Another chapter and it's the start of what we've all been waiting for! I actually had this chapter ready last weekend, but where I ended it made me feel bad, as I end it right as stuff and thangs really start. So, I decided to type another chapter, but then that one had a hectic ending, so I had to type another chapter. So, though you had a longer wait, the good news is that the next two chapters after this one is fully typed, so with some motivation, I might post them early for you guys;)

I will warn you, in the next few chapters, even though I'm making canon my toy, there is a lot of canon dialogue, either exactly as it is in the show or slightly adjusted to account for Anamika. this is such an important moment that I wanted to keep it as close as possible to the show... well, the parts that i'm not completely reinventing that is;)

Thanks for all the favorites and follows, as well as to celia azul and Lady-Finwe for reviewing!

Enjoy!

Chapter 29

Anamika breathed deeply, her eyes shut tightly.

"-want visibility."

"-Golf course, country club,-"

She was aware of Sasha and Eugene discussing routes as they were bent over the map; of Aaron and Carl's quiet murmurs from inside the next room, but she paid them no mind.

"-longer trip by a third, but we get the scenic safety-"

Her hand rested gently on her throat, the burning only seeming to become worse as time went on. She didn't know if it was because she was developing an infection or because she's been pushing herself too much, despite not really doing anything, but she couldn't ignore the sensation any longer.

"-got a route?"

She swallowed, willing the pain to the back of her mind as she opened her eyes, seeing Abraham making his way to the wheel and Rick glance at the door where a walker was now snarling and groaning as it tried to get in.

"Let's go." She sighed, slouching into herself where she sat on the bench, settling her mind at Rick's words. She had to be ready for anything.

The silence was only broken by quiet murmurs from the front, where Abraham and Sasha were talking and at the back she could hear Aaron whispering to Maggie.

"Think we could do it?" Abraham's gruff voice caught Anamika's attention, his tone strangely soft for the military man.

"What?" Sasha asked and Anamika also waited to hear what Abraham meant. She was ready to intervene if he was going to start talking about taking the saviors on with his bare hands.

"What they did, Glenn and Maggie? Just... asking if you could do that. If you're doing something as big as that... if that's living."

Anamika's eyes widened as she quickly looked down, swallowing. Abraham… Abraham was talking about having a baby. The gruff, buff, red-headed military man was considering starting a family. Of course, it's not that she thought he wouldn't make a good father or anything, it's just that he didn't seem to be the type to want a baby in the bloody apocalypse.

Apparently, he just hadn't met the right woman. She hid her smile behind her hair as she heard Abraham basically tell Sasha he wanted to start a family with her and Sasha's small smile that started to grow on her face. She had a feeling that little Judith and Glenn and Maggie's baby was going to have a new friend in the next year or so. Smiling, she closed her eyes, getting her head back in the game as she swallowed the pain away and she wiped her forehead of the slight beads of sweat that had gathered there. She had to be ready. They didn't know what was coming, but she wanted to be sure they all made it, so that she could spoil all their kids rotten one day. She would fight for that future.

"Bitch Nuts."

She sighed, already knowing what that meant as everyone looked out the windshield window, no doubt looking upon another blockade of saviors.

"We making our stand?"

"Yeah, we end it." Anamika closed her eyes at Carl's answer to Sasha's question, understanding where the young man was coming from, but knowing they couldn't start a fight now. She wasn't on her game and they had Maggie to worry about. That left them vastly outnumbered. Rick glanced back, catching her eyes and she shook her head lightly. He nodded, turning back to look out the window.

"No, not now. They've been waiting, they're ready. With one of us behind the wheel that's six on… sixteen, and that's if Anna can fight. We're gonna play it our way, how we want it. Right?"

"Right." Anamika croaked, holding back the urge to clear her throat. Carl met his father's gaze, pausing a moment, before nodding slightly.

"Right."

"Right, go slow." Anamika leaned back, her head thumping against the side of the RV. She really hoped they made it to Hilltop without trouble, but with how the saviors had now been waiting for them not once, but twice, made her really doubt the ride would be smooth from here on. She knew how big their operation is, how many people they have to spare. The sound of gunshots made her sit up, her eyes turning to the front as the RV slowly turned around. Several more went off, seemingly to intimidate them, but something niggled at Anamika's mind.

"Rick…" The man she regarded as a brother now glanced at her, his eyes attentive.

"That sound will carry for miles. Everyone will know our position." Rick's gaze hardened, even as Carl breathed out a quiet, "It's a signal."

Anamika couldn't say it's a fact, but she was pretty sure that it was a signal. Meaning there were more groups in the area. It seemed Rick had the same idea, because he came to crouch in front of her, his gaze serious as it met her exhausted one.

"Tell me everything you know." Closing her eyes briefly, she swallowed again, before inclining her chin as she met his blue eyes with her own. As she spoke, it seemed everyone fell quiet as they listened.

"The group that calls themselves the saviors are ruthless. They're tenacious and they have the manpower to back it up. It's nothing to them to carry out a large-scale operation like this. That satellite building you attacked was just an outpost, with just a few men. I'm not sure about exact numbers, but since I attacked an outpost before, I'm assuming they have several spread around the area. The saviors are lead by someone called Negan. He's incredibly cunning, cruel and arrogant, but also has the charm and raw power to back it up and keep control of his group. I know they have stores of supplies, I burned down one of their buildings before-"

"Hang on wildcat. You saying you tangoed with these guys before? Why the fuck didn't you say anything?"

Anamika cast a glare at Abraham, who didn't seem to mind that he was the one driving and should so keep his attention focused on the road. She exhaled, harshly, wincing as she immediately regretted it and gently touched her throat.

"Yeah, I've gone up against them before. But to be honest, I never thought they'd be a problem for you guys. It's been months since my run-in with the saviors and I had settled it. It's my fault for underestimating them and forgetting about a potential problem."

Rick spoke up, holding up his hand to stall the questions she could see on everyone's lips, "Wait, let Anna speak."

"Anyway, I had burned down one of their supply buildings after they attacked me and then one of their outposts when Negan wouldn't stop sending his saviors after me. I killed most of the people at the outpost in that attack, and injured Negan and his right-hand man, that guy at the first blockade. But when I was distracted, Negan managed to escape. However, he stopped sending men after me, so I kinda put him out of my mind. It was dumb, since I could see just from his bearing and how his people treated him that he shouldn't be underestimated. Negan rules with an iron fist. His people bow in his presence, which just shows his narcissistic nature, but he also has cruel punishments. He burns them, with an iron from what I could see when I attacked the outpost. He was killing someone with his bat then, but there had been this fireplace with a hot iron behind him at the time. I think it depends on the severity of their crime and Negan's general mood if they're killed or just get severe burns."

Eugene nodded, "That would explain the third degree burns present on the savior who attempted to hold me hostage before I bit him in the crotch."

Anamika goggled at Eugene; she never heard about this! Looking up, she found a grinning Abraham peer back at her and Rick rolling his eyes, which was all the confirmation she needed. She turned back to the unassuming mullet-man, blinking, before a wide grin spread across her face and she clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"You, my man, are brutal… I love it!" Eugene nodded as if it was old news, but she liked to imagine he had a slight blush on his expressionless face.

"As Eugene said, that's probably why that guy had a burned face; he was punished for something. That should already tell you all you need to know about Negan. However, Negan is well-groomed and wore clean clothes, meaning he has a formidable base where they can afford stuff like that. None of his people looked starved either, so they're probably not short on food. Actually, I remember the saviors at the storehouse mentioning something about wives and make up, so they have the security to care about such frivolous things as well. It also sounded like they had other sources of supplies and though I can't really remember the names of those sources, with what you told me about Hilltop, I think we can agree they have some communities under their thumbs.

"That means that all this," Anamika gestured to the road outside in the direction the blockade was in, "is old news to them and something they're used to doing. They have the high ground in this situation and know it. We need to be careful, or we're going to walk right into their trap."

Rick was rubbing his beard, his eyes far away as he contemplated what Anamika had just told them. She could see the apprehension, but also the determination in all their eyes and wished she could have given them better news.

Rick stood, walking forward to crouch between Abraham and Sasha's seats, his eyes focused on the road before them. After a moment, he glanced at the redhead.

"How are we on gas?"

"Half a tank, I pulled some more cans before we left."

"Those weren't the same men who blocked the road before. It makes sense with what Anna told us." Sasha spoke up, eyeing Rick.

"Yeah, the fact that they had the same outfits mean they have discipline. They're Negan's own fucking army."

"Yeah, but we know now, we can plan for it. Just keep driving, we get her there." Anamika looked away from Rick, not able to help the chill going down her spine at his words. She knew this group, these remarkable people that had become like family to her could withstand almost anything, but not when they were split up and losing their cool. Daryl, Glenn, Michonne and Rosita were who knows where, Maggie was having problems with her pregnancy, she herself was weak at the moment, having just woken up from her unconscious state. They weren't ready to take on a group like the saviors. Yet she knew they didn't really have a choice, even as she struggled to keep her fear at bay.

That fear just became worse as they encountered another blockade, a line of chained walkers. She was already on edge when her group got out to clear the walkers, it just got worse at the sounds of gunshots and her people rushing back into the RV. She had been counting them, making sure they all got back in safely, when Aaron crouched in front of her and her eyes fell on the green feathered bolt in his hands. Her own hands shaking, she reached out, her fingertips caressing the wood and looked up to meet Aaron's gentle, anxious gaze, something she couldn't name in his eyes as her own lips opened in confusion.

"It… was in one of the walkers outside. Michonne's hair was also in another one. Anna…"

Her mind was a jumbled mess as she clutched the bolt close. They had Daryl and Michonne, probably Glenn and Rosita as well. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her forehead and looked up to meet Rick's gaze, his eyes reflecting her worry as he clutched Michonne's hair between his fingers. Carl's eyes were hard like stone and his shoulders hunched up as he glared out the window and she knew it wasn't easy for any of them.

She was aware of Eugene and Sasha brainstorming over the map again, but she only had eyes for Rick, seeing something in his eyes that caused her apprehension to grow.

"They were firing at our feet. They blocked the road, but they weren't trying to stop us. They want us in this direction." A thought that had poked at her since her entire group made it safely back into the RV after the shootout was confirmed with Rick's words and she closed her eyes, the worry and fear that weighed on her causing her head to start pounding.

Pressing her fingers against her temple, she tried to block out all the voices around her, the palpable fear that hung in the air as she tried to get her breathing under control. She felt a hand on her forehead and saw through slit eyes Aaron's face hovering in front of her, before she closed them and blocked out everyone again. She kept her eyes closed as they encountered another blockade and turned back and then another one after that.

She could feel the desperation in the vehicle rising, but as much as she wanted to help, she knew she couldn't. It wouldn't be good if the saviors saw her and at the moment, with her head pounding and her throat burning, with sweat collecting on her back and her hands shaking slightly, she knew she wouldn't be of much help anyway.

She must have blacked out for a moment, as the next thing she knew, Aaron was crouching in front of her, his hand cool on her cheek.

"Anna, we're going to leave the RV. Eugene has a plan, he's going to take the RV and be the decoy. We're going to head to Hilltop on foot as soon as it's dark, which will be soon. Are you up for it?"

Taking a deep breath, she sat up and nodded, pushing the pain to the back of her mind and focusing her mind on what they had to do. She wasn't feeling her best, but she wasn't nearly as bad as Maggie and she could run if she had to.

"A-Aaron. Is there a piece of cloth or a hoodie in the RV?" Though he looked confused, the kind man nevertheless stood up and rummaged through the closet in the back room, emerging with a black piece of cloth, the material thin but coarse. Thanking him, she twisted her auburn curls into a low, loose bun, securing it with a hair tie she found in the pocket of her jeans she had changed into before they left. Taking the cloth, thankful it was large enough, she wrapped it around her head and around her neck, before drawing one part across her face and tucking it into the folds around her neck. Only her eyes could be seen now and she hoped it was enough that if they were glimpsed, she wouldn't be recognized.

Standing up, she paused for a moment to make sure her legs could hold her, still feeling a bit shaky but knowing she couldn't be a problem now. The group already had enough problems. While Rick was topping up the gas and everyone else preparing Maggie and anything else they might need, Anamika climbed out the RV, pacing up and down to get her legs used to moving again. She started slow, her hand trailing the side of the RV and stumbling every now and then, but with each pass her legs got stronger and stronger. She knew it isn't even close to her usual mobility, but by the time the others carried Maggie out of the vehicle, she was certain she could at least run, even if it wouldn't be very fast.

She patted Eugene on the shoulder as she passed him, her smile warm and encouraging, before she followed the rest into the dark woods, ready for anything they might encounter.

Or so she thought.

They had been walking for a few hours and were less than six miles from Hilltop. She had to admit, the prolonged hike was starting to drag on her, but she determinedly kept going. It would be sunrise in about three or four hours and they had to be at Hilltop by then, because sunlight meant it was easier for the saviors to find them.

She was walking at the back of the group, knowing that Carl was guarding the front and so she was determined to make sure the back was covered as well. She could hear Carl's voice as he talked to Rick, even if she couldn't hear exactly what he was saying, but she was more focused on peering into the mist and seeing imagined shadows flickering in their depths. When the first whistle echoed around them, she had thought it was in her mind, just like the flickering shadows. The alarmed reactions of the group, however, told her that it unfortunately was not. The whistles came from all around them, eery and smothering them, laying over them like a heavy cloak and she could feel her breath coming faster.

It was Rick's shout of 'Go!' that spurred them all into action, and it was only because they were weighted down with carrying Maggie that she managed to keep up with them at all as they ran. Her gun was up as her eyes flitted about, but the darkness of the night and the blanket of mist obscured their vision. It took everything she had to not trip over roots and branches as she ran after the Rick and them, the whistles seeming to nip at their heels.

The cloth wrapped around her head stuck to her skin and hair as it was soaked in her sweat and she gasped as she ran, focusing on keeping one foot in front of the other. She was so absorbed in trying to keep herself upright that she almost barreled into Abraham's back as bright spotlights blazed on in front of them, pinning them as her body flinched at the unexpected light. Her eyes widened as she looked around, seeing the saviors that had them surrounded, dozens upon dozens of men standing in a loose circle, caging them in a clearing. She blinked the sweat out of her eyes as she saw the RV parked off to the side, Eugene's crying form on his knees a few yards away from them.

Seeing the danger they were in, the trap they had been cornered in, she felt her mind slow down, an unnatural lucidness settling over her thoughts. She was still terrified, still fraught with anxiety and pain, but it was smothered underneath a blanket of clarity and laser sharp focus. Her expression smoothed out, even though no one could see it under the wrap, and her eyes hardened. She would not let these people see her fear.

"Good. You made it. Welcome to where you're going. We'll take your weapons, now." Anamika's eyes narrowed as the man aimed his gun at Carl, his cocky demeanor rubbing her the wrong way for a man who lost some of his fingers to her. As much as she just wanted to finish the job, she knew the group would be in even bigger trouble if Negan found out she was with them, as she was sure he had a sizable grudge against her, so she just lowered her eyes, trying to fade into obscurity.

"We can talk about it-"

"We're done talking. Time to listen." Anamika darted a glance at Rick, seeing the fear in his eyes and hearing the barely noticeable quiver in his voice. He had realized, just like her, exactly how bad the situation they were in now was. The chances of them making it through the night without losing someone and their community was small and that terrible truth was filling Rick's entire being. She wished she could reassure him, but she didn't know how to without lying.

She stood quietly as their weapons were liberated from their persons, trying not to make eye contact, but she couldn't help tensing when the leader bent in front of Carl, his face inches away from the teens. If he tried anything…

"That's yours right? Yeah, it's yours." Her entire body twitched forward as the man flicked Carl's hat, her mouth twisted into a vicious snarl under her head wrap. As soon as the savior had turned away, she took quick steps towards Carl, coming to stand right behind him as she met Rick's gaze, inclining her head slightly. She'd look out for Carl, if that's the last thing she does.

"Ok, let's get her down and get you all on your knees. Lots to cover." Glancing at the rest of her group, she stayed by Carl's side, watching as Abraham and Rick helped Maggie down after stopping the saviors from touching her. She swallowed, filing the burning sensation in her throat to the back of her mind, as she had bigger problems than the pain and sweat that coated her body.

Rick seemed lost as he looked at the rest of their group, as if he was still trying to wrap his head around how it could have turned this bad so quickly. The leader walked forward, standing smugly in front of him, staring him down coolly.

"Gonna need you on your knees." Anamika watched as Rick met everyone's gaze and she saw the same thing he did, the way the group looked to him for strength. She knew, in that pivotal moment, that if Rick went on his knees first, it would break something in this group. It would irrevocably show that their leader, their pillar of strength, was broken and under the boot of someone else.

And she couldn't have that.

Anamika wasn't being arrogant when she thought that she was, in the absence of Daryl, Rick's second-in-command. She might not have known the group as long as they had known each other, but in terms of ability, strategy and trust she stood on the same pedestal as Rick and Daryl, especially as she had the complete support of Alexandria behind her, foolish as their initial reasons for that support might be. Her efforts to secure and fortify Alexandria only cemented that position.

Besides Daryl and Rick, she was the other great pillar of strength to the group, the one they looked to for solutions and her current weakness in no way diminished that respect. The difference between her and Daryl was that she, despite not being a social butterfly herself, was more approachable and integrated in the community. The difference between her and Rick was that when she said something to Rick, he listened; but when Rick said something to her, she made it happen.

Rick was their king, the one they all pledged to follow. Daryl was their shield, the one who always protected them. She was their sword, the one who would take out their enemies. It is that distinction between her and Rick that would allow what she was going to do next to work.

Rick couldn't be the first to go on his knees. So she would.

Anamika dropped down, keeping her head and shoulders straightened in pride as she looked forward. Rick gazed at her as she turned to meet his eyes, her own hard, before she gazed at everyone else. Her gaze was strong and confident even as she kneeled on the ground in front of the saviors. Rick nodded and listened.

Slowly, he got to his knees, the act looking less like a surrender and more like a king taking counsel from his army's commander and following their lead, confident that they had a plan. Even if she didn't have a plan or they don't come out of this night unscathed, their group will remember that their leader only kneeled because she advised it, not because he was broken. The group followed and soon everyone was on the ground, though looking no less proud.

Carl was to her right and Eugene to her left. On Carl's other side Aaron kneeled, with Sasha next to him. Rick and Abraham were either side of Maggie, trying to protect her as much as they could with their presence. She pushed back the thought that they were like pigs lined up for the slaughter.

She caught Carl's eyes, her gaze sliding over the scarring on the side of his head as he turned to look at her. She knew he couldn't see her face, but her eyes were enough. She saw his own gaze harden to stone as he nodded and turned back to the front. The leader, who she's been ignoring till now, called out a name that had her turn back to the front, her gaze becoming a glare as she saw the man with a burnt face coming forward.

"Dwight! Chop-chop"

Dwight walked to another van, opening the doors.

"Come on, got people to meet!"

Her heart stuttered, her eyes widening and the tremble in her hands spreading to her entire body. Her eyes were stuck on a figure, a person wrapped in a dirty blanket and covered in sweat and blood, his hair hanging over his face limply as he breathed heavily.

Daryl…

A sob clawed at her throat, fighting to break free, but she knew she couldn't let it, couldn't let her weakness be so apparent.

But it's Daryl…

She closed her eyes, swallowing heavily and focusing on the burn in her throat as she tried to get her body under control. Her eyes opened and involuntarily slid to where Daryl now kneeled, joined by Michonne, Rosita and Glenn and looking worse than she had ever seen him before. She just wanted to run to him and yet she couldn't.

But he's injured…

Swallowing again, she bowed her head, her body quivering. Feeling a light touch on her hand, she looked up to see Carl gazing at her in worry, knowing the struggle she was in. She smiled, even though he couldn't see it, and squeezed his hand back. Exhaling shakily, she looked back up, seeing Daryl meeting Rick's gaze, his eyes sliding over the group, but she felt like he wasn't really paying attention, in too much pain and feeling too much hatred for the saviors. She was sure he didn't even notice her, wrapped up as she was and probably didn't even wonder about the mysterious extra the group had. That's good, if he didn't know she was there, he couldn't do something stupid.

"Alright! We got a full boat. Let's meet the man." The savior knocked on the RV door and Anamika glared ahead, knowing exactly who was going to step out of that vehicle and wishing that she had managed to kill him months ago. Fear clogged up her throat, but just like with the pain, she swallowed and pushed it to the back of her mind.

The RV door opened, a dark figure emerging from the depths, a man clad in leather, a red scarf and carrying a barbed wire-wrapped bat. His walk was cocky, his smirk was cocky, hell, even the way he slicked his hair back was cocky.

"Pissing our pants yet?" Anamika glared at Negan, the man looking exactly the way she remembered him, with just a fuckload more composure and swagger, his smug grin making her clench her jaw in an effort to not lash out, "Boy, do I have a feeling we're getting close... Yep. It's gonna be pee-pee pants city here real soon."

His voice was deep and measured, oozing confidence, the same confidence that was present in the leisure way he walked and if she wasn't specifically looking for it, she wouldn't even see the slight limp that was caused by the injury he sustained during her attack; where a wooden stake had been driven through the flesh of his leg, if she remembered correctly.

Negan paused, his grinning face looking out over them as he brought up his hand, his infernal bat resting on his shoulder, his tone mocking them even as she spied the cruel glint in his eyes.

"Which one of you pricks is the leader?"

WD

Oooooh, I'm so excited about the next few chapters! Drop me a line to let me know what you think is going to happen, because from now on, all bets are off!