ELEANOR . NEGAN

109.

Everyone was sat in the small concrete room with penetrating eyes stuck to the mossy ground, thoughts going 100mph as they tried to come up with some sort of solution for the current predicament.

Glenn was sat with his hands dangling between his legs, eyes stuck on the couple in front of him. There was no hiding it anymore — the two in front of him was definitely something. When Maggie told him about how Negan called her Ellie and she didn't say anything about it, he knew there was something. Then when Maggie watched them kiss after being reunited after the Reapers, he thought it surely had to be a mistake, or casual interest — something that made sense.

But now he knew how big it was. Especially how Negan's  eyes never left her face where her lips quivered and her foot shook. How they shared know-it-all looks of words they wanted to claim their own but couldn't. It was just true... Elle truly fell for the enemy.

Ironic.

It made even more sense when Eleanor had her head resting on his shoulder and her fingers toying with his. Nimbly switching each finger and twisting them about gently like his hands were a toy. If not a toy then a form of comfort.

"We need to go back... grab our people, then we can deal with Hornsby together." Gabriel hovered about like a lost fly while Daryl stayed stuck to the dirty windows.

"No, Gabe, he probably already radioed back! You know that." Aaron huffed. "Look, he knows us. We're never getting through those checkpoints."

Frank who was sat there like a lost dog, flickered his eyes between Daryl, Aaron and Gabriel. He tried to use his brain and remember everyone's names and their roles but it was a bit hard.

"And if he has his people go after our families in the meantime?"

Aaron scratched his eyebrow and dropped his hand down dramatically. "Carols there. So is Rosita and Jerry, Ezekiel — we have hope they can handle it."

"Who are they?" Frank asked, hand never slipping from Annie. "Are they-" He looked over at Maggie. "-they your people?"

Elle watched their conversation carefully. With the comfort beside her, she felt free to let down her guard for the time being. "Ours." Maggie quipped, pointing over at Eleanor.

"Your people, Ellie Belly?" Frank puzzled. Annie was stirring beside him but she stayed ultimately quiet. "I thought-"

"I told a little white lie — let's move on." She cleared her throat and looked over at Daryl and Aaron. "What do we do then? I'm not leaving Maya and Mini Grimes' in that fucking shit hole."

"Who are they?" Frank and his fucking questions, God.

"How many fucking questions do you have in you?" Negan barked.

The man didn't shield away though, just rolled his eyes. He expected this was just the normal banter the two shared.

"Mini Grimes' are the kids of two very dear friends." Elle answered. "And Maya's mine. Simple?"

"You have a kid?!"

Negan groaned. "Oh , my God..."

"Right, we're moving on." Eleanor turned and faced Aaron and Gabriel. "What are we gonna do then?"

"Our families back home are growing into a bigger risk—"

"Our people are out here, too." Maggie hissed, Glenn holding onto her tighter. "We need to find Hornsby and kill him before he gets to anybody."

"How about I go out on a little American-Sniper mission shit and shoot the bastard between the eyes?"y

"No!" The whole room chorused.