Maisie had taken to spending her time in the Sanctuary's library, partially for the undisturbed quiet, and partially to avoid the Saviors stares. She was an intuitive woman, but a fruit bat could just as easily figure out what the Saviors thought about when she was around.

She always in hid the farthest corner of the library where the brightest, but still disappointingly dim, light was. She'd asked them many times to find light bulbs on their supply runs, but it turned out they were a hard item to acquire. Harder than Negan's satin sheets? Maisie thought bitterly, flipping the page of her book. Ultimately, she decided to sit by the nearest window for some natural light.

Although she loved to be alone, Negan had put guards on her twenty-four-fucking-seven. Why, exactly, she had no idea. When she heard heavy footsteps entering the library, she didn't need to turn around to know it was Negan. As he put something down on the table beside her, her nose told her it was flowers before her eyes confirmed it when she glanced over.

Negan grabbed the legs of her chair and spun her around to face him; Maisie squealed and grabbed the arms of her chair when she felt unbalanced. She regained her composure and stared coldly into Negan's brown eyes as he tipped her chair back and leaned over her. He was waiting for her to say something.

"Dead people receive more flowers than the living because regret is stronger than gratitude," Maisie told him, casting a glance at the flowers on the table, her eyebrow cocked.

"Well, look at you, hitting me with the motherfucking facts! They say beauty is dangerous, but intelligence is lethal, and darling, you've got it all!"

"Uh-huh," Maisie replied coolly, pursing her full lips.

"I know you've been unhappy this past month, but I know what will make you happy."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

"You're going to Alexandria."

"Really?" Maisie asked, her heart swelling with hope.

"Yup! Gotta go collect our shit."

And just like that, the balloon of hope in her chest struck the shiny silver thumbtack of reality and she resumed her cold expression. "When do we leave?"

"Fifteen minutes," Negan told her, turning to leave.

"Wait."

"Yes?"

"I want a gun."

"What? No."

"You told me yourself I'm not a goddamn prisoner here and I'm the only woman in this fucking place who doesn't have a firearm."

"Alright, I'll consider it. Now, meet down at the trucks in fifteen fucking minutes or you will be punished."

"What're you gonna do, spank me?" Maisie asked, her voice casual as she got up and walked away.

"Goddamn, you're such a fucking tease!" Negan barked, his hazel eyes focused on the sway of her hips.

"I know."

Twenty minutes later, Maisie was sitting in the cab of the big blue truck with Negan at the wheel. They were alone in the truck, as Negan had made his chosen Saviors occupy two other empty trucks.

Secretly, Maisie was scared.

What if Rick hadn't been able to scavenge enough? What if someone put up a fight?

"Negan?"

"Yes, doll?"

"You're not gonna kill anyone from Alexandria, right?"

"We'll see who decides to test me."

〄

"Rick!"

Rick ran to see who was calling him and the wind was knocked from his lungs when he looked at the gate.

"Little pig, little pig, let me in," Negan called, tapping Lucille against the steel bars of the gate, his silhouette outlined in the burlap by the sun. Rick nodded at Spencer and he opened the gate.

"Hey, Rick, you got my shit?" Negan asked, smiling wide as he swaggered in, Lucille slung over his shoulder.

"You're early," Rick muttered, trailing off as he saw who climbed out of the cab and strode towards them. "Maisie —" he started, stepping forward.

"Nope," Negan interrupted, stopping between Rick and the blonde. "She belongs to me now, so you absolutely will not speak to her."

I'm sorry, Maisie mouthed behind Negan's back, casting her pale eyes downward.

If Rick didn't know any better, he would have named Maisie a traitor. He only hoped that she wasn't sleeping with the enemy and that she was safe.

Maisie's eyes travelled over the familiar faces of the Alexandrian's that gathered to watch their possessions get taken away. Her chest ached when Tara approached, Jackson walking lazily at her heels. His ears perked up when he saw her, and he let out an excited yip as he barreled to her.

"No. Bad boy," Maisie snapped, her voice cracking.

Jackson whimpered, confused. Negan looked between Maisie and the dog, a smile playing on his lips and showcasing his straight white teeth.

"Is that your dog?"

"No."

"Arat, load up the dog."

"No! He stays here," Maisie snapped, her hands clenched into tight fists, her nails digging painfully into her palms as she stomped away.

"Maisie, get your pretty little ass back here, right now!" Negan growled. She ignored his request and flipped him off over her shoulder, before she disappeared into one of the houses.

"Gee, prick, she's a real fucking handful. How did your pansy ass deal with her?"

"I didn't, Glenn did," Rick muttered weakly, ignoring the insult.

"Now, shall we see what's mine for the taking?"

"Y-yeah, we, uh, gathered some stuff and put it aside for y—"

"No, no, no, I decide what's fucking mine, not you."

Maisie entered the house, a woman on a mission. She climbed the steps two at a time and pushed open the first door off the landing, where she was promptly met with a gun in her face.

Carl leapt off the bed when he heard the fast footsteps up the stairs and drew his gun, ready to shoot if the Saviors entered his room. It wasn't the Saviors. It was Maisie.

Maisie stood there, shocked. He'd grown a few inches and continued to tower over her, and his hair had gotten longer. But the thing that troubled her most about the boy was the white bandage that covered his right eye.

"Wh-what happened to you?" Maisie stuttered, stepping forward and reaching up to touch his cheek.

"I could ask you the same thing," Carl joked, pulling her into a tight hug and running his hand up and down the back of her leather jacket.

"I-I got shot a few weeks ago," he admitted as they pulled away. Maisie could have cried. He was such a tough kid. She was proud of him.

"Maisie, I'm sorry, I really am."

"What for?"

"For letting him take you!"

"He would've killed you if you hadn't. Don't worry, I'm not a Savior and I never will be. I'm an Alexandrian."

〄

Maisie left the house and nearly tripped on the steps when she saw the pool table set up in the middle of the street. Negan and Spencer stood by it, drinks in their hands. Negan's face brightened when he saw her.

"Maisie, come over here and be my good luck charm."

Maisie's cheeks burned but she managed to keep her cold persona as she strode over to the man.

She stood idly by, blocking out their conversation. She didn't know nor care what they were talking about until she heard a metallic slice and turned in time to see Spencer's blood and guts splatter onto the street. He slowly fell to his knees, desperately trying to keep his intestine from escaping the massive slit in his abdomen.

"Oh-ho, I was wrong! You did have guts! My bad!" Negan laughed, enjoying the stunned silence. Until it was broken by a gunshot.

Maisie hissed as she felt something hot deeply graze her right arm.

She clamped her left hand over the wound to contain the blood that began spilling into the sleeve of her leather jacket as Negan got angry. She turned and saw Rosita being held down by Arat, a knife held to her cheek.

"You shot my woman!" Negan yelled, the veins in his neck popping. "You shot her!"

"She got in the way," Rosita snapped, lips drawn over her teeth in a snarl.

Ouch.

"I'm alright. You have your shit, let's just go," Maisie urged, ignoring the searing pain in her bicep.

Negan considered her for a moment, his angry expression softening. "Arat, kill somebody."

"No!"

Bang! Thud.

Arat had whipped around and fired, killing Olivia and narrowly missing Carl. Maisie flinched as Negan placed his hand on the small of her back, urging her forward. Rick accompanied them to the gate.

At the last minute, Maisie weasled away from Negan's touch and backtracked to Rick, embracing him in a one armed hug. When she pulled away, he reached up and tousled her hair lightly before his rough hand cupped her cheek in a fatherly way.

"I'll be good," Maisie told him, fighting to keep her voice steady under the sad smile he gave her, and placing her bloody left hand onto the one that was on her face.

"Somehow, I don't think that's possible," Rick laughed sadly, his hand dropping limply to his side as Negan pulled her away, annoyed.

The drive back to the Sanctuary was silent, and Maisie was glad for that. With her head turned to the window, silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

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