𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 ↠ 𝘤.𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴

67: Hearts Still Beating

Elle walked behind Negan and Carl, getting some shy waves from the people of Alexandria who haven't seen her in quite some time. They walked up the porch steps of Rick's house as Negan knocked on the familiar yellow door. Olivia answered the door, eyes widened when she saw Negan standing before her.

Whistling, Negan invited himself in to take a look around. "Carl, where's—" she whispered.

"Enid's fine." He assured her, as she closed the door behind Elle.

"You're back." She observed.

"As far as Negan knows, I never left. Don't mention it." Elle responded as she walked further into the house.

"Where's Rick?" Negan asked, smiling. Olivia tried to explain that she was here to watch over Judith, but she kept stuttering. "Don't care, where's Rick?"

"Out scavenging for you." She replied nervously.

"Cool. I'll wait." He suggested. Elle took a seat at the kitchen island as Olivia explained that Rick and Aaron went out pretty far, leaving the chance that they wouldn't even be back today.

"We're running really low on everything. We're practically starving here." Elle looked up at Carl who had failed to mention such a thing when she asked. At Hilltop, she had fresh vegetables with every meal. She ate good during her stay. To hear that her home was suffering and nobody told her, she felt remorse.

"'Starving?' You? By 'practically,' you mean 'not really?'" He mocked. Sure, Olivia wasn't the smallest girl in the community, but Negan really needed to learn what comments were and weren't appropriate to make. Olivia turned around as she began crying at such vial comments about herself.

Negan turned around to face the kids who glared at him. "Really?" He spoke as if Olivia was just supposed to take it as a joke. "You people seriously don't have a sense of humor."

"You're an asshole." Elle scoffed. He smiled at her. "Are you going to tell me that I'm wrong?" Slowly, he turned back to Olivia.

"Excuse me, what's your name again?" He asked.

"Olivia." She responded as she put her glasses back on.

"Right, Olivia." He repeated. He put a hand on her arm to make her look at him. "I am sorry for having been so rude to you just now. And it looks like I'm gonna be here for a while, awaiting your fearless leader's return. If you'd like, I think it would be enjoyable to screw your brains out." Elle wanted nothing more than to smash her face through the kitchen counter. "I mean, you know... if you agree to it." Olivia was quick to slap him across the face. Well deserved.

Negan whispered something to her that Elle certainly did not want to hear. "All right, well, I'm just gonna out my feet up and wait for my stuff to get here." He announced. "Olivia, would you be a lamb and make us a little lemonade? Now, I know I left y'all some of that good powdered stuff." How generous.

"Well, I'm supposed to be with—" Elle and Carl frantically shook their heads, not wanting Negan to know about Judith. Luckily, Negan cut her off.

"Make it. Take your time, make it good." Olivia was quick to leave the house and make her way to the food pantry, not wanting to spend any more time with Negan than she had to. Negan turned back to Carl and Elle. "All right, kids. Take me on a grand tour!"

They showed Negan everything he wanted to see, he even took his boots off to feel the carpet on his bare feet.

He had a fun time with the running water.

He had no problem bragging about the bullseye he made on Carl's dartboard. When they showed him Elle's room, she noticed that all of the knives she usually left openly on her dresser had been taken. The only knife she still had was at Hilltop. She was officially weaponless.