Negan zips up his jacket. He glances over at Eve as she pulls on a pair of black boots that he'd found whilst out on a run.

"You sure about this?" He asks.

Eve nods. "Yeah. I need to get back out there. I don't wanna get soft, Negan."

He drops his head, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I know, baby. But, i still think it's too soon."

"It'll always be too soon. Besides, the sooner i get used to it the better. I'm pretty sure that Simon guy you talked about is gonna want me to hold up on my end of the bargain once the weather's warmed up."

"I can handle Simon." Negan smiles.

"You shouldn't have to. He's been lenient as it is, i don't wanna take advantage of his generosity. Anyway, it's not like we're going too far."


"You sure she's gonna be alright?" Rick asks sceptically.

Negan runs a hand over his beard as he checks the cart. "I don't know, Rick. But she really wants to get back out there, and she's got a fucking point. Simon's gonna expect her to be working for him soon enough." Negan pats one of the horses, ruffling its mane. "It's only twelve miles out, guy from the Kingdom is gonna meet us halfway. Should be pretty fucking simple, just a drop off."

Rick nods. "Hopefully you should make good time. Should be back before dark."

"Hopefully." Negan turns to him. "You're gonna have to give her a weapon, Rick. I can't have her out there unarmed. "

Rick looks at him a little uncomfortably. "Of course. I'll go check the armoury, see what we've got."

"Not a gun," Negan says. "Don't get me wrong, i trust her, but.. if she does freak out for whatever reason, i don't want her having a fucking gun at her disposal." He glances in her direction as she makes her way over with Daryl. Her fingers are curled round his arm, and Negan feels a pang of jealousy. He swallows it, offering her a smile. "Hey."

"Hey." She smiles, letting go of Daryl's arm and making her way over to Negan. He wraps his arm around Eve, giving her a quick squeeze.

"We ready?" Daryl asks, playing with the strap of his crossbow.

"Rick's just headed to the armoury, he won't be long."

Daryl takes a battered cigarette from his pocket, leaning against the wall as he lights it. He hadn't exactly been overenthusiastic at the thought of riding out with Negan, neither had Negan actually. But Rick had thought it best, since it was Eve's first time outside the wall in a good while. If anything went wrong, it was better that there were two of them rather than just Negan.

Rick makes his way over with a machete, a brown, leather sheath in his other hand. "Here," he says, handing it to Eve.

She looks at him in surprise, not expecting to be given so much as a small knife, never mind a machete. "Thanks." Eve places it in its sheath, attaching it to her belt. The machete comes just down to her knee, and as she glances up, Rick hands her a small knife.

"Just in case. You should always have a back up." He smiles.


As soon as they clear the gate, everything feels different. Where as everyone thought she would be afraid, Eve feels quite the opposite. In fact, she's never felt more alive.

She sits between Daryl and Negan, Daryl with his hands on the reins as the horses set a slow pace down the road. Daryl felt no need to push the horses since it wasn't far. It would take them no more than three hours, so long as there were no obstacles on the way.

Eve looks from Daryl to Negan, both of them silent. She'd come to expect that from Daryl, since he only ever seemed to talk when they were alone. But Negan could talk from sunrise to sunset.

"So these people from the Kingdom, what are we dropping off?" She asks, breaking the awkward silence.

"Medical supplies," Daryl answers. "They got a woman just had a baby, month early. That an' they need antibiotics. Some guy got bit an' they had ta cut his leg off."

"Why don't they have their own stuff?" Eve asks.

"Well, baby. The lab Eugene set up is much closer to us than it is them. We have a trade deal with all the communities. Kingdom helps us out when we're running low on shit, and we do the same."

She shakes her head. "All those years i was out there, i had no idea people were rebuilding civilisation whilst i was sitting there eating bugs."

Negan raises an eyebrow. "You ate fucking bugs?"

"Yeah. Gotta eat something."

Daryl laughs through his nose, turning to her. "Negan obviously don't know what it's like to be so hungry that ya' gotta eat bugs."

"Hey, i resent that. I ate some weird shit when you fuckers exiled me."

"Yeah, like what?" Daryl scoffs.

"I was so hungry i ate a fucking frog once. And, i couldn't start a fire, so i ate that fucker raw," he says almost proudly.

"Maybe ya' should learn how ta light a fire, stop depending on other people."

"I know how to light a fire." Negan frowns.

"Without a match?" Daryl asks.

Negan clears his throat. "Well.. no, but that's not the fucking point."

Eve turns to him. "You can't light a fire?"

Negan stares at her. "What is this, pick on fucking Negan day?" She rests her head against his shoulder, Negan smiling in spite of feeling mildly put out.

"Woah." Daryl pulls on the reins.

"What is it?" Negan asks.

"Walkers." Daryl gestures to the road ahead. "Let's wait a minute. See how many."

They wait less than a minute, making sure no more come out of the woods.

"Looks like it's just the three of them," Negan points out. Eve scrambles over Negan's lap, dropping down on the road. "Hey, what the fuck are you doing!" He asks in a hushed voice.

Daryl grabs Negan's arm, pulling him back. "Let's see how she does."

"I don't fucking think so. What if she gets hurt?"

Daryl takes the crossbow from his shoulder. "Won't come ta that. I got a good aim."

Negan clenches his jaw, reluctantly sitting in the cart as he watches Eve make her way over to the dead. "If she gets hurt, i don't need to tell you what i'll fucking do to your ass."

"Yeah yeah." Daryl aims his crossbow.

Eve takes the machete from its sheath, the weight of it in her hand giving her comfort. She swings as the Walker lunges towards her, the machete burying deep in its skull. Lifting her leg up, she kicks at its chest, the machete coming loose as the Walker drops to the ground. As she bares her teeth, the second Walker closest to her falls down, an arrow sticking out of its head. She takes on the third with ease, its brains splattering against her jacket. Eve wipes the blade of the machete against her jeans then places it back in its sheath.

Negan breathes a sigh of relief, Daryl bringing the cart close to her.

"Come on. Let's get them outta the road." Daryl hops down from the cart, Negan right behind him.

"Did i do good?" Eve ask with a smile.

"You did good, baby." He smiles, grabbing the Walker's feet as Darly grabs its shoulders.


When it came to the dead, nothing had changed. Even if Daryl hadn't taken one out for her, Eve was pretty sure she would have handled it just fine. But when it came to people, that's where she struggled. It becomes evident as they near the outpost, another horse and cart within, and two people she assumes are from the Kingdom.

Eve watches them cautiously from atop the cart. They wear some kind of armour, she assumes to protect them from the dead. There's a man, tall with brown hair, and a woman with long, silver hair.

Daryl jumps down from the cart, rushing over to the woman and hugging her briefly.

"I see you showered," she says, ruffling his hair.

"I didn't know you'd be comin'. Though you'd send someone else."

"I needed the fresh air. It gets a little claustrophobic when everyone depends on you."

"People can depend on you. That's why you're in charge over there."

She looks over at Daryl's cart, frowning a little. "You brought him?" She asks sceptically, more surprised that Daryl had actually managed to tolerate Negan rather than being annoyed that he'd brought him in the first place.

Daryl shrugs his shoulders. "This is the first time she's come out since what happened with the Saviors." He leads her over to his cart. "Eve, this is, Carol. Carol, this is, Eve."

Eve offers her a shy smile. "Hi."

Carol holds up her hand. "Hey, it's nice to meet you finally. I've heard a lot about you."

Eve takes her hand, shaking it briefly. "You have?"

"Yeah." Carol smiles. "You've been the talk of the Kingdom. It's not every day someone kills a Savior and lives to see the light of day." Carol glances at Negan. "Simon's been real lenient, and Simon is never lenient."

Negan shuffles uncomfortably, playing with his hands in his lap.

"Why don't you two help Jason with those supplies." Carol glances from Daryl to Negan.

Negan steps down from the cart, Eve close behind him.

"Why don't we leave them to do the hard work?" Carol suggests with a smile. "There's a nice warm flask of tea, and i brought an extra mug."

"Thanks," Eve says, sitting down in front of Carol at a wooden picnic bench. She rubs her hands together, the air icy.

"Here." Carol hands her a mug, steam drifting from the top. "That should warm you."

"Thank you." Eve smiles, warming her hands against the mug.

"So, you're with him." Carol nods towards Negan.

Eve stares at her, unsure whether it's a statement or a question. "Yeah, i'm with him." She blows her tea, looking up at Carol. "I know nobody likes him much, and i get it."

Carol smiles. "I guess they don't. I don't like him much either. But, i've made peace with the fact that he's not going anywhere. I can never forgive him, but i'm grateful for what he did with the Whisperers. He got vengeance for my husband." Carol sips at her tea.

"Your husband?"

"He was killed by the Whisperers. He used to run the Kingdom, and he was a wonderful man." Carol swallows thickly, shaking her head. "Rick was right not to kill Negan. I know Maggie doesn't agree, even now, and i don't blame her. Her child has no father because of him, and that's something you can never get over. But then i think how many children's fathers i've killed over the years. It just feels different when it's one of your own."

Eve nods. "I understand."

Carol smiles. "I would love to know what your secret is though."

"I'm sorry?"

She nods towards Daryl and Negan, bickering over the best way to load up the cart. "Getting those two to work together. I never thought i'd see it."

"I.. i don't know."

"You know Daryl's always blamed himself for Glenn's death."

Eve looks up at her. "I.. why would he blame himself? That was Negan."

"Daryl told me that Glenn's death was on him, that his outburst got him killed."

"I.. i had no idea. But, i doubt that's true."

"Daryl must really like you if he's tolerating Negan." Eve opens her mouth, her cheeks going red. Carol laughs softly, waving a hand. "I don't mean like that. Daryl's a sensitive soul, though you wouldn't think it. Sometimes he just takes to certain people. He must see something in you that he recognises." She tilts her head. "You'll be okay. Just keep fighting whatever it is that's stopping you from being you."

"I'm trying," Eve whispers. She sips her tea. "This is really good."

"Thank you. We make it at the Kingdom. You know, all the communities have a trade fair in the summer. You should come, if Simon doesn't keep you too busy. You're always welcome at the Kingdom.. both of you."

Eve looks up at her in surprise. "Really?"

Carol nods. "You should at least both come to the trade fair, Maggie never goes, so he doesn't need to worry."

"Thank you."