WA - Washington DC - Cabin In The Woods

[DarkSideCookie]

And before he knew it, Negan suddenly felt Nora's right hook in his face - and damn, she had a strong right hook. Nora had been angry before, but this was a whole new level. Not exactly the kind of physical contact he was fantasizing about every now and then when they were together.

With a little bit of surprise on his face, Negan's face turned back in her direction. But when he suddenly saw her crying, he swallowed down a remark and even brushed off the upcoming rotten smile. This was something serious all of a sudden.

"You lying son of a bitch! How long have you known, huh?""Ingrid is my family, too. Why didn't you tell me?"

There was a moment when Negan actually felt a little bad, and when an almost guilty expression appeared on his features. "Look, I... ," he started but then sighed his own words away before stepping closer to her, softly placing a hand on her arm or rather on the sleeve standing between an actual touch. "I think I just wanted to shield myself from any arguments and doubts, and so just took it into my own hands." One might think that Negan didn't care about anyone's opinion, but he bet Nora would know better. There were some people for which he was caring a lot indeed. And if Nora believed it or not, she was one of them. "I mean, what would you have said anyway?" He made it sound like this was a rhetorical question, and the answer to that only one: You would have tried to talk me out of it.

[Kristi Lynne]

"Look, I... I think I just wanted to shield myself from any arguments and doubts, and so just took it into my own hands. I mean, what would you have said anyway?"

"Don't," she warned, jerking her arm out of his grasp and backing away. She'd been there by his side all this time, building up the Sanctuary to what it was. She wasn't some minion like Arat or Fat Joe or even Simon. If Ingrid was alive and there was a way to get her back, she deserved to know. 

"I'd tell you to stop thinking with your downstairs brain," Nora advised. "Your new wifey just happens to know where Ingrid was taken? Did you even think that she might be leading us into an ambush? Ready to finish what her boyfriend started?" she asked, pulling the scarf away from her neck to show the deep scar that marred it.  

[DarkSideCookie]

"I'd tell you to stop thinking with your downstairs brain,""Your new wifey just happens to know where Ingrid was taken? Did you even think that she might be leading us into an ambush? Ready to finish what her boyfriend started?"

And then, all of a sudden, this had not only become a serious but also a personal debate. Negan grew with anger himself, yet was waiting for Nora to finish before he would make his point.

Without reacting to her theatric way of showing him her scar, he launched into a reply, by now visibly incensed as well. "And don't you think that's why I chose only my best men... and women... to accompany me, same as I left those who probably wouldn't survive real shit under cover of the Sanctuary? And without my downstairs brain, do you think we'd ever found out that there even is a place where she still could be alive?"

And yet again was Negan unhesitatingly hurdling the distance she had rebuilt between them, as he added with a more quietly yet not less intense: "I might be a lot, Nora, but I'm not as reckless as you think." It was only when he finished that his eyes were wandering down at the deep scar close to her throat, after all. "Also," his tone suddenly became casually again. "Practically - I'm keeping her out of your reach a lot... especially in the night. So how about a little 'thank you'?" Negan knew that this would only relight the fire, but he simply couldn't help it. It was how it was. He was an asshole. And that's what they all knew right from the start, for he'd never made a secret of that. But then again, he was not so very wrong with this statement, after all.

[Kristi Lynne]

"I might be a lot, Nora, but I'm not as reckless as you think. ... Also, practically - I'm keeping her out of your reach a lot... especially in the night. So how about a little 'thank you'?"

"A 'thank you'? Wow," Nora blurted, the look on her face shifting from surprise to indignant. She planted herself defiantly in front of him, rising up to her full height even though it was well shy of being at eye level with him. "I don't need you to fight my battles. I haven't for a long time."

She side-stepped and walked past him to the window, watching as the snow continued to fall through the trees around the cabin. "After we get Ingrid back, settle whatever score needs settling, I'm gonna' go," Nora declared. "I can't keep doing this with you. Two deeply damaged people that just keep hurting each other, and for what?" She turned back to him, crossing her arms and leaning back against the wall. "Ever since what happened at the outpost, you've shut me out. You look at me like I'm already dead. If you look at me at all." 

[Ariel]

"Hi, I'm Javier." "not much but it's a little something."

"Thanks," Enid spoke rather timidly, still unnerved by all the strangers that surrounded her. If Ingrid called these people her family, Enid would have to trust them. Her hands shaking from the chill of the winter storm that still plagued her body, she reached out to receive the water bottle from Javier. She was thirsty, yet the water bottle in her hands appeared to make her feel more aware of just how cold she still was as her body shivered slightly.

[Ariel]

"Hi, I'm Javier." "not much but it's a little something."

"Thanks,"

As Hazel bore witness to the friendly exchange, she couldn't help but to notice that Enid was shivering. Poor thing, Hazel figured the young girl had arrived shortly before they did as her fingertips that gripped the water bottle were still red and swollen from being outside in the cold. Looking down at her own hands, Hazel had forgotten that she was still holding onto the quilted blanket that had been laying in the middle of the den.

"Here, you need this more than I do," Hazel offered the warm blanket to Enid, who quickly accepted. She watched as the young girl wrap the quilt around her shoulders for warmth, "Perhaps we should sit by the fire? We can all warm up and get acquainted with one another better once we're not freezing our asses off." Hazel offered. If she had known this girl better, her arms would be wrapped around her in comfort and she would lead her into the cozy den herself. Yet, they were still strangers and Enid still seemed unsure about all of them.

Enid and Javier continued to walk into the den just as Hazel stopped for a brief moment to glance over her shoulder at the closed bedroom door that Negan and Nora had disappeared behind. The voices were muffled, yet they did not sound happy. Trouble in paradise? A small smirk of satisfaction formed on Hazel's face before turning her head back forward to meet Javier and Enid by the fireplace. Nora's misery was music to her ears.

[DarkSideCookie]

"A 'thank you'? Wow,""I don't need you to fight my battles. I haven't for a long time."

Negan always had been like that, and so he had been aware of how much she would like to hear such a remark. Normally though, he wouldn't care, but instead even enjoy reactions of indignation... then why was he actually feeling bad this time? Deep down, he probably already knew the answer to that. Not only did he care for her - he cared a lot for her, maybe even in a way he rather didn't. Yet, despite of this guilty feeling, Negan was sure that this was just another back and forth between them, until she suddenly walked past him and only spoke up again after several moments of silently watching the snow outside the window. Negan knew that something was very different this time already before he listened to her next words.

"After we get Ingrid back, settle whatever score needs settling, I'm gonna' go,"

And even if he thought he'd been prepared for this to come, it hit him like a bash from Lucille.

"I can't keep doing this with you. Two deeply damaged people that just keep hurting each other, and for what?"

He literally had no answer to that. Negan was good at hurting people, certainly first in the field, but there had been only one person in his life where he'd sincerely wished for making things undone and start completely new. In the end, that person had forgiven him but the guilt had never died, not even with her. It was only now that Negan realized that this upcoming feeling he sometimes still had, was not only coming from a memory but from a very present feeling. And for the first time in years, he wished for making things undone with someone, again. But times had changed, and a wish was worth nothing anymore, not in a world were surviving was priority number one.

By the time Nora turned back around, the rotten smile on his face was long gone, yet instead, harshness was hiding his true feelings.

"Ever since what happened at the outpost, you've shut me out. You look at me like I'm already dead. If you look at me at all."

There was another moment of silence before, this time, Negan was the one who turned his gaze away from her and instead towards the window.

"It's your decision." he eventually said rather clinical and with his eyes still directed outside, before quickly adding: Anyways," so that she wouldn't be able to say anything more, though less casually than he wanted to make it sound. "I declare this debate closed. I'll be right there."

Still watching outside yet watching nothing, Negan was waiting for Nora to exit the room. Right now, he just wanted to be alone.

[Kristi Lynne]

"It's your decision. Anyways, I declare this debate closed. I'll be right there."

A short huff of disbelief escaped her lips. He wasn't going to try to talk her out of it? Not even go through the motions of attempting an argument? Guess it really was time to go, then. "Yes, sir," Nora gave him a routine answer before walking past him and back out into the den. She cut her eyes toward the fireplace, registering the shapes of Hazel, Javier, and the new girl. Ingrid's sister. That would take some getting used to. But she was damned if she was going to let Hazel see any evidence of getting under her skin.

"We're going outside to get more firewood," Nora informed Dwight, who was still paused in the kitchen.

"We are?" Dwight asked, annoyed that he wasn't en route to warm himself by the fire. Nora glared at him and proceeded to the back door. "Okay, we are." He secured his hat and gloves that he'd been preparing to remove and followed her outside.

[DarkSideCookie]

As soon as he heard the noise of the door snapping shut, Negan exhaled a heavy breath that he'd been holding for a felt couple of minutes. And yet, that didn't bring any relief to him - quite the contrary. The anger he felt deep inside seemed now to break its way up to the surface, yet still only recognizable by flared nostrils and teeth grinding in his jaw.

Of course, he didn't want her to leave. But what did he want? That everything went back to as it was before? Before what, though? Negan actually didn't know. Not anymore. What was she expecting of him anyway? A long time ago, Negan had quit the thought about being able to change for anything, let alone anywho, so why didn't she? Or did she now? Fucking shit!

In an upcoming fury, Negan was venting his anger on the little shelf right next to him, pushing some items over. That was what he was good at - being strong, being unyielding... and a fucking lier to himself.

With another deep exhalation, he leaned his hands on the wall above the little battleground he had just created, still thinking hard. He really didn't want to let her go; on the other hand... that probably would be best for both of them.

Ignoring that Lucille lay somewhere on the ground, he eventually moved to the bed, slowly closing his eyes and trying to calm himself. Surely the others wouldn't miss him, and the snowstorm outside was still too heavy to continue their trip anyway.


***

[Lady Lee-o]

Javier had never been a very talkative man and the events that led here- well it didn't help that. He said his peace, gave the girl a kind smile and some water. He didn't know much about everyone here, he only knew the basics.

"We're going outside to get more firewood," Javier turned to see Nora coming out from the room, she looked slightly more perturbed than usual. Something happened between her and Negan but it was none of his business, so he turned back to the fire. If she wanted him to come with she would have asked, instead she dragged Dwight.

"Happy family," He muttered before giving the others a smile.

[Ariel]

Blanket back over her shoulders as if it never left, Enid settled herself down in front of the fire between her two new friends. Holding her hands up close to the warmth of the crackling embers, she notices that they still trembled slightly. Enid wasn't sure if it was still due to the cold that nipped her hard outside or if it was her shaken nerves from the unexpected turn of events, but she knew she no longer had anything to be afraid of. Enid looked to her left at Javier, who kept to himself quietly but still offered her his warmth with a smile and a gesture for hydration. She felt safe around him and figured he must be a loving father to a kid of his own. Looking to her right at Hazel, she appeared to be sweet as pie as she helped make Enid comfortable. Yet, the woman had somewhat of  a problematic ambiance to her that Enid hadn't quite figured out just yet. All she knew was she wasn't alone anymore, and that she would hopefully reunite with her sister Ingrid again by some miracle.

"We're going outside to get more firewood,"

Enid turned her head as the blonde lady came back out from within the room, only to make an abrupt exit with the man they called Dwight. She seemed angry about something, and Enid could only hope that Lucille's husband didn't live up to the distasteful stories she would overhear her parents go on about.

"Happy family,"

"What do you think happened?" Enid uttered, knowing it really wasn't any of their business. Yet, she wanted to get more of a feel of who Negan really was. No better people to ask than the people who were around him the most, after all.

[Ariel]

"Happy family,"
"What do you think happened?"

"Oh her? Who knows, with Officer Stone Cold," Smiling, Hazel sneered sarcastically, with an eye roll so loud you could practically hear it through the entire room. She despised Nora since day one, but most of all she hated Nora with Negan. She couldn't help but to notice he had a thing for her. He always did. No matter what Hazel said or did, at the end of the day it always came back around to Nora. Most days Hazel wished that Nora would have just bled out at the scene of Adam's demise...

..."What?" Hazel sharply questioned the eyes of Enid and Javier that both fell on her as the tension grew so thick that you could barely burn it with a candle. Hell, you'd need a blow torch for a layer this thick. Hazel didn't mean to switch her attitude so vastly, but she was getting to the end of her rope.

[DarkSideCookie]

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Day 312

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Negan had spent the rest of the night alone, not bothering to answer Hazel's late knocking on the door with a No. After all, he was the one making the rules, and if he didn't want her, then she would have to find another place to sleep, just like everyone else. In fact, Negan couldn't even say if it really had been her knocking on the door, but on the other hand, who else would dare to do so? Hazel was just one of many, but she was enjoying, along with Sherry, kind of a special significance in the club of wives. Sometimes Negan almost had a feeling like she was actually enjoying that special significance, different from Sherry, who resisted her own aspirations. Or was it just the drama with Nora that made him look at it this way, all of a sudden? Anyways, Negan would never change. Not for anything, and not for anyone.

When he had woken up to a surprisingly warm breeze, forgotten to close the window after he had spent a while looking outside, Negan had been the first seeing the snow had started to melt. Not only would they be able to continue on the road, but he also wouldn't have to spend the day in a cabin that was too small for Nora's and his unspoken feelings. Why, he had never asked for that.

"We head out.", Negan said in a rather harsh tone as everyone had regathered in the kitchen. He seemed to avoid any eye contact with Nora - it was much easier this way until he would accept her decision - while he scanned over his team members. At Enid's sight, he paused. "We're gonna find your sister. I promise." He didn't give a lot of promises, and never had, but only when he was sure he would do anything to keep it. Way back when it had been only him, Ingrid and Nora, he had promised Ingrid to find her sister. And so he had. Now it was on time to bring these two together.

Mostly to keep up with the avoiding of Nora's looks, he busied himself with the supplies Enid had offered them for their journey to Woodbury, with the condition of her going with them. That had been Negan's plan anyway. He had no idea what would await them, so if there was a chance the two sisters would see each other again even if it was for the last time, it would be there. Not only was Negan doing this for Ingrid, but also for Lucille.

*** A little while later, Negan, Nora, Javier, Dwight, Hazel and Enid exit to Open Road ***

[DarkSideCookie]

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Day 330

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