Feral: Love, Hate and Fine Lines....Negan and Pet

Tangled Webs

Pet felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. She didn't dare speak his name, not even whisper it. Her body broke out in a cold sweat and she couldn't stop shaking. Part of her wanted to run to the bars and pull him close while another part wanted to disappear into the dingy walls. This wasn't possible. Negan had been dead to her for over a year in her mind and nobody had told her otherwise, not even Rick when he had questioned her at dinner.
"It's okay." Rick comforted.
He was basically holding her upright, his words soft and gentle in her ear but they didn't soothe her at all. Negan's unshaven face was rigid as stone and his eyes were black holes, sucking her in and turning her inside out. She had to turn away.
"He can't hurt you anymore. He can't hurt anyone." Rick continued slowly. "I wanted you to know that he's paying for his sins against you and anyone else he wounded. This is his Hell now. Look at him."
"I can't." She squeaked.
She knew Rick thought it was abject terror that was stopping her but it wasn't, not by a long shot. It was Negan's stare that stopped her. There was not one ounce of the man she knew looking at her. All she could see in the blackness of his eyes was hatred. She wanted to see warmth, relief or anything that she remembered of him. The smoldering gaze he used to share with her was a vague memory and again stinging tears welled up in her averted eyes. The emotions that were flowing through her caused her physical pain, knotting her stomach and ripping at her very soul.
"Yes, Pet. Look at me." Negan taunted. "Your time with me was fucking torture. I know. And here I am paying for it all."
"You shut the fuck up!" Rick bellowed, making her jump. "I wanted her to see you, to let her know that you don't control her anymore."
Negan smirked, his eyes crinkling at the corners but there was no light in them.
"Under Prick's wing now, Pet? Have you told him your secrets? Have you told him how to train you? I don't think he has it in him to give you what you need...and deserve. Let her in here, Rick. I'd be happy to show you."
The words were just too much and she bolted from the prison, up the street and fell to her knees under an old oak. She thought her heart was going to burst from her chest and the overwhelming urge to puke consumed her. Suddenly another shadow appeared next to her. It was Daryl, wearing derisive scowl. He nudged her leg with his boot, getting her to look up again.
"What's the matter?" He asked. "The reunion with your man didn't go as you expected?"

Rick didn't like to see her like that but he did enjoy seeing Negan stifling his rage. He knew he wanted to come right through those bars and tear everyone in the room to shreds, especially Pet. It was extremely satisfying to know how to poke the bear. Negan had become way too comfortable since he had learned about Pet's being alive and well. Bringing her here not only could help her heal, it burned him and that was golden. Negan deserved to suffer. He had earned more than a lonely cage beneath a building. Pet was a symbol of his downfall and Rick had no problem using her, as cruel as it was at the moment. But she would heal. He'd make sure of it.
"That's not the reaction of a woman you were trying to save." Rick snarled. "That's a woman who's scared to death."
Negan stared right back, his lips pursed as tight as a switchblade.
"She should be afraid." He stated coldly. "You should too. It's only a matter of time before she turns on you too. You think she's so helpless and lost, don't you? You don't know shit."
"Well, if that time comes, I'll make sure she pays the price." Rick answered, keeping his eyes riveted on his prisoner until he heard the commotion. People were yelling and one of the women came running into the jail, chest heaving and a frantic look on her face.
"It's Daryl and that new girl!" She yelled, pointing towards the door. "They're fighting on the green!"
Rick shot a quick look at Negan.
"And so it begins." Negan said, a huge smile finally breaking on his face. "You should do your research before you start playing games."
Rick bounded up the short staircase that lead out to the main street, his eyes falling on the small crowd that had gathered around the strip of grass. Daryl had Pet flattened out on her stomach, the full weight of his body pinning her to the ground. He was bleeding too, a jagged gash etched into his bicep. His fist was tangled in her hair and she was outright growling beneath him.
Rick came in hot, ripping Daryl off of her and placing himself between the two of them. Pet sprang to her feet, reaching for the small blade that had been knocked from her hand. She would have gotten it too if a gun wasn't suddenly leveled at her head. She froze and raised her hands to show surrender.
Daryl did try to come at her again but a bunch of men held him back till he seemed to calm. His wound was bleeding pretty heavily and he would definitely require stitches at the infirmary.
"What are you doing?" Rick barked, his pistol still aimed at an enraged Pet.
He was talking to both her and Daryl but it was Daryl that answered.
"What are YOU doing, Rick?" He snapped back. "This is what happens when you try to help a mutt!"
He couldn't hold the contempt in his voice and Pet turned to face him, her skin flushed from adrenaline and anger.
"You don't know a fucking thing about me!" She hissed. "You come over here and taunt me? You purposely strutted you hick ass over here to provoke me so I answered you with what I thought you deserved!"
Rick picked up bloodied knife, wiped it on his pants and stuffed it in his pocket.
"She's right, Rick." Daryl snarled. "I don't know anything about her and neither do fucking you! But you know who does? That cellar dwelling bastard, that's who."
Rick lowered his gun and cocked his head.
"And I should believe him over her? I should believe a psychopath over a woman who came to Hilltop battered and burned?" Rick hollered back, an angry muscle pulsing in his jaw.
"All's I'm saying is that you should check her out. See if she can be trusted being this fucking close to him. That's fucking dangerous not to mention stupid."
Rick nodded although Daryl saw the hesitation and he shook his head in disbelief.
"Daryl, get over to the infirmary and get that stitched up." Rick ordered. "And you, Pet, get back to your place and we're going to talk. Do you have any more weapons on you?"
Pet shook her head no. She was pretty sure he was going to take her kitchen knives or anything with a sharp edge away from her after this.
"Fuck you, Daryl." She called after him. "And fuck you too, Rick, for putting me through that. That was an awful thing to do."
Turning on her heel, she stormed off and Rick watched her go. The townspeople slowly left and he could hear that most agreed with Daryl. Saviors could not be trusted, no matter what circumstances made it so. And if she had been anything more than a beaten down soldier, that made her very dangerous.