A/N: this is a work of fan fiction and not meant to infringe upon the properties of Kirkman/Moore/Aldard/AMC/Image Comics.
Now that I have caught up with the show, I am taking the lead from the comics. I am hoping to skew it in just the right way that no one will be truly spoiled :). If you'd like to listen to the Redemption Playlist, you can find it by searching for Leah Pensotti on YouTube :) it features songs and artists mentioned in the story as well as chapter names :) it was last updated on 5/19/15.
Redemption (The Road to Alexandria)
By Leah Pensotti
Chapter 36: No Church in the Wild
The next morning, Rick and Anna met Carol, Daryl, Michonne and Paul at the clinic...to attempt to get their prisoner to talk...and also, what to do with him. Before they went inside, Rick looked around to the group and sighed.
"I'll be honest. I'm not sure what to do. I greatly underestimated these people. I am open to suggestions. But I am thinking of letting him go."
Daryl looked displeased and the rest looked unmoved. Anna nodded, she knew that he was worried about putting Alexandria's lives on the line, and that going along with Negan and his Wolves was the best way to insure the safety of his people.
Michonne shrugged, "I'm ok with not fighting. Killing gets tiresome. Unless they push us...then we fight like hell."
As they walked in to the infirmary, Rosita stood, tears in her eyes. She trained a handgun on the scarred man. She had taken Abraham's death hard, but had remained stoic and vengeful. Rick put a hand on her shoulder, "We've got this. Go get some sleep."
"Well if it isn't Rick? Come to interrogate me?"
Rick shook his head, "Just came to talk...I'm sorry, I don't think I ever got your name?"
"I'm Dwight. And Negan is going to fucking kill all of you."
Rick and the others attempted to talk to Dwight for almost an hour, but all they got was spit on, cursed at and threatened. After one particularly nasty comment in regards to Negan killing him and fucking his wife, Anna stepped up and punched Dwight so hard, a tooth popped out and he was out cold.
Anna shook her left hand and doubled over and screamed, "Goddammit!"
Rick walked over to Anna and he took her right hand gently, bruises appeared on her knuckles. She was angrier than he'd ever seen her.
As they left the infirmary, Rick looked to Daryl, "Gather everyone, tonight, at the church."
Daryl nodded in return and they all went to their homes. Rick wrapped his arm around Anna and she sighed, "I get so tired of getting talked about like a thing...or a bargaining chip. It's medieval and gross."
Rick agreed, "I'm sorry. I truly am. Your right hook is impressive, though."
"Pregnancy rage."
In spite of the severity of their situation, Rick laughed.
"What are we going to do, Rick?"
He shook his head, "I think it's in our best interests to do what Negan says. We are outnumbered. They don't care for our lives...or the lives of our children. People will not be happy. Daryl, Rosita..."
"I'm with you, baby."
When they got home, they were welcomed by Carl who had been watching Judith, "Dad...what is the plan?"
Rick made himself and Anna mugs of tea, "We're having a town meeting tonight, Carl."
Carl looked angry, "We need to kill him, to send a message to The Wolves that we shouldn't be fucked with."
Anna looked shocked and gave Carl a stern warning, "Language, Carl."
"I'm not a little kid. I've killed people."
Anna stood next to Rick, hands on her hips, "That's true, but you shouldn't talk to your father like that. 'Messed with' would have sufficed."
Carl mumbled,"Fine." He then went upstairs and shut his door.
Rick handed Anna a mug, "Carl is going to be upset, too. I suppose we should be prepared for that."
Anna sat down at the table, "There's no preparing for teenagers. Lord help us when Judith and the new little one get there."
He sat down close to her and took her hand, the left one with the ring on it, "Anna, I thought tonight, when the meeting dies down...we can ask Gabriel to marry us, the kids could stay with Carol tonight..."
Anna smiled broadly, "Yes, more than anything, yes."
She knew it was silly...she was trying to decide what to wear to the meeting which would end up with her own wedding. She had very little to choose from, and she was starting not to fit in what she did have.
Anna went with the navy blue sundress and would wear the jacket of Deanna's that Spencer had given her. She wanted to wear her hair down, but braided the sides away from her face. She clasped Jeannie's pearls around her long neck and noticed her cleavage had become out of control and nearly pornographic.
She then dressed Judith in a little white cotton dress with ruffled bloomers and they went downstairs where Rick was taking off his wedding ring, the one from his marriage to Lori. Her wedding set was taken away at Grady after Phillip died and everything had begin to crumble into tyranny.
Rick was wearing his camel-colored button down shirt, his gun on his hip and a clean pair of jeans. He looked handsome, per usual. He looked up at her and smiled, "You look beautiful."
She nodded and walked over to him and Judith squealed, "Day-ee!"
"I think you should give your wedding ring to Carl. It's a symbol of his parents."
Rick looked down at the band in his hand and nodded, "Good idea." He then took a box out of his pocket and opened it for her to see. Two white gold wedding bands, one for him and one for her. Anna felt herself tear up and she smiled, "Beautiful."
At the church, she sat with Carl and Judith, listening as Rick detailed his plans for the community, in regards to Negan. Rosita was livid at the idea of just letting Dwight walk, "You're just going to take this? After Abraham? After Morgan? You're just going to roll over and let him screw us?"
Rick raised his hands, "There are just too many of them, Rosita. We piss them off more and who knows how many of us will die and how many of them will be scratching at our walls. It's time to get together, make sure we have more than enough. More gardens to supplement. Everything."
Carl wanted his father to fight. Daryl didn't want to let Dwight go. Olivia thought they'd never survive on half of their stores.
After the meeting dismissed, Rick and Anna asked Michonne, Carol, Daryl, Maggie, Glenn and Paul to stay. Anna watched as Rick went to Gabriel and told him what they were hoping to do, for the first time in a long time, she saw Gabriel smile.
Carol and Michonne sat on Anna's side with Paul, while Maggie, Glenn and Daryl sat on Rick's. Carl and Judith stood behind Rick, and he turned around and handed his old wedding ring to Carl.
"I want you to hold on to this. This is a symbol of me and your mother. You can carry it with you always. She and I will love you and Judith, always."
Carl slid the ring on his thumb, and he nodded, tears forming in his eyes.
Gabriel stood in front of Anna and Rick and held the Book of Common Prayer, ""Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy matrimony."
Gabriel then turned to Rick and asked him to repeat after him, "I, Rick, take you, Anna, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part."
And then it was Anna's turn. She felt an outpouring of love for her new life, new family, new husband.
"I, Anna, take you, Rick, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part."
Rick squeezed her hand gently and she could not stop smiling. They exchanged rings and it was time for Gabriel to introduce them, "It is my honor to present Mr. and Mrs. Rick Grimes. Rick, you may kiss your bride."
He took her face in his hands, and kissed her tenderly infront of God and their friends. Everyone rose from the makeshift pews and greeted the newlyweds warmly. Anna got hugs from everyone, but the best of them came from Michonne, Daryl and Carol.
Carol agreed to take Judith and Carl for the night and said it would be like a big party because Michonne and Sasha were both coming to dinner. Anna and Rick left the church hand in hand, and he pulled her close.
"I can't wait to get you home, Mrs. Grimes."
When they reached the front door of their home, Rick scooped Anna up and carried her over the threshold. She was so happy...hell...he was so happy. Even with all of the bad, and Negan...he was damn near jolly. He had a beautiful new wife, who was pregnant with his baby. No one was going to take this away from him.
Once he got Anna upstairs, they made quick work of their clothes and began a tender, joyful bought of lovemaking. Anna's body had changed, her cleavage was remarkable and her tummy had begin to change a bit...just a hint of difference. She just got sexier every day. He couldn't believe his good fortune.
As they collapsed in the bed, Anna sighed happily, "I wanna stay here. With you and the kids. Forever. As long as I have you all, I am home."
Rick went downstairs to make them a quick dinner...Anna requested her favorite, oatmeal and applesauce and a mug of tea. When he returned with their food, Anna was sitting up wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants and reading the book Dr. Carson had given her.
She looked up and put the book down to accept the food from him, "I'm gonna have to find some different clothes. Nothing is fitting that well. "
"We can go see Olivia tomorrow, see how the food stores are looking and also what the clothing situation is. See what they gathered from empty houses."
Anna stirred a hefty amount of applesauce into the oatmeal,"I have ideas, Rick. We can get to farming and see if we can produce more than enough food for us, and for the goddamn Wolves. I think we should talk to Eugene. He knows a lot."
Rick chuckled lowly, remembering a time not so long ago that Eugene was a liar. But somehow he did know about basic science, and things he liked to learn about on his own. Maybe he could be useful, yet. Anna seemed to think so.
"Let's talk about something else...let's talk about what to name our baby."
Anna sighed, "I don't mind talking about it, but I don't want to decide on anything until it's here. I want to see him or her, and know."
"Sounds like a plan...let's start with girls names...what do you like?
Five days later, it had come the day for the Wolves to collect. Rick and Anna hung out on the front porch with their kids, a feeling of dread washing over the both of them. Rick wanted to be together, collected. But his primal instinct was to kill Negan, the way he had killed the scavenger...he ripped out his throat, with his teeth.
Then he heard them approach. He gave Anna a kiss goodbye, drawing strength from her. Rick marched down to the gate and saw Negan and over fifty of his men waiting with trucks and vans, to take half of everything in their town.
Negan had Lucille propped on his shoulder and he smiled when he saw Rick, "Holy fucking shit, Rick. Everyone has their own house? Sweet!"
Rick let them in but said nothing, the Wolves walked in like they owned the joint, and Rick pointed them towards the empty houses. Negan smiled as he took the lay of the land and handed Lucille to Rick, "Why don't you hold her for me, as I get to know Alexandria. Be careful, Rick, you gotta treat her like a lady."
Within minutes, the Wolves were carrying mattresses out of houses, boxes of food and guns from the armory and the food stores.
Soon, Anna appeared, her arms crossed over her chest. She met him in the middle of the road and looked about as violated as he felt, "He's making you hold that...thing?"
He nodded, and Anna looked sympathetic. Suddenly, Negan appeared behind her, looking her up and down, "Jesus fucking Christ, baby. You are the finest piece of ass in this town."
Rick felt his fists tighten on Lucille, but Anna wasn't having any of it. She turned around to meet Negan head on and he continued, "I'd be happy to take you home with me, have you meet the other girls. You would have every pretty thing your heart desires, but you'd have to live in lingere...I'd say you're a full c? Jesus, what I'd do to you."
Rick wanted to murder him, but knew they were out numbered and that nothing good could come for his family if he did that.
Anna smiled and shook her head, "That's about the least tempting offer ever. I'm taken...and pregnant."
Negan's cocksure smile disappeared, "Aw baby, why'd you want to wreck that hot as fuck body that way? Cryin' shame. If you bounce back nicely, I might ask you again."
Anna looked thoroughly disgusted and like she was going to rip Lucille out of Rick's hands and kill him herself. He saw her hands balled up in fists and her knuckles white.
Suddenly, shouting came from the clinic and both he and Anna ran to see Rosita brandishing a gun at two wolves.
"You said half! You are taking all of the pain meds, and things that could be abused. Leaving us with aspirin and cold meds."
"We are taking half."
Rosita turned to look at Rick, "If we had a situation like we did with Tara or Anna, we couldn't treat it."
Rick attempted to calm Rosita down, "We'll be ok, come on, put the gun down."
She holstered her gun and ran away from the clinic, while Rick stood holding the hideous Lucille. Rick had to reign the rage in, just in enough time for Negan to walk in, with Carl following closely behind...a strange look painted on his face.
"Rick, you're fucking kid is as scary as fuck. Future fucking serial killer. I've come for Lucille."
Rick handed the barbed wire wrapped bat back to it's loathsome owner.
Negan leered at Anna once more and leaned in to whisper to him, "In case you haven't noticed...I just stuck my dick down your throat. And you thanked me. See you in a month."
He gave Rick a pat on the shoulder and called for his boys to move out. Carl had disappeared and Anna took Rick's hand and they walked to the gate where they saw Negan and his Wolves drive away in the vans and trucks.
There was a basic feeling of unease and anger amongst the residents of Alexandria. Paul came up beside him and said, "They will understand at some point."
Rick nodded, "I hope so."
As the scene died down, Rick turned to Paul and whispered, "Follow them. Stay behind. Come back once you get the info on their place."
Paul nodded and went off to retrieve his things. When he turned around, Anna was gone. When he got home, Carol was in the house with Judith and he looked around.
"Where's Anna?"
Carol pointed to the back yard, "Getting out some aggression."
He went outside and found his wife beating the shit out of a tree stump in the backyard with her baseball bat.
"Anna...hey! What are you doing?"
She turned around and her green eyes were on fire, "I want to kill him. I want to rip his teeth out of his smug disgusting mouth, if he propositions me one more time, I'm gonna lose it."
He put a hand on her arm, "Sweet Thing, trust me."
"Those women he keeps...his harem...I want to save them. They aren't property. They are people. " She started crying and Rick pulled her to him. He wanted to kill Negan, for everything he had done...but Anna could be the last straw.
"He's gone, baby. For a month. We will have what he wants and he will take it and leave. He's not going to try and take you, because he wouldn't ask you to come with him. Which, you're not interested in."
"Not in the slightest. He is a monster. A disgusting, chauvanistic monster. "
He took Anna's hand, "Let's go inside, get something to drink. Where's Carl?"
Anna shook her head, "I haven't seen him since the clinic."
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