───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
ROSALINE DECIDED to call carl upstairs. she was unsure what negan needed carl for, but she obeyed him. it was what rick would want her to do.
the teenager hurried up, negan leading him into the bathroom. ridiculously, he started to shave, giving him a small tutorial on what to do.
"always against the grain, kid." he instructed, then turned to her as she leaned against the door, "you wanna help me out?"
rosaline crossed her arms, "not particularly."
as she took a look at carl, she saw his hair move away from his injured eye. just then she'd realised he wasn't wearing his bandage. she shot him a confused look. he never took the wrap off.
"i..." he started.
she interrupted him, "you made him take it off?"
the man smiled, "well, yes! that was his punishment. he gunned down two of my men with a machine gun. i say that's fair, he also sang me a little song."
her anger started to boil up again, she held on to the door frame to steady herself, "can you let him put it back on?"
"i guess so," he replied in a cheery tone, "go to the kitchen and get me the pots after, kid. don't want us to lose our appetite now do we?"
instantly, carl went downstairs not wanting his sister to look at the injury any longer. she sighed, shaking her head and walking into her bedroom, sitting on the bed she used to share with daryl. rhaegar came in, hopping up.
after a minute or two, negan walked in, taking a seat at the end of the bed.
rosaline raised her gaze, brows knitted together, "yes?"
"i'm making some damn good spaghetti to feed both of you. you're gonna eat it. i don't care if you're not hungry." he ordered, examining her, "you don't eat do you? that why you look like shit?"
"what's it to you? you're the one that ordered to take most of our supplies. i've been giving whatever i have to my family." she snapped, "haven't you done me enough favours already?"
he chuckled, "well, i can't let rick's kids die. he'd never want to make deals with me after. you wanna know why you i like you?"
rosa scoffed, "you already said."
"no. you remind me of my old wife's sister. my real wife. her sister used to be a police officer. had a dog just like your's. besides, i like your attitude. you ain't scared of shit. not even dying, from the looks of it." he ran his tongue over his top lip.
she rolled her eyes slightly, "so many people have thought that before about me. it's not news..."
"that dog is special, that's why i didn't kill him. besides i don't enjoy killing animals, women or kids." negan admitted, rubbing his freshly-shaven face.
that was a lie. she remembered back at hilltop that jesus said the saviors had killed a sixteen year old boy. she'd clearly been shocked because he was carl's age. either way, she didn't understand why he felt like sharing this with her.
"that's a lie." she glared, "your people killed a teenage boy. carl is the same age."
rosaline missed out where, because she didn't know whether the saviors had any idea about the deal between alexandria and hilltop.
the leader of the saviors leaned back for a moment, surprise flashing in his eyes, "i had no idea about that, darling. i'll make sure to make it clear to my people that shit is not okay."
"that won't bring that kid back to life." she shot back.
"guess you're right. what can i do for you then?" he offered.
rosaline rolled her eyes, "you shouldn't be asking me, but that kids family. although, since you've offered, yes." she stood up, taking a piece of paper from the desk on the other side of the room and scribbling on it.
negan raised a brow, "alright."
she slapped the note in his hand, "get that to daryl. you can read it to make sure it doesn't have some hidden message. i don't care. just get it to him."
he skimmed over the letter, giving it a hard stare before meeting her eyes, "you know what? fine."
"thanks."
"there's a catch though," he smirked, "you gotta stop looking at me like that. your family gives me the same ol' stink eye. your brother does it just like your dad."
"if i say no?" she queried, leaning against the headboard, stroking rhaegar behind the ear.
he leered, "i won't give it to daryl."
"that's it?"
"yep."
"i'll try." she gave an exasperated sigh, "you realise you've killed two people i loved? they had names. glenn and abraham. they were good people. then you took daryl and you're treating him lower than an animal. i went out there today and almost-"
he bobbed his head up and down, "i did that to make a point.."
"you made that point when that bat first collided with abraham's head." she placed a hand on her forehead, remembering the traumatic experience, tears welling up in her eyes.
red. that flashed in her eyes. glenn's body flinching as if it was still being hit over and over. abraham's head reduced to nothing but matter. everyone crying and gasping.
negan's eyes softened as he noticed the girl start shaking again. he'd completely broken her with the executions - she was good at hiding it behind her snippy words and stare that was full of hatred.
he placed the bat on the other side of the room groaning, "i'm am sorry, angel. your dad did kill a whole outpost of my men."
"what did those people mean to you, really? did they mean anything to you half as much as they did to us?" she cried, quietly. she received no answer from him, "thought so."
later, rosaline would hate herself for letting him see her in such a state. however, he was right all along. she was a hot mess. she looked like someone who was withering away.
negan murmured something to himself before glancing at her, "if you eat that spaghetti and empty the plate, i'll bring that note to daryl. just do what i asked and one other thing."
"like?"
"write down your symptoms on another piece of paper. i'll ask carson what it is. he's a real doctor. he'll be able to tell." he commanded.
"will you stop being an ass?"
negan smirked, "i'll consider it. write it down, give it to me and let's go down to make that spaghetti."
rosaline dipped her head writing the note, then she got up from the bed to leave with him, wiping her eyes. she clicked tongue so rheagar joined them.
carl stared at them, "what did you say to her?" he flared at the bat-wielding man.
"none of your business, kid." he singsonged, "that's between me and your sister. now give me those pots. i'm making my killer spaghetti."
with that, negan started on the cooking. rosa watched him as he worked in the kitchen with an apron on. he looked ridiculous. though, she didn't say anything.
he wafted the smell towards him, "ah, damn. that smells good." he'd take the wooden spoon he was using and taste it then offered some to carl, "mmm? want a taste?"
carl gave him the same glare that screamed the feeling of hate.
regardless negan sniggered stepping away and back to the pots. her brother started to set out the cutlery on the table, negan tutting at him.
"we're gonna need another setting." he said, revealing his perfect white teeth, "rosaline have a seat."
olivia came over with the lemonade pouring it into their glasses, judith on her hip.
rosaline smiled at her warmly, trying to ease the tension for her, "thanks, olivia."
soon, carl joined them at the table. the goal was to wait for rick to come back, but it looked like he wasn't coming any time soon.
negan sighed inwardly, "i'm not waiting for your dad anymore. i don't know where the hell he is, but lucille is hungry... carl pass the rolls... please."
this felt like one of those awkward christmas dinners with your distant relatives. rosa couldn't stand the feeling. with a disgusted look on his face, carl passed him the buns.
"now rosaline, remember the deal? get that mouth moving and that spaghetti disappearing." he tittered, putting a large portion on her plate.
"i could've-" she began.
he smacked his lip, "no, honey. i got you, i'm a gentleman."
truth be told, he wanted her to eat a lot, since she barely ate.
the brunette glared at him, before taking the fork in her hand and beginning to spiral the noodles onto it, shovelling them into her mouth.
he was not lying. the young woman wouldn't dare compliment his cooking though.
"how is it?"
she wanted to kick herself for thinking it.
rosaline shrugged, "i could compete."
"oh-ho, really now? damn, you're busting my balls here. how about a cooking off, next week?" he offered, mockingly.
the girl's lips twitched at the corners slightly, wanting to laugh. however, she stopped herself. she was sitting here having dinner with the guy who'd killed her friends.
i shouldn't be smiling. she cursed herself. even if he did help me out today.
shaking her head, she reminded herself that she needed to clear that plate for that note to be delivered to daryl. hastily, she tried to finish it. rosa had a feeling she'd be throwing it up later, due to her stomach rejecting the food sometimes.
"looks like you were really hungry after all."
"or i just wanted to fulfil the deal." she retorted.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
arat's voice outside the door alerted negan. it sounded like someone familiar. the brunette poked her head out, her eyes meeting spencer's. he held a bottle of alcohol in his hand.
este idiota! she thought, glaring.
he was asking to talk to negan, but arat was having none of it, "i said no."
negan gave a bright smile, walking outside, "don't be an asshole, arat. let the man pass!" reluctantly, she moved away, letting spencer meet him up on the porch, "oh crap. is that for me?"
"we haven't officially met. i'm spencer monroe, hi." he introduced himself.
"actually you did. at the gate." rosaline snapped, walking inside.
the leader of the saviors couldn't help but laugh, "i sense some tension!"
regardless, spencer invited himself inside of her home. negan had the same sly expression, scanning the man up and down, as if he was weighing how much of an idiot he is.
he invited him out up on the porch, rosaline sitting on the fencing with rhaegar below her. negan did not bother to uninvite her from the conversation, but she did not listen into it.
the last thing she heard was 'pool table' before the leader stood up, taking out one of the tables from a house opposite in the garage.
"i could never do this with rick. he would just stand there, scowling, giving that annoying side-eye he gives me." he joked.
spencer raised his gaze, "that's actually what i came to see you about. i want to talk to you about rick.
oh this better be interesting. she crossed her arms.
negan took the starting shot, "alright. talk to me, spencer. talk to me about rick."
"i get what you're trying to do here- what you're trying to build," he declared, staring at rosaline from the corner of his eye as her eyes flashed with hatred, "i'm not saying i agree with your methods, but i get it. you're building a network. you're making people contribute for the greater good. it makes sense. but you should know rick grimes has a history of not working well with others."
he hummed, taking the next shot, "is that so?"
"rick wasn't the original leader here. my mom was. she was doing a really good job of it. then she died, not long after rick showed up- same with my brother, same with my dad."
rosaline felt herself growing more and more irritated. this guy was blaming her dad for everything that had happened to his family. it was not rick's fault that they did not know about the real world.
the only reason spencer was still here was because rick managed to train him up to deal with walkers. otherwise, he'd be a lost cause.
negan took his glass of scotch, swishing it around, "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. his ego's out of control. he'll find a way to screw things up." spencer countered, taking his turn, "to try and to things his way and to take over. that's what he did with my mom. that's what he'll do again."
"what exactly are you proposing to be done about this?"
rosaline tilted her head, as if also awaiting the answer that negan was awaiting for. her chest was thumping, immense anger had built up inside of her. she just wanted to square this guy across the face.
the man looked to negan sternly, "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? that's what you're saying?" he quizzed, somewhat with a taunt.
"we'd be much better off."
lies.
if rick hadn't come along to teach these people the proper way to survive, they'd already be dead long before the saviors got here.
"you know spencer, i'm thinking about 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 i don't hurt any of the fine people that live here. he is swallowing his hate and getting shit done! that takes guts." negan explained, looking to rosa once.
i wish i could just hit that guy.
"then there's you. the guy that waited for rick to be gone so 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?"
everything that he'd said was one hundred percent right. spencer was a slimy little snake waiting for an opportunity to undermine her father.
this did not stick right with her.
spencer however became paranoid, "what? no, no. i didn't - i don't-"
negan walked straight up to him, the exact intimidating way, rosaline could practically feel the trouble in the air, "you know what i'm thinking? 'cause i have a guess." he leaned close to his ear, whispering, "it's because you got no guts."
a knife unsheathing rang throughout the area, then spencer grunted.
he'd just stick a knife straight into his abdomen, slicing it open.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
spencer was alright in the beginning but then just transferred into a mega asshole, kind of glad he's gone.
don't forget to vote and comment!
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────