UNSTEADY .. n

02

Enid and Amelia crept up slowly towards the entrance. Negan had made a surprise return to the town, bringing only a handful of his men. Rick had opened the gate, keeping his head down as Negan smirked and mosied into the community.

"Well, well, well... My old pals haven't gotten tired of me yet." He said smugly, Lucille propped carelessly on his shoulder. "It's a pleasure, Rick." He did a mocking curtsey before his eyes scanned the walls over. "So, where're m'deer?" Negan rocked on his feet, eyeing the small crowd. Maggie exchanged looks with Olivia.

"I-I thought you--" Olivia stammered. Maggie cut in.

"You gave us two weeks to get the meat. Don't come barging back after only one expecting the full deal." She crossed her arms over her chest, the baby bump becoming slightly more visible. Negan looked her over before taking a couple steps closer.

"You know, if it weren't for the 'lil squirt inside your oven there, I'd wanna pound the holy hell outta you." Maggie couldn't tell if he was threatening her, or making a sexual reference. She didn't care, leaving herself stone-faced, until she noticed Amelia and Enid standing by the gate. Her gaze must have faltered because Negan noticed her change in demeanor. He turned around, chuckling at the girls. "Ah, the flower is still here."

Amelia flinched at the nickname, her mind flooding back to the night her group had been on their knees, waiting for a life to be stripped away. Negan walked over to her, a smirk plastered on his lips. He let out a low chuckle, breathing semi heavily against her upper face. Amelia's eyes remained on the ground.

"Look at me." Negan spat. Her eyes flickered upwards, boiling with rage. The man nearly fell into a fit of laughter. "Oh, you kill me, kid. You kill me." Negan grinned, pacing around without a care in the world. "It's those eyes, man. It's always the goddamn eyes that get me. You nearly frightened me, princess." He pointed his bat at the girl for emphasis. Amelia kept her jaw clenched, Enid sensing her anger.

Sasha and Carl were watching with their anger beginning to rise as well, a deep hate was rooted in their brains. The sprout had blossomed into a canopy full of awful and torturous ideas of what they would do to Negan if given the chance. He walked back over to Amelia.

"I think I like you, flower." He smiled. Amelia's breathing was picking up as she help back a snarl.

"Bite me!" She shouted at him. Rick winced, being more controlled by fear at this point. He knew any on thing could set Negan off. He wasn't prepared to lose another member of the group.

Negan closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

"You aren't very friendly, are you?" He asked. His eyes opened again, trying to figure out the girl in front of him. The same smile began to spread across his face. "I like that. You got fire, kid. Maybe not the same kind as mini-serial-killer over there, but you got something." He watched her for a moment more before turning back to the rest of the group. "Welp, I suppose if you don't have the bucks, we load up the trucks!" Negan sighed. "Take what you want, boys."