My Safe Space

ten

annabelle hesitantly walked up to the closed grey door. she knew not to interrupt but it was an emergency. she softly knocked three times and waited for a response. it was silent for a moment before negan's voice roared through sending shivers down her spine before the door opened. "this better be good!"

his irritated expression faded once he saw it was her. negan sighed and stepped out of the door closing the door behind him for the others not to hear. "princess i told you not to inturrupt me when we're in a meeting."

"i know, i'm sorry i just need to go-" negan cut her off mid-sentence.

"I'm sorry baby, go to the room and i'll be there soon and we'll talk about it. okay?" negan sighed and glanced back to the room. "i'll be there soon."

annabelle sighed as she watvhed negan turn and enter into the room once again. annabelle walked back to her bedroom and pulled out some jeans. after getting dressed annabelle packed a few more things into her bag before giving roman a treat. "i'll be back in a little bit buddy. you stay here and be good, okay?"

annabelle was going back to her cabin to grab more of her things, with or without negan, or a car. she thought she'd feel better if she had things to make her feel at home. but there was one specific thing that she had to have, no matter what it'd take. she grabbed her bag and walked out of her room, heading out of the huge building. that's was when a voice erupted behind her, calling her name. "anna! hey! wait!"

she turned to see dwight running up to her with his arm in the air in attempt to wave her down. "what are you doing? where are you headed?"

"back to my cabin, got to grab some stuff." she said before she turned back and continued heading to the gates but dwight didn't let up with his questions.

"does negan know? you can't go out there-" anna quickly cut him off mid sentence.

"i'm a grown woman, if i want to go grab some stuff i can. i'm not a prisoner here." annabelle snapped. it drove her crazy how he acted as if negan owned her, like she wasn't her own person. "plus it seems like he's got more important things to deal with. just leave me alone, i'll be back by nightfall."

"okay wait, please just wait here and let me go get negan." dwight begged. he began to back up and yelled out to her before he turned to run off and find negan. "just wait there a minute!"

annabelle sighed as she watched him run out of sight before she turned and walked up to the gates where the men guarding it opened them up, allowing her out. she walked down the long dirt road, finally reaching the concrete of the main road. she looked around and gripped her knife close. she'd be lying if she said she wasn't terrified. but she needed to get it.

she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little annoyed by negan not letting her finish her sentence and explain herself, but she understood. she didn't want to be a burden to him, but she didn't have a choice.

that was when she heard the sound of pebbles crunching and dirt wishing through the wind that followed behind her. she didn't need to look to know what it was, most importantly who it was. she just kept walking. that was when she heard a door open and shut. "anna,"

"i'll be back before dark negan, i'm okay." she sighed as she kept walking.

"would you just stop and talk to me!" he called out. annabelle stopped and turned to him. "what the hell is wrong with you? if you need anything you know i'd get it for you. why are you running off alone?"

"you have things to do, so i can get it myself." she sighed. "i'm not your responsibilty negan, go back and finish your meeting. i'll be okay."

negan walked slowly over to her, pushing a hair back behind her ear. "you're not a responsibilty, you're important to me. so if what you need to get is so important you're wanted to walk a few miles to get it then i'm gonna get it for you."

"what about your meeting?" she asked while she glanced back at the large building in the distance. she hadn't realized how far she got so fast.

"it was boring as fuck anyway." negan chuckled earning a laugh from anna. "come on, get in the truck."

negan opened the door for her and shutting it behind her before walking around to the other side of the truck. as they drove down the road he took a quick glance over at her before asking. "so what's the rush? why did it have to be today?"

"i overheard a call on one of the guys radio that they'd seen people out here but couldn't find them. i just.. i can't risk anything happening to it." anna sighed and rubbed her forehead.

it was another 15 before they pulled up the long overgrown driveway. she hopped out and walked up to her cabin where the door was wide open. but before she could walk itn negan grabbed her arm and pulled her back before drawing his gun. "stay here, let me check it out."

negan walked into the home, glacing arounf the living room. he looked toward the back door to see a body on the ground from the night she left. he checked into the bathroom in the hall before following into the bedroom where he heard groaning. he raised his gun as he walked into the room, immediately firing. as the body dropped he heard steps run toward him from behind.

negan turned around to see annabelle. "what the hell are you doing? i told you to stay outside!"

"i-i heard you shoot i wanted to make sure you were okay-" negan cut her off once again in his fit of anger.

"and what were you going to do if i were in trouble? huh? that's why i said to stay out there!" he raised voice.

annabelle remained silent with an upset look on her face, a look that hurt him to see. negan sighed and rubbed his face. "look, i'm sorry for yelling but when it comes to things like this you have to listen to me anna.. and you never, never run toward gunfire. do you understand?"

"yeah, i'm sorry." she sighed. she knew he was right but it was instinct to make sure he was okay.

he leaned over and placed a kiss to her head. "grab what you came here to get."

she walked around the cabin placing things into her back before wandering back into the bedroom. "give me a hand?"

negan walked over and the two of them pulled the dressed forward where an envelope was taped to the back of it. she pulled it off and sat ont he edge of her bed, flipping te envelope around. negan sat beside her and watched as she fiddled with it for a minute. anna opened the envelope and pulled out the necklace before she glanced over to him with a sigh. "it was my moms, she gave it to me-"

she cut herself off to swallow, attempting to fight her tears. "she gave it to me for good luck at college, it was the last time i saw her."

negan watched as she tried to hide the tears that slipped down her cheeks. he immediately wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in before using his other to hold her head close. he rested his face in her hair. "it's the only thing i have left of her."

"i'm sorry baby." he whispered in her hair as he held her close. there wasn't much he could say to comfort her in this moment.

after a moment she pulled away and wiped her cheeks. "it's okay. do you uh.. do you think we could stay here tonight?"

negan placed a soft kiss to her lips. "of course. i'll go close the doors and get dinner started. you take your time and when you're ready come out and join me."

annabelle watched as negan left the room and closed the door behind him. she smiled to herself as she looked down at her moms necklace with a sniffles . "you'd love him mom."