Dead Silent

The Final Chapter. Negan

Negan sits on the Sanctuary steps, rubbing at his temples.

"Everything okay?" Simon asks, sitting down beside him.

"Fuck knows," Negan frowns, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm not sure i wanna go out there."

"Alexandria?" Simon asks.

"Alexandria, the other side of the street, fucking anywhere," Negan says.

"You don't wanna leave her," Simon nods with a smile.

Negan shakes his head. "No, i don't. But i'm not sure i can keep her here much longer, she doesn't want to be here."

"You made a deal though, right?"

"Yeah, but what's the fucking point if she hates my guts? And..," Negan shakes his head.

"What is it?" Simon presses.

"I.. i can't stand to see her unhappy. This is such bullshit, Simon. I've gone out of my way for her, saved her life, sat with her, i even fucking read to her, can you believe that?"

"You love her?"

"Woah, i'm not saying that," Negan looks down at Lucille in his hands. "But i care about her, a whole shitload in fact. But it doesn't matter, because she doesn't love me, she loves him."

"So you're gonna let her go to him?"

"Fuck, i don't know. I don't know which is stronger, my need to see her happy, or my need to make sure that red neck fuck can't have her. I mean, why the fuck should he get to be happy? What the fuck did he ever do for her?" Negan gets up from the steps. "Will you check in on her later, make sure she's okay?"

Simon stands up, hands on hips. "Sure thing. You sure about this? Going to Alexandria?"

"No, i'm fucking not. But what the fuck else am i supposed to do?" Negan smiles, swinging Lucille over his shoulder.

~

Negan sits behind the wheel, placing Lucille on the back seat. "Come on, Dwight, you can get in with me," he says.

Dwight gets in the passenger seat, playing with his hands nervously, adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Negan looks back at the Sanctuary, Kirsty on his mind. But then wasn't she always? "You good to fucking go?"

"Yeah," Dwight nods.

Negan turns on the engine and heads out the gate, a couple of his trucks behind him.

~

Kirsty runs through the town, panic setting in as she worries that the truck might be gone. Maybe someone had taken it? Shut up! She frowns, struggling to catch her breath as she races down an alley. Her face lights up, Kirsty breathing a sigh of relief as she sees the truck in the distance.

She opens the door, jumping in the truck and switching on the engine. Kirsty inhales sharply, feeling pressure on her calf, snarls filling her ears. Shit! She mouths, pulling her leg upwards and out of the walker's grasp. Kirsty brings her foot down on it's head, the feel of it's skull breaking sending shockwaves through her leg.

She steps out of the truck, cursing herself for not being more careful. Kirsty drags the walker from under the truck with ease, the dead thing having no bottom half. She sits back in the driver's seat, trying to catch her breath. Kirsty looks down at her leg. She leans over, rolling her jeans up. Kirsty falls back in the seat, a smile crossing her face briefly. Shit that was close! She thinks.

Kirsty closes the door, stepping on the gas.

~

Gareth groans against the mattress, his eyes slowly flickering open. He rubs at the back of his head, a wave of relief washing over him when his hand comes back clean and not covered in blood.