Notes: So kind of a small detail that is fairly pointless to mention, but I'm not putting 'Chapter ...' at the start of every chapter title anymore. The chapter titles aren't getting any shorter, and I'd like more space to fit them in, since this site has a character limit on titles. Again, I realise this is pretty unimportant... but hey, I've been typing it almost every week for over a year now... so I felt like bringing it up, lol. Anyways, enjoyyyyy :)

We Win.

-Enid-

Maggie calls me into Gregory's office in the early morning. Jesus and I got back with Judith pretty late last night, so we didn't get the chance to talk about what's happened. I kept falling asleep against the car window with Judith curled up in my lap on the way back to Hilltop, so Jesus told me he'd give Maggie the run down last night, and we could all talk about it this morning.

Apparently, Gregory and Kal disappeared the other day while we weren't here. So I guess this is Maggie's office now.

When I walk in, Maggie and Jesus are already talking. They both look tired — so tired they could have stayed up all night. I only know they didn't because I heard them get back to the trailer.

I wave at Judith as she plays on the carpet at the foot of the sofa with two red plastic cups.

"So we don't have Oceanside, but we have their guns," Maggie sighs, fiddling with the top button of her black shirt. "Negan has Sasha and Mikey. Daryl wants us to trust Dwight. Rick wants us to stay here in case things go wrong, so there's another card to play. Another safe place the Saviors think they control. But Rick doesn't know Gregory's gone... that maybe he's telling them things that'll make them think something else."

Jesus nods, his arms folded into his sweater. "And it's all about to happen."

"You're thinking of leading the Hilltop over there to fight," I say, catching up with what I've missed the best I can.

"I am." Maggie looks at me. "Rhys is still there, and if Negan finds out they're planning something, they're all gonna need help, even with those Scavengers on their side."

Jesus smirks. "Well, you'd have to decide right now, and it's a very tough decision."

Maggie frowns at him. "Why are you smiling?"

"Because I'm glad you're the one making it for us."

She scoffs.

Judith babbles something. Holding the cups up in Maggie's direction.

"How do I?" Maggie asks us.

"I don't know," Jesus shrugs. "I just know you can."

Judith stands up on her own and reaches up at us. Maggie goes to pick her up, but I step in front of her.

"Let me take her," I smile. Then I hand her the pocket watch Rhys gave me. "You take this."

Maggie looks at it funny, then gives me the same look.

"Rhys told me to give it to you," I tell her, scooping up Judith as I do. "I think I know why, too."

-Mikey-

The night in the cell isn't as bad as the last. Negan makes sure we're comfortable and even brings us pancakes in the morning with little blueberry smiley faces arranged on them. Sasha tells me to eat both.

Eugene comes to get us in the morning. He brings me a change of clothes. A tan-coloured jumpsuit, the same as what Daryl was wearing when he was a prisoner here. Though mine has a letter 'P' on the front and back instead of an 'A'.

The sunlight feels good on my skin when we get outside. There's a flatbed truck with a coffin on the back. Saviors are darting around carry boxes of bullets and guns between rumbling trucks ready to roll out.

Negan already told us the plan last night. Sasha even managed to talk him down from killing three people to just one.

"Couple of hours to get there, right?" Sasha asks Eugene as he walks us towards a big truck with a coffin strapped down on the back.

All part of the plan.

"At least," he sighs miserably. "Might be a circuitous and janky route. With what they're planning, they could be watching the roads."

"What they're planning?" I ask, unable to stop my grimace.

"That's right," Eugene says coldly. Then he hands Sasha a small music player. "Got it in the marketplace. It's chock-full. Since you're taking the commute inside the box, I doubt conversation will be on tap." He looks at me. "And though I am a selfish coward, I do tend to think of other people on occasion. So, Sasha, please take it with my compliments. I truly wish I measured up."

"You still can, Eugene," Sasha tells him softly. "I'm not giving up. Not on you."

"Jesus, you don't have to take the trip in the thing," Negan gestures to the coffin with Lucille when we meet him on top of the flatbed.

"I could use the rest," Sasha says.

Negan smirks. "No, shit?"

"Yeah," she nods, "...I just want to go to sleep. I just need a little bottle of water and I'm fine."

Negan nods to Arat, who I guess goes to get the water for Sasha.

"Listen..." Negan says softly to us, sounding strangely genuine. "I know how tough this is. And I appreciate it." He glances at me. "Sorry about the new get-up, too, kid. It's part of a whole thing."

Negan steps away to speak with Dwight and Simon.

Sasha hugs me before she gets in the coffin. It's tight, leaving no space to breathe, and her breath is shaky for just a moment. But then she pulls away, and I make her promise me that she won't tell anyone I swore in the cell. She agrees if I don't tell anyone I saw her cry.

"Remember the plan?" she says quietly.

I shake my head. "There has to be another way."

"There's not."

"You can't just—"

"It'll work. I'm not living under his thumb, Mikey. Not after what he did."

I sniffle, terrified.

She smiles at me, and it's beautiful for a moment. She is. All of her. But just for that moment. "See you on the other side."

-Rhys-

I wake up across Carl's chest. He's holding me in a headlock, fast asleep, his body rising a falling steadily.

I wiggle my way out of his grip and get up to search for underwear — fishing for the rest of my clothes and getting dressed before deciding fiendishly to wake him up by putting my teeth against his neck.

He laughs.

So do I.

"If you give me a hickey the day the war starts, I'll—"

"You'll what?" I laugh into his nape, my voice muffled and vibrating through him. It makes him shiver.

"Nothin'," he yawns.

"I'm just getting you back," I tell him. "You woke me up like this in that parking lot, remember?"

He nods. "That was a long time ago."

I frown. "It was."

He twists to wrap his arms around me and pull me down on top of him, trying to make our bodies one. I haven't found a t-shirt yet, but his hands are warm against my back.

"Are you going to be on the walls with us?" Carl asks, his nerves apparent.

"No," I shake my head. "Michonne wants me on top of the Brownstone apartments with my rifle. Apparently, one of the trash people is a good shot, too."

"Trash people?" Carl snickers.

"What?"

"You don't like the Scavengers much, huh?"

I shrug.

"Feels like you like fewer and fewer people nowadays," Carl tells me.

"Not true," I tell him. "I still like you."

"Well, how could you not?!"

The Scavengers show up to our gates early — driving on brand trash trucks and riding rusted and restored bicycles. They're all armed to the teeth with the guns we found for them.

The Saviors are meant to be here by the afternoon, so most people get to work right away.

Their leader, Jadis, strolls up to Rick and Michonne. She's got a long face, dark clothes and pale skin. Her short hair is brown but died blonde at the tips.

Carl and I stand a little off to the side, up on the curb where we watch.

"What you fight for," Jadis says, nodding her head and looking around with an impressed smirk.

"Not the place," Rick says, "the people, each other. You're a part of that now."

Jadis shrugs. "We take. We don't bother. Our way. May be another way."

"Trash people," I mouth at Carl, who rolls his eyes back.

Jadis glances at Michonne and nods to Rick. "Yours?" she asks her.

Carl clears his throat uncomfortably.

"Yeah," Michonne says, seemingly unsure of the question, "we're together."

"I lay with him after." Jadis shrugs again. "You care?"

Carl's face goes beet red. His hand turns hot in mine, and he quickly lets go of it. Everything is just too much for him right now.

My jaw drops, and something between a snort and a gasp escapes it.

Michonne's eyes go wide.

Rick glances between Michonne and Jadis, looking very lost as to when the conversation took this turn.

"We should get back to work," Michonne whispers, slowly backing away.

Rick nods quickly before following her. "Yeah."

Carl, his dad, and Minnie set up a defensive line on the wall with Jadis and her people. I help Daryl, Rosita, and Aaron put the explosives left from the highway in a 'trust a move!' truck parked outside our walls. Tara parks two cars out front of the gate, blocking any attempt they might make to ram it down.

Michonne comes to fetch me after most of the set up is done, two rifles in her hands. We go to Mikey's house with a girl scavenger, who Jadis tells us is their best with a scope. The roof floor balcony here has the best view of Alexandria and a clear line of sight to the gate.

"Would be nice if the old church tower was still standing," Michonne says as she checks the chamber of one of the rifles before handing it to me.

"Would be nice if Sasha was here with her rifle, too," I mumble under my breath after, checking the chamber again nervously.

Michonne smiles with an impenetrable face, nothing readable beyond it.

"Sasha?" the Scavenger asks.

I nod. "My sister."

The Scavenger gives me a strange head tilt and raises her eyebrow, looking me up and down.

"You okay?" Michonne asks her.

The lady goes to take the second rifle, but I grab it first.

She looks at me funny. Michonne does, too, but she doesn't step in.

"Got a name?" I ask her.

"Farron," she says after a moments pause.

"I'm Rhys," I tell her. "You shoot one of these before?"

She nods.

I breathe in diligently. "Good," I say, handing her the rifle in the same manner.

"Worry?" Farron asks us.

"No," Michonne says.

Farron looks at me.

"Nah," I grunt, shaking my head.

"Good."

Michonne pats my back, directing me towards the window back inside. "Rhys can take the next one over."

"Why?" Farron asks, stepping in our path.

"It's more sightlines if you split up."

Farron blinks at her. "I'll go."

"I don't mind," I say.

"I'll go," she repeats.

"You sure?" Michonne asks.

Farron nods.

"Okay."

Farron turns, stepping through the window, turning back to us and smiling.

"We win," she says.

Michonne nods. "Yeah."

"We will," I say.

When she's gone, Michonne picks up her sword and heads for the window. "I'll be close by. Rick wants a small group guarding the rear gate. Just in case. You going to be okay?"

I look out over the balcony, watching the tiny, far away people work on defending the wall.

"Wish I had a gun I was used to," I answer honestly.

Michonne nods, patting the hilt of her sword — probably in acknowledgement of how lucky she is that no Saviors have taken it. "They took your rifle with all the other guns."

I fiddle with Sasha's knife on my belt.

"Sasha's rifle got taken in the woods that night," Michonne says. "We'll get it back, though. Her, too."

"I know... and this one's fine."

"I'll see you when it's over," Michonne tells me.

"Good luck," I say with a highly strung smile.

"Same for you."

As she leaves, Carl appears. He lets her climb back inside through the window and waits for her to go.

"We're all good to go down there," he says, ducking through the window and coming up behind me on the small roof patio. "Dad sent me to check on you."

I peer down my scope and fiddle with the dial on top of it until I can see the wall without any blur. "I'm ready."

"Worried at all?" he asks.

"Obviously," I breathe out heavily, turning to face him.

He quickly walks up to me, taking my rifle off of me and leaning it against the wall.

"What are you—?"

He kisses me. Nothing brief or forgettable. It's wild and rough, and he pulls my hands down to his hips before tangling his through my hair. I close my eyes and see a world where we don't have to fight. I feel that world in him.

Carl pulls away.

He laughs when he sees how flustered he made me.

"I will see you soon," he says.

"I've got your back."

Ten minutes later, I hear the whistles of birds. Only they're not really birds. Jadis' people have a chain of lookouts set up to warn us when the Saviors get close. And that's the signal. It sounds like a turkey. Like an angry and mean old turkey.

I lean along the balcony parapet, take a deep breath, and aim.

Rick's standing atop the guard post by the gate, Jadis crouched beside him out of sight. I shift my sights farther along the wall to see Carl crouched beside Scott and Minnie, all of them waiting with Scavengers beside them.

Rick looks down to behind the gate where Rosita waits with the detonator for the explosives. Daryl and Tara are with her down there. Rick says something to her, and she nods. He takes his gun out of its holster and hides it behind his back.

I hear the rumbling of vehicles.

Then I hear a voice on a megaphone.

Eugene's voice.

"All points are covered! Every contingency is already met. I come armed with two barrels of the truth. A test is upon you, and I'm giving out the cheat sheet."

I see him there over the wall. He's standing on the back of a blue truck beside a strange-shaped box covered by a yellow tarp. I scan around for Negan but see nothing. All the trucks that pull up have tinted windows.

The truck engines shut off.

Eugene, dressed all in black, raises the megaphone again. Rick's watching him from the guard post.

"H— hello. I come salved with the hope that it is my dropped knowledge that you heed. Options are zero to none. Compliance and fealty are your only escape. Bottom-lining it... you may thrive, or you may die. I sincerely wish for the former for everyone's sake. The jig is up and in full effect."

They know...

How?

How did they know?

Why is Eugene saying these things for them?

"Will you comply, Rick?"

"Where's Negan?" Rick bellows, I just about hear it.

Eugene raises the megaphone again.

"I'm Negan."

I can feel Rick's crazed wrath from here. His shoulders tense, and he nods to Rosita.

But... it's Eugene.

We can't blow up Eugene.

Rosita nods back to him.

Rick drops down into cover.

Everyone on the walls braces for the boom.

I tense my grip on the gun. My finger twitching in wait along the trigger guard.

Nothing.

Then it all happens at once.

The Scavengers flip their weapons around on us.

Guns are pointed at heads down the line.

Carl, Scott, Minnie, Aaron, Eric, Francine, Daryl, Tara, and Rosita.

The Scavengers stand up and betray us. Ending the fight before it starts.

Jadis puts a gun against Rick's temple.

One of the Scavengers opens the gate.

The doors open on the tallest and scariest-looking black truck. A man with slicked black hair and a shiny leather jacket hops out. A scarf as red as blood and a barb-wired baseball bat rested over his shoulder. He's grinning like a Cheshire cat.

I've never seen him...

But I can only think of one person this could be.

Negan.

"No..." I whisper.

I think about who I'm up here with. I spin on the spot. But it's too late.

Farron is standing in the window, her gun aimed at my chest.

She smiles.

"We win."