24 hours later...

Daryl sat outside the saviors compound and watched the gates open and the trucks roll out and turn towards hilltop he prayed that Maggie wasn't there anymore and they had there tribute. He'd be sure to get it all back to them soon enough he walked around back and taped on the fence three times and a pallet from the fence was moved and Dwight stuck his head out whispering "all clear brother, this way." he backs up and Daryl climbs through the hole following Dwight to negan's room. Dwight stopped in-front of negan's home and smiled "well this is it man." Daryl smiled "thanks you should get out of here before he gets back take your girl and go north its clear up that way for a ways." Dwight shook his head "naw man i'ma see this thing through to the end." Daryl nodded "a'ight your choice man might need your help anyway." Daryl couldn't help but think about carol how she was doing and when negan would reach the kingdom.

he looked up feeling Dwight's eyes on him Dwight smiled "you got a girl waiting for you out there man or family." Daryl sighed "why do you ask." Dwight shrugged "why else would you risk your life to kill one man." Daryl smirked "yeah I guess I got someone that's waiting for me to come back if thats what ya mean." Dwight nodded "yeah exactly that, come with me you got a women waiting for you why not bring a souvenir back for her we have a bunch of things that nobody wants or will need after tonight while we wait you can look through them." Daryl's mouth quirks in thought.

Dwight chuckles "come whats ours is yours or will be soon enough you kill negan and we answer to you." Daryl glances over to him concerned "i don't want to be your new negan when he's dead y'all will be free to survive like everyone else has been." Dwight smirks "you don't want to be a leader, figure you'd lead better then that man you where with, rick was it." Daryl shook his head "naw man that ain't me I'm a hunter, a solider not a leader wouldn't know the first thing bout it." Dwight walked toward the room housing looted goods and supplies glancing back "you would be a great leader you care about your people, protect them, and keep 'em fed thats all a good leader is now a-days man thats all the leaders you've met have except your man rick see he needs you to keep his people safe and fed sure he may care for them but in the grand scheme he's weak your the real leader so why not be ours bring your woman stay here its more secure than that place you where before." Daryl glances around and sighs running his fingers over a table of knives "you know if we survive this I'll consider it, I mean this place, it does seem safer."

his hand skims over a smooth blue opal knife with a antler handle he smiles "this blade is Cherokee isn't it." he turns it in his hand Dwight smiles "its a beautiful peace bet your woman would like that I mean its color would turn anyone's eye." Daryl nods "i think she'll love it not only because of color but because of its linage." Dwight stares confused "why would the fact that its Cherokee matter." Daryl smirks "just a legend I told her when she lost her little girl the legend of the Cherokee rose it made her feel better." Dwight smiled "ah so its like a thing you two have a connection through a lose there is no connection stronger." Daryl nods "i failed her then to bring her girl back to her I wont fail again." he slid the knife into its sheath and into his pocket and moved to the next table that held jewelry his mind flashed to the bracelet he had left in the pocket of his vest hoping she found it he glanced down at the table at the necklaces there he sees two leather necklaces bullets hanging off them his and hers carved into the sides he palms them while Dwight is busy looking over the knives he pockets them and turns to Dwight "should probably head back." he snags a can of spray paint from the table as he passes and keeps walking heading back to negan's room.

he smirks and sits in the high backed chair turning looking around the room "so why did he leave you behind aren't you like his second in command or something." Dwight laughed "yeah not anymore after I didn't bring you back 'alive' he said I was lucky to not be banished to the walker pits." Daryl sighed "yeah sorry bout that man." Dwight laughed "yeah dude its not a problem really I'm glad I did that I could tell you wouldn't break and eventually negan would have gotten bored and bashed your head in or something." he smirks "cause truthfully man your stronger then him and those are the people he takes out first when he meets a new group so guess it was a lucky break that I shot ya huh." Daryl growled softly "still haven't forgiven you for that you know." Dwight smirked "sorry man again." Daryl just turns and tugs the necklaces from his pockets and slips the "her one" over his head and tucks it under his shirt brushing his fingers over the "his only" one and sighs softly hoping it will all be over soon and he could go home he put the his only next to the other around his neck and tucked it under too.

he didn't no know how long they sat in silence till there was a crackle on Dwight walkie and a voice could be heard "Dwight you there we'll be back early got a great haul everyone was already waiting and prepared almost like they knew we was coming." Dwight looked over at Daryl rolling his eyes and answered back "maybe they've all finally learned their place sir." negan laughed over the walkie "yup all it took was for them to lose that one man and they all submit like puppy dogs can't believe it coulda sworn that man was just a henchmen like big red.." Daryl growled to that remark hearing "but looks like he was actually something of a leader at Alexandria I mean that rick he's nothing but a broken man raising another mans kid its just sad. They where all a mess once I told them about their friend whats his name..." Dwight replied "Daryl sir." negan spoke again "yeah Daryl, they all broke down when I told 'em he was biter chow and when it happened." Dwight smiled "yeah bet that was a sight you need me to do anything 'fore you get back." he heard negan's men shouting through the walkie before the reply "naw we're 'bout there I just wanna relax in my chair let the men take care of the supply checks." Daryl smirked knowing the chair negan was talking about was the one he was sitting in he looked up at Dwight who smiled and answered back to negan "alright see you when you get back sir." the other end was silent Dwight smirked saying mockingly "see you Dwight glad your still alive." Daryl snorted at that and turned to him "yeah like that would ever happen." Dwight smiled "exactly."

Dwight walked out of the room to check on the prisoners and other things he made his way back when another crackle came over the walkie he rushed the rest of the way and was inside when negan spoke on the other end "yo we're back have the gate man let us in." Daryl looked up and Dwight saw a flash in his eyes could have been anger, fear, or a combination of the two but it passed the no feeling mask he'd grown to know so fast he wasn't sure Daryl picked up the crossbow from the table as he stood and Dwight called the gate man "yo their back open her up." he looked back over at Daryl "got yourself another bow I see." Daryl nodded "s'not all I brought this time though." he pulled a grenade out of his bag pocket and held it up Dwight's eyes widened "now where'd you get something like that?" "show ya when we get done here now go you don't wanna be caught in his office now do ya." Dwight nodded "yeah guess I should go." Dwight walks out.

Daryl paces around the office till he hears the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the hall and Dwight speak outside "so it was all good that weirdo with the big cat give you trouble." negan laughed "no actually one of his subjects controlled the drop this time a Grey haired lady she was overly nice but you could see the killer in her eye's. Swear she had this way about her she might have been trained by that Daryl man." he heard the footsteps stop "a women huh could be his women he used to talk to a women while he was sleeping, a carol, seemed as if she died or something though." negan laughed "could be she just ran off or maybe their crew banished her and told him she was dead." Daryl smirked when he heard this but it was gone with the steps that grew closer he moved to the hinge side of the door silently as it opened he saw negan walk in and Dwight behind him negan dropped Lucille on the table and shed his jacket and spoke turning as Dwight closed the door exposing daryl "so how are the prison- - -what the hell is going on." daryl crossed the room grabbed Lucille and tossed it to Dwight who stood at the door blocking the only exit daryl knocked negan to his knees and pulled his buck knife from his belt Dwight saw a smile cross Daryl's face "been waiting for this for weeks since I got out... and that women from the kingdom I did train her have since the beginning my women the only family I got left.." he laid his knife on negan's throat pressing slightly "you killed my friends; killed a unborn child's dad, and a war hero... now I'm here to kill you." he pressed deeper on his knife feeling the blood trickle over his fingers causing him to press even harder "my family is broken and you did that, tried to put it on me but I know my worth I may be nothing but I matter, now you lead, you kill, you loot but ya mean nothing you don't have family and to these survivors your nothing and now..." he pressed and slid the knife across his throat muttering softly looking up at the ceiling negan's body dropping to the floor "your dead." he strode over and grabbed the jacket from were negan threw it and slid it on a perfect fit he smirked leaning over negan's body "your reign is over you motherless poxy bastard." he turned negan's body over and watched the life bleed out of him and waited for him to turn.

he held his hand out and Dwight passed him the bat "you waiting for the turn." daryl glanced up exuding utter calmness "oh yeah!" he stands up straight then negan's body started to move and a horrible howl rattled the office as the corpse sat up and reached out to daryl who swung the bat home not just once but four times his anger rolling off him in waves and he dropped the bat to the floor sitting down in the chair pulling his handkerchief out of his back pocket wiping his knife off sticking his feet up on the desk and sighs "that was almost too easy.. you weren't wrong he was weak." Dwight smirked "that was real man you made that almost seem effortless." daryl ran his clean hand through his hair standing up stepping over negan's corpse with the spray can of paint sticking it in his bag "all right lets go break the news." he opens the door and Dwight follows behind picking up the bat closing the door behind him locking it behind them.

daryl glances back at Dwight "call a meeting everyone outside." daryl walked down the hall to the cells "man where you going." daryl smirks "freeing the prisoners that are safe enough to be freed." Dwight nods "A1, B4 and C2 they are safe the rest are killers man." daryl nods and Dwight tosses him the keys "got it I'll be out there as soon as I get them out." daryl ran down the hall and Dwight walked out to the people gathering them in the biggest open space in the courtyard daryl released the prisoners and they where all wary at first but when they saw blood dripping from his fingers and the jacket they knew to be negan's they spoke softly "so you killed him."one said, "you was one of us weren't you." said the third and the second smiled having heard all about the infamous archer that would appear out of nowhere and help people "your the guy with the rocket launcher that blew up all those men aren't you." all daryl did was nod once answering all three of them and muttered "follow me." he had grabbed weapons from the store room and hand each of them one to protect themselves and took them to the loose panel in the fence he opened it there's a car bout a block down there's a map it will lead you to a place called hilltop ask for Jesus tell 'em daryl sent ya you'll be safe there I'll be around in a couple days with supplies." he gave them a smile and they each thanked him and slipped through the hole in the fence when they where gone he slid the panel back in place and pulled the can of spray paint from his bag seeing the fire escape he climbed up and wrote in large letters on the top floor of the building "those who suffer survive, I survived negan, fear the name Dixon." he huffed and crawled back down.

walking right up to the front where Dwight was talking to one of the men daryl recognized as one of negan's higher ups Dwight noticed daryl and motioned for the crowd to sit on the scattered chairs and things whispers floated through the crowd a daryl whistled loudly silencing them "now y'all are probably wondering why Dwight gathered you and where negan is well I'm not one to beat around the bush so here it is I killed him, he's gone, your all free from that son of a bitch you got no reason to hurt anyone anymore and I want you to know y'all can survive and thrive here don't need to worry about anyone retaliating but know this you follow in negan's footsteps any of ya and you'll die like him, just like him..." he pulls his knife exposing his blood stained hand "by my hand." everyone of them was silent and Dwight stepped up next to him "and if you don't believe him believe me I saw the whole thing fer myself he's gone never to rise again." a brave man stood in the center of the crowd and spoke "so what are you gonna be like our leader now or something and how do we get food." daryl sighed "for now Dwight will lead I have to take care of things else where and as far as food you can scout stores and houses just like the people you have been taking from do. Now I need a bike some fuel and some men to carry supplies any volunteers." couple of men stood up and nodded.

Dwight smiled and pointed to the man he was talking to "go get his bike that one I brought back the triumph gas it up take it to the gate." he pointed to two others "you and you get the truck that wasn't unloaded we're taken that stuff back to where it belongs. The rest of you back to work." Dwight handed daryl the bat and nodded "told ya that would happen." daryl nodded "yeah I'll see bout that you run this place for now don't send people to hilltop, Alexandria or the kingdom alright." Dwight nodded "you got it but right now you said you'd show me where you got that lovely little grenade." daryl smiled "yeah said I would you grab a bike come along we'll stop by Alexandria first tell everyone I'm alive and all leave hilltop for last because they have more stuff hidden around their compound they can survive longer without it." Dwight smiled "and of course get your women at the kingdom right." daryl smiled softly and a blush creeped up his neck "yeah that too." he pulled his crossbow off his back and tied it to the back running his hand over the bike, his brothers bike and seeing Dwight pull up in on an old Harley followed by one of the big trucks.

Dwight pulled up next to him and passed him a walkie "so I can get a hold of ya to answer questions and stuff." daryl nodded and clipped it to his belt next to his knife "alright lets go." he sat on the bike and negan's bat tied across the front and the gate was opened and they where off and when they reached Alexandria daryl revved the engine twice the signal to open the gates when the gate opened he saw Aaron who's eye's widened before he stumbled back mouthing "daryl what the hell." daryl smiled and Aaron pulled the gate open and daryl rode through the gate's followed by Dwight and the truck people poured out of houses when they heard the truck rumble through the gates daryl turned off his bike and the engines behind him went silent too rick walked down to daryl who climbed off his bike and Judith saw him from michonne's arms and reached out to him babbling softly "d-dd-dary." everyone's eye's flashed to him when he grabbed the girl and she wrapped her clean pudgy arms around his neck his smile grew "hey little ass-kicker I missed you." the contrast between the clean baby and daryl wasn't lost on them, rick squeezed Daryl's shoulder a silent thank you and michonne nodded at daryl "carol was so sure you'd make it all cause of a silly little flower." daryl chuckled "the rose, where'd she see it." michonne gestured to Judith "Judy found it and brought it to her." daryl looked down at the girl in his arms "my little ass-kicker now why am I not surprised." he brushed his clean hand through her hair he kissed her forehead whispering "thank you sweetheart." he passed her to rick and walked back to the truck.

He directed the two men to open her up and unload the stuff they took from them "brought you guys back a little something thought you could use it." Dwight walked up to daryl and nodded "see that your more of a leader then you think man." rick shot a look at daryl motioning to Dwight and daryl nodded then looked back to Dwight "i guess so should probably tell him your alright by me and you helped an all before he tries to kill ya." Dwight smirked and motioned with his head for him to go "yeah I don't feel like dying today." daryl walked back over to rick who was watching the people unload the truck and glancing wearily at Dwight "daryl you sure about them I mean they are negan's men he was negan's right hand for god sake." daryl smirked "i'm sure, he saved my life helping me escape and they have a rule you kill the leader you become the leader they ain't gonna touch me and he may have been negan's right hand but when I got free he was lucky not to be sent to their walker pits he's a good man trust me." rick nodded "okay okay if you can trust him." daryl spotted Maggie standing on the porch to her and Glenn's house and he looked away just another member of her family he couldn't save she must have saw him look away cause seconds later he heard footsteps approach him and a small soft hand lay on his shoulder turning him her way then was wrapped in a hug and heard her whisper "i don't blame you daryl I don't, I cant your family and you've fought harder than any of us." he shuddered a breath and she pulled away squeezing his arm softly "you need to go, I think someone else needs you more than we do right now or you just need her go." he nodded softly looking up through his hair she brushed it out of his eye's "have her cut your hair to I don't know how you can see anything with that mop in your eyes." she saw his mouth twitch softly she knew he would be okay.

but would need carol she was the only one that can get through to him like this love was the only thing that spoke to the broken man that stood in front of her "go daryl it's okay you can go we'll be okay." he stepped back and turned to the men at the truck shouting "alright close 'er up lets move out." she smiled knowing he was a natural leader since the prison and Judith's formula run the man with the blonde hair smirked she noticed like he thought the same thing daryl walked over to him and she heard them talk "now you'll see who gave me the grenade." dwight scoffed "okay so it wasnt her then with the sword or the one who hugged you." daryl shook his head "nah better." he turned back and looked at rick "hey." he pulled something from his bag and tossed it to rick "i wont be needing this for the drive keep it for me huh." Maggie glanced in ricks hands "the grenade." could it have been carol got a hold of something like this rick was mesmerized and stared back at daryl "she had another." daryl just smiled and turned to his bike climbing back on Aaron opened the gate back up and the convoy was out of the gates.