Negan - Still Breathing (Part 1)

There's Always More

The sun had already passed its zenith. About five hours ticked by since your match with Dwight ended. You spent the entire afternoon in the luxurious lounge with a fragile, distressed Nicole; you calmed her down significantly after Amber's stunt that led to her death. The other wives were locked in their rooms and kept under the watchful eye of Negan's guards. You wondered if Amber attempted to escape this morning because of the lack of supervision; all of The Saviors had been summoned to the warehouse, and only two guards remained on the grounds. What were her motives? Of course, there was the Mark incident, but Sherry didn't go crazy with grief when Dwight's face was ironed. There had to be more to the story.

"Honey, can I ask you something?" you murmured to Nicole as she dabbed your split lip with a wash cloth.

"Sure," she sniffled. Her crystal blue eyes were still misty.

You hesitated, thinking that this wasn't the time to talk about Amber, but curiosity conquered courtesy. "Why did she do it? Was she planning to run away with Mark?"

Nicole stiffened and wiped a tear from her cheek. "No...but his punishment tipped her over the edge. She was planning to run back home. Unlike the other wives, Amber had a family. They'd survived the outbreak. Her father and mother own a farm just outside of The Sanctuary."

"What kind of farm?" you inquired.

"An apple orchard," Nicole responded. "About a year after the walkers took over, Negan found their home. They didn't have much to give. They weren't soldiers or craftsmen...they were hardly educated. So Negan took what interested him most, and that happened to be Amber." She paused and took a deep breath. "I overheard her talking about going back to see them. She wanted to leave since day one."

You placed your hand on Nicole's nylon-covered leg. "If she made it to the farm, she wouldn't have found them."

"What do you mean?" Nicole asked, squeezing your hand.

You sighed and gazed at her cherubic face, solemnly. "I was scavenging for food in that orchard before I was captured. The place was falling to pieces and there were no signs of residents. Either they moved to another colony, or they..." Gulping, you tried to hold back your sorrow. "...at any rate, Amber wouldn't have been reunited with her family."

Nicole nodded and processed your words. "Her parents only wanted the best for her. They knew she'd be safer here with Negan. If walkers raided their home, they couldn't protect her."

"I understand," you answered. A moment of silence enveloped the room. Nicole continued to mend the bite marks on your arm. She poured rubbing alcohol on the wound and you winced. "That damn Dwight's got teeth like a crocodile," you cursed.

A fleeting smile lit up Nicole's peachy cheeks, and she giggled. "I still can't believe you'd agree to such cruelty."

"Agree to it? He gave me two options: Fuck in or fight in. So I chose the latter."

"But why? Negan's nothing but generous when it comes to us. He gives us protection, clothes, sweets, cosmetics, everything we could ever desire...and more."

Always. There's always more. This is Negan we're talking about, after all.

"And more?" you asked, raising an eyebrow.

Nicole blushed and bit her lip. "He gives us himself..."

"Ha!" you cackled. "Oh sure, like that prick is so mind-blowing-fucking-awesome in the sack!"

You glanced at Nicole in your laughter, and she still sported that coy glow on her face. A sultry smile played about her lips. "Come on, No-Name. I've seen the way you look at him. The only thing that's stopping you from gaining a life like this is your pride."