ELEANOR . NEGAN

047.

Her hand gripped the gun as her index finger precariously pressured on it's trigger. The studded pistol grip melded into the coldness of her palm and weighed down in the sense of danger and protection.

Bang.

The wisp of smoke and sweet oil infiltrated her sense as her fingers diligently pressed against the trigger. The force jolted back into her shoulder and sent the thick lead flying into the forehead of a special threat.

Bang.

Mangled body of a once shell of a human dropped to the floor in a silent thud, blood pooling out the simple wound between it's eyes. A mix of deep red with the griminess of brown, mirroring the concrete like it was a canvas.

Bang.

Oh, Eleanor felt like shit.

Negan did exactly what Eleanor asked him to. It was sickening really and she wished she took it back when he guarded Aaron like it was a game. Every time Elle stepped forward to grab his arm, tell him they need a break, Negan would stand between the two with a scowl and whisper: you told me to be look after him.

That was when she wanted to punch him.

When they got back to Alexandria and he went straight to his new residency to shower and change, Aaron pulled Elle to the side and started to ramble nonsense. Said she was the only one who could put him in his place, and blah blah blah.

Elle stopped listening when Aaron asked: why?

It was a good fucking question, wasn't it? Why did Negan listen to her? Even in the Sanctuary, surrounded by saviours who were still scared of Negan, they always listened to him to face no consequences. Elle rarely listened to him and would get a teasing smirk or a simple threat.

Why?!

Eleanor wished she bloody knew.

"Wha' ya up to?" That thick accent belonging to one of her closest friends infiltrated her hearing. He was standing next to a tree, his crossbow in his hand with a questioning and concerned gaze. Elle cocked a brow, what is he doing here? "Aaron sent me out looking for ya. Come on, Elle - get home, shower - ya look like shit."

Her green eyes casted down to her body and forced a gulp. The first thing she did when her Aaron and Negan got back to Alexandria was a body count. Looked around the grounds to pinpoint familiar faces with relieved sighs and fresh skin. They all showered, put on new clothes, the bags under their eyes brighter since they got a night of sleep.

Knowing they were all okay, she didn't head back home. She did a beeline to the closed gates and forced them open before walking through the dark forest with a hefty AR10 in her arms.

Of course Daryl was the one to find her. Like she was some injured deer ready to fulfil people's hunger. The hairs on her arms rose up and she slowly dropped the aim of her gun to the ground.

"Needed to get out." Elle admitted, her free hand reaching to scratch the back of her neck. "How did the uh, Whisperers meeting go?"

Daryl scoffed sourly and tucked his bow back behind his back. "Like shit. Carol nearly shot her."

The woman didn't need a name — they already knew. Like with the Governor, and Negan, a pronoun was enough to set fear into their bodies. "I should've came."

"I kno'."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Daryl flickered between the trees and Elle's soured face before shrugging. "Ya need to rest, Elle. Ya need it."

Elle wanted to laugh, but she also wanted to scream. She decided not to do any of those things and sighed, slouching down on the green swaying grass. "I know, but it don't mean I'm fucking incapable of doing shit." Daryl went to speak, but she looked up at him and he stopped. "Remember before we found the prison? And- and Rick was banging on about democracy and shit."

Daryl let out a hum, she carried on. "Lori was about, what? 8 months pregnant? Moving about in the cold, no shelter — barely any food. It was pure fucking shit, but we managed." Elle laid her hands flat in the grass, feeling the ground for some support. "I barely slept then, Daryl. Barely. If I wasn't up, making sure none of yous got fucking bit, then I would never let myself live it down."

"That's the problem-"

"It's not a problem at all." Daryl sucked in a breath. "Back then, back when we were in constant danger, no one cared if I wasn't sleeping. I was doing a good shitting thing, weren't I? Helping people."

"' different now-"

"Except it's not." Daryl finally looked at her, the way she was looking up at him with determination in her eyes. She needed to get her point across, otherwise no one was going to listen. "People still need help, Daryl. They need it — I need it. Nothing wrong with help, right? But I can't let my guard down, and I can't be belittled just 'cause I'm not meeting your sleeping standards like you're some top fucking GP. This ain't our old normal world, Daryl, not anymore." She gingerly looked away with a shaky breath. "You lot need to give me a break. You know how shit it feels when people look at you with distrust?"

Daryl shook his head and took a step forward, his foot crunching the grass under him. "We trust ya, Elle. We're jus' worried for ya."

"And I get it, alright? Be worried for me, I don't care. But you can't put me on some fucking shitty house arrest and stop me from doing the one thing I like doing!" She sounded exasperated. "I just want to help, alright? Thats all I fucking want to do."

When she stopped talking, Elle couldn't stand Daryl's concerned gaze so she looked away into the ground. Flicking between the swaying grass or the bustling of bushes when the wind picked up. Elle needed to get it off her chest, and now that she has? She wished she stayed quiet. The silence was deafening and the way Daryl barely said anything made her feel like she fucked up.

It wasn't until his shoes peeked from the corner of her eyes and he leant forward to offer a hand, Elle finally felt heard. She gripped on with zero thought. "Alri'"

Her eyes doubled. "Alright?"

"Ya right, we can't stop ya from doing shit." Elle smiled and went to say something, but his stern face stopped her. "But ya do need to sleep. For couple hours, ya just need a bit."

Elle thought it was a load of rubbish but if she meant she can be included again, then hey fucking ho. "I can do that."

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

progress? per chance.

i just love the whole like negan elle thing i just luv it. but im a tad bit fuxking scared cos i have zero ideas on what to do with the whisperers bit.

i do have an idea, i lied :3

anyways, i may or may not got that description of a gun from reddit. i just have zero shits cos the closest to a gun i've been to is a shitty fortnite nerf one.

anywyas i hope you enjoyed another extremely short chapter #tehe