tw// gore, violence, major character death, grief

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Oh Lord, Oh Lord, what have I done?
I've fallen in love with a man on the run
Oh Lord, Oh Lord, I'm begging you please
Don't take that sinner from me
Oh don't take that sinner from me

•Devil's Backbone; The Civil Wars•

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

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Jolene had surged forward the moment she saw Daryl go down. She was on autopilot and had swung for Dwight's jaw. Her hand collided with it, all while still holding her gun. He had recovered quickly though, nodding to the other man who had spoken to her just moments prior. A silent directive to get a hold of the woman who was hellbent on putting up a fight.

The older man wrapped a hand around Jolene's arm, yanking her with such roughness that she flew back onto the ground, landing on her back with a loud groan. The man stepped onto her wrist, applying pressure with just the right amount of strength so she would let go of the gun. The pressure sent a sharp shockwave up her arm as she gasped, the gun falling from her grasp.

"Let me wrap his wound, Dwight. Please." She hated having to beg but she couldn't see where Daryl had been hit and she needed to make sure he would survive it. Her eyes were wide as she stared up at the man who continued to hold her wrist down by the tip of his steel toe boot.

"Lil' nurse Jo to the rescue, as always." Dwight sighed, waving the gun aimlessly as of saying 'sure go ahead'. Her wrist was finally free and she immediately cradled it to her chest, hissing in pain for a moment before she curled around to her side and pushed herself up from the ground. Michonne and Rosita were already being tied up and gagged, but her only concern was the man slumped against the tree, grunting in pain.

"Daryl, let me see." She whispered, her voice wavered for a moment before she crawled over to him and peeled back the collar of his shirt. He was hit but judging by the wound it was a clean shot, straight through his flesh and muscle. His shirt wasn't the best material to bunch up and press against a wound so without thinking, Jolene sat back on her heels and peeled off her jacket. She let it pool around her ankles before she unbuttoned the plaid shirt she had on.

"I'm fine, Jo, stop." Daryl spoke up finally, his voice hoarse and laced with pain. He reached forward slowly to put a hand on her arm to try and stop what she was about to do.

"You're bleeding." She replied, shifting her body weight back so his hand would fall away. She looked back at Dwight quickly, glaring at him for a moment before she removed her T shirt and looped it around his shoulder, under his armpit and back up. She ignored the tensing of his muscles as she touched his back, offering him a small smile. "I didn't think the first time you'd see me without a shirt would be like this." She tried to lighten the mood for a moment, but even if Daryl found any humor in her teasing she couldn't tell.

The man behind them whistled. "If I knew the easiest way to see your tits I would've had Dwight shoot me a long time ago." He laughed and the rest of the group joined in. Jolene ignored them, pressing the cotton shirt against Daryl's wound before his hand replaced hers. His fingers brushed against hers, the spark picking up once more between the two.

"Why don't you shut that hick mouth of yours?" Jolene finally snapped at the older man, glaring up at him. She tugged the plaid shirt back on and buttoned it back up. She worked the buttons quickly, slipping on a few since her fingertips were slick with Daryl's blood, ensuring that her cleavage was covered before pulling her jacket back on overtop. "I wouldn't give you the shirt off my back even if you were the last man on earth." She added, moving now to take Daryl's elbow and help him up.

"Can see ya'll got close since I last saw you." Dwight sneered, reaching forward and grabbing onto Daryl's shoulder, purposefully being rough against the tender wound before tying his wrists together and nudging him forward into the grip of another savior. "Now that'll be enough of that. He'll survive." Dwight began tying Jolene's wrist together, the woman glaring up at him before she reeled her head back and slammed it into his face. The point of impact caused her to stumble back, though a laugh escaped her lips as she saw that her head but had busted Dwight's lip open.

"She's gotten feistier since she left us." Dwight mused, wiping the blood from his lips with the back of his hand. He reached forward and grabbed her hair, allowing his fingers to weave into the strands before he yanked - hard. She looked up at him, holding back the saliva forming in her mouth that she so badly wanted to spit at him. Dwight slammed Jolene's head into the tree, effectively knocking her unconscious for the time being. He knelt down beside her and finished tying her wrists together tightly, ignoring the groans from the rest of her group as he slung her body over his shoulder and headed towards the fire.

𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸

Jolene woke up a few hours later. Her head was pounding, sharp pain radiating from her temple to the base of her skull. The blood that had seeped from the gash on her temple was beginning to dry already, pulling at her skin as she attempted to move her body. She groaned at the pressure in her head, slowly opening her eyes as she began to grow accustomed to her surroundings.

"Try not to move too much."

Jolene turned to her left, Daryl hunched over beside her, a blanket wrapped around his frame. He turned his head to meet her gaze in the dark, the only source of light they had was artificial and coming through the holes in what he knew was the back doors of the van they had all been forced in to.

"How long I been out?" She asked in a hoarse whisper, shifting slightly to sit up taller. She twisted and contorted her body around to try and stretch her muscles as best she could after having been crumpled in a heap of unconsciousness.

"Few hours." He whispered back, his eyes turning to look at the others who were in the van with them. "I appreciate what ya did. Back there..." his voice trailed off before he turned away again. They were in complete darkness but he still felt embarrassed at the way his cheeks warmed up at the memory of what she had done for him earlier. The only thing he'd be proud to admit was that he felt a surge of satisfaction when Jolene head butted Dwight, he had only hoped that what occurred after the fact had never happened.

Tears welled up in Jolene's eyes as she leaned her head back against the side of the van. She could hear voices and movement outside and she was curious to know how many of the saviors Dwight had rallied together. Dwight never seemed like he had enough strength, or charisma even, to be in charge. She hasn't seen Sherry, or heard her voice, yet and it was easy to let her mind swirl around with the what ifs of their situation.

The doors opened, the dull lights that had been harsh on her eyes, the clearing of the woods now illuminating the van and causing everyone to shrivel up and hide their faces. Daryl was first to be pulled out, Michonne followed, then Rosita and Glenn. Jolene was left for last, the man grinning wide down at her as he yanked her forward and pushed the palm of his hand between her shoulder blades, forcing her down at the end of the line. She stared wildly, confused when she spotted a handful of people who should have been tucked safely behind the walls of Alexandria.

Maggie looked horrible. Skin slick with sweat, hair, recently chopped off short, soaked and sticking to her forehead. Abraham looked worried and it had been the first time since Jolene had met him that she had ever seen his eyes that wide and full of terror. Rick looked wild, his forehead was also slick with sweat and his curls damp. Jolene shifted forward, "She doesn't look so good. Please let me check h-"

Her voice was cut off as she was backhanded, blood filling her mouth from the assault. She quickly spit it out on the ground infront of her, shifting her weight back onto her heels as she admitted defeat. There was no way out of this, the sinking feeling of regret was beginning to consume her. She should have done more to stop Daryl from leaving. Maybe if she had, none of them would be here right now.

She was too busy staring at the rest of the group, trying to see if any of them were hurt worse than Daryl, that she did not even realize what was happening. The door to the RV opened up and the voice she thought she would never have to hear again rang through the air.

"No." She whispered, in disbelief. She turned her head and let out a gasp, "No!" She was louder this time, bringing the man's attention directly on her. He began to whistle, a sinister grin breaking his face wide open. "Jolene, Jolene, Jolene..."

The sound of her name on his tongue made the bile rise up in her esophagus. The burning was powerful and she felt the need to expel the contents of her stomach on his feet as he stood before her. But she swallowed it down quickly, looking up in his eyes.

"You're supposed to be a dead, rotting corpse by now, Negan." She finally spoke up, allowing her eyes to shift slightly behind his face, landing on the bat.

"Hate to break it to ya, sweetheart, but I'm more alive now than I've ever been before." Negan chuckled and made his way towards the center of the group. "Which one of you pricks is the leader?"

"It's this one."

Rick was called out by one of the saviors. He kept his head bowed forward, not daring to meet the deranged eyes of the man wielding the baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. "You're Rick, right?" Negan inhaled deeply, introducing himself with a smirk on his lips. "I do not appreciate you killing my men."

Rick finally looked up, eyes narrowed and full of hatred.

"Also," Negan sighed, "when I sent my people to kill your people for killing my people, you killed more of my people." He shook his head, maintaining eye contact with Rick as his fist gripped the bat tightly. "Not cool."

Jolene swallowed down the fear as she watched and listened to Negan go off on a tangent about being crossed. He lowered the bat and began walking, "We invested a lot so you would know who I am and what I can do." He paused and turned back, meeting Jolene's eyes. "And I'm sure your new little friend, Jolene over there, has told you all about me. You work for me now. You have shit, you give it to me." He pointed the bat at Rick, before letting it drop back at his side. "That's your job. The more you fight back, the harder it will be."

Jolene could feel a sick, tingling sensation forming in the pit of her stomach. Guilt crept over here for ever believing that Negan had been killed so easily. This was her fault, she was the only person to blame. She was willing to give her life for these people, not wanting to see anyone hurt - or worse, for failing to protect them the way they had protected her. She met Daryl's gaze and a sob worked it's way up into their throat. She couldn't let it out so she quickly looked away.

"You really didn't think you would get through this without being punished, now, did you?" Negan chuckled. "So now..." he trailed off, a sinister smile forming on his lips, "I'm gonna beat the holy hell outta one of you." He swung the bat around, leaning down towards Rick. "This," he showed off his most prized possession, "this is Lucille. And she is awesome." Negan took his time pronouncing each word. He was going for the dramatic effect as he usually did and Jolene could feel herself becoming overcome with nausea again.

"Don't you dare touch a single hair on his head, Negan!" Jolene shouted out the moment he knelt before Carl.

"I don't remember her being this mouthy. Were you always this mouthy, Jolene?" Negan glared over at the woman before shaking his head at Dwight who went to shut her up. He didn't mind the theatrics - it urged him on in his own. He cleared his throat and began walking along the line once more, until he stopped at Maggie. He made a comment about her looks, the thoughtful sincerity behind his words on putting her out of her misery was silenced as soon as Glenn shouted and surged forward in hopes of protecting his wife and unborn child. Dwight dragged Glenn back in line by Negan's command.

Jolene hated how he made a show out of everything. She understood in a psychological sense that the man wanted to instill fear, he would go about it in any way possible. She could feel the nausea getting stronger, her hand moving to cover her mouth as Rick shouted for Negan to stop this. "Well, I simply cannot decide." Negan let out a laugh, "I got an idea!"

"Eenie...meenie..."

Tears flooded Jolene's eyes, streaming down her cheeks as Negan took his time walking around and pointing the bat in everyone's faces.

"You."

"Are."

"It!"

"If anyone moves, or says anything... cut the boys other eye out and feed it to his father."

Jolene gasped as the first blow landed, cries broke out amongst the entire group. The blows landed so fast that all Jolene could focus on, unintentionally, was the squelching of brain and flesh. She was a goddamn nurse, she had seen it all, but now she had turned into a blubbering mess with a mouth full of bile.

Abraham was it. Jolene could feel her insides twist and turn as she stared over in horror at the red haired man she grew to adore be best to death by Negan. Her body began to tremble, eyes beginning to look anywhere else as he smashed in the head of her friend. She clenched her fists to try and stop the trembling as she watched him show off his bat to Rosita. The wire dripped with blood and brain from the man she had been with from just about the beginning of this fucked up world.

"Take a look!" Negan shouted, proudly.

Rosita let out a sobbing gasp and before anyone could blink, Daryl tossed the blanket off from his shoulders and lunged for Negan - landing a swift punch to his jaw. The saviors standing behind quickly grabbed him and pulled him back and down to the ground. Jolene began raising her hands and shifting forward, "Please, Daryl, no!" She sobbed, freezing in place when Negan turned on her, Lucille just about the length of an eyelash away from her face now, "No!" He snapped at her.

"That is a no-no!" Negan shouted again. He was kneeling in front of Daryl, who was being pinned to the ground. Dwight swooped in, almost too fast, Daryl's own crossbow now being pointed down at him.

"Want me to do it? Right here." Dwight smirked.

"No!" Jolene cried out again, crawling forward with her hands clasped together tightly. "Please, Negan."

The man ignored her, waving his free hand back in her direction. She was quickly dragged back to her spot beside Glenn, at the end of the line. Her chest heaving rapidly as Dwight retreated and brought Daryl with him - unharmed.

"First impressions are important..." Negan continued, "I need you to know me." He looked like he was deep in thought. "So, back to it!"

The first blow splattered blood across Jolene's face. She let out a gasp, flinging herself back on her ass as Glenn's body bounced to the side. Glenn's mouth was moving, noises that escaped were unintelligible and Jolene wept softly as Maggie cried out for the man she loved.

Negan's attention was brought to Maggie and Jolene stared at Glenn in horror. His eye was bulging out from its socket, and she found that she couldn't take it much more. She turned her head to the side and expelled the contents of her stomach. It wasn't much, most of it was yellow bile that had been just sitting there, burning away at the inner lining of her stomach and esophagus. She had been dragged back up into her knees but quickly flung herself back again when Negan landed another blow. Glenn's body flung to the side, her face warm with the blood splattered against her again.

Negan was unstoppable. The pain in everyone's eyes was enough to urge him on, he said about as much. Jolene covered her mouth, blood still landing on her even though she tried to crawl back, the man behind her shifted his boot to rest inbetween her shoulder blades, making her continue to sit front row to the brutal murder of her friend. Her entire body was shaking, the pressure on her back kept her upright because she felt like she was going to spiral out as more than just blood landed on her face and neck.

"Lucille is thirsty!" Negan laughed.

Everything was a blur around her. She could hear Negan speaking, his words directed towards Rick. Jolene could barely see through the tears and blood, her body hunching forward to expel more bile as Negan dragged Rick into the RV.

"Ain't you supposed to be a doctor, girlie?" The man who had his boot on her back was leaning down to whisper in her ear. She shoved him away, wiping her arm across her face to rid herself of the mixture of bodily fluids.

𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸

By the time Negan returned with Rick, the sun was out and nobody had moved so much as an inch. Jolene's body was still trembling but she stopped the moment she felt the gun pressed to the back of her head. She stared at Negan, listening to him go off at Rick. He called Carl up to him and Jolene felt the muscles in her body lock up.

"Simon, you got a pen?"

The moment Negan asked Carl to lay down and spread his wings, Jolene knew what he was doing. The bile started rising again when Rick was asked to cut off his sons left arm. She was shocked to know there was anything left in her stomach. Negan had brutally murdered Abraham, and Glenn, and it wasn't enough. The hunger and thirst that he had for chaos and death was never satiated - Jolene always knew this.

"We got a great doctor, he'll be fine. Just ask Jolene over there. Ain't that right, sweetheart?" Negan cooed, looking over at the woman. He looked at her face like she was a work of art. After all, he was the artist in question. Each swing of his bat had painted her face and neck and now she was his work of art. "Jolene will help until we get him to see the doc. Cross my heart."

Rick was pleading for his sons arm, sobbing loudly and shaking violently with emotion. The ax was poised high in the air before Negan knelt beside Rick. The air around her was cold and Jolene blinked rapidly to rid her eyes of the tears so she could see clearly.

"You answer to me. You provide for me. You belong to me, right?!" Negan was shouting in Rick's face now. He took the ax away and continued on his spiel of finally getting the group to understand him. He made his way towards Jolene and offered her his hand.

She stared at him, wanting to lurch forward and bite his fingers clean off but knew that it would do her, and everyone else, no damn good. She let her hand slip into his and sucked in a deep breath as he pulled her to her feet. "We miss you back home, darling. I got a place for you, it's been awfully cold since ya left us."  His hand slipped to the side of her face and he roughly pat her cheek before squeezing her chin to ensure she was looking at him. "Consider it penance for leaving us in the first place."

Jolene shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to be back there, with him - with any of them. She closed her eyes as the sharp pain of being grabbed and held in place shot through her jaw. With the way her mouth twisted open she could barely get a word out. She wasn't going to put up a fight. She wasn't going to cause anymore of a problem because she could see in his eyes that he was completely unhinged - more so than he normally was.

"Claimed."

Her chin was released as Negan flung her back. He let out a laugh. His eyes turned to find the voice who spoke up and was seemingly pleased to be faced with Daryl. "What was that?" He questioned, teasingly.

"I said she's claimed." Daryl repeated himself, though chose to remain on the ground and not face off with him again.

Negan turned to look at Jolene, who looked just as shocked as everyone else. "You must'a gotten around there, boy. Claimed." Negan knew all about the claimers. He had a run in with them once before, and honored their code. He thought it was smart, for a group of idiotic men atleast. He enjoyed taking other people's property, but women - well, maybe that was where Negan might have had a slightly-less-harder but certainly not soft, side. He turned back to Jolene, "Good thing I wanted to bring your boy toy home anyway. He's got guts. I like him." He snorted, giving Simon a nod.

Simon then stalked through the opening and grabbed onto Jolene's hair. He dragged her to the van as Negan called for Dwight to load Daryl up as well. Jolene turned around immediately as she was loaded into the back of the van, eyes wide as Daryl joined her. The doors were slammed shut just as Simon hissed for them not to try anything. Her hands were shaking as she sat there, legs curled behind her and head bowed low.

She could feel Daryl's presence near her, his own tearful gaze on her before looking away. They were silent for a few more minutes, the van still in place and empty giving them what would probably be the last few minutes of privacy. Jolene slowly looked up and made her way closer to him, her hands stopped trembling the moment they grabbed onto his face. "Why would you do that for me?" She whispered, "Even if he didn't want you, you could have gotten yourself killed." She leaned forward, her forehead resting against his as she pushed the hair out of his face.

Daryl was silent. He had no response. He allowed for his eyes to close, a sense of calm washing over him at the closeness between them and her touch upon his face. He ignored the blood splattered across her face, moving one hand to cup her jaw. "I couldn' let him take ya. I had to try." He replied, quickly getting agitated that his plan meant nothing in the end.

"I'm so sorry." She cried, shifting closer so she could press into his neck, still being careful to not touch and aggravate the wound on his shoulder. "This is all my fault. I should have known he wasn't dead. I should have done something." Her entire body shook as she cried, though she was soon silenced as someone began banging from the outside, no doubt trying to shut her up. She pulled back, looking at Daryl through her tears.

"We'll get through this." She continued to whisper apology after apology and Daryl allowed her to lean up against him for support as she cried silently. A few more minutes passed by and two men entered the front cab, starting the engine and driving off. Jolene had somewhat of an inkling as to what to expect, but Daryl was completely in the dark. He knew he would have to do what he could to keep Jolene safe - eventually he would have to concede and allow her to be the one to save him.