Rick and Michonne glanced uneasily at one another, as they arrived back in Alexandria with Abraham, who was clearly very angry. He had told them three things:
One, the people that were supposedly alive, weren't really. They couldn't eat and some were vomiting up ash.
Two, Shane was dead.
Three, Herschel, Beth and Gareth were going back down below, to see if Dr. Jenner could do anything about what was happening to them.
And yet, from Abraham's near 'frothing at the mouth' demeanor, they knew something else was going on. And if they had to guess, it had to do with Sasha.
They had returned to Alexandria in Shane's house and were hurrying after Abraham to catch up! He was clearly in a hurry to confront something or someone. He stopped suddenly by a pile of ash, then looked back at Rick and Michonne.
"That's that Shane fuck!" he informed them, before hurrying out of the house. Rick and Michonne stared at the ash. Rick longer than Michonne. Michonne walked over to the window and watched Abraham running towards Sasha's house in full speed mode! She turned to Rick, who looked more confused than anything else.
"We need to be careful." Michonne said. Rick nodded.
"I'm going to assume that once one of the 'once dead', dies, they turn to this." Rick said, picking up a knife. He looked at Michonne.
"This is Darryl's." he told her.
"Darryl killed Shane? Why?"
"You'd have to have known Shane. It could've been anything. Not that I'm sorry." Rick said, looking the knife over.
"Rick, why did they let us go when one of their people was killed? Why isn't someone dragging Darryl down below like they did us?"
"I don't know." he said, now looking up and around for cameras. "We need to have a meeting. Of everyone. I'm thinking we need to leave here."
Michonne bit her lip.
"Where would we go? This new government is probably everywhere."
"I don't know, Michonne, but we can't stay here knowing they're underground watching us. We need to tell other people. That and I'm not living here with that sonofabitch, Gareth." Rick said firmly.
"Agreed. But before we call a meeting, we need to confront Gareth, Herschel and Beth. They need to go back down below and get checked out." Michonne said. Rick kicked at Shane's ashes, before following Michonne out of the house. The first person they saw was Glenn.
"What the hell is going on up here?! Beth is throwing up something…I don't know what it is! And what was that pile of dirt in Rosita's living room?"
"That dirt was Shane. And if you look carefully, that's what Beth is throwing up. You need to prepare Maggie for some hard truths about her sister and father." Rick said grimly. Michonne touched Glenn's arm.
"Where is Gareth?"
"No one has seen him." he said. "Believe me, I asked around. There are too many people here that don't grasp what kind of a threat he is."
Michonne looked away from him to see Abraham come running out of Sasha's house! She couldn't tell if that meant he'd found her or what! She saw him go into the Sheriff's station…
Morgan wasn't doing much of anything when Abraham barreled into the office! Morgan's eyes widened as he stood up.
"Abraham? You're free?"
"Yeah and so are Rick and Michonne! Where the hell are Sasha and Darryl?"
"Uh, they dropped Judith off with Carol and went scavenging." he said, eyeing him.
"All the vehicles are still here." Abraham noted.
"Well they left on his motorcycle. Sasha was on the back…"
"I can damned well guess where the fuck she was on the motorcycle, Morgan! You didn't think it was odd that they'd 'scavenge' on a fucking motorcycle? How would they carry shit back on that?"
"Look," Morgan said in a low voice, "I can see you're upset. Just wait for them to return and talk to them…"
Abraham was about to say something else, and not very nice, when Carol walked in and closed the door.
"I saw you were over here. Rick wants to have a meeting over at his house. Everyone needs to be there."
"Yeah and that would include Darryl and Sasha!" he snapped, before grabbing Carol's arm and hustling her out of the station. Abraham slammed the door behind him and ignored Morgan's stare at them from the window.
"What do you know about what's going on between them?"
"I don't know anything, Abraham. And if there is, it's none of my business."
"The hell it isn't! You two have been tight since day one! Everyone here thinks you two have something going on and have just been discreet about it! So don't give me that bullshit!"
"You listen to me, Abraham Ford: IF there is something going on between Darryl and Sasha, there is nothing to be done about it. You are married to Rosita now and from what I hear, expecting a child."
"None of that is taking place now! And if you think I would've given up Sasha for any other reason other than that, then you're head isn't screwed on straight!"
"Oh it's on straighter than it's ever been. Something has went wrong with Rosita and now you've decided that Sasha is worth fighting for."
Abraham eyed her.
"I'm not wrong here. You do have feelings for Darryl. How come you're covering for them?"
Carol paused for a long moment before answering him.
"I'm being a grown-up. I'm not going to obsess over what I can't control. Darryl and I are friends. I'm not going to lie, I was thrown by what's starting to happen between the two of them but we're not guaranteed tomorrow in the world we live in now. If Sasha has moved on, then you need to too."
"I didn't ask you for any fucking advice! Especially bad advice!" he yelled and stomped down the steps. Morgan opened the door to the station and Carol glanced back at him and shrugged.
Sasha had never ridden on the back of a motorcycle before, but she could feel how free and relaxed Darryl seemed just as she held on to him. Darryl had told some of the others that they were scavenging for other vehicles and that Sasha would bring it back if they found one. No one except Carol looked skeptical and it was Carol's face that Sasha could not get out of her mind. Had there been something between Darryl and Carol? It never quite seemed like it but then again, she could honestly say that she had never spent anytime thinking about it. There were too many other things occupying her mind on a daily basis.
She returned her attention to where they were going, when Darry turned down a road and drove past a very cute looking house with a white picket fence. There was a flower garden there as well. For a brief second, Sasha thought she caught sight of someone who had to have been the owner, in full walker form, banging and growling on a window. She looked away and began watching where Darryl was going, because he definitely had a destination in mind. This had not been a chance scavenging trip for some vehicle.
Sasha's questions were answered, when Darryl pulled up to a stronghold that clearly used to be a school or something. The guards seemed to know Darryl and Sasha could see a the equivalent of a square or former playground, and many people either gardening or play acting. Darryl stopped the motorcycle in front of a very tall woman that was dressed like a knight!
"Uh, where are we?" Sasha whispered, as they both climbed off of the motorcycle. Darryl parked it, walked over to her and slipped an arm around her trim waist, before presenting her before the woman.
"Hey, Diane. I need to speak to the King."
"He's been waiting for you. Jerry will escort you in." she said, nodding to Sasha. Sasha nodded back, as if she knew what was going on and walked towards a building entrance of sorts. A large Asian man, with a sword, smiled at Darryl.
"Hey, Darryl. His Majesty is waiting."
Darryl nodded back and Sasha told herself that Darryl knew what he was doing here. She took in the surroundings and found herself feeling hopeful that there were people out here, like them, that seemed to be thriving in their surroundings. How had Darryl met these people and why hadn't he said anything to anyone else about them? The Underground had to be watching all of this, right? Or maybe Rick and Michonne knew about this place and just kept it to themselves?
They entered an auditorium and saw a black man with gray dreads, sitting on stage on a throne. And next to him was a stuffed tiger…
It then growled, proving it was not stuffed! Sasha, against her better judgment, moved with Darryl, trusting him. He didn't seem thrown by the tiger, but he sensed she was, and his hold tightened on her middle as they stopped before Ezekiel.
"Darryl Dixon. Who have you brought before me?" he asked, smiling down at Sasha. Sasha smiled back but her eyes flicked to the tiger. He yawned and put his head down on the floor.
"This is Sasha Williams. I want her to stay here with you until some things are settled over at Alexandria." Darryl said pointedly.
Sasha looked at Darryl, then at Ezekiel, in shock!
"Darryl, can we talk about this? In private?"
Ezekiel answered.
"There is no need, Lady Sasha. Darryl is a friend of the Kingdom. As is Lady Carol? How is she?" he asked.
Sasha raised a brow but Darryl was looking at Ezekiel.
"She's good. Or as good as you can be these days." he answered.
"Has something changed with regards to the Underground?"
"Yes. They let us know that they plan on marrying people up just so they can make them have children. You haven't seen any Undergrounders so far?" Darryl asked.
"No. We have taken in no one new. And no one has reappeared that has perished. We are still looking for entry points."
"I could help with that." Sasha said. "I know what to look for. And the cameras. We're being watched."
"I took care of those. But I might have missed a few." Darryl admitted.
"Is Lady Carol in the same danger as Lady Sasha?"
"She could be. But something else happened that concerns Sasha and myself. I just want to make sure she's safe." Darryl said gruffly. Sasha smiled over at him but said nothing.
"Lady Sasha, I get the feeling that this is all new to you. I take it you did not know of our existence before today?" Ezekiel asked.
"No. I did not. But what I see here looks impressive. I'd like to help you in anyway that I can." Sasha said and Ezekiel nodded to that. The tiger suddenly lifted his head and peered at her, as if he had suddenly noticed a stranger within his midst.
"Who is that?" Sasha asked in a light voice.
"Who is who?" Darryl responded.
"The tiger. Is there a zoo around here or something?"
King Ezekiel smiled patiently at her, as if her question was stupid but he would tolerate it.
"This is Shiva. Great Protector of The Kingdom."
Sasha said nothing to that. At least she had learned that this place was called 'The Kingdom'. Sasha motioned with her head to Darryl and they moved up the stairs a bit to talk.
"Darryl, you can't make a decision like this without talking to me first. I don't want to be shunted off someplace else. They will know or find out where I am."
"We're buying time. I'm headed back to Alexandria. I expect I'll end up where Rick, Michonne and Abraham are. We need help. We can't have this Underground snatching our people down below and deciding things like who's going to have babies and shit. You know I'm right."
"Of course you're right, but I don't get why I have to stay here! I'll be found and probably taken below. I think we should stick together. I've seen this place that Carol and you know about, now we can head back home."
Darryl walked away from her and moved to stand at the edge of the stage in front of Ezekiel.
"I need you to promise to look out for her. I'll be back in a couple of days." he said.
"We have her room prepared. Never fear. Lady Sasha will be looked after." Ezekiel promised. Darryl nodded, turned and walked back up to Sasha, reaching for her hand and pulled her out of the auditorium. Once outside, Diane escorted them to another building, where Sasha's room would be. Clearly it used to be an office. Sasha suspected it was the principal's, at some point and time.
Diane left them alone to get settled in and Sasha confronted Darryl.
"Do you want to tell me what this is really all about?"
Darryl peered out of the windows, then looked back at Sasha.
"My brother snuck up from the Underground to warn me."
"What? When was this?"
"When you dropped Judith off with Carol. He came out from under that footbridge."
"What did he say?"
"He knows he's fucked." Darryl said tiredly, sitting down on the bed. "He came up to warn me. He heard talk that they plan on giving up on Alexandria."
"What does that mean?" she asked.
"I don't know. He didn't either. He had been locked up and made to go through 'behavior training'. He pretended to go along with it, passed and was given a 'sector' to be in charge of. But he's run off."
"Oh my God! They have to be looking for him?"
"I guess." Darryl said tiredly. "But I'm more concerned on what they mean by 'giving up on us'. Sasha, someone should've come after us on the road and they didn't. Why do you think that is?"
"What are you thinking?" Sasha asked quietly.
"Nothing good for us. I'm going back. Just to see if I'm right."
"Okay, well that's all the more reason for me to go with you and watch your back." she insisted. Darryl's answer to that was to press his lips to hers, just to taste her. That kiss turned into deep kisses and Sasha suddenly felt her clothes slip off of her and puddle to the ground…
Sasha could not remember anything more than just being lost in the rhythmic pulse of their copulation. Darryl's length felt as hard as actual wood and it pulsed inside of her, as she clung to him and responded to each of his titanic like thrusts. Her world was turning to fire and the nerve endings of her skin felt as if they were humming. Then everything began to spin…
When Sasha awoke, Darryl was gone and she knew that he was leaving it in her hands to prepare the Kingdom for some kind of attack from the Underground. She sat up in her new bed, naked and looked over at a dresser, then a closet. She hoped changes of clothing that actually fit, were going to be provided for her. Because the first thing she intended to do, was call a meeting with King Ezekiel and his trusted advisors. It was time to prepare some kind of defense, in case Darryl was right.
"You're thinking they let you go because they plan on doing something to us?" Maggie asked in disbelief.
"We don't know that for sure." Michonne said cautiously, "but they had no intention of allowing us to come back up here after what happened to Deanna and Negan."
"You mean when you fucking killed them, right?" Ron asked. Jessie swatted his shoulder!
"Okay, Ron, yeah, when we killed them. This Underground brings people back to life that can't eat. And eventually it catches up with them." Rick said.
"Rick," Jessie said, "Beth and Herschel are just a little sick. It's not like they're falling apart, literally. And if Dr. Jenner started this than he could fix them. I just don't see the need to panic."
Carol didn't like the sound of any of this at all. Many of these people had lived under Deanna and Negan. Some of them had actually went down below and had not been forced to come back up. She agreed with Rick and Michonne. It felt shady.
Abraham was drumming his hands on a table. Loudly. But other than that, he was not adding to the conversation.
"Maybe they just realized that how they were acting was wrong?" Morgan suggested. "Maybe they realized that working with us, would serve them better. I don't think any of this means we need to go to war against them."
"I didn't say that," Rick said in an irritated manner, "but I also don't think we're going to be allowed to live as before, knowing what we know."
Maggie stood up.
"I have my father and sister back. I'll take them however I can get them. They're breathing and they are talking. They care. My father is looking forward to being a grandfather. I am not going to sit here and talk about them behind their backs like this. They belong in this community."
"No one is saying that they don't!" Tara stressed. "But you saw what happened to Shane. I mean he's dust. He isn't even a skeleton. What happens if Dr. Jenner can't turn this around?"
"He will." Glenn said, squeezing Maggie's hand. It was shortly after he said those words, that the sound of a motorcycle roaring in, got all of their attention. Abraham leaped up, ran to the door and hurried down the porch steps! Darryl had just gotten off of his motorcycle when he saw Abraham walking towards him. Abraham was above ground? Darryl looked around him and saw Rick and Michonne, followed by Carol, hurrying his way as well.
"Abraham? What's happening?" Darryl asked but Abraham looked around him.
"Where's Sasha?" was Abraham's reply.
"Safe."
"What the fuck does that mean? She's safe here too! Where is she?!"
Darryl looked around Abraham at Rick.
"What's going on?"
"We're not sure. We were suddenly let go and I don't think it's a good thing." Rick told him.
"It's not," Darryl confided, "Merle got in contact with me. He's escaped. He told me they have plans to give up on us. He doesn't know what that means but the fact that all of you are free, isn't good."
Rick and Michonne looked at each other uneasily. Carol was eyeing Abraham, who looked like he was seconds from grabbing Darryl by the throat! She cleared her throat.
"Where's Sasha? Was there some kind of trouble?"
"Sasha is someplace safe."
Abraham's eyes widened!
"What the fuck are you talking about? She's safe here!"
Michonne suddenly began talking!
"We need to leave here! If Merle thought something was off and RAN, then we need to leave! Anyone that wants to stay here fine, we can't force it but we need to leave." Michonne said urgently.
Suddenly, screams could be heard! They all looked over at the infirmary and saw Gareth and Denise come running out! The infirmary itself was engulfed in some kind of pink smoke! They started to run towards them but the group suddenly stopped short.
Gareth was changing into a walker as he ran towards them! Abraham took out his gun and shot him in the forehead! Denise looked horrified as she began to change and she coughed and dropped to the ground!
"DAMNIT!" Rick yelled and shot Denise in the head. Tara came running out screaming and Michonne held her back!
"Tara, listen to me! That was a warning to us! We don't know if that…that…whatever chemical was used, will come out of all of our houses or how infectious it is! Stay away from her!" Michonne ordered her gently, as Tara collapsed into her arms. Abraham could barely breathe, he was so shocked. He turned to look back at Darryl.
"The hell you didn't know this was going to happen! You tell me right now where Sasha is or by God…"
But Darryl kept his cool. Sort of.
"You fucking think I would let this happen to anyone living here? Even that cannibal piece of shit down there? I didn't know. Merle didn't know but you see he got the fuck out of Dodge!"
"I don't know that he went anywhere! I don't know that you even saw him!" Abraham yelled before he did indeed grab Darryl by the throat! They began tussling and Rick and Morgan jumped on them to break them apart!
"We don't have time for this shit!" Rick yelled. "We need to get out of here before we end up like Denise and Gareth!"
Carol stared at Gareth.
"Why did he turn? Why didn't he just turn into ash?" she asked.
"I don't know and I don't want to know!" Rick snapped. "Everybody needs to get their stuff and get to a vehicle."
Michonne let go of Tara and looked at him.
"I think we ought to try and reason with Dr. Jenner. Ask him what he will do to let us just go away and pretend we don't know about any of this!" she suggested.
Meanwhile, back at the Kingdom, Sasha was about to leave her room, when a noise from underneath her bed made her pause. She closed the door and moved the bed. There was some kind of panel under there! Before she could do anything, it opened and The Governor emerged!
"You need to come with me if you want your friends to live. Now!" he told her.