Chapter 111-On his feet

Six months later

Daryl's P.O.V

Daryl stood by a truck inside Alexandria. He looked at Rick as he walked up to the truck with Carl and Michonne beside him. "How are you doing?" Daryl asks.

"I'm fine. I'm ready for this. Lily said I am." Rick reassured him, turning to the other two now "I am."

Michonne raised an eyebrow "Forgive us for being concerned."

"She's right, it's just been five and half years since you've been out there," Daryl says.

"I'll be fine, besides not like I'm going alone," Rick says. Daryl nods as Rick hugs Carl and kisses Michonne. He goes to the passenger side of the truck, and Daryl climbs in the driver's side door. He looks at Rick, who had on a blue shirt, and his revolver and hatchet were at his hip, tucked in. Daryl drives the truck and goes towards the gate. He stops at the gate as Eugene pulls it open and walks up to the truck. He holds out a paper to Daryl.

"These buildings should have everything we need for another fine year of crops and enough food to put us in a nice and dandy place," Eugene tells Daryl, who nods while Rick smirks as he takes it. "Good luck, hoss."

Daryl and Rick nod as Daryl drives out of Alexandria. Daryl looks at Rick, who is staring out the window, and smirks as he grabs a music disk, and Rick looks at him, his face dropping as he saw the disc. "Don't, come on, please. You were right. This shit sucks." Rick pleads to Daryl, who smiles as he puts it in and starts to snap his fingers as the music comes on. Rick groans as Daryl drives. "Sucks, doesn't it, brother?" Daryl says as they go down the road, and Rick smiles and shakes his head.

Negan's P.O.V

Negan walks out of his room with a yawn and looks at Kate, who is making breakfast. He smiles as he walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. "Good morning, beautiful," Negan says as he kisses her head.

"Someone is in a good mood," Kate teased lightly.

"Any man would be after last night," Negan says as he lets her go.

"Shut up," Kate says with a blush as Negan grabs his jacket and his mace. "You not going to eat?"

"Can't," Negan tells her. "John, Morgan, Dorie, and I are going to Hilltop, Maggie's plow broke, and Earl needs to look at ours to fix it." Negan tells her.

Kate's brow furrowed "You need to go?"

Negan reassured her "Relax, we're...I think we're still in a detene as long as she doesn't talk to me Too long."

Kate nods as Negan kisses her and leaves. He walks outside and towards John's cabin, where he saw John standing on the porch with June holding his son. John Dorie Jr, who was born three weeks earlier.

Negan paused "You know it's confusing now with Three Johns!"

John rolled his eyes "Oh shut up we'll call him JJ for short. My Dad insisted on it."

He then kisses June and then his son's head before he hands her to June. He walks off the porch and smiles at Negan as they walk to the truck where Dorie is waiting. Morgan walks up shortly with Coco and Rosita. He kisses Rosita and bends down in front of his daughter.

"Keep your Momma safe, okay?" Morgan says to his daughter, who hugs him. "I love you, baby."

"Love you too, Daddy," Morgan kisses her head and stands.

"Don't worry Coco Bean. We're only going to see Aunt Maggie." Negan says as they climb in the truck and leave for Hilltop.

Rick's P.O.V

Rick watches Daryl out of the corner of his eyes as Daryl keeps glancing at him. "You're staring," Rick tells Daryl.

"No, I'm not," Daryl says as he looks at the road.

"Daryl," Rick says with a sigh.

"Look, you haven't been on the road in a long time," Daryl tells him.

Rick rolls his eyes. "So what, you're my nurse?"

"No, I'm your concerned brother and guide dog. You will drag your ass back to Alexandria if your leg gives out," Daryl tells him. "I'm just worried."

"If I feel like my leg is going to give out. I'll tell you," Rick tells Daryl, who nods as he continues to drive.

Alicia's P.O.V

Alicia smiled at the baby she was holding in her hands. She looked at Nick and Sherry with a smug look "I think your son likes me more."

Nick and Sherry's son was born three months before and was named Mo Tina Clark. Mo after Morgan and Tina after Sherry's sister. "Mom says the same thing not like your the first," Nick says as he sat on her couch. "Where are your kids?"

"Shane decided to take them hunting with Madison. They know how to shoot. A little worried, but I know they'll be fine," Alicia says with a smile. "Three months, and I still can't believe you are a father."

"Why not? I'm older than you, and you have two kids. With let's not forget, our resident Redneck, who you had shot a few months before you two slept together and you got pregnant." Nick says mockingly and teasingly to her.

"When you say it like that. It's a miracle he decided to marry me," Alicia chuckled as she hands the baby to Sherry, who goes into Alicia's room to breastfeed. "You ever regret it? Everything we did after the Stadium?"

"No, I don't. Because if we didn't, we never realized that Daryl was right. Revenge doesn't make it better, it didn't help, and we would never have made it here. Have our family and our kids." Nick tells her. "I'm glad we were a bunch of pussies."

Alicia laughs as she sits down beside him. "So am I."

Shane's P.O.V

Shane and Madison walked beside Merle and Ofelia as the two kids walked through the woods. Shane stops and motions for them to crouch down as they see a deer in a clearing. Shane raises his rifle but stops as Madison lays her hand on it and pushes it down. She points at the two children who were staring at the deer with grins. Shane smiles and taps their shoulders. "You guys wanna let it go?" Shane asks quietly.

"Can we?" Ofelia asks hopefully with a pleading look

"...Alright sure." Shane says as he stands up. The deer sees him, and he throws a rock in front of it, making it turn around and run back into the woods. "Come on, let's check the traps."

Ofelia and Merle nod with eager grins as they start to walk again. Shane stares at where the deer stood, and Madison lays her hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Shane says as they start to follow. "I just thought of Carl and Rick, and when Carl got shot and-

"Otis." Madison says. Madison knew that her husband still felt guilt over what he did to the man, and he was never able to let it go. Shane nods as Merle stops.

"Who's Otis?" Merle asks as he looks at Shane, curious. Shane sighs and bends down in front of his grandson.

"Otis was a man your Grandpa Rick and I knew back at the beginning. Carl wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Otis. He was a good man."

"What happened to him?" Ofelia asks.

"Walkers got him while Shane and him were saving Carl. He died a hero." Madison cut off Shane, her husband giving her a look...but he nodded with a sigh.

"Come on kids, we're burning daylight." Shane says, quickly changing the subject. The two kids nod as they continue to walk, and Shane and Madison follow.

Shane gave Madison a look, but she shook her head as if to say to talk later.

Negan's P.O.V.

The truck stops inside of Hilltop, and they look at Beth and Tara as they walk outside of Barrington house. "Thanks, you guys, for this." Beth says.

"No problem, as long as we get it back before we have to replant." Morgan tells her .

"I'm glad you're here. We need to talk." Beth tells Negan, who looks at her confused as he follows her inside. Not having been in the physical house often, he looked around seeing the old decorations.

Negan follows her into her office, and Beth shuts the door and walks over to Maggie, who is waiting at the desk as well.

"You two aren't planning to beat the fuck out of me, are you?" Negan asks.

"Thought about about it," Maggie responds, then looks to see Beth looking wide eyed "But Arya would get pissed."

"Look, there is a kid. A teenager from the Sanctuary who seems to have missed the hint." Beth said, having told what Arat told them earlier.

"What are you talking about?" Negan asks, confused "'Missed the hint'? How?"

"He worships you," Beth tells him. "Like, cult-like worships you. Calls himself Negan. Wants to be like you."

"Fuck," Negan says as he sits down. "Has Reilly and Arat done anything? I mean I haven't been by there in months."

"They've tried. The kid won't listen and says that you are just waiting for the right moment." Maggie tells him steadily.

"He must think I'm playing the long game. Seven years is a long time to wait, that or he's just fucking stupid." Negan says with a sigh. "Okay, what do you want me to do?"

"Talk to him. Go to the Sanctuary. Beth will take you and get him off this because this could go bad, and you know it." Maggie tells him.

"...Alright. Alright I got it." Negan standing up and holding a hand out, knowing it was alot asking him of all people to enter her home to where Hershel might see him. "Okay, come on, blondie, let's go."

"Don't call me that." Beth says as they leave.

Carl's P.O.V

Carl watched as Arya and Jesus trained in Jesus's yard as Gracie watched, cheering her father on. He looked at Aaron as he walked up to him. "They grow up fast, don't they?"

Carl smirked "Yeah feels like yesterday she was trying to escape all the time." But the smirk dropped and he looked down, rubbing his hands.

"Carl, is everything ok?" Aaron asked, brow furrowed.

"It's ok it's...well..." Carl says. "Enid wants to have another one."

Aaron Blinked at that. "Really?"

"Yes...really." Carl says with a little bit of hesitancy in his voice.

"You don't sound so sure," Aaron tells him, surprise clear in his voice.

"I want a baby, Aaron. But...I'm worried that if we do this, things will go bad," Carl tells him with a sigh.

Laying a hand on his shoulder, Aaron said softly "Carl, this world is unpredictable. We could die tomorrow. We can't worry about those what-ifs. We have to live life, maybe things will go bad, but we will fix them like we always do. It's not easy to have a baby and start a family like that."

"Nothing easy is ever worth it." Carl tells him. "We know that better than most."

"We do, but you would be a great father, Carl. You proved that with Arya." Aaron tells him before he walks towards them.

Beth's P.O.V

Beth drove the truck down the road with Negan sitting beside her, his feet up on the dashboard.

"...Thought this shit was over with." Negan mumbled.

"Well there's always another asshole, get your feet off the dash." Beth lightly scolded.

Negan grumbled but did so.

"Can I ask you something?" She asks him.

"Can I stop you?" Negan asks her, and she smiles. "But fucking...fine."

"The bat...why did you name it after your dead wife?" Beth asks.

For a long moment, Beth wasn't sure he would answer...but soon enough he responded

"Because I couldn't let her go." Negan answers. "It was dumb 'cause if she knew what I did with that stupid bat, she would have used it on me. Why?"

"I was wondering. From what I've heard, you cared about that bat more than some people."

"I did." Negan asks. "I don't regret burning it, though. What can you tell me about this kid?"

Daryl's P.O.V

Daryl stops outside of the location Eugene sent them to and looks around. "He sent us to a fucking college," Daryl says as he climbs out of the truck with Rick, who looks around as well.

"Seem so." Rick says as he looks at the fence around it that holds a herd of walkers. "What do you think?"

"I think we can use the buildings to get past 'em. Maybe draw them inside and take 'em out slowly." Daryl tells him.

"We got work to do," Rick says as he pulls his hatchet out.

"Stay close." Daryl added with some tightness.

"Yes Mom." Rick smirked back as he followed Daryl.

Thanks for reading. Rick is walking. Finally, after 49 chapters, Rick Grimes is back, and this is just the start. The next chapter will be the final one before the last chapter of the W.W. arc. I'm excited. As always, suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.