Chapter 52-Going back
Daryl's P.O.V
Daryl found Shane watching the bridge, the workers making good progress… "Who's with him?" Shane asks him.
"Alicia," Daryl answers as he stops by Shane. "He can't stay here. They'll kill him."
"We can protect him." Shane argues.
"Can we? He's injured right now. This would be the perfect time for one of the Saviors or someone from Oceanside to kill him." Daryl argues back, rubbing his head. Christ if this was what making tough decisions was like, it was a miracle Rick hadn't lost all his hair by now.
"And Hilltop is safer?" Shane asks as he turns to look at him incredulously "it was a damn miracle Maggie let him stay there the first time."
"Only Maggie wants to kill him," Daryl says calmly. "That's one against the dozen who want him dead here."
"He's not safe anywhere," Shane says. Daryl could tell he was tired. He sounded defeated.
"No, he's not, but he'll be safer at Hilltop. He should be inside walls. Not in the middle of the woods," Daryl says.
"Maggie won't let him in the walls. Like I said, we got damn lucky John talked her into it the first time." Shane argues.
"Then I'll take Alicia, Merle, and Ofelia, and we'll take him back to the campgrounds," Daryl tells Shane. "I know you want to keep an eye on him, but they need you here."
Shane sighs and nods. "I'll have Madison take him back tomorrow. He shouldn't be moved during the night."
"I'll talk to Maggie when I get back," Daryl says. "Keep an eye on Sherry. I don't know what she'll do yet."
Looking confused, the ex deputy said "I thought you said she saved you?"
"She did. But can't help being cautious."
Shane nods as Daryl walks away.
Dwight's P.O.V
Dwight sat down on a log beside Sherry. "I don't know what to say."
"I never thought I'd see you again. I figured you stopped looking, turns out I was right," Sherry says. "I'm not mad at you. I understand."
"I didn't think I would live long once I got back here, but now I help people. I keep people safe, better than the Saviors ever did," Dwight says with a smile.
"That's good," Sherry says. "I tried to help people in Texas. It didn't work, more people died, and I didn't know what to do. Once they were dead, I figured I'd come back and kill Negan or die trying. I didn't expect all this."
"Things have changed. Daryl runs his own community, Maggie has Hilltop, Rick has Alexandria, Ezekiel has the Kingdom, and Reilly is in charge of the Saviors. Negan's not as much as an ass anymore."
"I was hoping you could give me a reason to kill him." Sherry says.
Dwight chuckles and shakes his head. "I don't have one. He's done good. He helped make the campgrounds safer."
"I need to find a tent," Sherry says.
"You can stay with me."
Sherry shakes her head and gives Dwight a gentle smile. "No, there are still things we need to talk about, D. One of those things involves someone named Amanda. Night."
Dwight looked startled as Sherry turned and left.
After a moment, he realized who mentioned her and now figured this was one of the days he hated Negan.
"Oh that mouthy fucker!"
Maggie's P.O.V
Maggie looks up at the door as it is pushed open, and Daryl walks in. "I like what you did with the place." Daryl says sarcastically as he looks around. Maggie had flipped the couch and torn the picture down.
"Shut up," Maggie mumbled as Daryl sits down. "He's alive?"
"Yeah, recovering.
"And you want to bring him here?" Maggie asks. She could see the look of surprise on Daryl's face. "He wouldn't be safe there. I knew it the second you came through the door. Regardless of what I say, you'll do it anyway. You didn't listen to me when taking him out. Why listen to me now?" Maggie says bitterly.
"Maggie..." Daryl says with a sigh, sick of this old argument. "Taking him out was to save Troy's life. I'll do it a thousand times over if it meant Troy lives. You are still the leader of Hilltop. If you don't want him here, then he won't be here."
"You won't leave him at the bridge camp?"
"You're right; I won't. I'll go home. I was going to take Alicia and the babies, but they'll be safer here." Daryl says.
"You'd leave your children for him?" Maggie asks in anger.
"I don't want to!" Daryl couldn't help but snap at her. " I also don't want Negan to die and ruin what Carl…." He froze.
Maggie stared at him, confused now
"Never mind, look Madison's bringing him tomorrow. If he stays, I stay. If not, we'll go," Daryl says. He stands up and leaves the room. Maggie stands up and walks to the window. He looks out at Hilltop. She leaves her office and walks upstairs and into her room, where Al was lying in bed. She lays down beside her and closes her eyes.
But a thought rang through her head….what did Daryl mean about Carl?
John's P.O.V
John sat across from his father as Dorie looked at his gun. "You've kept them in good condition," Dorie says as he hands the revolver back to John.
"They were all I had," John says, doing his best to keep calm.
"Yes, I suppose they were," Dorie says. "John, I'm sorry."
"For which part, leaving me, never making contact, never telling us if you were alive?" John asks as he starts to get angry.
"All of it," Dorie answers.
"If you were, you would have said it before the end of the world. You probably never planned on seeing me again. The only reason I'm seeing you now is that you didn't want to die alone in this shitty world," John says. John stands up and walks towards the entrance.
"John..."
Dorie is cut off when John turns around and punches him in the face. Dorie stumbles back and falls to the ground. "I didn't need guns. I needed a father," John says before he leaves the tent. Dorie didn't stand back up.
Carl's P.O.V
Carl walks into Negan's tent as the sun begins to rise. He had Negan's jacket and mace in his hands. He sits down and sets the two items on the ground as he waits for Negan to wake up. "It's creepy to watch people sleep," Negan mutters. Carl looks at his face and sees that he has one eye open.
"Someone had to keep an eye on your ass until Madison takes you back to Hilltop;" Carl snarked.
"Oh gee, can't wait," Negan says sarcastically.
"You'll be safer."
"Here's fucking hoping." Negan says as Carl grabs his jacket.
"I tried my best to get all the blood out of it," Carl tells Negan, who grins as he grabs the jacket.
"I thought I lost this." Negan asks Carl "Thanks Kid...say I ever tell you how I got this?"
"You said your wife gave it to you right?"
"Sorta..." Negan laid back "Sorta a funny story...after I got fired, long story in itself, I sorta went on a shopping spree to distract myself...including this piece." He held the jacket up "Lucille threw a fucking fit seeing the bill, 600 bucks...she tried to return it, but I threw the receipt out. She hid it in the attic...then a few months after the world went to hell she gave it to me as an anniversary gift." His face fell down at the thought "And she thought she should be the one saying sorry instead of my dumbass."
"How'd you get the bat?" Carl asks, curious.
"That is a story for another day," Negan says as Carl picks the mace up. "Thanks, Carl."
Carl stands into his coat pocket and pulls out Negan's gun. He holds it out to him. "If someone tries to kill you again. Use it," Carl says. Negan nods as he grabs the gun. "Everybody will start to wake up soon. I'll see you in a little bit."
Daryl's P.O.V
Daryl pulls the door open at the knock, blinking at the figure "What it is?" Daryl asks Maggie, gruffly.
"Can we talk?" Maggie asks Daryl, who nods as he sets out and shuts the door. "He'll stay in a trailer. Edwards will do regular checkups on him, and if he leaves the trailer, he will have a guard with him at all times."
"I pick the guard." Daryl says, not trusting anybody in Hilltop to watch Negan. Maggie nods. "Why?" Daryl didn't think Maggie would say yes or even think about it.
"Because I'm not making you choose between your people and your children. I hate him. My kid is growing up without a father because of him. Yours shouldn't have to do the same," Maggie explains. "Two weeks. After that, He's gone."
Daryl nods. "Thanks, Maggie."
Maggie turns to leave. "He comes near Barrington house, near Hershel. I'll put a bullet through the head," Maggie says without looking back. She walks down the stairs.
Daryl stared after her, eyes closed...one of those days wondering if he did the right thing letting him out.
Shane's P.O.V
Shane walks into Negan's tent and sees him putting his jacket on. "I'm assuming that was Carl."
"Yeah, brought me my gun and mace too." Negan says as he looks at Shane. "Are you going to be okay?"
"If you don't die, I will be," Shane snarks. "You sure you want to go to Hilltop?"
"They're right. I'll be safer there. I won't be of much use here. I'll either tear my stitches and bleed out or get shot again and bleed out," Negan says. "I thought we were getting past this. Guess that's what I get for getting my hopes up."
"We are getting past this. A year ago you had nobody, now you have a family, a home and people are coming around to you. Oceanside, Maggie, and some of the saviors will never change, but we are getting past this," Shane reassures Negan as he lays his hand on his shoulder. "I mean, look at how many people came to look for you. A year ago, they would have left you for dead."
"I think some of them just came out to see my dead body." Negan says with a chuckle.
"Maybe you look better dead than alive." Shane teases.
"I'd be a hot-ass corpse." Negan rubbed his beard, then winced "God i gotta shave this, we all look like a pack of fucking lumberjacks."
"Well we are building something so it's only fair."
"Shane, we're ready," Madison says from outside. Negan grabs his mace, and Shane helps him walk outside. He leads him to Madison's truck and puts him inside of it. He shuts the door and walks over to Madison, and kisses her.
"I love you."
"Love you, too," Madison says. "You stay safe, and I'll keep him safe."
Shane nods as Madison climbs into the truck.
Negan's P.O.V
Negan climbs out of the truck as Daryl walks down to him. "So, what's the plan, boss?"
"Maggie said you could stay. You'll have a trailer, you can't carry a gun, and you'll have a guard on you when you leave the trailer. I'm picking the guard."
"Who is it?" Negan asks him. Daryl looks at Carl.
"I figured," Carl says. "Yeah, I'll keep an eye on him. Not like I have anything better to do."
"Thanks," Enid snorted. Carl smiles as he wraps his arm around her.
Daryl looked at Carl sternly "You're the one who wanted this idiot alive, so don't complain."
Negan looked at Daryl "I'm standing right here you know."
"I know, that's why I said it." Daryl said without pausing. "Take him to the trailer Troy and Laura were staying in," Daryl tells Carl, who nods as he leads Negan towards Troy's trailer. Carl pushes the door open and turns the light on.
"Not bad," Negan says as he sets his mace down. Negan pulls his gun out and holds it out to Carl.
"Negan..."
"I'm not keeping it," Negan says. "Maggie already has enough reasons to kill me. Let's not give her another. Carl nods as he grabs the gun. "I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up when they made lunch," Negan walks to his room as Carl leaves.
But Carl then heard "And tell the two if they make freaky deaky put a sock on the fucking door!"
Carl paused, then rolled his eyes and closed the door.
The next chapter may take a week from now or a day or two from now. I haven't decided. Negan is back in Hilltop for the time being, and John has some Daddy issues to work out. As always, suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.