NOT DEAD YET | C. GRIMES

THIRTY - TWO

"But I-"

"I said no." He said firmly, sitting forward. "You do not know Daryl, got it? He is nothing to you, not anymore." Luna nodded hesitantly. "Good." Negan sat back again. "Good. I don't mean to be harsh, baby, but you need to be on the same page. Okay?" She nodded again. "Good. Now, why don't you tell me what happened after I left?" He asked. "Where did you go?"

"I waited." She started after a few seconds of silence. "At first, you know. I...I waited, with Lucille. But then time kept passing and you weren't coming home and then..." She breathed a shaky breath, quickly wiping her eyes. "She killed herself one night. I-I woke up and found her the next morning but I couldn't put her down. So I ran away." Luna took a deep breath, sighing. "Eventually I uh, found my way to Georgia. Found a cabin, stayed there for years."

"So how'd you wind up in Alexandria then?" He sat forward. She hesitated. "Come on, you ain't gonna tell me?" She sighed, hugging herself tightly.

"Carl found me, he'd been shot." She said. "I kept him alive, and we started traveling together."

"Ah." Negan chuckled. "The little future serial killer. Damn, I love that kid! He's got some fuckin' balls. Nearly shot one of my men over some medicine back in Alexandria."

"What?" She gasped, her blood running cold. Negan chuckled again.

"Yeah, helluva glare on that one, too." Negan rubbed his chin. "Despite the whole one eye, thing."

"What did you do to him?" She asked.

"Nothin'! Why would I?" He asked. "He's got some potential. More'n Rick, anyways." Negan watched her for a second before chucking again. "No fuckin' way..." He sat back. "You and the future serial killer together? Ah, now that-" He pointed, shaking his head. "That would be a sight to behold."

"We uh...I-I mean..." Luna stumbled over her words.

"I'm not mad, Lu." He said. "Please, I mean, I can't say I'm not gonna be a little protective of you. My only daughter, her first boyfriend...it's only natural. But honestly? That is something I would love to see. Maybe it'd even help Rick and I see eye-to-eye a little better. So tell me, what's goin' on with you two?"

"We..." She trailed off, sighing. "We've been together since before we got to Alexandria."

"Ah, next time I go visit Rick I'll have to make sure to have a little talk with the one-eyed-wonder." Negan chuckled. "Make sure he...understands what you mean to me."

—————

It was just past midnight when Luna poked her head out of her bedroom, looking around. She didn't see anyone, so she crept out and started down hallway. Her hand rested on the hilt of her knife as she moved quietly towards Negan's room, watching out for anyone who might see her. She made it to his bedroom door without incident, her hand resting on the handle as she looked around one more time. Not seeing anyone, she slowly turned the handle and pushed the door open. It creaked slightly, and she froze, but she didn't hear anything so she continued. She slowly pulled the knife out of it's sheath as she approached the bed, seeing Negan's sleeping form in front of her.

She let out a shaky breath as she stopped next to his bed. She shifted the knife in her hand, swallowing as she looked down at him. Tears had stared to pour down her face as she raised a shaky hand over her head, trying to brace herself. She knew what she had to do, what she needed to do. And she knew that she was the only person who could. As she stared down at Negan's face, memories flooded the forefront of her mind. Christmas mornings with her dad and Lucille, drinking hot chocolate. First days of school, listening to classic rock in the car on the way. Fourth of July, her dad letting her light off a few fireworks herself. Warm summer nights when they'd have a bonfire in the fire pit they'd bought. Cold winter days when they'd have snowball fights in the front yard.

Luna's hand was shaking violently, so she finally dropped it-covering her mouth her hand as she let out a small cry. She took a few stumbled steps backwards, her eyes still fixed on the face of her father. Flashes of Glenn and Abraham came mixed with her memories, and she was flooded with confusion. She wanted to believe that the man she knew was still in there, that he could still be her father. She couldn't help it as the knife slipped from her hands, clattering on the ground as she began to cry. Negan began to wake up, so she kicked the hilt of the knife and pushed it under the bed just before he'd turned to look at her.

"Lu?" He asked groggily, sitting up. "What's wrong, baby?"

"I-I..." She couldn't speak. Negan sighed, standing up and walking over to her.

"You have a nightmare?" He asked, and she nodded. "Come here, baby." He pulled her into a hug, and she began to sob. "It'll be okay, come here."