-Chapter seventy seven; The First Day of the Rest of Your Life-
———
-The Next Day-
TAYLOR
IT WAS NOW THE NEXT DAY, AND
Taylor, Jordyn, Joel, Tommy, Ellie, Jesse, Dina, and Lee were all loading up two trucks to take back to Alexandria.
"...Taylor, I just wanted to say...I'm sorry about your friends and dad. No one deserves that." Lee told her as he slid a box of ammo into the truck bed.
"It's okay, Lee. The Saviors are gonna get what they deserve today." She smiled, hugging him.
He nodded, hugging her back, "Yeah. They are.".
That's when Joel walked up to the two, "You two ready to head out?".
"Yeah. We're ready." She replied, grabbing her backpack from the trunk bed, placing a kiss on Lee's cheek before hopping in one of the trucks with Jordyn, Ellie, and Dina.
Starting up the truck, Jordyn smiled, "Ready for the first day of the rest of our lives?".
Giggling, Taylor nodded, "Hell yeah I am.".
———
AS THEY ROLLED UP TO THE GATE
of Alexandria, Carl opened it, letting them in, and they parked the trucks near the front.
They all hopped out, and Taylor walked up to Carl, "Hey, Carl. Where's your dad?".
"Loading up some guns. Why?" He replied.
"Got some good shit for him. Guns, ammo, a few people from Jackson." She explained.
He grinned, "That's good. Our odds are looking better and better.".
She smiled, hugging him, "We're gonna win. Life's gonna get better for us.".
He hugged her back, "Yeah, I know we will.".
"Find your dad for me. Tell him about the supplies. Have you seen Daryl today?" She asked.
He nodded, gesturing out past the opened gate, "Out front with Aaron and Rosita wiring up some explosives.".
"Thanks, Carl." She told him, pulling down the brim of his sherrif's hat before walking out the gate, walking up to Aaron, Daryl, and Rosita who like Carl said, were currently wiring up some explosives.
She tapped Daryl's shoulder, "Hey.".
He sat down the explosive he was wiring before he hugged her, "Hey.".
"I brought back some guns, ammo, and people from Jackson. Would've brought back their entire army, but Maria wouldn't allow it." She explained
He cocked a brow, "Why the hell not?".
Sighing, she replied, "Said she couldn't risk the people of Jackson just for my revenge. So, I just brought back Tommy, Joel, Jesse, Dina, Ellie, and Lee.".
He nodded, running a hand over his stubble, "It's gonna have ta' do.".
"Oh, speaking of which," She pulled a photograph out of her back pocket, handing it to him, "Joel gave it to me. Said he wanted you to have it.".
He looked over it, chuckling before he put it away, "'Course he does.".
She giggled, whispering as she brought a finger up to her lips, "I won't tell anyone about your prom photos.".
That's when Rosita got up and walked up to her, "Can I talk to you for a sec?".
Taylor nodded, "Sure. I'll see you around, Daryl, Aaron.".
She then followed Rosita over to by the front gate of Jackson, "So, what's up?".
"Sasha was kidnapped by the Saviors." Rosita told her.
"Oh god...Sasha..." Taylor muttered, folding her arms.
"I just wanted to let you know, you're right to blame yourself. It's your fault that Abraham, Glenn, Spencer, Olivia, Denise, and your dad's dead, and now Sasha and Eugene have been taken. It's all your fucking fault that we have to do this shit." Rosita spat.
"...Yeah...I know it's on me, and I'm gonna fix it. So stop your complaining you whiney bitch." She flipped Rosita off before walking back inside Alexandria.
———
HEARING WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A
bird call from one of the junkyard people Rick recruited, Taylor knew the Saviors were nearing closer and closer.
She was currently loading up a sniper rifles, as she'd be acting as one of the snipers from one of the balconies of the homes with Lee.
"Sure you two can handle it?" Daryl asked her as she loaded bullets in.
She nodded, "Yeah, we'll be fine. Michonne'll be right next to us.".
"If shit goes south, you two come fin' me an' Jordyn, alri'?" He told them.
"Don't worry, Mr Dixon." Lee said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I'll keep your daughter safe.".
She smiled, and Daryl scoffed, loading up his own gun, "Yeah, think she's gonna be protectin' you more than yer gonna be protectin' her.".
"Ah, young love." Jordyn remarked, loading up her handgun.
"Rosita." Rick called down to her from one of the perches by the front gate, "Get into position. I'll signal you. And the wall's gonna hold?".
"It'll hold." She told him.
"Alri'." Daryl turned back to Taylor and Lee, "You two head up to the balcony; there almos' here.".
The two nodded, and Ellie walked up to them, "Be careful, please. I want all of us to get through this so we can read more comics and shit.".
Taylor smiled, "Same goes for you, Dina, and Jesse. We'll do our part. You guys do your's.".
She and Lee then rushed off to the balcony, setting up their sniper perch.
"Hey," He told her, "I'm taking you out for a date after we get through this.".
She giggled, leaning her sniper against the railing, "Okay, loverboy.".
She then heard the Saviors vehicles approaching, and then a familiar voice over a megaphone, "All points are covered. Every contingency is already met. I come armed with two barrels of the truth. A test is upon you, and I'm giving out the cheat sheet.".
"Eugene..." She muttered under her breath, watching through the scope of her rifle as the Savior's trucks came rolling up to the gate and stopped.
"Isn't that your friend, the geeky one?" Lee asked her.
"Yeah..." She replied, adjusting her grip on her rifle.
Eugene continued, "H-Hello. I come salved with the hope that it is my dropped knowledge that you heed. Options are zero to none.".
He sighed, "Compliance and fealty are your only escape. Bottom-lining it...you may thrive, or you may die. I sincerely wish for the former for everyone's sake. The jig is up and in full effect. Will you comply, Rick?".
"Where's Negan?" Rick asked him.
"I'm Negan." Eugene simply replied.
Rick sighed, and a few moments later, she watched as he gave Rosita the signal to set off the explosives.
She watched as the people at the gate all ducked down, but none of the explosives went off.
"Oh shit..." She breathed, watching as the junkyard people Rick recruited pointed their guns at the Alexandrian's.
She heard a gun cock from behind her, "Drop your weapons. Now.".
Sighing, Taylor and Lee both dropped their weapons, turning around and facing one of the junkyard people.
They shot Lee in the leg before grabbing Taylor by her hair, "You're coming with me.".
She struggled against them, "Lee! Let me go, asshole!".
"Stop struggling, bitch." They grunted, dragging her to the front gate before they shoved her down on her knees and pointed their gun at her head.
She watched as Negan and Dwight hopped out of one of the trucks before walking up to the front gate.
Negan swung his bat over his shoulder, "You ever hear the one about the stupid little prick named Rick who thought he knew shit but didn't know shit and got everyone that he gave a shit about killed? ".
He pointed up at Rick, "It's about you. You're all gonna wanna put your guns down now.".
"No one drops anything. We had a deal." Rick turned to the leader of the junkyard people.
"Tamiel cane for the boat of things." She said, "Followed ones who took. Made a better deal.".
'Fucking bitch...now they have us pinned down...this is just fucking great...' Taylor thought.
"You push me, and you push me. And you push me, Rick. You just tried to blow us up, right? I mean, I get me, my people." He gestured to Eugene, "But Eugene?".
"That's because he fucking betrayed us, asshole!" She spoke up.
He grinned over at her, "Taylor, my little superstar. Pretty badass of you to escape with your friends like that.".
She glared, "Yeah, and it was pretty shitty of you to kill my fucking dad.".
He chuckled, pointing over at the man that had her pinned down, "You. I want my Taylor back. Bring her here.".
"Get up, bitch." The junkyard person ordered, pressing the barrel of his gun into the back of her head.
Sighing, she got up, being led out the front gate and up to Negan.
He grinned, resting his hand on her shoulder, "It's good to have you back, darlin'.".
She didn't reply, folding her arms as she stared down at the ground.
"Hey, Simon. Keep an eye on her. Anything happens, keep her safe." Negan told him.
She had no choice but to walk up to Simon and stand beside him, and she made eye contact with Daryl's worried eyes.
'We'll find a way to get out of this shit. We always do...'.
Negan turned to Dwight, "Dwight. Chop chop.".
Dwight hopped onto an empty truck bed, unloading a large square box that was draped under a tarp.
'What the hell is in that...'.
He un-strapped it and took off the tarp, revealing a coffin, and one of the Saviors helped him prop it up as Negan hopped onto the truck.
"So, you don't like Eugene anymore." He began, "You guys gotta like Sasha. I do, too.".
'Sasha's in there!? Oh god...'.
He then tapped on the coffin with his bat, "Got her right here packaged for your convenience, alive and well. Now, I brought her so I wouldn't have to kill all of you, and not killing all of you could get complicated. See, I know there's a lot of firepower left in there, Rick. So I'm gonna make this simple. I want all the guns you've managed to scrape up. Yep, I know about those, too. I want every last grain of lemonade you got left. I want a person of your own choosing..." He then pointed to his bat, "for Lucille.".
"Daryl and Jordyn. Ooh, I gotta get me my Daryl and Jordyn back." He pointed over to the two, "I see you guys. You guys gotta come join Taylor back at The Sanctuary. Have a tea party or whatever the hell it is you do. Oh, and I want the pool table an all the pool cues and chalk. And I want it now or Sasha dies, and then all of you. Probably.".
Rick stayed silent as Negan continued, "C'mon, Rick. Just because I brought her in a casket doesn't mean she has to leave in it.".
He sighed, "You know what? You suck ass, Rick. You really do. I don't want to have to kill her, but that's exactly what you're gonna make me do.".
"Let me see her." Rick said.
Negan chuckled, "Oh. All right. Just give me a second. I might have to get her up to speed. You can't hear shit inside this thing.".
He tapped on the coffin against, "Sash. You're not gonna believe this crap.".
He then opened the coffin, and Sasha came tumbling out as a walker, tackling Negan to the ground.
"Holy goddamn!" He cursed, struggling with her as gunfire began to go off.
Taylor took her chance and kicked Simon in the groin, grabbing his handgun before shooting him in the foot before diving under one of the trucks.
"Oh shit." She gasped, watching as Negan continued to struggle with Sasha before one of the Saviors pulled her off of him, and she then tackled him to the ground and bit him in the face.
Taylor shot her in the head as she fell limp to the ground, 'Sasha...I'm so, so sorry...'.
Watching as the Saviors began making their way into Alexandria, she took her chance and walked up to the Savior who got bit in the face by Sasha.
"Help me...please..." He pleaded to her.
She glared, shooting him in the head, "Asshole.".
She then took his assault rifle, holstering Simon's gun before rushing inside Alexandria.
"Take her down! Take her down!" She heard a Savior yell, and she turned to see a group of them begin to fire at her.
"Oh shit!" She cursed, diving behind one of the pulled cars as she felt the bullets from their guns hit into the metal of the car.
She got up and shot one down, cursing as a bullet pierced her shoulder as she ducked back behind the car.
Hearing gunshots go off, the rest of them went down and Joel joine her behind the car, "You alri' babygirl?".
She nodded, "Yeah, just my shoulder.".
She then watched as Maggie and Jesus with people from Hilltop and Ezekiel, Shiva, Carol, and Jerry with people from the Kingdom came through the front gate.
Taylor and Joel got from out from behind and walked up to them all.
"Where is Negan?" Ezekiel asked them.
"We're not sure. He's around here somewhere." She replied.
"Then we'll push in." Maggie said, "Let's go.".
They began moving foward, and Taylor called after Maggie and Ezekiel, "Thank you guys for showing up.".
She smiled as Ezekiel said, "Of course, lady Taylor.".
They continued foward to find Negan and the rest of his men as Taylor turned to Joel, "I gotta find Lee.".
He nodded, "You go. I'm gonna go join 'em. We'll meet up after.".
She rushed off to find Lee, finding him still up on the balcony, "Lee!".
She quickly took off her flannel, pressing it to his gunshot wound on his leg, "You're gonna be alright. It's almost over.".
He looked up at her, groaning, "B-Behind you.".
She spun around, the butt of the gun hitting her right above her eye, and she fell to the ground.
They got on top of her and began choking her out as she struggled against them, clawing at their arms.
That's when Lee sat up and grabbed their fallen knife, stabbing them in the head.
"Are you alright?" He asked her, hugging her.
She nodded, hugging him back, "Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for saving my ass.".
She watched as the Saviors fled out the gate along with the junkyard people as the people from the Kingdom and Hilltop chased them out.
Jordyn and Daryl then rushed up to the two teens.
Daryl knelt down to her, "You alri'? Yer shoulders bleedin'.".
She nodded, "Y-Yeah, just a graze. Is Lee alright?".
Jordyn looked at his leg,"Looks like it went clean through. I'll have a better look at the infirmary.".
He picked Taylor up, "Then let's get 'em there.".
———
TAYLOR SAT OUTSIDE ON THE
front steps of the infirmary, looking out at the cleanup that was taking place in Alexandria from the fight.
Daryl walked out from inside and sat down beside her, "Hey."
"Hey." She replied, smiling over at him.
"How's yer shoulder?" He asked her.
She traced her fingers over the bandaging, "It's just sore. I'll be fine in a few days. How's Lee? Did Jordyn say he'll be alright?".
He nodded, "Yeah. He'll jus' have ta' stay off his leg for a while.".
She sighed, "That's good. It went well...besides Sasha being dead...".
"Yeah, but it ain't yer fault." He told her.
She shrugged, "Yeah...I guess...".
He placed his hand over her's, "Hey. This might not have been the end, but we're gonna win.".
Smiling, she nodded, resting her head on his shoulder, "Yeah...I know we will...".
End of Season 7...
Word Count: 2628
Edited: ❌
@Taylor_Frickin_Dixon
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