Ephemeral - Alia Dixon

14

For some reason, everybody's out. The whole family Grimes, even Carl. Rick is on a run as far as I know but I had no clue where Carl was until Olivia opened the door and Negan walked inside. 
Allen and I had just come over and wanted to release her from her Judith duty but I guess there's no use for that now.
He whistles as he walks inside, smiling at me and my brother as we remain seated at the kitchen table.
"What are you doing here?" I ask him.
He chuckles. "Carl here, paid me a little visit. Had to bring him back now, no?"
I glare at Carl. "So that's where you were going" I say annoyedly and he lowers his head. I had caught him sneaking out yesterday and when I asked him, he said he needed some alone time but never came back. I didn't think much of it.

Negan claps his hands together. "Where's Rick?"
"I- I just-" Olivia starts.
"Don't care" Negan says, saying the words almost singing them. "Where's Rick?"
"Out" Allen says, Negan now looking at us.
"Scavenging for you" I add.
"Creepy. Do you always finish eachother's sentences like that?" he asks.
Allen and I look at eachother. "Sometimes" I say unbothered.
"I'll wait" he says.
"They went out pretty far" Olivia says, the fear clearly audible in her voice. "They might not come back today. We're running really low on everything. We're practically starving here"
Negan looks at her with wide eyes, clearly not believing her. "Starving?" he says before pointing at her. "You?"
She gulps.
"By 'practically' you mean 'not really'." he says and I glare at him. Her face starts scruching up before the tears roll down uncontrollably and she starts to sob.
"Liv" I say softly, walking over, making sure to shoot Negan a nasty glare and shake my head as I put an arm on her shoulder.
"Really?" Negan asks. "You people seriously don't have a sense of humor"
He sighs as I hug her, her crying into my shoulder and making my dad's jacket wet. At least it's for something good.
"Excuse me. What's your name again?"
"Olivia" she says through gritted teeth before putting her glasses back on and turning around to face him. I fold my arms over my chest. 
"I'm sorry for having been so rude to you just now. And it looks like I'm gonna be here for a while, awaiting your fearless leader's return. And if you'd like, I think it would be enjoyable to screw your brains out. I mean, if, you know, you're agreeable to it"
My jaw drops when Olivia slaps him hard across the face, making me laugh. I try to supress it by putting a hand over my mouth but it doesn't help.
"I am about 50% more into you now. Just sayin'" he says, making me chuckle. He looks at me annoyedly. 
"Very charming" I state, making my brother chuckle too. Negan looses his smile a bit but quickly puts it up again. 
"All right, well, I'm just gonna put my feet up and wait for my stuff to get here. Olivia, would you be a lamb and make us a little lemonade? Now, I know I left you all some of that good powdered stuff."
"Well, I'm supposed to be with-"
"Make it" he says, his patience with her clearly dead. "Make it. Take your time. Make it good"
Quickly, she walks out of the house, the door closing behind her without a sound.
Negan turns towards Carl, who isn't even wearing his bandage as I can see. His eye socket is out for the whole earth to see and I know Carl doesn't fucking like that. "Now, kid, show me around. Take me on the grand tour"

Allen and I stay downstairs while Carl and Negan disappear upstairs. I take out one of my knives, that I now keep four each on my leg since I'm not allowed outside anyways and start flickering it between my fingers. 
I get up instantly as I see Negan coming down with Judith.
He chuckles. "How could you hide this little Angel from me?" he asks with a grin.
"Lay one finger on her..." I start and he laughs.
"I would never. Okay? I'm not that bad of a person" he states and I glare at him. He looks disappointed for a second almost guilty before he makes his usual grin again.
"She's gonna be perfectly fine with me" he says before walking to the front porch with Carl. I don't follow though. I don't need to listen to him yapping about some stupid shit again. That man has a large mouth, that's for sure. 

He comes back inside a little later firstly getting rid of his beard and secondly making us spaghetti. I still haven't moved, Judith on my lap as Carl and my brother are forced to help Negan with the cooking. Negan's always chuckling and talking about how great his cooking is. Olivia eventually comes back inside with the lemonade and we start setting the table. Well, I get to stay seated as Negan takes the seat next to me before the others start. He looks at me with a grin as I hold a sleeping Judith closely to my chest.
"I love it here" he says and I don't answer. I don't say anything. Not even when Olivia walks over or when he tells the boys to take another setting. Nothing is said as we sit down waiting for Rick.