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About 50 miles into the trip, they come across a bit of a roadside watering hole. You know the kind: gas station/convenience store combo, a country cafe and a small mechanics garage. "We should at least check out the convenience store and cafe for some more supplies. You never know." remarked Glenn on the walkie-talkie to the other car. They all agree and pull the cars up in front of the garage. Morgan tells everyone to meet back at the cars in 10 minutes. Then sends Negan and Glenn to check the cafe while Father Gabriel and Eugene are to scavenge through the convenience store. In the meantime, Morgan keeps a look-out for walkers.
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Ten minutes later, they meet up in front of the garage, as planned. Collectively, they are able to drop a total of 15 bottles of water, some stale chips and crackers, several packs of gum and a few pop-top cans of Vienna sausages and soup into their backpacks. "Not a bad haul!" says a grateful Gabriel. "Oh! What would an undertaking of this magnitude be without one handy-dandy Virginia road map!" Eugene exclaims as he holds it up proudly and adds, "I figured even the best of us can get befuddled at a time like this and lose all sense of logical direction!" Morgan responds with, "Good thinking, Eugene."
Negan, who had been leaning against a post, smoking a cigarette, has both hands in his pockets trying to keep them warm. He instinctively wraps his fingers around an old compass he keeps in the right pocket of his jacket. Knowing it's there, makes him smile because Judith had given it to him sometime back. Because of her kindness and child-like faith in him, he will never get lost again.
After looking at the map and talking over their best options, they collectively agree to continue traveling down the same road, which will ultimately lead them to the small town of Culpepper Creek, VA, located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains about 100 miles from Alexandria. They know, if Culpepper Creek works out, it would be a relatively easy task to get people and belongings there by car and the bigger items could come by wagon; which would take approximately a week. The more they thought about it, the more excited and hopeful they became.
According to the Farmer's Almanac, a copy of which Eugene also managed to grab on his way out of the convenience store, Culpepper Creek had, before the world went to hell, a population of approximately 4,000. Walkers would be their main concern but that's not something they couldn't handle. The picture in Eugene's almanac showed a small, rather quaint town and according to the map, another 50 miles would put them sitting at the "Welcome to Culpepper Creek" sign in about an hour or so.
Before taking off, Glenn yells, "Hang on!" As he makes a mad dash into the garage where less than 10 minutes later, he comes out proudly balancing in his arms: several cans of oil, 3 or 4 fan belts, a variety of other car related repair items and surprisingly enough...a handful of tourist brochures! As he's dumping these new supplies into the trunk of Morgan's car, Father Gabriel sees the brochures and start to laugh. "Why sight-seeing brochures??" Glenn turns around and says, "It certainly couldn't hurt to know what scavenging resources will be around us!" Glenn replies, grinning from ear to ear, as he sinks into the passenger seat of the 2nd car. "Always using that head!" Morgan replies shaking his own. With that, their engines roar to life and they head down the road...again.
This time, with Gabriel in the driver's seat of the lead car and Morgan happy to be riding shotgun. Eugene has quickly settled in for a cat nap in the back seat. Gabriel pulls out and heads down the road. Negan has taken his turn behind the wheel of their car, left arm resting on the open window and smoking a cigarette. Fifty miles under their belt and another fifty to go. "This is nice," Negan thought to himself, "being behind the wheel of a car, wind blowing on my face and just feeling free...for a change." Glenn, who had been blankly staring out of his window and munching on a pack of stale crackers, suddenly speaks up, breaking the silence. "Wow. I'd give anything for a radio right now! Some KISS or Aerosmith blasting through the speakers would be so cool." Glenn, now pounding out an imaginary beat on the dash with his hands, continues, "Want one?" Shoving the pack of crackers in Negan's direction. "No thanks. Negan replies a bit sarcastically. "I'm still stuffed from that enormous breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and hot, buttered croissants we had this morning," Glenn says, a bit taken back, "Man, where did you eat? Grumpy Cafe? Stale crackers are better than listening to my poor stomach gnawing through my backbone." Negan answers, "Sorry kid. I've just got a lot on my mind. Won't lie. Food isn't one of them." "Something to share?" Glenn says hopefully, now turning slightly to face Negan. "Naw. Just daydreaming, I guess." Truth be told, his heart and mind were raging a secret war over something he could never have again. Happiness and love. A beautiful brown-haired angel back in Alexandria named Maggie but he could never tell the man in the car with him. He'd never understand. So near yet so far.
Negan has a cruel past but it was his past. Not hurting the living was a concept he held tightly to now. That meant, in any way, if he could prevent it. There were those who still prowled this apocalyptic world who would provoke him to do horrible things in order to protect his own. He knew this "so near yet so far" was the universe's way of punishing him for what happened to Lucille. The love of his life. He punished himself too. Every day. If only he had taken care of the generator and not been so afraid of the walkers. If only. That was his curse. Lucille might still be with him...bar the cancer taking her out first. If only. Death beat Negan back to their house that night. Death won. Now? If only. For that past and the way this kid loved that girl. Maybe the curse would be broken and this girl would love him instead.
Slightly disappointed at not being able to engage Negan in some kind of conversation which would take the edge of an otherwise boring ride, Glenn takes another stab at conversation. "I've got something I'd like to bounce off of you..a plan I have." Not wanting Glenn to think of him as a complete jerk, he pretended to be interested. Afterall, Glenn wasn't a bad kid, just a bit too happy for Negan's liking this early in the morning. "I'm game. Got nothing better to do and another fifty miles to do it in. What's up?" Glenn sits straight up in his seat and blurts out, "I'm gonna ask Maggie to marry me!" Taking his index finger and pointing at his chest. His words hit Negan like a brick wall but it's not like he couldn't see this coming. He knew Glenn was nuts about her. Negan's head was swimming and for a moment he couldn't catch his breath but he got it under control and with as much calm as he could muster he replied, "Wow kid, does Maggie feel the same way? Suddenly hoping Glenn hadn't sensed the fear in his hastily spoken words, he quickly added, with a weak smile on his face, "I...I mean, Wow! When?" Thankfully, Glenn was completely oblivious to what Negan had just said and just kept right on talking..."When we get back! Here's where I need your help, I can't ask her until I have a ring. Can you help me scavenge one??"
Holy Cow.
Chapter After Thoughts
Well...what do you think? This fan fiction will definitely be different from anything you know or may have read. I actually dreamed most of it. No kidding.
Please remember to vote for this chapter if you liked it. I also welcome any good, helpful comments. See ya in the next chapter!
