ELEANOR . NEGAN

104.

Eleanor felt sick to her core and she couldn't decide why. There was a magnitude of reasons; people she's known for six months dying brutally, her friends and family not really acknowledging she's there, still no sight of Daryl. She felt sick.

It's how she felt when Annie told Negan and Frank to stay, saying that the complex trusted them. They didn't trust Eleanor though. But maybe that was guaranteed, she didn't trust them either. Not to the degree of trust she has for Negan.

Elle rolled her head back and hid curled into the corner of the room, knees to her chest like a little child as she closed her eyes. She could feel the shaking in the walls from the distant echoes and it brought her back to the gut-wrenching sight of Gage, his screams hollowing out the more he stabbed himself.

She tried to think of something else.

"You left without saying a word." Something to focus on soon made way — Lydia standing strongly in front of Negan, standing her ground with a frown. She wasn't wrong. Eleanor only said goodbye to a selective few before leaving with Negan, she doesn't even think he said goodbye to anyone besides Maya.

"I left because I gave a shit." Now Aaron, Gabriel and Elijah were zoning in on his words. "I left because that's what everyone needed... right?"

Aaron huffed, "You being here fits." Negan looked at him at tantalising speed. "You have a hand in putting those skulls on Ian's shelves?"

"Aaron-"

"Says the guy that rolled up with the Gestapo—"

Okay, ignore me! "We didn't know." Argued Gabriel. "The place we're living now is different from any place we've ever seen."

Lydia shook her head. "No, it isn't. I hoped that they might be but, they just want to swallow up other communities. They're like the Whisperers... they just wear different masks."

Frank cocked a brow from the seat adjacent from Eleanor, mumbling along his tongue what's the Whisperers? but she stayed ultimately quiet. Another battle to fight. Lush.

"Frankie, do you copy?" Negan turned to look over at the man's radio.

"Annie," He sighed in relief. "I'm here... where are you?"

"Fifth floor." Frank lolled his head low and stood up, everyone now focusing on him. "Listen, the soldiers are spread out, but our windows closing. Tell the others to move."

Everyone quickly got up onto their feet and rushed to the other room, gathering bags and people — standing them up into groups and appointing each person with a weapon to them. Frank swayed on his feet and closed his eyes, "I love you." He said into the radio.

"I love you too." She said back.

Eleanor didn't understand how they said it so easily to each other. It wasn't like she was opposed to the word love but saying it to someone who understands her in all her sick and twisted ways is ten times more serious compared to saying it to Daryl or Maya.

How did they say it so easily?

She frowned and got up from her seat, shuffling in her stance before leaving in silence. Lydia was floating about with Negan in the other room, probably catching up from the six months. She just wanted to get out now, leave this place — disappear off the face of the earth.

Except, life was never easy. In the ten-fifteen minutes of her sitting in an empty room, head in her hands like she was some depressed middle aged man, a knock echoed from the wooden door frame. She looked up, confused and worried and yep confused.