11.
Rick crumbled, his body falling against the floor of the RV following Negan's punch to his gut.
"So, my wife been good?" Negan asked, watching as the pathetic excuse for a leader tried to catch his breath and position himself against the seat behind him. Rick parted his lips, trying to speak. When he didn't, Negan continued.
"Y'know I always thought she was good in bed, problem was getting her there. Yeah, and maybe her pussy was a little dry, her tits too small but hey," Negan chuckled, "what are you going to do? I married her right?"
"I didn't sleep with your wife," Rick choked out between breaths. "I didn't sleep with Ana."
"Sure you didn't, prick," Negan said, delivering a kick to his side before continuing his verbal assaults.
Two days later
"Ground control to Major Tom."
Ana thought she was dreaming at first, and tried to bring her arm down to swat the fingers that danced across her thigh. However, her attempts were in vein. For some reason, her hand wouldn't move from it's position above her head. Annoyed, she cracked open an eye. Negan resided in front of her half-naked body that hung by her wrists. Her bare feet barely scraped the grimy floor of whatever confine she was in.
She closed her eyes, reopening them in hopes of seeing her bedroom in Alexandria. Negan watched her curiously, swinging his bat back and forth. He had been in the room once in the past two days, leaving Simon to be with her most of the time. The fresh bruises cutting across her torso proved how venomous Simon could be. Negan brushed the thought of Simon touching her away, coating his face with indifference as he waited for her to look at him. Yes, he realized that her unawareness of location only proved the severe concussion wasn't healing. He had wanted to talk to her before either letting her suffer, or calling the doctor.
It was then that Ana registered the pain; the searing hot pain in her calf and the aching on her stomach. Slowly pivoting her head down, the first thing she noticed were the bruises and lack of clothes. She was wearing a mere bra and some shorts. Disgusted and despondent, her eyes raised to Negan's. He smirked under her gaze, ready to began his spiel.
"Rise and shine, sunshine," he said in a loud, sardonic tone.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Ana practically spit out, noticing how rough her throat felt when she spoke. Had she been screaming?
"You tried to kill me, and you're asking why I'm doing this to you? Honey…" he scoffed at her words, quickly turning and pointing his bat in her face. She stared at the dried blood and flesh that coated the barbed wire in horror. "You are in big, big trouble."
Ana bit her cheek, noticing a lump rising in her throat. Negan thought she attempted to kill him. "I didn't do it," she tried to reason, "Negan, I could never."
"Is that why I woke up in a malfunctioned Easy Bake Oven?" he threw at her.
"I didn't start it. When I called your name, you didn't answer. I had to leave." Ana broke eye contact, staring at the ground as her feet dragged along it. Her wrists were on fire, and she realized that the marks from the rope would likely stay with her for the next week.
"Where's the little jackal?"
Ana had expected a response to her declarative, so she was rightly taken aback when he referenced their daughter. He still thought Lucille was alive.
This could benefit me, Ana realized, pondering her next choice of words. If she told Negan Lucille was alive, he would have to keep Ana alive. Conversely, he could torture her until she relinquished Lucille's location. When he didn't find their daughter, Ana could be killed. If she said Lucille had died, Negan could just kill Ana on the spot. Another question hit her harder than Negan's. Could he even kill her? They spent part of their life together happily married. Would he really kill her?
"She's dead," Ana resorted to her second choice, hoping for the best response. Negan's face contorted as he swallowed thickly. Within a second, his cool, calculated façade returned.
"How?"
"She flipped a switch, starting the fire." Ana coughed into the side of her upper arm, her vision swimming at the violent shaking.
"Suicide by fucking fire?" Negan asked incredulously, chuckling for a quick second, "world goes to shit, I guess that's one way to go."
"It's not a joke."
"No, no that's not a joke," Negan mocked, taking a step towards her and leaning in close. Even hung up by her wrists, he was still a few inches taller than her. His head turned down at her, he spoke again, "you know what's a joke? The fact that you think I believe you." He smirked, leaning away and turning from her. "That's pretty fucking funny, Ana. Pretty. Fucking. Funny."
"I'm not lying," she whispered in a barely audible voice, the sense of dread washing over her.
"Two reasons you're still awake, and you better be thanking me for them." Negan paced while he spoke, "one, I don't like hurting women. And two, with your scrambled brain, you couldn't survive another beating."
Ana quieted, realizing how useless trying to convince him was.
"So, what now?" Negan turned to her with pride in his eyes, "great question. I go tend to my sheep, and you stay with Simon."
"No, please-" Ana quickly retracted her plea, realizing that her complaint could lead to the revelation of Simon's secret. She wasn't ready to tell Negan yet, knowing that in this moment her husband wasn't completely rational.
"C'mon, sweetheart. Simon's your damn friend! Be thankful." With that Negan turned to leave, pausing before his hands landed on the cool metal of the doorknob. "Ciao," he called to her, turning the knob and stepping out.
Ana breathed heavily, her throat closing and her stomach twisting at the thought of seeing Simon. She whimpered slightly, throwing her head around in hopes to find something that could help her escape. Nothing seemed available except a chair in the corner of the room, and her movement only made her head worse. So, Ana gave up. She let her legs go limp, hanging by nothing but her wrists as the pain and moments dragged on endlessly. For a while she imagined Rick running through those doors, cutting her down and carrying her home. She knew it was impossible, but the hope remained. Rick soon turned to Negan, throwing his arms around her and burying his head in her neck as Lucille peeked around his leg.
"Mommy?" she questioned.
"Yes, honey," Ana said in a strange wave of false relief, "it's me honey."
Her relief was short-lived; Lucille's body caught fire as Negan laughed viciously, occasionally glancing at Ana to make sure she knew he was relishing the moment.
Ana screamed until her throat stopped making noise. Forcing her eyes down, she cried loudly. When she looked back up, Lucille and Negan were gone. She fell asleep despite the throbbing in virtually every appendage.
"Ground control to Major Tom."
Ana forced her eyes open, staring at Negan's hands along her thigh. She sighed in relief, before trying to hug him. However, she noticed her wrists hanging from the ceiling and with perplexity, glanced at her husband.
"Where's Lucille?" Negan questioned in a low voice, continuing to run his hand along her smooth skin. Ana focused on his calloused hands instead of the pain in her head, wrists, stomach, and calf.
"She's dead, Negan," Ana quietly whispered. Negan's fingers paused on her skin, his other hand reaching up to grab Ana by her neck. He held her there for a bit, squeezing lightly as Ana grimaced.
"Did you kill her?"
Ana's eyes went wide in utter astonishment. How dare he ask her- "Nunca pude," she mumbled.
"Stop it with the Dora shit, sweet cheeks," he said coolly.
"I could never," Ana repeated herself with more confidence, "she died in the fire."
"I wonder who started that fire…" Negan removed his hand, furrowing his brow in false confusion.
"The gas…" Ana said, replaying the scene in her head. Consequently, she grimaced and swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Riight, the gas. I should have known."
Ana cocked her head to the side, "do you not believe me?"
"I have an easier time believing you'd let me fuck you sideways right now than that shit, honey," Negan pointed out, already making his journey to the door. Ana called out for him, although he didn't respond as the metal door slammed behind him. She cried for a short while, pulling at the ropes that burned her wrists. Eventually she gave up, and closed her eyes in defeat.
"Major Tom?"
Ana opened her eyes to Negan's familiar face. His hand was on her thigh and this time, she was able to reach out and place her soft hand over his. She noticed the strange ligature marks on her bare arms and tilted her head slightly in puzzlement. Was it not long ago that she was tied up to a ceiling, or was that a dream? Slightly irked, she pulled her hand away and leaned against the wall behind her.
She was sitting on an old cot with a small blue sheet resting on her leg. Her calf and stomach were both completely numb. Her head retained a dull ache, but still hurt to move in any general direction. Luckily, the room she was in possessed dim lighting, and was thus easy on her eyes.
"Negan?" Ana croaked out. Her throat was sore, torn up. Had she been screaming? Ana shook her head, realizing that there was no way she could've been screamed. She hadn't been awake before now. Or had she?
"Rise and shine, sunshine," Negan smirked. Ana frowned, hadn't she heard that before? She rubbed her head, feeling a bruise leading from her temple to her ear. Dried blood flaked off onto her hand as she ran her fingers through her dirty hair. Negan obviously took notice of her disgusting appearance.
"Did not believe in cryptids until I saw you myself, believe me," he chuckled lightly. This only deepened Ana's pout, despite Negan's soothing voice. After a few moments of silence, Negan's hand moved to her cheek. "Fucking missed you babe," he mumbled, dragging his thumb across her cheek bone to her lips. She smelled the dirt on his fingers, but paid it no mind, and instead leaned into his hand, feeling it rub against her cheek.
"I thought you died," Ana said quietly.
Negan frowned sarcastically, "do you have that little hope in me?"
Ana drew her lips into a thin line. "You didn't answer when I called your name."
"You know I like my sexy music before sexy time," he reasoned.
Ana giggled lightly, reaching her fingers up and holding his wrist as he threatened to pull his hand away. Her eyes landed on the rope burns around her wrists. She blinked quietly, trying to remember where they came from. Negan sensed her bewilderment and quickly spun a lie.
"From when my saviors tied your ass up when we first saw each other," he pointed to them with his free hand, "Gonna have to punish someone for damaging my prized possession." He winked at her slowly.
Ana wasn't sure whether to smile or not, but had no reason to not believe him. She didn't even remember that night.
"Your brain's all sorts of fucked, memory should come back sooner or later."
"Oh," Ana mumbled, trying to recall every time she had been hit on the head in the past week or two. The taciturn that followed was welcomed, and Ana scanned Negan's face, taking in all of the new wrinkles. He was quiet as well, which was unusual for someone of his character. After realizing this, he suddenly stood up.
"Time to hit the hay," he stretched his back, groaning as he did so. Ana furrowed her brow, wishing he would stay with her.
He leads a group of murderers she reminded herself. Then, in digression, Ana wondered if he had killed anyone from Alexandria. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know. As long as Rick was alive…
Rick.
Her mind began to wonder-
"Simon'll be outside if you need any shit. I think I'll come by to collect you in a day. Gonna stop by your boyfriend's old house."
"Wait-"
But Negan was already out the door, leaving Ana mere yards away from her rapist. The threat of Simon entering and assaulting Ana at any time suddenly resonated in her mind, pushing any thoughts of Rick and the group out of the picture.
A/N: I meant to upload this a week ago, but I rewrote this chapter about 50 times, trying to get it the way I wanted it. Not sure if I like it as is, but I needed to publish it sooner or later! A quick note about my replies: since I'm starting to get more replies with each chapter, I'm only going to reply to the ones that bring up discussions about the story or show :) This doesn't mean I don't love your reviews, I'm so thankful for each and every one of them! They fuel my motivation to write more. Also, welcome all of you new followers, I'm glad you decided to stick along for the ride.
Replies:
general reply: I'm soooo relieved and happy that so many of you liked the ending of the last chapter! It makes me smile reading all of your reviews
crystaltonics: as you can probably guess, both Negan and Ana have mixed feelings about seeing each other. At least she's out of danger for the time being :)
StTudnoBright: Negan does know she was raped and I'll get to flashbacks regarding his reaction in future chapters. However, he doesn't know about Simon's role in it. But hey, maybe Negan'll find out soon.
I'm a Nerd and Proud: He laughed at your response; it seems that all the characters you hate he loves! :) I hope Negan kills Simon soon as well (at least in this story). I've always hated him.
Jamiemorgan113: I figured letting him show up a chapter early was better than publishing two rather short chapters, I'm glad you liked it! I also pronounce Ana like "aw na" and Anna like "anne ah". Ana sounds more posh, in my opinion.
msgemgem: yep, I'm hoping this chapter (at least if you spend time dissecting it) will show Ana's submissive nature towards Negan (for example; still referring to him as her husband and being happily married despite the obvious fact she wasn't happy).
diverge-ent: Yay, I'm glad you believe she fits in. I noticed a lot of people walking around Alexandria that aren't part of Rick's group, so I thought it'd be realistic enough if someone wondered into Alexandria like others have.