Chapter 2:

"Do you believe him?"

Rick rested his hands on his sides as he looked over Spencer's body, the fresh head wound to stop him from reanimating still pouring blood on to the hardwood floors.

He finally met Daryl's gaze, "I do"

"I'm not sure if I do… I mean, Spencer was a good guy-", Glenn began as he moved from the window.

"I believed the woman he was with. She was pretty straight forward when she told me he was dead", Rick's eyes scanned over the room aimlessly as he wondered what to do next.

"Even if he wanted you dead, why wouldn't they just leave him for us to deal with?", Glenn continued.

Rick turned towards the door, no longer wishing to discuss the man that wanted to sacrifice him for his own cause.

He had never had any personal problem with Spencer. While he thought the young man could be a little thoughtless, he wouldn't consider it a big enough issue for him to want him dead. The fact that he considered Rick a bad leader only fuelled his determination to do better.

Alexandria wasn't exactly thriving for the moment but if wasn't doing badly either. Well, before the Savior's arrival, of course. Checking the pantry was first on Rick's agenda, as well as the armoury. He hoped his people hadn't been left with scraps until their next collection.

"They didn't touch the armoury or the crops", Sasha appeared behind Rick, still holding her rifle.

Rick looked back at her over his shoulder and nodded. He was glad to hear that even though he didn't express it.

"What happened at the Monroe's?"

Rick bit back a sigh, "He killed Spencer. Said he asked him to kill me"

Sasha said nothing but her eyes registered nothing but shock. They were both quite as they approached the pantry, where Olivia appeared to be counting their remaining stock.

"They took half but… It still looks like we're gonna have to ration…", the woman explained holding up her clip chart.

Rick clenched his jaw as his eyes roamed the garage, "Was it just food they took?"

"I think so. This is where they all came anyway"

"Alright good. That means we still have guns, crops and medicine. We're gonna have to trade with the Hilltop sooner that we thought"

He ran his hand over his mouth as he figured out his next plan of action. He only paused because he saw his son walking up the street, holding his sister in front of him. He was tempted to call for his attention, but he knew his son wasn't very happy with the way how he'd handled things, so he chose not to.

Residents were still on high alert days after the Savior's left. Though he didn't want to have to live that way, it made him a little more comfortable leaving his children behind when they made their trip up to the Hilltop.

"You think this plan will work?"

Rick's eyes rolled over to meet Abrahams for a second, then back out the RV window, "It's the only option we have right now"

"You don't think we can team up with Hilltop?"

"They're weaker than our weakest. We'd just be leading them to their deaths if we tried anythan' now"

Abraham frowned as he visualised it. Rick leaned forward, squinting out the windshield as they approached the Hilltop.

"Just great", Rick breathed angrily.

An array of black cars were outside the other community, with their gates wide open as they filed in and out.

"Turn back?", Abraham checked.

"Nah, they would have heard us coming anyway", Rick rose from his seat to look at the other passengers, "Move all this to the bedroom, we're gonna make it look like a friendly visit"

Sasha, Scott, Glenn and Tyreese quickly stood, grabbing the bags and boxes from the floor. Daryl peered out the window as he slung his crossbow over his back.

"Park up to the side, out their way", the man instructed in a raspy voice.

Rick rolled his eyes shut as he took a deep breath, ready to face his enemy again. Once their trade was hidden from sight, they exited the RV and made their way up the small Hill. The Savior's seemed to pay them no attention as they past, as most were focused on their task at hand.

The Hilltop residents all stood around uselessly while they resources were collected. Rick watched the scene as he walked up to Barrington house, where Jesus stood on the steps, biting at the side of his thumb. His eyes only lit up a small fraction when he noticed them.

"They came earlier than planned. He's inside talking with Gregory now", Jesus informed quietly.

"Maggie?", Glenn pressed with wide eyes.

"She's fine, in the trailer"

Glenn looked to Rick for permission to leave their side, and Rick gave him a nod in agreement. The man wasted no time going to look for his wife.

"Right behind you", Abraham declared as he followed Glenn, obviously worried about the man's safety.

Rick looked back at the grand home and grunted, before heading towards the doors with the others behind him.

"What are you going to do?", Jesus queried before he got to the office doors.

"Talk to him", Rick sighed before pushing open the doors.

It took him a moment to understand what exactly he was looking at, but he soon realised. Negan was sat at Gregory's desk with his feet up, while the woman he had previously seen him with sat atop it. Gregory was sat on the couch, and while at first glance he appeared fine, his blood soaked shirt said otherwise.

"Oh look 'Chonne, we have company!", Negan grinned, spinning the chair an inch to look at them.

Rick's eyes darted back over to the dead man on the couch.

"Oh don't mind him, in fact, Gregory! Hey Gregory! Don't be rude! Say hello!", Negan mocked sternly.

Rick stepped further into office and winced at the two of them.

"I think I've done us all a favour here. He was ready to sell you out and his own people to save his bloated ass, so I thought I'd just nudge him out the way"

"You tryin' to justify killing him?", Rick challenged with a tilted.

Negan scoffed, "Now now, I don't think the mass fucking murder is in any position to take the moral high ground. Can you believe this guy 'Chonne?"

The woman dressed in all black didn't take her eyes off the corpse, "Hilarious"

"Pretty fucking hilarious. Where's the other guy? Moses? Hey Moses!"

"It's Jesus", Jesus corrected coldly as he looked at his former leader.

"I knew it was something biblical", Negan chuckled, "Well listen, Jesus, I guess you're in charge now right?"

Jesus wore a pensive expression as he looked over at the man.

A low growl quickly caught all their attentions, as Gregory found life again. His body twitched as he awakened, his head moving side to side as his senses picked up on the clean flesh.

The woman stood from the desk and drew her sword, strolling towards the dead man. He barely got a chance to look at her she shoved the blade into the side of his head, and withdrew it just as quickly. Holding the blade away from her, she flicked her wrist to ride the tip of any blood.

"Oh, now you're just showing off", Negan teased as he wiggled his brows at her.

Rick snarled at him, "Listen, we need talk about our… schedule"

Negan looked at him, "What about it?"

"How often do you plan on robbing us?"

The tyrant smiled, "Well, I would say… once a week?"

"That won't work. You take from us that often then we won't have anythan' to survive on, and if we don't have anythan' to survive on then we won't be able to do anythan', then you won't get anythan'...", Rick shrugged at him, "Seems you'd want us to be able to provide for you for as long as possible, right?"

Negan stared at him for a few moments, before looking to his comrade, "What the fuck did I say in the car the other day 'Chonne? Didn't I say he'd be a pain in the ass?"

She smirked as she made her way over to the window.

"Alright you killer southern Belle. We'll do it like this, every two weeks. A lot can get done in two weeks"

"Three"

Negan raised his eyebrows, "You son of a bitch-"

"A lot more can get done in three weeks", Rick insisted.

"I should keep it at every week for that asshole request-"

"Three weeks is fine", The woman agreed, still peering out the window.

Negan looked up at her.

She sensed him, and peered over her shoulder at him. They seemed to have a silent discussion before Negan stood up and snatched his bat off the desk.

"Well, this isn't embarrassing at all", The tall man sighed, "Fine. Three weeks. But let me tell you, that shit better last, or else next time I'm knocking on your front door with a fucking eighteen wheeler, and I will level that creepy little desperate housewives town of yours. Clear?"

Rick scowled as he looked past the man.

"And people say I'm not a nice guy? I'm reasonable, right?", Negan snorted.

Rick tore his eyes away from the woman's back to look at him, "Great".

"Fucking great. Hey Joseph, you might wanna clean that shit up", Negan sent a nod towards Gregory, as he looked at Jesus, "That's a fucking nice couch that he's ruining"

The woman rolled her eyes as she moved from the window, heading out the room. Rick felt compelled to watch her leave.

"Alright gang, this was nice but, it's time for us to go so remember, three weeks' worth of shit or you'll be eating each other's asses", Negan gave a little wave as he slung his bat on to his shoulder and stalked out the room behind his woman, whistling joyfully.

Rick groaned as he looked around the office, "Piece of sh-"

"What happens now?", Tyreese was by his side, looking down at Gregory's body with shocked eyes.

Rick had genuinely forgot that the others where there. He struggled to keep his attentions on anyone else in the room besides her. He shook his head to rid himself of his thoughts, "You're gonna have to take over Jesus"

Jesus shook his head for another reason, "I don't think I'm equipped for such-"

"You don't have a choice right about now. Maggie's here… she can help you…"

Jesus looked down at Gregory once more before snapping his eyes shut away from him.

"We've gotta keep this up", Rick turned to face the others, "We need to buy more time until we're in a position to take him on and win"

Daryl coughed abnormally loud, causing Rick to look at him. His friends eyes darted to the door, and there we woman stood, her sword in her eyes as she scanned them over.

No one said anything as she walked in slowly, past Sasha, past Tyreese and past Rick. She stepped over Gregory's legs and over to a bookshelf. She grabbed a thick, and what looked like to be a heavy book, then turned around swiftly. Rick didn't know why he felt like he was intruding as he watched her make her way out the room, but he was unsure of where else to look.

She left and they all stayed silent for a moment as they caught up with what just happened.

"That can't be good", Tyreese shook his head with wide, panicked eyes, "She must of heard us?"

Rick bit his lip as his eyes trailed the path she walked.

"How long was she even there for?", Sasha hissed.

"She's walking out like nothing happened", Daryl informed as he peered through the window, "She might not of heard anythan' at all but the tail end"

"Should we take the chance?", Jesus looked between them all.

Rick looked up as he turned around, heading over to the window. He quickly caught sight of her as she walked through the gates, book in her hand, her sword on her back. Negan raised his eyebrows at her as she joined him, and the two of them disappeared behind one of the cars.

"If she heard what we said…", Rick straightened up as he thought out loud, "She could have easily told him, came back in here with the rest of them and tried to kill us all, instead of just giving us time to do somethan' sooner if she left it..."

"True", Daryl rasped as he too moved from the window.

"Who is she anyway? I don't remember seeing her in the woods?", Sasha questioned.

"Michonne", Jesus answered, "Sometimes she's with him when he comes here. He calls her his right hand woman"

Rick almost repeated her name aloud, but stopped himself, "Alright well we need to keep an eye on her"

Their remaining time spent at the Hilltop was spent organising a trade that didn't leave either community worse off than they already were. He was expecting a group to return to Alexandria after a long run fairly soon, and he hoped that it would balance things out.

By the time they arrived home he was an anxious mess. While he thought waiting to do anything to the Savior's was a good idea, he was at a loss for what they could do to defeat them, unless he stumbled upon an army of willing fighters. The thought of it all made him sick to his stomach, as he didn't want to put up with the man for any longer.

When he walked into his home that evening, he was greeted to by the smell of some kind of casserole. He frowned as he strolled towards the kitchen and the dish sitting out on the counter, with a note next to it. He didn't read the message, he skipped to the end, where he saw the gift givers name scribbled. He groaned as he chucked it back down on the counter and headed back towards the stairs.

His daughter was sound asleep in his son's room when he checked on the two of them through a crack in the door. He would have appreciated having more time to spend with them, but being a leader was busy work, especially at this time. The only hope was that they could get through this storm and he could go back to feeling like a father again.

"Rick!"

Rick was making his way to the front of the community on a new day when Glenn came and found him. He slowed to hear his friend.

"Morgan's back, he was with another group, like ours", Glenn breathed heavily as he explained.

"Another group?", Rick raised his eyebrow at him, "Where is he?"

Glenn tipped his head in the direction as he started walking again, "He said they're a couple miles west, haven't been touched by the Savior's yet"

Rick picked up the pace as he followed him up the street.

"Carol's still there, they're friendlies, they helped her"

They arrived at Morgan's old home and made their way inside. The man was sat on his couch with, with Daryl and Sasha near him. He smiled when he saw Rick, giving him a single nod.

Rick took a seat on the coffee table in front of him, "What happened?"

Morgan put his cup on the floor between his legs, "They helped us. Took us in and looked after us"

"Who?", Rick pressed.

"The kingdom. A guy called Ezekiel runs it… eccentric man…"

"Fighters?"

Morgan titled his hand back and forth, "Some are. Sort of like here, most are good but some are better"

Rick released a breath that he didn't know he was holding, "They know where you are?"

"I told them I was going home to inform you that were fine. He's expecting me back with you actually…"

"Is that so?", Rick narrowed his eyes at him, "Have you told him about us?"

"Not too much. Just that we have the same agenda, to sustain life"

Rick nearly rolled his eyes, "Alright, well you rest off, we'll talk about heading over there in the morning. Good to have you back"

"Good to be back"

Rick stood up and signalled for Daryl to follow him outside.

"What do you think?", He asked the other man as they stepped out to the street.

"Sounds legit. They've had 'em for what, a week? He looks fine, clean, shaven"

Rick nodded in agreement, "We need to see for ourselves… what kind of people they are… if they're willing to help"

Daryl's eyes prowled the streets, "We need all the help we can get right about now"

Rick glanced at him, glad he also saw the main problem they were facing when it came to defeating the Savior's. He was going to say something else when he saw her, stepping out of her home. His body tensed as he turned his attentions elsewhere.

Daryl seemed to sense the change in atmosphere, "Come on, there's a panel in the wall that's looking a little bent outta' shape"

Rick followed him, grateful for his quick thinking. He was in no mood to deal with anything trivial like matters of the heart, away he had more substantial problems to deal with.

It was later that night when he was lying in bed, anticipating meeting the other leader of this new community that he found himself thinking about Michonne. He had only ever been in her company twice, heard her say all of six words, and yet, he couldn't help but wonder about the dynamics of between she and Negan.

He noticed that the man gave in with hardly any fight when she agreed to giving them three weeks between collections. He squinted at the ceiling as he wondered why she did agree to it and how much influence she had on him. His train of thought led him to their relationship. While most of his apocalyptic family were from all different walks of life, they all had fairly similar dispositions and values. Negan was loud, brass, with the traits of a psychopath, whereas Michonne appeared to be the complete opposite.

Though, he knew not to underestimate her, and he knew she was still quite an obvious threat. She did hold a sword to his throat after all, and he soon realised if he wanted to take out Negan, he'd have to take her out too.