Darryl clutched the steering wheel and tried to swallow his unease. He had felt like they were being watched at Camp Miller Lake back there. Whoever had written and drawn those books, was still there. Meaning it had been a bad idea to leave Judith and RJ there.
Negan, he didn't give two shits about.
He stopped the truck in the middle of the road, and Grace, who was sitting between him and Michonne, looked at him. Michonne stared over at him as well.
"Why are we stopping?" Michonne asked. "What's wrong?"
"I think whoever made those books, is at that camp. We need to go back." Darryl said. Grace looked from Darryl to Michonne.
"Books? What is Darryl talking about?" she asked Michonne.
But Michonne looked at Darryl.
"You think this person is back there? I didn't sense that…but I am sensing Beta. I can see him…he's with Gabriel and Maggie." she said, in an almost whisper.
"Which means Negan lied about what happened!" Darryl snapped.
"No! Judith and RJ were upset. Something went down. Maybe it's just stopped." Michonne said.
Grace put in her two cents. She was not going to question what was happening to Michonne, or at Alexandria, anymore. The dead coming back to life, were enough for her.
"But you are not seeing him in a cell, are you?" Grace asked. Michonne shook her head.
"No." she admitted. "I'm going back to the camp. You two return to Alexandria."
Darryl looked around the truck. Where was that book? The first one?
"Michonne, where's that first book? You had it in your hands back at the camp." Darryl reminded her. Michonne looked all around and felt under the seat. She then got out and looked in the back in the trunk bed. God! The book was gone and chances were, either the kids or Negan had seen it and were now readimg it! Damnit!
Michonne walked to the passenger side window.
"It's not here. That means I left it at the camp. I'm going back. I have to explain what it is."
"How?!" Darryl snapped. "We don't know what it is!"
"Maybe you can get more out of Beta than I can. He told me about them. Maybe you can ask Maggie to ask him." Michonne suggested.
"If he told you about them, then he's not going to tell anyone else. Including Maggie." Darryl surmised. He looked at Grace, then looked at Michonne.
"We'll head back."
Michonne nodded.
"I'll go to the camp, bring back the supplies, Judith, RJ and…Negan." Michonne said. She watched as Darryl and Grace slowly drove off, before pulling out her katana and heading back to Camp Miller Lake. She hoped like hell Darryl was wrong about the 'author' of that book, still being on the premises.
When Michonne retuned to Camp Miller Lake, she found Judith sitting in the back of the truck bed, with the supplies, reading the first book. Michonne also noticed that there was a second book sitting next to her. It looked wet.
Judith had been so into her book that she almost jumped when she saw Michonne!
"Mama? What happened? Where's Uncle Darryl?" she asked, looking around. Michonne was about to ask her to give her the book, when she noticed Negan and RJ. RJ had a gun and Negan was teaching him how to shoot walker heads, that he had secured against an archery target! Michonne forgot the inappropriate reading material for the moment and marched over to the two of them!
Negan glanced back at her, seemingly not surprised to see her. RJ looked and grinned!
"Mama, Dad's teaching me to shoot! Can you teach me how to use your sword? Please?"
Michonne tried not to visibly react at RJ's calling Negan 'Dad'. She cleared her throat.
"We'll see. I need to talk to talk to Negan alone, honey, so why don't you give him back his gun, okay?" Michonne said, trying to keep her tone light.
"Dad gave it to me! It's mine so I don't have to give it back!" RJ exclaimed proudly. He looked up at Negan, grinning widely. Negan grinned back down at him, and for the first time since Negan had first uttered his theory to her that he thought RJ was his son, Michonne could see a resemblance between them. She told herself that she was just imagining that her son and Negan looked alike—sort of.
"Why don't you go check over our supplies with your sister. Maybe you can pry her away from that book." Negan suggested. "I'll hold your gun for you."
RJ nodded quickly and gently handed Negan the gun, before running off to the truck. Michonne waited until he was a good distance away before proceeding to go off!
"I don't even know where to begin!" Michonne hissed. "RJ is too young to be handling a gun!"
"He has to learn sometime. You taught Judith how to use one. And another thing: Judith and RJ need to learn how to swim. Just because the world has went to shit doesn't mean you skip childcare basics." Negan said, his manner almost prim. And self righteous.
Michonne glanced back at Judith and RJ. RJ was looking through the supply boxes in the back of the truck but Judith was still sitting on the edge, reading that first book. Michonne could see she was really into it. She quelled her worry and turned her attention to Negan again. But before she could say anything, he did.
"So," he said as he walked over to the target and looked over the bullet holes in the walker heads, "are those books the reason you needed to come here?"
Michonne said nothing. His back was now to her. Negan continued talking.
"Yeah, just so you know, they are FUCKED up! That second one is wet, so I don't know what's in it. But that one Judith has…I was about to take it from her but she pulled her gun on me. That's another thing: once we're married, I'm not letting her get away with that kind of shit."
Michonne ignored the part about Judith. Negan turned away from the target and walked back over to her.
"Where did that second one come from? I only found the one." Michonne asked him.
"RJ said he saw Darryl hiding it in the water." Negan said, his tone now turning hard. "You didn't know about it?"
"I only found the one where Beta told me it was." Michonne said quietly. Darryl had found another book, not told her and hidden it. Why?
"Aaah. Beta. Beta and the talk you had with him. So you told Darryl the truth about this camp visit but not me? Michonne, I thought we were getting somewhere…"
"I'm sorry." Michonne suddenly said. Negan closed his mouth abruptly. He had not expected to hear her say that, and it had been a damned long time since anyone had said it to him. He decided to just listen. For once.
"Negan, what's happening between us is just so…unexpected. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around all of this. I didn't remember ever being with you in that cell, until you said something. In my mind, RJ is Rick's. He's the child we wanted to have. He's the child we expected to raise together. I expected him to always be here."
Negan still said nothing. He sensed she had more to get out.
"Then I thought I could find Rick. I found his phone on a ship. A phone and his boots. And on his phone he had drawn Judith and myself. He's alive, Negan but I can't find him. I had no luck and there was always something else that interrupted my search. Mostly people that needed help. I don't know if I just got tired or I gave up, but something told me I had been away from Judith and RJ too long. Something told me I needed to come home. I came back here and found that my people were recovering from a Whisperer war and…well…I found you too." Michonne said sighing.
Negan smiled at her. He reached for her hand and clasped it before speaking.
"I know how hard all of this is for you. I know I don't seem like I do or act like it, but I do know. I always thought in the back of my mind, that Rick beat me because he had you by his side. Rick found what I tried to find in my many wives—a new life. I wanted someone that could make me forget Lucille and God help me…for a time, I did want it to be Sherry. She never knew that and I could always sense she wanted Dwight but I didn't care. I just hoped that I could get her to care just a little. Does that piss you off? The Sherry admission?"
Michonne smiled, squeezing his hand.
"No. And honestly, I think you need to tell her that. It might not help anything or change how she feels, but…I don't know… I think she needs to hear you say that. In the nice, caring tone that you just used with me." Michonne half chided. Negan nodded and then let go of her hand.
"Maybe." he replied. "But now I want to talk about those books. I half looked at the one Judith is reading. Are we on the same page as to who the author is and what needs to be done?"
Michonne cleared her throat. She sensed this conversation was about to go askew.
"No, not really. You think you know who wrote the books?"
Negan glanced over at the kids before looking at her again.
"Yeah! Come on, Warrior Princess, you just told me Rick drew Judith and you on a phone! Who else would write shit like that and draw it? Why he drew himself looking like an asshole, I'll never know, but this is clearly his work!"
Michonne's mouth dropped open!
"Negan, Rick couldn't draw like that!"
"How do you know that? You just said he etched pictures of Judith and you…"
"Etched, Negan! What's in these books is professional looking! The books look professional! I just don't think Rick could have, or would have, spent his time away from all of us, drawing and writing stuff like that!"
"But you don't know that he couldn't draw better than what you saw on that phone, do you? Hell, Michonne, no one has time in this world to DRAW! Or even write! But Rick was in an explosion and he may be hurt—mentally. He's around here someplace, probably bare assed and without proper clothing, drawing shit like this! I say we go back to Alexandria and get a group together to hunt for him here. Oh…and we'll need a net to catch him. He's probably feral by now." Negan said solemnly, sneaking another look at the kids to make sure they were alright.
"Rick did not do this, okay?"
"Honey, I know you don't like the fact that you searched in the wrong direction for him, but that book has him written and drawn, all over it. Now we catch him and explain what the fuck is wrong with him, okay?" he asked, reaching for her.
But Michonne glared at him and pulled away!
"If Darryl thought Rick had done this, then he'd still be here with us at this camp!"
"Oh here we go! Feral Darryl knows all, huh? RJ found that second book in the water. He said he saw Darryl throw it in there. Why would he do that? Why would he hide it from you?" Negan asked, now folding his arms.
Michonne looked away and Negan knew he was on to something!
"Michonne!"
Michonne looked at him.
"Beta told me there was a book where something happened to me. He told me not to read it. That is why I'm telling you that Rick is not the author of these books. Look, let's just get the supplies we have back to Alexandria and we'll deal with all of this later, okay?"
Negan just stared at her.
"Negan? Let's just go. I sensed that Beta was not a threat. That's why Darryl and Grace…"
"What do you mean, 'something happens to you'? Why would Rick draw and write something happening to you? Like what? Like a walker eats you?" Negan asked in a demanding tone.
"I don't know."
"But Darryl knows. He knows and he tried to get rid of the book because he didn't want you to see it." Negan said as the horrifying realization hit him that something so bad was in this book, that even Darryl couldn't stomach it. Negan turned and hurried over to the truck where Judith and RJ were sitting! Michonne hurried after him!
"Negan! Whatever it is, Rick didn't draw it!" Michonne yelled after him. Judith and RJ stared as Negan first, snatched the book Judith was reading out of her hands! Judith screeched in protest and looked around for her gun!
"Watch yourself, young lady! Don't even think about it!" Negan warned her and Judith took her hand off of her gun. Negan then snatched up the wet book and tried to wipe it off on his shirt. Michonne reached him!
"Negan, you will tear the pages if you try and look at it now! Just leave it!"
"I'm not leaving this. I'm going to let it dry out and then I'm going to read it. And if I see anything in there I don't like, when I find Rick I'm killing him where he stands, feral, fucked up or not! Kids, we're going back home now." Negan said, his eyes sweeping over the three of them possessively. Judith and RJ climbed out of the back of the truck and got in the front. Negan walked over to the driver's side and got in.
Michonne knew they were waiting for her. She glanced around the camp and could sense nothing. And no one. She sighed and squeezed in to the last bit of room on the passenger side and closed the door.
Negan started up the truck and spoke.
"We're going back home with these supplies. If Maggie's Monster Husband is still making a problem for everyone, MICHONNE, you're going to put him down, right?"
Michonne nodded. Judith and RJ looked relieved and Negan nodded, smiling, before taking off. But Michonne could sense nothing but calm coming from Beta. She knew she would not have to kill him when they returned. But she did worry. About that wet book and what was in it.
Darryl and Grace arrived back at Alexandria to find that Dwight was being looked at in the infirmary by Virgil. Morgan came out of Maggie's house and saw Grace! They ran to each other and embraced for a long time. Darryl watched them, before looking around. Aaron came running over!
"What's happened? Michonne sensed Beta had gotten out." Darryl said.
"Yeah. Maggie kept him from killing everyone. He's in there with her now. Where's Michonne? I saw Negan tear out of here with the kids." Aaron noted.
"At a camp we found. A camp that Beta told Michonne about. They're coming back with more supplies." Darryl said gruffly.
"Okay…that's a good thing, right? The stuff they brought back from Higgins Haven will last us a long while if we're careful."
"Beta didn't just send her there for supplies. He told her about some fucked up books…they have drawings in them. It's like someone knew what was going to happen to the world and how Rick would react to it. He's like the main character."
Aaron raised a brow.
"You're kidding, right?"
"No. I wish to God I was. The first one was in a row boat with a walker in the middle of a lake. Michonne and I went out there, got the book and came back in to shore. Rick had been in a coma when the world went to shit. The book starts with how that came to be—his coma and how he found his way back to his wife Lorie and Carl. But…"
"But what?" Aaron asked. He believed Darryl. He had never seen him look so rattled.
"I was with Rick during those early days. I'm not in them and some things happen, but not when they really happened. And…I found another book. It said it was number 5 in the series."
"Series?" Aaron asked.
"Yeah. And in that one, Michonne is raped by someone we once dealt with. And it's fucked up the way it looks…the way it's drawn. I got rid of the book. I threw it in the lake because I didn't want her reading or seeing that shit. But now I have to wonder if the rape happened?"
Aaron could see Darryl's agitation and tried to calm him down.
"Okay, look, you threw it in the lake. Michonne is never going to see it. Beta told her about these books so he knows what they are. Let's go in and ask him what's going on." Aaron suggested and Darryl nodded, just as he saw Carol coming out of her home with her gear. She dumped it into the truck Dwight and Sherry had been driving, then walked over to Morgan and Grace.
"What's going on? Where's Carol going with all of that?" Darryl asked.
"Oh. Carol told us she's leaving. She's going to Georgia with Morgan and his group." Aaron said quietly. Darryl clenched his jaw. First thing was first. Beta had to be dealt with. He and Aaron headed inside to Maggie—and Beta.
Darryl and Aaron found Beta sitting at Maggie's dining room table eating a bowl of Campbell's Chunky Creamy Chicken and Dumpling soup. Darryl walked to the table, took the bowl from him and threw it against the wall! Maggie came running when she heard the commotion!
"Oh my God, Darryl! Stop it! What are you doing?!" Maggie yelled. But Beta was calm.
"He wants to know about Michonne." was his answer. Aaron raised a brow but Darryl gritted hit teeth!
"Yeah. I want to know about those books you sent her looking for. Did you draw that fucked up shit?"
"No." Beta replied.
"But you know who did, don't you?" Darryl asked. Maggie looked at Aaron.
"What is he talking about? What books?" she asked.
Darryl turned from Beta to Maggie.
"Your husband sent Michonne to another campsite. There were books about all of our lives. Rick is in the first one. Michonne gets raped by the Governor in the fifth one. Now I'm asking your piece of shit husband, if he knows who drew that shit!"
Maggie looked from Darryl to Beta.
"Brian, what's going on?" she asked him. Beta picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth.
"I want more soup." was his answer.
"You what?!" Darryl asked, walking up to him daringly. Maggie got in between them!
"Stop this! Stop it! Brian, what is happening? What is Darryl talking about?"
"Michonne did not read the book, did she?" Beta asked Darryl.
"I threw it in the lake."
"Make sure it remains there. If she reads it, things will change." was Beta's frustrating reply.
"Change how?" Aaron asked.
"She is connected to me. If she reads that book, it will connect her to HIM."
"Him who?" Darryl asked.
"Ask the one you call 'Morgan'. He had plans to take me to him so I could be slain. Maggie, please…more soup?" Beta asked. Maggie nodded and hurried off to the kitchen. Aaron pulled Darryl out of the room and into the foyer.
"I'll get Morgan in here. What about that other plan of yours? You know with Maggie and Negan?"
"All plans will have to wait until we talk to Morgan." was Darryl's reply as he left the house and walked right up to Carol, Grace and Morgan. Aaron looked back into the dining room at Beta, who was staring at him. Creeped out, Aaron left as well, just as Maggie returned with another bowl of soup. But Beta stood up, took the bowl from her hands and set it down. He then pulled her face to his and Maggie found she was losing herself again, in his powerful kiss. She scarcely remembered him picking her up and taking her up the stairs.
Negan's truck roared back into Alexandria, just as Darryl reached Morgan, Grace and Carol. Darryl looked at Morgan.
"I need to talk to you—alone." he told him. Morgan nodded and he and Darryl were about to walk off, when Negan put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly!
"Darryl! We need to talk—NOW!"
Michonne jumped out and told RJ and Judith to get the supplies out of the truck. Aaron, Carol and Grace walked over to see what new things had been brought back. Negan walked over to Morgan and Darryl. Darryl could see Negan was holding a wet book. Damn!
"I need to talk to Darryl alone, Stick Man." Negan told him, not feeling the need to be polite to the sack of shit that tried to kidnap him earlier. Morgan clenched his jaw, but walked over to the truck with the others. He passed Michonne, who joined Darryl and Negan.
"Negan," Michonne said, "I want you to stop this. We'll let that book dry out and then I will read it. Me alone."
"No." Darryl told her, looking from Negan to Michonne. "You need to get rid of it. However you have to. I talked to Beta. He said things will change if you read it."
"Change how?" Negan asked.
"I don't know." Darryl admitted. Negan peered at him.
"But you do know what happens in this book, don't you?" he asked. "Where is Beta?"
Darryl said nothing.
"Where. The. Fuck. Is. Beta?" Negan asked in a tone you would use with a person hard of hearing.
"Give me that book." was Darryl's answer.
Negan turned and walked over to Maggie's house. Of course oversized fuck was in there someplace! Where else would he be? Michonne began to run after Negan, but Darryl grabbed her from behind and held her against him!
"Darryl! Let me go! What are you doing?!" Michonne exclaimed, unable to free herself.
"Let him go! Beta will kill him and then this shit will be over! Rick is RJ's father, Michonne! You know that! We both know that!" Darryl hissed into her ear, gripping her even tighter.
Meanwhile, Negan kicked in Maggie's door and immediately heard the familiar noises of raw fucking! He slammed the door and hurried up the stairs with the wet book in hand! This fucker and Grimes were in on this together and Beta, Brian…Bastard Asshole…or whatever the hell he called himself, was going to damned well tell him where Grimes was hiding!
Negan went to the telltale closed door and listened against it for a few seconds, before kicking it in! Beta, bare assed and in his naked glory, had inserted a good nine inches into Maggie from behind, before Negan interrupted! Maggie's head whipped around and glared at him!
"Get out of here, you murdering bastard!" she screeched, unable to believe that this…this MONSTER would break into her house this way! Negan looked around, saw a framed picture of Glenn and ran over to it! He picked it up and slammed it against Beta's face! He then took the wet book and slapped it against the back of his head!
"You piece of oversized shit! You tell me where Grimes is—NOW! The two of you are in this together, aren't you?!" Negan yelled. Maggie leaped at Negan, but he grabbed her hair, twisting it, before shoving her away!
"You will die for putting your hands on her!" Beta seethed and grabbed Negan by the throat! He lifted Negan off of the ground and the force of it, caused him to flail around! The wet book hit the window and smashed through it to the outside!
And then something happened.
Suddenly, Beta began to choke and choke and choke…he let go of Negan and Maggie, who had covered up with a robe, ran to him!
"Brian? Brian, what's wrong?!" Maggie cried. Water began to pour out of his mouth…gushing until it half filled the room!
"Jesus Christ! He's drowning! That's the fucking lake water!" Negan yelled and he and Maggie didn't make it to the bedroom door, before the room filled up! They ended up falling into the water and tumbling downward in a waterfall fashion until the water overwhelmed them and crashed through the walls of the house, and brought them outside in front of everyone in Alexandria!
Everyone ran to them and helped them up, as the water began to dissipate. The house was ruined but Beta could be seen on the second floor, dead, his eyes wide open. Darryl, Aaron and Virgil, made their way to the second floor. They watched to see when Beta would wake up.
He did not.
Maggie began to sob and Herschel and Rosita put their arms around her and took her to Rosita's place. Negan wiped his self off with a towel RJ and brought him, while Judith looked around.
"Where's Mama?"
Michonne, was now reading the wet book that Negan had accidentally flung out of the window. She had taken it and walked over to the bridge. She gingerly turned a page. Grace looked around and found that Morgan was headed to the infirmary. She hurried to catch up to him.
"Morgan, we need to tell Maggie what we found on her family farm. We need to tell her about the gamma radiation and what it did." Grace told him. Morgan stopped and looked at her.
"Grace, we need to go back to Georgia and forget about all of this. Beta is gone. We don't need to take him with us."
"But June and I need to know for sure who our patient is." Grace said. Morgan looked over at Carol.
"Carol will know when she sees him. Carol's in the books. And if we're right, we'll keep him from Michonne and Judith." Morgan told her, before turning away and continuing towards the infirmary. Grace stared over at Michonne, whom she knew was reading a wet book. Grace pursed her lips. Maybe Morgan was right. Maybe leaving and saying nothing would be best for everyone.