Running From You I Negan x Maggie (ENGLISH VERSION)

Chapter 9: It's coming closer

"tranded in this spooky town

Stoplight is swaying and the phone lines are down

Snow is crackling cold

She took my heart, I think she took my soul"

In the background, the laughter and chatter of the children echoed through the house. They must have been awake for at least half an hour, but Maggie was still gathering the courage to get out of the comfortable bed. She had stayed up late cleaning up the mess the kids had made the night before. It had been her turn to watch them, so she couldn't really complain.

Still, that morning her head was throbbing more than usual. When she finally left her room, fully dressed for the day, she found her kitchen filled with hungry children, no doubt.

"Good morning," she said to them, but they were too engrossed in their conversations to notice her. Hershel was telling Gracie and Judith about something he had learned from Negan the other day. As Maggie grabbed the pancake mix, she listened to her son talk about Negan in the background.

It was a strange feeling. Maggie loved seeing Hershel excited about something new—it was rare for him to talk much, being such a shy boy—but in the last few weeks, he had been chattier than ever. She was certain Negan had something to do with that.

Still, she wasn't sure how she felt about Hershel and Negan growing closer. The man was trying to show her he had changed, but Maggie wasn't sure if that really mattered, or if it changed anything at all. Negan was like dust in a house—no matter how often Maggie swept him under the rug, he kept coming back into her life. The problem was, she was starting to get used to living with a dirty house.

Maggie smiled as she watched her son demonstrate his imaginary guitar to his friends, trying to teach them what he had learned, as if that were even possible. Gracie seemed genuinely interested, while Judith rolled her eyes, as if she had heard that story a thousand times.

"Hey, Judith." The little girl in the sheriff's hat looked at her aunt eagerly. "How about helping me with breakfast, yeah?"

The older girl nodded and joined Maggie at the counter, standing opposite her. Maggie finished flipping the pancakes and handed over the bread, jelly, and peanut butter to Judith.

"Can you make the sandwiches for me?" Judith nodded and quietly started working. Maggie recalled what Negan had mentioned about the kids arguing recently. "Is everything okay with you, sweetie?" Maggie's voice was filled with motherly concern.

"Yeah... I just..." Judith's voice trailed off, but Maggie encouraged her with a soft smile. "I miss my mom." Judith's small shoulders slumped, and the brim of her hat hid her face.

"Hey, look at me," Maggie gently asked. "I miss your mom too, and I know she's out there doing what she needs to do to come back home. We're all going to be together again, I'm sure of it." Judith gave a half-smile and sighed. There wasn't much more Maggie could say to comfort her.

They worked in a comfortable silence, the sound of Hershel's laughter in the background as he and Gracie played. Maggie watched them from afar, noticing Gracie's cheeks had turned a little pink, and she couldn't stop smiling. For a brief moment, Maggie's mind drifted to a few years in the future, when she would have to worry about Hershel and girls for real. A small wave of fear crept over her.

"Do you think Negan would teach me, too?" Judith's question snapped Maggie back to reality.

"What?" Maggie was now fully paying attention to her.