Surviving. (Book Two.)

Chapter Seventy Seven.

As soon as I stepped out of the car at the Hilltop, I was spotted by Paul. 

"What are you doing?" he mouthed to me with wide eyes.

I shrugged and pointed to Negan as if somehow, he'd understand what I was trying to say. 

"Gregory inside?" Negan asked one of the people of the place and when they nodded he turned to me, "Stay out here. Talk to your friend." 

Oh. He had seen me. 

Once he had gone inside, Paul came over to me.

"What the hell? Why are you with them?"

"He came to Alexandria. Someone challenged him. He got killed and then he decided that I was coming with him. It was the only way to stop other people getting killed." I explained, "I couldn't not go with him." 

"Really? Shit." 

"Yeah," I whispered, "I don't know when I'll be going back, if I'll be going back so if you see Daryl, can you just tell him that...that I'm okay?" 

"Of course," he murmured, "You really think he'll let you go?" 

"I don't know," I admitted, "But I think if I keep doing what I'm doing, then hopefully." 

"Is he treating you okay?" 

I gave him a smile, "Better than I thought he would. He's been nothing but...nice." that was the only word I could think of.

"Good." he said, looking over my shoulder, "I'll be sure to tell Daryl that too." 

"Thank you," I whispered, turning when Negan called my name, "I appreciate it." 

"We're leaving," Negan muttered as he passed by me just as Gregory came rushing out of the house. 

"Negan!" he begged, "Negan, wait! We can't do that. Double our haul? That's impossible! We're barely on track with our monthly offering as it is!" 

Negan whirled around and placed the top of Lucille against Gregory's stomach, where he had been injured before, "If you hadn't been light the last time, I wouldn't have had to come down here. I'd like to think that you got off lightly the last time, considering that you're still alive. So, I'll ask you again, are you going to get me double your shit?" 

Gregory took a step back and looked around at the small crowd that had gathered, lowering his head in defeat, "Yes." 

Negan laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, "Good choice my friend. It's a shame though, Lucille was starting to get thirsty. Ta-ta." 

I gave Paul one last smile and scurried after him as he headed for the gates.

"Here," he muttered, shoving the bat into my hands, "Hold her for a second."

The gates shut behind us as I stared at the deadly barbed wire that was still stained with blood and shivered. 

"Everything okay?" Dwight asked, getting out of the car as we approached.

"Taken care of," Negan said, blowing cigarette smoke from his nose. 

"We going back home?" 

"Nah, we're going to stop at that store we passed. Probably empty but really, who knows. Put the blindfold away, D. She doesn't have to wear it for now." 

How thoughtful. 

The driver of the car, who's name I didn't know, was humming under his breath. 

"Has Gregory been light on the drop before?" I asked and Negan looked down at me. 

"A few times. At first, just a few little things and I let that slide too many times. He's had too many chances. Does it again, there will be consequences."

"Are you going to kill someone?" I ask again, looking at Lucille which I was still holding. 

"I might." he says quietly, throwing his cigarette out of the window, "Depends how generous I'm feeling." 

"Sounds fair." 

He nodded and looked out of the window, signalling the end of the conversation. 

**

The small gas station shop that we stopped at was tiny. So small that I didn't really see the point in looking in it but I wasn't running this thing. 

"Let's go," Negan instructed, taking the bat from me. 

Dwight and the driver split off from us, choosing to go into the surrounding wooded areas while I followed Negan into the store and was pleasantly surprised to see that there was still tins of food and some painkillers lying around. 

I quickly went over to them and started gathering them. "I thought that this place would have been empty by now," I murmured. 

"Places like this can sometimes be a gold mine." Negan said, moving towards a door that led to the back. 

I meanwhile started picking up the cans and stuff for him, dropping them seconds later when there was a clatter from where Negan was and Lucille appeared in the doorway. 

"N-Negan?" I stuttered, cautiously making my way over, "Negan?" 

I jumped when there was a gunshot, peeking my head around the frame. 

Negan was on the floor with a couple of walkers on him, all of them attempting to bite him and from what I could see, he was struggling to get a good aim with his gun. 

I backed away slowly before he could see me. 

This was my chance. I could go. Go back home.

But the gunshot. Dwight and that other guy would have definitely heard it and would be on their way now. Not only that, if I got away and he died, what kind of consequences would that bring to the group. They would suffer, again, because of me and I couldn't let that happen. 

Not again. 

So, with that in mind, I rushed back towards the doorway and picked up the bat, running into the back room and I smacked the first walker that I came up against. 

The bat was powerful, or maybe it was just the force of which I swung it but I understood why he used it. One by one, I smacked the walkers with it, letting out deep breaths every time it came in contact with one of their soft skulls. 

Soon, they were all dead and I stood, blood splattered all over my face and breathing heavily. Negan was staring at me with slightly wide eyes and slowly stood up. 

"Hey!" I turned, pointing the bat at Dwight as he and the other guy came in, guns raised, "Drop the bat." 

"Dwight," Negan said slowly, "Dwight, lower the damn gun." he turned to me, a new look on his face. One that I hadn't seen before. Admiration, "She just saved my life."

**

how wrong is it that i am completely in love with negan?