Not That Bad

9 ~ Searching

"Dad!"

He rushes into the room and Cody holds them up. He grabs them and they head outside and to the back where Negan sips on some lemonade, offering some to Olivia.

Negan glances up, his stupid smile plastered onto his face. "What you got for me, Rick?" Rick takes a deep breath and hands over the guns. Negan snickers. "Well, would you look at that? They were here after all. Funny how a little "Holy shit! Somebody's gonna die!" lights a fire under everybody's ass!" Olivia whimper, all but proving his point. "So, tell me, Rick -- which one of your fine folks almost cost Olivia the rest of her days?"

Rick shakes his head, surprising Cody. "It doesn't matter anymore." If it were up to Cody, she would have narced on Spencer without a single thought. That asshole more than deserves it.

"No, it matters. See, you need to get everybody on board. Everybody. Or... we just go right back to square one."

Rick nods, letting Negan shove past, Anna following meekly behind him.

Around town, Negan and his men began packing up and heading towards the gate. Cody heads there to, eager to get them out of here. Negan stands by the entrance watching over his men when he glances over to her.

"Sure I can't convince you to come back with me? I promise it'll be one hell of a time. You don't even have to be Atlas' wife, I like your spunk and could use some entertainment."

"I'm gonna be honest with you, I'd rather die." She replies in a monotone voice.

Negan laughs as Rick runs up with another gun. "Look at this!" 

Rick hands it over, almost stumbling over his words. "I thought she was scavenging. She was hunting. This one never came inside. We kept it near the line."

"Look at this. This is something to build a relationship on. Good for you, Rick. This is readin' the room and gettin' the message. I've said it before, I'm gonna say it again. You, sir...are special."

A beat passes before Rick speaks again. "Now that you know we can follow your rules..." 

"Yes?"

"I'd like to ask you if Daryl can stay." 

Negan grow serious. "Not happenin'. You know what? I don't know. Maybe Daryl can plead his case. Maybe Daryl can sway me. Daryl?"

They all look a Daryl who just stares at the ground. 

Negan chuckles, a sound that was beginning to drive Cody crazy. "Well, you tried. Now what you got to do is get over that tall wall of yours and try harder out there. Earn for me. Because we're coming back soon, and when we do, you better have something interesting for us, or Lucille, she's gonna have her way. I want you to hear that again. If you don't have something interesting for us... somebody's gonna die. And no more magic guns. Arat, grab that deer. It's getting late. Let's go home."

The carcass thuds as she dumps it into the truck. Negan smirks. "Man, I love a gal that buys me dinner and doesn't expect me to put out. So, nobody died. And you know what I think? I think you and I, we've refined our understanding. Let me ask you something, Rick. Do you want me to go?"

He nods. "I think that'd be good."

"Then just say those two magical words."

Fuck off, would be Cody's choice of two words.

"Thank you."

"Don't be ridiculous. Thank you." Walker growling in distance distracts Negan for a moment. "Another one. You need our help. Davey, hand me that candlestick over there." Davey walks over to a truck and grabs the metal object before handing it to Negan. 

"You know what I think, Rick? I think we're both gonna come out of this winners. Watch my form!" He swings, the metal crushing in the walkers skull. Negan sighs happily. "Ahh. Yep. Win-win." 

Candlestick clatters as he tosses it to the ground. "You should clean that up for me for next time. Let's move out! Oh, wait," He turns to Rick and pats his shoulder. "Thank you for being so accommodating, friend. In case you haven't caught on... I just slipped my dick down your throat, and you thanked me for it."

With that they leave, relief washing over the town. Cody beelines for the Grime's house. Their things are tossed around and left on the ground. Cody's room stands bare with it's missing bed, and some of her drawings are gone from the wall as well. 

***

They took all of the beds. All of them. all that's left is my blanket and Cody's pillow. Some of her clothes are missing, and so are most of her knives. Cody's room is bare and empty, having lost the energy and love it had before. Angry tears well up but she blinks them away.

Damn him. That fucking asshole. Cody hates him. She hates him with the passion of a thousand suns. Cody was going to kill him. No matter what. She was going to make it slow and painful, make him feel the pain that the Alexandrians feel now.