Quinn, on the way to DC

Negan's voice calmed me down a bit, but I couldn't relax at all. Maggie pissed me off and I was disappointed in Daryl's behavior too. Of course, he was right, they are not friends with Negan, they will never be, but at least he could have listened to what he had to say. I was tense the entire time. And it didn't help that it was so fucking vile-smelling that I almost got nauseous again. Also, I was alert. Who knows what we might find in a place like this? Most likely walkers, based on the smell. Negan was walking beside me without saying a word, holding my hand. For a long time, no one said a word. I was trying to distract myself from Maggie and Daryl, so I tried to listen and look out for danger. Suddenly, that little asshole who tried to beat Lydia to death stopped and waited for us to go ahead. I glanced at him, he didn't dare to look at us. Jesus and Gabriel glanced at him too. Another Alexandrian dude stopped and did the same. They didn't feel comfortable walking with Negan behind them. I chuckled sarcastically, barely audible, while shaking my head disapprovingly.

"Let them be, don't react," said Negan gently, quietly to me. He looked ahead and kept on walking. I did the same. Jesus and Gabriel were walking beside us. My eyes met with Jesus', he shrugged his shoulder empathically. We kept on walking. At that moment my heart skipped a beat. We heard a loud, creaking noise. I jerked my head up, everyone else did too. Alden explained that the wind was making the noise with the pipes and it was okay, but it got even louder. I didn't like it at all. I wasn't claustrophobic, but at that minute, I felt like the noise was squeezing the air out of my lungs. I glanced at Negan, then involuntarily at Daryl. Even when I'm mad at Daryl, I still feel safe with him, because he saved me so many times. He glanced at me too, then at Maggie. Negan finally spoke up, with his usual performing style, mocking everyone. He pointed out the water-line marks on the wall, explaining that the tunnel floods regularly. My stomach shrank. If it would flood suddenly, we would be in great danger. Daryl examined the water-line marks on the wall while Maggie was looking around nervously. Negan was right from the beginning that we shouldn't have come down. And then Daryl once again shut Negan up by telling him that it's worse outside and we should keep going. Oh, I felt such an urge to punch Daryl in the face for talking to Negan like that. I clenched my fist, but Negan took my hand and released my fingers, while looking me in the eye, shaking his head gently.

"Not worth it," he said quietly. I exhaled sharply and we kept going once again. Daryl started marching ahead confidently, while Maggie and the rest were looking around nervously, uncomfortably. I was furious. Negan was glancing mistrustfully at Maggie's friends. I looked at them too and grabbed Negan's hand again. I squeezed his hand gently, reassuringly. He nodded. Just after taking a couple of steps ahead, we found the source of that fucking smell. Hundreds of dead bodies, rotting in nylon bags. I pulled up my scarf in front of my mouth and nose, I couldn't stand the smell. Daryl kneeled down to investigate one of them, and he had to put it down as it started moving. So, they were walkers, not just dead bodies. Negan expressed once again his disapproval and once again, he got shut up, this time by Maggie. She ordered us to clear the walkers and keep going. So, we did. I was struggling to hold back the contents of my stomach, the smell was unbearable. But suddenly I got distracted when a huge walker got to the kid who beat up Lydia. Negan, of course, jumped on the walker immediately to save the kid. Even though Negan was mad at him for Lydia, he still wouldn't let a kid die. So I didn't think twice either, I jumped to Negan's side and while he was struggling to push the walker against the wall, I quickly stabbed its head. We glanced at each other, Negan was panting. I saw it in his eyes that he had had enough, his patience was gone. Maggie said we should pay attention, so we don't miss any of them. Negan burst out and told Maggie how all of her plans suck. Alden protected Maggie instantly, then Daryl shut both of them up. I was thinking hard about punching both Maggie and Alden, then run away with Negan, but now that Daryl shut them up, I gained back a little bit of hope, that we might make it out together. But Negan kept on going, saying that Maggie didn't care about any of us, not just about him. The kid almost died because of her plans. I agreed with every word he said, but I was nervous that something bad will happen if he goes on. He was calming me down not to make a fuss, but now he let it all out.

"Negan…" I tried, but he waved me off and kept on talking. I could see on Maggie's face how angry she was because everything Negan said was true. And I could see it all on Daryl's face too. He locked eyes with me for a moment. I shook my head slowly, disapprovingly. Daryl turned his eyes back at Negan, without reacting to me. Negan said he won't go any further and the kid he saved said he won't either. And the old Alexandrian guy joined in too, but Daryl tried to shut all of them up by stating we are not splitting up. Maggie's friends said to let Negan go because he is slowing them down, but Maggie said they need him to show the way. Negan stated that Maggie only wants him there to die. Daryl seemed to be surprised and Negan noticed too, so he addressed him now, saying that he thought Daryl was in on the plan too, but now he can tell that he didn't have any idea about what Maggie was planning. Gabriel tried to calm Negan, but he said Gabriel knew he's right and everyone else knows that he is right. I nodded, agreeing with him. I glanced at Daryl once again, he glanced at me too. I slowly shook my head, indicating if Negan turns around, I will follow him. Negan turned to Maggie and told her to kill him right now because she can't think straight.

"Negan, stop!" I spoke up finally as I pulled the scarf down on my face. Negan locked eyes with Maggie. I glanced at Negan, then at Maggie, then at Daryl. "Stop, this already! We're leaving," I said as I took a step closer to Negan. And that's it… Negan said Glenn's name and Daryl punched him in the face instantly. It all happened in a blink of an eye. "Daryl!" I yelled at him. Negan fell to the ground, while Maggie said they are here because their children are starving and she is always thinking about killing him. She pulled her gun out.

"No! THAT'S ENOUGH!" I jumped in front of Negan without any second thought and stared into Maggie's eyes while she held me at gunpoint.

"You can go down with him, I don't give a shit," said Maggie through gritted teeth, while Negan gathered himself up behind me.

"Whoa, Maggie, that's enough," said Jesus trying to calm Maggie down, but she didn't listen to him. I stood Maggie's gaze.

"Yeah, sure, put me down then," I said as I took a step closer to her. The gun almost touched my chest.

"Quinn, no!" said Negan and grabbed my arm to pull me back, but I shook him off.

"Come on, Maggie. Kill me and prove that Negan is right about everything he just said," I said slowly as I was staring into her eyes. "We are not here for food, we could find that somewhere else. We are here because of your pride. Because you want to take back your village from those guys who attacked you. And you don't give a shit who dies during the procedure. The only thing that matters is you and your child. If Daryl or Alden or Jesus dies maybe you would shred some tears, but it would worth it, after all, wouldn't it? And the others? You wouldn't even shred one single tear."

"Maggie, put the gun down," growled Daryl in his low voice. Maggie kept staring at me then at Negan, hesitating.

"Now you act like you care about me?" I snapped at Daryl, looking at him. "You were really close to tolerate Negan around us. You witnessed several times how he saved people and helped us a lot. He saved Judith and Lydia. You saved him. You started to trust him. And now that she is back, suddenly you forget about everything? You all behave like Glenn was killed yesterday, but it was ages ago! Negan changed and you witnessed it," now I turned my eyes back at Maggie. "I'm tired of your bullshit. Maybe you live in the past, but everyone else has moved on. We needed help and Negan helped us. He saved us, he saved Alexandria from the whisperers," I looked around the others this time. "Gabriel, Jesus, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Now that Maggie is back suddenly everything is about Glenn. Years passed and Negan changed!" I said, pressing every word. I turned my eyes back at Maggie. She was shaking from anger still holding me at gunpoint.

"Quinn, stop it!" said Negan and grabbed my arm once again, trying to pull me back. I locked eyes with Maggie. She held a speech about how the old Maggie lives inside her and that she wants to kill Negan.

"So keep pushing me," she said through gritted teeth.

"No, Maggie. You keep pushing us. I'm tired of your tantrum. You can go alone and take back your village because your pride is the most important thing right now," I stated furiously. Maggie was shaking piercing her eyes right through me.

"Alright, that's enough," said Daryl and stepped between me and the gun. "Put it down," he said to Maggie. Jesus stepped to her, gently took her hand, took the gun and put it back into her pocket.

"Come on Maggie. We have to go," said Jesus calmly. Maggie looked at Daryl then at Jesus, confused and furious as hell. She turned her back on us and walked away with Jesus. Daryl turned around to face me. Instantly I slapped his face without saying anything. He took it without a word, he knew I was right. He had a soft spot for Beth and now that Maggie was here, he was thinking about Beth and Glenn and everything related to Maggie, probably Rick was on his mind too. But he knew I was right about Negan changing. I left him there and kept on going after Maggie and the rest. Gabriel was shaking his head disapprovingly.

"Quinn…" started Negan, but I didn't stop and didn't look at him. He followed me without a word.

We kept on walking and killing walkers in the bags in the way with Maggie, Daryl, Negan, and me not looking at each other at all.

…

Author's notes: Listen to "Sick of it" by Skillet.

Both Quinn and Negan are sick of it. 😊

Thank You for reading! ❤