TWENTY-FIVE
Can you see him," King Ezekiel whispered to his reticent companion.
Daryl gave a noncommittal grunt that could barely be heard over the muted 'thwunk' of the release of his crossbow. Some distance away the body of a Savior fell noisily from the camouflaged platform that served as one of the few remaining lookout points dotting the perimeter of the Sanctuary.
"That answer your question," Daryl replied, still disgruntled that he had been paired with the usually loquacious leader of the Kingdom.
"Why yes," Ezekiel chortled, "It would seem that does indeed." He raised his binoculars up to peer through, shaking his silver locked head, wondering not for the first time how he found himself paired with the sullen biker. If he'd had his druthers he'd have stayed by Carol's side on her mission to provide her own brand of shock and awe to the day's events. He had understood the reasoning; her skill lay in her unassuming stature that many made the mistake of taking for granted. He understood, but he didn't like it. He liked it even less that him and his beloved tigress, who seemed to have taken a shine to the leather vested man, were sitting together away from the rest of his team. Everyone else flanked the perimeter in pairs, looking for any hidden sniper nests like the one they'd just discovered.
"You wanna make some more noise over there," Daryl grumbled, taking the King away from his worrisome thoughts, "Your eight-hundred-pound cat's makin' it through these woods just fine without lettin' every Savior within ten feet o'here know our position."
Ezekiel chuckled derisively, already deciding to take a different tact on getting to know his new unkempt partner in arms. "Yes, Shiva is indeed a wondrous creature. Her natural predilection for stealth is in her bones. I am honored as well as unworthy that she has chosen me as her noisy compatriot as we traverse this desiccated world together."
Daryl grunted. He could think of another 'wondrous creature' this blowhard was unworthy of but he kept that to himself, deciding instead to snark back, "Yeah, them big words ain't makin' you any quieter."
Ezekiel continued unfazed, "Our common, beauteous connection would no doubt agree with you on my loquacious audacity as well. It seems to me that you both have many similarities… although prior to your appearance within the kingdom that fateful day with Rick, she has never mentioned your particular commonalities… then or of late." Knowing that would give his disgruntled partner at least a bit to think on, the king proceeded a few steps further on their wooded path around the perimeter of the Sanctuary, leaving Daryl behind him.
Daryl was used to people underestimating his mental capacity and usually took him for a hick hillbilly. Usually, he was fine with uppity city folks making 'ASSumptions' about him. His whole life before the turn had taught him that being quiet meant not getting hit with the verbal and physical abuse that was part and parcel of growing up a Dixon. But it also meant being privy to a certain kind of skill in reading people. You learned a lot about people when they spoke around you. When they didn't think your presence was enough to warrant decorum so they used their big words and their citified snobbishness to show their real selves all while they treated the 'dumb hick' like he was invisible. Because to them, he was. Good enough to fix their cars, and nobody enough that they felt comfortable being snide in their out-loud voices about how he was probably the byproduct of some backwoods incestuous relationship. Good enough to take them swampin' so they could fulfill their good ol' boy fantasies of 'wishin' they were in Dixie'. Meanwhile, missing the irony entirely that it was a tried and true Dixie man with roots just as deep and twisted as the gnarled Georgia Tupelos that sank deep in the murky waters he led them through.
Listening to Ezekiel drone on about supposed 'commonalities' had the desired effect of driving Daryl to take a beat and ruminate on why she hadn't mentioned him, even in passing. Not that he was all that surprised. Carol wasn't what you would call the chatty housewife type no matter what the old guard at Alexandria thought when she was donning those terrible sweater sets and baking cookies. But now he knew the Kingdomers saw her as a one-woman war machine more likely to don the Kindgom-made armor and more likely to fire up a truck full of walkers than an oven.
Besides, what would she even have had to say about who he was to her? Heck, he'd be hard pressed to define exactly what they were to each other. He just knew when he thought of her, it was of who she was when they first met. It was of how that timid, quiet woman who took her husband's punches and cried desperately in his arms at the heart-wrenching sight of her dead daughter as a soulless walker transformed into the determined, downright terrifying force of nature she'd become. He felt nothing but admiration, a whole lot of pride, and for some reason a feeling of overwhelming protectiveness for that diminutive sparkplug of a woman. The very fact that she didn't appear to need anyone's protection made his need to protect that fire he knew was burning in her even more. How could this silly ass dude know the armor that she used to shelter her soul, although tough, wasn't impenetrable? How had "The King" come to know that it housed a delicate balance of will, determination and hurt only Daryl could see up until now? It was the same determination and hurt Daryl knew she saw in him. It was their own secret to keep. Naw, he wasn't surprised at all by the side-talk, and he wasn't going to be bothered by Ezekiel's assumptions that he could be pushed so easily. What did bother him was the man's audacity to keep implying that they shared anything that had to do with Carol.
"The only connection we gonna be makin' is my bow to your jaw if you don't keep it down." Daryl tired of the man making all the unnecessary noise in the world, "Seein' as how you don't know much 'bout me, know that I ain't got no problems with leaving your ass – shit get down!"
The spray of droplets of blood hit Daryl's face before he could finish his hurried warning. Ezekiel's body lunged forward with the force of the bullet that hit him. Then all hell broke loose around them as Daryl caught the King's body and they both came tumbling down together onto the forest floor.
###
Carol turned her head at the sound of the shot in the distant dark. Too close to her to be the barrage that was taking place in the looming Sanctuary in the distance. Too close to be anywhere but where she had separated from her two men. Neither of which she was willing to lose to the likes of the scum she had just dispatched silently with her bowie knife. The dead stare still looked flummoxed at the very thought that this little woman, who had made her way to his perch and had her knife buried deep in his brain stem before he even had the time to contemplate the blood dripping from his sliced throat. Carol watched as the body dropped and then calmly retrieved her knife.
New shots rang out as she turned to climb her way down the rope ladder that was secured to the wooden hole cut into the platform of the lookout perch. She practically jumped the last few feet, bypassing the last few rungs to hit the packed dirt forest ground below. She nimbly hopped over the two bodies that Aaron and Eric had kindly dispatched for her and ran as fast as her feet could take her towards the almighty roar that sounded above the riotous noises of screams and gunfire. She was now quite familiar with that reverberating snarl signaling Shiva's unbridled rage. That very distinctive sound could only mean that either Ezekiel had unleashed the mighty fury of his beloved pet or that he was in danger. Either option caused Carol's mind to tunnel vision as she sprinted, barely noticing the footfalls that fell into step beside her.
"Shiva is pissed," Aaron gasped breathlessly as he caught up to Carol with Eric not far behind him. He glanced at Eric to make sure he was able to keep up with them and felt nothing but pride as he was met with his lover's challenging grin keeping up right next to him.
"Never thought I'd see the day I'd be running toward a pissed tiger," was Eric's only reply. The thought that they were running towards more than just an agitated wild animal was not lost on either of them but it never faltered their hurried steps. All three of them dashed determinedly through the forest, ducking low branches and expertly hopping any roots that would have tripped them up. All three knew that they were running straight into a moment in time that they might not get past, yet still, they ran. All three ran hard into the darkness, each hoping there was going to be light at the end and knowing that the light might not shine on all of them come the end of their journey.
###
Rick looked over to Michonne with a sardonic smirk. This grinning idiot, mockery dripping from his every pore as he stared back at Rick, really wanted to have a knock down drag out fight in the middle of a war of his own making. Well, if ax to bat combat was what it would take to rid this dead world of the leather-clad son of a bitch then that's what Rick was going to give him… if she thought it was a good idea. One look to his right into the deep brown eyes that he would have happily stayed entranced by gave him all the answer he needed. He made the step across the short expanse that separated him from the inevitable destiny he had felt himself hurtling toward since the night he found himself on his knees begging for the life of his son, his woman and the rest of his family. With Michonne's unwavering support at his side, along with her razor-sharp sword, he made his way with the determined look of a man ready to meet that destiny head on.
Rick only got to take a few steps before he heard them. Short pops in the distance behind him that could only have been the familiar cadence of gunfire. Before he could take another step the dirt by his feet kicked up from the bullets hitting the ground around them halted him for the briefest of moments before he felt his arm pulled to the side and down. Pure instinct had him switch his gun to his left hand as he tumbled to the ground and let off a couple of rounds behind him. He landed on top of his own personal savior hard and the familiar rush of heat that was normally accompanied with being on top of his woman was upon him. He was greeted with the all too familiar fire coming from her glare and they both thought the same thought, fight first, fun later, as more bullets flew over their entwined bodies. After a playful nudge of his hips into her and a quick grin in reply from her, he got to his knees, pulling her to a seated position to assess just what the fuck was going on behind them.
They watched as Rosita rolled off the top of a car, where she had been picking off walkers and whoever else inside the building that her bullets could hit. Michonne had a moment of worry that Rosita had been hit before she saw the baseball capped head pop up and turn to holler orders to her fellow shooters.
Immediately called to the action by the "Shit! Come on let's get what's left of those bastards!", the assorted members of the Hilltop, Kingdom and Alexandria contingent broke their positions to follow the running figure that led the way to where the shots were coming from. Ducking and diving as she ran with her ponytail flying in the wind behind her, Rosita evaded the bullets that flew past her. None questioned the lithe figure as she set the pace into the fields behind the barricade they had made with their armored cars, leaving Rick and Michonne to the task of dealing with Negan on their own.
"Oh Ricky," Negan snidely said, "You hear that? Well, I think it's the goddamn cavalry. Zippity doo dah. Zippity fuckin' yay!" And about fucking time, Negan thought, momentarily grateful for a moment's reprieve from this shit show of a day. He maintained his stance behind the bullet ridden car, holding onto his beloved bat on the top of the car in one hand and his gun still pointed in the direction he had seen Rick and Michonne duck over to.
"Did you really think it would be that simple," he yelled, "Did you think that this was all the Negan that there was? Oh…tut tut tut… you country fried son of a gun. You shoulda taken the chance I gave you. That sound you hear is the sound of the end. Those shots you hear is the goddamn Amazin' Grace song at your funeral. Those screams are all your people that you could have let me save – arggghh..!" A searing pain hit him in his left shoulder. He turned his head to see the wooden handle of a knife sticking out of his back.
"Do you ever shut the fuck up?" Maggie sneered as she pulled the knife out of Negan's shoulder. She was pulled back just in time to miss the swing of the bat he flung out in defense, feeling the breeze of the barbed wire that covered the wood brush dangerously close to her face.
"Well, I'll be goddamned and fuck me sideways with a jackhammer! Widow Lady? Did you just… stab me in the goddamn back?" Negan stared at amazement at the fiery brunette fighting the strong embrace of Jesus wrapped around her.
"Let me at him," Maggie screamed in rage to Jesus who struggled to keep her in his grasp while keeping Negan in his sights. "Maggie! Calm down," Jesus pleaded instantly regretting his reluctant agreement to allow his de facto leader's plea to accompany him into the dangerous fray of the frontline. He tried to keep his arms from constricting her slightly bumped middle while her wiry form twisted and pulled to get to her husband's murderer. All of her convincing and pleading, everything short of ordering Jesus to 'just be close enough to help… and bear witness' flew out of the window the moment she set her bright eyes on the black leather and the glint of that damned bat.
They had made their way down from the roof with Eugene's soundtrack still blasting through the air. The noise and smoke of gunfire gave them sufficient cover to get them down to the front of the building unnoticed. Negan's voice was the first thing Maggie heard and her mind went blank with the red rage that he was still alive enough to issue his backhanded challenge to Rick. The cockiness in his barbs to Rick made her blind to anything past the red tinted rage rose with the bile in her throat.
He dared to be breathing? He dared to be glib and confident even, while the father of her child lay cold and rotting to dust and bones in a hole back at the Hilltop? No! Today you pay! For you baby! For Glenn, were the only thoughts that played in her mind as she made the side step to get behind the bastard and thrust her knife with the full intent to kill. Her bloodthirst was only provoked more with the sight of the red rivulets that erupted when she pulled her knife from his flesh and would only be satisfied if she could just get … Jesus... to… let… her go.
Negan felt his opportunities seeping out of him from the deep wound left by the serrated knife. He watched perplexed for a moment at the almost comical struggle in front of him of the pregnant woman and Apocalyptic Lord and Savior lookalike. He only watched for a second before bringing his arm that held the wooden bat up to take advantage of the situation. He let out a sharp grunt when he felt his arm jolt forward before he could take the swing. His heart skipped a beat and his eyes widened at the shock of seeing his bat split to pieces in his hand. He felt his mind unravel.
"LUCIIIIILLLLLEEEEE!" Negan yelled as he stared at the splintered remains of his beloved bat laying feet away from him. He felt something in his very soul break as he looked down at the sharpened edge of a red handled ax that lay in the middle of the two pieces of now useless wood. Every memory, every moment that led up to this moment- his dead wife's smile... his first walker kill with that very same bat… and Rick. Giving Rick his bat to hold to show his cocksure dominance for everyone to see. Rick looking up at him in defiance as that bat swung hard and shattered the skulls of Rick's nearest and dearest. Rick looking defeated and on his knees with that goddamn red handled ax raised to do the unthinkable act of maiming his boy. Everything flew before Negan's eyes like a high speed montage of some horror movie that he couldn't stop from flickering through his mind's eye. Every other beat a flash of blue. The blue-eyed glare of Rick's came flashing into his vision. Rage and hate came unbidden and roared with the blood rushing into Negan's brain and all he could hear was the thunderous pounding of his own pulse.
'You! You son of a fuck whore! You killed her!" Negan turned to face him head on, knowing the direction of where the ax flew from, the owner of the axe was not far behind. And he was right. Rick was there, already crouched and running as he tackled Negan down to the hard ground. They landed with a hard grunt but neither took the time to appreciate the impact of their bodies hitting the hard packed dirt covered in bullet shells. Adrenaline pure and stinging, ran through both men's blood as each tried to get an advantage over the other while they rolled around pummeling each other. Their grunts heavy and labored, as they struggled to gain some purchase in their favor.
The wound in Negan's shoulder didn't seem to prevent him from throwing a punch to the side of Rick's jaw with enough force to rattle a few teeth. It may as well have been a mosquito bite. Rick's head barely glanced to the side before he delivered his own flurry of jabs to Negan's gut in quick succession. This was no tussle with some petty criminal from deputy days gone by. Rick wasn't trying to get Negan on his back to get him into cuffs. Rick had a mind to kill the bastard with his bare hands. Hands that made their way to Negan's throat. Hands that crossed the other's grasp from locking on his own throat. Both men grunted as they tried to block the other from getting a firm handhold on the other. Their legs kicked and tangled with each other in the struggle for dominance over the other.
Negan finally planted his two feet on the ground and in a quick movement he gave up the struggle to get to Rick's throat, opting in the next split second to use his arms to wrap around Rick's torso with a crushing bear hug. Rick could feel his ribs bruising under the pressure and Negan took advantage and used the ground for leverage to buck his upper body to push Rick onto his back. Pinning Rick down, he straddled Rick and grabbed his shirt collar to pull him up for another teeth rattling blow to Rick's jaw. This blow was not to be ignored, but the pain only gave fuel to the raging animal inside of Rick. The next punch of Negan's did not meet its target. Instead landing directly into Rick's open hand that caught it. He dug his nails into Negan's fist before twisting it out of his way to make way for the mind crushing headbutt to Negan's nose. Blood spurted over Rick's face from the broken cartilage as Negan's yowl of pain rang in Rick's ears when they both fell back from the impact.
"Fuuuckk, my nose! You corn poke bastard," Negan yelled as he scurried back with one hand covering his broken face and the other he used to struggle to his feet. Rick, still dazed from the force of his hard head meeting that hard nose got to his feet in a wobble that only his bow legs kept from toppling. Negan had just enough time to spit the saliva and blood that had gathered in his swelling jaw before he saw Rick make the short distance between them even shorter. He had no time to wait for his supposed cavalry to make it to him. He knew that this was it. This was the moment that it was either him or the man he faced with the burning hate and determination shooting from his cold blue eyes.
He was feeling the loss of blood acutely. He tried to think of one more trick that would buy him some time in order for his second string of fighters to finally break through the perimeter Rick's little army had made. Negan had started to doubt the secondary group would even have shown up the way this shit day was turning out. But he knew there was a possible light at that the end of this tunnel of crap when he heard the gunfire going off in the forest surrounding the Sanctuary. He just needed a little bit more time. Time, however, well, that was in short supply as he watched Rick stalk towards him.
His eye caught the glint of Michonne's sword as she circled to his left and briefly wondered again at Rick's unbelievable luck of having her at his side. The things they could have accomplished if he had her sword lying next to his bat when the world went tits up in a gasoline fueled handbasket. He heard the Widow's heavy breaths behind him and knew he was surrounded. Hell, even she was a special form of spectacular, stabbing him in the back like that. The thought that he had underestimated not only Rick with his country drawl and ragtag resistance but these women. These rugged, raw and beautiful women of Rick's group briefly gave him pause.
Sure, he had tough women Saviors. Women who could gut a grown man twice their size and shoot the dead with head shots so accurate and it would make your head spin. Hell, he'd seen Arat kill mercilessly on his mere quietly worded orders without batting an eyelash. But that was the difference he realized. Savior women took orders. Savior women did what they were told. They proclaimed they were Negan, sometimes with more zeal than their male counterparts and were twice as deadly. Not Rick's women though. The fire in their eyes showed they took orders for no man. They brought the fight with the blaze of a thousand suns, burning everything to ash, leaving their men to follow in their smoking hot wake.
Negan knew then and there that even if he did by some miracle manage to get Rick back on his knees that these women would never bend. They would never be 'Negan'. Once he got through with Rick he would have to kill them all for this to be well and truly over. They would rather be dead than be 'saved' by him. He knew he had no more tricks up his black leather sleeve. The trick was on him. The thought broke through and he couldn't help but begin to laugh maniacally. He laughed even as he finally realized how this day would pan out for him, cavalry or not. He laughed because he knew he was a dead man. He threw his head back and laughed louder, hysteria and pain breaking through each painful guffaw.
Rick stopped his advance abruptly as he watched Negan bent over in hysterics. He turned to look at Michonne who returned his perplexed look.
"You know what Rick?" Negan could barely get the words out between his laughter, "I gotta give it to you… I really think this shit show might just be over for me… haahhaaa… and the funny thing is… you think you won! Haaa.. haa… you think this world is gonna let you win… You think you and your people are gonna be safe. That's there's not gonna be … trouble like me just around the fuckin' corner just waiting for you! Ahahahahahahahhaa… you think…ungh –"
Time had run out.
Rick had made the two steps it took to finally get face to face to look crazy in the eye for one last time.
"Shut up," Rick said quietly as he twisted the knife he had pushed into Negan's belly. He grabbed Negan by the throat to bring his face close enough to kiss. Two pairs of eyes filled with hate for the other stared at each other until one pair began to go dim. With another twist and thrust of the steel blade, Rick tightened his grip on Negan's larynx for a painful moment before pushing Negan's bloodied face away from him in disgust. Negan's body dropped, his face staring up into nothingness as it leaked blood from the two wounds his body had sustained.
"Wow Rick…" he whispered, "heh… you… really… think you… won." The kick of Maggie's boot silenced him finally.
"Like the man said," Maggie said as stared down at him with her green eyes welling up, from relief or from some deep emotion that she couldn't quite name but felt almost like satisfaction, "Shut up."
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A/N: Remember that last A/N when I was all, "Sorry for the long break between updates..." man listen I am TRULY sorry for the longest break I've ever taken between updates. I have no excuse. I missed my Storyversary and everything. But let me tell y'all something: the notes and PM's I received asking for updates, especially my VERY FIRST Anon ASK on Tumblr gave me life. Your response to this story has utterly thrown me. And I'm a big girl... I'm hard to throw. Your support along with the awesome and wonderful support of the some of the best damn writers in this game who are now my Panda ride or dies has been something that I am gonna cherish for the rest of my life. I hope this chapter was worth the long wait. It's my longest to date and I really hope you enjoy it.
Alright, enough of the sentimental... I can't do it for long because it makes my eyes water and I like my expensive mascara to stay put. On to your wonderful reviews.
RGBzMom I'm a gift? Me? No ma'am! YOU are the gift! Providing me As The World Turns In The Scandal Of Richonne's Dynasty that you continue to keep gifting me with. As well as your wonderful messages. You the gift my dudette. YOU THE GIFT. The show can kiss my Big Beautiful Black ass. It's done so much wrong that I can't even say that I'm going to watch this season. I know. Its crazy after being so late to the fandom and now I can't bear to see what those - let's call them writers for lack of a better word (bastards, cowards, idiots... sorry I digress). did to the show and especially because of a certain Apocalypse LEAD is leaving... I can't... I'm just gonna stay in my fanfiction lane and live the rest of the series through the amazingly talented writers of the fandom.
comewithnattah you are the moon of my life. Your reviews just about kill me every time. And yes, I SHONUFF know about the Last Dragon. Come on dawgs. I'm glad you like my Negan! I'm trying my best to make him as true to the character as I can without literal vom in my mouth because I hate him so much.
amberjoy38 you make me blush. Pimple can go ahead and just you know... disappear from the face of the earth as far as I'm concerned. Thank you for thinking that my war is better than his sorry example of war. I should have known when he had Rick shooting and not hitting nothing but air that last season was going to be a bunch of BS but who would have thought he would do the unthinkable. I... I can't even. I hope his chokes... BIGLY
Firefly-Class thank you. I can't tell you how bad I wanted to write. Rick point gun. Gun go bang bang. Michonne slice slice... War done. So the fact you liked my action is so appreciated.
Courtgirl26 Well guess what? Negan learned TODAY bout Rick Mofo Grimes didn't he. Leaning ass bastard. God, I hate that character. Also, I love Carl and I'm blocking out why we have to miss him. Blocking it hard.
Richonne4Life Oh. My. God. Your multiple binge reveiws came at a time when I really needed them. Thank you for your reviews that had me dying from laughter. I wish Rick would walk around naked more too... Sorry for scaring you about Daryl and about Roland :-( He went out like a beast tho right? And hey you know you can't be with the fam for long without getting the squint so I suspect Gavin will develop his soon. and "BEST. FIRST. RICHONNE. I LOVE YOU. EVER" SQueeeeeee! Thank you! I can't even. PS I don't think the tree thinks it was lucky at all.
MannaRN Thank you so much for your awesomely detailed review and I hope this last did the characters justice. Poor Gavin... he's just happy to be there man. He can take the threats. I really needed to explore Rosita and Carol's characters because we all know the show wasn't gonna do it. I'm glad you enjoyed my take on what their mindsets were.
DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne you still with me? Your reviews (not to mention the awesome song you suggested I use) mean so much to me. I just want to let you know that I've read them repeatedly whilst I was going through a mental block on this chapter. You inspired me to get it done. I'm sending you every hug in the world. Imma keep writing as long as you keep reading. Thank you thank you thank you.
sophiasown your opinion matters so much to me. thank you for always giving me supportive feedback and I love how I actually feel the emotions you go through when you're reading my stories.
CaribbeanQueen you happy with this last chapter. Enough mayhem for you? No mercy you said right? Did I get it right?
NWFANMEGA you... you gift to my life. Your binge reviews were... I don't even have a word better than spectacular. Doesn't matter when you get to the party as long as you're having a good time is what I say. Your analysis of each chapter is by far some of the most insightful that I have ever received. I literally had to go through 2 tabs of all your reviews and each one made me giddy like a school girl. You erm... tell Daryl to shut up... ALOT. and I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT. Thank you for your wit and your insight and everything else that makes you an awesome SAMESIES but a very poor Sidechick. ;-) (had to do it)
member00 SQUEEEEEEEEEE I am so happy you're reading my little story! I feel like I've finally arrived when I've got you in my review list! Thank you so much for each funny bit of feedback and can I say, I wish I had thought of "Trashzilla" my damn self!
Flacagonzales viva1215 and all my new follows, faves and Guests I so appreciate your support and I hope you continue to enjoy the ride!