5 days before Negan's visit
"Ok, I see what's going on, you have to hold your breath before you fire" Rick said, standing behind Michonne with his hands on his hips.
This was the 4th day of sharp shooting classes he and Carol had held for anyone who wanted to sharpen up their skills. Today he was joined by Rosita, Morgan, Spencer, Aaron, Father Gabriel, TJ, Tynesha, Carl, and Michonne. He and Carol were the best shots in Alexandria since Sasha had moved to the Hilltop, so they took it upon themselves to train the others. He had heard that Sasha was also holding classes for the people of Hilltop, and he knew they were in good hands with her.
"Right before you fire, you take a breath and it throws off your aim, that's why you keep missing" Rick instructed Michonne. Michonne was frustrated. She hated it when there was something she couldn't get right, and sharp shooting just wasn't her thing. She especially hated it that Rick was there to witness the one thing she wasn't good at.
"So, that's it? Just hold my breath?" she asked incredulously.
"Try it. I bet it'll work" Rick declared confidently.
"Really?" Michonne asked slyly, wiggling her behind seductively but just enough that no one but Rick would notice. "What do you bet?"
Rick leaned in closer to her, pretending to be helping her look through her scope, but he pressed himself up against her ass, sneaking in a few squeezes. "Whatever you want baby" he whispered in her ear.
"I'm holding a loaded weapon here" she teased, playfully bumping Rick away from her.
"So am I" Rick said in his southern drawl that suddenly made her uncomfortably hot. Michonne smiled but didn't turn around to look at Rick. She hefted the gun up higher and her smile dropped as she focused in the scope. She spotted her target, the base of a large tree, and held her breath before pulling the trigger. She heard a satisfying pop as a bullet struck the tree. Her smile returned as she realized she had finally hit her target. Rick proudly squeezed her shoulder and moved in closer to squeeze another lower body part as Carl walked up to them, causing Rick to tame his wandering hand.
"Hey dad, can I try?" he asked.
Rick looked at Michonne quickly as if asking her if he should let Carl practice shooting. The boy had come a long way since his injury, but his depth perception was lacking. Although he still carried a hand gun and could shoot someone at close range, sharp shooting was a whole other story. He could barely hit the target when playing darts.
"You sure you're up for it?" Rick asked hesitantly.
"Yea" Carl said confidently. "I want to try"
Rick glanced at Michonne again and she gave him a look that said 'let him try'
Rick handed Carl the gun and moved the scope over to the left side to accommodate that Carl didn't have a right eye.
"Just take your time Carl, line the crosshairs up with your target, and hold your breath right before you fire."
Carl nodded as he concentrated. He then pulled the trigger and the shot missed.
"Ok, just try again" Rick said. "Widen your stance a little, check your scope, and go again."
Carl fired again and missed. He immediately prepared for another shot, aimed, fired, and missed again. And again, and again.
"Maybe shifting your aim to the right a little will help" Rick suggested. "Your shots are going to the left, you have to adjust for your eye…"
"No" Carl said, dropping the gun from his shoulder and shoving it at Rick, "Just forget it". He turned and stalked off.
Michonne, sensing the boy's frustration, turned to Rick. "I'll go get him" she explained, before walking off after Carl. She found him sitting on a rock by himself.
"You wanna talk about it?" she asked.
Carl surprised her by nodding his head and looking at the leaves on the ground. Michonne took a seat next to him on the rock and waited for him to speak. He took a deep breath and then looked up at her.
"Everything is hard now. Everything! Not just the shooting. I used to be a good shot, but now I'm useless with a gun. And I have a huge blind spot now, I bump into things all the time, and trip over things. It sucks. I can't believe my whole life is gonna be like this now. I just feel useless. I don't want to let my dad down. Or you."
Michonne smiled and reached over to take Carl's hand in hers, gently rubbing it. "Carl, you've been through more than anyone your age should ever have to go through. Give yourself a break. I understand you're frustrated, and I know I can never truly know how you're feeling, and everything you're going through, but you are the toughest boy I know. So sharp shooting isn't your thing right now, it's ok, I kinda suck at it too. There's other things you can do to help us."
"Like what?" Carl asked.
"Well… I guess that's up to you to figure out. But I know you will. I have faith in you Carl and so does your dad."
Carl nodded as the two of them sat quietly for a few minutes. Carl suddenly broke the silence.
"TJ can talk without speaking. What if… what if TJ and I help send messages during the attack. I mean, if we use walkie talkies, Negan's men might be able to overhear what we're saying to each other right? They might pick up on our frequency. But they can't overhear sign language. If TJ and I work together to teach other people, maybe we can get a bunch of people who can help us communicate without Negan knowing what's going on!"
Michonne looked at Carl in wonder. "That's a great idea Carl. If you and TJ teach enough people, we can send messages right under Negan's nose."
Carl smiled at Michonne's validation. "Ok, I'll go see if TJ wants to do it"
Michonne reached over and ruffled Carl's long, messy hair "What a smart boy I have" she said, beaming.
Carl yanked his head away with a grin on his face "Ughhh, mom!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The day before Negan's visit
The members of all three communities had been training for weeks and planning for the attack on Negan when he came to Alexandria, the attack on the Sanctuary, and the attacks on the known Saviors outposts which would all be taken down simultaneously. The communities also had to keep going on runs for supplies so that the Saviors wouldn't be tipped off to any unusual activity at the various communities. The Kingdom and the Hilltop supplied non-firearm weapons to everyone, and the Alexandrians had to be trained on how to use bows, spears, and swords as they usually used guns. Due to TJ's knowledge of how Negan's Collection Teams operated, they were aware that Negan always had back-up in case a town they were collecting from fought back. To take care of the back-up soldiers, a mixed team on horseback, from the Kingdom and Hilltop, were waiting to ambush the back-up when bullets started flying in Alexandria.
Rick had demanded that all children under 14 be taken from Alexandria and moved to a relocation area a few miles away. The relocation area was a rendezvous point in case Alexandria fell and was destroyed. Everyone knew to meet there, get the children, and they'd figure the rest out on the run. The children were being guarded by Alexandrians who were too old or unable to fight in the battle, but they had been trained personally by Rick on how to shoot.
Before Judith left, Rick, Carl and Michonne took turns holding and kissing her, each of them unsure if they'd ever see the happy little baby again.
Later that afternoon, Michonne who was on gate duty was shocked when she saw Maggie and Sasha arriving in a car. She opened the gates to let them in and threw her arms around the two women as soon as they hopped out.
"What are you guys doing here?" Michonne asked incredulously. "Especially you" she said, looking pointedly at Maggie.
"We came to help" Sasha said. "With Negan's numbers, you need all the help you can get."
"What about Hilltop? Don't they need you?" Michonne questioned.
"We have a bone to pick with Negan, and we're gonna help take him down. Sasha is the best sniper either of our communities have, and I won't rest until I see that motherfucker dead." Maggie said stubbornly.
"Maggie, what about the baby?" Michonne asked, looking down at Maggie's rapidly growing baby bump.
"This baby and I will both rest well knowing I helped kill its father's murderer. We're not leaving Michonne, so just tell us where we're needed."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It was the night before Negan was supposed to come to Alexandria for his supply pick-up. Rick and Michonne had been going over the plan and finalizing all the possible scenarios with Tynesha, Ezekiel, and Jesus, and a few of the other leaders of the various groups that would be attacking the next day. They had sat together discussing all possibilities of what could happen for hours, and everyone was exhausted.
"Let's all go get some rest" Rick reasoned. "We've planned this out as well as we can. We've gone over every scenario we could think of. There's nothing more we can do but wait until tomorrow. Take tonight to do whatever it is you need to do, and remember what it is you're fighting for."
The others nodded and gave handshakes and hugs as they went off to their various rendezvous points and camps. Ezekiel was leading the attack on one of the outposts, and Jesus was part of the attack on the Sanctuary, so the two of them left to travel to the camps they made that was closer to their targets. It was hoped that once those targets had been subdued, they'd be able to find information about where the other unknown outposts were. Most of the plan was wait and see since Negan was so unpredictable, even more so lately than usual. Rick wasn't even sure if Negan would show up tomorrow at all. But they had to have faith that they could handle whatever was thrown at them. As he glanced at Michonne and she glanced back at him, he knew that no matter what happened, at least she was still with him.
Rick had gone to check a few last minute things after the meeting, and Michonne had headed back home to check on Carl. By the time Rick made it back home, Carl had already gone to bed and the downstairs was quiet. Rick locked the doors and made his way upstairs to his bedroom. When he opened the door he found Michonne fully dressed and laid across the bed the short way, fast asleep. She laid on her back with her arms at 90 degree angles from her body, as if she'd sat on the bed for a moment and passed out in exhaustion. He chuckled to himself as he watched her chest move up and down, the tiniest hint of a snore coming through her mouth.
Rick sat next to her for a few moments, just taking in how beautiful she looked when she was sleeping.
I would do anything for this woman. If it comes down to it tomorrow, I would die for her Rick thought, as he studied every line and crease on her beautiful face. He bent down and removed his shoes before reaching over and taking off her shoes as well. She didn't stir as he got another blanket and laid it over both of them before he curled up beside her on the bed, laying the short way as well.
"I love you. Good night." He whispered before wrapping his arms around her and burying his head into her shoulder.
It was Michonne's erratic breathing that stirred Rick from his sleep. His arms were draped around her waist and her sudden change in breathing was disturbing enough for his brain to realize something was wrong. His eyes slowly opened and he peered at Michonne in the darkness. She had kicked off the blanket that had been covering her and she was breathing so fast she was almost panting, but her eyes were still closed. Rick knew immediately she was having a nightmare.
"Michonne" he whispered in her ear, propping himself up on an elbow. She responded with a whimper that almost broke his heart, it sounded like someone was hurting her.
"Michonne!" he said a little louder, "Wake up honey". He touched her shoulder and gently shook her, but to his dismay it seemed like the nightmare got worse.
"No!" she mumbled. "Rick! No! No!"
Rick shook her a little harder. "Michonne, you're having a bad dream. Wake up honey. C'mon" Rick said, as he tried to sit her up.
Michonne then let out a blood curdling scream and her eyes popped open. When she saw Rick she leaped out of bed so fast she almost fell on the floor. Rick, stunned, just stared at Michonne as she panted and looked around the bedroom wildly.
"It was a bad dream Michonne" Rick said softly.
Michonne, realizing she was safe and in her bedroom let out a series of slow breaths. Soon her breaths turned to sobs as she began to cry. Rick hopped out of bed and wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face into his neck. He wanted to ask her what the nightmare was about, but he knew she would tell him if and when she was ready, so he held her for a while until she calmed down and stopped crying.
"You ok?" he asked softly.
She nodded into his neck and let go of him. "Yea… let's, let's go back to bed" she suggested.
Without a word he held her hand, leading her back to the bed. She took off her clothes that she'd fallen asleep wearing, and crawled under the covers. He slid in next to her, and she turned so that she was laying against him, her head resting on his chest and her leg thrown between his.
"Sorry for waking you up" she mumbled.
"You kidding? I'm glad you weren't having a heart attack. You scared me to death."
"I'm sorry" she said again.
"It was about me, wasn't it?" he asked.
Michonne didn't respond and he knew the nightmare was about him.
"You were… you were a walker. And I was all alone. Everyone was dead. The kids…" Michonne let out another whimper as tears began to fall from her eyes again. "I was all alone so I… I let you… I let you bite me. I didn't want to live anymore. It's the second time I've had this dream."
Rick was quiet for a while as he took in what Michonne had said. He knew she didn't necessarily need him to respond to what she said, but he had to reassure her.
"You're not losing me Michonne. Not today. You're not losing everyone. We are gonna do this, and the plan will work. You know how I know I'll be ok?" Rick asked.
Michonne moved her head up to look into his eyes. "How?" she whispered.
"Because you'll be ok too."
Michonne let out a snort at Rick's words. "Stop stealing my lines" she said, playfully poking Rick's chest with her chin.
"C'mon. Let's go back to sleep, we still have a few hours until we need to get up."
"And you want to sleep?" Michonne asked incredulously.
"Yea. I want to be bright and wide eyed when Negan comes knocking" Rick said with a smirk. "And, I'm so confident we're gonna win, I already have plans of what I'm gonna do to you tonight. We're gonna have a victory celebration, just you and me." Rick said, pulling Michonne even closer to him. His voice made her body purr with anticipation, but Rick was right. They needed to get as much sleep as possible to be alert later on.
"We'd better survive, or my ghost will kick your ghost's ass for making me miss goodbye sex" Michonne threatened.
"Yes ma'am" Rick muttered into her hair, before both of them closed their eyes again.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
Negan woke up with a start. He looked around confused about why he wasn't in his bed and realized he'd fallen asleep in the lounge chair in his rooftop garden. Again. He didn't plan to sleep up there, but he just didn't want to go back to his room. Whenever he laid in his large king sized bed all he could think of was Michonne. Michonne's ass, Michonne's eyes, Michonne's skin, Michonne's lips. It was like she was haunting him.
After Michonne left he tried bringing his wives to bed as a distraction from her but it didn't work. They weren't her. Eventually he just stopped calling his wives to bed all together. He knew they were pissed, but he didn't care. There was only one woman he wanted.
His mood had changed as well. He was distracted, and even more short tempered than usual. Part of his short tempered attitude was because one of his wives had disappeared. His favorite wife, actually. He had gone searching for her after she left with her brother, but he didn't find her and he was pissed. He knew his people were whispering behind his back, but as long as they stayed in their place he could ignore it.
Despite his nasty mood, his spirits were somewhat lifted. He was doing a collection from Alexandria today and he'd finally get to see Michonne. He needed to see her. He was gonna make her an offer she couldn't refuse.
And she'd better not refuse, or Rick will fucking pay.
He stretched, hearing his back crack from the uncomfortable position he had been laying in. Not bothering to wash or change his clothes, He walked back inside and found one of his commanders.
"Get the team, we're going to Alexandria"
An hour and a half later, Negan pulled up to Alexandria's gates. As soon as the driver of his SUV stopped, Negan hopped out and lazily swung Lucille across his shoulder. As he approached the gates, they slid open just like before, and a weary looking Rick greeted him. Negan smiled at Rick's glare.
"Knock knock Rick! You missed me?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rick didn't say anything but opened the gates with his head down and Negan walked in. Rick noticed Negan seemed slightly disheveled. His hair had taken on a greasy look and was starting to grow long. His beard hadn't been trimmed and was longer than it previously had been, and Negan had telltale bags under his eyes that signaled that he hadn't been sleeping well. He looked around curiously and then turned back to Rick.
"Forget your manners?" Negan asked.
Rick tilted his head to the right in annoyance and then slowly got to both knees. Negan looked Rick up and down for a second and something seemed off about him. Rick was a little too submissive today.
Maybe he finally learned his lesson Negan thought. He decided to poke the bear.
"I asked you if you missed me" Negan said, getting in Rick's face.
"No sir" Rick replied, his eyes moving upwards to stare into Negan's.
Oh there it is, that's the Rick I know, Negan thought with satisfaction. He had come looking to pick a fight, and it was no fun if Rick didn't give him one. A smile slid across Negan's face.
"Awww that's a fucking shame, 'cuz I missed you. Well actually that's not true. I really missed Michonne." Negan said, circling around Rick who was still kneeling. "I spent the last few weeks fantasizing about her in that bra and panty set I picked out. Her ass is a fucking masterpiece. I could just watch her walk for hours…"
As Negan talked, Rick could feel his anger begin to bubble up in his chest. He knew his face was turning red from the rage that he was feeling inside, but he wouldn't ruin this plan because he was angry. He wouldn't throw away everything that everyone had been working towards just because he wanted to kill Negan. Rick sucked it up and stared as Negan continued to talk.
"… you could just eat off it. Ain't that right Rick?" Negan finished.
"Yes sir" Rick mumbled.
"Where is my girl Michonne?" Negan asked.
"She's busy" Rick spat.
"Uh… busy?" Negan asked, "Doing fucking what?"
"Getting your supplies together" Rick said, "…sir"
"Well let's go find her then. I have to ask her something. I'm hoping she'll say yes… for your sake." Negan said as he winked. "Get the fuck up Rick, let's go for a walk."
Rick slowly rose to his feet and Negan wrapped his arm around Rick's shoulder. Rick angrily shook off Negan's arm as he led him to the townhouse that Michonne was in.
"Wo-ho-ho Rick! I thought we were cool!" Negan taunted as he signaled to his men to start collecting the items that were already waiting outside in boxes.
Rick ignored Negan as he walked ahead of him, deeper into the town. Out of the corner of his eye, Rick spotted Carl on top of a nearby roof. Carl held up ten fingers and then quickly ducked back down into his hiding spot. Ten minutes until back-up is here.
Rick led Negan to the front of one of the town houses. A few Alexandrians were carrying boxes out of the house and bringing it to the center of town for the Saviors to collect.
"Go get her" Negan demanded of Rick, as Negan waited outside. Rick quickly jogged up the stairs and entered the house where Michonne was waiting.
"We have ten minutes until our back-up is here" Rick whispered, "We'll have to stall a bit."
Michonne nodded and leaned in to kiss Rick quickly on the lips. Her kiss said everything she was thinking, we got this. She led the way out of the house as Rick followed behind her.
"Michonne! Honey pie! How the fuck have you been?" Negan asked, opening his arms wide as if she'd actually come over to give him a hug.
Michonne stood in front of him but didn't answer, staring him down. Rick stood next to her with the same expression.
"Not even a fucking hug Michonne? It's like that now?" Negan asked in mock shock.
"We're giving you what you came for. Why do you need to talk to me?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Well, there's something else I came for, something I wanted to ask you. And I wanted Ricky here when I did. You might not like it, but I'm hoping you'll learn to."
Michonne eyed Negan with hatred. She had one guess what he wanted to ask her, and it wasn't anything good.
"I want you to come back with me, and stay this time. I know what you said before, but here's the thing…" Negan said pulling his gun and pointing it at Rick, "if you don't, I'll put a bullet through Rick's head."
Michonne's heart dropped. She knew Negan would pull some stunt like this. Tynesha had warned them that he was unstable and obsessed with her, but seeing him with a gun to Rick's head was a whole different story. Rick's eyes narrowed at the gun pointed in his face, but he didn't move.
"I can't go back without you" Negan enunciated, staring Michonne in the eyes, "I won't."
Michonne's eyes flicked from Rick's to Negan's. Rick's fingers were slowly inching towards his gun that was strapped to his hip. She had to diffuse the situation and quickly. They still had a few minutes before back-up arrived, and they had to stall.
"Ok… ok… just put the gun down" Michonne said, trying to coax Negan. "I'll go with you. Just let him go."
Negan's eyes grew wild and unstable. "I would, but y'know what? I've just fucking changed my mind. I think he needs to die anyway. You told me before I'll never be Rick, right? I'll never be him. I'll never live up to your fucking perfect motherfucker Rick. So I should just kill him, so you have no one to compare me to. As long as Rick is alive you'll never settle for me." Negan clicked the safety off the gun he was pointing at Rick.
Michonne knew this was getting out of control. There was no way she was going to wait for back-up, they had to act now. Michonne caught Rick's eyes and they exchanged a glance. Do it now.
Michonne, still staring at Negan, quickly signed 'now' with her hands. Sasha, who was positioned on the roof of one of the nearby houses, waiting for the signal from Michonne, pulled the trigger of her sniper rifle and a gun shot rang out across the town, hitting Negan in the arm that was pointing the gun at Rick. His arm flew upwards and he let out a scream of pain and confusion. Simultaneously, an arrow fired by Maggie who had been hiding on a roof behind them with Tynesha, struck him in the back.
Negan's men who were standing behind him, turned in shock, looking for the source of the gunfire. Carl and TJ, who were on top of the buildings signaled 'open fire' and suddenly the rooftops were alight with gunfire, arrows, and spears being thrown down at the unsuspecting Saviors. Many of Negan's men who were unfortunate enough to be standing by nearby buildings were hit with scalding water that was thrown from open windows.
Rick, seeing his chance to finally get Negan, ran towards him while simultaneously pulling his weapon from his holster. Before Rick had the chance to get his gun out, Michonne saw Negan aim his gun with his opposite uninjured hand. She screamed "No Rick!" but it was too late. An earsplitting gunshot erupted from Negan's gun, and a bullet hit Rick in the leg. Rick stumbled backwards and fell to the floor in shock, clutching his leg. As Michonne ran to Rick, Negan used the opportunity to stumble to his feet.
Maggie continued aiming arrows at Negan, but he was now a moving target as he stumbled away with the first arrow she'd shot still in his back. Sasha was also concentrating on hitting Negan, but her focus was pulled away when Carol who was on top of the roof with her pointed to Alexandria's gates.
"Sasha! Take out the cars!" Carol yelled. Sasha didn't want to lose Negan in her sights for a moment, but the way Carol was yelling, she knew it was important. She cursed silently and turned towards where Carol was pointing. A second convoy of trucks had shown up. One of Negan's back-up groups.
Sasha took aim and opened fire on the convoy, flattening the tires and trying to hit as many people as she could. People leaped out the way as a wall of bullets descended on them.
Carl, who was directing the war effort from the rooftops saw Negan shoot his father. A rage like nothing he'd ever felt before took over him. Without another word, Carl left his post and raced to the door that led from the roof.
Michonne quickly ran to Rick, pulling him towards cover. His leg was bleeding profusely and the wound looked like a mangled mass of blood and tissue. She dragged him behind a tree and began to remove her belt to wrap around his leg.
"No! Get Negan!" Rick hissed.
"If I leave you you'll bleed to death!" Michonne snapped at him.
"The whole point of this is to kill him" Rick pleaded. "Don't let him get away."
"He'll die" Michonne said, ignoring Rick. "I'll make sure of it. But you won't."
Michonne wrapped her belt firmly around Rick's leg and was tying the buckle to hold the makeshift bandage in place when one of Negan's soldiers spotted them hiding behind the tree. The man aimed his gun and was seconds away from firing when he dropped to the ground, dead. Another one of Negan's soldiers had shot him.
"I'm friends with Tynesha." the man yelled, "You're Michonne right? I got you."
The man gave Michonne cover as she pulled Rick into the townhouse. As soon as she got Rick up the stairs, the man ran off to continue the fight.
Sasha and Carol were on the roof taking out as many of Negan's soldiers as they could, when they heard a loud voice coming from the floor below them. "Take out the snipers".
Sasha looked to Carol. They had locked the roof door, but someone obviously knew they were up there. Sasha saw Maggie and Tynesha who were on an adjacent roof, Maggie firing arrows at the people below, and Tynesha putting her sharp shooting training to good use.
Sasha waved her hands to get their attention. Tynesha looked up and Sasha signed help! And pointed to the men who were entering the house below her. Tynesha nodded, and ran to the opposite side of the roof where TJ was communicating messages. She signed something to him and then ran back to where Sasha was. Coming! She responded.
"Help is coming" Sasha said to Carol.
"Not in time" Carol responded, turning to the roof door as they heard someone take a few kicks at it.
"Sasha, finish taking out the tires on all the cars. None of those soldiers can get away from here and warn the other Saviors. I'll handle the door." Carol said.
"Ok" Sasha responded. She knew Carol was right. The plan could be destroyed if Negan's men managed to escape and tip off the other Saviors. The teams who were attacking the outposts needed the element of surprise.
Sasha ignored the kicking at the door as she targeted in on the vehicles, aiming for the engines and tires to disable them. Suddenly an earsplitting crack announced that the roof door had been kicked open. Carol unleashed a hail of bullets into the open doorway causing the soldiers to dive for cover. Sasha had just finished destroying the tires on the last truck when bullets began to bounce off the wall next to her. She abandoned her sniper rifle and crawled behind some bricks to get out of the way.
"Get those bitches!" A man screamed. Sasha pulled a handgun and stayed silent as she heard footsteps approaching her. Before they got closer she opened fire blindly in the direction of the footsteps and heard someone scream. More bullets caused her to duck down again and she realized her gun was now empty. She sighed. If this was how she was to die, she could accept that. She did everything she could to help her friends destroy Negan. Now she could go be with her brother, and Bob, and Abraham, and everyone else she had loved and lost. But she would go down fighting.
Carol knew she only had a few bullets left in her gun and she was trying to conserve them. She watched Negan's soldiers carefully make their way on to the roof. She needed to wait and see how many there were. She could see six. She figured she had about three bullets left. She'd have to make this work. She let them all make their way out into the open and silently took aim from behind a wall. Bam! She took out the last man to walk through the door, but she gave away her position. Bullets surrounded her on all sides as the remaining five Saviors turned towards her. Carol, realizing she'd probably be dead soon, fired another bullet in the direction of the gunfire, and was shocked to hear a scream. She'd hit someone else. Four to go.
Sasha could see the legs of one of Negan's men as he inadvertently walked past where she was crouching. Sasha silently pulled her knife and glanced to see if anyone else was right behind him. When she didn't see anyone she leaped from her spot and slammed her knife into the man's neck. He screamed in pain and his buddies opened fire on her, hitting her in the left shoulder. Sasha screamed as the pain radiated from her shoulder. Carol used the distraction to take a shot with her last bullet, and hit another soldier in the head. There were two men left on the roof. Sasha let go of her injured shoulder and threw herself on to one of the men as Carol took another.
Two on two, those are better odds.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
Michonne dragged Rick into one of the houses. Rick was pissed off beyond belief that he now couldn't help take the Saviors down. He hated being helpless, especially now.
"Put me by the window" Rick demanded, even as he groaned in pain from his damaged leg. Michonne obliged, setting him down on a chair by an open window. "Leave me a rifle" Rick ordered. Michonne passed him a rifle that had been hidden in the house. "Now go get him!" Rick said, turning to Michonne.
Michonne hesitated. She knew she had to leave Rick, but she didn't want to. He'll be ok she thought to herself. She leaned in to him and planted a last kiss on his lips before she turned and ran out the door to find Negan.
Rick hefted the rifle up to his shoulder and rested its muzzle on the window sill. He may not be able to walk, but he'd take out any Saviors that ran by.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx
TJ stood at his spot on the roof, sending messages to the groups of snipers who were on the rooftops of Alexandria. There were five other people strategically placed on the roofs so that they could all see each other and give updates on where the Saviors were congregated, and who needed help, through sign language. He noticed that Carl had left his post, making it harder for messages to be sent now, but he figured it was for a good reason. He saw Tynesha sign that Station 3, Carol and Sasha's sniper station, needed back-up. TJ passed the message on, and Daryl, who was also on a roof shooting his crossbow, saw it.
Station 3? Carol is up there!
He stopped what he was doing and turned to run towards the house that the two women were in, hoping he wasn't too late.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
Carl ran in the direction that he saw Negan limp off in. He knew Negan had been hit at least twice and was now injured, but the man was as resourceful as ever and managed to disappear from the eyes of the many snipers who were watching from the roofs of Alexandria. Carl followed the length of the gates until he spotted Negan limping in the direction of Alexandria's open front gates.
Negan was pulling on the door handle of one of the disabled cars, trying to get in the driver's seat, but he looked down and realized the tires had been shot out. He had just turned to try another car when Carl caught up with him and body slammed him into the concrete.
"Shit! What the-" Negan started, but his sentence was cut off by Carl's fists as he straddled Negan and relentlessly pummeled Negan's face. Negan lifted his good arm to defend himself, but Carl easily held Negan's arm down with his left hand as he punched with his right. Carl was in a fit of rage and wouldn't have stopped if Michonne hadn't come up behind him and pulled Carl off.
"No! I'm gonna kill him!" Carl screamed in a rage, fighting Michonne. He snatched his arms out of her hands and shoved her backwards so hard she almost fell. The shock of almost pushing her down, and the look of disbelief on Michonne's face sobered Carl up quickly.
His mouth opened in surprise and his eye widened in horror. "I'm… s-sorry Michonne" Carl stuttered.
Michonne ignored Carl's apology as she stalked over to Negan and yanked him up by the collar of his shirt. "Help me get him back in Alexandria" she ordered Carl, "there are other people who deserve more revenge than you."
Just then, a convoy of horses rumbled down the street leading up to Alexandria. It was their back-up from the Kingdom and Hilltop. They had just taken out the rest of Negan's back-up soldiers and were returning to help in the battle. Michonne moved out the way as the horsemen and women rode into Alexandria, targeting the dozens of Saviors who were still inside.
Michonne and Carl each grabbed one of Negan's arms and dragged him back into Alexandria. Rosita, spotting them, escorted them with her weapon trained on Negan at all times. The sound of gunfire and screams echoed throughout Alexandria as the fight continued.
"Michonne, it doesn't have to be like this…" Negan mumbled as blood dripped from his split lip.
"Shut up!" Michonne hissed, tightening her hold on his arm. Suddenly, a shower of bullets began bouncing off the pavement near Michonne, Carl, Rosita, and Negan. Michonne shoved Carl behind a truck as Rosita opened fire on three Saviors that were using a building as cover. Michonne dragged Negan behind the truck as well, as Rosita covered them.
"Let Negan go!" someone yelled.
Rosita answered by spraying them with bullets.
"You'll never win" Negan spat out. "I have way too many fucking people".
"I said shut up" Michonne growled.
"Rick's a fucking loser!" Negan screamed, "you don't know what a real fucking man is…"
Michonne swiftly kicked Negan in the balls, causing him to curl up into a ball on the floor. Carl was more than happy to press his knee to Negan's throat, keeping him on the ground and quiet.
"Let him go and we won't kill you!" someone yelled from behind the building, "that's the only way you make it out from behind that truck alive!". Rosita moved to continue firing at the Saviors who were yelling at them, but Michonne put a hand on her shoulder to keep her down. "You're just wasting bullets, you won't hit them. We need a distraction."
Suddenly, the Saviors who were hiding behind the wall screamed in pain. Michonne peeked out from behind the truck quickly enough to catch a stream of scalding hot water being poured out of one of the windows directly on to the Saviors below.
"Run!" Enid yelled as she ducked back inside the house.
Michonne yanked Negan up from the ground and she, Carl, and Rosita took off back towards the townhouse she had left Rick in.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Daryl raced toward station 3, the roof where Carol and Sasha had signaled for help. He could hear people shooting at him, but he didn't care, making sure to run in a zigzag to avoid getting shot. When he was a block away from the house he heard gunfire coming from the roof, and then to his horror, a body fell backwards off the roof, slamming into the ground below. Daryl's breathing stopped and his body went cold.
It can't be Carol. It ain't her. It ain't her.
Daryl carefully jogged over to the fallen body, afraid to look but needing to. As he cautiously approached he saw short brown hair and knew it wasn't Carol or Sasha. He turned and dashed into the house, sprinting up the stairs with his crossbow at the ready. As he burst onto the roof he saw multiple bodies scattered everywhere. He jogged over to the sniper rifle that was still propped up on the side of the building when he spotted Sasha and Carol crouched down behind a wall. Both injured, but alive, with Sasha bleeding from a gunshot wound to the arm.
"Did y'all throw that guy off the roof?" Daryl asked as he approached the women in awe.
Carol snickered as she helped Sasha to her feet. "He had it coming".
Daryl reached for Carol and pressed his lips against hers, this time both of them kissing back equally.
"Um… I'm shot and there are Saviors running around. Maybe this isn't the time?" Sasha groaned.
"You're right, let's get you to the infirmary" Carol said, limping slightly from her fight as she and Daryl helped Sasha off the roof.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
By the time Carl, Michonne, and Rosita made it back to the house where they had left Rick, most of the Saviors had been killed by either the Alexandrians, the back-up forces from the Hilltop and the Kingdom, or the Saviors that had switched sides and taken out their own people.
Negan's bullet wound in his arm and the arrow still sticking out from his back were bleeding profusely as he was dragged through the streets. When they approached the townhouse there was a loud click and then a gunshot that startled Michonne and Carl enough for them to drop Negan's arms. Negan screamed in agony and blood began to pour from one of his legs. Michonne looked up at the house and saw Rick in the window, slowly putting down the shot gun she'd given him. The look in Rick's eye was one of pure hate as he stared at Negan as he writhed in pain on the ground.
Soon, more Alexandrian's emerged from their houses, or stations on the roof where they were defending their homes. The allies from the Kingdom and Hilltop came over to see what the commotion was about, and the new allies who were former Saviors, ten in all, also came to watch Negan squirm on the ground in pain. Many people were shot or injured, but they still came over to watch Negan.
"Shit!" Negan moaned as he laid flat on his back on the ground. "So that's it, huh?" he spat as he looked at the crowd surrounding him, "You're just gonna fucking kill me? Go ahead you pussies. Go ahead, Rick!" Negan yelled at the window Rick was still sitting by. "Kill me in front of your boy! Show him how a real man handles his business!"
Just then, Daryl and Carol joined the group, holding on to Sasha who was nursing her gunshot wound to the arm. As soon as Daryl saw Negan, he let go of Sasha and ran at him, pulling out his knife. He kicked Negan in the face and promptly hacked off one of his fingers causing Negan to howl in agony. "Fucking son of a bitch" Daryl spat.
Sasha looked over at Rosita who still had her gun leveled at Negan and a murderous look on her face. They glanced at each other and they came to an understanding. Do it for us both.
Rosita nodded in Sasha's direction and lowered her gun. Sasha approached Negan who was now rolling in agony from his two gun shots, his arrow to the back, and his missing finger, and calmly took out her knife. She stared into his eyes and whispered "this is for Abraham", and she swiftly slit his neck. Negan's blood began pouring from his neck but no one said a word as he slowly began to bleed out. Sasha walked back over to Carol who put an arm around her as they watched Negan's last moments.
Maggie was the last to arrive to the gathering. She pushed her way through the group and saw that Negan was dying, but she had to finish him, for Glenn. She took her bow off her back and positioned an arrow into the notch. She walked up to Negan's face and stood over him. His eyes were open and he was weakly clutching his throat but was on the verge of passing out. "You got off too easy, I hope you go to hell and get what you really deserve" she said, before shooting an arrow through his forehead. Negan fell on the ground, limp and still, as blood continued to trickle from his neck. The crowd that was gathered looked on silently for a few moments, as if unsure how to react.
Finally, Michonne took charge. "Get the gates closed and make sure there are enough guards to cover the entire perimeter. Team from the Kingdom, go back out and check outside the gates to make sure we took care of every single one of the Saviors and the Savior's back-up team. We don't want any surprises. Take the injured to the infirmary, and check all the roofs, houses, and streets for walkers. Eugene, get on the radio and check in with the other teams at the Sanctuary and the outposts. Tell them Negan is dead, and check the status of their missions."
Once Michonne gave the orders, everyone jumped into action, moving off in different directions to do what she asked. A few people purposely stepped on, kicked, or spat on Negan's body, but they left him in the street as they went about their business.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
There were heavy casualties on both sides. All the Saviors that had come into Alexandria had been killed, except for those who had switched sides and fought against their own group. The Alexandrians had taken heavy losses as well. Spencer, Tobin, and Eugene were among the many people who hadn't survived the siege. The infirmary was full of patients, but without a real doctor there was only so much that could be done. Rosita and Tara tried their best to care for the many gunshot wounds that people had received, Rick and Sasha included.
Michonne stood by as Rosita tried to stich up the wound in Rick's leg without anesthesia or much else besides a needle and thread. Rick was staring straight ahead, the only clue that he was in pain was an occasional inhalation when Rosita pulled on the string a little too hard. When he sucked in his breath, Michonne whispered "big baby", causing him to smile. When she was done, Rick thanked Rosita and she rushed off to stitch up someone else's wound.
"So, we made it" Michonne said softly, sitting on the side of the exam bed Rick was resting on.
"We did" he confirmed, letting out a breath, "I told you so". Michonne reached for one of his hands, and held it gently between both of hers.
"There might be more. There probably is more. We still haven't heard back from the other groups. We don't know if they succeeded…"
Rick cut Michonne off. "We made it. We're alive, Negan is dead. We'll just go from there. Whatever we need to do to end this, we'll do it. You were afraid to lose everyone, but you haven't. We don't die. Not now. Not like this."
Michonne nodded.
"Don't think I forgot what I said this morning" Rick teased, his hand snaking over to Michonne's thigh. "We're gonna have a victory celebration tonight if it kills me."
"Uh, did you forget you're shot?" Michonne asked incredulously, "A victory celebration very well might kill you."
"Then I'll die a happy man" Rick laughed, his hand snaking higher up Michonne's leg.
"Why Richard Grimes, I do declare you are thee horniest dog I ever have met in my life" Michonne said, pressing her hand to her chest in pretend shock and putting on her best southern belle accent.
Rick chuckled and leaned in to kiss her just as TJ burst into the room, thrusting a radio into both of their faces and pointing.
Jesus's voice was speaking on the other end. "Hello? Jesus to someone in Alexandria. We have taken the Sanctuary. Over. I repeat, we have taken the Sanctuary."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The various teams radioed in their statuses. All had suffered heavy casualties, but all had prevailed. Ezekiel radioed in that he had taken three captives and they had told him the location of two other outposts that they hadn't known about. Everyone would have to band together to attack the remaining two outposts, but that could wait until tomorrow. Tonight, they could relax, at least a little.
The bodies of the Saviors were loaded into trucks and taken to the quarry that Rick had found months ago. They weren't burned or buried, they were simply dumped into the hole in a heap. Negan's body was thrown in last. Various people who he had wronged had taken their frustration out on it, kicking and shooting it a few more times, and there wasn't much left to dump into the hole.
Once Negan was officially gone, a tentative peace settled over Alexandria. No one dropped their guard completely, as there undoubtedly still were Saviors running around, but people had smiles on their faces, something that hadn't been seen in months. The children who were waiting at the rendezvous point had been brought home and reunited with the rest of the community. Most people were celebrating the victory, but still weary of the battle that would happen tomorrow.
To free up some space in the overcrowded infirmary, Michonne and Carl took Rick home in a wheelchair as Judith rode on Rick's lap. Judith smiled excitedly and Rick laughed as Carl zigzagged the wheelchair down the street. Michonne hung back, watching her family with a lump in her throat. She thought she might lose them all, but she was so grateful that she hadn't.
Michonne was too tired to cook a meal, and no one was very hungry anyway, so she allowed Carl and Judith to eat their favorite junk food for dinner, stale cookies. She had found a package of unopened Oreos a few days before, a rare find, and this was the perfect night to celebrate with a treat. Michonne brought her CD player downstairs and the family relaxed on the couch, snacking on the cookies and listening to music. When Judith was finished eating her face and shirt was covered in crumbled up Oreos, but as usual it didn't bother her one bit. She suddenly stood up, leaning on the couch for support, and began bouncing to the music.
Rick and Michonne quickly began cheering her on as Judith danced on her little legs. Carl hopped up and held Judith's hands, dancing along with her. Judith was so happy to be the center of attention she twisted and jumped as her brother and parents cheered her on. Not one to let the kids have all the fun, Michonne got to her feet when 'Party Rock Anthem' came on.
"I challenge you to a dance off" Michonne said to Carl, putting her hands on her hips.
"What?" Carl asked, totally taken by surprise.
"You, me, dance off, now." Michonne said, cracking her neck. "Or are you chicken?"
"So I heard you correctly the first time. I thought I heard wrong, but you do want me to embarrass you in front of dad and Judy." Carl said smugly.
Michonne's mouth dropped open in surprise as Carl put Judy back on Rick's lap and he stretched as if he were about to run a long race.
"Hmmm, we'll see who's embarrassed when we're done. We take turns, two rounds, and your dad and Judy will be the judges." Michonne explained, twisting side to side as she spoke, stretching her back.
"Wait what?" Rick asked, "Why do I have to be the judge, I'm not taking sides."
"C'mon dad" Carl said, "don't be wimp. Judy will judge too, right Judy?" Carl asked.
Judy happily clapped her hands and babbled at her mother and brother.
"Ok, I'll go first" Michonne said. She restarted the song and began to rock to the beat with a thoughtful look on her face. She suddenly broke out into the running man, her feet effortlessly sliding across the floor as she stayed in one spot. Rick bust out laughing and Judy began to bounce in Rick's lap. Carl stood with his arms crossed and a serious look on his face as Michonne danced closer and closer to him. She did the running man in circles around Carl until he couldn't hold his laughter in anymore, and she stopped only when he had a big smile on his face.
"Yea that was alright mom" Carl grinned, "but I can do much better"
"Yea let's see Mr. Big Talker" Michonne replied.
Carl cracked his neck and his knuckles before waving his arms over his head like he was holding a lasso, and galloping around the living room. After he circled the entire couch, he did a mediocre version of the moonwalk, purposely backing into Michonne as she chuckled at Carl's silliness.
"Can you top that?" Carl asked.
"Hmm… you know, I think I can" Michonne said, pretending to be thoughtful.
She playfully waved her hands to clear Carl out of her way, and she began to do the butterfly, moving her arms and legs inwards and outwards like the wings of a butterfly.
"Yea, what do you know about that?" Michonne challenged.
"That was cute mom, but you're about to be destroyed" Carl said, shooing Michonne away the same way she did to him. Carl dropped to the floor and proceeded to do the worm, rhythmically pushing his body up from the floor and dropping back down again. Michonne's mouth dropped open and Rick and Judy clapped as the whole family watched him. When Carl was finished, Michonne clapped as well.
"Where did you learn to do that?" she asked, thoroughly impressed.
"I have my ways, maybe one day I'll teach you" Carl boasted. Michonne playfully mushed up Carl's hair, causing him to laugh and lean away from her.
"Ok, it's time to announce the winner" Rick said in an official sounding voice. "Judy will do the honors so I don't get attacked by the loser". Rick whispered something in Judy's ear and then put her on the floor. "Go on" Rick encouraged her. Judy toddled over to Carl and hugged his leg. "And the winner is Carl" Rick said. Michonne joined in with the clapping as Carl took his bows.
"And now, it's getting pretty late. I think we need to wrap this party up and go to bed." Rick said, giving his son a hint.
Carl rolled his eyes. "If you guys need some time alone, all you have to do is say it. I'm not a little kid y'know."
"Yes, but you're my little kid" Rick said sarcastically. "Come here and give me a hug".
Carl rolled his eyes but walked over to Rick who was still in his wheelchair, and gave him a hug. "Good night hot wheels" Carl mumbled. Rick playfully swatted at Carl's head.
Carl then gave Michonne a hug. "Goodnight mom" he said, and then he whispered "Sorry about pushing you earlier. I didn't mean it."
Michonne nodded. "I know" she whispered back. Carl took Judy and carried her upstairs.
Michonne looked at Rick and smiled. "Really, where did he learn to do the worm? That was amazing."
"You were amazing too" Rick said, looking her up and down.
Michonne walked over to Rick's chair. "You sure you up for this? You can't even walk. We can wait to celebrate."
Rick grabbed Michonne's hands and pulled her closer. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "I wouldn't wait if I had been shot in the chest. There is nothing that will ever stop me from wanting you."
Rick struggled to stand from the wheelchair. Michonne helped him up and supported him as they made their way to the spare bedroom. She helped him sit down on the edge of the bed and she turned around to close the door. By the time she had turned back around to look at him, his shirt was already off.
"How did you do that so fast?" Michonne asked in disbelief.
"Come over here and see how fast I can get your shirt off too."
Michonne took her time walking back over to Rick, but as soon as she got into reach of his arms, he pulled her onto his lap so that her body was straddling his. He kissed her deeply, his tongue running over her teeth and massaging her tongue. He moaned into her mouth and she could feel him harden underneath her.
She rocked on top of him a few times, eliciting more moans from him, and the feel of him poking her through his jeans.
"So what's the best way to do this?" she asked nibbling on his neck, "I don't want to hurt you"
"There's so much I wanna do to you right now" Rick confessed, and then his voice got deeper and more husky "but what I really want is for you to ride me".
Michonne smiled against Rick's cheek. "Ok, how do you want me to ride you Rick?" she asked in a silky voice.
Rick knew she was playing with him, but he was up for talking dirty. He reached his arms around Michonne and placed both hands firmly on her ass cheeks, squeezing tightly. "I want you to ride me fast, and while you're riding me I want to hold on to your ass" he admitted, nuzzling his face into her neck.
"Mmm, that sounds good" Michonne replied. "I think I'd like that. So how 'bout you move further into that bed so I can take your clothes off."
Rick happily complied, carefully lifting his legs into the bed so as not to irritate his wound. Michonne slowly unzipped Rick's zipper, not hiding the fact that she was staring longingly at his dick. She slowly began to stroke him on top of his boxers, eliciting more moans from his lips. She moved his jeans down his legs, using the utmost care around his wound, but the movement of his jeans still caused Rick to suck in a breath in pain.
"You ok?" Michonne asked, looking up at him.
"Hell yea" Rick responded with a smile, and Michonne continued to undress him until he was naked. She then began to undress herself as he watched with glee.
"You're so beautiful" he said, looking at her in awe. His expression made her fall in love with him all over again. That fact that he still looked at her like she was the most wonderful thing in the world, after he knew who she was, what she'd done, what she was capable of doing. He loved her despite all of that, maybe even because of all of that.
"So are you" she responded, and she gently climbed on top of him, kissing him again. His hands rested on her back, and slowly moved around her body as she kissed him. His fingers moved down her sides, wrapping around to caress her breasts and fondle her nipples. They them moved down her belly, causing her lower regions to flutter with need, they then worked their ways down her thighs but then up again, finally curving around to her ass and staying there.
Rick thrust his body upwards, rubbing his hard dick on her thigh. "You feel that? That's how beautiful you are. That's how sexy you are. That's how much I want you and need you. Nobody is ever gonna take you away from me. Never ever again. I promise."
Michonne smiled as she rubbed herself against Rick's now swollen dick. "Are you ready?" she asked teasingly. He nodded enthusiastically.
"Say it" she demanded.
"I'm ready Michonne, I want you to ride me"
She leaned down and gave his lips a quick kiss before slowly lowering herself on to him. He immediately began to gyrate underneath her as she stayed still, allowing herself to adjust to him. "Is this ok?" she asked.
He responded by thrusting up into her and making her gasp. Excited, she began to rock back and forth on top of him. The two of them melded together, flesh on flesh, chest to chest. Rick couldn't get enough of her, kissing every part of her he could reach, licking her shoulder, her sternum, and then taking a breast into his mouth. Michonne rocked on top of Rick, feeling his body inside of hers was amazing. A few minutes in, they both were getting excited and Michonne wanted to give Rick more. She slowly pulled herself from him.
Rick opened his mouth to protest but Michonne quickly turned with her back to him and straddled him again. Rick grinned wildly as he looked at the view in front of him. The vision of her perfect ass in his face as she lowered herself onto his dick was something he would never forget. He nearly came right there.
"Oh my… oh God!" Rick groaned, digging his fingers into her waist as she moved on top of him. Michonne, carefully avoiding the bandage on Rick's leg, took up a rhythm as she bounced, waves of pleasure passing through her. She would slow the pace down and Rick would impatiently move her hips against him for her to speed up again. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was open, and each movement she made earned a grunt from Rick. "Michonne" he moaned, as he ran his fingers up and down her ass, caressing it's pillowy softness.
"Wanna see another dance move I saved just for you?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at Rick.
"Oh yes" Rick whispered, leaning back in anticipation.
Michonne winked and moved up higher off Rick so that she was on her hands and knees facing away from him. She opened her legs wide into a full split, and then slammed down hard on Rick's dick so that he dove deep into her.
"Shit!" Rick yelled out in surprise. Michonne continued bouncing on him while in a split, and with his position behind her, he could see every fine detail of what was happening.
"Why... am I... just... finding out... about this move... now?" Rick asked, barely able to get the words out.
"You like?" she asked, continuing her assault.
"I love. Please do that every time. That feels so good. But now, I want to see your face." He panted, gently turning her around so that she was facing him. "Your face is my favorite part of you, but the other parts, those are a close second."
Michonne leaned down, kissing Rick tenderly, and continued rocking, both of them close to the end.
"I told you once we take down Negan, I would have as many babies with you as you allow. I was wondering, do you wanna start?" Rick asked.
Michonne froze for a moment. "What, now?" she asked breathlessly.
"Yea, I mean this would be an opportune time" Rick said, playfully grinding beneath her.
"I… like right now?... I didn't…" Michonne started at a loss for words.
"If you don't want to it's ok, I'll pull out. I'm just asking. I'm letting you know, if you want to, I want to."
Michonne looked undecided, but as she stared down into Rick's eyes she knew that she wanted any children she had to be his, and now that Negan was gone they had a bright future. There were still battles to be won, but today, she could think about their future together.
She leaned down and kissed Rick, running her fingers down his face. She then gently continued grinding on him. "Ok. I'm ready when you are."
Author's note: I am finally done with this story! It's amazing how a one-shot turned into a 10 chapter fic, but I guess I just can't write a one-shot. I really hope you enjoyed this story, I worked really hard on it and got serious cases of writer's block, especially for this last chapter, it was killing me, so please write me a review to tell me what you think!