Red River Blue

Chapter 10

Merle took another sip of the drink he was nursing, perking up when River finally walked in through the open barn doors. She was carrying a pie in each hand, keeping one eye on Glenn and Maggie's daughter, who was trusted to carry a third pie. River set her two pies down towards the end of the long table before turning and helping Annie find a spot for hers. Maggie arrived just after her daughter, using two large potholders to grip the edges of a large cast iron skillet.

"Daddy!," Annie shouted, rushing over and wrapping her arms around Glenn. "Aunt River taught me how to make pie! Did you see the pie I made! It's a peach pie!" Glenn wrapped his arm around the girl, assuring her that she made the best peach pie known to man and telling her he couldn't wait to have a bite. She gave him a big pretty smile. While Glenn's son favored him in looks, his daughter looked more like Maggie. After one more smile, she darted off to join her brother and a few of the other kids at the loosely organized game of soccer they were playing outside the barn.

Merle hummed as River wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her against him, breathing in the smells of sugar and fresh baked goods that were clinging to her clothes and hair. She lowered herself onto his lap, snagging the beer from his hands and taking a long cold swig. Merle wrapped his arm around her, pressing a kiss onto the round of her cheek. She looked even better than she smelled. River was wearing a short black dress and her well worn cowboy boots. The dress was one he hadn't seen before. He guessed she borrowed it from Maggie or one of the other women she was baking with. It was nice to see her in a dress. Almost like the turn never happened. They didn't have much occasion for dressing up in Alexandria.

"I'm so excited for the party," River gushed. Merle grinned at her. The only thing River liked better than baking was dancing. And having a big barn party with food and music promised both in the same day. Maggie and Glenn weren't expecting them, so they didn't have time to roast a pig. But so far, the potluck selection was looking promising. And even if the food was terrible, they were still going to have a good time drinking and laughing together.

Mika and Sam walked in with Henry, the kid that was here apprenticing from The Kingdom, trailing behind them. Merle felt his eyes widen slightly when he took in Mika's appearance. The only thing smaller than her skirt was the tiny white tank top she had squeezed herself into. Her nipples were barely covered and appeared to be straining against the thin fabric. All Merle could do was shake his head at the girl and laugh.

Despite her questionable fashion choices, the interaction between Mika and Henry seemed innocent enough. She was sticking close to her brother for now. And the three of them seemed to be getting along. Henry only arrived a few days before. He didn't have much chance to make friends yet and seemed happy to have some other young people around that also weren't from Hilltop. The three of them filled up plates and sat down on a hale bale together, sharing what they took so they could each get a little bite of everything.

The band warmed up while everyone got something to eat. There weren't any actual tables set up. So people sat down with their plates in their laps or ate standing up at the counter of the makeshift bar area. River laughed at Axel and Hershel, who were now chasing each other around the place with half eaten chicken drumsticks in their hands, screaming like wild little devils. There weren't any boys Axel's age at home. And River could tell he was really enjoying himself. She made a mental note to try and make sure they didn't wait so long before they came back for another visit. Maggie was already trying to talk her into staying the winter with them. Axel would love it. But River wasn't sure if she wanted to be away from her daughters that long.

After they got something to eat themselves, the members of the band got together and started the music. Luke was new but since he arrived with Beth, who they all knew, he received a warm welcome from the other musicians. Unlike the other members of his group, he received an offer to live in Alexandria. River was curious to see if he was going to take them up on it, or stay in Hilltop with his friends. From the way he was smiling at Beth, River was betting he would be returning with them. But it was hard to tell. People grew strong attachments when they depended on each other for survival.

River snagged her son, relieved him of the chicken bone in his hand before she pulled him out in the middle of the open area to dance with her. Before long, the space filled with people. Like she always did when she was having fun, River quickly lost track of time. Merle watched her from near the bar. He didn't care much for dancing. But he liked to watch River dance. She danced with Sam and then with Tyreese. And a few people Merle didn't know. Younger men mostly. He didn't love that. But since none of them were doing anything more than dancing with his wife, it was hard to really be mad about it. Beth took a break from singing. After getting a drink, she and River danced around together with Mika and Maggie. Now, River was dancing with Jesus, laughing as he twirled her around. Since it seemed unlikely that the man would try and get handsy with her, Merle decided it was as good a time as any to step outside for a smoke.

Mika slipped out some time before him, her head swirling from the dancing and from the drinks she snuck while everyone else was dancing. She leaned against the side of the barn, enjoying the feel of the cool night air against her warm skin. She fanned her face with her hand and sighed. When she took another deep breath in, she smelled the distinct odor of marijuana. Mika glanced around, looking for the source of the smell. Over by the corner of the barn, she spotted a tall slender man leaning back against the barn. She could see the little red cherry of the joint between his fingers, glowing brighter when he brought it to his lips and inhaled. Mika fanned herself off some more as she headed towards the man. He looked vaguely familiar. But she couldn't place him.

He was ruggedly handsome and she found him attractive despite the obvious age difference between them. Even in the moonlight, she could see the gray in his hair and in the stubble on his face.

"Who're you?," she asked, reaching forward to snag the joint from between his fingers. He let her take it, only reaching for it after she took a second long drag. He smiled, but he didn't answer her question. "You don't look like a farmer to me," Mika added, staring at the man's worn combat boots and working her eyes back up to his face. The man chuckled, his mouth turning up into a sly grin.

"I may be a lot of things, honey," he said, "...but I sure ain't a fuckin' farmer." Mika giggled.

"What are ya then?," she asked, her body posture ripe with sexual innuendo.

"Why don't you come on over here and find out," the man suggested, pinching out the cherry on his joint and tucking it away into his shirt pocket. Mika let her eyes run over him again. He was tall and well built, with broad shoulders and narrow hips. She closed the slight distance between them, pressing her body flush with his. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer as he dipped his head down towards her face. His breath ghosted over her lips first. And when he kissed her, it was soft and slight. Just a whisper of a kiss that left her wanting and eager for more. She lifted her arms, wrapping them around his shoulders as she rose up onto her tiptoes. She kissed him, her tongue flicking out to part his lips. He let her lead for a moment. But then the man deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue between her lips and tangling it up with hers.

His hands moved down over her curves until he was gripping her ass through her short denim skirt. She gasped when he lifted her into his arms. He turned, setting her down on a nearby stack of hay bales. Their kisses were heating up and Mika slid her hands under the back of his shirt, rubbing her hands over the bare skin of his back. Her core was already hot with need and when he slid his hand up her thigh she arched into his touch. His fingers grazed over the outside of her underpants and she groaned into his mouth, eager for the feel of his fingers inside her. Then suddenly, the man was ripped away from her.

It took Mika a moment to realize what was happening. Her mouth slacked open in shock. The man had blood trickling down the side of his face, where her uncle Merle hit him with the metal sleeve he wore over his bad hand. And now, the two of them were on the ground, punching and grabbing at each other. Mika hopped down from the hay bale. Then she started screaming. The song that was playing inside came to an end, making her screams audible to everyone inside the barn. People came flying outside, already armed with anything that might serve as a weapon in a pinch. In the new world, screams like hers were never taken lightly.

"That's enough!," Glenn hollered once he realized that there was no danger, but that the screams were being caused by a fight between two men. Since the two men clearly had no interest in listening to Glenn, he gestured for a few other people to help him. Together, the small group pushed in and managed to pull the two men apart. Mika noticed the man she was kissing stopped fighting right away. Her uncle, on the other hand, was struggling and yelling at Glenn and the other man that was holding him back. River pushed in. Mika hoped her aunt was going to calm the situation down. But instead River started shoving at Glenn and the other man, hollering at them to get their hands off her husband.

"Calm down and I'll let you go," Glenn offered, knowing this was partly his own fault. Merle was bad enough. But when he was drinking he was far worse. And Glenn was the one that was filling his cup all day. It seemed fine at the time, they were just talking and laughing. But now he could see that he shouldn't have been encouraging him to drink.

Merle relaxed his body, and for a moment Glenn believed his words cut through the angry drunken fog. But the moment he loosened his grip, Merle surged forward. He got one good punch in, slamming into the other man's face before they nabbed him and drug him back again. River wasn't helping either. Instead of trying to diffuse the situation, she was screaming for Merle to beat the other man's fuckin' ass.

"What the hell is he doing out here?," Beth hollered, pointing at the man Merle was struggling to get at and adding her opinion to the mix. "Isn't he supposed to be locked up?"

"He's allowed out to work," Glenn huffed.

"He wasn't workin'," Merle roared. "He was out here trying to fuck my niece!" Glenn felt his mouth fall open. He assumed that Merle just happened to spot the man out here and jumped him for reasons long past. He had no idea that Mika was involved. River was also unaware of what happened until that moment. Mika stared in shock when her aunt stomped over and slapped the man that she kissed hard across his face.

"Stay the fuck away from my family," River screamed. She pointed at Mika. "She's seventeen years old you fuckin' pervert!" River turned to Glenn, directing her words to him. "We should get a rope and string him up! Like we shoulda done six fuckin' years ago!"

"HEY!," the man argued. He gestured to Mika. "How was I supposedta know that? Does she look like a fuckin' kid to you?" Mika was standing there watching the whole scene with her mouth and eyes wide open in shock. Finally, she found her voice.

"Who the fuck are you?," she hollered at the man that she was ready to hump like a cat in heat only moments before. Deep down Mika knew the answer to her question. She was just hoping she was wrong.

"Negan," River told her, saying the man's name like it was a curse. Mika felt the panic and sickness wash over her. Everything she drank was swirling hard in her gut. She took another look at the man. That's why he looked familiar. He was the one that killed Abraham. And Sasha. And so many others. He raped her Aunt River. Mika was sliding lips with the real live boogeyman. Mika turned and leaned against the barn, supporting herself as she emptied the contents of her stomach onto the ground. When she was done, River was there, wrapping an arm around her and letting Mika sob into her shoulder. Maggie approached them, speaking quietly.

"Did he hurt you or force you to do anything that you didn't want?," she asked. Mika reluctantly shook her head. She was embarrassed about her behavior, but she wasn't going to lie and say the man did something he hadn't.

"No," she admitted. "But he shoulda said who he was." Negan didn't force her. But she felt like Negan tricked her, when he wouldn't tell her who he was. And she was disgusted with herself for what she did.

"Take him down and lock him up for now," Maggie said, pointing in the direction of what served as the community's jail. Negan was acting more stupid than wrong. But since there was talk of getting a rope, Maggie figured that locking him up was the best option for now. Negan must have agreed, because he went with the men willingly. Once he was finally gone from sight, the tense energy in the air finally started to dissipate. Sam left the party, taking Mika back to the trailer they were staying in. Merle and Glenn shook hands. Maggie got River some water and helped her clean up Merle's knuckles. Beth decided the best thing she could do was create a distraction for everyone else. She grabbed her guitar and returned to the small stage, strumming it and singing a song she knew people liked to sing along to. When she was done, the crowd outside had mostly dispersed and returned to whatever they were doing before the disruption happened.

"What was that about?," Luke asked, handing her a glass of water. Beth only shook her head.

"That's sort of a long story," she warned. Luke smiled.

"I've got nothing but time," he told her with a smile. Beth looked down at the glass of water in her hand.

"If you want to hear about that," she said, "...then I think I'm gonna need a real drink."