...My love is your disease
I won't let it set you free
Til I break you.
It was just as Rick had expected it to be. The Walmart had been all but cleared out, leaving very little to scavenge. The ammunition and guns were gone and there was very little for perishable food. 'Waste of time.' Rick had bitterly thought as he bagged a dented can of beans into the knapsack he carried. He couldn't see Negan or Carl within the store, the only light offered was at the front and Rick eyed it wearily, waiting for a walker to stumble back once they lost focus on the noise from the truck. A flash of light suddenly swept passed his face and he turned away, closing his eyes.
"Sorry dad." Carl stage whispered, turning the flashlight away from Rick's face. "Found it on a shelf." He motioned behind him, shuffling closer to his father with his own bag. "Not much here. Guess you were right."
"Place was picked clean awhile ago." Rick hummed, glancing around for any sign of Negan. "Let's start heading back." He instructed and the boy nodded in agreement, adjusting the bag onto his shoulder. It was unnerving to say the least. He had never been a fan of Walmart, with the harsh florescent lighting and the busy lines, but to see it now, so dark and silent made it all the more obvious to him that life was never going to be them same.
"You find anything?" He asked, kicking away some debris. His voice echoed around him.
"Couple cans and a bottled water."
"Maybe we can find another place to try." Carl suggested and Rick shrugged. He stepped over a dead walker, scanning the area for anything he could grab. They had wasted too much time here already. When he heard footsteps approaching he automatically pushed Carl behind him, hearing a familiar chuckle.
"Just me, mama bear." Negan crooned, his shadow stepping close. Rick could see a flash of teeth s he grinned at them. "This place doesn't have shit." Rick fought the urge to say I told you so, instead nodding stiffly and motioning towards the door. "Might as well keep looking." He suggested and this time, Carl had no argument ready He walked out ahead, sticking the flashlight into the bag. As Rick moved to follow him, Negan reached out and grabbed his elbow, pulling him back.
"Wait." Negan spoke in a hushed voice and Rick breathed deeply through his nose, trying to keep his temper under control. He glanced towards Negan, unable to keep the annoyance out of his voice as he spoke.
"What?" Negan didn't check him on his tone and Rick couldn't even bother to bring himself to care. He could barely see anything in the store, Negan shadow shifted.
"I just..." Negan puffed out a low breath, his grip on Rick's arm easing. "I shouldn't have called you a bitch in front of Carl."
'There's a lot of things I could think of that you shouldn't have done in front of Carl." Rick couldn't help but bitterly reply. Negan released a dry chuckle, thumb stroking over Rick's arm.
"Fair enough." He agreed. He fingers glided down Rick's arm and Rick was thankful for the darkness, not wanting Carl to see this. Negan's touch was gentle, gliding over Rick's arm and towards his face, stroking a finger his jaw. Rick remained still, eyes straining in the dark and he heard them man sigh in disappointment. Negan's hand fell away and he stepped back. "We should..." Negan cleared his throat. "We should head out." His tone was off, the disappointment in his tone obvious. Rick nodded in agreement, hiking his bag on his shoulder and striding towards the door. He heard Negan follow behind him.
Outside the parking lot was still mostly empty. Rick scanned the area for any walkers. He could hear them in the distance, growling and shambling out of sight. "Looks like your little trick with the truck worked." He mused and Negan huffed out a breath.
"Yeah, now we need to get them away from the truck." He pointed out, swinging Lucille like a pendulum. Rick spotted Carl a little bit ahead, hat low on his head as he shuffled forward, kicking a stray rock out of his way. Ahead, a barricade of cars blocked sight of the walkers but they could all hear them. Negan drew a gun and Rick was surprised when he held another out towards him in offering.
"You sure about that?" Rick asked, even as he reached for the gun. Negan cocked his head, offering a small grin.
"I know you're too smart to put a bullet in me, Sheriff. The good folks back home would miss me too much." It was a thinly veiled threat, but Rick did not argue it, simply taking the gun and falling into step with the Savior as he strode towards the truck.
Carl moved forward, leaping onto the hood of one of the abandoned cars and scaling the pile of debris to get a look at the herd. "Careful Carl." Rick drawled and the boy hummed in response, managing to reach the top of the pile and glancing over. Negan tossed the gun up to the boy who caught it one handed, earning an impressed chuckle from Negan.
"We can probably lead them away from the truck. Keys are still in it, so your boy can start her up and come grab us."
"How many are there?" Rick asked and Carl glanced over his shoulder, nimbly sliding down behind the barrier.
"Over two dozen, shouldn't be a problem." He replied, as brazen as ever and Rick fought the urge to roll his eyes. Just like Lori. Instead he nodded and told him once more to be careful.
"Kid, you stay up there until the herd tapers off then, jump in the truck, we won't be long." Negan took a step backwards and Rick moved to follow him. Then a walker growled behind Carl, much close than it should have been. Carl turned quickly, pointing the gun at the walker who had scaled the other side of the pile and shot it in the face, its teeth gnashing at where his face had been a moment earlier. The shot reverberated through the parking lot and the debris pile trembled.
"Shit," Negan breathed, dark eyes fixed on the surface Carl stood. Carl wobbled, catching himself before he could fall and leaping off the weak part of the barricade. Rick moved forward on auto pilot, his boy seeming to be too far away. Carl scrambled up the ledge, having caught the attention of several walkers who were now shambling towards him. One managed to reach the debris pile, reaching with rotten fingers. Carl could still see a stained wedding band on its hand. It moaned, jaw snapping and blackened teeth gnashing. It was a relief to know that they had no concept of climbing for him, only able to stagger together and try to reach him. Carl scooted back, shooting another walker that reached for him.
Rick tore around the other side of the barricade, shooting two walkers in the head as he passed. There was no way he could reach Carl. The whole area was surrounded. Several walkers chose instead to stumble after him, an easier more direct target. The truck was now vacant and Rick watched from the corner of his eye as Negan inched towards it, taking down any walker that got too close.
"He's going to need to jump onto the truck!" Negan called out to Rick, reaching the handle and swinging the door open.
"Carl," Rick called to where his son remained perched. When Negan gets close, jump onto the truck!" Carl nodded his understanding, face pale as he surveyed the walkers around his father. Three walkers lumbered towards the Alexandrian and he shot two down before pulling the trigger and hearing nothing. "Shit," Rick tossed the gun aside just as the walker reached him, punching it in the head and rearing back, looking around the littered ground for anything he could use as a weapon. He heard Negan start the engine and his heart hammered wildly as the man swung the truck into reverse, crashing several walkers that had taken sight of Rick.
"Get in!" Negan shouted out the lowered window, dark hair sticking against his face and dark eyes wide.
"Get Carl first!" Rick snapped back, grabbing a piece of what looked like had been metal piping and swinging it at what was once a woman, crushing its face. He heard Negan make an exasperated sound, but he didn't argue, revving the engine as he drove towards the barricade. Carl slowly stood, planting his feet firmly and watching as the truck approached. Then, the base of the pile began to give out. It lurched, a chunk of metal sliding out of place and collapsing the barricade on one side. Carl was unable to catch his balance. Rick was too far away.
"Carl!" The scream that tore from Rick's throat did not sound human. He watched as his son, his baby fell back, arms frantically waving as he tried to regain his balance, for a second Carl seemed to hover on the edge of the structure, not moving at all. Then, a walker swiped up towards the boy, toppling him over and Rick watched in horror as Carl fell back into the swarm of walkers. "CARL!"
Rick was running, swinging the piping at any walker in close enough range, screaming for his son as he fought to reach heard a crunch that he had come to associate with Negan's bat and flesh. Rick turned towards the noise seeing the now empty truck He struck a stray walker in the face as his eyes frantically searched for that familiar bat. He spotted the leather jacket first; Negan was moving through the herd, Lucille swinging back and spraying an arc of rotten blood as the man charged. Rick lost sight of him for a moment as a walker grasped at his elbow. Rick turned, driving the edge of the pipe into the walker's rotting eye socket and through the skull, stomping it into the blood soaked dirt.
When he looked up again, he could see Negan now winding through the walkers, bat still smashing into their faces like striking watermelon. Rick's breath caught in his throat; Negan's free arm was wrapped around Carl, dragging the boy away from the walkers and striking any that got to close. Carl clung to the arm wrapped around him, legs attempting to gain purchase, but Negan was moving to fast, making a beeline for Rick who was moving towards them, weaving through walkers and taking them down with barely a glance.
Negan shoved Carl forward towards Rick who quickly wrapped his arms around his son, pulling him back away from the walkers, hands moving frantically to check the boy for any bites. "Dad-dad, I'm fine!" Carl attempted to swat Rick's hands away but the man ignored him, running his hands down his sides, looking for blood or injuries. His eyes darted to Negan who was watching the exchange. A thank you was at the tip of Rick's tongue.
"Negan, to your left!" Rick called out instead as one of the walkers reached them, Negan barely turned, swinging Lucille, taking the walker down at the legs and bringing the bat down over its skull. It crumpled to the dirt, rancid blood and brain matter clinging to the barbs. Negan stared down at the walker as Rick finally stopped examining Carl for injuries. Carl ran a shaky hand through his matted hair, fingers suddenly frantic as he realized the hat was not there. Rick grasped at his wrists, as the boy turned to glance towards the walkers.
"I lost it." He mumbled, voice sullen and for a moment he seemed to actually be nothing more than a boy of fifteen. Rick shook his head, heart in his throat. He cupped Carl's cheek, hands dirty and bloody as he looked at his son.
"It's not important, Carl. Let's get back home." He back towards the truck, scanning the surround area for any walkers and seeing none. He pushed Carl towards the passenger door. "Negan, come o-" He turned towards the man who nodded to the truck.
"I'm getting your hat." He explained and Rick nearly balked at the idea. They had just avoided dying and now Negan wanted to go back into the danger?
Negan, you don't nee-" He practically sputtered out, Carl gripping his arm and trying to usher him towards the truck.
"Get to the truck. Wait for me." Negan ordered and before Rick could argue, he took off towards the herd, Lucille over his shoulder. Carl pulled Rick backwards and he followed his son. Carl yanked the door open and clambered inside, Rick following behind and slamming the door behind him. For a moment they sat, panting and catching their breath. Carl scooted over to the drivers side and put the truck into gear.
"Do you see him?" He asked, eye scanning the parking lot. Rick stared out the window, seeing nothing but debris and stray walkers.
"Drive around the barricade. He might be on the oth-" A hand smacked into the drivers side window and Carl jumped in shock turning to see what once was a walker face, now reduced to mush as it slid down the side of the truck. Rick released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He watched as Negan emerged from the herd, hat in hand and an unmistakably smug looking grin on his face.
"Fucking asshole." Carl breathed, but with a large grin etched across his face as he watched Negan saunter forward.
"Carl," Rick warned and the boy waved him off.
"Yeah yeah, I know." He replied, turning his head towards his father. "You know...I think he did it to impress you." Rick, luckily, didn't have a chance to reply before Negan reached the drivers side and opened the door, grinning at the father and son as he hopped onto the running board.
"How about we head on back?" He drawled, hefting himself into the drivers seat and slamming the door behind him. Carl scooted down into the middle, reaching for the hat. Negan handed it over without issue, his eyes locked with Rick's. "You ready to head back?" He asked, finally glancing out the window and putting the truck into gear. Carl sagged back in the seat, the stetson resting on his lap and looking exhausted.
"Yeah," Rick murmured slowly. "Let's head back."