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Grace contemplated the thought of killing herself in her head the first chance she got. Half of her figured she was better off dead. The other half told her there was still a chance. But obviously there wasn't.
It's clear that Negan is all about optics. Keeping them here is another stab at Rick. Another threat. She didn't want to be another pawn in Negan's fucked up game.
This dark, stifling cell walls felt like they were closing in on her.
She gently pulled back the cloth wrapped around her forearm, examining the cut. She winced in pain with every slight pull. It was infected. She exhaled deeply, re-wrapped the cloth as best she could, and wiped off the beads of sweat on her forehead.
They separated her and Daryl the second they stepped foot inside The Sanctuary. That was over 24 hours ago.
She could only hope that he was, at the very least, being treated like she was. Left alone in a cell. That he was still okay. It consoled her, knowing it wouldn't make sense to kill him now. Negan and his people wouldn't have brought them here just to kill them. He'd want to make a show out of it.
The sound of boots were approaching from outside. Every slow, calculated step made her entire body stiffen. Keys clattered into the lock which caused her to jolt up, using the wall behind her as support. The cell door screeched open. She squinted from the light straining her eyes.
"Goddamn! You look like shit, honey."
She was met with Negan's permanent psychotic grin when her eyes adjusted to the light. He tossed a water bottle at her feet, making her jerk back slightly. Grace watched it hit the wall beside her.
She looked exactly how she felt. Heat began taking over her body and sweat kept dripping down.
"Let me see him," she croaked.
"No can do, sweetheart. I have got you all to myself today."
She bent down slowly to pick up the bottle.
Negan's bat rested on his leather-covered shoulder, his eyes fixed and unwavering on every move she made. She was trying her best to maintain her composure, to not let him see how incredibly weak and helpless she felt. Because he was not going to see her cry.
His jaw twisted in a grin, letting her know he sensed exactly how she was feeling in this moment. She swallowed, fidgeting with the cap of her water bottle.
"Jesus, you are a jumpy little thing!" He narrowed an eye, clearly enjoying seeing her in this state, "you always this nervous?"
"Are you always this smug after beating people to death?" She snapped back.
He chuckled, "hell fucking yeah I am."
"Fucking psychopath," she murmured into the bottle before taking a swig.
Negan licked his bottom lip, then spoke with his arms out, "okay. You're angry, I get it. Hey, I'd be angry too. Seeing your friends die, getting their heads bashed in. That is some fucked up shit!"
He took a few steps toward her, which caused her to step back until she was planted against the wall. His eyes pierced hers, and her heart pounded so loudly in the small, quiet cell. She could've sworn he could hear it.
Negan snickered and leaned back, "you and I," he pointed between them with his bat, "we can wipe the slate clean and start over. First, we need to talk about this place. About who the fuck I am and what happens to you."
She looked down at his bat, then her eyes met his again. "What? You're not just gonna kill me with that thing? You seem to love doing that."
"That thing has a name! Lucille is hard to forget. I am sure as shit you would agree." He stuck his tongue between his lips.
"I know she doesn't always make the best first impression. But what your people did...not fucking cool. No it is not. You killed my men. A lot of my men. Rick and his little pricks got what they deserved. Hell, I let 'em off easy!"
He paused for a second, his eyes scanning her for a reaction which she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of receiving. He continued, sporting his shit-eating grin. "And I'm not going to kill you, darlin'. You don't have to worry about that."
She snarled at him. "Don't call me darlin'."
"I'll call you whatever the fuck I want to call you," he said in a deep, demanding tone.
She looked down at her torn-up shoes. The pain in her arm intensified with every passing second, as did the overwhelming heat. It took everything in her power to ignore it and look back up at him again. But she did.
"Where's Daryl?"
He squinted his nose at her, amused, and chuckled. "You two been bumpin' uglies or what?"
You asshole–
Her legs buckled and she cried out as a sudden sharp pain shot up towards the entire length of her arm. She bent over and grabbed it, unable to focus on anything other than how badly it fucking hurt.
"Whoa, whoa. You bit?"
She shook her head. His grin was finally gone and replaced by a more somber expression.
"How'd this happen?" He lifted his chin. "Was it one of my men?"
She scoffed. Who the fuck else would it be?
"Words, Grace. You speak when you are spoken to."
"Yes. It was."
Negan stepped closer to her and grabbed a hold of her arm.
"Just...get away from me. Please." She begged, her voice small, too weak to fight back with anything. "Just let me die. Isn't that why you brought me here? Stuck me in this cell?"
"I am not letting you die, sweetheart. That is most definitely not why I brought you here." His tone was lighter, a stark contract to his theatrical way of speaking. He slowly unwrapped the cloth, causing her to suck in her breath. "Shit, baby. This does not look good."
"What the hell do you care? This is who you people are."
Negan pressed his lips together, looking at her for a moment.
"This is not who we are." His eyes narrowed. "There are rules here. We keep people safe. We protect people who need protecting. Cutting up a woman is some weak ass pussy shit. And I don't tolerate weak ass pussy shit."
Her entire body felt like it was being weighed down.
"Tell me who did this so I can go shut that shit down right now."
The pressure on her chest was unbearable– it was like she was drowning and she couldn't catch a breath.
"It was... that fucking..."
Blood rushed to her head and pounded in her ears. Everything started to become blurry as she felt herself slipping away to the sounds of Negan's muffled voice.
