Beauty and Her Beast (Daryl Dixon Fanfic)

83-Season 8

This day has been weeks in the making. I don't think we've ever had something so well planned. It had to be. We would lose if it wasn't. This wasn't the Governor or the Termites. This was the Saviors. The had the upper hand. If this goes exactly as planned, all that will change. We stood in a field, staring up at Rick. "When I first met him...Jesus said that my world was gonna get a whole lot bigger. Well, we found that world. We found each other. That..."bigger world" is ours by right. That if we've come together for it, all of us...it's that much more true - it's ours by right. Any person who would live in peace and fairness, who would find common ground...it's their right, too. But those who use and take and kill to carve out the world and make it theirs alone - we end them! We don't...celebrate it. We don't have shame about it, either. There's only one person who has to die...and I will kill him myself. I will." He nodded. "I will. But if it's the others...the others who prop him up, stand by his side, even those who just look the other way - so be it. Then...we keep making the world bigger. Together." He smiled.

"Together." Ezekiel stepped forward. "Bound forever! To quote The Bard, "For He today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother."He rest a hand on Ricks shoulder. He looked at Maggie. "For she today...my sister." Shiva roared from the back of a truck, getting Ezekiel's attention.

"We've practiced." Maggie said. "We've been through it over and over again. We all know the plan doesn't end this morning. That we may have to live in uncertainty for days, maybe more. That we have to keep our faith in each other. If we can hold onto that with everything we have, the future is ours. The world is ours."

"I don't want to wait for it anymore." Rick stepped off the truck. "You don't either - Yeah, I know. So we don't have to wait for it. If we start tomorrow right now...with everything we've beaten, everything we've endured, everything we've risen above, everything we've become...If we start tomorrow right now...no matter what comes next...we've won. We've already won!"

~*~

"You up to this?" Rick asked Maggie.

"I got the Hilltop to stand up against the Saviors. I need to be there. At least for the first part. They say you can wage war through the second trimester." We chuckled at that. "I've been fighting since the farm. Can't stop now."

"How 'bout tomorrow?" Rick asked.

"You've been thinking about what that looks like?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yes, I have. I don't know if I can wait for it."

"Just one more fight. And I'm gonna be there. At least for the first part."

Rick nodded, then looked to me. "Lottie, there's a lot more risk for you. You have a...history. I'd feel a lot better knowing you were safe. I'm sure Daryl would too."

I shook my head. "You can say miscarriage, Rick. It's not a bad word. No way in hell am I sitting this out. Like Maggie said, at least for the first part."

Rick nodded. "All right, just be careful."

"I'm told the Hilltop lost their doctor." Ezekiel started. "An obstetrician, no less. We have a doctor in the Kingdom. A woman of talent. Join us. Both of you."

Jesus leaned in. "We'll get ours back."

Ezekiel laughed. "Yes, Jesus. Yes, you will. As sure as the day defeats the night. And on this day, we begin to reshape this world for your children and the children to come. So let's get started."

~*~

We pulled up to the Sanctuary, lining up the cars we had covered in metal slabs to act as shields. Once we were all out, Maggie raised her hand, we all aimed our guns at the windows. She gave the signal and Rick fired. We shot our guns three times, in sync, and then we waited. The door opened not long after and Negan stepped out, followed by Simon, Dwight, Eugene, and a few others. "Well, shit. I'm sorry. I was in a meeting. I see you got your little mud flaps with ya."

There was a moment of silence. "So, I'm not exactly feelin' a reason for us to try throwin' lead at each other. I care about my people. I don't wanna just march them into the line of fire because I wanna play "my dick is bigger than yours." It is. We both know it. But I'm also comfortable enough to accept the fact if it wasn't. I'm certainly not gonna let my people die over that shit...like you're about to. So, Rick, what the hell can I do for you?"

Rick pointed a finger. "Dwight. Your name's Simon. You're Gavin. And you..."

"Regina."

"Rick, I'd feel remiss if-" Eugene started.

"No. I know who you are. Listen, you five. The Saviors inside! All of you have a chance to survive here. To survive this. Y'all can live if you surrender. Can't guarantee it any time but now. Right now."

Eugene put a hand on his forehead, stressed. "So, they surrender, and you and your little piss patrol doesn't kill them. That sounds like a good deal. What about me, Rick?"

"I told you. Twice. You know what's gonna happen."

"I do. I do know what's gonna happen. You don't. You have no idea the shit that's about to go down. Let me ask you something Rick - do you think you have the numbers for this fight?" Rick didn't answer. "You don't. Simon?"

Simon walked inside, ushering someone out. When Gregory popped his greasy little head out I could barely resist shooting him right there. He stood right next to Negan. Negan put an arm around his shoulder. "What do you have to say to Rick and the piss patrol, Gregory?"

Gregory has his hands on his hips, thinking he'd actually won. "The Hilltop stands with Negan and the Saviors. Any resident of the Hilltop who takes up arms or who supports this ultimatum against the Sanctuary or any of the Saviors, for that matter - they will no longer be welcome in the colony."

Negan raised his brow. "And?"

"Their families will be thrown out and will be left to fend for themselves."

Negan patted him on the shoulder, stepping away. "And?"

"Go home now! Or you won't have a home to go back to!"

We could see the people of Hilltop thinking. "You do what you need to do." Maggie said.

Jesus shrugged. "All I have at the Hilltop are a bunch of books and an old lobster bib."

"You heard the man." Negan spoke again. "Go back to separating wheat and shit or whatever the hell it is you people do."

"Doesn't look like anyone's goin', does it?!" Maggie yelled.

"Hilltop stands with-"

"The Hilltop stands with Maggie!" Jesus cut him off.

Simon walked up to Gregory, shoving him and keeping his finger on his chest. "I feel like I invested a lot in you, and I am very, very disappointed." He shoves Gregory down the stairs.

There was an explosion in the distance, smoke billowing into the sky. We heard the walkers growling. They were close. "Sounds like shit is goin' down, Rick."

"You "lieutenants..." you're gonna have to make up your minds."

"Maybe we can take a time-out here-"

"No. This has to happen now." Rick cut Gavin off. "This is the only way. You're gonna make me count? Okay. Okay. I'm counting. Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!" Rick cocked his gun, firing and catching them by surprise. We shot out all the windows.

"Now!" Maggie yelled. Everyone started taking off and Gabriel got into the RV. I got into the car with Enid and Maggie and we took off.

I looked out the back, watching as the RV rolled forward. "Holy shit, this better work."