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Negan and Spencer were playing pool. With a glass of wine gripped in his callus hand, Negan trailed over to the side of the table and grinned, looking down at the setup. It was just as cold as it had been. Vada was wearing her cotton black gloves, an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Negan looked at her, then back to Spencer, a wide grin on his face. He took a sip from the brim of the glass, sighing with satisfaction.
"I could never do this with Rick. He would just be standing there scowling, Giving me that annoying side eye he gives me." He shook his head, a deep chuckle coming from the back of his throat. Vada rolled her eyes, turning her head to look at the trees. She shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around her body.
"That's actually what I came to see you about. I want to talk to you about Rick," Spencer said. Vada perked up. She should have known it had something to do with her father. It seemed to be all he talked about, with the strong detest he had for the man.
Negan aligned the cue stick with the balls, squinting. "Alright. Talk to me, Spencer. Talk to me about Rick." He jerked the stick, sending the balls in every which direction. He stood erect, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared down the man. Vada could see past the facade. She could see the hatred he held for the man he'd barely even met.
"I get what you're trying to do here," Spencer started, a sigh escaping from his lips, "what you're trying to build. 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. Makes sense. But you should know, that Rick Grimes has a history of not working well with others." Vada scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes squinted. If she hated the man before, she had just hit the pinnacle of her loathing.
"Mmm, is that so?" Negan hummed, the ends of his lips twitching.
"Rick wasn't the original leader here. My mom was. She was doing a really good job of it. She died, not long after Rick showed up. Same with my brother, same with my dad." Vada's eyes flickered toward the ground. She felt empathy for the boy. She could put herself in his shoes, but that didn't change who he was. Unlike her, Spencer couldn't put himself in other's positions. That's what made him the horrible person he was.
Negan stood after taking his turn, "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." Negan turned to Vada and smiled, sending a wink. She stared blankly back at him, scared of what he may do.
"Doesn't matter. His ego's out of control. He'll find a way to screw things up. To do things his way, screw things over. That's what he did with my mom, that's what he'll do again." Spencer bit his lips, taking the cue stick in his hands. He hit a ball and sent it into one of the corners. Negan's eyes trailed him as he did so. Vada, who was leaned against an old oak tree, took a step forward and trailed behind Negan. He watched her, clicking his tongue over the roof of his mouth as she passed. She stood beside her brother and Olivia on the porch.
