The Ruins

Epilogue

"Welcome back to the world," said rambunctious Killeen.

Mal cranked open one eyelid and saw Killeen, Max, Johan, Rin carrying AJ perched around her. "Kids," she said, her voice as weak as a whisper. She lay on a cot surrounded by a screen of sheets hung from metal poles.

"Mal." Max flew to her, but his hands were so gentle and tentative. She tried to raise her head to kiss his forehead, by that was impossible. Her head hurt too much, her shoulder is even worse, and her muscles felt like limp spaghetti.

"How... bad is it...?" she asked, not really wanting to know.

"You... almost slipped away from us," Johan said. "Negan was so scared for you not coming back."

"He was?"

"You were out for three days." Rin said and Mal gaped at her. "We thought we lost you."

Mal smiled. "I thought my luck was going."

The door suddenly opens, Vix, Lugh, and Lalon come in. Lugh held her hand with all his strength. Lalon bent and kissed her forehead as Vix brushes her hair. "Finally together again," said Vix.

"Took you guys long enough."

They laughed. "Hey, at least you weren't killed." Lalon joked.

"Where are we? What happened to the KillGames?" She asked. "This place...?"

"The Tradepost was attacked but is being fix by some of the Saviors and the people. A few casualties yet the walls were not taken down." Lugh replied. "The KillGames is burned down, nothing but ash and fire. Negan declared them forever non-existing anymore. But a few people escaped, such as the Claimers and Glory."

She takes a moment to glance everyone. The kids looked older than before, are growing up so fast it scares Mal a bit. AJ is so getting big now. Going to be three years old and it's just the thought of figuring out what to teach him the important stuff of survival and when that's the right age. For now she didn't care, she's happy to see them outlive the wrong paths.

"What happens now?"

"We won't be in the Tradepost for a while but will stay here and we are not just the RK's." Vix wraps her arms over Lugh and Lalon's shoulders. "We are also part Savior."

"Look who's up," a hushed voice filtered through Mal's trance.

She blinked and fluttered her eyes, focusing on the figure leaning on the door. Negan was smiling. teeth shining bright. "Guess we will leave you two." Vix said as she gathers everyone to leave Mal and Negan alone.

"As you can see the battle isn't over yet. I put a squad to investigates the areas of the Claimers and Shakespearians living in, get our bearings." Negan looked Mal over. "How's the shoulder? And the doc says you can't walk for at least a week."

Mal tried to move it, and even in the low light, Negan could see her wince. "Been better." She met Negan's steady gaze, her blue eyes piercing even in the dark. "Thank you. For stitching me up."

"No problem. Sorry that I...had to touch you." Mal looked uncomfortable at the subject, even more so when she shifted away from the door and the blanket slipped off her still-bare shoulder. Negan's gaze followed it almost unconsciously, and Mal jerked the blanket back around her, looking horribly vulnerable. Negan felt a stab of guilt for being momentarily distracted by the sight of Mal's skin.

"Let's her some fresh air," he said as he bring a wheelchair out of the corner. Sitting up she slides in, Negan careful looks over in case she slips and falls. She sits on the chair, pulling the blanket to cover her, and he pushes her through the lobby.

By then taking out to the forth entrance the sun was tumbling whined the edge of the trees by the time they went out the doors to the railing. Below the stairs there's a large crowd, all the Saviors crowding below them as Negan stops her. They turn attention to Negan, bowing to their knees as he waves them to get up.

"We are going to war!" He calls. "It's fuckin' hard from what happened in the past three days. But if those asshole are out there they will never stop until the KillGames are official. They've done some deep shit that's unacceptable. The battle had just begun, it's now full-out war. So here's my question, are you with me?!"

The crowds cheers for Negan, agreeing in amusement and pleasure, chanting his name and what they are; Saviors.

"You'll let me fight with you?" She asked to him.

"I don't know." He looked pissed at her thought.

"Don't know? Negan, I have to be there. I need to kill them."

Negan slowly shook his head. "I know you do but will you make the same reckless mistake and throw yourselves in a death sentence. You almost died and I..." He huffs a sigh, calming himself before he throws a tantrum. "Promise me you won't be reckless just for revenge."

"Okay."

"Okay," he said, and he held out his hand a gun.

Mal's colt python.

"It's yours. You are a Savior, your friends the RK's are a Savior as well. You live in the Sanctuary for all the years coming by."

Mal takes the gun, grooving her fingers on the handle when she feels indents on it. Turning on the left side there's a design, the logo of a bat with a chain shaped as an S.

"Sorry about the marks. Wish I gave a fucking lesson to my boys doing that-"

"It's alright actually. I like it." Whispered Mal.

Negan nodded.

Mal looks out over the river, pass the walls and into the forest, remembering everything in this month has gone by, how she's now in a safe and secure place. Mal still held the gun in appreciation. She stares in the vast silence of the Ruins.