ELEANOR . NEGAN

089.

Eleanor stood astonished at the finished result, her fingers placed against her lips as she tried not to explode in excitement. It was like the Kingdom's parties full of games and food; this one filled with fires, food and blankets. A night under the stars some might say.

A night to celebrate their win against the soldiers – the new food they have, the resources. A gigantic thank you to whoever was still listening. Elle was using it as a goodbye. So was Negan. She didn't not notice how he talked to Maya strategically and carefully, worried he might say the wrong things (Elle still hasn't told her) and how she would laugh at him and push him – calling him a 'weirdo' and 'whose soul did you take this time?'

It was some sort of comfort to Eleanor... but it didn't make her feel any less sick. Carol bid her farewells so that was one less person to talk to but right now? She really needed to speak to Daryl.

He still wasn't back.

"Where is he?" Maya asked abruptly.

The Welsh woman jumped at the shorter girl, her heart rapidly fast against her ribs. "Fucking hell, Skittles!" She put a hand to her chest dramatically. "I'm getting old now, be careful to your elders."

"Soo dramatic." Elle rolled her eyes and Maya laughed, her feet digging into the ground like a little kid. Some things don't change. "Have you told him yet?"

Oh, the way Elle's heart dropped was almost catastrophic. "Beth?"

"Ah, that's why he ran off – you didn't tell him!" Maya and her intelligence and smartass interior – where the fuck did she get that from? "I mean, I didn't know but I haven't run off."

"Alright, smartass." Maya laughed, but Elle was so close to shitting bricks. This wasn't okay, how the fuck did she know? "How-"

"Your room." There it was. Maya turned her head and looked up at Elle, pulling her lip with her teeth. "I... I don't know how to feel." And there was the truth. "I don't want you to leave, Ellie."

"Oh, sweet girl..." Elle threw an arm around her shoulders and brought her close to her side. "I want to talk to you about it, alright?" Maya nodded her head sheepishly. "Me and Nelly are going, alright? For- for good reason."

"Yeah, I know."

"And you're eighteen now, you're an adult-"

Maya scoffed, "I've been an adult longer than that."

"No, you haven't." The younger girl looked down, Elle wanted to die. "When I'm not here... I can't- I can't protect you, shield you, I can't do that anymore." She sighed, "I won't be able to- to make sure you're okay."

"Then stay."

"I can't." Maya knew it, Elle knew it. There was no way to get around this; she had to leave. "If you're in trouble, Maya, you need to let me know. You leave marks, letters, some sort of sign that you're in trouble and- and I'll get you. We ain't- I won't let us go far, alright?" Maya nodded again. "And- and if you want, you can come with us, alright? But it's your choice now... yours."

"W-what?"

Elle smiled softly, "You can choose. But- But I want you to stay." Elle could already see the refusal in her eyes; nuh uh. "Look, it's your choice but I need you to be safe. If Eugene and all come back and they find this great new place? I need you to go."

Maya's refusal dissipated in seconds and Elle could see how the cogs in her mind were churning. "Where would you go? Can't you come with us?"

Ellie sighed, "Look, kid, we need this." Me and Negan. "I need to go before bad looks turn angry."