Fire With Fire // D. Dixon

chapter thirty-four

Chloe Grimes had been staying at the Sanctuary for a few days now, five to be exact.

She did her best to keep track of the time, desperate to find a safe way out of this. She had to. For herself, her baby, her family, and everyone back at Alexandria.

By the end of the week, she'd be twenty-one weeks pregnant. She had no way of knowing what the gender of her baby was or if they were doing okay in there, those days had long passed. This world had lost those kinds of luxuries, so she certainly wasn't expecting this visit with Negan.

There was a knock at her door, based on the pattern alone she knew it was him, "Come in..." She spoke to him, watching as he opened her door and walked in. This was something she had grown accustomed to.

Negan knocked on her door at least twice a day, checking in on her and making sure she hadn't made any enemies. So far, she'd done well. She hadn't left her room for anything in five days, she had everything she needed in there anyway. Besides, her mind was plenty occupied with remembering all the things she'd seen that night and imagining the horrors of the things she hadn't. Her imagination was dangerously vivid.

When Negan had first shown her to her room, she had been shocked. She thought he'd pitch her in a cell and leave her there for days on end, at least until he wanted to use her for something. That was what she had feared the very most; she was scared of being used like she had been before. So scared, so helpless, feeling all that guilt and hatred she had felt about herself being raped all those months ago.

But...Negan didn't and he hadn't done anything to her. Aside from being an overdramatic, murderous lunatic who was a nuisance, that is. Negan had given her a nice room, decorated ever-so slightly with a fully-stocked fridge, oven, microwave and a sink. He was being so incredibly nice to her and she had no idea why. Negan had even tried to tell her that he would never hurt her and that he only wanted the best for her, but she didn't understand that. Why?

"How's my favorite pregnant lady doing this fine afternoon?" Negan laughed, as he closed the door behind him. Chloe gulped, watching as he walked closer and closer to her. Negan had never seen her show when she was scared, he'd seen her put on her bravest face at the lineup and every conversation they'd had since. It had caught his attention, seeing as she seemed to have seen darker things.

"I'm fine," Chloe sighed, looking away from him, "What do you want now?"

"Woah, somebody's moody as fuck today!" Negan chuckled, still getting closer to her, "And I thought we were getting closer..."

Chloe watched as he placed his hand on her face, unaware of herself, she flinched away from him. She felt her heart race in her chest. She hadn't meant to do that, her body just responded. She looked at Negan's face, she expected him to be pissed, but he wasn't.

"Did you just-" Negan stepped back for a moment, "I believe you just flinched away from me."

Chloe tried to calm herself down, remembering the things that Daryl had done to calm her down. Usually he'd brush her hair out of her face, whisper sweet nothings into her ear and lull her to sleep...but he wasn't here right now. Neither was her father. She was all alone. Now she was truly scared.

"Chloe, are you actually fucking scared right now?" Negan asked, not believing the sight in front of him, "Why?" The girl that had been so incredibly stone-faced in the face of two of her friends dying, was now beginning to panic when he had simply touched her face. He wanted to know why. He needed to know why.

"You just...reminded me of someone. Someone I met on the road." Chloe spoke, finally able to slow her breathing down enough to speak clearly. She had sensed that Negan wasn't furious at her, but curious instead. Maybe she could use this to get him on her side, get him to see her perspective. Maybe get her family out of the deal he had set.