Summary- Sunny is on the run and Negan is the last to know.
Word Count- 4.7k
Warnings- Angsty feels...no boning. Shocking, I know. But get used to it. We're in plot mode now.
Notes: Do I know it's been a year and a half since my last update? Am I aware that I have written 28 other stories since starting this one? Yes, it haunts me. I'm using Camp NaNoWriMo to get this story up and moving again. Wish me luck. Also, this was canon adjacent when I started it way back when. There are going to be a lot of old characters that aren't in the show anymore because I've had this planned out since, what, December 2016? lol. Yikes.
Negan woke with a long, languid stretch of his limbs. His hands reached to the other side of the bed for the warm body of his wife, hoping to nestle his morning wood into the curve of her backside, but his grasping fingers were met with only air and silky sheets. He cracked open his eyes. The bed was empty. Shit.
He sat up, the bedding falling to his waist, his hands scrubbed the salt and pepper stubble on his chin before running through his hair. He scanned the room for Sunny but her small figure was nowhere to be seen. His brows knitted together, blood racing, before noticing the light that shone from under the bathroom door.
Grabbing his jeans from the floor, he pulled them on. Tugging the corner of the comforter, he made the bed. He may not be able to bounce a quarter of it, but it was good enough. He chose not to pick out an outfit, she probably wouldn't wear whatever he chose for her anyways in a fit of rebellion. She made it clear she was done with the rules and games they played.
He left the room to get the rest of his clothes from his closet in the office. He would let her cool off a little more. She was obviously still mad and needed some space if she had gotten up before him to hide.
Normally, he could just fuck her silly until she forgot what was bothering her. However, last night was the first night they hadn't had sex since she arrived. And this time it wouldn't be enough. He would have to talk to her. He prided himself on being more of a man of action. Typically, that action was either fighting or fucking. Communication had never been his strong suit.
Right now, however, he would do what he always did. He would make his morning rounds. Get the newest reports. Then bring Sunny her breakfast. Going through the motions would give him something to do to keep him from brooding on that closed door and the possible walls she was building between them.
"Fuck," he muttered as he locked the door behind him. He felt his mood souring. He didn't want to deal with anyone. He only wanted her and what kind of a pussy-whipped fool did that make him? Did he even care?
He half listened to the reports on any incidents that happened during the night. It was pretty quiet. A few walkers needed to be replaced on the wall. The remnants of one or two were no more than a snarling puddle having decomposed through the chains and poles that bound them. Not exactly the height of fucking security.
As he left his office, crowds of survivors knelt as he passed, heavy boots hitting the floor in the silence of their deference rang in his ears as never before. Their unkempt clothing a sign of their station in life. Ragamuffin children leaned into their mothers, hiding from his gaze.
The warning Sunny had given him, replayed in his mind. How long did they really have before the workers realized they didn't need the Saviors. Didn't need him? What would happen to them?
He knew what he would fucking do. He would grab Sunny and Lucille and high-tail it out of there as fucking fast as he could. They would live in her house without anyone ever knowing. The two of them and Sherry, he supposed, would live a comfortable life. It actually seemed like a dream now. But he would make sure there was no need. No uprising. No mutiny. He could keep this ship afloat. Hell, he was on his way to having a whole fucking armada of outposts and communities at his disposal.
Negan took a tray from the kitchen and made the trek back upstairs to their floor. Breakfast seemed to be some sort of oatmeal concoction with a few sad berries on top. If she didn't like it she could grab a peanut butter jelly sandwich from the fridge. Better than nothing, he thought. But not as good as she was eating at home. He shook that truth from his mind.
Hopefully, she'd be out. They could have their fucking talk and figure out what she could do that would both keep her safe and happy. Then they could move the fuck on with their lives.
But when he entered the bedroom the bathroom door was still shut. Fuck. Hell hath no fucking fury...
He set down the tray on the table. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the bathroom door. "Sunny, I've got your breakfast out here."
Silence.
He leaned against the door, his gravelly voice reverberating against the wood. "Babydoll, you've got to eat something. Why don't you come out and we can talk?"
Still nothing.
He bit back a growl. "You can't stay in there forever, honey. I'll be back at lunch. And we will be talking."
Negan grabbed Lucille. Blowing off steam and gathering more walkers seemed like the only thing he could do that wouldn't result in the death of some ill-fated fucker that was unlucky enough to cross his path.
Trees loomed over her, the branches shading her from the noonday sun but doing nothing to help with the humidity that made the air thick and sticky. Her shirt was already damp with sweat. Her hair had been thrown into a ponytail but stragglers still stuck to her neck and forehead.
Sunny had been walking for what seemed like forever but in reality, was only a few hours. She kept off the main roads, just inside the tree line. Her ears were on alert for the rumble of engines or the groans of walkers, every snap of a twig sending her into a panic though she had spotted neither yet.
The world was so different. Abandoned cars lined the roads. Buildings were empty, their windows either broken or boarded up. So many were being overtaken by plantlife. It was everything apocalyptic movies had promised with the added threat of reanimated corpses ready to eat her if they got the chance.
She palmed the knife at her side for the millionth time that morning. Her only weapon would require close contact. Why hadn't she stolen a gun?
Because you wouldn't have shot it anyways, Sunny. Why did you leave? It wasn't so bad? So you were a prisoner. Now, you are prey. Is that really any better? I mean, how dare Negan over sex and keep you safe? That is not the point. He had no right to lock you away. You are still your own person. A person who very well may be dead in the next few hours but at least you died free.
Sunny stopped. Her brain and feet were at odds once again. She had kept herself from turning back several times. Her heart broke a little more with each step but the further she got from The Sanctuary, the easier it was to keep moving forward. She knew she was doing the right thing, but that didn't make it suck any less.
It had hurt when she realized as she stared long and hard at the map that he had lied from day one. Her home was in the opposite direction she believed it would be when she took off from The Sanctuary.
What else did he lie about? Thoughts had circulated in her brain for hours. Did he even love her? Was she just a trinket? A novelty to pass the time until he found another wife?
She cursed herself for being so taken in by him. She had loved him. Did love him even though she hadn't managed to say those words out loud. She wanted to be loved so badly. She let herself believe that it was real. But now she wasn't so sure.
Sunny watched her feet, careful not to trample the undergrowth. No need to alert anything within earshot of her whereabouts. She would get over this. Loss was a part of life. But would Negan ever really let her go?
Hot water ran down the planes of Negan's muscles as he scrubbed the guts and gore from his body after exorcising his frustrations on the dead. There was no need to worry Sunny with visions of him covered in blood and filling her nose with the stench of rotting corpses this close to lunchtime.
Dressing in a clean pair of dark grey tactical pants and a fresh white shirt, he pulled the doors open to the bedroom. The tray remained untouched on the table, the oatmeal surely having turned to cement. The bathroom door remained stubbornly closed. Had she retreated when she heard him come in? Had she come out at all?
"Sunny!" he yelled. This behavior was immature and beneath her and frankly was starting to piss him off.
Nothing.
He pounded on the door to the bathroom. "That's enough, Sunny. Get your butt out here."
Cold seemed to spread through his body, ice extending from his heart to his fingertips as he reached for the doorknob. A mist of sweat broke out across his furrowed brow. The knob would not turn. It was locked from the inside. He thrust his shoulder into the wood. Once. Twice. Three times until it burst open into the bathroom.
His stomach plummeted as he pulled back the shower curtain praying to see his wife soaking in the tub. Empty.
"Fuck," he spun hoping to see her standing behind him. "Holy fuck." He ran to the bedroom throwing back the covers, looking under the bed, checking every nook and cranny in vain.
He ran to the office. She was gone. Grabbing his walkie on the desk he called for Dwight and Simon. They would have to sweep The Sanctuary. Discreetly. He couldn't have the whole of the compound knowing he had a wayward wife. If any rumors started, he would know who to blame and could deal with them swiftly and publicly.
A loud knock resounding in the empty room. Negan stepped outside looking at his two right-hand men. "Sunny's gone. I need a thorough sweep of all the fucking rooms to see if she's hiding out. She likes to work so see if she's blending in with the workers. Don't fucking breathe a word to anyone what you are doing. I will fucking handle her...quietly. I don't need any stupid fucks getting the wrong idea. Do you fucking understand?"
Dwight nodded as he stared at the linoleum in the fluorescent light of the hallway. This was bad. The whole of the compound better pray that woman was found and fast because heaven help the bastards that have to deal with a disappointed Negan.
Simon's usual shit-eating grin was wiped from his face as he listened. "Of course, boss. You got it." He exchanged a subtle glance with Dwight, his expression mirroring his own bleak thoughts. Shit was about to hit the fan if that little honey pot of a wife wasn't found and returned to her nest.
Negan sent them to go look in the warehouses first. He would search the most likely places. His "inspections" of the gardens, looking at every dirt-smudged face, and the kitchen, where everyone scurried around like cockroaches, turned up empty. He was headed to the laundry room, groups of people hurrying to get out of his way, kneeling against the walls, avoiding his gaze, when a body threw itself in his way.
Amber stood in front of him. Her blonde hair had darker, sandier roots growing. Her low cut top giving him a glimpse of her push-up enhanced cleavage. "I know what you're looking for. Or should I say who?"
The curve of her lips set his blood to boil. "Get the fuck out of my way, Amber. You don't know shit," he snarled.
"I saw Dwight and Simon searching. Now you're heading to the laundry room? As if you would ever go there. You always sent some lackey to pick up your stuff." Her fingers with their chipped manicure walked up his chest, tugging gently at the neckline. "You know, I would never run away."
He grabbed her hand throwing back at her. "I wish you would. Keep your fucking mouth shut, Amber. You talk to me again and I will send you to the fucking furthest outpost imaginable. Your points settlement won't mean shit. And if I hear one fucking word about this that comes back to you, I will have you working the wall until you fucking rot."
Her blue eyes widened, tears welling as her lip trembled. Good, he thought. Maybe she finally understands.
The walkie-talkie blared in his hand, breaking the glare he had set on the woman before him.
"Boss, you need to come to the front gate," Simon's voice crackled over the frequency.
Careful not to react, Negan turned his back to Amber. He barely registered anything or anyone. His blood pounded, stomach twisted and turned with every step. The front gate. She couldn't. She wouldn't. But did he really know what she was capable of?
Simon and Dwight were both at the main entrance to The Sanctuary deep in conversation. Each stopped the second they caught sight of him. Their features said it all. They looked as though they faced the gallows and Negan was the executioner.
He stopped in front of them. His arms crossed in front of his chest, preparing himself for the worst. "Well?"
Simon shifted on his feet, his heavy scuffed boots crunching the gravel below their soles. "Well, it seems that one person left this morning just before eight. A young woman. Dark hair. Green eyes." His teeth tugged at his bottom lip taking in Negan's reaction.
The world froze. The sun no longer provided warmth. The colors seemed to drain from his surroundings. Steel replaced any emotions he had. Any and all softness he had possessed was gone. Just like her.
"Get the fucking trucks and motorcycles ready. We're sending a search party. The person who brings her back alive and unharmed gets first pick from any hauls for the next fucking year."
"Yes, sir," said Dwight. He wiped the sweat off his brow, his thin ashy hair sticking to the side of his face as he immediately headed to the motorcade anxious to get away from Negan. He did not need to be near him when he regained his senses and rage took over.
"Don't worry, boss," chimed Simon, his mustache lifting in an encouraging smile. "No way she's gotten far. We'll find her and she'll be safe and sound soon enough." He clapped Negan on the back before making his retreat.
Negan fought the urge to scream. To walk over to the nearest person and punch them until his knuckles bled. He would get Sunny back. And if he had to chain her to his bed to keep her safe then so fucking be it.
Sunny ran further into the woods, ducking behind a tree. The roar of multiple engines passed slowly on the road. She couldn't take the risk even if those vehicles weren't looking for her. Humans were just as much a danger as the dead now.
How many motorcycles and trucks had she seen now? Too many to be coincidence. He was looking for her.
She'd been walking for a few days now. Her sweat-soaked t-shirt clung to her. Dirt dusted every inch of her. She was surprised the men on the road hadn't found her simply from the smell emanating from her.
Pulling out a peanut butter sandwich, she took a bite and then another followed by one sip of water. She had to conserve. She had no idea how long she would be out in the wilderness.
So far, it had been like one of her family's survival trips her dad would take them on a couple of times a year. Except if she was with her dad, she would have had better tools.
What she wouldn't give for some rope to help her climb these trees. Sitting in a branch until walkers passed would be easier than rushing to try the doors of abandoned cars, hoping they were empty and unlocked. Sweating until it was safe. Nights were the worst when she was forced to hide in the stale air of musty cars, trying to sleep so she could continue her trek the next day.
The roads were becoming familiar. She recognized more and more landmarks as the days progressed. She was close to home now.
Fields were overgrown. Tractors sat in neighbors' acreage, covered in years of dust and dirt. Rust creeping over the metal bodies. Yards, where kids had once played, were empty. Tire swings swayed from frayed rope in the hot breeze. Houses showcased a variety of broken windows. Her neighborhood no longer felt like home. There was nothing welcoming or reassuring about walking down this street. It was just another place in the world that had gone to hell.
Sunny cut through the woods behind her nearest neighbor's farm. She suspected Negan would come for her here. Probably have a few men waiting to take her back. But she had to at least try.
She stared at the large tree that once had a branch that hung over their electric fence. If only Negan hadn't cut it back. There was no other way to get in without walking through the front gate. And just as Sunny suspected two young men with motorcycles kept watch. They wore leather vests with dingy white shirts underneath. Saviors.
Her only hope was Sherry. If she was still there. What if Negan sent her home? What if he was there waiting for her? She hadn't really thought of what would happen if he found her. Did she want to risk it? She was too scared to try another community. What if they were worse?
She paced behind the tree line. Unsure of what she should do. She didn't have enough food and water for another long journey on foot. And she had no car to make a quick getaway. She could go camp out in a neighbor's house, she supposed and hope the men would leave but that didn't solve her food and water dilemma. Shit, she did not want to admit defeat. That she needed Negan. She didn't. She just needed to get back inside her own home where she could take care of herself.
Movement at the back of the house caught her eye through the fence. Sherry was out back, her hands raised a lit cigarette to her mouth, smoke billowing with her exhale.
Sunny waved her arms wildly, trying to catch her attention. She moved closer to the fence, stepping over the legs of a burnt, decayed walker that had met its doom the same way as so many others before.
Sherry's head turned swiftly. Her eyes widened. She quickly looked behind her to make sure none of the men could see her as she walked to the fence. "Oh my god, Sunny. Holy shit. You're alive. I'm so glad you're alive."
Sunny looked at the woman through the fence. Sherry was clean and beautiful as ever. How must she look covered in days worth of dirt and grease? It's not a beauty pageant. Stop being stupid. There are more important things going on right now.
"Is Negan here?" she asked the older woman. Sunny shifted on her feet, her nose crinkling at the smell of the walker behind her, trying to stave off the queasiness she felt.
"No. He was. He showed up and set those two dumb assess at the gate hoping you'd show up."
"Is he mad?" Sunny managed to ask, fearing the answer.
"Mad? It looks that way. But deep down I think he's more terrified than anything. He wouldn't speak to me. Only barked a few orders then left."
How was she supposed to process this? Was she relieved he wasn't here? Or upset that he wasn't? Did she truly believe Sherry? That he wasn't mad? Could he really just be worried about her? She was too tired and hungry, too dirty to know how she felt anymore.
Concerned, Sherry continued, "He's out there looking for you day and night. He's not one to sit still. Honey, if you don't want to get dragged back to The Sanctuary, you've got to get out of here."
Sunny's voice cracked. "I don't want to go back there, but I don't know where else to go." She reached inside her bag. "I-I have this map." She pulled out the paper and began unfolding. "Are any of these places safe, do you think?"
Sherry stole a glance over her shoulder before squinting as she peered through the chain link. "Most of those are outposts. They'll be on the lookout for you." She took another drag of her cigarette then pointed with her two fingers. "Hilltop-no. Their leader is Negan's biggest dick sucker. He'll hand you over with gusto in the hopes of getting something for himself."
"What am I going to do?" If she stayed here, she would get caught. If she just wandered, the wilderness that was once civilization, she would surely die. By walker or starvation.
"Alexandria. Right there." Sherry pointed to another red circle on the map. "Don't tell them who you are or where you come from. They will take you in...they're good people but there is no love lost between them and Negan."
Sunny turned the map in her hands and gauged the distance between here and Alexandria. It would take her several more days. "I don't have enough food and water…" This was impossible. Why did she think she could do this?
"Sunny, why did you leave?" Sherry finally asked.
"He was too controlling. All I wanted was to help, and he wouldn't let me have a job. He wouldn't even let me leave the room. "
Sherry shook her head. "Fucking knew it," she muttered. "I knew it. Look, I'll distract the guards with some food. They aren't supposed to come inside. Negan doesn't want anyone else knowing about your place, but I can get them to the back of the house. Once they're out of the way, I'll leave you some water, food...do you have a gun?"
"No. I have a knife though." Sunny's hand went to the blade at her hip.
"Jesus Christ." She pinched the bridge of her nose, tossed her cigarette on the ground, and snubbed it out with her shoe. "A gun and some ammo too then. You really sure you don't want to go back?"
"Not the way it was. I don't see him changing." She was near tears now. As much as she hated it, hated what she was doing, she didn't see any other way. "A gilded cage is still a cage. I didn't go to The Sanctuary to be pampered and locked away. I wanted to be with Negan. To help him. Be a part of a community. At least here I had a purpose however small that was."
"Okay, then. I'll work on getting Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum away from the gate. Once you get the stuff, high-tail it out of here. Spend a few weeks at Alexandria. Lay low, don't bring attention to yourself. Then sneak back here if you don't like it. We'll figure everything out once things calm down. Hopefully, by then, Negan will be so thankful he'll do whatever you want." She looked at Sunny like she desperately wanted to believe what she was telling her.
"Thanks, Sherry. I really appreciate all of this."
Pity shone in Sherry's eyes. "Good luck, Sunny."
Sunny watched her return to the house. Her house. A house she may never see again. Would she ever be able to stop running and hiding from Negan? What was worse? Being miserable with him or miserable without? She felt so stupid. Sherry had obviously seen this coming in some way, shape, or form. Why hadn't she? Because Sherry knows Negan better than you do, a snide voice chimed in.
She waited an hour for Sherry to drop a pack over the front gate. Rushing forward before the guards could come back, Sunny grabbed it and hauled it over her back. She would condense it all into one bag later when she was a safe distance away. No need to carry two and needlessly encumber herself more than she already was.
The sound of a truck up ahead quickened her pace. Taking one last look at her old home, she turned and started on her way to Alexandria through the overgrown brush and trees.
Negan pulled up to Sunny's home. It had been days almost a week since she disappeared. He hadn't found her yet. This was the first place he had checked after she left even though he knew she wouldn't be there without a vehicle. If she was heading this way on foot, she should have made it by now. Shouldn't she?
Sherry was outside, but those god damn idiots he left here weren't. What the fuck?
He opened the gate with the remote Sunny had given him and pulled into the drive. He parked the black truck, dusty from the day's trip, and jumped from the cab. "Where the fuck are those two assholes I posted here?" he yelled.
"Well, hello to you too," Sherry replied. "They'd been out here for days. I made them some sandwiches, and they're eating them on the back porch. Give them something else to look at besides the empty road. I've been standing watch for the whole 10 minutes they've been back there. Poor kids. It's just their luck the one time I convince them to take a break, you show up."
"I told them to stand here and look for her-" he was gearing up for a righteous rant.
Sherry held up her hand. "I know, and I felt sorry for them so I've been looking out. Nothing has happened, Negan. If she sets foot inside this property, you'll be the first to know." It wasn't a lie, but he also didn't need to know she was no more than a mile away by now.
Negan glared. He hadn't spoken to Sherry the first time he'd come by looking for Sunny. The "I told you so" was firmly planted across her features, and he did not need to hear her bullshit especially since he knew she was right.
"If anything happens to her…" His hands clenched in fists as he fought the urge to imagine the worse. It had been too long. Was he going to come across a Sunny walker in his searches? Would he have to put her down? Put a bullet in her brain? Watch as Lucille smashed her once beautiful face?
"Negan, go inside. You look like shit." Her eyes traveled over his usually immaculate form. His hair was disheveled, his natural curl no longer plastered to his head with pomade. His stubble had grown into the beginnings of a thick beard. Dark circles hugged his eyes. "Let's have some dinner, maybe you can take a nap?"
Negan's body stilled. He couldn't go in there. He couldn't be surrounded by everything that was hers. Everything he selfishly took her from. It was bad enough sleeping in his bed every night alone, her scent fading from her pillow. "No, get those shit for brains back out here before I fucking kill them for leaving their post. I've got to go back out and look for her. If she's not here, then she's still out there."
She stepped forward, her hand cupping his cheek. "Sunny is a survivor, Negan. She'll be fine. She's tougher than you think. If she decides to come home, I will take care of her and let you know, but she needs to be able to make her own decisions. Those might not include you."
He jerked away from her touch at her last remark. "She is mine. I won't live without her." Turning his back to Sherry, he gave a defeated sigh. "I can't."
"You can. And if it's really what she wants, you know you will."
Notes: Ok, so there here we are. I'm immediately starting the next chapter. I have always had the whole things planned but my muse just quit on me a while back. Luckily, I've got some friends working on their stories for camp too so the motivation to get it done is back. Thanks to everyone who has stuck around. Let me know if you are still reading and if you like it!