A/N

I really wanted to start writing for The Walking Dead again alongside all my Gotham works on here and on my tumblr, especially since I've kind of lost the inspiration to write my initial Daryl x Reader fic. Hopefully I regain the patience for that fic again soon!

But I just really wanted to write a whole other take on the series, like start from Negan's side of things as opposed to writing an OC within Rick's group. I thought it'd be different and interesting so I'll try my best. Basically my OC Wren is in charge of her own group but is in agreement with Negan and the Saviors, as will be mentioned in this chapter.

Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this first part, I'll hopefully write the next chapter tomorrow just so the ball gets rolling a little. Oh, and please leave a review if you have the time! Many thanks :)

Wren remembered the day she became the leader of her group all too well.

The air had felt thicker that morning; the sky was grey and the clouds loomed overhead as if to warn those around of an imminent threat. Nobody had paid the weather any heed though; they had bigger things to worry about than a bit of rain, or even a storm.

Four men in the group had volunteered to accompany their leader, Wren's father Nathaniel Waring, on the three-day trip in search of supplies. Wren and her brother, Kyle, had subsequently been put in charge of maintaining order back in the small town in which they'd settled at not long after the world had ended. Under Nathaniel's leadership, the thirty-something people that made up their small community had weathered the worst of the outbreak together; gathering all that they would need in order to build sturdy walls that they hoped would keep the undead out and protect the living inside. However, while the walkers had been unable to get through their strong security, the walls hadn't been able to keep all dangers out of the community.

Kyle had been the first to realise that something wasn't right; the four men had returned early without his father, the confident disposition that they'd all possessed prior to the supply run had now become diminished. They didn't even have to say the words, Kyle already knew that look. He'd seen it in his own father's eyes following the death of their mother.

When the sad news had reached Wren's ears, she only felt a certain numbness that prevented her from shedding even a single tear. None of it felt real to her. She'd always regarded her father as this invincible being; someone who could fight off any dangerous entity and still be home on time to help with the more domestic tasks around the community, so to lose him just felt unreal.

The people within the community truly felt the loss of Nathaniel Waring; they were lost without a capable individual to help guide them through every dangerous situation. But it wasn't just because he'd been their leader, Nathaniel had been their good friend. In such a chaotic world, the group had actually found it comforting to have their decisions made for them, to play the role of the sheep in the herd, if only because the pressure of staying alive had been passed onto someone else. Instead, their leader had been responsible for their wellbeing, sparing them of any excess pressure while being someone they could turn to – who they could trust. So without Nathaniel, the community felt somehow broken.

However, knowing that someone had to take over, Wren had decided to step in; to take on a position of power despite the pressure that came with it. At first glance, Wren Waring was a delicate looking thing; with big brown eyes and a warm smile that could bring light to even the coldest of places. But beneath her gentle exterior was a strong and ferocious woman who had always possessed a certain drive to protect those around her. And in this instance, her group were the subject of this determination. She'd quickly proved her worth to them; assigning jobs and organising their supplies just as her father had once done – but of course there were some things that were completely out of her control.

Dwight came through the gates with a smirk, just as he'd always done, casually striding through the community as if he owned the place. Since she hadn't been the leader for long, Wren had yet to partake in an…exchange with the man himself, the notorious leader of the Saviors. And frankly, she preferred it that way. Dwight was harmless to an extent, she didn't feel intimidated by him whatsoever, despite the hardened front he tried to wear.

The deal with the devil had been made months ago. Nathaniel Waring and his men had gotten cornered one day by the Saviors while on a supply run; it had been a completely unprovoked attack and their leader had been very persuasive in his bargaining – agreeing to spare their lives in exchange for half of what they had. Which would actually become a recurring arrangement.

Of course Wren's father had had no choice but to accept the deal, but his death had left Wren in charge of ensuring that these exchanges occurred without any problems – and it was a heavy burden to bear.

Wren gestured towards a few crates that had been readily prepared for his arrival. "It's all there. Food, medicine, weapons…"

"What the hell is this?" Dwight scoffed, glaring from the offering of supplies to Wren. "This isn't half. Not even close."

"Well I'm sorry but I couldn't let my people starve. It's been a rough harvest; we just don't have enough this time, but I'm sure we can—"

"Are you stupid or something?" Dwight took a step forward, raising his voice in an attempt to scare Wren into complying. "You work for Negan; everything you have belongs to Negan."

Wren shook her head, standing her ground. "I'm not going to let my people go hungry."

"I'll get Negan to come down here then. I'm sure he'll be able to persuade you, but I assure you it won't be a pretty sight."

"Fine. Bring him here." Wren replied firmly, although her tone was merely a means for her to mask her apprehension. "It's about time he got off his ass and managed his own affairs."

"What were you thinking? You're just asking for trouble bringing Negan back here." Kyle ran his hand through his hair, evidently stressed upon hearing how his sister's meeting with Dwight had gone down. "Dad wasn't scared of much but that guy was something else."

"I've got it under control…" Wren replied firmly, if only to try and convince herself that she actually had a plan. "Negan can't be that bad."

"Wren, I don't think a guy that carries a bat with barbed wire wrapped around it is very agreeable. Or stable for that matter."

"You could've been the leader, Kyle. I only stepped up because nobody else did."

"Maybe I should have. I just didn't think you could be so stupid." Kyle raised his voice, watching as Wren leaned back in her chair, trying to calm her own nerves at the thought of the inevitable meeting.

"What was I supposed to do? We're already on tight food rations and we've got 2 people in the infirmary that need treatment. There are children in this group..! I'm not going to let them or anyone else in this group die."

"Don't worry, because this guy's gonna storm in here and kill us all, you know. All because you think you're so smart trying to win against him – you can't win this fight, Wren so just stand down before someone gets hurt."

Wren shook her head. "I won't let that happen…" She muttered quietly, standing up from the chair.

"I'm sorry Wren, but you're way out of your league. Even Dad knew he wasn't strong enough to take this guy down – and you're nothing like him. You can try all you want but you're never gonna be what this group needs." Kyle said, his harsh words cutting through Wren like a knife.

"I'd like you to leave now. I need to get some sleep in case they come back tomorrow." Wren nodded towards the door and as soon as Kyle left, without so much as a goodbye, she curled up in her chair and closed her eyes; desperate to wake up to find that everything had fallen into place.

It had all been an act after all – Wren had no idea how she'd solve the problems faced by the community – and without a solution, there would surely be consequences.