Heaven in Hiding (Negan)

Chapter 35

We drove right up to those wooden gates and Simon put the car in park. Dwight got out on my side and I followed.
"Here," Simon said behind me, holding out a gun. "You might need this. Just in case." I took it and nodded.
"Thanks." The night air was cold against my skin as I walked up to the front of the cars.
"Negan. I want to talk to Negan." A voice spoke through the walkie. It was a woman. Simon answered.
"Well hello there. You are speaking with Negan. Tho my birth certificate says Simon. Whom am I speaking to?"
"'Maggie. The widow."
"Well allow me to offer my condolences for what's about to happen. I'll speak on behalf of him." Simon went on and I walked around making sure everyone was ready. They weren't expecting us but who knows if that have had plans for an instance like this.
"You're 38 people are alive and breathing." She said. I ran right over to Simon
"The guys from the Station are alive?" I asked him with a smile. I was really thinking they offed them all after that package they sent us. "Turn around and they stay that way. If you don't. I have 38 bullets I will fire into them."
"It's too nice a night to spend it dyin slow. Don't you think Simon?" A familiar voice crackled.
"Thats Alden! Simon we can't let them get hurt." I said holding onto his jacket with a mix of excitement and fear. Simon was in a weird place right now and I knew he was unpredictable. He sighed.
"Well, Maggie. This is regrettable. But those Saviors are damaged goods." My heart sank. What the fuck was he doing. He went off and ended with a harsh "screw them!"
"Simon. What the fuck are you doing?! Negan wouldn't want our people hurt! You can't just leave them!" Simon snapped his figures and a low level Savior held me back. I growled. "This is gonna cause some crazy shit Simon. You know that right?!" I shouted as he walked away from me.
" we are doing away with these people. All of them!"
I swung my arm back and elbowed the guy in the chin hard enough that he let me go.
"This isn't what he would want!" I said walking up to Simon again. "What are you going to do when he comes back?"
"Future problems" Simon said right before someone rolled up and shot at us. It had to have been Daryl. Then gun shots from over the gate and our side too. Now I'm in it. Fuck. I ran and hid behind a big box truck as I loaded my gun. I turned and saw our guys shooting the arrows covered in the guts. I saw our people start to go into the Hilltop and I followed. I had to see if Alden and the others were alright. I snuck behind a bunch of shit until I ended up with Simon.
"Is this all you hoped it would be?" I asked shooting around the barrier.
"Yeah it is." He left and ran up to someone with his axe. I rolled my eyes and made my way back to the trucks. Right on time too because they started shooting out all our headlights.
"Fuck." I cursed as I skid out to the truck we came in. I brushed the glass off the seat and got in. I wanted no part of this. I glanced over and saw a walkie in the cup holder. I picked it up and adjusted the channel. "Alden? Alden are you there?" I whispered. Nothing. "This wasn't my plan. It wasn't Negans plan. Simon. He's acting like the fucking leader."
"You safe?" Is all he said.
"Yeah. I'm at the truck. Wh-?" But I was cut off by loud gunshots. I looked in front and they were shooting from every window in that big house in there. I saw the remaining Saviors running back to the trucks. I turned the walkie off and put it back in the cup holder. I sat back as Simon and Dwight hopped in and floored it out of there. "You two okay? How many did we lose?" I asked.
"You shoulda been there." Simon spat annoyed. "Some Savior you are." I growled.
"Listen asshole. I didn't want to take part in that. It's not what Negan wanted and I'm not gonna be stuck on his bad side." He chuckled.
"You think he's still alive? He would have met us there if he was. Face it Prudence. He's gone." I bit my lip and turned away to face the window. He had to be out there. He had to be.
——————
Negan looked around the dark shipping container he was in. The leader for the trash hipsters,Jadus, somehow got him and brought him here. He was tied to this board with wheels and sweating like a pig. All he could think about was if Prue was safe and okay. The doors opened to reveal Jadus holding Lucille over her shoulder.
"What. The. Shit." He spoke as his eyes adjusted to the harsh sun. She grabbed some chain and yanked him out. "No. Tell me. What the shit?!" He shouted. She had drug him out to the middle of their trash pile of a home and just sat across from him. Holding Lucille in her hands. A long while passed before Negan spoke again. "I smell it. What happened here. I told you. People are a resource. I don't throw resources like that away. I got a lot of confidence that most can be put in the right path. You know? My path. I wouldn't have killed all your people. That was the work of someone not following my program. This. This is my fault. And I own it. I took a chance trustin this person. And all I did was punch myself in the dick. I am sorry for this. I really am. But I know I can help-" He wa cut off by her swinging Lucille at him. "That my que to shut up I take it."
A good hour went by before her watched beeped. She got up and threw Lucille in the little bucket she had some wood in. "Hey. Let's talk about this! I didn't do this. She walked just out of site so he started to inch his way over to the pile, using his feet. He wasn't going to let that crazy bitch torch Lucille. He grabbed the flare that she was probably going to use to set Lucille on fire. She came back with a walker strapped to a cart. "Got your flare here. I got no problem torchin up that bastard. Whatever you're doin. You must not really want to or else you wouldn't have let me sit here with a bag full of guns. Found something else in there. These picture. Must be near and dear to ya. Let have a chat." Jadus walked out.
"Leave those pictures alone."
"Will just answer me this. What the shit? Is this what you do? Kill people. With things like that?"
"No" she answered. "Move the flare away. Please. They're all I have left. You took everything." Negan sighed.
"My wife's name was Lucille. She got me through shit before all this. Put up with me. Then in the start of this that bat. It got me through. So I named it after her. But it's the last little piece of her I got left. Shit. Even with Prue in my life. I still can't manage to let go of that hunk of wood."
Her watch went off and she jumped for the flare. Negan tossed it in the small puddle near them.
Then a helicopter. A fucking helicopter flew over head. His eyes fixated on that as Jadus ran toward it to get its attention. He watched as Jadus fell to the ground as it flew away. She went over to the wood pile and Negans heart raced.
"Don't. No. I didn't burn your pictures. I wouldn't. That's all I have left of her. I didn't do it. I can settle it no swear on my sack. I'll do it. Okay? Please." She dropped the flare on the ground and started to cry. "Fuck." He whispered.
She composed herself quickly the. Started to undo the chains.
"You know. I haven't even told Prue about her. My wife. Lucille. I ain't really the type to talk about feelings and shit." He told her.
"You don't say." Jadus said as she untangles the metal.
"You've seen her right? Prue. I mean how can you miss her? She's god damn near perfect. I gotta get back to her. I'm sure she's a mess not knowin where I am."
"The young girl." Negan sat up as he was freed from his temporary prison.
"That's her. She's my world you know." Jadus walked away and handed him Lucille back. "I still can't not have Lucille around."
"Sounds like she's a crutch." Negan laughed.
"Yeah. A little. A reminder that when you love someone. They can go in a second. And there ain't shit you can do it about it."
——————
I sat in Negan room, or I guess our room, waiting. Hoping he'd come back but it was getting later and later. Less likely he'd be back. The clock on the wall read 12:37. It was late. I was tired. I even moved some of my stuff in here to surprise him when he got back but what if Simon was right. What if he was gone? I shook my head and stood up. I went and showered off all the blood before putting on one of his Gray T-shirt. I laid in the bed and took a breath as I looked over at his empty spot. It was going to be a long night.
I just. Laid there. Eventually I started to get tired my eyelids were having trouble staying open. As I let sleep start to take me I heard the doorknob jiggle but I didn't care enough to answer it. The door opened then closed which is what finally caused me to sit up. I squinted through the darkness and saw a figure. My eyes adjusted to the light and I saw him. Negan. I jumped out of the bed and ran over to his open arms. I wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly.
"I knew you'd be back." I said holding back my tears of happiness. "I knew it." His strong arms holding me tightly as his gin rested on my head.
"You really think I'd ever leave you alone Doll?" I shook my head. "That's right. I ain't ever leavin you."