Preparations to make war on Negan begin at the Kingdom and Hilltop, while at Sanctuary Carl has a couple of surprise visitors and there are complications which could affect the escape plan.


Holding Out for a Hero

Where have all the good men gone
and where are all the gods?
Where's the street-wise Hercules
to fight the rising odds?
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need...

I need a hero!
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night.
He's gotta be strong
and he's gotta be fast
and he's gotta be fresh from the fight!
I need a hero!
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light.
He's gotta be sure
and it's gotta be soon
and he's gotta be larger than life.

Somewhere after midnight
in my wildest fantasy...
Somewhere just beyond my reach
there's someone reaching back for me.
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat
it's gonna take a
superman to sweep me off my feet!
-Perf. Bonnie Tyler; Writers : Jim Steinman, Dean Pitchford


Kingdom

"It's from Footloose." Monroe said, smirking at Michonne who'd been frowning, trying to place the song that was blaring from the speakers, drawing the walkers in. They were standing on the roof of the building closest to the outer fences of the Kingdom looking down at the progress of the bizarre roundup.

Michonne's frown went even deeper.

"The movie? Kevin Bacon?" Jesus asked, sketching a little dance move from side to side.

Michonne raised an elegant eyebrow.

"They seem to prefer eighties pop." Ezekiel said from behind them, his deep bass rumble of a voice sounding perfectly serious. He came abreast of the two, fitting himself to Michonne's side and in a possessive gesture pushed her locks back off her shoulders so he could rest his arm there.

"Really? I'd have though death metal would be more their style." Michonne deadpanned, but didn't move away from Ezekiel's embrace.

"Funny. You're a funny gal." Jesus said with a wink and a cheeky grin at Michonne.

Ezekiel gave a low chuckle.

"How many?' Ezekiel asked, gesturing at the herd with his other hand.

"About two hundred so far." Jesus said, looking out over the multitude of shambling corpses, "Give or take."

"Think we'll have enough, Monroe?" Rick asked with a frown, joining them to stand on Jesus' other side, very obviously ignoring Ezekiel and Michonne. She hadn't returned to her room last night—her bed was still made and her back pack missing when he went to get her for breakfast that morning—so he had to assume she'd found somewhere and someone else with whom she preferred to spend the night.

"They'll keep filtering in all day." Jesus answered, "When we're ready to move there'll be enough."

"And Hilltop?" Ezekiel asked, looking over Michonne's head to meet Monroe's eyes. At six foot six he dwarfed both her and the other men.

Jesus had been able to repair the short wave radio that had previously allowed communication between the two communities after working on it for several hours last night. He'd relayed the plan to Maggie and her people early this morning.

"Maggie's promised they'll be at the rendezvous." Monroe assured them. "And Morgan has the long range walkie so he can let us know when it's time."

"We're really doing this." Michonne said pensively, staring down at the herd.

"You got a better idea, I'm listening." Rick said, finally acknowledging her presence, but keeping his eyes also fixed on the mass of walkers below.

"It will work," Ezekiel said, "It has to."


Sanctuary

"I want the snowplow at the head of the line, followed by the panel truck—" Negan ordered, using with Lucille to gesture at the line of vehicles.

"The supply truck is only loaded for one day out one day back?" Wade asked, sounding skeptical. Bethesda was twenty miles from Sanctuary, (what was left of a fenced industrial park and factory complex in Herndon, Virginia), through walker infested and frozen traffic snarled roads.

"It's a quick trip—we need that equipment yesterday." Negan told him. "We can last longer if need be on tight rations and scavenge."

"You're risking ten men's lives, including your own, for one woman." Wade said, sighing in confusion. "That don't add up, boss." He'd followed Negan since the start of this; saw him as a pragmatic leader, one who used fear and violence to enforce his will. This show of what? Sentiment? Was something new and as such, disturbing.

"You're leaving something out of the equation." Negan said, his slight grimace of guilt not an expression his lieutenant saw very often, if at all.

"The baby?" Wade scoffed, "Sorry, sir, but you got four much younger tighter pussies in waiting to take your dick and then pop out a kid in nine months. This one ain't even yours."

"Carol is my wife and she carries my son." Negan said, his voice cold. "I'm honor bound to protect them both."

"That grey haired bitch has you spun!" Wade exclaimed, running his hand through his hair in exasperation. "What the hell did she do to you to make you ride off like you're some fucking white knight coming to the rescue?"

Negan stared at him with narrowed eyes.

"Are we still human beings, Wade?" Negan asked.

"What?" Wade frowned in confusion.

"Has civilization fallen? Are we beasts with no moral values? No conscience?" Negan pressed.

Wade wasn't sure what to say to that. He'd seen Negan do things that in the world that was would have had him labeled a dangerous criminal, a warlord, even a psychopath.

"If so why are we doing any of this? Why try to gather together and keep people safe?" Negan asked. He gestured with Lucille at the men preparing the vehicles. "You, me and these men—men like Archer—we'd survive out there just fine roaming the wilds, taking and using whatever and whoever we wanted like the Wolves. But we're not. We're here, trying to protect the ones that can't, like Carol and Carson and those girls so this isn't the end of everything. Without more babies we're dead in the water, humanity ends, Wade."

"So you're saying we're doing this because you're trying to save human civilization?" Wade asked, frowning, trying to decide if Negan was serious or full of shit. He'd always thought the man a brilliant strategist, but about as deep as a mud puddle, driven by his base desires, not some philosophical need to preserve mankind.

"Pretty god damn fucking heroic, ain't it?" Negan said fiercely, jutting his chin out and nodding. "Now listen up, I got somethin' I need you to do for me..."


"You shouldn't be here!" Carl hissed, pulling the girl inside and shutting the door of the shipping container as quietly as he could. He'd thought the soft knock was Dwight returning—he was overdue to bring his breakfast—and had been shocked to find Enid there instead, her dark hoodie pulled low to hide her face.

"No one saw me." Enid scoffed and then grinned up at him half bold, half shy.

Carl realized they were in almost the exact same position they'd been that day in the forest soon after they'd first met and he'd followed her over the wall; their bodies almost touching, his hand on her wrist.

Enid threw her arms around him, pressing them tightly together, her lips grazing his neck, making him shiver.

Carl let himself relax infinitesimally, enough to enjoy the feel of her, soft and strong and vital as he closed his arms around her.

"I can't believe you came after us." Enid said, resting her head on his shoulder.

Carl didn't know what to say to that. He hadn't really stopped to think very far ahead when the opportunity to slip unseen under the back of the Saviors' truck presented itself.

"Just... it's just what we do." he stammered, repeating what he'd heard his dad and the others so often say.

"You think the plan will work?" Enid asked him, her breath warm on his collarbone, the flowery smell of her hair sweet in his nose.

Carl was embarrassed, in contrast to her, he knew he stunk. It'd been days since he'd had water to wash with and Dwight hadn't exactly been forthcoming with deodorant or toothpaste either. He was glad the women had at least been able to have that, imagining it was Carol's doing.

"Yeah. We've gotten outa worse scrapes, right?" he reminded her.

"Maybe they'll let me work in the kitchens..." Enid smiled, looking up at him, "I'm excellent at special pastry recipes."

"I remember." Carl grinned back. "Bet Negan would love your Dutch apple pie."

They stared at each other, sharing the smile, sharing the memory. Enid's eyes darted down to Carl's mouth and then quickly back up to his eyes and saw that they widened with the knowledge that she wanted him to kiss her.

Carl leaned closer and touched his lips to hers, a gentle tentative kiss. She returned it, slipping her hands up into the long hair at his nape. His hands rested lightly on her shoulder blades to keep her close.

Neither of them noticed when the door to the container was pushed open by one of the men Wade had sent to gather their supplies for the trip to Bethesda.

"Now what do we have here?" the man drawled, pulling his gun and pointing it at them, "The junior missus is outa her pen... and she gotta little boyfriend all hidden up in a love nest."

Carl whirled, putting Enid behind him, bringing up his knife defensively.

"Don't be a hero, boy." the man said, shaking his head. "Hey Wade!" he yelled, turning his head slightly so he could yell out the door, "Come lookie what we got here!"

Instead of Wade, Dwight appeared behind him, his face puffy, eyes swollen and red, a look of malice on his face.

"Time to heat up the old iron! Got a little Romeo and Juliet action happenin' in here." the other man cackled and then a look of confusion crossed his face before he lost control of his body, his hands going limp, his gun clattering to the floor. A wet spreading stain appeared at his pants crotch and then he pitched forward, a Bowie knife protruding from the base of his skull where Dwight had just severed his spine.

"You always were an asshole, Jed." Dwight said, looking down at the man with distaste, shutting the door behind him, locking it and then leaning over to pull out the knife, wiping it clean on the man's shirt and picking up the pistol.

Enid came out from behind Carl and looked down at the dead man, her face blank.

"I told you to always keep the fucking door locked!" Dwight railed at Carl in a hard low voice, "You too busy thinking with your hormones to remember that?"

Carl blushed. That was exactly what had happened.

"What are we going to do now?" Enid asked, all practicality again. "Someone will come looking for him."

"Not necessarily." Dwight said, bending down again to go through Jed's pockets. Finding a couple of candy bars he tossed them at the kids who both caught them. "People slip away all the time." The silver trench knife in a sheath on his belt came next. He handed it to Enid and then removed the belt and sheath, giving them over as well.

She recognized it as Carol's and promised herself she'd return it to her as soon as she could.

"Say good bye to your boyfriend." Dwight told Enid, "Jed may not be missed, but you will."

"What about the body?" Carl asked, looking down at Jed, the man's surprised eyes still open and staring.

"He's your new roommate until Negan and the rest leave." Dwight told him, adding impatiently to Enid, "Hurry up, girl."


"We have a problem." Erin said, entering the infirmary after Daryl had first determined it was her.

Carol looked up, frowning. More problems they didn't need. She was already going stir crazy with everyone hovering over her in here and just wanted to go back to... well, she just wanted to go somewhere safe and quiet and private to be alone with Daryl.

She felt horribly selfish thinking it; knew that there were far more important things she should be worrying about, but she felt closer to him now than she had since he'd returned from the Wolves. His kisses were like they used to be, full of longing and need, full of love and desire without the tentativeness and fear of intimacy, of inadequacy that had plagued them as they'd tried to find their way back to each other.

She wanted to be free to hold his hand, to fall asleep in his arms, to just be together without worrying about anything else. So much of their lives since they met had been one terrible thing after another with a few short breaks in between to catch their breaths. In Alexandria they had finally gotten to the place where they could admit their feelings to one another and had just started their life together when it all fell apart again. First the Wolves and now Negan and the Saviors... it was as if the universe was somehow entertained by their suffering...

She found herself watching him in much the same way as she had the winter on the road after the Farm was lost, admiring his strength and simple honest bravery. He was as smart as Rick, as good at strategy as Glenn, as expert at weapons as Michonne, but he never sought leadership. Daryl excelled at support: tracking, hunting, killing walkers; but shrugged off praise for any of it and avoided showing his emotions at all costs. To those who didn't know him he seemed practically nonverbal, this larger than life totally physical being, his hard body honed like his knife to sharp curved perfection.

As his loyalty to the group grew stronger she was the one who'd taken the time to draw him out, talk to him, tease him, and remind him that he belonged. He respected and followed Rick as a leader, but she was the one who'd made him realize he was a vital part of a family.

What they'd had together these last months in Alexandria had been the culmination of the process of overcoming their pasts, using what their struggles had given them to survive and build a life, to find love and create their own family. Her hand ghosted over the swell of her abdomen and she sighed pensively.

Daryl stepped back to let Erin pass, frowning as he closed and locked the door behind her.

"It's Enid—she's gone." Erin told them.

"Negan?" Carol asked worriedly. Despite his pledge to honor their bargain, with Amber and Sherry dead and Kayla and she injured and unable to fulfill their conjugal obligations, she feared Negan would turn to his other "wives in waiting"—Erin, Tara, Rosita or Enid.

"I don't think so—Rosita said she was gone when they woke up this morning—Negan's been working on the preparations for the trip, he hasn't been in to see them today. I'm the only visitor they had." Erin told them.

"Carl—she went to Carl." Daryl said, huffing out an exasperated breath and looking over at Carol.

"What?" Carson asked, frowning at them.

"How does she know where Dwight has him stashed?" Erin asked. Dwight hadn't wanted anyone except Daryl to know where the boy was hidden so they couldn't be made to tell if Negan questioned them.

"Carl probably told her so she wouldn't worry." Daryl said, "God damned kids..." he growled.

"I think it's sweet." Kayla murmured in her warm morphine haze. "Young love..."

"I'm gonna kick both their asses if they fuck up our plans to get the hell outa here just so they can... can... grope n' suck face in a storage container!" Daryl fumed.

It really wasn't funny. It was a serious life and death situation. But hearing Daryl Dixon say "grope n' suck face" made them all grin, and Kayla dissolved into giggles.

"I'll go find Dwight." Carson said, still smiling, heading for the door, but when he opened it, Wade was there, and he didn't look happy.

"Excuse me, I'm needed elsewhere." Carson said, trying to duck past the bigger man.

"Not so fast doc, we got a problem." Wade said, unmoving.

"If it's medical Dr. Yang is perfectly capable of handling it." Carson said impatiently.

"If you say so." Wade nodded, stepping back so the doctor could pass. As Carson left, Negan's number two moved into the room followed by two other burly armed men. "Get your things together, lady doc."

"Injury? Illness?" Erin asked, needing to know what to grab to take with her.

"Naw—boss decided we should be takin' one a' you doctors along with us to make sure we bring the right stuff back for his missus." Wade said, "So grab whatever you need for the road from here and then we'll escort you to your room to pack your dainties."

Erin exchanged a panicked look with Carol.

"But I need her here." Carol said sharply.

"I've been her doctor from the start of her pregnancy—I know her case I—" Erin argued.

"She'll still have Carson—look, this ain't up for debate. Negan's orders. I bring back a doctor for ride along on the mission of mercy and tag, she's it." He said. When she opened her mouth to argue more he strode over to her, grabbed her upper arm and started dragging her to the door.


AN: I always thought that song would be a great "Daryl Dixon's Greatest Moments" video soundtrack. Motorcycle riding, crossbow shooting, walker killin', Carol carrying, flirting & hugging, with lots of bicep shots...

Negan is an enigma, isn't he? Leave it to him to unknowingly toss a wrench in their escape plans!

A little pissy jealous Rick, a little Carl/Enid puppy love, a little Carol mooning over Daryl-who says romance is dead?

Thanks for reading!