Michonne returned to Alexandria pissed off.

Her mood, on the ride back, had alternated between being shocked shitless to see Tyrese, to being fearful that she was now seeing so many people from this other universe, to now being angry! They were goddamned well going to find a way to stop these other versions of themselves, or else!

She rode through the gate and Siddiq greeted her, sensing her mood. He took her horse from her.

"Well?"

Michonne was tempted to ask him how he knew that where she had went, had been anywhere important? But Deb had probably said something and to be honest, there was no time for arguing. They were in trouble.

"I went to the prison and found myself face to face with someone else that was dead in this world. More of them are here. It won't be long until they come to get Rick and God knows what else." Michonne told him.

"Okay," Siddiq said carefully, "then where did Negan go? Do he and Eugene have a plan?"

"We need a meeting. In the church." was all Michonne said to that, walking off towards her house. Deb eyed her from a window and turned back to Dexter.

"Michonne is back and I get the feeling the situation is more fucked than we thought." Deb told him.

"Where did she say she was going?" Dexter asked carefully.

"She didn't but I could guess. She went to the prison to make a deal or confront somebody."

"And she returned alive?" Dexter asked skeptically. If Michonne ran into more people that were like Rita then…

Michonne opened the door, closed it and looked around.

"Where are the kids?" she asked brusquely.

"Harrison took Judith and RJ over to see Herschel at Maggie's house." Dexter said quietly. Michonne caught an odd look between the siblings.

"What?" she asked.

"Harrison paid Rita and myself a visit in the jail cells. He realizes she's a version of his mother." Dexter said quietly.

"Oh." Michonne replied, not quite knowing what to say. "How is he?"

"Better than I expected. But apparently Rita can't stop crying. Siddiq had to give her something."

"No offense, but that evil bitch actually shed a tear?" Michonne asked sardonically. Deb folded her arms.

"I don't want Harrison near her," Deb said, "we can't begin to get attached to the other versions of ourselves."

"Yeah," Michonne said tiredly, "that is why I went to the prison to make some kind of deal. I'm sick of this whole thing."

Dexter raised a brow and glanced at Deb, before addressing Michonne.

"I take it you changed your mind?"

"I was stopped from going into the prison to make any deals at all. By someone who used to be part of our group. Just from what I could see from the gate, they, these other people, have brought a small army with them. I have to think of my kids. We need to think about us here. Rick needs to surrender himself. I don't like it but I don't see any other way." Michonne huffed.

"So where the hell did Negan and Eugene go?" Deb asked. Michonne rolled her eyes!

"It gets worse. Rosita and Eugene admitted that they got our helicopter from another version of Rick. An evil version."

Dexter grinned!

"That's a joke, right? Another version of Rick…"

"The version of Rick that belongs in that other universe, is here. He runs some a town called Mount Falls. Rosita and Eugene assumed Evil Rick just has amnesia and they stupidly told him about me and the kids. The town is so advanced that Negan insisted on flying there to do business with them."

"That's a shitty idea." Deb told her.

"Oh, I totally agree! Negan did not and I, to be blunt, wouldn't be surprised if he ran into a situation there that he could not get out of. Right now though, we need to have a meeting. In the church. And Dexter, we need everything we can get out of Rita."

"And somehow you think that I can make her talk?" Dexter asked wryly.

"Come on, Dexter! There is something between the two of you. She cares for you and Harrison. She wouldn't want to see the two of you get hurt." Michonne told him.

"I have a different plan: let's go to them." Dexter said. "Like you did."

Deb eyed him and Michonne looked confused.

"What?" Deb asked. "What the fuck, Dexter? We go to them and do what?"

"Give them Rick and Rita and move on. These people, however horrible, don't want the undead seeping into their world. Let's get Rick and Rita and take them to the prison."

Michonne folded her arms.

"If it was that easy, then we would've done that right away. Maggie and Darryl are never going to go along with this."

"They will if they think they have people there." Deb said. Dexter looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…let's tell Maggie and Darryl that there is a version of Glen and someone that Darryl would've cared about, there at the prison. I think Maggie would throw Rick to the wolves if she could see any version of Glen again." Deb said coolly.

Michonne just stared at her. She herself, was not quite willing to go that far. But at the same time, she didn't know that there was NOT a version of Glen with them. Still…

"Okay, let's say we do this to get them to give us Rick with no trouble. There are only two people I can think of, that maybe Darryl would want to see again. He had a brother named Merle, who I would honestly never want to see again. And there was Maggie's sister, Beth. It's a plan but I don't know…" Michonne trailed off, now looking at Dexter.

Dexter shook his head.

"I don't like it. I'll deal with Maggie and Darryl my own way." he said and left the house. Michonne's eyes widened, as she did not quite know what that meant! She looked at Deb.

"What does that mean? That he'll deal with them in the next five minutes or…"

"Yep! Dexter will give us a way to take Rick out of here in the next five minutes. And it won't be good. For Maggie or Darryl." Deb told Michonne.

Dexter hurried down the steps to the prison and opened the door. Rita was sitting on her cot and staring at him, as if she had willed him to come through the door. Dexter pulled out two knives, then walked over to her cell to let her out.

"Your people are here at the prison. We're taking Rick back. You can stay here or go back with them. But I need your help with Maggie and Darryl." Dexter said knowingly. Rita smiled back just as knowingly, taking the knife from him.

Meanwhile, Darryl saw Dexter head towards the cells and followed him down there. He wanted to know where the hell Michonne had been and what Dexter knew about where Negan and Eugene had gotten off to. He hurried down the stairs and opened the door…

Dexter stabbed him in the chest, then grabbed him by the throat and pulled him inside the room! Rita nodded approvingly as she quickly closed the door, then helped Dexter drag Darryl into one of the cells, closing and locking the door.

"Now, let's go get Rick." Dexter said. Rita followed after him, totally turned on by how effortless it had been for this Dexter, to just maim someone. She wanted a baby by him. And soon.

Dexter and Rita put away their knives and casually walked over to Maggie's house. Michonne, who watched Darryl go to the jail and not come out, did not like what she was seeing!

"The kids are in that house!" Michonne snapped as she grabbed her katana and hurried out of the house. Deb grabbed a gun and was on her heels. She would check on Darryl. Meanwhile, Maggie and Rick came out on the porch when they saw that Rita was free and with Dexter…

"Where is Darryl?!" Maggie snapped.

"This is how it's going to go, Maggie: you can get help for Darryl, who's locked in a cell bleeding from his chest, when you turn Rick over to us. And the longer you take to do this, the worse off Darryl is going to get." Dexter told her.

Rick just shook his head at the both of them!

"That must have been a real turn on, to stab someone together like that." he said with disdain. Rita grinned at him!

"I know you can't wait to get back to Andrea. She looks like she's about to give birth any minute." she said coyly, now looking from Rick to Maggie.

"Your greasy haired boyfriend is wasting away, Maggie. Tick tock! Tick tock!" Rita chanted.

Meanwhile, Harrison had been at the top of the stairs, listening in and not understanding why his father and the woman that looked like his mother, were threatening Rick and Maggie. He went to a hall window and carefully climbed through it and down a trellis. He would go get Siddiq and get help for Darryl.

"Rick," Rita said, "I know that your killer daughter is around here someplace. Don't make me have to look for her. Come with us now."

That was the clincher. The kids were upstairs and Rick was not about to let Rita hurt them, just as Michonne hurried in with her katana!

"Rick, leave with them! Now!" she snapped. "You can see they're both crazy!"

"It's a shame you couldn't see it!" Rick snapped back and Dexter grabbed his arm! He escorted Rick out of the house, followed by Rita. Rita, once on the porch, saw Harrison hurrying over to the jail with Siddiq. She stopped and stared at her son for a moment, before hurrying to catch up with Dexter and Rick.

Meanwhile, Michonne lowered her sword and faced Maggie.

"First, you betray Carol and now me…" Maggie seethed.

"Maggie, I was there. At the prison. They have an army and they will kill whoever they have to to get Rick. This is over. Not to mention we have worse problems if what Rick said was true about that other version of himself. Maggie…I saw Tyrese. If he's there, there is no telling who else is as well. I'm going with them." was all Michonne said as she left the house. But Maggie knew what Michonne was trying to say. God, was it possible that Glen, or her sister or father were there as well? None of this was right. None of this felt right. Maggie sat down on a couch and wrestled with the idea of going with them, if for no other reason, to see if a version of Glen was with these people.

Then she thought of Darryl. She glanced up the stairs. Herschel and Harrison could watch the kids while she went over to the jails. Dexter was a killer. She prayed he had not hurt Darryl so badly that he could not recover.

MOUNT FALLS—

Eugene landed the helicopter on top of a building as if he had done it a thousand times before. Negan suspected that he had.

Mount Falls was damned beautiful, he thought. Just from the air it looked like a Peyton Place town or something like that. Negan saw a woman come on to the roof and shield her eyes a bit, before Eugene landed. Negan had the feeling that Eugene's being there was no surprise. Once he powered down the helicopter, the woman made her way over, just as Eugene and Negan.

"Eugene? I was expecting Rosita to be with you. Who's your friend?" she asked coolly. Negan got the feeling his being there was not exactly alright. But he smiled at the woman.

"Rosita isn't well," Negan lied, cooing, "she's under the weather. It's probably because we don't have shit and you all have ALL of this."

The woman did not crack a smile and Eugene ran interference.

"Madison, this is Negan."

"Why is he here?" she asked.

"Because we had to tell about this place. Someone that looks like Rick has come to our community and we thought he'd want to know that." Eugene said, just as the roof door opened and this druggie looking guy walked up to join them. At least he looked like a druggie to Negan.

"Who's this?" the guy asked.

"Honey, this is Negan. Eugene's friend. Would you go tell Rick that we have a problem."

"Madison," Eugene began stuttering, "there is no problem! Really! We're just here to warn Rick, that's all."

Madison looked from Eugene to Negan.

"Is that true, Negan? Are you here just to warn Rick?"

"That depends." Negan said, grinning. Eugene ran a hand down his face!

"Oh what?" Nick asked.

"On what you have to trade. This is a mighty, nice town you've built up for yourself. While others are out in the wild, starving."

"But you're not, are you?" Madison asked blithely. Nick turned and walked towards the roof door. Eugene had brought some weirdo into their town. Rick would deal with him in his own way.

Negan didn't know what he had expected, when he met 'Evil Rick'.

This Rick was barbecuing and it smelled damned good! They had passed by pastry shops, mechanics stores, restaurants, and some apparent, 'government offices'. And that was just for starters. Negan also saw an auto garage with gas pumps! What the fuck?

They arrived at a modest looking, middle class looking home. Probably no different than the ones in Alexandria. Only they had restaurants and gas stations…

Negan told himself that once Michonne saw this place, she wouldn't be mad anymore. She would see that he had to come here. She would see that bartering with these people would be good for Alexandria. He would just hope that Evil Rick wanted something other than Judith or RJ.

Rick handed him a plate of barbecued chicken and a young woman named Alicia, put potato salad on his plate and handed him some punch. Eugene could hardly hide his greed as he chowed into his. But since Negan didn't really know these people, he set down his plate and focused on Rick. who, didn't look very clean shaven. It actually made him look older.

"So, Negan," Evil Rick said, sitting down in a patio chair in front of him, "you're here to 'warn me'. About what?"

"Come on, Rick. You know about the portal. A few of your people have come through it. Including someone that looks like you." Negan said. "I just want to cut the shit. I want to trade with your community and we need your help in sending those people back where they came from."

Evil Rick stared at him for a long time. So long, that Eugene stopped eating because it was noticeable. Madison, who was standing behind Evil Rick's chair, rubbed his shoulders in an intimate manner. Negan liked seeing that. That meant he had no designs on Michonne. Hopefully.

"So," Rick drawled out, "some of the others found the portal?"

"A lot of others found it. Looking for our Rick, who they kidnapped to take your place…for some fucking reason. Look, you seem happy here and shit. Good for you. But that portal has caused problems. We need to know where exactly it is so we can seal it."

"So you want to trade and seal the portal?" Evil Rick asked in a tone that Negan didn't like. Eugene, sensing trouble, tried to run interference!

"Uh, no, 'Rick' we wouldn't be greedy and ask you for a helicopter and ALL of that too! But seeing people show up, that were killed here by walkers or something, can be confusing." Eugene explained.

"Is that what you were trying to say, Negan?" Evil Rick asked.

"Actually, no." Negan said, deciding to just go for it. "When our Rick decided to get kidnapped and stay in your universe, Michonne and I became close. I am the only father her kids have ever known and things are getting fucked up by their father's return. Your people want HIM back, not you and I'm all for it. But I need to know that neither he, or those people, can come back here. What do I do to plug up this portal?"

Evil Rick reached up for one of Madison's hands and kissed it, before standing up and looking around at everyone.

"Negan and I need to talk. Alone."

Alicia looked at Eugene.

"Eugene, why don't I show you the movie theater we put in?"

Eugene didn't want to see a movie theater, no matter how cool that sounded. But he decided to go along to get along. He wondered if he'd actually be able to leave this place? Or if he did, would he be alone? He looked at Negan, who didn't look worried about anything.

Madison started to say something but Evil Rick gave her a hard look and she left as well. Once they were alone, Negan walked over to the barbecue and began turning the meat. He then closed the top.

"You don't mind? It was getting ready to burn. I'd hate to see good food like that wasted during this fucked up time. You know, when no one else lives like this."

Evil Rick said nothing to any of that. He picked up the cup of punch he had been drinking, sipped some, then set the cup down.

"I'm only drinking this crap, because Madison didn't want to waste beer on the two of you. No offense."

"None taken." Negan answered.

"So tell me, how did Michonne and I end up hooking up? I mean the one in my universe is more like a sister to me than anything else."

Negan didn't like the question. He didn't want any version of Rick being even remotely curious about 'how he hooked up with Michonne'.

Negan shrugged.

"I don't know. I mean what I have with her is kind of new."

Evil Rick eyed him.

"You mean you're new to the group she's in?"

"Something like that."

"Hmmm. Well, I'd like to meet my son. Maybe you could arrange it so that Michonne could bring him by here? Or the both of you could?"

"I don't know. To be blunt, Michonne didn't want me coming here. And seeing a second version of you might confuse the hell out of them."

Evil Rick walked over to a cooler and took out two beers. He tossed one to Negan.

"I'm not interested in the girl," he said matter-of-factly, "because if things mirror my universe, then the girl's name is Judith, right?"

"Right." Negan asked, not liking the tone of the conversation.

"Judith. Yeah, she's not mine. In my world, she belongs to the sheriff. My wife and Carl died helping someone homeless. Lori used to take Carl to some soup kitchen, even though I told her not to and they both caught some kind of illness. They traced it back to the soup kitchen."

"Oh." Negan said, not knowing what to say for the first time in his life.

"How was Carl here? Mama's boy like…"

"No! He was on his way to being a strong, young man."

"Well, good. That's good to know. That's why it's important that I meet my son. You get that, right?"

Negan got it. And he didn't like it. He had never heard this shit before about Judith being anyone's but Rick's. She would expect to be included in any 'outings' RJ had with this Rick. And he knew RJ would probably fear this Rick more than he already did the real one.

"I don't suppose I could have a tour of this town? Like Eugene is getting?" Negan asked, changing the subject.

Evil Rick shrugged.

"You can have a tour when I can see my son. I'll tell you what? I'll just go back to Alexandria with Eugene and you, and iron things out with Michonne myself. What do you say to that?"

"I'd say that Madison might have something to say to that. You two look cozy." Negan surmised.

"We are. She's lucky to have me. Her son, Nick, is a damned druggie. A druggie in this messed up world. Well I helped straighten him out. Actually, I alone straightened him out, though he gives me attitude. Her daughter, Alicia, is okay. So Madison will have no problem helping raise my son."

This conversation was moving in a direction that was unexpected, and a bit too fast for Negan's tastes. He had planned to dangle the promise of seeing the kids in front of this fucker. And he never expected the Judith reveal.

"I'll tell you what, Rick, let's take baby steps here. You wrap up some of that barbecue for Eugene and I to take back, and I'll talk to Michonne about your offer."

Rick grinned!

"That doesn't sound like a deal. At least not one that I get anything out of."

Negan folded his arms.

"I'm going to need something more from you if I'm going to spring you on everyone. Amnesia Rick is still there too. So you see where I'm coming from." Negan said pointedly.

"Okay. Fine. Send Michonne to me. Alone."

Negan blinked. This fucker didn't hear so well! But before he could say another word, Evil Rick spoke.

"We're RJ's parents, we'll iron out the agreement. Just like Madison has no say in anything, you really have no right to involve yourself in this. I'll send some barbecue and whatever Eugene thinks you all might need from some of the mechanic shops. In return, I want to see Michonne here tomorrow. Understood?"

For the first time in a very long time, Negan had been left with little choice. And he didn't like that. At all.