To my dear guest: We'll have to wait and see...lol...Gotta build up that tension, ya know?

top story: I can tell you now, even though it's early, that she does not agree with it and there are repercussions because of his choice. But I also agree with you that, after seeing him in the sorry state he's in, she'll be smiling.

KEZZ 1: Thank you!

Sorry for the prolonged wait again. My husband ended up having an unexpected vacation thanks to his truck (semi driver) breaking down and needing to go into the shop, so I wasn't able to watch the show for over a week. While I know this chapter is mostly brain child, it helps me write when I can watch the show. I did get a chapter of the smut done, though, so at least y'all got something if you're into that...lol...Hope y'all enjoy. I promise the next chapter will be the battle and will be up quicker than this one was!

"You found him!" Arat yelled out joyously.

"On the contrary," Negan said as he, Dwight, and Simon walked up, "I found them. Can't blame them, though. That one handed Dixon damn near got my gourd. Look at how that bastard charred up my Lucille!" he shouted, holding the scorched bat up for the Saviors to see. "Now, we've got a little change of plans. I was plannin' on giving them bastards a warning of what we were gonna do if they didn't give us Rick. Now? Now we're gonna let 'em all pay. We ain't goin' for the kill today, no sir-ee. You shoot to injure. Leave alive, let 'em turn. The more you hit, the more they work for us. There's only three people you're not allowed to hit."

"And who might that be?" Simon asked, worried about what the man had in store for the Hilltop.

"The little serial killer, his little spy-girl girlfriend, and Titania," he deadpanned. "Those two kids are the future we're tryin' to build and Ani? Well, we need her skills to help get others on board. Kill Daryl and his one-hand man, though. That'll break her spirit, make her work for us easier. Make it those kids and Ani to me."

"What happens if we nick one of them?" Arat asked.

"You'd best make sure your aim is right on the Goddamn money 'cause you hit those kids or that woman, your head? It's Lucille's. Capiche?"

"Got it, boss."

"Hit 'em hard, leave 'em hangin'," he told them before turning to Simon. "Simon, I'm gonna need a ride."

"Sure thing," Simon told him with a forced smile.

"Dwight-y boy," Negan said, smiling at the man. "Load up in back. I gotta chat a mite with Simon. Alone."

Dwight and Simon shared a look in which Simon gave an almost imperceptible nod before the two moved. While Simon and Negan climed into the front of the box truck, Dwight climbed into the back, seeing the buckets of guts still in there to reapply the walker guts when they got to the Hilltop. He sighed and sat down as the truck began to move before he got an idea. Doing his best to make sure he wasn't caught, he began dumping out the buckets before dropping them on the ground. Since they were the last vehicle in the convoy, it was a relatively easy feat to pull off. Negan wasn't even paying attention to the mirrors as he was pissed by what the one-handed man had told him about the garbage people. If he had, he might've been able to make out the random splotches of blood and guts that paved the road behind them, the buckets the guts had been in rolling towards the sidewalk. If it weren't for the fact that their vehicle was the last in the convoy, everyone else would have been able to see his act of rebellion themselves.

In the cab, Negan was looking at Simon in contemplation and anger. This man had done everything he'd been asked to since he'd taken over the Sanctuary at the beginning of winter. Sure, he'd made a few mistakes before that. The man had managed to kill off the better part of a colony Negan had put him in charge of before that had gone off grid. This group, to be fair, had been fighting against Simon's own brand of saving and as such, they certainly had some divine retribution coming to them. But rather than making an example of just one like Negan did, Simon had taken a much stricter approach. He'd meant to kill off every man over fifteen and leave some of his own in place afterwards, but something had gone wrong. One of the men relaying his orders messed up the age and started taking every boy's life that could handle a gun at that time. Even Arat, one of Negan's most loyal and devout now, had killed just a ten year old holding a knife because of the mess up in orders. It didn't matter in the long run anyway, as the survivors of that carnage killed the men Simon had left with them and disappeared in the middle of the night, never to be seen or heard from again. The most troubling thing about that group was that they had also stolen quite the cache of weaponry from Simon's first post, weaponry that was as of yet unaccounted for. If what that man had said was true, Simon was responsible for a second colony being taken from their control.

"So, Simon, tell me about what happened with the garbage people," he said nonchalantly.

"Told you, standard message delivered," Simon told him, looking straight.

"Really, now? That's not what I heard." When Simon remained silent, Negan continued, "See, I heard that the garbage people are now the dead garbage people. And you suggested we take them out."

"If you remember correctly, sir," Simon said, "I suggested we cut bait and find new settlements. I didn't even want to deal with them. I suggested we stop dealing with all these people and find new outposts."

"And yet according to Rick's buddy, you shot 'em all up. If you have somethin' else to say about it, now's the time."

Simon stayed silent for a moment. Gary had been a loyal follower of his since he'd found him in the beginning, trying to save his brother. They'd bonded over their mutual loss of siblings, finding more people to join their cause before they'd taken over the other colony. The only reason they'd even been able to, long before they were called the Saviors, was because they had semi-automatics and plenty of bullets to fill them while the colony only had a few guns with sparse ammunition. Negan had tried to get them on board and in the beginning, they were. But they soon began to fight against them, claiming they couldn't keep scavenging and gathering stuff for the Saviors as well as themselves. He'd been loyal even with Negan breathing down his back; a lot of his men were simply because he'd kept them alive long before Negan had come around. In fact, the only reason Simon even ended up following Negan instead of taking him on was because he knew that in a one-on-one fight, he was as good as dead against the taller, stronger man. If there was one thing Simon had learned during the apocalypse, it was that you never picked a fight you couldn't win, and right now, it was between his life, or Gary's.

"I sent Gary to deal with it," Simon confessed. "What do you mean, they're dead?"

"I mean, that every last one was shot up and left to turn. I told you to do it, Simon, not Gary. If I'd wanted Gary to handle it, I would've sent him, and now, I've got an entire colony gone because your orders got fucked up again," Negan said viciously. "Give me one good reason why I don't give you to Lucille as soon as we get to Hilltop. I'd love to hear what bullshit you could say to save your sorry head."

"I went lookin' for the little girl. You know, the one you said would make Ani fall in line," Simon started, weaving a tale as fast as he could in order to keep his head in tact. "Heard the call on the radio. Decided to go look for that girl. I told Gary I was headin' on a little recon mission for you and not to fuck it up."

"You told me everything went well," Negan said slowly as understanding of why Simon would go after the little spy-girl.

"I told you what Gary told me," Simon told him. "Look, I didn't know what he did. I wouldn't condone a move like that. Hell, I told you, I told you," he said as he hit the steering wheel as he repeated himself, "leave them alone! I said, 'go further out,' 'start anew.' But you wanted to push it. What Gary did? Yeah, I can admit, that's on me. I made a bad call trying to make sure that little girl was safe so we could bring her to the Sanctuary."

"Hell yes it is," Negan told him. "When we get back to the Sanctuary, you're going to make this shit right. Now, I know how much you like Gary. I know how loyal he's been to you. But if you, you, don't take care of the problem, set the record straight that it's what I say goes, not whatever anybody else damn well wants, well, Lucille? She'll have her fun with you and then I'll kill Gary myself."

"Read you loud and clear. I'll make it happen."

"You bet your ass you will. And Simon?" he said, looking over at the man. "You'd better make sure you do your job to the fuckin' T from now on. Dot the Is, cross the Ts, and don't leave a damn thing out when you talk to me from now on. Capiche?"

"Like I said, loud and clear, boss. I won't let you down again," Simon promised, hoping he sounded convincing enough to Negan as the sky began to darken.

It had taken longer than expected to get to the winding road that the Hilltop rested on. Night had fallen before the place even became visible up the road, though the outline of it was eerily dark in the distance. The vehicles in front of them began slowing down, prompting Negan to cuss as he exited the vehicle. One of the vehicles' tires had been popped at the front of the convoy thanks to some pretty ingenious contraptions placed conveniently on the road in a way they went un-spotted until the tires had blown. Simon climbed out of his truck, Dwight coming up behind and quietly asking if he'd heard the horns. Considering Dwight was supposed to be in the closed trailer, Simon just gave him a look that told the man to shut up.

"We don't have the upper hand right now," Simon told him quietly as they moved forward, following Negan.

"Well, damn," Negan spoke up. "And here I was, hopin' that gate would be a bit more inviting. Guess that asshole didn't give them my offer or my warning. They want a fight, we're givin' it to 'em. Arat, Gary. Move these offending articles so we can go get our shrink and restore order."

"I want to talk to Negan," a woman's voice sang out over the walkie.

"Give that here," Negan told Simon, who gladly handed it over. "Why, hello there, darlin'. And who do I have the pleasure of talking to?"

"Maggie," came the reply. "Maggie Rhee. The Widow."

"Well, it's nice to hear from you, Maggie Rhee," Negan said with a smile. "I'd express my condolences, but you gotta know, it wasn't my fault he died. You can look to your boy, Daryl, for that fault."

"Fuck ya jus' say?!" Ani's voice came over, quickly being cut off as, Negan assumed, the Widow took the com back, though he caught some more colorful words coming out of her mouth before it cut out, all meant for him.

"She certainly has a mouth on her, doesn't she?" Negan chuckled into the walkie. "Now, I've told you all how it has to be. If you can't get with the program, well, what's goin' down tonight, it's just the tip of the iceburg. Got your little care package. We made that box ourselves, Simon gave it to you in good faith to bury your man in, yet you send one of mine back in it? That just ain't gonna fly, Maggie. It's time to pay up."

"Your thirty eight people are alive and breathin'. Turn around and leave us be, and they stay that way. We have thirty eight bullets that Ani and I will personally fire into all thirty eight."

"It's too nice a night to spend it dyin' slow, don't you think, Negan?"

"That's Alden!" Simon told him. "Those are my guys!"

"So, how's it gonna go?" the Widow asked.

"Well, Maggie Rhee," Negan said while looking Simon in the eye, "I guess that's thirty eight less bullets I have to worry about. Thirty eight less mouths to feed. As much as I hate doin' it, their lives? Well, as soon as they gave up the fight instead of dyin', they were lost. You see, I don't take kindly to people who get themselves captured. I take pride in my men fightin' to the end. Now, that's not sayin' that, should they figure a way out of their current predicament in the onslaught headin' your way that I won't take them back. But if you think you can use them to make me stand down? Ain' happenin'."

"Alright people," Negan told the Saviors after he tossed the walkie back to Simon. "We might not come bearin' guns, but we have a shit ton of guts. We're not givin' these people another chance. Freshen up your weapons, get 'em nice and bloody. Let's wrap this shit show up, once and for all."2

~x~

"Fuck! That's D's airhorn!" Ani cried, listening to the horns going off. "Get 'em all movin'!" she told Jerry.

"It's on," he said, heading towards the ladder.

"You know, you should probably head over to Maggie," Kal said as Ani stood at the watch post with a pair of binoculars in her hands, trying to see whatever she could.

"Mags has 'er part unda control. Won' stay too much longa. Gotta double and triple check ta make sure everyone's square, ya know?"

"Thought you said Maggie has it under control?" he quipped with a sideways grin.

"She does, but that don' mean I ain' gonna make sure 'fore the day's done," she told him, spotting Daryl in the distance, the sight quieting the tremors that had threatened to start up again.

While she knew Kal was right, she also knew that if she didn't check everything herself, she was going to have a hard time keeping her anxiety under control. Her hands were already trembling and her back was already tensing up just at the sound of the horns. If she was being honest with herself, the only thing reason she wasn't going into the attic with the others like both Daryl and Merle wanted her to was because she knew all she would do was go right back into the state she'd been in in Alexandria. Rubbing her stomach, Ani knew she couldn't do that to the baby again. The risk was great being out in the Hilltop during the fighting, but it was less of a risk than potentially giving birth in the middle of it. If she was fighting, she could focus on that and keep the anxiety at bay that way. All she had to do was hold on until the fighting started and she could concentrate on it rather than the pit forming in her gut.

"Make sure ya get inta the house 'fore the shootin' really starts," she reminded Kal. "Once everythin' starts up, D's gonna be comin', and then we rain Hellfire down on them assholes."

"Damn straight," Kal told her before she headed down the ladder.

Walking over to the prisoners, Ani stopped and contemplated them. There was one she wasn't thrilled with, Jared. If anyone was an instigator in this group, it was him. Alden was a good guy, she could tell, and he had the ear of the better part of the group. He'd convinced them to surrender to Jesus, kept them under control in their confines, and put Jared in his place a lot. He'd even made some compelling arguments to Maggie before Ani had arrived about treating them like people rather than enemies. Gregory was in the makeshift prison as well, making Ani scowl as he came up to the fence to talk to her.

"Listen, you know I'm not supposed to be in here," he started, "and I know every nook and cranny of this place. I can help."

"Ya can help by keepin' ya mouth shut and gettin' the fuck away from the fence 'fore I put a bullet in ya skull jus' 'cause I feel like it," she seethed before turning to Alden and pointing at him. "Ya, I trust ya well 'nough. I want ya stickin' by Mags the entire fight. Don' let 'er out a ya sight, else the threat a bullet will be the last a ya worries."

"Why?" he asked with a quizzical expression.

"She needs an eye kept on 'er. Everythin' she's dealin' with, and then wantin' ta protect all a ya, the least ya can do is keep an eye on 'er. Help 'er if she needs it."

"Why me?"

"'Cause ya have ya people's trust, and I can see it in ya eyes. Ya don' care where ya call home, long as it's somethin' ya believe in protectin'. I actually see it in a lot a ya," she said, raising her voice and getting the attention of the Saviors. "Dependin' on how tanight goes depends on whetha or not I ask Mags ta let ya go. Ya gotta know the Saviors ain' 'bout ta give up what they think is the high ground jus' 'cause ya here. They're gonna cut ya loose. I've already seen 'em doin' it ta people. The chemical plant outpost? They shot up some a their own jus' for a chance ta win. Tell me, do any a ya really expect somethin' different?

"I was at the Sanctuary," she admitted. "Me and Daryl, we were prisonas their. We know how Negan and the Saviors beat people inta submission. I saw how the workas are treated and tried ta help then, tellin' Negan how if 'e'd jus' make a few changes, it could all work out. Most a ya got family there, I'm guessin'. Family that works for points jus' ta try ta savive, points ya might a been earnin' yaself ta help 'em. Ya see how we work, how we treat people. Yeah, Maggie wasn' perfect, and I ain' tryin' ta excuse what she's done. She's paid an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth for what the Saviors have done ta her, taken from 'er. Lost 'er daddy jus' a few months ago, lost 'er husband by Negan's hand, probably somethin' some a ya know the feelin' and pain a. She's almost lost 'er kid once, too, 'cause a the stress a everythin'. She's doin' everythin' she can ta savive, jus' like all a ya did for the Saviors. But ya can have a betta life. Ya can see that in our people. If ya willin', if there's a time for ya ta prove yaself, I suggest ya take it. 'Cause then we'll all be fightin' tagetha, for each otha, ta make the world betta. And ya'd be our people, and treated as such. We protect our own, and we can and will protect ya if-"

"Just shut up, already," Jared cut her off. "Listen, lady, no one cares abou-"

"I care," Alden spoke up, a few more choruses of agreement ringing out in approval. "She's right. We can't keep living as us or them. If we work together..."

"We can make the world betta," Ani finished after he trailed off. "Mags and me, we got kiddos comin' inta the world. I'm sure some a ya have kiddos, too. Do ya really want 'em ta grow up in war? Or ya want 'em ta grow up and thrive? We can all help each otha, but only if we stand for each otha. Jus' think 'bout it."

She could see several faces contemplating her words before she nodded and walked away. Giving Eduardo a chin up, he opened the gate and ordered the prisoners to follow him, two by two, stopping at the gate to have their hands tied by him, Birdie, and Charles. Even if Maggie was angry with the Saviors, the prisoners were a bargaining chip she wasn't ready to part with, even though Ani told her the Saviors wouldn't care about them. So, Ani let her keep that part of her plan, having the group behind her on the front stoop of the house in an attempt to negotiate. Ani knew it wouldn't work, but that wouldn't stop Maggie from trying. It was an honorable attempt, at the very least. Ani just hoped Maggie's sense of honor and justice wouldn't backfire on them in the end by the prisoners joining their comrades in the Saviors to fight against them. While their hands would remain tied, but that wouldn't stop a determined prisoner from grabbing a pistol or a knife during the oncoming battle.

Sighing as she walked away, Ani tried to calm herself by going through the house and double checking everything was ready. The windows were all boarded up with only little slits for their guns. The food had been stored in the attic where Barbara and the kids were. People were getting themselves in place both downstairs and on the second and third floors to rain fire down on the Saviors. The guns were all loaded and in place at every spot they could feasibly and safely target the Saviors from the house. The bus had been braced on the inside with extra metal on the side to ensure it would be able to take a hit from whatever it was that would inevitably hit it. Eduardo and Kal were waiting by the gate to open it for Daryl and the Saviors themselves.

It was all a part of the plan; make the Saviors believe they managed to get the upper hand by letting them through the gates. That sense of superiority would be their downfall in the end. The cars were set up and each had someone in it, just waiting for the signal, for Daryl to come in and the Saviors to start their attack. Once they did, it would be the Hilltop that had the advantage. They were playing in their home turf. Much like how the Alexandrians had known about the sewers unlike the Saviors, the people here at Hilltop knew how to use the layout of the land to their tactical advantage. Well, Merle, Abraham, Rick, Maggie, and Ani did, with Daryl and Sasha helping to plan, pointing out what the others missed. It was definitely an advantage for their group and a disadvantage for Negan's people that they had actual military strategies to draw from, police force tactics, analytics, and seasoned hunters running the show. For a split second, Ani was reminded of their advantage over the Governor when he'd attacked the first time and how they had taken out all of his people the second time, with the exception of Tara.

When she walked into the house, everyone was on the move. People were carrying various supplies to various parts of the house. An infirmary was being set up in the upstairs foyer in preparation for those injured in battle. Carol was standing in the downstairs foyer with Henry getting ready while Henry watched. She could tell by the way he was staring at the guns that the boy wanted one. He wasn't ready for that yet, though, and she could only hope that he would realize that. Of course, that was when both Sophia and Carl walked in, both carrying semi-automatics, pistols at their sides, knives on their hips. When Henry saw them, he couldn't help the sour look that graced his face before turning to Carol.

"Can I have one for when they come?" he asked her.

"This is not your lot," Ezekiel stated, picking up the pistol and holstering it. "You will stay inside with the others 'til it's done."

"But I need to help! I need to fight!" he argued.

"Hell nah, ya don't," Ani told him. "What ya need ta do is get ya ass up ta that basement with Barb and the littles where ya belong. Ya don' know how ta fight. Yeah, ya learnin' the stick, but it ain' 'nough. Ya fight with us, ya gonna die 'cause ya easy pickin's, and these people, they don' give two shites who they kill so long as it's our people."

"She's right. You should be upstairs in the attic with the other kids," Carol told him.

"Sophia and Carl are fighting!"

"They're trained warriors. Ani has trained them to fight since the beginning. They've spent all this time fighting while this is your first one. Go upstairs to the attic and stay there," Carol told him sternly.

"Phia knows mixed martial arts and Carl's been usin' a gun for a couple years now. They were the ones that made the plan that let us escape Alexandria. Ya don' even have the ability ta remain stoic in the face a ya choice ta spare Gavin! How the hell ya expect ta fight if ya can' keep ya head?"

"Listen to Ani, young Henry," Ezekiel told him, Carl and Sophia standing next to Ani. "You need to stay inside and guard this place. You'll live and help others do the same."

"Carol!" he tried, making Sophia's face scrunch in anger. "You know I can help."

"Henry, if you go out there during the attack, you'll die," Carol told him in a rather motherly voice, something that made both Sophia and Ani flinch.

"This isn't fair!"

"You know what's not fair?" Sophia spoke up, giving a pointed look to Carol while handing Ani a set of new throwing knives. "Havin' a mother that cares more about a boy she just met than the kid she gave birth to."

Henry looked between the two in confusion as Carol gasped and then sighed, looking about ready to cry, while Ezekiel's face turned to one of pity and Ani snapped at Sophia, "Hey! Stow that shite! We ain' got time for anyone ta have a damn pity party right now! I jus' had ta deal with this shite with Enid! I ain' doin' it with the three a ya! Phia, stow ya anga 'til the fight is ova. Henry, get ya ass up in that attic and use that stick a ya's ta protect the people up there. Cars, ya made ya choice. No point in cryin' 'bout it now. Ya don' always get ta have ya pie and eat it too."

"Isn't it cake?" Carl asked with a smile, nudging Sophia's shoulder before she had a chance to say anything to Ani, though her face was somewhat dark.

"I don' care for cake," Ani told him. "I prefa pie. And Phia? I ain' sayin' ya don' have a right ta feel how ya feel, but for now stow it. I promise ya I ain' angry or upset with ya for how ya feel, but we don' got time right now ta do anythin' 'bout it. We got a fight for our lives comin', and trust me, the last thing we need is for anyone ta be distracted. Carl, head up ta ya station. Phia, I want ya ta help get the infirmary set up before ya head ta ya's. Make sure they got the tonics and salves right, 'cause I don' trust modern doctors ta know what's what when it comes ta apothecary remedies. They were fine last I looked, but it don' hurt ta have a second pair a eyes checkin' it."

"Fine," Sophia said before trying to stomp off, only for Ani to grab her arm and pull her into a tight hug.

"Ya know I ain' angry at ya and I trust ya, right?" she told the girl softly. "Ya me kid. So don' think I'm on someone else's side in this. I'm with ya, thousand percent."

"I know," the girl sniffled, returning the hug finally before they parted, neither noticing Carol turning away or wiping a tear from her eye.

"Alright, get goin'."

"You've always been good to her," Carol said as all three kids moved out to their respective responsibilities. "Far better than I've ever been."

"Like I told ya when we first took the prison; I always wanted ta be a motha. I've always treated 'er the way I will Lou when 'e gets 'ere. She's angry at ya, Cars. She's hurt. And she feels like ya still abandonin' 'er for anotha, like ya did with Lizzie, with Mika. Ya doin' it now right in front a her with Henry while not sayin' two words ta her 'bout bein' safe. Ya can' imagine how it feels knowin' ya momma, the woman who's supposed ta love ya foreva, loves anotha kid more than she loves ya. For me, it was me sista, and I knew me place and where I stood. Phia? She thought she was ya world 'til she ran from them walkas. She thought ya would always be there for 'er 'til ya jus' started leavin' 'er with me, Daryl, and Merle. In her mind, ya abandoned 'er ta be momma ta anotha kid. And, honestly, that's kinda how I feel, too. I know why ya did it, and I know ya've always had a hard time with what ya went through with Ed, but that ain' that little girl's fault. None a what happened ta ya, what happened ta her, none a it was on 'er. I get ya reasons, but that don' mean I gotta like 'em. I'll talk ta Phia 'bout everythin' again and try ta get 'er ta let go a her anger, but ya neva gettin' that little girl ta look at ya with love again."

"I know," Carol said, turning away. "I've got to get to my car. You're gonna be standing with Maggie then coming inside, right?"

"That's what I'm s'pposed ta do," Ani said, not giving anything away; there was a reason she'd had Sophia get her the knives.

Dusk was settling in as the Hilltop came to a standing halt. Everything was ready to go. Everyone was in place. Even as the sky darkened and Ani put on Daryl's poncho for warmth, the tension in the air was palpable. She stood next to Maggie on the terrace, watching the lookouts on the wall and waiting for the signal. Beth stood on the other side of Maggie while Sasha was standing next to Ani and Dianne, one of the women from the Kingdom who had been watching over Maggie, stood behind them. The tension in the air was suffocating as they watched and waited for the Saviors to show up. It was well after dark when Jerry finally gave the signal.

Maggie turned around and took a deep breath. "Here we go," she told them.