rag doll | TWD

[61] hearts still beating

JJ became even more tense. She wanted to shove the pool stick right up Spencer's ass, where he was currently talking from. 

Negan almost seemed irritated by Spencer's words as he made another shot. "Mm, is that so?"

"Rick wasn't the original leader here. My mom was. She was doing a really good job of it."

JJ looked back as she heard the door open and close, leaving Olivia and Carl to walk out onto the porch and watch the scene play out as well. 

Spencer chalked the end of his stick, preparing for his shot as he continued talking. "Then she died, not long after Rick showed up- same with my brother, same with my dad."

"You know that's bull-" JJ started. 

Negan waved a calming hand, "Calm down, now, JJ. We're having a civil conversation here."

JJ bit her inner lip out of anger as Negan pointed out, "So, everything was peachy here for- what, years? And then Rick shows up, and suddenly, you're an orphan? That is the saddest story I've ever heard. Good thing for you he's not in charge anymore."

"Doesn't matter." Spencer looked up from his shot. "His ego's out of control. He'll find a way to screw things up, to try and do things his way, to take over. That's what he did with my mom, that's what he'll do again."

Negan moved next to Spencer, meeting him eye to eye after he finished his shot, "What exactly are you proposing to be done about that?"

 "I am my mother's son. I can be the leader she was. That's what this place needs. That's what you need."

"So, I should put you in charge-" Negan lowered his voice. "That's what you're saying?"

"We'd be much better off."

Negan smiled, taking a sip of his whiskey. "You know, I'm thinking, Spencer. I'm thinking how Rick threatened to kill me, how he clearly hates my guts. But he is out there right now, gathering shit for me to make sure that I don't hurt any of the fine people that live here. He is swallowing his hate and getting shit done. That takes guts."

He effortlessly sunk the yellow 1 ball into the side pocket. "And then there's you...the guy who waited for Rick to be gone so that he could sneak over and talk to me to get me to do his dirty work so he could take Rick's place. So I got to ask- if you wanna take over, why not just kill Rick yourself and just take over?"

"What? No, no. I didn't- I don't-" Spencer began to stutter.

"You know what I'm thinking? Cause I have a guess." Negan leaned in closely, whispering, "it's because you got no guts." He took out a knife, splitting it into Spencer's lower abdomen. Gasps were heard throughout the people watching. 

JJ looked away, breathing heavily. 

"How embarrassing." Negan grinned down at Spencer, "there they are. They were inside you the whole time. You did have guts. I've never been so wrong in my whole life!"

♮♮♮
[JJ]

What Spencer said, it pissed me off. But I didn't think he deserved to be killed. Not by Negan, anyway. 

Nobody dared move a muscle after what they'd just witnessed. 

Negan started to loosely swing Lucille, "Now, someone oughta get up here and clean this mess up." The people remained silent as Negan held Lucille up to point to the crowd. "Oh! Anyone want to finish the game? C'mon. Anybody? Anybody?! C'mon. I was winning!" He taunted. 

I jumped when a shot went off. 

Rosita had aimed and fired at Negan but ended up hitting Lucille instead. 

"Shit! What the shit?!" He shouted as Arat took Rosita to the ground. "Shit! You just- you tried to kill me?! You shot Lucille!"

"She got in the way." Rosita told him, fearlessly.

Everyone shared the same, terrified look as Negan picked up the bullet shell that had bounced off of the bat. 

"What is this? What is this? This little bade boy made from scratch? Look at those crimps. This was homemade. You may be stupid, darlin', but you showed some real ingenuity here."

I let my gaze slightly shift to Eugene, who was the most frightened out of all. I knew he had been the bullet maker, and it was only a matter of time before Negan figured that out. 

"Arat," Negan stepped toward Rosita, "move that knife up out on that girl's face. Lucille's beautiful, smooth surface is never gonna look the same, so why should yours?! Unless... unless you tell me who made this."

With the knife pressed up against Rosita's cheek, she lied, "It was me. I made it."

"You see, now I just think you're lying. And you lying to me now?! Such a shame...Arat's gonna have to cut up that pretty face. One more try."

"It was me." Rosita choked out as Arat dug the tip of the blade into Rosita's cheek, letting the blood trickle down her face. 

Negan chuckled, "Oh! You are such a badass! Fine. Have it your way. Arat...kill somebody."

As Arat loosened her grip on Rosita and sat back on her knees to get her gun, Rosita panicked, "No. It was me! No!" 

Carl and I both winced as Arat aimed for our house. She had chosen Olivia as her victim. 

Guns aimed at the two newcomers to the situation. My brother, who was helping an injured Aaron down the road. 

"We had an agreement." Rick snapped. 

"Rick! Look, everybody, it's Rick! Ah, your people are making me lose my voice doin' all this yelling. Rick..." My brother looked around at the two dead bodies that Negan had left. "...how about a 'thank you'? I mean, look, I know we started this relationship with me beating the holy shit out of your friends, and because of that, we're never gonna sit around and braid each other's hair or share our deepest, darkest secrets, but how about a little credit?"

Rick's face had turned red from the anger. And Negan was only making the situation worse. 

"I just bent over backwards to show you how reasonable I am. Your kid- he hid in one of my trucks and machine-gunned a bunch of my men down, and I brought him home, safe and sound..." Rick turned to glare at Carl as Negan leaned in, "and I fed him spaghetti. Another one of your people, well, he wanted me to kill you and put him in charge. I took him out...for you. And another one, here-" 

He motioned to Rosita. "She shot Lucille, trying to kill me just now, so I gave you one less mouth to feed. And by looking at her- that mouth did some major damage. Now, personally, I wouldn't have picked her to be the one to go, but Arat," He sighed, "I don't know- didn't trust her."

Rick took a step toward Negan, "Your shit's waiting for you at the gate. Just go."

"Sure thing, Rick...right after I find the guy or gal that made this bullet. Arat?"

As Arat aimed her gun to Eric, Tara stepped forward. "It was me!"

"No, it wasn't." Eugene cried, lowering his hands from his face, "It was me. It was only me."

"You?" Negan questioned.

Eugene began to explain, proving that he had been the one to make the bullet, "It required one spent casing, one four-holed turret reloader, powder, one funnel for the powder-"

"Shut up. I believe you." Negan told him. "Lucille, give me strength... I'm gonna be relieving you of your bullet maker, Rick- that and whatever you left for me at the front gate. And however much you scavenged- it's not good enough. Because you're still in a serious, serious hole after today. Let's move out!" 

Rosita broke down as the men carried Eugene away, "No, no! Please, just take me! No!"

"Rick, I ain't gonna lie, you kitchen is a damn mess. I'll see you next time." Negan eyed me, "I didn't forget about you, darling. Come on, we best be gettin' home."

I made eye contact with my brother before leaving. His cheeks were stained with sweat and tears. 

Rick pressed his lips together and nodded as I mumbled, "Goodbye, Rick."

a/n: 'tis sunday but it's a short chapter