoed in the blankness of his mind again. You promised me…
He'd promised her so many things… promises he couldn't keep.
Bowing his head, he touched the bridge of his nose, feeling the headache creeping over the back of his eyes again, the despair slowly clutching at him—
Rick shook it off. They—they had to fight. They had to…but would he fight like that? Was that the answer?
A man could bear most anything if he must, he remembered again, but could he really endure that? Could he let her be with that man—playing with fire as he sat here waiting?
How she could even ask that!
It'd be damn easier if she'd asked him to rip off his chest and give to her his heart.
Another bark of laughter erupted from downstairs got him out of his dark musings, and Rick started walking out. Whatever damn thing he was going to do it—at first, he was going to watch her leaving with the sadistic bastard.
At least—at least, he knew she was fine. A small mercy as it was, but Rick needed every little of it now.
"Wow! Look at that beard! Feral!" Rick heard his bouncing voice before he made back in the hall. Back there, Negan was standing up, laughing, holding Deanne's old camera in front of him, Carl holding up Judith as Amanda glared at him at the corner—and his steps faltered as Rick heard his own voice.
"Because it's all survival now…at any cost," his record spoke in the silence of the room, "People out there are always looking for an angle, looking to play on your weakness." He closed his eyes momentarily as the sick bastard gave out another bark of laughter, "They measure you by what they can take from you. How they can use you to live."
The man closed the screen shut, and it was silence again, the recording stopping. Negan laughed another time. "Fuck me good! You weren't a bloody idiot after all."
Looking to play on your weakness… Calling his wife doll, putting her on view, making her wear dresses and heels, making crude jokes just to get under his skin… Just to break him. And, the bastard was making a hell of a good job of it. He was breaking.
His hands fisting, his eyes drew at Amanda as she silently gave him a look simply saying don't. "Let's clear the house, doll, so you could feel better at home—Arat!" and he shouted as Rick moved. That was enough! Fucking enough! Alexandria was her home! Their house was her home. He was her home.
"Rick!" she snapped his name, taking a step closer to him, but Negan raised his bat at her before she could take another one, "Go back! Now!" he shouted at her, "Your five-minute is done. No more talking now."
Rick watched her taking a step back, breathing out—and his eyes flickered at the coffee table. It was half glass. He was standing close to it. If he threw himself at the bastard, they would fall in it…The taciturn woman and others barged in as Rick played the move inside his mind, opportunity missing.
"Move out—" Negan told them, waving his hand, and Amanda turned and started walking out as if to make him come back to his senses. Negan's men—Negan's men were at everywhere. If he did a move—No. He wouldn't risk that, not yet. He—he had to cool down. Not let him get under his skin. That was why the bastard was here, he reminded himself, forcing himself to cool down, to rub it at his face.
Rick started following her, Carl looking at him—angrily under his hat… He—he… outside the porch what he saw stopped his thoughts.
They were taking everything…everything, clearing out the houses even down the mattresses. At the porch, in silence, Beth was watching the scene, too, her eyes glistened with unshed tears as Daryl watched her.
"What?" Amanda breathed out, turning to Negan, "This—you can't do this—" she said, "You said...half of everything—" She waved her arm, "You're taking everything!"
Negan shrugged, "Change of plans—gotta to give these cocksuckers a little bit motivation—" He smiled at her, "Stop glaring. I'm leaving half of the food."
"You're fucking generous," she snarled.
"Language, woman!"
Wrong! The word flashed in his mind. Wrong. This was wrong! Her—bickering with the fucking bastard like this, with that glint in his eyes—reminding him—reminding Rick…
His heart stopped as he realized it. Perhaps the fucking bastard was doing this to rub it at his face, to get under his skin, but…but Negan—he was getting engaged with her…with his wife, with his beautiful, pregnant wife, suddenly it was so clear to Rick. That glint, that half leery smile… Rick knew it; it'd started like with him, too, annoyed but also attracted even before he knew what he was drawn into!
Everything, everything was getting worse by every moment. Amanda liked nice men, she hated men like Negan, men like Gorman…but men like them…men like them… men who liked challenges, liked to force people into submissions…The thoughts turned in his mind rapidly. He had to get her out of there. He had to get her away from him. Now.
He took a step forward, without even not realizing what he was doing—what he should do—then one of his men brought Eugene, yanking him off his collar, the man's other hand holding a list—The gruffy man gave it to Negan, "He was making this list when he found him," he said, and Rick understood.
Worse, getting worse every second!
He'd realized what that list was. "Wow! Such a shopping list." Negan bellowed out, and eyed Eugene carefully, "What's these for? Explosives?"
"They've got also a fuel tank out the fences."
"Hmm—" Negan hummed, bouncing on his heels, and turned to Rick, "Oh, boy…you're full of surprises, Rick." He motioned at him the next, "Get it, and confiscate all their weapons, too." He shook his head, his eyes turning to Rick again, "You aren't getting the wrong idea, Rick, are you?"
He stayed in silence as the bastard kept looking at him—and Rick looked at back. "Doll told me she won't let you do something stupid," the bastard then commented airily, "Will you not do something stupid, will you, Rick?" he asked, as if challenging him to do it—and Rick's eyes skipped at Amanda for a second, and she was again looking at him with that look—pleading, soft light eyes begging at him silently.
Rick only said, "No."
Not yet. No.
"Good!" the sadistic maniac exclaimed out, then started climbing down the steps of the porch as from heir left side an uproar arose in the town. Their heads snapped at the sounds, Rick wishing no one else had done something stupid, then saw Dwight and Cherry getting pushed out of the empty house they'd put them in.
And Amanda's face whitened upon seeing them.
Rick gave out a sharp breath out of his nose. Goddammit!
Negan shook his head, looking at Dwight and Cherry, and turned to Amanda, "You're a damn good liar, woman—" he told her, still shaking his head, "But lying to me like that... That's not cool. So. not. cool."
Amanda visibly swallowed, "They—"
He raised his hand, pointing the bat to her, "Stop now. We're gonna talk about this later."
Then he turned around and stepped down from the porch. "Holy moly shit, look what we've found, little pigs!" he shouted, staggering towards the pair, rising the bat over his shoulder.
Oki doki, here we are... Negan, Rick, and Amanda, all together in the same place. Good thing that they all are still alive. The next chapter is gonna be THE chapter, something I wanted to do from the start, and it's gonna be dark, I mean, really disturbing, and it's almost finished, just need to tweak it a bit before I post it.
So I'll see you shortly, I think.
Until then, ciaociao.
