When Negan awoke, he looked around and realized he was back at the Sanctuary.
He was also tied to a chair. Michonne's chair was behind him only she seemed to be still out of it. Negan looked around. What the fuck was this? Who had taken them from the camp grounds? And why were they back at this shit hole?
The answer to his question came walking down the stairs towards him. Negan grinned more than he ever had in his life!
"Well as I live and breathe! If it's isn't Burnt Dwight and his Super Hot wife, Sherry! How the hell are you, darlin'?"
Dwight actually answered that.
"My wife is just fine. I knew Rick had some plan to leave you alive to rot in Alexandria. Down in those cells, right? I was down there once. That place was an even bigger shit hole than the Sanctuary is now. How was it?" Dwight asked calmly.
"You see I'm not down there now, am I?" was Negan's response. Sherry folded her arms.
"Why is that, Negan?"
"Why is what, honey?" Negan responded.
"Don't call her that!" Dwight said in a soft hiss.
Negan eyed them both.
"What the hell is this, anyway? Why the fuck am I looking at the two of you now?" Negan asked in a tired sounding voice.
"We dealt with a female version of you. It made us realize that the three of us had a lot of unfinished business." Sherry told him. "What's up with Michonne?"
"Yeah," Dwight said, "what is she doing with you?"
Negan shrugged.
"She's my wife. We have a son."
Dwight burst out laughing while Sherry raised a brow!
"That's a joke, right?" Dwight asked and peered around Negan to stare at the unconscious Michonne.
"No. It is not. Rick died, I was let out and we got married." Negan half lied.
Sherry shook her head, grinning!
"You're going to have to do better than that!" she snorted. Dwight tore his eyes off of Michonne and looked down at Negan again.
"Rick died? How? You killed him?"
"Fucking Christ, you two! I'm just the big 'Boogey Man', aren't I? Rick died in some explosion and nature took it's course."
"So you took over Alexandria?" Sherry asked.
"I'm one of the leaders, yes." Negan continued to lie. "Look, Michonne and I are looking for a killer. That's why we were at that camp. We were waiting for Darryl and some of the others…"
"You expect me to believe," Sherry interrupted in a low voice, "that Darryl, of all people, would work with you? Why didn't he kill you?"
Dwight touched Sherry's arm.
"Why don't we ask Michonne? She's coming around now." he told her. Negan could feel movement behind him against the ropes, and he watched as Dwight and Sherry turned their attention to Michonne.
Michonne, for her part, struggled to wake up. And when she did, she stared up at Dwight and Sherry, or more specifically, at Dwight.
"Your name…you're…."
"Dwight." he said in a humble tone.
"Dwight." Michonne repeated. "What are you doing here? Why did you shoot me with that dart?"
"Welcome back, Warrior Princess!" Negan bellowed from behind her. "Dwight and Sherry grew a pair and decided to kidnap us!"
"Negan says that Rick died?" Dwight asked.
Michonne shook her head.
"He's missing. Someone has him but I haven't turned up any leads."
Sherry now moved so she was facing Negan.
"Wow. That's quite a lie you told us. Missing is different from being dead." she told him. Negan rolled his eyes and looked away.
"So you're not married to him?" Dwight asked.
"To Rick?" Michonne asked.
"To Negan." Dwight corrected her.
"No." Michonne said.
Sherry smiled at Negan.
"She's no more married to you than I was." she said sarcastically.
"What is this all about, Dwight?" Michonne asked as she looked around. They were back at the Sanctuary, and it looked even worse than it did when she was there before with the Kingdom people.
"What it's all about," Dwight said, "is that Sherry and I are tired. Tired of going to new places and meeting crazy people. I met up with Morgan and we couldn't really find a safe place to live. Not really."
"You were with Morgan? Where is he? Rick said he was living at that trash dump and when he went back, he was gone." Michonne noted.
"We ended up in Oklahoma and that was a different type of nightmare." Dwight said. "The point is, we got through it and Sherry and I decided no more. If we were ever going to make it in this world, we needed to find a safe place to be."
Negan sighed with disgust!
"So you came back here to freeload in Alexandria, right? And you want to make a deal with Michonne that she kills me or I'm locked up again? Is that the gist of this shit?" he asked.
Sherry backhanded him! And it felt good!
"Ouch, sweetheart! You're taking me back to all of those good times we had in my bed…"
"Shut-up!" Dwight snapped. But Negan did no such thing.
"Michonne, this is what this is really all about! Lying ass Sherry made is seem like she was forced into my bed and Burnt Dwight here can't take it! At least let Michonne go so she doesn't have to hear this crap! That and she's the mother of my son! He needs her!" Negan snapped.
"Okay," Michonne said, "Negan, shut-up. Dwight, just tell me what's going on? What do Sherry and you want?"
"We're not the only ones that 'want', Michonne." Sherry said, just as the sound of new footsteps entered the building. Negan saw a black guy with glasses and dreads, walk towards them. Who the fuck was this, he thought.
But the man walked around Negan so that he could face Michonne…
"Heath?" Michonne asked in disbelief. She was now more uneasy than she had been hunting down Beta. Dwight and Heath were just one too many 'reunions' for her in one day.
"Michonne. I understand Alexandria is just as fucked up, as it was the day Rick and your crew invaded it." Heath said calmly. Negan smiled. The guy was not a 'Rick Fan'. He didn't run into too many of those in these parts.
Michonne stared up at him, trying not to let her increasing unease show.
"Why don't you just tell us what you want?" Michonne asked again.
"We want safety. I want the safety that my group, my ORIGINAL group had, before you showed up. Showed up in MY home." Heath enunciated.
"And that means what?" Michonne asked.
"That the OGG leaves." Heath answered. "And in case you're wondering what that means, it stands for 'Original Grimes Group'! I want you gone. I want Maggie gone. Darryl and every other murdering ass person you came through those gates with. And Aaron can get the hell out too."
Michonne began wriggling against her ropes, something Negan could feel.
"Heath, the things that happened…just happened." she said, unable to really explain anything.
"Well let's start with Pete. You remember him? If Rick hadn't killed him, then maybe Maggie and Glenn could have stayed in Alexandria for medical help."
"And if your new friend, Dwight, over there, had not killed Denise, who was our doctor back then, that could have happened as well." Michonne said coldly.
"That was an accident." Dwight said.
Negan smirked but continued to listen in without commentary. He had never heard any of this before.
"Pete never beat Jessie. Do you really think any of us were the type of people that would have let something like that happen within our community? Rick wanted Jessie and he killed her husband. And poor Deanna. She tried to be fair to you all and look at where she is? Not running Alexandria like she should be." Heath said.
Michonne said nothing to that. Heath continued on.
"You weren't with Rick when he first came here. I could see that. Then once he didn't have Jessie, he moved in on you. You know I had wanted to ask you out…"
"Oh Jesus!" Negan yelled out as he started laughing. "Is this what this shit is all about? Grimes cock blocked you and you've been stewing all these years over it?"
Heath slowly walked around to face Negan.
"And Mr. Negan. When Rick came up with that half assed idea to kill your people in exchange for supplies, I just wanted to throw up my hands! But I went along with the shit, hoping that someone would see the light. And then…"
"Where have you been, Heath?" Michonne interrupted calmly. "I mean you ran off and left Tara to get back to Alexandria on her own. Where have you been that you've been sitting around and thinking about crap like this, all of this time?"
"Here is how things are going to go." Heath said, ignoring Michonne's question. "We're going 're-home' all of Rick's people. And Negan. This crap place we're in was once a community. You can make it that way again. However you have to. But Sherry, Dwight and myself, along with everyone else I remember that was in Alexandria, before you bastards showed up, can stay. In Alexandria."
"What makes you think we're going to let you?" Negan asked with a smirk. "We have people…"
"Yes," Heath interrupted. "I know about that. I know ALL about it. I know that Carol has amnesia and can't remember that Ezekiel is really her husband. With Darryl gone, maybe that will change."
Michonne craned her head to look at Dwight and Sherry.
"You just said you wanted all of Rick's people to go, but Carol can stay? Why?"
"I think it's obvious, Warrior Princess," Negan said with contempt, "King Zeke has been feeding these fucks information! King Zeke and who else?"
Heath sighed before answering.
"Herschel isn't happy that you aren't dead. We'll be keeping him with us, just to make sure Maggie tows the line and stays away." Heath revealed.
"Sherry and I will look after him." Dwight said quietly. Michonne gaped at him!
"If you think I plan on letting you kidnap Maggie's son…" she began.
"He'll be better off away from the man that killed his father." Heath told her, now puling out a gun. "You two need to get upstairs and clean up Negan's old bedroom. That's where you'll be living. And of course you'll need to work on rooms for your children. Michonne, I can't believe you'd willingly lay under this piece of filth here."
"I am not married to Negan. We do not share children." Michonne said coldly.
"I don't believe you. You know why? Because Negan LOOKS like Rick!" Heath snapped.
"No I don't!" Negan disagreed. Sherry bent down and began to cut their ropes.
"You have that whole "Bearded Rick' thing going. It's no coincidence that she's with you now." Heath said. Sherry nodded.
"You probably grew it to look like him on purpose." Sherry snorted once she finished freeing them. Michonne and Negan slowly stood up, just as more people came in, pointing guns.
"Upstairs." Dwight said, nodding his head. "We're leaving to go back to that campsite and bring the others back here."
Negan grabbed Michonne's arm and they began moving towards the stairs. Two men were following behind them with guns at their backs.
"I hope," Negan said between gritted teeth, "that you have learned your lesson."
"Excuse me?" Michonne asked, her teeth gritted as well.
"I once told you I could help you. But you thought you were too good to take any advice from me. There are traitors within Alexandria. How did they get to be traitors? Because you weren't minding the store and everyone else there is stupid." Negan told her.
"I'm not in the mood to hear any 'Monday Morning Quarterbacking' from you," Michonne hissed in a whisper, "you're so smart, aren't you? If you are, then get us out of this."
"Oh I can get us out of this. But it's going to take sacrifice." he said, smiling at her and reaching for her hand. He squeezed it as they arrived at his old bedroom. Michonne went in first, followed by Negan. One of them men moved to close and lock the door.
"Start cleaning! I see a dead mouse in the corner!" the man ordered, before pulling the door closed. A pronounced click could be heard and Michonne hurried to the window!
The Sanctuary had guards outside. She turned back to face Negan.
"Okay. You're in charge…God I thought I'd never hear myself say those words…what's your plan?" Michonne asked.
"The plan, Warrior Princess, is to remember that I am indeed in charge now." he told her.
"You can't do this." Maggie said calmly, as Aaron and Eugene carried an unconscious Beta to a row boat. Eugene and Aaron had moved a boulder into the boat and attached a chain, fashioning a noose at the end of it. Darryl watched Maggie.
"What the hell did you think was going to happen here? Huh? That you would bring that murdering fuck back to Alexandria and rehab him? That's not happening." Darryl told her.
"You can't just drown him." Maggie replied, looking from Darryl to Aaron and Eugene. The now had Beta in the boat and Aaron slipped the noose over his prone head.
"I don't think he's going to drown." Darryl said matter-of-factly. "I don't know what the hell he is, but he's died like three times in front of my eyes and just won't stay put. He'll stay put down there."
"And Negan? Does he go down there too?" Maggie asked in a hard tone.
"If you want him to, then yeah, he goes down there, Maggie. I don't want him around anymore than you do."
"And yet he is. He's here and he's claiming RJ as his, among other things. The only reason you haven't done what needed doing is because of Rick and Michonne. It's guilt. I feel it too, Darryl, but we can't get on with our lives with that man alive and sneering at us! If the Governor was still alive after killing my father, I'd feel the same way."
"So would I. But I can't do anything behind Michonne's back. This isn't just about Rick. It's Carl too."
Maggie said nothing as she watched Aaron and Eugene row to the center of the lake, before stopping, then heaving Beta's body overboard. He came to as he fell into the water, scrambling! Maggie swallowed.
"If he gets out of there, then we do things my way, Darryl. He comes to Alexandria and sits in a cell like Negan did. Are we clear?"
"Negan can't die a thousand times, Maggie. I can't promise that. If Beta gets out of there, then we'll have to find a new way to kill him."
"I won't let you."
Darryl tilted his head.
"Do you want to save him because you actually care about him? Or do you just want to stick it to the rest of us for letting Negan out? Carol let him out. He killed Alpha, who killed a bunch of our people! He helped us fight the Whisperers and Carol tried to re-home him but it just didn't stick. I don't get how bringing another murderer to our stronghold helps anything."
Maggie walked up to him.
"It would make me feel better. Does that count for anything?" she asked, before walking off. Aaron and Eugene rowed back to land and Darryl pinched the bridge of his nose. Negan had to go. And he was going to have to be firmer with Michonne about this than he had been in the past. Maggie was family. Negan was not, no matter how much he tried to be.
Maggie began to walk the path she had taken, out of the campgrounds and back to Alexandria. She tried not to think about the growing madness that was dwelling inside of her from having to look at the man, that had ruined her and Glenn's hopes and dreams, live in the same stronghold she had planned on raising her son in—with his father. Negan lived there, lied on people and in the end, would do nothing to keep from running Alexandria if no one stopped him.
The only way she thought she could live with it, possibly, was if she brought Brian into their world. But was she right to do something like that to Carol? Carol had tried to send Negan away.
Whisperer trauma had made everyone look the other way. Negan had ended their trauma and now no one cared about her own. Maggie had not been there, fighting the Whisperers, side by side with them. There were people in Alexandria that didn't even know what a bastard Negan was seven years ago or what he was fully capable of returning to, if he was not watched.
Maggie stopped walking. Did she want Negan watched? Or did she want him killed?
She realized she wanted him back in his jail cell where he belonged. Rick wanted him alive but he never meant for him to be free.
She nodded to herself and continued walking…then stopped…as a familiar figure stood in her path.
Ezekiel.
"Ezekiel? What are you doing here?"
"It's Carol. She's taken a turn for the worse and really wants to see you." Ezekiel said, glancing down the path behind her. "Is it done? Did you kill Beta?"
"Darryl, Aaron and Eugene are taking care of it…what's wrong with Carol?" Maggie asked, just as Dwight moved behind her to chloroform her. Maggie struggled for naught, then dropped to the ground. Dwight picked her up. Other men appeared from behind trees.
"Do the same for Darryl and the others, then get them back to the Sanctuary." Dwight told Ezekiel. Ezekiel nodded, looking at Maggie's unconscious form as she was carried off to join Negan and Michonne. Darryl would be next, hopefully. And once he was gone, Ezekiel knew he could spend what time he had left, with the woman he loved.