A/N: Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed and followed! I just want to say that I haven't read the comics (I'm a full length novel kind of gal) so my Negan is based off of the show. I'm trying to keep him as in character as possible, I read a lot about what his character is like in the comics, but this story isn't likely to follow the comics or show after the end of season 6, though it may, depending on what happens in season 7. Still need a beta reader if anyone who is great with catching spelling and grammatical errors is available!

Crimson ran for as long as she could. The sun was well below the horizon now and there wasn't much light left. If she kept running now, she was very likely to run straight into a dead head who would take a chunk of her throat faster than she could react. She liked her throat exactly the way it was, thank you very much. She spotted a large oak tree that had strong, thick branches about 20 feet up. She grabbed a hold of the lowest branch and pulled herself up, then crawled up a few other branches before she settled on one that felt high enough to be out of the reach of anything dangerous, and the thick leaves sheltered her from view.

Once she was straddling the branch she called home for the night, she lifted her bow from around her back and hung it from a smaller branch next to her so it was out of her way but could be in hand in a second. She pulled her backpack off and did the same with it. She pulled off the long rope that was looped around the backpack's handle and used it to secure herself to the branch and tied it off with a quick release knot. Sleep came quickly, and though she slept lightly, it was better than no sleep at all.

She woke with the sunrise, the golden light filtered through the trees. She sat quietly for a few minutes until the initial grogginess of waking had passed. She had never been a morning person before the apocalypse, and she still wasn't one now. She could smell the morning dew in the air, and listened carefully for the sounds of dead heads or humans. A bird chirped loudly in the distance, and she could see a squirrel forging around on the ground below her. That was a sure sign that no dead heads were nearby. It wasn't likely that Negan and his men hunted her into the night, but she'd met a few groups crazy enough to do it before. The forest was silent other than the few animals, so she quietly pulled the knot from the rope and tied it back up to her backpack before slipping both arms through the pack's straps. Her bow had just settled on her back when she heard it.

Snap. A twig on the ground, maybe 30 feet away. She pulled her legs, which had been dangling from the branch, up so she wouldn't be easily seen. The sound of rustling leaves grew louder. It wasn't a dead head. Two legs, even pace. It was a human and he was getting closer by the second. She pulled her knife from its sheath in her waistband and waited. She steadied her breathing to calm the pounding heart in her chest. When she saw a mop of long brown hair beneath her, she dropped her bag and bow as she leapt, landing straight on the man's back as she brought her knife across his throat in one smooth swipe. She rolled once and was already on her feet when she saw the barrel of the gun.

"Crimson. I get it now." She looked past the gun's barrel and her eyes met with Negan's, he was grinning from ear to ear. Apparently he and his men spent the night looking for her. She looked down at herself and saw the fresh blood dripping from her right hand that held her knife. There was blood spattered across her shirt, and likely her face and neck too.

"Don't move, or Lucille here is going to come say hi," he said as he lowered the gun with his right hand, but used his left to point the barbwire wrapped baseball bat at her. She dropped her knife and raised her hands chest high. "I don't think I introduced you two before! This is Lucille," he held the bat up so she could see it. "And she is awesome. Now tell me, where did a genius doctor learn that shit from?"

"My boyfriend. He was the outdoors, rough and tumble type."

"He the one that taught you how to use that bow too?"

"Yes."

"Seeing how you made me walk around these fucking woods all night, and just killed one of my men, normally Lucille would bash your fucking head in. But since I need a doctor back at Sanctuary, and you're smoking hot, I mean fuck, watching you get all primal and slit Jason's throat like that got me hard as fuck, I'm going to let this slide. It's a one-time thing, so don't even fucking think about pulling some shit like this again." The bat shook at he spoke, emphasizing his point. "I don't want to fuck up that pretty little face of yours." Crimson's face didn't react to his words the way most women would. She didn't react at all. She didn't even blink.

"That was crude. Do you always speak to women that way? I can't imagine it gets you very far." His smile widened.

"Yeah I do doll. And it got me 3 wives back home. You're gonna meet them when we get there. They'll help you get cleaned up. As sexy as you look right now, that blood is going to start to stink soon. After you're cleaned up, you and I are going to have a chat. You have no idea how well I want to get to know you."

"I know exactly how well you want to get to know me. But don't get your hopes up. I…," she was cut off when a hand grabbed her ankle. When she looked down, Jason had already reanimated, his white eyes were sighted on her juicy leg. He was a second away from taking a chuck out of her calf when the bullet tore through his skull.

"Now you really owe me. And I'll grow on you, I abso-fucking-lutely promise you that sweetcheeks. Now I've got to pat you down before we go. Can't have you trying to put a knife in me." She narrowed her eyes at him and he saw her clenched jaw twitch. "I'll be a gentleman. Now turn around."

She turned away from him, keeping her hands in the air so he could approach. He started at her neck, checking her hair for something hidden. She shuttered as his hands grazed softly down her neck and to her shoulders. It was involuntary, she couldn't help it. The first year after the turn, she'd spent looking for her boyfriend, if that was even the right term for him. What did you call the person that taught you about yourself, who made you a better person, who taught you to survive? There wasn't a label for that. After that year, she had no interest in being with any other man. She'd killed quite a few who didn't understand the word no.

Negan's hand were large, calloused, but surprising gentle for a man of his size and character. They ran down her arms from the front, then back up from the back, checking for knives hidden under her sleeves. She had none. He brushed down her back and she shivered again as his hands slide around her waist to her stomach, checking her waistband. He found her empty knife holster and pulled the clip from her waistband.

"I think I'm already growing on you, unless those shivers are just because you're cold."

"They're because I'm repulsed. Now get on with it, I'd rather not stand out in the open woods all day, especially since I'm disarmed."

"Whatever you say doll. But you are one fine piece of ass, and so am I, so this attraction is natural. No fucking shame necessary." She could practically feel him grinning behind her. His fingertips brushed over her hips, then one hand ran down each leg. He stopped when he felt another holster from the outside of her boots. She was hoping he'd miss that one. He pulled her pant leg up over her boot and grabbed her pink Ruger subcompact .380 that was tucked inside. "Pink? Really?" Negan laughed. "Where the fuck did you find this at? I can't even tuck this in my waistband and still be dignified. If I wasn't a little worried that you'll put a bullet in my brain the first chance you get, I'd let you hang on it, just so I don't have to." He shoved it in the front right pocket of his jeans so it was hidden.

"It was my first gun, had it long before the apocalypse, so be careful with that. I want it back."

"I'll take good care of it," he replied. He kept her in his peripheral vision as he searched the now very dead body. Jason had a radio, 9mm, rifle, and a couple knives that Negan took. He put the smaller items in her bag, and slung the rifle over his back. "Turn around, you'll be walking in front of me darling, so I can keep an eye on you." He picked up her backpack and bow, slipping both of them over his shoulder. "If you promise not to run, I'll put my gun away. I'm a friendly guy, and it doesn't feel so friendly to be aimed at your head all the time."

"You have everything I own. My food, water, and weapons. I'm not an idiot. I wouldn't make it more than a day or two on my own now." Negan tucked his gun into the back of his pants, then put a hand on her lower back to urge her forward. He moved through the woods almost silently. Barely a rustling of leaves as he stepped. It was no wonder she hadn't heard his approach.

"Now that's the spirit! Cooperating already. You're one smart lady. You and I are going to get along great." He grabbed the radio that was hanging from his waist. "I've got her. Everyone get their asses back to the vans, we're leaving ASAP." There were several acknowledgements before the radio when silent as they continued to walk.

Then someone asked "Jason, you copy?"

"Jason's dead," Negan answered. "He's been taken care of." The radio went silent again. "We've got a bit of a walk to get back to the road. Why don't you tell me all about your sexy little self?"

"What would you like to know?"

"Well, I know you're a 25 year old veterinarian who knows how to hunt and fight and you're some kind of fucking genius or shit like that. Where were you from, before all this?"

"Georgia."

"Lemme guess, you grew up in one of those fancy plantation houses in those nice neighborhoods, your daddy was a doctor and you wanted to be just like him."

"I lived in a trailer out in the woods. My mother and father were too busy smoking, drinking, and shooting up to pay much attention to me."

"You're just full of fucking surprises! I don't know if I'm actually going to believe you till I see you patching up one of my men. I think you might be full of shit. How'd you manage to end up a doctor instead of a crack whore?"

"As I said before, I'm resourceful. Are you done with all of the questions now? You talk. A lot."

"Nah, I'm a really fucking friendly guy doll. I told you I want to get to know you better. How long have you been alone out here?"

"About 10 months."

"You with any groups before then?"

"Yes, a few."

"What happened to them?"

"The first group I was separated from when a hoard came at us. The second was picked off slowly. The third… it was a group of men who thought I owed them something for a couple weeks of protection and didn't understand the word 'no'. They're all dead now."

"You can be one mean little bitch, can't ya?"

"I'm a survivor. I do what I have to, no more, no less."

"You won't have to do that shit anymore at Sanctuary. It's a fucking fortress. All you gotta do patch up my men when they need it, and keep the workers healthy."

"Fortresses fall."

"That they do. But not mine, not for a long fucking while at least. I run a tight ship. Daily maintenance, 24/7 perimeter patrols, all that good shit. Everyone has a job, and there are rules that everybody fucking follows or they pay for it."

They finally hit the break in the tree. Negan's men were already waiting for them. Most of them were in the trucks, ready to go. A few were keeping watch from the ground.

The idiot blonde approached them when they reached the first truck.

"Dwight, good to see you fucking survived your encounter with the maybe 110 pound girl," Negan mocked him. "Try not to get kidnapped again next time you stupid shit."

"Ready to go when you are boss," Dwight said, his pale cheeks went red with embarrassment.

Negan lead her to the first truck, opened the door, and jumped up before holding his hand out to pull her up. He took his seat in the front passenger side. She looked around the truck, but all of the seats were taken. Negan grinned at her again, and patted his lap.

"I'll be a perfect gentleman, just like earlier," he said. When she didn't move, he looped his arm around her waist and pulled her down on his lap, then slid his hand to rest on her hip. His left hand was playing with the ends of her long hair. "I think they called you Crimson because of this gorgeous fucking hair. None of my wives are red-heads, not normally my thing, but you are so fucking exceptional." The trucks all started up smoothly, and rumbled down the road towards Sanctuary.

"How long until we get there?" Crimson asked.

"Not long doll, not long at all."

A/N: Please review and follow if you love it! Thank you Karen Wood, Jackie, atiketook, snowangel, Jofrench22, and Guest for your reviews! I'm so much more inspired and driven to write when I know people are reading and loving it.