Darryl, Father Gabriel and Aaron, ran to the helicopter that Eugene landed behind the walls of Alexandria. The noise seemed to attract walkers outside of the gates and Darryl was honestly wondering if having the damned thing was even worth having.
His anger at being unable to stop Negan from taking the kids in the thing, was bad enough. But to see only Eugene, Dexter and Harrison emerge filled him with rage and uneasiness. Deb came running up and threw herself into her brother's arms!
"Jesus, Dexter! I thought I'd never see you again! I didn't know Negan snuck Harrison out of here too!"
"But did you know that he took Judith and RJ?" Gabriel asked in a kind sounding tone. Dexter decided to handle this…
"Negan sends his regards and has asked me to handle the Rick Grimes situation." he said, smiling patiently.
"There is no 'Rick Grimes Situation'." Darryl replied in a huffy manner. Dexter focused on his wife's lover.
"Oh but of course there is, Darryl. See, someone wants Rick back and it's been decided that that's what's going to happen. Negan is going to arrange it from the prison, I will make sure that Sheriff Grimes is put onto this helicopter and taken back there, so that he can ensure the relative safety of this community. You wouldn't happen to know where my wife is, would you, Darryl? My sister is here welcoming me but I don't see her? Is she cooking a welcome home meal for myself and Harrison?"
"You sonofabitch!" Darryl snapped. Gabriel and Aaron got in between the two men, in case of trouble.
"I'm a sonofabitch? Really, Darryl?"
"You had no business trying to kill Carol. That started this whole damned trouble." Darryl growled.
Dexter rolled his eyes! What Maggie saw in this unwashed hillbilly, he would never know. What he had come to realize, is that this portal was of extraordinary interest to him. It beheld people that could satisfy his dark passenger tendencies. And Rita. He couldn't get her seemingly savage manner out of his head. He wanted to know that Rita Morgan. And he sensed that he held some interest for her as well. And in order to make any of what he was hoping for come true, Rick Grimes would have to be questioned.
He decided to ignore Darryl.
"Harrison, go with your Aunt Deb. I have to talk to the prisoner." Dexter told him.
"I'm coming with you. You're just as dangerous as Negan." Darryl told him.
"How in the world am I just as dangerous as him? Seriously? Do you think I would actually line people up and bash their heads in with a bat? Do you think I would groom a community full of killers?" he asked and then looked to Gabriel and Aaron.
"Look, I don't know what you've been told around here, but Rick has brought some serious trouble down on us. I need to know what to expect. We all do."
Aaron looked at Gabriel and Darryl, before speaking to Dexter.
"Can I at least accompany you when you question him? Negan has already tried to kill Rick with his bat."
"Again, I don't do that kind of thing…"
"Naw," Darryl interrupted, "in a way you're much worse."
Harrison looked at Deb. What the hell did Darryl mean about his dad? Deb could see Harrison was taking in things that Dexter didn't want his son to hear.
"Darryl, stop! Just stop, okay? Let Dexter and Aaron do what they need to do. Nothing is going to happen to Rick." she told him.
"We're not turning him over." was Darryl's final sentence and he walked off. Dexter moved towards Deb.
"Take Harrison home. I'll fill you in once I'm done."
"So you know about the portal?" Deb asked him. "He knows all about Rita and some other version of you."
"Yeah, I met myself and Rita. Deb, they want him back and he needs to leave."
"He's willing to leave if he can take his kids."
"That's not happening." Dexter said. "And think about what could possibly happen to us here, if we allowed that. Michonne and Negan are not people to be taken lightly."
"Neither are you." Deb said pointedly.
"Just take care of my son." Dexter said and he nodded to Aaron. Together they walked towards the basement steps towards the jail that held Rick Grimes. Soon, Dexter was looking at the man that was somewhat of a legend around here, face to face. Aaron spoke first.
"Rick, I know you don't remember me. But I was the one that brought you, and your group, to Alexandria. I used to go out scouting for people lo live here. People that I thought could be trusted and would fit in. There were some ups and downs but we became good friends. Good friends that had one another's backs. I, personally, would love to let you out of that cell. But there are still too many questions about where you've been this whole time, and what kind of trouble you may have brought back with you."
Rick nodded at him, but kept his eyes glued on Dexter. It was clear to both Dexter and Aaron, that he was familiar with Dexter.
"You know," Rick said, "I was in law enforcement. And there were times when I could sense someone was trouble just by looking at them. I'm looking at you, Dexter Morgan, and thinking that you don't seem one damned bit different than the version I know."
Probably because we're not, Rick! Dexter thought. He glanced at Aaron before looking for a chair, pulling it up and sitting down in it.
"You don't mind if I sit down, do you, Rick? I just came off of a long, helicopter ride. And before that I was locked in a jail cell. And even before that, I watched a version of myself, with my late wife and another man that apparently, used to live in Alexandria, kill Jadis. You remember her, right?" Dexter asked. He saw Rick flinch.
"She's dead?" Rick asked.
"I watched her die, execution style, myself." was Dexter's reply.
"Who killed her? Morgan?" Rick asked.
"Actually it was the 'other me'. He apparently got sick of her lying about your whereabouts and ended her life." Dexter said wryly.
"She wasn't lying. She didn't know where I was. I made damned sure of it." was Rick's reply.
"Hmmm. Well, see it doesn't matter because Morgan killed Carol, then locked Michonne and I in a cell. He told us we had a certain amount of time to cough up your whereabouts, before he returned to kill us both. The thing is, Rick, I don't know if he's returning to this world alone. So tell us what we need to prepare for?"
There was a silence and Aaron absorbed what he had heard with quiet disbelief. He also heard something else. Something in Dexter that had never noticed before. Something that made him uneasy and yet, he could not pinpoint what it was or why.
"I'm going to tell you," Rick said, "what I told Maggie and Deb. None of this needs go down badly. Just let me return with my kids. They shouldn't have to live in this shit world with no one to care for them!"
"I think you're being very unfair to Michonne." Aaron said calmly. "Judith and RJ do not have 'no one'. And as much as I loathe Negan, he is good to your children."
Someone came into the basement and told Aaron that Gracie had hurt herself somehow, and was crying for him. Dexter nodded toward him.
"It's okay, Aaron. I can handle this."
Aaron said nothing but nodded back towards him. He then left the cell basement with the guard, leaving Rick and Dexter alone. Dexter stood up and kicked the chair he had been sitting on, away.
"It's just you and me, Rick Grimes. Tell me what I need to know about that other world you've been living in for the past six years, and I will consider trying to convince Negan and Michonne of some sort of 'partial custody' agreement."
Rick eyed him.
"No. They live with me perm…"
"Permanently, Rick? Jesus! How the hell do you think that would work, huh? I know about the other Michonne and what she is. Judith and RJ would freak out if they saw her there acting like that. Throw in the fact that they don't know you and full custody in another world, doesn't work, Rick."
"What do you want? I mean what was it about seeing yourself and Rita, that is making you offer me a 'deal'?"
Dexter said nothing and Rick quietly sized him up.
"It's Rita, right? Maggie said she was killed here. I take that to mean that you don't give two damns about Maggie, huh?"
Dexter said nothing to that as well. Rick continued on.
"How about I tell you this: Dexter and Rita cheat on each other constantly and one of Dexter's fuck buddies is Michonne. They get along just fine with how they both are. Rita is jealous of Michonne and has even tried to kill her a couple of times. Do you really want a woman like that? A woman like Rita over Maggie?"
"I don't know. Do you really want to take your children back to such savage people?"
"It's better than here."
"I don't quite agree." Dexter said.
"And yet you'd take your son back there…" Rick began but Dexter shook his head.
"Nope! I would not. Look, I don't need you for anything, Rick. I can wait until Morgan returns and takes you back through the portal by following the two of you. I am very good at 'finding things'. I just thought I could ease some of your suffering. I'd hate to have Harrison under the influence of Negan, myself."
"Then help me, Dexter."
"Help yourself. You won't be able to go through Negan. But Michonne may be more amiable." was Dexter's parting shot to him, before leaving the basement. He knew that Deb and Harrison were staying in Michonne's house and that's where he would be going, until he could figure out how to proceed with regards to punishing Maggie and Darryl. Meanwhile, Rick was left with Dexter's parting words. He had mulled over, once before, the idea of getting to his kids through Michonne. But things fell apart almost as soon as the thought entered his head. Maybe it was time to revisit that idea again.
RED RIVER ROCK PRISON -
Clearly, this prison must have been one of those country club facilities, Negan thought, impressed as hell by the tennis courts, swimming pool and the other amenities the prison had to offer. Suddenly, he was happier than hell that King Zeke and his men were dead! They were going to enjoy all of this shit? And Carol would've been here, living it up on the high hog…
Negan's thoughts suddenly turned dark. No. Ezekiel had never had any plans for Carol to share all of this. Michonne was who he had intended this for.
He tried to think positive thoughts, as he relaxed in the hot tub found in one of the houses. A goddamned hot tub! King Zeke had probably had it put in for himself and Michonne to enjoy. Probably. He sipped some champagne he had found(yes, that pissed him off too) as Michonne entered the room with a raised brow.
"You know, this place is nice when it has enough people to guard it. Do you really think now is the time for this?" she asked, sitting in a chair by the hot tub.
"The time for what? A little time for ourselves? Where are the kids?"
"Upstairs. They're exploring. I had to make sure there were no walkers here."
"This prison is secure, Chonnie, now why don't you join me…"
"Negan, we can't stay here, okay? Seriously, there are just too many ways just one walker could slip in without men guarding the perimeters, at the very least. And we can't be so far away from Siddiq. What if Judith or RJ need a doctor?"
Negan set down his glass of champagne.
"Chonnie, we'll get people here. People that are loyal to us. We can't go back to Alexandria. People want Rick back as the leader."
"Oh someone told you that?" Michonne asked knowingly.
"It's the logical next step. I'm just saying we need a back up plan. Another place to run in case Rick gets his way." Negan counseled her. He could see Michonne was still unsure about his plans and deep down he knew why. Or suspected why.
""Do you not want to stay here because of him? Are you thinking he could get his memory back?" Negan asked quietly, his eyes probing her intently.
"Negan, this is about what makes sense for now. I don't think it's a bad idea, I just think we're taking a chance staying here this long. We're not prepared for Morgan or how many men he could return with. If they are from a world that resembles what our civilization used to look like, then they could bring whatever kind of weapons they wanted against us. We can talk about this some other time when we get back to Alexandria."
"You didn't answer my question." was Negan's answer.
"Yes I did. This isn't about Rick. I'm thinking of Judith and RJ."
Negan ran his hands over his face and pondered her words for a moment. Actually, for longer than a moment. Michonne tilted her head.
"Okay. What are you thinking?"
Negan looked at her.
"Nothing you'll like. But I'm going to say it anyway."
"Oh God." Michonne muttered. She knew she was going to hear something she didn't want to hear.
"I think that your mindset is off. I think you're still thinking Rick could remember and be the man to you he once was. And I think in order for you to heal something needs to be done."
"Something?" Michonne asked. Negan got out of the hot tub, put on a terrycloth robe and walked over to her. Michonne could tell he wanted to say something important and she hoped he wasn't about to propose or something. She didn't know how she'd quite feel about that.
But Negan was not the 'proposing' type. At least not when it came to marriage. Bad ideas on the other hand…
"I think that we need to fuck in front of Rick."
Michonne stared at him, uncomprehending at first.
"What did you say?"
"You heard me Chonnie. I think that Rick needs to understand what we have. And you need for Rick to understand that in order to get over him…"
Michonne suddenly shoved him away!
"So you think that having sex in front of him is the way for me to 'get over him'? Negan, he does not remember me! He only wants Judith and RJ and he doesn't even know them. I can't say what I would do if Rick got his memory back. I can't, because a lot has changed."
"Then you'll understand why I think your answer is bullshit. The man may have had amnesia but he knew he had a daughter out there someplace. He knew there was a portal long before he got off his ass and finally used it…"
"You know what? Have a good night, Negan!" Michonne huffed and left the jacuzzi room. She went upstairs and found the children asleep in a room with two twin beds. She stared at them from the doorway, before turning and walking back down the stairs and out of the house. She picked up a rifle, deciding that now would be the time to patrol the grounds—alone.
Negan…Negan…Michonne shook her head, allowing herself to realize that his mention of Rick was not the only thing that was bothering her. This had been her and Ezekiel's place. And there were places on the prison grounds she had never even seen. Her eyes spotted the farm house that she and Ezekiel met at and shared many wonderful times. It did seem a waste to let all of this get unused and yet, Michonne didn't want to give up Alexandria and she was not about to let Rick run her out of there.
Michonne carefully descended a set of concrete steps and found a pool. A swimming pool for prisoners? Had Ezekiel put this in or had it always been here for the country club set? She looked around before focusing on the pool again. The water looked inviting…
A noise made her turn towards the steps and she saw Negan walking down them and coming towards her, still dressed in the robe.
"The kids are fine. They're worn out from exploring today." Negan said shortly. "I came down here to tell you something: maybe I was out of line asking what I asked of you. Maybe. But I love you. I loved you while I was locked up in that basement prison and i love you now. If you want to go back to Alexandria with the kids, I'm not going to stop you. But I'm staying here."
Michonne stared at him, trying to hide her shock. She didn't know if it was his declaration of love, or the fact that he would actually not come back to Alexandria with her and the kids, that left her momentarily speechless. She was about to say something, when another voice interrupted.
"That was actually rather sweet."
Michonne pointed her gun at Dexter and Rita from the other universe, who were standing some feet behind Negan! Negan turned and cursed himself for not bringing a gun down here! Damn! He stared at this Dexter and the blonde woman, who was wearing heels and pantsuit, that was standing next to him.
"Darlin', those will get you killed here." Negan said, nodding down at Rita's heels.
"So will any comments about my wife's footwear." Dexter said coolly, as his eyes slid off of Negan and over to Michonne.
"I get the feeling that you are a woman that knows things, Michonne. I want you to tell us where Rick is." he said.
"He's in a gated community called 'Alexandria'." Negan said bluntly, ignoring Michonne's glare. Rita noticed it though.
"Awww, 'Chonnie', what's the matter? You wouldn't happen to have a soft spot for Rick, would you?" she asked sarcastically. Michonne said nothing but kept her gun trained on Rita. There was nothing about this particular woman that could've ever been good. Then again, her counterpart was a serial killer. Michonne could not believe that Rick actually wanted to take Judith and RJ to a world where these two weirdos lived?
"Where's Morgan?" Michonne asked, her gun still trained on Rita. "We were expecting him."
"He'll be coming along soon. With a helicopter. You can keep the one Rick stole from us." Dexter said generously. "So, which one of you will be coming with us, to make sure that Rick is secured into our custody?"
"That'll be me." Negan said, trying not to take this Dexter in too much. This Dexter, he took a little more seriously than the one he knew. Yes, they both seemed batshit crazy, in a quiet sneaky way, but this one in front of him, was capable of taking over a whole community. It made Negan wonder if he needed to be keeping a closer eye on the Dexter here? Could he be the one that could end up taking over Alexandria?
"And you are?" Dexter asked. Michonne took that to mean that Negan's counterpart was either not in this Dexter's world, or just not known to him.
"Negan. And no fan of Rick Grimes. So when your guy gets here with the helicopter, we can get going." Negan told him. Dexter tilted his head, eyeing Michonne.
"I think you should both accompany us." Dexter replied. Michonne refrained from shaking her head. These two did not know about Judith and RJ and she meant to keep it that way.
"I don't want anything to do with Rick going back to a place he doesn't want to be. I'll stay here." she answered. Rita grinned at her!
"Oh we're not giving you a choice! You're coming with us. And I'd just love to meet this daughter of his that he came back to look for." she said in a manner that both Negan and Michonne took to be threatening.
"Excuse us for a moment," Negan purred, "you were right about Chonnie's fondness for Rick. I just have to make sure we're on the same page."
"Do that." was Dexter's curt reply. Negan pulled Michonne some distance away from Dexter and Rita before speaking.
"You need to come along. We don't have any choice."
"We can't leave the kids here alone." Michonne whispered. "If they wake up and try and find us…"
"Judith is more than capable of taking care of herself and RJ. We can't let them know they're here. Hell, this Dexter looks even crazier than ours." Negan said. Michonne nodded, realizing he was right. They returned to Dexter and Rita, just as the sound of a helicopter could be heard in the distance.
"Chonnie wants this to be a smooth transition. Let's go."
"Oh you can change first. We're not animals." Dexter said, walking up the stairs and looking around at all of the buildings on the property.
"All my clothes are at Alexandria. It'll be fine." Negan responded. Dexter nodded and Rita followed him up the steps, then Michonne followed by Negan. Michonne forced herself not to look at the house her children were in, off in the distance, while Negan kept his fingers crossed that neither Judith or RJ, would hear the helicopter, wake up and come out. Because if they did, the could be walking into their deaths.
It was as they all began to head towards the helicopter, that a shot rang out! Rita gasped as a bullet hole appeared in Dexter's forehead, before he dropped to the ground! Morgan saw what happened and flew back up in the air and away! Negan knocked Rita's gun out of her hand and put her in a chokehold, while Michonne ran to Judith, who literally held the smoking gun.
"Momma? That was not Dexter! Who was he?"
"Honey, how could you be so sure?"
"Because he and that woman there were in the house." Judith said calmly. "And that guy that looks like Dexter, came into our room and licked my face. I pretended to be asleep."
Negan's eyes widened and he tightened his hold on Rita's neck!
"Well, well, well! Your husband is not only a murderer but a perv as well, hey? Are you alright, honey?"
Judith nodded.
"I just wiped the spit off. RJ didn't wake up."
"We're getting out of here." Michonne said firmly before looking at Rita. She didn't look so smug now. Michonne walked over to her.
"We're headed back to Alexandria. You'll find Rick there. You can keep him company…in the cell next to his." she said coldly.