ELEANOR . NEGAN

051.

Feeling of the grass striking across the skin of his boots as he patrolled through the grass, was all a simple yet thrilling feeling. Freedom tainted his thoughts and he felt everything he used to feel before feeling confined behind a cell.

Only difference now, was the absence of Eleanor Stark and the incessant sounds of Brandon. After waltzing through the forest to try and get as far away from Alexandria as possible, the pesky dickhead found him and then wouldn't leave him alone. It was annoying, and annoying and annoying.

But for survival, he had to stick with Brandon for now. The two men wandered through the woods, he tried to edge past the Whisperer's border but Negan stopped him. If they got caught, they wouldn't get in trouble — Alexandria and Hilltop would. Brandon was a bit pissy about it but nonetheless surprised Negan with some old artefacts of his and Negan soon forgot about his pissed behaviour.

It was his old bat, still muddy and stained, but still Lucille. The dent of a gunshot was in the wood, a vital wound that should've split the material but still stood proud and unscathed. When Brandon showed Negan his jacket, it was like a wave of past comfort hit him and he instantly chucked the clothing on his body.

He thought it was over, Negan did, but then Brandon flicked through his bag and chucked things out and placed them back in before standing up with something in his hand. It glimmered under the rays that peeked through gaps of the trees and highlighted the gold like it was the sun itself.

"Didn't think you was a JC kinda guy," Brandon started. "But this was with your things so... must be important."

He remembered the way Brandon dangled the necklace in front of Negan, like he was a toddler getting teased with a colourful toy, until he snatched it out of the guards hand and inspected it like it was the most important thing with him right now.

He ignored how he dropped Lucille to the ground.

The familiar Celtic cross was the most he could have that resembled Eleanor, so there was no way he was going to give this back to Brandon. He checked over the ridges and the intricate detail carved into the gold before he wrapped it around his wrist in a makeshift bracelet.

Brandon laughed at him, so he picked up Lucille and barged past him before making route through the woods.

It wasn't long until they found concrete road and some resources. Even if Brandon packed water and protein bars, that wasn't enough if they stayed out here. They even found some shelter, and some survivors, and soon made a semi-home in a shitty run-down bus.

The two survivors were a mother and a son, just about older than Judith so clearly only accustomed to the apocalyptic world. Negan tried to lift the kids spirit, because even if he was childless himself, he was amazing with children. He understood them, as did Eleanor.

Negan remembered explaining the ins and outs of an airplane and he felt that warm glow when the kid smiled. That's why he loved talking to Judith, and even Maya, because they were accustomed to the old life. So explaining it, and seeing their face light up? That was good enough for him.

He even explained nut-tapping, but felt a bit weird afterwards so quickly walked away to find some dry wood. The mother and son was soon going to leave, make their way to Hilltop for some protection and comfort — a jab to the old life.

Brandon disagreed, so Negan sent him off.

Then he held immense regret when he walked in on the sight behind the broken bus.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the woods, Eleanor was pushing herself through trees and bushes — head to toe in walker guts and blood as tears stung her face. Maya wasn't home yet, and Daryl went out to meet Michonne at Hilltop with Saddiq. He asked for her to come, but she was half-way through the gates when he called for her so she kept walking and neglected it.

Elle spent all day waltzing through the forest in search of Negan. Laura was on watch but didn't see him leave, while the other guards like Brandon was out looking for him. Little did she know that Brandon already found him.

Nonetheless; she left bodies of walkers in her wake and teased the border towards the Whisperer's. She was peeking past the trees to see if Negan ever trampled over the edge. First of all, she thought he wasn't dumb. But then he left, so she took it back.

Her heart was heavy full of anger and sadness, and she felt like she could explode. She killed Margo, she protected Negan, no one believed her. And it pissed her off. And then she got even angrier when she woke up with the lack of Negan, with no note or reason or even anything.

Eleanor wanted to cry. And maybe it was because she was alone, or maybe it was because she missed Negan, and she had so much to say... yet he wasn't there — not anymore.