With a shake of her head, Sadie sat up. She felt her leather jacket was still on and so were her jeans. But she wasn't sweaty. "What the hell?" She looked around the, thankfully empty, infirmary and slowly stood up.
After stepping from side to side to check her balance, Sadie sighed. "I can keep a secret. About Simon. From Negan. But he knew I was talking to him, not having sex or some shit. Act like he's a nobody." She nodded. "I can do that."
The door of the infirmary opened. Sadie sighed in relief that it was only Simon due to there not being any loud stepping of boots.
"You're a f*ckin' shapeshifter darlin'?" Negan folded his arms.
Sadie stiffened her bones and then calmly turned to him. "No sir. Had a minor headache last night. Came down for an ice pack."
He blinked, simply looking at her. "You got a little cut darlin'. Right.." He touched the spot on his own head. "..here."
"Hm. Want me to stay in? Typical grunt work? Don't mind at all."
He just looked at that section of her head and left out the door without another word.
Sadie pumped her fist as her acting like nothing happened was starting to severely affect him.
Simon walked in after he left with a shrug. "Working?" He handed her a cereal bar. She nodded and took it. "You bet. But uh.." "What?" He tilted his head.
"You don't think..I need stitches for this do you?" She pointed to her head. "Maybe a few. Or a staple."
Sadie gulped.
"Just a bandage will be fine." Simon nodded.
Sadie lightly pushed the right side of his waist with a smirk. He placed a hand on her right cheek and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.
The door opened and Dr. Carson came in to examine her wound. "Did Negan give any orders today?" The girl tightened her eyes as a warm cloth was cleaning up most of the blood.
"Yeah. We're preparing for colder weather so basic shit like food, water, firewood, that stuff."
She nodded. "Uhuh." A bandage was wrapped around her head three times to hold a pad of gauze in place. "Thank you." Sadie turned to Dr. Carson. "You're welcome Sadie." He left out the door.
"So we need firewood?" "Yeah." He quickly nodded. "But uh..Gracie thinks otherwise."
Sadie blinked. "Aw. She misses me?" "I would." He grinned. "We'll gather the firewood later. In the meantime, mopping and grunt work needs to get done."
The girl placed his hands on her hips. "Okay. Don't leave without me." "I won't." He motioned an 'x' across his heart and followed her back to the main part of the Sanctuary.
"Later." "Mh." He quietly hummed and went over to a group of Saviors.
Sadie shrugged and climbed up the stairs. She opened the door and Gracie was standing up while holding on to the coffee table.
The girl gasped and covered her mouth. "You're standing up! Oh sweetie!" Sadie hurried over and picked her up. "Oh goodness." She hugged her and moved her body side to side.
Gracie gave her a light but slobbery kiss on the cheek then rested her head on the left side of her chest. "Muma."
Sadie's jaw dropped and she sat on the couch. "You're growing up too fast sweetie."
Negan walked out of his bedroom wearing jeans and just his leather jacket holding Lucille.
"Are you cold?" She looked up at his bare chest. "If you give me directions for laundry, I can clean your clothes."
He shook his head and picked up a pen from the table. "Nah. They're clean darlin'." Negan held out her right arm and wrote on her wrist. Sadie looked over at the black ink which said 'love you' in cursive and ended with a small black heart.
She blinked but didn't say anything. Instead she just focused on Gracie.
"Sadie?" 'Will you ever shut the f*ck up?' "Yeah?" She cleared her throat.
He turned away, not knowing what to say.
"Whatever it is, you have to tell me later. The Sanctuary needs firewood before it gets too cold." Sadie kissed Gracie on the forehead and hugged her. "I'll be back soon sweetie."
The girl opened and closed the door. She looked around and found a bucket of clear water and soap. Sadie angrily scrubbed the message Negan wrote on her skin until it was completely gone.
Relieved but also slightly guilty, she looked around to find Simon.
"Sadie!" Gary gestured her over to a truck with him, Simon, and of all people, Claude.
'F*ckin' shit!' She huffed and ran over to the back seat of the truck. It was more uncomfortable that Claude was sitting next to her. Although Simon was driving, he occasionally looked at her through the rear view mirror.
Claude glanced at the bandage around her head and wanted to sniff her hair.
Sadie jumped out as Simon opened her door and tossed three saws from the back of the truck into the freshly dewed grass.
"Negan wants large logs of wood. No twigs and shit. He doesn't want anyone else punching him in the dick."
Sadie tilted her head and blushed as all three of the men looked between her legs.
Simon handed an axe to Gary, one to Claude, and skipped Sadie to keep the last one for himself. "Get loading grunt." He handed her a pair of work gloves to avoid splinters and sap.
Sadie looked around to see where everybody was cutting and put them on.
"Do a good job and I'll reward you. K?" He whispered in her right ear when nobody was looking. She nodded and walked over to Gary's work station to start hawling logs. They weren't that big or heavy, but suited Negan's requirements.
Sadie picked up each log that was cut in half and carried them to the truck. She sighed with a straight face, mad as to why she allowed Simon to witness her pity act last night. 'Damn it. Okay. No more emotions.'
The wind began to blow harder, causing Sadie's hair to become a complete mess. She rolled her eyes. 'Oh no. Now I'll never win the Sanctuary beauty pageant now.'
Simon picked up a can of beer from the floor of the truck, as well as a camouflage baseball cap. He pulled the flap on the back to make it smaller.
Sadie tossed two more logs in the truck and Simon fastened the hat on her head.
"Oh." She felt the top of it. "Thanks." "Either that or you let me cut your hair."
She pressed her lips and looked up to the sky at two white clouds. "Looks like a walker. Anyway. How much firewood did he ask for?"
"You think I have every answer don't you?" He casually sipped his beer. Sadie shook her head and ran off to collect more of the logs.
Gary lifted his head as he heard Sadie's footsteps through the grass. "What?" She picked up a log. "Nothin'." He finished cutting up a tree branch.
Sadie shrugged. "Nice out today." She blinked and walked off. After placing it in the back of the truck, the girl ran over to gather the remaining logs that Frollo was responsible for.
She knelt down and scooped up the last three. 'So much tension.' Sadie quickly walked away to avoid his presence.
"Can't spend all day out here." Simon took a cigarette out of his mouth and put it out with his shoe. "We'll gather more when he says to."
Everyone climbed back in the truck and Sadie took off the gloves and hat, putting them in the back with the axes. 'Shit. That's not much fuel.'
All twelve logs clattered as the truck drove back to the Sanctuary.
Sadie looked out the window and watched the clouds pass by. Unsure if it was intended or not, she felt Claude's hand touch hers. She simply blinked and continued to watch the clouds.
The truck parked at the Sanctuary and Sadie took her hand back as she jumped out.
Frollo sighed and disappeared inside.
"Can these stay out?" Simon shrugged. "I guess so. He didn't say."
"I'm saying f*ckin' now." Negan barked from the balcony. "Bring that shit inside. Next to the furnace."
Simon and Sadie made the correct choice to not say a single word and began unloading each log. "As you wish Your Majesty." She muttered and tossed the log in a pile of others.
"Beer?" She shrugged. "Sure."
After they finished hauling each piece of wood, they left to the den for a chat. "So."
He looked up at her. "No." "No what?" She rose an eyebrow. "I didn't imply anything. I was going to check on Gracie. But if there is something else that needs to be done, then I'll do it."
"Yeah. Uh. Dr. Carson wants to see you later in the week."
Sadie sipped from the can and cleared her throat. "Sure. That it?" He nodded and kissed behind her left ear. "F*ck." He knelt down and lifted a corner of her shirt.
"You are going to make me spill my drink." She rolled her eyes. His lips planted on her stomach. "Having fun?" She smirked. Sadie tightened her eyes as she felt his teeth bite her. 'I think that means for me to shut up.' She huffed and looked down as his teeth were replaced again by his lips.
"Little f*cker would find it cozy in here." He stood up and Sadie blushed. "Nah. No more babies around here." "I know. That's what I was getting to. Uh. Negan doesn't want you full."
She shrugged and placed the half empty can on the counter. "Later." He watched her leave and ran his right hand down his face.
Sadie hurried up the stairs and opened the door to find Negan standing straight in front of the doorway with Lucille. She sighed with her hands in her pockets.
He continued to look at her with a straight face. Sadie gulped and leaned to the side, noticing the baby fast asleep on the couch. She smiled.
"Have a seat darlin'." He grabbed the back of her shirt with his left hand and closed the door with his right. Sadie held her breath as he sat her on his bed.
"I want to know.." He pointed Lucille at her. "..what is with this lovey dovey bullshit with my right hand man." He went to place a hand around her neck but didn't choke her.
"He just felt pity for me about my injury." She stood back up. "Which kind of hurts know that I think about it. Maybe a beer wasn't such a good idea."
Negan placed Lucille against the wall and wrapped his arms around her. Sadie rolled her eyes. "Should I not be drinking?"
"Do whatever you f*ckin' want princess." Sadie stepped back with a confused look in her eyes. His tone wasn't sarcastic. It was serious. "Princess?"
"Yeah." He looked into her eyes. "Just make sure work gets done." "Umm..okay. Do you want anything?"
Negan walked out of the room and motioned her to follow him. "Just sit with me darlin'." "Okay. Sure." She sat on the couch.
"No no princess. Over here." He gestured with a finger onto the carpet. Sadie shrugged and sat next to him.
Negan gently lifted her body in between his legs and lit a match in the fireplace.
Sadie watched the flames as they flickered and crackled. They made her feel all warm inside. But Negan's arms around her waist ruined her thoughts of being safe from any harm.
She forgot about that as the orange and red flames wildly danced in the fireplace. Sadie hummed and closed her eyes to embrace the warmth.
Negan rested her head on his chest. Sadie sighed, imagining his body as Simon's. 'Good night Simon.' The girl huffed and let herself drift off to sleep.
Negan's eyes became wet as his hand felt the silk bandage around her head. "Let's get you something to eat."
"I'm not hungry." Sadie said softly and stood up. She fixed her leather jacket. "Going to kill some walkers." Gracie looked up and lifted her arms, wanting to be held.
"Alright. I'll be here waiting for ya."
Sadie picked up the baby for a brief minute and kissed her on the cheek before leaving.
Negan started boiling some water on the stove for spaghetti and looked at Gracie. "You want some?" She turned away and put her hand in her mouth.
The girl took a spear from against the wall and went to stab each one as they approached the fence.
"Sup?" She turned to Gavin. "Sup." He blinked and touched her bandage. "What happened?" "Negan happened. Smelled the presence of another man on me."
Sadie huffed, feeling anxious because she said that out loud.
"You need to get out. Like really. Who was this guy by the way? I won't tell."
"Do you promise not to tell?" "Yes. I do." He nodded. Sadie held her breath. "It was Simon."
He widened his eyes. "Woah! So it wasn't Dwight?, or Gary?, or..Claude I think he said his name was?" "Shh!" Sadie hushed, even though Gavin was already being quiet. "I don't want him kicking my ass again."
He nodded.
"I'll spill more details in the den." "Alright. Later." Gavin left.
"Shit." She stabbed a walker in the eyeball with the spear. 'Maybe I should leave. I mean, I sneak out and I don't get hurt anymore. But then I'll have to interact with new people at some point.'
Once the coast was clear, Sadie went back inside and waited for Gavin in the den.
Negan held Gracie with his right arm and set the table. One plate for him, one for Sadie, and a small bowl for the baby.
Another plate of rolls was placed in the middle of the table and Gracie was sat it a high chair.
He huffed as he waited for Sadie and lit a candle. "Mhm." Negan smiled.
Sadie turned her head as Regina walked in. They both just blinked and looked away from each other.
The girl opened a fridge and took out a red apple.
Negan drummed his fingers on the table and eyed Sadie's untouched plate. Gracie started to play with her spaghetti.
"I'm not waiting for her anymore." He narrowed his eyes and dumped the food onto his plate. Negan slammed the dish into the trash, letting it shatter.
Furious, he sat back down and buried his head in his arms.
"Hey." Gavin scratched his head. "Hey. Sup?" He leaned on the counter. "Pretty hot stuff happening huh?" "Nothing's hot dude. We just kissed."
"Damn! Why not just spill everything?" "Because I cherish my life." She smirked. "It's getting late."
"Alright. Rest that head of yours." He nodded. "Night." "Night."
Sadie walked back to the infirmary and removed her boots. She hung up her jacket and lay on the bed that was assigned to her.
'Oh shit!' She widened her eyes at the ceiling. 'Negan wanted me upstairs for spaghetti!' The girl huffed, but then shook her head. 'No. Don't feel guilty. You don't touch my head. You can hurt me anywhere else, but not there!'