Every day for twelve weeks, I spend three hours in the morning scavenging supplies myself. They go in the back of a 53 foot semi trailer. The day Vin wakes, that's when I'll give the supplies to Rick. I can't bring their people back, but I can at least give back some of the supplies I took. And a full semi should fucking be pretty close. Well, maybe not. But, hey, they're not exactly fucking innocent either.

After three months, I am run the fuck down. Especially with Eleanor, going back out for supplies, and dealing with the community. It left about 4 hours a night to sleep. But I'm also not lugging around a pregnant belly like Vin was in her final months. If she can do it, I can, too.

Sometimes, my exhaustion is so great, I pass out in the back of the semi. It usually doesn't last more than a few minutes.

"You're running away! But, what about me," Eleanor shouts, startling me awake.

Damn, I thought Teddy was watching her! "This is none of your concern!" Fuck. I could lie and say it's for them taking care of Vin, but I tell Eleanor just how awful of a person I was when I was with the Saviors. What I did to Vin. How I cheated on my dying wife. How I basically did the same thing Alder did.

"And she still loves you? I'd tell you to kiss my ass."

Shocker.

"... but I learned the hard way, it doesn't matter who you were before. It matters who you are now." Eleanor wraps her arms around my leg. Like all the times she's done with Bull and I've been jealous.

It's a pretty goddamn good feeling. I hoist her up and put her on my shoulders. "Let's go home. I'm starving."

"Fat ass."

"Enough with the ass insults. Your mother is going to kill us both. You swear ten times as much before she had her surgery."

"It's been twelve weeks. Harlan said eight. I didn't get my birthday wish."

"When was your birthday?"

"Today."

"Oh… why didn't you tell me?"

Her little shoulders shrug. "Can we go see mother?"

Every time I go to see Vin, it's always something else. I haven't been back in two weeks just because I can't face Harlan telling me something has happened. "She just needs a little bit more time."

She rests her hands on my head. "At least I have you, stupid ass."

"You'll always have me, little girl."

"I'm six now. I'm all grown."

"Right, of course. Let's go celebrate what's left of your birthday."

After we eat, Eleanor wants to fish.

Add this to my growing list of failures. "Ow, fuck!" This goddamn hook went in my thumb.

"Yeah, I've done that." She helps me get it back out which is just as painful. "You need to be more patient, Negan. Fishing isn't about as many fish as you can collect. Relax. Think about the best day of your life."

"Teaching your mom how to drive my car."

"Will you teach me how to drive it? I can see over the steering wheel now."

Huh? I look down at her confused at what she just said. "What do you mean... now?"

"Well, I used some pillows, and I can't reach the pedals yet, but I'll grow more bigger."

"Eleanor, what are you talking about?"

She looks at me curiously, then her eyes widen. "Oops."

My heart starts to race as my face warms.

"Well, I didn't know she didn't tell you!"

"Show me."

Even after I lift the rolling door of this shed, I stand rooted in disbelief. My car. It's… like nothing ever happened to it.

"Why are you just standing there? Come on," Eleanor tells me, tugging my hand.

"Who did this?" I run my fingers over the hood.

"I did," Bull says behind me. "Vin said it was at this storage place. I had my own body shop before everything, well, you know. Took me about two years, which I'm not too proud to admit that but considering the limited resources..."

"I helped, too," Eleanor frowns.

"Yeah," he smirks, "she did. They didn't make too many of these cars so it was rewarding to see it come back to life."

I'm speechless. I love this fucking car. And I feel like nothing has ever been the same since it went away. "Does it drive?"

Bull shrugs, filling up the tank with their ethanol they've made. "This is something Vin was adamant about it being your moment."

I feel so fucking guilty standing here without Vin, but his words are not lost on me. She didn't have the car rebuilt so I could thank her, she did it so I could have my car. However, I can't help but have this uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Like with the revival of my car might just come at the loss of someone very important to me. That someone being Vin. Is this her gift to me before she passes on?

Eleanor puts her hands on her hips. "Well, are you going to drive it or what?"

I stare down at her with a smile. "Fuck waiting another week, let's go get your mother."

"That's what I'm saying!"

Bull asks if he should come, but I know that this is something she and I need to do on our own. He agrees to look after things while we're gone which I appreciate considering his opposition. Christ, if I had men like Bull from the beginning, would I have fallen so far? Though I suppose that's not fair because I had the greatest support system of all in Vin and I fucked that up. When Eleanor honks the horn in this small shed, it startles both me and Bull. "Fuck. Cut it out!"

"Well, come on then, slow ass."

I slide into the seat and still because I never thought I'd be sitting here again. I locked it in that storage shed knowing I couldn't afford to ever fix it.

Eleanor tugs on my sleeve. "Why do you look sad?"

"It's just a lot to take in is all."

"That's how I felt when you showed up. You're a lot to take in."

I start to laugh. "Keys?" As she wakes up on her third attempt, my eyes fall closed at the rumbling of the engine. Goddamn, I missed this car.

"It's too loud," Eleanor shouts, covering her ears.

"I know," I smirk, pulling out of the shed slowly. As I turn on the road, I fishtail before evening back out.

Eleanor quickly puts on her seat belt. "You're going to wreck it again!"

"Mustangs are bad about that."

"I'm only six. I haven't even lived a full life!"

I roll my fucking eyes so hard. "Just enjoy something most people will never get to experience in their life."

"Lucky me."

If Vin can't come today, I'm leaving this child in Alexandria, I swear.

When Eleanor and I pull safely through the gates of Alexandria, something is wrong. I park down the street from the infirmary. "Stay here. I mean it, Eleanor. Do not leave this car," I order her as I start to notice the facial expressions of Rick's men.

"She didn't deserve it," someone sobs.

My stomach sinks at the words. Oh, god no. And not today on Eleanor's birthday.

"She's so young."

After those words, I take off towards the infirmary and break the door into it. "Vin," I scream. It's empty as I draw closer to Vin's door. When I grip the doorknob, my head bows. "Please, not today. I'm not even asking for myself. I'm asking for that little girl. Don't take her mother from her today." As I step inside Vin's room, my tears give.

Vin gives me a smile, sitting up slowly from the bed. "Finally, my glasses." She reaches her hand out.

The… fuck? I blink back at her as if I don't expect these to be our first words in twelve weeks. My arms engulf this frail woman. "Fuck your glasses!"

A/N I originally wanted to end this chapter on a cliffhanger, but I know that this has become a very heavy story and I didn't want to do that to you all. So while it's a brief reunion, the point is for you to have the assurance going into the final chapter that Vin is alright, and she's going to survive. I will update chapter 40 on the 7th. Thank you, everyone!