Possible trigger warning, I guess. Just playing it safe so I don't get ripped a new one.

Chapter 14

He took the glass from my hand and set it on the coffee table behind him, not tearing his eyes from mine. Grabbing my wrists, he stood me up and switched places with me; him sitting on the couch now and me on my knees, kneeling in front of him. He cradled the side of my face in his hand, stroking my cheek with his thumb.

"You wanna do this now? Or do you wanna make me wait for it?" He asked tenderly.

My answer was to reach for his belt, attempting to unbuckle it in a trembling fury. He gripped my hands and squeezed them, giving me a chastising look. He released me and relaxed back in the couch, a hand coming back up to firmly hold the back of my neck; his fingers massaging me slightly. I started to reach for his belt again, more slowly this time, but I couldn't do it. The cinch he had on my neck tightened marginally. I looked up into his eyes.

"I don't…think I can do this," I stammered out, my heart a jackhammer in my aching chest and the whiskey acidic fire in my stomach.

"You've done it before right?" He gave me an amused, questioning look. I blushed furiously.

"Yes," I mumbled under my breath, looking away from him.

"Then you'll do just fine," and he smiled.

I swallowed hard, my fingers starting to shake as I took hold of his belt again and slipped the leather strap free. I took a deep breath. Just get it over with, I told myself and began to grasp for the button of his jeans. Suddenly, his hands shot out and grabbed my own, stopping me. My eyes darted up to his, unsure and scared.

"Shit, kid, you were actually gonna go through it," he let out a single laugh, a baffled look on his face. "I mean, I wouldn't say no, but Jeesuuuus. What kind of man do you think I am?"

My face burned and I felt a bit lightheaded and drunk. The overwhelming flood of relief was a rushing tidal wave, and I didn't think I had felt happier since I had lived at the Sanctuary; only the first sight of Daryl beating this moment by a hair. I breathed out heavily, taking my hands from his and standing up on shaky legs.

Negan continued to smile in mockery as he buckled himself up. He patted the couch next to him and I reluctantly took a seat, still very much wary of him. He poured two more fingers of whiskey in each glass and handed me one, throwing his arm over my shoulder to pull me close.

"Why?" I asked in a humbled voice. "What was the point of that?"

He sighed and shook his head before taking a drink.

"You're smart, but you're not good at reading between the lines, are you? I do things for a reason. I'm not evil just to be evil despite the fact that it does get me hard ninety-nine percent of the time."

I scoffed at him and rolled my eyes in disgust. He laughed.

"Believe it or not," he continued with a smile, "I actually really like you and Daryl. That's why you're here. I like your willfulness and temerity, although it does make you stupid at times," his hand squeezed my arm playfully. "Not only is it a ball to witness, but it tells me you're tough as shit. I like that, but there comes a point when you have got to do things you don't want to. I had to see if you could do what needed to be done without the immediate threat of death looming over you, no matter how hard it would be," he winked.

"This night with you is what told me that you're ready to fall in line. And I wrung the shit out of the truth to see if you would trust me just enough to do it," he gave me a sideways look, taking a sip of his whiskey, then said, "Also, I have fucking twisted sense of humor."

I narrowed my eyes at him, my mouth a straight line, to show him that I didn't think his twisted sense of humor was funny at all. Not that he seemed to care because he started to softly laugh.

"Why would I ever believe anything you say again after this?" I asked.

"Well, like you said, what choice do you have?" He lifted one eyebrow up questioningly and quirked a sideways smile. "To believing the truth just enough to do, or nearly do, what needed to be done like a fucking pro," and he clinked his glass to mine.

I was escorted back to Sherry's room after to return her clothes before Dwight dropped me back off in the common area. He was still angry as a hornet, and I kept my mouth shut while I was with him. I did have the forethought to be mindful of his feelings even if he rarely cared about mine. As I returned Sherry's clothing to her I asked her why she did it. Why she became one of Negan's wives.

"I had someone other than myself to think about. We both did," she said, her eyes empty. "It's not as bad as one might think. I know I'm nothing better than a whore, giving myself over for something in exchange. Dwight's life is worth all of it. I don't regret my decision, ever."

We were in her bedroom, the gray sheer curtains being the only thing that kept our conversation from Dwight. I stood with only a pair of pants on and a t-shirt dangling from my hand. I nodded, understanding her reasoning, but unable to connect with it. Would I ever do that for someone I loved? I wasn't so sure and I felt a bit selfish for that. I started to put the shirt over my head.

"What happened, with him?" She asked, her brow creased in curiosity. I could tell she was anxious.

I shrugged the shirt down, pulling it to my hips, "Nothing. We just talked, really."

I wasn't sure why I didn't want to tell her all that had happened. I had met a couple of trustworthy people here and so far she seemed to be one of those people, too; seemed to be genuinely concerned about me. Other than the possibility of her knowing about the walker show I was forced into and not warning me, there was just something a bit off that I couldn't quite place yet. I wanted to figure out what that was first.

"He really isn't that bad," she said as she handed me a pair of socks and sneakers. "He can be…quite loving. He takes care of us."

"I'm sorry, but are you fucking blind?" I replied sarcastically as I sat down on her bed gingerly to put on the socks and shoes. There is was; that was what was keeping me from fully trusting her. I was just naked in front of her, my bruises and cuts a showcase for her to see and she was telling me Negan was loving.

"I'm serious," she argued. "I know…what he's done to you and Daryl, and I don't know what you guys talked about, but he's been through a lot. He's lost a lot. I know he can be a perfect asshole, but there's more to him than that. He wants to make a better world. He is human…for the most part."

"Is Negan putting you up to this? I'm asking honestly because I don't know how you can stand there with a straight face and say this shit to me," I shook my head, truly feeling sympathy for her. Negan had either really wormed his way into her head or was forcing her to do this. "I'm just not buying it. I've seen what he can do. I've felt it, what he's capable of. I don't know what he has or hasn't done to you, but I haven't seen the side you're talking about. And frankly, I don't care to."

"I've seen the shit he's capable of, too," she grabbed my arm roughly and I looked up into her angered eyes. Suddenly, the fire went out of them as she looked down at me, and her hand dropped to her side. "I'm sorry. I just… I don't know."

She plopped down next to me, a heavy sigh escaping her as she did so. I remembered what Dwight had told me earlier in the hallway, about how she loved Negan now and not him. I didn't believe him before, but now I wasn't so sure.

"Do you love him?" I asked.

Sherry looked over her shoulder and across the room at Dwight who was watching a movie and patiently waiting for us to finish, oblivious to our conversation. She sighed heavily again with a slight hitch. I saw regret and longing in her face.

"I don't know, maybe. Have you ever been…in love? Do you know what it feels like?" She asked me back.

"Uh," I shifted uncomfortably. A set of eyes black as onyx invaded my mind. I felt the ghost of his warm, brown hands on my skin and my heartbeat quickened. I sighed. "Yes."

"So you know how consuming it is. How utterly disarming it can be when you realize everything makes sense. That was Dwight. I have never felt happier with someone as I did with him," tears glittered in her brown eyes. "I gave that all up so that he could live, and Negan… I know he was the one to cause it, but he helped fill the void in me. He took the pain and…replaced it with something else. Something that I'm afraid of losing now and that scares me."

I looked away from her, not wanting to see that anguished look on her face any longer. I didn't dare ask another question, suddenly losing my earlier energy and curiosity despite the inquisitive part of me still wanting to know more; to figure everything out. I felt like I had dug just a bit too deeply for the time being. I know I was an emotional wreck after everything, but I had to keep in mind that Sherry had been through and seen much more than I had; she had been a part of this so much longer.

"I think I should go now," I said, standing up.

I made my way over to Dwight. He looked over when he heard me coming, standing up as I passed by to stand by the door. I saw him looking at Sherry. She was still sitting on the bed, her form shrouded by the thin drapes, but she didn't acknowledge us at all. Dwight turned around slowly and gestured for me to go out the door. I did and he shut it behind us, a distant look in his eyes.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty!" Simon sang out and rapped his knuckles on top of the cage.

Daryl woke up a start, his body stiff and in agony. He pushed himself up to his knees and found Simon's cheery face peering down at him through the steel bars.

"It's time for a little field trip," he said and produced a key to unlocked the latch. He opened the small cage door. "Well, come on now!"

Daryl glared at Simon with mistrust, but having no other option he began to crawl out of the cage. As he did so, Simon looped a loose chain around his neck and yanked him up to his feet; he stumbled forward, barely able to catch himself before he fell. Simon began to lead him out of the room while whistling a happy and all too familiar tune, the chain swaying back and forth in a playful way.

"Where're you taking me?" Daryl asked, his voice wavering from lack of use. He hadn't spoken in what seemed like weeks.

"We're gonna get you all patched up, buddy!" Simon said with a glance over his shoulder. "You get to see what it's like to have a bit of special treatment around here. I think you might like it."

They climbed a set of stairs as a few Saviors stopped to watch, snickering and shaking their heads.

"Yo, Simon!" One of them yelled, his face red with glee. "Does lover boy know yet?"

Simon stopped halfway up the stairs and in a grand mocking gestured shushed him, giving the Savior a wink before continuing his way up. Daryl stood still, his eyes on the group of them down below and watched their smirking faces. He furrowed his eyebrows in anger and Everly's face rose up in his mind.

"Keep walking, lover boy," one of them said as Simon tugged on the chain, and Daryl broke his gaze to follow after him.

"What're they talking about?" Daryl dared to ask once they had reached the top and were making their way down another corridor.

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough, amigo," Simon replied with a grin, and opened a door.

Inside was an infirmary. Clean cots, patients, and medical supplies occupied the room, and Daryl felt shocked. Why did they bring him here? Simon let the heavy chain drop to the floor and slipped it from his neck. He stood staring at him for a moment, his eyes arrogant and bored.

"There's a shower in the bathroom. Go take one," he demanded.

Daryl gave him a sideways glare before turning his gaze to the bathroom at the far end of the room. He went inside and started to close the door when Simon yelled for him not to. He pushed it back open, his hand a hard fist around the knob. He quickly undressed and took the first shower he had had since being locked up in that cage. He lathered up, feeling better almost immediately.

They had tortured him. Not always with a beating or anything physical, but with music. They had played the same damn song over and over again; it rang in his ears now, the water of the shower keeping beat with the awful melody that wouldn't quit. He squeezed his eyes shut and placed his hands on the shower wall, bending his head down while trying to rid himself of the song. It was ever persistent.

"Are ya rub a dub dubbing one out in there, Daryl? What's taking so damn long?" A southern drawl inquired. The obscure shower door whipped open and Negan stood there wearing a broad smile with Lucille on his right shoulder.

"Damn, you look like shit. Even cleaned up a bit, you still look the fucking same. Dirty," his smile was about as assiduous as the song that played incessantly in his head. It was fucking aggravating.

Daryl twisted the shower knob off and stepped out, coming up to Negan to drip on his shoes. He didn't say anything to him, but just stared. Negan's smile faltered a bit, a look of irritation starting to take it over, and he raised his eyebrows in an expression that said: Do you really wanna do this?

Daryl turned away and grabbed a towel that was on a shelf by the shower, and dried off. Negan had walked out of the room, but Daryl knew he was waiting for him. He wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped out, avoiding eye contact with the two other patients in the room. Simon was still present, leaning against a desk with his arms folded, along with Dwight and another man. The new guy was black, short and lean with a handsomely kind face.

"Ah, good afternoon, Daryl, is it?" He asked in a benevolent tone.

Daryl looked to the others, waiting for whatever trick they had planned, but their faces remained impassive; disinterested even.

"Uh, yeah," he said at last.

"I'm Dr. Emerson Avery. There are some clean clothes in the closet right there. Nothing fancy, but they're comfortable. Put them on and take a seat on a cot so I can look you over," he smiled and turned away. Daryl did as he was told, the word fancy dredging up very unpleasant memories of Everly, and then sat on a cot. He could barely bear to think of her, his heart broke every time he did.

"Okay, great," the doctor chirped and began his evaluation. He bandaged him up, cleaning and stitching various wounds. His kind face took on a look of cynicism as he worked, but he continued diligently. His bedside manner was something to admire.

When he finished up, Negan excused the doctor from the room, taking the seat he had vacated. He looked Daryl in his eyes and laid Lucille down beside him on the cot; her sharp wires poking smartly into him. Negan folded his hands down between his legs, his elbows resting on his knees and a grin inched up his face, slow as molasses. He chuckled.

"I bet you're wondering why I let you come up here," he said, his eyes holding onto something secret.

Daryl refused to speak, not finding the effort worth it. Instead, he just listened and stared. Negan gave him a delighted look, his eyebrows furrowing up to the center of his forehead.

"Yeah, you're wondering," he continued, "I can see your pea-sized brain straining hard to figure it out… I won't be too elusive with you. I feel like our relationship has reached a point where I can be quite frank with you now and you'll take what I say with very little opposition. In fact, I kinda feel like we're friends."

Negan patted Daryl's knee with a hard smack. Daryl tensed up as pain shot through his leg, grunting with the effort to control the scream that had risen up to his mouth. He held it back as the pain slowly abated, and he swallowed hard. He looked back at Negan.

"Well, friend, I gotta say that you have really put me in a bind. I thought you'd be easier to crack, but ho-lee fuck balls, you are not! I locked your ass up in a cage that you barely fit in for over a fucking week, played that dumbass song over and over again, but look at you. You still look like you wanna rip my fucking throat out," Negan laughed once, he sat back in the chair and threw a foot up on one knee. He draped his right arm over the back in a relaxed manner and smiled.

"But it isn't me you should be thanking," he bit his lip as he eyed Daryl closely, excited for his reaction. "You should thank Everly."

Daryl's eyes widened slightly, an involuntary twitch ran up his arms, but otherwise he didn't move or make a sound. He had worried about her constantly since he had watched her get savagely beaten by a couple of Negan's girls; had agonized over her, not knowing if she was alive or dead. She had looked so small and broken, lying limp and bloody in front of him on the floor. He had been so furious with her, too; if only she had just sat there... When would they both learn?

"She really put out a show for you," Negan's smile was teasing, "but you missed it. You were pretty heavily fucked up."

He turned toward Simon and Dwight to ask them how many pills they had given Daryl before he was thrown outside the fence with the walkers.

"Enough to knock his ass out for a damn day and a half," Dwight said. He had Daryl's crossbow in his hands.

"You should've seen it. She was magnificent, the way she hauled your ass out of there, all broken and bruised. It was a real turn on," Negan's tongue darted out to lick his bottom lip

Daryl straightened up quickly, his features a hard mask of fury and his hands balled into fists. Negan sat forward at the same time and wrapped a quick hand around Lucille. Dwight had the crossbow up and pointing at Daryl's chest.

Daryl's lip curled up as he said, "If you've touched her-"

"You'll what?!" Negan snapped at him, but sat back with a laugh. "You can't do shit, man. Look at where you are!"

Daryl was breathing heavily with rage, unable to relax anymore; not that he really had been before.

"No, I didn't do much to her, Daryl. Don't you worry that soft noggin' of yours. No," Negan kept on smiling, twitching his dangling foot with ease, "I didn't touch her, but…she did touch me. She wrapped her pretty little mouth all over every inch of me."

Daryl lunged for him, his fist flying out towards his face. Negan turned to the side, barely missing the hit, and slammed Daryl down on the cot with ease. Daryl cried out from the impact, his sore body seething in pain.

"You're a fucking liar!" Daryl screamed at him. "I'll fucking kill you!"

"Well, which one is it!?" Negan screamed back with an angry grin. He still had Daryl pinned down on the cot. "Are you gonna kill me because I fucked around with your wannabe girlfriend or because I'm lying about it?"

Negan lifted him up off the cot and shoved him back down, letting him go as he did so. He gave Daryl a severe look as he grunted in pain on the cot. He sat back down in the chair, going back to the same position as before: careless and relaxed.

"Daryl, I would never lie to you," Negan brought a hand up to his chest and mocked a look of hurt. "That goes against my whole moral code. I'm a stand up guy! I'm not telling you this for shits and giggles. She can suck a mean dick. If you haven't tried her out already, I feel sorry for you."

Daryl shot up toward him again in a screaming rage, trying to grab him by the throat. Negan landed a solid punch across his jaw, sending him sprawling backwards onto the floor. Simon and Dwight were up on him before he had a chance to get back up again.

"Easy now, pretty boy. Ain't nothing but hurt for you if you keep struggling," Simon said as he pinned Daryl on his stomach, pulling one arm up to behind his back to his shoulder blades. Dwight was looming over him with the crossbow steadied at his head. Daryl breathed out roughly in pain and anger.

Negan slowly strolled into Daryl's line of view, his boots thudding with each precise step. He stopped right in front of his face, Lucille tapping the ground by his nose. He lazily squatted down, sighing as he did so.

"Bring his head back," Negan commanded and Simon grabbed a fistful of Daryl's damp hair, yanking his head back forcefully.

Daryl glared up at him, heaving in and out madly, and Negan's face was an array of disappointment and condescension as he looked down at him.

"I can see that this has gotten a bit of out hand, so let me reiterate myself for the millionth-to-last time and maybe now it will finally sink in through that thick, hillbilly skull of yours," Negan slammed down the point of Lucille on the floor by Daryl's face, the wiry bristles barely missing his skin. "Don't ever think you can come at me like that again. Ever. I know! I hit a sore spot, talking about someone you care about, but rules are rules. I set the laws, and I've made them clear for you and every other asshole in this place. When you break them, I get upset and then I retaliate. And from now on when I retaliate, I'll know who to use to get through to you… Have I made myself any clearer or should I give you an example?"

"You're clear," Daryl spat out.

"Super," Negan replied sardonically, still giving Daryl a sharp look of disappointment, and stood back up. "Who are you?"

Daryl clenched his jaw, his mouth a hard line of contempt. Negan smiled in a patronizing way as he watched him struggle to submit, bending over slightly and cocking his head toward him. He put a hand up to his ear, a gaping, questioning grin on his face.

"Negan," Daryl whispered.

"Atta boy!" Negan stomped his foot as he said it. "I knew it was hiding somewhere inside of you, I just had to find a way to squeeze it out!"

Negan clenched his fist closed in front of Daryl's face before straightening up with a soft laugh. He started to walk out of the room, whistling that irritating song they had forced him to incessantly listen to and swinging Lucille at his side. He stopped when he reached the door, turning on his heel slightly as he looked back over his shoulder at Daryl still pinned to the ground.

"By the way, I was just yanking your balls about Everly. I'm not a fucking rapist. Friends can joke, right?" He gave Daryl a wink and left the room.

Oh, Negan, you dirty, manipulative bastard! But hey, at least he didn't actually take advantage of her, right? Maybe he does have a sort of human side... Maybe... And what do you think about Daryl saying his name? Do you think that it sticks true to his character or no? I guess in the show he really didn't have anyone else to think about while being held captive, so he had no reason to do it originally. But here Negan is again, wringing the holy hell out of the truth to get what he wants!

I just want to take the time to thank every single one of you guys who reviewed and who are still enjoying my story. I lost a few more readers after my last post; I guess they assumed this chapter would be too intense for them and decided to kick rocks. Your reviews were what kept me going to edit and write more despite my motivation running thin. So, thank you. :)

To the reviewers who I could not personally message back (Juliet2009, termapie, Mia, and Maze), thank you guys for your reviews and suggestions! You're all awesome!

To all of the other readers out there who are still reading and having fun while doing it, thank you, too!

Also, in regards to termapie's review on taking my time with my chapters, I'm actually going to heed that advice because I did feel rushed to post Chapter 13 despite it having been written a loooong time ago. I actually posted it after editing it while half asleep and when I reread it a few hours later (after a quick siesta I dearly needed) I found waaaaaaaay too many mistakes and typos that I was not happy with, and quite frankly, I was embarrassed. So, if I ever do not update on a Friday, I will try my hardest to update the next day or some time that weekend when I am rested and relaxed. With that, if I ever post a chapter and it seems belligerent (or if my writing just seems sub par, period), please call me out on it a.s.a.p.!