i dont know why this took so long, i had it written but never uploaded it. Hopefully there's still people reading this, if not, oh well. TWD just kind of slowed down for me and i'm at a loss as to what to do next since the story was keeping up with every other episode so i may do some time jumps or something, if anyone is still interested in reading this let me know, if not, i may move on. Enjoy!
Chapter fourteen
"Knock, knock."
I looked up as Negan came into the room I was in, smiling as he spotted me on the bed going through one of Sanctuary's blueprints. He set Lucille down carefully on the loveseat and shed his jacket before setting it over the seat as well.
"Hi Negan."
"You holding up okay?" He asked, eyeing me carefully before he spotted the shirt I was wearing, one of his old ones, "Damn, that thing's old."
"Do you need something?" I went back to looking at the vent airways and he kicked the bed with his foot as he relaxed on his jacket.
"Don't be snippy with me girl, I was just checking on you." He sighed and I put the prints away again, mockingly giving him my attention, "You look good, it's nice seeing you all cleaned up and beautiful."
I felt my stomach twist at his words and make butterflies race in my heart, it was insane how quickly he was able to make me feel so high at his words. This side of Negan nobody's ever seen, just me, and it was like everything was okay between us again.
The need to pull away from him every time he was close to me had faded after a while, now I leaned into his touch or craved to be next to him even when he was already next to me. Even now, relaxed on the love seat with his white shirt pulling on his muscles and his long lean legs stretched out before him like a cat, god it was impossible sometimes to focus on anything but him.
Negan smiled as if he was reading my thoughts and made a motion with his head to come closer, his gloved hand beckoning me after a second. I slid easily onto his lap, he kept me centered with an arm around my waist and another on my jaw, pulling me down for a kiss.
"You smell so fuckin' good baby girl." He grinned, lips brushing mine before kissing me softly.
He let me wrap my arms around his neck and give into the kiss, I had been craving this all day long since he left the bed this morning.
He moaned as I pressed against him, the hand not wrapped in my hair grabbed my ass and forced me even closer until both our zippers on our pants scraped against each other. His tongue was warm and heavy as he seduced me into giving in and letting him fuck my mouth with his own. Kissing Negan was a drug all on its own, lightheaded and high I could barely hear myself think over the need for more-more-more-need to get closer now-
The door to the room creaked open and a figure stepped in. Negan didn't stop tonguing me and my entire soul until I pulled away as the kid covered his mouth in surprise. I pulled away from Negan, hair wild from being grabbed and pupils blown from arousal.
"Carl?"
"Melaney…" Carl nodded and looked away as I struggled to get off Negan's lap.
Negan just laughed and held me against him without even bothering to look at the teenager, instead only keeping his eyes on me and playing with a hole in my-his-shirt.
"Little shit hopped in one of our cargo vans and popped a few men. I was on my way to take him back when I thought of you, thought you might want to get out of here now you're all healed up."
"You got hurt?" Carl interrupted and Negan rolled his eyes.
"A group of cannibals not far from here, we were ambushed. You shot people?" I pulled myself together but Carl shrugged at the question and Negan slid his jacket back on and grabbed Lucille.
"C'mon, we're wastin' daylight." Negan kissed my lips smoothly as he brushed past, pushing Carl out in front of him, "Laney, you missed it by the way, gave the kid the grand tour!"
I looked below us as saviors were crowded on the factory floor, Negan grinned as we walked down the steps and then stopped.
A man was clutching his face as Amber held a towel to it, crying. I frowned and looked closer as the man was pulled up by Dr. Carson and onto the nearest table. Oh no, Mark had been burned.
"No." Negan put a hand out to stop me from going closer.
"What happned?"
"He burnt off his face with an iron." Carl filled me in and I looked to Negan in surprise.
"What did Mark do?"
"Disobeyed, done some shit I don't like." Negan looked dark as he watched Amber tend to her ex-boyfriend before she got up and let Carson take him away.
Amber began walking towards us, to the Wives room when she spotted us blocking the stairs, she wiped her eyes and turned around, going the long way. Negan smirked as I jogged after her, dodging Mark's body on the gurney.
"Amber!"
"Stay away Melaney." She bit at me, stopping in the hallway but not facing me, still clutching the soiled rag in her hands, "I don't want anything to do with you anymore."
"Amber if I had known-"
"No! No…you're not-we're not- friends anymore Melaney. You came back, you're one of them now…I should have left you to die after he beat you." She turned to the side so I could see the sad fire in her eyes, "I think its best if you stay away from us."
She continued down the hall, heels clicking on the cement. I felt small, standing in the hall watching her go into the room and shut it behind her loudly.
"Melaney."
Negan's deep voice was like honey around me as he pulled me away and out into the courtyard where Carl was waiting inside the truck already. Negan felt the change in me and sighed before he pressed a kiss into my hair.
"I had to do it to Mark, you understand that. Amber…I've been having issues with her and Mark recently. Baby girl I think it's best you avoid that bitch too." He opened the door for me and I hopped in as he grabbed Simon and a few others to join us on the trip to Alexandria.
I looked out the window as we pulled out and shot down the road. The smell of burning flesh had still been in the air, it was on the rag Amber had…
I should have left you to die after he beat you.
She was right though, I was a Savior…or at least still pretending to be one. I hadn't said a word to her since the Cannibals in the valley, I had snubbed her off when she had been concerned about me and that had been it. Most of my company revolved around Simon, Negan and a few other Saviors that I had been close to before I left. Amber had been the only girl though that I genuinely liked, there was Arat of course but she was a little too keen on kissing Negan's ass nowadays.
Negan looked at me and tucked some hair behind my ear and stroked the outline of my jaw softly before returning both hands to the wheel, it made me feel better…until I saw the glare Carl was giving me in the mirror. He was looking at me the way Amber had.
We were greeted by the usual glares as we pulled into Alexandria. I got out first and pulled Carl out and the glares quickly turned into shock. Simon set a hand on my shoulder as Negan greeted everyone and asked for Rick.
"Eyes up, I'm not getting a good feeling about this." Simon whispered low and I nodded, moving my pistol to the front of my pants.
"Simon and Laney, go and take perimeter real quick. Find something you like if you want." Negan grinned and walked off with Carl.
"Puta."
I backed up as Rosita walked past and spit at our feet, Simon chuckled but I felt a fire suddenly go off in my head.
"Fuck off Rosita."
"Screw you, traitor." Rosita squared up, getting close to me.
I had never really been a fan of the Latina, the way she treated Eugene always made me sick. We were about the same height, I was an inch taller and in this moment, almost nose to nose I was grateful for that inch.
"We should have never trusted you, fucking back stabbing son of a bitch. Your sugar daddy's gonna meet his death soon."
I reeled back to punch her but Simon grabbed my arm at the last second and Sasha stepped between us.
"HEY!" She shouted and shoved Rosita away from us, "We don't need this, not now you two."
"It's alright Sasha, the little Mexican whore's just mad she hasn't gotten laid in few days right Spencer?" I jabbed out and Rosita sputtered.
"Calm down Doll. No need to get pissed." Simon let go of my arm and I glared at the Latina as she walked off with Spencer on her heels, "Let's cool off, girl."
We departed from the group and they went the way Negan had ventured off to. As soon as we were out of sight I yelled and kicked a garbage can over, Simon just watched me and laughed.
"That make you feel better?"
"…No, obviously." I rolled my eyes and Spencer rocked back on his heels for a second, enjoying watching me come down from being pissed.
We hung around outside for thirty more minutes, idly chatting about nothing. I heard a commotion a street or so over but didn't think much of it as I picked up the garbage can I knocked over and shoved the trash back inside.
"Need to get you a punching bag, Doll." He smiled, we perked up at the sound of a whistle a street away, "Boss is calling."
We came up to an odd scene, Negan playing pool with Spencer in the middle of the street. I stopped next to Eugene and Arat wandered over to me.
"They found a note when we arrived, some guy named Aaron had a shit ton of guns for us, no ammo." She whispered, I watched over the group of Alexandrians carefully, "That sound like them?"
"A bit yeah, what's going on here?"
"Spencer wants to talk."
"Where's Rick?" I asked, Arat shrugged and we turned back to Negan who looked like he was having the time of his life, "When the fuck did he shave?"
Negan's beard was gone, like it was gone completely. For a second he was almost unrecognizable, I had seen him with stubble and a beard but this? Negan was…so much more attractive. I could see how sharp his jawline was, he was even more handsome underneath everything. Arat just laughed quietly next to me. Carl and Olivia were on the porch watching us, Rosita, Sasha, and Father Gabriel were around along with a mix of Saviors and Alexandrians. I adjusted the gun in my belt, feling uneasy.
"I am my mother's son." Spencer spoke up as I slowly rounded the pool table, trying to gte closer to Negan, "I can be the leader she was, that's what this place needs. That's what you need."
"So I should put you in charge, that what you're saying?" Negan's eyes narrowed slightly, his entire body changed as he sipped his whiskey and eyed Spencer.
I stopped next to the pool table on the oppsite side of them, watching carefully. Spencer was on thin ice, Negan was looking at him like he couldn't believe a word this man was saying. Negan chuckled as Spencer confirmed it, walking around to me and running a hand on my back before he relaxd and slung an arm over my shoulder.
"You're all right, you're all right." Negan ran a hand over his clean face, the arm around my shoulder was tense, flinching under the leather jacket.
Negan shrugged and went back to pool for a few seconds, slowly making his way to Spencer, Simon and I shared a look.
"You know what I'm thinking Spencer? I'm thinking how Rick threatened to kill me, how he cleary hates my guts but he is out there right now, gathering shit for me to make sure I don't hurt any of his fine people tha live here." Negan se the pool stick down gently, "He is swallowing his hate and getting shit done!"
I moved back, stepping to Simon as Negan continued talking to wasn't right, Spencer was anasshole sure, I was never a fan of him when I was here but this was new. The sudden request in change of leadership wasn't all his idea, it couldm't have been. Rosita was standing stoic, watching her boyfriend get belittle by Negan, eyes narrowed. If anything Spencer was more trying o be a Savior than a leader.
"It's because you got no guts." Negan smiled, face to face with Spencer.
He pulled out a knife and in a second, slashing Spencer's stomach open before tugging and letting blood pour out.
Oh.
Oh fuck.
What the fucking hell?
I reeled back, the shock of surpise overtaking my body as Spencer doubled over and fell to the ground, holding his stomach as the organs fell out of it. Negan laughed darkly and swung Lucille up in surpsie.
"Oh, how embarrassing! There they are, they were inside you the whole time. You did have guts, I've never been so wrong in my entire life!" Negan smiled and turned in a circle to us and to the othe ralexandrian's standing around in horrified shock a sSpence bled out, "Now someone oughta get up here and clean this mess up."
Nobody moved, Simon was the only one next to me who didn't seemed fazed by it, instead he just sighed and looked around as well as Negan asked about finishing the game. He walked to me and raised my eyes to look at him, trying to clam me down.
"Our time is up, let's go." He gave a softer smile to me before nodding to Simon behind me.
I looked at Spencer, his body was still twitching but he was obviously so damn dead, Rosita..fuck, Rosita-
CRACK.
I ducked at the sound of a gun going off, immediately I looked to Negan who was still standing. Rosita was in front of him, holding the gun. Lucille had saved Negan.
"What the shit! Shit! You just-you tried to kill me?!" He bellowed, all I saw was red.
Arat got to Rosita first, punching her face and bringing her to the ground, I shoved Arat to the side as I laid into Rosita myself, screaming. I got three punches into her sides and face before simon dragged me off of her.
"Arat, Melaney- fuckin' somebody put a knife to her fucking throat." Negan ordered as he picked up the shell casing and inspected it.
I happly obliged and drew my machete out, letting it graze her throat before settling it down on her skin, she looked scared for a split second. Arat stood over us as the Saviors dutifully positioned their guns on those around us, fuck. I was…too pissed beyind words to even say anything to her below me. She had shot at Negan, she could have killed him, could have…he would have been gone. Negan was hyped, too much anger and surpise in him to even think straight for a few seconds.
Rosita claimed the bullet was hers and my eyes immediately went o Eugene, who was hodling himself crying. Eugene had made bullets before, Abraham had told me. Rosita would go to him, there was no doubt Eugene had made more for her.
"Oh! You are such a badass!" Negan slapped his knee, "Have it your way, Arat, kill somebody." Negan ordered and Arat blindly shot behind her.
I heard Carl scream and looked up in time to see Olivia drop to the ground. For a split second I felt remorse, I had once promised to keep these people safe from this bloodshed, from Negan…
I looked up as Rick walked up finally to us, had he really been absent all this time?
"Doll, get up." Simon tugged on my arm gently as Negan sauntered over to Rick, furious, "Doll-"
I got up, letting the edge of my knife cut itno Rosita's neck anyway. Arat nodded to me and trained her gun on Rosita who remained on the ground.
"-and I fed him spaghetti." Negam jabbed Lucille at Carl who crouched behind the porch when Rick turned to look at him,
"We need to leave." I looked at Simon and he nodded, "Negan can't be here any longer."
"Move out." He ordered to the Saviors in the back who obeyed quickly, some stayed behind, waiting on Negan and keeping an eye on the other Alexandrians.
"-Sure thing Rick, right after I find the guy or gal that made this bullet. Arat?" Negan turned to his officer who trained her gun on someone else immediately.
Rick was looking at me, betrayal in his eyes as he recognized me next to Arat.
"It was me!"
"No, it wasn't…it was me."
We turned to Eugene, softly crying and holding his hands close to his mouth and shaking like a leaf. Negan seemed to take pity on him for a second, gently walking up to him and questioning him again. Rosita looked defeated as she got up, regret in her eyes as Eugene stammered out he stpes he made to make the bullet. Eugene, he was so sensitive. He had been a good friend here, always supportive and swet and kind to everyone even when they weren't to him.
Rosita began pleading as Negan ordered the remaining Saviors to load up Eugene. I stopped in front of Rick, eyeing him evenly.
"…You…you helping them then?" his voice broke, his eyes were red around the edges and he looked lost all over again, "You…him…"
"I'm sorry." I shook my head as Negan drove his knife into Spencer as his corpse reanimated for a second.
"Let's go Baby." Negan called out to me as everyone began to walk away, the only ones remaining at the table were me and the Alexandirans. People who were no longer my family.
"Goodbye, Sheriff."
I walked past him and into the group of Saviors, knowing he was eyeing me the whole way back to the gate. Broken.