Chapter 85: Deer


RPOV

~Over a month ago~

Leaving Carl's side, I knew Michonne and Daryl were going to look after my son while I went to check in on Judith and Kat. And most importantly, to shower. While I sat beside Carl, there was lots I had been thinking about.

Things, I needed to discuss with Kat. Knocking on Judith's door, I saw Kat was alone with Judith and cuddling her close. When she heard me knock, she slowly turned around to face me. "Hey," I greeted her softly.

Not wanting to startle either of them, especially with the state I was in. Dirty, bloody, tired and sweaty. "Hey..." Kat greeted me back as she slowly put Judith to the floor, to let her play and practice to stand on her feet.

Seeing them both, Kat was a natural with Judith. Made me wonder what she'd be as a mother. Trying not to think about what her and Daryl must have been doing last night, I didn't need to know what didn't concern me and her partner.

Clearing my throat, I pushed the thoughts away from my mind. "Michonne's with Carl, so's Daryl," I informed her of the people who were watching over Carl while we weren't.

Kat gave Judith the toys she kept either giving or taking from her, Kat would smile down at her before glancing back up at me. "You come here to get cleaned up?" Kat asked me what my motives to be back here were.

Glancing down, I let out a slow sigh. "Yeah," I answered, rubbing at my eyebrow as I glanced over to Kat with a small smile growing on my features. "Can hardly stand my own stink anymore," I chuckled and hearing Kat laugh, seeing her smile, even as she glanced to Judith as she watched over her, it made me smile.

Seeing them happy, it was all I wanted and all I could ever want for my daughters, for my children. When Judith looked up at Kat and smiled back, it only made Kat's features turn softer. She's be a perfect mother.

If only she knew how much I adored her. Adored both of them. Kat had been my hope, while Carl was my strength and Judith was my inspiration. Kat's eyes were light as they looked up at me calmly. "What are you waiting for then?" Kat asked of me.

Pulling me back, I knew Kat was only wondering why her old man was staring at the two most important women of his life, being beautiful together. That was when my thoughts were becoming louder than it ever was.

She can do it. "I wanted to talk to you," I decided to speak up, instead of leaving it too long.

When Kat's mirroring blue eyes rose up to meet mine, they were clouded with curious intrigue. "What about?" Kat asked me what was the topic I wished to discuss with her. I realised she might of been worried about Carl.

But I knew I needed to get straight to the point, before she could worry for her brother's health. "You should lead Alexandria," I told her as I kept my eyes on hers. "You wanted to be the leader, back at the prison. I was going to let you," but things didn't work out the way it should have.

Remembering how she wanted to take over, when I couldn't lead, things went a different way, because Kat eventually left, to be with the Governor and left me still in charge and I continued to be in charge after that.

Now, it was new and I knew Kat could lead. I knew she had what it took now to take firm hold of her own group. "You're strong, you're smart and you're everything your mother hoped you'd be," I only told her the truth. "You're ready," Kat was born ready. All she had to do, was put one foot in front of herself.

She just needed to take that step forward, with me following proudly behind her. But Kat's eyes fell onto her baby sister, who was happily chewing on her toy. Kat took the toy out of Judith's mouth and would keep doing so.

Like a proper mother to Judith, Kat was looking after her. "I'm not," Kat answered me, giving me insight on what she thought of herself. If only she knew. If only she saw herself the same way I saw her. "Even if I wanted to be, these people look up more to you than they do to me," Kat spoke as her eyes rose to meet mine.

"They always have," Kat pointed out that these people looked up to me, they always did. From the prison, to even now, people counted on me to lead them the way. "Last night, when we all fought together, under your command, that proved it as much. These people, they want and trust you to lead them," Kat's eyes landed on Judith.

Kat's voice sounded disheartened. "Not me," Kat made sure I knew she felt she didn't have the people of Alexandria's approval to be their leader, their confidence that she could do it. As Judith went to tug on Kat's jacket sleeve, I chuckled and felt the smile that cracked, splay across my features. "You should lead," Kat's voice pointedly spoke to me, as her eyes rose up to gaze up at me. "And I'll follow," Kat encouraged for me to lead.

Her following, it could work, for now but eventually, I knew she'd have confidence to lead. She was born for this. She doesn't realise it yet, but she is. She was always ready to take responsibility like this into her own hands. This is her Kingdom, her crown, her story. I know she can do this.

Nodding, I had to savour the slightly sour taste that came to my mouth at the thought of my daughter wanting to hide behind the shadow I hardly casting over hers. "Just...let me know when you're ready," I advised Kat to do this when she felt she was capable of standing on her own two feet and lead.

"You might think you won't be, but you will in time," I was convinced this was true. Nodding, I looked to her and saw her watch me as I left her. Leaving both of them, I went to shower, to shave and be ready for the day. Carl is alive. Kat is alive. Judith is alive. We can make it. I know we can...


PRESENT DAY...RPOV

Since we left, after I had been stitched up and rested for the night, myself and Michonne left, taking a truck with us, where we hoped to store as much guns, food and anything else we could take that would benefit us in our finds.

We had searched a few houses in a quiet area, killed a few walkers, taken a few things and went back to the truck to store our latests find. It wasn't much but I knew we would find something. That same night, myself and Michonne spent it together in the back of the truck, making love as we hadn't done so in so long.

When she fell asleep, I took it upon myself to go take watch while she got some rest. When day broke, Michonne woke up, got dressed and joined me in time for breakfast. Handing her a cup of coffee, she finished hers before I did.

"Thanks for keeping watch last night," Michonne thanked me after a few minutes of silence had passed between us.

Looking over the map, I had hope we'd find more stuff as I took a sip of coffee. "Oh, it's nothing. I like it," I reassured Michonne. Even if I liked my sleep, I knew I sometimes had trouble with it. Having to lie, Michonne caught me on it instantly.

The longer I was awake, the more I thought about my children. And now, my grandchild. Chuckling at Michonne looking at me like she could see I was full of it, I rose the cup to hide my grin. "Uh, you can keep watch tonight," I allowed Michonne to take a night while I would rest tonight.

I knew we both needed to keep ourselves energised. That we both needed a good night's rest. Breathing deeply, I took my sip and saw Michonne looking at me a little more hopeful than usual. "We gonna win today?" Michonne had hope we'd get more than just the few things we found yesterday.

A smirk grew over my features. Kat would want me to be hopeful. "Oh, yeah," I was going to predict we would be, I had to. "We're gonna need batteries for that walkie, too. Get it working again," this was one supply we were going to need.


MPOV

When Rick was ready, we headed out and went looking in a warehouse, that looked to have been where people worked and had lockers were. Fighting the walkers that appeared, we took what we could, searching everything, from boxes, to lockers, to drawers, we eventually found a decent haul from this trip.

That night, myself and Rick tumbled around in the back of the truck again, which made me feel hopeful that maybe, things were going back in the right path. That we were finally fixing what we thought was broken between us. There was more worth fighting for now. And we were doing it together.

For a long moment, I knew Kat was the fuel to Rick's desire to do what was right, to save Kat and get her back. Rick had spent the night sleeping as I took watch. When he finally woke up, we both shared the cup of coffee and discussed where we'd go to next. Walking through the woods, we were out, hunting and searching for anything we could find early in the morning.

As we walked, I couldn't help but smile. It feels right. Being here, with him, fighting, looking for things and doing the best we can to save us, all of us and to save Kat from Negan's hold. "What is it? What's that smile?" Rick asked of me while we walked side by side. "Couple of days out, all we got to show are two guns, dented cans of beans, and some football jerseys, pretty much," Rick was trying to point out that all of that, wasn't a reason to smile.

It might not have been enough but it was plenty to encourage us to keep searching. "Pretty much," I agreed with him. "We're fightin' the fight," I stated what made me smile with a shrug as I looked to him. Rick appeared to be pretty much, at peace with this. "It's better," this was why I was so happy, because this was better than hunting for someone else.

We had been searching for ourselves. Hearing what sounded like a golf ball being whacked across a field, I saw Rick lift up his gun, ready to shoot. Crouching down, we both gazed over to where the sound came from and saw it was a couple of Saviors out here, playing golf.

Even if he was talking indistinctly, I could tell briefly what they were talking about. "And if I hear one more goddamn word about Fat Joey, I'm gonna smash somebody's teeth in," was what gave it away. Fat Joey. We heard his name on the walkie when Negan spoke. "Good riddance to dead weight. No more mascot crap," the Savior complained.

What happened next, myself and Rick exchanged a look when we noticed that these guys had plenty of gear, like water, food and batteries. It would be enough to last them a few hours, had we not been there. When Rick gave the go ahead, we sneaked over to the truck and stole what they had.


RPOV

Michonne was the one driving us further out, as we weren't done looking for what we needed. There was still plenty of places we searched but I had hope that we were going to hit a jackpot. "They got good taste in pretzels," Michonne mused as she drove.

"And batteries," I agreed, adding to it as I began testing the batteries and if it worked. The walkie-talkie would beep and the static sound was a comfort to my ears. We can finally fight them, we can finally use this walkie-talkie to keep track of everything.

Michonne looked ahead, trying to focus on the road, even when there was no cars. There was still a liklihood of walkers and the Saviors. "Two days," Michonne mused before she let out a sigh. "We're gonna need to get back," Michonne encouraged for us to leave, rather than to keep searching.

Silent I held onto the walkie-talkie and knew we needed to keep pushing forward. I had hope Michonne knew we needed to keep pushing ourselves to find more. While we still could. She said it. It's better. We're fighting the fight and we need to keep fighting. "Rick..." Michonne called to me once I hadn't said anything back to her.

"Day and a half more," I did my best to compromise as I lowered the walkie-talkie, away from my face. "Today and tomorrow," I wanted to keep us going.

Michonne's eyes slowly found mine as she listened to me. "We can come out again. We should get back," Michonne tried to convince me that we had enough, for now. But I wasn't convinced. We still need more...we can do it.

So far, we had been smart and safe and we had been finding things. A feeling in my gut, told me that we needed to push just a little further. That something good was coming. "Just a little more," I tried to negotiate, to encourage Michonne to trust me on this one.

Looking to her, she kept her eyes on the road and a hand on the steering wheel. Her face seemed calm but a little concerned for how long we'd been out here. "We're okay. We don't have to find them right now," Michonne was trying to convince me we had plenty of time.

Except, part of me feared the longer we took, the more danger Kat was getting herself in. Although, I knew my daughter and I knew how strong, how capable she was and that she was smart enough to keep herself safe. I have to believe that.

But it didn't stop me worrying, needing to keep pushing, to get those guns as soon as possible. "Yeah, I know," I tried to play it cool. "Just a little more, okay?" I pleaded with her softly.

As Michonne's eyes met mine, it was like she could sense my worry, as a father. Sensed my urgency to keep pushing, seeing how we were okay and actually having fun with surviving out here. With scavenging and finding things so far.

After a long, hard look she gave me, she could see through me. Looking away, I looked back at her with pleading eyes. We're fine so far and the quicker we find guns, the quicker we can end Negan and save Kat. "Okay," Michonne agreed with me.

And we are both strong fighters. We've got this. "Okay," I muttered softly with a grin. Both of us let out a chuckle. As Michonne looked ahead and smiled. She knows we can do this. The faster we can get them, the quicker we can both get Kat back. We both believed this. We had to.


MPOV

During the drive, Rick fell asleep, it was getting pretty late but I decided to stop, rest and have a drink for a while. We didn't know who or what we'd find but coffee would be a good helper to keep me awake, regardless what would happen.

Parking in the woods, I let Rick sleep for a while longer, for however long I could get him to sleep and when I was stirring my cup, I heard a branch break behind me. When I saw what it was, my eyes widened and it was as though it was a sign. A deer.

It had to be a sign, as it appeared in front of me. Trying my best to put the coffee down and to get my gun and to do so, quietly, it still woke Rick. Gasping, Rick jolted from his sleep, panting, he went to attack whatever it was that approached him, waking him from his dream.

"Shh. Shh," I tried to get Rick to relax as my hand went to grasp his shoulder. Approaching the spot the deer was, it disappeared and there was no trace of it. Rick had followed me, trying to be quiet too. "Damn it," I was upset that I hadn't found the deer or caught it.

I was too late. "What was it?" Rick asked me, as we stood side by side. Alone in the middle of the woods. Rick seemed confused and curious to know what I went out to kill.

Knowing Rick, he must have thought it was a Savior or a walker. "It was a deer," I stated, trying to calm his worry and alert stance as he let out a sigh of relief.

Glancing around, none of us spotted anything and I knew it was long gone. Instead of looking for it, I looked to Rick. "I owe you a deer. From before," Rick made it clear when my eyebrows furrowed with uncertainty of what he was talking about. "When they were outside the gate," Rick further explained.

That was when I remembered. It was the same day Kat offered to be Negan's wife. "Oh, yeah, you do," I said, but I remembered that day for many awful reasons. Kat. The fact that Negan had Daryl there too. The fact he took our beds.

Rick and I began going deeper into the woods, but when I caught sight of something, I pointed to it. "You see that?" I asked, shocked to catch a glimpse of something so close, that I didn't even notice it when we drove past it.

"Yeah," Rick answered as we both went back to grab our gear. This could be the jackpot.


RPOV

Reaching the fence, I used my hatchet to knock it against the fence post as I listened to it clang. Gradually, a walker's growling alerted us that there was a threat close. As it came to view, the shadow no longer showing us where it was coming from. When I looked to it, I returned my hatchet to where it was kept safely.

The walker carried around a decent gun, one that was good enough to do serious damage if it was still in good working conditions. "It's guns like that. That's why we're out here," I told Michonne as it grasped onto the fence and snarled at us.

Getting her sword out, she killed the walker. When we got in, we dispatched any walkers in the area and inspected the scene. There were bodies everywhere, it was deserted, a camp that had been torn down by the dead, which was likely. Finding shells, I saw that the gun had deadly ammo but that the shells were empty.

Taking only the ones that would or could be used, I dropped the others that were empty. "Something serious happened here. A long time ago," Michonne thought the same as me as we walked on.

Glancing around, our walk was slow but neither of us were in a rush. "Yeah," I agreed with her. "These are serious rounds," I showed her one of the empty shells I had picked up to let her inspect it. "Might be serious guns here, too," I was trying to stay wishful in my way of thinking.

The walk wasn't far but we came upon a perimeter that had plenty of walkers growling inside of the small town, was all I could imagine. Or something that was worth guarding. I don't remember reading this on the map. "Let's get a better look," I suggested somewhere we could climb.

"Yeah," Michonne followed my lead as we both began to climb up a way that wasn't a hard climb, so that we could get to a roof and get a better, higher look on whatever was out there. There has got to be something.


MPOV

Climbing on-top of the roof of a small building, one I assumed could of held anything underneath. I was the first one to get to my feet at the top, while Rick was crouched down. "Watch your step," Rick warned me.

The fact there was water, a lot of it, on-top of the roof from the rain that must have stayed on the roof and lingered there, I took slow steps. Remembering the last time something heavy was on a roof, I was in a store with Kat, Daryl and many others, as walkers flew down through the crack and at our feet.

The memory gave me a sense of weariness. We could easily fall into a trap filled with walkers. "Maybe we shouldn't be up here too long," I suggested as a slightly uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. I've got a feeling about this.

Rick and I slowly approached the other side of the roof, where what looked to be a Ferris wheel stood tall and possibly many other attractions as they began to appear. "Well, let's see what we're gonna see," Rick encouraged us to keep going.

Looking down, it looked like a fair, covered in people and soldiers alike. "Soldiers, civilians, all those rounds...there was a fight," Rick spoke up as we looked down at the herd that was scattered all over the place, with soldiers guarding it.

"Maybe it was the walkers. Maybe just other people," this was my musings as I spoke what I thought. It could have been anything but those two seem the most logical explanations to me.

Rick looked out again, studied the place a little more as he observed the area as much as I did. "They're still wearing their guns," Rick pointed out to the both of us, as he sounded shocked by this. "I think this is it," Rick commented while his head turned to look at me.

He seemed happy, to find something that could have been our jackpot to the bag of gold he mentioned to the King. A smile was forming as I nod and looked to him. "I think it is, too," I felt ecstatic to find something like this.

This. Something like this, was something we desperately needed. "Think we can?" Rick asked as our eyes met briefly, but his held onto me, like they were awaiting anything I had to say. Raising my sniper rifle that I got from the walker, I aimed for the empty cans in the distance.

Shooting at the empty cans, dust was rising with each shot and eventually, some of them clattered the more I practised. Rick had been watching me and when the cans flew, we both laughed. "Yeah, we can," I told him once I lowered the gun looked to him happily.

Suddenly, I felt the surface under my feet beginning to rumble and snap. As we both looked down, I knew what was about to happen. The same thing I dreaded, was going to actually happen. It's going to collapse.

When we fell, we landed directly onto a mattress, both of us looked at the ceiling and laughed. "Are you okay?" I asked, out of breath as I touched his chest gently with my hand, both of us covered in dirt water, dusty wood and gunk from the rain water.

Rick too was trying to catch his breath as we laid there on the most comfortable thing we had rest on since the Kingdom. "Y-Yeah. Are you?" Rick answered and asked me back.

Both of us were trying to calm ourselves from the fall, and from the laughter. "I am," I reassured him I was fine. Clearing his throat, we slowly began sitting up. "This is-This is a sign, right?" I asked him, bouncing on the bed a little. Both of us laughing at this crazy day.

First, it had been the deer, then it was this place and now, it was a bed. We were supposed to find this place. "This is it. It has to be," I laughed, shocked we found it, that the bad feeling I had in my stomach was actually a great surprise.

Grunting while he got up, Rick's face changed as I gazed up at he ceiling. Thank you God for putting that deer in our way. "Oh-ho," Rick chuckled. "It is," Rick said as he tapped my leg with the back of his hand.

Sitting up, I noticed the stacks and stacks of food sealed in Saran wrap. MRE's, in boxes sealed with the same material was in stacks. This is more than a sign. This is a statement. We can do this. "Well, they're ready. Let's eat," I joked, both of us laughed as we laid there. Who would of thought it?


KPOV

Seeing Davey looking at me with pure anger in his eyes, I noticed he stood with fists clenching at either sides of him. The door shut, made me realise that this was a fight about to happen. For now, I needed to find a way to let it not escalate to this. I need to find a way to stop this from happening.

Seeing him approaching, his steps slow, calculated, I was watching him like both of us were trying to figure out who was the prey and who was the predator. "Davey...is everything okay?" I asked him, hoping to create a diversion for his mind.

"No," Davey answered bluntly. "Everything was fine, until you got here," Davey pointed a finger at me. His eyes squinting at me.

Taking a few steps back, I was keeping my hands behind me, trying to grab for a book, in case Davey tried fighting with me. "What are you talking about?" I tried to keep him talking, tried to keep him away from me as I reached for a book. Taking hold of one, I was ready.

Davey's eyes were dark and I knew he was seeing red. I could tell that look on an enemy's face with ease. "You know, the doctor said some interesting things about you when we dragged him into his cell. Before you got here, he was nice, a good man and now, you made him into a traitor. Something just doesn't add up to me," Davey hinted he'd heard the truth from the doctor.

Keeping still, my back straightening up, I felt my heart pounding and I kept my eyes on him. Davey had never been a fan of me when I got here but I didn't think he'd try and harm me in here. "Dr Carson said that you were pregnant before you told Negan...that you were framing him," Davey was saying what I already knew.

"Davey, you sound crazy...the baby's Negan's...Dr Carson only acted like he supported Negan but he never did," I tried to convince him to stop, his hands behind his back, my eyes glued to his arm as I sensed there was something sharp in his grasp that he wasn't showing me.

Davey stopped in front of me, his eyes glued to his feet as he let out a laugh and shook his head. "See..." Davey began speaking, the way he acted, was like he tried to be a double of Negan, but he didn't have Negan's flare.

"I think you're lying," Davey growled. Suddenly, a hand came up, trying to slash at me with a knife in his hand. Taking the book, I slapped it against his wrist, forcing the knife to fall to the floor to the side as he dropped it from the hit my book gave him.

Davey grabbed hold of my wrist, the one holding the book as I quickly took my free hand to throw a punch to his cheek, feeling my knuckles land against his nose, possibly breaking it. Blood quickly poured from it as we struggled against each other as he tried to get hold of me.

Spitting the blood, Davey's eyes were murderous as he looked to me with a rage inside of them. "You bitch!" Davey shouted before he grabbed a fistful of my hair, attempting to knee me in the stomach. Luckily, I acted quickly, using the book to block his knee connecting to my stomach.

Hitting his knee as hard as I could, while my face turned inwards to bite down on his wrist, he let me go from both spots he held me. Using the book once he didn't know what to tend to, either his knee, that I tried fracturing with the book, or his wrist that I had sunk my teeth into.

Davey curled over a little, using the book, I went to smack him against the head with it, hoping to render him unconscious. Instead, he took hold of the book and tackled me by my waist, dragging me to the bed, knocking the book out of my hand.

As my back hit the bed, Davey tried to pin me down as we began slipping off the edge. My legs came up to press my heels against his chest, digging them into him as he screamed and pinned me down against the side of the bed. Groaning as I tried pulling his torso as close to me as possible, I knew my heels were digging into his stomach the more he was pressing up against them.

The position was awkward as we were on the floor, my tops of my back propped up by the edge of the bed but my hands were grasping his shoulders as his hand was around my neck. His other trying to push himself away from me, while I wouldn't let him escape. I couldn't let him escape. Feeling him grasp my throat tighter, I grunted and slammed his head to be stuffed into the side of the bed. Almost suffocating him or making him feel uncomfortable with the broken nose I had just given him during the fight.

Groaning as his face collided to the bed, I knew it was only going to flatten his nose more, as I buried his face into the covers and side of the bed, my heels digging in just enough to force him to eventually let me go and push me away from him. Getting to my hands and knees, I crawled towards the knife and prayed to get to it before he did.

Needing to get it, before Davey could kill me, I heard him groan and grasp onto something as he panted and began crawling over to me. Next thing I felt, was him shove me down onto my front, as he climbed over me. Grasping onto my neck, as he straddled me, pinning me down on the ground, my front pressed entirely against the floor.

A flashback of Carl in this same position reminded me of what this looked like, of how it felt to see him like this, vulnerable and scared. The image of Carl, it always got me to want to fight harder. Especially this image that built a rage into me, like it did all that time agi. I clawed at his hands on my neck while the other went to reach for the knife, desperate to be free of him.

It was so close, to both of us, I realised. Especially the second I saw his hand go for the knife too, the same way I went for it. Having a release from one of his hands gripping my neck, I knew now was my chance. Needing to think fast, I grabbed hold of his head and slammed my head up to meet the same impact I had forced him down against my crown. The action, caused me to feel the collision hit hard against my head, instantly.

I hope it hit him harder. Hearing him yell from the contact, he returned his hand around my neck, both of them were now on my neck. Davey was trying to strangle me to death as I reached for the knife desperately. I was so close, but my breath was getting hard to hold onto as I began choking.

I could feel my pipes closing, my eyes watering, my body struggling under him to get to the knife. I wanted nothing more than to get that knife, as my fingers touched the hilt of the knife, I was close to grabbing it as it bounced against my fingertips. "Die, you evil bitch," Davey snarled into my ear as I wriggled the knife closer to my palm.

Just...a...little...further. When I was slowly feeling the life being choked out of me, I suddenly heard a grunt, only after I heard something hard connect with Davey's head, who was behind me. When I felt Davey let me go and land beside me, unconscious. I got onto my hands and knees, gasping for air as I crawled away from him.

Trying to regain my breath, I began crawling, coughing, as I propped myself against the cabinate. My eyes trailed up the figure that had saved me. When my eyes met those of my savior, as he too panted and stared down at me, I felt relief. Thank God he saved me...


MPOV

Soon enough we began inspecting all the things they had stored in this room, from the food, to the ready to eat packs, everything seemed to be perfect. Rick then showed me one of the packets and I was shocked. Gasping, I had never seen one and the meal itself, sounded delicious. "What?" I asked shocked as I inspected it.

From then, I began setting up the bed, cleaning up our mess and Rick, he began to cook the food. When we sat down, with candles being our only source of light, it felt romantic, being in a room with him with so many candles around us.

And Rick was thoroughly enjoying the meal he was eating out of the bag. "How is it?" I asked him but he mumbled a little. All through the meal, he'd be humming with delight.

"It's good," Rick answered, chuckling to himself.

Smiling, I then thought of something, something that had been playing on my mind since we had been so focused on preparing the fight with Negan, in saving Kat, that no one really spoke about what would happen once our enemy was defeated. "So, tomorrow..." I started up the conversation.

Rick was happily chewing and taking bites of his food. "Mm-hmm," Rick hummed a response.

"We go out there, we get the weapons, right?" I asked while he put his bag to rest on the makeshift table we had set up out of a cardboard box. Lifting up his beer, Rick took a swig of it and nods. "We get Jadis and her people to fight with us. We kill Negan and anyone else we have to to win. We get Kat back, we help her through her pregnancy and help her look after your grandchild," the list felt endless of what we planned to do.

Rick let out a sigh, possibly because of us mentioning Kat and his grandchild, which I hardly heard him ever referring to it at all. He's going to be a grandfather, of course this is going to be important to him. "And what happens after that?" I asked him, wondering if there was a plan for after all of this.

Lifting my drink, I too took a sip of my beer and saw his head bow as he was deep in thought. "After that, we keep going," it didn't take Rick long to come up with an answer at all.

Raising his drink, he took another long gulp of the refreshment. I know he's worried. About Kat, her child. All of us. He's a worried man. "Yeah, but...Negan ordered the world his way. It's up to us to reorder it once he's gone, right?" I suggested this was something he needed to think about.

Breathing deeply, I knew this was something that must have been weighing heavily on Rick's mind. Looking away from me for a moment as I took a sip of my beer, he then looked to a spot far from where I was. "All the different communities, they can figure it out together, how to keep going together," Rick said confidently.

This is already the plan, Rick. "Yeah, but somebody's gonna have to make that happen. Somebody will need to be in charge of that, right?" I suggested again, trying to push him for answers.

Sighing, I sensed Rick was tilting his head, his eyes no longer glancing briefly to mine. "Mm," Rick hummed while he was nodding. He doesn't want to even look at me. What is going on in that head of his?

"It should be you," I told him, feeling that he was the best candidate to pull us through that stage. Sighing once more, Rick let out a set of snickers.

A smile on his face as he looked to the floor. It was like he was picturing someone. "Not me," Rick declined the suggestion of it being him to lead us as his eyes rose to meet my gaze. A small smile lingered on his lips.

I was stunned by him saying no to an opportunity like that. "Why not?" I asked him. Does he really doubt himself? "You could do it," I was sure of this. Another puff of a sigh left him. "You'd be good at it," I was sure of this.

He's been nothing but a great leader to all of us. He's strong, smart, fearless...everything a great leader is and should be. "I mean, if it's something that you wanted," I added because by how he answered, it made me believe that he wasn't in the mood to be a leader anymore.

Rick held my gaze all through my little ramblings. "Well, I don't think I do. Or I would," Rick corrected himself towards the end. For a few moments, Rick fell silent and lowered his gaze.

His eyes opened as he smiled, like he was picturing someone specific in his mind. "I always pictured Kat would take up the leader role once she was ready," Rick stated to tell me who should really be the leader.

It all makes sense now. "How she made the deal with Maggie at the Hilltop," Rick began singing his daughter's praises. His head rose to make his eyes meet mine a little nervously as he thought about his child.

"This...what she's doing now, with Negan," Rick was hinting at how Kat was already preparing for a war, without even being here with us. "She knew we needed to fight before I did," Rick stated as his eyes looked to the distance. He really admires her...

When Rick's gaze held onto mine, I could see that unmistakable pride in Rick's eyes when he spoke of his children and in particular, Kat. "She's been ready for something like this for her whole life, but she just doesn't know it yet or she just...doesn't want to see it yet," Rick spoke the truth about one of the many flaws his daughter had.

She's also very selfless. Sometimes, a little reckless. And too compassionate sometimes, for her own good. "It should be her that leads after. If that is what she wanted," Rick finished it there, when it came to Kat as his head bowed.

His mind deep in the thought as a small smile cracked along his features. "If not...the two of us, you and me, reordering things together...it would be a great second option, better than me doing it alone," Rick suggested this other option as our eyes met.

I understood him. I knew Kat was strong, smart and everything her father was. Both of them, good leaders. Kat just needed that confidence in herself to lead us in the right direction. Sighing, Rick rose his eyes after briefly looking away. "I want that," Rick told me that if Kat didn't take the leader role, that Rick would rather do it, with me by his side.

"If it's something you wanted," Rick hinted that it had to be something we both wanted. Having Kat as our leader or being a joint leader with Rick, I can be okay with either. "Just the sound of you and me together, even doing absolutely nothin' sounds good to me," Rick commented with a small smile on his lips.

Hearing that, it made a huge grin grow across my features. "Yeah, it does," I agreed with him, Rick took hold of my neck, bringing me closer wasn't a hassle to him. As I leaned in happily and brushed our lips together in a tender, loving kiss. And I knew, whatever happened, we were going to be doing it together.

Holding the wrist of the hand that held me, I pressed a kiss to his wrist and pulled back. Smiling, as I grabbed hold of his hand with both of mine and gazed into his eyes. He's a proud father and loving partner. I can't fault him for either.

"I'm gonna eat five more of these dinners, okay?" I announced as I took my packet again, taking another bite of my food.

Rick chuckled at the sound of my playful jests in trying to change the conversation. "You know...we don't have to get it done tomorrow," Rick offered us to stay here a little longer. "We can take our time," Rick added.

From his words, I felt like he wanted to get this right, to test our luck and to do as much as he could with me, alone, before we could find a bigger jackpot like this to help us save Kat. "If we go another day, another one after that, it's fine," Rick was trying to convince me this was okay.

Trying to convince himself that he didn't have other duties at home. He has Carl, Judith, both of them are waiting for him at home and we had all the time in the world to set up for this fight. "I mean, the place is clear. It's locked up tight," Rick kept talking.

Through his little ramblings, I had stopped eating and just sat there, staring at him. He likes that we're alone. Secretly, he does. "We found the only way in, so..." Rick drifted as he rose his drink and finished the last of it.

As much as being out here with him, alone, for days and days, doing our thing, I knew he had other responsibilities. Carl. Judith. They need him. And we need to get back if we're going to save Kat, too. "We should get back," I tried to be the reasonable one here.

Rick though, he wasn't going to go down without a fight. "If we're getting the guns, it doesn't matter if it takes a little longer," Rick argued softly but I could see through it. He wants to do this alone, with me, not only because he likes it, but he wants to get as much as we can on this trip.

He's worried Negan might strike again and if we don't fight back soon, Kat will be stuck with him longer than we want her to. "Wait. I've been, um...I've been waiting to show you this one," Rick picked up a different bag that I hadn't seen before.

Reading it briefly, I knew he was only saying it to further convince me to stay. As nice as this is, we have a lot of stuff we need to do. "It's, um, chilli and mac and cheese...together. Come on," Rick encouraged me to try it as he offered it over to me. Taking it, I couldn't resist it or him.


KPOV

Clasping at my throat, I finally began regaining my breath, as was Dwight trying to regain his thoughts alongside his own exasperated breaths. Possibly trying to process what the hell just happened in here. "What happened in here?" Dwight asked me the question I imagined he had been thinking.

Offering me a hand, I graciously took it and got to my feet. His hands guided me to take a seat on the end of the bed, which was to be more comfortable for my butt, instead of having it planted to the cold, hard floor in this skirt.

"Is it not obvious?" I questioned him. "He tried to kill me," I answered bluntly as I looked to Dwight and slowly focused on just my breathing. Trying to calm it down, along with my adrenaline pumping heart that raced within the confines of my chest.

I had been close to death, had it not been for Dwight to save me. "Why was he trying to kill you?" Dwight was just as confused as I would have been, if I saw something like this happen to him. Or anyone for that fact.

Davey wasn't supposed to know. "Dr Carson, gave him the story and Davey believed him..." just saying that, I had a feeling Dwight figured out the rest of the story. Davey hated that I had something to do with Dr Carson's death.

Sighing, Dwight looked to Davey, giving him a little kick to his boot, Davey didn't move or wake up. Hoping he was really knocked out, I got to my feet and glanced down at Davey by our feet. He should have known better.

"What do we do now?" Dwight asked me, his head turning to look at me as he waited for my next big plan.

First of all, I didn't imagine any of this to have happened, but I knew I had to protect myself and my child. Luckily, both of us were safe, at the end of it all. All thanks to Dwight for stopping Davey before he could end me.

Gazing down at an enemy, I knew Dwight wasn't at all remorseful when it came to a piece of shit like Davey. Since day one, he hated me. Bet he didn't expect any of this. Instantly, I had a plan.

Davey looked pathetic as he slept at out feet. "Put me on the line to Negan...I want to talk to him first," I gazed up to meet Dwight's gaze, both our eyes locked gazes at the same time. Now, I know I can truly trust Dwight to be on my side of this fight.


RPOV

Sat upright in bed, Michonne was fast asleep and after the night of love making we had done, I had slept for only a good few hours and woke up at the break of dawn. I didn't have the heart to wake her, as I sat there and thought of my kids.

Of how Judith and Carl were back home, if they were safe or if the Saviors were there while we were stuck here. Wondering if anyone else died while we were here. And Kat...I had prayed she was safe, that she was staying smart, like she usually was. I hoped she was doing what she set out to do but keeping herself safe.

I wondered if she had any allies there, like Eugene, or maybe one of the Saviors turned against Negan. Thoughts of her child, growing inside of her, made me rub at my face. I'm going to be a grandfather...

That fact both scared me and had me feeling like I was on-top of the world. Kat had found her a good man, that was good to her, to our family and was strong. So strong, I knew he'd do everything he could to protect her, to get her back.

I had to have hope that with these guns, with whatever this place had hidden around here for us, would serve us in the war to come. I had to have hope that me and Michonne could fight to take down Negan. And when it was over, Kat would take my gun and boots and take the role she built herself up to fill.

Glancing to Michonne, I knew she was right. That there was much to do before and after Negan was beaten. Too much. The weight of the world felt like it was heavy on my shoulders. Then, I thought of Maggie, of Judith, of Glenn, of everything that happened since the start.

I keep losing people and I'm terrified I'm going to keep losing more if I don't act fast enough. Lowering my head into my hands, I had to hold onto hope. To hope that things were going to work out alright. The same way my daughter always held onto hope. That's what I did. It's what I tried to do.

Today is going to be a long day...I can feel it.


MPOV

Leaving once we were dressed and ready, we had a quick breakfast and left to find the guns that were stashed around here and on the soldiers. Slipping into a small entrance, we hid behind a dumpster and kept an eye out for walkers. "Look. The walkers in the field, they're not closed in," I commented as I inspected the scene.

"Uh-huh," I heard Rick whisper. "Yeah," Rick agreed once he got a better look. "We got to take care of the ones out here and block that gap, too, so we can take the rest slow," Rick gave us a brief plan.

Rick then moved a little to begin counting as he would move around the dumpster. "Seven, eight...nine..." Rick began counting how many walkers there were. "That car," Rick indicated to one that was open, a body caught in the windshield and met with me in the middle.

"I can block it up. I can take out that one on the way. You draw the rest," this was Rick's bright plan.

But I noticed how many walkers he was taking out, compared to myself. "You're leaving me eight," I smiled, questioning how this seemed fair. Even slightly.

He is leaving me with all the hard work. And with a higher risk of getting bit. "We could shoot them, but that would call the rest from the field," Rick told me how any other plan wouldn't work. "This is about doing it quiet, with the sword," Rick explained why it was best if I took them out.

Removing his backpack, we would need to remove them for the plan we had in mind. "You can handle eight," Rick was confident I could do this. Both of us ready to face off the walkers and to see this plan through.

"Hey," I whispered to him, when I got his attention, I told him to go after I did. That he should follow my lead. Banging my hand against the dumpster, eventually walkers began heading my way as they spotted me. Hoping, that Rick was going to be safe while I would begin cutting down walkers gradually.


RPOV

While Michonne distracted the walkers, I was given a clear path to rush up to the car, until one walker spotted me and went to attack me. Using my hatchet, I sliced the walker's head and stopped it from coming after me. So far, so good.

When I reached the car, I had noticed walkers were making their way over to Michonne but she was having it under control. Going to roll the car into the gap, a walker had noticed me, the same one that was trapped in the windshield. His hands went out to grab me as he wore military gear.

There is no way I can kill this walker with just my knife. Tugging on it's leg, I eventually felt something being pulled and I had hoped the walker would follow with it. Instead, a whole foot was in my hand as it tore off the corpse that was evidently decaying.

Grunting as I tossed it, I grabbed it by the top of the leg and grunted as I pulled and pulled. Feeling something get free, I tossed it and looked to the where the walker had been, but I then felt the pressure when I saw that all I had done, was rip the walker in half.

Holding onto the walker by the straps of his uniform, I dragged it out and tossed it to one side, finally free of the threat in the car as I began to remove the hand break. Pushing the car, I looked back and saw Michonne was giving me a hand.


MPOV

"You got your eight walkers. I can push," Rick told me as I helped him, finished with the walkers, I knew he only said this to make it fair. He knows I really am doing all the work.

But I didn't mind it. As long as we did it the sooner, the better, I didn't care who did it or how many of us it took. "So can I," I reassured him a little cockily. "You just worry about steering us into that gap," I encouraged him to focus on what he was supposed to be doing.

Rick climbed in, as I continued to push, working my muscles to move the hundred pounds of metal across the field. "Shit," I heard Rick growl. "The brakes don't work," Rick announced to me.

The sound of gunfire startled me, as I dodged the bullets that came flying. Looking to where it came from, I ducked and backed up. The walker, stuck to a bunch of spikes had a gun attached to him. Somehow, one of the spikes was setting the trigger.

Rushing to the car, I climbed in and shut the door to the boot of the car as I nestled myself in there. When the car stopped, walkers surrounded us and the gunfire silenced. "Michonne, you good?" I heard Rick's little voice call to me.

Stuck in a tight spot, I was in the dark and hearing the thumps of walker hands trying to claw to the boot, to where I was. "Yeah," I answered. "You?" I wondered how he was doing.

I thought I heard a little sigh leave Rick. "Yeah," Rick answered, just as breathless as me. "I think we overshot it," Rick made the assumption.

No. He overshot it and he knows it. "You think or you know?" I questioned him, hoping he'd get the answer right.

After a few seconds of silence, I could tell he was a little stunned by the fact I knew when to call him out on bullshit. "I know," Rick corrected himself. "It was a good plan, though," Rick at least, was trying to be hopeful.

"It was a great plan," I agreed with him. I can't deny him that.


RPOV

Pushing the small sunroof off, I climbed out as I heard Michonne climb out from the boot and into the back seat of the car through the flap. We both stood up on the roof, as walkers were clawing to get their hands on us.

I waited for Michonne to hop down from the car and behind a fence. When she was safely across, I followed her lead and jumped down beside her. Looking around, there were no walkers to catch us here so far, only the ones that were approaching the car or were at the car.

Glancing to Michonne, we both were trying to keep a look out for other threats around us. "We'll do it here," Michonne suggested we kill as many as we could here, while we still could.

"Yeah," I agreed with her as we both took out our weapons.

Slicing at walkers that got to the fence, it didn't seem that stable as walkers that bumped into it, made it shake. The ones that died against it, tumbled and almost knocked it down. "Shit. It's not gonna hold," Michonne warned me, thinking the same as I did.

Swinging from left to right, Michonne sliced down and to the sides, trying to get as many of them cleanly until I saw them getting to be too many. "There it goes!" I announced as we watched the fence collapse.

Running back, we tried our best to keep ahead of them and away from them too. Bringing a high striker down, the bell sounded as it collided against a bench. Blocking the walkers, even for a short moments as we worked together to escape them or find a good spot for us to deal with them.

When they pushed it and followed after us, both myself and Michonne watched them and looked around to see how we could handle them. "Split them off into smaller groups. The barriers might hold," Michonne offered an idea.

Glancing around, there were two rides with barriers around them that were closest to us. "You take slide, I take Ferris wheel?" I suggested this could be where we lead the walkers to. "Or we could just go?" was another option I gave her.

"You want to go?" Michonne was quick to question me.

It was in the 'I told you so' kind of tone that a woman could hold. We got this far, we can handle it. We have to. "Nah. We can do this," I answered her quickly, having faith in us, even with the huge amount of walkers chasing us down.

"Yeah, I know we can," Michonne agreed with me as we split off.

Picking up a duck hook, I used it to slap at walkers that approached me as I made my way over to the Ferris wheel. Two had tried to stop me as I opened the gate and locked it behind me. Knocking the stick against the fence, I waited for the walkers to approach. Checking the hook, I felt how sharp it was and had hope it would do major damage.

As soon as walkers approached, I used the hook successfully to take down as many walkers as I could. Michonne far off, was doing a great job as we both worked in taking down all the walkers before they could take down the fences. "How you doing?!" I called over to her as only a few more were left.

"Eight more!" Michonne shouted back at me. "How about you?" Michonne asked me as the walkers tried to grab at her but couldn't.

Beginning to count the walkers heads. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. "Ten!" I yelled once I caught the last walker's head in the crowed that surrounded me.

Just as I was about to continue killing the walkers, I saw a figure catch my eye. Dropping the stick, I began to climb the Ferris wheel to get a better look and precise shot of the deer. Aiming my gun up once I securely held onto the side of the Ferris wheel, I noticed a bigger crowd of walkers making their way over to the deer.

Positive they were going to scare it off, I then noticed something different about this group of walkers. Their hands were tied. What the hell happened here? Deciding to not think too hard on that topic, I decided to lower my gun, as I knew that deer was either going to escape, or just become dinner for the walkers.

Feeling something tug above me, I heard a metal snap and my body fell from where I held onto. Landing onto the ground, way too hard to recover quickly, I rolled around and heard the walkers were gaining on me. Oh no...


MPOV

When I looked up, I saw Rick atop the Ferris wheel, only to fall to the floor, as walkers began approaching him. "Rick!" I yelled. Gunshots were heard as I was almost done with the walkers. Fighting my way over to him as I ran. I need to get to him in time.

Gunshot after gunshot, I knew eventually he would run out and with that amount of walkers, there was no way he'd escape them in time. "Rick!" I shouted again, hoping for an answer but the gunshots eventually stopped. Walkers dropped to their knees, while I heard clicks sound.

As I ducked down, getting past a small barrier that was made, I found walker surrounding a corpse and felt my heart sink. Silence rang in my ears as my heart broke, my eyes wide and heart pounding in my chest as I tried to come to terms with Rick's death.

But I couldn't. He was gone and I had nothing else left to fight for here. I couldn't move, I couldn't do anything and I couldn't save him. My sword fell from my hand as I was paralysed on the spot. He-...he's gone. He can't be. He...

Rick was everything to me. Our hopes. Our dreams. All of it died with him and I didn't know how to keep going without him. When the walkers noticed me, I shook my head and stared. My body took very slow steps back. Until I heard something open, then a familiar grunt sound.

My eyes rose, catching a glimpse of Rick's body as he went to get something. Is this a figment of my imagination? Am I dead? What is going on right now? Picking up my sword, Rick tossed it over to me and I realised, this was real.

"Michonne!" Rick called to me as he threw my sword up for me to grab it. When I caught it, my body was forced to protect itself as my mind slowly returned to the moment. He's alive. He's alive.

My mind would repeat itself out of its numbing state, when it was just me and Rick, I could see him look at me, with fear from what just happened too. Running to him, I jumped up into his arms, as he eventually held me in a tight embrace. My head resting on his shoulder.

My tears pouring from my eyes as I held onto him. He's alive. My gaze fell to what was by his feet, a deer and that was when it all made sense to me. Rick saw the deer. He went to shoot it but the walkers made him stop. He fell and the walkers were eating the deer, not Rick.

"I tried, but I still owe you one," Rick whispered into my shoulder as we held onto each other. We're safe. But we really did push it. We're the ones who live.


RPOV

When myself and Michonne finally pushed through our moment, we began collecting everything. Using what the people had lying around to store the guns, the ammo, any weapons, food, anything we could take that was worth bringing with us.

The haul itself, was something we could happily take with us and proudly present to the others. We spent all late morning, to afternoon, just collecting it all. I saw Michonne's face, saw how she just gave up at the thought of me being dead.

It was a haunting image, as I never wanted to see her that way again. Is that how I look when I lose someone? It was like she was completely lost. The thought crossed my mind, as I had hoped all of this would be enough to save Kat, to fight the war against Negan.

I hoped it would satisfy Jadis, because without them, we'd need to find others who were willing to fight with us against the Saviors. Michonne. If I died, or she did. If anyone we cared about died, we'd have to keep fighting. She needs to keep fighting. I need her to be there for Kat if I can't be. To be there for Judith and Carl.

I need Michonne to live but I understand that I could easily lose her too. I knew that loving people, came with the risk of losing them. It was something I knew before walkers appeared but death was something more normal now, than it ever was before.

During the collecting, I had looked up and saw Michonne take a moment for herself, like she was still trying to process what happened at the Ferris wheel. I knew she was struggling but I knew there was something out there, far bigger than just us. It wasn't just us anymore. There is so much more...


KPOV

Once both of us talked to Negan, I had been pretending that I was scared, that I was a little on edge after my fight but I was fine. The way Dwight looked at me, was like he feared me a little more than he feared Negan. Like he was stunned by my acting chops.

When you mess with a woman like me, expect the unexpected. That was the first rule when it came to Negan, to anyone who did horrible things to me or the ones I loved. I was ready to break this castle down, brick by brittle brick.

Eventually, after the story we sold to Negan, Negan approached us with a group of his men, all of them gazing down at the knocked out Davey as some of them tended to some of Negan's duties and only Laura stood with myself, Dwight and Negan.

"And you said he tried to kill you, too?" Negan asked me as his eyes met mine. He seemed to be curious as to why I was being a target lately.

Crossing my arms over my chest protectively, I glared down at Davey. "He wasn't a fan of me to begin with," I was telling Negan the truth. "It only was fuelled the moment Dr Carson fed him lies that he chose to believe..." I tried to twist it to make it seem like Davey got corrupted by Dr Carson.

Scoffing, Negan seemed amused but annoyed by this story. "So...what do we suppose we do with Davey boy here?" Negan wondered as he glanced over to me, gesturing at my captive with the tip of his bat, squinting at me once he'd turned a little to face me. It was like he wondered just why I was such a desirable target to attack.

Glancing up at Laura, after gazing at Negan, I returned my gaze back to Negan. Laura seemed to be puzzled but stayed deadly silent behind Negan. "Iron him?" Negan offered this suggestion when no one said anything.

"Kill him?" Negan's eyes then slid to glance to Dwight, who stood over Davey, close to his head. "I mean, the prick is supposed to protect you but...I can't have that if he's plannin' on killin' you instead," Negan spoke lightly.

When my eyes gazed back into his, a singular eyebrow arched higher than the other. "Wake him up," Negan ordered after no one said anything. Dwight was the one who walked over to the fridge, pouring a glass of water, Dwight then poured it all over Davey's face.

"What the hell?!" Davey complained as he shot up from the knock out he was under.

Davey gasped for air as he blinked the water out of his eyes as he pushed himself up, off of the floor. "Davey! Davey, Davey. Davey..." Negan then repeated Davey's name in different tones, from light, to then disappointed it slowly became.

"You did a big, fat, huge, no-no," Negan began massaging his forehead with his fingers. When Negan's eyes then looked down at Davey, Davey was glancing around us, noticing me, Laura, Dwight and Negan all stood over him.

Negan stood tall over his rogue servant. "You tried to kill my pregnant wife? Just after I had killed a man who tried to hurt two of my wives..." Negan began explaining the way this looked bad to Davey. "Now that deserves some kind of punishment, right?" Negan questioned one of his own men in the same tone he'd use to sound condescending.

Negan's eyes then danced up to look at me and Dwight. "Normally, I'd burn your face off, maybe throw you in the furnace like I did to Dr Carson," Negan stated what he could do. "Instead, you are to stay away from Katherine..."

How dark Negan looked, as he slowly crouched down beside Davey, who was panting and gazing up at Negan from the position he was in. "You get to babysit our pets, while Dwight relieves you of your post...permanently," Negan gave Dwight the job to look after me.

This would only turn out to be the best option for us. For myself and Dwight. I can sneak around and no one will give a shit as long as Dwight is guarding the places I am in, or not. He won't care where I am.

Negan's eyes turned dark as he gazed into Davey's eyes firmly. "Don't fail me again..." Negan growled, deadly serious as he got to his feet and left. Negan had left us with Davey, Laura walked off, while some of Negan's men dragged Davey to his feet.

Dwight watched as Davey was pulled out of my room and to his newest duties. Leaving me and Dwight alone, he looked to the floor, to the mess made on the ground from the water that woke Davey.

"I'll clean it up..." Dwight offered to take care of the spillage. Taking my seat, as to not slip, Dwight left to grab a mop and bucket to clean it himself. Neither of us wanted to call on one of the point gatherers.

So far...everything feels like it's going smoothly. I could only hope no more hiccups would happen from here on out. Negan was beginning to become irritated and possibly a little suspicious from all of this.


RPOV

Since packing everything up into the back of our truck, Michonne had been deep in thought, silent and sad. It was as though she didn't want to speak, because of what happened back there. It was a scary second but she needs to be stronger than this. I know she is.

As I'd glace to her, I'd try to keep strong but I noticed how she just wouldn't look at me and she'd stare out the window. How nothing was the same since what happened at the Ferris wheel. She was scared, sad and acting depressed. She was no longer happy, hopeful and relaxed. Stopping the car, I needed to say what was going on in my mind.

Sighing, I didn't know where else to start. "I could've gone a couple more days. I would've liked that," I told her that being out there with her, those past couple of days, they were everything to me.

Nothing seemed to get her attention as I would look to her. "I haven't been sleeping," I revealed to her what she already knew. "Thinking about my daughter, how she's stuck there with him, for us," this was one reason I was up at night.

"Thinking about what we lost. Thinking about my friends," this was another reason I was awake most nights. "Glenn saved me. Right at the start," I whispered, feeling the tears build as I could hardly look at her. "I couldn't save him," I spoke of the chances I lost, of the chances we took and how when he needed me most, I did nothing.

It was something I'd have to live with and I hated myself for it. "It's normal. I know that," I tried to laugh it off as I waved it away. "Being stuck on it," it was how I felt. Like I was glued to one place and I couldn't move I couldn't go forward.

"We went through something. This-This doesn't cure it," I spoke of how the trip we took, didn't make me feel any better about our situation. That it only made it worse emotionally for us. Michonne broke down and I can't risk her doing that again...

Suddenly, Michonne's hand reached up to take the side of my face into her palm. "Rick, I'm sorry," Michonne whispered to me while my eyes met hers.

Taking her hand, I stroked it and kissed the back of it. "We're gonna fight them. That's what happens next," I spoke with confidence. "And we're gonna lose people, maybe a lot of them, maybe even each other," I listed all the worst things that could happen and would happen, eventually.

Hearing this, Michonne tugged her hand out of my hold. Her eyes looking ahead, at the road as she processed my words of truth. It'll happen one day. It will. "Even then, it'll be worth it," I was sure of this.

Now, more than ever, I was sure of it. "When I thought that..." Michonne trailed off, her voice cracking as she breathed heavily, tears were taking hold of her. "I can't lose you," Michonne croaked as her head shook and eyes met mine.

And I don't want to lose you either, Michonne. But I knew one day, we would and we could. "You asked me what kind of life we had just surrendering. It wasn't. It wasn't a life," I reminded her of the conversation we had and finally, I understood what she tried to tell me.

I just had hope I wasn't too late to realise it. "What we did back there, what we're doing now...making a future for Judith, for Glenn and Maggie's baby, and for Kat and Daryl's baby," I listed all the little futures that were to grow up in this world.

Just the thought of the innocent, the children in this life, I had to think for them, before myself. "Fighting the fight, that's living," I told her what all of this meant to me. "You showed me that," I had to give her the strength she needed to keep going, even if it was without me.

My eyes never left hers. Although Michonne looked away, especially at the mention of the children that were in our lives. Her tears shook her but I knew she understood what I was talking about. Understood what we were fighting for. We're fighting for a future. Those children, they are our futures.

"You can lose me," it pained me to say it but I had to make her realise she had the strength, to go one without me, even if she thought she couldn't.

Her eyes met mine and quickly she moved away from me again. "No," Michonne was being stubborn about how she felt.

"Yes, you can," I reassured her that she was stronger than she thought she was. "I can lose you," I added it, even if it hurt me to admit it. I have to keep living, for my kids, for my grandchild. For their futures, even if it costs me someone I love. Or my own life. I'd do it.

Sniffling at my words, Michonne looked out the window and moved her back to face me. Wiping at her eyes as my hand rest on her shoulder. "We can lose our friends, people we love. It's not about us anymore. It's about a future," I preached to her, trying to get her to see how I saw it.

How I was trying to see it. "And if it's me who doesn't make it, you're gonna have to help Kat lead the others forward because you're the one who can," I told her, having full faith that Kat had what it took to lead if I wasn't around to do it.

Michonne's eyes shut tightly, as she blinked tears away and processed what I was saying. It's her turn to listen to me. This is my final wish, should anything happen to me. Ever. "But...how do you know?" Michonne asked me as her head turned to let her eyes meet mine slowly.

They were sad but I knew that Kat, would need someone like Michonne. Kat needs Michonne to show her the way. To keep her strong, when I can't. "Because...you led me here," I revealed to Michonne how I knew with a smile. She was the one to open my eyes and I know, she can help open Kat's eyes too...


MPOV

Not a day later, we arrived to the Scavengers to present them with their guns. After a long night of cleaning a few guns, we finally had then ready to be offered to Jadis and her people. Inspecting them, Jadis had her back to us. "Operational? All?" Jadis asked while she inspected the guns.

"To the best of my knowledge, yeah," Rick answered her. "May need some cleaning. We found supplies," Rick informed her of the things she'd need to do. We only cleaned a few, the rest, they're going to have to learn to do on their own.

One of Jadis's people, Tamiel, didn't seem impressed by the fact that they'd have to clean the guns for themselves. "Expect us?" Tamiel questioned Rick angrily.

Rick though, cared nothing for this girl as he approached Jadis slowly. "We cleaned some. We oiled some. You can do the rest. We do this together," Rick told them how this deal went. We don't put all the effort, just for them to show up and take all the credit. They need to work a little too.

"Yes, yes, but operational?" Jadis brushed it off as she turned to ask Rick this question.

Taking a few steps back, Rick was always the best when it came to leading conversations like this and I was trying to picture how Kat would do this in his place. "Well, you can fire a few. Try them out, if you like," Rick encouraged of them to take a shot.

Although, no one did as he said. "How many?" Brion asked this question to Rick.

"63," Tara answered for them. "We made an inventory," Tara was offering them a piece of paper with all the guns listed and how many of them there were for them to take.

Staying back, I had watched the exchanged and saw how blankly Jadis looked on. "No," Jadis said, which only made us all confused.

Tara offered the paper again. "You mean the inventory?" Tara tried to say it the same way they said it in their broken down English. Strange people.

"Not enough," Jadis explained why she had said no.

She has got to be kidding. 63 is a lot, considering we found it over 3 days. "What?" Rosita was the one to speak up. "Wha-What are you talking about?" Rosita was beginning to get angry with these people. She's been losing her cool a lot lately...

Rick turned his attention back to Jadis as I saw his back tense up. "You asked for a lot of guns. That's what this is," Rick reminded her of the deal they'd made. Kat wouldn't of stood for this either.

"Enough to fight your fight," Jadis said, like it meant something to us. "Us? Nearly twice," Jadis was possibly explaining how many of her people there were. How much more do these weird people need? "Need nearly twice," Jadis said bluntly.

I'm close to telling them to go get it themselves, to work for once instead of hiding in their trash heaven. "We've wasted enough time," Rosita growled. "Let's go. Take our guns with us," Rosita encouraged for us to leave without letting them keep the guns.

Jadis then glanced to Rosita. "No," Jadis said one word to try and stop us. "Our guns to take. Our deal still on," Jadis reassured us we were still working together. She just wants more guns, doesn't she?

"Not all of them," Rick disagreed. Not all of them are theres. "We're keeping ten for ourselves, to find more," Rick explained how they weren't all hers.

Rosita had moved to stand back, beside Father Gabriel as I stayed planted where I was. "Five," Jadis said as she approached Rick.

"Ten," Rick spat the number out, their negotiation was tense.

This only made me wonder if it was this tense the first time around. "Six," Jadis continued to negotiate as she walked up to Rick.

Any closer, I'll break her jaw. "Ten," Rick wasn't going to back down as he squinted at her.

"Nine," this was Jadis's final offer. "And the cat back," Jadis wanted the same cat Rick took to give me as a gift. Damn. Just when I thought I replaced the one I had lost...

Rick let out a small grunt. "Twenty," Rick's number had doubled. "I keep the cat. We get you the guns. We fight together," this was the last offer Rick was giving her. "Say yes," Rick ordered of her this time.

How Jadis eyed him, it was like she was secretly impressed by Rick. "Yes," Jadis answered. "More soon, we'll fight," Jadis kept this deal and signalled for the others to take their pick of guns.

Approaching Rick as he walked away, rubbing at his face from the tense negotiation, I knew Rick was feeling the pressure. Especially with how close the date was coming to the Saviors returning for their collection. "You get a few more days before 'what happens next,'" I warned Rick.

It was like he only just remembered that the clock was ticking. "Few more days?" Rick asked me, both stressed and amused.

"That's right," I answered him as he turned to face me, his eyebrows raising as he looked down at me. "We'll find more, figure it out," I was sure of this. I had to be. "Soon. In a few more days," I teasingly said in the same kind of tone these people did.

Negan might be approaching. But I had faith we'd do what we had to, to get our guns and to save our friends. To save all of us. For the future, we want to help build...


RPOV

Making my way back after checking up on patrol, I went to see if anyone knew where Rosita was, as Tobin had taken a double shift for her, seeing as she wasn't there when he went to check in on her before his shift started. "Hey," I greeted Tara as I saw her coming out of the infirmary.

Even after Denise had died, Tara still stayed there, still lived there and made it her home. "Hey," Tara awkwardly greeted me back as I slowly stopped by her porch steps.

"You alright?" I asked her, seeing how Tara looked a little surprised and nervous to see me.

When her eyes met mine, she was trying to play it off cool. "Yeah, yeah, I was just-I was just coming over to see you," Tara said as she gestured to where my house was. "What's up?" Tara asked me, wondering what my visit was about.

I knew Tara and Rosita had been close for a long time and sensed she may know what was going on with her. "Have you seen Rosita?" I asked her. "She didn't show for her guard shift this morning," I explained why I was looking for her.

"She probably just went out looking for more," Tara stiffly answered my question with a guess.

This just meant either she was keeping something from me, or she really had no clue where her friend was lately. "Mm. Yeah," I hummed and breathed in deeply while turning, taking a good look around, hoping to spot her.

Stopping, I turned around to look at her when I just remembered something she just said. "Why were you-Why were you coming by?" I questioned her, wondering what she needed to see me about.

When her eyes met mine, she nervously fiddled with her sleeves before she looked me directly in the eyes and lowered her arms at either side of her. "I have something to tell you," Tara told me confidently. I wonder what it could possibly be...


A/N: A bit of rambling going on here by yours truly. But I think 'Daughter' by Sleeping at last, is perfect for Kat and Rick. It's what I listened to while writing the flashback. Because Rick has such a strong belief that Kat can do anything. That she always could do it, that she was born ready. I strongly advise you to listen to it, shut your eyes and imagine Rick just staring at Kat with Judith.

Another song that came to my mind lately, was Billie Eilish as I played it while writing the scenes Kat was in, while in the Sanctuary. The song was all the good girls go to hell. Only because everyone needs someone like Kat on their team. Which is only being proven by how Dwight is working with her.

NOW, YOU KNOW THE DEAL. BUT...the deal is changing.

From now on, all reviews are written by choice. I'd love the feedback. But from now on, you will have a new chapter appear every fortnight, on a Sunday, no less. Except, when it reaches to the most recent seasons, where you may find less chapters, as I'll need to work on figuring out a stable, fluid plot for season 10 especially.

Anyway, you can expect the next chapter in two weeks time today. So stay tuned and please, write a reply, it means a lot to me to know what you're thinking.

Questions you can answer in the reviews:

1) What did you think of this chapter?

2) Favourite scene in this chapter?

3) What do you think about Kat so far this season (Season 7)?

4) How do you feel Kat is being influenced by seeing Negan's way of leadership? Do you think it will have effect on her later in life? If yes, how so?

5) How ruthless do you want Kat to become? Or should she go back to that sweet, hopeful girl she usually is?

Until the 8th of March (ie, every other Sunday)...

Much love,

HeroJustInTime90