A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy Second Night of Chanukah. Sorry for the long wait for this chapter, I was trying to figure out the perfect time to upload it. Why not a perfect time to upload it for Christmas, (Even though I'm a Jew). But, henceforth the wait is over. I hope y'all like it.
P.S. More details soon to come about the upcoming season.
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The next morning, Rick and some others were packing up the RV, to take Maggie to the Hilltop. You walked out the door with Rick, as Sasha said, "Any change?" "She's getting worse." You responded. Last night, Maggie came to the house, with severe abdominal pain. You do not specialize in that field; the only way you could be a hundred percent sure she was okay, would be to take her to the Hilltop.
"Good call on the transport." Abraham commented. "Well, I figured she'd be more comfortable." Rick said, back. "It also means you got room for more. They're out there, so I'm gonna be there with you. We are." Abraham said, looking to Sasha. "Package Deal."
Rick sighed then moved out of the way of the door, as they climbed in. "Uh, what she said." Eugene added. "Look this is a long trip..." Rick started. "It's a superficial graze, proteins are binding, plus we need to discuss ammunition production and manufacture, too. Let's roll." Eugene said, cutting him off.
As Abraham was getting out of the RV, Rick looked at him, "I already tired. Give him an inch, he's taking a mile." "I'm only asking for twenty-three, give or take, depending on the route. I know I can be of some help. Now's the time and here's the place. Don't shine me. I'll be your anchorman. Yes, I damn will." Eugene finished off, by getting into the RV.
You looked up at Rick and smiled, attempting to hold back a laugh. "He has a point, in a...Eugene way."
After a few moments of helping Rick secured everything in the vehicle, Aaron walks up to the two of you. "We're ready to protect this place and the Saviours know it. That's why they grabbed Eugene." He said. "Look, it's not up for discussion." Rick responded, like a fatherly-figure.
"Then you're just gonna have to punch me in the face and tie me up again. 'Cause that's what it's gonna take to stop me." Aaron said, furrowing his eyebrows. Rick cocked his head, and mouthed 'Go on.'
He gave in so quickly, you smiled up at him, slightly, as the two of you watched Carl walk into the RV. You followed him in, and walked to the back of the RV, to sit next to Maggie.
-
You sat beside Maggie the entire time, just holding her hand. It pained you inside, that you couldn't help her, or ease her pain in anyway. On the ride to the Hilltop, Rick came back and talked to her for a minute. "Hey." He cooed. "Hey." He choked out. "We're gonna get there. The doctor at the Hilltop, he's gonna make things better." Rick reassured her.
"Hey," He said, running his hands through her hair. "How do you know?" She asked. "Everything we've done, we've done together. We got here together and we're still here. Things have happened but it's always worked out for us 'cause it's always been all of us. That's how I know. 'Cause as long as it's all of us, we can do anything." Rick said, to Maggie as she laid on the bed.
"What the bitch?" You heard Abraham swear his odd pairing, from the front. Rick stood up, "What? Stay back with her, whatever happens." He walked to the front. "Enemy close." Abraham explained.
You couldn't see anything so you relied solely on what you heard. "We doing this?" Abraham asked Rick. "No." Rick said, softly, walking out of the RV, as the rest of them followed. You stayed by Maggie's side as Rick commanded. But, you could faintly hear everything that was happening.
"He's someone who was with a whole lot of someones who didn't listen." A mystery voice said. "We can make a deal, right here, right now." Rick's voice spoke up. "That's right, we can. Give us all your stuff. We'll probably have to kill one of you. That's just the way it is, but then we can start moving forward on business. All you have to do is listen."
"Yeah...that deal's not gonna work for us. Fact is, I was about to ask for all of your stuff, only I'm thinking I don't have to kill any of you. Any more of you." Rick stated. "Sorry, my deal is the only deal. We don't negotiate." The mystery man said.
"Me and my people are leaving." Rick said. "Okay, friend. Plenty of ways to get where you're going." The man responded. You hoped that everyone would get back on the RV, and that would be it, but Rick decided to responded to the man's threat, "Do you wanna make today your last day on Earth?"
"No, but that is a good thing to bring up. Think about it. What if it's the last day on Earth for you? For someone you love? What if that's true? Maybe you should be extra nice to those people in that RV, because you never know...Just like that. Be kind to each other. Like you said...like it was your last day on Earth." The man ranted. "You do the same." Rick said, getting back into the RV.
-
"Did you find a different route?" You asked Rick, as Maggie slept. "Yeah... Eugene found a golf course of some sort ways away but it gives us coverage." He responded, as Abraham said, "Bitch nuts," from the front. He stopped the RV, as Rick walked to the front. "We making our stand?" Sasha asked. "Yeah, we end it." Carl told her. "No, not now. They've been waiting. They're ready. With one of us behind the wheel, that's five on sixteen or six, if Maggie is stable. We're gonna play it our way, how we want it. Right?" Rick counterargued. "Right." "All right, go slow." Rick told Abraham, as he backed up. A gun shot went off, it was a scare tactic. And another one, and another.
"Recalculating." Eugene said, looking at the map, to find another way to the Hilltop.
-
"How are we on gas?" Rick asked. "Half a tank. I pulled some more cans before we left." Abraham responded. "Those weren't the same men who blocked the road the first time." Sasha said. "Same outfit, different soldiers. They got numbers." Abraham talked aloud.
"Yeah, we keep driving, we get her there." Rick said. "We will." Sasha nodded. "If we have to shove each and every one of them up their own asses" Abraham said, before stepping on the breaks, once more. "We can't go through it. Can't risk the RV. You stay behind the wheel, just in case. We'll clear it." Rick said, as you heard walkers growling from outside.
Since Maggie was asleep, you decided to walk up front and sit beside Abraham in the front, "What in the holy hell?" You asked, as you saw a literal chain of walkers in the middle of the road. The group was looking at them in depth, like something was not right about them; and just like that a shower of bullets came at the group. You quickly went to the back of the RV, to Maggie to make sure she was okay, as Abraham ran out.
The group shot at unforeseen forces, as they killed the walkers. Eugene got in the RV, started it up, and sped away, as everyone got in.
Rick was holding what looked like hair in his hands, "They have them, don't they?" He didn't say anything. He just looked at you. You slumped back into your chair, with your head in your hands.
"What's that sound?" Sasha asked pulling Rick and yourself away from your emotions. "Undercarriage could've caught a bullet. Or could be transmission it could be nothing." Eugene responded. "They were firing at our feet. They blocked the road, but they weren't trying to stop us. They want us in this direction." Rick said.
"Barton Road takes us north, but they gotta know we wanna go north." Sasha said. "Meadows. Could take us east a piece but we can get back on track on Mayhew." Eugene suggested. "We're down to a third of a tank. We could top off at the next stop, but no refills after that." Sasha pointed out. "All right." Rick said.
"Rick!" You called to him. He maneuvered himself through the small corridor. "She's burning up." You continued. He put his hand to his forehead.
"Rick." Abraham called him to the front. They must've blocked this road, too. "Go back." "Where?"
-
"Are we close?" Maggie asked you. "Yeah, we're—we're getting there." You somewhat lied to her. "Were there—I heard shots." "Yeah, the Saviours, but they're gone. We are. We're gonna get you there." "I know." "You're gonna be okay. The baby is gonna be okay. This isn't it. This isn't it. There's more. There's gonna be more." Rick soothed her worries. "I believe in you, Rick." She said. Rick let a smile loose.
-
You made it to a road that seemed to not be occupied by people, but by a strategically placed pile of tree logs. You all, except Maggie, got out to inspect the land. "These tracks...they would indicate they not only have people, but big some bid-ass toys and capabilities." Eugene said, aloud. "What it indicates is we are neck-deep up shit creek with our mouths wide open." Abraham stated, as you all heard screaming and chains clinking. You all turned around to see a man dangling from the bridge the RV was under. "Don't" Abraham said, as Aaron lifted his gun. "I can try and break the chain." "It won't work." "I can try." "It won't work. And we need the bullets." Rick said, as you watched the man breathe his last breath.
You felt heat come from behind you, and heard the crackling noise from a fire. You turned around and saw the pile of trees go up in smoke. "You're treating your people good, right? Like it was your last day on Earth? Or maybe one of theirs? You better go. It's gonna get hot. You go get where you're going." The mystery man from a while ago said, from the other side. "Go, go." Rick commanded, everyone back to the RV.
Abraham started up the RV and drove ways away, to a clearing in the road so you all could gather your thoughts. "So, what's the play?" Abraham asked. "She needs a doctor." You said, urgently. "There are two more routes north from here." Sasha said. "They're probably waiting for us right now." Aaron stated. "So, they're ahead of us, probably behind us. But they're not waiting on us, per se, they're waiting on this rust bucket. And they don't know the moment-to-moment occupancy of said rust-bucket. And the sun sets soon." Eugene suggested that he'd stay. You all hung your heads. He was sacrificing himself you the group.
-
Dusk arrived quickly, and you needed to move, while you were able. You and Sasha made a transportation cot for everyone to support Maggie on. You wrapped her up and blankets and made sure she was comfortable, as you all walked her through the dark woods.
Rick, Sasha, Aaron, and Abraham, carried Maggie, as you and Carl provide protection, if any walkers came close. "I heard what you told her, when we were leaving. We can do anything. 'Cause we'll do anything we need to do. We have and we will. What happened to Denise, I'm not gonna let anybody die like that again." Carl told his father. "Son..." Rick started. "What?" Carl said, as you all heard and eerie whistle to the right, then to the front. The whistling circled you. "Shit!" You said, out load, as your anxiety levels climbed. You all took off into the woods, quickly, running for some time.
Bright lights blocked your vision, as the whistling was magnified times ten. You all were surrounded. There was not getting out of this. You had your gun pointed, but there was no logical way to point it. The Saviours had you surrounded.
You looked over to a spot, Eugene was on his knees, crying. They got him. "Good. You made it. Welcome to where you're going. We'll take your weapons, now." A Saviour said "We can talk about it." Rick said, trembling a bit "We're done talking. Time to listen." The men surrounded you and aggressively took the weapons off your body; making sure to 'accidently' touch parts of your body to make you uncomfortable.
"That's yours, right? Yeah, it's yours." The Saviour asked Carl, flicking his hat up. "Okay. Let's get her down and get you all on your knees. Lots to cover." "Hold up. We got it." Abraham said, as the men approached Maggie. The man put his hand up, "Sure, sure."
Rick and Aaron practically dragged Maggie's body over to kneel. "Imma need you on your knees." The man told Rick, who was still standing. Rick looked around, then slowly dropped to his knees, as did the rest of you. You knelt next to Aaron, trembling in terror.
"Dwight?!" "Yeah." "Chop-Chop." The man from the woods emerged. He was back with them. After everything, Daryl and you did for him, and he went back. Dwight winked at you, before unlocking the door, of a van. It was Daryl, Glenn, Rosita, and Michonne. "Come on. You got people to meet." Dwight said.
Daryl was wrapped in a blanket, with blood dripping from his body. He was shot! He was losing so much blood, by the second.
"All right, gotta full boat. Let's meet the man" The man said, knocking on your RV door. The door flew open, as a man with a leather jacket and slicked back hair, came out, holding a baseball back wrapped in barbed wire, "Pissing out pants, yet? Oh, boy, do I have a feeling we're getting close. Yep, it's gonna be pee-pee pants city here real soon. Which one of your pricks is the leader?" The man asked, stalking in front of you all.
"It's this one. He's the guy." The man from before said, from behind you. The man sighed and walked in front of Rick, "Hi. You're Rick, right? I'm Negan. And I do not appreciate you killing my men. Also, when I sent my people to kill your people for killing my people, you killed more of my people. Not cool. Not cool. You have no idea how not cool that shit is. But, I think you'll be up to speed shortly. Yeah. You are so gonna regret crossing me in a few minutes. Yes, you are. You see, Rick, whatever you do, no matter what, you don't mess with the new world order. And the new world order is this, and it's really very simple. So, even if your stupid, which you very may well be, you can understand it. You ready? Here it goes. Pay attention. Give me your shit... or I will kill you. Today was career day. We invested a lot so you know who I am and what I can do. You work for me, now. You have shit, you give it to me. That's your job. Now, I know that is a might big, nasty pill to swallow, but, swallow it you most certainly will. You ruled the roost. You build something. You thought you were safe. I get it. But the word it out. You are not safe. Not even close. In fact, you are pegged, more pegged if you don't do what I want. And what I want is half your shit. And if that's too much, you can make, find, or steal more, and it'll even out sooner or later. This is your way of life now. The more you fight back the harder it will be. So, if someone knocks on your door... you let us in. We own that door. You try to stop us and we will knock it down. You understand? What, no answer? You don't really think you could make it through this without being punished, now, did you? I don't want to kill you people. Just want to make that clear from the get-go. I want you to work for me. You can't do that if you're dead, can you? I'm not growing a garden. But you killed my people, a whole damn lot of them. More than I'm comfortable with. And for that, for that you're gonna pay. So, now...I'm gonna beat the holy hell outta one of you. This—this is Lucille and she is awesome. All this, all this is just so we can pick out which one of you gets the honour." Negan says, confidently in front of all of you kneeling. He approached Abraham, "Huh. Ugh, I gotta shave this shit." He approaches Carl, "You got one of our guns. You got a lot of our guns. Shit, kid. Lighten up. At least cry a little. Ahem." He stands in front of Maggie, "Jesus, you look shitty. I should just put you outta your misery right now."
Glenn jolted up, "NO! NO!" Men kicked him to the ground. Maggie begged for them to stop. "Nope. Nope, get him back in line." Negan commanded, as they dragged him back. "Don't. Don't." Glenn begged. "All right, listen. Don't any of you do that again. I will shut that shit down, no exceptions. First one's free. It's an emotional moment, I get it. Sucks, don't it? The moment you realize you don't know shit. This is your kid, right? This is definitely your kid." Negan said, walking back over to Carl. "Just stop this!" Rick yelled, you trembled even more. "Hey! Do not make me kill the little future serial killer. Don't make it easy on me. I gotta pick somebody. Everybody's at the table waiting for me to order." Negan whistled, as he dragged the bat down the line.
He chuckled, "I simply cannot decide. I got an idea." He chuckles again, and aims his bat at Rick's head, "Eenie..." Maggie, "meenie..." Abraham, "miney..." Michonne, "mo..." Daryl, "catch a tiger..." Sasha, "by his toe..." You, "If he hollers..." Aaron, "let him go." Carl, "My mother told me..." Eugene, "to pick the very best one..." Rosita, Aaron, and Glen, "and you..." Maggie and you, "are..." You closed your eyes, to prepare yourself with what was about to happen. "it. Anybody moves, anybody says anything, cut the boy's other eye out and feed it to his father and then we'll start. You can breathe, you can blink, you can cry. Hell, you're all gonna be doing that." Negan said, as you heard the bat cut the air. You heard a head being caved in. It was an awful sound. You were paralyzed, voice and everything. Who was it? You didn't want to open your eyes, to see the horror that was awaiting you. "Ho! Ho! Look at that! Taking it like a champ!" Negan said, as he went to town on someone's skull.
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